"The unfolding of your words gives light ..." (Psalm 119:130a)
“What if you and I lived our entire lives thinking we were in a different conversation than the one that is really going on? What if we lived out our lives in a drama that appears to be unfolding–only to discover that the part we thought we played was never really written into the actual story in fact being written? What if our assumptions about what is really going on in this world are all wrong and we live our lives off-purpose?” (Long Story Short, p.18)
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)
“Notice the pronouns: ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.’ This is no theoretical discussion. Because the possibilities are personal, so must be the pledge of trust. In ‘the valley of the shadow’ a second-hand faith will not do … Till you take a long, hard look at ‘the valley of the shadow,’ until you can also feel its cold, damp dew upon your brow, you may be content with a borrowed faith. But once you’ve been near enough to feel death’s chill run up your spine, second-hand faith will never again satisfy.” (Song of a Satisfied Soul, pp.60-61)
“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 1:5)
The noun “regeneration” points to the act of entering new life, while “renewing” points to the qualitative nature of that new life.
“Renewal without regeneration is cosmetic; regeneration without renewal is spiritual infanticide.” (The Pastoral Epistles for Pastors, p.553)
“… then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:24-28)
“History is linear, not cyclical. We are not caught in an unending experience of living through the past’s reruns. We are headed somewhere. There is coming a time, in ‘the end’, when the authority invested in Christ by the Father will have been brought to its end goal. The kingdom of God will win. Justice will be served. All opposition will be put down. All ‘dominion, authority and power’ will have been destroyed. Christ will be Victor! Finally, and forever all that displeases and dishonors God will be under His feet! Having won the battle He was sent for, Jesus will hand the kingdom over to the Father once again. He then ‘will be made subject to him who put everything under him.’ Think of it! Mystery of mysteries! How can the co-eternal, co-equal Son eternally subject Himself to the Father with Whom He shares all the prerogatives and essence of Deity? ‘The passage is a summary of mysteries which our present knowledge does not enable us to explain, and which our present faculties, perhaps, do not enable us to understand.’ Though our minds cannot fully comprehend it, this implies no inferiority of the Son to the Father either in His person, nature, or dignity. It simply means that even the Son, without surrendering His deity or dignity, is willing to subject Himself eternally to the Father so that the authority of the triune God might be forever a wonder the new creation can’t take its eyes off of.” (Embracing Authority, pp.206-207)
He who seeks his own pleasure forfeits God’s presence.
He who seeks God’s pleasure gains both God’s presence and a share in His infinitely greater pleasure.
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
“”Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure.'” (Isaiah 46:9-10, NASB)
“How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.” (Psalm 36:7-8)
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Heb 11:6)
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