Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Thursday, May 07, 2015
From Impossible to Possible!
a personal glimpse into my recent Lenten journey! Donna Oswalt/2005
Throughout the Bible, God does the impossible with less, the miraculous with little. Most of us seldom give sacrificially; seldom do we even give generously. Like feeding 20,000 people with a small boy's lunch, Jesus takes our sparse offerings and multiplies them for the blessings of others. Consumerism stands on every corner luring us to spend money. What a contrast between how much we spend on a TV to watch the world's news and what we give to share the Good News of Christ! With God, the impossible becomes possible! ~ dho
Throughout the Bible, God does the impossible with less, the miraculous with little. Most of us seldom give sacrificially; seldom do we even give generously. Like feeding 20,000 people with a small boy's lunch, Jesus takes our sparse offerings and multiplies them for the blessings of others. Consumerism stands on every corner luring us to spend money. What a contrast between how much we spend on a TV to watch the world's news and what we give to share the Good News of Christ! With God, the impossible becomes possible! ~ dho
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Junk-food of the World
a personal glimpse into my recent Lenten journey! - Donna Oswalt/2015
Spiritual famine happens when we fail to recognize the presence of God in our daily moments, when we no longer find joy in serving God, when we forget God's promises. Self-reliance and self-satisfaction take the place of depending on God. We choose the demons of boredom and anger and disappointment; they consume us, not feed us. Only the Bread of Life can provide the spiritual nourishment that renews hope, strengthens resolve, and conquers evil. People all around us are starving, sometimes even you and me! Remember - God provides! - dho
Spiritual famine happens when we fail to recognize the presence of God in our daily moments, when we no longer find joy in serving God, when we forget God's promises. Self-reliance and self-satisfaction take the place of depending on God. We choose the demons of boredom and anger and disappointment; they consume us, not feed us. Only the Bread of Life can provide the spiritual nourishment that renews hope, strengthens resolve, and conquers evil. People all around us are starving, sometimes even you and me! Remember - God provides! - dho
Saturday, April 18, 2015
After The Resurrection
...Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! "Peace be with you," He said. John 20:19
Like many of you, I worshiped Easter Sunday among family and friends, with overflowing crowds, hearing amazing music and the Good News! While I was not at home but at a lovely chapel at the beach, the scenes and sounds and sermon were the same, except the ocean was across the street! There is something different about worshiping on Easter Sunday that refreshes the mind and renews the heart and replenishes the soul. Worshiping among friends emphasizes community just as being welcomed into a chapel by the seashore.
In the days to come, I hope you reflect on your personal journey to the cross this Easter season. As Lent ends, my blogging will return to weekly (or more, but not daily), and I will be sharing some of my personal discoveries this season. Hearing some of your soul revelations would be great, and I hope you will share them here in the comments or on Mangrove Ministries' Facebook page. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! Celebrating the Resurrection is simply the beginning! - dho
Jesus says, "Peace be with you!"
Sunday, April 05, 2015
EASTER Sunday ~ God's Faithfulness in Us
God’s Faithfulness ~ Our
Everlasting Hope!
LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for
in perfect faithfulness
During this season of reflection
and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness. Do you find strength for
every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God IS Faithful! God’s Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope! ~ Donna Oswalt
A life of faith does not consist of acts
of worship or of great self-denial and heroic virtues, but of all the daily,
conscious acts of our lives.
Oswald Chambers
Now I saw
heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called
Faithful and True … And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:11-16 NKJV
The resurrection of Christ invites faithfulness to a
new standard. Christ calls us to be people of faith, identifies us as His
faithful people, and affords us the opportunity to be faithful in worship,
obedience, study and service. God longs for His character and truth to be
reflected in the lives of His people. KING
OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, the One who is called Faithful and True, challenges each of us to live faithfully, to
live by His own example.
Our faithfulness cannot be limited to religious
activities or righteous deeds but must secure its foundation in the faithful
promises of God. In Christ, we can love without perfection, have certainty
without understanding, experience peace within grief. When God dwells in the
hearts of His people, we have new awareness, new insight, and new hope. The
Holy Spirit empowers us to see those living on the margins, to offer Bread of
Life to a starving world, and to retell the stories of God’s faithfulness.
El Shaddai,
Immanuel, LORD of Lords – Hallelujah! Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ
will come again! Such an offering leaves my heart in wordless praise, with
endless wonder. Great is Your faithfulness! You take me to Your high places of
blessing! I pray to stand firm in my faith, to listen for Your voice, to
respond to Your calling. Perfect Love, You pour unmeasured Grace over me. Your
faithfulness is everlasting! Amen! –dho
Focus Point:
KING
OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, the One
who is called Faithful and True, challenges each of us to live faithfully, to
live by His own example.
All rights
reserved; copyright 2015 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove
Ministries/Christian blogger and author Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow
on Twitter @soulchat
For more
information about this ministry visit ~
“May you be
blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”
Saturday, April 04, 2015
Faithfulness Beyond Death ~ Lent 2015
God’s Faithfulness ~ Our
Everlasting Hope!
LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for
in perfect faithfulness
During this season of reflection
and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness. Do you find strength for
every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God IS Faithful! God’s Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope! ~ Donna Oswalt
…And by His
stripes we are healed…My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall
bear their iniquities… Because He poured His soul into death, and He was
numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made
intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53 NKJV
This is the 4th Servant Song in Isaiah and
depicts Christ as the Suffering Servant. Take time to read the Scripture in
full, savor the descriptions, hear the prophecy centuries old. In Isaiah, we
learn the Messiah will come as a Suffering Servant and as King. On His first
advent, Jesus enters as the servant, the One who bears the punishment for our
sins. As Jesus dies, many express disappointment and disbelief that the man nailed
to the cross could be the Messiah. Good Friday ends leaving His disciples
broken and confused; the body of Jesus is placed in a borrowed tomb. This
Sabbath day, they must physically rest from work, but they mourn for what they
do not understand.
Prophecy about the Messiah coming as King continues to
be unfulfilled. We are still waiting and watching. On His second advent, His
Second Coming, Christ will come as King over all. His power will be astonishing,
His Light will be radiant, and His judgment will be final. The time for
brokenness and mourning will end for all believers. When this end comes, will you
know everlasting Sabbath-Rest, will you rejoice in salvation through faith in
Christ? Then our eyes shall see the infinite faithfulness of God.
King of
kings, the ancient Scriptures reveal the plan of a holy God. You gently came
into the world bringing love and compassion, and left through the violence of
the cross. You did this for me, but I
can hardly comprehend the offering… He
poured His soul into death; I can scarcely imagine the willingness… He bore the sin of many; I can barely
hear the words… by His stripes we are
healed. Great is Your faithfulness, then, now, and in all that is still to
come! -dho
Focus Point:
Messiah will come as a Suffering
Servant and as King.
All rights
reserved; copyright 2015 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove
Ministries/Christian blogger and author Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow
on Twitter @soulchat
For more
information about this ministry visit ~
“May you be
blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”
Friday, April 03, 2015
Good Friday - Jesus IS God's Faithfulness ~ Lent 2015
God’s Faithfulness ~ Our
Everlasting Hope!
LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for
in perfect faithfulness
During this season of reflection
and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness. Do you find strength for
every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God IS Faithful! God’s Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope! ~ Donna Oswalt
…they
crucified Him Matthew 27:35;
…they crucified Him Mark 15:25 …they
crucified Him Luke 23:33; ...they crucified Him John 19:18 NKJV
The Via Dolorosa, a remnant of an ancient
road in the Old City of Jerusalem once known as Decumanus Maximus, becomes crowded with Christians each year on
Good Friday. People walk along this street called the Way of Suffering, following the last steps of Jesus that lead to Golgotha
for crucifixion. Among the stones,
shadows of Roman soldiers with swords and whips linger in the mind. On Good
Friday millions of Christians all across the world remember Jesus, reflect on
His journey to the cross, recall the betrayal, the injustice, the suffering.
More than 2,000 years ago, with huge crowds of people
filling the city for Passover and vendors selling their goods, Jerusalem is a
city full of noise and energy. Schemes of political and religious leaders call
for the crucifixion of Jesus, while the passion of Christ reveals itself in an
unexpected fashion. Beaten and weary, wearing a crown of thorns, Jesus is
forced to carry His own cross for crucifixion. Blinded by their lost hope of
political reform and revival, the masses turn against Jesus. YET – this IS the
passion of Christ; the faithfulness of God willingly embraces the suffering for
the sins of all.
Lamb of God,
that You would be willing to die for me redefines love. The suffering You
endured for me redefines sacrifice. The injustice You experienced for me
redefines compassion. Your wounds redefine me! Great is Your faithfulness. –dho
Focus Point:
Jesus, reflect on His journey to the
cross, recall the betrayal, the injustice, the suffering.
All rights
reserved; copyright 2015 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove
Ministries/Christian blogger and author Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow
on Twitter @soulchat
For more
information about this ministry visit ~
“May you be
blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”
Thursday, April 02, 2015
Maundy Thursday - Faithful Servant ~ Lent 2015
God’s Faithfulness ~ Our
Everlasting Hope!
LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for
in perfect faithfulness
During this season of reflection
and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness. Do you find strength for
every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God IS Faithful! God’s Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope! ~ Donna Oswalt
[Jesus asks
His disciples] “Do you know what I have done for you…I have given you an
example that you should do as I have done…a servant is not greater than his
master. John 13:1-17
NASB
During Holy Week, the Last Supper paints a picture of
traditions and fellowship, of humility and betrayal. These holy moments become
markers for new traditions and fellowship, a way to remember the sacrifice of
Christ, an opportunity to become the
broken bread and poured out wine. One such holy moment comes when Divine
Power appears to clash with the humble act of a servant. The disciples reject
the idea that Jesus, the Son of the Living God, the Messiah, would dare to
kneel before them and wash their feet. Jesus demonstrates a lesson of humility
and obedience, and becomes the example of holy living.
Jesus comes with an inner Divine identity, being fully
God, and takes on an outer human identity, being fully man. In His willingness to
enter the world as man, Perfect Love volunteers to submit to the authority of
the Father, and at the same time, reveals the Father’s heart. God’s
faithfulness comes from heaven and walks among us, sacrifices everything for us.
Faithful Servant, I struggle with the
lessons of humility and obedience. The world does not find humility worthy,
often mocks and demeans compassionate and unselfish acts. Goodness often pays a
high price, and holiness finds little respect. Great is Your faithfulness;
Jesus, teach me more about the order of holy living, about complete surrender,
about true submission, about being a servant. –dho
Focus Point:
God’s faithfulness comes from heaven
and walks among us, sacrifices everything for us.
All rights
reserved; copyright 2015 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove
Ministries/Christian blogger and author Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow
on Twitter @soulchat
For more
information about this ministry visit ~
“May you be
blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”
Wednesday, April 01, 2015
Earthly Faithfulness ~ Lent 2015
God’s Faithfulness ~ Our
Everlasting Hope!
LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for
in perfect faithfulness
During this season of reflection
and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness. Do you find strength for
every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God IS Faithful! God’s Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope! ~ Donna Oswalt
So the Word became human and made His
home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen
His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. John 1:14 NLT
Jesus embodies the glory of the Father and evidences a
spiritual glory to His followers. Along with compassion, wisdom, and love,
Jesus Christ exhibits other attributes of the Father, including goodness and
faithfulness. Jesus, the Son of God, enters the world bringing grace and truth.
Although no one has ever seen God, not even Moses who only glimpses the glory
of God, Jesus comes and lives among humanity revealing the Father.
Throughout the Old Testament, God’s earthly residence
remains within the Temple, but when the Living Word becomes human and dwells
among His people, the invisible God stands before the people, full of unfailing
love and faithfulness.
Holy One, Your
goodness speaks with kindness, acts with humility, and loves without
condemnation. Your humanity experiences weariness and grief, fellowship and
friendship, betrayal and pain. Your glory teaches compassion, demonstrates
healing, and encourages community. Great is Your faithfulness. Dwell within my
heart! –dho
Focus Point:
Jesus comes and lives among humanity
revealing the Father.
All rights
reserved; copyright 2015 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove
Ministries/Christian blogger and author Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow
on Twitter @soulchat
For more
information about this ministry visit ~
“May you be
blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Unbending Hope ~ Lent 2015
God’s Faithfulness ~ Our
Everlasting Hope!
LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for
in perfect faithfulness
During this season of reflection
and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness. Do you find strength for
every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God IS Faithful! God’s Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope! ~ Donna Oswalt
Let us hold fast the confession of our
hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23
NASB
The
sacrificial blood of Jesus rends the veil, once and for all breaks the barrier
between God and humanity, and calls those who believe to boldly enter into the
presence of God Almighty. In confessing that Christ redeems us through the
cross, holiness allows us to grasp tightly a new hope, to embrace confidently a
complete assurance that God is faithful to His promises. Grace rebirths us with
unbending hope.
Perseverance
marks the truly faithful. Persecution and temptation always threaten the
believer, but God’s faithfulness remains unchangeable and infinite, beyond
reproach, greater than anything of this world. In communion with Christ,
mutuality of faith creates community, a place to encourage and to find
encouragement, a place to love and to love in return, a place to trust and to be
trustworthy.
Lord, I confess my need to
be loved, to feel connected, that I continue to struggle along the narrow path.
Great is Your faithfulness; Your awesome wonder, Your extravagant love, Your invincible
power make a new way for me to heal, for me to rest, for me to love. You bring unbending
hope. – dho
Focus Point: Grace
rebirths us with unbending hope.
All rights
reserved; copyright 2015 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove
Ministries/Christian blogger and author Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow
on Twitter @soulchat
For more
information about this ministry visit ~
“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you
best!”
Monday, March 30, 2015
Faithfulness Calls ~ Lent 2015
God’s Faithfulness ~ Our
Everlasting Hope!
LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for
in perfect faithfulness
During this season of reflection
and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness. Do you find strength for
every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God IS Faithful! God’s Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope! ~ Donna Oswalt
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and
may your whole spirit
and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ. He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.
The
Greek pistos for faithful indicates dependable, reliable, and trustworthy
character. God is faithful, and He is calling! God “invites” or calls everyone,
calls us to salvation, calls us into fellowship with Jesus, calls us into the
likeness of Christ. By faith in Jesus through grace we find salvation. As God
sanctifies us, or makes us holy through Jesus Christ, our personal relationship
with Him grows deeper through prayer, studying the Bible, sharing within a
community of believers, and taking Christ into the world. Do my commitments, thoughts,
words, and deeds give evidence of holy living? God calls my whole being into
holiness.
This
holy calling is rooted in God’s sacred purpose for individual redemption and
His unfailing compassion. God’s grace calls us to embody the humility,
gentleness, and patience of Christ and to embrace each other with tolerance,
love and peace. Faithfulness invites us to experience the blessed assurance of
Christ, calls us into the wholeness and perfection of God. God will surely be
faithful to His promises!
Faithful
Father, a holy promise invites me to Your throne of righteousness. Amazing grace covers my frail and flawed
humanity. Great is Your faithfulness! Your unfailing love calls me to become
more, to become whole and holy. –dho
Focus Point: God is faithful, and He is calling!
All rights
reserved; copyright 2015 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove
Ministries/Christian blogger and author Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow
on Twitter @soulchat
For more
information about this ministry visit ~
“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you
best!”
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Palm Sunday ~ Sanctify! - Lent 2015
God’s Faithfulness ~ Our
Everlasting Hope!
LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for
in perfect faithfulness
During this season of reflection
and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness. Do you find strength for
every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God IS Faithful! God’s Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope! ~ Donna Oswalt
God has demonstrated His past faithfulness to give us
a foundation for our faith. Now show God your faith. And He’ll show you His
faithfulness. Steve Furtick, Pastor
[Jesus
prays] Sanctify them in the truth; Your
word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the
world. John 17:17-18
NASB
On
the night before His death, Jesus prays for His disciples and for all those who
would follow Him throughout the centuries to come. Sanctify means to separate from
or to stop participating in evil deeds, to become holy. It also means to grow
in purity, to live holy lives. This holiness comes from Jesus, the Word made flesh, the absolute truth
that never changes. Believing in God or
not believing in God does not change God, does not diminish His faithfulness to
us. The Father’s faithfulness to His Son secures the foundation of our faith.
That
night long ago, Jesus prays for God’s mission to take the Gospel into the
world, prays for God’s people to tell the Good News to all people. Today, as the
Living Word intercedes for each believer, the Holy Spirit empowers us to
demonstrate our working faith in God, to live holy and fruitful lives, to share
the grace of Jesus with others.
Jesus, let
my thoughts seek truth in Your holy Scriptures. Find me faithful to Your enduring
truth. The world tries to discourage my heart, dissuade my mind, desecrate my
soul, but great is Your faithfulness. Grace washes away the negative effects,
establishes new boundaries with greater hope. Consecrate my life that I might
honor You. - dho
Focus Point: The Father’s faithfulness to His Son secures the foundation
of our faith.
All rights
reserved; copyright 2015 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove
Ministries/Christian blogger and author Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow
on Twitter @soulchat
For more
information about this ministry visit ~
“May you be
blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Perfect Goodness ~ Lent 2015
God’s Faithfulness ~ Our
Everlasting Hope!
LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for
in perfect faithfulness
During this season of reflection
and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness. Do you find strength for
every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God IS Faithful! God’s Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope! ~ Donna Oswalt
Every good thing given and every perfect
gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom
there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His
will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would
be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. James 1:17-18 NASB
Every
action of giving and every gift given from God originates in His
goodness. Such complete generosity can only come from the constant,
faithfulness of the Holy Creator. An ancient Jewish name for God as Creator, Father of lights, symbolically references
the heavenly lights, the sun, moon and stars. While daily and seasonal variations
exist within the earthly heavens, the Author of life remains unchangeable. God
never uses difficulties in life to tempt or discourage; rather, His intentions
develop and strengthen. God, the loving Father, can only offer goodness.
Because
mankind struggles with spiritual death, God brings rebirth with the word of truth. Jesus Christ, who redeems and renews with
undeserved grace, desires to have an intimate relationship with every
individual. Spiritual rebirth through faith in Jesus requires a sacrifice of
praise for such unmerited goodness.
Holy, holy, holy! God of mercy and love,
Your glory illuminates my soul. What goodness flows from You to all parts of
Your creation. This season of renewal begs me to take a closer look at Your
holiness. With the rising sun, let Your unchanging love fill me up. With the new
beginnings of spring, show me Your eternal hope. With the setting sun, reveal
Your tomorrow-plan for me. As I look up at the sky full of twinkling starts,
remind me of Your presence generation to generation, day to day, and moment to
moment. How great is Your faithfulness to me! –dho
Focus Point: God, the loving Father, can only offer goodness.
All rights
reserved; copyright 2015 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove
Ministries/Christian blogger and author Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow
on Twitter @soulchat
For more
information about this ministry visit ~
“May you be
blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”
Friday, March 27, 2015
Escape Route ~ Lent 2015
God’s Faithfulness ~ Our
Everlasting Hope!
LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for
in perfect faithfulness
During this season of reflection
and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness. Do you find strength for
every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God IS Faithful! God’s Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope! ~ Donna Oswalt
The temptations in your life are no
different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow
the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will
show you a way out so that you can endure.
Experiencing
temptations normal to all people, Paul’s letter to the Corinthians examines the
Israelites from the Old Testament and their consequences of misusing freedom.
Forty years in the wilderness becomes the lesson for them and us.
Overconfidence or complacency can easily lead to disobedience. All sin screams
temptation, entices us toward its darkness. Satan, The Tempter, lures us using our own desires This Scripture affirms
that sin is common to all people, irresistible and inviting; but God’s
faithfulness always shows us an escape route.
God,
impervious to evil, stands between us and Satan, offering His power and grace
as our victory over temptation. Scripture validates that all things are permissible,
but not all things are profitable. When faced with temptation, seek God’s help
to stop, to overcome, to begin again. Be alert because Satan always lies in
wait for another opportunity to seduce.
Jehovah-Nissi,
You give me victory over the weakness of my flesh, my constant temptations to
sin. You stand in the gap, fight the battles against darkness and evil. You
create boundaries for my safety and borders of protection. When I find myself
enticed by Satan, ignite my soul to sing ‘great
is Your faithfulness’. Destroy my arrogance and my apathy as I fall to my
knees and worship a Holy God! –dho
Focus Point: Sin is common to all people, irresistible and
inviting; but God’s faithfulness always shows us an escape route.
All rights
reserved; copyright 2015 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove
Ministries/Christian blogger and author Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow
on Twitter @soulchat
For more
information about this ministry visit ~
“May you be
blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Transformation ~ Lent 2015
God’s Faithfulness ~ Our
Everlasting Hope!
LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for
in perfect faithfulness
During this season of reflection
and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness. Do you find strength for
every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God IS Faithful! God’s Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope! ~ Donna Oswalt
This is a trustworthy saying, and
everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.
1 Timothy 1:12-17 NLT
Saul
of Tarsus, a very zealous Pharisee, evokes punishment and inflicts violence on
followers of Christ with threats, murder, and imprisonment. He does this with
righteous indignation, without remorse. On the road to Damascus, Jesus strikes
Saul blind and speaks directly to him, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” [Acts 9:5]
Jesus declares, “He is a chosen instrument of Mine to bear My name to Gentiles,
and kings and the sons of Israel.” Transformed from a person who slanders
Christ to a person who serves Christ, Saul experiences rebirth and is renamed
Paul.
A
student of the well-respected rabbi, Gamaliel, Saul’s religious training, Roman
citizenship, and university education creates depth in Paul’s ministry. With
mercy and patience, with amazing grace and forgiveness, Jesus counts Paul
faithful. Despite all his rejection of Christ, Paul becomes one of the greatest
missionaries of all time.* No matter the magnitude of sinfulness, God’s
faithfulness delivers redemption. Transformation comes with Jesus Christ.
God
of mercy, find me on the road. Change me to be more like You. Great is Your
faithfulness. Transform me; count me faithful. –dho
Focus Point: Transformation comes with Jesus Christ.
All rights
reserved; copyright 2015 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove
Ministries/Christian blogger and author Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow
on Twitter @soulchat
For more
information about this ministry visit ~
“May you be
blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Holy Writings ~ Lent 2015
God’s Faithfulness ~ Our
Everlasting Hope!
LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for
in perfect faithfulness
During this season of reflection
and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness. Do you find strength for
every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God IS Faithful! God’s Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope! ~ Donna Oswalt
All Scripture is inspired by God and is
useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our
lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God
uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
Holy
Scriptures comprise the Bible, the authoritative source defining the beliefs of
Christian faith. Believed to be the inspired word of God, these sacred writings
consist of 66 books making up the Old Testament and New Testament. From the 5th
century, scholars call the Bible the “Library of Divine Revelation”. Within
these holy-breathed words of God, we discover God’s power, promises and prophesy,
His laws and His love, the gift of salvation, and absolute truth. Through these
ancient words, God reveals His character and declares His purpose. Scripture
includes lessons to teach, correct, restore, and train. With the Holy
Scriptures, God breathes His faithfulness into the world.
Spiritual
maturity evolves as the Christian studies the Scriptures, spends time reading
and listening for God’s direction and guidance. The Bible becomes a tangible
holiness of God’s presence, a language of necessary prayer, a confirmation
of grace-full redemption, the assurance of divine truth. God uses His inspired
words to prepare and equip us to
complete His purpose.
Lord, let me read
these God-breathed words with greater understanding, deeper meaning, and
renewed purpose. Create a hunger and thirst for Your word that will grow my
awareness of Your presence. Stir my soul with the mystery of amazing love, the
majesty of promises fulfilled, the hope of what is to come. Great is Your
faithfulness. –dho
**Additional writings that some Christian denominations include: the
Apocrypha contains 14 ancient books related to the Old Testament that, written
in Greek and believed to have been composed during the time between Malachi and
the New Testament times. Scholars say that no quotes from the Apocrypha appear
in the New Testament.
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Ministries/Christian blogger and author Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow
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“May you be
blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”
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