Isaiah 6: 1-8
In the year King Uzziah died I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of His robe filled the Temple. Attending Him were mighty Seraphim. ... They were calling out to each other, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heavens Armies! The whole Earth is filled with His glory!" ... Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?" I said, "Here I am. Send me."
Holy, holy, holy; You, Lord God, are beyond all human understanding in Your glory, Your majesty, Your beauty, Your wisdom, Your justice, Your grace, Your righteousness, Your mercy, Your patience, Your vengeance. All credit for everything that is accomplished is Yours; for You are carrying out all Your plans and Your intentions will be satisfied.
O my Lord God, my Father, my Redeemer, I surrender to You all that I am. I surrender to You my tears; I seem to have far more tears than one person's allotment--let them be for those who have no tears, those whose bottles are empty; fill them with my tears!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, March 31, 2017
Thursday, March 30, 2017
What Sorrow for those
Isaiah 5: 20 (read the whole chapter)
What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is darkness, that bitter (poison) is sweet and sweet is bitter.
Let us come before God confessing the sins of our Nation: We are known in the World as God's people, a Christian nation; and we are despised for all our lewdness and shamefulness.
We have called evil good in promoting perverted acts, and called good evil in calling God's Word, the Bible, a book containing hate-speech.
We have called dark light in "keeping an open mind," and called light darkness in viewing God's glorious Gospel, which is free to all, as exclusive and discriminatory.
We have called bitter sweet in promoting chemicals as "sweeteners" even though they are artificial and are not recognized by our bodies as food; and we have called sweet "bitter" in condemning God's natural sweeteners, like honey, to be "high glycemic."
We have had children ruling over us, with women ruling over them.
O our Father, forgive us! Cleanse us! Heal us! Grant us leaders who will throw down all the altars and shrines and idols of all the demons we have been worshiping instead of You, our Maker and Redeemer. Continue to wake up Your church in our Nation, to follow Your ways, to open the door to receiving Your blessings again, as we did in the past. Let us remember the heights from which we have fallen and do again those good things according to Your good ways.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is darkness, that bitter (poison) is sweet and sweet is bitter.
Let us come before God confessing the sins of our Nation: We are known in the World as God's people, a Christian nation; and we are despised for all our lewdness and shamefulness.
We have called evil good in promoting perverted acts, and called good evil in calling God's Word, the Bible, a book containing hate-speech.
We have called dark light in "keeping an open mind," and called light darkness in viewing God's glorious Gospel, which is free to all, as exclusive and discriminatory.
We have called bitter sweet in promoting chemicals as "sweeteners" even though they are artificial and are not recognized by our bodies as food; and we have called sweet "bitter" in condemning God's natural sweeteners, like honey, to be "high glycemic."
We have had children ruling over us, with women ruling over them.
O our Father, forgive us! Cleanse us! Heal us! Grant us leaders who will throw down all the altars and shrines and idols of all the demons we have been worshiping instead of You, our Maker and Redeemer. Continue to wake up Your church in our Nation, to follow Your ways, to open the door to receiving Your blessings again, as we did in the past. Let us remember the heights from which we have fallen and do again those good things according to Your good ways.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Don't Jump To Conclusions
I Corinthians 4: 5
So be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether or not someone is faithful. When the Lord comes, He will bring our deepest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. And then God will give everyone whatever praise is due.
This is why we are told not to judge one another. We may get a wrong, negative impression, but that does not give us the authority to pronounce them unfaithful. We do not see the whole picture, as God does.
God's servant stands or falls to God, not to another servant. We each will stand before that judgment seat, and we're told that no negative repercussions will result at that time and place, but only "whatever praise is due."
Help me, Father, to put a guard on my tongue, to think and consider before I open my mouth to speak; that I will say only what is encouraging, and uplifting, and beneficial to the hearers.
Help me to "be patient with those who abuse" (4:12) and not react negatively, but respond thoughtfully, following through with gentleness and consideration, and compassion.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
So be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether or not someone is faithful. When the Lord comes, He will bring our deepest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. And then God will give everyone whatever praise is due.
This is why we are told not to judge one another. We may get a wrong, negative impression, but that does not give us the authority to pronounce them unfaithful. We do not see the whole picture, as God does.
God's servant stands or falls to God, not to another servant. We each will stand before that judgment seat, and we're told that no negative repercussions will result at that time and place, but only "whatever praise is due."
Help me, Father, to put a guard on my tongue, to think and consider before I open my mouth to speak; that I will say only what is encouraging, and uplifting, and beneficial to the hearers.
Help me to "be patient with those who abuse" (4:12) and not react negatively, but respond thoughtfully, following through with gentleness and consideration, and compassion.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Beware In Your Plenty
Deuteronomy 8: 1-18
Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. ... When you have eaten your fill, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. But this is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey His commands, regulations and laws. ... Always remember that it is the Lord your God Who gives you power to become rich, and He does it to fulfill the covenant He made with your ancestors.
God knows our hearts, how weak and broken we are. He knows that when we have succeeded and become rich, then our own pride arises in our imaginations and we think that we have gotten all this wealth ourselves; when it is God Who has been faithful to His own Word, the covenant He made with His holy ones of old.
God provides His blessings of abundance in response to our obedience to His commands, regulations and laws; not because of our own efforts.
We are rich when we have enough food to eat, warm clothes to cover our bodies, and a roof over our heads to protect from the elements. Many in the world today do not have even these. When we have more than this, we get spoiled, we allow our hearts to deceive ourselves into thinking that we "deserve" all these extra pamperings, and throw tantrums when we think we're being deprived of some trinket.
Please, Father, open our eyes to see the Truth of what is happening in our land. Set us on fire for You, Lord, to cast down all the altars and idols and shrines to all the demons, and let us return to You, our true Shepherd of our souls.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. ... When you have eaten your fill, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. But this is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey His commands, regulations and laws. ... Always remember that it is the Lord your God Who gives you power to become rich, and He does it to fulfill the covenant He made with your ancestors.
God knows our hearts, how weak and broken we are. He knows that when we have succeeded and become rich, then our own pride arises in our imaginations and we think that we have gotten all this wealth ourselves; when it is God Who has been faithful to His own Word, the covenant He made with His holy ones of old.
God provides His blessings of abundance in response to our obedience to His commands, regulations and laws; not because of our own efforts.
We are rich when we have enough food to eat, warm clothes to cover our bodies, and a roof over our heads to protect from the elements. Many in the world today do not have even these. When we have more than this, we get spoiled, we allow our hearts to deceive ourselves into thinking that we "deserve" all these extra pamperings, and throw tantrums when we think we're being deprived of some trinket.
Please, Father, open our eyes to see the Truth of what is happening in our land. Set us on fire for You, Lord, to cast down all the altars and idols and shrines to all the demons, and let us return to You, our true Shepherd of our souls.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, March 27, 2017
A Time And A Way
Ecclesiastes 8: 5-6
Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble.
O my Father, Your wisdom truly is so far above what any Earthly, worldly wisdom can even comprehend. Teach me Your wisdom, my Father; I sit at Your feet, ready to learn the details of how I am to conduct my life this day: To see with Your eyes, hear with Your ears, and to understand with Your perception of the truth of what is transpiring around me and in my life.
Strengthen me with Your strength, for I have none, I am weak and broken. I find that I tend to lose myself in my own little world, and Father, that is not good; that is selfishness and self-centeredness and even pride. When I isolate myself from others I'm saying that I don't need others; others You have given to me to help me, and for me to help them.
Thank you for the accountability You have provided for me, and the people, the friends and family members You have placed around me. Help me to continue to grow into the woman You created me to be.
Use my life today to draw others to You, and may You receive all the honor and glory for this day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble.
O my Father, Your wisdom truly is so far above what any Earthly, worldly wisdom can even comprehend. Teach me Your wisdom, my Father; I sit at Your feet, ready to learn the details of how I am to conduct my life this day: To see with Your eyes, hear with Your ears, and to understand with Your perception of the truth of what is transpiring around me and in my life.
Strengthen me with Your strength, for I have none, I am weak and broken. I find that I tend to lose myself in my own little world, and Father, that is not good; that is selfishness and self-centeredness and even pride. When I isolate myself from others I'm saying that I don't need others; others You have given to me to help me, and for me to help them.
Thank you for the accountability You have provided for me, and the people, the friends and family members You have placed around me. Help me to continue to grow into the woman You created me to be.
Use my life today to draw others to You, and may You receive all the honor and glory for this day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, March 26, 2017
How Are Things Going For You?
Haggai 1: 5, 7
Consider how things are going for you! ... This is what the Lord Almighty says, "Consider how things are going for you!"
Today we would say, "How's that working out for you?" As we live our lives each day, as we make all the little choices in how to think, what to say, how to say it to those in our lives, are we considering how Jesus would respond in our circumstance or just "going with the flow" of our own attitudes and thinking processes?
Are we "taking to heart" all that we have learned of God's ways? How are things going for you?
Haggai tells the people (in verse 6) that they have planted a lot of seed, but very little has grown to be able to harvest; they eat, but never have enough food; they drink but their thirst is never satisfied; they layer their clothes in the cold weather, but they're never warm enough; and when they earn wages, it's like there are holes in their pockets, there's never enough to pay all the bills.
Have you experienced anything like any of this in your life? Have you put forth the supreme effort to get ahead, only to find yourself two steps behind?
If so, then maybe it's time to pay attention to God's ways, and apply them to our own lives. Maybe it's time to really believe that God knows what's best, even when it looks like it could be detrimental to us. God sees the "big picture" of what's really going on in the World and in our own personal lives each day, and if we're not applying what we know, then we can't expect for things to work out well.
When the Doctor must do surgery to remove the cancer, he must first cut into the body and cause trauma to the bodily systems in order to remove what is harming the patient; then the body can heal.
Doctors aren't God, so they may not be able to do everything we need; but God is our Great Physician Who is also our Maker. He knows every detail of our bodies, as well as the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts, and sometimes we need for Him to "cut out" whatever it is that is harming us in order that we can heal and be cleansed. We can trust Him to always do what is best for us.
My dear Father, please teach me how to be supportive, not supplanting. Show me Your Truth in what I am doing before I open my mouth and insert foot! Teach me Your ways, Father, to replace my ways. My ways only divide and drive away, but Your ways are gentle and beautiful, and promote unity and true intimacy.
I need You, Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Consider how things are going for you! ... This is what the Lord Almighty says, "Consider how things are going for you!"
Today we would say, "How's that working out for you?" As we live our lives each day, as we make all the little choices in how to think, what to say, how to say it to those in our lives, are we considering how Jesus would respond in our circumstance or just "going with the flow" of our own attitudes and thinking processes?
Are we "taking to heart" all that we have learned of God's ways? How are things going for you?
Haggai tells the people (in verse 6) that they have planted a lot of seed, but very little has grown to be able to harvest; they eat, but never have enough food; they drink but their thirst is never satisfied; they layer their clothes in the cold weather, but they're never warm enough; and when they earn wages, it's like there are holes in their pockets, there's never enough to pay all the bills.
Have you experienced anything like any of this in your life? Have you put forth the supreme effort to get ahead, only to find yourself two steps behind?
If so, then maybe it's time to pay attention to God's ways, and apply them to our own lives. Maybe it's time to really believe that God knows what's best, even when it looks like it could be detrimental to us. God sees the "big picture" of what's really going on in the World and in our own personal lives each day, and if we're not applying what we know, then we can't expect for things to work out well.
When the Doctor must do surgery to remove the cancer, he must first cut into the body and cause trauma to the bodily systems in order to remove what is harming the patient; then the body can heal.
Doctors aren't God, so they may not be able to do everything we need; but God is our Great Physician Who is also our Maker. He knows every detail of our bodies, as well as the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts, and sometimes we need for Him to "cut out" whatever it is that is harming us in order that we can heal and be cleansed. We can trust Him to always do what is best for us.
My dear Father, please teach me how to be supportive, not supplanting. Show me Your Truth in what I am doing before I open my mouth and insert foot! Teach me Your ways, Father, to replace my ways. My ways only divide and drive away, but Your ways are gentle and beautiful, and promote unity and true intimacy.
I need You, Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Time For Every Activity
Ecclesiastes 3:1
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
O my Father, You are so wise, and You gave Solomon such wisdom; and You had him record this little book of how he tried all the different activities that can be done here "under the Sun," to find out for himself what is worth doing.
And we can benefit from all his experiments. You have made this world and hung it on nothing, placed it in this solar system in the universe, and filled it with all the good things we need to live and prosper and seek Your Face. Solomon's conclusion to the whole matter is, "Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of Man" (12:13).
You have made this Earth to be self-perpetuating; the water and weather systems, the seasons. It is cyclical, round and round, to provide for every generation through the time You have set for us. For we are born and then we die, and others carry on in their time. Until the end of Time.
Father, help me to use the few days You have allotted me for Your glory. Help me to cherish and value each moment, to not waste even one. Teach me how to use what You have given me to benefit others and draw them closer to You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
O my Father, You are so wise, and You gave Solomon such wisdom; and You had him record this little book of how he tried all the different activities that can be done here "under the Sun," to find out for himself what is worth doing.
And we can benefit from all his experiments. You have made this world and hung it on nothing, placed it in this solar system in the universe, and filled it with all the good things we need to live and prosper and seek Your Face. Solomon's conclusion to the whole matter is, "Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of Man" (12:13).
You have made this Earth to be self-perpetuating; the water and weather systems, the seasons. It is cyclical, round and round, to provide for every generation through the time You have set for us. For we are born and then we die, and others carry on in their time. Until the end of Time.
Father, help me to use the few days You have allotted me for Your glory. Help me to cherish and value each moment, to not waste even one. Teach me how to use what You have given me to benefit others and draw them closer to You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, March 24, 2017
O Royal Daughter
Psalm 45: 10-11
Listen to Me, O royal daughter; take to heart what I say. Forget your people and your family far away. For your royal Husband delights in your beauty; honor Him, for He is your Lord.
O my Father, thank You for this love song in Your book of songs. Thank You for this word to encourage me today. Indeed, I do want to honor my betrothed Husband, my Lord, and I enjoy that He takes delight in my beauty. For He sees beauty in me that others do not see.
O Father, please teach me to uncover the beauty that You have placed in me so that others will see and be drawn toward You. Let that beauty in me be a magnet to pull people toward Your wondrous, glorious Beauty and Grace. For I am Your ambassador to the world, representing You to the world, with Your wonderful message of reconciliation through Your amazing Grace in my Lord Christ Jesus.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Listen to Me, O royal daughter; take to heart what I say. Forget your people and your family far away. For your royal Husband delights in your beauty; honor Him, for He is your Lord.
O my Father, thank You for this love song in Your book of songs. Thank You for this word to encourage me today. Indeed, I do want to honor my betrothed Husband, my Lord, and I enjoy that He takes delight in my beauty. For He sees beauty in me that others do not see.
O Father, please teach me to uncover the beauty that You have placed in me so that others will see and be drawn toward You. Let that beauty in me be a magnet to pull people toward Your wondrous, glorious Beauty and Grace. For I am Your ambassador to the world, representing You to the world, with Your wonderful message of reconciliation through Your amazing Grace in my Lord Christ Jesus.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Wildflowers
Psalm 103: 14-17
For He understands how weak we are; He knows we are only dust. Our days on Earth are like grass, like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone--as though we had never been here. But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear Him.
O my Father, I know that I am but dust. I know that my lifespan is but a breath, one brief moment in Your grand march of Time. Like a wildflower in the field, you give me a beauty that shines for You to see, then the winds of time blow, and I will grow old and die.
Teach me to number my days, Lord, that I might apply my heart to wisdom. Then, when I am gone, the sweet fragrance of Your love will linger. For Your love remains forever with those of us who fear You and love You and love others.
Please strengthen me to use each remaining day for Your glory. Help me to use the talents and abilities You have given me to help others in practical ways. And to share Your love and Your wonderful Gospel of Grace of Christ Jesus to those who are perishing but seeking You. Lead me to Your chosen ones, open my heart to them and my mouth to speak forth Your Truth to draw them to You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For He understands how weak we are; He knows we are only dust. Our days on Earth are like grass, like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone--as though we had never been here. But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear Him.
O my Father, I know that I am but dust. I know that my lifespan is but a breath, one brief moment in Your grand march of Time. Like a wildflower in the field, you give me a beauty that shines for You to see, then the winds of time blow, and I will grow old and die.
Teach me to number my days, Lord, that I might apply my heart to wisdom. Then, when I am gone, the sweet fragrance of Your love will linger. For Your love remains forever with those of us who fear You and love You and love others.
Please strengthen me to use each remaining day for Your glory. Help me to use the talents and abilities You have given me to help others in practical ways. And to share Your love and Your wonderful Gospel of Grace of Christ Jesus to those who are perishing but seeking You. Lead me to Your chosen ones, open my heart to them and my mouth to speak forth Your Truth to draw them to You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Changed Into His Glorious Image
II Corinthians 3: 18
...And the Lord--Who is the Spirit--makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.
If you have been reading these last several days, then you will have some knowledge of God's ways to apply in your own daily living. These are the things that display God's love in us and promote His love for others in the world.
God has formulated and decided and put forth a great Plan of the Ages for our whole Universe, including Earth, and individual plans for each of us as components of that Plan. He knows what is the very best for each of us, and whenever He closes a door He opens another, with even greater opportunity and benefit.
His love for us is beyond anything that we can imagine, so we know that we can trust Him with our lives--our desires, our dreams, our own plans--because, as our Maker, He knows each of us intimately, down to the hairs on our heads and the very molecules that make up the cells of our bodies. And He knows our weaknesses, too. So, as a good Father, He allows us to go through fires and pressures. He wants us to submit to Him as our Father, to melt out the impurities and squeeze out the pure, genuine ore of our intended being--the very image of our glorious Lord. We will one day shine as the Sun, as He does now. Let's not resist His working in us to produce that glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
...And the Lord--Who is the Spirit--makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.
If you have been reading these last several days, then you will have some knowledge of God's ways to apply in your own daily living. These are the things that display God's love in us and promote His love for others in the world.
God has formulated and decided and put forth a great Plan of the Ages for our whole Universe, including Earth, and individual plans for each of us as components of that Plan. He knows what is the very best for each of us, and whenever He closes a door He opens another, with even greater opportunity and benefit.
His love for us is beyond anything that we can imagine, so we know that we can trust Him with our lives--our desires, our dreams, our own plans--because, as our Maker, He knows each of us intimately, down to the hairs on our heads and the very molecules that make up the cells of our bodies. And He knows our weaknesses, too. So, as a good Father, He allows us to go through fires and pressures. He wants us to submit to Him as our Father, to melt out the impurities and squeeze out the pure, genuine ore of our intended being--the very image of our glorious Lord. We will one day shine as the Sun, as He does now. Let's not resist His working in us to produce that glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Know God Better And Better
Colossians 1: 9-10
We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what He wants to do in your lives, and we ask Him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while you will learn to know God better and better.
O my Father, please give me, and all of Your children, a complete understanding of what You want us to do. Grant us Your spiritual wisdom to see and discern how to live our lives to bring You pleasure and honor.
O Father, what good, kind things am I doing for others? Lead me every day to do something for someone in Your Name, and not let the days slide by, wasted.
Father, restore the years the locusts of idleness and laziness have eaten up, and raise me up to be active in Your work, and not sedentary in my own selfishness and self-centeredness. Teach me to know You better and better, Father, that Your intimacy with me will form in me the character of Your dear Son, my Lord, my Savior, my Rescuer, my King, my best Friend.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what He wants to do in your lives, and we ask Him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while you will learn to know God better and better.
O my Father, please give me, and all of Your children, a complete understanding of what You want us to do. Grant us Your spiritual wisdom to see and discern how to live our lives to bring You pleasure and honor.
O Father, what good, kind things am I doing for others? Lead me every day to do something for someone in Your Name, and not let the days slide by, wasted.
Father, restore the years the locusts of idleness and laziness have eaten up, and raise me up to be active in Your work, and not sedentary in my own selfishness and self-centeredness. Teach me to know You better and better, Father, that Your intimacy with me will form in me the character of Your dear Son, my Lord, my Savior, my Rescuer, my King, my best Friend.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, March 20, 2017
God's Thought List
Philippians 4: 8-9
Fix your thoughts --
This is what we need to focus on.
on what is true --
Not false or deceptive in any way.
and honorable --
Positive, beneficial; not detrimental or slanderous.
and right. --
What promotes righteousness.
Think about things that are pure --
That are not soiled or diluted or twisted.
and lovely --
Beautiful in a pleasing way.
and admirable. --
Worthy to be admired for goodness.
Think about things that are excellent --
Of superior quality, not deficient or inferior.
and worthy of praise. --
What you can brag about.
Keep putting into practice --
Continue to live out every day.
all you learned from me (Paul) and heard from me and saw me doing, --
Paul is setting himself as a role model, as he follows everything he learned from God and Jesus since he was knocked to the ground on the way to Damascus.
And the God of Peace will be with you.
This is how to stay close to God, it's how God wants us to think positively.
When we strive to be constantly aware of how we are thinking, and think only the best of others and events and happenings, then we will realize God's sovereignty in all the big and little things of our lives and be able to trust that He will use them for our good. Then we won't be worrying about anything, and can enjoy God's peace, knowing He will work it all out for our good and His glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Fix your thoughts --
This is what we need to focus on.
on what is true --
Not false or deceptive in any way.
and honorable --
Positive, beneficial; not detrimental or slanderous.
and right. --
What promotes righteousness.
Think about things that are pure --
That are not soiled or diluted or twisted.
and lovely --
Beautiful in a pleasing way.
and admirable. --
Worthy to be admired for goodness.
Think about things that are excellent --
Of superior quality, not deficient or inferior.
and worthy of praise. --
What you can brag about.
Keep putting into practice --
Continue to live out every day.
all you learned from me (Paul) and heard from me and saw me doing, --
Paul is setting himself as a role model, as he follows everything he learned from God and Jesus since he was knocked to the ground on the way to Damascus.
And the God of Peace will be with you.
This is how to stay close to God, it's how God wants us to think positively.
When we strive to be constantly aware of how we are thinking, and think only the best of others and events and happenings, then we will realize God's sovereignty in all the big and little things of our lives and be able to trust that He will use them for our good. Then we won't be worrying about anything, and can enjoy God's peace, knowing He will work it all out for our good and His glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, March 19, 2017
The Attitude Of Christ
Romans 15:5
May God, Who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other--each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other.
O my Father, I praise You for Your great wisdom and understanding in all that You do for us, in the way You are directing all the events of this world to draw to the close, the culmination of Your Plan of the Ages.
And I thank You for considering me worth Your attention, Your love and Your care. Thank You for using the events and happenings in my life to contribute in a small way to Your great Plan. Thank You for Your patience and encouragement in me to be able to live in harmony with one another, as I learn to have in my own thinking Your attitudes, as the life of Christ demonstrated.
Thank You for continuing to work in my life to both will and to act according to Your good will for me, until I am perfected in that Day that our Lord Jesus returns as King over all kings, and I will reign with Him as His queen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
May God, Who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other--each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other.
O my Father, I praise You for Your great wisdom and understanding in all that You do for us, in the way You are directing all the events of this world to draw to the close, the culmination of Your Plan of the Ages.
And I thank You for considering me worth Your attention, Your love and Your care. Thank You for using the events and happenings in my life to contribute in a small way to Your great Plan. Thank You for Your patience and encouragement in me to be able to live in harmony with one another, as I learn to have in my own thinking Your attitudes, as the life of Christ demonstrated.
Thank You for continuing to work in my life to both will and to act according to Your good will for me, until I am perfected in that Day that our Lord Jesus returns as King over all kings, and I will reign with Him as His queen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Just Do It
John 13: 17
You know these things--now do them! That is the path of blessing.
We have been taught how to do right. Our parents all did their best to teach us the right way in life. God has given us His Word to teach us what is right. We have pastors in our churches who endeavor to teach us the right way to live. Every person wants to live in a way that would be right for them.
But we all have been born with a defective soul and a dead spirit. Our own hearts lie to us and deceive us. So sometimes we can be mislead, and believe that what is actually wrong is right for us. But it is not healthy, or moral, or helpful at all.
God's ways are not our ways, because He is absolutely pure and holy, and we do not understand these concepts naturally, without His help. That's why He gave us His written Word. That's why He sent His only Son, to fulfill all the prophesies about Him and all the Laws that point to what He would accomplish. So He became our personal Sacrifice, fulfilling that requirement from Leviticus chapter 1. And He fulfilled all the letter of all the laws God had His people follow. Now He has written His Law in our hearts, so we can understand the principles underlying all those Laws; we not only do not sleep with our neighbor's spouse (the letter of the law), we do not even entertain the thought of doing so. We not only do not murder, we do not refuse to forgive, letting ourselves off the hook of hatred and resentment. And so for all the Laws.
So with Jesus having taken our place in death, and God having given us New Life in His own Holy Spirit, healing our soul and making our spirit alive; now we have the ability to understand God's ways, how they are not the World's ways, and the strength to obey them, to actually do them in our thoughts, attitudes and actions. God does not tell us to be "perfect" (mature), then leave us hanging, unable to live it out. His Holy Spirit speaks into our spirit, in His still, small voice, that we perceive as an inward "knowing," showing us the right way to go. He has given us His written Word, and His Spirit teaches us as we open our understanding to what He has written actually means for us.
When Jesus said this (scripture above), He had been teaching His disciples for over three years. Now He is telling them that only by putting these ideas into practice in their daily lives will they enjoy the blessings of God's favor.
Only by putting these principles into practice in our thinking processes, our attitudes and our actions every day will we experience God's favor and His blessings in our health, our finances and our relationships.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
You know these things--now do them! That is the path of blessing.
We have been taught how to do right. Our parents all did their best to teach us the right way in life. God has given us His Word to teach us what is right. We have pastors in our churches who endeavor to teach us the right way to live. Every person wants to live in a way that would be right for them.
But we all have been born with a defective soul and a dead spirit. Our own hearts lie to us and deceive us. So sometimes we can be mislead, and believe that what is actually wrong is right for us. But it is not healthy, or moral, or helpful at all.
God's ways are not our ways, because He is absolutely pure and holy, and we do not understand these concepts naturally, without His help. That's why He gave us His written Word. That's why He sent His only Son, to fulfill all the prophesies about Him and all the Laws that point to what He would accomplish. So He became our personal Sacrifice, fulfilling that requirement from Leviticus chapter 1. And He fulfilled all the letter of all the laws God had His people follow. Now He has written His Law in our hearts, so we can understand the principles underlying all those Laws; we not only do not sleep with our neighbor's spouse (the letter of the law), we do not even entertain the thought of doing so. We not only do not murder, we do not refuse to forgive, letting ourselves off the hook of hatred and resentment. And so for all the Laws.
So with Jesus having taken our place in death, and God having given us New Life in His own Holy Spirit, healing our soul and making our spirit alive; now we have the ability to understand God's ways, how they are not the World's ways, and the strength to obey them, to actually do them in our thoughts, attitudes and actions. God does not tell us to be "perfect" (mature), then leave us hanging, unable to live it out. His Holy Spirit speaks into our spirit, in His still, small voice, that we perceive as an inward "knowing," showing us the right way to go. He has given us His written Word, and His Spirit teaches us as we open our understanding to what He has written actually means for us.
When Jesus said this (scripture above), He had been teaching His disciples for over three years. Now He is telling them that only by putting these ideas into practice in their daily lives will they enjoy the blessings of God's favor.
Only by putting these principles into practice in our thinking processes, our attitudes and our actions every day will we experience God's favor and His blessings in our health, our finances and our relationships.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, March 17, 2017
We Will Never Fall
Psalm 37: 23-24
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
II Corinthians 4: 8-9
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
I want us all to remember how much God loves us, how great He is, and how He takes care of us. No matter what mere Man decides to do, God will use for His purposes. When we make mistakes, or make poor decisions, we stumble; but God will never let us be destroyed, because He has determined our good. God's enemies, the minions of our enemy, may conspire against us, but they can never prevail against us. Whatever is against us can never succeed against the good God has planned for us.
"Whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger." God has determined that whatever gives us heartache or sorrow or perplexity will only strengthen us against what can destroy us, so that we will gain the victory over it, in His power. And even when we are killed, martyred for our proclaiming God's Truth, then we will only gain the crown to become a living stone, not only in God's Heavenly Temple, but of the very altar in that Holy Place.
God's plans for us are only for our good, our good right now, and our ultimate good. That will bring Him glory, for that is how He has decided everything will work out. His plan directs the Cosmos, World events, and our every moment of our lives.
May we each put our hand into His hand, follow His leading, and do His works in love for Him and for one another. Let us all acknowledge Him in our every thought, attitude and step of our lives. May we continue to seek His Face every day, and continue to learn His ways in ever more detail, so that our lives will show forth His goodness, His love and His righteousness to the World.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
II Corinthians 4: 8-9
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
I want us all to remember how much God loves us, how great He is, and how He takes care of us. No matter what mere Man decides to do, God will use for His purposes. When we make mistakes, or make poor decisions, we stumble; but God will never let us be destroyed, because He has determined our good. God's enemies, the minions of our enemy, may conspire against us, but they can never prevail against us. Whatever is against us can never succeed against the good God has planned for us.
"Whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger." God has determined that whatever gives us heartache or sorrow or perplexity will only strengthen us against what can destroy us, so that we will gain the victory over it, in His power. And even when we are killed, martyred for our proclaiming God's Truth, then we will only gain the crown to become a living stone, not only in God's Heavenly Temple, but of the very altar in that Holy Place.
God's plans for us are only for our good, our good right now, and our ultimate good. That will bring Him glory, for that is how He has decided everything will work out. His plan directs the Cosmos, World events, and our every moment of our lives.
May we each put our hand into His hand, follow His leading, and do His works in love for Him and for one another. Let us all acknowledge Him in our every thought, attitude and step of our lives. May we continue to seek His Face every day, and continue to learn His ways in ever more detail, so that our lives will show forth His goodness, His love and His righteousness to the World.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, March 16, 2017
No Good Will The Lord Withhold
Psalm 84: 6, 11
When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs, where pools of blessing collect after the rains!
No good will the Lord withhold from those who do what is right.
O my Father, thank You for being such a good God, and so powerful and great. Your goodness is in all You have made: in the way Your Universe runs--as in mathematics, with 2 plus 2 always equaling 4, so that my checkbook can be balanced. And NASA calculating time in the Cosmos and missing that day You gave Joshua in the battle, and the forty minutes You gave Hezekiah in the ten steps backward on his sundial! I love how You break into even NASA's calculations to prove Your Word true!
I love how You make all the Universe to run and flow so beautifully, and how the rivers all run to the salty sea and still return to flow fresh again. I love how You have made and do now cause everything on this Earth to work together, to be "self-sustaining."
And when we know Your ways, and live our lives with the attitudes and thinking processes You have given us in Your Word, then we will experience the good You have built into Your creation, and enjoy the bounty You have designed it to provide. Your wisdom and knowledge and intelligence and cleverness all astound me. And these words are so totally inadequate to describe You!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs, where pools of blessing collect after the rains!
No good will the Lord withhold from those who do what is right.
O my Father, thank You for being such a good God, and so powerful and great. Your goodness is in all You have made: in the way Your Universe runs--as in mathematics, with 2 plus 2 always equaling 4, so that my checkbook can be balanced. And NASA calculating time in the Cosmos and missing that day You gave Joshua in the battle, and the forty minutes You gave Hezekiah in the ten steps backward on his sundial! I love how You break into even NASA's calculations to prove Your Word true!
I love how You make all the Universe to run and flow so beautifully, and how the rivers all run to the salty sea and still return to flow fresh again. I love how You have made and do now cause everything on this Earth to work together, to be "self-sustaining."
And when we know Your ways, and live our lives with the attitudes and thinking processes You have given us in Your Word, then we will experience the good You have built into Your creation, and enjoy the bounty You have designed it to provide. Your wisdom and knowledge and intelligence and cleverness all astound me. And these words are so totally inadequate to describe You!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
"Nice Guys"
Psalm 36:1-2
Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all. In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are.
O my Father, I pray for all the "nice guys" who have no understanding at all of Your holiness, so no concept of their own wickedness.
He or she may be a good husband or wife, a good provider or homemaker, a good father or mother. They may even go to church, and help their fellow man. A really "nice guy." But they have no concept of their own sins, how evil they are in Your sight. They do not see their own desperate need for the Savior.
But, Father, You can give them a new heart, You can open their blind eyes to see Your holiness, and how far short they fall from Your righteousness. You can give them the gift of faith to believe and trust in You, and You can cause them to be born into Your own family.
Please, Father, do this for all my loved ones, so that their lives, too, will bring glory and honor to Your Name.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all. In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are.
O my Father, I pray for all the "nice guys" who have no understanding at all of Your holiness, so no concept of their own wickedness.
He or she may be a good husband or wife, a good provider or homemaker, a good father or mother. They may even go to church, and help their fellow man. A really "nice guy." But they have no concept of their own sins, how evil they are in Your sight. They do not see their own desperate need for the Savior.
But, Father, You can give them a new heart, You can open their blind eyes to see Your holiness, and how far short they fall from Your righteousness. You can give them the gift of faith to believe and trust in You, and You can cause them to be born into Your own family.
Please, Father, do this for all my loved ones, so that their lives, too, will bring glory and honor to Your Name.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Unfailing Love
Psalm 32:22
Let Your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in You alone.
O my Father, my hope is in You alone. Only You are absolutely faithful to Your Word. Only You can and will strengthen me to do Your will according to Your ways. You alone are strong, and just, and merciful. You alone are wise and discerning the thoughts and intent of every heart. You are the God Who made us all, and the whole Universe around us. You alone have given us Your Word, which is true throughout all the Universe through all time. You account for every day, and we will give account to You for how we have used every day.
Thank You for Your faithfulness, my Lord. Because You have shown faithfulness for everything in the past, I can trust You also to be faithful in the future. I can safely put my trust in You, because of Your great love wherewith You have loved me. Your love and compassion for me is beyond my ability to understand, and I know that Your justice and vengeance for Your enemies is just as great.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Let Your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in You alone.
O my Father, my hope is in You alone. Only You are absolutely faithful to Your Word. Only You can and will strengthen me to do Your will according to Your ways. You alone are strong, and just, and merciful. You alone are wise and discerning the thoughts and intent of every heart. You are the God Who made us all, and the whole Universe around us. You alone have given us Your Word, which is true throughout all the Universe through all time. You account for every day, and we will give account to You for how we have used every day.
Thank You for Your faithfulness, my Lord. Because You have shown faithfulness for everything in the past, I can trust You also to be faithful in the future. I can safely put my trust in You, because of Your great love wherewith You have loved me. Your love and compassion for me is beyond my ability to understand, and I know that Your justice and vengeance for Your enemies is just as great.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, March 13, 2017
Proof
John 13:35
Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.
These are Jesus' words. He has spent His whole public life ministering to the people, the ordinary people, the ones who were rejected, not accepted into polite society. He loved them; accepting them, healing them and teaching them. Now He is saying that we are also to display this same love, in helping the least of those in our little worlds. And in serving one another, even when we're not required to, to go the extra mile when it's not expected. To always believe the best of our neighbor, even when the evidence points otherwise, to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Jesus said that if we love Him, then we will obey His commands, and His command is to love one another. So we show our love for Him by how we treat our fellow man, even when no one is looking. For He is watching us!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.
These are Jesus' words. He has spent His whole public life ministering to the people, the ordinary people, the ones who were rejected, not accepted into polite society. He loved them; accepting them, healing them and teaching them. Now He is saying that we are also to display this same love, in helping the least of those in our little worlds. And in serving one another, even when we're not required to, to go the extra mile when it's not expected. To always believe the best of our neighbor, even when the evidence points otherwise, to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Jesus said that if we love Him, then we will obey His commands, and His command is to love one another. So we show our love for Him by how we treat our fellow man, even when no one is looking. For He is watching us!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Treasured His Words
Job 23:10-12
But He knows where I am going, and when He tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God's paths; I have followed His ways and not turned aside. I have not departed from His commands, but have treasured His words more than daily food.
May we all, each one of us, be able to pray this prayer as Job testified; to have the confidence he did, even in the midst of all his suffering; that he was not in denial of any sin, but had honesty and fearlessly examined his own life and attitudes and motives and found them pure and righteous, according to all that God had revealed at that time. It was no easier for Job to live transparently than it is for me, or any of us.
I am far more knowledgeable of God and His ways and His Plan of the Ages than Job was, so I am far more accountable; I also have God's strength in His Holy Spirit given to me, dwelling in me, as Job did not. So I have no excuse.
Dear Father, help me to really do what I know I must do, not just say I will. Strengthen me to live an honest, transparent life before You and in the sight of all Mankind.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But He knows where I am going, and when He tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God's paths; I have followed His ways and not turned aside. I have not departed from His commands, but have treasured His words more than daily food.
May we all, each one of us, be able to pray this prayer as Job testified; to have the confidence he did, even in the midst of all his suffering; that he was not in denial of any sin, but had honesty and fearlessly examined his own life and attitudes and motives and found them pure and righteous, according to all that God had revealed at that time. It was no easier for Job to live transparently than it is for me, or any of us.
I am far more knowledgeable of God and His ways and His Plan of the Ages than Job was, so I am far more accountable; I also have God's strength in His Holy Spirit given to me, dwelling in me, as Job did not. So I have no excuse.
Dear Father, help me to really do what I know I must do, not just say I will. Strengthen me to live an honest, transparent life before You and in the sight of all Mankind.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Keep Moving Forward
Job 17:9
The righteous keep moving forward....
My dear, departed mother had many "momisms," "old wives tales" that she brought her family up with. One of these referred to our never standing still, we are either moving forward or sliding backward. Now, here, Job tells us that God's people are to keep moving forward, as we live our lives in a righteous manner.
I have felt lately that I have been more or less standing still, in a desert, in between this and that. But I have not been motionless; I've been actively waiting on the Lord to move in my life, this way or that; and while I wait on Him, I will continue to seek His face, share His Word, and seek to do what I can to serve Him by serving others. So I'm not really standing still.
We read about Joseph, who was sold into slavery and then found himself in prison. But we see that he didn't stand still, he waited on God and interpreted dreams, along with his other duties.
And Moses spent 40 years learning all the wisdom of the Egyptians, then spent another 40 years in the desert. But he wasn't really standing still, either. After his royal upbringing, God knew he needed to learn humility, and became the meekest man on Earth.
So I trust God to be preparing me for whatever role He has planned for me to play in this life, to do my part in His great Plan of the Ages. And in His time, when He knows I'm ready, He will move me out of this desert and onto His stage.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The righteous keep moving forward....
My dear, departed mother had many "momisms," "old wives tales" that she brought her family up with. One of these referred to our never standing still, we are either moving forward or sliding backward. Now, here, Job tells us that God's people are to keep moving forward, as we live our lives in a righteous manner.
I have felt lately that I have been more or less standing still, in a desert, in between this and that. But I have not been motionless; I've been actively waiting on the Lord to move in my life, this way or that; and while I wait on Him, I will continue to seek His face, share His Word, and seek to do what I can to serve Him by serving others. So I'm not really standing still.
We read about Joseph, who was sold into slavery and then found himself in prison. But we see that he didn't stand still, he waited on God and interpreted dreams, along with his other duties.
And Moses spent 40 years learning all the wisdom of the Egyptians, then spent another 40 years in the desert. But he wasn't really standing still, either. After his royal upbringing, God knew he needed to learn humility, and became the meekest man on Earth.
So I trust God to be preparing me for whatever role He has planned for me to play in this life, to do my part in His great Plan of the Ages. And in His time, when He knows I'm ready, He will move me out of this desert and onto His stage.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, March 10, 2017
Going Through The Motions
Proverbs 21:3
The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer Him sacrifices.
God gave all the sacrifices and all the rest of the laws in order to teach His people how to humble themselves before God and how to treat their fellow man. Doing the "letter of the law" was to show them God's heart for them.
Most of the people didn't understand that, though. They thought that "going through the motions" of the things God said they were to do were sufficient. And most people today also do not get it.
Jesus fulfilled all the "letter" of all the laws that were established before, that God required the people to perform: He celebrated all the feasts, made all the required sacrifices, and, most of all, He loved others in a way no one else ever had.
And He became the most fundamental sacrifice God had individual people to offer. The first chapter of the book of Leviticus, the very detailed and boring listing of all the laws, begins with this individual sacrifice. The person was to lay his hand on the head of the animal, to confer his sin to the beast, which was then slaughtered in sacrifice, dying in the place of the person for his sin. And its blood was splashed onto the sides of the altar on which it was burned, to cover the person's sins so he could then be forgiven.
Jesus is our Lamb of God, who offered Himself on the altar of His cross, His blood flowing down its sides. Jesus poured out His precious, divine blood for each of us, which does not just cover, but actually washes away our sins. But we each need to figuratively lay our hand on His head, admitting that our own, personal sins deserve death (the paycheck we earn for sin is death), and let Him die in our place. Then, with our debt paid, we go on with our life, along with the spiritual life God gives us as we are "born again" into His own family.
I know that each one of us tries to live our life in the best way we know how to live, we all try to be good people. But we all fall down, not living up to what we know is right. That's because of our damaged DNA we inherited from our fathers, all the way back to Adam. This is called "original sin" or "the sin-nature." It's why we're not perfect. It's also why we need a Savior. Even the best of us has earned that paycheck. And God is not willing that any should perish, but that we all would come to the repentance of admitting that lack of standing before God, and let Jesus die our death on that cross.
If you have never realized that Jesus died for you, then I suggest that you ask God to give you the gift of saving faith, to be able to believe God and trust Jesus to pay that debt for you. Then you will realize how much God loves you.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer Him sacrifices.
God gave all the sacrifices and all the rest of the laws in order to teach His people how to humble themselves before God and how to treat their fellow man. Doing the "letter of the law" was to show them God's heart for them.
Most of the people didn't understand that, though. They thought that "going through the motions" of the things God said they were to do were sufficient. And most people today also do not get it.
Jesus fulfilled all the "letter" of all the laws that were established before, that God required the people to perform: He celebrated all the feasts, made all the required sacrifices, and, most of all, He loved others in a way no one else ever had.
And He became the most fundamental sacrifice God had individual people to offer. The first chapter of the book of Leviticus, the very detailed and boring listing of all the laws, begins with this individual sacrifice. The person was to lay his hand on the head of the animal, to confer his sin to the beast, which was then slaughtered in sacrifice, dying in the place of the person for his sin. And its blood was splashed onto the sides of the altar on which it was burned, to cover the person's sins so he could then be forgiven.
Jesus is our Lamb of God, who offered Himself on the altar of His cross, His blood flowing down its sides. Jesus poured out His precious, divine blood for each of us, which does not just cover, but actually washes away our sins. But we each need to figuratively lay our hand on His head, admitting that our own, personal sins deserve death (the paycheck we earn for sin is death), and let Him die in our place. Then, with our debt paid, we go on with our life, along with the spiritual life God gives us as we are "born again" into His own family.
I know that each one of us tries to live our life in the best way we know how to live, we all try to be good people. But we all fall down, not living up to what we know is right. That's because of our damaged DNA we inherited from our fathers, all the way back to Adam. This is called "original sin" or "the sin-nature." It's why we're not perfect. It's also why we need a Savior. Even the best of us has earned that paycheck. And God is not willing that any should perish, but that we all would come to the repentance of admitting that lack of standing before God, and let Jesus die our death on that cross.
If you have never realized that Jesus died for you, then I suggest that you ask God to give you the gift of saving faith, to be able to believe God and trust Jesus to pay that debt for you. Then you will realize how much God loves you.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Love Never Fails
I Corinthians 13: 8-13
Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophesy, they will be done away;
When everything that has ever has been prophesied all comes true in time.
if there are tongues, they will cease;
Languages will one day be moot when we will all be able to converse without regard for words except for the language of the heart.
if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
All the scientific knowledge mankind has accrued to that point in time will suddenly be obsolete in the light of the reality of the New Heaven and the New Earth.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part
We only know a small portion of the whole story of what God has planned and is carrying out in the line of Time; of everything we can know, or be able to predict will happen in the future, we will never be able to fill in all the gaps.
but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
When what is complete and finished becomes our reality, then all the pieces of what we thought we knew will all fall into place, displaying how all the dots are connected and what it really looks like, and what all the pieces we knew really meant.
When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child;
Before I grew up or attained any maturity, I lived a little child's life: assuming that all was well in the world and that I would always have everything I need, as I didn't need any more than the bare necessities, and was satisfied with that.
when I became a man I did away with childish things.
When I became an adult, I realized that everything wasn't automatic, that I needed to bear my responsibilities to see that my needs and the needs of my family would be met, and I "did away" with the attitude that the world owes me a living.
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face-to-face;
Now what we see is merely a dim reflection of the reality we will understand when God draws to a close this era of Man, to give way to a new Era of Christ's Rule. Then we will perceive clearly the new reality.
now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known.
Now what we can understand is only a tiny piece of what is actual, and when this new Era dawns, we will be learning and knowing fully the whole picture of Human History, and how God guided the movers and shakers to accomplish the working out of His Plan for all of us all along. Just as God already knows every molecule of my being intimately.
But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
So we will always believe God (faith), we will always have confidence in His Plan working out His Way in whatever system He will be focused on throughout Eternity (hope), and we will always respond to God's love for us with love for Him and those He loves, which will continue to be the foundation that all of His Creation runs on. (Love makes the World go 'round--God's love!)
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophesy, they will be done away;
When everything that has ever has been prophesied all comes true in time.
if there are tongues, they will cease;
Languages will one day be moot when we will all be able to converse without regard for words except for the language of the heart.
if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
All the scientific knowledge mankind has accrued to that point in time will suddenly be obsolete in the light of the reality of the New Heaven and the New Earth.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part
We only know a small portion of the whole story of what God has planned and is carrying out in the line of Time; of everything we can know, or be able to predict will happen in the future, we will never be able to fill in all the gaps.
but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
When what is complete and finished becomes our reality, then all the pieces of what we thought we knew will all fall into place, displaying how all the dots are connected and what it really looks like, and what all the pieces we knew really meant.
When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child;
Before I grew up or attained any maturity, I lived a little child's life: assuming that all was well in the world and that I would always have everything I need, as I didn't need any more than the bare necessities, and was satisfied with that.
when I became a man I did away with childish things.
When I became an adult, I realized that everything wasn't automatic, that I needed to bear my responsibilities to see that my needs and the needs of my family would be met, and I "did away" with the attitude that the world owes me a living.
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face-to-face;
Now what we see is merely a dim reflection of the reality we will understand when God draws to a close this era of Man, to give way to a new Era of Christ's Rule. Then we will perceive clearly the new reality.
now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known.
Now what we can understand is only a tiny piece of what is actual, and when this new Era dawns, we will be learning and knowing fully the whole picture of Human History, and how God guided the movers and shakers to accomplish the working out of His Plan for all of us all along. Just as God already knows every molecule of my being intimately.
But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
So we will always believe God (faith), we will always have confidence in His Plan working out His Way in whatever system He will be focused on throughout Eternity (hope), and we will always respond to God's love for us with love for Him and those He loves, which will continue to be the foundation that all of His Creation runs on. (Love makes the World go 'round--God's love!)
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
What Love Looks Like
I Corinthians 13: 4-7
Love is patient, --
It does not give up easily.
love is kind, --
Sympathetic and thoughtful graciousness.
is not jealous; --
Not resentful, possessive, or suspicious.
Love does not brag --
Boast, gloat, exult.
and is not arrogant, --
Presumptuous, aloof, pretentious, self-important.
Does not act unbecomingly; --
Indecently, inappropriately, offensively.
It does not seek its own, --
Self-absorbed, selfish, self-obsessed.
is not provoked, --
Does not take personally a slight or insult.
does not take into account a wrong suffered, --
Even an obvious abuse or harm done deliberately.
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, --
Does not promote what God condemns.
but rejoices with the Truth; --
Feels good when what is right and moral and pure overpowers what is wrong, twisted or backward.
Bears all things, --
Puts up with others' mistakes without condemnation.
believes all things, --
Always gives the benefit of the doubt and puts the best frame on it.
hopes all things, --
Always looks for the most beneficial result.
endures all things. --
Lasts through extended hardship without losing faithfulness or the looking for the best in the end.
Love never fails. --
Real love will never give up, never fall out, and never end.
How many times, I wonder, have I not been loving according to all these ways, in my thinking about others, my attitudes toward them, and my actions resulting from my faulty natural ways. Please forgive me and teach me Your ways, O Lord, and strengthen me to follow them.
Tomorrow we'll see the conclusion to the matter.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Love is patient, --
It does not give up easily.
love is kind, --
Sympathetic and thoughtful graciousness.
is not jealous; --
Not resentful, possessive, or suspicious.
Love does not brag --
Boast, gloat, exult.
and is not arrogant, --
Presumptuous, aloof, pretentious, self-important.
Does not act unbecomingly; --
Indecently, inappropriately, offensively.
It does not seek its own, --
Self-absorbed, selfish, self-obsessed.
is not provoked, --
Does not take personally a slight or insult.
does not take into account a wrong suffered, --
Even an obvious abuse or harm done deliberately.
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, --
Does not promote what God condemns.
but rejoices with the Truth; --
Feels good when what is right and moral and pure overpowers what is wrong, twisted or backward.
Bears all things, --
Puts up with others' mistakes without condemnation.
believes all things, --
Always gives the benefit of the doubt and puts the best frame on it.
hopes all things, --
Always looks for the most beneficial result.
endures all things. --
Lasts through extended hardship without losing faithfulness or the looking for the best in the end.
Love never fails. --
Real love will never give up, never fall out, and never end.
How many times, I wonder, have I not been loving according to all these ways, in my thinking about others, my attitudes toward them, and my actions resulting from my faulty natural ways. Please forgive me and teach me Your ways, O Lord, and strengthen me to follow them.
Tomorrow we'll see the conclusion to the matter.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Tongues, Gifts, Miracles
I Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
No matter how convincing I may speak, in whatever beautiful language; if I do not consider my hearer before I consider myself, my words will mean no more than useless noise.
And if I have the gift of prophesy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
No matter what gifts I practice, or miracles I can perform, if I do not love my hearers, it means nothing at all.
And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
And no matter how generous I am, or how sacrificial in being willing to be martyred I am, if I don't love my fellow man, it will not do me any good at all, either in this world or in the next.
So what does this love look like? Tomorrow we will discuss its characteristics.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
No matter how convincing I may speak, in whatever beautiful language; if I do not consider my hearer before I consider myself, my words will mean no more than useless noise.
And if I have the gift of prophesy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
No matter what gifts I practice, or miracles I can perform, if I do not love my hearers, it means nothing at all.
And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
And no matter how generous I am, or how sacrificial in being willing to be martyred I am, if I don't love my fellow man, it will not do me any good at all, either in this world or in the next.
So what does this love look like? Tomorrow we will discuss its characteristics.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, March 6, 2017
To Find Life
Nehemiah 9:28
...People will find life if only they obey....
O my Father, You have laid out for us all the details that lay out the principles by which we will find life and health, if only we just humble ourselves to obey. In our foolish pride we turn from Your ways and go our own way, which leads to death: sickness, weakness, illness; physically, emotionally, relationally, and especially spiritually.
Teach me Your ways, for You are my Lord, my Guide and my Teacher. Strengthen me in Your Spirit to both will and to do of only Your good pleasure. Open my mind to understand and comprehend Your ways; but even what I don't understand (because Your ways are so far above my ways!), help me to obey, trusting You to work out the details. I am so weak in myself, Father; strengthen me in Your strength, to always stand and walk confidently, continually going forward toward You, and achieving good success in Your plans for me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
...People will find life if only they obey....
O my Father, You have laid out for us all the details that lay out the principles by which we will find life and health, if only we just humble ourselves to obey. In our foolish pride we turn from Your ways and go our own way, which leads to death: sickness, weakness, illness; physically, emotionally, relationally, and especially spiritually.
Teach me Your ways, for You are my Lord, my Guide and my Teacher. Strengthen me in Your Spirit to both will and to do of only Your good pleasure. Open my mind to understand and comprehend Your ways; but even what I don't understand (because Your ways are so far above my ways!), help me to obey, trusting You to work out the details. I am so weak in myself, Father; strengthen me in Your strength, to always stand and walk confidently, continually going forward toward You, and achieving good success in Your plans for me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, March 5, 2017
In His Eyes
Exodus 15:26
Then God said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, Who heals you."
Here I am focusing on, "do what is right in His eyes." We are to formulate our days and value our own lives by God, what He says about us, what we are to do, how we are to think; not any other human being. When we consider our worth by another person, that is called co-dependence, which is dysfunctional. We each stand before our Master, not before one another. We are not to put another human being above us as the determiner of our worth--that's God's place.
I don't know how many times I've read in the Bible that we are to "be careful," "listen carefully." "pay attention." To really listen to what God says takes a concerted effort. I can't just read carelessly and expect to absorb God's ways by osmosis, I have to narrow my focus onto what God is actually saying to me. I need to remember what I read and think about it as I go about my day. I need to sit down and really ponder what it means, and how I am to incorporate it into my thinking and my attitudes. I need to constantly muse on how all the principles fit together into a comprehensive program that affects all of my life.
This is what all the laws, rules, commandments, regulations and decrees were to teach the Hebrews. This whole Law was to direct God's people into living their lives God's way. Then God would bless them with great worldly prosperity and healthy relationships with one another. And they would enjoy exceptional physical health, also.
Today we can read all these pages and discern the basic principles that underlie the laws. Jesus fulfilled all the letter of these laws; now He has written these principles on our hearts, to understand why He had the Israelis do the things they were to do. So we are to "obey" at a much deeper level: we can align our thinking and attitudes with the ideas behind the statutes, and not just consider our actions. Actions are the final result of what we have already thought about, considered and decided.
People look at the outward, what we do. But God looks into our hearts and souls, to see our inward motivations and reasons for why we do what we do, and He is the One to Whom we will give account.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Then God said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, Who heals you."
Here I am focusing on, "do what is right in His eyes." We are to formulate our days and value our own lives by God, what He says about us, what we are to do, how we are to think; not any other human being. When we consider our worth by another person, that is called co-dependence, which is dysfunctional. We each stand before our Master, not before one another. We are not to put another human being above us as the determiner of our worth--that's God's place.
I don't know how many times I've read in the Bible that we are to "be careful," "listen carefully." "pay attention." To really listen to what God says takes a concerted effort. I can't just read carelessly and expect to absorb God's ways by osmosis, I have to narrow my focus onto what God is actually saying to me. I need to remember what I read and think about it as I go about my day. I need to sit down and really ponder what it means, and how I am to incorporate it into my thinking and my attitudes. I need to constantly muse on how all the principles fit together into a comprehensive program that affects all of my life.
This is what all the laws, rules, commandments, regulations and decrees were to teach the Hebrews. This whole Law was to direct God's people into living their lives God's way. Then God would bless them with great worldly prosperity and healthy relationships with one another. And they would enjoy exceptional physical health, also.
Today we can read all these pages and discern the basic principles that underlie the laws. Jesus fulfilled all the letter of these laws; now He has written these principles on our hearts, to understand why He had the Israelis do the things they were to do. So we are to "obey" at a much deeper level: we can align our thinking and attitudes with the ideas behind the statutes, and not just consider our actions. Actions are the final result of what we have already thought about, considered and decided.
People look at the outward, what we do. But God looks into our hearts and souls, to see our inward motivations and reasons for why we do what we do, and He is the One to Whom we will give account.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Indifference, Luke-Warm
Revelation 3:19
I am the One Who corrects and disciplines everyone I love. Be diligent and turn from your indifference.
This is one of the admonitions we are to heed as God's church today. And this is not the only place we see this in the Bible.
Hebrews 12:5-6 tells us: And have you forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son."
The writer of Hebrews is quoting Proverbs 3:11-12, that says, My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in.
Even in the earliest scroll ever recorded in the Bible, the Book of Job, Elihu tells us, But if men are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction, He tells them what they have done--that they have sinned arrogantly. He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil. If they obey and serve Him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. But if they will not listen, they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge (Job 36:8-12).
So we see that the whole Word, from the first to the last records, admonish us, as His church, His sons and daughters, to listen to His rebuke and correction when we err; to pay attention to what we are learning of God's ways to apply them to our thinking processes and attitudes and our daily lives and in our interactions with one another, and not be indifferent or luke-warm about any of these things.
And to consider our own hearts whenever we encounter opposition or trials or troubles or temptations or persecutions, to see these sorrows as our dear Father's teaching us to change something that we are holding on to; to let go of that grudge, or to pay that bill, or to forgive that one that hurt or harmed us, or change our entertainment to something more wholesome, or whatever we are allowing into our lives that we are indifferent to, that is not conducive to our spiritual maturing in growing closer to our Lord.
Jesus is coming soon, and I want to be ready to meet Him face-to-face, having nothing in my mind or heart that I would be ashamed to share with Him. And I want the same for all of us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I am the One Who corrects and disciplines everyone I love. Be diligent and turn from your indifference.
This is one of the admonitions we are to heed as God's church today. And this is not the only place we see this in the Bible.
Hebrews 12:5-6 tells us: And have you forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son."
The writer of Hebrews is quoting Proverbs 3:11-12, that says, My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in.
Even in the earliest scroll ever recorded in the Bible, the Book of Job, Elihu tells us, But if men are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction, He tells them what they have done--that they have sinned arrogantly. He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil. If they obey and serve Him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. But if they will not listen, they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge (Job 36:8-12).
So we see that the whole Word, from the first to the last records, admonish us, as His church, His sons and daughters, to listen to His rebuke and correction when we err; to pay attention to what we are learning of God's ways to apply them to our thinking processes and attitudes and our daily lives and in our interactions with one another, and not be indifferent or luke-warm about any of these things.
And to consider our own hearts whenever we encounter opposition or trials or troubles or temptations or persecutions, to see these sorrows as our dear Father's teaching us to change something that we are holding on to; to let go of that grudge, or to pay that bill, or to forgive that one that hurt or harmed us, or change our entertainment to something more wholesome, or whatever we are allowing into our lives that we are indifferent to, that is not conducive to our spiritual maturing in growing closer to our Lord.
Jesus is coming soon, and I want to be ready to meet Him face-to-face, having nothing in my mind or heart that I would be ashamed to share with Him. And I want the same for all of us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, March 3, 2017
We Need To Listen
Revelation 3:22
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
As God's church, we need to listen to what His Spirit says to these churches, because God has told us what to watch out for and be on guard against, to stay true to our Lord and His ways.
O my Father, I come to You, willing and desirous to hear and learn. Please give me an accurate understanding of what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Please help me to sort out all the things I have previously heard about these chapters, and discard whatever is not accurate according to Your Truth. Teach me what the Spirit is saying to me, that I may apply these Truths to my own daily life and my prayer life with You. Teach me how to pray: for myself, my family and their families, my church, Your church in America, Your church in the rest of the world, Your precious ones who are being persecuted and martyred, and Your Plan of the Ages that You are executing even now, today. Lord Abba Daddy Father and King Christ Jesus, continue to proceed with Your great Plan to bring everything to its culmination, its finish.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
As God's church, we need to listen to what His Spirit says to these churches, because God has told us what to watch out for and be on guard against, to stay true to our Lord and His ways.
O my Father, I come to You, willing and desirous to hear and learn. Please give me an accurate understanding of what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Please help me to sort out all the things I have previously heard about these chapters, and discard whatever is not accurate according to Your Truth. Teach me what the Spirit is saying to me, that I may apply these Truths to my own daily life and my prayer life with You. Teach me how to pray: for myself, my family and their families, my church, Your church in America, Your church in the rest of the world, Your precious ones who are being persecuted and martyred, and Your Plan of the Ages that You are executing even now, today. Lord Abba Daddy Father and King Christ Jesus, continue to proceed with Your great Plan to bring everything to its culmination, its finish.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Not Attached
I Corinthians 7:31
Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.
O my Father, please allow me to divest myself of this property, so I can end my attachment to it. I feel fettered to this place, and I long to be free of it.
I also pray that You would show me how to put to use all You have taught me about relationships since You took my husband home to be with You. Would you have me advise and counsel other couples in their attitudes and views of each other to help them in their relationships, or have You been preparing another partner for me, and me for him?
If You have, then I ask that You would bring his path to cross mine. You know that I would appreciate having another hero, one who would be my life-partner as well as a prayer-partner, a travel-partner, and a missionary and ministry partner. Someone who loves You with his whole heart and knows You well through Your Spirit and an extensive familiarity with Your Word. That we can serve You together until our King returns.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.
O my Father, please allow me to divest myself of this property, so I can end my attachment to it. I feel fettered to this place, and I long to be free of it.
I also pray that You would show me how to put to use all You have taught me about relationships since You took my husband home to be with You. Would you have me advise and counsel other couples in their attitudes and views of each other to help them in their relationships, or have You been preparing another partner for me, and me for him?
If You have, then I ask that You would bring his path to cross mine. You know that I would appreciate having another hero, one who would be my life-partner as well as a prayer-partner, a travel-partner, and a missionary and ministry partner. Someone who loves You with his whole heart and knows You well through Your Spirit and an extensive familiarity with Your Word. That we can serve You together until our King returns.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
God Is Just
Ezra 9:15
O Lord, God of Israel, You are just. We come before You in our guilt as nothing but an escaped remnant, though in such a condition none of us can stand in Your presence.
O my Father, You are just and righteous in Your judgments. You are just in condemning all our sins; the large, obvious ones as well as the tiny little thoughts we entertain privately in our own minds. They are all evil and detestable in Your sight, and deserve condemnation.
But You have also been so gracious to us in Your great mercy. In Your great wisdom You have devised an ingenious plan, so that You can be just, and also the justifier of us who have rebelled and fallen, and turned to You. If I say You are clever, my words seem so trite, so totally inadequate to express my heart's sentiments. Your majesty shows and displays Your love, Your wisdom, Your righteousness, Your beauty, Your strength, Your enormity. Mere words cannot express all You are, for You are so far beyond our paltry understanding and comprehension.
Forgive us, Father, in Your great mercy, and strengthen us in our weaknesses to resist our enemy and our own flesh. Continue to show us how to live our lives in alignment with Your ways; to think Your thoughts, not ours, to do Your works, not ours, to go where You would have us go, and speak only the words You put into our mouths. Then we will be successful in Your eyes, and You will receive all the honor, all the glory, for all You have done.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
O Lord, God of Israel, You are just. We come before You in our guilt as nothing but an escaped remnant, though in such a condition none of us can stand in Your presence.
O my Father, You are just and righteous in Your judgments. You are just in condemning all our sins; the large, obvious ones as well as the tiny little thoughts we entertain privately in our own minds. They are all evil and detestable in Your sight, and deserve condemnation.
But You have also been so gracious to us in Your great mercy. In Your great wisdom You have devised an ingenious plan, so that You can be just, and also the justifier of us who have rebelled and fallen, and turned to You. If I say You are clever, my words seem so trite, so totally inadequate to express my heart's sentiments. Your majesty shows and displays Your love, Your wisdom, Your righteousness, Your beauty, Your strength, Your enormity. Mere words cannot express all You are, for You are so far beyond our paltry understanding and comprehension.
Forgive us, Father, in Your great mercy, and strengthen us in our weaknesses to resist our enemy and our own flesh. Continue to show us how to live our lives in alignment with Your ways; to think Your thoughts, not ours, to do Your works, not ours, to go where You would have us go, and speak only the words You put into our mouths. Then we will be successful in Your eyes, and You will receive all the honor, all the glory, for all You have done.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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