God Will Never Leave Us or Forsake Us

 We should probably limit the use of the word never.  It is a true comfort in the title of this blog entry, because we need to know He will always be with us.  It is not true in most other sentences or situations.  

Recently a good friend, quoting a book he likes, said "Everything the Bible says about us is past tense."

I knew something was a little off in that statemnt but I let it marinate.

Later in the week I heard a message by Art Katz on sonship in which he mentioned this verse. Hebrews 5:8 "Though He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered."

So this is not past tense and if it applied to Him it applies to us as we walk this sod in this evil age.

I would agree we are still At Rest, In HIM as this is being accomplished, but nevertheless it is a learning process and is it painful.

Three Thoughts I Don't Want to Lose

Three thoughts I don't want to lose so I will post them here.

 worship pattern

Altar sacrifice for sin   just a time of confession as we look at the word of God and see where the Spirit shows we have fallen short.  Pray for Jerusalm, Marantha, having all things in common, 1 Cor 13 etc

Bronze Laver rejoice in the cleansing power of the blood

12 Showbread  -- remember His promises speak them out down payment as it give Glory to Him

mainly for the age to come

Lampstand admitting our need of His light  crying out to eat from only the Tree of Life

Altar of Incense   Praying as led by the Spirit of God  united with His heart His cry

Veil  gratitude for the Lamb that was slain

Ark of the Covenent   Manna   resting in daily provision

Tablets  rejoicing in the Law

Aaron's Rod  Rejoicing in being chosen

Persecution and trials are a cause for rejoicing when one understands that this "evil age" is not to be our home. The foundation of our understanding is the approaching day of the Lord, and after that the fullness of the glory of the Kingdom of God. God is faithfully purifying the sons of Levi. Any persecution and trial is in exact proportion to what the wisdom of God has determined is necessary for us to be a vessel of honor for the Master's use in this age and even more importantly the age to come. The God of Israel, has a plan for His chosen people and the land that He gave them. We as Gentiles are grafted into Messiah's community and our call, as clearly stated in scripture, is to join in the Messiah's sufferings, lovingly, willingly, laying down our lives as a manifestation of His lovingkindness. We submit to proper authorities unless to do so violates our ultimate submission to God. We do not unite with any power that uses formula's, or earthly means. We eat only from the tree of Life. The glory of God is the only thing that matters.

This is the deep truth that is hidden in plain sight in all the writings of the God of Israel that we follow. Suffering is tied to glory. We rejoice in suffering and weakness because it draws us to Him. It reminds us this is a very temporary, evil age. It is coming to a close on the Day of the Lord. We are strangers, pilgrims, sojourners here, this is not our home, this is not our age. We are given by the grace of God, a down payment of the Holy Spirit and power to point to the age to come. The message of the cross is carried by those who know suffering and who have been brought to a place of "disconnecting" from this age. The cry of "Maranatha" is a cry of a people longing for home. Satan is very aware of God's covenant with Israel, with the Jewish people, and so Hitler and the preview of the persecution of the anti-Christ. The "church" has lost sight of this and God is calling for us to REGAIN our sight, SO THAT, when the anti-Christ does come and begins to try to wipe out the Jews, the "church" rises up and lays down its life in a MANIFESTATION of the love of YESHUA, so that the Jews eyes can be opened to see the faithful love of the God of Israel even in the midst of the greatest time of trouble the world and specifically the Jew has ever seen. God is working very hard to prepare a people who LOVE NOT THEIR LIVES UNTO THE DEATH that is the high call and this time of tribulation in your life is a microcosm of the macrocosm. Welcome to the jungle, He is with us and will always be with us, no matter what! Maranatha!!

Ongoing Renovation for the New House

That seemed like a better title than "Suffering and Glory" which I know I have used before.
Some scriptures that tie together suffering and glory, then a paragraph that has taken a lifetime
to learn. 

Luke 24:26

Didn’t the Messiah have to suffer these things and enter into His glory?”

Romans 8:18 [ From Groans to Glory ] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

Hebrews 2:9 But we do see Jesus—made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace He might taste death for everyone—crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering in death.

Hebrews 2:10 For in bringing many sons to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—all things exist for Him and through Him—should make the source of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

1 Peter 4:13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory.

1 Peter 5:1 [ About the Elders ] Therefore, as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of the Messiah and also a participant in the glory about to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you:

1 Peter 5:10 Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little.

Our flesh is the problem.  Suffering with the proper attitude of, “God what part of my flesh are You trying to show me needs to die?”, puts the suffering to its best use and leads to glory.  Glory in this case is the elimination of the flesh and the greater release of God’s Spirit within us.  It is a red flag when we see the same circumstances happening to us over and over, God is more than willing to walk us around the same mountain over and over until we get the message.  Sometimes it is a different mountain that looks similar but is dealing with a deeper more hidden issue, but it will still be the flesh being dealt with and the means of transformation is always the same. 

2 Cor. 3:18 “We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

"at the end of our strength" 1 Cor. 10:13 rightly divided

A friend posted this blog,  ...   https://flawedyetcalled.wordpress.com/2016/06/01/the-day-god-gave-me-more-than-i-could-handle/

and it spurred me to write this in whole hearted, (slightly long winded) agreement....   This is a powerful truth for Christians to truly realize. God is working both individually and corporately (Romans 8:29 and Eph. 4:13) with one clear and consistent goal for our lives, to conform us to the image of His Son, Jesus. This necessarily demands that we be brought to a place called, "the end of our strength" (Deut. 32:36, Daniel 12:7, Song of Songs 8:5,1 Cor. 4:9-13, 2 Cor. 12:9,10), It is at this precious place where all 'natural' strength is gone, that the gift of faith is given to say, "but God" and the witness of a people who overcome (not by their own strength) but by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony (which is about HIS power being perfected in our weakness) and they love not their lives unto the death. (that is the final part of that scripture that people often forget.) These kind of things happen in "little ways" in our interactions with each other in the "church" which is why the "love chapter" is right in the middle of 3 chapters on how the body of Christ is to receive and use the gifts and join together, gathering together in unity for the work of God. (1 Cor. 12-14) It also is a principle of scripture in ultimate ways, as a simple study of the connection between the words, "suffering" and "glory" will show anyone who takes the time to look it up. Lastly consider the wisdom and love of God (both of which have within their definition the word sacrifice). Romans 8 says, nothing can separate us from the love of God, Romans 9-11 walks us through the incredible wisdom of God to give the "church" a glorious purpose in laying down their lives in sacrificial love to display to the chosen people the unchanging, sacrificial, hope filled love of God, as seen in a people who are crucified to the things of this world. And then comes Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."... The glorious truth is we are bought with a price we are no longer our own, and we trust in His loving heart right smack in the middle of a situation where every evil principality and power is pressing down on us, and literally shouting, "Curse God and die." and from the ashes, from the dust, from the river of tears comes the most powerful statement ever uttered, "Though He slay me, I will trust Him!" and those same principalities and powers have no weapon to use against such a one.