As we live with Christ,
Our faith and hope
Our confidence and trust and love
Grows more perfect and complete!
! John 4:17a TLB
Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So, the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it,” John 20:24-25.
What do you believe? Here are a few verses from the song “I Believe” by Hillsong Worship – I believe in God our Father, I believe in Christ the Son, I believe in the Holy Spirit, Our God is three in One. I believe in the resurrection, That we will rise again, For I believe in the Name of Jesus!
Catholics all over the world recite this creed during every service. “I believe!” How many of us are like Thomas? The name Thomas means: Twin, twice, two, again, Christian, to be complete. He was blessed to see Jesus twice – when He traveled with the Lord during His time on earth, and when He traveled to tell the world about Jesus, Who lives, for it was impossible for Death to keep its hold on Him (Acts 2:24).
In fact, at one time we thought of Jesus merely from a human point of view. How differently Holy Spirit helps us to come to know Him! This means anyone who belongs to Christ becomes a new person. The old life is gone. A new life begins! And all of this is a gift from God, Who brought us back to Himself through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:16-18 NLT).
Job told his friends, “I know that my Redeemer lives – the One Who gives me back my life – and eventually He’ll take His stand on earth. And I’ll see Him! See God myself, with my very own eyes! Oh, how I long for that day!”
“If you’re thinking, ‘How can you get through to me, get me to see that my trouble is all my own fault?’ Forget it! Start worrying about yourselves. Worry about your own sins and God’s coming judgment, for judgment is most certainly on the way,” Job 19:25-29 Message.
I’m sure like Job, we can all join God’s Word, Christ Jesus, and say, “Though You have made me see troubles, many and bitter, You will restore my life again. From the depths of the earth You will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again,” Psalm 71:20-21.
And about our Redeemer Isaiah wrote: He was despised and rejected – a Man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
Yet, it was our weaknesses He carried! It was our sorrows that weighed Him down! And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins! But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own ways. Yet, the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all (Isaiah 53:3-6 NLT).
How many years I heard about Jesus and verses of God’s Word. Yes, I said I believed, but the way I lived my life said something entirely different. First John 2:4-6 TLB says: Someone who says, “I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ.” But if they don’t do what Christ tells them to, they are a liar.” And lying lips are abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 12:22 KJV).
I’m sure one day when I finally arrive in heaven, the Lord will show me how God worked over and over again to pull my soul from certain destruction, so I’d see the Light – and live in the Light (Job 33:29-30 Message).
Like Thomas there is much to learn, to understand, to experience before a person falls on their knees and prays to God’s delight! For God and all of heaven celebrates when a person finds themselves set right with their heavenly Father.
Praises of God will be sung to everyone they meet, testifying, “I messed up my life – and let me tell you, it wasn’t worth it. But God stepped in and saved me from certain death. I’m alive again! Once more I see the Light!” Job 33:26-28 Message.
Paul wrote to encourage but does it really: Don’t be ashamed to testify about our Lord. Instead, join with me in suffering for the Gospel, by the power of God, Who has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done, but because of His own purpose and grace
(2 Timothy 1:8-9a).
Suffering is not anything we would want to endure. In fact, suffering can cause people to turn from the Lord. But it’s amazing how God uses hardship to strengthen, complete, perfect and make us what we ought to be and equip us with everything good that we may carry out His will (Hebrews 13:21a AMP).
When we find ourselves in circumstances that are difficult and beyond our control, what the heart manifests always seems to make things worse. Like popping a pimple, when squeezed what erupts are behaviors that are both harmful and self-destructive. Why? Our system of beliefs has been tainted by this noxious prideful nature we possess.
We get angry, blame, threaten, coerce, bribe, advise, don’t say what we mean, don’t mean what we say, try to say what will please, provoke, make someone do what we want, talk too much, talk about people, lie to protect ourselves….
Please check out this website: https://treehouserecovery.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Codependency-Checklist.pdf
You will discover pages that list SOME of the characteristics of Codependency. There is much we should be working to overcome before the day of the Lord’s return.
I had such an overwhelming experience that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder came upon me. I behaved in ways that were very disturbing to myself and of course the person my upset was directed at – my husband. There were a few people looking from an outward perspective that even questioned my salvation.
However, I knew God’s Word had my heart. Yes, Jesus definitely had a hold of me. Through the difficulty I learned so much about our human condition and how Codependency wreaks havoc in our lives and our relationships. I experienced Holy Spirit breathing life into God’s Word within me and before my eyes.
John 6:39 shares these words of Jesus, “This is the will of Him Who sent Me, that I should not lose any of all that He has given Me, but that I should give NEW LIFE and raise them all up at the last day (AMP). Unfortunately, someone like me whose system of beliefs were founded on fear and faith in self instead of God, I fell hard when the rug was pulled out from under me.
New life means being freed from the old. Only God knows where the roots of our beliefs originated and how they have spread to negatively affect our way of thinking and behaving. I believed in God and Jesus and Holy Spirit, but it was during the dark times that I experienced the power of Holy Spirit – the God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times (2 Corinthians 1:4a Message).
Holy Spirit raises God’s Word to life within us. Holy Spirit helps our faith and trust in Jesus deepen. I had been a professing born-again Christian for almost 20 years when my world was turned upside down. With the power of Holy Spirit working for me and in me, I was able to truly understand God’s Word, Christ Jesus, says what He means and does what He says.
God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – were working together to help me become well-balanced, temperate, and sober of mind. To be vigilant and cautious at all times for that enemy of ours, the devil, roams around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to seize upon and devour (1 Peter 5:8 AMP).
Holy Spirit always speaks words of Truth, what our Lord says, “You are not wrestling with flesh and blood, but against the despotisms, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly sphere (Ephesians 6:12 AMP).
The power of Holy Spirit is released within us through God’s Word. Faith and trust and hope in Jesus helps us to withstand evil, to be firm against evil’s onset – rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined, knowing we’re not alone. The presence of God is with us, in us, fighting for us. The entire body of Christ throughout the world are appointed the same sufferings.
For after we have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, Who imparts all blessings and grace and favor, Who has called us to His own eternal glory in His Son, will Himself complete and make us what we ought to be. He will establish and ground us securely in His Word of Truth. He will strengthen and settle us safely within His Word of Life (1 Peter 5:8b-10 AMP).
With the power Holy Spirit releases through God’s Word, together we can throw off everything that hinders us: character deficits, hurts, habits, hang-ups, compulsions, phobias, anxiety, fear, addictions…the sin that so easily entangles. We can run the race marked out for us with perseverance.
Holy Spirit always helps us to set our sight on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. So, we would remember and think about Him Who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that we will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:1-3). Because of our evil, sinful nature the Son of God was forced to endure great suffering. As children of God, we too will endure suffering.
However, unlike the world, we have been blessed with the honor and privilege to follow God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – and allow Love and Truth and Resurrection Power to work in our lives so the miraculous will be experienced. For we will become witnesses of the Truth: In all things God working for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
With Holy Spirit clothing our soul with God’s Word, it is absolutely possible to be happy when the way is rough, knowing that now our patience has a chance to grow. With the power of Holy Spirit and the strength and joy God’s Word imparts, we can let patience grow (James 1:2-3 TLB).
We can admit we are powerless to control and at times our life has become unmanageable. We can acknowledge and believe God exists and we matter to Him. We can acknowledge and come to believe the One true God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – can and will restore and renew our life.
We don’t have to try to squirm out our problems. For the Word of Truth assures: When patience is finally in full bloom, then we will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete (James 1:2-4 TLB).
The Lord restored Job’s wealth and happiness!
In fact, the Lord renewed his life giving him twice as much as before!
Job 42:10