Hillsong United - You (with lyrics)

Have You ever asked Yourself, "Why Me?"

I was struck recently while watching a Barbara Walters special;  I was struck by the question she posed to a family with a little girl suffering with a genetic disorder called Progeria.  She calmly asked the parents if they ever asked themselves, "Why me?"  The Mother answered resolutely, "God gave us this little girl because He knew that we could handle it.  Someone else might not have been able to handle it."  The amount of love that those parents lavished on their tiny daughter was astounding and consequently, the love that shown from their tiny daughter's eyes reflected the love of her parents.

Have you ever asked yourself, "Why Me?"  Most of us have at one time or another.  When difficulties come our way, or disease or death, we often wonder, "Why did this have to happen to me?"  I once heard it said that it was not a matter of "if" tragedy would come into your life, but rather "when".  The question is how will you respond?  Will you respond with bitterness and complaint?  Or will you respond with gratefulness and singing, praising the Lord your God who gives and takes away, knowing that He causes all things to work together for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose?

Isaiah 35

Joy of the Redeemed

 ¹ The desert and the parched land will be glad;
       the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
       Like the crocus, ² it will burst into bloom;
       it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
       The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
       the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
       they will see the glory of the LORD,
       the splendor of our God.  ³ Strengthen the feeble hands,
       steady the knees that give way;
 ⁴ say to those with fearful hearts,
       "Be strong, do not fear;
       your God will come,
       he will come with vengeance;
       with divine retribution
       he will come to save you."
 ⁵ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
       and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
 ⁶ Then will the lame leap like a deer,
       and the mute tongue shout for joy.
       Water will gush forth in the wilderness
       and streams in the desert.
 ⁷ The burning sand will become a pool,
       the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
       In the haunts where jackals once lay,
       grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
 ⁸ And a highway will be there;
       it will be called the Way of Holiness.
       The unclean will not journey on it;
       it will be for those who walk in that Way;
       wicked fools will not go about on it.
 ⁹ No lion will be there,
       nor will any ferocious beast get up on it;
       they will not be found there.
       But only the redeemed will walk there,
 ¹⁰ and the ransomed of the LORD will return.
       They will enter Zion with singing;
       everlasting joy will crown their heads.
       Gladness and joy will overtake them,
       and sorrow and sighing will flee away.  (NIV)

WHEN I compare 
What I have lost with what I have gained, 
What I have missed with what attained, 
Little room do I find for pride. 

I am aware 
How many days have been idly spent; 
How like an arrow the good intent 
Has fallen short or been turned aside. 

But who shall dare 
To measure loss and gain in this wise? 
Defeat may be victory in disguise; 
The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide. 

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Dear Lord, Thank You for Your place on the throne of my life.  Thank You that although I don't always understand why things happen they way that they do, You have a purpose and a plan that can be trusted completely...

You're Blessed...

Matthew 5:1-20 The Message

You're Blessed

 ^1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:  ³"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
 ⁴"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
 ⁵"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.
 ⁶"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.
 ⁷"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.
 ⁸"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
 ⁹"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.
 ¹⁰"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.
 ^11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Salt and Light

 ¹³"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.  ^14-16"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Completing God's Law

 ^17-18"Don't suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures— either God's Law or the Prophets. I'm not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God's Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God's Law will be alive and working.  ^19-20"Trivialize even the smallest item in God's Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won't know the first thing about entering the kingdom.

Brian Doerksen, Refiner's Fire

Is Holiness Your Destiny?

I know!  Most of us are just trying to get through the day!  Holiness is not really at the forefront of our minds.  We need to get the lunches packed, the kids off to school, the laundry done, the house cleaned, the grocery shopping done and meals planned, and then many of us go off to our other job.  You know!  The one that makes money....  We are so exhausted at the end of any given day that we can barely drag ourselves to bed let alone, pray, read, meditate, spend time with the Lord of holiness.  And then this came in my email today:

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."      

 This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God...

One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study.

That week the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.      

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.  

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says:  "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time.  

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know  when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it." 

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.  

Pass this on right now. This very moment someone needs to know that God is watching over them.

And, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better person in the end.

 "Life is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once." (Author Unknown)

I don't know who wrote this but only that it has been passed along via email and now I am passing it on to you.  You see, holiness is your destiny (not holier than thouness!) and whatever way God chooses, He will make you into His image but He will not hold you in the fire a minute longer than is necessary.  Let's be a shining reflection of His glorious face!  Let's not be someone who condemns and looks down on others who do not yet know Him.  Let's be the flame that draws others to the light that shines in the darkness by the power of His love.  We don't have to do this under our own power (impossible!); we have His power which works within us as it says in Colossians 1:28-29, "We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.  For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me."  (NASB) And, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."  Ephesians 3:19-21 (NIV)

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord."  Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)

"So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, "I am holy; you be holy."  1 Peter 1:13-16 (The Message)

"Continually restate what the purpose of your life is.  The destined end of man is not happiness, nor health, but holiness...The one thing that matters is whether a man will accept the God who will make him holy."  Oswald Chambers

Dear Lord,  Make us holy even as You are holy.  Refine us in Your holy fire so that we might be shining reflections of Your lovingkindness, Your holiness, Your faithfulness.  Let us accept You and let You make us holy.  Help us to not let our busyness distract us from our purpose in this life:  holiness.

Photo courtesy of Photobucket.com

See also: http://ordinarylife-extraordinarygod.blogspot.com/2010/06/purified.html

Only Grace - Matthew West

From Light into Light...

Please be sure to listen to the song "Let All Things Now Living" all the way through and watch the video with the words.  My kids learned this at school when we lived in Massachusetts and taught it to me.  We would sometimes sing this song together  before bed.  I was always so blessed that my young children had learned such a beautiful song at school.  Thank you Whitinsville Christian School!

Let All Things Now Living
by Katherine K. Davis, 1939

Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving
To God the creator triumphantly raise.
Who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us,
Who still guides us on to the end of our days.
God's banners are o'er us, His light goes before us,
A pillar of fire shining forth in the night.
'Til shadows have vanished and darkness is banished
As forward we travel from light into light.

His law he enforces, the stars in their courses
And sun in its orbit obediently shine;
The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains,
The deeps of the ocean proclaim him divine.
We too should be voicing our love and rejoicing;
With glad adoration a Song let us raise
'Til all things now living unite in thanksgiving:
"To God in the highest, Hosanna and praise!"

Amen!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Graphics courtesy of Photobucket.com 

Let All Things Now Living

Michael W. Smith - Open the eyes of my heart

The Invisible Realities of God

2 Corinthians 4

Treasures in Jars of Clay

^1-2Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing, we're not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times. We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don't maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don't twist God's Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God.  ^3-4If our Message is obscure to anyone, it's not because we're holding back in any way. No, it's because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won't have to bother believing a Truth they can't see. They're stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we'll ever get.
 ^5-6Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.
 ^7-12If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us. As it is, there's not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we're not much to look at. We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus' sake, which makes Jesus' life all the more evident in us. While we're going through the worst, you're getting in on the best!
 ^13-15We're not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, "I believed it, so I said it," we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God's glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!
 ^16-18So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.  (The Message)

The invisible realities of God are everywhere but they must be seen with spiritual eyes.  Those who refuse to have their eyes opened to the truth will stumble on in darkness, blind to the amazing invisible realities of God, groping for the next big thrill, wishing for help but refusing to receive it.  Pride is often what prevents us from seeing, pride and selfishness (I know!  I'm a broken record!)  If our eyes are truly opened, we might have to act on the truth that is presented.  If we maintain our blindness, then we aren't required (in our own minds, anyway!) to make any changes.  Christ demands nothing less than everything from those who see His truth.  Have you turned everything over to Him?  If you have, you will see far more than meets the eye....

Dear Lord,  Give us spiritual eyes to see Your invisible realities.  Let us not keep quiet about this!  Let us tell everyone what the Lord has done for us.  Thank you that although the things we now see are here today and gone tomorrow,  the things we cannot see with these physical eyes will last forever.  Help us to always point the way to You, never seeking attention or glory for ourselves.

Teach with Your Life

1 Timothy 4

Teach with Your Life

 ^1-5The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars. These liars have lied so well and for so long that they've lost their capacity for truth. They will tell you not to get married. They'll tell you not to eat this or that food—perfectly good food God created to be eaten heartily and with thanksgiving by believers who know better! Everything God created is good, and to be received with thanks. Nothing is to be sneered at and thrown out. God's Word and our prayers make every item in creation holy.  ^6-10You've been raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching. Now pass on this counsel to the followers of Jesus there, and you'll be a good servant of Jesus. Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart. This is why we've thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We're banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers.
 ^11-14Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use.
 ^15-16Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don't be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation. (The Message)

Dear Lord,  Help us to apply all diligence to our pursuit of godliness!  Let our lives teach others of Your love, Your faithfulness, Your forgiveness, Your Word.  Let us make Your word our guide...

Good Enough?

How good is good enough?  Will you ever be good enough to merit God's favor?  Let's be honest here.  If you've ever even taken a moment to think about yourself (which I'm sure you have-isn't that what we spend most of our time thinking about?), and if we are honest with ourselves we would surely know that what lies beneath the surface of our finely coiffed exteriors is pure and utter selfishness, to the extend that we consider ourselves and what we want as paramount in this life.  Don't tell me that in your heart of hearts you don't know that to be true?

Every day is a constant struggle to put away our own selfishness and put what Jesus wants first.  In Matthew 16:23-25 it says, "Jesus turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.'  Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.'"  (NIV)  Is it really possible to deny yourself in your own strength?

"You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world."  1 John 4:4 (NASB)

"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'  Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. "  2 Corinthians 12:

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.  But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."  Romans 3:20-24 (NIV)

"So where does that put us? Do we Jews get a better break than the others? Not really. Basically, all of us, whether insiders or outsiders, start out in identical conditions, which is to say that we all start out as sinners. Scripture leaves no doubt about it:

   There's nobody living right, not even one,
      nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God.
   They've all taken the wrong turn;
      they've all wandered down blind alleys.
   No one's living right;
      I can't find a single one.
   Their throats are gaping graves,
      their tongues slick as mudslides.
   Every word they speak is tinged with poison.
      They open their mouths and pollute the air.
   They race for the honor of sinner-of-the-year,
      litter the land with heartbreak and ruin,
   Don't know the first thing about living with others.
      They never give God the time of day.

This makes it clear, doesn't it, that whatever is written in these Scriptures is not what God says about others but to us to whom these Scriptures were addressed in the first place! And it's clear enough, isn't it, that we're sinners, every one of us, in the same sinking boat with everybody else? Our involvement with God's revelation doesn't put us right with God. What it does is force us to face our complicity in everyone else's sin."  Romans 3:9-18 (The Message)

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."  Philippians 4:13 (KJV)

You see, we can never be good enough!  But through Christ we can achieve a righteousness that comes by faith in Him alone.  God knew that we would never be able to achieve His standard of righteousness so He made provision for that fact from the beginning through the power of the blood of His one and only Son, Jesus.  In Him we have forgiveness of sins, as it says in Colossians 1:13-14, "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."  And in Hebrews 9:22, "Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." (ESV)

"Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you."  2 Corinthians 5:16 (The Message)

Dear Lord,  Help us to put away our pride and see ourselves for who we really are:  People desperately in need of a Savior.  Thank you that Your unfailing love provided a way for us to be made perfect through the precious blood of Your one and only Son, Jesus.

Lincoln Brewster - Amazed

Michael W. Smith - Ancient words

Words to Live By

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."  Psalm 119:11 (KJV)

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."  Psalm 119:105 (KJV)

"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)

"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth 
of the LORD."  Deuteronomy 8:3  (NIV)

"Jesus answered, 'It is written: "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."'"  Matthew 4:4 (NIV)

"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)

"Here, then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy."  R.C. Sproul

"The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian."  A.W. Tozer 

Dear Lord,  Let us value Your ancient words. Let us hang on to them for dear life knowing that they are the light by which we walk and the true food we eat.  Let them change us from within but please let the changes be obvious to the whole world...

Have a wonderful weekend!

Photo courtesy of Photobucket.com

What did Jesus Write in the Sand?

The Adulterous Woman

 ¹But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  ²Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.
 ³The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court,
 ⁴they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act.
 ⁵"Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?"
 ⁶They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.
 ⁷But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
 ⁸Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
 ⁹When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court.
 ¹⁰Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?"
 ¹¹She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more."
John 8:1-11 (NASB)

"For Jesus to forgive this woman meant that He had to one day die for her sins.  Forgiveness is free but it is not cheap."  (W. Weirsbe)  What did He write on the ground?  I feel certain that whatever He wrote had a great deal to do with the fact that they, one by one, left  the center of the court where they had so adamantly condemned her. I am also certain that Jesus had a purpose in this.  Was He writing their sins in the dust?    Was He reminding them of the Ten Commandments written by the hand of God as it says in Exodus 31:18?  Or was He writing their names, reminding them of the warning in Jeremiah 17:13 which says, "O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water"?  (NIV)  Was He implying that they, themselves, were the ones prophesied about as those who forsook  Him and that He, Himself, is the spring of living water which He states in John 4:10-14 (NIV).

"Go, and sin no more!"  Jesus said.  This freely given forgiveness will never be an excuse to sin.  We are to repent and turn away from our sins, not repeating them again.  In Psalm 130:4 it says,  "If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance?  As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that's why you're worshiped."  (The Message)  "God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 5:8 (NASB)

Many think that this woman was set up by the scribes and the Pharisees and being that the man she must have been with was not there also, for the law calls for both to be stoned, it seems to confirm the thought that they must have orchestrated the event which would be, of course, against God's law.  They were definitely trying to trick Jesus into a controversial situation, into something they could use against Him.  The law demanded stoning but if Jesus allowed her to be stoned, many of his followers who were the weak, sinful, and poor, would have felt abandoned by Him since He said, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."  Luke 19:10 (ESV)  But if He were to prevent her from being stoned, He would be going against the law of Moses.  Jesus, of course, cannot be tricked and knew the exact intentions of their hearts even before they brought the woman before Him.  Whatever He wrote in the dirt, in combination with His statement, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her," was enough to send them away in disgrace.  Could it have been their sins or their names?  Or was He just giving them time for the words He had spoken to sink in and do their work?

Do you give Jesus' words time to sink in and do their work?  Do you try to convince yourself that you are too busy or too important or too tired to spend time in His presence?  Do you rationalize your lack of devotion?  Is Jesus writing your name in the sand?

Dear Lord,  Make us a people who forgive as You forgive.  Make us a people who hear Your word and let it sink in and do its work.  Let us not trick ourselves into a life without Christ...

A Light Shines in the Darkness

John 1

The Word Became Flesh

 ¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning.  ³Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴In him was life, and that life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
 ⁶There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. ⁸He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. ⁹The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
 ¹⁰He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹²Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
 ¹⁴The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
 ¹⁵John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " ¹⁶From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

John the Baptist Denies Being the Christ

 ¹⁹Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. ²⁰He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ."  ²¹They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"
      He said, "I am not."
      "Are you the Prophet?"
      He answered, "No."
 ²²Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
 ²³John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' "
 ²⁴Now some Pharisees who had been sent ²⁵questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
 ²⁶"I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. ²⁷He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."
 ²⁸This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Jesus the Lamb of God

 ²⁹The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' ³¹I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."  ³²Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. ³³I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' ³⁴I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

Jesus' First Disciples

 ³⁵The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. ³⁶When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"  ³⁷When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. ³⁸Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
      They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
 ³⁹"Come," he replied, "and you will see."
      So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
 ⁴⁰Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. ⁴¹The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). ⁴²And he brought him to Jesus.
      Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

 ⁴³The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."  ⁴⁴Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. ⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
 ⁴⁶"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
      "Come and see," said Philip.
 ⁴⁷When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."
 ⁴⁸"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
      Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."
 ⁴⁹Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
 ⁵⁰Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." ⁵¹He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."  (NIV)

Artwork courtesy of Photobucket.com

michael w smith - all i want

Judgement

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of the word "judgment"  includes the following:  a formal utterance of an authoritative opinion,  a formal decision given by a court,  the process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing, the capacity for judging, and the final judging of humankind by God (when capitalized). I would like to say that we shouldn't judge at all because God's word does say, "Judge not lest ye be judged" but I don't think we can throw out all judgment because of Matthew 7:1-5.  There are many more verses that tell us to judge or discern which means that we should evaluate a situation by discerning and comparing it against God's word.  We should also have good judgment, or right judgment and we should definitely not be a person with poor judgment or the lack of judgment!

It is true that we should not judge each other but it is also true that as it says in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."  So we are to discern things about a person's life and if it is not in keeping with God's word, we are to avoid them.  We are not to take out a full page ad in the local paper, or make sure that their sins are aired on the nightly news, but we are to consider the kind of person they are and even if they have a form of godliness (which could even mean they are church goers), if they deny the truth and its power, then we are to stay away from such people as these.  It also says, "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good morals.'" 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NASB)

So when it says, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye," (Matthew 7:1-5 NIV),  we are to be sure that we can see clearly to help our brother who may be stumbling.  We need to be sure that we, ourselves, are not guilty of the same offense (or other offenses!) that we are correcting in our brother or friend.  We are to judge with right judgment as it says in John 7:24 (ESV), "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment." How can we judge/discern with right judgment if we have a log in our own eye?  Get yourself completely right with God, searching out every corner of your life and checking your own motivation, and then approach your brother who may be participating in things contrary to God's word.  This does not make you a judge, it makes you a friend.

"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?  But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God 'will give to each person according to what he has done.'  To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life."  Romans 2:1-7 (NIV)  We should not pass judgment!  God is the judge and we should definitely realize that although we may help someone back on the path of life, God is the one who judges everyone according to what they have done.  We should persist in doing good, seeking God's glory, honoring Him, and we will be given eternal life because of what Jesus Christ, our Lord, has done for us.  We should never think that God's kindness and tolerance and patience is so that we or anyone else can get away with anything, it is because He is gracious.

"No, that's not your experience at all. You've come to Mount Zion, the city where the living God resides. The invisible Jerusalem is populated by throngs of festive angels and Christian citizens. It is the city where God is Judge, with judgments that make us just. You've come to Jesus, who presents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant. The murder of Jesus, unlike Abel's—a homicide that cried out for vengeance—became a proclamation of grace."  Hebrews 12:22 (The Message) God's judgment makes us just.  He judges and prunes the vine and molds the clay.  He is vinedresser, potter, and judge.  He judges to transform us into His image.

God guides us in judgment.  We need to have humble, meek hearts.  Too often we feel compelled to reprimand someone because it makes us feel better about ourselves.  We need to be sure that our motivation is the glory of God and the edification or building up of His people.  "The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way."  Psalm 25:9 (KJV)

God teaches us good judgment through the knowledge of His word. "Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments."  Psalm 119:66 (ESV)

Sound judgment and discernment are to be pursued, obtained, and displayed.  "By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew. My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck."  Proverbs 3:19-22 (NIV) 

We are not to be without judgment.  "The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment."  Proverbs 10:21 (NIV)

And we are to execute true judgment which is only from the Lord.  We are to show mercy and compassion to everybody.  "Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions, every man to his brother:  And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart."  Zechariah 7:8-10 (KJV) 

God is the one who judges the living and the dead.  We are to discern what the will of God is, the pleasing, good, and perfect will of God according to His word, as it says in Romans 12:2  (NASB), "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."  We are to encourage others to discern what the will of God is, too... "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor."  Matthew 7:1-5 (The Message)

"Here is a good rule for reprovers; first reform thyself." Matthew Henry

Dear Lord,  Help us not to judge others but instead to have good judgment and Your power of discernment.  Let the motivation of our hearts be Yours.   Make us and mold us into the people You want us to be and let us be humble instruments of Your love to a lost and dying world. 

Run to Win

 Hebrew 12:1-17 (The Message)

Discipline in a Long-Distance Race

 ^1-3Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
 ^4-11In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children?  My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.
 ^12-13So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it!
 ^14-17Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.

Dear Lord,  Let us run the race with endurance, not giving up, not turning back.  Thank you for Your loving and just discipline.  Help us to embrace it knowing it is for our good.  Help us also to pursue peace with all men.  If we see someone trip and fall during this race, help us to lend a hand so that they might get back up to their feet and start running again...Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Michael W. Smith - There She Stands

9/11

Notice the cross in the stars....

My nephew's birthday is tomorrow.  I'm sad that his birthday will forever stand for tragedy and loss,  something he is now acquainted with himself at the ripe old age of 10.  You see, his father passed away from breast cancer in July and this is his first birthday without him.

It is amazing how a date can be so full of meaning.  Thousands of people lost their lives that day 9 years ago and thousands more lost their way of life.  We all felt the loss and the shock of the tragedy of it all, but none so acutely as those who lost loved ones.

“Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children. “ - President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

And so, even more time has passed.  I hope we are wiser, stronger, kinder because of it.  I pray we have turned more toward God.  But I see that the human heart is still desperately in need of a Savior.  We are still lost.  We are still living our own way as though what we do is the only thing that matters.  "When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him."  Proverbs 16:7 (NIV)

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord."  Romans 12:17-19 (NIV)  If we would, as individuals, truly live at peace with each other, with everyone, this world may be a very different, less terrifying place.

"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)

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."  Isaiah 26:3  (KJV)

What can we, as individuals, do?  We can live lives that are pleasing to the Lord.  We can live at peace with everyone as much as it depends on us.  We can turn to God in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving.  We can keep our minds stayed on the Prince of Peace.

Dear Lord,  Please be with those families who have lost loved ones on September the 11th 9 years ago.  Please be with a little boy on his birthday who lost his father just a few months ago.  Make us live lives that are pleasing to You, Oh Lord, so that even our enemies would live at peace with us...

Have a peaceful weekend!

Photo courtesy of Photobucket.com

Spiritual Discernment

"God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede." Oswald Chambers

Let's talk about discernment.  Discernment could be said to be the act or process of exhibiting keen insight and good judgment.  Discernment according to Merriam-Webster is "the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure."  But I want you to know that is far more than either of these definitions.  It is true that some people are better at discerning than others.  They may even be gifted in discernment but the fact that some are gifted does not let the rest of us off the hook.  We are all called to discern the difference between good and evil as it says in Hebrews:   "About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."  Hebrews 5:11-14 (ESV)  The problem for many of us is that we have become hard of hearing!  Our powers of discernment haven't been trained by constant practice and so we cannot (many times) distinguish between good and evil.  And as a result we make poor decisions, or decisions based on our own desires instead of God's.  We need to move away from only wanting milk and on to solid food, to maturity, so that we will be skilled in the Word of righteousness.

In discerning, there are a few things to keep in mind. The Holy Spirit has been given for our benefit.  Allow Him to work in your life, to lead you and guide you in all things.  He is our helper, our comforter, our counselor as it says in John 14:16-20, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." (NIV)  It also says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22,  "Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.  Don't suppress the Spirit, and don't stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don't be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what's good. Throw out anything tainted with evil."  (The Message)

With the Holy Spirit as our guide, there are four other concepts that need to be considered a we seek to discern good from evil.  The first is that our discernment must be Christ centered.  "What I want to talk about now is the various ways God's Spirit gets worked into our lives. This is complex and often misunderstood, but I want you to be informed and knowledgeable. Remember how you were when you didn't know God, led from one phony god to another, never knowing what you were doing, just doing it because everybody else did it? It's different in this life. God wants us to use our intelligence, to seek to understand as well as we can. For instance, by using your heads, you know perfectly well that the Spirit of God would never prompt anyone to say "Jesus be damned!" Nor would anyone be inclined to say "Jesus is Master!" without the insight of the Holy Spirit."   1 Corinthians 12:1-3 (The Message)

The second thing to keep in mind in our discernment is that it should always be in accordance with scripture and should never lead us away from God's Word.  If it does, then it is not of God.  "When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?   To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn."  Isaiah 8"19-29 (NIV)

Our discernment should promote unity and the building up of the body of Christ.  "There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism,  who is over all and through all and in all one God and Father of all,."  Ephesians 4:4-6 (ESV)  Our motives are of the utmost importance.  We need to make sure that our motivation is for edification and correction not pride or self-righteousness.

And lastly, our seeking to discern should always be governed by love.  "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."  1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV)

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."  Philippians 1:9-11  (NIV)  The ability to discern is available to all who know the Lord.  It is a muscle that must be exercised, however, and the more we use it the stronger it will become.

 "Be good to your servant, God; be as good as your Word. Train me in good common sense; I'm thoroughly committed to living your way.  Before I learned to answer you, I wandered all over the place, but now I'm in step with your Word. You are good, and the source of good; train me in your goodness. The godless spread lies about me, but I focus my attention on what you are saying; They're bland as a bucket of lard, while I dance to the tune of your revelation. My troubles turned out all for the best— they forced me to learn from your textbook. Truth from your mouth means more to me than striking it rich in a gold mine."  Psalm 119-65-72 (The Message)

"My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared."  Proverbs 3:21-16 (NIV)

"Good friend, take to heart what I'm telling you; collect my counsels and guard them with your life. Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding. That's right—if you make Insight your priority, and won't take no for an answer, searching for it like a prospector panning for gold, like an adventurer on a treasure hunt, Believe me, before you know it Fear-of-God will be yours; you'll have come upon the Knowledge of God."  Proverbs 2:1-5 (The Message)

Dear Lord,  Thank you for Your gift of discernment to us.  Teach us to know You and Your word so well that our ability to discern is well exercised and useful on a daily basis, not only for ourselves but also for other believers around us.  Help us to do everything in love, to build up Your church, to always be Christ centered, and according to Your word.