Category: Oneness

Look in a mirror

Ruth Kirk

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:12-13; NIV).

Look in a mirror:
Gaze on Jesus –
For you are seeing
His dear face.

Can you make out
His kind expression?
Can you detect
His love and grace?

If you can’t glimpse him,
Just look deeper –
Search for his Spirit,
Deep within.

Look very hard!
Still can’t glimpse Jesus?
Is that because
You’re not like him?

The Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18; NLT).

As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world (1 John 4:17; NLT).

References

God created human beings in his own image (Genesis 1:27; NLT).

This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4:13; NLT).

We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ (Ephesians 4:15; NLT).

Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him (Colossians 3:10; NLT).

Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy (Ephesians 4:24; NLT).

All of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18; NLT).

Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him (1 John 3:2; NLT).

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5; NIV).

Reading: Ephesians 3:14-19; JB.

I pray, kneeling before the Father, from whom every family, whether spiritual or natural, takes its name: Out of his infinite glory, may he give you the power through his Spirit for your hidden self to grow strong, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, you will with all the saints have strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; until, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge, you are filled with the utter fullness of God.

Consolation

Ruth Kirk

When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matthew 6:6; NIV).

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy (Psalm 94:19; NIV).

Prayer
Is my one consolation.

No words –
Just resting in light,
Peace,
Truth,
Compassion,
And love.

💛

Prayer
Is my one consolation.

No words –
Just drinking in grace,
Mercy,
Healing,
Forgiveness,
And love.

🧡

Prayer
Is my one consolation.

No words –
Just dwelling in God,
Christ,
And their Spirit:
United
In love.

♥️

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them (1 John 4:16; NLT).

References

  • There is… one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all (Ephesians 4:4-5; NLT).
  • Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).
  • God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us (1 John 4:13; NLT).
  • Jesus said, “Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28-30; NLT).

Half the story

Ruth Kirk

I love you, Lord (Psalm 18:1; NLT).

I love you –
But that’s only half
The story.

You love me too –
And that’s what makes me
Whole.

For we are one –
In joy, and pain,
And sorrow;

One in mind and body,
Heart,
And soul.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:8-9; NLT).

References

He loves us with unfailing love (Psalm 117:2; NLT).

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:28; NLT).

Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love (1 John 4:8; NLT).

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them (1 John 4:16; NLT).

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else (1 Thessalonians 3:12; NIV).

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbour as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; NLT).

Love the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19; NKJV).

Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).

Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; NLT).

The Kingdom of God

Ruth Kirk

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all (Ephesians 4:5-6; NLT).

Our Maker is within us;
Our Saviour is within us;
Our Helper is within us.

Our Maker is in others;
Our Saviour is in others;
Our Helper is in others.

Our Maker is among us;
Our Saviour is among us;
Our Helper is among us.

Not far away: within us;
Not far away: in others;
Not far away: among us.

One God, right here: within us;
One God, right here: in others;
One God, right here: among us.

So let’s seek God within us,
And let’s love God in others –
For God’s Kingdom is among us.

One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you” (Luke 17:20-21; NLT).

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us (1 John 4:12; NLT).

References:

Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds (Hosea 6:1; NLT).

I am God, and not man; the Holy One within thee (Hosea 11:9; BST).

Christ lives within you (Romans 8:10; NLT).

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you (Romans 8:11; NLT).

Your immortal spirit is in every one of them (Wisdom of Solomon 12:1; GNTA).

Reading: Mark 12:28-31.

Recognition

Ruth Kirk

These thoughts came to me as I started to pray in bed, just before settling down to sleep …

The two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread (Luke 24:35; NLT).

At times we may long for some recognition, approval, or reward, however small, for all the efforts and sacrifices we make throughout our lives. However:

  • The only recognition
    Which really matters
    Is our recognition of Jesus
    As our Saviour.

  • The only approval
    Which really matters
    Is Christ’s approval
    Of how we love and serve him
    In others.

  • The only reward
    Which really matters
    Is seeing Jesus’ face,
    Hearing his voice,
    And receiving his embrace.

  • Therefore, the only goal
    Which really matters
    Is to become one
    With Christ Jesus our Lord
    For evermore.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:8-9; NLT).

References

In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them (1 John 4:14; NLT).

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us (1 John 4:12; NLT).

Let love be your highest goal (1 Corinthians 14:1; NLT).

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40; NIV).

Well done, my good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21; NLT).

He returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him (Luke 15:20; NLT).

Oneness

Ruth Kirk

Be silent before the LORD, all humanity (Zechariah 2:13; NLT).

Let all the earth be silent before him (Habakkuk 2:20; NLT).

Lost in silence,
And in light;
Lost in comfort,
And in peace;

Lost in kindness,
And in grace;
Lost in goodness,
And in God.

Lost in stillness,
And in praise;
Lost in worship,
And in awe;

Lost in gladness,
And in love;
Lost in wonder:
One with God.

The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).

We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16; NLT).

When praying…

Ruth Kirk

The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will (Romans 8:27-8; NLT).

When praying in silence,
Just open your mind,
And watch each distraction
Drift by.
No judgement, dismissal,
Denial, or guilt:
Just share all your thinking
With God.

When praying in stillness,
Just open your heart,
And watch every feeling
Flow past.
No shyness, resistance,
Repression, or shame:
Just share your emotions
With God. 

When praying in darkness,
Just open your soul,
And watch Yahweh’s Spirit
At work,
With patience, forgiveness,
Compassion, and love:
Just share in the oneness
Of God.

The LORD our God, the LORD is one (Deuteronomy 6:4; NIV).

The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).

References

We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16; NLT).

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you (Romans 8:11; NLT).

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28-30; NLT).

Never stop praying

Ruth Kirk

Hello everyone, this is my last prayer for a while. I have decided to take at least a week off my work here. I’m doing this for the first time in 13 years of unbroken daily blogging. During this time, I want to see if I can get my level of pain under any sort of control.

I plan to make contact with you again here next Thursday, and to report on how this process is going. Meanwhile, I send my very best wishes to you all, and hope you will continue to explore Take heart, and The heart of the gospel.

♥️ With love from Ruth xxx

Never stop praying (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NLT).

Every morning:
Offer worship.

All day long:
Heed Yahweh’s voice.

In the evening:
Intercession.

Then, at night:
Give thanks; rejoice.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NIV).

References

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them (1 Timothy 2:1; NLT).

Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him (Deuteronomy 13:4; NLT).

Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today! (Psalm 95:6-7; NLT).

A reading: Acts 16:22-26; NLT.

A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.

They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.

Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!

When you awake

Ruth Kirk

When I awake, I am still with you (Psalm 139:18; NIV).

“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the LORD (Jeremiah 29:14; NLT).

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all (Ephesians 4:5-6; NLT).

When you awake,
Don’t even open your eyes
Until you are ready
To see God’s face
In everything,
And in everyone,
And in yourself.

When you awake,
Don’t even try to pray
Until you are ready
To hear God’s voice
In everything,
And in everyone,
And in yourself.

When you awake,
Don’t even start to move
Until you are ready
To know God’s presence
In everything,
And in everyone,
And in yourself.

When you awake,
Don’t even think about rising
Until you are ready
To love your Creator
In everything,
And in everyone,
And in yourself.

Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him (Luke 24:31; NLT; my emphasis).

References

Thine incorruptible spirit is in all things (Wisdom of Solomon 12:1; KJV).

I am God, and not man; the Holy One within thee (Hosea 11:9; BST).

We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16; NLT).

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them (1 John 4:16; NLT).

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? (1 Corinthians 6:19; NLT).

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40; NIV).

Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me (Matthew 25:45; NLT).

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1; NLT).

He is the Creator of everything that exists (Jeremiah 51:19; NLT).

God, the LORD, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth (Isaiah 42:5; NLT).

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life (Job 33:4; NLT).

A reading: Luke 10:25-28; NLT.

One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

God, our Maker

Ruth Kirk

Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today! (Psalm 95:6-7; NLT).

The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Mark 12:29; NIV).

God, our Maker,
Christ, your Son,
Holy Spirit:
You are One.

Every word you speak
Is true:
Trinity,
Please make us new.

You’re our light,
Our peace, our way:
Help us all
To love, and pray.

Save us; teach us;
Guide us through –
Then we’ll all
Be one with you.

The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).

References

The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).

Restore our fortunes, LORD, as streams renew the desert (Psalm 126:4; NLT).

I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland (Isaiah 43:19; NT).

Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes (Ephesians 4:23; NLT).

The one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true” (Revelation 21:5; NLT).

God is light (1 John 1:5; NLT).

The LORD is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6; NLT)

Save us, O LORD our God! (Psalm 106:47; NLT).

He will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths (Micah 4:2; NLT).

He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name (Psalm 23:3; NLT).