Jaus' Notebook

The word "repent" means "to have another mind". To change the mind in consequence of of the inconvenience or injury done by past conduct. And this is what God requires of His people; to turn away from our carnal mind and have the mind of Christ. The mind I have by default, in my natural state, is of self-righteousness; "I am rich, god increased with goods, and have need of nothing". I must completely turn away from this attitude and like Paul cry "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" It is only after such a change of mind that I can confess, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 7:24, 25). Paul counsels us in Phillipians 2:5 that "LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU, WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS." What mind is this? First of all, it is a mind that is totally emptied of self, entirely surrendered to God. Paul expounding on the mind of Christ declares, "But made himself of

"A king said to his particular friend, 'Ask what thou wilt, and I will give it unto thee.' He thought within himself, 'If I ask to be made a general I shall readily obtain it. I will ask something to which all these things shall be added:' he therefore said, 'Give me thy daughter to wife.' This he did knowing that all the dignities of the kingdom should be added unto this gift." Lesson: Seek that, to which other things are necessarily connected. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Matthew 6:33

Have you ever been tempted to doubt you belong in God's house? Does He consider you a homeless outsider? I am glad to share with you this thought I received in my mail from Wieland. When you feel sinful and unworthy and have fallen short, you wonder. One day a Bible writer (who, we don't know!), came to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem feeling guilty and unworthy to enter in. Then he saw a sight that encouraged him: a little sparrow had made its home in some little nook or cranny in the most holy section of the temple, right near the sacred altar. There it was, twittering in joy, laying its eggs, and rearing its young in that part of Solomon's glorious temple where even the ordinary priests had no permission to enter! In fact, only the great high priest of Israel was permitted to enter that twice-sacred spot, and that on only one day in the entire year. And there was the little sparrow, totally unconcerned about the stay-away rules of Leviticus, confident of a welcom

God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too - your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful - I can't take it all in! Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light! It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you Lord. God Punishes Evil Intents One of a myriad of things that make God God is His knowledge of human intentions. It is unimaginable how much I would achieve if I were in such a position. I would take advantage of my lecturers and study only the questions in the test. I would know when and exactly with whom to agree to a date. And most importantly, I would never be a victim of any untoward cir