Rejoice!

“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”  -2 Corinthians 13:11

Dearest Lord Jesus,

We rejoice in You today.  Help us to continually strive for “full restoration”.   Help us to be an encouragement to others and to live in unity and peace.  Thank You for the promise to always be with us!  You are a great God.

Amen

“He is not weak in dealing with you, but powerful among you.”

“Since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.  For to be sure, He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in Him, yet by God’s power we will live with Him in our dealing with you.”  -2 Corinthians 13:3-4

Dear Lord,

Thank You for Your strength in our weakness.  Help us to realize that Your strength comes into our lives only when we are consciously living with You. 

Amen

Foolishness

“You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise!  In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face.  To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about.”  -2 Corinthians 11:19-21

How ironic.  “You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise!”  I am sure I do the same thing.

Dear Lord,

Show me my foolish ways.  Teach me to be wise. 

Amen

Watch and Pray: The Spirit Is Willing, But The Body Is Weak (Matthew 26:41)

 “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him.  But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”  -2 Corinthians 11:2-3

Sincere and pure devotion are not enough.  They must be accompanied with growth in Christ or the devil will seek to destroy them. 

Dear Lord,

Guard our hearts and our minds.  Protect us from the devils cunning.  Teach us to watch and pray so that we do not fall into temptation.

Amen

Lord, Teach Us To Pray Believing This…

2 Corinthians 10:4-5:

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Ephesians 6:10-18:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.   And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Dear Lord,

Thank You for the “power to demolish strongholds.”  Help us to remember that we are not fighting against “flesh and blood,” but against the “rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”  Lord help us to remember that the devil desire to devour the weak, but we have been given the power to fight back.  Teach us to pray and act against these dark powers Lord.  Teach us to be bold in the face of evil and not ignore it.  Teach us to pray boldly to You so that the devil’s schemes may be stopped.  Bring light to this dark world.

Amen

Thanks Be To God!

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Amen

Open Wide Our Hearts

 “We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.  We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us.  As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.”  -2 Corinthians 6:11-13

Lord,

You are the only one capable of reaching the lost heart and softening the hard heart.  You are the only one who is able to open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf.  Lord open wide the hearts of those in our lives who are our “Corinthians.”  Teach us how to reach them where they are and meet the needs that they need met most.

 Lord You are the Rock of the ages, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.  You are the only one worthy to be  praised forevermore!  Open the hearts of the lost so that they can worship You.

Amen

Rich In Christ Jesus

 “We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.  Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;  in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;  in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;  in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;  through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;  known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed;  sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”  -2 Corinthians 6:3-10

Lord,

Thank You that You are all we need.  Thank You that you can use the weak to shame the strong, and use the poor to bring true riches.  Thank You that when we have You we have EVERYTHING! You are such a great God.  We love You Lord!

Amen

We Are Not Our Own

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.”  -2 Corinthians 5:14-15

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples 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 bodies.”  -1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Dear Lord,

Help us to remember that we are not our own.  That we were bought at a price, and because of that we are no longer to live for ourselves, but for You who died for us and rose again.

Amen

Amen, Let It Be So!

“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not ‘Yes’ and ‘No,’ but in Him it has always been ‘Yes.’  For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.”  -2 Corinthians 1:19-20

What a marvelous Savior we serve!  “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.”  This reminds me of my post, He Is Able, He Is Willing.  Christ is able (Romans 14:3-4), and Christ is willing (Matthew 8:1-4), and because of this “in Him is has always been ‘Yes,’” and it will always be “Yes.”  Amen to that!

Lord,

Thank You for Your willingness to save us.  Thank You that Your “Yes” means “Yes.”  Thank You that Your promises are guaranteed.  Thank You that through You we can say “Amen” and be assured of Your response.  We love You Lord, for You are a great God!

Amen

Unrecognizable

 “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” -1 Corinthians 15:42-44

Perishable to imperishable.  Dishonor to glory.  Weakness to power.  Natural body to spiritual body.

Lord,

You are a mysterious and amazing God.  Thank you for the awesome gift of knowing You. Thank You for the hope of salvation.

Amen

There Is More Work To Be Done!

“Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?” 
-1 Corinthians 14:36

Lord,
The word of God did not originate with me, it originated with You Lord.  And in Your mercy You have reached out to us and made it known to us.  Lord we are not the “only people” Your word has reached, nor are we the “only people” it is yet to reach.  Teach us to look at Your word this way.  Teach us to see Your word as Your word and not our own.  Lord help us to get rid of our own agendas and to pick up Yours.  The nations are waiting to hear You speak, and Your words are just as much for those who have not yet heard as they are for us.  Teach us to be good stewards of the gift You have given us. Help us to spread Your word across the earth!

Amen

Lord Teach Us To Love

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have 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 do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”  
- 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Knowledge, power, success, respect, influence, acknowledgment, etc. mean nothing and get you nowhere if they are not accompanied with love.

Our Identity In Christ

“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”  -1 Corinthians 6:9-11

“And that is what some of you were.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of our God.” Amen!  What powerful words these are, what holy truths to live by!  Let’s take a closer look at what this means:

Are We Caught In The Middle?

I listened to this song today and thought of my previous post, especially the quote from the missionary: “missions isn’t my thing guys.  It’s my savior’s thing.  And because of that it has become my thing.”

Break Our Hearts Lord, We Want To Share In Your Pain

Two good songs to remind ourselves to live with Christ’s heart:

What Breaks Your Heart, by Scott Krippayne

Want to get to know You better
I want to understand what matters to You
I want to know what moves You deeply
I want to see the world the way You do

(chorus)

What breaks Your heart
What makes You cry
What would I see
If I looked through Your eyes
I want to grow closer and closer to You
'Til what breaks Your heart
Will break mine too

Don't want to be numb to injustice
Don't want to get used to the evil I see
Don't want to grow cold to those who wander
Or forget about those who don't believe

(chorus)

Sometimes You weep with us
In the things that we go through
I long for tenderness
So that I might weep with You

(chorus)

What Does It Mean To Share In Christ’s Pain?

We sang the song Surrender in church last Sunday and as we sang the last line of the last verse I thought about what it means to share in Christ’s pain. 

Here are the lyrics:

I'm giving You my heart, and all that is within

I lay it all down, for the sake of You my king

I'm giving You my dreams, I'm laying down my rights

I'm giving up my pride, for the promise of new Life

(Chorus)

And I Surrender all to You, all to You

And I surrender all to You, Lord, all to You

I'm singing You this song, I'm waiting at the cross

And all the world holds dear, I count it all as loss

For the sake of knowing You, for the glory of Your name

To know the lasting joy, even sharing in Your pain

(Chorus)

So many times I read verses like Romans 8:17 (“Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we also share in His glory”) or Philippians 1:29 (“For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him.”) and view suffering for Christ as merely a physical experience.  However as I sang “even sharing in Your pain” I couldn’t help but think of people like the apostle Paul or Hudson Taylor who didn’t only suffer physically for Christ but emotionally as well.  Their bodies weren’t the only thing in turmoil, but their hearts were torn apart as well because of their love for God’s people. 

The Dangerous Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus,

Teach us to pray like You prayed.  Teach us to humble ourselves before our maker and submit to His good and perfect will.  Teach us to say “You first, and me second.”  Teach us to say “Your will be done Lord not mine.”  Jesus You gave us an example to follow, help each of us to pick up our cross and follow You.

Amen

Warning!

1 Corinthians 4:9-14:

“For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.  We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!  To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.  We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment. I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.”

 

“We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong!  You are honored, we are dishonored! ... We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world… I am not writing this to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.”  What harsh and costly words.  They could have a real impact if you let them. 

Rich Soil, Strong Foundation

1 Corinthians 3:9 states “for we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

Martin Luther King Jr. once said “human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of people willing to be co-workers with God.”  We are “God’s fellow workers,” we are “God’s field,” we are “God’s building.”  It is up to us to do His work.  Human progress WILL NOT roll in on “wheels of inevitability,” it must be worked for.

WOW!

“These are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.  For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.  This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.  The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”  -1 Corinthians 2:10-16

I find it incredibly overwhelming to know that I serve the God of the entire universe, who is all powerful and all knowing and that He is willing to share His deepest thoughts with me, and anyone else who asks.  What an awesome gift!  How empowering is it to know that “what we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God” that “we have the mind of Christ!”

He Is Able, He Is Willing

 “The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.”  - Romans 14:3-4

This reminds me of Matthew 8:1-4:

“When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed Him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before Him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ He said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, ‘See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’”

The “Lord is able” and the Lord is “willing!” Thank You Jesus!

Lord, Thank You for Your willingness to forgive and use me.  You are a great and powerful God, able and willing.  Thank You.

Amen

Wake Up!

“And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”  - Romans 13:11

Asleep In the Light, by Keith Green

Do you see, do you see, all the people sinking down,

Don't you care, don't you care, are you gonna let them drown,
How can you be so numb, not to care if they come,
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done.

What a Promise, What a Savior!

 “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will he not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”  - Romans 8:31-32

What an amazing truth to take to heart.  What an undeserving promise from our creator. 

Thank You Lord for all You have given me, help me to use it for You.

Amen

No Matter the Cost, I Am Yours

 “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.”  -Romans 8:17

There is a cost to being a disciple of Christ, but it is worth it.

Dear Lord,
You have my life, take it and use it as You wish.  I surrender to Your will, I am totally and completely Yours.  Use me to increase Your glory on this earth!

Amen

God’s Wrath

“Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.”  - Romans 1:28

The fallen state of our world is the direct result of our sin.  When we choose to go our own way and to consider Gods word as not “worthwhile,” we become depraved in our thoughts and actions.  Sin has direct results NOW.  If we want a better world, we must begin with the knowledge of God.  This goes right along with the concept of blessing.  God wants to bless us both physically and spiritually.  When we make our selves overflow with the knowledge of Him our lives are filled with blessings instead of depravity.  Likewise, when we go our own way and seek our own gain, our lives are filled with depravity instead of blessings.  It is a conscience choice we make.

God is Faithful!

“So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me.”  - Acts 27:25

Lord,

Give us this kind of faith.  For You are a faithful God.  You have always kept Your promises and always will.  There is no room for doubt with You.

Amen

Our God is Near to Us

“The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.’”  -Acts 23:11

 “Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me”  -Acts 27:13

Lord,

Thank You that You are a God that is near to us.  Thank You for Your constant presence in our lives and for Your strength when we are weak.  Thank You that at all times, we can be strong in You because You are always with us. 

Amen

Witness’ of God

Acts 22:14-15:

“Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from His mouth.  You will be His witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.’”

“The Lord has chosen you,” “you will be His witness to all people.”  This seems to fit well with my last post.  If anyone wasn’t convinced of our call, here you go!  It is every Christ follower’s responsibility to spread the gospel.  God has chosen to reveal His thoughts to us, He has given us His very words, and He has called us to share what we have seen and heard with others.  For some of us that will take place in our homes and for others it will take place around the world, but everyone is called to share their story of how God has revealed Himself to them.

Lord,

Thank You for trusting us with Your thoughts.  Thank You for allowing us to know You personally.  Lord, give us boldness to go out into the world and serve You by being a witness to the world of what You have done in our lives.  Lord make us aware of what You are doing in the world so that we can take Your word to the streets.

Amen

Go and Make Disciples of All Nations...

Acts 17:26-27:

“From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.  God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us.” 

What an amazing truth this is.  I think that these verses clearly express God’s heart for His creation and His love for all nations and peoples of the world.  As verse 27 says He is “not far away", and all one must do to find Him is “seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him.”  What an encouragement this is for missions.  All that the people of the earth need to find God, is to know that He exists.  How can we expect those who have never heard of Him to find Him when no one has brought them the gospel?  Romans 10:12-15 puts it this way:

Jesus, Thank You

“Through Him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.”    Acts 13:39

Lord Jesus Christ,

Thank You for Your sacrifice and for setting us free from the power of sin and death.  You certainly are a good God.

Simple Faith

Acts 5:14-15:

“Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.   As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.”

It’s a bit overwhelming to think that we have a God who is able to heal a sick man using only the shadow of one of His followers and a bit of faith by the one being healed.   I wonder what would happen if we allowed God to use more than just our shadows for His purposes?

Lord,

You are truly a God of might and power.  Your mysteries no one can fathom.  We stand in awe of who You are and what You can do.  Use us to bring Your healing to earth.  Use us to accomplish miracles today.

Amen

He Is!

“’Very truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’”  John 8:58

Lord thank You for being the I Am!  I am in awe of who You are.

Amen

“ I do only what I see my Father doing” –Jesus

“To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’ Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.’  ‘Abraham is our father,’ they answered. ‘If you were Abraham’s children,’ said Jesus, ‘then you would do what Abraham did.  As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.’ ‘We are not illegitimate children,’ they protested. ‘The only Father we have is God himself.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.  You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.’”    John 8:31-47

I don’t have much to say about this, I just find it a bit ironic.  The devil lies to us and we believe him; and God tells us the truth, yet we struggle to believe.  According to these verses our actions reflect who we serve.  If God is my father, I do as God does; if Satan is my father, I do as he does.  According to my actions who am I reflecting?

Dear Lord,

Help me reflect Your image in all that I do!  I want to model You.

 Amen

Revisiting What it Means to be Blessed

Luke 6:20-26:

“Looking at His disciples, He said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.’”   

I used this verse in my previous post(s) as I explored what it means to be blessed.  I highlighted the fact that the typical American viewpoint of being blessed isn’t at all what God means when He says He wants to bless all nations.  Wealth and prosperity definitely come with God’s spiritual blessing, but it is the spiritual blessing that truly makes the wealth and prosperity a blessing and not just an outward comfort that cannot reach the inside. 

Simple Humility

"And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.  From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.  He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.  He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.  He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.  He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and His descendants forever, just as He promised our ancestors.’”    Luke 1:46-55

Thank You, by Sanctus Real

There are new horizons with colors that I've never seen
The sky is filled with graces since you have carried me
I felt so far beyond your reach, but you gave everything for me
I was lost but then you rescued my life

[Chorus:]
Why in the world did you come after me?
Thank you, thank you
Words aren't enough, but for now I can say
Thank you, thank you

There is hope rising 'cause you have strength I've never seen
And your eyes are shining 'cause you shed tears for me
I was miles from dry land, but you gave everything you had
I can't understand a love of this kind

[Chorus:]

I could find other lines that you haven't heard spoken over and over again
I've tried every way, but I keep landing on that simple phrase
So I'll keep singing, "thank you"

[Chorus:]

How Ironic?

“When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’ All the people answered, ‘His blood is on us and on our children!’”  Matthew 27:24-25

I’ve always found it ironic the truth behind this verse.  Little did the people know that Jesus’ blood would cover them and their children in order that they be sanctified and made righteous before God.  What a Merciful and Gracious Savior, what a Humble Servant, what a Forgiving God we have.

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your humble wiliness to sacrifice Your life for such proud and stubborn people.  Thank You for the forgiveness and salvation that is ours through Your death on the Cross.  I am amazed at the depth of Your love for me.  I am amazed that You would be willing to die for people like me.  Thank You.  Thank You.

A Reassuring Word

Matthew 22:15-22:

“Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap Him in His words. They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?’ But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, ‘You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.’ They brought Him a denarius, and He asked them, ‘Whose image is this? And whose inscription?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied.  Then He said to them, ‘So give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’ When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away.”

Let Your Yes Be Yes

As I was reading the parable of the two sons I had to stop and think about what the parable is really saying.  Matthew 21:28-31 reads:

“’What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?’ ‘The first’, they answered. Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.’” 

Too Small a Price, by Don Francisco

I awoke to hear the jailer turn the key and push the door
‘Get out here!' he shouted, but I stayed there on the floor
Frozen in the terror that rose and filled my brain
I knew what they intended; I could not face the pain

Then soldiers came into the cell and dragged me to the yard
They threw me down before a cross and brought the whip down hard
‘Carry it!' they shouted, as I struggled to my feet
I put my shoulder under it; dragged it to the street

Matthew 28:19-20

If God is For Us, Who Can Be Against Us?

“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The LORD said to Satan, ‘The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?’ Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, ‘Take off his filthy clothes.’  Then he said to Joshua, ‘See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.’  Then I said, ‘Put a clean turban on his head.’ So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the LORD stood by.”   Zechariah 3:1-5

Once again it is good to know that I have a God that intercedes for me, that “pleads my case” and “upholds my cause.”  What a great picture of God’s grace and mercy.  In reality we are guilty of the accusations thrown at us my Satan, however in God’s eyes we have been made pure by the blood of Jesus.  What a blessing.

Emmanuel, God With Us

“This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.”   Haggai 2:5

Isn’t it nice to know that we have a God whose Spirit remains among us, whose promises are trustworthy and true, and that we don’t have to fear when we place our trust in Him?  God promised to dwell among the Israelites as He brought them out of Egypt and despite Israel’s constant idolatry and rejection God kept true to His word.  Even now He remains among us.  Paul Baloche’s lyrics from Here and Now capture the wonder of having a God so big dwell in and among people so small:

“What majesty, what mystery,

The God of all eternity

Stepped into time and gave His life for me

Your hand is seen in galaxies,

Yet Your Spirit dwells in me

So vast and yet You’re still within our reach”

Dear Lord,

Thank You for living and dwelling among us.  Thank You for Your willingness to make Your home with a “filthy rag” like me.  Thank You that I do not have to fear because I know Your promises are true.  You are truly a good God.  I love You, thank You for loving me.

Amen

Yes and Amen, by Matt Redman

Hear Your people saying yes,
Hear Your people saying yes to You.
Yes to anything you ask,
Yes to anything we´re called to do.

Hear your people say amen,
Hear Your people say amen to You.
Let Your kingdom come on earth,
Let it be just like we prayed to You.

Yes and amen to everything that´s in Your heart,
Yes and amen to everything that You have planned.
We live to see Your will be done,
And see Your perfect kingdom come on earth, on the earth.

Yes and amen, we´re taking up our cross for You,
Give us the strength to take these dreams and follow through.
We live to see Your will be done,
And see Your perfect kingdom come on earth, on the earth.

All the promises are yes,
All the promises are yes in You.
Every good and perfect gift,
Every blessing that we have was You.

Yes and amen Lord, yes and amen.

2,000 Years and Counting...

As I was reading through the first chapter of Haggai I had to stop and think about verses 8 and 9.  These verses say:

“‘Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,’ says the LORD. ‘You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?’ declares the LORD Almighty. ‘Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.’”

God longs to be glorified.  God created us to glorify Him.  God created all the peoples of the earth to glorify Him.  And it breaks His heart when we withdraw our praises from Him to give it to ourselves.  In verse eight God states His desire to be honored and worshiped by His creation, and in verse nine God reveals why our expectations aren’t always met.  Our expectations fail when we expect things to happen in such a way that we are “glorified,” “honored,” and “worshiped” instead of God.  Ephesians 3:20 (“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask for or imagine…”) is one of my favorite verses.   In this verse it is clear that God wants us to have high expectations and that He longs to completely blow our minds when He answers our requests in ways we never imagined possible.  However what verse nine in Haggai reminds us of is that our expectations and requests have to be founded in bringing glory to God and not in honoring ourselves. 

I'm Waiting For This Day!

Zephaniah 3:9-10
“Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.  From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings.”

Lord, may the day soon come when all Your people come together and serve You shoulder to shoulder.  Send out harvesters into the harvest so that Your people will be gathered and drawn to You.

Amen, let it be so!

In The Midst of Chaos, He is God

Zephaniah 3:3-5
“Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning.  Her prophets are unprincipled; they are treacherous people.  Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law.  The LORD within her is righteous; He does no wrong.  Morning by morning He dispenses His justice, and every new day He does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame.”

O Lord,

All I can say is thank you.

Would He Have Come To Punish Me?

Zephaniah 1:12
“At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.’”

Lord,
Rid me of my complacency until I burn for You.  Give me a zeal for Your name that will outlast any suffering that comes my way.  I want to be used by You, I want to love You with all that I am.  I do not want to get comfortable and think that You “will do nothing, either good or bad.”  Instead I want to be a person of great expectations!

Amen

My Prayer For Today...

“Lord, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, Lord.  Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”  Habakkuk 3:2

Thank You Jesus

Micah 7:9 states:

“Because I have sinned against Him, I will bear the Lord’s wrath, until He pleads my case and upholds my cause.  He will bring me out into the light; I will see His righteousness.”

It always amazes me to know that I have a God who pleads my case and upholds my cause. 

Thank you Lord for saving me, thank you for pleading my case and upholding my cause.  I don’t deserve Your love, yet I receive it perfectly.  You deserve all of my love, yet I give it sparingly. Teach me to live for You, it is the least that I can do after all You’ve done for me.

Amen

God's Glory or Our Own?

As I was read Jonah 2:8 I was reminded of a serious of verses that have always left me in wonder.  These verses are Psalm 106:20-21, Jeremiah 2:11, Hosea 4:7, and Romans 1:22-23, 25.

Jonah 2:8
“Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.”

Give Us Today Our Daily Bread

“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign LORD, ‘when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.  People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.’”  Amos 8:11-12

Lord as Jesus taught us to pray:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Amen

In This World You Will Have Trouble. But Take Heart! I Have Overcome The World

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘I am against you, Sidon, and among you I will display my glory.  You will know that I am the Lord, when I inflict punishment on you and within you prove to be holy.’” Ezekiel 28:22

At first this verse may not seem to hold a very positive message; but there is one thing about it that stuck out to me, that even though God was against Sidon He was still willing to display His glory in that place and He was still willing to make Himself known there.  Although this wasn’t good news for the people of Sidon, because it meant wrath and judgment, it is good news for us as believers in Christ.  It is an example of Jesus’ words from the gospel of John being played out.  In John Jesus says:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Even in the midst of suffering and conflict God is God, and eventually (in His timing) He will make His glory known and He will be proven holy.  What a great promise! What a great God! 

Just Some Thougths on Ezekiel 24:21

In Ezekiel 24:21 God speaks to Israel through Ezekiel the prophet saying:

“This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary—the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.”

As I was reading through Ezekiel 24 I had to stop at this verse and ponder what it implies.  Here God is about to desecrate something that was intended to be a place of praise and honor for His name but instead was turned into a religious symbol that distracted the Israelites from God Himself and brought the attention on their own power and accomplishments.   What is it in my life that I take pride in, that is the delight of my eyes, and that has my affection?  Am I allowing something God intended to glorify Him to become a boasting point for myself?  Where in my life have I taken God’s glory for myself, what do I need to repent of and give the glory back to its rightful owner, God Himself?

As Long As You Are Glorified, by Sovereign Grace Music

A good song that fits well with the previous topic

Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt

Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified

Are You good only when I prosper
And true only when I’m filled
Are You King only when I’m carefree
And God only when I’m well
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night

Blessings Part Two

In light of all my thoughts about blessings, Laura Story’s new song Blessings has captured my interest.  Here are the lyrics:

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

Blessings Part One

Recently I have been pondering what it means to be blessed.  What it means to be blessed by God that is, and how God’s blessing is different from the typical American viewpoint of being blessed.  From the very beginning of creation God sought to bless His people; however the fall of man brought forth curses instead of blessings (Genesis 3).  Yet God reveals His heart to bless all people when He tells Abraham:

“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:2-3

These verses reveal two things about God’s view of blessing.  The first thing it reveals is that when we are blessed our blessing is clearly portrayed to others.  God promises to make Abraham into “a great nation” and to make Abraham’s name great among all the peoples of the earth.  This leads us to the second point of God’s blessings.  God blesses us so that we can bring His blessing to others.  God says “you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you” and “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”  Our being blessed by God is not so that we can experience comfort and pleasure but so that we can spread God’s glory and splendor throughout the earth.

The Word Is Alive, by Casting Crowns