My Words

Job 2:10

. . . In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

O my Father, help me, teach me to not sin, not miss the mark by my words. Keep Your arm around my shoulders and Your hand over my mouth. I put a guard on my mouth to think before I speak, write or type a word. Father, I know that my words have in the past missed the mark so far that much trouble and heartache resulted. 

Strengthen me to always remember to consider how my words will affect the hearer, to realize how I will be heard, and not just my own selfish motives.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

The Race Of Life

I Corinthians 9:27

. . . So that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Paul took great pains to discipline himself for the "race," so that, even after helping others to be able to "win the prize," he himself did not want to miss out. To enter into a race, the participant has to qualify, according to the rules of the race, whether running, swimming, driving, shooting, whatever. If a participant tries to compete without following the rules, he will be disqualified from receiving any rewards at all, and probably punished for interfering with those who do qualify. It would be ironic for a trainer who prepared other athletes, to try to compete himself and be thrown out, while his students win!

We need to be sure we know the rules, and that we're following them, in the race of life. We want to be sure to qualify to compete for the rewards we are promised, and not end up being disqualified from receiving anything.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Night Is Nearly Over

Romans 13:11-14

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. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime. . . . Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

O my Father, Wake us up! Continue to wake up Your church, especially in America! Teach us how to put on Christ in our every day drugeries; to live decently, as in bright daylight, totally on display to the world: That we will have the victory through the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony!

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

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!