UNPLANNED UNEXPECTED AUTHENTIFICATIONS

UNPLANNED UNEXPECTED AUTHENTIFICATIONS

Friday, October 14, 2016

Psalms [MKJV] 119:41-42; 138:2  Let Your mercies come to me, O Jehovah, even according to Your salvation, according to Your Word. And I shall have something to answer him who mocks me; for I trust in Your Word. … I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth's sake; for You have magnified Your Word above all Your name.

John [KJV] 17:13-17 [Jesus prayed] And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

  As said yesterday, the Word, Logos (Jn.1:1), is authentic in body, God Incarnate, Jesus, and in word, the Bible; reliably eternal truth under all examination.

  But what of us, how are we personally authenticated?

  There are a number of ways, all involving the Word.

·         God’s Holy Spirit both convicts and assures. Jn.14:16, 26; 15:26

·         Reading God’s Word as a mirror. Ps.119; Rom.12:1-3; 1Cor.13:11; Heb.4:12; Jam.1:23

·         By others. Pr.27:17; Heb.12:1

·         Self-examination by using Wesley’s Holiness Club questions, Overcomers In Christ listed characteristics of adult children, and other such instruments.

  And then there is what I consider personal verification of standing trust and blessed assurance, or not, by unplanned unexpected testing.  I share two that I’ve observed or experienced.

  In the interest of fun we introduce a younger person or child to Mahjong, chess, or some other game more challenging than Hungry Hippos, and they immediately skunk us game after game. We react in love and grace with joy, or not. Phil.2:1-8

  We utter testimony of our trust, blessed assurance, as with Paul, looking forward to crossing over from this life to the next. When tested by life-threatening or near-death event, we are spiritually at ease, ready to go, or not. 1Cor.15:1-58; 2Tim.4:6-8

  Now, for the edification of others, self included, I invite you to testify of your unplanned unexpected testing and what you determined you learned from the challenges. Specify whether identity or anonymous should be signed. I’ll compile and publish them one day next week.

  And as for myself today, I’m pretty sure that after writing the above I will be challenged with an unplanned unexpected examination . . . for this method too is active.

EBB4