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october 2019 faithposting
Oct. 1st, 2019 01:21 am"I was preaching in a secular university
and a student stood up and said,
"How can one man suffering for a few hours
save a countless multitude of man?"
I said, "You want to know how one man dying alone
for a few short hours on a tree can save a multitude
of man from an eternity in hell?"
Because that one man is worth more than all things
you can put together.
You take mountains and mole hills, crickets and clouds.
You take everything. Every planet, every star,
every form of beauty.
Everything that sings, everything that brings delight,
and you put it all on the scale,
And you put Christ on the other side and
He outweighs them all,
He outweighs them all!
Brethren, this is the one we chase after!"Paul Washer, Christ Outweighs Them All
He outweighs it all, because He created it all.
And He is the One Who loves us enough to die for us.
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In heaven we praise and glorify God forever = true paradise = to glorify Him includes praising His good works = praising the TRUTH of Creation UNTOUCHED BY SIN.
This is why the saints freely sacrifice ALL earthly joys-- they know that they will experience the TRUTH of those joys in heaven WITH GOD AND FOR GOD. On earth all things carry the risk of sin.
“If there is a negative element in our lives, it will be eradicated only if we locate it within ourselves. Evil is born the moment somebody else is to blame.”— Stelios Ramfos
We must be humble enough to openly admit our own sinfulness, and take full responsibility for it. Only then can we begin to repent in earnest, and so receive God’s forgiveness and healing.
"If we aspire in earnest to a genuine contemplation of God; - we must go, I say, to the Word, where the character of God, drawn from his works is described accurately and to the life; these works being estimated, not by our depraved judgement, but by the standard of eternal truth."
John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion
Stop reading about Christ on Tumblr and read about Christ in the Bible. I’m serious. It’s good to share the faith online but you MUST go to the Source of your faith far more often. You must go to His Word first. Your opinions and feelings are not the truth– Scripture is. Only there will you find real rest and joy.
"The knowledge of God which we are invited to cultivate is not that which, resting satisfied with empty speculation, only flutters in the brain, but a knowledge which will prove substantial and fruitful wherever it is duly perceived, and rooted in the heart."
John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion
Our knowledge of God must be rooted in the heart! Knowledge of the mind alone is fruitless and fatal to our souls. If we truly know Him, we will live for Him without reservation.
"No one, indeed, will voluntarily and willingly devote himself to the service of God unless he has previously tasted his paternal love, and been thereby allured to love and reverence Him."
John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion
There are proofs of His love everywhere– clear and true, both in Scripture and in the world. Our hearts must be open to seeing and tasting His love, though. God offers us an endless banquet of it, but if someone figuratively covers their mouth, or spits out what they are fed, no amount of good things will do them any good. But if and when we do taste it… well, then our hearts sing with joy. Nothing else can ever compare; nothing but God’s love will ever appeal to us again. And praise be to Him for that!
"The truth is, you have never yet known real pleasure and will not until you come to Christ. For only in Christ are true pleasures to be found. A few moments with Christ are to be preferred to an eternity with the cursed pleasures of this world (Proverbs 3:13-18, Psalm 16:11)."Every good thing created is but a shadow and fragment of the Good Creator. Remember this– and then also remember that God calls you to know Him now, through His Son. Run to Him, and rejoice in every moment with Him, for they are more blessed and beautiful than anything else you can experience in this life– and so when this life ends, your joy will be untouched, and indeed increased, for then you will be with Christ, your joy, for eternity.
- John Owen
“We need friends who are willing to risk wounding our ego in the moment for the long term good of our souls.”— Marshall Segal
Honestly, that sort of friend is the only true friend… one who loves us so much, they will seek our salvation above all else, and at the cost and risk of all else. This is the sort of friend Christ calls is to be… to lay down our lives for each other.
“One of the essential and most obvious things about a Christian is that he is a man who lives always realizing that he is in the presence of God. The world does not live in this way; that is the big difference between the Christian and the non-Christian.”— Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Once we truly realize this, and make it our heart’s constant reflection, our lives will change, dramatically and totally. That change requires that we die to this world. That change prepares us, in every moment, to meet our Lord. That change is what marks us as Christians.
“The Christian who has stopped repenting has stopped growing.”
— A.W. Pink
The humble truth is this: as feeble humans, we will always be tempted, tested, and tried, and we will falter and stumble and even fall at times. But grace means we can get back up, just as Christ did while carrying the Cross, and keep walking towards God. However, this recovery from the injuries of sin requires that we admit we sinned and repent from that sin! Otherwise, we give sin casual permission to keep us down in the dirt, insisting “I meant to do this” or “I like it better here” or even “Well, it’s sure easier than carrying that cross!”… pride never admits weakness; pride never considers it was mistaken. But if we don’t– or won’t– even see a problem with the behaviors and habits and thoughts keeping us stagnant and stuck in the mud of sin, then we end up stopping dead in a lethal sense… we never make it to Calvary, to die with our Lord.
Repentance gets us back on our feet over and over again. Repentance says “I see how I have offended you, Lord. I see how I have failed to live up to my name as a Christian. It breaks my heart because it breaks yours. I am sorry. By Your Grace, and for love of You, I will try again.” Repentance never wallows in the mud. Repentance never throws a pity party. Repentance never condemns itself to failure. Repentance is anchored in faith, and hope, and love. It trusts in Christ’s power to save, and heal, and guide, and transform. Repentance sees where it fell before, and vows to run a better race now, persevering to the end no matter how many more pitfalls it encounters. Repentance keeps our hearts humble, our minds focused, and our souls strong. Repentance is the fruit of the cross. It is growth in Christ, from old to new.
Repent and believe in the Gospel. The two go together.
“No matter with how many things we try to fill our lives, without Jesus, we will never be satisfied.”
This is so true. Ultimately, everything but Him falls short, empties out, dies away… and if we are wise, all that inevitable loss will lead us back to Him, to our loving Lord, in whom all our needs will be forever filled.
“O Jesus! Why can’t I tell all little souls how unspeakable Your condescension is? I feel that if You found a soul weaker and littler than mine, which is impossible, You would take pleasure in granting it still greater favors, provided it abandoned itself with total confidence to your infinite Mercy.”
St. Thérèse of Lisueux
Modern English often loses the true definition of condescension: it properly means "to put aside one’s dignity or superiority voluntarily and assume equality with one regarded as inferior.” It is when God makes gracious allowance for our human frailties. There is no haughtiness or disdain in this act; it is pure compassion and mercy. Thus for this dear Saint to describe our Lord as being “unspeakably” so, she highlights the absolute depths of His love for the most inferior, humble, small and simple soul there is. God never asks us to puff ourselves up, seeking to equal Him, and so meet Him AS an equal, for this is not only impossible but blasphemous. Unfortunately, many modern “religions” do attempt this. But an honest Christian will reject this proud arrogance, instead seeking the lowest place and position, keenly aware of its undeserving weakness before God… and it is there that God will stoop down to meet them, full of the most tender love. But we can only receive such graces from that same position of total childlike surrender and trust– if we ever start to promote or praise ourselves, we will lose those gifts, which are so importantly tied to humility.
Reflect on this profound humility of God Himself. It truly is beyond the capacity of words to express, but the heart knows.
“My daughter, let your heart be filled with joy. I, the Lord, am with you. Fear nothing. You are in my heart.”— Jesus to Saint Faustina in her Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul
My own heart weeps with hope to hear my Lord speak these same words to me. There is nothing I want more, than to be held in His Sacred Heart!
“I do not understand how it is possible not to trust in Him who can do all things. With him, everything; without him, nothing. He is Lord. He will not allow those who have placed all their trust in Him to be put to shame.”— St. Faustina
When we trust wholeheartedly in God, humbly admitting our weakness and helplessness yet rejoicing in His omnipotent goodness, God is pleased to respond just as wholeheartedly to our total trust. This faithfulness is a huge aspect of Who God is; He keeps His promises, and His unfailing reliability brings honor to Him through those who rely on Him– through us, His children!
So trust in Him for all things, in all things. He will not put you to shame, for that would shame Him who you are trusting in. But be warned– if your trust is not genuine, if it is shallow or insincere, God will let it collapse, so that He is glorified through the unreliability of everything but Him. And this, too, is merciful– God doesn’t want your trust to be misplaced. He wants you to rely on Him so He can help you… and He will. So turn to Him– He is waiting!
“Let our judgment of souls cease, for God’s mercy upon them is extraordinary.”— St. Faustina Kowalska, Diary 1684
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.””
We have no authority to condemn anyone, nor should we– for God alone knows all the evils in a heart, and He knows all of our sins and weaknesses… yet He is incomprehensibly merciful to us every day. So if He forgives us so profoundly, we must do the same for our brethren.
“‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’”
“When a soul extols My goodness, Satan trembles before it and flees to the very bottom of hell.”— Jesus Christ, to Saint Faustina. (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, p. 172)
Truly, Satan can only persuade a soul to sin if that soul is shaky in their faith, hesitant in their trust in God, looking away from Christ for answers. Sin only occurs in the absence of love. So when we actively praise God in times of temptation, both feeling and proclaiming His Love echoed back to Him through us… then our hearts are re-tuned to Truth, the devil’s lies are exposed, and the Good Shepherd will rescue us and keep us from going astray. Even if we are afraid, we must turn to Him. He will save us, if we have faith in Him. Satan flees from such faith, as he is utterly powerless against it– utterly powerless against God, to Whom that soul clings.
“Love endures everything, love is stronger than death, love fears nothing.”— St. Faustina
God is Love, and God is the conqueror of both death and fear. When we are united to Him in Love, then we, too, are lifted up in Him above those temporal terrors. Through the love of God alive in us, we can and will endure all the difficulties of this life, and be brought safely and joyously to Him in the next.
“The first fresh hour of every morning should be dedicated to the Lord, whose mercy gladdens it with golden light.”
~Charles Spurgeon
I like to wake up at 6am and say the Divine Office before even getting out of bed. It honestly changes the whole day for the better– and if I forget to do it, the consequences are miserable.
“He is Infinite Majesty; but at the same time He is Infinite Goodness, Infinite Love.”— St. Alphonsus de Liguori
And that goodness and love is an integral part of His majesty; He could not be so without all three, which is deeply beautiful.
“All the goods of this world cannot content the heart of man, which has been created to love God, and can find no peace out of God.”— St. Alphonsus de Liguori
Seek the Creator, not His mere echo in Creation. We, too, are Created things, and so we– and everything else– can only find fulfillment and joy in our Maker… in our beloved God and Father.
“Spiritual reading and meditation teach us our obligations, but prayer obtains grace to fulfill them. ‘Prayer,’ says St. Augustine, ‘is better than reading; by reading we learn what we ought to do, by prayer we receive what we ask.”— St. Alphonsus de Liguori
We can read all the holy 'textbooks’ we want, but without turning to the Teacher, to the Source of all that holiness, we will not understand how to do it– nor will we even have the ability to, for holiness is no achievement of man. We need God’s help to turn words into works, and we must do the work of exchanging words with Him to get that help– help which He loves to give to His humble, loving, trusting student-children.
Learn, and then pray!
“Consider, you have no friend nor brother, nor father nor mother, nor spouse nor lover, who loves you more than your God. The Divine Grace is that great treasure whereby we vilest of creatures, we servants, become the dear friends of our Creator himself!”— St. Alphonsus de Liguori
This truth of God’s Love is so staggering, it brings me to tears of shocked grateful humility and joyous adoration every time.
God’s love surpasses everything and everyone, even for us poor wretched sinners. When we feel utterly worthless and forgotten, when we cannot find love in this world, remember the Heart of God. You are always welcome there.
Keep praying for your family. God hears you.
You may be the only person praying, so keep up those prayers.
God always hears us; His answers just might not fit our expectations. So surrender; be patient, and trust in God's perfect judgment and timing. He wants to help your family even more than you want them helped! Keep praying-- God honors faithful perseverance.
I, too, must keep praying for my family, no matter how fearful and desperate things may seem. God hears me, and whatever happens is in His hands.
Someone may say, “I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ.” But if he doesn’t do what Christ tells him to, he is a liar. But those who do what Christ tells them to will learn to love God more and more. That is the way to know whether or not you are a Christian. Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as Christ did.
1 John 2
This is the simple but solemn truth. Loving God requires obedience to God. Christians are quite literally obligated to follow Christ’s commands. If we disobey and rebel, we cannot have fellowship with Him. So strive to be ever more obedient in love!!
What is the meaning of Memory Eternal?- “…‘to be remembered’ by the Lord is the same thing as 'to be in Paradise.’ 'To be in Paradise’ is to be in eternal memory and, consequently, to have eternal existence and therefore an eternal memory of God. Without remembrance of God we die, but our remembrance of God is possible only through God’s remembrance of us.”
(quote from The Brothers Karamazov)
This is a profoundly moving truth… and yet it is so obvious, somehow– our hearts instinctively know this is right.
What is heaven, but to be forever held in God’s heart, and to hold Him in our own? What could be more beautiful than being remembered by our Father– for the fact of our existence to be cherished in His ineffable Mind? What, indeed, could even be eternal, but this?
I really, really love this.
How does Luke 11:23 relate to Luke 9:50: “Anyone who is not against you is for you”? In the earlier passage, Jesus was talking about a person who was driving out demons in Jesus’ name. Those who fight evil, he was saying, are on the same side as one driving out demons in Jesus’ name. Here, by contrast, he was talking about the conflict between God and the devil. In this battle, if a person is not on God’s side, he or she is on Satan’s. There is no neutral ground. Because God has already won the battle, why be on the losing side? If you aren’t actively for Christ, you are against him.
Many of us know the quote from Desmond Tutu: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” This also applies to our religion. In a world battered by spiritual warfare, in the constant conflict between Christ and Satan, where our own flesh is already fatally predisposed to evil inclinations– to choose “neutrality” in such a situation is not only morally lazy, but damnably reprehensible. No good soldier would ever make such an excuse, for he knows the cost and importance of the battle, and the unbearable consequences of abandoning it. And so we soldiers of Christ must follow suit; We must actively align our wills and efforts with God’s. If we do not, we are effectively proclaiming our indifference to His cause and Kingdom… and that will send us to hell.
If you spend just as much time writing the Word in your heart as you do reblogging, agreeing, nodding to God, retweeting, and liking Scriputres and inspired words of the Saints online while complaining and comparing yourself to others, I’d guarantee you’d be a fruit-bearer of God’s blessings rather than a fruit-luster.
This is SO IMPORTANT to discern and remember.
We can read, reblog, and reflect all we want, but if we do not LIVE according to the Word and Will of God, it is all empty show.
For all your publicizing of your faith, you MUST do far more internalizing. Your actions and speech must proclaim your Christianity more than your blog ever can.
Stop wishing and yearning for spiritual fruit, but never working in the garden of your soul. Roll up your sleeves and take action. No tree can grow without deep roots in Christ. And God will provide that growth, if you meet Him there.
““At first it may feel like freedom and fun to skimp on prayer and neglect the Word. But then we pay: shallowness, powerlessness, vulnerability to sin, preoccupation with trifles, superficial relationships, and a frightening loss of interest in worship and the things of the Spirit.””— John Piper
And it happens fast. The devil wastes no time in attacking a soul that has abandoned the fortress of prayer and Scripture, no matter how temporarily. Any and all neglect of faith is potentially fatal. We live in a fallen world and if we aren’t constantly purifying our souls through communication with God, that dirt of sin builds up to blind us, and it gets progressively harder to remove. So stay with God. You’re safe with Him alone.
When anxiety is telling you to fight your own battles with all your strength, listen to the One who always goes before you.
The Lord is speaking over you today saying,
“I got this.”
Christ has it all under control, so leave it in His hands! Don’t fumble with it yourself. It’s okay to give it all to God– there’s no weakness or shame in admitting our powerlessness and confusion. Paradoxically, in this humble surrender lies true strength and honor.
So let Jesus have this– all of it. He’s already won the war, after all.
God: I am here today.
God: I was here yesterday.
God: I will be here tomorrow.
God: I’m not going anywhere.
God: I am.
gingermuscles: This is the most comforting thing to read and to remember at any given time, no matter how awful and lonely it might feel. The Lord my God will be with me wherever I go ❤
God is eternal and infinite and He loves us. His awesome Presence is a comfort beyond comprehension because it is marked not only by truth and honor and sovereignty, but also by steadfast unfailing love. No matter what is happening in our lives or in the world, God is there, God is here, God is then and now and forever… and God is love itself. He IS, and that is indeed the deepest and only comfort we’ll ever need.
“Whenever your heart starts to be anxious about the future, preach to your heart and say, ‘Heart, who do you think you are to be afraid of the future and nullify the promise of God? No, heart, I will not exalt myself with anxiety. I will humble myself in peace and joy as I trust this precious and great promise of God—He cares for me.’”— John Piper
This is a striking and humbling realization– that anxiety and its inevitable want of control is self-exaltation. It’s pride; it’s worshipping one’s ego instead of God! It may not seem like it, but if you feel it, that upsetting truth is evident. Anxiety puts your focus totally on yourself and what you can’t do, what you don’t have power over, what you are helpless about… and anxiety is terrified of helplessness. So how to conquer anxiety? Show it Who the Help is. Show it Who the Power is. Show it Who has control over All. Humble yourself before the sovereignty of the Almighty, and trust completely in His care. No matter what happens, He IS in charge, and the more your heart is anchored in that faith, the more you will see anxiety melt away, and peace take its place with grateful joy.
God loves you. Exalt Him by believing that, and giving Him the obedient surrender His sovereign Love deserves. He will take care of you.
Your future is entirely in His hands. Nothing else can secure or shatter it.
Rest in that faith.
“Lord, let me fail a thousand times if that’s Your means to make me stronger.”
Stronger in faith!
Lord, grace us with the radically surrendering humility, trust and love of You to pray this prayer in all circumstances. May we accept even the greatest losses with gratitude, knowing they are from Your hands, for Your purposes, for Your glory in us. Strengthen our faith so that every failure of self becomes a victory for Christ!
Sometimes you win, & sometimes you learn.
And remember… in both cases, God wins.
If you align your will and heart with His Word, then you will share in His victory and you will learn without the shameful sting of sin. It’s the indisputable best option.
You only “lose” if you’re sticking with sin. Whenever you learn, it’s a warning signpost to that unfortunate fact. You’ve only got two options: obedience and disobedience. And if you’re not obeying the Victor Himself, you’re doomed to fail. Remember this!
We do not know the mind of God, but we do know His patient mercy, and His unconditional love. As His children, our duty is to strive to love others the same way, by His grace. No judging worth, no petty complaints, no whining or pointing fingers. Just love and mercy for our fellow human beings. Love your enemies, seek their highest good, be merciful and gentle, and leave the rest to God.
Anonymous asked: thoughts on spiritual attack? I feel like mentally and spiritually I feel so depressed and far away from God every single Saturday night. Then I wake up drained and don't want to go to church. Not sure if I'm reading too much into this or not
Spiritual attack is something that I think is downplayed a lot, but it is a very real thing. Based on what you’re saying it sounds like this could be a spiritual attack. The enemy will do whatever he can to get a firm hold on our thoughts, and make us believe lies. Start making declarations about who you are in Jesus and say them out loud, there is power in speaking his name. Declare that you are a child of God and that the enemy has no power over you. Ask for others to pray for you. I don’t know what kind of church you attend or how close you are to your church community, but having other believers lay hands on you and speak truths over you is such a powerful weapon against the enemy as well. Remember that our God is greater!! Praying that you experience this truth in such a profound way. God bless you.
I can humbly attest to the power and truth of this. The Holy Name of Jesus has immeasurable power, as does praying His Name with others in the faith. It’s both beautiful and terrifying how quickly a spiritual attack can be silenced by turning earnestly and helplessly to God… and how much angrier the attacks get in the wake of such an entreaty. But do not give up. The devil will fight God and His children until the day we die, but God will also be there to unfailingly support our faith until death and infinitely beyond. The devil cannot win against God... but he can destroy us apart from God. So cling to Christ and take courage!
