Sample 61 - Bulb Off, Light On (San Diego '12)

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." -Matthew 3:13-16

Isaiah 36:3 speaks of one Asaph, 'the recorder'; I suppose that keeping records of events had a degree of importance during those times that a person was assigned specifically to make them. I believe it is important for us to record what happens, what is revealed to us, for references to be created, and ultimately, as Christians, for the glory of God to be made known in fullness.

"...Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed..." -Jeremiah 51:8

I do not doubt that a change begins in us the moment we believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. There was a time in my life that I expected change to come immediately after I accepted Jesus Christ with all earnest, but now that I look back at those times, the 'change' I wanted to see was in my own terms, and not God's. 

"Everyone proud in heart is an abomination... none will go unpunished..." -Proverbs 16:5

By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, I see now that there are certain things that needed to be taken away immediately, and even more things that were worked on (and still being worked on) over the course of time, up until now. This ultimately results in us truly dying to ourselves, dying to our sinful, prideful flesh, and giving everything to Jesus Christ. 

"...A throne is established by righteousness..." -Proverbs 16:12

The moment we placed our trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we were saved by His blood. His blood continually sanctifies, justifies, and redeems us. While we are still in this world we will never meet up to the standards of an absolutely holy God by our own strength, which is why we should depends solely on the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for our sins. His blood justifies us - not our own actions. We will never be righteous on our own; the righteousness we have comes from Jesus Christ. 

"I have loved you with an everlasting love, with lovingkindness have I drawn you..." -Jeremiah 31:3

I record that before Jesus Christ came into my life, I was a totally wayward soul, and when I placed my trust in Him as my Lord and Savior, I was made a new creation by His blood, totally free from the obligations of sinful nature. Only by the blood of Jesus Christ have I been placed in the proper position to receive the love and grace of God the Father, an everlasting love that literally explodes in me that I cannot contain it. By God's grace am I gracious. By God's love, I can love! And it was all because He loved me first, as seen through Jesus Christ's life, death, resurrection, and ascension! 

To God be the glory!

_________________________ 

jb.redeemed

email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26

Sample 47 - The Frozen Waterfall (to Vail, CO '11)

So in the previous Sample I said something to the lines of 'Thank God for giving us opportunities to shoot even when the sun is up high in the sky"; Well, thank God for also giving us opportunities even on the road. This was shot en route to Vail.

Recently I've been fighting all thoughts I had about me being in a standstill - that everything I have going on for me is on hold or on pending. I've been fighting these thoughts by rationalizing; I would overcompensate on certain activities that I knew I had ease in executing just to think that I was actually doing something. In short, I was productive on my own terms, and sadly I was satisfied just feeling that I was productive.

It's so good to know the facts of who we are and what we have in Jesus Christ, as mentioned in the Word. Jesus Christ Himself mentioned that it was necessary for Him to go away (to die) in order for the Holy Spirit to be sent to convict the world (see John 14) accordingly. He went on by saying that the Holy Spirit convicts those who do not believe in Christ of their sin, therefore stressing the futility of salvation through any effort and work that man has to put on the plate. The Holy Spirit also convicts those who believe of their righteousness, therefore placing focus on the victory Jesus Christ won over any more obligation we have to our sinful nature.

It's been revealed to me during these past days that any worker despite his or her vocation depends on both tools and skill. A worker who has raised his life to Jesus Christ is not only dependent (and consequently empowered) by just tools and skill, but also by the Holy Spirit who directs him into the paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:4).

I've been a Christian working only with my tools and skill, without really acknowledging that I have the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ. A Christian who doesn't regularly and constantly acknowledge what can be done with the proper power and sound judgment the Holy Spirit gives is bound for burnout, or like the case of waterfalls in the winter, standstills.

If we yield to what the Holy Spirit has to say to us, and cast aside any other thought that glorifies itself above Christ, then we can hear council that strikes deep into our core, deep beneath the hard surface that some of us have in our hearts. In my case, around a few hours back, I was told in a service filled with the anointing of the Holy Spirit that God had a word for me:

"You have not failed Me."

This spoke to my heart more than anything else I heard today - that though I may be dilly-dollying by my own standards, the Lord comes and says to me, confirms that He indeed makes things happen for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. I just have to say that without the Lord in my life, without the Holy Spirit working in me, and without the confirmation of the Holy Spirit working in me, confusion and chaos is inevitable.

So come, Holy Spirit, and continue to minister to us in our lives as we keep on dying to ourselves every day - though there may be times that we may see that the flow we're used to seeing is frozen, help us always to remember that You never waste Your time. Help us to always remember that though we may be seeing ice, that Your Spirit, like water, is still moving inside, in one way or the other. Thank You Lord, for Your revelations. October 21, 2012 is a memorable day for me, for Your glory. In Jesus Christ's Name I pray, Amen.


_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26