The Refiner's Fire

http://www.reflectingjesus.org/index.cfm?fa=contentGeneric.mnbxtkkccslhzorn&pageId=131016


"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:7-11)"...


“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)...


When I look at Satan, and Adam and Eve, the question I want to ask is, “What would keep me from falling?” My answer would be what Jesus tells his disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) (Indeed, because of this very point, I am currently spending my ministry developing discipleship material to encourage others how to maintain a constant and practical connection to Jesus.)


Therefore, the issues I need to be concerned are are twofold. Firstly, how shall I remember the fact that I am nothing without Jesus? And secondly, how, in my weakness, can I remain in an intimate connection with Jesus so that his nature is able to flow automatically into me, and as a consequence, I will reflect the very good fruit of his character?


Jan Johnson perhaps sums this all up in a quotation I found recently, “As we do the connecting with God, God does the perfecting in us."

Acceptance Vs. Resignation

Author Creath Davis points out that:
"Resignation is surrender to fate. Acceptance is surrender to God. Resignation lies down quietly in an empty universe. Acceptance rises up to meet the God who fills that universe with purpose and destiny. Resignation says, 'I can't.' Acceptance says, 'God can.' Resignation paralyses the life process. Acceptance releases the process for its greatest creativity. Resignation says, 'It's all over for me.' Acceptance says, 'Now that I'm here, what's next, Lord?' Resignation says, 'What a waste.' Acceptance says, 'In what redemptive way will you use this mess, Lord?' Resignation says, 'I'm alone.' Acceptance says, 'I belong to you, Lord.'"

Psalm 63

God is not plan B

The Cross

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/lenten_series_father_forgive_them.htm

Jesus’ choice of the word, Father, reveals his closeness to God. As in all of Jesus’ prayers, he never addressed God as Lord, King of the Universe, Omnipotent Ruler of the Heavens. The distinctiveness of Jesus’ prayer life was to call God intimately by name, by the word, Father. One Biblical scholar says that Jesus’ whole life can be summarized by that one intimate word, Father.


Our prayer life is to be the same. We too are to pray intimately to God in all circumstances, especially when we are in pain. When the pain is the worst, that is when we often pray the most. Jesus did the same. When we are in our worst pain, we call out to God to help us handle this situation we are in.


The second word from the cross is the word, “forgive.” Rather than calling on God to damn and punish those people below who were crucifying and killing him, Jesus’ heart was full of compassion for them, rather than rage. The normal thing was to swear, curse, use foul language at his tormenters but Jesus’ heart was just the opposite. Jesus called out for God to forgive his tormenters rather then to punish them.


But it is not easy to forgive your enemies and those people who kill you. That was not easy for Jesus. But that is what Jesus did from the cross. Jesus loved those who were hurting him and killing him. That is what is amazing.


A translation of the word, forgiveness, is to “let go.” Jesus forgives our sins; Jesus lets go of our sins. There is a story about how to trap monkeys. A trapper of monkeys sets coconuts at the bottom of the coconut tree, but those coconuts have holes drilled in them, holes about the size of a monkey’s fist. In other to get the white meat in the coconut, the monkey squeezes his hands down into a fist and slips his squeezed fist into the hole in the coconut and when his fist is inside the coconut, the monkey’s hand expands and grabs the white coconut inside. The hand is now full of coconut meat. The only way a monkey becomes free is to let go of the coconut. The only way we as human beings ever become free in life is to let go… to let go of the way our parents have hurt us in childhood, let go of the pain of our marriage, to let go of all the mistakes we have made. The only, and there are no exceptions, the only way to freedom is to let go of all the hatred and anger inside about wrongs I have done in the past or wrongs others have done to me. From the cross, God lets go of our sins.


Jesus’ forgiveness and love from the cross was pure grace, was freely given, as a gift to people who did not deserve the gift. And so it is with us.

The first word of the cross is pure grace for you and me and the world: Father, forgives us, for we know not what we do.”

"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, `I repent,' forgive him." Luke 17:3-4