Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

Roberta's Tomato Soup 

has been the goal of my culinary efforts for years.  Serve Dan a bowl of this priceless mix of ingredients and we are sure to have a lovely evening at home. Add a grilled cheese, Monterey Jack cheese on Publix's multigrain whole wheat with real butter used to grill in an iron skillet, and you have a supper fit for a king!  At least the king of our castle, Danny, loves it!

However, the ingredients of the soup I serve are clearly not Roberta's 'scratch' recipe.  Danny's mom, Roberta Betzer Pearl, never wrote down that famous dish Dan drools over. Nevertheless, Danny, being a consummate gentleman, always raves over whatever is tasty and good served to him. 

The next best thing is to use Progresso Tomato Basil Soup and add a few spices or even a few diced canned tomatoes and we are good to go. Roberta's real deal tomato soup is certainly nowhere to be found at our house -- only my version of it when I make his favorite from scratch. (Recipe to be found in various cookbooks. . . ). Actually, this experiment with tomato soup is my love-gift to Dan. . . appealing to his taste buds and knowing his great affection for his mom's famous tomato soup and her homemade pies (which I don't attempt).

I have an ulterior motive with tomato soup and grilled cheese -- I am lovin' on my husband in a way that is a reminder of his wonderful idyllic childhood, too!  Can't miss with that! 

The congregation where Dan is the messenger for the services hears him say that he loves to come home to me every night to enjoy the above menu served on laptrays while we eat in our double recliner. This part is true.   The menu is NOT always the same, of course.  However that is the what some people think we have for our nightly fare at home. 

I mention this because it is one of the staple ingredients of Pastor Dan's message when He is preaching on the godly home. It works.  The image of contentment and enjoyment of each other and the evidence of love for one another -- it is there in that picture of our life at home. Oh, I know Pastor Dan comes home because it is where home is. But he would not feel the same way about home if I weren't there. I am always there to greet him eagerly and be lavish with my love in ways I've learned delight him. I want to daily reestablish our home as the best haven for refueling.  The house doesn't do it without my being there. It is our being together that recharges us both at the end of a long day of pouring out our lives for our Lord.

We love together, laugh together, pray together, play together when we can, plan together, and live together in harmony and oneness in Christ Jesus.  We intentionally bring our lives into harmony with each other, tuning up our focus as we eagerly encourage one another in our obedience to the Lord who is our Life. We are able to serve Him joyfully as the Holy Spirit leads us. Dan  encourages my call to the ministry and allows me freedom to obey all that God puts on my heart. We are equal in this journey, however our roles are defined by the Word of God, therefore we always need time for a constant refreshing of our attitudes toward the Lord and each other and our family and those of our congregation and those not yet part of the family of God.

It is the washing of the Word of God which cleanses us from the dust and debris of the world system's philosophies which govern the communities we and our congregation live in.  So we need to have the Holy Spirit continually bring our minds back to the way God works, His Kingdom rule  and God's Presence and His Divine order, so as not to let the love of the world, the influence of the godless world system's ways, become part of our personal lives. 

It is our personal surrender to Christ as Lord of Life which gives each one of us a trust in the other. Because I know Dan's highest order of his day is to honor the Lord in all His ways, I am able to release Him to God's call as pastor/teacher of God's people and example to the watching world.  I do not have to monitor his life and ways in order to have peace of mind.  I trust the Lord, His God, who is Lord over both our lives.  We are "eaches" but first we each are the Lord's!!  

There is personal peace during each day we have to fulfill God's purpose in our lives.  He is the One who guides our way.  We each live by the Word, especially this admonition: "Trust in the Lord with all our heart; lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path" Proverbs 3:5,6. 

The keeping of our personal lives is our individual responsibility toward God.  Because God has been invited to be the Lord of each of our lives, we come together before Him to present ourselves as "living sacrifices" each day -- not as a ritual, but as a habit of our attitude which has been developed in our daily worship of the Lord.  How amazing it is to trust the Lord in life to bring us to pay attention to matters which God knows could distract us from His purpose and calling.

The Holy Spirit is continually bringing us to attention to the focus of our living and ministry: Jesus Christ, Lord of all. This evidence of the Holy Spirit's daily teaching and training us in God's ways is no different from any other believer, or disciple of Jesus Christ.  We must have the Holy Spirit's gifts and power to minister each day as unto the Lord. We each give ourselves in daily worship as a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to Jesus Christ, which is our duty or reasonable, or expected service to the Lord. It is God's intention to have us as His personal possessions to use as He chooses to accomplish His will and purpose for our lives. 

The joy of belonging to the Lord is a secure feeling which nothing can remove, except for a willful disobedience to the Lord and His Word.  God does not change in His desire and delight to bless His faithful children.

Unfaithfulness to the Lord brings pain--loss of peace and fellowship with the Lord. I find there is no delight at the moment of disobedience and the resulting chastisement. Yet, once that chastening season or moment is over, there is delight in being able to feel our Father's love in the restored fellowship.  His correction prompts me to seek forgiveness, cleansing and restored wholeness.

The Holy Spirit is not always subtle in bringing correction, but He is loving and does not letup until the desired wholeness is attained.  What a comfort it is to me to know that God convicts of sin.  His conviction is immediate.  When we walk in the Spirit and have our senses tuned to the Lord and His Word, we are easily able to detect conviction of sin!  It shows up in the sense level immediately. . . that is, unless you have chosen to harden your heart by habitual sinning - disregard for the Lord.

There is nothing more grievous to my heart than to realize that I have been out of harmony with the Lord concerning some part of my life of devotion to Him.  The first place it shows up is in my relationship with Dan. . . my first love after my love for the Lord. So maintaining my relationship with the Lord and responding to His grace will always assure a smooth relationship with my husband. The heart cannot hide sin without marring the flow of love!

God is patient in His prodding to restore wholeness and become full of the Spirit's overflowing River of Life -- the welling up within of the Saving Life of Jesus Christ and the fulfillment of the Father's love outpoured day after day.

There is nothing more important to my personal spiritual progress than paying attention -- returning my attentiveness to the Lord. This requires an intentional act of hauling myself out of the muck of the deluge of words from the world system into the inner chamber with God. It is there where His is the only voice--His alone is the voice of reasonable wisdom and the sanity of full knowledge and understanding of all things. God recognizes my foundation of the fear of the Lord, the beginning of all intelligence that is truth concerning all things for life and godliness. Being embraced in that inner chamber restores my focus and grants supernatural strength for the spiritual ministry required of all Kingdom subjects who live on Divine assignment in this life. 

This process of our gracious God's training of His beloved  children for Kingdom-living goes on moment by moment. Never are we severed from His Love, but we must respond to His Presence.  We have been birthed into His Life and have been given a Life-attachment internally with the Living God...through our faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit creates a bond of Divine Unification with our human spirit, making us alive, quickening us with His Resurrection Life, the same life that raised Jesus from the dead, so that we now live, dead to the old self-which was crucified with Christ, but now made alive to God through the Resurrection Life we have been given through Jesus Christ.

This reality gives us Christ as the solid Rock beneath our feet. . . an unmovable foundation for living. . .a Life that has conquered death, hell and the grave. This Jesus has become the Spirit of Life which courses through our being and grants to us an ability in living which enables a change of character, a new nature in Christ Jesus, and an awareness of the power of God which is animating our new way of living in Christ.  

Through Christ Jesus we live free to enjoy God's recipe for life success!!! Life that endures! Life! Not the dying we see all around us. Dead men walking. Those people who have yet to receive Jesus. . . God who is Life! Today we live Christ and speak of Him in words which are Life-giving! Not sure about supper after church tonight. . .it may be my version of tomato soup and grilled cheese, a not-so-subtle reminder that pleasing my husband is part of pleasing my Lord and receiving the Lord's blessings. I love the simple blessing of sitting with Danny B in the double love-seat recliner holding our lap trays, enjoying Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese. . .and finally, holding hands -- feeling so secure in Dan's love. . . .one of the joys of honoring him. ~

The Three J's

Last week brought three J's to my life -- Jon, Jordan and Joseph -- all who died in the crash on Joe's birthday. I know more about them now after attending their funerals than ever I did when they were alive.  They have become boys who were honored by their parents during the gatherings of this community this past week.

It is amazing how their choices to buck the typical agendas at times -- choosing rather to be unique in their choice "not to party" where liquor was present. . . but rather, go to one of the boy's homes one time.

None of us will ever know the final conversations in the car that rainy night when they were headed to Jordan's house. . . but we do know God received them when they passed from this life to their eternal home in heaven where their Savior and Lord awaits all who love Him and obey His commands.

My thoughts now are with their parents, some whose family members, traveling from afar, were here for the events of last week but must have returned to their jobs back home.  So perhaps the houses are now quiet and the deafening silence is almost more than they can bear. . . except for this assurance:  All who are IN CHRIST JESUS, when passing from this life are immediately in the presence of the Lord Jesus and at home with their heavenly Father.

This comforting assurance gives hope of reunion one day.  The loss of a child is not the natural sequence in life.  Parents are to die first. Then the children according to their ages, right?  Yet, our days are numbered.  The breath of life is from God at birth and is removed at death.  The body dies, yet the soul and spirit are alive forevermore in the one who has been Spirit-birthed into New Life in Christ Jesus.  Eternal life begins at that moment and continues for all eternity.

The comfort of mourning with hope of reunion is a gift given by the three J's by their sons.  Grief will do its work of healing broken hearts and shattered dreams which these parents had for their sons.

They mourn, but not as those with no hope!  This gift is such a comfort today! Time will bring God's comfort in many ways and healing will be complete -- though the loss will be felt all their lives.  The anticipated joy of reunion and the awareness that now their sons are among the cloud of witnesses in heaven. . .that is part of the comfort which comes to all our hearts today.

Our prayers are for the family members and close friends who remain to live in a way worthy of the Lord Jesus Christ, obeying all His commands and teaching others to do the same. This leads to Life eternal and hope of heaven , forever with loved ones who have gone on before into the presence of Jesus!

The testimony is that these boys were ready for Jesus. . . and we know Jesus was ready for them  on that rainy night some days ago. . . .

JESUS SAID: "EXCEPT YOU BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN"

"Except you become as little children. . .". words of Jesus. 

Insight into the rules of the  Kingdom of God is critical to entering it!

So how can we get into God's Kingdom?  It's so simple.  Become like a little child again!

Jesus' disciples shooed the children away from Jesus and we see the picture of our Lord rebuking his very own chosen and selected disciples!  You would think Jesus would treat his own staff, his chosen and personally selected future messengers with a bit more dignity and respect. Right?  After all, look who Jesus is: the Son of God come to reveal God to His people.

What a significant reality in learning how God is in His nature. He does not tolerate abuse of His Kingdom realities.  Sooner or later, God is going to teach people that His creation -- all of it -- was designed by Him for His and our benefit... and how we treat each other has to begin with His original design in mind.  We start with honoring Him and revering Him for Who He is. . . and nobody gets in the way of anyone coming to God. Even Jesus' own leadership in training!

What spontaneous joy Jesus experienced as he saw the delight in the eyes and hearts of those who believed Jesus could help and bless their child!!! Jesus felt their worshiping moment when he was adored and revered as Divinity!  Blessing, healing and curing and touching lovingly -- His reputation preceded Him.  People knew was not a mere mortal. . .and some were sure God was present among them -- and bringing their child to Jesus for a blessing indicated that they knew He was a priest of God. . . if only they could get to Him for His blessing.

So then, what's the big deal about children to Jesus?  It is everything.  For only with a child-like spirit, demeanor, attitude and simplicity, do we have any entrance into the Kingdom of God. We bring nothing with us when we come to the King Savior to access entre into God's domain of rule. He refuses to accept what is not created or birthed by Him into in His Kingdom. He needs nothing from outside the Kingdom to enable its complete function and fulfillment for all eternity.  In fact, God guards everything carefully, lest His Kingdom be perceived as originating in man!  Jesus was sent from heaven to make clear the difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Darkness.

Fallen mankind can't conjure up or create the Kingdom of God.  Only that which is birthed by the Spirit of God has any possibility of lasting forever.  He is the only one with eternal life DNA in His being.  All else is going to pass into eternal darkness forever banished from the Kingdom.  Nothing will be able to harm or hurt the Kingdom of God once the King is established and Satan has been bound and cast into hell for all eternity! There will be no more darkness, no opposing forces able to operate and to interfere with the King and His Kingdom. God's Divine order will restore total freedom and liberty for all who have been birthed into His Kingdom and have endured until their death.

The Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ will include all things everywhere. God will have restored all things to Himself. He will have destroyed or bound in eternal darkness all that is not of His Kingdom.  What a triumph!!!  The person with the child-like spirit that trusted in Jesus to gain new birth creation will now enter into the Kingdom  and will have God's DNA to prove citizenship in God's eternal Kingdom.

Clue: Only the one who has a child-like spirit will ever see the Kingdom! God's words!
Application:  Humble yourself and become as a little child (in your demeanor and spirit). Acknowledge your need of God and call upon Him. He will make you to know His amazing grace and mercy and will hear you when you call upon the name of Jesus and place all your faith in Him as Savior and Lord.

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word.  Just to rest upon His promise. Just to know, thus saith the Lord.  Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him.  How I've prov'd Him o'er and o'er.  Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, oh for faith to trust Him more.

I'm so glad I learned to trust Him.  Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend.  And I know that thou ar't with me. Will be with me to the end.

Blessed are those who come as a child to Jesus, the friend of children, their trusted Savior.
While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! Oh, how He loves you and me.

--dlb 3.10.2014

A Clear Crystal View: From Vision to Reality: GCWS

A Clear Crystal View: From Vision to Reality: GCWS

Old Way - New Posts

The intent in 2009 was to continue to blog here. The first notice of this neglect was now. . .when I wanted to follow a friend's blog from the Phillipines and needed to log in with my Google account. Amazing how one can leave a path which came about as a choice at a moment in time. Good intentions did not keep me on the Google Blogger path.

I like the High Ways and Spirit-Wind Songs Title. I am not sure what seduced me into another "way" but my blogging days did not continue.

The options were, perhaps, too many. Zanga has been neglected due to other options. I had friends who were generally from the Northwest USA there. . . and learned a lot from them. I loved the diversity of talents and interests, and, for a time, interacted creatively with them. The kids baseball games and the father's travels and the mother's projects, including THE RED HAT SOCIETY, were included. One of the sons joined an internet outreach organization. Jan wrote about her travels. . . so many lovely friends I have neglected to interact with.

Enthusiasm about a new way is obviously a "come on" to me. I like the challenge of being able to interact with the global population.

I have a sense of responsibility to the rest of the world. One man said, "I am a debtor"! I feel the same way.

Yet, I do believe that these fresh starts with unfinished journeys recorded on so many "new ways" (Blog sites) says something about my personality.
I love the challenge of new opportunities to speak via keyboard digits. . .for a variety of reasons. Mostly, I have a story to share and a Person to tell about Who is the Lord over all the details of all of life globally. He will one day be revealed as the One to whom we all bow our knee and acknowledge Him as Lord, Jesus Christ.

The fact that He is Son of God, Savior of the world which God loves so much that He is not willing that any perish -- being forever estranged from Him for all eternity . . .that fact impacts me with a sense of responsibilty. I HAVE TO interact with everyone I possibly can.

Of course, the reality is this. I may be writing this with intent that thousands of people will be interested in reading this. . .but the truth is, I am talking to myself. This stagnent site has no followers.

I don't know the built in triggers which might animate the interaction again. . . but I realize my intention at the beginning. I wanted to honor Christ by talking about Him in a way that others would find Him as much a delight -- a Life within from which I am able to draw every supply for the ordinary circumstances of our days. We are called to be pastors of God's people and this requires gifts and skills which come from God through the Holy Spirit impartation to us. We are not able to do impossible things with our natural gifts and abilities. God must do those things through us. So, we begin with a New Creation identity in Jesus Christ -- a supernatural rebirthing! Then the empowering of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit gives the full range of equipment necessary for being a viable witness of the Resurrected Christ, now exalted at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

It is in this relationship with God that I found all the resources needed to fulfill the assignment of being a proclaimer for Christ. It is in my relationship with Jesus Christ that I have the new nature of God's Spirit inside this human container of my own person. I am linked, connected, or "joined to the Lord" and am one spirit/Spirit with Him.

As for this site and the neglect. It is the ambition to be all things to all people (as the Apostle Paul spoke of) -- that I might win some -- which probably motivates me to write blogs and post on so many sites. . . to start so many ways or paths to communicate.

Now the true test comes. Will I finish what I started? Why not post the same thing on all the sites each day and be done with it? Well, that would not be Kosher, would it. After all, each interaction is with a different audience. The interests are different. The motive for following the blogger is perhaps quite different on this Google Blogger Site than on Facebook.

How much time do I want to spend in virtual relationships? Or should I give over to only human interaction face-to-face?

Perhaps the real question is this: Is all this time really spent doing what lasts for all eternity -- doing what God is doing through me. Is He really asking me to allow His Spirit to be released through these moments or am I living in a dream work of no responses and no readers? If so, it is an eternal waste.

The things I do each moment must be worth Christ dying for.

Starting and not finishing is not good. The real need is for me to identify what is Life-giving and what is simply my babbling to myself.

We will see. The things that come from Christ within are fruitful and bear results. That which is from my own mind and aspirations is simply a waste of time. For there are millions yet to hear for the first time the Good News of God's lavish love being poured out by His Spirit -- the message of the Life, death and resurrection of God's Son, Jesus Christ, now exalted at the Father's right hand. . . living as Heaven's Intercessor -- the Go-Between for us all. . . so that we Live now and forever IN CHRIST JESUS! A supernatural gift to us all when we receive God's only way to know Him. . . through faith in Jesus Christ.

So, I started here. . . and perhaps I will keep this blog going again.

All my sites are clearly started with the intention to talk about Jesus and life in Him. . .

But I already know the way to God and live in Him daily. . . I don't need to write if no one is reading. Yet, the words are being heard by His heart. And I want to delight the Heart of God. . .

So I will keep "going" with my fingers as I tell the real story of what's happening in my life. . . it is this: Jesus Christ is Life and in Him is life's greatest joy and fulfillment. His purpose and intention for me are being fulfilled in the reaching out . . . through blogs and sites to leave behind a trail of truth and life for anyone to read and become enticed by the lavish love of Jesus made available to everyone.

This is new post #1 for 2011. Hopefully this is a Spirit-wind song from my heart. The Spirit of God blowing through our lives makes Jesus real to those who touch our lives . . . who read our blogs. He is as real as the keyboard my fingers are flying across.

He is spirit and life and His words give life to our human spirits so we live in the realm of the Kingdom of God. In this realm we engage the supernatural life in God. . . that which originates with God Himself.

What a great delight to be back on this old path of blogging. . . and not be confined to so many digits. Who can speak about Jesus and have a limit.

Oh, that is a subject for another blog. . . the power of Jesus' words. . . seems like there were really short statments that packed amazing power!
I need to be a student of His vocabulary and communication skills!!

On to tomorrow's post. . .

Words too elusive to be understood!

It has been over a year since I posted on this blog site.

Can't imagine an ordinary journeyman in life having a clue what I am talking about . . . that is, unless they have been captured by the lavish love of Jesus Christ.

Everything about the previous post is true. . .but written from an insider view.

So, the language of this blog is simple and to the point. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.

The past couple days, the headlines -- Fort Hood and Orlando -- both scenes of shooting and massacre! The evil in man's heart gone out of control.

The ability to control rage and anger is not something we teach in Christianity. We teach that Christ Jesus comes to Live within us -- and His Life within is a life that has no evil thoughts of retaliation and angry rage which must be suppressed. He actually delivers us from the hatred of others and replaces our stoney heart with love for mankind. He shows us how to love our enemy and heap coals of fire on the head of the one who is needing fire-starting coals for his kitchen to bake the bread for the family.

We are able to look into the eyes of a bank robber who accosts us and do what is asked and pray in the Spirit to relieve the fear and tension of the moment while on the floor with a gun pointed at us. I just read Rennae's story of doing just that in her bank visit recently.

God is ever present in our lives and we have an on-going conversation with Christ and the HOly Spirit as we continue to live in the circumstances of our day-- free of fear and conflict which are typical of those who are not rooted and grounded in the love of Christ.

It makes a difference what is said about Jesus and how those who are Christ-followers live each day before the watching world.

I, for one, am grateful for parents who led me to know the Savior, Jesus Christ, and taught me to live in His Presence and to allow Him to become the Lord and Master of my living.

To them I owe the gratitude which I feel. They are the only people who ever asked me about my relationship with God. They are the only people who prayed for and with me to receive Christ. They are the people responsible for my relationship with Jesus Christ and for my understanding of the Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

My parents are the ones who showed me how to live generously towards all people -- sharing out of our abundance with those who have need.

It was with open hands and open hearts that my parents shared the blessings of God upon our lives.

Dad and Mom, you are with Jesus now, in heaven. I honor you for your faithfulness to Christ all your days -- to the very last moments when your lips were praising Jesus until your last breath.

Plain words make Jesus enticing. . . I hope you realize just how essential Jesus is to truly living! He alone is life -- the life without end -- the life which is God-life -- the Life we are all given freely as we repent and turn to God through faith in Jesus Christ, God's Son, our Savior.

Through Jesus' death on the Cross of Calvary we are redeemed, bought back by God from Satan's slavery, to become Christ-followers who are new-born, Spirit-alive, saints of God through the shed blood and sinless life of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God puts within us, the same resurrection Life which rasied Jesus from the dead. We are made into new creations by the power of God. We live unto God and not for ourselves any more. He is our Lord and Master. Our lives are acts of worship to Him. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Too High and Lofty to Be Really Known?

While God is clearly not present to our sight, He is Ever-Present!

His invisible Presence does not make Him less present than if I could see Him.

I do know His Presence in the reality of a Spirit-to-spirit connection which gives credibility to His claims in His Word to us in the Bible.

Yet, God may appear to many to be too high and lofty to be really known.

The incarnation of Jesus gave us the exact image of God in human form. The God-nature and flawless character of Christ, the God-man Jesus, show us exact likeness of our Creator which we understand. Without the human life of God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, Son of God, we might still be floundering with our search for trying to know what God is like.

But the claims of Jesus to be doing the will of the Father require us to know Him as the Son of God, born of Mary, a virgin. The miraculous birth became the pattern for spiritual birth for all who receive Jesus Christ as Savior from sin. The Holy Spirit imparted the seed of the Son of God into the womb of Mary. The same Holy Spirit imparts the seed of the Son of God into a repentant believer's spirit and the union of Spirit-to-spirit brings God-life into the believer.

Christ in you, the hope of glory! That statement from Colossians 1:27, written by the Apostle Paul, a former murderer of Christians, declares that this is a 'mystery'. The 'mystery' hidden from the foundation of the world was this: Christ would occupy human flesh in a residency within which would enable the very saving Life of Jesus to be visibly observed by the watching godless world. Only after Jesus, the Christ sent from heaven, returned to heaven to take His place at the right hand of the Father, could His followers have His Spirit residing inside mortal flesh. It was that "going away" which Jesus spoke of in John 14 to His disciples which seemed to concern them. How could things ever be the same without His physical presence to encourage their mission?

The Apostle Paul made clear that fact of Christ 'in you" as the "hope of glory". There could be no glory for the apostles and Christ-followers if they could not perform the works of Christ which they had been told to take to all the world. There could be no glory for God and no belief in the Gospel Message if they could not present the stories of Jesus and the Truth which He proclaimed in a powerful way of demonstrations of His works. Jesus was always able to do what He said He would do for those who would believe on His name, His authority as Son of God.

The glory of God was Jesus Himself. So, for a Christ-follower to claim to have the Spirit of LIfe in Jesus Christ dwelling inside was a radical claim. The Jesus of history was crucified, dead and buried. Certainly Jesus was no longer with these radical Christ-followers.

Or was He with them? Something happened to these Apostles who had been The Twelve! The Christ of the flesh was no longer visible. He was 'ascended' to heaven , they said. Yet, there was a spirit about them, a very real Presence which attended them wherever they went. It was as if the Spirit of Jesus was actually resident inside their bodies.

The Apostles, the Twelve, spoke with such authority that people recognized that it was the authority of Christ. It could not be mistaken for simple human confidence. The likeness of Christ was so very real in the Apostles. They were "charged" with a boldness which was breath-takingly disarming.

Much like today when Christ-followers confidently speak authoritatively in the challenges of life and come up with some interjection of Life which appears to be above the norm. One might say the works accomplished were very much like Christ. The Spirit emanating from their mouth, the inflection of the voice, the absolute assurance of Truth being proclaimed -- all these stem from a substance which is far above the normal communication of a polished orator or a confident presenter of ideas, etc. There is a recognizable Spirit which is not simply that of human origin. It is supernatural in that it brings into the moment the very Presence of God. It is as if Jesus Himself were present in the situation.

This is the actual work of the Holy Spirit today -- to use ordinary citizens to be the spokespersons for God in the matters of ordinary life. It is God's intention that people in whom Christ lives and has access to use at His will can be sure to speak on life issues as if He were present in physical form. He occupies the innermost being of those to whom He has become THE LIFE WITHIN -- the 'glory of God' inside human beings. It is the "Christ in you" reality of the glory of God received by human invitation.

Residency inside human beings is not something to be scoffed at or scorned. The change of nature inside human hearts is supernatural and of God. He promised that He would give people a new heart. Why? BECAUSE the human heart inside every person is, at birth, bent towards being desperately wicked in God's sight. The Fall of man in the Garden of Eden gave all of us a sinful nature which must be recreated by God in order to be restored to His original creation of us in His image -- able to be spiritually connected to God who is holy and is a spirit, not human flesh. In order for us to be connected to Him in our innermost being, our spirit relationship, we must be made alive to Him spiritually.

Jesus, the Life of God, comes in to our innermost being to BE LIFE in Spirit form. The Holy Spirit of God quickens our mortal being to be alive to God spirit-to-Spirit. We are then a New Creation relation to God through faith in Jesus Christ. It is a supernatural Spirit-birth which becomes our true self alive to God for the first time. We live on in that relationship as His followers doing His work and His will in His way as we continue to have fellowship -- a love relationship with Christ -- through all our days on earth.

That relationship is intimate and produces the very 'fruit' of our lives which God is after among His people. Being one of His people by New Birth, I am grafted into His People -- those who have been chosen as His beloved.

Why? To bring us back to Himself in loving adoration and to enable us to have the Life which is lived in loving harmony and obedience to His will and purpose for all mankind.

God is not willing that any perish -- or live outside a relationship with Him -- apart from Himself -- but desires that all come into relationship with Him, knowing His lavish love and defining purpose for their lives.

No, God is not too high and lofty to be really known, but has come to us and made His home in us so that we can portray His love and speak of His goodness to everyone. By that, He will be known by all mankind . . . sufficiently that they may be able to choose to receive Him and His love . . . or not!

Can you imagine anyone saying "NO" to Jesus and His great saving love so freely given?