is still flowing through me

Isaiah 26:3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee, because he trusteth in thee.

Now is it ever bright and sunshiny this Ash Wednesday morning! We could not ask for anything better…well, perhaps no snow on the banks, (smile) although we expect some warmer temps and rain in the next couple of days, which hopefully will melt and wash most of it away. Brother, I’ve never seen such a confused mixture of snow and rain in a winter season yet. But if that’s the way Mother Nature chooses to behave these days, then there’s nothing much we can do, except grin and bear it.

Anyway, all the frolic, the carnival and bacchanal is done now, and it’s time to get serious about life and about Jesus. The Lenten Season is here, which means a time of praying, fasting, studying God’s word, being more generous and treating each other better! And I guess the Lord knew why He had me ask yesterday about the keeping of our New Year’s resolution, because all those things back there are an integral part of not only Lent, but also of getting closer, becoming involved in a deeper and more intimate relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

And do we ever desperately need that in this ungodly, strife-filled, angry and greedy world! And I just saw a scripture that admirably describes our current plight. The prophet Isaiah said of his people Israel in his hymn of praise, a prophecy of the redemption song that will be sung in the Millennial Kingdom, when Christ finally comes to reign for a thousand years. ‘O Lord our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us, but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.’ (Is. 26:13)

And is that ever the gospel truth my people! We have allowed the evil and wicked idols and images to capture our lives and turn us away from the One and Only True God Jehovah! That’s why our lives and our world is in such a terrible mess. But as Isaiah continues: ‘They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore thou hast visited (punished) and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.’ (Is. 26:14)

Yes friends, the Lord is the process of destroying the false gods and evildoers. He began with the coming of Jesus, that first time two thousand years ago, where He was the first and only deity to die and rise from the grave, and live forever. And the Lord will continue that cleansing of evil from His world with the Second Coming of Christ. And though we might desire the evil and iniquity workers to be gone immediately, in God’s divine wisdom, He’s made it a long, drawn out process, and we can only do as He directs, and trust in His promises and faithfulness.

And to encourage his people, as well as subsequent believers, Isaiah, in the early part of his hymn of praise, also made this promise on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.’ (Is. 26:3-4)

Oh my fellow saints, the Lord God Jehovah is indeed our ‘Rock of Ages,’ upon whom we ought to place all our trust and faith, to whom we surrender ourselves completely, to live for His Son Jesus, so that we can be amongst those singing that redemption song in the Millennial Kingdom, helping to run it with Jesus.

And the scholars offer some interesting explanations of those verses. They say that ‘the emphatic expression in the promise of perfect peace (shalom), indicates a peace that goes beyond human comprehension (cf. Phil. 4:7). To have one’s mind…stayed means to lean on God in total confidence and security. Trust is the ultimate expression of that confidence. Notice that the object of one’s faith is as important as the act of trust. Here the object of faith is the Lord Jehovah.’

Yes my faithful brethren, it’s equally important not only that we trust, but also in whom we trust. And if we want to end up in the Millennial Kingdom and see that perfect peace, we need to trust in Jehovah God, and Him ONLY, because He is the ONLY ONE that can provide the shalom we all claim to seek.

And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Bruh Paul as he spoke to the church at Philippi. ‘Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)

That says it all friends! If we need that perfect peace, that shalom, then the only way to get it is to believe in, surrender to, live for, and trust in Christ Jesus! Otherwise we will always be filled with doubt, distrust and turmoil. And there’s absolutely no doubt that right now we desperately need the peace of Jesus, that passeth all understanding, since none of us can really understand the myriad of sad and unbelievable things that are currently happening in our world. Let me say it once more: It’s only through belief and trust in Christ Jesus that we will ever find some semblance of true peace in this evil world.

And Jesus said it so clearly on two occasions during His earthly sojourn: The first one goes thus: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) So you clearly see that the peace found in Jesus Christ is not anything like the peace supposedly found in the world. It’s a spiritual kind of peace that operates at a much higher level than that of the world.

And in the second passage Jesus says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Now it’s up to us to believe that God is real and that His promises are faithful! And for those of us who believe that God is real, because we can feel Him deep in our soul, let’s go home joyfully declaring (yeah!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.

As one strong and confident voice. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’

And as always, we need to remember that if we endure to the end, that that future with Jesus will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…shalom…shalom…the perfect peace…that’s only found in Jesus…

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Isaiah 30:21. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Where is the week running off to eh friends? I feel like it’s leaving me behind. (smile) Can you believe that it’s already Wednesday, and I’m only now getting myself in gear? When I should be catching my second wind, I’m only now capturing my first. But I am thankful for small mercies…at least I am catching my wind, late though it may be. (smile)

However, that’s the wonderful think about our God; though you may come late to His party, He makes sure that you don’t miss out on anything. All He has is always on display for you to check out. And all you have to do is talk to Him about whatever concerns you. He doesn’t try to brow beat or force you to do anything, just gives you the options and allows you to make up your mind.

Now which other supposed god is like that eh? NONE! All those other false gods try to instill their will upon you and make you do what they want, but the One and Only True Living God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob gives you free will to do whatever you want. That doesn’t mean there are no repercussions for unwise decisions and obstinate disobedience, but you have the right to choose, He will not involve Himself in your affairs unless you ask Him to.

He will however keep knocking on your door, that’s the door of your heart, seeking entrance to come in and dine with you. But it’s all up to you whether you let Him in or not. Obviously, it’s wise to allow Him to enter your heart, because He can do so much good in your life, but that’s your personal decision…to allow, or not to allow Him into your heart, your most private of private spaces. That’s what He really wants, because He works best from the very inside.

And I just espied this wonderful and most appropriate scripture for what we are talking about. When the Lord enters your heart, the Good Book says: ‘And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.’ (Is. 30:21)

Ah mih people, that’s the beauty of our God; He doesn’t try to control, He desires to lead, and He leads you from the inside through His Holy Spirit that comes to dwell within you when you answer His knock on your heart door and allow Him to enter therein. But you have to listen, ofttimes very carefully, because He doesn’t shout either. It’s usually a still, small voice that He leads with, so unless you are paying serious attention you will often miss His awesome directions and thus suffer dire consequences.

So, once you allow Almighty God to enter your Sanctus sanctorum, your most private place, through your belief in His Son Jesus Christ, who paid for your sins on the cross at Calvary and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, it then becomes your responsibility to listen for His guidance. If you don’t, then you stand to lose out on some of the wonderful plans, adventures and good times that the Lord has in store for you. And you say that you didn’t know He had good things in store for you…But of course.

Listen to this other marvellous scripture of promise from the prophet Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end ( a future and a hope). (Jer. 29:11) And He kept that promise when He sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to die for our sins, and pay our sin debt in full! Glory Hallelujah!

Yes friends, Jesus is our future and our hope. He is the One that leads us to the Father, to salvation and eternal life! Only through Him do we get that glorious future the Lord promised. And all it takes is sincere belief in Him and living a life of peace, LOVE, helpfulness and selflessness like He did when He was down here on earth. Now how hard can that be eh?

To be truthful, that can be very hard, because there are all kinds of people and spiritual powers who don’t want you to live a life that’s worthy of Jesus, so they throw up all sorts of roadblocks and temptations in your way. But please remember, that the Lord, through His Holy Spirit has given us the power to refute and refuse all those evil and ungodly things that come against us.

And like God told Bruh Paul after he pleaded with Him three times to remove some affliction in his body: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness (weaknesses).’ (2 Cor. 12:9) Yes my fellow saints in Christ, the Lord’s amazing power does show out in times when our weaknesses show up. His grace, His anointing, is upon us all, as we walk worthy of Him.

And as Bruh Paul reminded Timothy, and I want to remind us now of this magnificent scripture: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound or disciplined mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) Please, let’s never forget that. As long as we are walking with Christ, we will always be able to overcome whatever comes against us, for His grace empowers us to do whatever we need to do in His name.

So, for those of us who truly believe, and try to walk faithfully, let’s go home declaring (awright!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!

I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’

And this last thing to remember…if we endure to the end with Jesus, then the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or even imagine. Now isn’t that something to look forward to? It certainly is! Much LOVE!

…when fear comes knocking…send faith to answer it…

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8

SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 March 2022 Isaiah 26:3.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 July 2021 Isaiah 30:21.

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