The Special of The Day...From the Orange Moon Cafe: May 2025

Friday, May 2, 2025

Orange Moon Friday, May 2, 2025 "The Enabling Factor (of Faith)"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe

"The Enabling Factor (of Faith)"

"Trust the Lord with all thy heart" becomes a different matter when we realize the enabling factor of faith who dwells within our hearts (Proverbs 3:5).

"God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father" (Galatians 4:6).

The Lord Jesus Christ lived a perfect life of faith during His time on the earth.

"I live by the Father" (John 6:57).

"The Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works" (John 14:10).

"The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise" (John 5:19).

We look to the Lord Jesus as our example of One more challenged to distrust our Father than any of us will ever be - "in all points tempted like as we are." Never once, however, did He fail to trust God - "and yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). We fall before our Lord in grateful wonder for such a life, lived by His Father, and by faith. We then arise in the same wonder to realize our Example also serves as our indwelling Executor of faith. We could no more walk in "the obedience of faith" by ourselves than we could independently take any step of faithfulness along the path of righteousness (Romans 16:26). "Without Me, ye can do nothing" (John 15:5). Certainly, we play a role in the matter as we respond to God's truth - "I will trust Thee" (Psalm 56:3). However, we do so in full knowledge of our need for His motivation, leading, and enabling.

"It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure… He had this testimony, that He pleased God" (Philippians 2:13; Hebrews 11:5).

Presently, our Father works in us through the Holy Spirit to empower our walk of faith. Knowing this truth makes it far more likely we will play our role of "I will trust" as we live for God by living from God. Our perfectly faithful Savior dwells in us as the enabling factor whereby we "walk even as He walked, that is, we "walk by faith" (I John 2:6; II Corinthians 5:7).

"I will dwell in them and walk in them."

(II Corinthians 6:16)

Weekly Memory Verse

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

(Ephesians 2:10)

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Thursday, May 1, 2025

Orange Moon Thursday, May 1, 2025 "There!"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe

"There!"

In Psalm 87, the Psalmist thrice affirmed "This man was born there" regarding his heritage in God's chosen earthly nation, Israel (Psalm 87:1-7). He rejoiced in the Lord's blessing on the place, the people, and his citizenship in Israel.

Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ proclaim a similar, but even greater testimony. "This man (woman) was born again there" we affirm, but not directing attention to a place or people. We rather testify to our reception of eternal life as given in the very person of God Himself.

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened (enlivened) us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved" (Ephesians 2:4-5).

The place of grace wherein we received eternal life involved not geography, but rather the living presence of God. Indeed, salvation is many things. At the heart of all, however, abides the heart of God. We met a Person - the Person - when we trusted the Lord Jesus Christ. We believed doctrinal truth in order to enter into relationship with living truth, namely, with the Lord Jesus who declared, "I am… the truth" (John 14:6). Like the Psalmist, we look back on our birth with joy and the desire to extol our spiritual origin. We testify of our spirits becoming as a free gift of grace the very temple of God through His birthing our innermost depths by the entrance of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

"This man was born there" confessed the Psalmist of a most special place and nation. "This man was born again there" confesses the believer of the most special glory of all, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our testimony? "I was dead and became alive through encountering the Prince of life." We seek to direct all glory and attention to "There," namely, the living person of our Savior. Yes, salvation is the Savior. The new birth is His presence entering us. Eternal life is His life dwelling in our spirits. We therefore proclaim with even greater ardor than the.Psalmist, "This man was born again there!"

"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name."

(John 20:31)