Proverbs 9: 7-10
He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, and he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.
Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Have you ever found yourself insulted and dishonored by someone you cared about enough to correct? If you approached this person in love, and spoke gently, then they may be a scoffer.
But if you got into an argument and found yourself yelling at each other, then it could only be them reacting to your negative approach.
I always need to examine my own heart and attitude before I approach a loved one. Whenever I have skipped this essential step, the response has been negative.
We need to be naive only in what is evil and worldly, but very shrewd and wise in the righteous ways of God. So we will have discernment concerning the people we choose as our friends, and how to treat those who are scoffers and wicked.
God sees only in black-and-white, whereas we tend to see all the grays in the morals being acted out among us.
O my Father, please give us Your eyes to see the evil and the good, give us Your ears to hear what is being meant when words are said or written. Teach us to respond to every person in the way that is appropriate to each one, as Jesus demonstrated when He walked this Earth.
He didn't question the Jewish Leaders, even when they questioned Him. He knew their tricks, and always answered appropriately. And He knew who of them were unteachable.
Please help us as Your children, to see with Your eyes, hear with Your ears, and think Your thoughts toward us. Help us believe every Word You speak to each of us, and cultivate Your Love and compassion in our hearts and attitudes.
Then our words will show forth Your care for all of Your creation, and every person You have made, all of us according to Your own image and likeness.
And You are not willing that any would perish, but that all would come to repentance, realizing their culpability toward You.
So give us Your words, Father, to discern and find all those who are Your lost sheep; and show us when to keep our counsel to ourselves, to not call down insults or dishonor to ourselves.
Dear Father, You have honored us in granting us Your gift of Faith to believe You and be born into Your own Family. Please help us to have the respect and love for ourselves that is appropriate, so that we will love our neighbors with that same love.
Teach us what to say, and when to close our mouths.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, November 30, 2018
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Righteousness Street
Psalm 85: 13
Righteousness will go before Him, and will make His footsteps into a way.
What a beautiful picture this presents! That God's perfect Righteousness will pave a road, a street, with the footsteps of Christ!
O Father, set my feet on that Road! To follow my Lord closely, hard on His heels! That Righteousness would pave over all the stones, all the potholes and obstacles that would have caused me to stumble; that I would have Your wisdom and understanding and discernment.
Father, place Your arm around my shoulders, and Your hand over my mouth, that I would follow Your lead out of my ways into Your path for me, with Your thoughts and attitudes, not mine.
Put Your kindness under my tongue, Father, and fill my heart with Your love and compassion, to overflow into my attitudes and out my mouth.
My life is Yours, my Lord, my times are in Your hand. Glorify Yourself in all the events that are now unfolding and working out. And continue to send out workers into Your fields that are white to harvest; find every one of Your lost sheep, to draw them all into the safety of Your One Fold with One Shepherd.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Righteousness will go before Him, and will make His footsteps into a way.
What a beautiful picture this presents! That God's perfect Righteousness will pave a road, a street, with the footsteps of Christ!
O Father, set my feet on that Road! To follow my Lord closely, hard on His heels! That Righteousness would pave over all the stones, all the potholes and obstacles that would have caused me to stumble; that I would have Your wisdom and understanding and discernment.
Father, place Your arm around my shoulders, and Your hand over my mouth, that I would follow Your lead out of my ways into Your path for me, with Your thoughts and attitudes, not mine.
Put Your kindness under my tongue, Father, and fill my heart with Your love and compassion, to overflow into my attitudes and out my mouth.
My life is Yours, my Lord, my times are in Your hand. Glorify Yourself in all the events that are now unfolding and working out. And continue to send out workers into Your fields that are white to harvest; find every one of Your lost sheep, to draw them all into the safety of Your One Fold with One Shepherd.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
How He Cares For Us
Proverbs 2: 7-8a, 11a
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of jusice. ... Discretion will guard you. ...
James 3: 2, 17-18
For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is perfect (a fully matured person), able to bridle the whole body as well.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocracy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
There is so much here to consider, learn, and apply!
God had set me aside for a period of time for special care when He gave me these verses. And His attention to me astounds me! Me--who is not worthy of any consideration!
Yet He has seen me, and known me. He knows everything I do, everything I think about, how my mind works, and what my attitudes are. And He still loves me!
O my Father, thank You for Your Love for me! Thank You for Who You are, to love even Your enemies, desiring that they all will come to repentance and turn to You, even though most won't! For Your Love for me, even when I was Your enemy, living my life against what I knew were Your ways.
You drew me to want to know the Truth, because I didn't want to be lied to. And You used that to draw me to Yourself, and to show me that Jesus is the Truth I'd been searching for!
And You have taken my hand and led me along Your path through all these years, never allowing me to pull away from You, You held me tightly. You are my Shield, so that the lies of the enemy can no longer hold me hostage.
And You have been working on me, and in me, and even through me sometimes.
O my dear Father, continue to do in me what You know I need, to heal and cleanse my wounds and failures; and continue to mold me and shape me, and make me perfect, fit to serve You and live with You forever in Your home.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of jusice. ... Discretion will guard you. ...
James 3: 2, 17-18
For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is perfect (a fully matured person), able to bridle the whole body as well.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocracy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
There is so much here to consider, learn, and apply!
God had set me aside for a period of time for special care when He gave me these verses. And His attention to me astounds me! Me--who is not worthy of any consideration!
Yet He has seen me, and known me. He knows everything I do, everything I think about, how my mind works, and what my attitudes are. And He still loves me!
O my Father, thank You for Your Love for me! Thank You for Who You are, to love even Your enemies, desiring that they all will come to repentance and turn to You, even though most won't! For Your Love for me, even when I was Your enemy, living my life against what I knew were Your ways.
You drew me to want to know the Truth, because I didn't want to be lied to. And You used that to draw me to Yourself, and to show me that Jesus is the Truth I'd been searching for!
And You have taken my hand and led me along Your path through all these years, never allowing me to pull away from You, You held me tightly. You are my Shield, so that the lies of the enemy can no longer hold me hostage.
And You have been working on me, and in me, and even through me sometimes.
O my dear Father, continue to do in me what You know I need, to heal and cleanse my wounds and failures; and continue to mold me and shape me, and make me perfect, fit to serve You and live with You forever in Your home.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Wisdom, Kindness, And The Bread Of Idleness
Proverbs 31: 26-27
She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, and she does not eat the bread of idleness.
I have been so foolish in the past! I had not given my children hardly any reason to "rise up and bless" me, because I am still learning to open my mouth in wisdom, and apply it to my conversations.
I want the "teaching of kindness" to be on my tongue. So I cannot react, I must pause to think and pray for this kindness before I respond, considering how I may be received by the hearers.
I do not "know" how to do these things, I must learn to practice this wisdom and kindness in my thoughts, my attitudes, and my words. And I am such a slow learner in this new way of living.
I have "eaten" the "bread of idleness" and found it nonnourishing and unsatisfying.
O my Father, I depend on You! I am desperate for You! Please help me apply in my thinking processes and in my attitudes those things You have taught me so far.
Continue to teach me, Father; that I may use the moments of every day in pursuit of You and Your ways, in Your strength, using Your wisdom and understanding, to accomplish Your will according to Your plans for me--plans to prosper me and not to do harm to me or my relationships.
Dear Father, continue to work out Your plans in my life and in the Nations of the World to fulfill our purposes according to Your great Plan of the Ages.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, and she does not eat the bread of idleness.
I have been so foolish in the past! I had not given my children hardly any reason to "rise up and bless" me, because I am still learning to open my mouth in wisdom, and apply it to my conversations.
I want the "teaching of kindness" to be on my tongue. So I cannot react, I must pause to think and pray for this kindness before I respond, considering how I may be received by the hearers.
I do not "know" how to do these things, I must learn to practice this wisdom and kindness in my thoughts, my attitudes, and my words. And I am such a slow learner in this new way of living.
I have "eaten" the "bread of idleness" and found it nonnourishing and unsatisfying.
O my Father, I depend on You! I am desperate for You! Please help me apply in my thinking processes and in my attitudes those things You have taught me so far.
Continue to teach me, Father; that I may use the moments of every day in pursuit of You and Your ways, in Your strength, using Your wisdom and understanding, to accomplish Your will according to Your plans for me--plans to prosper me and not to do harm to me or my relationships.
Dear Father, continue to work out Your plans in my life and in the Nations of the World to fulfill our purposes according to Your great Plan of the Ages.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, November 26, 2018
The Unjust And The Upright
Proverbs 29: 27
An unjust man is abominable to the righteous, and he who is upright in the way is abominable to the wicked.
This really is true. So often when I've heard what evil people have done I've just felt sick about it. And I've read about people who don't know the Lord joking about feeling sick over some righteous deed that didn't seem logical to them.
God's ways are so far above ours that they seem opposite! There is no possible way for us to know anything at all of Who God is or His ways of living in this World without His telling us.
Our little brains that we like to think so highly of are like the little toys we make as children to play with: Lego creations that we give "life" to with a rubber band or by turning a crank. And we are god over our little toys, to do with as we wish, then dismantle all the bricks and put them away for the next time.
God wants us to know Him, so He has revealed Himself to us, and told us our whole Human story from the beginning to the end, and then some. He sent His prophets to tell us ahead of time what He is doing to bless us for obedience or to withdraw His goodness and protection from those who refuse to honor or consider His Sovereignty over us.
Just as the little Lego people could never come to know us, so we would never understand God or His ways. That's why wicked deeds are so sickening to those who have God's Spirit living in them, and righteous ways are abhorrent to worldly and wicked people.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
An unjust man is abominable to the righteous, and he who is upright in the way is abominable to the wicked.
This really is true. So often when I've heard what evil people have done I've just felt sick about it. And I've read about people who don't know the Lord joking about feeling sick over some righteous deed that didn't seem logical to them.
God's ways are so far above ours that they seem opposite! There is no possible way for us to know anything at all of Who God is or His ways of living in this World without His telling us.
Our little brains that we like to think so highly of are like the little toys we make as children to play with: Lego creations that we give "life" to with a rubber band or by turning a crank. And we are god over our little toys, to do with as we wish, then dismantle all the bricks and put them away for the next time.
God wants us to know Him, so He has revealed Himself to us, and told us our whole Human story from the beginning to the end, and then some. He sent His prophets to tell us ahead of time what He is doing to bless us for obedience or to withdraw His goodness and protection from those who refuse to honor or consider His Sovereignty over us.
Just as the little Lego people could never come to know us, so we would never understand God or His ways. That's why wicked deeds are so sickening to those who have God's Spirit living in them, and righteous ways are abhorrent to worldly and wicked people.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, November 25, 2018
A Man's Way
Jeremiah 10: 23-24
I know, O Lord, that a man's way is not in himself; nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps. Correct me, O Lord, but with justice; not with Thine anger, lest Thou bring me to nothing.
O my Father, I know that my own way in which I walk is not in my power, my ability, to walk and direct my steps aright. I know that my own heart is deceptive, and I am vulnerable to its deceit.
Correct me, Father, gently, with compassion and mercy; reveal to me the wickedness of my own heart, that I may confess and forsake the sin that still lurks there; and live each moment of this day (and every succeeding day, one day at a time) according to Your ways of justice and righteousness, sheathing that iron fist in the velvet glove of Your grace, compassion, and mercy.
I know that Your anger is righteous and holy; I pray that You would reveal it in Your wrath poured out only on Your vessels that are made for destruction, and the glories of Your favor rest upon Your chosen ones.
Bring in all Your lost sheep, Lord, and heal us, fit us for Your service, and to live with You forever where You are.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I know, O Lord, that a man's way is not in himself; nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps. Correct me, O Lord, but with justice; not with Thine anger, lest Thou bring me to nothing.
O my Father, I know that my own way in which I walk is not in my power, my ability, to walk and direct my steps aright. I know that my own heart is deceptive, and I am vulnerable to its deceit.
Correct me, Father, gently, with compassion and mercy; reveal to me the wickedness of my own heart, that I may confess and forsake the sin that still lurks there; and live each moment of this day (and every succeeding day, one day at a time) according to Your ways of justice and righteousness, sheathing that iron fist in the velvet glove of Your grace, compassion, and mercy.
I know that Your anger is righteous and holy; I pray that You would reveal it in Your wrath poured out only on Your vessels that are made for destruction, and the glories of Your favor rest upon Your chosen ones.
Bring in all Your lost sheep, Lord, and heal us, fit us for Your service, and to live with You forever where You are.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, November 24, 2018
The Need Of The Moment
Ephesians 4: 29, 32
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. ... And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
This is good advice. How often have I reacted to some slight or unpleasantness with a sharp barb! And pushed someone away.
How much better to pause a moment to take a breath and consider a more positive response, one that will encourage and build up (edify) the hearer.
This is not easy to do, when I've formed the habit of reacting. It's a whole turn-around of my attitude, and it helps to remember that I care for this person.
They are coming from some background I may not be aware of, that has them upset and off-kilter. So it's not directed at me, I've just gotten in the way of their outburst.
This person needs to know that they're valuable and worth respect and honor, even though they're not acting like it.
God loves us even when we're His enemies. When I was living my life totally against what I knew were His standards, He came to me and loved me more than anyone else ever had. He turned my life around that day.
Now He lives in me, and gives me the ability to give His love to others. So I can learn to stop and consider my response to others.
Whenever I have been able to put this into practice, the result has been very positive: it diffused the negativity and strengthened my relationship with that person.
So I want to learn this new way, God's way, instead of my own, natural way.
His ways are always better than my ways.
O my Father, I pray that You continue to work in me to teach me Your ways. And I pray for my loved ones, that their relationships with one another may be strengthened and encouraged.
Father, help all Your children to live their everyday lives in the Love with which You have loved them, showing one another kindness and patience. Giving grace over their lives, flavored with kindness from a tender heart, with forgiveness, and love covering over all the irritations that result from our past woundings and sinfulness.
Help us to be ever mindful of Your kindness to us in loving us, seeking us, rescuing us, forgiving us, cleansing us, showing us Your ways to replace our ways, and redeeming us.
O Father, continue to mold us and make us into the very image and likeness of the character of Your Son, our Lord and King.
Even so, come. Lord Jesus!
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. ... And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
This is good advice. How often have I reacted to some slight or unpleasantness with a sharp barb! And pushed someone away.
How much better to pause a moment to take a breath and consider a more positive response, one that will encourage and build up (edify) the hearer.
This is not easy to do, when I've formed the habit of reacting. It's a whole turn-around of my attitude, and it helps to remember that I care for this person.
They are coming from some background I may not be aware of, that has them upset and off-kilter. So it's not directed at me, I've just gotten in the way of their outburst.
This person needs to know that they're valuable and worth respect and honor, even though they're not acting like it.
God loves us even when we're His enemies. When I was living my life totally against what I knew were His standards, He came to me and loved me more than anyone else ever had. He turned my life around that day.
Now He lives in me, and gives me the ability to give His love to others. So I can learn to stop and consider my response to others.
Whenever I have been able to put this into practice, the result has been very positive: it diffused the negativity and strengthened my relationship with that person.
So I want to learn this new way, God's way, instead of my own, natural way.
His ways are always better than my ways.
O my Father, I pray that You continue to work in me to teach me Your ways. And I pray for my loved ones, that their relationships with one another may be strengthened and encouraged.
Father, help all Your children to live their everyday lives in the Love with which You have loved them, showing one another kindness and patience. Giving grace over their lives, flavored with kindness from a tender heart, with forgiveness, and love covering over all the irritations that result from our past woundings and sinfulness.
Help us to be ever mindful of Your kindness to us in loving us, seeking us, rescuing us, forgiving us, cleansing us, showing us Your ways to replace our ways, and redeeming us.
O Father, continue to mold us and make us into the very image and likeness of the character of Your Son, our Lord and King.
Even so, come. Lord Jesus!
Friday, November 23, 2018
Press On!
Philippians 3: 13-14
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
My dear Reader, you are precious to me. I want God's best for you. So don't let what is clinging to you from your past hold you back from that high goal of what your Heavenly Father has prepared to give you as a reward.
Do not focus on what is in the past--leave it behind you, not looking back; don't let it distract you from stretching and reaching, pressing on hard toward what lies ahead of you--that upward call of God in Jesus Christ.
O my Father, I pray for myself and all those You have called into Your own Family: continue to draw us ever closer to Yourself, continue to strengthen us to press hard each step toward that high calling each day.
Make our feet like hinds' feet for those high places in Christ Jesus; hold fast our hand, never letting go, never letting us slip away; strengthen our steps to run hard on Your heels, seeking Your Face.
So that others whose lives touch ours, seeing Christ in us, would be drawn to You, and that our words would be Your sweet, wise, healing words, carrying Your sweet fragrance!
And accomplishing all Your Purposes that You have purposed for each of us according to our places in Your great Plan of the Ages.
Father, continue to mold us and shape us into the very image and likeness, the character, of Your Son, retaining all of our varied and sundry personalities.
You are so Wonderful, my dear Daddy! Thank You for Your varied and sundry sides to Your Person and Personality! Even though there is never any shadow of turning in Your Light!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
My dear Reader, you are precious to me. I want God's best for you. So don't let what is clinging to you from your past hold you back from that high goal of what your Heavenly Father has prepared to give you as a reward.
Do not focus on what is in the past--leave it behind you, not looking back; don't let it distract you from stretching and reaching, pressing on hard toward what lies ahead of you--that upward call of God in Jesus Christ.
O my Father, I pray for myself and all those You have called into Your own Family: continue to draw us ever closer to Yourself, continue to strengthen us to press hard each step toward that high calling each day.
Make our feet like hinds' feet for those high places in Christ Jesus; hold fast our hand, never letting go, never letting us slip away; strengthen our steps to run hard on Your heels, seeking Your Face.
So that others whose lives touch ours, seeing Christ in us, would be drawn to You, and that our words would be Your sweet, wise, healing words, carrying Your sweet fragrance!
And accomplishing all Your Purposes that You have purposed for each of us according to our places in Your great Plan of the Ages.
Father, continue to mold us and shape us into the very image and likeness, the character, of Your Son, retaining all of our varied and sundry personalities.
You are so Wonderful, my dear Daddy! Thank You for Your varied and sundry sides to Your Person and Personality! Even though there is never any shadow of turning in Your Light!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, November 22, 2018
Thanksgiving Day
Nehemiah 12: 46
Speaks of how David and Asaph led in singing "songs of praise and hyms of thanksgiving to God."
Psalm 26 and Psalm 69 - of David
Psalm 50 - of Asaph
Psalm 95
Psalm 100
Psalm 107
Psalm 116
Psalm 147
All these Psalms mention Thanksgiving.
Isaiah 51:3; Jeremiah 30:19; Amos 4:5; and even Jonah 2:9 all employ Thanksgiving.
And in the New Testament:
II Corinthians 4:15, 9:11; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 2:7, 4:2; I Timothy 4:3, 4 all mention Thanksgiving.
And Revelation 7:12 says that all the Angels and the Four Living Creatures in Heaven worship before the Throne of God with Thanksgiving.
I'm not mentioning all the other verses that use the words: thank, thanked, thankful, thankfulness, thanks, and thankworthy. Or the thank-offerings.
God repeated this concept so often in His Word to show us how important it is for us to do. To have an attitude of Thanksgiving as a hallmark of our everyday lives.
For Americans to observe as a Holiday, Thanksgiving, is a testament to our Christian, Bible-believing Founders, as well as the importance for our Nation to give God thanks for all He has given us, acknowledging that He is our Source.
Here's something to think about: What if you woke up tomorrow morning with only what You thanked God for today?
I'm glad God's not that petty! But it is to our benefit, our good health, and our National good to remember to give God Thanksgiving every day. He is good every day, and He blesses us every day. Because He is Good.
Thank You, God.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Speaks of how David and Asaph led in singing "songs of praise and hyms of thanksgiving to God."
Psalm 26 and Psalm 69 - of David
Psalm 50 - of Asaph
Psalm 95
Psalm 100
Psalm 107
Psalm 116
Psalm 147
All these Psalms mention Thanksgiving.
Isaiah 51:3; Jeremiah 30:19; Amos 4:5; and even Jonah 2:9 all employ Thanksgiving.
And in the New Testament:
II Corinthians 4:15, 9:11; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 2:7, 4:2; I Timothy 4:3, 4 all mention Thanksgiving.
And Revelation 7:12 says that all the Angels and the Four Living Creatures in Heaven worship before the Throne of God with Thanksgiving.
I'm not mentioning all the other verses that use the words: thank, thanked, thankful, thankfulness, thanks, and thankworthy. Or the thank-offerings.
God repeated this concept so often in His Word to show us how important it is for us to do. To have an attitude of Thanksgiving as a hallmark of our everyday lives.
For Americans to observe as a Holiday, Thanksgiving, is a testament to our Christian, Bible-believing Founders, as well as the importance for our Nation to give God thanks for all He has given us, acknowledging that He is our Source.
Here's something to think about: What if you woke up tomorrow morning with only what You thanked God for today?
I'm glad God's not that petty! But it is to our benefit, our good health, and our National good to remember to give God Thanksgiving every day. He is good every day, and He blesses us every day. Because He is Good.
Thank You, God.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Our Security
Luke 12: 33
Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in Heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys.
This is part of Jesus's teachings about putting our security on material things versus Heavenly things.
He starts with, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."
Then He told the parable of the rich man who built bigger barns to hold all his abundance, but was not rich toward God.
So we are not to worry about food or clothing or other worldly things, because God gives the birds and wild flowers plenty of food and beautiful clothing, and our value and worth is far higher than animals and plants.
Worldly people are focused on these Earthly treasures, and our Father knows that we need these things while we're here. So our focus is to be on promoting His Kingdom as it will be on this Earth, and He will see to furnishing in abundance everything we need now here. And our wealth here is to be used to promote His righteous and eternal Purposes.
But if we tend to hoard Earthly wealth, as the rich man in the parable, then we will lose out on the eternal riches God wants to give us. That's why He says to get rid of whatever is coming between you and Christ, whatever is acting like a wall between you to cut off your fellowship with Him. (See Luke 2:15-34.)
True satisfaction is only in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Brother, our Husband, our Provider, our Lord and King.
We don't need to "be wealthy" now, nor should we "be poor" to be spiritual.
Money is a tool. Posessions are a means, not the end. When we want what we want right now, that's called "lust." We are to be patient in gathering wealth, with the view to using it for God's Purposes, not our own pleasure. Pleasure is not evil: God takes pleasure in what He does: "The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness" (Psalm 147:11). But pleasure is not to be our goal, it is to be enjoyed as we take our journey toward Eternity.
O my Father, thank You for teaching me this Truth. Thank You for my finally understanding this "principle of wealth" so that I may use what You give me to further Your Purposes, in finding some of Your lost sheep.
You are so good, my Lord, to have designed this Earth for our good, that we can enjoy the abundance You have put here for us while we do Your work as Your eyes and ears, Your hands and feet. Because it is Your pleasure to gladly give us Your Kingdom (Luke 12:32).
And we will enjoy the bounty as You, God Almighty, receive the glory, the credit for having done it all!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in Heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys.
This is part of Jesus's teachings about putting our security on material things versus Heavenly things.
He starts with, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."
Then He told the parable of the rich man who built bigger barns to hold all his abundance, but was not rich toward God.
So we are not to worry about food or clothing or other worldly things, because God gives the birds and wild flowers plenty of food and beautiful clothing, and our value and worth is far higher than animals and plants.
Worldly people are focused on these Earthly treasures, and our Father knows that we need these things while we're here. So our focus is to be on promoting His Kingdom as it will be on this Earth, and He will see to furnishing in abundance everything we need now here. And our wealth here is to be used to promote His righteous and eternal Purposes.
But if we tend to hoard Earthly wealth, as the rich man in the parable, then we will lose out on the eternal riches God wants to give us. That's why He says to get rid of whatever is coming between you and Christ, whatever is acting like a wall between you to cut off your fellowship with Him. (See Luke 2:15-34.)
True satisfaction is only in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Brother, our Husband, our Provider, our Lord and King.
We don't need to "be wealthy" now, nor should we "be poor" to be spiritual.
Money is a tool. Posessions are a means, not the end. When we want what we want right now, that's called "lust." We are to be patient in gathering wealth, with the view to using it for God's Purposes, not our own pleasure. Pleasure is not evil: God takes pleasure in what He does: "The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness" (Psalm 147:11). But pleasure is not to be our goal, it is to be enjoyed as we take our journey toward Eternity.
O my Father, thank You for teaching me this Truth. Thank You for my finally understanding this "principle of wealth" so that I may use what You give me to further Your Purposes, in finding some of Your lost sheep.
You are so good, my Lord, to have designed this Earth for our good, that we can enjoy the abundance You have put here for us while we do Your work as Your eyes and ears, Your hands and feet. Because it is Your pleasure to gladly give us Your Kingdom (Luke 12:32).
And we will enjoy the bounty as You, God Almighty, receive the glory, the credit for having done it all!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
For Our Good Always
Deuteronomy 6: 24
So the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today.
God had given Israel the Ten Commandments and all the rules and regulations of how to live them out in their lives.
History shows that when they obeyed God and followed His ways, they became a very prosperous and wealthy Nation; but when they enjoyed the wealth and prosperity, they forgot God and thought they'd got it all themselves, so they lost it all and were overtaken by their enemies.
The Book of Judges is a record of a repeating cycle of prosperity, apathy, idolatry, bondage, crying out to God, deliverance, and prosperity again. Over and over.
Then God gave them a king, and the "good kings" who followed the Lord God did good for the people, bringing prosperity, and the "bad kings" who worshipped idols brought evil and trouble on the Nation.
This process still progresses today. We have different names for the same principles and practices, but they still produce the same results and consequences.
There are people in slavery today, and some of them don't even realize it, but are in denial of the bondage that holds them.
And our Nation has fallen so far from the prosperity we enjoyed for so long, that resulted from our following God's ways from the beginning. And we are seeing our prosperity diminish. Our money has inflated and our cost of living has increased. Our children will not experience the level of wealth we have had, and each generation is further diminished.
If God's people here who are called by His Name, would humble themselves and pray and seek His Face and turn from their evil ways, then God will hear from Heaven, will forgive their sins and will heal our land (II Chronicles 7:14).
God is still God, sin is still sin, and the World still operates on the same basis as it always did, as this is how He designed this Earth to operate.
O my Father, it really is for our good and our survival as a Nation to fear only You and demonstrate it by observing and living according to Your statutes. Only understanding Your ways will preserve our Nation; only returning to the principles upon which this Nation was founded; only a rising up of Your children in righteousness and purity to put down the iniquity of the wicked will preserve this Nation and ensure our survival as a Nation.
O Father, please strengthen Your children, protect our pastors and leaders and their families in this spiritual warfare we are waging against the very gates of hell!
Heal us, Father, and make pure Your children, and reach out to find all Your lost sheep, that every little lamb will be found, rescued, and brought in. And unite Your church, that there will be one fold with one Shepherd.
Let our love for one another be a powerful witness to Your Love for each of the persons You have made. Let the word of our testamony and the Blood of the Lamb be our victory over the machinations of our enemy (Revelation 12:11).
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
So the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today.
God had given Israel the Ten Commandments and all the rules and regulations of how to live them out in their lives.
History shows that when they obeyed God and followed His ways, they became a very prosperous and wealthy Nation; but when they enjoyed the wealth and prosperity, they forgot God and thought they'd got it all themselves, so they lost it all and were overtaken by their enemies.
The Book of Judges is a record of a repeating cycle of prosperity, apathy, idolatry, bondage, crying out to God, deliverance, and prosperity again. Over and over.
Then God gave them a king, and the "good kings" who followed the Lord God did good for the people, bringing prosperity, and the "bad kings" who worshipped idols brought evil and trouble on the Nation.
This process still progresses today. We have different names for the same principles and practices, but they still produce the same results and consequences.
There are people in slavery today, and some of them don't even realize it, but are in denial of the bondage that holds them.
And our Nation has fallen so far from the prosperity we enjoyed for so long, that resulted from our following God's ways from the beginning. And we are seeing our prosperity diminish. Our money has inflated and our cost of living has increased. Our children will not experience the level of wealth we have had, and each generation is further diminished.
If God's people here who are called by His Name, would humble themselves and pray and seek His Face and turn from their evil ways, then God will hear from Heaven, will forgive their sins and will heal our land (II Chronicles 7:14).
God is still God, sin is still sin, and the World still operates on the same basis as it always did, as this is how He designed this Earth to operate.
O my Father, it really is for our good and our survival as a Nation to fear only You and demonstrate it by observing and living according to Your statutes. Only understanding Your ways will preserve our Nation; only returning to the principles upon which this Nation was founded; only a rising up of Your children in righteousness and purity to put down the iniquity of the wicked will preserve this Nation and ensure our survival as a Nation.
O Father, please strengthen Your children, protect our pastors and leaders and their families in this spiritual warfare we are waging against the very gates of hell!
Heal us, Father, and make pure Your children, and reach out to find all Your lost sheep, that every little lamb will be found, rescued, and brought in. And unite Your church, that there will be one fold with one Shepherd.
Let our love for one another be a powerful witness to Your Love for each of the persons You have made. Let the word of our testamony and the Blood of the Lamb be our victory over the machinations of our enemy (Revelation 12:11).
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, November 19, 2018
My Lost Children
Isaiah 49: 20-21
The children whom you were bereaved will yet say in your ears, "The place is too cramped for me; make room for me that I may live here." Then you will say in your heart, "Who has begotten these for me, since I have been bereaved of my children, and an exile and a wanderer? And who has reared these? Behold, I was left alone; from where did these come?"
O my Father, I pray for my lost adult children. I pray that You restore them; I feel that I have lost them!
Please, Father, put a guard on my mouth (and my fingers) that my words and my attitudes would no longer push them away. Please remove the spirit of cut-off from my family that has plagued my family line for at least a few generations.
Please, Holy Dad, let me exude Your sweet fragrance in my mouth and attitudes, to draw them to You. And open their eyes and ears and hearts and minds to perceive and receive Your Words of Love and Your ways.
Please, my Dear Daddy (Abba), grant them Your precious faith, that they may turn to you in repentance and faith.
I could have no greater joy in this Age than to know that all my children are walking according to Your Truth; please grant me this joy!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, November 18, 2018
End-Time Prayers
Isaiah 45: 8
Drip down, O Heavens, from above, and let the clouds pour down righteousness; let the Earth open up and salvation bear fruit, and righteousness spring up with it. I, the Lord, have created it.
Amen!
These are some of my prayers.
For America, Isaiah 45:22
Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the Earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
For the Nations, Luke 24: 27, 45
And beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. ... Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
O my Father, this is my prayer for myself and the rest of Your church, each one of us. Wake us up, open our eyes to see, open our ears to hear, open our minds to understand the Big Picture, Your marvelous Plan of the Ages, laid out for us in Your Scriptures.
You have told us in advance everything that You are doing; so don't let us be surprised when our paths lead us into the troubles and trials and sorrows that are inevitable.
Strengthen us in seeing the end, the results, the culmination of the World's history, and commencement of Your Kingdom.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Drip down, O Heavens, from above, and let the clouds pour down righteousness; let the Earth open up and salvation bear fruit, and righteousness spring up with it. I, the Lord, have created it.
Amen!
These are some of my prayers.
For America, Isaiah 45:22
Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the Earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
For the Nations, Luke 24: 27, 45
And beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. ... Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
O my Father, this is my prayer for myself and the rest of Your church, each one of us. Wake us up, open our eyes to see, open our ears to hear, open our minds to understand the Big Picture, Your marvelous Plan of the Ages, laid out for us in Your Scriptures.
You have told us in advance everything that You are doing; so don't let us be surprised when our paths lead us into the troubles and trials and sorrows that are inevitable.
Strengthen us in seeing the end, the results, the culmination of the World's history, and commencement of Your Kingdom.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, November 17, 2018
To Love Them Into The Kingdom
Isaiah 29: 24
And they who erred in mind and spirit will come to understand the Truth, and those who murmured and criticized will learn to accept and understand instruction.
O my Father, I pray for my Loved Ones. Please continue to work in their hearts, minds, and lives to know Your Truth, and return to You, the Shepherd of their souls. Please soften their hearts and attitudes to Your drawing them to Yourself.
Please, Father, help me to be the (relative/friend) that they need, not what I think I should be or what I want to be--not my will, but Yours be done in their lives. I know that You are not willing that any would perish, but that all would come to the repentance that brings them to saving faith (II Peter 3:9).
Though I desire to be a mentor to them, I want You to work in the ways You know to be best for each one of them, and keep me out of Your way!
Help me to think and consider before I open my mouth, that my words would be positive, uplifting, and drawing them to You, not pushing them away!
Bring into their lives those You have appointed to teach them Your ways, and heal their wounds and hurts.
Teach me how to love each of them into Your Kingdom!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And they who erred in mind and spirit will come to understand the Truth, and those who murmured and criticized will learn to accept and understand instruction.
O my Father, I pray for my Loved Ones. Please continue to work in their hearts, minds, and lives to know Your Truth, and return to You, the Shepherd of their souls. Please soften their hearts and attitudes to Your drawing them to Yourself.
Please, Father, help me to be the (relative/friend) that they need, not what I think I should be or what I want to be--not my will, but Yours be done in their lives. I know that You are not willing that any would perish, but that all would come to the repentance that brings them to saving faith (II Peter 3:9).
Though I desire to be a mentor to them, I want You to work in the ways You know to be best for each one of them, and keep me out of Your way!
Help me to think and consider before I open my mouth, that my words would be positive, uplifting, and drawing them to You, not pushing them away!
Bring into their lives those You have appointed to teach them Your ways, and heal their wounds and hurts.
Teach me how to love each of them into Your Kingdom!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, November 16, 2018
The Sacrifice Of Thanksgiving
Psalm 50: 23
He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; and to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God.
Q: How would thanksgiving be a sacrifice?
A: When it is given in the midst of sorrow or trouble.
O my Father, teach me Your ways so that I will understand and discern the way You desire I go; that my "ears will hear a word behind [me], 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever [I] turn to the right or to the left" (Isaiah 30:21).
Help me, Father, to always praise You for what You do, and give You thanks for every good thing You provide, including the things of trouble and pain You allow; for everything You do is good, because You are good!
Continue to refine me as silver and gold; remove the dross and strengthen my resolve to serve You regardless of those around me or what circumstances I find myself in.
Open my eyes to see and perceive Your Truth; open my ears to hear beyond the words being spoken to the intent behind them.
Show me what You would have me to do for You. Most of all, Father, continue to draw me ever closer to You! ever closer to the image, the character of Your Son, my Savior and Sovereign King!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; and to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God.
Q: How would thanksgiving be a sacrifice?
A: When it is given in the midst of sorrow or trouble.
O my Father, teach me Your ways so that I will understand and discern the way You desire I go; that my "ears will hear a word behind [me], 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever [I] turn to the right or to the left" (Isaiah 30:21).
Help me, Father, to always praise You for what You do, and give You thanks for every good thing You provide, including the things of trouble and pain You allow; for everything You do is good, because You are good!
Continue to refine me as silver and gold; remove the dross and strengthen my resolve to serve You regardless of those around me or what circumstances I find myself in.
Open my eyes to see and perceive Your Truth; open my ears to hear beyond the words being spoken to the intent behind them.
Show me what You would have me to do for You. Most of all, Father, continue to draw me ever closer to You! ever closer to the image, the character of Your Son, my Savior and Sovereign King!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, November 15, 2018
God's Plan Of The Ages
Psalm 46
(1) God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
(2) Therefore we will not fear, though the Earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
(3) Though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
(6) Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the Earth melts.
(8) Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations He has brought on the Earth.
(9) He makes wars cease to the ends of the Earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear, He burns the shields with fire.
(10) Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the Nations, I will be exalted in the Earth.
(4) There is a River whose streams make glad the City of God, the Holy Place where the Most High dwells.
(5) God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of Day.
(7 & 11) The Lord Almighty is with us; The God of Jacob is our Fortress.
This Psalm sings of God's very present help as our refuge and strength, even when this Earth changes: when the mountains slip into the sea, the waters roar and foam as the mountains quake, when He raises His voice and the whole Earth melts! (See also II Peter 3:10.)
But we need not be afraid. The wrath of God being poured out on the inhabitants of the Earth will not touch God's own children; the wrath due them was already poured out on Christ Jesus, as our personal Sacrifice, the Lamb of God (I Thessalonians 5:9). Even though thousands perish beside us, ten thousands at our right hand, it will not touch us (Psalm 91:7).
Then when this Earth has exploded and this Universe has imploded (II Peter 3:10), that's when God will re-make it all as a different Heaven (Universe) and Earth (I Corinthians 13:8), based on a whole different basis of life and existance (Revelation 21:1, 4-5).
Then the River flowing from the Throne of God in that Holy Place that will be the City of God (the New Jerusalem), will be the River of Life, with the Tree of Life growing along its banks (Revelation 22:1-2).
At the "break of Day" in the New Jerusalem, the beginning of forever, God will make sure that everything is just perfect, because He is perfect, and too pure to allow anything that falls short of perfection to live with Him (Revelation 21:3).
Therefore, The Lord Almighty is with us; The God of Jacob is our Fortress.
O my dear Father, I anticipate with joy and excitement all You are accomplishing in this World and the culmination of all things of this Earth: the New Earth and Your Holy City, the New Jerusalem, to come down out of Heaven to be established on this very Earth, renewed, cleansed, and resurrected; for You to dwell here with us! (as You revealed in Revelation 21 and 22.)
O Father, Your Plan is so glorious! To have Your own Son come to make each of Your children perfect, cleansing us of every shadow of stain of sin with His precious Blood, one-by-one!
And You are continuing to work Your Plan, and nothing mere Man can do can alter Your course! You alone are God Almighty, and You will accomplish all Your desire for us and this Earth and Universe. You will remove the curse that sin placed on this existance, and in the New Creation there will not be any wearing down, no wearing out, no growing old, no death or sorrow or pain or crying. What You have done remains, and what we will do will also remain.
So all our science, all the knowledge we have amassed about this World and how it operates, will be obsolete (I Cor. 13:8); we will learn a whole new Science of how You made the New Order of Things.
Hallelujah!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
(1) God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
(2) Therefore we will not fear, though the Earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
(3) Though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
(6) Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the Earth melts.
(8) Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations He has brought on the Earth.
(9) He makes wars cease to the ends of the Earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear, He burns the shields with fire.
(10) Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the Nations, I will be exalted in the Earth.
(4) There is a River whose streams make glad the City of God, the Holy Place where the Most High dwells.
(5) God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of Day.
(7 & 11) The Lord Almighty is with us; The God of Jacob is our Fortress.
This Psalm sings of God's very present help as our refuge and strength, even when this Earth changes: when the mountains slip into the sea, the waters roar and foam as the mountains quake, when He raises His voice and the whole Earth melts! (See also II Peter 3:10.)
But we need not be afraid. The wrath of God being poured out on the inhabitants of the Earth will not touch God's own children; the wrath due them was already poured out on Christ Jesus, as our personal Sacrifice, the Lamb of God (I Thessalonians 5:9). Even though thousands perish beside us, ten thousands at our right hand, it will not touch us (Psalm 91:7).
Then when this Earth has exploded and this Universe has imploded (II Peter 3:10), that's when God will re-make it all as a different Heaven (Universe) and Earth (I Corinthians 13:8), based on a whole different basis of life and existance (Revelation 21:1, 4-5).
Then the River flowing from the Throne of God in that Holy Place that will be the City of God (the New Jerusalem), will be the River of Life, with the Tree of Life growing along its banks (Revelation 22:1-2).
At the "break of Day" in the New Jerusalem, the beginning of forever, God will make sure that everything is just perfect, because He is perfect, and too pure to allow anything that falls short of perfection to live with Him (Revelation 21:3).
Therefore, The Lord Almighty is with us; The God of Jacob is our Fortress.
O my dear Father, I anticipate with joy and excitement all You are accomplishing in this World and the culmination of all things of this Earth: the New Earth and Your Holy City, the New Jerusalem, to come down out of Heaven to be established on this very Earth, renewed, cleansed, and resurrected; for You to dwell here with us! (as You revealed in Revelation 21 and 22.)
O Father, Your Plan is so glorious! To have Your own Son come to make each of Your children perfect, cleansing us of every shadow of stain of sin with His precious Blood, one-by-one!
And You are continuing to work Your Plan, and nothing mere Man can do can alter Your course! You alone are God Almighty, and You will accomplish all Your desire for us and this Earth and Universe. You will remove the curse that sin placed on this existance, and in the New Creation there will not be any wearing down, no wearing out, no growing old, no death or sorrow or pain or crying. What You have done remains, and what we will do will also remain.
So all our science, all the knowledge we have amassed about this World and how it operates, will be obsolete (I Cor. 13:8); we will learn a whole new Science of how You made the New Order of Things.
Hallelujah!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
A Wise Man Or A Fool?
Proverbs 14: 16
A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless.
Our holy, gracious, heavenly Father has already cleansed my heart of so much arrogance and carelessness and other foolishnesses in the past few years. He has been teaching me His ways of wisdom, compassion, understanding, and generosity; graciousness, patience, and forbearance.
But I seem to be such a slow learner, it takes me forever even after I know it, to be able to live it in my life and attitudes! Every time I take a step forward, I seem to slip back a half-step!
The more I learn, the more I realize how far I have still to go!
O my Father, Please put a guard on my tongue! Teach me to fill my heart with Your goodness, and to consider my words before I open my mouth (or set my fingers to my keyboard, or my thumbs to my phone!)
I am desperate for You, Father, I pant after You! I need Your strength to follow Your ways and do the works You planned out for me beforehand! I can do nothing without You, O Father!
Keep me constantly and continually in Your lap, Your arms around me constraining me from going my way! Let me not deviate from Your path, not turning to the right or to the left, not running ahead or lagging behind, not wandering off or pulling away!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless.
Our holy, gracious, heavenly Father has already cleansed my heart of so much arrogance and carelessness and other foolishnesses in the past few years. He has been teaching me His ways of wisdom, compassion, understanding, and generosity; graciousness, patience, and forbearance.
But I seem to be such a slow learner, it takes me forever even after I know it, to be able to live it in my life and attitudes! Every time I take a step forward, I seem to slip back a half-step!
The more I learn, the more I realize how far I have still to go!
O my Father, Please put a guard on my tongue! Teach me to fill my heart with Your goodness, and to consider my words before I open my mouth (or set my fingers to my keyboard, or my thumbs to my phone!)
I am desperate for You, Father, I pant after You! I need Your strength to follow Your ways and do the works You planned out for me beforehand! I can do nothing without You, O Father!
Keep me constantly and continually in Your lap, Your arms around me constraining me from going my way! Let me not deviate from Your path, not turning to the right or to the left, not running ahead or lagging behind, not wandering off or pulling away!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Rebuking
Luke 4: 39
And standing over her, He rebuked the fever,and it left her. ...
In this same chapter, Jesus rebuked demons: the man in the synagogue with an unclean demon who testified that Jesus was "the Holy One of God" (vs. 33-35); and many demons who were crying out, "You are the Son of God," as He healed many (vs. 40-41).
So Jesus rebuked demons and a fever. So was the fever caused by a demon (it does not say that) or caused by a living virus or bacteria or fungus?
What (or who) else did Jesus rebuke? The winds and the sea (Matt. 8:26; Mark 4:39; Luke 8:24), people, the demons in people (Mark 1:25, 8:33, 9:25; Luke 4:35, 9:42, 55), the devil (Matt. 17:18).
The winds and the sea we do not consider as living beings. But other than that, Jesus rebuked sentient beings (the fever could be either).
As Christians, we are commanded to rebuke a brother who is sinning (I Timothy 5:20; II Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:13, 2:15). The Angel said to the devil, "The Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 9). And in Revelation Jesus says, "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten" (Rev. 3:19).
<Have I gone off chasing a rabbit trail here?>
Father, help us to have Your wisdom and compassion in rebuking one another. Teach us to let personal insults and emotional injuries roll off us, and be concerned only with Your reputation. Show us what is important and what is trivial in Your Kingdom. Keep us from rebuking when it is not according to Your righteousness, but only when Your Name has been maligned.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And standing over her, He rebuked the fever,and it left her. ...
In this same chapter, Jesus rebuked demons: the man in the synagogue with an unclean demon who testified that Jesus was "the Holy One of God" (vs. 33-35); and many demons who were crying out, "You are the Son of God," as He healed many (vs. 40-41).
So Jesus rebuked demons and a fever. So was the fever caused by a demon (it does not say that) or caused by a living virus or bacteria or fungus?
What (or who) else did Jesus rebuke? The winds and the sea (Matt. 8:26; Mark 4:39; Luke 8:24), people, the demons in people (Mark 1:25, 8:33, 9:25; Luke 4:35, 9:42, 55), the devil (Matt. 17:18).
The winds and the sea we do not consider as living beings. But other than that, Jesus rebuked sentient beings (the fever could be either).
As Christians, we are commanded to rebuke a brother who is sinning (I Timothy 5:20; II Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:13, 2:15). The Angel said to the devil, "The Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 9). And in Revelation Jesus says, "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten" (Rev. 3:19).
<Have I gone off chasing a rabbit trail here?>
Father, help us to have Your wisdom and compassion in rebuking one another. Teach us to let personal insults and emotional injuries roll off us, and be concerned only with Your reputation. Show us what is important and what is trivial in Your Kingdom. Keep us from rebuking when it is not according to Your righteousness, but only when Your Name has been maligned.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, November 12, 2018
Begging For Bread
Psalm 37: 25
I have been young, and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or his descendants begging bread.
O my Father, I thank You for Your Word, that I can read what You have said and rely on Your faithfulness to do everything You said You will do.
You have told me everything You are doing for the whole history and future of Mankind; and it is exciting to watch Your Plan unfolding in the Nations to prepare for the Glorious Appearing of our King over all kings and Lord over all lords, our Sovereign, our Savior and Redeemer!
Through all the political and geographical and financial and climatological upheavals.
You will continue to be faithful to Your chosen ones, to care for me and take care of us, that we will never be forsaken or be in want or in need to beg for bread (would that be Food Stamps?)!
Father, I pray for the families whose breadwinner is out of work: Please provide for these families in righteousness out of Your great riches in Glory! Whether to provide them work or through other means, use these times to draw families together and closer to You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I have been young, and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or his descendants begging bread.
O my Father, I thank You for Your Word, that I can read what You have said and rely on Your faithfulness to do everything You said You will do.
You have told me everything You are doing for the whole history and future of Mankind; and it is exciting to watch Your Plan unfolding in the Nations to prepare for the Glorious Appearing of our King over all kings and Lord over all lords, our Sovereign, our Savior and Redeemer!
Through all the political and geographical and financial and climatological upheavals.
You will continue to be faithful to Your chosen ones, to care for me and take care of us, that we will never be forsaken or be in want or in need to beg for bread (would that be Food Stamps?)!
Father, I pray for the families whose breadwinner is out of work: Please provide for these families in righteousness out of Your great riches in Glory! Whether to provide them work or through other means, use these times to draw families together and closer to You.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, November 11, 2018
He Has Done All Things Well
Mark 7: 37
And they were utterly astonished, saying, "He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."
This is what the people said about Jesus. They were "utterly astonished" because no one had ever done these things.
And He never made a mistake, He was the Expert in everything He did, whether He was teaching, healing, or raising from the dead!
O my Father, please help all Your children to "do the work of an evangelist" in sharing what You have done for them ("the dumb to speak").
And open the ears of those who heretofore have never "heard" Your Good News that Jesus died in their place as the Lamb of God to give them His Resurrection Life ("the deaf to hear").
Father, each one of us lives in "our own little world," our circle of family, friends and acquaintances; please give us Your words to boldly speak to those who don't know You yet.
And enlarge our boundaries, that those we speak Life to will in turn speak to others in their circles, and them in theirs, as ripples on a lake will widen continually until they reach the shore.
Then when we all reach that Heavenly shore, we will be able to meet and know all those who have come there through our obedience to Your charge to us.
And we will be worshiping and giving You all the glory throughout all the Ages to come, forever!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And they were utterly astonished, saying, "He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."
This is what the people said about Jesus. They were "utterly astonished" because no one had ever done these things.
And He never made a mistake, He was the Expert in everything He did, whether He was teaching, healing, or raising from the dead!
O my Father, please help all Your children to "do the work of an evangelist" in sharing what You have done for them ("the dumb to speak").
And open the ears of those who heretofore have never "heard" Your Good News that Jesus died in their place as the Lamb of God to give them His Resurrection Life ("the deaf to hear").
Father, each one of us lives in "our own little world," our circle of family, friends and acquaintances; please give us Your words to boldly speak to those who don't know You yet.
And enlarge our boundaries, that those we speak Life to will in turn speak to others in their circles, and them in theirs, as ripples on a lake will widen continually until they reach the shore.
Then when we all reach that Heavenly shore, we will be able to meet and know all those who have come there through our obedience to Your charge to us.
And we will be worshiping and giving You all the glory throughout all the Ages to come, forever!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, November 10, 2018
A Solemn Charge To Us All
II Timothy 4: 1-5
I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, Who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His Kingdom:
Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove; rebuke; exhort; with great patience and instruction.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
... And will turn aside to myths.
But you be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
This is written to all Christians, not just pastors and elders.
We are all to know what we believe, and be able to show why we believe it.
And not be shy or ashamed to speak of our Lord and what He's done for us.
O my Father, please be with me in a very powerful way to enable me to obey these commands.
Teach my mind, my emotions, my attitudes, and my mouth to speak in season and out of season the reproof, the rebuke, the exhortation that is needed with great patience and love and compassion and accurate instruction.
Grow me as I do the work of an evangelist, and enlarge my borders to fulfill my ministry in this World.
And may You receive all the glory in drawing many to Yourself! O Father, find all Your lost sheep, from every Nation, every tribe, every family, every language; that there will be Your one flock with one Shepherd!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, Who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His Kingdom:
Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove; rebuke; exhort; with great patience and instruction.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
... And will turn aside to myths.
But you be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
This is written to all Christians, not just pastors and elders.
We are all to know what we believe, and be able to show why we believe it.
And not be shy or ashamed to speak of our Lord and what He's done for us.
O my Father, please be with me in a very powerful way to enable me to obey these commands.
Teach my mind, my emotions, my attitudes, and my mouth to speak in season and out of season the reproof, the rebuke, the exhortation that is needed with great patience and love and compassion and accurate instruction.
Grow me as I do the work of an evangelist, and enlarge my borders to fulfill my ministry in this World.
And may You receive all the glory in drawing many to Yourself! O Father, find all Your lost sheep, from every Nation, every tribe, every family, every language; that there will be Your one flock with one Shepherd!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, November 9, 2018
Her Right And Her Cause
Psalm 35: 22-26
You have seen it, O Lord, do not keep silent;
O Lord, do not be far from me.
Stir up Yourself, and awake to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.
Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Your rightousness,
And do not let them rejoice over me.
Do not let them say in their heart, "Aha, our desire!"
Do not let them say, "We have swallowed him up!"
Let those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress;
Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me.
(Read the whole Psalm, 28 verses.)
O my Father, I pray for the peace of Jerusalem! I pray for Your child Israel; that as David prayed for vindication against his enemies, that I pray for You to stir up Yourself and awake to her right and to her cause, O Lord; do not let them rejoice over her!
Do not let them say, "We have swallowed her up!" as their purpose and reason for being is stated so!
O Father, those Nations that surround tiny Israel are unabashedly seeking to destroy and obliterate Israel, and yet Israel has yet to turn to You!
Please, Father, draw this tiny Nation that You have chosen and built to Yourself! Open their eyes and hearts to Your Truth, that You may then strengthen her over her enemies!
Please draw her to Yourself, Father; for she cannot turn to You withoug Your drawing.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
You have seen it, O Lord, do not keep silent;
O Lord, do not be far from me.
Stir up Yourself, and awake to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.
Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Your rightousness,
And do not let them rejoice over me.
Do not let them say in their heart, "Aha, our desire!"
Do not let them say, "We have swallowed him up!"
Let those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress;
Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me.
(Read the whole Psalm, 28 verses.)
O my Father, I pray for the peace of Jerusalem! I pray for Your child Israel; that as David prayed for vindication against his enemies, that I pray for You to stir up Yourself and awake to her right and to her cause, O Lord; do not let them rejoice over her!
Do not let them say, "We have swallowed her up!" as their purpose and reason for being is stated so!
O Father, those Nations that surround tiny Israel are unabashedly seeking to destroy and obliterate Israel, and yet Israel has yet to turn to You!
Please, Father, draw this tiny Nation that You have chosen and built to Yourself! Open their eyes and hearts to Your Truth, that You may then strengthen her over her enemies!
Please draw her to Yourself, Father; for she cannot turn to You withoug Your drawing.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, November 8, 2018
He Will Give Then He Will Grant
Psalm 37: 4-5, 7, 8
Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it (He will grant it).
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way.
Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret, it leads only to evildoing.
God is so good, and He has made this Earth specifically for us, Mankind, to build our World here and prosper. He has put here everything we need.
When we delight in our Lord, learning His ways, then whatever desires He has placed in our hearts, He wants to fulfill. Then we'll be able to cooperate with the way He designed things to run, and it will work for us.
Even if it doesn't seem to be happening right away, we can still rest in the Lord and wait patiently for His answer we trust Him to bring us in His time. We don't need to fret over other people who don't even know Him when they prosper, too. If they're doing it God's way, then maybe it will draw them to Him.
And then also we won't need to get angry at anyone, and leave all the wrath for God to take care of. When we take that into our own hands, we're stealing it from God, and making ourselves our own god. Let Him be God, and trust Him to always do what's right, because He is righteous.
He has promised to even all the odds, balance all the books, pay all the debts, and finish every plan. He will see to it, we only need to cooperate with Him.
O my Father, You are our Maker, our Creator; You have made this environment for us, and placed us here. You have made us in Your own Image, after Your likeness--so we have intelligence and a will to choose and imagination to get passionate about.
We receive all these from You, Father. You are the Intelligent Designer Who used Wisdom to create and give order to what You have made; You have chosen to give us the power of choice, so we can choose to love You and follow Your ways; and You have imagined us--if You would not be thinking about us, we wouldn't exist! And Your Love for us is as passionate as a newlywed husband for his new bride, as You have called Israel Your wife, and the church is the Bride of Christ. And His Passion for us is shown by His Sacrifice on our behalf.
O Father, thank You so much for Who You are! Thank You for showing us Your Love, and Your Passion, and Your Grace and Mercy. Thank You for letting us see Your passionate justice for evil and wickedness, to have poured out Your Wrath that we deserve on Your own Son, so You could give us His Resurrection Life, in the Person of Your Holy Spirit to give Life to our dead spirits.
And the passionate drama of Your judgment on those who refuse to choose You and let Jesus take the wrath we deserve upon Himself is another demonstration of Your Love for us.
Father, You are Love (I John 4:16), so everything You do comes of this Love: all Your blessings, all Your Grace and Mercy; and all Your Righteousness and Justice and Judgment and wrath. All of it is because You are Love and our standard for measuring what is Love.
The World has no understanding of this concept. Our enemy has twisted what he wants us to believe about love, and the World has fallen for his deceptions.
But we who have been born into Your family, Father, and have Your Spirit of Truth in us, can see and understand what real Love is, can recognize the Genuine Article, and don't need to succumb to the devil's lies.
Real True Love is not only tender and gentle and passionate and accepting; it is also tough and hard when it needs to be, to remain True and beneficial to us.
Father, I know that my desire to spread Your good Seed of the Word all over the World is from You, and I have waited for more than 15 years for You to release me from that geographical bond, which You have granted! Thank You so much, Father; now show me how to make my plans to be in alignment with Your plans for me, in living out this dream of mine.
Send me, Father, into Your fields white for harvest! Continue to prepare the way before me in these travels. Show me Your ways, my Lord, and take my hand, for You will never let me slip out of Your grip! Lead me and guide me, give me Your eyes to see and comprehend, Your ears to hear and understand, Your words in my mouth to teach clearly Your Word to those You have drawn to hear.
Father, permit me to grow Your Kingdom finding lost sheep to draw into Your fold, in preparation for Your Son, our King Jesus, to return to set up His Kingdom, that Your will be done on Earth just as it is in Heaven.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it (He will grant it).
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way.
Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret, it leads only to evildoing.
God is so good, and He has made this Earth specifically for us, Mankind, to build our World here and prosper. He has put here everything we need.
When we delight in our Lord, learning His ways, then whatever desires He has placed in our hearts, He wants to fulfill. Then we'll be able to cooperate with the way He designed things to run, and it will work for us.
Even if it doesn't seem to be happening right away, we can still rest in the Lord and wait patiently for His answer we trust Him to bring us in His time. We don't need to fret over other people who don't even know Him when they prosper, too. If they're doing it God's way, then maybe it will draw them to Him.
And then also we won't need to get angry at anyone, and leave all the wrath for God to take care of. When we take that into our own hands, we're stealing it from God, and making ourselves our own god. Let Him be God, and trust Him to always do what's right, because He is righteous.
He has promised to even all the odds, balance all the books, pay all the debts, and finish every plan. He will see to it, we only need to cooperate with Him.
O my Father, You are our Maker, our Creator; You have made this environment for us, and placed us here. You have made us in Your own Image, after Your likeness--so we have intelligence and a will to choose and imagination to get passionate about.
We receive all these from You, Father. You are the Intelligent Designer Who used Wisdom to create and give order to what You have made; You have chosen to give us the power of choice, so we can choose to love You and follow Your ways; and You have imagined us--if You would not be thinking about us, we wouldn't exist! And Your Love for us is as passionate as a newlywed husband for his new bride, as You have called Israel Your wife, and the church is the Bride of Christ. And His Passion for us is shown by His Sacrifice on our behalf.
O Father, thank You so much for Who You are! Thank You for showing us Your Love, and Your Passion, and Your Grace and Mercy. Thank You for letting us see Your passionate justice for evil and wickedness, to have poured out Your Wrath that we deserve on Your own Son, so You could give us His Resurrection Life, in the Person of Your Holy Spirit to give Life to our dead spirits.
And the passionate drama of Your judgment on those who refuse to choose You and let Jesus take the wrath we deserve upon Himself is another demonstration of Your Love for us.
Father, You are Love (I John 4:16), so everything You do comes of this Love: all Your blessings, all Your Grace and Mercy; and all Your Righteousness and Justice and Judgment and wrath. All of it is because You are Love and our standard for measuring what is Love.
The World has no understanding of this concept. Our enemy has twisted what he wants us to believe about love, and the World has fallen for his deceptions.
But we who have been born into Your family, Father, and have Your Spirit of Truth in us, can see and understand what real Love is, can recognize the Genuine Article, and don't need to succumb to the devil's lies.
Real True Love is not only tender and gentle and passionate and accepting; it is also tough and hard when it needs to be, to remain True and beneficial to us.
Father, I know that my desire to spread Your good Seed of the Word all over the World is from You, and I have waited for more than 15 years for You to release me from that geographical bond, which You have granted! Thank You so much, Father; now show me how to make my plans to be in alignment with Your plans for me, in living out this dream of mine.
Send me, Father, into Your fields white for harvest! Continue to prepare the way before me in these travels. Show me Your ways, my Lord, and take my hand, for You will never let me slip out of Your grip! Lead me and guide me, give me Your eyes to see and comprehend, Your ears to hear and understand, Your words in my mouth to teach clearly Your Word to those You have drawn to hear.
Father, permit me to grow Your Kingdom finding lost sheep to draw into Your fold, in preparation for Your Son, our King Jesus, to return to set up His Kingdom, that Your will be done on Earth just as it is in Heaven.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Mary's Curiosity
Luke 1: 34
And Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I am a virgin?
This shows us that Mary was a seeker after Truth. When the angel told her what would happen to her, Mary asked how it would be accomplished; she needed to know all the details.
And the angel told her the method by which God would perform this great feat in her body. He didn't reprimand her for her curiosity, as he had rebuked Zechariah, who had asked the same question, but in unbelief.
Mary had no unbelief, she didn't doubt He would do it, but she wanted more information. And the angel honored her request, and gave her the prophesy of Who her Child would be and what He would do!
I am so glad for Mary's curiosity! We now have that pronouncement to ponder, as Mary pondered so many things in her heart. She knew the Scriptures well and meditated on them, as all the things spoken of her Son and what was said and done by Him, also.
Thank You so much, Father, for Mary's curiosity, which validates my own curiosity! I also seek to know Your Truth.
Continue to open my eyes and my understanding to see what You would have me know in Your Word, to connect the dots to see Your bigger Picture of how everything fits together and works together into that great Tapestry of Time.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I am a virgin?
This shows us that Mary was a seeker after Truth. When the angel told her what would happen to her, Mary asked how it would be accomplished; she needed to know all the details.
And the angel told her the method by which God would perform this great feat in her body. He didn't reprimand her for her curiosity, as he had rebuked Zechariah, who had asked the same question, but in unbelief.
Mary had no unbelief, she didn't doubt He would do it, but she wanted more information. And the angel honored her request, and gave her the prophesy of Who her Child would be and what He would do!
I am so glad for Mary's curiosity! We now have that pronouncement to ponder, as Mary pondered so many things in her heart. She knew the Scriptures well and meditated on them, as all the things spoken of her Son and what was said and done by Him, also.
Thank You so much, Father, for Mary's curiosity, which validates my own curiosity! I also seek to know Your Truth.
Continue to open my eyes and my understanding to see what You would have me know in Your Word, to connect the dots to see Your bigger Picture of how everything fits together and works together into that great Tapestry of Time.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
He Escaped Naked
Mark 14: 51-52
And a certain young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him. But he left the linen sheet behind, and escaped naked.
There were so many things that Jesus did that were not written down (John 21:25), so why was this little side story included? What significance does this happening have in God's scheme of things?
Maybe one application could be that I seek to be covered only in the white linen of Christ's righteousness; and when I die I will go naked without my body, which I will leave behind.
But I seek not to be naked, but to be clothed with the immortal body God has prepared for me; mortality must put on immortality (I Corinthians 15:53).
O my Father, I know that You do nothing without Purpose. Just because I can't figure it out doesn't mean that You don't have a significant reason for including this little side story. I don't see any connection with any other part of the saga laid out in the Gospels, but You do; please enlighten me to understand the nuances of Who Jesus is and what He did while He walked among us. Help me to connect the events in Your skilfully woven tapestry of Time.
Father, the more I learn of You and Your ways, the more I am astounded at the cleverness and wisdom and depth and breadth and beauty of all You are doing.
I am amazed with how much You know us and You love us anyway; You love us with a Love we can only imagine!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And a certain young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him. But he left the linen sheet behind, and escaped naked.
There were so many things that Jesus did that were not written down (John 21:25), so why was this little side story included? What significance does this happening have in God's scheme of things?
Maybe one application could be that I seek to be covered only in the white linen of Christ's righteousness; and when I die I will go naked without my body, which I will leave behind.
But I seek not to be naked, but to be clothed with the immortal body God has prepared for me; mortality must put on immortality (I Corinthians 15:53).
O my Father, I know that You do nothing without Purpose. Just because I can't figure it out doesn't mean that You don't have a significant reason for including this little side story. I don't see any connection with any other part of the saga laid out in the Gospels, but You do; please enlighten me to understand the nuances of Who Jesus is and what He did while He walked among us. Help me to connect the events in Your skilfully woven tapestry of Time.
Father, the more I learn of You and Your ways, the more I am astounded at the cleverness and wisdom and depth and breadth and beauty of all You are doing.
I am amazed with how much You know us and You love us anyway; You love us with a Love we can only imagine!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, November 5, 2018
Keep On The Alert
Mark 13: 5, 9, 23, 33
Jesus began to say to them, See to it that no one misleads you ...
But be on your guard ...
But take heed (pay attention); behold (look here!), I have told you everything in advance ...
Take heed (pay attention!), keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is.
God has told us everything He's doing before any of it happened.
May we recognize His doings, and understand what it all means. May we take to heart all the stuff we're hearing on the news; about all the weather happenings, and the geological upheavals, and the lawlessness among the peoples.
How God is lining up all the Governments (Kings) of the World for that One-World autocratic rule, that will usher in the Man of Sin (Antichrist) and we'll see the Revelation of Jesus Christ as given to John unfold before our eyes.
May we have the eyes to see and minds to understand and take to heart what God told us will be happening at these, the end of the Last Days.
May we respond by cleansing our own hearts; exposing and confessing and forsaking those sins we are still cherishing in hiding, that we will live our lives in purity and righteousness. And may we promote God's righteousness in the societies in which we live, all around the World.
And may our witness resound and reverberate throughout all the Nations of the World, to every creature; that no one will have any excuse for their poor choices, and every lost lamb will be found and brought in to the safety of the One Fold with One Shepherd.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Jesus began to say to them, See to it that no one misleads you ...
But be on your guard ...
But take heed (pay attention); behold (look here!), I have told you everything in advance ...
Take heed (pay attention!), keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is.
God has told us everything He's doing before any of it happened.
May we recognize His doings, and understand what it all means. May we take to heart all the stuff we're hearing on the news; about all the weather happenings, and the geological upheavals, and the lawlessness among the peoples.
How God is lining up all the Governments (Kings) of the World for that One-World autocratic rule, that will usher in the Man of Sin (Antichrist) and we'll see the Revelation of Jesus Christ as given to John unfold before our eyes.
May we have the eyes to see and minds to understand and take to heart what God told us will be happening at these, the end of the Last Days.
May we respond by cleansing our own hearts; exposing and confessing and forsaking those sins we are still cherishing in hiding, that we will live our lives in purity and righteousness. And may we promote God's righteousness in the societies in which we live, all around the World.
And may our witness resound and reverberate throughout all the Nations of the World, to every creature; that no one will have any excuse for their poor choices, and every lost lamb will be found and brought in to the safety of the One Fold with One Shepherd.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, November 4, 2018
The Calm Before The Storm
II Kings 23: 25
Before [Josiah] there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.
This king over Judah was highly praised of God because when the priest found the book of the Law that had been "lost" in the Temple and it was brought to King Josiah, he tore his clothes in sorrow and instituted reforms that removed all the idols and pagan altars and "high places."
And he had the Passover celebration observed in the Land, such as had never been celebrated since the days of the Judges in Israel, before there was a king over them.
Because he had turned to the Lord with his whole heart, soul, and might.
We need a Josiah to come into power in our Nation. We need a man who knows the Lord, knows His Word, and is strong in His Spirit to do in these days what Josiah did for Israel in those days.
Our God is still the same God Who led Josiah in all his reforms, and He can also raise up His man here in these days to tear down all the altars to Molech and Chemosh and put down all the ungodly institutions that have enslaved our people.
This is what we need. It looks like He has, and I am looking to see how it all turns out. This may be a temporary pause before the predicted judgment, as King Josiah was a righteous king between the evil kings, and Judah went into captivity after his days.
O my Father, I pray that Your righteousness would be promoted in this Nation in these days, just as Josiah drew the Nation back to You in those days.
And I pray that Your strength and protection be upon those who are doing Your work in our government and in Your churches here, to prepare us all for the judgment You said would come, as it comes.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Before [Josiah] there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.
This king over Judah was highly praised of God because when the priest found the book of the Law that had been "lost" in the Temple and it was brought to King Josiah, he tore his clothes in sorrow and instituted reforms that removed all the idols and pagan altars and "high places."
And he had the Passover celebration observed in the Land, such as had never been celebrated since the days of the Judges in Israel, before there was a king over them.
Because he had turned to the Lord with his whole heart, soul, and might.
We need a Josiah to come into power in our Nation. We need a man who knows the Lord, knows His Word, and is strong in His Spirit to do in these days what Josiah did for Israel in those days.
Our God is still the same God Who led Josiah in all his reforms, and He can also raise up His man here in these days to tear down all the altars to Molech and Chemosh and put down all the ungodly institutions that have enslaved our people.
This is what we need. It looks like He has, and I am looking to see how it all turns out. This may be a temporary pause before the predicted judgment, as King Josiah was a righteous king between the evil kings, and Judah went into captivity after his days.
O my Father, I pray that Your righteousness would be promoted in this Nation in these days, just as Josiah drew the Nation back to You in those days.
And I pray that Your strength and protection be upon those who are doing Your work in our government and in Your churches here, to prepare us all for the judgment You said would come, as it comes.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, November 3, 2018
Why Is It The Greatest?
Matthew 22: 35-40
A lawyer asked Him a question, testing Him: Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?
And He said to Him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.
It really is all about Love! We are to love God and love our neighbor. God loves what He made, and He wants us to love Him back and to love what He loves--mainly our neighbor.
This is God's primary purpose for us while we live here. When we love Him, we won't pray to anyone but Him as God, we will reverence His Being as God, and we will respect His authority over us as Lord (Boss).
And when we love one another we won't want to kill our neighbor or sleep with his partner, or lie to him. We won't want to even think a negative thought about him, and want the very best for him regardless of the cost to us.
This is how God loves us: He gave His very best, His most precious--His own Son--so that His Blood could wash us whiter than snow, fit to live with Him in His perfect Heaven. He loves us that much.
All the Laws and all the Prophets' prophesies are all based on that Love God has for us: to accept responsibility for our failure to love Him and each other, and accept His love in sending His Son to take our death upon Himself so that His Blood would wash away every stain. That's the central purpose for it all.
Secondary to that is to show us how to cooperate with how He designed this Earth to work. When we cooperate with the way He made it to operate, then we will realize the benefits He put here for us, and we will be able to enjoy them.
When we love one another to show acceptance and compassion for our neighbor, even if we haven't met them yet; and strive to meet their needs in a way that is profitable for them and worth an affordable price--then our businesses to support us financially will benefit all of us. This is God's way.
And we will attribute to our gracious Lord God all the credit, all the glory, all the honor for designing it such and teaching us how to operate it His way.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
A lawyer asked Him a question, testing Him: Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?
And He said to Him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.
It really is all about Love! We are to love God and love our neighbor. God loves what He made, and He wants us to love Him back and to love what He loves--mainly our neighbor.
This is God's primary purpose for us while we live here. When we love Him, we won't pray to anyone but Him as God, we will reverence His Being as God, and we will respect His authority over us as Lord (Boss).
And when we love one another we won't want to kill our neighbor or sleep with his partner, or lie to him. We won't want to even think a negative thought about him, and want the very best for him regardless of the cost to us.
This is how God loves us: He gave His very best, His most precious--His own Son--so that His Blood could wash us whiter than snow, fit to live with Him in His perfect Heaven. He loves us that much.
All the Laws and all the Prophets' prophesies are all based on that Love God has for us: to accept responsibility for our failure to love Him and each other, and accept His love in sending His Son to take our death upon Himself so that His Blood would wash away every stain. That's the central purpose for it all.
Secondary to that is to show us how to cooperate with how He designed this Earth to work. When we cooperate with the way He made it to operate, then we will realize the benefits He put here for us, and we will be able to enjoy them.
When we love one another to show acceptance and compassion for our neighbor, even if we haven't met them yet; and strive to meet their needs in a way that is profitable for them and worth an affordable price--then our businesses to support us financially will benefit all of us. This is God's way.
And we will attribute to our gracious Lord God all the credit, all the glory, all the honor for designing it such and teaching us how to operate it His way.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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