All That I Am

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.

Psalm 103:1 NLT

This psalm plays melodiously on every fiber of my being! As I was reading it, it magnified within me. Come! Praise the Lord with me!

2 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

6 The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

7 He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.

11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

13 The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children 18 of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments!

19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.

20 Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands.
21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will!
22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

Prayer:

Father, 

          We don't want to forget or take for granted all that You have done for us! We extol Your goodness and faithfulness to us! As we lift our praise to You, may it be a sweet sound in Your ear. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Shaken

12 But you, O Lord, will sit on your throne forever. Your fame will endure to every generation.
27 But you are always the same; you will live forever. 

28 The children of your people will live in security. Their children’s children will thrive in your presence.

Psalm 102:12, 27-28 NLT

It is not known who the author is of this particular psalm, and perhaps it is just as well. He starts off lamenting that his life is not going according to his own plan and desires, begging God to answer his prayers for what he wants and how he wants it done. It doesn't seem like that is going to happen. We've all been there...

It may take him until the 12th verse before we know it, but what I love is his confidence and trust in Who God IS - no matter if God's answer to his prayer is yes or no. His dire circumstances have no influence on who he knows God to be. The writer knows God is still on His throne and forever will be! God is not shaken off or over by the things of life in this world that tend to shake us. Are we there, too?

Let us pray for each other. Hebrews 13:20-21 NLT Now may the God of peace - who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood - may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him.

Prayer:

Father,

         This world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come - our home in You. We will then offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to You, proclaiming our allegiance to Your Name. Give us Your strength to do good and to share with those in need. We want to please You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

TAKING OFF 4 the Weekend - Back on Monday

Psalm 100 NLT

A psalm of thanksgiving.

1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2     Worship the Lord with gladness.
    Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
    He made us, and we are his.
    We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
    go into his courts with praise.
    Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good.
    His unfailing love continues forever,
    and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Throwback Thursday - Having it Your Way

"Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.  On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’  But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Matthew 7:21-23 NLT

A fast food chain has built a thriving business on the motto, "Have It Your Way". In today's world, we want everything about life to go our way, too. 

For a lunch - that's good! For a lifestyle lived before God, not so much...

Too often, the story goes something like this. Someone makes the choice they want to eat at the marriage supper of the Lamb of God and so they walk down the aisle and read the Lamb's words written in red. Then they start to make their choices. Oh, blessings - yeah, I like blessings! Blessings are good, I want some of those. Total Obedience? No, I don't think so... can I just have a little of that on the side, please? Just enough to say I had some.  Health? Oh absolutely, I want good health and lots of it... Self-discipline? No, leave that off, okay? I don't wanna have to mess with that. Love? Of course, pour it on!! Can't ever have too much love. What? I have to give more to get more? No, never mind then. I don't want to pay the price for that...

You get the picture. Our walk with God is not picking and choosing what WE want or don't want to do. We want Heaven. Jesus said, Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.  It's your choice.

Prayer:

Father,

         You set before us life and death, blessing and cursing, heaven or hell. We choose life. We choose to actually do Your will, acknowledging it is only by Your grace. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Fill 'Er Up

3 For there is going to come a time when people won’t listen to the truth but will go around looking for teachers who will tell them just what they want to hear. 4 They won’t listen to what the Bible says but will blithely follow their own misguided ideas.

5 Stand steady, and don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Bring others to Christ. Leave nothing undone that you ought to do.
2 Timothy 4:3-5 Living Bible

Sometimes, it's like trying to choose a restaurant when you want to go out to eat. You can't make up your mind, so you just go anywhere to get something that will fill you up. Not necessarily good for your health, just something to chew on. As a nation, we're addicted to junk food.

Verse 3 in The Message reads, You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy.

As Christ followers, do we want to fill up on junk food or taste the pure, sweet goodness of His Truth? 

Prayer:

Father,

          Forgive us for any misguided thoughts and ideas of our own. We want to follow only You. Help us to stand steadfast in Your Word and to not be afraid of suffering for You. We don't want to leave anything undone that You would have us do. Help us to bring others to Christ. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Stay Away

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
2 Timothy 2:22 NLT

As a parent, there are times and would-be companions in a child's life when the line must be drawn to separate your child from bad times and bad influences. Children don't like it, but a loving parent will do it just the same. It is in the child's best interest. 

God does it for us through His Word. 

Paul writes, Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

You should know this... that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.  They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! 

2 Timothy 2:23 - 3:5 NLT

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for loving us enough to teach us and warn us about bad influences. Open our eyes that we can discern the ungodly ways. Make our hearts strong in You. Give us wisdom and compassion anew so that we will Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Change their hearts, Father, so they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Words

Repeat these basic essentials over and over to God’s people. Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out. Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won’t be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they’re not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul.
2 Timothy 2:14-17a The Message

We all know that words can offer life or they can be destructive. They can be truth or they can have a spin put on them that makes them sound good, but in reality are deceiving. God's Word is Truth... always.

We've talked about it before, how a bank teller knows a counterfeit bill - not because he or she has studied the counterfeit, but because they have studied the real thing so intimately that the counterfeit is obvious to them. We must do the same with God's Word. 

We must study it so intently that just by knowing His Truth, it exposes all the lies and deceitful ploys of satan. Know it. Love it. Live it.

Prayer:

Father, 

          Help us to be diligent to present ourselves approved to You, workers who do not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Give us wisdom to avoid vain babblings that lead to ungodly living. Let our words be the Truth and Life, Salt and Light of Your Words to a lost and dying world. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Righteous Spending

Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.
Psalm 90:12 NLT

Interesting fact: This psalm was written by Moses, making it the oldest psalm. It speaks of the dismay of mankind being separated from God because of sin. It is the choices we make that separate us or draw us ever closer to the Father.

In our Promise for Today, Moses prays for God to drive home the stark reality of just how short our lifespan is so that we would have the good sense to make Godly choices in the time allotted to us. Dr. Tony Evans said, "Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you can only spend it once." We need the wisdom of God to properly utilize what we've been given - love, talents, and time - to increase the Kingdom of God.

Prayer:

Father,

           We pray as Moses prayed - Satisfy us each morning with Your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. Let us, Your servants, see You work again; let our children see Your glory. Show us Your approval and make our efforts successful. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Walls

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.
Proverbs 25:28 ESV

These days when we talk about walls or no walls, it usually has to do with emotional walls that people use to keep other people at arm's length and to protect themselves. The basic function of walled cities is the same.

Walls around cities for defense go back as far as the 8th millennium B.C., Some historians believe even back to the 10th millennium B.C. Cities that had no walls had no hope of holding off an enemy attack. Walls were effective only as long as they were not broken down or breached by the invaders. 

One of the most well-known was the impenetrable wall of Jericho, about 12 feet high and almost 6 feet thick. There was no way for the Israelites to get in, but God! And it was accomplished by obedience and high praise (both are spiritual disciplines). Man did not bring down the wall - it was a miraculous victory credited only to the power of God. 

And so our lives are a miraculous victory over sin credited only to the power of God! Galatians 5:22-23 tells of the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit evidenced in our lives of which self-control is one. When we walk in the fruit of the Spirit, we are strengthened and fortified to overcome the enemy. 

Prayer:

Father,

         Thank You for being our Protector and Provider, our Healer and our Peace. Thank You for loving us so much to give us the means and the power to overcome all the fiery darts of the wicked. Remind us to daily walk completely full in the fruit of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In Jesus' Name we pray.

Amen

Harvest Happens

You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
Galatians 6:7b-8 NLT

How do we go about throwing seeds of corruptible behavior all week long and expect to reap holiness and righteousness? Why is it that we can sow doubt and discord and expect to harvest faith and peace? Do we watch reality TV all week and then expect God to give us all our answers during the commercial break?

Sometimes we get tired, but further on in this chapter, Paul writes, "So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up." Keep planting the right stuff. The harvest will happen.

Prayer:

Father,
           You alone are God and worthy of all praise. Thank You for the principles You have set before us that never fail. Continue to work the furrowed fields of our hearts so that we can reap a good harvest from Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Giving Thanks

God created food to be received with prayers of thanks by those who believe and know the truth. Everything God created is good. Nothing should be rejected if it is received with prayers of thanks. God’s word and prayer set it apart as holy.
1 Timothy 4:3b-5 GWT

There are so many ads and commercials about which foods are good, which foods are bad, which ones never to eat. I'm sure you've seen them. FIVE foods to never eat if you have arthritis and another has the FIVE foods you SHOULD eat. Yes, grains. No grains. 

Low carb, no carb, no meat, carnivore, no fruit, all fruit and veggies. And let's not even start to talk about dairy and what is and isn't. 

The Bible warns against gluttony. Unless you have an allergy of some kind, I'd say moderation in all other things, dietary and life. However, in all things, remember God created food to be received with prayers of thanks by those who believe and know the truth. Everything God created is good. Nothing should be rejected if it is received with prayers of thanks. God’s word and prayer set it apart as holy.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for all the wonderful and delicious provisions You have made for our sustenance. Thank You for taste buds to enjoy them all. Thank You for Your Word to instruct us in all things. Help us to be mindful of them all, even in saying Grace. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Not Without Hope

It may seem that those who are poor and needy have been forgotten, but God will not forget them. He will not leave them without hope.

Psalm 9:18 ERV (Easy to Read Version)

I can't stop thinking about Pastor Alan's message this past Sunday - about hope. It's made me go back, looking for Scripture and thoughts about hope and hoping in the Lord, checking on the ploy of the enemy of our souls to steal our hope, our expectation in the Lord. Here's a good reminder from a few years back.

Ever been there? Ever wonder if God forgot about you and your circumstances because it feels like it? Have you ever felt hopeless and then had to endure the war between those feelings and your faith? You're not alone.

The writers of the Psalms second those emotions. Such as Psalm 130 which reads, From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer...  and Psalm 61:2, From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed... Just to give a couple examples.

However, what I love about the book is a psalm might start out in despair, but generally, it ends with a proclamation of faith and hope. The next verse in Psalm 130 reads, I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. 

Psalm 61 goes on to say, Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! 

Oh, such hope! Such confidence in the Lord God!

Our Promise for Today - God will NOT forget us! He will NOT leave us without hope!

Prayer:

Father,

         We pray as Paul prayed. We pray that You, God, the Source of hope, will fill us completely with joy and peace because we trust in You. Then we will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

5 W's and an H

First of all, I encourage you to make petitions, prayers, intercessions, and prayers of thanks for all people, for rulers, and for everyone who has authority over us. Pray for these people so that we can have a quiet and peaceful life always lived in a godly and reverent way. This is good and pleases God our Savior.
1st Timothy 2:1-3 GWT

As I read this passage today, I thought immediately of the 5 W's and an H. Who what why where when how. That's how you got your best information. It seems so appropriate for this time. Look around. We need to pray. For each other, for our countries, for the peace of Jerusalem. We've been instructed to pray. 

Who: You and me - for ALL people, for rulers, and for everyone who has authority over us.

What: Petitions. Prayers. Intercessions. Prayers of thanks.

How: lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting (vs 8)

Where: Everywhere (vs 8)

When: At all times - Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Why: It's good and pleases God our Savior.

God said if His people would pray... Why don't we? Have we lost our faith?

Prayer:

Father,

           Forgive us our sins. Forgive us for our lack of response to You in prayer and faith. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness and restore a right spirit - Your Spirit - within us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to You, God, who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen

Hope In Christ

You lived in this world without God and without hope.
Ephesians 2:12c NLT

I have talked with many people lately who have no hope. Many of them ARE without God, so their lack of hope - while very sad to me - is not surprising. There's an old saying that states, "No God - No peace. Know God - Know peace." The Truth is, if you have no hope, you definitely have no peace. And that happens when we are separated from God - without Christ as our Advocate.

The passage from which our text is taken explains it...
11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

Hope is so much more than wishing. We've talked about it before. There's a foundation for our hope. A sure foundation. A tried (and true) stone. A precious cornerstone, according to Isaiah 28:16. In the New Living Translation, it reads, Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken."

Wishing vanishes into thin air. There's no action to it. Hope - when based on the sure foundation of Christ and His Word - is something we can build on. It's solid. Our Hope is in Christ.

Prayer:

Father,
          Because You are at our right hand we shall not be moved. Therefore our hearts are glad, and our glory rejoices; our flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave our soul in Sheol. And for this, we give You all praise and honor and glory due only to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

None of These

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT

The world declares that we're all God's children. That's deception; it's a lie. The TRUTH is that we are all God's creation, but until we call on His Name we are NOT His children. It's not a right we inherit just by being born. It's a right we are given by being born AGAIN of His Spirit.

Romans 8:14 tells us, For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. Led by His Spirit - it means we're following Him. We are told in John 1:12, But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe in His name... It takes God-given power unto salvation to overcome our flesh and to live a holy life. 

The world has modified and homogenized, diluted and polluted a version of Jesus Christ until He is almost unrecognizable as the Bible's King of kings and Lord of lords. People think they can live any way they want to and still go to a better place when they die. Not according to Scripture - Verse 10 of our Promise for Today - none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 

Prayer:

Father, 

           Open our eyes to see Your Truth. Open our ears to hear Your Truth. Open our hearts and minds to receive Your Truth so we are not deceived by the twisted subtleties of satan's deceptions and lies. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Peace Which Surpasses All Understanding

Guest Writer tonight - Alan Lucas.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (5) Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. (6) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7 NKJV

My troubles were great,

Like a crushing burden upon me.

I thought that I would soon perish

Beneath their unbearable weight.

My mind was perplexed

And in great distress.

I could no longer bear the burden,

I’m losing control

I'm losing control.

Impending doom consumed me.

Every thought was of darkness

And the evil that so tormented me.

My mind was being torn apart.

How much longer,

How much longer.

How can I survive.

Then amid the darkness,

In a moment in time

I remembered You.

You were the good

Who once delivered me

From all my guilt and shame.

You removed the crushing weight

Of all my many sins

And caused me to rejoice.

You covered me with Your love

And filled me with Your presence.

You caused me to hope in faith

And to experience Your wonderful peace.

You led me to Your word

And taught me of Your love.

How great is Your love

That You would give Your son

To redeem such a one as I.

How great is the love of the Son

Who willingly laid down His life.

Who laid it down

For His enemy,

As a gift of love

For me.

An enemy I was no more

But a friend You called me.

How beautiful is Your grace,

No man deserves,

Certainly not I.

But you gave yourself

For the sake of your own good pleasure.

It pleased You to die in my place

To display Your glory to all

For all creation to see.

You glorified Your righteousness

And made known your justice to all

So that all might understand

That You can do all things,

That nothing is impossible for You.

I fell to my knees

And remembered Your salvation.

I called to You for help

Once again I called Your Name.

I felt Your hand upon my back

And heard You softly speak,

“It’s going to be alright.”

And then Your peace

Again returned to me.

********************************

Prayer:

Father,

Thank You for Your guidance and peace and for all the impossibly wonderful acts of love You've done for us. Thank You for friends like Alan and Patsy who point us back to You and Your righteousness. Father, I ask that You strengthen Alan as he faithfully continues to worship You while learning to live with only the love Patsy left behind as she made her way home to You. I pray that prayer for all those who are working their way through grief. Help us to understand in our hearts that yes, people die and leave, but their love never dies nor leaves - just as You've promised to never leave us. Keep us ever close to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Appreciation - Is It Biblical?

Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

1st Thessalonians 5:12-13 NLT

Established in 1992, October is Clergy Appreciation Month. There are those who are for it, and believe it or not, those who are against it. I've never seen such fuss and palaver over trying to honor those who have the responsibility of caring for our souls. People will argue about anything - especially if it has to do with Christianity.

The fuss is that Hallmark initiated it - yes, the maker of cards and gifts for every occasion - so some consider it just another materialistic business gimmick. However, as you can see in our Promise for Today, we are to honor those who are our leaders in the Lord's work. My humble opinion is it's very appropriate for the end of verse 13 to read, And live peacefully with each other. 

Paul also writes in 1 Timothy 5:17, NLT, Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.  How will you show honor and respect to your pastor this month?

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for pastors and teachers whose hearts are after You, for those who rightly discern Your Word and care for our souls. Help us to honor them. Show us ways to do so that are meaningful, uplifting and encouraging for them, and pleasing to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Be Encouraged

A Little Different tonight... Words from Paul

Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.

First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.
1st Thessalonians 4:11-18 NLT

Prayer:

Father,
           We pray Your Word from the book of Hebrews, for Your Word is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from You. Everything is naked and exposed before Your eyes, and You are the One to whom we are accountable.
          Because of our faith and belief in Your Son, Jesus, we come boldly to Your throne of Grace where we will receive Your mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. We need it now, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Blocking the Light

Restore us, Lord, God of Armies; make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved.

Psalm 80:19 CSB

I don't like working without the proper light. It doesn't matter what I'm trying to do - read, write, clean, paint, stitch, or even just to gather my thoughts - don't block the light. However, have you ever noticed how easy it is for the slightest thing to get in the way and cast a shadow to impede your progress? And that the more light you need, the closer you need to be to the source? 

Such is life on a much grander scale, as well. What blocks the light from the Father? What gets in the way? Why do we not reflect His light for all the world to see? Well, for sure when we turn our face away from His. The things we let take precedence over time spent with Him. Choosing to believe the facts of what we see with our eyes more than the Truth of what we read in His Word. When what we see as little things become the sins that block God's favor from our lives. Selah...

Prayer:

Father,

           Shine Your light of Truth on our lives. Reveal the stealers of light in our lives. Draw us close - so close - to You, Lord, that we may see clearly. Forgive us for our part in allowing satan and his minions to block Your light on us. Restore us, Lord, God of Armies; make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

ON VACATION - RETURNING TUESDAY 10/10/2023

 Peace and blessings to you. Hope to connect again on my return! 

Holding It Together

... for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:16-17 NASB

Take a moment to think about that... all things in the heavens and on earth. All the processes of life, from the overall colossal enormity of it down to the minutiae of everyday life. He knew without Him, we would fall apart. We, our loved ones, our house, our job, our mode of transportation, our heartaches, our loneliness, our need for physical healing, finances, food for our table. You may ask why I didn't mention salvation or relationship with God... well, it's because He took care of that first. That's why He came to Earth. 

Since God loved us so much that He had the plan designed for our salvation even before the foundation of the world (1st Peter 1:20), don't you believe that He can take care of everything else? Will we trust Him to see us through it all, no matter what we see?

Tony Evans encourages the Body of Christ with this Truth based on verse 17, The planets stay in their orbits because Jesus holds them there. If He can do that, you can be confident that He can hold you together, too.

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for Your unfailing Love and Truth, firm foundations on which we can stand and be victorious. Forgive us for losing sight of Your greatness and sovereignty. We pray as Paul prayed, fill us with the knowledge of Your will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that we may live a life worthy of You, Lord, and please You in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Doing Good

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1st John 1:9 KJV

Sometimes, God has to use an illustration to get our attention and make us see His Word...well, at least that's how it works in my life. I'm a hands-on, visual learner. Thankfully, He loves us enough to reprimand us when we need it, and then provides grace and mercy, along with His forgiveness.

The other point He drove home for me today is that, if the prayer or the verse is just a decoration - a pretty plaque sitting on the shelf or hanging on the wall - just something sitting around and not actively in use in our hearts and evident in our lives, it doesn't do any good for us or those around us. And we are here to follow in Christ's footsteps, who according to Acts 10:38a-b, ...you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good...  

Yeah, what are we doing?

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for loving us more than we can comprehend and enough to repeat the lesson as many times as it is necessary for us to get it. We want to learn the first time. Make it so, Father.  In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Realities

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
Colossians 3:1 NLT

In talking with most Christians, Heaven is the place to go after we die. The biggest idea of it in most minds is that their loved one who died is there and totally healed and has no more pain. And a very close second is no more tears. 

When was the last time you thought about the realities of Heaven - let alone set your sights on them? And made life changes to match the new life Christ bought for us?

I love the way this verse reads in The Message, So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.

Prayer:

Father,

           We want to see, know, and embrace life from Your perspective. Forgive us for being so earthly-minded that we're no Heavenly good. Keep us ever mindful to lift our eyes to the hills whence cometh our help. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Real Question

The Lord said, “I was ready to answer my people's prayers, but they did not pray. I was ready for them to find me, but they did not even try. The nation did not pray to me, even though I was always ready to answer, ‘Here I am; I will help you.’

Isaiah 65:1 GNT Good News Translation

There are those who treat God as if He is their personal overseer, supposed to be keeping an eye on them and what is going on in their lives. They tend to not have conversation with Him unless something doesn't go the way they want it to go, then it's an accusatory, disbelieving, "Where were You, God?" as though "How could You let that happen?"  

And they've been doing it for years. The children of Israel had done it - our Promise for Today is God's response to that very type of question. Read it again - “I was ready to answer my people's prayers, but they did not pray. I was ready for them to find me, but they did not even try. The nation did not pray to me, even though I was always ready to answer, ‘Here I am; I will help you.’  Can you sense His displeasure - His frustration with the constant rebellion? 

God is always, ALWAYS ready, willing, and able on His part to answer us. However, we must be actively seeking Him in humility and truth, with repentant hearts. The real question is, "Where are we?" How could we let ourselves wander so far from God that we are out from under His covering? 

Prayer:

Father,

          Forgive us our wandering hearts. Forgive us for blaming You when it is clearly our own undoing. Draw us close to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen