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What Happens When We Recognize God’s Glory In Christ?

What Happens When We Recognize God’s Glory In Christ?

We have been looking at the unique way that John’s gospel has introduced Christ. He began by saying that Christ was the Word of God, was God and was with God from eternity past. God’s oath to send a Savior was fulfilled in Christ. God’s truth was revealed in human form. Then we saw that John presents Christ as the light of the world. The only true light of life that shines into the heart of man to reveal the gospel of truth. Light also reveals the depth of darkness that is present in the heart of man. The more I know of God’s word, the more I understand His majesty and righteousness; the more I recognize my utter depravity. As I begin to understand His righteousness, I realize that my best efforts of human righteousness are just filthy rags in comparison. Next, we see John write, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). He has presented Christ as the Word, the one true light and the portrait of glory. He goes on to say that “No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father hath declared Him” (John 1:18)

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GLORY REVEALED

God had even told Moses that no man could see the fullness of His Glory and live, so that Moses was hidden in a cleft of the rock when God passed by so Moses could see a glimpse of Him. Yet God sent His only begotten son, full of glory to provide the means for mankind’s salvation. In the redemptive work of Christ we see diverse aspects of God’s Glory. We are able to see God’s perfect righteousness displayed.

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How to Pray When Prayer Seems a Soliloquy of Desperation

How to pray when prayer seems a soliloquy of desperation

Prayer at times can be great and mighty praise with songs of joy!! There are seasons in everyone’s life where prayer seems a soliloquy of desperation. During this Christian journey, I have known both. I do not know which season of life you may be in. For any of you who are at this moment in a season of life that feels more than you can bear. Are you living in a moment in which your prayers seem to be cries of desperation into the darkness? Perhaps a diagnosis of cancer, a broken heart, or you have lost your job? A moment in which you don’t know what to do and it feels as though God is silent.

 

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© Lars Justinen/Licensed from GoodSalt.com

[bctt tweet=”How do you pray when prayer seems merely a soliloquy of desperation?”] I have been there at times in this pilgrimage journey and though I cannot pretend to know the burden of your heart today; I can pray for you and with you. In the book of Psalms are many such prayers to guide us; although, sometimes silence is all we can bring into God’s presence. He hears that as well.

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IS THE WAY JESUS PRAYS ACTUALLY VALUABLE FOR ME?

IS THE WAY JESUS PRAYS ACTUALLY VALUABLE FOR ME?

What can I learn from studying the prayer life of Jesus? After all, Christ being the True Son of God and part of the Tri-unity of God; why did He need to pray? He was perfect righteousness; what about the way He prays is of value to the prayer life of someone like me with all my frailties?

Jesus Christ, as Son of God has existed from eternity past as part of the God-head made up of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For anyone struggling with that concept, let me place that in its simplest of terms. Mankind was created in the image of God—body, soul and spirit. So, God is three distinct being (body, soul, and spirit) within one. That truth I will not belabor here. I did in a 2014 series titled, “The Good Pleasure of God’s Will”. Particularly, I addressed this in detail in (Part 2)  of that series

WHY DID CHRIST NEED TO PRAY?

When Christ came to earth in human form, He stepped outside of His immediate presence with His Father and the Holy Spirit. Though He was eternally a part of God-the perfect echoing of God’s essence; He was in human flesh tempted as we are. (Hebrews 4:15).

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© Yongsung Kim/Licensed from GoodSalt.com

[bctt tweet=”In His human form, it was not that Christ was incapable of sin, He chose to remain sinless”]so that He would be able to redeem you and me. Had He ever chosen to disobey the Father’s commands, He could not pay the price for our sin. The burden of obedience lay very heavily upon His heart. Yet, the human body that He lived in had desires, temptations, hungers, and trials like you and I face. It was in this human state that the perfect righteous of Christ was proven. It was during Christ’s earthly journey that His obedience to the Father’s will was tested and fully manifested as perfect obedience. Because of His perfect obedience, He was able to pay the penalty for mankind’s sin. “14 For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10). If Christ, God’s only begotten son needed to pray; how much more we the adopted children?

We need to look both at the times that Christ prayed and the types of prayers so that we might gain insight into our own prayer lives.

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3 Novel Ideas for Man-God’s Grace for a Lifetime

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3 Novel Ideas for Man-God’s Grace for a Lifetime

I am so excited to announce that finally at the bottom of this blog there is a link to the Comment section that actually works. After years of trying to figure it out on my own, reading through the disqus website, google searches, and you tube searches; I finally have a comment button link near the end of this blogpost.  It only took 3 persistent e-mails to the disqus help team, where I finally had to confess that I was an idiot and could not figure this out nor find it by reading their website.  Once I confessed my total idiocy to a group of computer nerds; I got the answer sent to me in the next email response. Of course it was pretty simple. Not nearly as complex as the original setting up of the account which I had somehow accomplished on my own.  Oh well on to the next hurdle. There always is a next hurdle. The idea is to learn from the previous hurdle, so as not to make the same mistake. Right? Well, easier said than done. Also, it is important to stop and ask someone who knows instead of being too embarrassed.

I've got thispicture of my son Alberto when he was 3 or 4

Repeat Offenders and Do-It-MySelfers (Like me!)

The same is true along this Christian pilgrimage. How many times have I failed to learn from my previous mistakes? How many times have I climbed a gigantic mountain only to be halted by fear when a small stone lies in front of me? How often have I been too embarrassed or too proud to ask God for help? Instead, I look at Him and say, “I’ve got this, let me do it.” Of course, then He has to undo my mess as well as help me do the original task at hand.

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CAN A SHATTERED HEART BE THE CATAPULT TO JOY?

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Faith that makes you fearless and Joy Unimaginable–Can a shattered heart be the catapult to joy?

Let me begin with a huge apology.  For the first time in the 5 years that I have been posting I had to do a complete rewrite.  For those of you who have read the first posting and it really meant something for you; I will gladly send you an email copy for you.  Let me try to explain why I felt I had to rewrite the entire blog.   This morning’s writing was an attempt to “improve” my writing.  I realized after  I got to work that I had drowned you in my history I was hoping to help you see the awesome love of God who remained so faithful to me. I wanted you to know how He patiently took my hand to teach me of how much He loved me; even when I got it all wrong?  He loved me when my theology was all wrong; and, He loved me when I turned my whole world upside down.

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WHERE CAN I BEGIN:

Let me begin by saying my whole purpose for writing.  The very reason I began this blog or wrote any of my books has been to reach out a hand of love to any of the readers that came by.  This week I began taking classes in how to reach a larger audience and so instead of just listening to my heart; I tried to construct a blog the way “it should be.”  But I got it wrong.  What I meant to say this morning is: are you hurting? Have you or are you in the midst of an abusive relationship?  Have you known aching, desperate loneliness?  Have you ever believed you weren’t pretty enough or good enough to be loved?  If so, please understand; I have been there.  I do not say that with any pride or badge of honor.  I just want you to be aware that I know how that feels.  I know the fear and despair of facing cancer all alone; too afraid to tell your children that the doctors don’t think your chances are very good.  I know what it is to go paycheck to paycheck while at the same time trying to hide the truth of your financial devastation from your children. You don’t want them to suffer from your mistakes.  I know what it is to have good meaning christians question your faith or say “that it must be your sin that prevents God from blessing you?” And I know what it is to desperately cry out to God in the middle of the night, “Oh, God; why can’t I get it right?  How can you love me when I keep failing you?”

GOD’S GRACE:

The truth is–God’s grace has been there every step of this journey.  He has been Sovereignly present. He has been step by step transforming me.  He loved me way too much to leave me the way He found me.  Instead, inch by inch and glory by glory; He is changing me into the image of Christ.  (2Corinthians 3:17-18) I want you to know that He loves you.  You are never too deep, too far, or too lost for Him to find you.  I know; because I have been there.

 

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