Orange Moon Saturday, May 30, 2026 "Think On These Things"

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

    “Think On These Things”     

   

     We must not expect unbelievers to think in accordance with God and Scripture.  We must also expect that believers - including and especially ourselves - will not always think in terms of light and truth.

    “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient (fitting)” (Romans 1:28).

    “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Corinthians 10:4-5).

    Left to itself, our mind does not flow with the current of spiritual reality.  Even as God works to reveal Himself by His Spirit, His Word, His people, His creation, and His providential presence and working, the unbelieving mind tends to flee from truth as a “sheep gone… astray” (Isaiah 53:6).  The thoughts of believers are also prone to wander from the light that must guide our understanding.  This especially applies to the knowledge of God.  Only the presence of the Holy Spirit in the heart can result in a mind able to “think on these things” of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Scriptures (Philippians 4:8).  

   “Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God” (I Corinthians 2:11).

    As believers, we require the Holy Spirit’s continual working to lead us in correct thinking about God and His truth as it applies to all things.  The New Testament epistles confirm our need.  Nearly all of them contain prescriptions for the treatment of erroneous thinking.  Indeed, numerous vital portions of the epistles would not even exist had first century believers always thought in terms of God’s reality.  Twenty centuries later, particularly in a generation characterized by instant communication of thoughts and ideas, the possibility of error in our thinking must be guarded against in the realization of how near deception lurks.  “Try (test) me and know my thoughts” prayed the Psalmist long ago (Psalm 139:23).  How much more might he offer the plea in our day?

   Add to this devilish working to deceive and mislead our thoughts, and little wonder that in our day so many think in terms of darkness rather than light.  Little wonder that we ourselves often do the same.  Indeed, we do well to keep the focus close to home.  As properly concerning as the wayward thoughts of others may be, a far greater emphasis must involve our own minds.  The Psalmist asked the Lord to direct a laser beam of corrective light not toward the minds of others, but toward his own.  A simple prayer suffices, leading to seeking God in His Word, and maintaining constant readiness to be confirmed and/or corrected in our thinking…

    “Heavenly Father, show me where I am thinking rightly about You, Your Word, and all things in my life.  Show me where I am not, and where I need change, correction, and growth in what I think, and how I think.  In the name of the Lord Jesus I pray, Amen.”

“To be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

(Romans 8:6)

WeeklyMemory Verse

   And when I saw Him, I fell at his feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not, I am the first and the last.

(Revelation 1:17)

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Orange Moon Friday, May 29, 2026 “Unlikely Heart and Voices”

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

    “Unlikely Heart and Voices”     

   

    “Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thessalonians 1:1-2).

    The Apostle Paul affirms co-authorship in six of the thirteen epistle we know him to have written.  This may mean that brothers like Timothy and Silvanus simply served as fellow-laborers with Paul in his ministry.  Or perhaps they also provided insight and direction in portions of the Apostle’s writings, as led by the Holy Spirit.  The latter possibility would not be surprising, in that God often reveals Himself through unexpected hearts and voices.  Thus, while we know Paul to be primary in the writing of his letters to believers, it could be that others may have also served as the Holy Spirit’s co-scribe regarding a point here, or an insight there.

    We do well to expect our Lord to meet us along the pathways of providence through hearts, minds, and voices we may not expect to serve as lamps of His light.  Balaam’s donkey certainly comes to mind, as do many others in Scripture through whom God unexpectedly revealed Himself and His truth (Numbers 22:21-28).  With our Lord, we do well to expect the unexpected, including His working through people.  What seemingly unlikely heart or voice might serve as a glimmer of His glory in this day that illuminates our path?  We shall see, and of this we can be sure: we do well to expect the unexpected from a God so infinitely beyond ourselves, but so immanently near and intricately involved in our lives.  He will often surprise us by meeting us in unlikely hearts and voices that are actually quite likely, considering…

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

(Isaiah 55:8-9)

WeeklyMemory Verse

   And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not, I am the first and the last.

(Revelation 1:17)

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Orange Moon Thursday, May 28, 2026 “Access. Avail. Ask”

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

    “Access.  Avail.  Ask”     

   

    “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).

    Having availed ourselves of God’s freely given favor through the Lord Jesus, born again believers have set forth on an eternal journey to honor our Savior by accessing the grace that makes possible a life far beyond our means.

    “Let us have grace, that we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28).

    Let us be sure to make such blessedness personal and pertinent.  Our Heavenly Father beckons you and me in this day to His blessed “throne of grace” to avail ourselves of “grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).  You.  Me.  This day.  Let us rejoice together in the moment at hand that our Father so greatly desires to be for us and do for us all we require of His presence and working.  He does much without our even asking.  However, because He has led us into relationship with Himself through Christ, He also reserves much until we relate to Him by faith.  Or, until we avail ourselves of freely given access.

   “Ye have not because ye ask not” (James 4:2).

    We would not want it any other way.  Indeed, if God had made us for life to involve inevitable outcomes in every aspect of our walk with Him, the deepest yearning of our hearts would forever go unfulfilled.  Originally created in His image, and redeemed by grace to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus, we play a real and vital role of response as we seek to trust and obey our Father.  We must be led, motivated, and enabled by the Holy Spirit.  But we also must respond in the marvel of liberty declared by our Savior: “If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).  Free to what?  Free to access.  Free to avail.  Free to ask.  Free to love God in a real response of our hearts to His, so beautifully proclaimed by the Psalmist who well knew both his need for the Lord’s enabling, but also the sublime gift of his freedom to respond…

    “I will love Thee, o Lord my strength!” (Psalm 18:1).

     The Spirit of God beckons to the throne in day and this hour, the throne of a grace whose marvel of love, mercy, and provision even eternity will not fully dispense.  May He lead us to access, avail, and ask in remembrance of that which made such favor possible.  “My God, My God why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).  On the cross, the Lord Jesus was denied access, that we may be granted free entree unto God forevermore, and in this moment.   In such holy light, may we respond to the Holy Spirit’s beckoning to access, avail, and ask.

How can it be, Lord, 

that You call me to this place,

to gaze upon Your face?

Oh, it must be, it is!  Thy Throne of grace!

 

I see the Blood-stained way,

that nail-scarred Feet have traced.

I hear the Spirit call, o come unto this place!

It must be, it is!  Thy Throne of grace!

 

Other paths my broken feet would stay,

I could not come by any other way.

No other access could I find to this blessed and holy place.

Oh, it must be, it is!  Thy Throne of grace!

“For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

(Ephesians 2:18)

"Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him."

(Ephesians 3:11-12)

"Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat.  Yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."

(Isaiah 55:1)

Weekly Memory Verse

   And when I saw Him, I fell at his feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not, I am the first and the last.

(Revelation 1:17)

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