Living in a world where everyday you sense could be your last.
Especially, living on the streets you are keenly aware of this reality, every moment, of each and every day!
Mentioning this because of the life I have been graced to live these last few years.
The good Lord, bless His Holy Name, has been so overwhelming merciful towards me!!! A great sinner… He has shined His glorious, and most beautiful light through this miserable soul!
Thank you O beautifully crucified Lord, for your incomparable love towards me!
You love me so much that you promised me a resurrection just like Yours!
You also promised me that, to follow You would mean for me to pick up my cross, and follow You through my passion, as You have laid out before me, from before the beginning of creation!
To follow Christ means a man must die to self, and follow his Shepard. This i stole from Deitrick Bonhoeffer, in his book, the Cost of Discipleship. A most challenging read! Yet, very eye opening.
Here are some passages that came to my attention after spending the day, off and on, with a certified high priest of the temple of Satan. He even showed me his tattoos, none of which you can get without being who you say you are! These are the lost souls I hang out with everyday out here. This man is blind, has been for seven months, and everyone has absolutely abandoned him. It was a good reflection for me. Because, I was him not so long ago, four years. So, here are those passages…
Hebrews 11, the whole thing.
NOW, faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not.
2 For by this the ancients obtained a testimony.
3 By faith we understand that the world was framed by the word of God: that from invisible things visible things might be made.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice exceeding that of Cain, by which he obtained a testimony that he was just, God giving testimony to his gifts. And by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 By faith Henoch was translated that he should not see death: and he was not found because God had translated him. For before his translation he had testimony that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please God. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is: and is a rewarder to them that seek him.
7 By faith Noe, having received an answer concerning those things which as yet were not seen, moved with fear, framed the ark for the saving of his house: by the which he condemned the world and was instituted heir of the justice which is by faith.
8 By faith he that is called Abraham obeyed to go out into a place which he was to receive for an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he abode in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in cottages, with Isaac and Jacob, the co-heirs of the same promise.
10 For he looked for a city that hath foundations: whose builder and maker is God.
11 By faith also Sara herself, being barren, received strength to conceive seed, even past the time of age: because she believed that he was faithful who had promised,
12 For which cause there sprung even from one (and him as good as dead) as the stars of heaven in multitude and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
13 All these died according to faith, not having received the promises but beholding them afar off and saluting them and confessing that they are pilgrims and strangers on the earth.
14 For they that say these things do signify that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that from whence they came out, they had doubtless, time to return.
16 But now they desire a better, that is to say, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18 To whom it was said: In Isaac shalt thy seed be called:)
19 Accounting that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Whereupon also he received him for a parable.
20 By faith also of things to come Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.
21 By faith Jacob, dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and adored the top of his rod.
22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the going out of the children of Israel and gave commandment concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents: because they saw he was a comely babe, and they feared not the king’s edict.
24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, denied himself to be the son of Pharao’s daughter:
25 Rather choosing to be afflicted with the people of God than to have the pleasure of sin for a time:
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasure of the Egyptians. For he looked unto the reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the fierceness of the king: for he endured, as seeing him that is invisible.
28 By faith he celebrated the pasch and the shedding of the blood: that he who destroyed the firstborn might not touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea, as by dry land: which the Egyptians attempting, were swallowed up.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, by the going round them seven days.
31 By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with the unbelievers, receiving the spies with peace.
32 And what shall I yet say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, Barac, Samson, Jephthe, David, Samuel, and the prophets:
33 Who by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered strength from weakness, became valiant in battle, put to flight the armies of foreigners.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again. But others were racked, not accepting deliverance, that they might find a better resurrection.
36 And others had trial of mockeries and stripes: moreover also of bands and prisons.
37 They were stoned, they were cut asunder, they were tempted, they were put to death by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being in want, distressed, afflicted:
38 Of whom the world was not worthy: wandering in deserts, in mountains and in dens and in caves of the earth.
39 And all these, being approved by the testimony of faith, received not the promise:
40 God providing some better thing for us, that they should not be perfected without us.
Please understand, I face temptation every day, and no I’m not special just graced.
As I typed those two last words… it stuck me… Those special words… Just, as in God’s cry to us to be just. The merciful kind. His kind of Justice. Grace, what can I really say!? It is a gift of God! Help us dear Lord, we believe, help my unbelief!
Ah to understand and continue to seek the promises of our Creator through His beloved Son is indeed a grace. Thank you for sharing that grace.
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