Howdy hon,
1.
As you study the scriptures look for patterns. What is a
pattern – a plan or model that can be used as a guide for accomplishing a
task. There are patterns in the scriptures that can show us how the Lord
accomplishes His work. An example of a pattern that helps us – the Lord
always sends His servants to warn the people.
2.
Like any good parent, chastening from the Lord is a sign of His
love for us. Divine chastening has at least 3 purposes:
i.
to persuade us to repent.
ii.
to refine and sanctify us.
iii.
at times to redirect our course in life to
what God knows is a better path [D. Todd Christofferson].
a)
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous
therefore, and repent” (Revelation 3:19)
Hugh
B. Brown shared this personal experience of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada
many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he
came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was
yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small
stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little
stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it say:
“How
could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have
cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do
this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.”
Brown
replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I
want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want
you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden
with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me
enough to cut me down.’”
3.
Too many people think that repentance is a punishment for
something we have done wrong or something we need to avoid unless it’s a more
serious offense. But that is not so, God invites us to repent, wants us
to repent, not because he wants to punish us but because of His great LOVE for
us.
i.
The word repentance in Greek New Testament
is metanoeo.
a)
Prefix: “meta-” means to “change”
b)
Suffix: “-noeo” relating to Greek words meaning
“mind”, “knowledge”, “spirit”, and “breath”
ii.
Jesus is asking us to “repent”. Change
the way we live, act, think, serve, treat each other, teach/lead, care for self
and others… He does not expect us to be perfect, but by repenting daily
we can “do better and be better” [Russell Nelson]. What is stopping you
from repenting, changing? Find it, change it, and repent.
Remember: Repentance is not a single event ~ it’s a continual process,
day by day. Turn away from sin and toward God.
God
loves you… and so do I. These 3 are so long and have sub points that I
did not feel impressed to leave an extra this time. But don’t worry, I
still LOVE you!
Sister
Ladner, MHC
Ghana
Cape Coast Mission
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