| Author | Message | ||
| Patrickfoy Registered user Username: Patrickfoy Post Number: 20 Registered: 3-2004  |
I have been trying to share what I am learning about the true gift of grace and salvation from a loving God. Most of the friends that I have in the SDA church will listen and say, that's nice. But still don't get it. They can't see through the mountains of paper from the thousands of misleading books that are presented to them as Gods word, to see that there is only one message and one book that God declaires His. The Bible. I found this quote somewhere and it has been hanging on the bullettin board, in front of me, ever since I left the SDA. It has changed my way of thinking about salvation and the love of God. I don't know who is responsible for it, but I would like to share it: (When Jesus Christ came in fulfillment of the prophetic words of the Old Testament prophets, He changed the course of human history. Through His life and death, He made it possible for mankind to be restored to unbroken fellowship and communion with his maker. The veil of sin that prevented our direct access to the Father has now been removed by the obedience of the one man, Jesus Christ). It's something how the Lord can use something this small to change a life. But it changed mine. I really like the last line: The veil of sin that prevented our direct access to the Father has now been removed by the (obedience) of one man, Jesus Christ. Just wanted to share. God Bless Patrick | ||
| Jwd Registered user Username: Jwd Post Number: 116 Registered: 4-2005 |
Howdy Patrick, How true and how blessed! No matter how dark our day, nor how full the agenda of problems facing us, no matter what illness is present in our bodies, we can rejoice with absolute assurance, "Praise God! I am saved!" All glory goes to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We were saved in actuality - because God chose it to be so, long before the foundations of this earth were laid! My mind cannot get around that, no matter how hard I try to comprehend it. Yesterday I received a phone call from an M.D. I have not met personally, who lives in Simi Valley, CA. We have shared briefly via internet. We both ended our conversation praising God for the marvelous gift of Grace, revealed in the precious Gospel of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I would say, "Praise God!" And he would say, "All glory to God!" We were not shouting, mind you, but giving solid praise to God in glorifying His name. Old time Christians used to say, "Hallelujah" and "Praise the Lord!" to express their adoration and to verbally give glory to God. I am finding these expressions appearing in my prayers more and more in my feeble, sinful attempt to offer to God an expression of worship and joy worthy of His Omnipotence and Sovereignty. "Holy, Holy, Holy," is what the Angels nearest His throne repeat, so that seems a good praise of worship to offer Him. While within Adventism I never FELT this holy joy and awesome appreciation for Who God is! It is wonderful to even feel these emotions of deepest gratitude toward Him "in Whom we live and breathe, and move, and have our very essence of being." God bless you and thanks for sharing. Surely we do not glorify God enough! The things that cause us to weep and wring our hands and lose our tempers in frustration on this earth now, will someday dissolve as we enter the Living Light of His very Presence, and we will not even be able to remember them - no doubt. And just think: We cannot even IMAGINE - - and from my posts you know I have a very vivid imagination - - what God has prepared FOR US! I can imagine some really astounding, super-natural, science-fixtion to the max things; but those wildest pictures, don't even come close. "Hallelujah! What a Saviour!" Soli Deo Gloria Jess | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2638 Registered: 12-2003  |
Patrick, what a wonderful quote you shared. Praise God for bringing it to you and for using it to clarify Him to you. I'm always amazed at how indivudally He deals with us. Jess, I completely relate to your amazement and joy at feeling gratitutde and praise for God and Who He Is. That phenomenon still astonishes me, and I thank Him that His reality is not simply an "emotional phase". It's really Him, and He's really here, and I'm really in Christ. Wow! Colleen | ||
| Lindylou Registered user Username: Lindylou Post Number: 77 Registered: 1-2005 |
Hi all, I want to join your praise session by using Paul's words: "How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ! Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure! So we praise God for the wonderful kindness He has poured out on us because we belong to His dearly loved Son. He is so rich in kindness that He purchased our freedom through the blood of His Son, and our sins are forgiven." Wow! and AMEN! Ephesians 1:3-7 (New Living Translation) | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1879 Registered: 3-2004  |
Patrick and Jess, When I read about the gemstones for the foundation of the New Jerusalem, with its street of gold and a solid pearl at each gate, I went to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, DC, with a written list of the gemstones. I lived in Northern VA at the time. There are quite a few of them at the museum. BUT, the physical is much easier to imagine than the spiritual/emotional. So all I can say is GOD, YOU ARE AWESOME. Diana | ||
| Javagirl Registered user Username: Javagirl Post Number: 77 Registered: 6-2005 |
I'll join in the praise session! It occurs to me that when I am worshipping God, I am worshipping with ALL my brothers and sisters, from those on this forum, to the far reaches of the world. We are IN Christ. We are joined by the Spirit in the Unity that Christ and the apostles prayed for! A preview of heaven! This has really helped me in visiting different churches. I am in no way alone, but joined in an instant bond as a part of the body of Christ, who is the Head! Even as I post, with praise in my heart, I am joined together with some who are driving, who are tending the elderly or children, who are in a far off country, who speak a diffent language, who are crying out to God, who are at work, and who are basking in the love and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Raising our hands and heart to God in Praise AT THIS MOMENT, we are instantly connected to all those who are in Christ! Absolutely mind boggling to me! We are not alone! Ever! In moments of dispair, when the devil is shooting those arrows at us, whether mental or physical, we can raise our hearts in praise, and we are strengthened by the unity of the ENTIRE body of Christ, with the incomparable power of the Father. Yes, Lindylou, we are blessed with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms, because we belong to Christ, who LOVED us. We stand boldly before the throne of Grace, clothed in Christ's righteousness, holy and WITHOUT FAULT in HIS eyes. Even a wretch like Me! Now that causes my soul to "well up" with hallelelujahs! Jeannette, you will appreciate this next quote! "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyeas are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one but he himself knows. Hi is dressed in a robe DIPPED IN BLOOD, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "he will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name wirtten: KING OF KING AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:11-16. THAT"S MY GOD! I have nothing to fear, now or in the last days! I pray that this is your GOD! If not, I encourage you to come and "taste and see that the Lord is GOOD! JavaGirl | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2652 Registered: 12-2003 |
Javagirl, I love your writing of how we are all connected through Jesus when we praise. I've thought often of the connection we all share through the Holy Spirit. It's real and powerful. Have you had the experience, since being in the true body of Christ, of meeting a total stranger and being quite certain that he or she is a Christ-follower because of something indefinable that you see or sense in them? The Holy Spirit in us recognizes the Holy Spirit in another, and we are truly not alone. On Saturday Richard and I were taking Rocky for a walk through our neighborhood, and we passed a house we always pass, but we've never met the residednts. They had a garage sale on their driveway, and we walked by to look. The man of the house came over, pet Rocky, and spoke to us. I suspected he was a Christian when I saw his eyes, but of course, I'm not always sure. As we looked through some books they were selling, included among them were several Christian paperback books on home schooling, relationships, etc. I know what you mean, JavaGirl, when you describe the amazement of feeling that connection to all Christians, wherever they are, and of knowing also that we are part of an unbroken heritage that began at Pentecost. Just Amazing. Colleen |
