Newness of Life

 Peter says that fiery trials refine our faith, but how? Because the believer who is cleaving to God's presence and word will always, always, ALWAYS see Jesus in the midst of the fire. When we emerge with the tinge of heaven wafting from our war-tattered garments, we have yet another story of God's glory. Then, after we see Him and know Him better, we have the task of remembering all that He did, and in doing so we go from faith to greater glory, to more faith, and even greater glory as the foundation of our spiritual house becomes stronger and firmer and deeper in the love of God.  Remember! Here is a little exercise to keep God's miracles fresh in our hearts. David took time daily to remember all that God had done in his life. Slowly go through various trials where God showed up and note how He had to perform each detail to bring it to pass. "Lord, you were the one who prompted Sarah to call me about the job when I returned from my mission's trip. Lord, you were

  “ Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock:  25 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and if fell not: for it was founded upon the rock.  26 And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:  27 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. Matt 7:24-27 ( The Lord gave a very clear sign to America about this reality in the one house that was standing on Mexico beach after Hurricane Michael. The good news is that He will be glorified in these storms. You can read about it on my blog under that name. He warns and prepares us.) S imon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat:  but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith

 This is so rich and full of truth that I wanted to post it. McLaren's commentary on Phil 3:8: Yea doubtless, and I count all things  but  loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them  but  dung, that I may win Christ, The ‘gain’ is of course the opposite of the ‘loss.’ His balance-sheet has on one side ‘all things lost,’ on the other ‘Christ gained,’ and that is profitable trading. But we have to go deeper than such a metaphor, and to give full scope to the Scriptural truth, that Christ really imparts Himself to the believing soul. There is a real communication of His own life to us, and thereby we live, as He Himself declared, ‘He that hath the Son hath life.’ The true deep sense in which we possess Christ is not to be weakened down, as it, alas! so often is in our shallow Christianity, which is but the echo of a shallow experience, and a feeble hold of that possession of the Son to which Jesu

  This is a little "song" I sang this morning in prayer as I was taking the time to go back and remember all that the Lord has done. This was how the Lord encountered me when I had given up all hope. This was the lifeline He threw out to me....a revelation of the truth of GRACE. My journey home actually began with that exact word! Grace . My first ray of light that broke through the thick, heavy, hopeless darkness. "He Said Grace" He said Grace, Grace, He said Grace, Grace, When I was hopeless, When I hated myself, When all of my trying led to only failure, When I though He was angry and I had given up, He said Grace, Grace I am going to take those chains off of you, I am going to bring you out of that pit, Run to me when you know you have failed, That’s why I suffered, that’s why I died, Why do you stand off from the cross? Run to me when you fall short, Run to me when you sin, That’s why I suffered, That’s why I died. He said Grace,