Tuesday, November 29, 2011
1 Peter 4:10
One thing taught in large in the Bible is that while
God gives His gifts freely, He will require a strick accounting of
them at the end of time.
Read 1 Peter 4:10
James 1:26
There is no blessing until we look
deep down in our own soul and see
our spiritual life as it really is.
James 1:26
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Even Me
"Even Me"
Life is troubled for me these days
I swirl in a circle of sinful ways,
A merry-go-round I cannot stop,
Wicked old habits I cannot drop.
In a time of self-love I went astray
And diluted virtues began to decay,
Into a sordid life of sins I am swept,
Enslaved in weakness I am kept.
My weakness of the flesh is strong
The spirit is frail and habits long,
Years I've quested after pleasure,
My appetite for sin has no measure.
I am now Satan's tool and useful fool,
I am whirling in a vicious whirlpool,
His hellish current is pulling me under
And bits of my soul are strewn asunder.
I looked in the mirror and saw it all
In sad eyes I watched my downfall
My craven image in the cruel mirror
Couldn't have shown my demise clearer.
From the deep dark hole I occupy
I turned tear filled eyes to the sky,
I was at bottom as low as I could go
And Jesus is the only way up I know.
Habitual sinning is a hard chain to break
And every once of courage it will take,
I can't do it alone because I am weak
But God Almighty has the strength I seek.
Jesus died that sinners like me may live
And I believe forgiveness is His to give,
In worship I prayed with a repent heart
And was saved by love at prayers start.
In the Heaven-sent power of God's Son
My lifelong struggle with Satan is won,
Today I saw in the old mirror a new face,
A happy one beaming with God's grace.
Kenneth J. Ellison 12-18-08
I swirl in a circle of sinful ways,
A merry-go-round I cannot stop,
Wicked old habits I cannot drop.
In a time of self-love I went astray
And diluted virtues began to decay,
Into a sordid life of sins I am swept,
Enslaved in weakness I am kept.
My weakness of the flesh is strong
The spirit is frail and habits long,
Years I've quested after pleasure,
My appetite for sin has no measure.
I am now Satan's tool and useful fool,
I am whirling in a vicious whirlpool,
His hellish current is pulling me under
And bits of my soul are strewn asunder.
I looked in the mirror and saw it all
In sad eyes I watched my downfall
My craven image in the cruel mirror
Couldn't have shown my demise clearer.
From the deep dark hole I occupy
I turned tear filled eyes to the sky,
I was at bottom as low as I could go
And Jesus is the only way up I know.
Habitual sinning is a hard chain to break
And every once of courage it will take,
I can't do it alone because I am weak
But God Almighty has the strength I seek.
Jesus died that sinners like me may live
And I believe forgiveness is His to give,
In worship I prayed with a repent heart
And was saved by love at prayers start.
In the Heaven-sent power of God's Son
My lifelong struggle with Satan is won,
Today I saw in the old mirror a new face,
A happy one beaming with God's grace.
Kenneth J. Ellison 12-18-08
Friday, November 25, 2011
Psalm 119:11
Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You” Psalm 119:11
I've never been much at memorizing Scripture. In fact, the older I get, the harder it seems to be to memorize anything. So I was pretty much thrilled to see a Facebook post about memorizing Chapter 8 in the book of Romans. At first, I assumed it would be for the month of November. As I continued reading, and clicked on the link to the blog site, I found out this was memorizing the chapter in a year. Now, that sounds doable. A few verses a week.
Romans 8 holds a lot of meaning for me. I guess, if there was any chapter in the Bible I would truly want to have memorized it would be Romans 8. After my sister passed away a year ago this week, I struggle and struggle to find the right words to write for memory in the paper. In one of those “God moments,” I believe God gave me the following verses. Romans 8:38–39
But in all of these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I guess you would have to understand the circumstances surrounding my sister’s death to fully understand why these words were so important. But suffice it to say, that God answered my prayer when he lead me to those words.
I felt far removed from the love of God during those days. These words led me to realize that there was nothing, absolutely nothing, that could separate me or my sister from God’s love. I so desperately needed to know that. And when God says nothing can separate us, he means that there is nothing on this earth or in heaven that can separate us from his love.
As I read that Facebook post, I sadly realized I had to go to my Bible to know those verses word for word. I had to look them up to type them here. There have been many times since my sister’s death that I have needed those words. I'm realizing God is giving me an opportunity to keep these words close to my heart. I'm taking him up on that offer.
Won't you join me?
Daily Meditation
If you give a part
of yourself to life,
the part you receive back
will be so much greater.
Never regret the past,
but learn by it.
Never lose sight of your dreams;
a person who can dream
will always have hope.
Believe in yourself;
if you do, everyone else will.
You have the ability
to accomplish anything,
but never do it at
someone else's expense.
If you can go through life
loving others,
you will have achieved
the greatest success of all.
of yourself to life,
the part you receive back
will be so much greater.
Never regret the past,
but learn by it.
Never lose sight of your dreams;
a person who can dream
will always have hope.
Believe in yourself;
if you do, everyone else will.
You have the ability
to accomplish anything,
but never do it at
someone else's expense.
If you can go through life
loving others,
you will have achieved
the greatest success of all.
Genuine humility
When you can get free from the demands of your ego, you also free yourself from most of your self-imposed limitations. In practicing genuine humility, you will find enormous power.
Get beyond the desire to control others, and you vastly improve your ability to control your own actions. Let go of the need to be right, and you open yourself to experience new truth.
Get free of the need to blame, and your own sense of responsibility grows stronger. Stop seeking to place judgments on others, and you’re free to powerfully improve your own actions.
Give up the thought that you’re better than everyone else, and a whole new world of opportunity opens up to you. Stop seeking unfair advantage, and you’re free to develop an unstoppable effectiveness.
Quit demanding the most and start expecting the best. You’ll experience a level of true abundance that you never before could have imagined.
Live each moment with humility, love, respect and gratitude for the whole of life that surrounds you. And you will find a treasure that has no end.
Ralph Marston
When you can get free from the demands of your ego, you also free yourself from most of your self-imposed limitations. In practicing genuine humility, you will find enormous power.
Get beyond the desire to control others, and you vastly improve your ability to control your own actions. Let go of the need to be right, and you open yourself to experience new truth.
Get free of the need to blame, and your own sense of responsibility grows stronger. Stop seeking to place judgments on others, and you’re free to powerfully improve your own actions.
Give up the thought that you’re better than everyone else, and a whole new world of opportunity opens up to you. Stop seeking unfair advantage, and you’re free to develop an unstoppable effectiveness.
Quit demanding the most and start expecting the best. You’ll experience a level of true abundance that you never before could have imagined.
Live each moment with humility, love, respect and gratitude for the whole of life that surrounds you. And you will find a treasure that has no end.
Ralph Marston
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
His awesome presence
His Awesome Presence
The narrow road winds through green valleys, and over the snow
covered hills... Across the raging rivers, where icey waters spill.
Beneath a sky-blue canopy, the suns sheds it's warm light...
And beneath the dark clouds, they steal away our delight.
And beneath the dark clouds, they steal away our delight.
But when we come to know Jesus, be the days dark or bright...
We have the option, of always doing what is right.
We have the option, of always doing what is right.
We can moan about our troubles, we can hide behind our fears...
But when we walk with Jesus, our pathway becomes more clear.
But when we walk with Jesus, our pathway becomes more clear.
We can jump the highest hurdles, and swim the widest streams...
Our Savior is an awesome presence, who conquer's evil schemes.
Our Savior is an awesome presence, who conquer's evil schemes.
He suffered great anquish, upon Calvary's dark cross...
But when He died for us, we won the battle, evil lost!
But when He died for us, we won the battle, evil lost!
He leads us through green valleys, and He melts the snowy heart...
His love will conquer armies, and cause our sadness to depart.
His love will conquer armies, and cause our sadness to depart.
He miraculously arose again, He lives in all believers...
There's no room for worry or sin, only for loving achievers.
There's no room for worry or sin, only for loving achievers.
It gives me a warm feeling in my heart to write poetry. I am a "Golden Ager" shut-in and writing keeps my mind busy with something I've done ever since I was a child, and it's my way of sharing our LORD with who ever comes to visit. Thanks for reading my poetry - I'd love to hear your comments. May God richly bless you. Send emails to: EvaYoung @ SkyWriting.Net
Eva May Young
Psalm 27
In Psalm 27, David beseeches God in an intense urgent prayer. He pleads in verse 7, “Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.” His prayer is focused on one desire, one ambition, something that has become all consuming for him: “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after” (27:4).
David is testifying, “I have one prayer, Lord, one request. It is my single most important goal in life, my constant prayer, the one thing I desire. And I will seek after it with all that’s within me. This one thing consumes me as my goal.”
What was this one thing that David desired above all else, the object he’d set his heart on obtaining? He tells us: “That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple” (27:4).
Make no mistake: David was no ascetic, shunning the outside world. He wasn’t a hermit, seeking to hide away in a lonely desert place. No, David was a passionate man of action. He was a great warrior, with huge throngs singing of his victories in battle. He was also passionate in his prayer and devotion, with a heart that yearned after God. And the Lord had blessed David with so many of the desires of his heart.
Indeed, David tasted everything a man could want in life. He had known riches and wealth, power and authority. He had received the respect, praises and adulation of men. God had given him Jerusalem as the capital for the kingdom and he was surrounded by devoted men who were willing to die for him.
Most of all, David was a worshiper. He was a praising man who gave thanks to God for all his blessings. He testified, “The Lord laid blessings on me daily.”
David was saying, in effect, “There is a way of living I seek now—a settled place in the Lord that my soul longs for. I want uninterrupted spiritual intimacy with my God.” This was what David meant when he prayed, “That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple” (27:4).
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thanksgiving Joys
Thanksgiving Joys
Wishing you Thanksgiving Joys always,
Brings happiness and pleasure,
Delightful daisies too beautiful,
Give you sweetness you'll treasure.
Deep oranges, golden yellows, sweet pinks,
Rays of brightness from our Lord,
Daisies arrayed in bright single whorls,
Thanksgiving beauty's adored.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day with loves,
How the Lord treasures I know,
And as you give Him Thanks for blessings,
The Lord bestows love that grows.
Thanksgiving Joys come from giving hearts,
Praises, honor in His Name,
His love's filling your hearts and your homes,
Jesus our Lord's so acclaimed.
You and delightful daisies in sight,
And a bountiful harvest,
Gives Jesus sweet joy, can you see Him,
As He joins you as your Guest.
He's Fame in any celebration,
Our Lord's Thanksgiving each day,
How wonderful to have and love Him,
Oh, His Aroma will stay.
©Sondra McPherson
November 9, 2004
Thanks Mags
Curb Your Worries & Anxieties
|
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Just Do It
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
—Romans 8:14
I have discovered that if I want to be happy and if I want to have an anointing on my life, then I must be obedient to the voice of God. I don't always have to know why God wants me to do something. I just need to know what He tells me to do—and then do it!
When our feelings run amuck, we need to keep them from running our lives. We need to submit our will to what God tells us to do through His Word to us. If we don't feel like going to church, we go anyway. If we don't feel like giving that hundred dollar offering God told us to give, we do it anyway. If God tells us to give away items we feel like keeping, we give them away with joy.
"Walking in the Spirit" is a phrase that charismatic believers have used loosely in the past few decades. What it means to me is to hear God speak and do whatever He tells me to do. We can point our finger when we see that other people aren't obeying God, but all He wants from us is our own obedience.
verse of the day romans 8:18
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
Romans 8:18
Is it worth it? Oh yes! It's more than worth it. We can't begin
to imagine the glory God has in store for us. No matter how hard,
bad, or painful our trip through this world may be, our future with
God holds something incomparably better. Does that mean my
difficulties are meaningless or insignificant? Absolutely not! But
our future glory with God does mean that it is more than worth it
to hang in, to be faithful, and to receive his glorious reward!
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
Romans 8:18
Is it worth it? Oh yes! It's more than worth it. We can't begin
to imagine the glory God has in store for us. No matter how hard,
bad, or painful our trip through this world may be, our future with
God holds something incomparably better. Does that mean my
difficulties are meaningless or insignificant? Absolutely not! But
our future glory with God does mean that it is more than worth it
to hang in, to be faithful, and to receive his glorious reward!
Oh Come All Ye Faithful lyrics
O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
O Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God's holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
INNER CONFLICT
PRAYING WITH PAUL
INNER CONFLICT
Romans 7:1-20
Dear Father,
I have died to the world (and to the idea that I can be justified
by keeping a set of rules) through the body of Christ that I might
belong to Christ.
He was raised from the dead that I might belong to him and bear
fruit in his name. Help me to bear fruit for you in the way I live.
Let me serve you in the new life of the Spirit.
Give me strength to resist suggestions to do evil. For even though
I want to do good, opportunities to do evil lie close at hand.
Don't let my inner rebellion convince me to do the opposite of what
you command.
In the name of Jesus resolve the conflicts of my life and give me
a clear course to walk as I follow him. Amen.
INNER CONFLICT
Romans 7:1-20
Dear Father,
I have died to the world (and to the idea that I can be justified
by keeping a set of rules) through the body of Christ that I might
belong to Christ.
He was raised from the dead that I might belong to him and bear
fruit in his name. Help me to bear fruit for you in the way I live.
Let me serve you in the new life of the Spirit.
Give me strength to resist suggestions to do evil. For even though
I want to do good, opportunities to do evil lie close at hand.
Don't let my inner rebellion convince me to do the opposite of what
you command.
In the name of Jesus resolve the conflicts of my life and give me
a clear course to walk as I follow him. Amen.
The Ig Nobel Awards, by Patrick D. Odum
The Ig Nobel Awards, by Patrick D. Odum
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his
light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of
God's glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this
treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is
from God and not from us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7 TNIV).
You might have heard the winners of the Nobel prizes mentioned in
recent weeks, but there were a series of awards given out recently that
you probably missed. The "Ig Nobel Awards," given by a publication
called, improbably enough, the "Annals of Improbable Research," honor
the best of the year's research that cannot or should not be repeated.
At this year's awards in Boston, "Iggys" were given in economics to
Icelandic bank executives "for showing how tiny banks can become huge
banks, and then become tiny banks again." The peace prize went to
researchers from the University of Bern for a paper entitled, "Are full
or empty beer bottles sturdier and does their fracture-threshold
suffice to break the human skull?" (Turns out that full or empty
bottles will crack your noggin.) Other researchers were honored (?) for
determining that cows who are called by name give more milk, for
discovering that giant panda poop helps break down organic kitchen
waste, for identifying the anatomical factors that prevent pregnant
women from tipping over, and for developing a bra that converts into a
gas mask. Well, two gas masks, actually.
Ignoble? Well, maybe. Unless you suddenly find yourself in need of a
gas mask. Somebody has to study the "ignoble" stuff, right?
Judging from the Bible, God seems to be a big fan of the ignoble. A
champion of the common. Lord of the lowborn.
It's a redneck shepherd boy, after all, who stands up to Goliath -- and
with a sling, not armor and sword. When God wants to send his Son into
the world, he comes as a helpless baby, with a feeding trough in a
stable in a backwater town as his crib. His message speaks to the
common people, and often alienates the VIP's. And when he rescues the
people he loves, it isn't by raising an army or taking a throne. It's
by giving his life as a despised and rejected criminal.
Moses parted the sea with a staff. A donkey chastised Balaam. Jesus fed
5,000 people with a little boy's picnic. You get the picture. God has a
history of unexpected and unprecedented acts done with undistinguished
people and seemingly insignificant things.
Seems that God can use regular people who seem to have little to
commend them to do amazing things. A peasant couple in Nazareth receive
an angelic visitation and, nine months later, a baby boy who is God
With Us. Uneducated fishermen, an ethically questionable tax collector,
a revolutionary, and assorted women make up his closest followers. But
those followers go on to proclaim the good news and demonstrate the
power of God's kingdom to officials, rulers, and kings all over the
world.
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they
were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and took note
that these men had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).
That's the response of some of those officials and rulers to the
ordinary guys who spoke the name of Jesus to them. And, unwittingly,
they stumbled on the reason. What makes ordinary people able to do
extraordinary things? What transforms unremarkable circumstances into
remarkable acts of God? What gives nobility to what the world considers
ignoble? "They ... took note that these men had been with Jesus."
Paul calls himself and his co-workers "jars of clay"; pots so literally
earthy and common that archaeologists today find thousands of shards of
them scattered over every dig from Asia to the Middle East to Africa to
Europe. Clay jars were to Paul what plastic and Styrofoam containers
are to us: functional and unremarkable.
God will be glorified.
But, God had hidden a treasure inside Paul and his clay-jar colleagues.
He had shown them his face through Jesus, revealed to them who he is.
His light shone in their hearts, and so they carried around in
themselves the treasure of the gospel of Jesus. They were still clay
jars: weak, fragile, yes, even ignoble. They could be cracked, broken,
and even destroyed. No one would look at them and be impressed or
awestruck. But because they were clay jars, God did remarkable things
through them.
You might have expected that I'd say "in spite of the fact that they
were clay jars," or something like that. But Paul doesn't say that.
Paul reminds us that the ordinary-ness of the messengers witnesses to
the extraordinary-ness of the message. In using the ignoble, Paul
points out, God demonstrates incontrovertibly that the power of the
gospel is in him. It's not in the persuasiveness or faith or piety or
courage of the container. It's in the glory and power and grace of God
as poured out in Jesus Christ.
I wouldn't be surprised if you were a pretty ordinary person living a
pretty ordinary life. Oh, I'm sure you have your moments, but I imagine
that a fair amount of the time you worry about your weaknesses and
stress over your shortcomings. I'm guessing that you see yourself as
pretty average, and your life as unremarkable at best and mundane at
worst. And I'm pretty sure that, given the choice, you'd say that you
consider yourself more ignoble than noble.
Congratulations. You're in good company. People like you are just the
kind of people God loves to use to do his work in the world. Really,
when an ordinary person confounds the world's values and assumptions by
showing extraordinary faith or courage, or sacrificing to show love to
someone else, or speaking unexpected words of good news at just the
right time, then God is glorified. It's clear that he's at work in that
ordinary life.
Stay with Jesus. Stay close to him, follow him, do what he does, and
listen to what he says. His Spirit lives in you, and the treasure of
the gospel glitters through the cracks that every clay jar has in it.
He'll do remarkable things with you, but that's his business, and he'll
do it in his own time and in his own ways. As you take care of your
family, or do your job, or shop for groceries, or go to school, or
serve in your community, or worship in your church, he'll do his work.
Your business is staying close, doing the things he did and speaking
the words he spoke.
People will still notice.
And God will be glorified.
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his
light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of
God's glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this
treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is
from God and not from us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7 TNIV).
You might have heard the winners of the Nobel prizes mentioned in
recent weeks, but there were a series of awards given out recently that
you probably missed. The "Ig Nobel Awards," given by a publication
called, improbably enough, the "Annals of Improbable Research," honor
the best of the year's research that cannot or should not be repeated.
At this year's awards in Boston, "Iggys" were given in economics to
Icelandic bank executives "for showing how tiny banks can become huge
banks, and then become tiny banks again." The peace prize went to
researchers from the University of Bern for a paper entitled, "Are full
or empty beer bottles sturdier and does their fracture-threshold
suffice to break the human skull?" (Turns out that full or empty
bottles will crack your noggin.) Other researchers were honored (?) for
determining that cows who are called by name give more milk, for
discovering that giant panda poop helps break down organic kitchen
waste, for identifying the anatomical factors that prevent pregnant
women from tipping over, and for developing a bra that converts into a
gas mask. Well, two gas masks, actually.
Ignoble? Well, maybe. Unless you suddenly find yourself in need of a
gas mask. Somebody has to study the "ignoble" stuff, right?
Judging from the Bible, God seems to be a big fan of the ignoble. A
champion of the common. Lord of the lowborn.
It's a redneck shepherd boy, after all, who stands up to Goliath -- and
with a sling, not armor and sword. When God wants to send his Son into
the world, he comes as a helpless baby, with a feeding trough in a
stable in a backwater town as his crib. His message speaks to the
common people, and often alienates the VIP's. And when he rescues the
people he loves, it isn't by raising an army or taking a throne. It's
by giving his life as a despised and rejected criminal.
Moses parted the sea with a staff. A donkey chastised Balaam. Jesus fed
5,000 people with a little boy's picnic. You get the picture. God has a
history of unexpected and unprecedented acts done with undistinguished
people and seemingly insignificant things.
Seems that God can use regular people who seem to have little to
commend them to do amazing things. A peasant couple in Nazareth receive
an angelic visitation and, nine months later, a baby boy who is God
With Us. Uneducated fishermen, an ethically questionable tax collector,
a revolutionary, and assorted women make up his closest followers. But
those followers go on to proclaim the good news and demonstrate the
power of God's kingdom to officials, rulers, and kings all over the
world.
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they
were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and took note
that these men had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).
That's the response of some of those officials and rulers to the
ordinary guys who spoke the name of Jesus to them. And, unwittingly,
they stumbled on the reason. What makes ordinary people able to do
extraordinary things? What transforms unremarkable circumstances into
remarkable acts of God? What gives nobility to what the world considers
ignoble? "They ... took note that these men had been with Jesus."
Paul calls himself and his co-workers "jars of clay"; pots so literally
earthy and common that archaeologists today find thousands of shards of
them scattered over every dig from Asia to the Middle East to Africa to
Europe. Clay jars were to Paul what plastic and Styrofoam containers
are to us: functional and unremarkable.
God will be glorified.
But, God had hidden a treasure inside Paul and his clay-jar colleagues.
He had shown them his face through Jesus, revealed to them who he is.
His light shone in their hearts, and so they carried around in
themselves the treasure of the gospel of Jesus. They were still clay
jars: weak, fragile, yes, even ignoble. They could be cracked, broken,
and even destroyed. No one would look at them and be impressed or
awestruck. But because they were clay jars, God did remarkable things
through them.
You might have expected that I'd say "in spite of the fact that they
were clay jars," or something like that. But Paul doesn't say that.
Paul reminds us that the ordinary-ness of the messengers witnesses to
the extraordinary-ness of the message. In using the ignoble, Paul
points out, God demonstrates incontrovertibly that the power of the
gospel is in him. It's not in the persuasiveness or faith or piety or
courage of the container. It's in the glory and power and grace of God
as poured out in Jesus Christ.
I wouldn't be surprised if you were a pretty ordinary person living a
pretty ordinary life. Oh, I'm sure you have your moments, but I imagine
that a fair amount of the time you worry about your weaknesses and
stress over your shortcomings. I'm guessing that you see yourself as
pretty average, and your life as unremarkable at best and mundane at
worst. And I'm pretty sure that, given the choice, you'd say that you
consider yourself more ignoble than noble.
Congratulations. You're in good company. People like you are just the
kind of people God loves to use to do his work in the world. Really,
when an ordinary person confounds the world's values and assumptions by
showing extraordinary faith or courage, or sacrificing to show love to
someone else, or speaking unexpected words of good news at just the
right time, then God is glorified. It's clear that he's at work in that
ordinary life.
Stay with Jesus. Stay close to him, follow him, do what he does, and
listen to what he says. His Spirit lives in you, and the treasure of
the gospel glitters through the cracks that every clay jar has in it.
He'll do remarkable things with you, but that's his business, and he'll
do it in his own time and in his own ways. As you take care of your
family, or do your job, or shop for groceries, or go to school, or
serve in your community, or worship in your church, he'll do his work.
Your business is staying close, doing the things he did and speaking
the words he spoke.
People will still notice.
And God will be glorified.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Psalm 50:1-23
Why God Requires Worship
Psalm 50:1--23
"If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it." (v. 12)
During the early days of my Christian experience, I queried why God put so many texts in the Bible that command us to worship Him. It seemed to me that many of these commands bordered on egotism and self-centeredness. We all despise those people who clamor for our attention or commendation, and a picture of a God who needed constant ego strokes threatened to impress itself on my mind. It happened most when I read the Psalms. "Praise Me, worship Me," the Almighty seemed to be saying everywhere. Then I read C. S. Lewis's Reflections on the Psalms and the whole matter dropped into the right perspective. This is what he said: "The miserable idea that God should in any sense need or crave for our worship like a vain woman wanting compliments or a vain author presenting his new books to people who had never met or heard of him is implicitly answered by the words: 'If I be hungry I will not tell thee' (Ps. 50:12). Even if such an absurd Deity could be conceived He would hardly come to us, the lowest of rational creatures, to gratify His appetite. I don't want my dog to bark at my books." He went on to point out that in commanding us to worship Him the Almighty is demonstrating far more interest in us than in Himself. Our worship of Him completes us. We perfect our personalities to the degree that we give ourselves to God in worship. In eternity we shall experience full joy because we shall be able to worship Him fully. Meanwhile we are tuning our instruments.
Prayer:
O God, I want to worship You in the way You deserve to be worshipped. Help me give You my worship not because I am completed by it but because You are so worthy of it. I worship You, Father, with all my heart. Amen.
For Further Study
1 Chron. 16:8--36; Rev. 4:8--11; 5:11--13
1. What is the anthem of heaven?
2. Why not echo the anthem yourself today?
Paul
Paul's second letter to Timothy was written from prison. This time the apostle felt certain that the emperor would have him executed. But God's faithful servant was ready to take the next step of faith.
We shouldn't be surprised that Paul met death with calm acceptance. He lived every day—from his conversion on the Damascus Road to his final moments—in service to God, which meant consenting to whatever hardship he was asked to bear in Jesus' name. "I have fought the good fight," he reported to Timothy. From his many letters, we know that Paul battled the same enemies we face—the flesh (Rom. 7:14-25), the world (1 Cor. 4:11-13), and Satan (Eph. 6:12). When you're tempted to think that he was somehow more holy than you, meditate on these passages. Paul persevered by faith, just as we must.
Even with his profound wisdom and admirable skill as an apostle, missionary, and statesman, Paul wasn't so different from ordinary you and me. He was not perfect, and he had spiritual defeats. But Paul didn't stay down. He got back into the fight. For this and for the life he lived, he anticipated the rich rewards of eternity. And he pointed out that heaven's treasures were "not only to me but also to all who have longed for appearing" (2 Tim. 4:8 niv).
Paul struggled and agonized, as believers today often do. But he kept the faith, and you can too. Fight the good fight, Friend. Battle your enemies by choosing to trust, obey, and rely upon the Lord. You will bring honor to Him and store up treasures in heaven for yourself.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Do not judge whats on the outside
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A Prayer for the Persecuted
“A Prayer For The Persecuted”
Father, we pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters. They suffer, not as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. They are guilty of being a Christian believer, guilty of loving You more than their very lives; guilty of wanting to gather with their family of believers week after week; guilty of spreading Your Gospel though their government suppresses their message. They are found guilty as charged of doing that which brings honor to You. They suffer according to Your will and commit themselves to You, their faithful Creator as they continue to do good. May we follow in their courageous footsteps through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Luke 6:38
When you give to others a sense of
belonging, you feel a greater sense
of belonging.
Read Luke 6:38
Gods Daily Word
Too Much of Us
Gideon lived during a time when Israel was ruled by judges. This was the period after the death of Joshua and before Saul was anointed king - a period lasting approximately 325 years. During this time, the people continually wandered away from God and were oppressed by various groups. But God always rose up a leader (a judge) who would deliver the people and lead them back to Himself - at least for a short while.
The oppression by the Midianites was so severe that many Israelites lived in caves and harvested their crops in secret. When the people cried to God for help, He chose to use Gideon; "'But Lord,' Gideon asked, 'how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family'" (Judges 6:15). God wanted His Children to know that true deliverance is only through His strength and by His grace. By using Gideon to save the people, God taught a valuable lesson of trust.
Judges 7:2-3
"The Lord said to Gideon, 'You have too many men for Me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against Me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, "Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead."' So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained."
God's message of grace and power would not be obvious if the army had any hope of victory by their own strength: "But the Lord said to Gideon, 'There are still too many men'" (Judges 7:4). Gideon's army started with 32,000 but he was not sent into battle until the army was shrunk to only three hundred. These were impossible odds! But God always reigns supreme in the impossible: the battle was completely victorious!!
God is never interested in the "wonderful" things we can do for Him. He is pleased only by our obedience and our trust. In fact, God allows many of our great endeavors to fail simply because they are being pursued without giving Him absolute control. We are never to rest in our own strength and ability; rather, we are to continually walk by faith. Several hundred years after Gideon, the prophet Isaiah gave this same message: "Woe to those who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 31:1).
God will lead us into victory, but we must give Him our total trust. When we walk in His victory, we will have the joy of witnessing His mighty hand and find true fulfillment in bringing Him glory and honor. His victory is never by our strength, savvy, cunning, or intelligence. It is only as we trust Him to work in and through the empty vessel of our life. True victory will only be won as we go into battle with ALL of Him and without too much of us.
Friday, November 11, 2011
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain:
faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
What is in a prayer?
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| | What Is In A Prayer When you have been through hard times And feel you are in despair You wonder where Jesus went And ask. 'What is in a prayer?' Yet, Jesus never leaves us His love is over every mountain, every tree. He holds out His hand in welcome and calls to you and me. First we must be able to see, He sends us little miracles each day A butterfly or a bird that sings- If we just walk on by, Jesus is very sad. What is in a prayer? The wonder that The Lord will bring Jesus gave us all a way That we can talk to Him- Then He helps us always with the smallest thing So what is a prayer? To Jesus, it is coming close to him. It is a sunrise and sunset It is a miracle- when new life is born anew, It is life, like green fields that we can always view. Dear Jesus we ask for ourselves Nothing but Your love. Let us talk to You, our friend and guide- For sometimes we forget to pray- forget to open wide our weeping eyes. Let us not forget, what is in a prayer Heavenly Father, take our sin. Let us wash Your feet and dry them with our hair Like Mary Magdalene who truly knew- what is in a prayer... Linda Ann Henry © 2009 | ||
Moses, Elijah and Jesus
Moses, Elijah, and Jesus
28About eight days after Jesus said these things, he took Peter, James, and John and went up on a mountain to pray. 29While Jesus was praying, his face began to change. His clothes became shining white. 30Then two men were talking with Jesus. The men were Moses and Elijah.* 31Moses and Elijah were shining bright too. They were talking with Jesus about his death that would happen in Jerusalem. 32Peter and the others were asleep. But they woke up and saw the glory of Jesus. They also saw the two men that were standing with Jesus. 33When Moses and Elijah were leaving, Peter said, "Master, it is good that we are here. We will put three tents here--one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." (Peter did not know what he was saying.) 34While Peter was saying these things, a cloud came all around them. Peter, James, and John became afraid when the cloud covered them. 35A voice came from the cloud. The voice said, "This is my Son. He is the One I have chosen. Obey him." 36When the voice finished, only Jesus was there. Peter, James, and John said nothing. At that time they told no person about what they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Boy That Has an Evil Spirit
37The next day, Jesus, Peter, James, and John came down from the mountain. A large group of people met Jesus. 38A man in the group shouted to Jesus, "Teacher, please come and look at my son. He is the only child I have. 39An evil spirit [from the devil] comes into my son, and then he shouts. He loses control of himself and he foams from the mouth. The evil spirit continues to hurt him and almost never leaves him. 40I begged your followers to make the evil spirit leave my son, but they could not do it." 41Jesus answered, "You people that live now have no faith. Your lives are all wrong. How long must I be with you and be patient with you?" Then Jesus said to the man, "Bring your son here." 42While the boy was coming, the demon* threw the boy to the ground. The boy lost control of himself. But Jesus gave a strong command to the evil spirit. Then the boy was healed. And Jesus gave the boy back to his father. 43All the people were amazed at the great power of God.
Jesus Talks About His Death
The people were still amazed about all the things Jesus did. Jesus said to his followers, 44"Don't forget the things I will tell you now: The Son of Man* will be given into the control of some men." 45But the followers did not understand what Jesus meant. The meaning was hidden from them so that they could not understand it. But the followers were afraid to ask Jesus about what he said.
Footnotes: Moses and Elijah Two very important Jewish leaders during the time of the Old Testament. demon(s) Demons are evil spirits from the devil. Son of Man A name Jesus used for himself. In Dan. 7:13-14, this is the name for the Messiah, the one God chose to save his people.
28About eight days after Jesus said these things, he took Peter, James, and John and went up on a mountain to pray. 29While Jesus was praying, his face began to change. His clothes became shining white. 30Then two men were talking with Jesus. The men were Moses and Elijah.* 31Moses and Elijah were shining bright too. They were talking with Jesus about his death that would happen in Jerusalem. 32Peter and the others were asleep. But they woke up and saw the glory of Jesus. They also saw the two men that were standing with Jesus. 33When Moses and Elijah were leaving, Peter said, "Master, it is good that we are here. We will put three tents here--one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." (Peter did not know what he was saying.) 34While Peter was saying these things, a cloud came all around them. Peter, James, and John became afraid when the cloud covered them. 35A voice came from the cloud. The voice said, "This is my Son. He is the One I have chosen. Obey him." 36When the voice finished, only Jesus was there. Peter, James, and John said nothing. At that time they told no person about what they had seen.
37The next day, Jesus, Peter, James, and John came down from the mountain. A large group of people met Jesus. 38A man in the group shouted to Jesus, "Teacher, please come and look at my son. He is the only child I have. 39An evil spirit [from the devil] comes into my son, and then he shouts. He loses control of himself and he foams from the mouth. The evil spirit continues to hurt him and almost never leaves him. 40I begged your followers to make the evil spirit leave my son, but they could not do it." 41Jesus answered, "You people that live now have no faith. Your lives are all wrong. How long must I be with you and be patient with you?" Then Jesus said to the man, "Bring your son here." 42While the boy was coming, the demon* threw the boy to the ground. The boy lost control of himself. But Jesus gave a strong command to the evil spirit. Then the boy was healed. And Jesus gave the boy back to his father. 43All the people were amazed at the great power of God.
The people were still amazed about all the things Jesus did. Jesus said to his followers, 44"Don't forget the things I will tell you now: The Son of Man* will be given into the control of some men." 45But the followers did not understand what Jesus meant. The meaning was hidden from them so that they could not understand it. But the followers were afraid to ask Jesus about what he said.
Get out of the Cockpit
Get Out of the Cockpit!
In his final words to the leaders of the church of Ephesus, Paul likened the follower of Jesus to five different pursuits: a runner in a race, a steward, a witness, a herald, and a watchman.
We already looked at what it is to be a runner in the race of life. The second category is that of a servant.
We are to be servants to the leaders
Paul said, "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).
The word that Paul uses here for "received" is like that of a steward or servant, or even a slave.
The steward owns little or nothing. In the same way, everything I have is on loan from God. That includes my career, my ministry, my children, even my very life.
The Christian life is not about how God will bless my dreams, ambitions, and goals. This is about finding His will, and walking in it.
A servant's purpose is to serve his master and please him. 1 Corinthians 4:2 says, "Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful."
This is a huge thing for us to get as Christians. Perhaps you have seen those bumper stickers on people's cars with the statement "God is my co-pilot." I hate to break this to you, but God does not want to be the pilot and us the co-pilot. In fact, He does not even want us in the cockpit!
God wants to be in charge
Here is what I need to know about God:
We already looked at what it is to be a runner in the race of life. The second category is that of a servant.
We are to be servants to the leaders
Paul said, "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).
The word that Paul uses here for "received" is like that of a steward or servant, or even a slave.
The steward owns little or nothing. In the same way, everything I have is on loan from God. That includes my career, my ministry, my children, even my very life.
The Christian life is not about how God will bless my dreams, ambitions, and goals. This is about finding His will, and walking in it.
A servant's purpose is to serve his master and please him. 1 Corinthians 4:2 says, "Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful."
This is a huge thing for us to get as Christians. Perhaps you have seen those bumper stickers on people's cars with the statement "God is my co-pilot." I hate to break this to you, but God does not want to be the pilot and us the co-pilot. In fact, He does not even want us in the cockpit!
God wants to be in charge
Here is what I need to know about God:
- He is the Master. I am the servant.
- He is the Shepherd. I am the sheep.
- He is the Potter. I am the clay.
That means that the day I believed in Jesus, I became His personal property, to do with as He chooses. I know that sounds radical to some, but it is biblical.
As Christians, we are now the "purchased property" of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 6:20 reminds us, "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
But I must also know that this Master who owns me is also a friend who loves me. The Potter who molds me is also a Father who adores me.
That makes it all the easier to be His servant.
Being a bondslave
Paul often opened his epistles with the words, "Paul, a bondslave of Jesus Christ." But what did that mean?
This was speaking of the ancient custom in which a freed slave could declare that he did not want to leave his master. The slave who had been set free, but wanted to stay on and serve his master voluntarily was known as a "bondslave."
This goes back to Paul's statement to the Lord on the Damascus road, "Lord, what will You have me to do?" There was no quibbling or negotiating in this area.
We are just doing our duty
Jesus told a parable about a master commanding his servants. He compares that to our relationship with Him and says, "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants. We have done what was our duty to do" (Luke 17:10).
The true follower of Jesus wants to do His will, and as soon as he knows what it is, he gladly jumps in and does it! And if you don't want to do His will, I wonder if you know what He has done for you.
The steward or servant must one day give an account of his ministry, and Paul was ready for that day.
* by Greg Laurie
As Christians, we are now the "purchased property" of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 6:20 reminds us, "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
But I must also know that this Master who owns me is also a friend who loves me. The Potter who molds me is also a Father who adores me.
That makes it all the easier to be His servant.
Being a bondslave
Paul often opened his epistles with the words, "Paul, a bondslave of Jesus Christ." But what did that mean?
This was speaking of the ancient custom in which a freed slave could declare that he did not want to leave his master. The slave who had been set free, but wanted to stay on and serve his master voluntarily was known as a "bondslave."
This goes back to Paul's statement to the Lord on the Damascus road, "Lord, what will You have me to do?" There was no quibbling or negotiating in this area.
We are just doing our duty
Jesus told a parable about a master commanding his servants. He compares that to our relationship with Him and says, "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants. We have done what was our duty to do" (Luke 17:10).
The true follower of Jesus wants to do His will, and as soon as he knows what it is, he gladly jumps in and does it! And if you don't want to do His will, I wonder if you know what He has done for you.
The steward or servant must one day give an account of his ministry, and Paul was ready for that day.
* by Greg Laurie
Daily Bible Verse
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10 (New International Version)
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
What Jesus Did
WHAT JESUS DID!
Responding to Faith
While Jesus was saying these things, a leader of the
synagogue came to him. The leader bowed down before Jesus and
said, "My daughter has just died. But come and touch her with
your hand, and she will live again." So Jesus stood up and
went with the leader. Jesus' followers went too.
-- Matthew 9:18-19 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
True power meets true faith as Jesus and this leader of a synagogue
meet each other. This important man shows no pretentiousness in the
presence of Jesus. He bows to honor and worship him and make a request
that was unthinkable. But even though his request was unimaginable, he
pursued it with the eyes of faith. In the presence of such faith, Jesus
is more than happy to help just as unpretentiously as the synagogue
ruler was in asking for it.
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Give me a heart of faith, O God, that not only helps me see the unseen
and believe the unimaginable, but also brings a blessing to you. I want
to dream what is incredible knowing that you will do things much
greater than I can even imagine. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Responding to Faith
While Jesus was saying these things, a leader of the
synagogue came to him. The leader bowed down before Jesus and
said, "My daughter has just died. But come and touch her with
your hand, and she will live again." So Jesus stood up and
went with the leader. Jesus' followers went too.
-- Matthew 9:18-19 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
True power meets true faith as Jesus and this leader of a synagogue
meet each other. This important man shows no pretentiousness in the
presence of Jesus. He bows to honor and worship him and make a request
that was unthinkable. But even though his request was unimaginable, he
pursued it with the eyes of faith. In the presence of such faith, Jesus
is more than happy to help just as unpretentiously as the synagogue
ruler was in asking for it.
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Give me a heart of faith, O God, that not only helps me see the unseen
and believe the unimaginable, but also brings a blessing to you. I want
to dream what is incredible knowing that you will do things much
greater than I can even imagine. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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