Beside Still Waters

Cross-bearing is simultaneously the cessation of the self life, be it beggarly or bounteous, and the gateway to a life full of God's grace and truth. Matthew 16:21-26 provides Jesus' summary statement on the way to living a full life or experiencing great loss

Why does God allow suffering? How would God respond if He suffered? Would God "change the rules" or lessen the pain if he experienced this common earthly phenomenon? Jesus, the perfect One, foretold, anticipated, and fully embraced this common human experience and revealed there is blessing at the end of every trial. 

When God delays in responding to our heartfelt needs and prayers is always a difficult spiritual experience. During the delay, God is in the process of creating and executing a noble purpose by integrating grace and Holy Spirit generated fruit into our lives. 

The Person of the Holy Spirit of God is He who hovered over chaotic earth, multiplied the widow's oil, hardened the waters under Peter's feet, and drove out Legion's demons. He will, if we yield to Him, manifest Christ in us, the Hope of Glory.

This is the final episode showing the result of misplaced faith. God intended trials to be the conduit for delivering and experiencing the blessing of his presence and the evidencing of his working. This episode addresses the negative effect that complacency, time, and other factors have on a single-hearted trust in God

This is the third episode revealing the thinking of the man whose heart is perfect toward God, and, the manner in which God manifested his glory to that man. God is willing, and wanting to apply providential, loving care towards all whose confidence is in him. This interchange between man's faith and God's willingness to respond is always glorifying to Him and life changing for us; this experience can be the believer's norm, if the requirements of faith are fulfilled.

The ways of God are almost always mysterious except in answer to prayer. This is the second podcast episode showing how God reveals his glory when faith in his willing, providential, loving care is manifest and firmly fixed. This is the divine pattern evidenced in the lives of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. God's response to faith is always glorifying to Him and life changing for us. This experience of his glory can be the believer's norm, if the requirements of faith are fulfilled.

The ways of God are almost always mysterious except in answer to prayer. God reveals his glory when faith in his willing, providential, loving care is manifest and firmly fixed. God's response to faith is alway glorifying to Him and life changing for us. This experience of his glory can be the norm in the believers' life, if we fulfill the requirements of faith.

Bereavement, loss are not unique experiences. It is humanity's common lot. Even Jesus in incarnate fulness was not immune from this experience. His response to loss demonstrates where and how the Christian's solace is provided, especially during times of bereavement: it is in the Presence of God. 

When you have a heart within which the Holy Spirit may cultivate robust spiritual growth, the results will astound you! Favorable conditions promote 'readiness' or receptivity to the Word of God, Christ-like transformation, and fruitful evidences of the Holy Spirit's regenerative power in a Christian's life.