Month: April 2021

TeacherStudent

“KNOW THAT I AM GOD.”

The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

(Job 33:4)

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 How often do we think about and reflect upon–

**breathing–unless there is a health concern that affects that life necessity?

**walking–unless something happens which impairs or prevents our ability to move?

**seeing–unless our vision is reduced, diminished significantly, or gone?

**hearing–unless communication becomes challenging or lost through this sense?

We, often, take much for granted in this life—

until something is missing, changed, or gone.

Maybe by taking the essentials of our creation for granted,

we are taking God, our Creator, for granted.

—So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27)

—For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:13-14)

—Yet You, Lord, are Our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand. (Isaiah 64:8)

—Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?  (I Corinthians 3:16)

We should daily think about and reflect upon God’s gifts of–

**breathing—taking in every breath gratefully as it is given from God.

**walking—moving forward in the moment and experiencing joy in the ability to do so.

**seeing—beholding the creation around us, including family, friends, and family in the Lord.

**hearing—listening to the sounds of God’s nature, the voices of loved ones, the praises to God.

His gifts to us, just in the creation of our own being, are beyond what we can comprehend. Even when impairments occur within our mortal forms, there is so much wonder in how we have been “knit together” by God that we should always be in awe. We can–and must–daily appreciate, in wonder and gratitude, our created existence in all its complexity and simplicity from our Father, our God, our Creator.

“An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children.  He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others.” 1

Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. (Psalm 100:3)

1 A.W, Tozer quotes. goodreads.com

(Sharon G. Tate blog 04/25/2021) teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word

TeacherStudent

THE BLESSING OF GOD’S GRACE THROUGH CHRIST

I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it;

 I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway.

(Romans 7:18-19 The Message)

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A pond. Rocks piled on the bank. A little boy.

He looks at the rock in his hand and knows he should not, but inevitably, the sound:

Kerplunk!

A second rock hitting the water.

Kerplunk!

His mother enters the scene. “Didn’t I tell you NOT to toss rocks into the pond!” The boy sheepishly lowers his head, knowing he has disobeyed his mom. He looks down at the rock in his hand and away from his mother’s eyes. His hand does what he knows he should not do.

Inevitably, the sound:

Kerplunk!

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17-20 For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. 21-23 It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. (Romans 7:17-23 The Message)

We know we should not—yet we think the thought: Kerplunk!

We know we must not–but we speak the words: Kerplunk!

We know better—yet we commit the act: Kerplunk!

We know we should–but we do not: Kerplunk!

Are we any different from the boy who disobeys his mother, not really wanting to, but being a little boy, drawn to what a young child will do? And we adults, with our human weaknesses, think, speak, and do what we know we should not and do not do what we know we should. In Romans, Paul speaks of this dilemma, recognizing that he needs Jesus. Alone, he cannot keep from sin. Jesus took his sins and ours to the cross, that we might have the grace of God to help us in the battle against our own weakness to sin.

 24 I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? 25 The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.  (Romans 7:24-25.The Message)

 Jesus is our answer when we are at the end of our rope.

He is the Lifeline. He is the Light. He is the Way.

I can do all things in Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

(Sharon G. Tate blog 04/18/21)  teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word

TeacherStudent

GOING HOME TO THE FATHER

 

25 “These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming.  He has no power over Me; 31 but I do as the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go hence. (John 14: 25-31)

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JESUS CHOSE THE CROSS IN OBEDIENCE TO AND LOVE FOR THE FATHER,
TO WHOM HE COULD DECLARE FROM THE CROSS,
“IT IS FINISHED.”
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GOING HOME
Jesus told His disciples that He was going away to the Father. He did not leave them, or us, alone. He left His peace, The Holy Spirit would be sent, and He would come back to take those who follow Him to be with Him forever. We, His current followers, now await His return with anticipation, that we may go home and be with Him and the Father eternally.
GOING HOME
The saying is that one can never go home again as it will not be the same, and we will have changed. Jesus returned to the Father. He went home. God had not changed, for He cannot. The home, heaven, was the same. Yet, what about Jesus, who had become a mortal, living thirty-three years on earth, experiencing what we all go through, suffering and bleeding in death? Was it different for Him, returning home with the perspective of knowing what it was like to be human? He is divine, but because of His experience here and His sacrifice for our sins on the cross, we can go to Him as He understands and can empathize with our struggles, pain, heartaches, and joys. He became our intercessor with the Father.
23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; 24 but He holds His priesthood permanently, because He continues for ever. 25 Consequently He is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting that we should have such a High Priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens.  (Hebrews 7:23-26)
GOING HOME
Jesus went home and became our High Priest. He chose this through His commitment to take on our sins and offer His life on the cross. Without that sacrifice, we would not have the intercession we can access always through Him to God. Continually and always, Jesus gives to us, speaks for us, and intercedes for us.
What can we do in return, in gratitude to Him?
And He said to all, “If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself  and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)
(Sharon G. Tate blog 04/4/21)  teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word