A Presence That Divides...

Season's Close- Plein Air Oil - K.Hitt- Copyrighted ALL rights

A presence that divides, that the thought that made it difficult to find peace, yet in the living word found it to be exactly that.
John 9:35- 10:21 
9:39 Jesus said, "For judgement I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."  
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Noting- Jesus' presence divides people, and this always brings a type of judgement.  Those who reject His gift, end up 'blind.'
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Nothing politically correct in THIS TRUTH that demands our attention.  For it is a TRUTH that remains whether one chooses to 'believe' it or not.  This passage in its context is "Spiritual Blindness" John 9:35-41.  It is sincerely believed witnessed in last nights political Presidential debate.  Verse 40 notes that The Pharisees' found it incredible that anyone would consider them spiritually blind.  Verse 41 notes that the Pharisees' claim to sight showed their complete unawareness of their 'spiritual blindness' and need.  And though they claimed to have sight, their actions were evidence of their blindness.
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This precisely witnessed and confess upset my peace ever since last night.  In the NEED to work, had to stop all work and literally run to God in prayer.  Pleading for 'Help please God' "I run to YOU' 'Holy Spirit, please counsel my spirit with Your Spirit' and turned to the God Breathed for my way.  As God always does, His Truth, found in His Word, brought the much needed peace to meet the demands of this day.  For though could 'SEE' that what had just witnessed and found troubling was John 9:35-41.  God's answer follows in John 10:1-21 "The Shepherd and His Flock".  Pick up at verse 7 where  Jesus further explains where they did not understand 1-6.
10:7 Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I AM the gate for the sheep."
"I AM" noting in the Greek- the words are solemnly emphatic and echo Ex 3:14 'the bread of life' may mean 'the bread that is living' and/or 'the bread that gives life'
(10:8) This world gives 'false shepherds' - Inside 'the gate' there is safety, and one is able to go out and find pasture, i.e., the supply of all needs. This the PEACE sought desperately today - and needed.  Felt over run by 'false shepherds:'  whose interest ultimately is in himself. The opposite of Christ's interest which is in the sheep, us, why He is here, why He came.  His sole desire is that they(us) have life to the full.  10:14-18 Continues how it is done, by love and willingness to sacrifice ALL for ALL.  With NO BIAS or regard for self except to do God's will.  For love, by love, in love, through love - IT IS DONE.  THAT the thought my mind was led to take captive and to breathe in and breathe out. 
 Let me repeat it: 

 For love, by love, in love, through love - it is done - in Jesus' name.

by it the much needed peace restored, so that may indeed go out and find the supply for ALL needs.  Not in one ultimately here to serve self interests over Gods' interest.
10:11 "I AM the Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep"
Praise be to God - HE HAS OUR BACK
He is the foundation by which this land was founded.  'God bless America' not only remains our prayer, 'One Nation Under God' remains our motto.
"If my people humble themselves and pray, and turn from their wicked ways...'(paraphrase) 
it is our way to enter in 'The Gate' of Christ Jesus' pastures still.  The TRUTH, praise God remains, and Jesus speaks it, is it, gives it that we may live in it should we choose to.

I choose NOT TO FRET at the blind, I instead choose Christ, therefore He restores my vision, that I indeed may truly see.   Thank you God for the Way, The Truth, and The Life - in Christ, given to us each that seek it.  In Jesus' name I pray, and so thank You that I may - Amen <><<><<><

WITH...

"Take Pause" commissioned Portrait - K.Hitt- copyrighted.

WITH…

Romans! 4-6, Paused in 5 and also Proverbs…. Oh the wisdom and majesty of God.  Romans 5 “Peace and Joy” 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. 

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

…Reading on through to verse 5.

Noting the simplistic but profound seen here….

Peace WITH God: one- NOT a subjective feeling but an objective status, a NEW relationship with God:  No longer an enemy – now friends.  Oh, to comprehend this, profound revelation – FRIENDS WITH GOD – in HIS inner circle of life – not only for life – for ALL eternity!

YES we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God indeed – Godspeed.

Prayer, refocus me to Your thoughts to this heart Oh God.  Praise be YOU God are my Lord, and my God… and humbly yet boldly even my friend.  WOW!

May ALL hear YOUR LIVING WORD spoken to their hearts.

Not To Believe In...

“Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” The Red letters of Christ in Luke 5. Context Luke 5:1-11.

The preface adds significance to this call to action too of these fishermen that had just pulled in from being out all night fishing, to return to shore with empty nets. God has brought me to these Scriptures countless times, so as re-read them as the living word that they are today, seek to see the God Breathed designed to be my breath today….

‘underwater’ was a word uttered yesterday, relating to: in time, resources, etc. etc. etc.  Isn’t it just like God to tell me that’s just where he wants me to go….  INTO DEEP WATER.  The ridiculous ‘thinkith too much thinker’ that I am, of course pause to ponder here. For sometimes when you read the Word, certain scriptures just leap off the page, demanding your full attention to them.  Well this book mark has had me most recently now for the second day…. Soooooooooooo think perhaps am to ‘hear’ and ‘heed’ just what it is the “Living Word” of God is speaking.

What makes this word come to life is Peter(Simon’s) reply to it: Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.  But because You say so, I will let down the nets.”

Ahh yes, By faith and trusting in God, not in self, or the history of doing it ‘all’ before.  TRUST, FAITH… in MASTER, LORD… as Peter replied.  Act upon and do… as called. Have we not been told before to Trust and Obey?

Key is to NOT

               Run ahead of God

               Or

               NOT listen

Pretty elementary concepts indeed. Oh, you say that you would never NOT listen to a God call? Have you ever heard that whisper ‘you have done this before, what good came of it?’ Well that is one of the keys indeed, to NOT believe the enemy who tries to send defeat, to call you away from God’s Truth for you and your message to overcome-  and to have success God’s way by In faith listening and putting in to DEEP water for a catch-  in spite of failures or previous empty nets.

Confess could be Peter, in word stating the same… ‘did all that knew how to do, and as best that could, and came up empty… what’s different this time Master, but ok, because you say so…?

Yet it’s pretty plain to see what the difference is.  It’s Christ Jesus.  Yes, we have ALL heard that before too, the answer is ‘Jesus’…

But it’s more than that … it’s FAITH AND TRUST IN JESUS

Surrendering to that!

And that at His direction, word, it is all NEW.  No past failures play a part any more.  By faith, press on… press on.

So may the reply be instead;’ May I lord, DO, yes DO… as only You can teach me to do and enable me.’ 

ACTION-  NOT just reaction. 

An Intentional action, as in making intentional strokes, as with a brush and paint in a painting.  Something shared often with students, is that every stroke needs to be intentional.  Not just coloring, or filling in. (going through the motions)   Yes those strokes are a reaction to the LIGHT and depicting it as seen.  They all need applied intentionally though, or they have no effect…

 Are we being reminded to stop just going through the motions here?

So what difference comes from an intentional faith action? Luke 5:1-11 context here. Again the Scripture that rises off of it remains the same as yesterday.  The Red letters of Christ saying ‘Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch’

Second day clarified and brought out more. Put out into deep water, comes first…

then the let down the nets for a catch.

NIV Study notes give no insight here… yet it literally depicts the direction Jesus led them. 

Are we seeing order in faith here?

First comes ‘our effort’

Then comes God’s call.

In that call is God calling us to go deep… by faith?

We have already clarified on our own what the results are: empty nets. 

Go deep.  ‘Put out into deep water…’

For our catch.  By faith the key… that is reminded of again- AND to NOT believe (or put our faith)  in the previous results or the empty nets. 

What we are called to believe in clarified!

The MASTER- to believe in GOD.

DUH!

NOT ‘our’ action… His call to action, which always leads us to His Promise.

Here the Promise is for a catch.

When the Disciples answer the next call 5:10b Then Jesus said to Simon “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men’ 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore left everything and followed Him.(Jesus)

Can’t help but notice here today a detail about that Miracle catch

…is it not a part of all that God counseled them to leave behind? To follow Christ? 

In that see Gods reminder to:

NOT believe in the miracle and follow it-

NO, we are called to believe in the miracle Maker- Christ Jesus and follow Him.

“Put out into deep waters and let down your nets for a catch” – Jesus

Intentional strokes indeed.