Now to Him...
...who is able to keep you from stumbling,I read this text the other day at a moment when I couldn't have needed it more. It was a moment where every single word was fresh and clean and cut right to the chase. A more typical scenerio is when one line of one verse really takes you by suprise... Not this time. Every single line was enough to make me stop and rest my amazed eyes.
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.
This passage came up Sunday evening briefly as pastor talked about the typical way most of the epistles end. Then to sit down and read it after having my face rubbed hard, as it were, into the mud of my stumblings and faults--there's nothing quite like it.
Oops...got to get this article through copy.
posted by Mark at 7:05 PM
How wonderful Mark, thank you for sharing! God blesses us with amazing grace at just the right times. See you at home!
I love both the endings and the beginnings of the gospels - for instance Titus begins with:
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,
To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
What an awesome opening and so much depth!
It's wonderful to be reminded once again of how powerful and merciful God is - Thanks for posting this, Mark. See you Friday!!:)
Hey Mark, don't you remember that Grandpa used to use that passage alot as a benediction at the end of the church service? To me it's one of the most memorable benedictions I know. I remember it from back in San Jose, at GCC. (recollecting) Wow. Thanks for the post. What a blessing.
That wonderful Mark!! Personly if a passage jumps out of its because I don't understand it or have a hard time accepting it. But I seem to be the only person in the world with that problem.
Anonymous
That was very nice Mark. Gloria
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