Mandisa - God Speaking

Is God Speaking?

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."  Romans 1:20 (NIV)

"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. As has just been said:   'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.^'  Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?   So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief."  Hebrews 312-19  (NIV)

If God is speaking, do not harden your hearts.  God can speak to you in a myriad of ways.  He can speak to you through His word, worship, or wonder, but He can also speak to you through the kindness of a friend, through a phrase that you have read somewhere, through a thought that you are thinking through.  He can use anything He wants to speak to you.  How do we know when He is speaking?  The more we are listening, the more likely we are to recognize His voice when He speaks.  What are we listening for?  We are listening for His character, His ways, His will and all according to His word.  It becomes fairly easy to know when He is speaking if you know His voice.  In John 10:27 (ESV) Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

"I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They'll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father." John 10:14-18 (The Message)

"We couldn't be more sure of what we saw and heard—God's glory, God's voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You'll do well to keep focusing on it. It's the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it's not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God's Word."  2 Peter 1:19-21 (The Message)

"You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That's right—you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I'd never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I'm going to do what you tell me to do; don't ever walk off and leave me."  Psalm 119:1-3 (The Message)

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline; don't sulk under his loving correction. It's the child he loves that God corrects; a father's delight is behind all this."  Proverbs 3:5-12 (The Message)

Dear Lord,  Thank you that Your sheep can hear Your voice.  Help us to listen and follow where ever You lead us.  Teach us to recognize Your voice among  the throng of voices we hear every day.  Teach us Your character, Your ways, Your will, and Your word that we might not harden our hearts when we hear Your Voice today...

Photo courtesy of FreeFoto.com.

"The Motions"-Matthew West

Listen to the Music

I can't tell you how important a role music has played in my life!  I post songs here on my blog that have moved me, touched me, filled me, and motivated me toward a closer walk with my Savior.  The Christian life and walk isn't always easy and the music I spend my life listening to (and I do listen to it all day long!  Ask my family!) helps me stay on the path He wants me on; He speaks to me through it and I find myself in a constant state of worship.  I have often wondered if music could make the difference in a person's life, the difference between mediocrity and being sold out to Jesus.  I think it could.

Please don't miss the music that I post.  These are all songs that go with the written posts (usually) and are integral to the message!  Many times the music inspires the words.  And I would encourage you to make your own play list of Christian/Worship music.  You can start out with some of these songs posted here and then add your own songs which speak to your own heart and encourage you to stay on the path He wants you on, the path of life with Him.

I was quite young when I realized the power that music had over me (and I have always assumed, everyone else).  When I was a teenager, I listened to popular music and I noticed that I loved some songs more than others but that they all had an influence on how and what I was thinking and feeling.  Most of those types of songs had to do with love won and lost.  They could actually be quite depressing and I could feel myself thinking that finding and keeping true love was the most important thing in life.  Well, I agree with that but with a twist that I am sure those secular musicians never intended.  I think that finding and keeping true love is the most important thing but that it can only be found in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Every other person on the face of this earth will let you down, but Jesus never will.  He never can!  It is against His very nature.  Our nature, on the other hand, with our utter selfishness, will always fall short, and always disappoint.  The only way we can get away from our utter selfishness is to be wholly devoted to God...

I have always tried to make things easier for myself if possible!  By that I mean that I have found that walking a true life of faith is easier when I fill my heart and mind with the things of God.  So I try to spend most of my days in His word, in prayer, and listening to music that makes it easier to stay focused on Him.  Now this does not mean that I sit around all day reading, praying, and listening to music.   I go about my business praying and listening to music if I can, and as I pray and listen, the word of God pops into my head, too.  So what I have read (and memorized) throughout my life so concertedly, stays with me and helps  walk His path.  So sing a new song to the Lord, or get an old song stuck in your head!  The more time you spend on Him, the more you will feel His presence all day long.

"God holds me head and shoulders above all who try to pull me down. I'm headed for His place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already I'm singing God-songs; I'm making music to God."  Psalm 27:6 (The Message)

"They spread a net for my feet—I was bowed down in distress.  They dug a pit in my path—but they have fallen into it themselves.  Selah.  My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.   Awake, my soul!  Awake, harp and lyre!  I will awaken the dawn."  Psalm 57:6-8 (NIV)

"Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.  Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods."  Psalm 95:1-3 (NIV)

"I will sing of steadfast love and justice;  to you, O LORD, I will make music. I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me?  I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.  I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me."  Psalm 101:1-3 (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 (The Message)

"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."  Ephesians 5:19-20 (NIV)

Dear Lord,  Thank You for Your precious gift of music.  Thank You that as we walk this pilgrim way, setting Your word to music and singing make it easier for us.  Please give us an incredible, all day attitude of worship and thanksgiving through Your music...Let us move from mediocrity to being sold out to You.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, Selah

True Peace is Reflected Peace

I often picture us rolling through life like boulders rolling down a hill (or a mountain!) gathering speed, crushing things as we pass,  ever hurdling toward the bottom.  We miss so much when we live our lives that way!  And I am a firm believer that one of our greatest enemies is our own busyness.  I sometimes think that we think that if we just keep ourselves busy enough, we won't feel the pain or the loneliness or the emptiness.  But underneath that busy exterior, a heart still beats, still fears, still suffers, still wishes things could be different.

We all long for peace.  The world even tells us to pursue peace.  They call it inner peace, or nirvana.  True peace is not something we can manufacture ourselves; it's not something we seek and find ourselves.  Oh, we may find a semblance of peace this way, but it is fleeting, difficult to keep, not easily pinned down.  Jesus Christ offers us a different sort of peace.  He said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27 (NIV)

True peace is reflected peace.  It is the reflection of the peace of Christ.  "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."  Colossians 3:15 (NIV)  As Oswald Chambers said, "Are you still finding no well of peace or joy or comfort; is all barren?  Then look up and receive the undisturbedness of the Lord Jesus.  Reflected peace is the proof that you are right with God because you are at liberty to turn your mind to Him.  If you are not right with God, you can never turn your mind anywhere but on yourself."  Are you right with God?  Have you looked to Him in and for whatever circumstance or difficulty you are going through? Or is there something in the way of your relationship with Jesus, something blocking His face from your view? Get right with God!  If you are looking to Him and are right with Him, you will have the kind of reflected peace He offers, the peace that passes understanding.  ^"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

So our peace is a reflection of His peace because there is nothing between us; we are right with Him.  In turning our eyes upon Jesus,  and laying everything at His feet, "The perplexity goes, because He has no perplexity, and our only concern is to abide in Him."  (Oswald Chambers)

Dear Lord,  Thank you that You created us to be a reflection of You.  Help us to stay right with You and to never let anything come between us.  Give us Your peace which is not the kind the world gives, but the kind that passes all understanding...

Have a wonderful weekend!

Artwork by Chantal's Stained Glass at chantalstainedglass.50megs.com

Grace - Michael W Smith

Don't Take Any of This for Granted...

You've heard it said, "Except by the grace of God,  go I."  We need to remember where we have been while continuing on the path the God has set before us.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a results of works, that no one should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 NASB)  I really love this translation of Ephesians Chapter 2, The Message, and so am hoping that you will read it from beginning to end.


Ephesians 2 (The Message)

He Tore Down the Wall

 ^1-6It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.  ^7-10Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.
 ^11-13But don't take any of this for granted. It was only yesterday that you outsiders to God's ways had no idea of any of this, didn't know the first thing about the way God works, hadn't the faintest idea of Christ. You knew nothing of that rich history of God's covenants and promises in Israel, hadn't a clue about what God was doing in the world at large. Now because of Christ—dying that death, shedding that blood—you who were once out of it altogether are in on everything.
 ^14-15The Messiah has made things up between us so that we're now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.
 ^16-18Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.
 ^19-22That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.

Dear Lord,  Thank you for the gift that You have given so freely that has brought us in close and made all who say, "Yes, Lord!", to have equal access to You.  Thank you that we are saved by Your grace alone. Help us to walk in the good works that You have prepared for us, knowing that they are a sign of who we are becoming in You.

Artwork courtesy of Garret Walker @Art.com.

Faithful One - Selah

He will Never Give Up on You

Please read all of these verses for today!  He is faithful and these are only a small portion of the verses about the Lord's faithfulness found in His word.  The character of God will never change!  As Kay Warren said today on Facebook, "The faithfulness of God is the unshakeable ground we build our lives upon."

"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 121:3-8 (NIV)

"O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago."  Isaiah 25:1 (NIV)

"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it!"  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (The Message)

"Just think—you don't need a thing, you've got it all! All God's gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that."  1 Corinthians 1:7-9 (The Message)

^"I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed.  I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there's one other thing I remember,   and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:  God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up.  They're created new every morning.  How great your faithfulness!  I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).  He's all I've got left."  Lamentations 3:19-24  (The Message)

"God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways,
      the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways!
   Search high and low, scan skies and land,
      you'll find nothing and no one quite like God.
   The holy angels are in awe before him;
      he looms immense and august over everyone around him.
   God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you,
      powerful and faithful from every angle?
   You put the arrogant ocean in its place
      and calm its waves when they turn unruly.
   You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand,
      you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist.
   You own the cosmos—you made everything in it,
      everything from atom to archangel.
   You positioned the North and South Poles;
      the mountains Tabor and Hermon sing duets to you.
   With your well-muscled arm and your grip of steel—
      nobody trifles with you!
   The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule;
      Love and Truth are its fruits.
   Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise,
      who shout on parade in the bright presence of God.
   Delighted, they dance all day long; they know
      who you are, what you do—they can't keep it quiet!
   Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us—
      you've been so good to us! We're walking on air!
   All we are and have we owe to God,
      Holy God of Israel, our King!"

Psalms 89:5-18 (The Message)

"If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness."  Psalm 89:30-33 (ESV)

 "Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies."  Psalm 36:5 (NASB)

 "Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,  the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the LORD, who remains faithful forever."  Psalm 146:5-6 (NIV)

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  Hebrews 13:8 (NASB)

Dear Lord,  We thank You and praise You for You are forever faithful.  As faithless as we may sometimes be, You are the same yesterday, today, and forever...

This is the air I breathe

Is God in a Box?

I was discussing our relationship with Christ (it being a relationship and not religion) with someone recently and a thought came to mind again that has come to mind often over the years when asking myself, "Why do some people have a vibrant, real relationship with Christ and others do not?"  I think the answer is that some people put God in a box!

When you think about it, many of us live our lives in boxes of our own creation.  We also put all of the other people around us in boxes, too.  We even put God in a box.  And when Sunday comes around, we take Him out for a few hours and then we put Him back in.  We don't allow Him to permeate our lives.  We think that it is enough to spend a few hours in church on Sunday or perhaps we may add a midweek Bible study.  None of this is enough!  He wants to be Lord of your whole life every day of the week, every hour of the day.

I think we may be confused!  This life is not our own; we have been bought with a price.  We cannot do whatever we want Monday through Saturday and then sit piously in church on Sunday.  May it never be!  Monday through Sunday belong to the Lord!  Every day is the Lord's day as it says in Psalm 118:24 (NASB) "This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." 

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."  1 John 5:11 (NIV)

"Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you."  Colossians 3:4 (The Message)

 ^"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"  John 14:6 (NIV)

"You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all."  Acts 10:36 (NIV)

"When Peter saw he had a congregation, he addressed the people:  'Oh, Israelites, why does this take you by such complete surprise, and why stare at us as if our power or piety made him walk? The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his Son Jesus. The very One that Pilate called innocent, you repudiated. You repudiated the Holy One, the Just One, and asked for a murderer in his place. You no sooner killed the Author of Life than God raised him from the dead—and we're the witnesses.'"  Acts 3:12-15 (The Message)

"From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us."  1 John 1:1-2 (The Message)

 "With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death."  Romans 2:1-2 (The Message)

"What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.   Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily." Galatians 2:19-21 (The Message)

"Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it."  John 20:30-31(The Message)

Apart from Christ, there is no life!  You cannot put Him in a box.  He cannot be contained and if you try to contain Him, your new life in Christ will wither as it says in  Mark 4:18-19, ^"And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,  and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful." (KJV)  Jesus wants all of you.  He wants all of your days, decisions, duties.

You may be saying to yourself, "Oh, that's not me!  I  pray everyday.  I read His word.  I don't have God in a box!"  That may well be, but you had better look closely!  Do you discontinue your connection with Him when scripture demands something from you that you are not willing to give?  Do you slap the lid down when God asks you to do something that feels very uncomfortable to you (like sharing your faith)?  Do you decide that certain decisions are yours to make and do not require God's assistance?  Do you take matters into your own hands?  Do you try to control things?  God wants to be the Lord of every area of your life, all day, every day...

If there is an area that you are holding back, I guarantee you that it will hinder your walk with Him.  Find out what it is and give it over to Him immediately!  "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."   John 8:36 (ESV)

Dear Lord,  Please show us the areas that we are holding back from You.  Shine your spotlight on them and help us to hand them over to You so that we might be free to walk the path that You have set before us.  Help us to take You out of the box permanently, never putting You back in.  Thank you for the life You have given us if we will only receive it...

A Worthy Woman

Description of a Worthy Woman

Proverbs 31:10-31 (NASB)

    ¹⁰An excellent wife, who can find?
         For her worth is far above jewels.
    ¹¹The heart of her husband trusts in her,
         And he will have no lack of gain.
    ¹²She does him good and not evil
         All the days of her life.
    ¹³She looks for wool and flax
         And works with her hands in delight.
    ¹⁴She is like merchant ships;
         She brings her food from afar.
    ¹⁵She rises also while it is still night
         And gives food to her household
         And portions to her maidens.
    ¹⁶She considers a field and buys it;
         From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
    ¹⁷She girds herself with strength
         And makes her arms strong.
    ¹⁸She senses that her gain is good;
         Her lamp does not go out at night.
    ¹⁹She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
         And her hands grasp the spindle.
    ²⁰She extends her hand to the poor,
         And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
    ²¹She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
         For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
    ²²She makes coverings for herself;
         Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
    ²³Her husband is known in the gates,
         When he sits among the elders of the land.
    ²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them,
         And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
    ²⁵Strength and dignity are her clothing,
         And she smiles at the future.
    ²⁶She opens her mouth in wisdom,
         And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
    ²⁷She looks well to the ways of her household,
         And does not eat the bread of idleness.
    ²⁸Her children rise up and bless her;
         Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
    ²⁹"Many daughters have done nobly,
         But you excel them all."
    ³⁰Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
         But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
    ³¹Give her the product of her hands,
         And let her works praise her in the gates.

Dear Lord,  Please make us like this woman who has worked hard for her family, bringing them goodness all the days of her life.  Make us wise women who know You without a shadow of doubt and let us all be teachers of kindness.  We want our children and our husbands to rise up and call us blessed; let us be women worthy of that honor.

Oh Sacred Head Now Wounded

The lyrics to this old hymn are particularly powerful and one of my very favorites!  I pray that the old language will only edify and not confuse you...  This version by Selah is especially beautiful.  Please be sure to listen to it in the Youtube video which follows this post!

O sacred Head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed down,
now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, thine only crown:
how pale thou art with anguish,
with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish
which once was bright as morn!

2. What thou, my Lord, has suffered
was all for sinners' gain;
mine, mine was the transgression,
but thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
'Tis I deserve thy place;
look on me with thy favor,
vouchsafe me to thy grace.

3. What language shall I borrow
to thank thee, dearest friend,
for this thy dying sorrow,
thy pity without end?
O make me thine forever;
and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
outlive my love to thee.

Dear Lord,  Let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.

Have a blessed weekend!

Oh Sacred Head Now Wounded - Selah (christian song about Jesus' suffering)

SELAH - HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW with LYRICS

Why Worry?

"Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up."  Proverbs 12:25  (The Message)

"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?"  Matthew 6:24-27 (NIV)

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."  Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message)

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."  1 Peter 5:6-10 (NIV)

Why worry?  Not worrying is easier said than done for most of us.  We live our lives worrying about tomorrow, about our marriages, our children, our finances, our futures.  We are also very good at "What if's".  What if the stock market crashes?  What if the recession doesn't end?  What if we fall ill? What if our children go haywire?  What if a nuclear war begins? What if I lose my job? What if I lose my house?  What if I fail?  What if I'm humiliated?  What if I die?  I decided a long time ago that I couldn't possibly change any of those things if they were to happen and so I thought, "Why worry?"  I choose to spend my time on things I can do something about rather than worrying about things over which I have no control.  It's quite liberating actually!  I highly recommend it!  And besides, God says, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:27 (NIV)

So be anxious for nothing!  Instead, pray!  "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."  Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV)  If we set our mind on things above, it will be a lot more difficult to worry about things here on earth. If we were truly living a life hidden with Christ in God,  worry would be unnecessary, even ridiculous to us.  If we spent more time praying and praising and being thankful, we would spend less time worrying.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Dear Lord,  Teach us to rest in You, trusting You for everything in our lives.  Help us to remember that we cannot add one hour to our lives by worrying.  Let us not be weighed down with worry; instead let us pray and praise and give thanks!

Photo courtesy of FreeFoto.com. http://www.freefoto.com/index.jsp

There is a fountain

The Suffering Servant

Isaiah 53

 ¹ Who believes what we've heard and seen? Who would have thought God's saving power would look like this?  ^2-6The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
   a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
   nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over,
   a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
   We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
   our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
   that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
   that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
   Through his bruises we get healed.
We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost.
   We've all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong,
   on him, on him.
 ^7-9He was beaten, he was tortured,
   but he didn't say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
   and like a sheep being sheared,
   he took it all in silence.
Justice miscarried, and he was led off—
   and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for his own welfare,
   beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried him with the wicked,
   threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though he'd never hurt a soul
   or said one word that wasn't true.
 ¹⁰Still, it's what God had in mind all along,
   to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
   so that he'd see life come from it—life, life, and more life.
   And God's plan will deeply prosper through him.
 ^11-12Out of that terrible travail of soul,
   he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
   will make many "righteous ones,"
   as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly—
   the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch,
   because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
    he took up the cause of all the black sheep.
(The Message)

Dear Lord, Thank You that You sent Your precious Son to suffer on our behalf.  Thank you that He took the burden of our sin off of our shoulders and carried it for us.   Thank You that He looked death in the face and didn't flinch; because of Him, we have hope!   Please Lord,  help us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling in Christ Jesus...

Are You Ready?

^"But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. 'Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.'  But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."  1 Peter 3:14-16 (NIV)

^"If with heart and soul you're doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you're still better off. Don't give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They'll end up realizing that they're the ones who need a bath. It's better to suffer for doing good, if that's what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That's what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others' sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God."  1 Peter 3:13-18 (The Message)

Be ready to give account for the hope that is in you!  Are you ready?  Do you know how to give your testimony?  Do you have a testimony?  Of course you do!  If you do not have one prepared or do not feel comfortable telling the story of how you came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, then you have work to do.  We are to be prepared.  It occurred to me as I was writing my testimony in the blogpost, "How did I get this way...", that the words I was writing were exactly the words I had been telling to whomever would listen for the last 32 years.  Somewhere along the way someone had told me to think through my testimony and even write it down.  This made telling it easier because I had already prepared in my mind what I needed to say.  If you have never done this, then you need to!  What is your testimony?  Think it through and write it down and then share it!  The more practice you have the better you will be at telling it...And in scripture it says,  "He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.'"  Mark 16:15 (NIV)

Dear Lord,  Thank You for the free gift of salvation!  Help us to be prepared and ready to give an account of the hope that is within us today and everyday.  Let us not shy away from the opportunities that present themselves to us for sharing that hope with a lost world.  Help us always to be courteous and gentle when we share.  Help us to keep a clear conscience at all times making sure that we makes thing right with anyone we may have hurt or offended.

What do You Fear?

"The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else." Oswald Chambers

I always understood the fear of God to be awe. It is not that we stand shaking at the thought of Him, but more so that we have a healthy understanding of who He is and what He does and how He works.  We are in awe of an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God who created all things,  knows all things, has all power, and is everywhere.  We realize how great He is and how small we are.  We understand our place in the universe and also understand that He, even though He is who He is and we are who we are, understands us and loves us like an amazing Father loves His children,  that he made provision for our frailty by sending His only Son to become an offering for our sakes.

Oswald Chambers was right in the quotation above!  If we have a healthy fear of God (awe), we are no longer afraid of the things that this world or the next may bring.  We are no longer afraid of uncertainty, sickness, pain, suffering, or death.  We understand that we have been bought with a price so great that nothing else compares, nor is there anything else to worry about.  If you soak yourself in the fear of God, you won't be left with an armload of nothing! (Proverbs 23:17)

Those who do not fear God, do fear everything else, don't they?  Even if they act like they're not afraid of anything, they are afraid of everything and most everything they do is done out of their fear.  They have no confidence because they have no compass.  Whether it be inward and unseen or outward and seen, fear is the great motivator of the world.  But we do not have to live that way because we know whom we have believed and we are persuaded that He is able to keep that which we have entrusted to Him.  (2 Timothy 1:12)

"Hallelujah! I give thanks to God with everything I've got— Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation. God's works are so great, worth A lifetime of study—endless enjoyment! Splendor and beauty mark his craft; His generosity never gives out. His miracles are his memorial— This God of Grace, this God of Love. He gave food to those who fear him, He remembered to keep his ancient promise. He proved to his people that he could do what he said: Hand them the nations on a platter—a gift! He manufactures truth and justice; All his products are guaranteed to last— Never out-of-date, never obsolete, rust-proof. All that he makes and does is honest and true: He paid the ransom for his people, He ordered his Covenant kept forever. He's so personal and holy, worthy of our respect. The good life begins in the fear of God— Do that and you'll know the blessing of God. His Hallelujah lasts forever!"  Psalm 111:1 (The Message)

"Because you hated Knowledge and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-God, Because you wouldn't take my advice and brushed aside all my offers to train you, Well, you've made your bed—now lie in it; you wanted your own way—now, how do you like it? Don't you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots? Carelessness kills; complacency is murder. First pay attention to me, and then relax. Now you can take it easy—you're in good hands." Proverbs 1:29 (The Message)

"The Fear-of-God expands your life; a wicked life is a puny life."  Proverbs 10:27 (The Message)

"The Fear-of-God builds up confidence, and makes a world safe for your children."  Proverbs 14:26 (The Message)

"The Fear-of-God is a spring of living water so you won't go off drinking from poisoned wells."  Proverbs 14:27 (The Message)

"A simple life in the Fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches."  Proverbs 15:16 (The Message)

"Don't for a minute envy careless rebels; soak yourself in the Fear-of-God— That's where your future lies. Then you won't be left with an armload of nothing."  Proverbs 23:17 (The Message)

"Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?"  Job 4:6 (ESV)

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."  Proverbs 9:10 (NIV)

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."  1 John 4:18 (ESV)

Dear Lord,  Thank you that You are our compass and that because we have You, we have no need of fear.  Help us to show others how to live without fear.  Help us to be the beacon of light that You desire us to be...

Before the Throne of God Above by Selah

Do Unto Others...

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

So in everything...Wow!  We are to treat others and do for others what we would want them to do for us in everything! Not just when we feel like it or when it is convenient but all of the time, in everything.  I have heard it spoken of once or twice in the past as doing to, not not doing to.  Does that make sense?  We are to do to others what we would want done to us, not avoid doing what we wouldn't want done to us.  This implies action not inaction.  Every day all day long we are to go out of our way to do things for those around us, the others, all others, not just our family and friends.  We are to treat people with dignity and honor.  We are to encourage people and show preference to all others.  We are to engage in simple acts of kindness all of the time!  What a different world we would live in if we truly lived as we are commanded to live.

"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'"  Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)

"But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." 1 Timothy 1:5 (NASB)

"Love one another with brotherly affection.  Outdo one another in showing honor."  Romans 12:10  (ESV)

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."  Galatians 6:2  (NIV)

"Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other's nerves you don't snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out."  1 Thessalonians 5:14 (The Message)

"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."  1 Peter 2:12 (NIV)

"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other."  John 13:34-35 (The Message)

"My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!"  1 John 4:11 (The Message)

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"  Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

So your assignment today is to engage in an unexpected act of kindness.  Leave an encouraging book on someone's porch (someone did that for me once-I never found out who left it there!), pick flowers (from your own garden!) and leave them for someone to find, give someone a special treat, take someone somewhere they would rather not go alone.  There are so many ways we can show His love.

Dear Lord,  Make us a people who love others and do things for others the way we would want them done for us. Help us to truly love one another and to show Your unfailing love through our actions...Use us to change the world one act of kindness at a time.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Wonderful Cross - Michael W. Smith

How did I get this Way?

Thinking of a clever, catchy title for my testimony isn't easy.  "Testimony" sounds boring so I thought I'd try to explain how I got this way.  "What way?" you may ask.  Well, when I first accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, I was told that I shouldn't become a fanatic!  People asked me, "What do you want to do, be a minister or something?"  To them, anyone who was as committed to something as I was had to want to go into full time ministry.  But I had been saved from the law of sin and death and to me that was worthy of devoting everything I was (and am) to...

It was October of 1978 (the 28th, to be exact) and a friend and I had gone down to San Diego to look at San Diego State University.  We were both considering going to college there and were checking it out.  I had a childhood friend, Terri, who lived down there in El Cajon, CA with her husband.  My mother was (and is) dear friends with Terri's mother and although we had attended the same church as children my mother informed me that Terri and her husband, Ronn, had something "new".  At the time, I thought I was going down to San Diego to check out the college but God had another plan in mind.

We visited Terri and Ronn and almost upon arrival I had asked them about their "new" thing.  I knew it was somehow religious and I had always been curious and seeking answers to my deepest questions.  What is this life all about?  Why does time pass so quickly?  What is my purpose?  Is there an answer to the  heartaches and tragedies that I see every where I turn?  Does God really love me?  Can Jesus change my life?

Ronn began telling us about heaven and hell, the rapture, the millennial period, (these topics were extremely popular in the 1970's even to the general public due to a number of "End Times" books that were released), judgment day, and how Jesus Christ had come to set us free from the law of sin and death.  He told us about heaven and how its streets were paved with the purest of gold.  He told us about Jesus dieing on the cross so that we could have eternal life. He told us about the marriage supper of the Lamb.  Now both my friend, Tina, and I had been raised knowing about Jesus, but I had never had it made personal before.  Suddenly, Jesus was someone who cared about me so much that He had suffered greatly for my sake. 

I had been seeking answers for several years prior to this moment but I still hadn't understood how personal this was.  I had been reading the gospels.  I had been searching and asking and talking but no one had been there to give me the information I needed.  The truth of the gospels just seemed to make me feel guiltier and I didn't know how to get out from underneath the weight of that guilt.  I knew how selfish I was.  I knew who I was on the inside, and I didn't necessarily like what I saw.  I knew I needed a way to be different.  I knew that I couldn't do it on my own.  I now realized that Jesus wasn't just God way out there;  I now saw Him as a real person as well as God, the God who lived here on earth for a time but lived a different, sinless way of life as our example.  I saw Jesus as someone who could show me the way, the truth, and the life that I so desperately wanted to live.

I found myself jumping out of my seat shouting, "I'll go!  That's for me!  That's what I have been looking for!"  And from that moment on, I never looked back.  Oh, I had a lot to learn and am still learning how to do things His Way, but my insides felt different immediately.  I had hope for myself.  I had hope for this life.  And no matter how quickly time passed, I knew that now my life would count for something, no matter how brief it was, no matter how ordinary it was, I now had in my possession the Extraordinary Love of God.

Thirty-two years have nearly passed, and I am still following Jesus, I am still wholly devoted to Him, to His truth, to His love.  It has been a long road so far and hopefully it will stretch out into the future and I will continue to be transformed into His image.  There are many bumps and potholes along the road of this life but for me then and now, "To live is Christ." Philippians 1:21  And that's how I got this way...

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."  Galatians 2:20 (KJV)

"Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we're at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!"  Romans 5:10 (The Message)

"It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life."  Ephesians 1:13-14 (The Message)  

"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day."  2 Corinthians 4:16 (NASB)

Dear Lord,  Thank you for Your indescribable gift of salvation through Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Alike - Different

When we were in kindergarten, we learned to notice how things were alike and how they were different.  I am not sure if recognizing that two objects with three sides are both triangles and two objects with four sides are both squares has life application but I suspect it does.  From the time we were tiny, we were taught the differences between triangles and squares, boys and girls, dogs and cats, mommies and daddies.  We were taught the differences between day and night, long and short, happy and sad.  We were also taught to recognize things that are the same and group them together.  As we grew, we tended to group ourselves, to seek out people who were similar to us.  I suppose it is only natural but God calls us to a different way.   We are no longer to align ourselves according to any physical attribute or ability.  It is a spiritual commonality now.  In Galatians 3:28 it says, "There is neither Greek nor Jew, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." What do we have in common?  Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and His love...

"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."  1 Corinthians 12:13  (NASB)

^"So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.   Then Peter began to speak: 'I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.'"  Acts 10:33-35 (NIV)

"Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly."  Leviticus 19:15  (NIV)

"He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good,  the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality."  Romans 2:6-11 (ESV)

^"My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, 'You sit here in a good place,' while you say to the poor man, 'You stand over there,' or, 'Sit down at my feet,' have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?  Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?   Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.  For he who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, 'Do not murder.' If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.   So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment."  James 2:1-13 (ESV)

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."  James 3:17 (KJV)

God shows no partiality and neither should we.  We, who know and love the Lord, are called to a higher standard.  We are set apart as Christ followers and it doesn't matter whether we are old or young, rich or poor, male or female.  It doesn't matter whether we are of differing races, stations in life, or levels of education; we are all one in Christ, for Christ is all and in all as it says in Colossians 3:9-17 (NIV): 

^"Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Dear Lord,  Thank you that You came to change the way we think.  Help us to embrace Your way of thinking and help us to spread the good news of our freedom under the law of liberty.  Thank you that You and Your love are the perfect bond of unity...

Selah-You Raise me Up

He Lifts Me Up

"The steps of a man are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."  Psalm 37:23-25 (NASB)

"But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head."  Psalm 3:3 (ESV)

"The Lord GOD is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places."  Habakkuk 3:19 (NASB)

"The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down."  Psalm 145:19 (NIV)

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:10 (NIV)

"For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."  Matthew 23:12 (NIV)

"Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted..."  James 1:9  (KJV)

"I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.  So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  Isaiah 41:9-10 (NIV)

Please pray for my daughter, Stacie, who is currently ill with H1N1 while serving the Lord in a foreign country.

Dear Lord, Thank you that we can rest in the knowledge that you will not allow us to be hurled headlong;  we will be upheld by Your righteous right hand.

Growing Up

My son's friend posted this on Facebook!  Several of them recently signed a lease and apparently this struck a chord with them.  Does it strike a chord with you?  I am definitely over the hill; my kids are all grown, our youngest child went off to college last fall, our second child graduated from college last May and our oldest is in a foreign country interning for an NGO!  You would think that  I would feel grown up, yet inside I still think of myself as 20 (Okay, maybe 30!).  Do we ever feel grown up inside?  Or do we just do our best to appear grown up.  Of course, wrinkles and gray hairs make us look grown up on the outside but in our own minds we frequently just think that our bodies are getting old...We aren't!

And what about spiritually?  Are we growing up spiritually?  Or are we still babies? In Ephesians 4:14 it says, "No prolonged infancies among us, please. We'll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love."  (The Message)

"In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."  Matthew 5:48 (The Message)

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."  Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)

"So come on, let's leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we'll stay true to all that. But there's so much more. Let's get on with it!"  Hebrews 6:1 (The Message)

Even if you think you were thinking about Batman so you didn't hear what God was saying, go back and find out what He was saying!  Don't let it pass you by because you were preoccupied with yourself.  Track Him down, ask Him to repeat Himself, and then listen to what He has to say to you.  "..long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."  1 Peter 2:1-3 (NASB)

"And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  James 1:4  (ESV)
 
Dear Lord,  Help us to grow up in You.  Teach us to put our preoccupation with ourselves aside so that we might be nourished by the pure milk of the word and thereby grow up healthy in You.

Comic strip courtesy of:  xkcd.com

Enter the Mystery

"I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn't slip. He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God. More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God."  Psalm 40:1  (The Message)

I posted this verse yesterday but something stayed with me and I thought I would look at it more today.  "...they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God."

"Do you think you can explain the mystery of God? Do you think you can diagram God Almighty? God is far higher than you can imagine, far deeper than you can comprehend, Stretching farther than earth's horizons, far wider than the endless ocean. If he happens along, throws you in jail then hauls you into court, can you do anything about it? He sees through vain pretensions, spots evil a long way off— no one pulls the wool over his eyes! Hollow men, hollow women, will wise up about the same time mules learn to talk." Job 11:7 (The Message)

"Just as you'll never understand the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman, So you'll never understand the mystery at work in all that God does."  Ecclesiates 11:5  (The Message)

"Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen."  Romans 16:25-27  (NASB)

"Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written,
         'THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD,
         AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN,
         ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.'
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 (NASB)

 There are mysteries having to do with God that no one can explain.  That is where faith comes in. That is where we learn to trust.  Why one man has a certain number of days in this life and another a different number is something we must leave to God because until we are face to face with Him,  that is only one of a myriad of questions that we would love to have answered.  We do not see the "Big" picture.  We only catch "glimpses" of God's eternal plan and oh, what an amazing thing catching a glimpse can be.  We can live for days, or weeks, or months, or even years on a single glimpse into eternity.  If you want more of God's glimpses, then you must enter the mystery of God Himself.  If we enter the mystery, our "glimpse" awareness becomes heightened, we see more of God in daily life, we understand more of who He is and how He works, and  we have more faith and trust in Him.  When we enter the mystery, the Spirit reveals God to us and we abandon ourselves to Him.

Dear Lord,  Thank you for the hidden wisdom which You reveal to us through your Holy Spirit.  Thank you that we can enter the mystery (of God) and abandon ourselves to You who alone are worthy...

Have a wonderful weekend!

Photograph courtesy of Sean Zellmer.