Newness of Life

"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit..." Ephesians 6: 16 "The flesh profits nothing. But my words are Spirit, and they are life." "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man noweth the things of a man, save the spirt of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." "The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." It is intruiging to me that the word of God is called the sword of the Spirit. Not just the sword of the Lord, but the sword of the Spir...

This is a beautiful and profound truth that fills my heart with adoration and worship. God has made a covenant with man, and He is wholly faithful to that covenant, even when we are not. (2Tim 2). In Christ, God removed the curse of the law and washed us, giving us his very nature and Spirit to live in us forever. God has given himself so completely to us, that though we may turn our affections and worship away from him for a time, He will not forsake or abandon us. In fact, it is because He is bound to us in faithful love that He is subject to grief when we depart from him. If He were not so committed to us, He could forsake us and spare himself the grief that comes from unrequited love. But he does not forsake us, and therefore he remains, bound to us, and to grief when we depart from him, even as we grieve for a lost love. (Yet it is more because his love is so much stronger and true than ours.) He longs for faithful lovers who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Isaiah says...

Warp and Woof: The underlying structure or foundation of something, as in "He foresaw great changes in the warp and woof of the nation's economy." This expression, used figuratively since the second half of the 1500s, alludes to the threads that run lengthwise (warp) and crosswise (woof) in a woven fabric. (Wikipedia 8/10/09) The Lord is looking into the warp and woof of our hearts, examining the underlying structure of our lives in order that He may fill us to overflowing with Himself. He is seeking to pour out new wine, but preparation must be made. In response to accusations that Jesus’s disciples were not as pious as John’s disciples, who fasted regularly, Jesus had this to say: "You cannot mend old fabric with a new piece of fabric, nor can you put old wine into new wine skins." It is unwise because the violent fermentation process would burst the old, hard, dry, wineskins, spilling the precious wine and destroying the skins (Dake Study Bible). New wine ...

All of thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia…” Psalm 45: 8-9 “Come onto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart.” (Matthew 11:28) He is meek, merciful, kind. He will not turn away from the weary soul in it’s imperfection. He is lowly, recieving the broken hearted and the weak into his presence. In His presence, we need not grovel for attention. We already have His full attention. “How precious are thy thoughts towards unto me, Oh God! How great is the sum of them!“(Ps 139:17). In His meek presence there is no need for vigilance in an effort to win his love. It is too late for that, for He has already lavished His love upon us! God so loved the world that He gave his only son. While hanging on the cross, grasping for each slight breath, Jesus had one request for his executioners: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." He is merciful. In th...