#redemption forgiveness acceptance new-life compassion witness overcoming doing being

[mylordmyfriend]

Weekend Inspiration

Easter has passed once again, but Lorraine has wrote ‘ EASTER THOUGHTS’. so enjoy and be inspired by this article written by our creative writer Lorraine

 Another Easter reflection and honoring of the sacrifice of Jesus has passed. As Jesus lifted his head to see the three crosses on the hill above him from his blood stained face, he stumbled. Crying out in pain he was pulled up roughly and forced on.  He thought, ‘On which one will it be that I die for my God’s decree to be fulfilled?’

Bruised and broken by blows from his captors and nailed to the middle cross, his life blood emptied for the salvation of us all. Above the jeers and ridicule from below a feeble voice echoed,

‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.’

And Jesus’s breath was no more.

This is the echo that our Lord proclaims to all today in 2017.  The rejection of his love, the moral indiscretions, lack of truth, justice and honesty, overcomes the world today.  Be very aware people, of the decay that has set in to our world because it is subtle and soul destroying.  The self- interests and indulgence of humanity and of those in high positions, the corruption in a lot of circles of influence, in contrast to the economically deprived and increasing violence and addictions, cannot be ignored. Are we, as Christians, hearing enough, doing enough, speaking up enough?  What are we offering in the face of judgement day?  The Lord is biding his time ready to harvest his garden of souls. Today’s attack from Satan is very, very subtle where he divides and destroys family values.

Malachi, Chapter three, verse 2-5. ‘But who can endure the day of his coming?  Who can stand when he appears?  For he, will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.  Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness that will be acceptable to the Lord as in days gone by as in former years.’  So I will come near to you for judgement. I will be quick to testify against sorcerer’s, adulterer’s and perjurer’s, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless and deprive aliens of justice.’ says the Lord.

Are you prepared for your refining toward the ultimate judgement day?

  Be Challenged and Get prepared.

 Be Blessed

Lorraine

[revkidd]

“Thoughts and Prayers” are not enough.

The readings for Sunday (7/28/2019)

Thank God for the guy who will ask the stupid question!

Can you imagine the scene, surrounded by disciples and bystanders, even scribes and pharisees, and you have been wandering around for months with Jesus.  He seemingly prays often, according to Luke anyway they go off and pray, sometimes together sometimes by himself.  You would think this was remedial information by now. But never the less he asks any way, thank God. “Lord, teach us to pray.”  This brave question has provided a blueprint of prayer for two millennia of Christians since.  

Jesus offers us what we have come to know as “the Lord’s Prayer.”  While all prayer is different, and there are as many ways to pray as there are pray-ers there is something essential about this prayer, this is why we still say it.  There is a kind of form or essence to this prayer that shows us what all prayer strives to accomplish.  

The first thing I notice is that it is relational, there is no flowery introduction, just “Father.” Jesus is not praying to some far-off deity, some anonymous force of the universe, he is praying to one whom he knows and one whom he knows listens with an ear of love.  No justification is required, no argument to be heard, he is simply talking to his parent who loves him.

Then Jesus names the things he needs: food “daily bread”, forgiveness, and safety “lead me not into the time of trial.”  These are some of the basic needs for human beings to live and flourish.  Building blocks for life, community and peace. Then of course come the more complicated bits, the parts that demand something of us.  “Let your kingdom come, on earth as in heaven,” and “forgive us…as we forgive others.”

Prayer, real prayer, necessarily leads us from relationship with the divine into relationship with others. This work may start out between me and God, but it never stays there, it can’t.  God desires relationship; with and for us, and with and for the world.  Prayer issues out in more compassion, more relationship, more action, simply more.  This is why Jesus’ instruction to pray for our enemies was so revolutionary.

We are not God’s local reporting bureaus. God does not need us to tell him where the pain and suffering and need is in the world. God is already there. Where there is trauma God is already walking with the victims, where there is pain God is already working for healing. God is already at work, and through prayer we discover how to be connected to that work.

When we pray for someone who is sick, we are committing to care for them. When we pray for those in pain we commit to comfort them. When we pray for those in trouble, and in distress we are committing to work for their safety, freedom and justice. When we pray for those who have died we witness to the eternal life promised in the resurrection.  Prayer is necessarily tied up with the love God has for the world, it is tied up in the redemption and reconciliation God desires for us all. The Good News here of course, is that when we go to God with our own pain, and sadness and trauma, God is already there as well. It is the first step toward accepting the grace and love and relationship that God offers us.  Our healing is also wrapped up in the healing of the world.

This is very different than the way we talk about prayer most of the time in our culture.  Often prayer is treated like a heavenly lottery ticket, we buy ours, say our prayers and hope we win! Or we talk about it like a cosmic economic transaction: if we put our time in, are on our best behavior, and say our prayers, then we will get what we want from God. Not surprisingly, these approaches don’t bring us the desired outcome. If you think prayer is some kind of magic to bend the universe to your will, then prayer will disappoint you.

Even more troubling, is the way we use prayer to signal virtue in situations where we have no intention of acting.  It has become popular in the face of the all too common tragedies and traumas of modern life, to invoke the trope of “Thoughts and Prayers.”  We say to each other, that our “thoughts and prayers are with you” when we want to sound compassionate, without the hard work that accompanies it. Recently in the wake of one of these all too common events I saw a meme that said “Thoughts and Prayers are NOT enough.” We are complicit in teaching the world that our prayers are meaningless and our faith has no hope.  

In our reading from Luke today, we didn’t just get a model prayer, we also got a weird parable, one that informs how we understand the prayer Jesus taught. It is about a neighbor who needs help to meet the needs of an unexpected guest.  It is a parable about how prayer works, about how our grumpy neighbor will help us (though grudgingly) if we ask persistently, shamelessly. And if that old grump will help, how much more will God who loves us give us what we need.  

It is not instruction to pester God into submission, but is instead a reminder that the generosity we give and receive in this life is a reflection of the one who is all compassion, and gift. Sometimes we are the late night emergency, and sometimes we are the one who has to get out of bed and help. Sometimes we are the desperate plea for help, and sometimes we are the answer to someone’s prayer.  If we can give good gifts to each other, broken and selfish as we are, how much more does God desire to give us precisely what we need.

I believe now is the time to rediscover shameless prayer:

I don’t know how we solve our culture’s deadly addiction to violence.

I don’t know how we repair the damage we have done to creation with our carelessness.

I don’t know how we fix the epidemics of poverty or homelessness or drug addiction.

I don’t know how we overcome the generational sin of racism.

I don’t know how we transcend the polarization and tribalism in our public life.

But what I do know, is that we cannot be paralyzed by the magnitude of these and the many other challenges we face.  We don’t have to be.

We must pray, really pray, and listen, and see. I will warn you, when I have done this I rarely like the things I discover. They usually require me to hear someone I’d rather ignore, or see someone it was easier to dismiss, to forgive someone, to serve someone, to become a more committed follower of Jesus on the way of Love. It is not easy, but it is holy.  

Prayer is not a passive request, it is a call to live in the reality of God’s love for us and for our neighbor.  It is where we speak to the one who has loved us our whole life and who will love us forever. It is an opportunity to bring the deep needs of our lives to light, and to have them met with grace and love and calling.  Prayer is an opportunity to take a first step into the kingdom of God even when we don’t know how.

“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

This is where God is calling the church, to prayer, and through it to action on behalf of the world we love.

[stmarksgp]

“Thoughts and Prayers” are not enough.

Sunday’s Readings (7/28/2019)

Thank God for the guy who will ask the stupid question!

Can you imagine the scene, surrounded by disciples and bystanders, even scribes and pharisees, and you have been wandering around for months with Jesus.  He seemingly prays often, according to Luke anyway they go off and pray, sometimes together sometimes by himself.  You would think this was remedial information by now. But never the less he asks any way, thank God. “Lord, teach us to pray.”  This brave question has provided a blueprint of prayer for two millennia of Christians since.  

Jesus offers us what we have come to know as “the Lord’s Prayer.”  While all prayer is different, and there are as many ways to pray as there are pray-ers there is something essential about this prayer, this is why we still say it.  There is a kind of form or essence to this prayer that shows us what all prayer strives to accomplish.  

The first thing I notice is that it is relational, there is no flowery introduction, just “Father.” Jesus is not praying to some far-off deity, some anonymous force of the universe, he is praying to one whom he knows and one whom he knows listens with an ear of love.  No justification is required, no argument to be heard, he is simply talking to his parent who loves him.

Then Jesus names the things he needs: food “daily bread”, forgiveness, and safety “lead me not into the time of trial.”  These are some of the basic needs for human beings to live and flourish.  Building blocks for life, community and peace. Then of course come the more complicated bits, the parts that demand something of us.  “Let your kingdom come, on earth as in heaven,” and “forgive us…as we forgive others.”

Prayer, real prayer, necessarily leads us from relationship with the divine into relationship with others. This work may start out between me and God, but it never stays there, it can’t.  God desires relationship; with and for us, and with and for the world.  Prayer issues out in more compassion, more relationship, more action, simply more.  This is why Jesus’ instruction to pray for our enemies was so revolutionary.

We are not God’s local reporting bureaus. God does not need us to tell him where the pain and suffering and need is in the world. God is already there. Where there is trauma God is already walking with the victims, where there is pain God is already working for healing. God is already at work, and through prayer we discover how to be connected to that work.

When we pray for someone who is sick, we are committing to care for them. When we pray for those in pain we commit to comfort them. When we pray for those in trouble, and in distress we are committing to work for their safety, freedom and justice. When we pray for those who have died we witness to the eternal life promised in the resurrection.  Prayer is necessarily tied up with the love God has for the world, it is tied up in the redemption and reconciliation God desires for us all. The Good News here of course, is that when we go to God with our own pain, and sadness and trauma, God is already there as well. It is the first step toward accepting the grace and love and relationship that God offers us.  Our healing is also wrapped up in the healing of the world.

This is very different than the way we talk about prayer most of the time in our culture.  Often prayer is treated like a heavenly lottery ticket, we buy ours, say our prayers and hope we win! Or we talk about it like a cosmic economic transaction: if we put our time in, are on our best behavior, and say our prayers, then we will get what we want from God. Not surprisingly, these approaches don’t bring us the desired outcome. If you think prayer is some kind of magic to bend the universe to your will, then prayer will disappoint you.

Even more troubling, is the way we use prayer to signal virtue in situations where we have no intention of acting.  It has become popular in the face of the all too common tragedies and traumas of modern life, to invoke the trope of “Thoughts and Prayers.”  We say to each other, that our “thoughts and prayers are with you” when we want to sound compassionate, without the hard work that accompanies it. Recently in the wake of one of these all too common events I saw a meme that said “Thoughts and Prayers are NOT enough.” We are complicit in teaching the world that our prayers are meaningless and our faith has no hope.  

In our reading from Luke today, we didn’t just get a model prayer, we also got a weird parable, one that informs how we understand the prayer Jesus taught. It is about a neighbor who needs help to meet the needs of an unexpected guest.  It is a parable about how prayer works, about how our grumpy neighbor will help us (though grudgingly) if we ask persistently, shamelessly. And if that old grump will help, how much more will God who loves us give us what we need.  

It is not instruction to pester God into submission, but is instead a reminder that the generosity we give and receive in this life is a reflection of the one who is all compassion, and gift. Sometimes we are the late night emergency, and sometimes we are the one who has to get out of bed and help. Sometimes we are the desperate plea for help, and sometimes we are the answer to someone’s prayer.  If we can give good gifts to each other, broken and selfish as we are, how much more does God desire to give us precisely what we need.

I believe now is the time to rediscover shameless prayer: I don’t know how we solve our culture’s deadly addiction to violence. I don’t know how we repair the damage we have done to creation with our carelessness. I don’t know how we fix the epidemics of poverty or homelessness or drug addiction. I don’t know how we overcome the generational sin of racism. I don’t know how we transcend the polarization and tribalism in our public life.

But what I do know, is that we cannot be paralyzed by the magnitude of these and the many other challenges we face.  We don’t have to be.

We must pray, really pray, and listen, and see. I will warn you, when I have done this I rarely like the things I discover. They usually require me to hear someone I’d rather ignore, or see someone it was easier to dismiss, to forgive someone, to serve someone, to become a more committed follower of Jesus on the way of Love. It is not easy, but it is holy.  

Prayer is not a passive request, it is a call to live in the reality of God’s love for us and for our neighbor.  It is where we speak to the one who has loved us our whole life and who will love us forever. It is an opportunity to bring the deep needs of our lives to light, and to have them met with grace and love and calling.  Prayer is an opportunity to take a first step into the kingdom of God even when we don’t know how.

“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

This is where God is calling the church, to prayer, and through it to action on behalf of the world we love.

[tpanan]

My Sunday Daily Blessings

November 17, 2019

Be still quiet your heart and mind, the LORD is here, loving you talking to you...........

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 159

First Reading: Malachi 3: 19-20a

Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 98: 5-6, 7-8, 9

"The LORD comes to rule the earth with justice."

Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3: 7-12

Brothers and sisters: You know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us.

In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat. We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others.  Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food.

Verse before the Gospel: Luke 21:28

Alleluia, Alleluia

"Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand."

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Gospel: Luke 21: 5-19

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, "All that you see here--the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?"  He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them!  When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end."

Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky."

"Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony.  Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

**Meditation:

How would you respond if someone prophesied that your home, land, or place of worship would be destroyed? Jesus foretold many signs that would shake peoples and nations. The signs which God uses are meant to point us to a higher spiritual truth and reality of his kingdom which does not perish or fade away, but endures for all eternity. God works through many events and signs to purify and renew us in hope and to help us set our hearts more firmly on him and him alone.

First signs of the end times To the great consternation of the Jews, Jesus prophesied the destruction of their great temple at Jerusalem. The Jewish people took great pride in their temple, a marvel of the ancient world. The foretelling of this destruction was a dire warning of spiritual judgment in itself. They asked Jesus for a sign that would indicate when this disastrous event would occur. Jesus admonished them to not look for signs that would indicate the exact timing of impending destruction, but rather to pray for God's intervention of grace and mercy.

Jesus said there would be many signs of impending conflicts and disasters - such as wars, famines, diseases, tidal waves, and earthquakes - which would precede the struggles of the last days when God's anointed King would return to usher in the full reign of God over the earth. In that day when the Lord returns there will be a final judgement of the living and the dead when the secrets of every heart will be brought to light (Luke 12:2-3; Romans 2:16).

Jesus foretells the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem Jesus' prophecy of the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem was a two-edged sword, because it pointed not only to God's judgment, but also to his saving action and mercy. Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the dire consequences for all who would reject him and his saving message. While the destruction of Jerusalem's temple was determined (it was razed by the Romans in 70 A.D.), there remained for its inhabitants a narrow open door leading to deliverance. Jesus said: "I am the door; whoever enters by me will be saved" (John 10:9).  Jesus willingly set his face toward Jerusalem, knowing that he would meet betrayal, rejection, and death on a cross. His death on the cross, however, brought about true freedom, peace, and victory over the powers of sin, evil, and death - not only for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but for all - both Jew and Gentile alike – who would accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Do you know the peace and security of a life submitted to the lordship of Jesus Christ?

We need to recognize the signs of God's judgment, mercy, and grace to save us Sometimes we don't recognize the moral crisis and spiritual conflict of the age in which we live, until something "shakes us up" to the reality of this present condition. God reminds us that a future judgment and outcome awaits every individual who has lived on this earth. The reward for doing what is right and pleasing to God and the penalty for sinful rebellion and rejection of God are not always experienced in this present life - but they are sure to come in the day of final judgment.

The Lord Jesus tells us that there will be trials, suffering, and persecution in this present age until he comes again at the end of the world. God intends our anticipation of his final judgment to be a powerful deterrent to unfaithfulness and wrongdoing. God extends grace and mercy to all who will heed his call and his warning. Do not pass up, even for one day, God's invitation of grace and mercy to seek first his kingdom of righteousness and peace. This day may be your only chance before that final day comes.

Satan destroys and kills - God restores and gives life The real enemy of the Gospel - the good news of Jesus Christ - is Satan (also called Lucifer), the powerful leader of the fallen angels who rebelled against God and who were cast out of heaven. Satan opposes God and all who follow his rule of peace and righteousness (moral goodness) on the earth. Jesus calls Satan a "murderer" who turns brother against brother and the "father of lies" who twists the truth and speaks falsehood (John 8:44). Satan not only opposes God's rule, he seeks to destroy all who would obey God. Satan will use any means possible to turn people away from God. He tempts people through envy, deception, hatred, and fear to provoke hostility towards those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

What is Jesus' response to hostility and persecution? Love, forbearance, and forgiveness. Only love - the love which is rooted in God's great compassion and faithfulness - can overcome prejudice, hatred, and envy. God's love purifies our heart and mind of all that would divide and tear people apart. Knowing God as our compassionate Father and loving God's word of truth and righteousness (moral goodness) is essential for overcoming evil. Jesus tells us that we do not need to fear those who would oppose us or treat us harshly for following the Lord Jesus. He promises to give us supernatural strength, wisdom, and courage as we take a stand for our faith and witness to the truth and love of Christ.

The Gospel is good news for the whole world because it is God's eternal word of truth, love, pardon, and salvation (being set free from sin and evil) through his Son, Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus has won the victory for us through his atoning death on the cross for our sins and his rising from the grave - his resurrection power that brings abundant life and restoration for us. That is why the Gospel has power to set people free from sin, fear and death, and bring peace, pardon, and new life.

Endurance never gives up hope in God Jesus tells his disciples that if they endure to the end they will gain their lives - they will inherit abundant life and lasting happiness with God. Endurance is an essential strength which God gives to those who put their trust in him. Endurance is the patience which never gives up hope, never yields to despair or hatred. Patience is long-suffering because it looks beyond the present difficulties and trials and sees the reward which comes to those who persevere with hope and trust in God. That is why godly endurance is more than human effort. It is first and foremost a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit which enables us to bear up under any trial or temptation.

Endurance is linked with godly hope - the supernatural assurance that we will see God face to face and inherit all the promises he has made. Jesus is our supreme model and pioneer who endured the cross for our sake (Hebrews 12:2). "God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Jesus willingly shed his blood for us - to win for us pardon and peace with God. Our joy and privilege is to take up our cross each day to follow the Lord Jesus.

True martyrs live and die as witnesses of Christ and the Gospel of peace The word "martyr" in the New Testament Greek means "witness". The Book of Revelation says that "Jesus was the faithful witness ...who freed us from our sins by his blood" (Revelation 1:5). Tertullian, a second century lawyer who converted when he saw Christians singing as they went out to die by the hands of their persecutors, exclaimed: "The blood of the martyrs is seed." Their blood is the seed of new Christians, the seed of the church.

The third century bishop, Cyprian said: "When persecution comes, God's soldiers are put to the test, and heaven is open to martyrs. We have not enlisted in an army to think of peace and to decline battle, for we see that the Lord has taken first place in the conflict." True martyrs live and die as witnesses of the Gospel. They overcome their enemies through persevering hope and courage, undying love and forbearance, kindness, goodness, and compassion.

God may call some of us to be martyrs who shed their blood for bearing witness to Jesus Christ. But for most of us, our call is to be 'dry' martyrs who bear testimony to the joy and power of the Gospel in the midst of daily challenges, contradictions, temptations and adversities which come our way as we follow the Lord Jesus.

We do not need to fear our adversaries What will attract others to the truth and power of the Gospel? When they see Christians loving their enemies, being joyful in suffering, patient in adversity, pardoning injuries, and showing comfort and compassion to the hopeless and the helpless. Jesus tells us that we do not need to fear our adversaries. God will give us sufficient grace, strength, and wisdom to face any trial and to answer any challenge to our faith. Are you ready to lay down your life for Christ and to bear witness to the joy and freedom of the Gospel?

Sources:

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

**Meditations may be freely reprinted for non-commercial use. Cite copyright & source: www.dailyscripture.net author Don Schwager © 2015 Servants of the Word  

[almighty-god-saved-me-blog]

The Lord Jesus said that He will return, and what will be the manner of His return?

The Answer from God’s Word:

For several thousand years, man has longed to be able to witness the arrival of the Savior. Man has longed to behold Jesus the Savior on a white cloud as He descends, in person, among those who have pined and yearned for Him for thousands of years. Man has longed for the Savior to return and be reunited with the people, that is, for Jesus the Savior to come back to the people from whom He has been apart for thousands of years. And man hopes that He will once again carry out the work of redemption that He did among the Jews, will be compassionate and loving toward man, will forgive the sins of man, bear the sins of man, and even bear all of man’s transgressions and deliver man from sin. They long for Jesus the Savior to be the same as before—a Savior who is lovable, amiable and venerable, who is never wrathful toward man, and who never reproaches man. This Savior forgives and bears all of man’s sins, and even dies upon the cross for man once more. Since Jesus departed, the disciples who followed Him, and all of the saints who were saved thanks to His name, have been desperately pining for Him and awaiting Him. All those who were saved by the grace of Jesus Christ during the Age of Grace have been longing for that joyful day during the last days, when Jesus the Savior arrives on a white cloud and appears among man. Of course, this is also the collective wish of all those who accept the name of Jesus the Savior today. Throughout the universe, all those who know of the salvation of Jesus the Savior have been desperately yearning for the sudden arrival of Jesus Christ, to fulfill the words of Jesus when on earth: “I shall arrive just as I departed.” Man believes that, following the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus went back to heaven upon a white cloud, and took His place at the Most High’s right hand. Similarly, man conceives that Jesus shall descend, again upon a white cloud (this cloud refers to the cloud that Jesus rode upon when He returned to heaven), among those who have desperately yearned for Him for thousands of years, and that He shall bear the image and clothes of the Jews. After appearing to man, He shall bestow food upon them, and cause living water to gush forth for them, and shall live among man, full of grace and love, living and real. And so on. Yet Jesus the Savior did not do this; He did the opposite of what man conceived. He did not arrive among those who had yearned for His return, and did not appear to all men while riding upon the white cloud. He has already arrived, but man does not know Him, and remains ignorant of His arrival. Man is only aimlessly awaiting Him, unaware that He has already descended upon a white cloud (the cloud which is His Spirit, His words, and His entire disposition and all that He is), and is now among a group of overcomers that He will make during the last days. Man does not know this: Although the holy Savior Jesus is full of affection and love toward man, how could He work in “temples” inhabited by filth and impure spirits? Though man has been awaiting His arrival, how could He appear to those who eat the flesh of the unrighteous, drink the blood of the unrighteous, wear the clothes of the unrighteous, who believe in Him but do not know Him, and who constantly extort Him? Man knows only that Jesus the Savior is full of love and compassion, and is the sin offering filled with redemption. But man has no idea that He is also God Himself, who is brimming with righteousness, majesty, wrath, and judgment, and possessed of authority and full of dignity. And so even though man eagerly yearns for and craves the return of the Redeemer, and even Heaven is moved by the prayers of man, Jesus the Savior does not appear to those who believe in Him but do not know Him.

from “The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a ‘White Cloud’” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

God is incarnated in the Chinese mainland, what the compatriots in Hong Kong and Taiwan call the inland. When God came from above to the earth, no one in heaven and earth knew about it, for this is the true meaning of God returning in a concealed fashion. He has been in the flesh working and living for a long time, yet no one has known about it. Even to this day, no one recognizes it. Perhaps this will remain an eternal riddle. God’s coming into flesh this time is not something anyone is able to be aware of. No matter how large-scale and powerful the Spirit’s work, God always stays composed, never giving Himself away. One can say that it is as if this stage of His work is taking place in the heavenly realm. Even though it is perfectly obvious to everyone, no one recognizes it. When God finishes this stage of His work, everyone will awake from their long dream and reverse their past attitude.[1] … In rescuing man off the cross, Jesus was only completing redemption work; He was not doing perfection work. Thus only half of God’s work was being done, and finishing the redemption work was only half of His whole plan. As the new age was about to begin and the old one about to recede, God the Father began to deliberate the second part of His work and started preparing for it. In the past, this incarnation in the last days may not have been prophesied, and therefore that laid a foundation for the increased secrecy surrounding God’s coming into flesh this time. At the break of dawn, unbeknownst to any, God came to earth and began His life in the flesh. People were unaware of this moment. Maybe they were all fast asleep, maybe many who were watchfully awake were waiting, and maybe many were praying silently to God in heaven. Yet among all these many people, not one knew that God had already arrived on earth. God worked like this so as to more smoothly carry out His work and achieve better results, and it was also to avoid more temptations. As man’s spring slumber breaks, God’s work will have long been finished and He shall depart, bringing to a close His life of roaming and sojourning on earth. Because God’s work requires God to act and speak personally, and because there is no way for man to help, God has endured extreme pain to come to earth to do the work Himself. Man is unable to stand in for God’s work. Therefore God risked dangers several thousand times greater than those during the Age of Grace to come down to where the great red dragon dwells to do His own work, to put all His thinking and care into redeeming this group of impoverished people, redeeming this group of people mired in a heap of manure.

from “Work and Entry (4)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Now the new work of God has begun, and it is also the beginning of a new age. God brings to His house those redeemed to begin His new work of salvation. This time, the work of salvation is more thorough than in times past. It will not be done by the Holy Spirit working in man to allow him to change on his own, nor will it be done through the body of Jesus appearing among men, and least of all will it be done in another manner. Rather, the work will be done and steered by God incarnate Himself. This is done in order to lead man into the new work. Is this not a great thing? God does not do this work through a part of men or through prophecies, but by God Himself. …

This time, God comes to do work not in a spiritual body but in a very ordinary one. Not only is it the body of God’s second incarnation, but also the body in which God returns. It is a very ordinary flesh. In Him, you cannot see anything that is different from others, but you can receive from Him the truths you have never heard before. This insignificant flesh is the embodiment of all the words of truth from God, that which undertakes God’s work in the last days, and an expression of the whole of God’s disposition for man to come to know. Did you not desire greatly to see the God in heaven? Did you not desire greatly to understand the God in heaven? Did you not desire greatly to see the destination of mankind? He will tell you all these secrets that no man has been able to tell you, and He will even tell you of the truths that you do not understand. He is your gate into the kingdom, and your guide into the new age. Such an ordinary flesh holds many unfathomable mysteries. His deeds may be inscrutable to you, but the goal of all the work He does is sufficient for you to see that He is not a simple flesh as man believes. For He represents the will of God as well as the care shown by God toward mankind in the last days. Though you cannot hear the words He speaks that seem to shake the heavens and earth or see His eyes like blazing flames, and though you cannot feel the discipline of His iron rod, you can hear from His words the fury of God and know that God shows compassion for mankind; you can see the righteous disposition of God and His wisdom, and moreover, realize the concern and care that God has for all mankind. The work of God in the last days is to allow man to see the God in heaven live among men on earth, and to enable man to come to know, obey, revere, and love God. This is why He has returned to flesh for a second time.

from “Do You Know? God Has Done a Great Thing Among Men” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Footnotes:

1. “Reverse their past attitude” refers to how people’s conceptions and views about God change once they know God.

From: The Lord Jesus said that He will return, and what will be the manner of His return?

[tj-van-heerden]

Righteousness in the New Testament (2 of 2)

2Cor 7:1 Having therefore these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Gal 3:11 Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, “The righteous will live by faith.”

Gal 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith [or, faithfulness], 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Eph 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love,

Eph 2:20-22 20 being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; 21 in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.

Eph 4:24 and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.

Eph 4:30 Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Eph 5:9-10 9 for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, 10 proving what is well pleasing to the Lord.

Eph 5:27 that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without defect.

Phil 1:11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Col 1:22 yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him,

Col 3:12-13 12 Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.

1Thess 2:4 But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak: not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.

1Thess 3:13 to the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

1Tim 2:8 I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and doubting.

1Tim 6:11 But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

2Tim 2:19 However God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.”

2Tim 2:22 Flee from youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

2Tim 3:16 Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, 17 that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Titus 2:12 instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age;

Heb 10:38 But the righteous will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

Heb 12:11 All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Heb 13:20-21 20 Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus, 21 make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Jas 1:20 for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.

Jas 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Jas 5:16 Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.

1Pet 1:15-16 15 but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy; for I am holy.”

1Pet 2:5 You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1Pet 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

1Pet 3:5 For this is how in the past, the holy women who hoped in God also adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands.

1Pet 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

1Pet 4:18 “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will happen to the ungodly and the sinner?”

2Pet 3:11 Therefore since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness,

1John 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

1John 3:7 Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

1John 3:22 so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

Jude 1:20 But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.

Rev 2:1-7 1  “To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write: “He who holds the seven stars in his right hand, he who walks among the seven golden lamp stands says these things: 2  “I know your works, and your toil and perseverance, and that you can’t tolerate evil men, and have tested those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and found them false. 3  You have perseverance and have endured for my name’s sake, and have not grown weary. 4  But I have this against you, that you left your first love. 5  Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I am coming to you swiftly, and will move your lamp stand out of its place, unless you repent. 6  But this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of my God.

Rev 2:8-11 8  “To the angel of the assembly in Smyrna write: “The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says these things: 9  “I know your works, oppression, and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10  Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes won’t be harmed by the second death.

Rev 2:12-17 12  “To the angel of the assembly in Pergamum write: “He who has the sharp two-edged sword says these things: 13  “I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. You hold firmly to my name, and didn’t deny my faith in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14  But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15  So you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans likewise. 16  Repent therefore, or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows but he who receives it.

Rev 2:18-29 18  “To the angel of the assembly in Thyatira write: “The Son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like burnished brass, says these things: 19  “I know your works, your love, faith, service, patient endurance, and that your last works are more than the first. 20  But I have this against you, that you tolerate your woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. 21  I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22  Behold, I will throw her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great oppression, unless they repent of her works. 23  I will kill her children with Death, and all the assemblies will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. 24  But to you I say, to the rest who are in Thyatira, as many as don’t have this teaching, who don’t know what some call ‘the deep things of Satan,’ to you I say, I am not putting any other burden on you. 25  Nevertheless, hold that which you have firmly until I come. 26  He who overcomes, and he who keeps my works to the end, to him I will give authority over the nations. 27  He will rule them with a rod of iron, shattering them like clay pots; as I also have received of my Father: 28  and I will give him the morning star. 29  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

Rev 3:1-6 1  “And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis write: “He who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars says these things: “I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2  Wake up, and keep the things that remain, which you were about to throw away, for I have found no works of yours perfected before my God. 3  Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I will come upon you. 4  Nevertheless you have a few names in Sardis that didn’t defile their garments. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5  He who overcomes will be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. 6  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

Rev 3:7-13 7  “To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write: “He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says these things: 8  “I know your works (behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one can shut), that you have a little power, and kept my word, and didn’t deny my name. 9  Behold, I give some of the synagogue of Satan, of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but lie—behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. 10  Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11  I am coming quickly! Hold firmly that which you have, so that no one takes your crown. 12  He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will go out from there no more. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name. 13  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

Rev 3:14-22 14  “To the angel of the assembly in Laodicea write: “The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning* of God’s creation, says these things: 15  “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. 16  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth. 17  Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; 18  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. 19  As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent. 20  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me. 21  He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.”

Rev 19:7-8 7 Let’s rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let’s give the glory to him. For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her that she would array herself in bright, pure, fine linen: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years.

Rev 22:11 He who acts unjustly, let him act unjustly still. He who is filthy, let him be filthy still. He who is righteous, let him do righteousness still. He who is holy, let him be holy still.”