We Can't Even Make It Right; Much Less Upright

Ecclesiastes 7:13 Consider the work of God, For who is able to straighten what He has bent.  

Psalm 42:  Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?  Hope in God for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.

Hosea 11:7 My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all.

Tell me, you who are bent on being under the Law, will you listen to what the Law [really] says?

Galatians 4:21

We know the verses about the doors that God opens cannot be shut, what God has put together let no man asunder but what about what God has formed?  We know that when He formed the earth as we know it, he placed everything which He had formed, then He "set" it - and said it was good.  But then came man - He formed us and then gave us over to free will. 


Going a bit deeper on our previous topics of Peter and Habakkuk, I added the scriptures above.  I want us to ponder some things:

If our understanding becomes weight to our soul, if our spirit is grieving - struggling to find release from the debris we pile upon us, wouldn't that make us bent or cast down?  When God gives us over to our depravities the weight of it all buries us deep. Within our selves we are bent never to be right with God. The holy spirit hoists us up into Christ in whom we have our confidence and right standing in God's presence.
Therefore, there is "No Way" for us to come into His presence - because nothing but righteousness, purity and the fullness of life is capable of withstanding His magnitude of radiant power. 

Our of Love for us - not desiring us to perish He made "A Way", ONE and only One way to protect us.  He desires a body to relate to and not sacrifice.  Since there HAD to be a sacrifice to upright things it had to be perfect as to not get muddled.  His way had to be hammered,  stretched, worn down, intensely heated and reshaped - everything necessary to straighten our God forsaken form.

Our pride, arrogance, what ever we desire to label it, wants to be able to be reformed and made just within ourselves.  Until we accept "that we are, what we are", which is totally unsalvage -able and a wreck, we will NEVER, truly accept Christ's rescue and deliverance.  Why? because we don't want to give up the honor and glory of all our hard works and deeds.....

But therein lies the problem; without His spirit merging with our soul, He isn't the power source enlivening us making us able.  Therefore the things we do outside His body are earth bound and committed to death. (refer to Habakkuk 2:4)

I pray for us what Habakkuk prayed:  Oh Lord, now I have heard your report and I worship you in awe for the fearful things you are going to do.  In this time of our deep need begin again to help us, as you did years ago.  Show us your power to save us.  In your wrath, remember mercy ~ Habakkuk

In Jesus name, Amen
Kisses,
Candace

Who Are You Laying Down For?

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, ant those who lose their life for my sake will find it.  For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life?  Or what will they give in return for their life? Matthew 16:24-27

Most of us do want to believe we really do follow Christ – at least o the important stuff. But a true relationship with the Lord, begins with a cry for help – the realization that we have nothing to save us from ourselves, the world etc.  Unless we allow Christ to step in and teach us how to do life leaning on Him to complete us, we will be limited to what we are able to make out this life.  Through Him we learn courage and mastery of fear.  Only then can we be true God raised apostles to the Christ who goes before us.

So let me ask these questions for us to think about:

Are you laying your life down?

If so, for who’s sake?

You can lay your life down for many things, people even yourself.  If it isn’t for Christ’s sake you will still lose your life but have nothing gained.  At least selfish people will have had selfish gain by not laying down their life for anyone or Christ.  But all those things are fleeting and end in dust.

Peter did not understand Christ laying his “self” down for selfless reasons.  Christ used some of the harshest words recorded when He calls Peter “Satan” because He was tempting Him to take the easy way out and rise to glory.  Our soul is lured to deflect us from the path God has set before us.  It says “come on – take the easy way out”, “give in to selfish desires for security and glory”.  Know this dying to self is an ignoble death and only through Christ himself empowered by the Holy Spirit can we also tell Satan to get behind us as a witness to the Lord God Almighty’s rightful position as Victor over all.

I ask that each of you pray for insight, wisdom and discernment in all these areas.  I pray that the Holy Spirit enliven you to see as you hear Christ Himself teach you as His very own disciple.

In the name of Christ, within His very heart – I believe

Kisses

Candace

©Candace Huffmaster, 2011 All Rights Reserved

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