God’s Palette

Preserver towards Righteousness

But for this very reason, giving all diligence,

add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,

to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance,

to perseverance godliness, to godliness love.

For if all these things are yours and abound,

you will be neither barren nor unfruitful

in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(II Peter 1:5-8, NKJV)

WE are to preserver:

It is not for us to sit back and watch the world go by like a sage like cosmic observer. We are not to kick back in our easy chair cup and remote in hand and comment on the evil of the world while we are comfortable in our own salvation. God gives us salvation and grace, but we must be diligent to resist evil.

The only thing needed for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing:

Edmund Burke gave us these words but long before God gave us the command. As God’s saints we must resist evil and be salt and light on the earth. Keeping diligence against evil, holding to our faith, standing for virtue, living in Godliness, persevering in our resolve we will show love to those who are lost in this world.

Oswald Chambers Has Some Words:

Add to your faith virtue. . .” (”Furnish your faith with resolution.”) (MOFFATT.) 2 Peter 1:5

“Add” means there is something we have to do. We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save ourselves nor sanctify ourselves, God does that; but God will not give us good habits, He will not give us character, He will not make us walk aright. We have to do all that ourselves, we have to work out the salvation God has worked in. “Add” means to get into the habit of doing things, and in the initial stages it is difficult. To take the initiative is to make a beginning, to instruct yourself in the way you have to go.

Beware of the tendency of asking the way when you know it perfectly well. Take the initiative, stop hesitating, and take the first step. Be resolute when God speaks, act in faith immediately on what He says, and never revise your decisions. If you hesitate when God tells you to do a thing, you endanger your standing in grace. Take the initiative, take it yourself, take the step with your will now, make it impossible to go back. Burn your bridges behind you - “I will write that letter”; “I will pay that debt.” Make the thing inevitable.

We have to get into the habit of hearkening to God about everything, to form the habit of finding out what God says. If when a crisis comes, we instinctively turn to God, we know that the habit has been formed. We have to take the initiative where we are, not where we are not.

Amen!

God Bless

April 19th. Oswald Chambers.

IS IT NOT IN THE LEAST LIKELY?

“For Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom.” 1 Kings 2:28

Joab stood the big test, he remained absolutely loyal and true to David and did not turn after the fascinating and ambitious Absalom, but yet towards the end of his life he turned after the craven Adonijah. Always remain alert to the fact that where one man has gone back is exactly where any one may go back (see 1 Cor. 10:13). You have gone through the big crisis, now be alert over the least things; take into calculation the “retired sphere of the leasts.”

We are apt to say - “It is not in the least likely that having been through the supreme crisis, I shall turn now to the things of the world.” Do not forecast where the temptation will come, it is the least likely thing that is the peril. In the aftermath of a great spiritual transaction the “retired sphere of the leasts” begins to tell; it is not dominant, but remember it is there, and if you are not warned, it will trip you up. You have remained true to God under great and intense trials, now beware of the undercurrent. Do not be morbidly introspective, looking forward with dread, but keep alert; keep your memory bright before God. Unguarded strength is double weakness because that is where the “retired sphere of the leasts” saps. The Bible characters fell on their strong points, never on their weak ones.

“Kept by the power of God” - that is the only safety.

God’s Eye View:

I am often amazed and awed by the beauty of God’s creation. I am humbled as I try to capture a glimpse of his essence with a human creation such as my digital camera. It also amazes me that we humans are so arrogant to think that we can change his creation by living our daily lives and trying to survive on planet.
He Creates:
He creates; we are awestruck. He blesses; we give praise. He gives life; we humbly accept. He forgives; we are forgiven. He loves; we accept.
MY Eye:
My eye is an intricacy of immense miraculous interconnections
of billions of cells, atoms, and neurons
of electrons, protons, power, and life.
*
My eye is beyond my comprehension;
the magic, the mystic,
the awesome quickness by which it works.
*
Can I see without this glorious creation?
Can I decide which colors will form on my retina?
Do I chose to blink?
When my tears come, who’s in charge?
*
If I had to stop and think before I focus,
change the opening with my iris;
So much would I miss.
*
How did my eye become so glorious.
Was I so blind many millions of years past
was there sun, was there light?
and by my own will I created sight?
*
If I was blind, or some earlier version of me,
like a frog, a snake, or a bee;
how did I know that there were things to see?
Like a bug or a worm up a tall tree.
*
How did I know that sight was important for me?
If I did not survive because I could not see,
how did I live to grow an eye for me?
*
But if I could know that a bug was out there,
and know that sight would get my dinner fare.
Then why did I wait for another year?
Why not grow eyes, if I knew what they were,
Why not grow them along with my fur?
*
How would I know that I needed cones for color?
and lenses for focus so I could see others.
and when I blink and tear up,
I would have panicked and given up.
*
No, eyes do not grow so easily,
It is just one of God’s mysteries.
He gave us eyes to see him closer,
He gave us eyes because he is the master.
He gave us eyes to see his creation,
Further we need no explanation.
He loves us so that he wants us to glimpse,
a sliver of his pure essence.

Ballet vs. Bombs:

Beauty is creative, constructive, fulfilling, inspiring. Evil is tearing apart, destructive, death. Beauty is the Romeo & Juliet Ballet in Seattle. Evil is abusing mentally ill women and blowing them up to kill innocent people in Baghdad.

Romeo & Juliet:

What beauty is ballet. What a beautiful sight of flowing bodies silhouetted against floating white curved walls and light. Young people whose years of discipline and hard work creates an image of effortless beauty. The crescendos of sound from the live orchestra sending chills over the body pleases and delights our God given senses. The Man Sergei Prokofiev spent his life learning, practicing, and creating music for the blessings of ears for years after his passing in 1953. The composer, along with Jean-Christophe Maillot whose choreography balances a fine line between reality and heaven, create a sound and sight unmatched in our working day world. Without beauty would life seem so full, without beauty would God’s gifts be so apparent, without beauty would our love for life be so lucid?

Evil:

What Evil is in men. Men who would trick, force, manipulate two Down-syndrome women into partnering in death. I see the dancers working together partnering to create flowing beauty. I see the murderers’ diabolical plan to destroy all that is beauty. Evil does not like beauty, Evil does not like the light, Evil does not like life. Evil loves darkness.

Light vs Darkness:

“And this is condemnation that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3: 19-21). Is there no doubt where the darkness is in the world today? Is there no doubt the evil will prevail if good men do nothing.

We must be diligent to increase the light and resist the dark. We mus be diligent to increase beauty and decrease destruction. We must be diligent with choosing our leaders for the coming generation, for the world as a whole and for beauty as God’s gift to humanity.

Beauty for Ashes:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual host of wickedness in the havnely places.” (Ephesians 5:32). We must fight the fight and never give up; we must replace beauty for ashes.

“To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console all who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61: 2 & 3) Amen.

Responses

I am often amazed and awed, too. I added you to my blogroll, too. Maybe it will score you a few hits!

By: christygriner on January 27, 2008
at 2:29 am

You are a poet… *smiling*
Indeed we live in the beautiful Creation of God, and thank you for sharing!
~Ken

By: kensthoughts on January 28, 2008
at 11:29 am

[...] God’s Palette [...]

By: But what can we learn from this man Obama? « Riggword Weblog on April 20, 2008
at 11:37 pm

Rigg,
I read your blog, but sometimes I don’t know what to say - a lot of information to digest. You need to make a blogger’s village idiot page with just a few small phrases. :-D

By: Selena on May 13, 2008
at 9:42 am

Thanks for your comments,

I guess I just have a lot to say.
How do I make a “Blogger’s Village Idiot Page”?

I feel honored and blessed that you keep visiting.

I am open to suggestions to make my blog more user friendly.

God Bless

By: Rigg on May 13, 2008
at 10:04 am

If you want to make an idiot page, include things like: Favorite music, foods, humor. You know, things that I blog about :-D

By: Selena on May 13, 2008
at 10:30 am

Thanks Selena,

I think I get it.
Actually sounds like fun.

Especially the food part.

I’ll give it a shot soon.
I’ll let you know when its up,
or you can keep checking back.

Thanks again,
And God bless you and your family.

By: Rigg on May 13, 2008
at 12:43 pm

I tagged you!

By: Selena on May 15, 2008
at 6:31 am

Hey how are your doing?

Could you pray for a little two-year-old boy who is
in critical condition due to an accident that just happened?

He needs all the prayer he can get.

God bless.

By: Rigg on May 15, 2008
at 9:20 am

Yes, I will! :-(

By: Selena on May 15, 2008
at 10:41 am

Count me in for praying for this boy.

By: peak9 on May 16, 2008
at 12:09 am

Thanks for praying Selena and peak9,

Ole the two-year-old has made it through the critical stage. He has some follow up surgery. They may have to remove his lower leg. Pray for successful surgery.

Pray for the father, who is feeling guilty, and the family to come to the Lord. Pray for a connection between this family and people from my Church who are reaching out.

One of Ole’s aunts was drawn to the Lord recently; pray for more souls to populate heaven.

God Bless

By: Rigg on May 16, 2008
at 8:46 pm

How is the little guy doing?

By: Selena on May 18, 2008
at 7:18 am

Thanks for asking Selena,

I have been out of town since Friday.
On Friday he was moved to a Children’s Hospital.

He has stabilized and this week his leg will be
operated on.

Thank you for your prayers and continue to pray for the boy and his family.

The father is devastated, he is blaming himself.
I am praying that this tragedy will lead the family to Christ.

God bless.

By: Rigg on May 19, 2008
at 9:42 pm

Why does the father feel guilty?

By: Selena on May 20, 2008
at 3:36 am

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