I like to think of a wheel potter working their clay. First the dry clay needs to have water worked into it. When the potter sets the clay on their wheel, it is just a lump. As the wheel spins, the potter’s hands press into the clay to center it. Until it is centered, nothing substantial can be formed.

So it is with us. Our Potter works His word into our hearts. He uses the pressures of our lives to center us on Him. Isaiah 32:17 says, “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.”

In Philippians 3:13-14 Paul described how God worked in his life. Like a trapeze artist, he had to forget the things that were behind him. That is essential for us also. We cannot reach for what is ahead until we let go of our past that is behind. The forgetting is the empowerment to reach.

As Paul lived in the present. Verse 14 says, “I press toward the goal…” We press through flesh-obstacles to represent the Lord in every aspect of our lives.

Here are four more audiobooks just published. Even though you may not be interested in audiobooks, you can get the paperbacks or ebooks of each on Amazon. The rich insights from the Holy Spirit are timeless

Overcoming Resentment: stop defiling bitterness in its tracks
This is a powerful one. The Holy Spirit convicted me again as I was reformatting it for the audiobook

He Drew Me Out Of Deep Waters: encouragement for hard trials
This is somewhat autobiographical – insights as the Holy Spirit helped me navigate through the 2017 brain injury

Garden Of Your Heart: bearing fruit that glorifies God
(chapter one of Victorious Heart)

Emotionally Free: processing the present with the Holy Spirit of God
(chapter six of Victorious Heart)
🌻

I have been thinking about God’s righteousness as I have worked on memorizing Psalm 119:137-144. Verse 137 says, “Righteous are You, O Lord, and upright are Your judgments.”

Verse 138 says, “Your testimonies, which You have commanded, are righteous and very faithful.” Verse 142 clearly states the difference between His righteousness and ours. It says, “Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness.”

Our self-righteousness is evidenced through our fleshly reactions to others. We may not consciously think that we are better than someone else, but it slips out when we are faced with someone’s way of life different from ours. A prejudiced attitude surfaces.

Peter had a vision of unclean animals that he reacted to. He soon found out that God would use him to open the door to the Gentiles who were considered unclean. In Acts 10:28 Peter said to Cornelius, “…You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or to go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Our God is not a respecter of persons ~ let’s emulate Him.

When Abraham believed, Romans 4:3 says, “…it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Believing is faith in action. His righteousness is imparted to us at salvation.

Titus 3:5 clarified this. It says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…” Our righteousness, often expressed through self-righteousness, is as filthy rags.

In Luke 18:10 we see a contrast between a Pharisee, and a tax collector. Jesus spoke this parable to expose the hidden sin of self-righteousness. Note the words, “…I am not like other men…” The Pharisee thought he was right, but in his heart he despised others.

The tax collector’s eyes were cast down. Verse 13 says, “…God be merciful to me a sinner!” That is how we come to Jesus for salvation. We must first recognize that we are sinners. We have no merit of our own.

In Psalm 103:10 we read a definition of God’s mercy. It says, “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.” His mercy endures forever.

Here are four more audiobooks just published this morning. Available on Amazon or Audible

Demolishing Strongholds

Cracking The Code Of Unforgiveness

Free To Be You

Triumphing Over Shame

Let’s take ours first. Isaiah 64:6 says, “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags…” Here’s an illustration of filth. In the 60’s my dad had an old two story house converted into apartments.

One renter did not pay her rent so he went to talk to her. She had moved out. My dad took his key and opened the front door. He said the stench nearly knocked him over. 

She threw her clothes she had worn onto the floor of her walk in closet. Her cats used it for their litter box. He had to hire a man to pitchfork the clothes out the window, down into his pickup, and take them to the dump. They were filthy rags.

Jesus died bearing our sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Our eternal standing is in Him. Colossians 3:3 says, “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Here are four more of my audiobooks available on Amazon or audible under J. Marilyn Adams

Displacing Fear

Proclaiming Victory

Face-Off Your Fears

Overthrowing The Fear Of Failure

NEWS FLASH!

Yesterday I received an email from Amazon saying I could publish audiobooks from my eligible ebooks. This is uncharted territory for me. If you are an audiobook person…here are four to begin with. Available in the Amazon store and on Audible.

When you listen to them, please let me know if there are any glitches ~ thank you

Please tell your friends

Persistent Faith
Emotional Freedom
Victorious Living
Power Of Forgiveness

Psalm 118:8 says, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” Paul’s confidence to stand before kings came from his inner conviction to live by the Spirit’s direction.

He obeyed the Lord’s call to suffer for His name. If you need a refresher, I encourage you to read 2 Corinthians 11:23-33. He knew all along what his commission from the Lord was. Acts 9:15-16. 

Paul understood the power of Jesus’ resurrection was in him. In Ephesians 1:19 he wrote, “And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.” Verse 20 says that the same power God used to raise Jesus from the dead is in us!

Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Our faith is in Him. We look to Him ~ not our human impossibilities. He is Faithful. He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:13. He cannot lie. Titus 1:2.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Faith is an action word. James 2:26 says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.” We are saved by faith, but we also walk in the Spirit by faith.

Mark 11:22 says, “…Have faith in God.” It is futile to put our faith in any one but the Lord. Man can only do so much, but only the Lord is in control of all things. In James 4:13-16 we read about folks who were boasting about what they were going to do. 

Verse 15 says, “Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” Alive and active faith looks to the Lord alone for clear direction. Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.”