"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers."
Whenever you hear the word "beatitudes" you probably automatically think of the Sermon on the Mount. But there are a whole lot more beatitudes in the Bible besides the eight found in Matthew 5. The Old Testament is loaded with them, especially the Psalms and Proverbs. I went through my concordance and counted 23 in Psalms and 8 in Proverbs alone.
According to the Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible, the Greek word translated "blessed" means "spiritual well-being and prosperity," the deep joy of the soul. Pronouncing a blessing is the "act of declaring, or wishing, God's favor and goodness upon others." Now, substitute those phrases in any beatitude, replacing the word "blessed" and read it out loud. "Spiritual well-being and prospserity is given the man who . . . . . " Kinda opens the eyes, doesn't it. It's sad that our English language is so very limited in translations; we miss the deep, complete meaning of so many things. Being "amplified" isn't so bad after all.
Psalm 2:12: ". . . . Blessed are (the deep joy of the soul fills) all who take refuge in Him."
Turn to Psalm 32:1-2, and substitute the translations for the the words "blessed". How intimate the song becomes, how personal. Now look at 33:12: "Blessed is the NATION . . . " Oh my, that takes my breath away. Oh America, if only you found your joy and contentment in the Lord God Almighty. "Spiritual well-being and prosperity is given to the Nation whose God is the Lord, . . . "
When we sing "God bless America", we are actually singing God, may Your favor and goodness fall on this land and it's people. I certainly see things differently.
Some of the other psalms and proverbs are: Ps. 40:4; 84:4-5; 89:15; 106:3; 128:1; Proverbs 3:13; 8:32,34; 20:7; 29:18. I will leave you and your concordance to search out the others. Or keep a notebook handy when you are reading the Word, and every time you come across a beatitude, write it down. You'll be amazed ay what you find.
Don't take words such as "blessed" at face value in the Bible. Dig out their true meaning and then insert it into the scripture to savor the fullness, the richness, the joy of what the Lord is saying. I can guarntee your heart will take wings and soar in the heavenlies. Mine does. You cannont remain earth-bound when you are immersed in the Lord. Who would want to.
Be filled with God's favor and goodness, my dear friend, as you seek Him and find Him in the Word. Oh the joy, the sweet, sweet, deep joy of the soul. Savor it.
Lord Jesus, I praise your name forever for you have opened the eyes of the blind and the eatrs of the deaf to the wonders of your great love. Thank you, Jesus, for the blessings that are poured out on us day after day. Help us to walk in your grace, bringing honor to your name and blessings to all around us. Amen.
Luke 18:18-29
". . . (Jesus) said to him, 'you still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' " (v 22)
This is the story of the rich young man who met Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. You might want to read the entire passage to get the full implication of the story. But the key word here is "rich."
This man's wealth had made his life comfortable. Having wealth does that. You don't have to worry about paying your bills, you can buy what you want without looking at price tags, and we'll probably never see you at the sale rack. Your life is comfortable and it feels good not to have to live hand to mouth, wondering how you're going to meet all the monthy expenses. There is nothing wrong with this; there's nothing in the Bible that says you can't have wealth. Money is good.
This man's wealth also gave him prestige. When you are a person of financial means, people look up to you, they pay homage to you, they want you on their boards of directors and want to sell you pressbox seats for all the major sports events. And they want to be seen with you. They are hoping some of your "importance" will rub off on them simply by association.
And this man's wealth also gave him power. Power is a very intoxicating thing; it enables you to control people's lives and events around you. Now this can be good, or it can be bad. It all depends on the attitude of your heart, as does all things.
Comfort, power, and prestige - a dynamic combination to say the least. This was the basis of the rich young ruler's security and identity, and most people that are wealthy base their security and identity on their wealth. They can buy and sell whatever they want, therefore they have no need of God.
This young man had asked Jesus what he had to do to be saved. He knew he was lost and was seeking salvation. Jesus asked this rich young ruler to walk away from his wealth and to follow him, but the young man couldn't do. This wealthy young man wasn't lost because he had money, he was lost becuse the money had him.
Is there anything in your life that is more important than the Lord Jesus Christ? Has your basis of security shifted from God to what you own? Is there anything you possess that you couldn't give away without another thought about it? Where do you find your worth and security?
Lord Jesus, I have made you my Savior and my Master. Deliver me from any greed or averice that may be hiding in my heart. You, my Lord, are my all in all. In you I live and breathe and have my being. If I have you, I have everything. Keep my heart pure, Lord. I ask in your Name. Amen.
This is the story of the rich young man who met Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. You might want to read the entire passage to get the full implication of the story. But the key word here is "rich."
This man's wealth had made his life comfortable. Having wealth does that. You don't have to worry about paying your bills, you can buy what you want without looking at price tags, and we'll probably never see you at the sale rack. Your life is comfortable and it feels good not to have to live hand to mouth, wondering how you're going to meet all the monthy expenses. There is nothing wrong with this; there's nothing in the Bible that says you can't have wealth. Money is good.
This man's wealth also gave him prestige. When you are a person of financial means, people look up to you, they pay homage to you, they want you on their boards of directors and want to sell you pressbox seats for all the major sports events. And they want to be seen with you. They are hoping some of your "importance" will rub off on them simply by association.
And this man's wealth also gave him power. Power is a very intoxicating thing; it enables you to control people's lives and events around you. Now this can be good, or it can be bad. It all depends on the attitude of your heart, as does all things.
Comfort, power, and prestige - a dynamic combination to say the least. This was the basis of the rich young ruler's security and identity, and most people that are wealthy base their security and identity on their wealth. They can buy and sell whatever they want, therefore they have no need of God.
This young man had asked Jesus what he had to do to be saved. He knew he was lost and was seeking salvation. Jesus asked this rich young ruler to walk away from his wealth and to follow him, but the young man couldn't do. This wealthy young man wasn't lost because he had money, he was lost becuse the money had him.
Is there anything in your life that is more important than the Lord Jesus Christ? Has your basis of security shifted from God to what you own? Is there anything you possess that you couldn't give away without another thought about it? Where do you find your worth and security?
Lord Jesus, I have made you my Savior and my Master. Deliver me from any greed or averice that may be hiding in my heart. You, my Lord, are my all in all. In you I live and breathe and have my being. If I have you, I have everything. Keep my heart pure, Lord. I ask in your Name. Amen.
Proverbs 4:23
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
Dictionary.com describes 'wellspring' as "the source of anything . . . " So this verse is saying that one's heart is the source of our life - physically, emotionally and spiritually. That's pretty heavy stuff when you come right down to it. I don't believe there are too many of us who take the time to specifically think about our hearts, what we put into them, and consequently what is manifested in our lives as a result. That can be a bit unnerving, at the very least.
Remember the song we sang as children: "Be careful little eyes what you see . . . . Be careful little ears what you hear . . . . Be careful little tongue what you say . . . " As children, we didn't dwell on the specifics or tried to understand the deep impications, we just sang. But this little ditty is telling us that what we injest through our eyes and ears will reproduce itself in our lives, spilling out of our mouths for all the world to know what we've been feeding on.
Our hearts dictate how we live. In our hearts are stored all the things we love: the things we view; the things we listen to; the things we desire. Think about it for a moment. The music you listen to; the tv and movies you watch; the books and magazines you read; your hobbies; your friends; your goals and ambitions; your recreation; your attitudes; your faith. All these things that enter your heart shape your life, the person you are right now. You live out in word and deed what is stored up in your heart.
Are all of the thoughts, desires, and attitudes in our hearts God-pleasing? We need to put boundries on these things, channel them in the proper direction. We need to take an inventory and see if they are in keeping with the Word of God. If they are not, we need to get rid of them. The apostle Paul said "everything is permissible, but not everyhing is profitable." We must be very discerning, we must be very jealous about what we allow to take up residence in our hearts.
Guard your heart.....set up boundries to protect it. Don't let anything harmful into it. Protect your heart as you would protect your loved ones. How would you react if someone or something attacked your spouce or child or grandchild? Wouldn't you defend them with your life? Is your heart worth any less? After all it IS the source of your life.
Lord God Almighty, set a shield and a guard about my heart. Keep it ever pure and holy, being filled with only those things that are profitable for my life in you. Help me, Jesus, to filter everything that would enter into it, that my WHOLE life may glorify you. Amen.
Dictionary.com describes 'wellspring' as "the source of anything . . . " So this verse is saying that one's heart is the source of our life - physically, emotionally and spiritually. That's pretty heavy stuff when you come right down to it. I don't believe there are too many of us who take the time to specifically think about our hearts, what we put into them, and consequently what is manifested in our lives as a result. That can be a bit unnerving, at the very least.
Remember the song we sang as children: "Be careful little eyes what you see . . . . Be careful little ears what you hear . . . . Be careful little tongue what you say . . . " As children, we didn't dwell on the specifics or tried to understand the deep impications, we just sang. But this little ditty is telling us that what we injest through our eyes and ears will reproduce itself in our lives, spilling out of our mouths for all the world to know what we've been feeding on.
Our hearts dictate how we live. In our hearts are stored all the things we love: the things we view; the things we listen to; the things we desire. Think about it for a moment. The music you listen to; the tv and movies you watch; the books and magazines you read; your hobbies; your friends; your goals and ambitions; your recreation; your attitudes; your faith. All these things that enter your heart shape your life, the person you are right now. You live out in word and deed what is stored up in your heart.
Are all of the thoughts, desires, and attitudes in our hearts God-pleasing? We need to put boundries on these things, channel them in the proper direction. We need to take an inventory and see if they are in keeping with the Word of God. If they are not, we need to get rid of them. The apostle Paul said "everything is permissible, but not everyhing is profitable." We must be very discerning, we must be very jealous about what we allow to take up residence in our hearts.
Guard your heart.....set up boundries to protect it. Don't let anything harmful into it. Protect your heart as you would protect your loved ones. How would you react if someone or something attacked your spouce or child or grandchild? Wouldn't you defend them with your life? Is your heart worth any less? After all it IS the source of your life.
Lord God Almighty, set a shield and a guard about my heart. Keep it ever pure and holy, being filled with only those things that are profitable for my life in you. Help me, Jesus, to filter everything that would enter into it, that my WHOLE life may glorify you. Amen.
1 John 5:3
"This is love for God; to obey His commands. And his commands are not burdensome . . . "
I read this definition of obedience on the internet: "obedience is doing what you're told, when you're told, with the right attitude." Now I doubt that you will find this defination in any dictionary, but it does indeed sum up what the Christian life is all about. 1st, 2nd and 3rd John (or 'The Triplets' as I affectionately call them) as well as the Gospel of John, are such tremendous love-books of the Bible, but 1st and 2nd John combine love for God and obedience as one and the same.
The author of the above quote listed obedience as being three things:
John states very simply, if you love God, you will be obedient. Plain and simple. Conversely, disobedient people do not love God. This is a hard statement, but if you meditate on it, you will find that it's true. If you truly love God, you will be obeident joyfully. I believe "joy" is the right attitude. Not grumbling, not nit-picking, not murmuring; or worse. But with joy. The Bible Dictionary describes joy as "a positive attitude or pleasant emotion; delight"
"A positive attitude" aptly defines our joy in obeying our Lord. God's Holy Spirit has filled us with his frut, and the first two listed are love and joy, in that order of importance. How wonderful to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit, obeying God with HIS characteristics, being Christ-like, even in obedience.
When Jesus was in the Garden praying before His arrest, was He joyful in prayer? Yes He was. He wasn't bouncing around laughing anticipating his death, but He had the positive attitude of being in His Father's divine will. His spirit was joyful because He was in obedience. He loves His Father and would do whatever He asked.
That is to be our attitude. Joyful obedience, doing what we are told to do, when He tells us to do it. Simply because we love Him. That's all.
Are you in love with Jesus? Is your obedience joyful? Or do you need an attitude adjustment? We all do at one time or another. We all slip and slide and fall, but our Jesus picks us up, brushes us off with his forgiving love, and turns us in the rght direction again. Hopefully our obedience comes easier each new time.
Lord Jesus, fill me with the Fruit of your Holy Spirit. I need your love and joy to fill me as I walk in obedience with You. Help me, Jesus, to live as a King's Kid, joyful in everything I do. Amen.
I read this definition of obedience on the internet: "obedience is doing what you're told, when you're told, with the right attitude." Now I doubt that you will find this defination in any dictionary, but it does indeed sum up what the Christian life is all about. 1st, 2nd and 3rd John (or 'The Triplets' as I affectionately call them) as well as the Gospel of John, are such tremendous love-books of the Bible, but 1st and 2nd John combine love for God and obedience as one and the same.
The author of the above quote listed obedience as being three things:
- doing WHAT you're told
- doing it WHEN you're told
- doing it with the RIGHT attitude
John states very simply, if you love God, you will be obedient. Plain and simple. Conversely, disobedient people do not love God. This is a hard statement, but if you meditate on it, you will find that it's true. If you truly love God, you will be obeident joyfully. I believe "joy" is the right attitude. Not grumbling, not nit-picking, not murmuring; or worse. But with joy. The Bible Dictionary describes joy as "a positive attitude or pleasant emotion; delight"
"A positive attitude" aptly defines our joy in obeying our Lord. God's Holy Spirit has filled us with his frut, and the first two listed are love and joy, in that order of importance. How wonderful to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit, obeying God with HIS characteristics, being Christ-like, even in obedience.
When Jesus was in the Garden praying before His arrest, was He joyful in prayer? Yes He was. He wasn't bouncing around laughing anticipating his death, but He had the positive attitude of being in His Father's divine will. His spirit was joyful because He was in obedience. He loves His Father and would do whatever He asked.
That is to be our attitude. Joyful obedience, doing what we are told to do, when He tells us to do it. Simply because we love Him. That's all.
Are you in love with Jesus? Is your obedience joyful? Or do you need an attitude adjustment? We all do at one time or another. We all slip and slide and fall, but our Jesus picks us up, brushes us off with his forgiving love, and turns us in the rght direction again. Hopefully our obedience comes easier each new time.
Lord Jesus, fill me with the Fruit of your Holy Spirit. I need your love and joy to fill me as I walk in obedience with You. Help me, Jesus, to live as a King's Kid, joyful in everything I do. Amen.
Psalm 119:103
"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter then honey to my mouth."
Have you ever wondered about this verse, where it came from, what does it mean? The Old Testament has so much in it that comes from every day practical living at that time, but much of it has been lost to us. But then every so often something pops up to bring clarity and vision to the reading. This is one of those verses.
Hebrew boys went to synagogue to learn to read and write and they learned from the five book of Moses, and later the prophets. The rabbi would give the boys slates with passages from the Scriptures written on it and then smeared over with honey. The boys then had to trace the letters through the honey with their pens, and it was natural to lick the nib of the pen when it became clogged. It was then a very short step to connecting the word of the Lord with goodness and sweetness. They were literally eatting the words of God.
Sometimes, when I learn things like this, I become so saddened that we have lost the simplicity of the Scriptures with all our vast knowledge and technology. I can almost imagine myself sitting crosslegged in the dirt, tracing words on my honey-covered slate, automatically licking my stylus when it starts to blob up. What an indelible impression that would leave in the mind of the young pupil - sweetness and the word of the Lord. It would be forever burned in the mind and on the tongue. No wonder David equated God's statutes with sweetness and delight.
Today we type on computers. I don't doubt that in not too many more years, pens and pencils will be items of display instead of implemnts of writing. We listen to the bible on cd's or read it on-line. But even with all these electronics, the word of God is still "sweet as honey to my mouth." Think about it right now. Look at a passage in your bible and begin to read it out loud, slowly, deliberately, savoring the words as if you were tasting a honeycomb. Allow the words to linger there, sliding into your heart, their flavor forever captured by your hungry spirit.
THAT is the sweetness of the Word. Completely satisfying, not lacking in anything. O taste and see that the Lord is good!
Are you hungering for the Word? Is your spirit lacking in some nutrients of the Word? Go, sit in the Son and eat from His garden of goodness. Savor the sweetness and share the bounty with others who are hungry. The more you give away, the more you get back. This is one garden that is always fresh and ready for picking.
Thank you, Jesus, for placing in me a hungry spirit. I feast in your garden of goodness and savor the sweetness of your Word. Fill me, let let me always hunger for more. I don't want to ever, ever be too full of your Word. Holy Spirit, forever draw me into this garden of delight. Amen.
Have you ever wondered about this verse, where it came from, what does it mean? The Old Testament has so much in it that comes from every day practical living at that time, but much of it has been lost to us. But then every so often something pops up to bring clarity and vision to the reading. This is one of those verses.
Hebrew boys went to synagogue to learn to read and write and they learned from the five book of Moses, and later the prophets. The rabbi would give the boys slates with passages from the Scriptures written on it and then smeared over with honey. The boys then had to trace the letters through the honey with their pens, and it was natural to lick the nib of the pen when it became clogged. It was then a very short step to connecting the word of the Lord with goodness and sweetness. They were literally eatting the words of God.
Sometimes, when I learn things like this, I become so saddened that we have lost the simplicity of the Scriptures with all our vast knowledge and technology. I can almost imagine myself sitting crosslegged in the dirt, tracing words on my honey-covered slate, automatically licking my stylus when it starts to blob up. What an indelible impression that would leave in the mind of the young pupil - sweetness and the word of the Lord. It would be forever burned in the mind and on the tongue. No wonder David equated God's statutes with sweetness and delight.
Today we type on computers. I don't doubt that in not too many more years, pens and pencils will be items of display instead of implemnts of writing. We listen to the bible on cd's or read it on-line. But even with all these electronics, the word of God is still "sweet as honey to my mouth." Think about it right now. Look at a passage in your bible and begin to read it out loud, slowly, deliberately, savoring the words as if you were tasting a honeycomb. Allow the words to linger there, sliding into your heart, their flavor forever captured by your hungry spirit.
THAT is the sweetness of the Word. Completely satisfying, not lacking in anything. O taste and see that the Lord is good!
Are you hungering for the Word? Is your spirit lacking in some nutrients of the Word? Go, sit in the Son and eat from His garden of goodness. Savor the sweetness and share the bounty with others who are hungry. The more you give away, the more you get back. This is one garden that is always fresh and ready for picking.
Thank you, Jesus, for placing in me a hungry spirit. I feast in your garden of goodness and savor the sweetness of your Word. Fill me, let let me always hunger for more. I don't want to ever, ever be too full of your Word. Holy Spirit, forever draw me into this garden of delight. Amen.
Psalm 116:15
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."
Death is not an easy subject and people generally stay away from it. But death is a fact of life and that is the one thing that every one of us will face. There is no escaping it. But it is not something to be feared. For the Believer, death is something we look forward to with joy. There is no fear, for we know we will be with Jesus forever. The very thought puts an excitment in our spirits. But for the Unbeliever, it can be terrifying. Not knowing where one will spend eternity must be very frightening indeed.
But today, I want to look at death from Jesus' prospective and this verse of Scripture tells us exactly how our Lord and Savior feels about it. He finds the death of a saint "precious". What a sweet, sweet word. Precious. When I whisper it, I feel wrapped in love and joy and tenderness and acceptance. It makes me feel delicious.
"Precious" is defined thus: "of high price or great value; very valuable or costly; dear; beloved" Wow. Jesus consders us of great value, dearly beloved. How awesome to be loved so tenderly, so completely, so unconditionally. His joy in receiving us home exceeds anything we could ever imagine or feel.
Both my sons served in the military. When they would call and tell me they were coming home for a visit, I would turn my world upside down to get ready for them. Clean and cook and bake and plan parties and invite family and friends and work myself into a living frenzy anticipating the moment they would walk in the door. I would have moved heaven and earth if it had been possible in order to see them. The indescrible joy I felt in seeing them and hugging them to my heart overrode any unpleasantness I had gone through to prepare for their homecoming. My boys were home!!
This is how Jesus feels, only multiply the feeling by a gazillion, if you can. And in fact, He DID move heaven ad earth to prepare for our return home. He literally did. And now, He stands at the door of our heavenly home, arms wide open, His smile of joy so big you can hardly see the rest of His face, jumping up and down in His excitement to welcome us home. Oh my Lord, how I've missed seeing you!
Why would we want to deny a saint his homecoming? Because we will miss him or her. It's that simple. We want them to stay with us. We are selfish. When we come right down to it, it's all about us, not them. We can mourn their leaving us, that's Scriptural. But why would we want to keep someone from the presence of Jesus to satisfy our flesh?
Let us sing and dance and weep for joy when a saint goes home. It is precious to the Lord. And one day we too will make that same journey home and receive the same holy welcoming from our Lord and Savior. Mourn their absence from your life, but praise God that that are finally home. Are you prepared to go home to Jesus?
Lord Jesus, take my heart and make it yours. I gve it up to you, I receive you into my spirit as my Lord and Savior. I want to honor and obey you, live as your child, that I may spend eternity with you, my one, true home. Forgive me my sins, Lord, and renew a right spirit within me. Restore unto me the joy of my salavation. You are my life, Jesus, I love you. Amen.
Death is not an easy subject and people generally stay away from it. But death is a fact of life and that is the one thing that every one of us will face. There is no escaping it. But it is not something to be feared. For the Believer, death is something we look forward to with joy. There is no fear, for we know we will be with Jesus forever. The very thought puts an excitment in our spirits. But for the Unbeliever, it can be terrifying. Not knowing where one will spend eternity must be very frightening indeed.
But today, I want to look at death from Jesus' prospective and this verse of Scripture tells us exactly how our Lord and Savior feels about it. He finds the death of a saint "precious". What a sweet, sweet word. Precious. When I whisper it, I feel wrapped in love and joy and tenderness and acceptance. It makes me feel delicious.
"Precious" is defined thus: "of high price or great value; very valuable or costly; dear; beloved" Wow. Jesus consders us of great value, dearly beloved. How awesome to be loved so tenderly, so completely, so unconditionally. His joy in receiving us home exceeds anything we could ever imagine or feel.
Both my sons served in the military. When they would call and tell me they were coming home for a visit, I would turn my world upside down to get ready for them. Clean and cook and bake and plan parties and invite family and friends and work myself into a living frenzy anticipating the moment they would walk in the door. I would have moved heaven and earth if it had been possible in order to see them. The indescrible joy I felt in seeing them and hugging them to my heart overrode any unpleasantness I had gone through to prepare for their homecoming. My boys were home!!
This is how Jesus feels, only multiply the feeling by a gazillion, if you can. And in fact, He DID move heaven ad earth to prepare for our return home. He literally did. And now, He stands at the door of our heavenly home, arms wide open, His smile of joy so big you can hardly see the rest of His face, jumping up and down in His excitement to welcome us home. Oh my Lord, how I've missed seeing you!
Why would we want to deny a saint his homecoming? Because we will miss him or her. It's that simple. We want them to stay with us. We are selfish. When we come right down to it, it's all about us, not them. We can mourn their leaving us, that's Scriptural. But why would we want to keep someone from the presence of Jesus to satisfy our flesh?
Let us sing and dance and weep for joy when a saint goes home. It is precious to the Lord. And one day we too will make that same journey home and receive the same holy welcoming from our Lord and Savior. Mourn their absence from your life, but praise God that that are finally home. Are you prepared to go home to Jesus?
Lord Jesus, take my heart and make it yours. I gve it up to you, I receive you into my spirit as my Lord and Savior. I want to honor and obey you, live as your child, that I may spend eternity with you, my one, true home. Forgive me my sins, Lord, and renew a right spirit within me. Restore unto me the joy of my salavation. You are my life, Jesus, I love you. Amen.
1 Peter 1:7
"These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
The question of the ages: Why do bad things happen to good people? Christians moan this question day after day when adversity comes against them. They don't want to hear what the bible has to say, they want their flesh stroked and soft and gentle words spoken to them, when in reality God wants to strengthen us through the trials of life.
It's easy to talk a good game when everything is peachy-keen. But let that peach acquire a few bruises and it's time to trash it. Nobody wants a bad piece of fruit and nobody wants a bumpy life. Hellll-loooooooooo. This is not Eutopia. Not by a long shot.
Now hear this: EVERYTHING that happens in our lives happens with the express permission of God. No exceptions. God has His plan and He's sticking to it. If we are God-lovers, we will turn TO Him in adversity and ask Him what He wants to accomplish in our lives with this event. Peter tells us two things:
Which, then, brings us naturally to praise and worship. When you stop to think that God is loving us in, because of, and through the trial, bringing you to a newer, higher place in Christ, your spirits soar, your arms raise and your heart sings out praise and glory to the King of Kings whose love is so overwhelming that it causes you to wholly exault Him. When you are completely in Christ, trusting Him so fully and completely, it is a natural progression from pain to praise.
This is what the testing of our faith accomplishes; that while the storms will rage around us, we will lift our hearts in praise. Because we know who holds the child. Oh my, the sweet assurance of simply knowing and trusting in the strength of Jesus Christ.
When a trial comes your way, do you rail against it, moaning and groaning and complaining, or do you go to Jesus and ask Him what He wants to accomplish in your life? Are you trusting that Christ knows what's best for you? Do you praise Him in your pain, looking to Him as a small child looks to his parent for reassurce and help? Are you growing in your faith?
Sweet Lord Jesus, give me your strength, for I have none of my own. I need our Holy Spirit for my backbone. Help me, my Savior, to trust in you so that I may learn and grow in the path you have set for me. And help me, Lord, to ever praise Your Name in all things. O Lord, my God, you are the strength of my life. Enable me. Amen.
The question of the ages: Why do bad things happen to good people? Christians moan this question day after day when adversity comes against them. They don't want to hear what the bible has to say, they want their flesh stroked and soft and gentle words spoken to them, when in reality God wants to strengthen us through the trials of life.
It's easy to talk a good game when everything is peachy-keen. But let that peach acquire a few bruises and it's time to trash it. Nobody wants a bad piece of fruit and nobody wants a bumpy life. Hellll-loooooooooo. This is not Eutopia. Not by a long shot.
Now hear this: EVERYTHING that happens in our lives happens with the express permission of God. No exceptions. God has His plan and He's sticking to it. If we are God-lovers, we will turn TO Him in adversity and ask Him what He wants to accomplish in our lives with this event. Peter tells us two things:
- God is testing our faith
- that we will give God praise and glory
Which, then, brings us naturally to praise and worship. When you stop to think that God is loving us in, because of, and through the trial, bringing you to a newer, higher place in Christ, your spirits soar, your arms raise and your heart sings out praise and glory to the King of Kings whose love is so overwhelming that it causes you to wholly exault Him. When you are completely in Christ, trusting Him so fully and completely, it is a natural progression from pain to praise.
This is what the testing of our faith accomplishes; that while the storms will rage around us, we will lift our hearts in praise. Because we know who holds the child. Oh my, the sweet assurance of simply knowing and trusting in the strength of Jesus Christ.
When a trial comes your way, do you rail against it, moaning and groaning and complaining, or do you go to Jesus and ask Him what He wants to accomplish in your life? Are you trusting that Christ knows what's best for you? Do you praise Him in your pain, looking to Him as a small child looks to his parent for reassurce and help? Are you growing in your faith?
Sweet Lord Jesus, give me your strength, for I have none of my own. I need our Holy Spirit for my backbone. Help me, my Savior, to trust in you so that I may learn and grow in the path you have set for me. And help me, Lord, to ever praise Your Name in all things. O Lord, my God, you are the strength of my life. Enable me. Amen.
1 John 3:17
"If anyone has material posessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"
This is one of those bible verses you probably will never hear your pastor preach on. This is where, they say, you go "from stepping on my toes to meddling." But then, if one is not in right relationship to God and obedient, just about everything in the bible will be meddling. Right?
John's letters all have to do with love for God, and what better way to show your love then to share what you have with others. It must be in the "Gospel of Me" where Jesus said "thou shalt hoard all your possessions for you have earned them and they are yours." How quickly we forget whose it really is and where it came from.
When we look at this verse, what it says to us is "if I love God, I will share what I have." Rot Row, Elroy. Does that mean that if I don't share, I don't love God? Hard, isn't it? We sure don't want to part with anything that's ours. I will tithe, somewhat, but sharing with others is taking this thing a bit too far.
There are people in every one of our churches who at this very moment are caught between a rock and a hard place financially and in those same churches are people so very well off that they could afford to pay their electric bill or water bill or garbage bill for one month. But that's something unheard of. We have people in our churches who need rides to church, of all places, and no one will pick them up. We have people in our churches in need of medical attention who have no insurance, and in those same churches are doctors who could donate their services to help them, and won't. Where is the love of God in all of this? Are we so selfish, so greedy, so self-centered that we can't share out of the abundance God has blessed us with? Shame, shame, shame on us.
Is there a single mom or dad in your congregation that is struggling financially to feed and clothe his or her family, pinching every penny to make ends meet? Why don't the women of the church have a pantry shower for him or her and shower him or her with all non-edible products? Soaps and paper products of all kinds are expensive. Help them stretch their funds. That's love of God. Auto mechanics, do oil changes and repairs for an elderly woman driver or two or three in your congregation. That's love of God. Is somebody housebound? Take them some casseroles. That's love of God. It's wintertime and someone's drive needs plowed and you have a plow. Do it and don't charge them. That's love for God. And the list can go on and on and on.
We have men's and women's groups in our churches that meet for "prayer breakfasts" and "teas" and bible studies, but what are they doing with all of this "holy stuff" to meet the physical needs of people right in their own churches?
We are all so well provided for. God has been so good to us. Our homes are overflowing with the excess. Look at all the toys and electronic gadgets we buy for ourselves just to play. If we looked real hard, I think we could find something to help someone out with. How can the love of God be in me if I am so unwilling to share what I have with others?
How much do I love God? What are people seeing in my life? Am I willing to step out of my comfort zone and extend myself in the name of Jesus? What kind of a witness is my church?
What can I do to make a difference?
Lord God Almighty, change me. Use me. Show me where I can make a difference in someone's life. Help me to ease the burden of another. What I have is yours, my Lord and Master. Show me how to use it to your honor and glory. Amen.
This is one of those bible verses you probably will never hear your pastor preach on. This is where, they say, you go "from stepping on my toes to meddling." But then, if one is not in right relationship to God and obedient, just about everything in the bible will be meddling. Right?
John's letters all have to do with love for God, and what better way to show your love then to share what you have with others. It must be in the "Gospel of Me" where Jesus said "thou shalt hoard all your possessions for you have earned them and they are yours." How quickly we forget whose it really is and where it came from.
When we look at this verse, what it says to us is "if I love God, I will share what I have." Rot Row, Elroy. Does that mean that if I don't share, I don't love God? Hard, isn't it? We sure don't want to part with anything that's ours. I will tithe, somewhat, but sharing with others is taking this thing a bit too far.
There are people in every one of our churches who at this very moment are caught between a rock and a hard place financially and in those same churches are people so very well off that they could afford to pay their electric bill or water bill or garbage bill for one month. But that's something unheard of. We have people in our churches who need rides to church, of all places, and no one will pick them up. We have people in our churches in need of medical attention who have no insurance, and in those same churches are doctors who could donate their services to help them, and won't. Where is the love of God in all of this? Are we so selfish, so greedy, so self-centered that we can't share out of the abundance God has blessed us with? Shame, shame, shame on us.
Is there a single mom or dad in your congregation that is struggling financially to feed and clothe his or her family, pinching every penny to make ends meet? Why don't the women of the church have a pantry shower for him or her and shower him or her with all non-edible products? Soaps and paper products of all kinds are expensive. Help them stretch their funds. That's love of God. Auto mechanics, do oil changes and repairs for an elderly woman driver or two or three in your congregation. That's love of God. Is somebody housebound? Take them some casseroles. That's love of God. It's wintertime and someone's drive needs plowed and you have a plow. Do it and don't charge them. That's love for God. And the list can go on and on and on.
We have men's and women's groups in our churches that meet for "prayer breakfasts" and "teas" and bible studies, but what are they doing with all of this "holy stuff" to meet the physical needs of people right in their own churches?
We are all so well provided for. God has been so good to us. Our homes are overflowing with the excess. Look at all the toys and electronic gadgets we buy for ourselves just to play. If we looked real hard, I think we could find something to help someone out with. How can the love of God be in me if I am so unwilling to share what I have with others?
How much do I love God? What are people seeing in my life? Am I willing to step out of my comfort zone and extend myself in the name of Jesus? What kind of a witness is my church?
What can I do to make a difference?
Lord God Almighty, change me. Use me. Show me where I can make a difference in someone's life. Help me to ease the burden of another. What I have is yours, my Lord and Master. Show me how to use it to your honor and glory. Amen.
Genesis 4:7
"If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you must master it."
From the day God created man, He has been about the business of watching over us, protecting us, and yes, WARNING us. His mercy and compassion, right from the get-go, have been constant and steady
In this story we have the origination of sibling rivilary. Yep, this is where we all get it from, saints. Cain was the first-born this side of Eden. The eldest. The one given all the chores to do. Then came Abel. The baby. "Watch your brother, Cain. Don't let anything happen to him." And on and on and on it went. And they grew up. Rivals.
You can probably imagine how things went through the years as the boys grew to adulthood. As Cain matured in years, envy,bitterness and resentment also matured in him, and apparently, this was his nourishment. He fed on it and permitted it to grow in him. (we can deduce this by what happened at the end of the story.)
But God was watching, ever vigilant, not wanting harm to come to anyone. So he talked to Cain, told him He could see what was happening, and he needed to take charge of himself, get a grip on his spirit and watch out for his life. But Cain decided in favor of self, let his bitterness, envy and rage take charge, and he killed his brother.
And the story has continued to this present moment. But what has captivated me in this story is the Lord's warning. Remember the old Lost in Space tv series? I forget the robots name, but his famous line was "Danger Will Robinson. Danger!! Danger!!" And that's God's word to us: DANGER !!!! The entire Bible screams it out: "Watch out, child of God, SIN!! SIN!!" But do we listen?
The mental image I have always had of this verse is that of a hideous little demon, scrunched down against the outside of the house right next to the door, just waiting to leap on me as I come through the door, biting and tearing at me. "Sin is crouching at your door. . ." Ravenous little monster. Never satisfied, never full. Always attacking, attacking, attacking, wanting more and more of your spirit.
The Lord has commanded us: "but you must master it!" Who's in charge here, anyways? TAKE CHARGE over that sin and send it back to hell where it belongs!!! Just as you have made Jesus Christ Lord and Master over your life, so too must you become lord and master over the sin in your life. It wants to devour you, but whose child are you, anyways?
Our Lord and Savior loves us so much that he is warning us every step of the way. But obedience comes so hard to many of us. Hard-headed, stiff-necked people we are. Watch out for those imps of gossip, slander, envy, greed, lust, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness. They are crouching, crouching, ever ready to lunge out at you when you are the least aware. Be ever so vigilant, saint. Put your armour on every day. Be prepared, so that when the powers of hell do strike, they won't find God's temple undefended.
Who is your Master? From whom do you take your orders? If there is sin nipping at your heels, lay it on God's altar of mercy and ask forgiveness. Take charge of your life and master the evil that is trying to ensnare you. NO ONE is safe from the demons of hell. Take charge.
Lord Jesus, I want to be holy, as you are holy. I lay my life before you, I renounce the powers of hell that would hold sway over me. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Set a guard over my lips, that I would not sin against you with my words. Seal my mind with your Holy Spirit, that my thought would be pure and blameless. I lay myself on your altar of mercy. Cover and protect me and lead me in the path of righteousness for your namesaske. Amen.
From the day God created man, He has been about the business of watching over us, protecting us, and yes, WARNING us. His mercy and compassion, right from the get-go, have been constant and steady
In this story we have the origination of sibling rivilary. Yep, this is where we all get it from, saints. Cain was the first-born this side of Eden. The eldest. The one given all the chores to do. Then came Abel. The baby. "Watch your brother, Cain. Don't let anything happen to him." And on and on and on it went. And they grew up. Rivals.
You can probably imagine how things went through the years as the boys grew to adulthood. As Cain matured in years, envy,bitterness and resentment also matured in him, and apparently, this was his nourishment. He fed on it and permitted it to grow in him. (we can deduce this by what happened at the end of the story.)
But God was watching, ever vigilant, not wanting harm to come to anyone. So he talked to Cain, told him He could see what was happening, and he needed to take charge of himself, get a grip on his spirit and watch out for his life. But Cain decided in favor of self, let his bitterness, envy and rage take charge, and he killed his brother.
And the story has continued to this present moment. But what has captivated me in this story is the Lord's warning. Remember the old Lost in Space tv series? I forget the robots name, but his famous line was "Danger Will Robinson. Danger!! Danger!!" And that's God's word to us: DANGER !!!! The entire Bible screams it out: "Watch out, child of God, SIN!! SIN!!" But do we listen?
The mental image I have always had of this verse is that of a hideous little demon, scrunched down against the outside of the house right next to the door, just waiting to leap on me as I come through the door, biting and tearing at me. "Sin is crouching at your door. . ." Ravenous little monster. Never satisfied, never full. Always attacking, attacking, attacking, wanting more and more of your spirit.
The Lord has commanded us: "but you must master it!" Who's in charge here, anyways? TAKE CHARGE over that sin and send it back to hell where it belongs!!! Just as you have made Jesus Christ Lord and Master over your life, so too must you become lord and master over the sin in your life. It wants to devour you, but whose child are you, anyways?
Our Lord and Savior loves us so much that he is warning us every step of the way. But obedience comes so hard to many of us. Hard-headed, stiff-necked people we are. Watch out for those imps of gossip, slander, envy, greed, lust, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness. They are crouching, crouching, ever ready to lunge out at you when you are the least aware. Be ever so vigilant, saint. Put your armour on every day. Be prepared, so that when the powers of hell do strike, they won't find God's temple undefended.
Who is your Master? From whom do you take your orders? If there is sin nipping at your heels, lay it on God's altar of mercy and ask forgiveness. Take charge of your life and master the evil that is trying to ensnare you. NO ONE is safe from the demons of hell. Take charge.
Lord Jesus, I want to be holy, as you are holy. I lay my life before you, I renounce the powers of hell that would hold sway over me. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Set a guard over my lips, that I would not sin against you with my words. Seal my mind with your Holy Spirit, that my thought would be pure and blameless. I lay myself on your altar of mercy. Cover and protect me and lead me in the path of righteousness for your namesaske. Amen.
Psalm 27:1
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"
What an awesome declaration of faith! We usually think of the Apostle's Creed as the universal statement of faith, but Scripture gives us so many more and so many are found in the Psalms. The 23rd Psalm is a mighty, mighty statement of faith for the living. Open your Bible to this psalm and read it out loud, one sentence at a time, with emphasis on every personal pronoun. Hear what you are saying, and believe it in your heart. Incredible!
The Lord is MY light and MY salvation; whom shall I fear? Absolutely no one. So then, what can man do to you? He can beat you up, steal your possessions, maybe even take your life. But he can NEVER steal the joy of your heart, the light of your life, the eternal salvation of your soul, UNLESS you give it up to him. These things can never be forcibly removed from you, they can only be taken with your express permission. And I don't know about you, but I'm not about to relinquish ANYTHING of my Lord and Savior. Nope. Not this girlfriend. I belong to Jesus and He belongs to me. And that's that. I'll share Him with you, but I'll never let Him go.
There is a saying I heard years and years and years ago, and it has been burned into the back of my forehead so that it is ever-present on my mind: "My love for God must become greater then my fear of man."
Think about that for a moment. What is "fear of man?" It's that people-pleasing spirit that sits on our shouldes, whispering in our ears things like "they won't like you if you do that" or "that's not the lastest fashion, you won't fit in" or " you are sooooooooooo fat, no one will love you" or "you're not pretty/handsome enough to go with us" or "if you don't do it their way, you'll be left out" or "you're not famous enough" or "you're not rich enough" or fill in your own hurt. . . . . . . . . . and the list goes on and on and on and on. We want to do things to please people so that we will be accepted. But my love for God must become so intense, so great, so loving, that what man thinks about me doesn't even enter into the equation. After all, just who am I living for? What is my purpose? Who is my light, my salvation, my strength? Who loves me unconditionally, with no strings attached?
What is your statement of faith? Have you found a scripture that states exactly how you feel? If so, print it out, frame it and hang it up for all the world to see. Everything on display in our homes tells the world what we are about. If you haven't found a Scripture yet, ask the Lord to lead you to one, and claim it.
After all, the Lord is MY light and salvation, and I don't fear anyone!!
Thank you, sweet Jesus, for being my all in all. Everyting I have ever needed or ever will need is in you. You are my Rock, my Anchor, the joy of my soul, the sparkle in my eyes, the song in my heart. Praise be your Holy Name. Hold me tight to your heart, don't ever let me stray. I am yours. I love you, Lord, I love you. Amen.
What an awesome declaration of faith! We usually think of the Apostle's Creed as the universal statement of faith, but Scripture gives us so many more and so many are found in the Psalms. The 23rd Psalm is a mighty, mighty statement of faith for the living. Open your Bible to this psalm and read it out loud, one sentence at a time, with emphasis on every personal pronoun. Hear what you are saying, and believe it in your heart. Incredible!
The Lord is MY light and MY salvation; whom shall I fear? Absolutely no one. So then, what can man do to you? He can beat you up, steal your possessions, maybe even take your life. But he can NEVER steal the joy of your heart, the light of your life, the eternal salvation of your soul, UNLESS you give it up to him. These things can never be forcibly removed from you, they can only be taken with your express permission. And I don't know about you, but I'm not about to relinquish ANYTHING of my Lord and Savior. Nope. Not this girlfriend. I belong to Jesus and He belongs to me. And that's that. I'll share Him with you, but I'll never let Him go.
There is a saying I heard years and years and years ago, and it has been burned into the back of my forehead so that it is ever-present on my mind: "My love for God must become greater then my fear of man."
Think about that for a moment. What is "fear of man?" It's that people-pleasing spirit that sits on our shouldes, whispering in our ears things like "they won't like you if you do that" or "that's not the lastest fashion, you won't fit in" or " you are sooooooooooo fat, no one will love you" or "you're not pretty/handsome enough to go with us" or "if you don't do it their way, you'll be left out" or "you're not famous enough" or "you're not rich enough" or fill in your own hurt. . . . . . . . . . and the list goes on and on and on and on. We want to do things to please people so that we will be accepted. But my love for God must become so intense, so great, so loving, that what man thinks about me doesn't even enter into the equation. After all, just who am I living for? What is my purpose? Who is my light, my salvation, my strength? Who loves me unconditionally, with no strings attached?
What is your statement of faith? Have you found a scripture that states exactly how you feel? If so, print it out, frame it and hang it up for all the world to see. Everything on display in our homes tells the world what we are about. If you haven't found a Scripture yet, ask the Lord to lead you to one, and claim it.
After all, the Lord is MY light and salvation, and I don't fear anyone!!
Thank you, sweet Jesus, for being my all in all. Everyting I have ever needed or ever will need is in you. You are my Rock, my Anchor, the joy of my soul, the sparkle in my eyes, the song in my heart. Praise be your Holy Name. Hold me tight to your heart, don't ever let me stray. I am yours. I love you, Lord, I love you. Amen.
Ephesians 6:18
". . . praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints- . . . "
Over and over throughtout scripture, we are exhorted to pray for one another. Continually. As the above scripture tells us "with all perseverance and supplication . . . " 1 Samuel 12:23 says: "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way." Oops...we sin when we don't pray for one another? Uh-oh.
It seems like every time I turn around I find out about a new sin I'm committing. Dear God, will I EVER get things right? Oh God, help me.
I praise God daily for His mercies, which are new every morning. His mercy and grace lead us and teach us in the way we should go. Where, oh where, would we be without Jesus?
Okay, back to the bible. The first chapter of Colossians gives us an excellent outline for praying for one another. You may want to turn to this chapter and read it now. It would probably be good to take all these points and devise a prayer out of them, keeping them handy for our prayer time. (more and more we have more and more to pray for....who has time for anything else?!?!?!?!?)
So, let's list the prayer points:
Prayer is not intended to tell God what we need, he already knows (matt 6). Prayer reminds us of how very much we are dependant on God. Don't neglect the saints when you pray. Look over your "wish list". Does it need re-prioritized? Does something need taken off and something added? Have you asked the Lord what HE wants you to pray for? Are you praying God's heart?
Lord God Almighty, forgive me for not praying as I ought. Teach me to pray YOUR heart, not mine. My list can become overwhelming. Help me to put things in order that I will pray according to your will. Bless the saints, Father, bless them in abundance. Keep them strong in their faith with their eyes always on you. Cover them with your anointing oil so that the fruit of their lives will be pleasing and holy in your sight. Guard them Father, from all evil. In Jesus I ask. Amen.
Over and over throughtout scripture, we are exhorted to pray for one another. Continually. As the above scripture tells us "with all perseverance and supplication . . . " 1 Samuel 12:23 says: "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way." Oops...we sin when we don't pray for one another? Uh-oh.
It seems like every time I turn around I find out about a new sin I'm committing. Dear God, will I EVER get things right? Oh God, help me.
I praise God daily for His mercies, which are new every morning. His mercy and grace lead us and teach us in the way we should go. Where, oh where, would we be without Jesus?
Okay, back to the bible. The first chapter of Colossians gives us an excellent outline for praying for one another. You may want to turn to this chapter and read it now. It would probably be good to take all these points and devise a prayer out of them, keeping them handy for our prayer time. (more and more we have more and more to pray for....who has time for anything else?!?!?!?!?)
So, let's list the prayer points:
- be thankful for the faith and changed lives of the saints (1:3)
- ask God to help them know and understand what he wants the saints to do (1:9)
- ask the Lord to give them deep, deep spiritual understanding (1:9)
- ask the Lord to help them and give them strength to live for Him (1:10)
- to be faithful God-pleasers and fruit-bearers (1:10)
- ask God to give the saints increased knowledge of Himself (1:10)
- ask the Lord to strengthen them for endurance (1:11)
- ask God to fill the saints with joy, strength and thankfulness (1:12)
Prayer is not intended to tell God what we need, he already knows (matt 6). Prayer reminds us of how very much we are dependant on God. Don't neglect the saints when you pray. Look over your "wish list". Does it need re-prioritized? Does something need taken off and something added? Have you asked the Lord what HE wants you to pray for? Are you praying God's heart?
Lord God Almighty, forgive me for not praying as I ought. Teach me to pray YOUR heart, not mine. My list can become overwhelming. Help me to put things in order that I will pray according to your will. Bless the saints, Father, bless them in abundance. Keep them strong in their faith with their eyes always on you. Cover them with your anointing oil so that the fruit of their lives will be pleasing and holy in your sight. Guard them Father, from all evil. In Jesus I ask. Amen.
2 Chronicles 7:14 - a teaching
". . . I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land."
In teaching the Old Testament, we must remember that what happened then in the natural happens now in the New Testament in the spirit. That being said, Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and now God blessed the work and promised to receive the sacrifices presented there. In the N.T., WE are now the temple, and we sacrifice to the Lord in our temple. O.T. natural, N.T. spiritual. Okay?
God said four things had to happen before He would do anything: we must humble themselves AND pray AND seek God's face AND stop sinning. Not one or two or any combination thereof, but ALL FOUR had to be done in order for God to bring forth His blessing of healing. But that isn't preached today. Oh, and by the way, it has to happen in that order I believe. In Scripture, the order in which things are place in the sentence determines their importance. Hmmmm..... humility is in the number one position.... hmmmm.... not much of that in the Body of Christ today, sorry to say.
The defination of humility is: "a freedom from arrogance that grows out of the recognition that all we have and are comes from God." The key phrase here is "freedom from arrogance." Biblical humility "is an exalting or praising of others, especially God and Christ. A humble person, then, focuses more on God and others then on himself." Sadly, in the church today, I don't see a whole lot of that, but I DO see arrogance and drawing attention to self in many, many programs. We definately need humility.
Pray. Well now. When it comes to having coperate prayer time, there's usually a whole lot of other stuff going on and the praying falls to a handful. In my church, there are over a thousand attendees, but when we have a prayer meeting once a month, maybe twenty show up. Too many other things going on to com and pray to God for the church and our own lives. But then, if we can't humble ourselves, then the prayer time won't come either.
The third condition God requires is that we seek His face. Do you begin to see where things are going here? In order to seek God's face, we must put him above everything else. We must be humble and prayerful, for we will only find God's face when we have cast off ourselves and gone to prayer. A very natural progression here. Nothing out of order. But all of this takes work. We must seek God's face to know what His will is for the Body of Christ and our nation.
And lastly, we are commanded to turn from our wicked ways. Nothing kind here. STOP SINNING!!! But then, the Body of Christ isn't wicked. We don't do sinful things like gossip, slander, adultery, fornication, lie, witchcraft, greed and envy. I'd say the church needs to clean up it's act and right now seems like as good a time as any to start.
God has promised to hear from heaven, to forgive our sins and to heal our land, ONLY when ALL FOUR conditions have been met. Are we willing to be totally obiedient? We don't serve a cafeteria god who lets us pick and choose which commands we want to obey. He tells us how it will be and we will either bow to Him or not.
The rest of the chapter is beautiful. God says that his eyes will be open and his ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place, meaning the temple. The O.T. temple in Jerusalem and this N.T. body-temple of the Holy Spirit. God said he has chosen and consecrated this temple so that His Name mey be there forever. His eyes and heart will always be there. Awesome beyond words, these promises of God. They will go into eternity.
How badly do you want God dwelling in your temple? He has consecrated it. How badly do you want God to hear you? What are you willing to do so He will listen?
In teaching the Old Testament, we must remember that what happened then in the natural happens now in the New Testament in the spirit. That being said, Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and now God blessed the work and promised to receive the sacrifices presented there. In the N.T., WE are now the temple, and we sacrifice to the Lord in our temple. O.T. natural, N.T. spiritual. Okay?
God said four things had to happen before He would do anything: we must humble themselves AND pray AND seek God's face AND stop sinning. Not one or two or any combination thereof, but ALL FOUR had to be done in order for God to bring forth His blessing of healing. But that isn't preached today. Oh, and by the way, it has to happen in that order I believe. In Scripture, the order in which things are place in the sentence determines their importance. Hmmmm..... humility is in the number one position.... hmmmm.... not much of that in the Body of Christ today, sorry to say.
The defination of humility is: "a freedom from arrogance that grows out of the recognition that all we have and are comes from God." The key phrase here is "freedom from arrogance." Biblical humility "is an exalting or praising of others, especially God and Christ. A humble person, then, focuses more on God and others then on himself." Sadly, in the church today, I don't see a whole lot of that, but I DO see arrogance and drawing attention to self in many, many programs. We definately need humility.
Pray. Well now. When it comes to having coperate prayer time, there's usually a whole lot of other stuff going on and the praying falls to a handful. In my church, there are over a thousand attendees, but when we have a prayer meeting once a month, maybe twenty show up. Too many other things going on to com and pray to God for the church and our own lives. But then, if we can't humble ourselves, then the prayer time won't come either.
The third condition God requires is that we seek His face. Do you begin to see where things are going here? In order to seek God's face, we must put him above everything else. We must be humble and prayerful, for we will only find God's face when we have cast off ourselves and gone to prayer. A very natural progression here. Nothing out of order. But all of this takes work. We must seek God's face to know what His will is for the Body of Christ and our nation.
And lastly, we are commanded to turn from our wicked ways. Nothing kind here. STOP SINNING!!! But then, the Body of Christ isn't wicked. We don't do sinful things like gossip, slander, adultery, fornication, lie, witchcraft, greed and envy. I'd say the church needs to clean up it's act and right now seems like as good a time as any to start.
God has promised to hear from heaven, to forgive our sins and to heal our land, ONLY when ALL FOUR conditions have been met. Are we willing to be totally obiedient? We don't serve a cafeteria god who lets us pick and choose which commands we want to obey. He tells us how it will be and we will either bow to Him or not.
The rest of the chapter is beautiful. God says that his eyes will be open and his ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place, meaning the temple. The O.T. temple in Jerusalem and this N.T. body-temple of the Holy Spirit. God said he has chosen and consecrated this temple so that His Name mey be there forever. His eyes and heart will always be there. Awesome beyond words, these promises of God. They will go into eternity.
How badly do you want God dwelling in your temple? He has consecrated it. How badly do you want God to hear you? What are you willing to do so He will listen?
Psalm 1:3
"Blessed is the man . . . He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither."
Once upon a time, outsde a church I used to attend, stood three trees. They were their own little group, set somewhat apart from the rest of the trees in this wooded area, but not too far. And they told me a story.
From a distance, one tree looked lush and green, full of leaves and standing tall. The second tree was completely dead, a veritable smorgasboard for the woodpeckers. And the last tree had no bark on it at all, it looked to have been wind-stripped. But you could see new shoots growing out of its roots and there were lush green leaves on its thin, spindly branches.
Closer inspection showed the first tree to be almost hollow inside. The branches and leaves were drawing their nourishmet from the surface as the inside died. It was not stable, and would eventually crumble, taking others with it. The second tree had given it up altogether, and yet it was still standing, a danger to everything around it. If a strong wind came along, it would be knocked over and it most certainly would bring down death and distruction with it. The last tree was standing tall, looking battered and bruised, bark stripped off, gouges where tree limbs and other things had hit it leaving scars and tracings. Yet for all its seeming ugliness, it was deeply rooted and its limbs and leaves were receivng good nourishment, and new shoots were growing out of it's roots.
What a perfect picture of the church, the Body of Christ. Some give the appearence of being full of life, drawing others to themselves by their appearance, yet offering nothing but superficial life, not having taken in adequate nourshiment for themselves, therefore unable to adequately feed and reproduce. Their roots have no depth. They can barely sustain themselves. When life's adversities strike, their shallow roots will not be able to hold them up. They,and everyone who clings to them, will fall. Sure dsaster.
Others are just plain dead. No life whatsoever. You see them all the time. Sad, stony faces, unbendable in spirit and body, refusing to participate in life and defying anyone to come near them spititually and emotionally. They take up space and offer nothng. Yep, we have them for sure.
But the last tree is more common then anyone thinks. These trees are mixed in all through the forrest, living out their lives, taking in nourishment, putting out new shoots all the time, taking the knocks of the world, but continuing to stand and do what they were called to do. The faithful ones. Not always noticed but always there. They bend with the winds but always come back up, not breaking and offering security to others through their faithfulness. Scarred from battles but tenacious and true to their faith. And ever producing fruit.
Which tree are you? Pretty on the outside but dead inside? Shallow roots that refuse strong nourishment? Or completely dead to your calling, refusing to live the life you were called to? Or battered and tattered, looking worn and at times haggard, yet ever producing the fruit of your calling, drawing nourishmet from your Creator and others around you and putting down deep, deep roots in the Lord.
Do you need trasplanted and fertilized anew? The Master Gardner waits.
Lord God of heaven and earth, you who created all things for your express purposes, fill me anew with your holy nourishment. Let my tap root go deep, deep in you. Let your holy oil flow through me, feeding me and enabling me to send out new shoots, new growth for you. Let me be a blessing to your name. Amen
Once upon a time, outsde a church I used to attend, stood three trees. They were their own little group, set somewhat apart from the rest of the trees in this wooded area, but not too far. And they told me a story.
From a distance, one tree looked lush and green, full of leaves and standing tall. The second tree was completely dead, a veritable smorgasboard for the woodpeckers. And the last tree had no bark on it at all, it looked to have been wind-stripped. But you could see new shoots growing out of its roots and there were lush green leaves on its thin, spindly branches.
Closer inspection showed the first tree to be almost hollow inside. The branches and leaves were drawing their nourishmet from the surface as the inside died. It was not stable, and would eventually crumble, taking others with it. The second tree had given it up altogether, and yet it was still standing, a danger to everything around it. If a strong wind came along, it would be knocked over and it most certainly would bring down death and distruction with it. The last tree was standing tall, looking battered and bruised, bark stripped off, gouges where tree limbs and other things had hit it leaving scars and tracings. Yet for all its seeming ugliness, it was deeply rooted and its limbs and leaves were receivng good nourishment, and new shoots were growing out of it's roots.
What a perfect picture of the church, the Body of Christ. Some give the appearence of being full of life, drawing others to themselves by their appearance, yet offering nothing but superficial life, not having taken in adequate nourshiment for themselves, therefore unable to adequately feed and reproduce. Their roots have no depth. They can barely sustain themselves. When life's adversities strike, their shallow roots will not be able to hold them up. They,and everyone who clings to them, will fall. Sure dsaster.
Others are just plain dead. No life whatsoever. You see them all the time. Sad, stony faces, unbendable in spirit and body, refusing to participate in life and defying anyone to come near them spititually and emotionally. They take up space and offer nothng. Yep, we have them for sure.
But the last tree is more common then anyone thinks. These trees are mixed in all through the forrest, living out their lives, taking in nourishment, putting out new shoots all the time, taking the knocks of the world, but continuing to stand and do what they were called to do. The faithful ones. Not always noticed but always there. They bend with the winds but always come back up, not breaking and offering security to others through their faithfulness. Scarred from battles but tenacious and true to their faith. And ever producing fruit.
Which tree are you? Pretty on the outside but dead inside? Shallow roots that refuse strong nourishment? Or completely dead to your calling, refusing to live the life you were called to? Or battered and tattered, looking worn and at times haggard, yet ever producing the fruit of your calling, drawing nourishmet from your Creator and others around you and putting down deep, deep roots in the Lord.
Do you need trasplanted and fertilized anew? The Master Gardner waits.
Lord God of heaven and earth, you who created all things for your express purposes, fill me anew with your holy nourishment. Let my tap root go deep, deep in you. Let your holy oil flow through me, feeding me and enabling me to send out new shoots, new growth for you. Let me be a blessing to your name. Amen
John 4:7
"When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, 'Will you give me a drink?' ".
I love this story of the woman at the well, but not for the usual reason. It is a fabulous story of redemption and evangelization, but there's also another aspect to it that is pretty much overlooked. I was reading this story quite some time ago and I asked Jesus to show me something in it that I didn't know, and wow!! did He ever open my eyes. I just LOVE it when I ask like this and the answer is instantly given!!!
Jesus and the disciples had been out in the Galilee region and were on their way back home, having to take the route through Samaria. This would be a nice spot for a bit of history and geography, but we'll forego that for the moment. It was a long, hot, dusty, dirty walk and they had used up all the bottled spring water that had been in their backpacks. And as the scripture goes, Jesus was tired and sat down by the well. (why is it that we never think that Jesus ever got tired, or hungry or thirsty . . . . . ) Along comes this pretty Samaritan woman (she must have been pretty to have had 6 men in her life) and Jesus asks her for a drink. Simple request. Nothing hard. Please, may I have a drink, I'm really parched.
Well, the usual thing happened when we don't want to do something, we make excuses. And that's exactly what this woman did. She gave a whole list of excuses, and then decided to have a conversation with Jesus. Before long, she dropped what she was doing and ran back to her village.
We (hopefully) and Jesus are one, while the Samaritan woman represents the world. Children of God have times of thirst and hunger and we reach out to others to help us refill our resivoirs. But we must realize that you can never turn to the world for your spiritual refreshing because you will never receive it. People of the world have absolutely no idea what people of God require for refreshment, therefore they cannot provide it. Sadly, even in the church we must use spiritual discernment in determining who we trust with spiritual matters.
The woman at the well never gave Jesus a drink and people of the world will never give you one, either. Only in Christ will we find our complete refreshment and no where else. Go ahead and look, but you're wasting your time.
Is your spirit so tuned in to the Holy Spirit that you can instantly ask for direction in spiritual matters and you know, KNOW, that you are going to receive an answer? When you are asked a question, will you start giving excuses or will you instantly call upon the Lord, knowing the answer is coming? When you're dry and thirsty, when your spirit is yearning for a drop of spiritual nourishment, where do you go? To whom do you turn? Are your needs being met?
Lord Jesus, I thirst for you. As King David said, as the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for you my God. Fill me, nourish me, refresh me with your Holy Spirit, that I may share with others the joy of your salvation. Amen.
I love this story of the woman at the well, but not for the usual reason. It is a fabulous story of redemption and evangelization, but there's also another aspect to it that is pretty much overlooked. I was reading this story quite some time ago and I asked Jesus to show me something in it that I didn't know, and wow!! did He ever open my eyes. I just LOVE it when I ask like this and the answer is instantly given!!!
Jesus and the disciples had been out in the Galilee region and were on their way back home, having to take the route through Samaria. This would be a nice spot for a bit of history and geography, but we'll forego that for the moment. It was a long, hot, dusty, dirty walk and they had used up all the bottled spring water that had been in their backpacks. And as the scripture goes, Jesus was tired and sat down by the well. (why is it that we never think that Jesus ever got tired, or hungry or thirsty . . . . . ) Along comes this pretty Samaritan woman (she must have been pretty to have had 6 men in her life) and Jesus asks her for a drink. Simple request. Nothing hard. Please, may I have a drink, I'm really parched.
Well, the usual thing happened when we don't want to do something, we make excuses. And that's exactly what this woman did. She gave a whole list of excuses, and then decided to have a conversation with Jesus. Before long, she dropped what she was doing and ran back to her village.
We (hopefully) and Jesus are one, while the Samaritan woman represents the world. Children of God have times of thirst and hunger and we reach out to others to help us refill our resivoirs. But we must realize that you can never turn to the world for your spiritual refreshing because you will never receive it. People of the world have absolutely no idea what people of God require for refreshment, therefore they cannot provide it. Sadly, even in the church we must use spiritual discernment in determining who we trust with spiritual matters.
The woman at the well never gave Jesus a drink and people of the world will never give you one, either. Only in Christ will we find our complete refreshment and no where else. Go ahead and look, but you're wasting your time.
Is your spirit so tuned in to the Holy Spirit that you can instantly ask for direction in spiritual matters and you know, KNOW, that you are going to receive an answer? When you are asked a question, will you start giving excuses or will you instantly call upon the Lord, knowing the answer is coming? When you're dry and thirsty, when your spirit is yearning for a drop of spiritual nourishment, where do you go? To whom do you turn? Are your needs being met?
Lord Jesus, I thirst for you. As King David said, as the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for you my God. Fill me, nourish me, refresh me with your Holy Spirit, that I may share with others the joy of your salvation. Amen.
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