Be Encouraged

Review of Andrew Murray's Abiding in the Vine: Chapter 1 "P004-All You Who Have Come to Him" to discover the secret of abiding.

This episode examines the life and philosophy of Pseudo-Dionysius, a mysterious sixth-century theologian who utilized a pseudonym to explore the intersection of Neoplatonic philosophy and Christian mysticism. Central to his work is the concept of negative theology, which suggests that God transcends all human language and can only be reached through silence and the negation of intellectual concepts. He illustrates the indwelling of Christ through the example of the Apostle Paul, describing an ecstatic union in which the believer is transformed and opened to the divine presence. This spiritual journey is facilitated by the ecclesiastical hierarchy and sacraments, which...

The Apostle Paul realized Christ within through a violent, blinding encounter on the Damascus Road. In that moment, the risen Jesus confronted him directly, shattering his self-righteous identity as Saul. Paul later articulated this discovery as the great mystery: "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). He said God REVEALED His Son in him. He wrote, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). His former self—the zealous Pharisee—was crucified with Christ. What remained was a new creation, a living temple indwelt by the risen Lord. Paul's entire apostolic message became the...

Jakob Böhme discovered Christ within through a profound inner crisis and mystical vision. In 1600, while gazing at a pewter dish reflecting sunlight, he experienced a "flash”, a sudden, overwhelming inner illumination that revealed the divine nature within his own soul. He felt the inner birth of Christ taking place in his being. For Böhme, discovering Christ within meant realizing that the soul's true center is a "nothingness"—a place where all self-will and desire die so that the divine life of Christ can be born and live in its place. He described this as the spiritual "clothing" of the...

I am glad to provide some scriptures that strengthen and encourage you as you trust God. Remember, He is faithful, loving, and ever-present, and He will never leave nor forsake you. Quoted from NIV.

“He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.” (Psalm 40:3, NKJV)

These verses highlight the themes of trust,  , and faithfulness in God throughout the Old Testament. But make no mistake, it takes from you a repentant heart. What is that? Well, it is simple. Die to any idea of coming to God for you to keep or gain. Come to God with the same humility as Mary, and let Christ be formed in you. As ruler of your heart, He is a...

“A talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.” (Proverbs 11:13, NKJV)

What if the heart was ill, not physically but spiritually, and the cure was embodied in the Person of JESUS’ residence within it? Furthermore, what if this spiritual remedy was freely accessible to all? Jesus is the ultimate solution for the deeper matters of the soul. He encourages us to accept Him with gratitude, acknowledging His unmatched value and having brought healing to the very core of our being.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kill...

“But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’” (Psalm 31:14, NKJV)

This verse expresses steadfast trust and devotion to God. It reflects a personal declaration of faith, affirming God's sovereignty and acknowledging Him as the ultimate source of guidance, protection, and provision. It's a declaration of loyalty and reliance on God amidst life's surprises, affirming He is worthy of your trust and adoration. 

See Him, then trust Him!

“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees th...

“Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.” (Psalm 16:1 NKJV)

To experience the full expression of God through us, we must first completely trust in His ability to do so. Our attempts to do good on our own accord are ultimately flawed. However, we can witness His glory shining through by surrendering to God’s natural ability to meet the challenges in our lives. This glory can transform our minds and hearts, allowing us to let go of our efforts and trust in both His divine plan and methods.

“For...

“Yet, for all that, you did not believe the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 1:32 NKJV)

If you asked a friend to help you, you would want them to have your exact address. Let God know your coordinates. How? Pray! What is prayer? Prayer is a simple conversation. Jesus said it was as easy as saying…

“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debt...

“The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.” (Nahum 1:7, NKJV)

Imagine having skin cancer, and only one company possesses a cream to cure it. Would you hate, despise, or reject them over being the only remedy? What if that life-saving remedy were named JESUS and offered the cure for free? The analogy highlights the value of the remedy provided by Jesus, urging us to embrace it with gratitude and recognize its unparalleled significance for the soul. Those who choose to dis this cure remain in p...

“But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.” (Psalm 13:5 NKJV)

Simply put, this verse tells us that our salvation comes from trusting in God's mercy. Some people believe that God despises them, but Jesus' sacrifice shows that he took the punishment for their sins, offering them forgiveness. However, this belief can trap them in a cycle of doubt, always questioning if they're truly saved. Instead, those who seek freedom from relying on themselves find fulfillment in Christ's love, which reassures them of God's affection. By turning away from worldly desi...

“Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.” (Psalm 143:8 NKJV)

Our complete reliance on God affirms that we cannot do better than follow. We have the privilege of doing exactly what God is doing. If He desires to feed people in a starving nation, He, in human form, wakes up early to plow, plant, tend, harvest, and distribute the crops. At the same time, He also energizes sailors to tran...

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” (Psalm 56:3 NKJV)

The world often inundates us with various forms of fear, suggesting our lives are in danger. From a shortage of food to destruction, we are constantly urged by our independent living to think God is out to harm us, and it is our responsibility to prevent it. However, entertaining such a notion implies a lack of trust in God’s love for His creation. Jesus Christ came to dispel this belief. From what have you been saved? You have been saved from the limits of you...

“But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.” (Psalm 52:8 NKJV)

Within Christendom, mercy is commonly understood as the gracious act of not receiving the consequences one rightfully deserves. However, a deeper perspective emerges, transforming your behavior into a covenant with God’s acceptance by our unwavering trust in God's loving character. This broader view sees mercy as a continuous attitude, where God not only withholds deserved consequences but perpetually accepts our reliance on His love as the foundation of our trust...

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5–6 NKJV)

Your ways! Your path. Or His ways and His paths.

God, as the master of your soul, reveals His way of bringing forth life. Those who place their trust in Him can do what they desire to do: give life. Similarly, those who distrust Him will do what they want to do: take life. Ultimately, the question is whether you did the things...

“Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:5 NKJV)

Exercising trust in God means receiving His love as His very Person who shares His love. When we feel secure in God, we can help others feel secure. By God being Himself within us, they, too, can begin to acknowledge God in them. To the extent you do not trust God loves you, you will not love yourself, nor can you love your neighbor. The ability to reject God comes through doctrines or methods to gain God...

“Trust in the Lord forever, For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” (Isaiah 26:4, NKJV)

Let's go beyond mere apprehension of Mr. Love and fully welcome His presence into our hearts. Allow His love to course through you. This is more than a sentiment; it is truth in action: you were recreated to manifest His love. In the world, we strive against participating with rejection, hostility, discrimination, exclusion, intolerance, indifference, alienation, neglect, and criticism. Through His Spirit, we reflect love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these.

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.” (Psalm 37:3, NKJV)

Embodying His love becomes a liberation bounded only by His will. Not only the will for you as an individual but for all. He unlocks the doors of self-imposed confinement, freeing you to embrace the essence of charity. In this liberated state, you become a beacon of love, radiating kindness and compassion to those around you. He in you becomes the catalyst for true freedom – freedom to extend a helping hand, offer a comforting word, and contribute to the...

The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. (Psalm 28:7)

Christ Jesus overcame our wrath for Him. When Mr. Love envelops you, you become Christ’s goodness, one who is acceptable to God and perfectly free to do God’s will.

Yet, in the absence of experiencing His love, one finds oneself entangled in the confines of one’s mind and body – a state better known as death. Without the life of...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5–6)

In the embrace of Mr. Love, you don't just have life; instead, Life 'has you.' It's an immersive experience intertwining your being with the very source of all love. As He holds you, others around you can't help but experience the life-giving warmth of His love emanating through you. In this union with God, you become a vessel, a conduit through which the boundless love of Mr...

“Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men!” (Psalm 31:19 NKJV)

The awe of encountering Mr. Love lies in acknowledging that His love stands as the paramount force in the vast expanse of the universe. His abilities draw us, entwining us with purposes so empowering they escape the limits of our imagination. Mr. Love is not merely a fleeting sentiment but a person, in fact, the Person of persons. When you...

“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” (Psalm 9:10 NKJV)

When you trust Jehovah’s saving power, you rely on His name. The Son of God proved the greatness of His Father’s name. Those who find refuge in God’s love are at peace with His name. Those who reject His Personified love do not rely on His name. Instead, they experience their wrath toward Him, thinking it is His wrath toward them. However, for those who trust Him, our wrath was...

“Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the Lord.” (Psalm 4:5, NKJV)

Yes! You have two options - either standing and watching God’s deliverance or trying to do it with your own strength, which is not what God intends. Only those who lack trust try to become righteous before God, yet He has already accomplished everything for us to become wise, redeemed, and sanctified, and we are filled with joy because we are included in His Son. As His children, we are worthy to trust Him. The act of trusting Him proves our wo...

“But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.” (Psalm 5:11 NKJV)

What’s in a name? Previously, your name would determine your destiny, and what society expected from you would depend on your family’s background. The name of Jesus means ‘Jehovah Saves,’ which implies that you don’t. Receiving Jesus as Christ is receiving Jehovah in action, which means you give up trying to qualify for His life as yours. Which life dies? You...

“Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” (Psalm 2:12 NKJV)

There is a path that leads to eternal life with God. We understand that this path requires transformation. Words such as wrath, anger, and trust describe our experience of consciously separating our worthiness to be with God by examining our thoughts and actions. However, those who hold onto the Lord experience His love, which forms an unbreakable bond between our soul and His...

Introduction

This little word, trust, has a universe of meaning. In the scriptures, we are commanded to trust the Lord. Society wants you to distrust others and trust yourself. Again, it can be read that we are to take refuge in God and not men, but society wants you to take refuge in yourself. 

God’s way is complete, and His living Word is trustworthy. You can take refuge in Him. This says it all.

The Perfect Way

“As for God, His way is per...

My dear children, my advice to you has never changed, nor will it. Love one another. That very love is God. It is far better to be like God. By now, you would have figured that out. If you haven't, take some time to catch up to the truth. The best you can be is a transforming servant of Love.

Please do not mistake tolerance for love. Love is patient but firm. Remember Cain? I did not raise you to be like Cain, to take the lives of those who trust God.

Why did God...

“but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31)

Let us recap:

The name Jesus is a declaration: Jehovah saves! We can’t save anyone, especially ourselves. We trust Jesus, the Person and author of salvation. We trust His work is finished. We believe that trusting Him is enough. That very trust is the promised eternal life declared by His name. That life is Jesus trusting Father for us and through us.

Trust...

“Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” (John 20:27)

Dig, poke, and prod for the truth, you doubters. In the end, you must doubt yourself. Then, you can reach out and touch the unseen and be touched by the Real. Transform to a truster. Move into trust and remain. It is your new home. Satan and many angels left their assigned quarters. Adam and Eve left their assigned limits. Jesus left heaven to gather...

“So the other disciples were saying to him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’” (John 20:25)

You have to love Thomas. Without his stubborn doubt, we would not have an eye witness to the wounds still visible in Jesus’s body. This was the Jesus that had been dead but now lives and even walks through stone and wood. What a privilege for those who...

“So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.” (John 20:8)

This was the defining moment for the Apostle John. John chose to trust Jesus had risen from the dead. Another report says that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave after the Sabbath. Right then, an earthquake occurred because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. The guards saw this, shook for fear of the angel, and became like dead men...

“that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:21)

How can the average person trust an unseen person? Well, it is easy. It is like sitting in a chair. Sit! It is not worth your trust if it does not support you. I once sat in what looked like a perfect chair. It lied. Ouch! But I would not have known the value of that chair without taking a leap of fait...

“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;” (John 17:20)

Jesus as good as said, “He who trusts in Me trusts in the One who sent Me. I have come into the world so that everyone who trusts Me will escape the darkness of hate. If anyone hears My saying, ‘I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.’ He is the one who accepts me.”

He who rejects Jesus and does not receive His sayings has one who judges him; the ver...

“for the words which You gave Me I have given to them, and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.” (John 17:8)

No one has to be a Christian any more than a door has to be opened. But if you choose to open the door to God, the door to open is Jesus Christ. No one has to trust Him. But if you do, you will find life better for it. You may doubt in the hereafter, yet living as a Christian is more beneficial than...

“Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe?’” (John 16:31)

Only you can answer this question. Do you trust Jesus to live His life through you? Either you remain a self, trying to be a better self, or one with His Self trusting the Father. In every moment, our flesh loves to bait us into trying to be like God. It sees needs but grumbles for not seeing the supply. We who trust see the supply. It has always been so bright and vast that disbelievers will see it as some great void. On the other hand, we see it as th...

“Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.” (John 16:30)

Life boils down to a leap of faith. Either we trust Christ or don’t. Not trusting Christ is natural. Trusting Him is supernatural. It takes Christ’s trusting Father living in you to express that trust. The very faculty of trust is so free it feels innate. Since childhood, we have trusted light switches, chairs, and some of the food we eat. We know our preferences and act on those pr...

“for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.” (John 16:27)

Jesus is saying that the Father desires to be your friend because you have befriended Jesus and trusted The Father sent him. Much of Jesus’s teaching was around equating one thing to another. We see this in His renaming people to their tasks or positions. So, it is the Father’s will to trust His Son. He equates trusting His Son with being His friend. Go ahead, be His friend.

Wow! When that hit...

“concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;” (John 16:9)

Jesus redefined sin. It had been breaking the Law of Mosses. Now, it was simply not trusting Jesus. Every time a person looks to flesh or its mechanisms to complete them, it is the sin of idolatry. Only Christ is the redeemer of each event we encounter. It is not I with a little help from Jesus, nor a whole lot of Jesus with a bit of help from me. It sees Jesus as the Total and trusts in the Total He is.

Doubt is dist...

“Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.” (John 14:29)

Believe what? Believe that Christ had to suffer and die. This was the plan. With His blood, He could carry Sin to its new home, leave it there, and pick up the souls that had been slaves to Sin. Every soul ever conceived had been, through genetics, attached to Sin (trusting self over God). Now, every soul has been freed from Sin by being bound to Christ’s heart and Person of Love, Jesus the Christ. Once everyone is reconciled to Chr...