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Category Archives: Recent Writings

Peter, outside the boat, sinking in the water; cried out to Jesus saying, “Lord, help me.” In that scene we see how our abiding with Him functions. Hearing Peter, and seeing him, “Immediately” Jesus reached out to Peter and the two gripped hands. Whose grip do we suppose was the greater? Surely Peter’s was with all he possessed of strength. More surely than that was the Lord’s sure grip of Peter: sure – immediate – a permanent offer – more than sufficient for helping Peter.

“WITH OUTSTRETCHED ARMS AND A MIGHTY HAND.” Let us include the cross —- “The Lord has saved us,” Our abiding in Christ is His desire for us — and for Himself who desires our fellowship. He is Love. And Love suffers long — until the circle of love is complete.

We are meant to live in fellowship with God. On our side of things, a choice remains to be seen. On His side of things, the choice was never even really a choice. “He came unto His own,” we read; “But His own received Him not.” There, with His continuous “outstretched arm and mighty hand” — coming for His own — it is, people that reject the Lord, not the Lord who rejects men. “Instantly,” with no needed plea except an honest asking for help, Jesus reached out and grasped the hand of Peter.

To “abide in Christ, from the inside of ourselves looking out, is a struggle – is a battle of faith. But when we focus on His goodness – His unfailing love – His “immediate” response to Peter – the cross He bore long before our lives began — and when we hear softly and tenderly that Jesus is calling — when we grasp that the strength of our hope is Him giving— we can rest assured that Jesus never changes; never fails and He will not fail us.

He is the way. Abiding in Him is a constant choice in our new life in Christ. His choice of us is fixed — our choice of Him becomes fixed as well. As we grow more into His likeness — here a little — there a little — line upon line — precept upon precept: our failures, like Peter’s denial of Him three times — remind us that He never fails us. We have nor do we want anyway other to turn than to Him. “If we abide, He abides faithful” He is the surety of our success, the Savior of our lives, Lord by our own adoration.

This is a historical narrative. It happened. It is recorded for our viewing. It tells us nothing about Peter repenting, or changing His thinking — that was yet to come in Peter’s life — and would happen after he was told that he would deny his Lord — three times he would deny the Lord.

We cannot “abide in Him” in our own strength. We can, however, cry out to Him saying, “Lord help me.”
Is this not what He desires? – to help us? Can we even imagine that He would refuse? And even then — to abide in Him — do we not see again and again — the “Outstretched arms and mighty hands” freely reaching to us — for us? He is the Giver of all good things.

Buddy

I do not easily find my rest in Him alone. And until I do, I will find that I am in constant struggle; or a lazy Christian walk; or in a sense of failure; or in a self-defense mode built on comparing my accomplishments with others.

The extent of “Christ in me; the hope of glory;” of “The Lord My Righteousness,” and of “I can do all things through Christ my strength” —- must be complete. Otherwise, I have something of my own accomplishments, of my “hidden resources” upon which I very secretly – or boastfully when I am most a hypocrite – rely upon.

We do not initiate the search that brings us to God; He does; for intimacy, joy, and fellowship for Love’s sake —- and our sake.
He makes us in the likeness of Himself: He is Love.
Jesus; praying to “Our” Father said: “My glory I give to them.”

We cannot by life’s best efforts; and certainly not – due to the sin in our lives – “make” ourselves good. Life was given us. An eternally pure life must also be His workmanship. Would not the absolute need for holiness only be an atrocity if God had not known that He and only He can be our Righteousness?

We must be born again. We must be born from on high. We must be washed of our sins.

In this life, we have the choice to come clean; that is, to confess that we have been part of the problem for we have sinned. We will be in hypocrisy if; by comparison with other’s bad deed, we excuse ourselves.

Dare we ask Him to altogether be our Savior? It can be no other way.

Buddy

Salvation – God’s salvation – attends to the whole man — body, soul, and spirit. God is our Maker. We do well saying, “Make it a good day.”

We seize opportunities, search for them, and make wise choices, and mix love into every zone we can. But life, this soon-ending-life, is an interim between a past we never experienced and a future that never ends.

We are situated in an interim. Here we are asked by Savior-God, “Would you be made whole?” Only the Maker can make one whole. In this interim we call our life we must make our choice. We will die. We are surely not holy. We cannot “make” our self holy. We must enter eternity. “Come as you are,” cites death. “Come unto Me,” cites Savior-God.

“In My house are many mansions,” says He. “I go to prepare a place for you that where I am you may be also.”

Will we “surrender” our uncertainty for His assurance?
Will we be honest to ourselves that we have made sin choices and that “what goes around” must “come around” —- will we let our sin find us out?

Would we not like to be divinely forgiven, become close to the only revealed God who promises to keep us safe? “Father, deliver us from evil,” He taught us to pray. “Keep them from the evil,” He prayed for us.

Surely the only true Maker can “make” this be our destiny – can “save” us safely. And in His word we see that He wills that every one of us be changed into the likeness of His earth-born Son. Then alone, will we have been fitted for heaven — “made” by our Maker – His Sons.

Buddy