Persecution Is Par-For-The-Course To The Follower Of Christ

We continue with postings which I'm lifting from my personal handwritten journal (a tool that I use in my quiet time with God). As I've mentioned in my most recent posts, this blog has come full circle. I have returned to the original intent of this blog, which is to journal my walk with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I invite you to find out more about this quiet time tool. It is one of the ways that I hear my Father in heaven speak directly to the issues He allows into my life daily.

Today, I am sharing the entry I made in the journal for June 27, 2007. It reminds me that it is naive to hope in this fallen world being able to better itself without God. On its own, after all, the righteous acts of humanity put together are nothing more than filthy rags compared to the holiness of God. (Isaiah 64:6)

Sad, yes, but true. And truth sets those captive to sin free. (John 8:32)

In this thought I hope today's post blesses you:

Scripture:
"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:12-17)

Observation:
Persecution is par-for-the-course to the follower of Jesus Christ that desires to live God-ly. Evil people and deceivers will only get worse, even being deceived themselves. God's faithful should only continue in what they have learned. All that is written in the Bible is from God. It equips God's servant in every way for the good work for which God had saved him.

Application:
I must partake of the grace that God so generously provides so I could stand up to the tide of evil that characterizes the last days of this fallen world. I am blessed that I could hang on to every Word that God provides in the Bible. In the din of violence and deception, I have the truth and am guided by the truth. It will continually provide the spiritual tools and instruments I need to do what God wants me to do.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, please fill me. Enable me with the grace of God to withstand all that evil throws at me because I want to live a God-ly life in Jesus Christ. Thank You that as You promised, He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it! (Philippians 1:6) In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen!

God Grants Repentance

Here's a follow up post which I'm lifting from my personal handwritten journal (a tool that I use in my quiet time with God). This is really a return to the original intent of this blog, which is to journal my walk with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I invite you to find out more about this journal. It is one of the ways that I hear my Father in heaven speak directly to the issues that I face every day.

In today's posting, I am using the entry I made in the journal for June 26, 2007. I was stunned to realize that, as important as repentance is to salvation, it is also God that grants it. (2 Timothy 2:25-26)

Here's how the journal entry went:

Scripture:
"Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." (2 Timothy 2:22-26) [Emphasis added]

Observation:
Impetuousness marks youth. It also makes for partiality to evil. Once old, but even more so in youth, the man of God must turn his ways toward righteousness, faith, love and peace. He must surround himself with God-ly people. Kindly in disposition and not quarrelsome, he must gently teach even those that oppose him. This is the role of God's servant, in partnership with God. With the servant's part fulfilled, God may grant repentance that may lead to salvation.

Application:
I must realize the age I am at now. Righteousness, faith, love and peace should now be most important to me. I must be deliberate in building friendship with God-ly people. I must do away with my temper that renders me irrational. I should be patient and loving in sharing my faith. I must acknowledge the grave responsibility that is in my role as servant and as one who has responded to God's invitation to partner with Him in the salvation process.

Prayer:
God, please help my unrighteousness. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so I could be a useful servant and partner to You. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

God Gave Me A Spirit of Power, Love, and A Sound Mind

East Hill Church Family in Gresham, Oregon, the church I attend, has this great tool that I use in my quiet time with the LORD. The church calls it a journal. It starts with a reading plan that covers one entire year. So, any given day, there is prescribed reading.

This is so neat because it not only cuts down on search time for material to read, it also places you exactly in the same passages in the Bible that the rest of the church is any date of the year.

The journal has a simple but extremely useful structure that guides the user in their quiet time. It follows the acronym S.O.A.P. To quote from the journal's instruction page:

When you have chosen your Reading Plan, begin your reading time with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to speak to you from His Word today. Then, prayerfully and thoughtfully read today's passage from the Old Testament or New Testament.

SCRIPTURE - Write down a verse or verses that seem to stand out to you from the day's reading.

OBSERVATION - Write an observation of how these verses affected you or how God seemed to be speaking to you from His Word as you were reading.

APPLICATION - Write one or more points describing how this Scripture applies to you and your situation. You may want to write some action points of how you intend to apply this to your life.

PRAYER - Write a brief prayer to God that expresses how you are feeling about the Scripture you've read and how it applies to your life.

For me, the streamlined discipline of this structure brings my daily reading to a very personal level. I keep finding that the very issues I am dealing with at the time of my reading are directly addressed by God's Word in a very intimate and personal way. In Christianese, I hear the LORD speak to me through this journal.

Here's an example from today's reading:

SCRIPTURE - "Therefore I remind you to inflame anew the gift of God, which is in you by the putting on of my hands. For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore you should not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner. But be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace given us in Christ Jesus before the eternal times." (2 Timothy 1:6-9)

OBSERVATION - Paul reminds Timothy of the gift of God which is in him by the putting on of Paul's hands. The gift is the Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind---not the spirit of fear. Of this, the believer is not to be ashamed. It is the testimony of God. Instead, by the power of God, we are to share in the sufferings of the gospel. Before time was created, the believer has been called to this holy calling, not by our own works, but by God's own purpose and grace given us in Jesus Christ.

APPLICATION - I am not to fear the Goliath that comes between me and God's promise. God's Spirit lives in me, and He is powerful. He is of love, causing me to love; and He is of a sound mind, causing me to think clearly and arrive at sound decisions in spite of the conflicting noise of spiritual war around me. In God's power, I can take the hits that come because I testify according to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

PRAYER - Thank you, God. I may, indeed cast my cares on You (Psalm 55:22). You will never let those whom You made righteous by Your blood to fall. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

To tell you exactly what current issues of my life this reading addresses is a whole 'nother posting. Suffice it to say that the reading is just spot on. It made my day!

Funny that this blog actually began as an attempt to publicly journal my walk with my LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. Yet, in time, it became more like a roundabout walk in the wilderness. I believe this is due to my lack of a structure to follow for consistency.

To the LORD's praise, He has provided for this lack. Perhaps, now, I may be able to proceed with this blog more frequently. I'm still unable to promise daily publications but it will no longer take me months before each posting.

(UPDATE on the paragraphs below: I guess I underestimated the enthusiasm journaling has given me. I seem to be posting almost on a daily basis after this. I have even revealed my real name. God bless you all,---Victor Antonio, July 21, 2007)

I have been so humbled by my failure to sustain this blog on a regular basis. A more realistic estimate of how frequently I could come out is probably once a week or two, occasionally more often.

I know I want to share my journaling experience so you will find me writing more about it. For those that would find that to be a blessing, check this site often and enjoy.

To God be all the glory!