In the Silence of This Day

In the Silence of this day, will we not remember what Jesus spoke to us from the Cross? Will we remember what He told the Father when forgiving another was His utmost priority in losing no precious time with His Father: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

John 12:44-50 NKJV Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 45 And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46 “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. 47 “And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words,, has that which judges him----the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. 49 “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.” 50 “ And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

Being intimately acquainted with the counsels of God, Jesus was faithful in communicating what the Father had given Him to speak. Jesus the faithful delivered souls for He spoke the truth, the whole counsel of God and nothing was held back.

Proverbs 19:20 Amplified Bible 20 Hear counsel,  receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come.

Psalm 19:7-11 Amplified Bible 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the [whole] person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes. 9 the [reverent] fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous all together. 10 More to be desire are they than gold, even than much fine gold; they are sweeter also than honey and drippings from the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is Your servant warned (reminded, illuminated, and instructed); & in keeping them there is great reward.      

Our walk is to be one of faith in Jesus. Is there days or weeks that our faith walk takes a vacation? Do we vacate the speech regarded by God for some other form of speech? Are our words filled with Covid 19 or death? Or are our words filled with faith with trust in God and the best days for us are right before us now?

We were told in Luke 2:52 that Jesus at the age of 12 (verse 42) had increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. Jesus had gone with His parents to the custom of the feast. But the boy lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Jesus was found among teachers in the Temple and was both listening to them and asking questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers! (verse 47)

Jesus came from God and was trustworthy to give to a world those things God had on His own heart for mankind. John 17:3  And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, & Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 

"To Know YOU, the only true God"…and Jesus undertook the assignment to deliver it to us….to be reminded of God the righteous Judge and Jesus the Mediator between God & man.  

The Testimony of the Lord is Sure:1 John 5:9-12 Amplified Bible 9 If we accept [as we do] the testimony of men [ if we are willing to take human authority], the testimony of God is greater ( of stronger authority), for this is the testimony of God, even the witness which He has borne regarding His Son. 10 He who believes in the Son of God [ who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] has the testimony [possesses this divine attestation] within himself.

He who does not believe God [in this way] has made Him out to be and represented Him as a liar, because he has not believed (put his faith in, adhered to, and relied on) the evidence ( the testimony) that God has borne regarding His Son.    11 And this is that testimony ( that evidence); God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who possesses the Son has that life; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have that life.  

In His last moments before dying, Luke 23: 43 "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."  The criminal who hung next to Him, feared God. He knew he hung there for what was wrong to do and in Jesus, he saw truth revealed that Jesus had done nothing wrong. He spoke to Jesus: Luke 23:42 :"Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."

And in Luke 23:45 we are told: Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit." Having said this, He breathed His last.

Jesus came speaking of the Father and in His last moments He had spoken again. In the darkness that fell, the ground quaked and it shook all that surrounded those people who saw Jesus go to the Cross. Those who experienced Him in Nazareth, Galilee, in Capernaum and Jerusalem, who had a glimpse of the truth, ran headlong into darkness and emptiness without Him.

Will our day be in silence in thinking on that moment that occurred some two thousand years ago? Will our only thought be on what we will try to do to make another week in quarantine and the shut-down by men's own voices and hands or will we lift our voices in praise to Him Who removed the veil, and removed that which blocked our access to the Father?

Will we lift our voice in worship to Him who hears from heaven? For God is not dead. No He is surely alive and in Him we today celebrate Resurrection. Because the Cross and DEATH could not hold Him, and we are not held in isolation but free in the spirit to worship Him, to touch heaven and change earth in the here and in the now of this moment.

No isolation here, God's presence surrounds us, and He is joy in our midst! The true will seek out the true God, and will search with a heart that is praising without any reservations no matter the circumstance or season; they will smile though their world is breaking apart….because they remind themselves of the good the Lord has done to them and through them. 

We should remember that He spoke He would never leave us nor forsake us…For this which the Lord God gives is a fullness of the soul, it fills us up with joy, is a reminder of His goodness & how great He truly is…….in the depths of  hurt, pain & much grief… whether due to the loss of a loved one to a virus, or a loss of employment, still the Cross is revealed &  the Tomb is opened to allow power & glory to come in....and it comes to those who accept and receive readily…the Holy Spirit Who appeared to empower us who would receive Jesus as Lord, the Shepherd of our souls and lead us in paths of righteousness! We truly forgive those who have erred against us, and we ask You Lord to forgive them for they know not what they do!

Today we choose to draw from the depths of our heart where God’s word is planted to speak that length, the depth, the width and height of it, so God's love is revealed when we speak.  If that word of God is not there, then we speak amiss, our actions are that of the world and not of God!

In the silence of this day, will we remember Him who gave up His life to gain ours? In the silence of this day, will we experience God, not by the gushing pangs of emotions, but by the true warmth of His presence that is encouraging, is strengthening and willing to release more of His love to us and through us in these days set before us? Because God is not dead, and we live by His breath in us to live this day, and move and have our being that represents Him, the Lord of glory!

Father, we give thanks for this day for it is a day You made for us! We live for Your glory and to Your praise. We come out on top because You are our VICTORY!

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Silent Night?

I keep hearing the Christmas song "Silent Night". I had just written on a previous blog about the shepherds who got the message that night Jesus was born in Bethlehem. I really don't think it was a "silent night" where they were at. Now, if one is thinking of the beauty of the newborn baby and the gentleness of his hands as he moves and stretches with his eyes closed as when he sleeps, yes, the silence of a beauty that only God can create causes one to be silent and drink in that precious beauty! Thinking of our daughter and grand-child, I always reflect on how tiny their hands were and that awesome stretch of the body when they are so relaxed in mommy's arms. I believe for those "not looking for the coming Messiah" probably saw it as just another night, just another year, and just another season passing.
But "silent" never, for those who came looking from the east followed the star that directed them to the Christ Child. I think there was probably a lot of talk going on about what these men were seeing. And dare I mention what the shepherds probably talked about when the angels appeared to them with a heavenly message?

Luke 2:8-20....................................8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 "Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. NKJV

Now, I cannot say the shepherds were waiting for the consolation to appear. In verse 17 it states that when they had seen HIM, they made it widely known the same which was told to them. AND we find in verse 20 that the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen as it was told them.

Wow! They experienced it and praised God for it! Could they have gotten "loud" about their praise and thanks to God?

I would think that this is not the time to be all "spiritual" but the time to praise God for sending Jesus and telling others about it! Here is scripture in detail stating that these shepherds certainly went out to tell others about Jesus.

Do we do as much? Do we tell others of Jesus? Do we leave glorifying and praising God for things we have heard about HIM in church or even at home in our study time? Do we tell others or are we not receiving truth of Who He is in "church"? Because we should be fed and encouraged to go out and tell others about Jesus. Do we not learn from our "secret place" time with Him or are we again to busy for prayer time because it is the holiday" season?  These shepherds left their flocks to go and see what they had heard and they returned with praise on their lips.

Is it "silent" at your house during this time of year or do you have your family gathered to give praise to God? Is there the exuberance of the expected package under a tree or the coming One, the Savior of the world? It is not about presents, or how much food to have or what kind of meat or drink, but it is about the "One" who was sent! It is about glorifying God for His goodness and love towards that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!  For the coming One will return and will put His foot down on Mt. Olive.........and every eye will see HIM! Yes, He is coming again and there will be no "silence".

Romans 5:6-9 ................6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. NKJV

I believe there was much more in the truth of the angels appearing to the shepherds that night.  I believe the Great Shepherd was talked about that night to the shepherds who kept their watch on their flocks. If we are in any kind of leadership, we are to guide people into the truth of God's word. We are to have one heart with God! We are to tell our children grand-children, those at church, those at the bus stop, those in the work place, those in the grocery store or shopping center. We are to tell others of the love of God and how He came with power to set all the captives free.

I close with this scripture:

Matthew 4:23-5:2.....23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. 25 Great multitudes followed Him--from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.   Matthew 5 ..................5:1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: NKJV

We know from scripture that people followed Jesus............and from this verse of Matthew 4:23....and all the way to Chapter 8 of same book ...........Jesus taught. In my estimation, these people sat for a long time to hear this message preached. These were great crowds who came to hear Him teach and speak truth. Yet, today I hear people say, "oh, they cannot give long sermons for the people get nervous, anxious, and will not sit that long to hear." And, "well, the service is to start at 9 am but the people are still coming in and you look around the room and see maybe a half dozen people just standing around and waiting. Yet these people followed Jesus up a mountain and heard Him teach for hours. People were excited, and came with a longing to hear what He was going to say and teach. Jesus taught them and showed them truth of the Word. He guided them by God's love and the importance of obeying. Jesus showed them and us that He is the Bread of Life (John 6:35-51), Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6) , the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-14), Light in the World (John 812; John 9:5), Door of the Sheep (John 10:7-9), Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), and True Vine (15:1-6)

These people did not have a new SUV or an new cell phone that will do "everything". Yet they heard and they followed. They had to walk or ride the animal that was available at the time. They did not need the new outfit or a limo to get to church.

I pray that I have sparked a fire in many that choose to tell others of God's goodness and love. If we are not corrected and continue down the same ole path, do we fail miserably in not telling others of God's love and how it was expressed through His Son Jesus?

I believe Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit at every turn of His walk with His Father. I believe Him to be obedient even unto death. Are we willing to make the same sacrifice? And our dying to self does not mean we go to the cross, but we do take up the Cross and carry it to remember we have a Savior..............for today we know that a Savior was born.............."Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth, good will toward all men.........."

I pray that we be not the silent majority! I pray that we tell others of God's great love, through giving, through prayer, through teaching, through praise and the love of God to let people know that we have seen a great light! AND HE IS COMING AGAIN!

Matthew 4:16...........16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned."  NIV

Father, I pray that there be no "silent nights" in regard to the coming of Your son Jesus. I pray that we would know that a great Light has come upon those living in the land of the shadow of death and as the Light has dawned............may we be like those shepherds and declare God's glory. Peace on this earth begins with us knowing YOUR peace Almighty God, and I pray that we would recognize it to be a peace that is never passive. Father help us today to know that YOUR peace is meant to demolish every single work of darkness. As we move and have our being in YOU, may YOUR peace invade us, and take over  to drive the chaos out of our lives. Father I praise YOU and thank You for Jesus Who is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). He delivered the Gospel of Peace to us. Like Jesus, the more we speak the Word, the more Your peace will prevail in our lives. I also pray that we would know that sin is an open door that invites chaos into our lives. Help us to discern to get sin out and keep it rooted out and demolished. The only silence we should have is the one OF A CONFIDENT TRUST IN YOU within our hearts and minds that keeps the guard up! Yes, today our trust is in YOU!
It is in the mighty name of Jesus that I pray for each TO come to know the great light that has come, and may they experience His great peace that can be carried with us everywhere we go. I pray that our hearts today will declare YOU God and will spend the time, no matter the hour or the lateness, but wait on You to hear You speak. I pray that we would be a force of men and women who will go out to tell others of Jesus and His coming again for His believer's. Father make us strong and courageous. Help us to never be afraid or terrified because of anyone else, for You Lord our God goes with us, just like YOU did for Jesus. Amen.

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