Orange Moon Saturday, October 17, 2026 "The Realization of Reality"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

    

“The Realization of Reality”

     Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ awoke in this day to the reality of One whose “faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds” (Psalm 36:5).

    On its way skyward, such trustworthiness passed by every aspect of our life, being, and existence, blessing all with the promise of God’s grace and specific involvement.  This includes each matter, every issue, and all contingencies.  Nothing escapes our Heavenly Father’s promise of provision, which includes not only His doings on our behalf, but even more, His immanent presence in all things.  “I am with you always” graces believers with far more than merely an assurance to remember (Matthew 28:20).  It beckons us far more with a reality to realize.  Indeed, the great fact of our lives is the life of Christ, dwelling both within our hearts, and awaiting us in every venue.  

    “Thou art with me… I will be with thee” (Psalm 23:4; Isaiah 43:2).

   Of course, we presently “walk by faith, not by sight” (II Corinthians 5:7).  We live in a world that presents countless sights, sounds, and enticements to perceive our existence apart from the presiding and prevailing presence of God.  Our own flesh flows with the current of such failure to realize reality.  “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit” (Galatians 5:17).  Thus, we must avail ourselves of the gifts our Father has given to remind and awaken us to the glory that we are as fish that swim in the ocean that is God.  “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).  Thereby, we grow in our realization of reality, seeking to avoid Jacob’s sad confession of having ignored the great fact of his existence at Bethel (which literally means “house of God): “Surely the Lord is in this place.  And I knew it not!” (Genesis 28:16).

   We never have to drag God onto the scene of any matter of life.  We rather awaken to the truth of His specific, involved, and dynamic presence in all.  This can mean many aspects of response, including praise, thanksgiving, affirmation, repentance, confession, change, and perhaps most of all, the determination to see that “Surely the Lord is in this place,” whatever its circumstance, situation, or condition.  By God’s grace and our response of faith, we determine to realize reality.  “He that cometh to God must believe that He is” involves far more than merely acknowledging the fact of His existence (Hebrews 11:6).  It rather means that we see Him by faith according to that which He has plainly declared Himself to be as the very Life of our lives and the great fact of our existence.  As the Apostle Paul declared of a wonder that will require an eternity of ongoing discovery and the realization of reality…

“To live is Christ.”

(Philippians 1:21)

Weekly Memory Verse

     There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.”

 (Joshua 21:45). 

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Orange Moon SATURDAY, October 17, 2026 "Mephibosheth"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

“Mephibosheth"

                             

      

    We are all Mephibosheth.

     "And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake? And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar. Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!  And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.  Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table" (II Samuel 9:1-10).

    

    Due to the length of this blessed passage, I will keep my comments brief.  Mephibosheth had no inherent claim on King David's beneficence.  He was blessed for his father Jonathan's sake because Jonathan had been such a dear friend of David during his earthly lifetime (II Samuel 1:26).  Lame, and in his own mind cursed by God, Mephibosheth found the grace that transformed a "dead dog" into an adopted family member at the king's table.

     You see the analogy.  We are "accepted in the Beloved”.  God blesses us "with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ.”  He grants unto us "the unsearchable riches of Christ" because our blessed Lord "became poor" for us.  We are heirs of God because we are related to "the Heir of all things."  The wondrous chronicle of grace could go on and on.  We are Mephibosheth.  The Lord Jesus is our Jonathan.  God the Father is the David who brought the lame man unto his table for a lifetime because he was related to Jonathan (Ephesians 1:3; 6; 3:8; II Corinthians 3:21; Hebrews 1:2; Romans 8:17). 

     A final thought, in the form of a question: can you imagine how much Mephibosheth loved both Jonathan and David?  Yes, you can.  Yes, we can.  Because we are all Mephibosheth.

"The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

(I Timothy 1:14-15)

Weekly Memory Verse

    "Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation."

(Psalm 35:3)

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Orange Moon Friday, October 16, 2026 "Always In Remembrance"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

    

“Always In Remembrance”

     “Well, there went Parson Brown, repeating himself again!”

     Mrs. Johnson spoke the words somewhat ruefully to Mrs. Simpson, her friend and fellow parishioner.  Mrs. Simpson did not, however, join in the slight of she and Mrs Johnson’s pastor.

    “And aren’t you glad he did, Irma?  Remember what the Apostle Peter wrote.”

    “I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth” (II Peter 1:12).

    Sometimes considered “the preacher’s best friend” because of its license and even encouragement for repetition, Peter’s affirmation  speaks to every believer’s ongoing need to be reminded of truths perhaps already known, but which need to be recalled and known better.  The Apostle again speaks to the issue:

    “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18).

    Which truth can we be said to know so well that we we require no repetition ?  Where do no longer need growth in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus?  The Psalmist and the Apostle Paul unite to answer…

    “His understanding is infinite… If any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know” (Psalm 147:5; I Corinthians 8:2).

    An eternal Being, whose knowledge transcends all measure, has communicated Himself to us in the Holy Spirit’s gift and revelation of Scripture.  The most elemental statement of the Bible far transcends the cumulative knowledge of the entire human race by a span beyond complete understanding.  We will forever learn new wonders of God and His truth, or be enhanced in truth already known.  Indeed, repetition serves not only “the preacher’s best friend.”  It forever abides as the dear friend of every believer, to be cherished by all, and to be acknowledged as absolutely necessary for every trusting heart.

   Consider what could be argued as the simplest statement of spiritual truth found in Scripture: “There is one God” (I Timothy 2:5).  Simple indeed - unless the one God affirmed also happens to be triune.  He is, meaning that eternity will not be long enough to fully fathom the wonder of our Lord’s transcendent substance, being, and nature (II John 1:3; Hebrews 1:8; Acts 5:3).  A preacher who announced to his congregation that every Sunday morning sermon for the rest of his ministry would address the wonder of one God existing "from everlasting to everlasting" in three glorious Persons would never exhaust the subject (Psalm 90:2).  Moreover, whatever repetition he offered would be beneficial in illumination, encouragement, and challenge to every congregant.

    Let us find the passage of Scripture most familiar to our hearts and minds, pondering the words and being grateful for what we have already discovered.  Then let us look beyond the words into the depths of the infinite Ocean from which they enter into our awareness.  Regardless of how deeply we dive into God and His truth, no seabed will ever be plumbed.  So, when Parson Brown is found “repeating himself again,” let us heed Mrs. Simpson’s wise acknowledgement of the Apostle Peter’s wise determination to “not be negligent” in repetition of Truth infinitely sublime, and ever essential to our hearts and minds.

“Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.” 

(II Peter 1:13-15)

Weekly Memory Verse

     There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.”

 (Joshua 21:45). 

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