In Loving Memory

My beloved baby brother passed away unexpectedly this past week. Tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. our family will see him to his final resting place here on earth.

We who love him –  siblings, children and best friends – feel his loss profoundly. But we have placed the burden of our grief on the shoulder of our Heavenly Father.

Truly, GOD has been our comfort, our peace and our place of rest this past week. We remain firm in our faith. Our GOD will strengthen us; He will help us; He will hold on to us with His righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

Our hope is sure.

We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone. 

Psalm 33: 20-22

The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him.

For He knows how weak we are; He remembers we are only dust.

Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die.

The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here.

But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear Him.

His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey His commandments! 

Psalm 103:13-18

R.I.P. Michael Christopher Richards

Praise to our GOD! Gracious and loving Father, YOU know the weaknesses of our spirits and the limits of our days; that we are no more than dust blown about by the wind and grass that wither away. YOU alone hold life and death in the palm of your hand and our hope is in YOU and YOUR promise of life everlasting for those who fear YOU. We mourn the loss of our loved one, but we are comforted by the peace that only YOU can give – the peace that surpasses all understanding. We will not be unshaken. We will yet praise YOU, our LORD and our GOD. In JESUS’ Holy NAME. Amen.

Still by GOD’s WORD and prayer!

Cecile

Purity Is A Heart Condition

Recently I posted an article on why the children of GOD must accept the WORD of GOD exactly as it is written.

GOD’s WORD originated with GOD (2 Timothy 3:16) and reflects His character of purity (holiness) and perfection to His children (Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 19:7).

GOD’s WORD shows us who He is and teaches us how to be like Him – it trains us in righteousness and teaches us to be pure and holy like He is.

Obviously, purity is important to the GOD.

So, what is purity?

Purity is of the heart not the head

“…for the Lord searches every heart and understands the intention of every thought.” 1 Chronicles 28:9

The Apostle Paul in his epistle to Titus (1:10-16) tells us that just knowing about GOD and His moral law does not make us pure. Paul warns Titus about a group of people who “profess to know God, but they deny him by their works.” Paul describes these as people with impure hearts.

“To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Titus 1:15.

Paul’s caution reminds us that our outward behavior and lifestyle are expressions of our heart condition.

Purity of heart is the seat of holiness

“…above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

The Bible is clear that purity of heart is central to holiness. Terms used to describe the “heart” in other translations of Proverbs 4:23 include “source of life,” “issue of life,” “spring of life.” All say that the state of our hearts determines the state of our actions.

As GOD’s children, we want our lives to please our Father. But we can struggle to maintain GOD’s standards, just like the apostle Paul who said, When I want to do what is good, evil is with me. Romans 7:21.

The truth is, we all sin and fall short of GOD’s glory but there’s always good news with GOD.

Because He called us to have victory in living out our calling of holiness as His children, GOD will not allow us to go this journey alone, so He ensures our victory with support from the entire Godhead.

We have the Father who is the origin of our holiness, the SON who assigns His holiness to us and the Holy Spirit who is our lifetime daily sanctifier.

We give ourselves over completely to this Power Source and we cannot fail. 

Working together They will change us daily into GOD’s same image from one degree of glory to another. 2 Corinthians 3:18

We can be just like our Heavenly Father, pure and holy!

The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy Father, YOU are the GOD whose love never fails. Thank YOU for choosing us to be YOUR children and showing us the way to a life of purity and holiness. We thank you that through CHRIST and the Holy Spirit we can enjoy an abundant life with YOU now and for all eternity. Father YOU are faithful! YOUR goodness is boundless and your mercy is new every morning. We are grateful for YOUR WORD which is life to us and became LIFE for us. We adore YOU, we adore JESUS, our Savior. Our earnest desire is that the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts are always pleasing in YOUR sight. To YOU, we give all praise, all honor and all glory, and we ask all things in JESUS’ Holy NAME. Amen.

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile

Through the Darkest Valley - Psalm 23:4

Recently a dear relative and his wife lost their first pregnancy at five months. She went into labor suddenly and delivered a beautiful baby boy, still born. Needless to say, they are devastated and the entire family is hurting with and for them.

The first week home from the hospital they chose to remain secluded and grieve their loss together privately. But in the midst of their pain their faith remained strong. They spent a lot of time in GOD’s WORD seeking comfort, understanding and strength.

This dear young couple is going through what the psalmist David describes as a dark valley (Psalm 23:4) – a time of darkness, pain and suffering.

All believers will face dark valley days at some point in their lifetime. Family support and land our closest friends can help to ease our hurts and get us through tough times.

However, some burdens are beyond human understanding and bearing and we need more. Those are the situations where only divine help can keep us from total collapse.

GOD promises to be with us in our dark valley.

Psalm 23 may be as well known to believers as it is to non-believers.  But for believers this Psalm should never be allowed to become stale and commonplace. 

This psalm can be our spiritual lifeline in a crisis. Every line of the eight verses that make up this song of praise and thanksgiving speaks of GOD’s tender loving care for His children.

Although the Psalm is known to and by many, its promises are for those who are in CHRIST JESUS. He is the GOOD SHEPHERD. Only through Him are we the children of GOD. And only through Him do we receive the protection from earthly and spiritual lack and ruin that this Psalm celebrates.

Let’s look at the promise in verse 4 – “Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me.” Psalm 23:4a. Other versions of the Bible read, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”

We all will have a “valley” experience at some time in our lives. Scripture assures us that we will have suffering in this world but we can face them with courage since in them we will also have peace. (John 16:33).

Note the text of Psalm 23:4a doesn’t say if, but when I go through (or even though I walk through.)

Our GOOD SHEPHERD has an assignment from the Father to look out for GOD’s sheep at all times. In the good and bad times, He is with us. That includes in the midst of our valley experiences.

Note also that the promise is not that GOD will take away our troubles, but that He will take us through them. 

When we are in a painful place we tend to pray for escape. Instead GOD says I am taking you through your troubles and I will be right there in it with you, to give you strength and comfort.

Why does GOD want us to endure our trials?

Because we have the GOOD SHEPHERD to watch over us, we are not defenseless. 

We are able to do all things through His strength and to the glory of the Father who loves us. In our most dire circumstances GOD works for our good and ultimately, for His glory. (Romans 8:28).

Scripture tells us to rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. Romans 5:3-4  Hope, not in ourselves but in the eternal promises of GOD who is omniscient. He’s all-knowing and all-seeing.

While we may be unable to see beyond the enfolding darkness of our present pain, we must not lose hope. Our confidence and trust are in the GOD who is able to see us through to the other side.

The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk lived through one of the darkest periods in Jewish history but his confidence in GOD’s sovereignty, mercy and ability to save and deliver remained fixed:  

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. Habakkuk 3:17-19

Why does the GOOD SHEPHERD do all that He does? 

This Psalm tells us it’s for His NAME’s sake (Psalm 23:3).

Renewing our lives, guiding us along right paths, walking us through the darkest valley are all the ways that GOD shows His faithfulness to us. And by His faithfulness GOD both gets us safely to the end of our journey and brings honor to His NAME.

For this reason, we can trust the GOOD SHEPHERD's promise to banish all fear and give us peace and hope through our darkest valley.

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:11

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy Father, we praise YOU as our faithful GOD and Father and thank YOU for the GOOD SHEPHERD who watches over us always. We thank YOU for the wisdom by which you guide us, renew and restore us and for YOUR presence with us even when we are too distressed to know it. Help us to use Psalm 23 as a daily song of praise, to get it fixed into our minds and hearts so we know immediately the comfort and loving care it gives in a crisis. Thank you for loving us so completely and for the richness of YOUR grace to us. YOUR NAME be glorified for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in JESUS’ name. Amen.

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile

Living the New Life in Christ

The very moment we accept JESUS CHRIST as LORD and Savior, we become a new creation. The old self outside of CHRIST is no more and a new self takes its place. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

Before salvation we are spiritually dead, hostile to GOD’s will, and without hope. Now that we are the children of GOD the Father’s Spirit lives in us, enabling us to let go of the misery that came with our old lifestyle and embrace the joy of living righteously as the new self in CHRIST.

Although the Spirit is there to help us, GOD wants us to be active participants in the process of becoming our new self. He tells us in His WORD to put off the old self and put on the new self to reflect His image and likeness. (Ephesians 4: 22-24). And GOD, being faithful, does not leave us to figure it all out on our own.

What do we need to change?

Our speech

• Don’t lie; speak the truth. Colossians 3:9; Ephesians 4:25
• Don’t use foul language. Communicate with grace, love and respect. Ephesians 4:15, 29; Colossians 4:6
• Don’t gossip about and slander others. Proverbs 6:16-19; Ephesians 4:31

Our attitude

• Don’t grumble and complain. Philippians 2:14
• Don’t let anger get out of control; seek peace. Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:15
• Don’t be unkind; show compassion and forgive. Ephesians 4:32

Our character

• Don’t steal; deal honestly with others. Ephesians 4:28; Proverbs 11:1
• Don’t be a cheat; have integrity. Proverbs 11:1, 3; Psalm 25:21

Our thoughts

• Don’t entertain negative thoughts; think positive. Philippians 4:8-10; 2 Corinthians 10:5
• Don’t be consumed by worry; pray always. Philippians 4:6-7; Matthew 6:25-34

  

These actions must be deliberate and purposeful whether we have been saved for a week, a year, or have decades of salvation under your belts.

What is our ultimate goal?

Every believer’s goal must be to be as good a likeness of our Father as we can be before the rest of the world. To be blameless and pure, children of GOD who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world. Philippians 2:15.

Some days that goal may seem distant and beyond our reach. We must not be put off but, with faith, continue to keep the goal firmly fixed in our sights.

The Apostle Paul wrote the majority of the New Testament epistles that guide our lives today and he could not claim to have full maturity in his Christian walk. However, Paul did claim to be making every effort to get there. (Philippians 3:12-16)

How did Paul do it? He put off everything in his old life and moved continually toward the new life and the prize promised to every believer by GOD’s heavenly call in CHRIST JESUS. Our call to the Kingdom and to eternal glory and happiness.

Reaching this prize is our ultimate new life goal.

We get there by pressing forward daily, living up to whatever truth we attain along the way, and knowing that, as we go, we are being transformed from glory to glory.

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy Father, we good and awesome YOU are! We thank YOU for the prize of YOUR high calling in CHRIST JESUS. Thank YOU for YOUR perfect love in that those whom YOU called, YOU both justified and glorified. Father, YOU have done a complete work through YOUR SON and we are glad. We thank YOU for working in us to will and to do of YOUR good pleasure to fulfill YOUR purpose for our lives and the riches of YOUR grace for us. To YOU, be dominion and power for ever and ever. 

We pray and ask all things in JESUS’ name. Amen.

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile

Believe the Whole Bible

I read my Bible a lot, have done so for many years, yet still there is plenty in there that I don’t understand.

I have read and re-read some things over and over and I ask GOD questions. I wait for the Holy Spirit to enlighten me. I read books and comments written by trusted pastors, theologians and Christian authors.

Sometimes I get good, sound answers and I get it! But just as often I get nothing and much continues to be a mystery to me.

As my faith grew over the years, I stopped doubting my ability to comprehend. I stopped trying to figure out which Book was Bible “fiction” and which was truth. I simply read, meditate, study, pray and wait for revelation.

I have accepted that I don’t have to understand everything my Bible says perfectly; that what I must do is believe the Bible absolutely; that the whole Bible is GOD’s TRUTH and has eternal value. 

I know without a doubt that GOD is pleased by the change in my attitude. He and I are finally on the same page!

Believers who are sincerely seeking GOD’s TRUTH will admit to finding places in the Bible that raise questions.

Know that we will never understand it all completely.  But what is made know to us must be enough to keep us steadfast and unshaken in our faith in GOD’s WORD.

What are three facts believers must know about their Bible?

The Bible originated with GOD

GOD Himself worked through human authors by a process called “inspiration” to get the Bible written for His purpose:

•  “ALL of Scripture is GOD-breathed (or inspired by GOD) and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16. 
•  “…no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21

We trust GOD; we can trust the Author of the Bible. These are one and the same!

The Bible reflects the character of GOD

As GOD is unique in His purity and perfection so is His WORD:

• Every word of GOD is pure. Proverbs 30:5
• The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times. Psalm 12:6
• The instruction of the Lord is perfect. Psalm 19:7

GOD is also omniscient – all knowing, all wise, and all seeing. He is incapable of making mistakes.

The Bible reflects the mind of GOD

GOD’s thoughts and intentions are beyond our ability to grasp (Isaiah 55:8-9).

This fact disqualifies us from “correcting” GOD’s WORD. Scripture warns us that we are to take out nothing or add in anything:

• You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you. Deuteronomy 4:2
• Don’t add to His words, or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar. Proverbs 30:6
•  “For I assure you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all things are accomplished.” Matthew 5:18
• “…to everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of this prophetic book, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the holy city, written in this book. Revelation 22:18-19

GOD has a divine plan for His perfect WORD and the cost is severe to anyone who perverts it in any way. 

Conclusion

The Bible as our rule book from GOD for the practical living out of our Christian faith; it represents who GOD is and His will for His people. Since we are “His people,” believers must view the Bible with the awe and reverence it deserves:

• Believe that the GOD who created the universe and is perfect in all of His ways is capable of “writing” a Book that is also perfect – including the parts we don’t understand, agree with or like. To judge the Bible by human standards is vanity and pointless.
• Accept by faith that all of GOD’s WORD has a purpose that GOD intends to fulfill in His time (Isaiah 55:11).
• Rest assured that GOD, in His omniscience, knows perfectly the who, what, why, where, and how contained in every syllable of the Bible and He uses all for His glory and to benefit His Kingdom (Matthew 5:18).

Since Scripture commands that we study the WORD (2 Timothy 2:15; Acts 17:11), we never stop doing so, prayerfully and with respect. We pray even harder and more sincerely about things we don’t understand.

When our Creator chooses not to enlighten us about something in His WORD, may we humbly bow to His Perfection and move on to the next verse, chapter, or book, with joy!

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy Father, we praise YOU our faithful GOD and say thank YOU for your perfect WORD that teaches us how you walk the Christian walk—not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Thank you for giving us new life in CHRIST and the privilege of sharing in the mystery of YOUR divine plan through YOUR WORD. Remind us that now we may only know in part but we will one day know fully as we are known. For the richness of YOUR grace that chose us in CHRIST, we thank and praise YOU! To YOU, be dominion and power for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in JESUS’ name. Amen.

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile

Holy Spirit Power

On Sunday Christian churches world-wide celebrated the Day of Pentecost – the day that the Holy Spirit appeared and filled the early church apostles (Acts 2.) 

This event fulfilled the promise JESUS made to His disciples in John 14:26; that the Father will send the Holy Spirit to them after His death on the cross and resurrection.

JESUS later appeared to the disciples after the crucifixion to prove that He was indeed alive, and to  tell them to wait in Jerusalem until they received the gift of the Holy Spirit whose power would make them effective messengers of the gospel to the world (Acts 1:4-8.)

Do believers today need the Holy Spirit?

Scripture tells us that all who belong to GOD have His Holy Spirit living in them; if the Holy Spirit is not in us we are not His (Romans 8:9.)

All believers receive the Holy Spirit. Ours is not as dramatic as described in Acts 2, with rushing winds and tongues of fire settling on our heads. But ours is just as supernatural and takes place the moment we receive JESUS CHRIST as our Savior.

For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13

What does the Holy Spirit do for believers today?

The Holy Spirit is proof of our salvation. Immediately we believe, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us and has several roles:

• The Holy Spirit is a gift from the Father to identify us as belonging to Him and unify us as one family, since all believers have the same Spirit living in them. Ephesians 4:3-4
• The Holy Spirit lives permanently with believers. He is a down payment on our future glorification in CHRIST and our assurance of our eternal state as GOD’s children. Ephesians 1:14
• The Holy Spirit helps us to understand and interpret the truth of GOD’s WORD. John 16:13
• The Holy Spirit is our instrument of sanctification. He produces good fruit in us which we are unable to do in our own flesh – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. As we allow ourselves to be continually filled by the Holy Spirit and yield to His guidance, we become more like CHRIST. Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:18, 
• The Holy Spirit is the giver of the spiritual gifts that equip believers to function as the body of CHRIST in the church and ambassadors of CHRIST to the world. 1 Corinthians 12
• The Holy Spirit gives us a prayer language to use for more effective intercession on behalf of others. Acts 2: 4; Ephesians 6:18

The Holy Spirit performs all the functions that JESUS would if He had remained on earth to live among us. 

He is with us to lead and guide us, to renew our minds, open our understanding and clarify GOD’s TRUTH for us; to cleanse us and give us new hearts.

Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we would fail continually in our Christian walk. To fully experience and live the best Christian life we need the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives.

When we yield to and are strengthened by the power of the Spirit, we will “be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of GOD’s love, and know the love of CHRIST that surpasses knowledge, so we may be filled with all the fullness of GOD”.

 …a new appreciation of what GOD the Father, GOD the SON, and GOD the Holy Spirit.

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy Father, we praise YOU our GOD and thank YOU for the precious gift of the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives. We thank YOU for the wisdom and revelation we receive through the Holy Spirit to know YOU more intimately and the truth of YOUR WORD. We thank you for the gifts of the Spirit that equip us for the work of YOUR Kingdom and the ability to have more intimate communion with YOU in prayer. Thank you for loving us so completely and help us to yield ourselves to the richness of YOUR grace towards us. To YOU, be dominion and power for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in JESUS’ name. Amen.

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile

For the Best Life – Put GOD First

Doctrines one and two of The Westminster Catechism are keys to living your best life as a believer.

1. Our chief purpose in life is to glorify GOD and enjoy Him for all time
2. Our how-to guide for doing number one is the WORD of GOD.

Sadly, we too often ignore our purpose and choose instead to focus on our needs and pleasures. We live too much for ourselves and outside the will of GOD.

Once we confess CHRIST as our Savior we are children of GOD by faith and our lifestyles ought to speak loudly and clearly of what we are.

As the second Catechism doctrine states, the WORD of GOD instructs us on how to live (2 Timothy 3:16.)

JESUS Himself teaches us to focus our energies on GOD’s will and growing in holiness above all else. We are to worry less about our lives – “what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear,” and allow GOD to take care of our needs. (Matthew 6.)

There is no time like the present to redirect our focus from ourselves and commit to living out and doing GOD’s will.

Believers have the Holy Spirit living in us and His job is to teach and guide us in GOD’s truth. With grace He will enable us to:

• Love GOD and others more than we love ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40)
• Forgo selfish ambition and do for others, even those who hurt us, and do it without complaint. (Philippians 2:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:15-17)
• Focus our energies on telling the good news of the Gospel of hope to a lost and dying world.  (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15)
• Believe that GOD works in our pain for our benefit and His glory; that His Name and our well-being are His main concern; that He loves each of us uniquely and completely and will never leave us. (Romans 8:28-39)
• Trust GOD to give us great success because His plans for us are not for evil but to give as a future and a hope (Proverbs 3: 5-7; Jeremiah 29:11)
• Choose GOD’s wisdom over our own foolish desires because GOD’s wisdom outweighs ours by far (Isaiah 55:9)

With the Holy Spirit we can do all this and much more.

Our Father never asks us to do what He will not give us grace to do. He has promised to “…equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through JESUS CHRIST.” Hebrews 13:21. He will do no less.

We have an abundance of Divine help available so we don’t have to keep doing life our own way.  

This is not GOD’s will for us. Living by our own rules and for selfish pleasure brings only physical, mental and spiritual chaos into our lives.

On the other hand, when we live out our divine purpose – loving, serving and enjoying GOD, obeying His WORD, GOD rewards us with all the desires of our hearts and lives filled with peace and joy.

Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday. Psalm 37:4-6

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy and Everlasting Father, we praise YOU our as the faithful GOD who is always with us. YOU order our steps and WHEN we fall, we are not cast out or overcome by sorrow because YOU never let go of our hands and will lift us up again. Teach us to make YOU our greatest delight, to seek YOUR face and your righteousness, to be anxious for nothing and to trust that YOU are Jehovah Jireh who always provides above and beyond what we could ever imagine. Thank YOU for JESUS CHRIST, our LORD and Savior, that in Him we lack nothing. You are truly a good, good Father, worthy of all honor, all glory, and all praise! And we love you. To YOU, be dominion and power for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in JESUS’ name. Amen.

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile