Godly Wisdom 

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17) 

 

 

Standing at a fork in life’s road 

At a loss on what to choose 

Lacking wisdom 

 

We look out and look up  

Seeking God 

For wisdom and direction 

  

His Word has promised us  

That if anyone lacks wisdom 

We should ask God 

Who gives generously without finding fault 

 

 

Wisdom from heaven 

Godly wisdom 

 

Is first of all 

 

Pure 

No mixed motives 

No selfish ambitions 

No calculated risks 

No manipulations 

No guile 

 

It is innocent 

As a dove 

As a child 

 

Then 

 

Peace-loving 

Actively seeking peace 

Peace between God and men 

Peace between fellow men 

Peace between factions 

Peace between discordant parties 

 

 

Considerate 

Thoughtful of others  

Choosing others over ourself 

Attending to others’ needs over our own 

 

 

Submissive 

Humble 

Relinquishing our rights 

Yielding our own desires  

 

 

Full of mercy and good fruits 

Cancelling of debts and payments 

Forgiving punishments due 

Forbearance of wrongs done to us 

 

Productive 

Abundance of goodness 

Proliferating blessings 

 

 

Impartial 

Objective 

Unswayed by sentiments 

Fair 

 

 

Sincere 

Genuine 

Truthful 

Trustworthy 

 

 

When we lack wisdom and need direction 

 

As we seek Godly wisdom 

 

The answer we receive  

Is it from us or from above 

 

The distinguishing key between 

Our own wisdom  

And the wisdom from above 

 

Is 

 

Does the answer reflect the attributes of 

Pureness 

Peace-loving-ness 

Consideration 

Submissiveness 

Fullness of mercy and of good fruits 

Impartiality 

Sincerity 

 

 

Heavenly wisdom 

Godly wisdom 

 

Awaits us 

Just for the asking 

Generously given to us 

Without condition 

 

From the Source of all wisdom 

 

God Himself 

 

 

Being One with Christ in Love

“I am the vine; you are the branches...as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love” (John 15: 5a & 9).

 

Oh the love of Jesus

His love for us

He is the Vine from Whom we obtain our sustenance

He is the Love that we could ever

Need

Want

Desire

 

When

We remain

In Him

 

And He in us

 

This flawless connection

This unstoppable flow

This constant union

 

Us with Christ

And He with us

 

Christ in us

We in Him

Intricately connected

 

Us becoming one with Christ

Just as Christ is one with God

One with the Holy Spirit

 

We become one

With The Lover of our soul

 

The most intimate of all intimacies

 

Being one

 

With Christ

Who died for us

 

So that we might

Become one with

God the Creator

Jesus our Messiah

Holy Spirit our Comforter

 

He is our constant companion

His life courses through our veins

His love sustains our every breath

 

Oh the

Fierce

Intimate

Passionate

 

Love of Christ

 

For us

 

 

Let us then

Run

Canter

Enter boldly

 

Into the Holy of Holies

The very presence of God

 

To partake

To lavish

 

This intimacy

 

His intimate

Loving

 

Presence

 

IMMANUEL

 

God with us

Intimately

 

"Oh, The Deep Love of Jesus" Epic Version

 

Acoustic Intimate Worship:

"First Love" by Kari Jobe

 

Song to draw us back to our first love:

"First Love Fire” by Leeland

 

 

 

Christ’s Departing Words of Love

John 15-17

 

These are direct quotes of Jesus’ love for us as He spoke his last discourse to the disciples, and as He prayed to the Father - right before He and His disciples continue toward the Mount of Olives, to the Garden of Gethsemane.

On this Christmas Day, may we ponder on His fierce love, His protective love, and His all-encompassing provision for us.

 

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love” (John 15:9).

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (15:11).

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you” (15:16a).

“When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father…about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned” (16:8-11).

“Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (16:24b).

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (16:33).

“Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one” (17:11b).

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” (17:15).

 “For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified” (17:19).

 “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity…you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (17:22-23).

“I…will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them” (17:26b).

 

"Amazed" by Phillips, Craig & Dean

“Goodness of God”

“A Letter From God”

“How Deep the Father's Love For Us” (Hymnal)

 

In honor of Christmas: God with us, Immanuel:

“Light of the World” by Lauren Daigle

“Noel” by Chris Tomlin featuring Lauren Daigle

 

Let us respond to His love through worship:

“Amen” by People and Songs

“Agnus Dei” by Michael W. Smith

“Revelation” by Kari Jobe

 

Binding and Loosing

 

Jesus tells us that whatever

We bind on earth

Shall be bound in heaven

And whatever

We loose on earth

Shall be loosed in heaven

 

For we fight not against flesh and blood

 Rather

 We are wrestling against

The spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms

 

 

Let us therefore

 

Take a stand together

On our knees and

 

Bind the spirit of violence

Bind the spirit of anarchy

Bind the spirit of division and divisiveness

 

As the election counts are in

 

And loose onto the United States of America

Into every state

Every county

Every corner

 

The spirit of peace and self-control

The Spirit of submission to the law of the land

The Spirit of unity and healing

 

Jesus said that

If two or three of us pray together

In Jesus’ Name

 

He will hear us

 

Let’s you and me together

In Jesus’ Name

 

Bind and loose

 

For the Kingdom of God

For the Will of God

 

To be done here in our neighborhood

Here in our county

Here in our state

Here in our country

Here on earth

As it is in heaven

 

That we might live peaceful and quiet lives

In all godliness and holiness

 

That the Gospel of Christ would spread

 

The Good News of Jesus Christ

Having come in the form of a human

Who died for our sins and paid all of our debts on the cross

 

He rose from the grave and conquered death

 

That we might live

In peace with God

And

At peace with one another

 

Lord have mercy

Christ have mercy

Lord hear our prayers

 

Kyrie Eleison

 

 

Living River From God’s Throne

”¹…I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east)…⁷When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. ⁸ He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. ⁹ Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live” (Ezekiel 47: 1, 7-12) 

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22: 1-2)

 

How does salt water become fresh water

It does not

At least not in nature here on earth

 

At best salt and fresh water come together

And become brackish water

Brackish water is harmful to plants and damaging to the environment

 

Estuaries contain both fresh and salt water

Where the fresh water stays on top

And the salt water is on the bottom

Like oil and vinegar

They do not mix

 

Ezekiel saw water flowing out of the temple

Fresh water that enters the Dead Sea

Making the salt water fresh

 

 Presently

There are no living creatures in the Dead Sea

 

 Nonetheless

 

Wherever this water flows

Salt water becomes fresh water

 

There is life in this water

Renewing life in this water

The water that flows from the temple

 

In Ezekiel’s vision the Dead Sea is teeming with life

Abundant life

 

How would this come about

Salt water becomes fresh water

Dead Sea teeming with life

 

Not possible here on earth

At least not in this present earth

 

 

However

 

In the New Jerusalem

We see the river of the water life

Flowing from the Throne of God and of the Lamb

 

The Tree of Life is on either side of this river

Yielding crops of fruits throughout the year

Whose leaves are for healing of the nation

 

Living water

 

River of life

 

Coming from the Throne of God

 

The Source of all life

 

God’s life

 

Water of life

 

Flowing from the temple threshold

Flowing from the throne of God

 

Living water

 

Giving life

 

Teeming life

 

Abundant life

 

"The River" - Jordan Feliz