"In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord."
Poor Hannah. She had a husband who loved her but she couldn't have children. Her husband's concubine gave him children and then ridiculed Hannah for being barren. Her husband couldn't solve any of these problems and when she went to the temple to pray, the high priest thought she had finally gone over the edge. From all appearances, Hannah had every right and more to be bitter, and yet she didn't let it fester in her and come out in retaliation. Hannah took her problem to the only person she knew who could help her - God. Hannah had faith in God and she relied on that faith to see her through the most difficult time of life.
There isn't one of us that can't identify with Hannah. It may not be in actual childbearing, but all of us have had plans and dreams and hopes that we wanted to "birth", and yet nothing came of them. Many have had or still have terrible life situations. The reasons for the "un-happenings" are as many as there are of us who have unfulfilled dreams and needs. And I don't doubt that many, many of us have cried buckets of bitter tears over seemingly lost hopes. Some may even have allowed the bitterness to escape from their hearts and ended up living hateful lives. But we can take our example from Hannah and instead of striking out at the world, we prostrate ourselves before the Lord.
It can be so very difficult to pray in faith when we have horrible, adverse conditions in our lives. Our basic instinct is to strike out and hurt whatever or whoever has hurt us, but that's not God's way. The Holy Spirit draws us, calls to us to bring our burdens to the Lord, to lay them at His feet, to leave them there and allow the Lord to work out the problem according to His wisdom. He knows the plans He has for us and He wants to put them to work. We must take our hands off and leave everything entirely in the hands of the Lord. We must be like Abraham when he was to sacrifice Isaac - we must put everything on the altar of God and leave it there - no strings attached. We must be like Hannah, fully relying on God to answer our prayers in His time and in His way to His glory and honor.
Have we taken our burdens, our hurts and deep needs only to the Lord? Have we prostrated ourselves before Him and cried out loud to Him? Have we ignored what the world thought and said and sought only our Lord and Master? Have we fully trusted in God as Hannah did? Have we submitted ourselves to God's will for us, no matter what that will may be?
Instead of whining and complaining and doing nothing about what is bothering us, let us take our cue from Hannah and go directly to our Savior and Master and let Him handle the problems for us. Our job is to take our hurts, broken lives and dreams to the Master and His job is to fix the problem. Period. Amen. Why, oh why, do we feel the need to control everything? Let go and let God.
"Jesus, Master, lover of my soul, I know you want only the best for me, yet I rail against waiting on You. My natural self desires to be in control and sometimes it wins. Forgive me, Lord, and help me to lay everything at Your feet, leaving it there. My mind trusts you completely, but I don't think my heart does. I believe, Jesus, heal my unbeief. Teach me to trust You implicitly. My only desire is for You to be glorified by my life. I love you. Amen"
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
1 Samuel 1:27
Psalm 66:20
Mark 11:24
Psalm 5:2
39:12
Luke 8:46
18:1-3
Ruth 1:1 - You can run, but you can't hide . . . .
"In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab."
In the days when the judges ruled - a dark time for Israel, a time of spiritual adultery and moral decay; there was a famine in the land - a lack of food and a horrendous hunger for the Torah; and a man from Bethlehem in Judah - the Promised Land; . . . went to live for a while in the country of Moab - oppressors of Israel.
Elimelech did everything wrong. He walked away from his homeland to a place which was the enemy of Israel and even worse spiritually and morally then the one he left. In addition, Hebrew law forbade leaving the Promised Land during a time of famine. It stated that you still had more with God in a famine then what you would find in a well-stocked land wihout God. It indicated a direct lack of trust in the provision of God. In doing this, Elimelech subjected his family to additional judgment of God for his direct disobedience - he lost his fortune; his standing in the community; his life; and his sons died; leaving Naomi alone and destitute in a foreign, male-dominated society. Our sin of disobedience not only destroys us, but can cause terrible repercussions for others.
The times today are not much different then they were 3,000 years ago. There is spiritual crisis, violence, and moral decay happening all around us. Our country is not in a physical famine, but a deep spiritual one. There isn't any place we can run to and hide, and what we do seriously affects others.
Elimelech's sin was that he did not seek what God wanted for him and his family, thereby causing the domino-effect tragedy. Primary in the life of the Christian is to seek the will of God IN ALL THINGS. God has only His very best in mind for us, but when we go off on our own tangent, doing things our own way without consulting our commander-in-chief for the correct marching orders, we manage to make a very big mess of things, not only for ourselves but for all those in our lives as well. The "domino effect" is very present and very active in our lives also. Then, just like Israel, we cry "HELP" and expect the Lord to bail us out. Because He loves us, He helps us, but we must bear the consequences of our actions, just like Naomi and Ruth had to bear the consequences of Elimelech's actions. The rest of the Book of Ruth is the story of redemption and restoration, but not without suffering and pain. Jesus Christ bought our redemption and restoration, also not without suffering and pain. And we experience much suffering and pain when we deviate from the Lord's ways.
This verse of Scripture asks us these questions:
"Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of grace. Please, help me to not take your gift for granted, to turn this blessing into "cheap grace". Forgive me for being so self-centered, for wanting to do things my own way, for not asking you what Your wishes are for my life. Create in me a new spirit my God, and place within me a new desire to seek your provision for my life. I only want to do Your will. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Jeremiah 29:11
Romans 12:2
1 Thessalonians 5:18
1 Peter 2:15
Mark 3:35
John 6:40
7:17
Acts 18:21
Romans 1:10
8:27
15:32
1 Peter 4:19
In the days when the judges ruled - a dark time for Israel, a time of spiritual adultery and moral decay; there was a famine in the land - a lack of food and a horrendous hunger for the Torah; and a man from Bethlehem in Judah - the Promised Land; . . . went to live for a while in the country of Moab - oppressors of Israel.
Elimelech did everything wrong. He walked away from his homeland to a place which was the enemy of Israel and even worse spiritually and morally then the one he left. In addition, Hebrew law forbade leaving the Promised Land during a time of famine. It stated that you still had more with God in a famine then what you would find in a well-stocked land wihout God. It indicated a direct lack of trust in the provision of God. In doing this, Elimelech subjected his family to additional judgment of God for his direct disobedience - he lost his fortune; his standing in the community; his life; and his sons died; leaving Naomi alone and destitute in a foreign, male-dominated society. Our sin of disobedience not only destroys us, but can cause terrible repercussions for others.
The times today are not much different then they were 3,000 years ago. There is spiritual crisis, violence, and moral decay happening all around us. Our country is not in a physical famine, but a deep spiritual one. There isn't any place we can run to and hide, and what we do seriously affects others.
Elimelech's sin was that he did not seek what God wanted for him and his family, thereby causing the domino-effect tragedy. Primary in the life of the Christian is to seek the will of God IN ALL THINGS. God has only His very best in mind for us, but when we go off on our own tangent, doing things our own way without consulting our commander-in-chief for the correct marching orders, we manage to make a very big mess of things, not only for ourselves but for all those in our lives as well. The "domino effect" is very present and very active in our lives also. Then, just like Israel, we cry "HELP" and expect the Lord to bail us out. Because He loves us, He helps us, but we must bear the consequences of our actions, just like Naomi and Ruth had to bear the consequences of Elimelech's actions. The rest of the Book of Ruth is the story of redemption and restoration, but not without suffering and pain. Jesus Christ bought our redemption and restoration, also not without suffering and pain. And we experience much suffering and pain when we deviate from the Lord's ways.
This verse of Scripture asks us these questions:
- have I sought God's will for all things in my life?
- have I run from God's provision for my life because I didn't like the way it was happening?
- have my actions brought harm or grace to others?
- am I willing to admit my mistake?
- have my actions led others to Christ, or driven them away?
"Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of grace. Please, help me to not take your gift for granted, to turn this blessing into "cheap grace". Forgive me for being so self-centered, for wanting to do things my own way, for not asking you what Your wishes are for my life. Create in me a new spirit my God, and place within me a new desire to seek your provision for my life. I only want to do Your will. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Jeremiah 29:11
Romans 12:2
1 Thessalonians 5:18
1 Peter 2:15
Mark 3:35
John 6:40
7:17
Acts 18:21
Romans 1:10
8:27
15:32
1 Peter 4:19
Judges 3:15 - You want me to do WHAT ?????
"Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and He gave them a deliverer - Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon King of Moab."
Ehud was a man out of place in his time. He was a judge and deliverer of Israel. He was radical and violent. He was a murderer. He went to war with swiftness and deadliness. He was a frontline leader. He gave Israel 80 years of peace. He is a man we find great difficulty relating to. Ehud faced many external enemies: Eglon, king of Moab; Ammonites; and the Amelekites; just to name a few. But for all the things that he did, we cannot ignore him as a leader. And he had what was considered a handicap - he was left-handed.
So what does this man have to tell us about our relationship with God? Ehud fought against powerful natural enemies; we fight against the power of sin. Ehud took drastic measures to conquer his enemies in the natural; we must take drastic measures to conquer the sin in our lives. Ehud stepped up to the plate when God called him; he chose to obey God' and God delivered Israel through this man who was considered handicapped because he was left-handed. In this narrative we read of a cry of repentance; a man with a handicap; and radical actions.
Israel cried for deliverance and God sent them a man with a unique ability who was God's instrument in a very unorthodox manner. When we ask the Lord for help, He may send it in ways we would never expect. And you may think you have nothing to offer the Lord, but never forget that HE made you just as you are and He will use you just as your are, if you allow Him to. We may very well be the tool God wants to use in someone else's life - ever think of that? Complaining about how talented we are not; the gifts we do not have; the abilities we are lacking; is simply criticizing God for creating a mistake. God doesn't make mistakes and He had planned on how and when He would use us before the creation of the world. How dare we tell Him He made a mistake!!! Oops, is our arrogance is showing?
"Thank you, Jesus, for making me who I am; especially who I am in You. Forgive me for thinking so poorly of myself and help me to see myself through your eyes. Use me in what ever way You wish, I am yours. I pray my life is an honor to your Name. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Psalm 119:73-74
138:3
2 Corinthians 12:9
Psalm 16:5
73:28
100:3
139:14
Isaiah 55:4
Ephesians 4:22-24
Ehud was a man out of place in his time. He was a judge and deliverer of Israel. He was radical and violent. He was a murderer. He went to war with swiftness and deadliness. He was a frontline leader. He gave Israel 80 years of peace. He is a man we find great difficulty relating to. Ehud faced many external enemies: Eglon, king of Moab; Ammonites; and the Amelekites; just to name a few. But for all the things that he did, we cannot ignore him as a leader. And he had what was considered a handicap - he was left-handed.
So what does this man have to tell us about our relationship with God? Ehud fought against powerful natural enemies; we fight against the power of sin. Ehud took drastic measures to conquer his enemies in the natural; we must take drastic measures to conquer the sin in our lives. Ehud stepped up to the plate when God called him; he chose to obey God' and God delivered Israel through this man who was considered handicapped because he was left-handed. In this narrative we read of a cry of repentance; a man with a handicap; and radical actions.
Israel cried for deliverance and God sent them a man with a unique ability who was God's instrument in a very unorthodox manner. When we ask the Lord for help, He may send it in ways we would never expect. And you may think you have nothing to offer the Lord, but never forget that HE made you just as you are and He will use you just as your are, if you allow Him to. We may very well be the tool God wants to use in someone else's life - ever think of that? Complaining about how talented we are not; the gifts we do not have; the abilities we are lacking; is simply criticizing God for creating a mistake. God doesn't make mistakes and He had planned on how and when He would use us before the creation of the world. How dare we tell Him He made a mistake!!! Oops, is our arrogance is showing?
- When was the last time God showed me something wrong in my life and I took immediate and painful action to correct the error?
- When was the last time I asked God how he could use something unique about me?
- When was the last time I made a plan to obey God in some specific area of my life and then followed through on that plan?
- When was the last time my life was an example to others of obedience to God?
"Thank you, Jesus, for making me who I am; especially who I am in You. Forgive me for thinking so poorly of myself and help me to see myself through your eyes. Use me in what ever way You wish, I am yours. I pray my life is an honor to your Name. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Psalm 119:73-74
138:3
2 Corinthians 12:9
Psalm 16:5
73:28
100:3
139:14
Isaiah 55:4
Ephesians 4:22-24
Joshua 4:10 - Come on now, you can do it!
"Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua."
Oh, the glory of the Lord, His mercies to us never ceases to amaze me. These Old Testament word pictures are simply astounding. The Israelites are crossing over the Jordan into the Promised Land. History tells us that the Jordan River was at flood stage at this time of the year, so the river was raging and there was no feasible way for Israel to cross without drowning. The priests are ordered to take up the Ark of the Covenant, which was the physical habitation of the Lord at that time, and walk into the middle of the Jordan River. No small feat for a fearful people but the priests were obedient. Immediately their feet touched water, it began to part until they stood in the middle of the river bed and a path for the people had been made. Another parting of the sea, this time for a new generation of Israelites.
So, what is the meaning of this verse and how does it apply to us today? When God orders something done, when we are obedient to Him, He is ALWAYS in the center of it. Our Master does not command us to do anything that He is not always a part of. He does not leave us stranded, as orphans, but stays with us, never leaving us. He has promised that and He is true to His word. In the Old Testament, God was present in the Ark of the Covenant, a visible sign to Israel of His presence and power. Today, Jesus Christ is present with us by the power of His Holy Spirit in a one-on-one personal relationship. He is still with us in everything we do. He still guides and directs us, leading us in the path of righteousness for His namesake.
Just as Israel had to step out in blind, unfaltering obedience, fully trusting in the saving power of God Almighty, so we must also follow, most times blindly, but always trusting in the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. When we do, we are always blessed. Trust and obey, there is no other way . . . the old hymn says it so beautifully. Our Savior and Master has never let us down and He never will. And just as He gave the O.T. priests the tools to do what He asked (take the Ark and stand in the middle of the river), He also provides us with whatever tools are necessary to carry out His commands today. He never sends us unequipped or unattended. When we refuse to act on what the Lord has asked of us, we are simply stating that we don't believe God will do what he says. Our faith must be total and unfaltering, pure blind trust in the Lord.
Is your trust in the Lord complete or do you hold back? What is it that stops your complete faith in Jesus?
"Loving Lord, it is so easy for me to say I have faith and so hard to fully walk in it. Forgive me my lack of trust. Strengthen me by Your most Holy Spirit, fill me with faith and trust so that I will respond instantly when you ask. I believe that Your word is true, make it revelation in my spirit. Help me to be the child You created me to be. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Luke 22:32
Joshua 1:5
Numbers 23:19
Psalm 100:5
145:13
Proverbs 2:8
Matthew 8:26
9:22
13:58
Mark 4:40
6:6
James 14:18
1 John 2:21
Oh, the glory of the Lord, His mercies to us never ceases to amaze me. These Old Testament word pictures are simply astounding. The Israelites are crossing over the Jordan into the Promised Land. History tells us that the Jordan River was at flood stage at this time of the year, so the river was raging and there was no feasible way for Israel to cross without drowning. The priests are ordered to take up the Ark of the Covenant, which was the physical habitation of the Lord at that time, and walk into the middle of the Jordan River. No small feat for a fearful people but the priests were obedient. Immediately their feet touched water, it began to part until they stood in the middle of the river bed and a path for the people had been made. Another parting of the sea, this time for a new generation of Israelites.
So, what is the meaning of this verse and how does it apply to us today? When God orders something done, when we are obedient to Him, He is ALWAYS in the center of it. Our Master does not command us to do anything that He is not always a part of. He does not leave us stranded, as orphans, but stays with us, never leaving us. He has promised that and He is true to His word. In the Old Testament, God was present in the Ark of the Covenant, a visible sign to Israel of His presence and power. Today, Jesus Christ is present with us by the power of His Holy Spirit in a one-on-one personal relationship. He is still with us in everything we do. He still guides and directs us, leading us in the path of righteousness for His namesake.
Just as Israel had to step out in blind, unfaltering obedience, fully trusting in the saving power of God Almighty, so we must also follow, most times blindly, but always trusting in the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. When we do, we are always blessed. Trust and obey, there is no other way . . . the old hymn says it so beautifully. Our Savior and Master has never let us down and He never will. And just as He gave the O.T. priests the tools to do what He asked (take the Ark and stand in the middle of the river), He also provides us with whatever tools are necessary to carry out His commands today. He never sends us unequipped or unattended. When we refuse to act on what the Lord has asked of us, we are simply stating that we don't believe God will do what he says. Our faith must be total and unfaltering, pure blind trust in the Lord.
Is your trust in the Lord complete or do you hold back? What is it that stops your complete faith in Jesus?
"Loving Lord, it is so easy for me to say I have faith and so hard to fully walk in it. Forgive me my lack of trust. Strengthen me by Your most Holy Spirit, fill me with faith and trust so that I will respond instantly when you ask. I believe that Your word is true, make it revelation in my spirit. Help me to be the child You created me to be. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Luke 22:32
Joshua 1:5
Numbers 23:19
Psalm 100:5
145:13
Proverbs 2:8
Matthew 8:26
9:22
13:58
Mark 4:40
6:6
James 14:18
1 John 2:21
Deuteronomy 5:29 - Lean Mateys, Lean !!
Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!
incline: to cause to lean or bend in a particular direction.
The Lord God was speaking here with Moses and He told him that He wanted the people to bend their hearts in a particular direction, in respect and obedience to Him. Not in the fear of reprisal, but reverence and awe. And God gave two reasons why they should do this: (1) that life would be well for the adults; and (2) because the adults respected and obeyed God and taught their children to do the same, life would be well for their children FOREVER! Now THAT'S something awesome!
Everything we do has a ripple effect, either good or bad. We can emphatically assert that even the tiniest action will affect others in some way. And here, God is stating that when we live a life that respects, honors and obeys Him, the ripple effect will go out in a very positive way and the effects on us and OUR CHILDREN will be for the good forever. Our God is not looking out just for us, but for all of our issue until He returns!!!!! It don't get no better then that friends.
God has promised good to all who will love, respect and obey Him, but we must play a part in this also. We must teach our children and those we love to follow in His steps. Our children are a gift from God that must be cherished, protected, and taught the ways of the Lord. And we do this by our ACTIONS and DEEDS more then our speeches and sermons. Our children watch everything we do and they copy us. So the question is: what are they seeing? Is the Fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - evidenced in our lives? Is our speech kind and gentle? Do those around us hear us praising and thanking Jesus Christ for His mercies an compassions on a consistent and constant basis?
Have we bent our hearts in reverence, awe, and complete obedience to Almighty God?
"Lord Jesus, Master of all that I am and am not, forgive me and strengthen me to do your bidding. My heart wants only you, but I am weak and often fall. Speak to me, Jesus, fill my heart with praise and worship for You. I want to honor yo with my life. Help me to incline my heart to You, and You alone. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Psalm 119:9-16
Psalm 81:14-14
Proverbs 22:6
1 John 5:2-3
incline: to cause to lean or bend in a particular direction.
The Lord God was speaking here with Moses and He told him that He wanted the people to bend their hearts in a particular direction, in respect and obedience to Him. Not in the fear of reprisal, but reverence and awe. And God gave two reasons why they should do this: (1) that life would be well for the adults; and (2) because the adults respected and obeyed God and taught their children to do the same, life would be well for their children FOREVER! Now THAT'S something awesome!
Everything we do has a ripple effect, either good or bad. We can emphatically assert that even the tiniest action will affect others in some way. And here, God is stating that when we live a life that respects, honors and obeys Him, the ripple effect will go out in a very positive way and the effects on us and OUR CHILDREN will be for the good forever. Our God is not looking out just for us, but for all of our issue until He returns!!!!! It don't get no better then that friends.
God has promised good to all who will love, respect and obey Him, but we must play a part in this also. We must teach our children and those we love to follow in His steps. Our children are a gift from God that must be cherished, protected, and taught the ways of the Lord. And we do this by our ACTIONS and DEEDS more then our speeches and sermons. Our children watch everything we do and they copy us. So the question is: what are they seeing? Is the Fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - evidenced in our lives? Is our speech kind and gentle? Do those around us hear us praising and thanking Jesus Christ for His mercies an compassions on a consistent and constant basis?
Have we bent our hearts in reverence, awe, and complete obedience to Almighty God?
"Lord Jesus, Master of all that I am and am not, forgive me and strengthen me to do your bidding. My heart wants only you, but I am weak and often fall. Speak to me, Jesus, fill my heart with praise and worship for You. I want to honor yo with my life. Help me to incline my heart to You, and You alone. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Psalm 119:9-16
Psalm 81:14-14
Proverbs 22:6
1 John 5:2-3
Levitcus 10:1-2 - Wrong way, Corrigan !!!!!!!!
"Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to His command. So fire came out from the presence of he Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord."
The Old Testament was a harrowing time spiritually. If you did not follow exactly what the Lord God commanded, He literally took your life. There was virtually no room for error, especially in the priesthood. Those who ministered before the Lord had to follow the law precisely with no deviation at all. One little mistake and it was the end. There was no grace. In this instance, the fire on the altar of burnt offering was to never go out; one of the priestly duties was to make sure it was always burning. Apparently the two boys had neglected their obligations and in a moment of whatever, lit the fire inappropriately. The key word in this scripture is "unauthorized" or not sanctioned. They treated, or ministered to the Lord in an UNHOLY manner. And God dealt severely with them.
Old Testament or New, we serve a MOST HOLY GOD. That will never, ever change. God demands, requires, deserves our utmost respect. Just because we are now under grace because of Jesus does NOT give us license to disrespect Him. And yet, for the most part, we make no preparations before we come into His presence. We sit in church on a Sunday morning yaking and blabbing and discussing everything under the sun but God, and as soon as the pastor steps up, we have "instant worship". We have not spent time preparing our hearts to enter the Throne Room of Almighty God, we just barge in cluttered and covered with all the trash of the world and expect to be in the position of right worship.
The key word in this verse is "unauthorized", or not sanctioned. What Nadab and Abihu did was not what God wanted done; they did something not pleasing to the Lord. And they died. God might not strike us dead but He will reject our worship. When we come before Him with a wrong heart-attitude, He will ignore us, tune us out, reject our offering. Like Cain, it is second or third rate worship, unholy and not worthy.
Let us take the time to clean up our spirits in repentence, preparing our hearts to worship the Lord our God in spirit and in truth. No arguing, fighting, gossiping on the way to Sunday worship or when we are in church waiting for the service to begin. This should be time spent preparing ourselves for worship. Everything takes preparation. We clean up and dress up our physical selves for worship, why not our spirits, our hearts? The Lord Jesus Chirst deserves our very, very best.
Honor the Lord with all that you are. Take the time to "dress up" your heart for Him.
"Sweet Jesus, forgive me. Forgive my lack of respect for you. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Help me to always be in an attitude of prayer, so that I may always be in your Throne Room, always worshiping You. I want my life to be an honor and blessing to You. O Lord my God, I pray that the attitude of my heart, the thoughts of my mind and the words of my lips will be pleasing and holy in Your sight. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
2 Samuel 6:6-7
Isaiah 6:5
Leviticus 19:32
22:2
Romans 13:7
Hebrews 12:9
1 Pete 2:17
2 Corinthians 13:12
1 Timothy 2:8
The Old Testament was a harrowing time spiritually. If you did not follow exactly what the Lord God commanded, He literally took your life. There was virtually no room for error, especially in the priesthood. Those who ministered before the Lord had to follow the law precisely with no deviation at all. One little mistake and it was the end. There was no grace. In this instance, the fire on the altar of burnt offering was to never go out; one of the priestly duties was to make sure it was always burning. Apparently the two boys had neglected their obligations and in a moment of whatever, lit the fire inappropriately. The key word in this scripture is "unauthorized" or not sanctioned. They treated, or ministered to the Lord in an UNHOLY manner. And God dealt severely with them.
Old Testament or New, we serve a MOST HOLY GOD. That will never, ever change. God demands, requires, deserves our utmost respect. Just because we are now under grace because of Jesus does NOT give us license to disrespect Him. And yet, for the most part, we make no preparations before we come into His presence. We sit in church on a Sunday morning yaking and blabbing and discussing everything under the sun but God, and as soon as the pastor steps up, we have "instant worship". We have not spent time preparing our hearts to enter the Throne Room of Almighty God, we just barge in cluttered and covered with all the trash of the world and expect to be in the position of right worship.
The key word in this verse is "unauthorized", or not sanctioned. What Nadab and Abihu did was not what God wanted done; they did something not pleasing to the Lord. And they died. God might not strike us dead but He will reject our worship. When we come before Him with a wrong heart-attitude, He will ignore us, tune us out, reject our offering. Like Cain, it is second or third rate worship, unholy and not worthy.
Let us take the time to clean up our spirits in repentence, preparing our hearts to worship the Lord our God in spirit and in truth. No arguing, fighting, gossiping on the way to Sunday worship or when we are in church waiting for the service to begin. This should be time spent preparing ourselves for worship. Everything takes preparation. We clean up and dress up our physical selves for worship, why not our spirits, our hearts? The Lord Jesus Chirst deserves our very, very best.
Honor the Lord with all that you are. Take the time to "dress up" your heart for Him.
"Sweet Jesus, forgive me. Forgive my lack of respect for you. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Help me to always be in an attitude of prayer, so that I may always be in your Throne Room, always worshiping You. I want my life to be an honor and blessing to You. O Lord my God, I pray that the attitude of my heart, the thoughts of my mind and the words of my lips will be pleasing and holy in Your sight. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
2 Samuel 6:6-7
Isaiah 6:5
Leviticus 19:32
22:2
Romans 13:7
Hebrews 12:9
1 Pete 2:17
2 Corinthians 13:12
1 Timothy 2:8
Numbers 10:9 - Hear ye, Hear ye !!
"When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies."
In the desert God began the plan of the battle cry: sound the trumpets!!! And from this point on, trumpets were used for every battle, large or small. The first major use of the trumpets for battle occurred at Jericho, and we all know what happened there! The Lord God told Israel what they had to do to get His attention, and they obeyed.
We don't blow trumpets today to get the attention of the Lord. We are not fighting a natural people for territory we are marching through and claiming in the Name of the Lord. We certainly are engaged in war in various places, but these wars are not being fought in God's name nor for His kingdom.
Today our warfare is spiritual and the manner of gaining God's attention and going into battle are different. Today we fight our spiritual enemy, the powers of hell, with praise and worship of the Living God. Jehoshaphat dkd that in the Desert of Tekoa and God gave him a fabulous victory. When we begin to praise and worship, the gates of heaven are thrown wide open and the glory of the Lord spills out into the universe. The demons of hell don't stand a chance when God is being glorified and honored through praise and worship. This is one of the reasons corporate worship is so wonderful and so powerful; if one praising can put a thousand demons to flight, and two can send ten thousand screaming to hell, what can a roomful of true worshippers accomplish?
"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men take hold of it." Matt 11:12 Our spiritual battle is not for the faint-hearted. It is a very real war with many, many casualities and deaths. It is not to be taken lightly or pooh-poohed away. Praise and worship are not to be used in an off-handed manner, but to the glory of God, our Commander-in-Chief. Then, He has promised to hear and rescue us.
How are you doing in the battle against the enemy of your soul? Are you lifting holy hands to the glory of God as you sing and exault Him? Have you abandoned yourself in worship of the Living King? Are you sounding your trumpets?
"Lord God Almighty, King of the Universe, I lift my heart, my hands, my voice in worship of You. I declare that You and You alone are Lord and Master of my life and my praise is only for you. The battle is Yours, Lord, to You I pledge my alliegence. I will stand and glorify Your Name throughout eternity. Praise be to the Holy One of Israel. Now and forever. Amen.
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
2 Chronicles 20:22
Joel 2:1
Psalm 3:4
18:6
28:2
In the desert God began the plan of the battle cry: sound the trumpets!!! And from this point on, trumpets were used for every battle, large or small. The first major use of the trumpets for battle occurred at Jericho, and we all know what happened there! The Lord God told Israel what they had to do to get His attention, and they obeyed.
We don't blow trumpets today to get the attention of the Lord. We are not fighting a natural people for territory we are marching through and claiming in the Name of the Lord. We certainly are engaged in war in various places, but these wars are not being fought in God's name nor for His kingdom.
Today our warfare is spiritual and the manner of gaining God's attention and going into battle are different. Today we fight our spiritual enemy, the powers of hell, with praise and worship of the Living God. Jehoshaphat dkd that in the Desert of Tekoa and God gave him a fabulous victory. When we begin to praise and worship, the gates of heaven are thrown wide open and the glory of the Lord spills out into the universe. The demons of hell don't stand a chance when God is being glorified and honored through praise and worship. This is one of the reasons corporate worship is so wonderful and so powerful; if one praising can put a thousand demons to flight, and two can send ten thousand screaming to hell, what can a roomful of true worshippers accomplish?
"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men take hold of it." Matt 11:12 Our spiritual battle is not for the faint-hearted. It is a very real war with many, many casualities and deaths. It is not to be taken lightly or pooh-poohed away. Praise and worship are not to be used in an off-handed manner, but to the glory of God, our Commander-in-Chief. Then, He has promised to hear and rescue us.
How are you doing in the battle against the enemy of your soul? Are you lifting holy hands to the glory of God as you sing and exault Him? Have you abandoned yourself in worship of the Living King? Are you sounding your trumpets?
"Lord God Almighty, King of the Universe, I lift my heart, my hands, my voice in worship of You. I declare that You and You alone are Lord and Master of my life and my praise is only for you. The battle is Yours, Lord, to You I pledge my alliegence. I will stand and glorify Your Name throughout eternity. Praise be to the Holy One of Israel. Now and forever. Amen.
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
2 Chronicles 20:22
Joel 2:1
Psalm 3:4
18:6
28:2
Exodus 23:20-32 - Let's play "follow the leader" . . .
"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared . . ."
Old Testament or New, God provides direction. In the Old Testament, He began with Moses and signs and wonders. Then in the desert, He made the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. After the wandering period, God provided judges and prophets who became the voice of the Lord to the people. And when the time of the judges and prophets ended, God sent Jesus who physically left us and provided His Holy Spirit to be our spiritual leader until the final return of Jesus Christ the Lord. God has never, ever failed to give direction to those who sought His face and He never will.
"To guard" means to keep safe from danger; to protect against. In no way does Jesus want to see us come to any kind of harm, be it physical, mental and emotional, or spiritual. He made provision for the Israelites in the desert and He has made provision for us today to be fully covered and protected. The problem with Israel, and with us, is that we choose to be independent of God and go in a different direction. If you would read all 13 verses in this section, you will see the marvelous provision God made for Israel IF, and only IF, they were obedient to His direction. And the same holds true for us today. Blessiings come in abundance when we seek the face of the Lord and follow His commands.
The Heart of God desires to guard us, to put a hedge of protection around us, to keep us safe and secure in the spirit. He wants us to become deeply rooted in Him; He wants to become our shield and rampart. He wants to protect our spirits from the onslaught of hell, from horrendous spiritual attack that can mortally wound unless we are hidden in Christ. In the spirit, The Lord of Hosts commands His warriors to do battle in the heavenly realm for us; to go ahead of us fighting the spiritual war so that when spiritual attacks come at us they will end up as speed bumps instead of brick walls.
God wants to bless us, but we miss the blessings because we are disobedient. It's nobody's fault but our own. We can't be like Adam, pointing the finger at someone else saying "they MADE ME do it!" It doesn't work that way with God. We must take responsibiltiy for our own actions and our Divine Heavenly Father is more then willing, He's eager, to give us everything we need to stay centered in His will. The choice is ours. We have to decided which leader we're going to follow, and then either reap the rewards or bear the consequences. The choice is ours.
Who is your leader?
"Lord Jesus, thank you for leading me by Your sweet Holy Spirit. Thank you for my spiritual eyes and ears that are tuned to Your face and voice. I ask You, Master, to always help me keep my eyes on You, my ears ever ready to hear Your voice and my spirit eager and willing to be insantly obedient to Your every command. I place myself totally in Your protection. Amen.
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Exodus 23:20-32
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Ephesians 6:11-13
Psalm 34:7
91:11
103:20
Matthew 18:10
Hebrews 1:14
13:2
Old Testament or New, God provides direction. In the Old Testament, He began with Moses and signs and wonders. Then in the desert, He made the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. After the wandering period, God provided judges and prophets who became the voice of the Lord to the people. And when the time of the judges and prophets ended, God sent Jesus who physically left us and provided His Holy Spirit to be our spiritual leader until the final return of Jesus Christ the Lord. God has never, ever failed to give direction to those who sought His face and He never will.
"To guard" means to keep safe from danger; to protect against. In no way does Jesus want to see us come to any kind of harm, be it physical, mental and emotional, or spiritual. He made provision for the Israelites in the desert and He has made provision for us today to be fully covered and protected. The problem with Israel, and with us, is that we choose to be independent of God and go in a different direction. If you would read all 13 verses in this section, you will see the marvelous provision God made for Israel IF, and only IF, they were obedient to His direction. And the same holds true for us today. Blessiings come in abundance when we seek the face of the Lord and follow His commands.
The Heart of God desires to guard us, to put a hedge of protection around us, to keep us safe and secure in the spirit. He wants us to become deeply rooted in Him; He wants to become our shield and rampart. He wants to protect our spirits from the onslaught of hell, from horrendous spiritual attack that can mortally wound unless we are hidden in Christ. In the spirit, The Lord of Hosts commands His warriors to do battle in the heavenly realm for us; to go ahead of us fighting the spiritual war so that when spiritual attacks come at us they will end up as speed bumps instead of brick walls.
God wants to bless us, but we miss the blessings because we are disobedient. It's nobody's fault but our own. We can't be like Adam, pointing the finger at someone else saying "they MADE ME do it!" It doesn't work that way with God. We must take responsibiltiy for our own actions and our Divine Heavenly Father is more then willing, He's eager, to give us everything we need to stay centered in His will. The choice is ours. We have to decided which leader we're going to follow, and then either reap the rewards or bear the consequences. The choice is ours.
Who is your leader?
"Lord Jesus, thank you for leading me by Your sweet Holy Spirit. Thank you for my spiritual eyes and ears that are tuned to Your face and voice. I ask You, Master, to always help me keep my eyes on You, my ears ever ready to hear Your voice and my spirit eager and willing to be insantly obedient to Your every command. I place myself totally in Your protection. Amen.
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Exodus 23:20-32
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Ephesians 6:11-13
Psalm 34:7
91:11
103:20
Matthew 18:10
Hebrews 1:14
13:2
Genesis 22:1 - Oh no, not again !!!
"Some time later God tested Abraham."
test: the means by which the presence, quality, or genuineness of anything is determined; a means of trial.
We Americans test everything. We test a cake in the oven to see if it's done. We test-drive a car to see if we like the way it runs. We test the seams in a garment to see if they are strong and secure. We test gold and silver to see how pure it is. We test-taste food to see if we like it. And the list goes on and on. We want to be sure of the product we are getting, so we test it.
God tested Abraham, but I don't think He wanted to be sure of the product. And I don't think it was just to see how much Abraham loved God. I believe it goes a little bit deeper than that. God tested Abraham and He tests us for the same reason also, to deepen our capacity to be obedient and to develop our character. We experience difficulties to help us grow and mature spiritually.
God does not CAUSE the problems and difficulties we experience, but He ALLOWS them to happen and uses them for a positive influence in our lives. We may not think that is happening, but if we trust God as we claim, then we come out on the other side a better person in Christ.
Loss of a job; illness; relationship problems; financial disasters; emotional upheavals; and the like draw us closer to Jesus and build a stronger bond with Him when our trust is in Him. And when our trust is in Christ, our witness is positive. People around us notice how we handle adversity in our lives, they see our reactions, hear us when we either complain or praise God. How we handle our trails, tribulations, and tests are our witness to the world, and will either draw people to Christ, or repel them.
God uses the evil of hell to strengthen and refine us into His spiritual image. The more we persevere the stronger we become in Christ, the greater our witness becomes for our faith walk, and the more Christ is glorified. Our baptism of fire, our refining and purifying. We are ever moving onward and upward.
What does the world see and hear in your life when you experience a trial? Is God glorified?
"Almighty God, help me. I am so weak, I grumble and murmur about everything and I don't want to. My heart's desire is to grow strong in You, to be a witness for Your glory, to show others that You are in control of my life. Work in me, Jesus, strengthen me, use me, grow me in You. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Proverbs 3:5-6
Job 2:8-10
Romans 5:3
Romans 12:2
Galatians 6:4
1 Thessalonians 2:4
James 1:2
1 Peter 1:6
2 Peter 2:9
test: the means by which the presence, quality, or genuineness of anything is determined; a means of trial.
We Americans test everything. We test a cake in the oven to see if it's done. We test-drive a car to see if we like the way it runs. We test the seams in a garment to see if they are strong and secure. We test gold and silver to see how pure it is. We test-taste food to see if we like it. And the list goes on and on. We want to be sure of the product we are getting, so we test it.
God tested Abraham, but I don't think He wanted to be sure of the product. And I don't think it was just to see how much Abraham loved God. I believe it goes a little bit deeper than that. God tested Abraham and He tests us for the same reason also, to deepen our capacity to be obedient and to develop our character. We experience difficulties to help us grow and mature spiritually.
God does not CAUSE the problems and difficulties we experience, but He ALLOWS them to happen and uses them for a positive influence in our lives. We may not think that is happening, but if we trust God as we claim, then we come out on the other side a better person in Christ.
Loss of a job; illness; relationship problems; financial disasters; emotional upheavals; and the like draw us closer to Jesus and build a stronger bond with Him when our trust is in Him. And when our trust is in Christ, our witness is positive. People around us notice how we handle adversity in our lives, they see our reactions, hear us when we either complain or praise God. How we handle our trails, tribulations, and tests are our witness to the world, and will either draw people to Christ, or repel them.
God uses the evil of hell to strengthen and refine us into His spiritual image. The more we persevere the stronger we become in Christ, the greater our witness becomes for our faith walk, and the more Christ is glorified. Our baptism of fire, our refining and purifying. We are ever moving onward and upward.
What does the world see and hear in your life when you experience a trial? Is God glorified?
"Almighty God, help me. I am so weak, I grumble and murmur about everything and I don't want to. My heart's desire is to grow strong in You, to be a witness for Your glory, to show others that You are in control of my life. Work in me, Jesus, strengthen me, use me, grow me in You. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Proverbs 3:5-6
Job 2:8-10
Romans 5:3
Romans 12:2
Galatians 6:4
1 Thessalonians 2:4
James 1:2
1 Peter 1:6
2 Peter 2:9
Job 19: 25-27 - Hurry !! Hurry !! Are we there yet?!!!
"I know my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God. I myself will see him with my own eyes - I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!"
The lessons of Job are incredible, to say the least, but this statement of faith is simply a mind-blower. Job was written approximately 2,000 years before the birth of Jesus. God's Holy Spirit did not indwell man then, but only "came upon him" when God wanted to make a prophecy or revelation. That makes this declaration fantastic. The Sanhedrin, Israel's spiritual teachers, which were split over the issue of bodily resurrection, did not come into being until about the time of Alexander the Great, so previous to that there was no teaching on resurrection of any kind. So when Job makes this confident pronouncement, it was earth-shaking.
His first proclamation is "I know my Redeemer lives". Job knew God Almighty on a personal level, knew Him to be a living God, not a carved, lifeless statue, and he makes an emphatic statement. He is simply stating "I HAVE BEEN REDEEMED!" God owns me and will take care of me. He doesn't care what anyone else believes, he simply knows what HE believes, and testifies to it to everyone around him. Are we filled with that kind of holy boldness? When our spirits overflow with the knowledge and joy of the Lord, do we share it with those around us? Are we willing to let others know that we have been bought by the Lamb of God?
Next, he states that "in the end He will stand upon the earth". The Lord God Almighty will come back to claim His own. This is a fabulous, fabulous statement from a shepherd who probably had no education of any kind. The Holy Spirit of God brought that knowledge to Job, he accepted it as fact, he claimed it as part of his faith statement, and he announced it to his 3 buddies.
And lastly, Job claims that after he dies, "yet in my flesh will I see God." Job is pronouncing that after he dies, he will be bodily resurrected and will see God. No ands, ifs, or buts, just plain, simple fact. Yet in my flesh will I see God. I just know that I know that I know. This is a double statement. Again he states "I myself will see Him with my own eyes" Listen to me, he is saying, I'm telling you I'm gonna see Him WITH MY OWN EYES - not someone else's. "How my heart yearns within me!" I'm gonna jump up and down, spin around and around, throw my hands in the air, and shout HALLELUJAH!!!!!! I'M GONNA SEE THE LORD! I'M GONNA SEE THE LORD !!! I'm so excited I could spit !!!!!
What is your personal statement about the Redeemer of your soul? How do you feel about seeing Him stand upon the earth? What is your spirit witnessing to you about seeing Him face to face? Are you so excited about it that you could almost jump out of your skin, or is there a bit of trepidation and fear?
"Sweet Jesus, sometimes when I think about seeing you, I get as excited as a little kid waiting to open a present, and other times I simply cringe in fear because my life is out of order. Fix me, Jesus, so that all fear is gone and only sweet, sweet anticipation. I want to see you, hear you, touch you, kiss your cheeks. Change my heart, Lord, that I may be like you and in that, I will be with you. Forever. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Exodus 15:13
Psalm 19:14
71:23
Isaiah 59:20
Galatians 314
The lessons of Job are incredible, to say the least, but this statement of faith is simply a mind-blower. Job was written approximately 2,000 years before the birth of Jesus. God's Holy Spirit did not indwell man then, but only "came upon him" when God wanted to make a prophecy or revelation. That makes this declaration fantastic. The Sanhedrin, Israel's spiritual teachers, which were split over the issue of bodily resurrection, did not come into being until about the time of Alexander the Great, so previous to that there was no teaching on resurrection of any kind. So when Job makes this confident pronouncement, it was earth-shaking.
His first proclamation is "I know my Redeemer lives". Job knew God Almighty on a personal level, knew Him to be a living God, not a carved, lifeless statue, and he makes an emphatic statement. He is simply stating "I HAVE BEEN REDEEMED!" God owns me and will take care of me. He doesn't care what anyone else believes, he simply knows what HE believes, and testifies to it to everyone around him. Are we filled with that kind of holy boldness? When our spirits overflow with the knowledge and joy of the Lord, do we share it with those around us? Are we willing to let others know that we have been bought by the Lamb of God?
Next, he states that "in the end He will stand upon the earth". The Lord God Almighty will come back to claim His own. This is a fabulous, fabulous statement from a shepherd who probably had no education of any kind. The Holy Spirit of God brought that knowledge to Job, he accepted it as fact, he claimed it as part of his faith statement, and he announced it to his 3 buddies.
And lastly, Job claims that after he dies, "yet in my flesh will I see God." Job is pronouncing that after he dies, he will be bodily resurrected and will see God. No ands, ifs, or buts, just plain, simple fact. Yet in my flesh will I see God. I just know that I know that I know. This is a double statement. Again he states "I myself will see Him with my own eyes" Listen to me, he is saying, I'm telling you I'm gonna see Him WITH MY OWN EYES - not someone else's. "How my heart yearns within me!" I'm gonna jump up and down, spin around and around, throw my hands in the air, and shout HALLELUJAH!!!!!! I'M GONNA SEE THE LORD! I'M GONNA SEE THE LORD !!! I'm so excited I could spit !!!!!
What is your personal statement about the Redeemer of your soul? How do you feel about seeing Him stand upon the earth? What is your spirit witnessing to you about seeing Him face to face? Are you so excited about it that you could almost jump out of your skin, or is there a bit of trepidation and fear?
"Sweet Jesus, sometimes when I think about seeing you, I get as excited as a little kid waiting to open a present, and other times I simply cringe in fear because my life is out of order. Fix me, Jesus, so that all fear is gone and only sweet, sweet anticipation. I want to see you, hear you, touch you, kiss your cheeks. Change my heart, Lord, that I may be like you and in that, I will be with you. Forever. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Exodus 15:13
Psalm 19:14
71:23
Isaiah 59:20
Galatians 314
2 Chronicles 7:14 - Mom, he's not followin' the rules !!!!!!
"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 I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
This has got to be THE most misquoted, taken out of context, and abused Scripture in the Bible. There are certainly others, but this one has the top-ranking spot in my book.
First, God is speaking to HIS people, those who have a personal relationship with Him, those who obey Him and allow Him to be the Lord of their lives. If you have not committed yourself completely to Jesus Christ, then this is not for you. We are Christians, called by HIS name, Christ.
Next, and in this precise order, we must HUMBLE ourselves. We must relinquish all pride and arrogance in our achievements; in our teaching abilities; in our praying ability; in our church positions; in the programs we lead; in our places of employment; in our possessions; in our social standing; in our economic status; in the number of vacations we take; in the kind of car we drive; in the things we collect; in our fake nails; in, in, in . . .. . . . . . everything. Including our Christianity! Everything MUST point to Jesus Christ or it is of no value.
Then, we are commanded to pray. We cannot truly pray if anything of self is in the forefront. That is why humility must come first. Once we have emptied ourselves of ourselves, only then can we come before the Throne of Grace with our petitions. Arrogance and pride cannot stand between us and God.
Fourth, we must seek the face of God. Not just talk TO Him, we have to crawl into His lap and get right into His face. Nose to nose, eyeball to eyeball. I want you to know, Master, I'm dead serious about this matter; I want to talk WITH you about this, and I'm not leaving until we've had a conversation and I know You've heard me and will show me the right way to go.
And lastly, turn from our wicked ways. Ouch!!!! Wicked ways?? I don't do anything wicked! I'm a good person, just listen to me brag about my self, right after I get done criticizing all those around me. Right after I ignore the call for help from my neighbor cause someone else will do it. Right after I get done gossiping in church right before worship. Right after I ignore the single person who eats dinner alone night after night after night. Right after I get done finding fault with those in authority over me. Right after . . . . . . Get the picture?
Ever wonder why it seems our prayers and petitions are bouncing off of deaf ears? When every one of these conditions are met in this order, then and ONLY then will our awesome God HEAR and FORGIVE and HEAL, and not a moment before! These are His express conditions. If we want to be in His game, we have to play by His rules. No exceptions.
Am I following the Lord's directions? Where am I standing in His game plan?
"Almighty God, King of the universe, Creator of all, forgive me my pride and arrogance. I bow before you in humble repentance. I come seeking Your face, Your divine guidance in all that I do. My only desire is that all that I do and think and say with draw others to You. Lead me in the path of righteousness for Your namesake, so that no wickedness would be found in me, thereby pointing the way for others to You. Hear me, my Master, heal me and forgive me, that You would be my all in all. Amen"
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
2 Chronicles 6:36-40
James 4:6
1 Peter 5:6
Psalm 17:6
Mark 14:38
Romans 12:1
Psalm 27:8
105:3-5
Ezekiel 33:19
2 Timothy 2:19
This has got to be THE most misquoted, taken out of context, and abused Scripture in the Bible. There are certainly others, but this one has the top-ranking spot in my book.
First, God is speaking to HIS people, those who have a personal relationship with Him, those who obey Him and allow Him to be the Lord of their lives. If you have not committed yourself completely to Jesus Christ, then this is not for you. We are Christians, called by HIS name, Christ.
Next, and in this precise order, we must HUMBLE ourselves. We must relinquish all pride and arrogance in our achievements; in our teaching abilities; in our praying ability; in our church positions; in the programs we lead; in our places of employment; in our possessions; in our social standing; in our economic status; in the number of vacations we take; in the kind of car we drive; in the things we collect; in our fake nails; in, in, in . . .. . . . . . everything. Including our Christianity! Everything MUST point to Jesus Christ or it is of no value.
Then, we are commanded to pray. We cannot truly pray if anything of self is in the forefront. That is why humility must come first. Once we have emptied ourselves of ourselves, only then can we come before the Throne of Grace with our petitions. Arrogance and pride cannot stand between us and God.
Fourth, we must seek the face of God. Not just talk TO Him, we have to crawl into His lap and get right into His face. Nose to nose, eyeball to eyeball. I want you to know, Master, I'm dead serious about this matter; I want to talk WITH you about this, and I'm not leaving until we've had a conversation and I know You've heard me and will show me the right way to go.
And lastly, turn from our wicked ways. Ouch!!!! Wicked ways?? I don't do anything wicked! I'm a good person, just listen to me brag about my self, right after I get done criticizing all those around me. Right after I ignore the call for help from my neighbor cause someone else will do it. Right after I get done gossiping in church right before worship. Right after I ignore the single person who eats dinner alone night after night after night. Right after I get done finding fault with those in authority over me. Right after . . . . . . Get the picture?
Ever wonder why it seems our prayers and petitions are bouncing off of deaf ears? When every one of these conditions are met in this order, then and ONLY then will our awesome God HEAR and FORGIVE and HEAL, and not a moment before! These are His express conditions. If we want to be in His game, we have to play by His rules. No exceptions.
Am I following the Lord's directions? Where am I standing in His game plan?
"Almighty God, King of the universe, Creator of all, forgive me my pride and arrogance. I bow before you in humble repentance. I come seeking Your face, Your divine guidance in all that I do. My only desire is that all that I do and think and say with draw others to You. Lead me in the path of righteousness for Your namesake, so that no wickedness would be found in me, thereby pointing the way for others to You. Hear me, my Master, heal me and forgive me, that You would be my all in all. Amen"
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
2 Chronicles 6:36-40
James 4:6
1 Peter 5:6
Psalm 17:6
Mark 14:38
Romans 12:1
Psalm 27:8
105:3-5
Ezekiel 33:19
2 Timothy 2:19
Jeremiah 8:22 - Ouch! that hurts!!
"Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?"
The historic Old World balm of Gilead, or Mecca balsam, is a small evergreen tree common to Africa and Asia. The resin from this tree is the basis of the balm, which is used for rashes; bites; bumps; bruises; lacerations; you name it and this salve was put on it. The Ishmaelites who rescued Joseph from the well were transporting this balm in their caravan. The Balm of Gilead is world-renowned for it's healing properties and is still sold around the world today. During biblical times, this balm of Gilead was very common and used by everyone.
Jeremiah was lamenting the fallen state of Israel, their rejection of God, and pleading for their salvation. He was crying out to God: is there no healing for these people? They are deeply wounded, where is the salve that will restore the spiritual health of the people? He used something that everyone recognized, the balm of Gilead.
There is an old African-American spiritual titled "There is a Balm in Gilead" that is sung in churches today. "There is a balm in Gilead, to heal the sin-sick soul; there is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole." Today the balm of Gilead has come to be synonymous with Jesus Christ. Jeremiah knew who the healing physician was and he cried out to Him to heal the nation. Today, we cry out to Jesus to heal our decayed spiritual state, to make us whole and well, sanctified to Him.
And as it is with any healing, it is painful. When you put any treatment on an open wound, it hurts terribly. Depending on the injury, the pain and the time of healing varies. So it is with our spiritual life. The depth and degree of the sin determines how much pain and how long the healing will take. True repentance instantly heals the sin, but the consequences of that sin, depending on what it was, takes time and care and sometimes much pain to heal. The spirit may receive instant forgiveness, but the soul, our memories and emotions, may take much more work and effort and quite a bit longer to heal, because our sin involves not only us, but others. This is the painful part of the healing process, but so vital to the complete restoration of our entire well-being.
Only Jesus has the power to heal us body, soul, and spirit. If we are to walk in complete health, we must allow Him to treat our conditions as He sees fit. Only Jesus knows what it will take to "make us whole". It is most certainly a painful process, but the end result, total restoration to Jesus Christ, is worth it.
What wound of yours needs salved? Are you willing to take it to Dr. Jesus and let Him treat it?
"Jehovah-Rophe, God my Healer, bring peace to my soul, renewal to my spirit, healing to my body. Make me whole again in you. I place myself in Your hands, Jesus, to do whatever is necessary to make me totally and completely molded to your image. I trust the work of Your hands, Your restoring touch, in my life. Help me to endure whatever is necessary that I may be like You. Jesus, I pray. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Matthew 9:12
14:35-36
Acts 3:16
Exodus 15:26
Deuteronomy 32:39
Psalm 30:2
41:4
103:2-4
The historic Old World balm of Gilead, or Mecca balsam, is a small evergreen tree common to Africa and Asia. The resin from this tree is the basis of the balm, which is used for rashes; bites; bumps; bruises; lacerations; you name it and this salve was put on it. The Ishmaelites who rescued Joseph from the well were transporting this balm in their caravan. The Balm of Gilead is world-renowned for it's healing properties and is still sold around the world today. During biblical times, this balm of Gilead was very common and used by everyone.
Jeremiah was lamenting the fallen state of Israel, their rejection of God, and pleading for their salvation. He was crying out to God: is there no healing for these people? They are deeply wounded, where is the salve that will restore the spiritual health of the people? He used something that everyone recognized, the balm of Gilead.
There is an old African-American spiritual titled "There is a Balm in Gilead" that is sung in churches today. "There is a balm in Gilead, to heal the sin-sick soul; there is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole." Today the balm of Gilead has come to be synonymous with Jesus Christ. Jeremiah knew who the healing physician was and he cried out to Him to heal the nation. Today, we cry out to Jesus to heal our decayed spiritual state, to make us whole and well, sanctified to Him.
And as it is with any healing, it is painful. When you put any treatment on an open wound, it hurts terribly. Depending on the injury, the pain and the time of healing varies. So it is with our spiritual life. The depth and degree of the sin determines how much pain and how long the healing will take. True repentance instantly heals the sin, but the consequences of that sin, depending on what it was, takes time and care and sometimes much pain to heal. The spirit may receive instant forgiveness, but the soul, our memories and emotions, may take much more work and effort and quite a bit longer to heal, because our sin involves not only us, but others. This is the painful part of the healing process, but so vital to the complete restoration of our entire well-being.
Only Jesus has the power to heal us body, soul, and spirit. If we are to walk in complete health, we must allow Him to treat our conditions as He sees fit. Only Jesus knows what it will take to "make us whole". It is most certainly a painful process, but the end result, total restoration to Jesus Christ, is worth it.
What wound of yours needs salved? Are you willing to take it to Dr. Jesus and let Him treat it?
"Jehovah-Rophe, God my Healer, bring peace to my soul, renewal to my spirit, healing to my body. Make me whole again in you. I place myself in Your hands, Jesus, to do whatever is necessary to make me totally and completely molded to your image. I trust the work of Your hands, Your restoring touch, in my life. Help me to endure whatever is necessary that I may be like You. Jesus, I pray. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Matthew 9:12
14:35-36
Acts 3:16
Exodus 15:26
Deuteronomy 32:39
Psalm 30:2
41:4
103:2-4
Psalm 23: 1-6 - baaaaaaaaa, baaaaaaaaaa, baaaaaaaaaa . . . . . . .
"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want . . ."
The 23rd Psalm is the most beloved piece of Scripture of all time. It is probably the only entire set of verses that is totally memorized. It covers every aspect of one's life. The most popular place for the reading of this Psalm is at funerals, but in fact, this is the most incredible STATEMENT OF FAITH for the living that I have ever read. Take a moment right now, open your Bible to Psalm 23, and begin to read it very slowly and deliberately, circling or underlining or highlighting every personal pronoun you read. Then re-read the Psalm, emphasizing every pronoun. How did that make you feel? It exliherates me! If I want to share my statement of faith with anyone, let them know where I place my trust and conficence, I give them the 23rd Psalm.
Now about us and the sheep. First and foremost, the type of life sheep will live depends entirely upon the person who tends them. If you are caring, compassionate, and gentle with your sheep, they will warm to you, stay close to you, seek you out if threatened in any way. But if you are mean and cruel, or simply don't pay any attention to them at all, they will wander off, get hurt and often die. There is always the true shepherd, and the imitator who doesn't quite measure up to the task. The sheep know the true shepherd's voice and pay attention.
The valley of the shadow of death in verse 4 doesn't apply to a dead or dying person and the transition from this life to the next. The time of King David was a perilous time for the Hebrew, and it still is today. Many, many people down through the centures have sought to bring to extinction the Hebrew race, but it has ncver happened and it never will. This phrase refers to the frightening times the Israelites must live through and if you read it in that context, it makes perfect sense. And so it does for us also. "Even though I walk through dark and perlious times in this life, I will fear no evil, for YOU are with ME . . . "
This is a psalm of strength, of committment, of trust, of love, of praise, of faith. Our Lord Jesus Christ is a caring, loving, dependable shepherd. When everyone else fails you, He is still there, holding you in the palm of His hand, protecting you from evil, guarding you from harm. If God be for you, who can stand against you?
Could this psalm be your statement of faith?
"Shepherd of my soul, I love you. You tend to me, teach me, guide and guard me. You put salve on my wounds, you bind my hurting heart, you strengthen me with tender, loving care. You hear me when I cry and rejoice with me in my happiness. You will NEVER leave me or forsake me. You are my one, true love. As the shepherd gently draws back the sheep that strays, so You always keep me in Your path. Thank you, Jesus, thank you. I am safe and content in the shelter of Your arms. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Ezekiel 34
Exodus 2:17
Psalm 28:9
78:71-72
John 10
The 23rd Psalm is the most beloved piece of Scripture of all time. It is probably the only entire set of verses that is totally memorized. It covers every aspect of one's life. The most popular place for the reading of this Psalm is at funerals, but in fact, this is the most incredible STATEMENT OF FAITH for the living that I have ever read. Take a moment right now, open your Bible to Psalm 23, and begin to read it very slowly and deliberately, circling or underlining or highlighting every personal pronoun you read. Then re-read the Psalm, emphasizing every pronoun. How did that make you feel? It exliherates me! If I want to share my statement of faith with anyone, let them know where I place my trust and conficence, I give them the 23rd Psalm.
Now about us and the sheep. First and foremost, the type of life sheep will live depends entirely upon the person who tends them. If you are caring, compassionate, and gentle with your sheep, they will warm to you, stay close to you, seek you out if threatened in any way. But if you are mean and cruel, or simply don't pay any attention to them at all, they will wander off, get hurt and often die. There is always the true shepherd, and the imitator who doesn't quite measure up to the task. The sheep know the true shepherd's voice and pay attention.
The valley of the shadow of death in verse 4 doesn't apply to a dead or dying person and the transition from this life to the next. The time of King David was a perilous time for the Hebrew, and it still is today. Many, many people down through the centures have sought to bring to extinction the Hebrew race, but it has ncver happened and it never will. This phrase refers to the frightening times the Israelites must live through and if you read it in that context, it makes perfect sense. And so it does for us also. "Even though I walk through dark and perlious times in this life, I will fear no evil, for YOU are with ME . . . "
This is a psalm of strength, of committment, of trust, of love, of praise, of faith. Our Lord Jesus Christ is a caring, loving, dependable shepherd. When everyone else fails you, He is still there, holding you in the palm of His hand, protecting you from evil, guarding you from harm. If God be for you, who can stand against you?
Could this psalm be your statement of faith?
"Shepherd of my soul, I love you. You tend to me, teach me, guide and guard me. You put salve on my wounds, you bind my hurting heart, you strengthen me with tender, loving care. You hear me when I cry and rejoice with me in my happiness. You will NEVER leave me or forsake me. You are my one, true love. As the shepherd gently draws back the sheep that strays, so You always keep me in Your path. Thank you, Jesus, thank you. I am safe and content in the shelter of Your arms. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Ezekiel 34
Exodus 2:17
Psalm 28:9
78:71-72
John 10
Deuteronomy 12:4-5 - Gee, I never thought of that . . .
"You must not worship the Lord your God in their way. But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put His Name there for His dwelling. To that place you must go."
Church hopping is a way of life for many, many Christians. "I'm not going there, they put their hands in the air; that's embarrassing." "They don't sing the songs I like." "I think the pastor is a chauvinist." "The message didn't make me feel good." "Those people in that church don't smile, they're not friendly." "Those people are too loud and happy, I'm uncomfortable." "They dress too fancy." "They don't dress up." "They don't sing enough." "They sing too much." "The kids are too noisy." "They don't have kids in church." And the list of excuses goes on into eternity. I'm sure you've heard them, too.
Now, this may surprise a lot of people, may even make some angry. But hear this: Church is NOT about ME, it is solely about praising and worshiping God. Period. Amen. It's not about the order of worship; or how many songs we sing or don't sing; it's not about the preaching; it's not about what our pew-mate is wearing; it's not about how good I feel; it's not about watching the kids perform; it's not about anything in this world including the bulletin! It is entirely about God and our heart-attitude towards Him.
Worship is about loving on God. It is spiritually caressing Him, kissing His cheeks, pleasing His Heart. It is our spiritual love affair of the heart. If we are in true worship with our Lord, we won't see a thing or a person around us. If our heart is looking only at Jesus, if we are so intent on pleasing Him, we won't even realize we're still on earth. Nothing else will matter except our pleasing our Lord.
When it comes to finding a home church, the Bible says we are to ask God where He wants us to go. What an interesting concept; ask God. God knows where He wants us to worship and WHY. It's not for us to question the Lord, only to be obedient. Satan doesn't want us to do what God wants, so he tries every evil trick he knows to keep us from seeking God's ways and being in His will. But God's ways are holy and perfect, who are we to discard them? God has a plan for us, even in worshiping Him. When we seek His way, follow His leading, meld our heart with His, the joy is unspeakable! The Lord God Almighty wants our undivided attention, uncluttered with any kind of human interference.
Our attitude of worship as God directs has not changed from the time of Moses. God still wants loved on, and He wants it His way. Who are we to argue with that? It takes hard work and dedication to concentrate on God alone, to blot out the noise of the world. It's a life-long work. But the more we do it, the more we ask for the Holy Spirit to help us, the easier it becomes and the greater the joy. Worshiping the Lord should be an anticipated pleasure, not a chore we must do every week. Worshiping the Lord should be a way of life.
How did you choose your church? Did you get the Lord's permission?
"Loving Jesus, it seems like all I ever do is say 'forgive me, forgive me'. The more I read and study, it seems the more my life is out of order. Help me, Jesus, to do what you ask. Help me to be the child you created me to be. I only want to love you and please you and gladden your heart. Show me the way, strengthen me with Your Holy Spirit, give me a holy boldness to obey your every command. My heart's desire is to be a blessing to Your Name. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Deuteronomy 12
Psalm 19:14
John 4:23
Romans 8:4-6
12:2
14:13
16:18
Church hopping is a way of life for many, many Christians. "I'm not going there, they put their hands in the air; that's embarrassing." "They don't sing the songs I like." "I think the pastor is a chauvinist." "The message didn't make me feel good." "Those people in that church don't smile, they're not friendly." "Those people are too loud and happy, I'm uncomfortable." "They dress too fancy." "They don't dress up." "They don't sing enough." "They sing too much." "The kids are too noisy." "They don't have kids in church." And the list of excuses goes on into eternity. I'm sure you've heard them, too.
Now, this may surprise a lot of people, may even make some angry. But hear this: Church is NOT about ME, it is solely about praising and worshiping God. Period. Amen. It's not about the order of worship; or how many songs we sing or don't sing; it's not about the preaching; it's not about what our pew-mate is wearing; it's not about how good I feel; it's not about watching the kids perform; it's not about anything in this world including the bulletin! It is entirely about God and our heart-attitude towards Him.
Worship is about loving on God. It is spiritually caressing Him, kissing His cheeks, pleasing His Heart. It is our spiritual love affair of the heart. If we are in true worship with our Lord, we won't see a thing or a person around us. If our heart is looking only at Jesus, if we are so intent on pleasing Him, we won't even realize we're still on earth. Nothing else will matter except our pleasing our Lord.
When it comes to finding a home church, the Bible says we are to ask God where He wants us to go. What an interesting concept; ask God. God knows where He wants us to worship and WHY. It's not for us to question the Lord, only to be obedient. Satan doesn't want us to do what God wants, so he tries every evil trick he knows to keep us from seeking God's ways and being in His will. But God's ways are holy and perfect, who are we to discard them? God has a plan for us, even in worshiping Him. When we seek His way, follow His leading, meld our heart with His, the joy is unspeakable! The Lord God Almighty wants our undivided attention, uncluttered with any kind of human interference.
Our attitude of worship as God directs has not changed from the time of Moses. God still wants loved on, and He wants it His way. Who are we to argue with that? It takes hard work and dedication to concentrate on God alone, to blot out the noise of the world. It's a life-long work. But the more we do it, the more we ask for the Holy Spirit to help us, the easier it becomes and the greater the joy. Worshiping the Lord should be an anticipated pleasure, not a chore we must do every week. Worshiping the Lord should be a way of life.
How did you choose your church? Did you get the Lord's permission?
"Loving Jesus, it seems like all I ever do is say 'forgive me, forgive me'. The more I read and study, it seems the more my life is out of order. Help me, Jesus, to do what you ask. Help me to be the child you created me to be. I only want to love you and please you and gladden your heart. Show me the way, strengthen me with Your Holy Spirit, give me a holy boldness to obey your every command. My heart's desire is to be a blessing to Your Name. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Deuteronomy 12
Psalm 19:14
John 4:23
Romans 8:4-6
12:2
14:13
16:18
Deuteronomy 39:15, 19 - "which way do I go . . . which way do I go . . . . "
"See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction . . . Now choose life, so that you and your children may live . . . "
Moses begins this passage in v 11 by saying: "Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach." In fact, the entire passage of Deut 30:11-20 should be read. It is an excellent summary of the entire Bible! It brings everything together in one, neat, tidy, little package of just 10 verses. Amazing!
The principles of spiritual life and death, spiritual prosperty and destruction, are the fork in the road for all of us. It all boils down to one simple sentence: Choose Christ and eternal life, or don't and choose eternal death. Which way do I go . . . which way do I go? Moses said the choice was not too difficult or out of reach. Everyone who ever draws a breath on this earth must make that choice. We can evade everything else in this life, but this is a certainy; it is completely unavoidable. We must make a choice between Jesus Christ, the God of eternity, or Satan, the god of this world.
Moses understood the cost of following YWHW, he knew the consequences of not following what God commanded. He begged and pleaded with Israel to make the right choice. He did everything he could to make them obey, but the choice is ultimately ours alone. But please notice something else, something critically important. At the end of verse 19, Moses says: " . . . so the you and your children may live . . . "
The spiritual choices we make in our lives affect countless others, starting with our very own children. Every choice we make in life begins a ripple movement that will touch countless people in countless ways, ways we will never imagine. So then I must ask myself, what choices am I making? Will it bring life or death? Sometimes we have no idea, we must simply trust that our obedience to whatever the Holy Spirit is leading us to do or say will honor God. As long as our life is a glory to the Lord, we have nothing to worry about. Then everything else will fall into place.
We have a key to all of this, it is our unquestioning obedience. Our obedience to Jesus takes all the guesswork out of the equation. We don't have to worry about the results or the effects on others, that is now in the hands of the Lord. Our obedience release the Lord to do the things He wants to do in our lives and all those we touch. Without the obedience of the apostles, where would we be today?
How obedient am I to Jesus? What are my fears? Does my life glorify the King of Kings?
"Loving Lord, forgive me. I am weak in countless ways; I struggle to be obedient to all that You ask of me. Strengthen me, I pray, to live the life You wish for me. I am like Paul in that I know the things I should do but don't, and then do the things I shouldn't do. Have mercy on me, Gracious Savior, the build me up with Your Most Holy Spirit, that all that I think and say and do will bring honor and glory to Your Name. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Genesis 3:6
1 John 5:3
Proverbs 3:5-6
22:6
Jeremiah 29:11
Matthew 7:12-15
Moses begins this passage in v 11 by saying: "Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach." In fact, the entire passage of Deut 30:11-20 should be read. It is an excellent summary of the entire Bible! It brings everything together in one, neat, tidy, little package of just 10 verses. Amazing!
The principles of spiritual life and death, spiritual prosperty and destruction, are the fork in the road for all of us. It all boils down to one simple sentence: Choose Christ and eternal life, or don't and choose eternal death. Which way do I go . . . which way do I go? Moses said the choice was not too difficult or out of reach. Everyone who ever draws a breath on this earth must make that choice. We can evade everything else in this life, but this is a certainy; it is completely unavoidable. We must make a choice between Jesus Christ, the God of eternity, or Satan, the god of this world.
Moses understood the cost of following YWHW, he knew the consequences of not following what God commanded. He begged and pleaded with Israel to make the right choice. He did everything he could to make them obey, but the choice is ultimately ours alone. But please notice something else, something critically important. At the end of verse 19, Moses says: " . . . so the you and your children may live . . . "
The spiritual choices we make in our lives affect countless others, starting with our very own children. Every choice we make in life begins a ripple movement that will touch countless people in countless ways, ways we will never imagine. So then I must ask myself, what choices am I making? Will it bring life or death? Sometimes we have no idea, we must simply trust that our obedience to whatever the Holy Spirit is leading us to do or say will honor God. As long as our life is a glory to the Lord, we have nothing to worry about. Then everything else will fall into place.
We have a key to all of this, it is our unquestioning obedience. Our obedience to Jesus takes all the guesswork out of the equation. We don't have to worry about the results or the effects on others, that is now in the hands of the Lord. Our obedience release the Lord to do the things He wants to do in our lives and all those we touch. Without the obedience of the apostles, where would we be today?
How obedient am I to Jesus? What are my fears? Does my life glorify the King of Kings?
"Loving Lord, forgive me. I am weak in countless ways; I struggle to be obedient to all that You ask of me. Strengthen me, I pray, to live the life You wish for me. I am like Paul in that I know the things I should do but don't, and then do the things I shouldn't do. Have mercy on me, Gracious Savior, the build me up with Your Most Holy Spirit, that all that I think and say and do will bring honor and glory to Your Name. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Genesis 3:6
1 John 5:3
Proverbs 3:5-6
22:6
Jeremiah 29:11
Matthew 7:12-15
Matthew 10:38 - Oh no, I can't do that . . . . . . . . .
" . . . and anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me."
On the surface, this appears to be one of the tougher sayings of Jesus, but actually, it's no different than any of the others. Once again, Jesus is giving us a "do as I do" command, not a "do as I say" one. John 19:17 tells us Jesus ". . . carried His own cross . . ."
What is our cross? What must we pick up and follow after Jesus with? Many people believe it is the everyday trials and tribulations that befalls us on life's journey, but I don't believe that to be true. The heartaches everyone experiences in life are brought about by sin in the world, but our cross is different.
Our cross is to do the will of God, no matter what He asks of us. First and foremost, I believe our cross is to show the world the fact that we are sanctified to do nothing BUT the will of God. It is to publicly identify with Him, to bear wth almost certain opposition, and to be committed to face even suffering and death for His sake. Publicly admit by our life-actions we are followers of Jesus Christ and obey His commands. That can be a very heavy cross indeed. Ridicule, scorn, beatings, torture, death certainly follow Believers wherever they go.
We have been made holy by the washing of the blood of the Lamb to be totally obedient to whatever God will ask us to do. For Jesus, it was to die a horrible death so that we may have eternal life. For martyrs, it was and is to die without recanting. For missionaries, it is to boldly go proclaiming the Word. For some it is the calling to the pastorate and for others it is to teach. For each one of us it will be different, but we must be instantly ready to do whatever is laid before us.
Do not be afraid of what Christ will ask of you, for whatever it is, He will surely prepare you and give you whatever tools are necessary to carry out His will. There is nothing, NOTHING sweeter in all eternity then being centered in the will of God. His will for you may be as simple as praying with a friend in the produce section of the grocery store. If that is what is asked, do it instantly. Don't worry what other shoppers will think. Just do what God asks. God's in charge of event. Trust Him.
Are you instantly obedient to God or do you evade the issue when He prods you? What causes you to hesitate; what are your fears?
"Sweet Jesus, help me. Sometimes I'm terrified to speak up. In Your Name, Jesus, I bind the spirit of fear that attacks me; he has no hold on me. Loose my life, Lord, that I will walk in complete obedience to Your will. Show me every day what You want me to do, and strengthen me to do what you ask. Help me Jesus, to trust you with every fiber of my being. I only want to be a glory to Your Name. Amen. "
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
John 6:40
Colossians 1:10-12
2 Timothy 1:6-8
Luke 22:42
John 14:21, 23
Romans 15:32
16:19
Hebrews 10:33-35
2 John 1:4
On the surface, this appears to be one of the tougher sayings of Jesus, but actually, it's no different than any of the others. Once again, Jesus is giving us a "do as I do" command, not a "do as I say" one. John 19:17 tells us Jesus ". . . carried His own cross . . ."
What is our cross? What must we pick up and follow after Jesus with? Many people believe it is the everyday trials and tribulations that befalls us on life's journey, but I don't believe that to be true. The heartaches everyone experiences in life are brought about by sin in the world, but our cross is different.
Our cross is to do the will of God, no matter what He asks of us. First and foremost, I believe our cross is to show the world the fact that we are sanctified to do nothing BUT the will of God. It is to publicly identify with Him, to bear wth almost certain opposition, and to be committed to face even suffering and death for His sake. Publicly admit by our life-actions we are followers of Jesus Christ and obey His commands. That can be a very heavy cross indeed. Ridicule, scorn, beatings, torture, death certainly follow Believers wherever they go.
We have been made holy by the washing of the blood of the Lamb to be totally obedient to whatever God will ask us to do. For Jesus, it was to die a horrible death so that we may have eternal life. For martyrs, it was and is to die without recanting. For missionaries, it is to boldly go proclaiming the Word. For some it is the calling to the pastorate and for others it is to teach. For each one of us it will be different, but we must be instantly ready to do whatever is laid before us.
Do not be afraid of what Christ will ask of you, for whatever it is, He will surely prepare you and give you whatever tools are necessary to carry out His will. There is nothing, NOTHING sweeter in all eternity then being centered in the will of God. His will for you may be as simple as praying with a friend in the produce section of the grocery store. If that is what is asked, do it instantly. Don't worry what other shoppers will think. Just do what God asks. God's in charge of event. Trust Him.
Are you instantly obedient to God or do you evade the issue when He prods you? What causes you to hesitate; what are your fears?
"Sweet Jesus, help me. Sometimes I'm terrified to speak up. In Your Name, Jesus, I bind the spirit of fear that attacks me; he has no hold on me. Loose my life, Lord, that I will walk in complete obedience to Your will. Show me every day what You want me to do, and strengthen me to do what you ask. Help me Jesus, to trust you with every fiber of my being. I only want to be a glory to Your Name. Amen. "
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
John 6:40
Colossians 1:10-12
2 Timothy 1:6-8
Luke 22:42
John 14:21, 23
Romans 15:32
16:19
Hebrews 10:33-35
2 John 1:4
Genesis 3:8 - Walk this way, please, watch your step . . . . .
"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden."
Around 8:30 on a saturday morning in early August, I went to DJ's greenhouse (this place is a mini-Phipps Conservatory!). It was only about 55*, but the day showed promise. The sky was clear, the sun was shining brightly, and although the dew on the grass was so heavy you thought it had rained, it was delightfully refreshing on my bare feet. It was a truly beautiful, tranquil morning. The grounds of the greenhouse are magnificently landscaped with benches and swings throughout for sitting and meditating. There is a huge, elegant weeping willow in the middle of the grounds that takes your breath away. And the flowers, well, the flowers incredible. As I walked through the gardens enjoying the birds and flowers and serenity, I thought of Adam and Eve walking with God and how unimaginably stupendous that must have been.
Was it a lush garden like this? Did the birds come and sit on their shoulders? Was there dew on the grass to cool their feet? What kind of conversation did our first parents have with the Lord God? Did they make small talk? Did they laugh and giggle? Did they hold hands with Jesus while they walked? Did they get tired and lay down in the shade to rest? Did they have picnics? Did Jesus play hide and seek with their children? How long did they live there? What was it like to be in paradise with God and have no fear, no guilt, no concept of wrongdoing?
Of course, I too was walking with Jesus in the garden that morning, but not face to face like our first parents did. Sometimes I feel cheated that they got to be with Jesus and I don't. Well, not yet, anyways. I want to see Him and touch Him and hear Him laugh with delight just because we're together. I want to see Him wiggle his toes in the wet grass and giggle at the joy of it all. One little taste of fruit cost me the loss of face to face intimacy with my Lord. Just one teensy-weensy-itty-bitty-not-even-chewed-and-swallowed bite.
That is the cost of sin. As soon as their teeth sank into that piece of fruit, Adam and Eve knew instantaneous separation from God. I can't begin to imagine their feelings of emptiness and awareness of their condition at that moment. I know how my insides quiver like soft jello whenever I do something outside of God's will and I've never seen His face. Sin separates us from God, and once you've known the intimacy of being with Jesus, the absence of it is devistating. True repentance is the only way back.
Adam and Eve did not repent, and paradise was lost! But God's mercy and comapssion for our spiritual void gave us Jesus and the way back into true life. Praise God Almighty for His holy loving kindness!!! In a world of sin, we can still walk the way of Jesus, but we must watch very carefully not to stray off the path of righteousness. It's a narrow path, but Jesus is holding hands and walking with us to keep us safe. And so often we hear Him whisper to our spirit "walk THIS way please, watch your step . . . . "
When was the last time you consciously and purposely took a walk with Jesus? You might want to try it, holding hands with Him and seeing the beauty of God's creation. Oh, the undescribeable joy of it all !!!!
"Walk with me Lord Jesus, everywhere I go. I want my spirit to be so in tune with you that I am ever conscious of Your Presence with me. I want to share every bit of my life with You and take joy in the sharing. Lead me in the path of righteousness for Your Namesake, Lord. Let my life be a glory and honor to you. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Genesis 5:24
Exodus 33:11
2 Kings 2:11
Job 6:24
Psalm 119:33
143:10
2 Timothy 4:3
Hebrews 8:11
1 John 3:2
3 John 1:11
Around 8:30 on a saturday morning in early August, I went to DJ's greenhouse (this place is a mini-Phipps Conservatory!). It was only about 55*, but the day showed promise. The sky was clear, the sun was shining brightly, and although the dew on the grass was so heavy you thought it had rained, it was delightfully refreshing on my bare feet. It was a truly beautiful, tranquil morning. The grounds of the greenhouse are magnificently landscaped with benches and swings throughout for sitting and meditating. There is a huge, elegant weeping willow in the middle of the grounds that takes your breath away. And the flowers, well, the flowers incredible. As I walked through the gardens enjoying the birds and flowers and serenity, I thought of Adam and Eve walking with God and how unimaginably stupendous that must have been.
Was it a lush garden like this? Did the birds come and sit on their shoulders? Was there dew on the grass to cool their feet? What kind of conversation did our first parents have with the Lord God? Did they make small talk? Did they laugh and giggle? Did they hold hands with Jesus while they walked? Did they get tired and lay down in the shade to rest? Did they have picnics? Did Jesus play hide and seek with their children? How long did they live there? What was it like to be in paradise with God and have no fear, no guilt, no concept of wrongdoing?
Of course, I too was walking with Jesus in the garden that morning, but not face to face like our first parents did. Sometimes I feel cheated that they got to be with Jesus and I don't. Well, not yet, anyways. I want to see Him and touch Him and hear Him laugh with delight just because we're together. I want to see Him wiggle his toes in the wet grass and giggle at the joy of it all. One little taste of fruit cost me the loss of face to face intimacy with my Lord. Just one teensy-weensy-itty-bitty-not-even-chewed-and-swallowed bite.
That is the cost of sin. As soon as their teeth sank into that piece of fruit, Adam and Eve knew instantaneous separation from God. I can't begin to imagine their feelings of emptiness and awareness of their condition at that moment. I know how my insides quiver like soft jello whenever I do something outside of God's will and I've never seen His face. Sin separates us from God, and once you've known the intimacy of being with Jesus, the absence of it is devistating. True repentance is the only way back.
Adam and Eve did not repent, and paradise was lost! But God's mercy and comapssion for our spiritual void gave us Jesus and the way back into true life. Praise God Almighty for His holy loving kindness!!! In a world of sin, we can still walk the way of Jesus, but we must watch very carefully not to stray off the path of righteousness. It's a narrow path, but Jesus is holding hands and walking with us to keep us safe. And so often we hear Him whisper to our spirit "walk THIS way please, watch your step . . . . "
When was the last time you consciously and purposely took a walk with Jesus? You might want to try it, holding hands with Him and seeing the beauty of God's creation. Oh, the undescribeable joy of it all !!!!
"Walk with me Lord Jesus, everywhere I go. I want my spirit to be so in tune with you that I am ever conscious of Your Presence with me. I want to share every bit of my life with You and take joy in the sharing. Lead me in the path of righteousness for Your Namesake, Lord. Let my life be a glory and honor to you. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Genesis 5:24
Exodus 33:11
2 Kings 2:11
Job 6:24
Psalm 119:33
143:10
2 Timothy 4:3
Hebrews 8:11
1 John 3:2
3 John 1:11
Proverbs 6: 16-19 - Who's counting . . . . . . .
"There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes,feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers."
Now, if anyone ever tells you that God does not hate, here's your Scripture. He most certainly does. And not only these seven, but God hates ALL sin. There isn't one that He does not hate. God loves the sinner, but hates the sin. Oh, wait, I'm sorry, I take that back. Verse 19 says God hates a "false witness", which is a person, and "a man who stirs up dissension...", another person. Hmmmmmm....... interesting, ..................
So let's get right into the meat of the matter. First, we see that several parts of the body come into play here: the eyes, tongue, hands, heart and feet. The eyes take it all in, the heart devises the wicked schemes, the tongue flaps about it, and the hands and feet carry out the details.
The sins represented by all these body parts are arrogance and pride; lies; murder; deceit; eagerness to do wrong; slander and gossip; and dissension and contention. Wow, that's quite the grouping. Then there's the false witness and the man bringing discord into the church. Seems like it's all tied up in a tidy little package here. What's even more tragic is that this is being addressed to the believer - these are the sins OF THE church.
We cannot clean up the whole church, that's the work of the Holy Spirit. But we can help Him by beginning with ourselves. We can examine our own lives and ask God to show us where we are out of sync with Him. Then we can ask Him to help us change so that we may become more like Jesus. I never pray for God to fix the other person, I pray for Him to fix me. Change MY heart, make ME like You, take away MY sinful attitudes, destroy the unholy trinity: me, myself, and I.
"Oh Lord my God, my heart's desire is to be humble, not arrogant. I always want to be truthful, not a liar or a deceiver. I want to bring forth life, both spiritual and natural, not death. I want to be a peacemaker, not a dissenter. I want to be like you, Jesus. Change MY heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Take not Your Holy Spirit from me, but renew in me the joy of Your salvation, that others would see You in me, and would receive you as Lord and Master. Let my life be a glory to Your Name. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Job 33:26
Psalm 16:11
Psalm 19:5
Psalm 55:19
Ecclesiastes 8:1
Jeremiah 7:3-11
Romans 14:17
Now, if anyone ever tells you that God does not hate, here's your Scripture. He most certainly does. And not only these seven, but God hates ALL sin. There isn't one that He does not hate. God loves the sinner, but hates the sin. Oh, wait, I'm sorry, I take that back. Verse 19 says God hates a "false witness", which is a person, and "a man who stirs up dissension...", another person. Hmmmmmm....... interesting, ..................
So let's get right into the meat of the matter. First, we see that several parts of the body come into play here: the eyes, tongue, hands, heart and feet. The eyes take it all in, the heart devises the wicked schemes, the tongue flaps about it, and the hands and feet carry out the details.
The sins represented by all these body parts are arrogance and pride; lies; murder; deceit; eagerness to do wrong; slander and gossip; and dissension and contention. Wow, that's quite the grouping. Then there's the false witness and the man bringing discord into the church. Seems like it's all tied up in a tidy little package here. What's even more tragic is that this is being addressed to the believer - these are the sins OF THE church.
We cannot clean up the whole church, that's the work of the Holy Spirit. But we can help Him by beginning with ourselves. We can examine our own lives and ask God to show us where we are out of sync with Him. Then we can ask Him to help us change so that we may become more like Jesus. I never pray for God to fix the other person, I pray for Him to fix me. Change MY heart, make ME like You, take away MY sinful attitudes, destroy the unholy trinity: me, myself, and I.
"Oh Lord my God, my heart's desire is to be humble, not arrogant. I always want to be truthful, not a liar or a deceiver. I want to bring forth life, both spiritual and natural, not death. I want to be a peacemaker, not a dissenter. I want to be like you, Jesus. Change MY heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Take not Your Holy Spirit from me, but renew in me the joy of Your salvation, that others would see You in me, and would receive you as Lord and Master. Let my life be a glory to Your Name. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Job 33:26
Psalm 16:11
Psalm 19:5
Psalm 55:19
Ecclesiastes 8:1
Jeremiah 7:3-11
Romans 14:17
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 - What's your sign . . . .
"Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse"
What an astounding piece of Scripture! Saul died BECAUSE he was "false in his duty" to the Lord . . . he committed adultery with God. This tears at my heart, brings a shudder to my spirit, and tears to my eyes.
Saul died because of three things. One, he did not keep the word of the Lord. He was disobedient. He was puffed up with pride and decided his way was the better way. Not only did he do wrong, he failed to do what was right. Next, he became involved with witchcraft. He sought the advice of hell. He wanted a quick answer and a quick fix, so he went the quickest route. He ignored God. And last, he did not inquire of the Lord. Too much trouble and too long to wait. Saul never went to God unless there was nowhere else to turn - the LAST resort. Saul sought God only when it suited Saul. It's that world attitude "I want it all, I want it now, and I want it MY way!"
In direct contrast, if you read 2 Chronicles 20, you will see that Jehoshaphat did the exact opposite of Saul. He prayed; he sought God; he waited for the answer and then obeyed God; he praised and worshiped; and God gave him complete victory over his enemies. This chapter is as fabulous a study on obedience as today's verses are on disobedience. We most certainly reap what we sow.
God calls us to a higher standard and a better life. We are to reject the world's ways, it is the direct path to hell. Oh, it's easy and appears delightful, but the cost of the ride ticket is just a bit too steep for me. After we turn our backs on worldly wants and ways, we are to seek what God wants. His ways are good, true and perfect and will always glorify Him, and only Him. If it does anything else, we need to readjust our own actions. And when all is said and done, we need to step out in immedite, unquestioning obedience. There is no room for questioning, arguing, complaining, or dallying. Hear and obey. Period. Amen.
What happens in the Old Testament in the natural happens in the New Testament in the spirit. God took Saul's life for his disobedience and disregard of God; Saul died, and not easily. If we are repeatedly and unrepentently unfaithful to the Lord, we will also die; we will die spiritually. We will be cut off from Jesus Christ. Is the cost of the joy of the moment worth it? We need to think on this very deeply, determine the attitude of our heart, and go from there. Even a little teensy bit of Saul in us is way too much Saul.
How is your walk with Jesus Christ? If there is anything but unquestioning obedience, we may need to examine our motives. Who is sitting on the Throne?
"Almighty God, I beg you, give me the strength and the courage to be unquestioning in my walk with you. Help me to be instantly obedient when you nudge me. I falter, Lord, I stumble and fall. Forgive me, O my God, and direct my steps, that they will ever glorify your name. Encourage me to be faithful in seeking your direction and counsel. Help me to be the child you created me to be. My heart is yours, Jesus. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
2 Chronicles 20
Leveticus 185
Deuteronomy 30:14
Nehemiah 9
Psalm 119:57-61
1 John 3:24
1 John 5:3
What an astounding piece of Scripture! Saul died BECAUSE he was "false in his duty" to the Lord . . . he committed adultery with God. This tears at my heart, brings a shudder to my spirit, and tears to my eyes.
Saul died because of three things. One, he did not keep the word of the Lord. He was disobedient. He was puffed up with pride and decided his way was the better way. Not only did he do wrong, he failed to do what was right. Next, he became involved with witchcraft. He sought the advice of hell. He wanted a quick answer and a quick fix, so he went the quickest route. He ignored God. And last, he did not inquire of the Lord. Too much trouble and too long to wait. Saul never went to God unless there was nowhere else to turn - the LAST resort. Saul sought God only when it suited Saul. It's that world attitude "I want it all, I want it now, and I want it MY way!"
In direct contrast, if you read 2 Chronicles 20, you will see that Jehoshaphat did the exact opposite of Saul. He prayed; he sought God; he waited for the answer and then obeyed God; he praised and worshiped; and God gave him complete victory over his enemies. This chapter is as fabulous a study on obedience as today's verses are on disobedience. We most certainly reap what we sow.
God calls us to a higher standard and a better life. We are to reject the world's ways, it is the direct path to hell. Oh, it's easy and appears delightful, but the cost of the ride ticket is just a bit too steep for me. After we turn our backs on worldly wants and ways, we are to seek what God wants. His ways are good, true and perfect and will always glorify Him, and only Him. If it does anything else, we need to readjust our own actions. And when all is said and done, we need to step out in immedite, unquestioning obedience. There is no room for questioning, arguing, complaining, or dallying. Hear and obey. Period. Amen.
What happens in the Old Testament in the natural happens in the New Testament in the spirit. God took Saul's life for his disobedience and disregard of God; Saul died, and not easily. If we are repeatedly and unrepentently unfaithful to the Lord, we will also die; we will die spiritually. We will be cut off from Jesus Christ. Is the cost of the joy of the moment worth it? We need to think on this very deeply, determine the attitude of our heart, and go from there. Even a little teensy bit of Saul in us is way too much Saul.
How is your walk with Jesus Christ? If there is anything but unquestioning obedience, we may need to examine our motives. Who is sitting on the Throne?
"Almighty God, I beg you, give me the strength and the courage to be unquestioning in my walk with you. Help me to be instantly obedient when you nudge me. I falter, Lord, I stumble and fall. Forgive me, O my God, and direct my steps, that they will ever glorify your name. Encourage me to be faithful in seeking your direction and counsel. Help me to be the child you created me to be. My heart is yours, Jesus. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
2 Chronicles 20
Leveticus 185
Deuteronomy 30:14
Nehemiah 9
Psalm 119:57-61
1 John 3:24
1 John 5:3
Matthew 5:13 - Seasoning anyone ????
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."
Salt is a wonderful substance - it has uses you would never dream of. A salt paste will soothe insect stings. Saltwater sets the color in clothing. Salt repels fleas. Windows washed with salt in the winter will not frost over. Salt makes cleaning oven spills easier then ever. Then there are the common uses for salt - flavoring; pickling; preserving.
From the beginning of time and still today in some cultures, newborns are rubbed down with a solution of either honey or olive oil and salt. This was done to remove all of the birthing fluids, thus ensuring a healthy baby. Then the infant was rubbed again with either plain honey or olive oil as a healing protectant.
What does salt do? It irritates; it cleanses; it heals; it flavors; it preserves. All the things the Christian is called to do.
If the Spirit of the Living God is active in your life, unbelievers will become uncomfortable in your presence. The Holy Spirit within you witnesses to the spirit of the world, causing discomfort, aggitation, bewilderment, anger, and scorn. This is the irritation. God is at work in others because He is at work in you.
Saltwater or just salt poured on an open wound causes tremendous pain, but promotes quicker healing. The exposed life of the unbeliever to the Holy Spirit brings pain and turmoil, weeping and wailing. But when we stop fighting the treatment and accept the proceedure, peace enters in and the healing begins. God uses you to heal the soul of others through your mercy and compassion. Your quiet, loving acceptance of others wins them to the Lord and eternal salvation. We love the sinner, not the sin.
We add spice to life just by the joy of the Lord bubbling over in us. Happy faces; trusting in the worst of times; sharing our trials and triumphs; all these things add zest.
And when all is said and done, when lost souls have received Jesus and eternal life, preservation has happened.
Not enough salt makes everything bland and too much salt makes things bitter. A cook learns by experience and so does the Christian. Good cooks trust their instincts, good Christians trust the Holy Spirit to tell them when enough is enough is just right.
How is your spiritual salt shaker? Is it full? Is it close at hand or tucked away in the cupbard? How often is it in use or has it lost it's saltiness?
"Lord God, sometimes I feel like table salt and sometimes like rock salt. You are the master chef, I trust how you will use me in the lives of others. I know You will never be too much or too little. Let me always, always rely on your directions and never on mine. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Proverbs 3:5-6
Exodus 30:35
Leviticus 2:13
Numbers 18:19
Juges 9:45
Salt is a wonderful substance - it has uses you would never dream of. A salt paste will soothe insect stings. Saltwater sets the color in clothing. Salt repels fleas. Windows washed with salt in the winter will not frost over. Salt makes cleaning oven spills easier then ever. Then there are the common uses for salt - flavoring; pickling; preserving.
From the beginning of time and still today in some cultures, newborns are rubbed down with a solution of either honey or olive oil and salt. This was done to remove all of the birthing fluids, thus ensuring a healthy baby. Then the infant was rubbed again with either plain honey or olive oil as a healing protectant.
What does salt do? It irritates; it cleanses; it heals; it flavors; it preserves. All the things the Christian is called to do.
If the Spirit of the Living God is active in your life, unbelievers will become uncomfortable in your presence. The Holy Spirit within you witnesses to the spirit of the world, causing discomfort, aggitation, bewilderment, anger, and scorn. This is the irritation. God is at work in others because He is at work in you.
Saltwater or just salt poured on an open wound causes tremendous pain, but promotes quicker healing. The exposed life of the unbeliever to the Holy Spirit brings pain and turmoil, weeping and wailing. But when we stop fighting the treatment and accept the proceedure, peace enters in and the healing begins. God uses you to heal the soul of others through your mercy and compassion. Your quiet, loving acceptance of others wins them to the Lord and eternal salvation. We love the sinner, not the sin.
We add spice to life just by the joy of the Lord bubbling over in us. Happy faces; trusting in the worst of times; sharing our trials and triumphs; all these things add zest.
And when all is said and done, when lost souls have received Jesus and eternal life, preservation has happened.
Not enough salt makes everything bland and too much salt makes things bitter. A cook learns by experience and so does the Christian. Good cooks trust their instincts, good Christians trust the Holy Spirit to tell them when enough is enough is just right.
How is your spiritual salt shaker? Is it full? Is it close at hand or tucked away in the cupbard? How often is it in use or has it lost it's saltiness?
"Lord God, sometimes I feel like table salt and sometimes like rock salt. You are the master chef, I trust how you will use me in the lives of others. I know You will never be too much or too little. Let me always, always rely on your directions and never on mine. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Proverbs 3:5-6
Exodus 30:35
Leviticus 2:13
Numbers 18:19
Juges 9:45
Job 27:3-4 - Watchyousay Willis ?
". . . as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit."
I am amazed, confounded even, by how much the Bible has to say about our speech: the use of the tongue, mouth, and lips. Nearly every book in the Bible has verses concerning what flows from our hearts, but I was bowled over by Psalms and Proverbs. Between the two books, there is a minimum of 118 verses directed at the use of our tongues. Does that tell us where a whole lot of our sin is centered? Now, in all fairness, not all of the Scripture is on the negative side. I didn't separate the good, the bad, and the ugly, and there are numerous Scriptures in these 118 that deal with praise and exaltation, such as this one from Job.
What we say probably affects almost everyone we come in contact with more then any other action we would do. Think about that. We hold the power of life and death, literally, and everything in between, in our mouths. Fact: teenagers have committed suicide after being bully-mouthed. Fact: a person that is praised and encouraged can achieve their wildest dreams. With our mouths we create and with our mouths we destroy. It's our choice which we concentrate on.
65 verses in Proverbs are divided into 4 categories of speech patterns. The Controlled Tongue thinks before speaking, knows that silence is golden, and gives wise advice only when asked. The Caring Tongue speaks the truth in love, all the while seeking to encourage and build up. The Conniving Tongue is truly bitter and killing. It consists of wrong motives, gossip, slander, and twists the truth to suit itself. And lastly, the Careless Tongue lies, curses and utters quick-tempered words, all of which lead to rebellion and destruction. Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. What goes in must come out.
Who we allow to direct our lives determines what the world hears from our hearts.
Look back over the last 24 hours. Who have you spoken to and what did you say? Which category did you fall in? Was God glorified by your speech?
"Loving Lord, my mouth, my tongue, my lips, are my enemy. I want only to glorify Your Name, yet that does not always happen. I am ashamed before you, Majesty; I hang my head. Have mercy on me, Lord, and create in me a new heart. Change me from the inside out, so that only pure, living water will flow over my lips. My desire is to refresh others with the joy of the Spirit within me. Help me, Jesus, to be more like you. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Job 33:3
Psalm 45:2
139:4
141:3
Psalm 34:13
35:28
37:30
39:1
Some of the Proverbs according to category:
Controlled Tongue: 10:19; 11:12-13; 12:16; 13:3; 15:1, 4, 28
Caring Tongue: 10:32; 12:18, 25; 15:23; 16:24; 25:15; 27:9
Conniving Tongue: 6:12-14; 8:13; 16:28; 18:8; 25:18; 26:20-28
Careless Tongue: 10:18, 32; 11:9; 12:16, 18; 15:4; 17:9, 14, 19; 20:19; 25:23
I am amazed, confounded even, by how much the Bible has to say about our speech: the use of the tongue, mouth, and lips. Nearly every book in the Bible has verses concerning what flows from our hearts, but I was bowled over by Psalms and Proverbs. Between the two books, there is a minimum of 118 verses directed at the use of our tongues. Does that tell us where a whole lot of our sin is centered? Now, in all fairness, not all of the Scripture is on the negative side. I didn't separate the good, the bad, and the ugly, and there are numerous Scriptures in these 118 that deal with praise and exaltation, such as this one from Job.
What we say probably affects almost everyone we come in contact with more then any other action we would do. Think about that. We hold the power of life and death, literally, and everything in between, in our mouths. Fact: teenagers have committed suicide after being bully-mouthed. Fact: a person that is praised and encouraged can achieve their wildest dreams. With our mouths we create and with our mouths we destroy. It's our choice which we concentrate on.
65 verses in Proverbs are divided into 4 categories of speech patterns. The Controlled Tongue thinks before speaking, knows that silence is golden, and gives wise advice only when asked. The Caring Tongue speaks the truth in love, all the while seeking to encourage and build up. The Conniving Tongue is truly bitter and killing. It consists of wrong motives, gossip, slander, and twists the truth to suit itself. And lastly, the Careless Tongue lies, curses and utters quick-tempered words, all of which lead to rebellion and destruction. Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. What goes in must come out.
Who we allow to direct our lives determines what the world hears from our hearts.
Look back over the last 24 hours. Who have you spoken to and what did you say? Which category did you fall in? Was God glorified by your speech?
"Loving Lord, my mouth, my tongue, my lips, are my enemy. I want only to glorify Your Name, yet that does not always happen. I am ashamed before you, Majesty; I hang my head. Have mercy on me, Lord, and create in me a new heart. Change me from the inside out, so that only pure, living water will flow over my lips. My desire is to refresh others with the joy of the Spirit within me. Help me, Jesus, to be more like you. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Job 33:3
Psalm 45:2
139:4
141:3
Psalm 34:13
35:28
37:30
39:1
Some of the Proverbs according to category:
Controlled Tongue: 10:19; 11:12-13; 12:16; 13:3; 15:1, 4, 28
Caring Tongue: 10:32; 12:18, 25; 15:23; 16:24; 25:15; 27:9
Conniving Tongue: 6:12-14; 8:13; 16:28; 18:8; 25:18; 26:20-28
Careless Tongue: 10:18, 32; 11:9; 12:16, 18; 15:4; 17:9, 14, 19; 20:19; 25:23
Psalm 46:10 - Oooooooh, I'm itchy . . . . . .
"Be still, and know that I am God; . . . . . . . . ."
The other day a friend asked me if I stayed up all night with the Lord. Sadly, I had to admit I didn't, but the question planted a seed that itched away at me all day. The result was that last night after 11 pm, I turned off the lights in my apartment and went out on my balcony to have some quality quiet time with Jesus. I sat in my chair, listening to the night symphony of the cicadas, feeling a cool, gentle breeze waft over me, praising God for His creation. In the blink of an eye an hour had passed! But it was quite the incredible hour indeed!!!! I haven't the words to describe this precious time of just loving on Jesus.
It's nice to be able to go to quiet retreats, church prayer rooms, forest cabins, ocean hideaways, and the like; for some, because of family and business, this is the only way they can have solitude with the Lord. I am thankful for these places and opportunities to use them. But sometimes it takes getting hit with a friendly brick to know that there is a "prayer closet" right within your own living space. The Holy Spirit used my friend to point this out to me and I am ever so thankful for that thump on the heart.
How are you able to share Jesus Christ with others if you don't have an intimate knowledge of Him? We learn ABOUT Him as we study, fellowship, and discuss Him with others, but we learn who He IS through quiet, loving, INTIMATE time alone with Him, with no distractions. There's no other way. That's how you learned about your sweetheart - the two of you spent time away from others getting to know each other on the deepest personal level, talking about things you wouldn't talk about to anyone else. Simply because you love them and trust them implicitly. That's what Jesus wants with us - deep, personal, intimate, quality, sharing time.
Are you concerned that you won't know what to do or say or think? Just simply love on Him. Envision yourself snuggling with Him on a porch swing and tell Him what He means to you. Thank Him for your home, family, the trees, the flowers, the rain, the clouds, the blue skies, the moon and the stars. Make up a song and sing Him your heart. Do you know that God has named EVERY star in the universe? If He cares enough to know the names of every hunk of rock in the skies, how much more does He love and care for you, a hunk of His own heart?
When was the last time you sought out some private time with Jesus? He's waiting to date you.
"Sweet, sweet Jesus, how I love you and long to be with you. I want to sit with your arms around me, listening to your very heartbeat. I want to snuggle into you, inhale your holy scent, know that you are mine and I am yours. Lead me to that quiet place where You and I can be alone together. I want to know the very essence of You. Take me by the hand and show me the way. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Psalm 37:7
147:4
Song of Solomon (Songs) 2:10
Isaiah 40:26
The other day a friend asked me if I stayed up all night with the Lord. Sadly, I had to admit I didn't, but the question planted a seed that itched away at me all day. The result was that last night after 11 pm, I turned off the lights in my apartment and went out on my balcony to have some quality quiet time with Jesus. I sat in my chair, listening to the night symphony of the cicadas, feeling a cool, gentle breeze waft over me, praising God for His creation. In the blink of an eye an hour had passed! But it was quite the incredible hour indeed!!!! I haven't the words to describe this precious time of just loving on Jesus.
It's nice to be able to go to quiet retreats, church prayer rooms, forest cabins, ocean hideaways, and the like; for some, because of family and business, this is the only way they can have solitude with the Lord. I am thankful for these places and opportunities to use them. But sometimes it takes getting hit with a friendly brick to know that there is a "prayer closet" right within your own living space. The Holy Spirit used my friend to point this out to me and I am ever so thankful for that thump on the heart.
How are you able to share Jesus Christ with others if you don't have an intimate knowledge of Him? We learn ABOUT Him as we study, fellowship, and discuss Him with others, but we learn who He IS through quiet, loving, INTIMATE time alone with Him, with no distractions. There's no other way. That's how you learned about your sweetheart - the two of you spent time away from others getting to know each other on the deepest personal level, talking about things you wouldn't talk about to anyone else. Simply because you love them and trust them implicitly. That's what Jesus wants with us - deep, personal, intimate, quality, sharing time.
Are you concerned that you won't know what to do or say or think? Just simply love on Him. Envision yourself snuggling with Him on a porch swing and tell Him what He means to you. Thank Him for your home, family, the trees, the flowers, the rain, the clouds, the blue skies, the moon and the stars. Make up a song and sing Him your heart. Do you know that God has named EVERY star in the universe? If He cares enough to know the names of every hunk of rock in the skies, how much more does He love and care for you, a hunk of His own heart?
When was the last time you sought out some private time with Jesus? He's waiting to date you.
"Sweet, sweet Jesus, how I love you and long to be with you. I want to sit with your arms around me, listening to your very heartbeat. I want to snuggle into you, inhale your holy scent, know that you are mine and I am yours. Lead me to that quiet place where You and I can be alone together. I want to know the very essence of You. Take me by the hand and show me the way. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Psalm 37:7
147:4
Song of Solomon (Songs) 2:10
Isaiah 40:26
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