Faith Grows Exceedingly When Love Abounds

(2 Thessalonians 1:3)

(followed by:)
Selfishness is the foundation of fear (which, in its simplest form, is not putting God first)

Love is the foundation of faith (Galatians 5:6)

"GRACE"

GRACE = God's Riches At Christ's Expense

By no means am I trying to simplify "Grace", but it IS a neat acronym ;)

Reflection & Encouragement

Less than a year after I had been working for Lake Medical Imaging, our IT Director had his son come work with us for a few weeks to pickup some experience with members of our team (at the time, he was wanting to start a career in IT, but had no experience at all).

When he was eventually assigned to work with me for a couple of weeks, we had several chats about computer technology and his desire to pursue a career in IT.

I wrote him an email in June 2013 that was not only encouraging to him, but was encouraging to me as well (gleaning growth by sharing).  I'd like to share that "letter" here on my blog:

You've been asking some very good questions about your future, and I've given you some decent answers. But I haven't given you the most important answers.

The bible says in James 1:5, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him".  I know from experience that God can and will guide you into all the truth you need, if you'll diligently seek Him, and wait on Him.

You've asked me how I know all the things I know and how I'm able to do all the things I can do.  And I've given you some examples of things I've done over the years to help me get to where I am.  But out of all the years I've spent working towards growth in this field, every single bit of growth I've gotten has been a blessing of the Lord.  There are so many times when I look at my skills, and I know in my heart that it's all because of God that I can understand and apply all the knowledge I have, because it's all God given.  There are times when I look at my accomplishments and I'm amazed at what God's done through me, not at what I'VE done.  I am nothing without Him, and can do nothing apart from Him.

You have integrity and a great work ethic, but you lack wisdom, understanding and experience with regards to IT skills.  And you don't lack these things because you're not capable of having them.   But it just takes time.  And God can help you get there.

When I first started in this career, just before I got my first IT job, I tried to pass the MCP exam and failed pretty badly.  I was SO crushed, that I thought maybe I wasn't cut out for a job in IT.  But there was one thing that kept me from giving up: the passion that God put in my heart.  I LOVE Information Technology, so there was no way I could NOT keep pursuing it.  And I've seen God do so much in me and through me that I would've never imagined when I first started.

I encourage you to seek God continually with this path that you're on. He will guide you in every way, and provide you with opportunities that are perfect for YOU.

Revelation About Redemption

God reminded me this morning that He sent Jesus to redeem me from the curse of drug addiction, before I was ever born.  He showed me that, just as He touched me that night at church when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit (1991), He also worked miracles for His people over and over again (in the years before Jesus came to the Earth).  But they continually turned away from Him.

Even though He was continually performing miracles for them, they didn't receive Him and His goodness for them.  He showed me that I have received my redemption from the curse of drug addiction and I continue to walk in it because I continue to seek Him and praise Him for His goodness.

Just as His people thousands of years ago turned from Him and they faced consequences for it, we will also face consequences if we turn our back on God.

I thank God that we know we are nothing without Him, and that every good thing we have in life is because of His mighty love, mercy and grace.

We love you Lord! We will never turn our backs on you! You are worthy of all our praise! Just as the song says, we want to give you a life well lived to say "thank you".

Revelations During My Morning Drive

I was asking God about how to deal with some challenging people at work. He told me "You can't change them, only I can. You need to pray for them and leave the rest to me."

More revelation: God told me "People will ask you 'how do you know for sure that it's God talking to you?' You can tell them that, the more you talk to Me, the more you know Me. And the more you know Me, the more you know My voice. My Spirit is upon you, and It guides you into all truth."

Then He reminded me of John 16:13 (Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.)

We know that, if a voice talks to us, if we're unsure whether it's God talking to us, we can ask God if it was Him, and to confirm it in our hearts. We've seen on so many occasions that God will repeat what He said, some times many times, until we finally know in our spirit that it's Him. And that confirmation comes from Him! Praise God - How awesome is that?!  John 10:27 says "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me..."

You know the old phrase "let your conscience be your guide"?  Well, for a believer, it's always "let God's Spirit be your guide".  When it's not, we KNOW where our thoughts are coming from!

Another revelation: The bible says "let your requests be made known unto God" (Philippians 4:6). It doesn't say "let your 'needs' be made known unto God"; God already knows our needs (Matthew 6:8). If we struggle about a need, I really believe we are to either give it to God and not take it back, or we need to ask Him how He wants us to deal with it.

Mnemonics For Verses

Romans 8:31 says "...If God be for us, who can be against us?"

I like to use mnemonics to help me remember verses. The mnemonic that God gave me for this one is:

8 = Infinity

3 = The Trinity

1 = Me

For all eternity (8), God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (3) are for me (1).

(God, in His infinite love for me, wants His best for my life.)

How awesome is God and His love for each one of us!!

With that said, I believe it's no coincidence that there is another verse in the same book that uses the same numbers and with a similar message (Romans 13:8 - Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.)

One of the ways this verse speaks to my heart is with regards to "debt"; that God's will for us is to not be in ANY debt, but to be prosperous (spiritually, physically and financially). But another way it speaks to my heart is that, if God IS love, and we are in Christ, we are to love every person with the same love.

One mnemonic could be "I / We (1) are to show the all encompassing love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (3) towards every person we come into contact with, all our lives (8)".

Our love should last for eternity because it is to be ever present in us, all our days, remaining all our days in eternity with God, because as soon as we are raptured up with Jesus, we will come into the fullness of who He created each of us to be. The bible says that Jesus is the "author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2), and I fully agree with this, but I also like to think of Him as the "author and "perfector" of our faith" because HE IS perfect and will "perfect us" when we see Him face to face and spend eternity with Him.

Christ ("Which" vs "Who")

Why is Philippians 4:13 written as "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me"?

In a nutshell, the verse is referring to the power of Christ (His all encompassing love for us, and power through us), not just "the man" Jesus.

The bible tells us in multiple passages that Jesus IS God, and God is not a "who".  He is far more than that; words cannot describe His Love and Power.  The members of the Holy Trinity are individual "persons", but simply referring to any of them as a "who" would be limiting them or putting them in a box.

*UPDATE (2019-01-28)*
When I woke up today, the very first thing I heard God speaking to my heart was this verse.  And it's interesting the way that God will bring into remembrance things that He's already told us at an earlier date, which I believe ultimately happens because His Holy Spirit wants to lead us into ALL truth (John 16:13).

He reminded me that "Christ" means "The Anointed One and His Anointing".  So Philippians 4:13 could be spoken as "I can do all things through The Anointed One and His Anointing which strengthens me".

It's Him AND His Anointing (His Power) that strengthens us.

If there was ever a time that I need to see that verse manifested in my life, it's NOW!