What is the 'favor' of God? How is it obtained? IS IT..., obtained?

Since going through the immense loss that I've experienced in the last 7 years or so.., I can't tell you the number of times I've asked for Fathers' FAVOR. It's been a LOT.

Now this is not a blog about me complaining about NOT seeing His favor. In a way, the topic feels self-focused from the get-go.

On the one hand, it is clear all believers ALREADY have His favor! If the scriptures can be trusted, we have much to lean on in the long-term 'favor' department. We have been: restored to Him in direct relationship individually AND in the community that He set up for our growth: the Church. the Saints. Availing ourselves IN authentic, grace-based community is a wise choice as it IS where we find help and solidify HOPE.

The kind of hope that believers have..., is not 'hope' that the world exercises. No, our hope is one that is based in a deep 'knowing' that what has been promised WILL come to pass. The scriptures are trustworthy. What Jesus said and promised IS true and WILL come to pass. The FAVOR of God..., is bound up in the One who saved our souls. Abundant life..., is more 'grasp' of Jesus as He called Himself: the LIFE.
Back to the 'Favor' of God.

It is not to be understood as an earthly parent would show kindnesses or benefit for something earned or a job or performance done to their satisfaction. Father is not arbitrary and has no 'favorites' as an earthly father or mother might secretly or not-so-secretly have..., NO,  He is 'Dad'..., and an 'Abba'..., like NO dad here on earth.

No, Father has shown, does show, and WILL show..., His kindness and provision as we simply learn not to define ourselves by our performance or our works..., OR our 'needs'. He knows before we even ask, what our needs are and I believe He 'delights' in meeting them!

The gospel of Grace is that we are ACCEPTED, deeply LOVED and actually CHAMPIONED by our Father once we become His children. The longer we dwell in unmerited favor..., the more we are inclined to convey His acceptance, favor and Grace to others. There is no performance..., on our part that can add to or change our complete and utter acceptance found IN CHRIST.

So we are favored. Father would be unjust to punish His beloved and also punish Christ for our sin and failures. We are not sinners because we sin. We SIN.., because we ARE sinners. Grace covers a multitude of sins! Grace trains (see Titus 2). Both justification (salvation initially and throughout our lives! - SOZO!) AND sanctification (right standing or righteousness) are AND must be.., GIFTS from Father. We 'open' the gift of sanctification and justification BY FAITH. Faith that He has done all that is necessary and needs NOTHING from man in the 'works' that Jesus did.

When He yelled 'koolah' ( FINISHED )..., so much more was gained by mankind in that statement! And God got what He wanted: US. Both are net gainers in the New Covenant and Father is 'pleased' with us!

There is no performance that can garner higher 'favor' or higher 'pleasure' in God. Hebrews 10 declares: '..ONCE and for All'. Oh that the church would accept that we are not to be sin conscious and we ARE to be Christ-centered and Christ-focused. Father is NOT looking at your sin..., IF you are a believer. 

I've been told, and I do believe, that Father is interested in everything..., even the little things, that we need and sometimes even simply 'want'. I know some of His daughters..., who appear to get what they ask for..., and He obliges sometimes like that..., simply to increase our understanding of His immense generosity.

He is NO longer angry since Christ. He chooses to remember our sin no more, according to the word.  AND..., since He IS Love (and Love PERFECT)..., PERFECT LOVE.., casts out sin. Which is exactly how He views us in Christ. SINLESS!

I John 4:17: "... for as He IS..., so ARE WE in this world." - If Jesus is sinless..., then that is HOW He sees us. Justified AND Sanctified. Our STANDING..., is secure.

Our STATUS? Now that often is another matter and I submit is directly connected to the Mind, Will and Emotions..., otherwise known as our SOUL and the pursuits our souls drive us towards! STANDING before Father.., is complete AND secure. "Nothing shall pluck them out of My hand."

I find myself..., in my heart, physical and emotional(soul) needs..., asking for His favor.  Lord knows my needs are massive and quite heavy on my heart and soul. Just a glimpse sometimes..., is all we need to grasp that Father has not, CAN NOT, abandon His children and recently, His generosity came through a very dear friend of mine on a trip that I could not have accomplished otherwise! Father is SO good.

But then I came home. Finances are snapped to the point of bankruptcy. Emotions connected to very important relationships are tested to the limit. Sounding self-focused talk now..., OTHERS (even believers...) don't seem to have much care or interest in even hearing the issues..., much less providing needs / balm for enduring.

I take nothing for granted. My particular church, as an entity, has been adept at the limited capability they have, and I'm humbled and grateful. But I'm talking about the PERSON needs. The 'two-are-better-than-one' needs. The man who said that was Solomon. The wisest man ever on the planet and it was NOT in the context of marriage. It was the brotherhood/sisterhood that he was speaking.

We've heard lately in church that the Triune has been 'in community' with one-another for EVER. They put community as a priority for their 'image-bearers'. I see growth in community but prophetically..., it MUST..., and WILL be in greater need as we see the world waxing worse and worse.

WE 'shine brighter' as the world clearly gets worse-and-worse. WE..., have an opportunity to ACTUALLY discover, sometimes at great 'cost', what it means to serve others in our community AND the world as they see the 'love we have for one another'. LOVE..., gives. The good Samaritan story is about just that....

Father knows my heart, emotional and physical actual needs. It is not wrong to 'ask-and-keep-asking' as it is clear in scriptures, we do well to maintain that closeness of intimacy with Him.

Intimacy undergirds IDENTITY.

IDENTITY is ALL that matters. The emotional, heart and physical needs will be met. He is a good Father with only GOOD and perfect gifts for His children. We are not orphans having to DO..., for ourselves. Jesus declared: "Apart from me..., you can do NO THING."  I'm learning that is so very true.

Father knows YOUR heart, emotional and physical needs. Be bold before His throne AND the community He placed you in. I'm not always successful in the following scripture. But that doesn't mean I can't encourage myself..., AND you..., to REST in Father's Love and enjoy the Intimacy he paid so dearly for...

Philippians 4: 6 & 7 -  "Be anxious (care-filled) for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Why would the LORD create destruction?

Isaiah 45:7 - "I the Lord create the light and the darkness, I create prosperity and destruction. I the LORD, do all these things."

Today I had a conversation with a dear young friend of mine. We got on the subject of the amazing love that God shows towards us in that while we were 'yet sinners, Christ died for us'.

During the conversation, a 'A' word came up that pertains to my friends' view of Gods' position towards us. That 'A' word was 'allows'.   

As in..., "God allowed such-and-such to happen in order to...." et cetera. 

By the way..., the KJV translates the ESV's 'destruction' as the word 'evil'.

Now we know from the New Covenant that God cannot and does not 'tempt us with evil'. He is not a punishing, evil God to His children. ( and He does not take pleasure in the death of sinners).

However, my thoughts about the Isaiah 45:7 scripture do not give me room to simply state that God 'allowed' certain harsh-to-my-soul experiences. I've discovered, that it is exactly the LOVE of God (for according to I John 4 - He IS Love!) to APPOINT (CREATE) destruction.

And we do well to grasp destruction, from a New Covenant perspective, as His GREAT love towards us!

Note: by speaking on this subject of destruction..., no one should take away that God is still in some 'punishment' phase.  As New Covenant believers, and therefore children of God..., we MUST understand and 'grog' that ALL PUNISHMENT..., for ALL sin...., was taken by Jesus the Christ at the whipping post, on the cross..., and ultimately fully condemned (see Romans 8) at His resurrection.

No..., Jesus made clear that 'even you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more the Father in heaven gives good gifts to His children.'

It is a GOOD gift that God creates/appoints destruction in our lives!!  ( They aren't really 'our lives' anyways, and one easily understood need for destruction in our life (experiences)...., is if we are focused on 'our' lives! )

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Let's say that you've been protective, isolative and distant from the koinonia (fellowship) that Christ paid so dearly for you to enjoy.  

Would you be willing to see that what your flesh might call a 'terrible happening' in your life experiences..., might actually be the CREATION of the LORD so that you'll see and know the 'salvation' of the Lord in that exact 'rift' between you and Him??  

He adores you and paid dearly for you to KNOW...., deep in your KNOWER...., that it is foolish to think in terms of separation from Him.  Thinking that you are alone, ...separate,  ...only leads and feeds your fear to make MORE isolation, separation and distance from Him.

As a child of His..., born again (spiritually made ''alive")...., THERE IS NO SEPARATION from Him!  

I Corinthians 6:17 - " ... for he that has joined himself to the LORD..., IS one spirit with Him." (emphasis mine)

Your spirit..., your regenerate spirit, is FOREVER joined to the LORD and is ONE. Reminding yourself of just that one Truth from the scriptures ...., will begin to ROCK your THOUGHT LIFE and CHOICES!!  

Your regenerate spirit..., will never need another thing..., anything..., for the rest of eternity! Because it is ONE with the LORD.    How awesome is that! It is SUPER....., natural.

Another blog perhaps we can discuss the Natural ( read: SOUL: Intellect, Volition {will} and Emotions {the seat of 'feelings'}. 

Your personality {read: SOUL}, if you are a christian..., if you ARE born-again..., if you are spiritually made alive..., is being woo-ed..., by the Spirit...., THROUGH your heart..., to REALIZE that Life is NOT about you or your experiences!!!

You are NOT the sum total of your experiences!  You better NOT be!

"What do you mean by that?" - you say.  Well, let's listen to Jesus in John 14:6.

"I AM the Way, the Truth and the LIFE....."!

HE...., is LIFE. Your experiences are NOT life. They are experiences while here on earth! Do you think you'll remember or care about your experiences when your body dies and you attend heaven!? 

NO..., Life is Christ. Life is IN CHRIST.  John 1 does not say: "By You, through You, and for You everything that was made....., was made."  

"All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being."
- New American Standard Version (1995)

And in Colossians 1:16 scripture reads:  - "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:"  (emphasis mine)

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I highly recommend a book by Dan Stone & David Gregory called; "The REST of the Gospel". It is a double entendre about the PEACE (Rest) of the Gospel..., and the MISSING or REMAINDER (rest) of the Gospel that religious conditioning and religious institutions and religious thinking WILL NOT TEACH or allow!

In one of the chapters, the authors remind us, through the scriptures, that we are DEAD TO:
1: Sin
2: the Law ( all rule-keeping, "...for the Law is the STRENGTH of SIN")
3: ourselves as being the center of focus!
( read that Colossians 1:16 again! it is about Christ...!! Not you or me or our self-focused (puny) experiences that we choose to call 'life'!)

Today...., #3 is really more entrenched than even #2!! Most folks have given up on organized religion! THANK GOD!

SO..., getting back to the 'destruction' at the beginning of this blog...., isn't it JUST LIKE OUR LOVING FATHER..., to 'appoint' or 'create' destruction when we act as though we are 'alive' to #1, #2 & of course, #3 above??

If 'it' is about you...., expect a little loving destruction in your life's experiences.

I've come to learn that all the Old Covenant laws...., have become New Covenant PROMISES by our Loving Father!
God says: ( in effect ):
"You won't have any other gods before me!" - "Watch me remove them because I know what is best for my children!"

"You will Love your neighbor as yourself!" - " Watch me work my compassion in and through you, freeing you from your separative, isolative, protectionist bent!"

"You won't be stealing!" "You won't be committing adultery!" "You won't be coveting your neighbors things!""I PAID TO HIGH A PRICE FOR YOU TO NOT BE FREE!" " YOU WILL BE FREE! Because WHOM THE SON SETS FREE..., is REALLY FREE INDEED!" " I AM..., your provider and you SHALL NOT be in WANT or LACK"
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What an amazingly awesome friend we have in Jesus!

For those of you who know me, you're probably wondering why I haven't 'blogged' before! For the bit of time that is before me... perhaps I'll leave this first entry to simply this:
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Are your factual experiences, impeding you from the truth ?

... of your own choices?
'Truth' is... we all use our 'facts' to support the way we choose to:

Treat others
Think about our own choices.
Think about ourselves.
The way we self-medicate.

I've come to the conclusion that not all self-medication has to do with the obvious vices we see hurting people use to alleviate some pain or hurt. Sexual Abuse, alcohol abuse, substance abuse are too easily recognized, as self-medication.

Those vices are really simply fruit. The real hurt and pain is more connected to the 'root'.

What about when the self-medication looks more like:
Self-Deprecation?
Self-Adulation?
Self-Absorption? - this shows up in a life in so many hidden ways.
Passive Aggression?
not-so-passive, Aggression?
{fill in your 'personality' profile or type here}.

I'm convinced we do well to look inside our own selves, decide not to be a victim, and stop being driven to protect our want to self-medicate in times of hurt. No matter what ... our drivers are our task-masters.

Others may be, or are, affected by our choices, but not the same as WE are affected.
Others have to make their own decisions about being a victim or, compassionate dispensers of authentic grace, mercy, compassion, forgiveness and acceptance.
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A task-master drives one to make choices that are not always the most helpful to your BEING. The very word 'TASK' implies the thought of 'DO'. TASK=DO.

One way to stop being a victim is to authentically allow the ONE who accepted and became:
Guilt
Blame
Iniquity ( the root of all sin.... )
Hurt & Pain,
...to truly COMFORT and HEAL your pain, and all that drives you.

If you are driven by your own choices to be a victim, a victim to the 'DO'...then find the ONE who IS Truth to lift your burdens!

"My yoke is easy, my burden is light." - Jesus Christ

Scripture teaches... " In HIM we live and move and have our BEING..."
You and I are human BEINGS, not human DO-ers.

Make sure that your DOING is connected to authentic service. Make sure that your DOING motivated by grace, love, mercy and compassionate pity towards others. That used to be called, Christian Charity.

God 'took pity' on our condition, then became one with us, so we could become one .... WITH HIM. What GREAT Compassion!

"If I have not Charity { Love }, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." - I Cor. 13
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Daily I must remember to acknowledge HIM. The ONE who is: Truth.
"I AM the Way the TRUTH, and the Life... no one comes to the Father, but by [through] me." - Jesus

Daily I must accept HIS acceptance!

Accepting HIS acceptance... means no longer being DRIVEN to DO.
Accepting HIS acceptance is damaging to all self-medication!
His acceptance and forgiveness allows you not just access to the Father... but:

COMFORT from a Father who is PERFECT...
DIRECTION from a Father who sees the end from the beginning...
FREEDOM from a Father who IS Peace and Love and Understanding.
PROTECTION from a Father who can never let you down.
ENCOURAGEMENT from a Father who can speak into your Life the acceptance you so desparately seek.
AFFIRMATION from a Father who knows YOU... because He MADE you!

I know this because I know my need for comfort, direction, freedom, protection, encouragement and affirmation. Especially now for all that I am facing!

More considerations....
Does it make sense to judge/scrutinize your factual experiences by your own thought about those experiences? You and I are subjective... by nature.

Did you make you ?

"I KNOW the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans for good, to give YOU a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11

"From the womb I knit and knew you." - He says in the Psalms.
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It is unnerving to the soul - (our mind, will and emotions) that the Sovereign not only:

KNOWS YOU
ACCEPTS YOU
WANTS to FELLOWSHIP with you. (that is the Gospel, the Good News!)

... but TRULY HE, LOVES YOU... and is/has been pursuing you from the very first day man arrived on this planet!

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It's mostly unnerving because you JUDGE {read: condemn} you when HE DOESN'T.

You judge you because you have been conditioned to believe, that your factual experiences disallow your Fellowship with the Sovereign!

That kind of thinking comes from your enemy.

Your pain & hurt, whether self-inflicted (like mine seem to be all too often!), or by some heinous act against you by others, must not separate you from the only ONE who can;

AFFIRM YOU
ACCEPT YOU - despite the hurt & pain of your factual experiences!
FELLOWSHIP { SUP..} with YOU.

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Separation from Him is not even logical.

Because HIS actions and attitude towards you PROVE that HE is unfazed by the hurt and pain you experience.

HE BECAME GUILT and HURT so you don't have to be separated from HIM.

He is un-fazed, not because he is unconcerned or callous about the hurt and pain you are under, but because HE KNOWS the worst Hurt & Pain imaginable!

Not accepting HIS acceptance... is what DRIVES you and me to:

FEAR
the SPIRIT OF ABANDONMENT
a ROOT of BITTERNESS {which may be a 'tree' not just a root.}
Resentment {for some 'loss' that you perceive.}
accept OFFENSE.


If "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in WANT.", then what 'loss' do you really have or experience?
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Post what you think... then post what you KNOW in your KNOWER...

Perhaps in a future blog... we can discuss when PAIN and HURT from others, ... is appointed by the SOVEREIGN for your becoming more like Him.

Being disaffected so much by the happenstance of the World and those in it... that you are broken.... hearted for the RIGHT, the HONORABLE, for JUSTICE & TRUTH. { Jesus }

Just remember: Facts happen... TRUTH is a MAN. His Name is JESUS CHRIST !

" I am the way the TRUTH, and the life. " - Jesus
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I so appreciate your thoughts and prayers as I am facing, in SPADES, believing what I've just written in the day-to-day living of LIFE set before me.