Wide Open By Newsong

The Door

"The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they'll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!  Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I'll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That's my gift to the conquerors!"  Revelation 3:20 (The Message)

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."  Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

"You've always been right there for me; don't turn your back on me now. Don't throw me out, don't abandon me; you've always kept the door open. My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in."  Psalm 27:9  (The Message)

"And that's not all. You will have complete and free access to God's kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven."  Matthew 16:19 (The Message)

"Here's what I'm saying: Ask and you'll get; Seek and you'll find; Knock and the door will open."  Luke 11:9 (The Message)

"Peter fairly exploded with his good news: 'It's God's own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you're from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open. The Message he sent to the children of Israel—that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again—well, he's doing it everywhere, among everyone.'"  Acts 10:34 (The Message)

"I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name."  Revelation 3:8 (NIV)

The door is wide open for all who choose to believe on His name.  If you've never opened the door and walked through it, won't you do it today?

Dear Lord,  Thank you for the gift of Your perfect sacrifice, Your son Jesus Christ.  Thank you that we now have access to Your throne room.  Help us to walk in Your light.  Let us help others see the door.  Let them open it and walk through into the light of Your presence...

Have a wonderful weekend!

Photograph courtesy of Sean Zellmer.

Be Still My Soul by Selah

Recalibration Day

I am on a food quality panel two mornings a week.  Today we had a recalibration day.  It was a special training to refresh our memories (and tastebuds) on what things should taste like and how to discern the differences in a finished product.  I was thinking that a recalibriation day might be appropriate for believers.  How often do we rush through life just getting by, getting what we need to get done done?  Our abilities to read and discern God's word get rusty.  Our ears get clogged up and we have difficulty hearing when God speaks to us.  Our vision grows dim and we can't see through to the other side of a difficult situation.  Our interpersonal relationships suffer because we don't have time to tend to them, especially our relationship with God.  I think that we all need a spiritual recalibration day every now and then.  So finish reading this, take out your calendar and plan a day of spiritual recalibration.  Read God's word.  Bask in music that praises His name. Sing a new song.  Find a good book on some aspect of Christian living and read it.  Or read a Christian novel with a strong Christian message.  Make time to pray and reflect and transform.  I honestly don't think we can be all God wants us to be if we spend our lives rushing from one thing to the next, never taking time to be with the Lord.  And in this case, 5 minutes won't do.

"You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."  Psalm 16:11 (NIV)

"Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His presence continually!"  Psalm 105:4  (ESV)

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalm 46:10 (ESV)

"Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah."  Psalm 84:4 (KJV)

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."  Matthew 11:29 (NIV)

Dear Lord,  Thank you for Your precious presence.  Help us not to rush right past You but to stop and spend time with You.  Help us to recalibrate our relationship with You so that we might be transformed into Your image, so that we won't allow our relationship with You to become rusty or deaf or blind.

Perfect Love

 We seek after perfection in this world.  We want the perfect face, the perfect body, the perfect house, the perfect car, the perfect family, the perfect marriage; in our search for perfection we go to the gym, to the plastic surgeon, to the mall, from car to car, from house to house, and from  marriage to marriage.  Perfection in these areas is a moving target, an unattainable goal, because the more we try to find it the more elusive it becomes. 

God's love is perfect as He is perfect.  The only true perfection we will find in this world is found in Him.  We spend so much time and money looking for perfection in ourselves and others, yet we choose not to seek after the only One who is perfect and offers us perfect love for God is love.  We can find God's perfect love in loving others.  And in finding this, we can live a life without fear.
 
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and every one who loves is born of God and knows God.  The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has beheld God at any time;  if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.  By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit, and we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us.  God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment because as He is, so also are we in this world.  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.  We love, because He first loved us.  If some one says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.  And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also."  1 John 4:7-21 (NASB)

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."  1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)

"Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs."  Psalm 10:12 (NIV)

Dear Lord,  Let us love one another as You have loved us.  Let Your perfect love cast out all our fears and our desire to find perfection in temporal things...

Mirror Image

We should all be a reflection of His holy face.  What does that face look like?  Well, in order to find out, we must be looking in the mirror, the mirror of God's word.  God's word serves two purposes.  It shows us what we look like and it shows us what God looks like.

We find out how we look by using God's word as a standard.  The law was given so that we would understand where we fall short of His image.  The law is external, written on tablets of stone and required atonement. Atonement in the Old Testament was through blood sacrifice on behalf of sinful people. These standards and sacrifices did not have the power to transform.  It wasn't until the ultimate blood sacrifice, Jesus Christ, came that our lives were able to be transformed into His image.  When the ministry of grace came, salvation meant that God's word is now written on the heart; it is internal and able to transform lives from the inside out.  When Moses came down off of Mount Sinai, his face glowed because he had been face to face with the Lord.  He had to wear a veil because his face frightened the people.  But when he went back up the Mount, he took off the veil because he was face to face with God.  Under the Old Covenant, Moses was the only one who had fellowship with God.  Through Jesus Christ, we now have access to fellowship with God and the mirror of God's word which shows us His Son and transforms us into His Son's image.  Moses reflected the glory of God, but we can now radiate the glory of God.  Moses' reflection of glory was external, ours is internal.

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."  2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB)

We must not only hear the word, we must do it.  We must not only see how we fall short, we must do something about it. Many people think that hearing a good sermon or Bible study is what makes them grow.  Acting upon God's word is what brings transformation and this comes only through self examination.   The purpose of the mirror of God's word is self examination.  We must look at ourselves in light of His word and we must see ourselves for who we really are.

There are several mistakes we make as we look into the mirror of God's word.  The first mistake is that we only glance at ourselves.  We do not carefully study to show ourselves approved.  We quickly read and unless we spend concerted time understanding and meditating on the word, we will not see our deepest needs.  And we will not be transformed.  Our reading of God's word cannot be an obligation fulfilled.  It must be a discipline pursued. We must hunger and thirst after His righteousness.

Another common mistake is that once we have looked in the mirror, we forget what we have seen.  If we have truly looked into our own hearts, we would cry out as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:5, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty", and as Peter did in Luke 5:8, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!"

The third mistake that we often make is that we think that hearing the word is the same as doing the word, and it is not.  We must be doers of the word and not merely hearers who are deluding ourselves.  So we must see ourselves for who we really are, we must not forget what we have seen, and we must actively seek to do what we have been taught in God's word.  This requires time, commitment, and devotion to the word of God.

"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was."  James 1:22-24 (NASB)

"Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like."  James 1:22 (The Message)

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."  Romans 8:28-30 (ESV)

Dear Lord,  Please help us to look at ourselves in the light of Your word.  Help us to be doers and not merely hearers.  Help us to study Your word and to meditate on it so that we might be transformed into your mirror image... 

Photography courtesy of Sean Zellmer.

Be Like Christ

Philippians Chapter 2:1-18 (ESV)

 ¹So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ²complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 ¹²Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

 ¹⁴Do all things without grumbling or questioning, ¹⁵that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. ¹⁷Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Part the Waters/I Need Thee Every Hour by Selah

Chris Tomlin Indescribable

God Be With You - Selah

'Til We Meet Again...

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 (KJV)

"So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable." 1 Corinthians 15:42 (ESV)

My only sibling passed away last Saturday at 48 after a long battle with breast cancer. I thought I would recount here the fond memories I have of our childhood together.

My favorite memories were always when we built cities or buildings together. Sometimes we would go out to the garage and take every cushion and blanket we could find and build what to us was a vast city with pathways, twists, turns and many, many rooms. We called these structures our forts. On another occasion we dug a huge hole in the ground. We gave it a squareish shape and made sure to incorporate a shelf in the dirt wall and a small seat. We then put a square table over it and draped a large blanket over that. My father was going to build a deck there in the future so we were allowed to do it. It was tiny, probably not more than 4 feet by 4 feet, but to us it seemed like a mansion. We brought out toy pots and pans and dishes (mine, of course) and made meals and pretended we were orphans living on our own in the wilderness.

Our best project was our Matchbox Car city. We had Lego buildings and dirt roads which we carved out of the ground. My brother had a wooden gas station that my father made him so we would drive the small cars down the dirt roads and pull into the gas station to fill up with gas. We also had Lego homes with Lego trees in the front yards. We had so much fun in the worlds we created.

I remember when I was in 6th grade and he was in 3rd, bell bottom pants had become popular. He had never had a pair and he really wasn't interested in turning in his Sears Toughskin pants in solid colors. I finally talked him into getting a couple of pairs of vertically striped bell bottom pants. I honestly don't think he wore them right away and probably not very often even then. He later developed his own sense of style which included a silky tan Mickey Mouse dress shirt as well as other various picture shirts of the 70's! Do you remember those?

When he was older, he built real forts complete with electricity and carpet at each of our respective houses. I was not allowed to enter any of those. They were for boys only.

My brother had his own language. "Sebet" and "Gabah" were his favorite made up words in his made up language. It was a complete language as far as I could tell. Of course, none of us understand a word. I think one of his friends did though...

In 1978, I became a Christian, started attending church, and coaching him on what posters he should take down off of his wall. It took quite a few years but he originally accepted Christ when we were at an Oden Fong concert in 1981 at the church I was attending. After that, he cleaned his wall off of the posters that he had displayed. This church was the one where I met my husband and the first Singles event that I remember going to was a bonfire on the beach in Santa Cruz. My brother was with me and my husband spent most of the evening getting to know my brother! I don't actually know what they were talking about but it was only a short while later that my husband and I began dating. I guess, at least, he didn't scare him off...

Rick and Kim traveled a lot during their early years of marriage and Rick also traveled a lot for work. He visited many countries and took amazing photos. He had an excellent eye for photography. But his true joy came when his sons were born. There never were 2 more well documented children in the history of mankind. He loved his boys dearly and that will never change.

Good bye, Baby Brother...You will be missed but never forgotten. And at the rate that time goes by, we will all be together again soon, meeting again at Jesus' feet.

"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.'" 1 Corinthians 15:54 (NIV)

"Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift." 2 Corinthians 9:15 (KJV)

Casting Crowns Praise You In The Storm

Praise Him in the Rain

"I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day,nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121:1-8 (NIV)

"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him." Job 13:15 (KJV)

"The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him." Exodus 15:2 (ESV)

"Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence." Psalm 42:5 (NASB)

Our afflictions are beneficial to us in many ways. When we are in need, we are more likely to call upon the name of the Lord in prayer. We may go along in life doing things our own way in our own time and as long as things are going well we find ourselves forgetting to spend time with Him, forgetting to seek Him, forgetting to allow Him to lead and guide our lives. When something difficult comes along, we suddenly remember from where our help comes and we finally pray...We turn to the Lord in the storms of life. We seek His help when things are not going as we had planned. If good times make us forget, then surely bad times make us remember...

Afflictions keep us from departing from His presence. We stay close to the Lord when times are tough. We continually seek Him when we have no where else to turn and we do not know what else to do. He would rather that we seek Him first and all of the time, not just when we are in need. We should work on having our lives be focused on Him every day, in the rain and in the sunshine.

Afflictions teach us the will of God. Sometimes when we are afflicted, when things are more than we can bear, we finally look outside of ourselves at the world around us. We notice that there are others who are more afflicted than we are. And if we are seeking God through our afflictions, we can find great solace and reward in serving Him by serving others. The will of God is simple. He wants us to be in a relationship with Him, and He wants us to be transformed into Him image. What better way to become like Him than to serve His people, share His love, be an instrument in His hands.

Afflictions promote the glory of God. God's glory can be seen in us when we handle our afflictions differently than the world may handle them. If difficult times come into our lives and we still serve Him and we still praise Him and we still trust Him and we still give Him the glory; wow...what a powerful testimony to our God who deserves all honor and power and glory forever and ever, amen. If we trust Him openly, no matter what happens in our lives, then we have become living testaments of the Living God and His power to transform our lives into praise even in the rain...

Dear Lord, Help us to know that when trials come, our focus should not need to change if we are living a life of faith in You every day. Please cause us all to daily lift our lives up to You, so that when the storms come, we will be ready because we know where our help comes from. Help us to praise You in the sunshine and the rain...

Photograph Courtesy of Sean Zellmer

Every Man - Casting Crowns

A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise

New Living Translation (NLT)

Psalm 22

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Doe of the Dawn.”

1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far away when I groan for help?
2 Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.
Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief.

3 Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 Our ancestors trusted in you,
and you rescued them.
5 They cried out to you and were saved.
They trusted in you and were never disgraced.

6 But I am a worm and not a man.
I am scorned and despised by all!
7 Everyone who sees me mocks me.
They sneer and shake their heads, saying,
8 “Is this the one who relies on the Lord?
Then let the Lord save him!
If the Lord loves him so much,
let the Lord rescue him!”

9 Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb
and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast.
10 I was thrust into your arms at my birth.
You have been my God from the moment I was born.

11 Do not stay so far from me,
for trouble is near,
and no one else can help me.
12 My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls;
fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in!
13 Like lions they open their jaws against me,
roaring and tearing into their prey.
14 My life is poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax,
melting within me.
15 My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.
16 My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs;
an evil gang closes in on me.
They have pierced my hands and feet.
17 I can count all my bones.
My enemies stare at me and gloat.
18 They divide my garments among themselves
and throw dice[a] for my clothing.

19 O Lord, do not stay far away!
You are my strength; come quickly to my aid!
20 Save me from the sword;
spare my precious life from these dogs.
21 Snatch me from the lion’s jaws
and from the horns of these wild oxen.

22 I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.[b]
I will praise you among your assembled people.
23 Praise the Lord, all you who fear him!
Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob!
Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.
He has not turned his back on them,
but has listened to their cries for help.

25 I will praise you in the great assembly.
I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied.
All who seek the Lord will praise him.
Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.
27 The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him.
All the families of the nations will bow down before him.
28 For royal power belongs to the Lord.
He rules all the nations.

29 Let the rich of the earth feast and worship.
Bow before him, all who are mortal,
all whose lives will end as dust.
30 Our children will also serve him.
Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.
31 His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born.
They will hear about everything he has done.

Dear Lord, Thank you for suffering on our behalf so that You might show us the way, the truth, and the life.

Do We even Think?

My husband and I were having a conversation yesterday and something dawned on us. We were lamenting the way some people treat others. In the past, we had always concluded that they knew what the consequences of their behaviors were on other people and didn't care; we finally realized that the more likely explanation was that they never even stopped to think what their words or actions did to others. Not thinking seems to be a prevalent problem in this day and age. We don't think about the consequences of our actions. We don't think how deeply our words can wound. We don't think about other people's feelings. We don't think about others at all. The only thing people seem to think about today is their own feelings, their own wants, their own needs. The Bible says, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4 (NASB)

"Who do you think you are— recklessly grabbing and looting, Living it up, acting like king of the mountain, acting above it all, above trials and troubles? You've engineered the ruin of your own house. In ruining others you've ruined yourself. You've undermined your foundations, rotted out your own soul. The bricks of your house will speak up and accuse you. The woodwork will step forward with evidence." Habakkuk 2:9 (The Message)

"If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand." Philippians 2:1-4 (The Message)

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:9-10 (NIV)

"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." Romans 12:3 (NIV)

"For as he thinks within himself, so he is." Psalm 23:7a (NASB)

Dear Lord, Teach us to think of others as more important than ourselves. Teach us to think things through before we act or speak, considering the effects our words and actions may have on others. Give us a heart that cares about what You care about, Your people.

Amazing Grace ( My Chains are Gone)

In a Perfect World

"For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears." 1 Corinthians 13:9-10 (NIV)

In a perfect world, there would be no death, no sorrow, no suffering. A perfect world would be full of loving, kind, selfless people, people who were redeemed, purified, justified, sanctified, transformed. In this world, no one would be afraid of the dark; there would be no need for night for this world would be filled only with light. There would be no need for hiding anything. Everything would be out in the open.

The citizens of this world would have imperishable bodies, bodies that would never know disease, disaster, tragedy, or decay. The streets of this perfect world would not be paved with good intentions, they would be paved in the purest of gold. And the river which flows through this world would never carry toxins, would never flood its bank, and would only bring life to all those who would drink of it.

The leader of this world would never have a hidden agenda, ulterior motives, or secret meetings. He would always be Trustworthy, Faithful, and True. His only concern would be for the well being of His subjects and every need of every person would always be met. There would be no hunger nor want, no conflict nor war, no taking of another's life at any time, for any reason. There would be no danger, nor peril, nor calamity, nor strife. This world in all its perfection would be filled with goodness and mercy, grace and peace, honesty, integrity, justice, and prudence.

A perfect world would have no addiction of any kind. There would be no self-righteousness, self-promoting, self-aggrandizing, self-deprecating, self-serving, self-sufficiency, or selfishness of any kind. People in this world would give instead of take, serve instead of demanding service.

The desire for power would be replaced by the desire for peace. The desire for money, or material things would be replaced with the desire for righteousness. In this world, there would be no jealousy, no covetousness, no greed. Every citizen would have an equally beautiful mansion filled with equally abundant joy.

This world will glisten with cleanliness and gleam with precious jewels of unimaginable beauty. There will be no refuse, no litter, no loitering, no laziness, no listlessness, no loss. There will be no thievery, no violence, no viciousness, no vindictiveness, only contentment, satisfaction, stability, generosity, and goodness. All of the occupants of this perfect world will have patience, gentleness, self-control, and love. No one ever experiences condemnation, judgment, separation, or rejection. They will all be embraced, loved, comforted, protected. They will only know peace not pain, beauty not ugliness, joy not suffering.

Amen, Come Lord Jesus!

"And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it. And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed." Revelation 21:23-25 (NASB)

"And that's it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it's good or evil." Ecclesiates 12:14 (The Message)

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." 1 John 4:17 (KJV)

"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel." Hebrews 12:22-26 (ESV)

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." John 14:2 (KJV)

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galations 5:22-23 (NIV)

"He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God." Revelation 19:13 (NIV)

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.' And He who sits on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' And He said, 'Write, for these words are faithful and true.'" Revelation 21:3-5 (NASB)

It is Well...

"Please run now to meet her and say to her, 'Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?'" And she answered, "It is well." 2 Kings 4:26 (NASB)

Horatio Spafford wrote the amazingly beautiful hymn, "It is Well With My Soul", in response to the tragic loss of his four daughters who perished in the shipwreck of the Ville du Havre on November 22, 1873. Some believe that the above verses from 2 Kings may have inspired the wording. Please be sure to watch the YouTube video which I have also posted here. The amazing story of continued commitment to the Lord in the face of horrible tragedy doesn't end here. The rest of the story seems to be avoided by many, probably because Horatio Spafford suffered from mental illness near the end of his life. You may be wondering what could cause someone with such great faith to suffer with mental illness. But mental illness is an infirmity, a disease like any other disease, and can strike anyone like any other disease. I read something about this when I googled it today and a random blogpost by "whomever" mentioned that it was not well with Horatio Spafford's soul after all. I would venture to say (although I was not there in the late 1880's with the Spaffords) that what was wrong with Horatio Spafford was not wrong with his soul. If it can be well with your soul while you have a physical illness, it can also be well with your soul when you have a mental illness. Horatio Spafford spent much of his life helping the poor and destitute and serving the Lord. It's just too bad that when he needed help, there may have been none to be found.

It Is Well With My Soul by Horatio Spafford
1873

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea-billows roll,
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to know:
"It is well, it is well with my soul."

Refrain

It is well, it is well,
with my soul, with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Tho' Satan should buffet, tho' trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed his own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin - oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin - not in part but the whole -
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh, my soul.

Refrain

And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend;
"Even so - it is well with my soul."

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live,
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou shalt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

Dear Lord, Thank you that You are with us at all times even when it seems not to be true to others looking on. Thank you that You will never leave us or forsake us, not in sickness or in health.

Have a wonderful weekend!

It is well with my soul

Casting Crowns - If We've Ever Needed You

The Lord is My Shepherd

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever. (NIV)

Dear Lord, Thank you that You are ever with us, through the valleys, beside still waters, and on stormy seas. Thank you for Your comfort, Your restoration, Your righteousness, Your provision.

Man's Plans - God's Will

"The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9 (NASB)

We all have plans and plans can definitely be good. But our plans need to be within His will. How do we accomplish having plans that are within His will? In James 4:13-16 it says, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil." (ESV)

There are several things we can be sure of. First, Life is complex. With all of the things we do and say everyday, the decisions we make, the people we meet, the activities and goals we all have, we must agree that it is extremely complex and that danger can lurk at every turn. Perhaps the dangers are not always physical. They can be mental, emotional, and spiritual as well. This could paralyze us with fear but "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV) Apart from the will of God, life can be confusing and difficult to navigate and understand, but when you know Him and seek to do His will, things begin to fall into place. The world begins to make sense and everyday things take on new meaning. You can relax knowing that you are no longer in charge of this big, confusing, complex world (not that you ever were!). He is. I find that a tremendous relief! Don't you?

The second thing you can be sure of is that this life is very uncertain. Proverbs 27:1 says, "Don't brashly announce what you're going to do tomorrow; you don't know the first thing about tomorrow." (The Message) In James chapter 4, these people were making plans for a whole year when they didn't even know what tomorrow would bring. The parable in Luke 12:16-21 speaks to this. "And he told them a parable, saying, 'The land of a rich man produced plentifully,' and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God." (ESV) We do not know the length of our days; that is something we have to entrust to the Lord. He is not uncertain about our futures. He holds them in the palm of His hands. "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'" Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV)

The third thing we need to keep in mind is that life is brief. Job 8:9 says, "For we were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow." (NIV) God wants us to number our days. "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12 (ESV) Warren Weirsbe says, "Since life is so brief, we cannot afford merely to 'spend our lives'; and we certainly do not want to 'waste our lives.' We must invest our lives in those things that are eternal."

Finally, we must understand the frailty of man. In verse 16 of James chapter 4, it says, "As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil." We boast because we want to cover up our weakness and frailty. Deep down inside we all know how frail and weak and brief and uncertain and complex this life is and it scares us to death. Our boasting is sin, pure and simple, because when we boast we set ourselves up as God in our own lives. Quite frankly, that scares me more than anything else! Me as God? That is not a pretty picture...

So how do we know what the will of God is? He reveals His will in His Word but we choose to ignore it. In the Bible, God gives us directions for this life. "God gives us precepts, principles, and promises that can guide us in every area of life. Knowing and obeying the Word of God is the surest way to success." (Warren Weirsbe)

"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success." Joshua 1:8 (NASB)

"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Psalm 1:3 (KJV)

Dear Lord, Help us to learn Your will through Your Word. Help us not to ignore the directions You have given us but instead make us hunger and thirst after Your righteousness. Please Lord, let us let You be God in our lives and as we make our plans let it always be "Lord willing"...

Take My Life (And Let It Be) Chris Tomlin [Lyrics]

A Poured Out Life...

"We want to avoid suffering, death, sin, ashes. But we live in a world crushed and broken and torn, a world God Himself visited to redeem. We receive his poured-out life, and being allowed the high privilege of suffering with Him, may then pour ourselves out for others." Elisabeth Elliot

"Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." Isaiah 53:12 (NIV)

"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Matthew 26:28 (NIV)

"Dear friends, let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is dead and buried—his tomb is in plain sight today. But being also a prophet and knowing that God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of his would rule his kingdom, seeing far ahead, he talked of the resurrection of the Messiah—'no trip to Hades, no stench of death.' This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us here is a witness to it. Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of God and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out the Spirit he had just received. That is what you see and hear. For David himself did not ascend to heaven, but he did say, God said to my Master, 'Sit at my right hand Until I make your enemies a stool for resting your feet.' All Israel, then, know this: There's no longer room for doubt—God made him Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a cross." Acts 2:29 (The Message)

"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:5 (NIV)

"Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth." Ephesians 1:7 (The Message)

"The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 1:14 (NIV)

"It wasn't so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God's gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there's more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this." Titus 3:3-7 (The Message)

"The altar from which God gives us the gift of himself is not for exploitation by insiders who grab and loot. In the old system, the animals are killed and the bodies disposed of outside the camp. The blood is then brought inside to the altar as a sacrifice for sin. It's the same with Jesus. He was crucified outside the city gates—that is where he poured out the sacrificial blood that was brought to God's altar to cleanse his people." Hebrews 13:10-13 (The Message)

"Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." Hebrews 12:3-4 (ESV)

"But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." Hebrews 10:39 (NIV)

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation." 1 Peter 4:12-13 (NASB)

Dear Lord, Thank you for Your poured out life. Teach us to live poured out lives, living for You and only You, serving You by serving Your people. Take away our self-centeredness and let us embrace Your grace and live as though we have been truly touched by it. Please continue to pour out Your Holy Spirit on us which is the only way we are able to pour ourselves out for others. Help us not to shrink back but to step out with bold faith accomplishing whatever tasks You have set before us.

Prayer Triage

I was recently talking about a school where I taught in Southern California. It was one of the best run schools I have ever been associated with. When we had safety drills, we also had triage drills. Thankfully, we never had a real incident but I was very glad that I wasn't the one having to make the decisions on who was most in need of treatment. But it got me thinking about prayer and how I really do perform prayer triage.

I've had several urgent prayer requests brought to my attention over the weekend. The first was from a friend who has a son serving in Afghanistan. Her son had just lost a buddy and had another buddy whose leg had been blown off by an IED. This is a serious request, not only for the young man who has lost his leg, the family who has lost a beloved son, but also for my friend's son who is now dealing with the horror of this situation. Now it is time to focus on praying for these men and their families fervently, perhaps laying aside for a short time those less pressing prayer requests.

The second urgent request was for the terrorist bombings in Uganda. At least 50 people were killed in three synchronized bombings. A young American man working with the organization Invisible Children was among the victims. An IJM intern in Uganda sent out the request via her blog. To read more about it check out this New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/12/world/africa/12uganda.html?_r=4&ref=global-home

There are only so many hours in a day and in this life there may be times when we have to perform prayer triage. Since we cannot physically pray for every prayer request every day for everyone, we must sometimes make difficult choices as to which prayer requests are most important today. It doesn't mean that we do not return to praying for those other issues on another day, but it does mean that today we may have to focus on something more urgent. The point being that whatever we are doing, we can more than likely be praying and we should allow the Holy Spirit to direct us in our decisions on who most urgently needs prayer today.

Triage according to Merriam-Webster is the sorting of and allocation of treatment to patients and especially battle and disaster victims according to a system of priorities designed to maximize the number of survivors, the sorting of patients (as in an emergency room) according to the urgency of their need for care. It is also the assigning of priority order to projects on the basis of where funds and other resources can be best used, are most needed, or are most likely to achieve success. Prayer triage would then be the prioritizing of prayers for today, the sorting of requests according to the urgency of their need for care. Just be sure that you are using God's system of priorities and not your own. And most of all make sure that you are praying without ceasing as it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:15-22 (ESV), "See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil."

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." James 5:16 (NASB)

"Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day." 1 Kings 8:28 (NIV)

"When disasters strike, famine or catastrophe, crop failure or disease, locust or beetle, or when an enemy attacks their defenses—calamity of any sort—any prayer that's prayed from anyone at all among your people Israel, hearts penetrated by the disaster, hands and arms thrown out to this Temple for help, Listen from your home in heaven. Forgive and go to work on us. Give what each deserves, for you know each life from the inside (you're the only one with such "inside knowledge"!) so that they'll live before you in lifelong reverent and believing obedience on this land you gave our ancestors." 1 Kings 8:37 (The Message)

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 2:4 (NIV)

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:15-17 (ESV)

Dear Lord, Please make us faithful prayer warriors who put into effect Your priorities for prayer. Give us wisdom and understanding concerning what You would have us pray for today. And give us a heart for prayer and a heart that prays without ceasing making use of our time for the days are evil...

Michael W. Smith - Agnus Dei

Michael W Smith - Majesty w/lyrics

Majesty

LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
All sheep and oxen,
And also the beasts of the field,
The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
Psalm 8 (NASB)

Dear Lord, Thank you for the Majesty of who You are and thank you that You do think of us as a Father for His children. Your love endures Forever!

Have a wonderful weekend!

An Encounter with Pride

In Hannah Hurnard's Hinds Feet on High Places, the story of the journey out of the Valley of Humiliation and onto the High Places of the Great Shepherd unfolds. It is an allegory which dramatizes the desire of God's children to move out of the valleys of life and on to intimate communion with God. The High Places promise higher degrees of love, joy, and victory to the believer on the journey, a journey which should begin the moment we ask Jesus Christ to save us from sin and death. Unfortunately, many of us are reluctant to begin. The journey to the high places is fraught with danger, discouragement, and pain. It is unknown and therefore unproven. Very often we allow our own pride to stop us from starting the journey or continuing on our way. We may ask ourselves, "What if nothing significant happens while I am up there? What happens if I can't make it to the top at all? What if I am humiliated and rejected? What if I fail?" What we often fail to realize is that the journey is as important if not more important than reaching the goal.

"Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord GOD is my strength,and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places." Habakkuk 3:18-19a (NASB) You see, the Lord must make our feet like hinds' feet. A hind is a deer and deer are very sure footed. We on the other hand are not, especially when it comes to spiritual journeys. He must make us sure footed on our spiritual journey. We cannot do it ourselves. And it is through the process of the journey that the transformation from gangly, awkward, spiritual klutz to wise grace-filled, light-footed spiritual traveler takes place.

The main character of this allegory is a small, disfigured, crippled girl called Much-Afraid. She, like her Fearing relatives, lived in the Valley of Humiliation in constant fear. One thing had changed for Much-Afraid; she was now in the service of the Great Shepherd and He had asked her to journey with Him up to the high places. For Much-Afraid, a greater thrill and honor could not exist. The Great Shepherd promised her two very important companions for the journey, Sorrow and Suffering.

"From the very beginning the way up the mountains proved to be steeper than anything Much-Afraid had supposed herself capable of tackling, and it was not very long before she was forced to seek the help of her companions. Each time she shrinkingly took hold of the hand of either Sorrow or Suffering a pang went through her, but once their hands were grasped she found they had amazing strength, and seemed able to pull and even lift her upwards and over places which she would have considered utterly impossible to reach. Indeed, without their aid they would have been impossible, even for a strong and sure-footed person." (Hinds Feet on High Places, Hannah Hurnard, 1975)

Down in the Valley of Humiliation, the Fearings were angry that such an honor was bestowed on poor little Much-Afraid. It was not that they themselves wanted to go for in fact, they did not. They hated the Shepherd but they were also jealous that crippled, miserable Much-Afraid was singled out for this journey. As long as she was poor and miserable, they didn't give her much thought. Now that she had left them to journey on to something better, they plotted and schemed on how they could stop her.

"A great consultation went on between all the more influential relatives, and ways and means discussed by which she could be captured most effectively and be brought back to the Valley as a permanent slave. Finally, it was agreed that someone must be sent after her as quickly as possible in order to force her to return. But they could not conceal from themselves that force might prove impossible, as apparently she had put herself under the protection of the Great Shepherd. Some means, then, would have to be found to beguile her into leaving him of her own free will. How could this be accomplished?" (Hinds' Feet on High Places, Hannah Hurnard, 1975)

Much-Afraid's relatives decided to send a distant cousin named Pride to bring her back. He pulled her hand away from her companions and held it tightly.

"Poor Much-Afraid tried to pull her hand away, for now she began to understand the meaning of his presence there and his bitter hatred of the Shepherd, but as she struggled to free her hand, he only grasped it tighter. She had to learn that once Pride is listened to, struggle as one may, it is the hardest thing in the world to throw him off. She hated the things that he said, but with her hand grasped in his they had the power to sound horribly plausible and true." (Hinds' Feet on High Places, Hannah Hurnard, 1975)

When we encounter pride, we find ourselves in the most challenging of struggles. Once we have grasped the hand of pride, it is extremely difficult to let go. John Piper puts it this way in his book Desiring God and throws in an unusual twist, "The nature and depth of human pride are illuminated by comparing boasting with self-pity. Both are manifestations of pride. Boasting is the response of pride to success. Self-pity is the response of pride to suffering. Boasting says, 'I deserve admiration because I have achieved so much.' Self-pity says, 'I deserve admiration because I have sacrificed so much.' Boasting is the voice of pride in the heart of the strong. Self-pity is the voice of pride in the heart of the weak. Boasting sounds self-sufficient. Self-pity sounds self-sacrificing." Both boasting and self-pity are about self.

"The reason self-pity does not look like pride is that it appears to be needy. But the need arises from a wounded ego, and the desire of the self-pitying is not really for others to see them as helpless, but as heroes. The need self-pity feels does not come from a sense of unworthiness, but from a sense of unrecognized worthiness. It is the response of unapplauded pride." (Desiring God, John Piper, 2003)

Much-Afraid only escapes the grasp of Pride when she calls out to the Great Shepherd.

"'Much-Afraid,' said the Shepherd, in a tone of gentle but firm rebuke, 'why did you let Pride come up to you and take your hand? If you had been holding the hands of your two helpers this could never have happened.'" (Hinds' Feet on High Places, Hannah Hurnard, 1975)

"She learned in this way the first important lesson on her journey upward, that if one stops to parley with Pride and listens to his poisonous suggestions and, above all, if he is allowed to lay his grasp upon any part of one, Sorrow becomes unspeakably more unbearable afterwards and anguish of heart has bitterness added to it." (Hinds' Feet on High Places, Hannah Hurnard, 1975)

"Going through the motions doesn't please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice." Psalm 51:16 (The Message)

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world." 1 John 2:16 (NASB)

"For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning." Psalm 30:5 (ESV)

Dear Lord, Help me not to grasp the hand of pride. Help me only to hold the hands of the ones You give me even if they may be sorrow and suffering. Please let me not feel self-pity while enduring suffering, but instead let me accept it for the sake of joy.

Dead Faith

Wow! Did you know that faith can be dead? In James 2:14-17 it says, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." There have always been those who claim that they have been saved by faith in Jesus Christ, but who do not actually possess salvation. Wherever you find something true, you will also find a cheap imitation. In Matthew 7:21, Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

According to Warren Wiesbe, "People with dead faith substitute words for deeds. They know the correct vocabulary for prayer and testimony, and can even quote the right verses from the Bible; but their walk does not measure up to their talk. They think that their words are as good as works, and they are wrong."

If we do not help those we see in need, we are in danger of having dead faith. Food and clothing are basic necessities for everyone. As believers, we are required to help meet the basic needs of people, both believing and unbelieving.

"So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." Galations 6:10 (NASB)

And, "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'" Matthew 25:40 (NASB)

In Galations 5:6 it says, "I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love." (The Message) So in acting upon our faith by helping those in need, we express love and exhibit a changed life. "But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." 1 John 3:17-18 (NASB) We must demonstrate our faith by loving works.

The question, "Can that kind of faith save him?" in James 2:14, meaning can the kind of faith that has never been put into practice produce eternal life? If we do not have a changed life as a result of our faith, the kind of faith that then produces works of love, then the answer is no. It cannot save us because it is not true faith; it is dead faith.

"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." James 2:17 (KJV) John Calvin wrote, "It is faith alone that justifies, but faith that justifies can never be alone." The word "alone" means "by itself." A life of saving faith will never be "by itself", it will always produce a changed life, a life marked by good deeds.

So examine yourself. Is your life of faith marked by loving deeds which bring glory to His name? If your life has been changed unto salvation, then it will show. A person who knows the right words, but does not back up his words with actions, and does not produce fruit, may be falsely confident of his salvation. Dead faith can never save; it can only lull us into a false sense of eternal security.

Dear Lord, Please help me to act on my faith through loving deeds. Please produce the fruits of the Spirit in me. Let my talk and my walk be one and the same to the glory of Your name.

The Valley Song - Jars of Clay

Down in the Valley

If you are down in the valley, do not faint and give up. Keep plodding forward with every ounce of strength you can muster and do not give up. It is frequently in the valley that God shapes us. God, who knows all, takes us and molds us into who He wants us to be for His purposes. We ought not to think of our purpose in life as "our purpose". All of our purposes are His purposes. And we must have a vision for this purpose which He has planned for us. We must keep our eyes wide open and we must seek out His will, His purpose for our lives. If you can't see it now, keep watching and do not faint. "O my Strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress." Psalm 59:9 (ESV)

"Remember what you said to me, your servant— I hang on to these words for dear life! These words hold me up in bad times; yes, your promises rejuvenate me. The insolent ridicule me without mercy, but I don't budge from your revelation. I watch for your ancient landmark words, and know I'm on the right track. But when I see the wicked ignore your directions, I'm beside myself with anger. I set your instructions to music and sing them as I walk this pilgrim way. I meditate on your name all night, God, treasuring your revelation, O God. Still, I walk through a rain of derision because I live by your Word and counsel." Psalm 119:49-56 (The Message)

"Oh, how I love all you've revealed; I reverently ponder it all the day long. Your commands give me an edge on my enemies; they never become obsolete. I've even become smarter than my teachers since I've pondered and absorbed your counsel. I've become wiser than the wise old sages simply by doing what you tell me. I watch my step, avoiding the ditches and ruts of evil so I can spend all my time keeping your Word. I never make detours from the route you laid out; you gave me such good directions. Your words are so choice, so tasty; I prefer them to the best home cooking. With your instruction, I understand life; that's why I hate false propaganda." Psalm 119:97-104 (The Message)

If the valley is deep and the mountains are steep, keep pressing on. We tend to lose our way when we lose our focus. There are many things in this world that would distract us, relationships, material goods, our work, even our work for the Lord. As a matter of fact, this world is set up to distract us. We need to keep our focus on Him. It is such a basic, simple thought but so hard to do! Why is it so hard to do? "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV) I think that one of our biggest problems as believers is that we underestimate the determination of our enemy. He wants us to fail. He wants us to throw in the towel. He wants us to faint and give up and he will do everything in his power to stop us from moving forward, especially when we are weak and deep in the valley.

Oswald Chambers said, "When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in us, then is the time that Satan comes in with his temptations, and we are apt to say it is no use to go on. Instead of the vision becoming real, there has come the valley of humiliation...God gives us the vision, then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we have patience... Ever since we had the vision God has been at work, getting us into the shape of the ideal, and over and over again we escape from His hand and try to batter ourselves into our own shape."

Since we are incapable of shaping ourselves into His image, we must allow Him to do it. Are you experiencing heartbreak, sadness, the loss of the vision that you thought God had given you? Perhaps you have given up too soon. Perhaps you should return to the path that He set you on. And perhaps you should be aware of the possibility that He has not finished shaping you into the vision, that you may not be ready for it. Have you taken yourself out of the path of His vision for you and started trying to "batter" yourself into your own shape? Keep God's vision for your life, get back on His path, get your eyes off of yourself and back on Him.

"The vision is not a castle in the air, but a vision of what God wants you to be. Let Him put you on His wheel and whirl you as He likes, and as sure as God is God and you are you, you will turn out exactly in accordance with the vision. Don't lose heart in the process. If you have ever had the vision of God, you may try as you like to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never let you." Oswald Chambers.

"Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust." Proverbs 4:23 (The Message)

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28 (The Message)

"Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that." Ephesians 5:1-2 (The Message)

"Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." 2 Timothy 1:12 (NIV)

Dear Lord, Thank you that though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Thank you that You have given me a vision. Please Lord, help me keep walking forward with You until You have completed that vision of who You want me to be in me.

This is the air I breathe

Hebrews 12

God Disciplines His Sons

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Warning Against Refusing God

14Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.

18You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." 21The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear."

22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

25See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." 27The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our "God is a consuming fire." (NIV)

Michael W. Smith - There She Stands

God Will Take Away Your Fear, But You Have to Let it Go

We need a Hero to save us from ourselves. We don't make very good choices sometimes. Sometimes we pass up a really good thing in favor of something that has let us down in the past, something that we know isn't good for us, or some way of thinking that we know is damaging. We always think that the grass is greener somewhere else. We think the grass is greener everywhere else actually, everywhere besides where we are. Whether it is or not in truth is another question because sometimes our perceptions are skewed. And whether we move on to what we think are greener pastures or not, we have trouble being at peace because we live in fear.

Sometimes we are more comfortable with pain than peace. We go back to where we suffered because it comforts us. I know! It doesn't make sense that we would go back to a situation that really wasn't right, or a situation where we were not treated right, but sometimes it is familiar and we go back to it because it is. We do not like new, scary things, things where we may have to learn and grow, where we have to work. We would rather struggle with something that we know rather than venture out where we do not know what to expect. Proverbs 26:11 says, "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."

Many times the "right" thing is more frightening than the wrong thing. In one of my favorite movies, "Father of the Bride" with Steve Martin, he says, "First you worry about her (your daughter) going out with the wrong kind of guy. Then you worry about her meeting the right guy." Sometimes the right thing means a commitment you are not sure you are ready to make. Sometimes we just don't want to have to make that decision right now...Sometimes it means losing something, perhaps our freedom, perhaps part of ourselves. And we are afraid...

Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)

"In that day you will say: 'I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.' With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: 'Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.'" Isaiah 12:1-6 (NIV)

"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah" Psalm 32:7 (NIV)

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)

We are a people full of weaknesses! And if we are willing to step out in faith even when we are afraid, a whole new world of opportunity will open up to us. God desires to use us, with all our weaknesses, fears, sorrows. "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." 1 Corinthians 1:27 (NIV) Embrace His grace. Rise above your fears and stand firm in the face of every possible distress. "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31 (NIV)

God will take away your fear, but you have to let it go...

Dear Lord, Thank you that You have not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and discipline. Teach us to step out in faith when You lead us, knowing that Your grace is sufficient for us. Help us not to go back to old ways, old places, old situations that were not "right". Give us Your strength and Your power to live in Your victory.