Cycle Of Blessing

II Corinthians 9:11

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion . . .

This is an amazing cycle of blessing that we can initiate by our "hilarious" giving! (See vs. 8-15)

We give hilariously in obedience to God, then He increases our means so that we can continue to give in obedience, on every occasion; and our giving not only meets the needs of others, but results in much praise and worship in thanks to God. And their prayers for us will turn their hearts toward us because of the abundant riches He has granted us, to be even more generous. Our and their needs are met, love goes out and is returned, and God gets all the glory!

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

May God Relent

Jonah 3:10, 4:2,4,9,11

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened. 
[Jonah] prayed to the Lord, "O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to to Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity."
But the Lord replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"
But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry?"
But "Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left [or, what is right or wrong], and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"

Jonah knew that this city-nation deserved to be destroyed, and that's what he wanted: Justice! But he also knew God, and knew that He would have compassion on them and relent from sending the calamity. So when the people and their leaders turned from their evil ways, God was true to Himself to withhold the punishment. That's why Jonah was upset.

O my Father, Let me never, not ever rejoice in any calamity, but rejoice when Your Truth wins out, as it did in Nineveh at that time. Jonah did not have the right to be angry with God for having compassion instead of destroying them, and I will never have the right to relish the destruction of people who are caught up in the evil deceptions of our enemy, this world system and their own flesh. Help me always to have Your compassion to desire their redemption from the wickedness that has trapped them and bring them into Your glorious Light.

I know that you "are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity." O Father, I pray for America. Please cause our people and leaders to turn from our wicked and evil ways, to turn to You and acknowledge Your power and sovereignty; and that You would have compassion and relent from visiting upon America the destruction she has invited upon herself. Please bring us back to Your righteousness before the end.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Our Teacher

I John 2:27

As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing  teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in Him.

God's Holy Spirit is the anointing we have received, He is the seal to guarantee our eternal life. When we are taught by good and great Bible teachers, our pastors and Bible School professors, we should not just take them at their word and blindly believe everything they say, but use it as a basis for our own study, to see how God teaches us, as the Bereans did, who, "received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11)

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Love

I Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the Truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

O my Father, teach me to love as you love! Show me were I am failing to love, when I am rude or self-seeking, or any other way I am not displaying Your generous love for others. Forgive me and teach me Your ways.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

The Perfect Time

Galatians 4:4-7

But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

O my Father God, my Abba, Daddy! You have done everything at just the right time, and you will complete and finish all Your plans in Your perfect time. I will wait on You for my inheritance.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Our Only Lord God

Isaiah 45:23-24

By Myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked; Before Me every knee will bow; by Me every tongue will swear. They will say of Me, "In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength."

Romans 14:11-12

It is written,"As surely as I live," says the Lord, "every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God." So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Philippians 2:10-11

That at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

And here is the fulfillment:

Revelation 5:12-13

In a loud voice they sang, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them singing: "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!"

The Lord Jesus Christ is the One we worship and adore. He alone is the One we know, who is worthy of all praise and honor and credit for all that has been done since the creation of all things to the very end of time itself, from eternity to eternity, to the glory of God the Father.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

This Present Time

Romans 3:11-12

And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the Day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Dear Father, please wake up Your church; arouse each one of us from our slumber of denial and normalcy bias. Show us how each of us can be Your hands and Your feet, teach us Your words to speak and strengthen us to do Your work in this broken world to promote Your glorious Kingdom.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus, our soon-coming King!