Larry M Lawrence- Mysteries

031004 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

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Jeremiah 17:13 Lord, you are the hope of Israel;
    all who forsake you will be put to shame.
Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust
    because they have forsaken the Lord,
    the spring of living water.

¹⁴ Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;
    save me and I will be saved,
    for you are the one I praise.
¹⁵ They keep saying to me,
    “Where is the word of the Lord?
    Let it now be fulfilled!”

Have you ever heard the term “putting the cart before the horse”? It refers to a wrong-headed perspective on the need or ide expressed and then proceeding in such a way that disaster is inevitable. This is the attitude many people bring to the table when they try to treat with God over one thing or another. The “You show me yours and I’ll show you mine” approach to devotion or supplication is definitely not a starter. This is easily learned from even a cursory study of Scripture and the consequences of a lesson not learned between people.

We must come before God “emptying ourselves” (Philippians 2) of everything except a will to love, obey and serve the most high God.

I have found a deep peace

That I never had known

And a joy this world could not afford

Since I yielded control

Of my body and soul

To my wonderful, wonderful Lord

Haldor Lillenas 1938

031003 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

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Mark 5:27
When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,

When we have come to the end of our attempts to be healed, when we have expended every resource and when every other trust has been broken, disillusioned at the places where our faith has been wasted, then in humility we must come to Jesus and reach out in the last gasp of faith to take hold of the hem of his garment. In grace, He will turn and remind you it is not the garment that is holy, but it is the man Himself and He loves you and admires your faith even though it seems to you as the last little bit. you have.

For many, they may have reached this point and wonder when and if the Master will reveal His healing plan to them. For that I can only say to you STAY WITH HIM. He will not fail you. Your healing will come even if it is the perfect healing of death. Also, there may be some thing you need to be doing or accomplishing or choosing that will facilitate what He wants you to do.

NOTE TO SELF: Stop whining. Get Busy. Believe, make the effort.

03102 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

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Luke 1:77 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
⁷⁷ to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,
⁷⁸ because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
⁷⁹ to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

This is an often-overlooked passage of Scripture especially at Christmas time when all of the crazy ya-da, ya-da nonsense and noisy glitter of secular Christmas does its best to steal away the beauty of Holy Christmas.  Here Zechariah is communicating faithfully what God has told him of His intentions for his son and hi people. A gospel of peace, a gospel of forgiveness, a gospel of hope. How often we forget all of this in our gluttony and sloth as we “slouch toward Bethlehem”. (W.B. Yeats)

            When either side pf the Spiritual divide in this world begin discussing “acceptable levels of violence”. Proportional retaliation”. Or the debate over incarceration and policing I believe we have completely missed the point. Read how the Wesley and George Whitefield transformed England during their times with direct and truth filled preaching. Se the Journal of John Wesley, and the journals of Francis Asbury and note their simple piety and urgency in prayer for the people they were attempting to serve. That is how the Church will be transformed.

031001 Finding God in the Mystery of every day. Please address comments or questions to larrymlawrence@larrymlawrence.com, or sign up for free e-mail of each issue of this devotional and comment there. Also, Find me on Faceb00k at Larry Lawrence Mysteries, Twitter @LarryLa27767062, Innstagram, Tumblr, LinkedIn.

1 Peter 5:8-9 (New International Version)

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

When you are alone, and the imaginings of terror come creeping in on your mind that is when the Devil is close to you. If you are to resist Him, you must be clad in all of the Spiritual armor you can muster. particularly the Word of God.

Scripture may come easily to mind but know this. The Devil probably can recite Scripture better than you. He may know the Words, but you must know the heart of what is being said. (Luke 4 9-12)

Know through all of the smoke and noise in the midst of your darkness that Jesus is the only true light and beloved son of the most high God.

1 Peter 1:10¹⁰ Therefore, my brothers and sisters,⅕ make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, ¹¹ and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior.

This verse, perhaps more than any other, has caused great consternation for those who are young in Christ, no matter what their age. The concept here stated has set theological battle lines, exposed the kind of one-upmanship that has discouraged more folk than you could possibly imagine. Through the ages we have seen how the devil has used this thought to lull many believers into a lesser discipleship and has also allowed many younger folk to go off on wild flights of fancy to the detriment of the testimony of Jesus Christ in the world.

Simply put it is very easy to presume and far more difficult to understand. When we read the whole of the chapter up to this point, we shall see that there is a very logical thought process here and that as the Holy Spirit has informed Peter, and he has expressed faithfully our “calling, and election” are concepts which mut be cultivated deeply in the love and imitation of Jesus Christ.

More to come…

030901 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

Your comments or questions are welcome

Contact me at larrymlawrence.com or,

e-mail- larrymlawrence@larrymlawrence.com  (*New e-mail), or

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John 21: ¹⁸ Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”

     As difficult as it seems the loss of independence is to most men one of the cruelest vicissitudes to be faced in this life. In this stark contrast Jesus reminds Peter about the journey’s perils and its ultimate reward through much pain and travail. A man of many highs and lows Peter is every man. I am consoled by the love of Jesus in all of this time in my own life when suddenly I seem to be coming that terminal man which Jesus described to Peter. My best effort her is to be put into prayer, study of the Word, and remaining in defiance to the evil and foolishness of the world and all of its hatred of Jesus and his followers.

Ain’t No Grave

O my Lord it’s a winding road

It’s all bent from a heavy load

Feel the weight beneath the ground

Ain’t no grave gonna hold me down

David Crowder | Hank Bentley | Seth Philpott

© sixsteps Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing

03902 Finding God in the Mystery of every day. Your comments or questions are welcome. Contact me at larrymlawrence.com or email larrymlawrence@larrymlawrence.com, or on Facebook , search Larry Lawrence Mysteries, Twitter search @Larry La27767072, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr. Your comments or questions are welcome

We fight the aging process in many ways. Sometimes, we just deny the whole idea, refusing to believe what we see in the mirror every day.

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. – 1 Peter 1:24-25 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Peter1:24-25&version=AKJV

So, how are we dealing with the clear statement of Peter , who by this time was most likely living with the many aches and pains that seem to happen to all of us eventually?

For myself, I’m beginning to understand that my reality and relevance are shifting away from the center and moving inexorably toward the end. But in this I don’t despair. I am beginning to understand what glory really means. Praise His Name.

030901 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

Your comments or questions are welcome

Contact me at larrymlawrence.com or,

e-mail- larrymlawrence@larrymlawrence.com  (*New e-mail), or

on Facebook search Larry Lawrence Mysteries, Twitter search @LarryLa27767062, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tumblr Your comments or questions are welcome.

Ezekiel 2:³ He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day. ⁴ The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ ⁵ And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious people—they will know that a prophet has been among them. 

I try to imagine what it must have been like for Ezekiel to have experienced the visions of God and His glory as expressed in chapter 1. The interpretation of those images, no matter how silly seem to have overshadowed the calling of the man to speak the word of the Lord to a stubborn and obstinate people. God shouted loudly through the mouths of the prophets yet still, the people by and large ignored the warnings.

            In the end Jesus came and lived among us and people saw what it meant to walk as God walked, to think as God thought, to love as God loves. And what was the result? The Cross! But wait, that’s not the end of the story. That was the beginning of the greatest adventure in the history of mankind. Jesus rose from the grave having defeated death once for all.

            He left his followers with a command, a calling which none of us can get around. We are to continue His work of making disciples wherever we are and to say loudly the good news of salvation.

03806 Finding God in the Mystery of every day. Daily devotional find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. – Romans 8:18 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans8:18&version=AKJV

Sometimes it seems as though there is some level or degree of suffering meted out to everyone who is born on this planet. It is obvious to any but the most self-focused that the degree and type of suffering varies widely across the globe. The obvious suffering, we see has to do with famine, war, pestilence, human cruelty etc. There is little doubt in my mind that God knows the size and strength of our spirits and allots no more suffering than we can handle.

Now I know some of you are probably raging at these words but think for just a minute. Did God ever say not to get angry? No, rather He said through the Apostle Paul; “Be angry, but sin not.” It is perfectly okay to ask God; “Why?” When that becomes sin is when you reject God’s clear answers found in Scripture. Whatever you may have lost, whatever seems as though it has been ripped from your hands or heart, know this, God understands and has suffered as well. So, praise Him and proclaim HIs glory, and trust that whatever He has in store will be a return a hundredfold whatever you have lost. (Matthew 13:23)

030806 Finding God in the Mystery of every day

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Luke 7:22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

So, what happened? Even as the Church grew and expanded, as with all things us human critters get our hands on, the initial zeal, the initial focus turned to matters more political and the ingathering of people, power and wealth transformed the Church into what we see today. Enormous organizations with little zeal or little awareness and less care for the mission Jesus left us with than as if the Church had never existed.

But wait, don’t go away disappointed. “God is still on the throne, and He does remember His own”. (Kitty Suffield) This truth, while perhaps difficult to grasp is what brings me to this point. As I find it harder and harder to even walk, I wonder whether Jesus will lead me through this time of pain and confusion, or whether He has a purpose in bringing out a more persistent and positive “living hope”. (1 Peter 1:3) So, whether my healing is temporal or eternal, in all things I will give Him my praise and thanks for His loving kindness.