Mary Harwell Sayler's Blog: In a Christian Writer's Life, page 7

Pre-destination

Have you ever been troubled by the word predestination? Since it's God's Will for ALL peoples to come to Him, I figured I had misunderstood what predestined means. Then it hit me!

God made PREparations for us. The Son of God PREpared The Way. In Christ Jesus, we are all equal. We all have the same destination! 

To give you a few examples of our shared destiny as Christians, we are ALL destined to:

Be filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11.)

Have ministry gifts to build up the church Body of Christ (Romans 12:6.)

Be ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18.)

Bring light to the world (Matthew 5:14.)

Spend eternity with God (John 3:16.)

 

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2020

 

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The Pursuit of God

First published in 1948, The Pursuit of God  by A. W. Tozer, has been reissued with an Introduction by James L. Snyder and published by Bethany House, who kindly sent me a hardback copy of this Christian classic to review.
A self-taught theologian-pastor, Tozer (1897-1963) wrote the book on a long, cross-country train ride, most likely unaware it would be published many times in many languages over many decades. He just wanted to bring readers of this and his forty-plus books into the presence of God. As he stated in the Preface, “It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the Kingdom, to see God’s children starving while actually seated at the Father’s table.”
In the chapter “Following Hard After God,” Rev. Tozer advises us:
“Come near to the holy men and women of the past, and you will soon feel the heat of their desire for God. They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out, and when they had found Him the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking.”
His book has precisely that effect with chapter after chapter showing us how. In “The Universal Presence,” for example, Tozer explains:
“God is here when we are wholly unaware of it. He is manifest only when and as we are aware of His Presence. On our part there must be surrender to the Spirit of God, for His work it is to show us the Father and the Son. If we cooperate with Him in loving obedience, God will manifest Himself to us, and that manifestation will be the difference between a nominal Christian life and a life radiant with the light of His face.”
Each chapter ends with a prayer relevant to what’s just been read as Rev. Tozer draws us ever deeper into The Pursuit of God . The book continues to direct our focus away from ourselves and our concerns toward God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, exhorting us to “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) while become more receptive to “The Speaking Voice.”
In the chapter by that name, Rev. Tozer clarifies:
“The facts are that God is not silent, has never been silent. It is the nature of God to speak…. The Bible is the inevitable outcome of God’s continuous speech.”
Further:
“I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not only a book which was once spoken, but a book which is now speaking….” for “…a word of God once spoken continues to be spoken.”
Therefore:
“If you would follow on to know the Lord, come at once to the open Bible, expecting it to speak to you. Do not come with the notion that it is a thing which you may push around at your convenience. It is more than a thing; it is a voice, a word, the very Word of the living God.”

©2020, Mary Harwell Sayler, poet-writer, Bible Reviewer
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God’s Word on plagues and other disasters

For months we’ve been plagued by a pandemic of COVID-19 virus with subsequent outbreaks of crime, violence, joblessness, and a spirit of fear. In the midst of this turmoil, we’ve experienced weird weather patterns and natural disasters that make us wonder if all of this is supernatural.  
To get a biblical perspective on current events, I went to the Bible Gateway website and typed “plague” into the search box. Some translations immediately brought up 70+ relevant scriptures, while others showed over 100 Bible verses that included the word.
If you want to know more, just look up “plague” online or in your Bible, but for now, let’s focus on a few verses that convey God’s perspective on the subject:
“And the Lord said unto Moses, …stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God…, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth,” Exodus 9:13-14, King James Version, KJV.
For 430 years, the pharaohs in Egypt had made slaves of God’s people, but God wanted (and still wants) His people to be free. He used several plagues to convince Pharaoh to let the people go, but, more than that, God used each plague to show His power over very particular Egyptian gods. This strengthened the faith of God’s people and also brought many Egyptians to Him.
“If you act with hostility toward Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will multiply your plagues seven times for your sins,” Leviticus 26:21, Christian Standard Bible, CSB.
This might sound cruel at first, but remember: God is declaring spiritual warfare! He wants us to remain close to Him in faith and obedience. We have that choice for God gave us free will. And, because God is fair, just, and loving, He lets us know what consequences to expect when we reject God and set ourselves against Him.
“And Aaron (the priest) …ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed,” Numbers 16:47-48, KJV.
Is it possible for a plague to continue because God’s people forget to intercede? Through Jesus Christ, we have been declared “priests” and given the authority to pray in Jesus’ Name in the strength and power of the Risen Lord.
“And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel,” 2 Samuel  24:25, English Standard Version, ESV.
King David responded to a plague threatening his people by building an altar and worshiping God. That’s not crazy! That’s faith. No matter what’s happening, God can be trusted to bring good out of the circumstances. Immediately, the plague ceased and, eventually, that place of worship became the location of the Jerusalem Temple.
"Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways,”  Psalm 91:9-11 KJV.
Think of it! We can inhabit the Lord. We can live within Him and He within us. What could possibly harm us when we seek refuge in God?
“In that hour (Jesus) cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind he bestowed sight,” Luke 7:21, Revised Standard Version, RSV.
Jesus Christ has the power to cure – then and now! As His Body of Christ on earth, the church has been given the authority to bring health, healing, and restoration in Jesus’ Name. That means all power to you! All power to we who believe.
For now, the church must read, read, read God’s Word! With the power of Bible truths, prayer, and Holy Spirit guidance, we’re to represent Christ with faith and boldness. But then what?
What does the end time hold for us?
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them [as their God].He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away.’
“The one who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ Then he said, ‘Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true.’ He said to me, ‘They are accomplished. I [am] the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give a gift from the spring of life-giving water. The victor will inherit these gifts, and I shall be his God, and he will be my son. But as for cowards, the unfaithful, the depraved, murderers, the unchaste, sorcerers, idol-worshipers, and deceivers of every sort, their lot is in the burning pool of fire and sulfur, which is the second death.
“ One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came and said to me, ‘Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It gleamed with the splendor of God,” Revelation 21:1-11a, New American Bible (Revised Edition), NABRE.

MaryHarwell Sayler, ©2020, poet, writer, and lifelong student of God’s Word; author-compiler of the Book of BiblePrayers and Kneeling on the Promisesof God
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Poetry Editor: Intro and poems from Talking to the Wren

Poetry Editor: Intro and poems from Talking to the Wren: 

Talking to the Wren: Haiku, Short Verse, and One Long Poempublished by Cyberwit.net reminds us of the every-changing beauty and humor found in nature.

Bible Reviewer: Reviewing Bibles and Bible prayers

Bible Reviewer: Reviewing Bibles and Bible prayers: 

Spontaneous prayers produce vital conversations with God, but sometimes we need written prayers to get us through a spiritual dry spell. The ideal prayer book consists of actual prayers prayed by many Bible people then written into God’s Word.

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Bible Prayers: Praying for Salvation

Bible Prayers: Praying for Salvation: Dis-ease, distress and unrest abound in our country, in the world, and in biblical times too. Here’s how King David prayed in such a time as this.

How to Ruin Civilization

Has this very thing begun to happen? If we communicate with one another, we can find workable solutions, but first we must identify each problem before we can solve it or even know what to pray about!
The downfall of a country – whether ours or anyone else’s – often occurs because of events or actions such as these:
Break down social structures.Keep people isolated.Make one person fearful of another – or at least suspicious.Stir up bigotry.  Be firm in the belief that one shameful person represents the whole group.Spread unsubstantiated rumors and lies that illustrate a point, a purpose.Speak loudly so that one race, religion, culture, or age group cannot possibly hear those with differing views and circumstances.Operate only from emotion.Stop doing business with local merchants and agencies until closures and lay-offs occur. People with no work, no income, and no hope will have just causes to protest.Destroy historical reminders of important events that led to the shaping of a people, a nation. This will keep citizens from learning from mistakes, so they’ll be doomed to repeat them.Place self at the center of all actions and opinions.Never admit a mistake or confess a sin.Refuse to take responsibility for anything that contributed to misunderstandings and hatred.Pretend everything is just fine.Assume inconvenient laws don’t apply.Believe that kindness, courtesy, and empathy are for wimps. Become devoted to a fake god that entices followers with false promises of wealth and power, but actually has no power or anything worthwhile to give.Think of self as better and more powerful than other people – or, equally important, worse off than anyone else in the world.

As a Christian, who embraces the Judeo-Christian Bible, I believe we’ll find answers to each problem if we read our Bibles with an open mind and spirit, recognize ourselves in the uncensored history of God’s people, and request the guidance, forgiveness, and help of our Lord God, Who has the power to save and restore all that’s lost.
©2020, Mary Sayler
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Bible Prayers: Pray for forgiveness, peace, healing!

Bible Prayers: Pray for forgiveness, peace, healing!  In the Name of the Lord God and all that is Holy, let's do everything we can to communicate God's love.

Bible Reviewer: NIV First-Century Study Bible

Bible Reviewer: NIV First-Century Study Bible: The NIV First-Century Study Bible from Zondervan gives us an edition of the New International Version that broadens present-day understanding of Bible times, places, and people.

Poetry Editor: The Poet’s Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke

Poetry Editor: The Poet’s Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke: The following post originally appeared on the “ Poets Who Make Us Better” column for Interlitq (The International Literary Quarterly.)