Of what manner of Spirit are you?

Luke 9:51-56  (KJV)

⁵¹ And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

⁵² And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.

⁵³ And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

⁵⁴ And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

⁵⁵ But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

⁵⁶ For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

 

Hmmm … thinking about what’s been in the news recently about proposed Arizona legislation that, according to the reports, could lead to discrimination based on religious beliefs…

Luke 10:25-37 (KJV)

²⁵ And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

²⁶ He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

²⁷ And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

²⁸ And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

²⁹ But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

³⁰ And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

³¹ And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

³² And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

³³ But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

³⁴ And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

³⁵ And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

³⁶ Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

³⁷ And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

More like Christ

On the way to church yesterday, I was thinking how the theme of transformation keeps coming up in the things I’m seeing and hearing.  Then the thought came to me that the Spirit of God takes the written Word of God and transforms it into the living Word of God in me and through me – Christ in me, the Hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).  I thought of the first couple of verses of Romans 12:

Romans 12:1-2 (KJV)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

So I was not surprised when something like this was said during the church service I attended, and the subject of becoming more like Christ -as the fulfillment of God’s purpose for us - was brought forth.  It was really a confirmation of what I’ve been getting for a while (I blogged about it in the February 25, 2013, day 13 entry during Lent), and another reason why I feel the Lord is impressing upon me repeatedly the need for me to be and stay in His Word.

I am just marveling at God’s timing, and the mercy manifest toward me in additional confirmation as the 3^rd ODB devotional for this year (which, again, I am reading only on today!) speaks both of the resolution / goal of being more “Christlike”, and of the assistance we have been given in the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s purposes in and through us.  Going back a couple of verses from some of what was mentioned in church gives:

Romans 8:22-30 (KJV)

²² For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

²³ And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

²⁴ For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

²⁵ But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

²⁷ And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

³⁰ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Of course I was then presented with an occasion to display an aspect of Christ’s character and would have failed most miserably had it not been for the Lord’s assistance and reminder of His purpose for, in and through my life.

Thank You, Lord, for always “being there” in magnificent omnipresence, for being Emmanuel, God with us, with me.  Thank You for Your faithfulness to Your Word to never leave me nor forsake me, for Your patience with me, for Your lovingkindness toward me and toward others.  I cannot thank You, cannot praise You enough …

… and my journey with my God continues …

An Appetite for God’s Word

Many people fast at the beginning of the year, seeking more of God (His Presence, wisdom, revelation, guidance, etc.)  It seems that one of the benefits of fasting is to produce a change in appetite.  The ODB devotional for the 2^nd of January this year also speaks of appetite.

Much encouragement is being given those in Christendom to delve into God’s Word this year – to read, to study, to meditate upon, to live and abide in His Word.  These things together (fasting and being in the Word of God) make me think about Moses’ exhortation to the children of Israel:

Deuteronomy 8:1-3 (KJV)

All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers.

² And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

³ And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

… and Jesus’ reference to it during His wilderness fast:

Matthew 4:1-4 (KJV)

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

² And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.

³ And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

⁴ But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Dear Lord, give us Your people (called by Your Name), today and every day (by Your great and tender mercies that are new every morning and endure forever), an increasing appetite for the things of You so that we may desire to live by every word which “proceedeth” from Your mouth.  And as we delight ourselves in You, O God, thank You for Your faithfulness to Your Word to give us this desire in our hearts, and to grant us this desire of our hearts.  In Jesus’ precious Name I pray, Amen.

Song: This Day (Edwin Hawkins)

… and my journey with my God continues …

Enduring mercy

Although it is the 13^th of the month, I’m just getting around to reading any of the Our Daily Bread devotionals for the year.  I had a few minutes, so my thought was to start from the 1^st and read them all, rather than just starting from today. 

For January 1^st, the ODB devotional was about God’s mercy which endures forever, as expressed in Psalm 136.  It just happens that yesterday at Passion City Church, Psalm 136 was read in its entirety in a call-and-response manner between the pastor, Louie Giglio, and the congregation.

All thanks and praise to our God, for His mercy (love / kindness / lovingkindness / faithful love / grace / steadfast love / loyalty / loyal love) endures forever (never fails /never quits / continues forever / is eternal / is everlasting / lasts forever / is without end / [is] to the age / is age-abiding)!  Hallelujah!!!

… and my journey with my God continues …