Prayer

How to pray? Make sure you know for what you are praying.

For what should we pray? For health? For safe travel? For a successful operation? For a good business decision?   For a new             whatever                  ? To handle money wisely? A good retirement? To be happy? To be safe? To have a nice house? To have a safe and happy family? That everybody else be godly so it will be “good” for me?

The purpose of this enlightenment is that through God’s spiritual family the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. (Eph. 3:10 NET, clarification added)

And others experienced mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.  They were stoned, sawed apart, murdered with the sword; they went about in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, ill-treated  (the world was not worthy of them); they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and openings in the earth.  And these all were commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised.  For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, (Heb. 11:36–12:1 NET)

Or should what we pray for be the strength to be obedient so that God’s wisdom and glory will be revealed no matter how it affects us?

Your Greater Witness

Things Above Thought
TAT #74

So you think your private life is private:

The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” (Job 1:8)

The purpose of this enlightenment is that through God’s spiritual family the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. (Eph. 3:10 NET)

There are more watching than you know.

Fact #6 Among God’s saints, Godly truths and God’s character are being revealed to the rebellious angels in the physical realm (Job 1:8; Ephesians 3:10).

***********

If you would like to receive the TAT’s via email please send you email address to “scverlin@things-above.org”

Silent

Things Above Thought
TAT #73

We are to have an answer ready for anyone who would ask about our hope (1 Pet. 3:15).
We are to always speak the truth (Eph. 4:25).
We are to speak the gospel (1 Thes. 2:4).
We are to exhort (2 Tim. 4:2).

BUT, there are times when we are to keep silent.
Job was victorious in his testing on what he did not speak (Job 1:11).
Job’s friends were a failure because they did speak (Job 42:7–8).

Fact #18 “Sometimes all I have to do to glorify God is to keep my mouth shut (Job 1:11).

God’s Plan

Things Above Thoughts
TAT #43
Understanding God’s Plan

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. And the  LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the  LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” (Job 1:6–8)

If you think you’ re only one, unimportant, person and that what you do makes little impact, then you have a problem. You have a problem of a lack of understanding. When you think you are small and unimportant you do not understand all the facts. When you understand God’s designed witness to the angels you realize you are important:

Through God’s spiritual family the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. (Eph. 3:10 NET, clarification added)

They are watching our daily lives to understand God’s wisdom and by this we glorify God!

Heavenly Witness

Things Above Thoughts
TAT #20
Witness

No body knows the troubles you’ve seen!

You have tried to be faithful to God and you have seen much hurt and pain from all the confrontations and battles. Some of the pain remains with you today. But understanding yesterday’s battles from God’s perspective lessens today’s pain.

The Good of the battle:

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4)

The Glory of the battle:

To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to enlighten everyone about God’s secret plan– a secret that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things. The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church (that’s you) the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 3:9–10 NET clarification and emphasis added)

In heaven – your pain is known and God is glorified by your faithfulness – in heaven!

Impact Heaven?!

I use to think I had no impact on heaven but then I read:

I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents. (Luke 15:10)

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . . (Matthew 6:20)

I’m glad I repented of the thought that I have no impact on heaven.
I wonder what else can I do this week to impact heaven?

Spiritual Values

Things Above Thoughts (TAT)
Spiritual Values

Have you ever considered what God thought about Job?

When Job was rich and had a wonderful family and was “the greatest lf all the men of the east” God thought:

“There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” (1:9)

When Job was dirt poor, with no family and probably the least of all the men of the east God thought:

“There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil.” (2:3)

After Job had verbally rebuffed his friends and spoken about his confusion with how God had dealt with him God thought:

Job was His servant and had spoken what was right about God! (42:7–8)

No where in the book of Job does God think any less of Job because of his physical situation or his mental confusion and honest examination of God. God only thinks about Job’s righteousness.

What do you think about? What does God think about you?

Our Great Witness

Whether any person sees us or not each thought we think and each action we take is observed! Our words and our lives are always a present witness. This is what the Lord revealed in Ephesians 3:8–10:

To me (Paul)– less than the least of all the saints– this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ and to enlighten everyone about God’s secret plan– a secret that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things. The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church (God’s spiritual family) the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. (NET Emphasis added)

Our smallest thoughts and actions are always observed in heaven and have huge affects on certain heavenly rulers and authorities for all eternity!

Therefore it can be said that the results of what we say and do today will precede us into heaven and accompany us throughout all eternity. So I say: “Let us watch the small pieces of our lips and lives, they are more important than we know.”