Dee's Deeper Days

Hope in Times of Hurt in Healing

2011-09-10T08:31:00.001-05:00

Just considering the past in little random thoughts this morning while reading my Bible...

Heard a minister preach once from this passage:

Rom 8:33-39

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (KJV)

The minister said that what is missing from this verse is worth consideration, "the past." Is is possible that we can let our pasts separate us from the love of Jesus? Last night, a young man stopped by our home for a visit. In the conversation, he lamented the fact that he knows Jesus has forgiven his past, but that he cannot forgive himself. Maybe there is some truth to the belief that we may not allow ourselves to feel the love of Jesus and experience the healing of hurt because we cannot forgive ourselves for our pasts.

Having said those thoughts, my mind this morning is actually considering Moses, a man whose past caused him not to go over into the land promised to his fathers. Yet, in mercy, the Lord did let Moses see the land (Deut. 34:1-7). The fact that Moses was not allowed to go into the Promised Land does not diminish, in my opinion, the work he did for the kingdom's sake. The fact that he even lived at birth was a miracle in light of the "abortion of the times" that was taking place. Later, the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt because of Moses' leadership. The 10 Commandments were given to Moses. Joshua trained under Moses. All of the business details and spiritual guidance of 40 years in the wilderness were under his hand through the direction of God. Moses blessed the children of Israel prior to his death. He wrote and those writings now comprise books of the Bible we read. Moses was frequently mentioned by the writers of the New Testament. The list would be endless, if one were to go into every detail of Moses' productive life. Yet, one day of that life changed everything.

Num 20:7-13

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him.

And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified in them. (KJV)

We may never know the profound meaning and consequences of any moment in time. Such is the case with the example (Moses' life) I have shared. That day at Meribah truly changed everything. Yet, it changed nothing. What battles did Moses face in his personal life and in his mind? Who knows? Still, Moses continued to what he knew to do and to live right. Moses is referred to as the "servant of God" in the book of Revelations.

Rev 15:2-4

And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. (KJV)

Only we can take ourselves from the hands of the Lord Jesus. His faithfulness is great. His mercies are new every morning! Hope can be found and experienced in times of hurt in and from healing, especially concerning the past. Somewhere, somehow, Moses found that place of forgiveness and healing. No matter where the road of life has led for each of us, no matter what it has cost or may cost in terms of dreams and promises, even when the past confronts in unexpected ways ... HOPE abounds!

Underneath Are His Everlasting Arms

Deut 33:27

The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. (KJV)

Sabbatical ... Somewhat

2011-08-26T23:44:00.001-05:00

How faithful is our God! I am thankful for His mercy in arranging my return to teaching in St. Tammany Parish. My new school is already "home." After the wilderness of last school year, this educational "land of promise" overflows with joy! So, I have decided to take "somewhat" of a "sabbatical" from my personal writing and focus on yet another transition to a new school. While I may never fully understand His purpose in last school year, Jesus has abundantly blessed me to be where I now am. I want to be my very best through His anointing. Surely, I will write from time to time simply to capture and express those deeper moments. As of now, however, I do plan to predominantly move toward other interests throughout this school year.

I thank you for your presence here. May you be blessed beyond measure, especially in spiritual areas. As always, please keep me in your prayers.

Isa 40:28-31

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

(King James Version)

Nothing Is Impossible

2011-08-02T07:02:00.003-05:00

http://youtu.be/7wMt4XrV51Q

Ps 119:173

Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.

Ps 121

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
(KJV)

Nothing is impossible with Jesus. I know that no matter what I face, He has everything in control. My part is to listen and walk in His word. Even in times of blessing, I choose his ways and depend upon Him to lead and protect me. Nothing is impossible with Him!

May you find Him to be EVERYTHING you need today as you allow Him to have His way!

http://youtu.be/VxKuDu2Vu1k

Unconditional Love--A Journey of Hope

2011-07-26T16:26:00.006-05:00

Unconditional Love

During and after a special time of fellowship with Jesus in prayer last night, I began to read about and contemplate the children of Israel and their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. Typically, my mind thinks from the perspective of the people. After all, I am one! My personal history, especially prior to the year 1990, could be compared in many ways to this story. So, I relate to people who are always looking for the "missing something" in life. Last night for just a moment, though, I saw a glimpse of the children of Israel through the Lord's eyes. What a story of unconditional love...

Myspace Quotes Graphics

Everything the Lord did,
every move He made,
was at heart an
act of love.

Indeed, God is love!

Despite the captivity that the Israelites had faced, the plan of God was to deliver them and lead them to a land flowing with milk and honey. They had seen him perform miracles before Pharaoh. They had gone out with a proverbial high hand from Egypt. However, for much of the multitude, their own "issues" would never really let them trust in His great love. Instead of an easy journey, theirs turned out to be a most troubled one. Many of their trials were allowed as proving grounds. Maybe the Lord simply wanted to see and to let them see whether or not their love for Him was as unconditional as His love for them was and is.

__________

Ex 15:24-27

And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

Water Reflections Pictures Comments - Photobucket

_____

Time and time again, He provided. They mumbled, grumbled and failed to trust. He was at times angry. When all was said and done, He still reached out in love and continued to lead them along the way--fire by night and cloud by day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vmY2ztb5xc

Eventually, they were ready to move into the Promised Land. However, they sent spies to check out the situation. Ten returned with dismay. Only two (Joshua and Caleb) believed that they were able to take the land. This unbelief caused them to wander for many years in the wilderness. All of the older generation died before they actually began to enter the Promised Land. Through it all, the Father provided. Their clothing, their food and everything else they needed was provided daily. They did not always deserve it. Who ever does?! In fact, their attitude was stinky at times and they faced some rough roads. Yet, in love, God always provided and kept the multitude on the journey. In the end, Joshua and Caleb received the blessing! Joshua actually led the people into the land. Caleb asked for and received his "mountain!" Apparently, the Lord even gave him supernatural strength for an old man to be able to "take a mountain." I'm particularly impressed by the fact that these two men held it together all of those years, wandering in a wilderness that was nothing of their own doing. Their faith had always been high. They had always felt that it could be done. Yet, they lived peacefully with the consequences of the decisions of others until the Lord finally prepared the people to truly take the land. What a tremendous example of the unconditional love of God! He keeps His promises, no matter how unlikely their fulfillment may seem at times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPaU7jJvqRc
When the younger generation returned to take the land, the outlook was different. About 40 years had passed. They saw things differently. I would imagine that they could look back and see mistakes made. They had surely had time to contemplate the errors of the past and bring them to their Father. The same mistakes would not be repeated. This time, they listened. They obeyed. They followed. Even when the instructions likely seemed puzzling and irrational (e.g., walk around the wall and later blow trumpets) and made them look questionable to others, they obeyed.

Josh 6:13-16

And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rearward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.

And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.

And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2sZuJbxi8Y&feature=related

_________

None of us really knows what the future holds. Sometimes, the Lord just rips the scales right from our eyes and lets us take a good, long look at ourselves. Yes, the past is under the blood once we are washed in the blood of Jesus through baptism and raised to walk in newness of life through the infilling of the Holy Ghost. But, sometimes we are forced to look back and learn. Nehemiah had such an experience when he retold the story about the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt. He commented on God's hearing ear and the number of times He had moved on behalf of his people because of their cries and His own great mercy. All He ever really wanted to do was take them to a land flowing with milk and honey.

Neh 9:28

But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;

__________

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiVvHxgHL5Q&feature=related

The Lord knows when we are ready to take that look back and face the wounds of the past. I'm so thankful that He continues to lead and guide without reservation in spite of our pasts. His love is so unconditional. That statement does not imply in any way that He won't judge sin. He's the ONLY judge. But, He's also the one whose blood purchased forgiveness so that we can receive redemption, restoration and ultimately life forever with Him.

The last few weeks, He has taken me on a journey of restoration. Many who read my blog will know already that I was in my late 20's (approaching 30 years old) when I was baptized in the name of Jesus and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Most do not know much about the tough years that eventually led me to a Pentecostal church, about a decade. How moving and beautiful that 21 years later, Jesus would send my past to my door for redemption! I pray for wisdom and His guidance in giving and receiving that healing and unconditional love He still offers today...

In Jesus' name...

Rom 5:7-10

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rs32vmDE9g

Daniel 7: Dreams

2011-07-25T20:49:00.000-05:00

I was just reading Daniel 7 again and had a few "deeper days" thoughts about dreams. I hold no claims to expertise on dreams or dreaming. However, I do know that Jesus sometimes speaks through dreams and dreamers. Not all dreams have spiritual implications. If certain symbols in dreams always meant the same thing from dream to dream, there would be no need for interpretation. So, I feel certain that I would find secular books on dreams to be likely of no value for me personally! I do believe in prayer. And, I believe that Jesus sometimes speaks through dreams. Here are some examples in scripture:

Genesis 20:3

Genesis 31:11

Genesis 31:24

Genesis 37:5

Genesis 40:5

Genesis 41:7

Numbers 12:6

Judges 7:13

I Kings 3:5

Jeremiah 23:28

Daniel 2:3

Daniel 4:5

Daniel 7:1

Joel 2:28

Matthew 1:20

Matthew 2:12

Matthew 2:19

Matthew 27:19

Acts 2:17

Of course, the scripture also contains warnings about the multitude of dreams and using them falsely. In short, it all comes back to prayer. I pray for wisdom, knowledge and discerning of spirits. This morning I want to make some personal observations about dreams based upon Daniel 7. They are pretty simple.

1) Write the dream, if you think it's from the Lord. (See Daniel 7:1)

Daniel had no interpretation at the time he wrote the dream. Daniel had a dream. He wrote it down in detail. The interpretation came later.

2) You MAY need to tell your dream to someone. (See Daniel 7:1-2)

3) Don't be discouraged if you are perplexed for a while. (See Daniel 7:15)

4) Don't be afraid to seek an interpretation. (See Daniel 7:16)

When the Lord gives a dream, eventually He will give the interpretation in His perfect timing. The hard part is waiting. Even at the end of the interpretation, Daniel was still troubled (Daniel 7:28). He kept the matter and pondered it in his heart. Sometimes, we still don't "get what we are getting." Someone, somewhere may need to see what we have written or hear what we have spoken.

Please, Stir My Heart

2011-07-22T23:53:00.000-05:00

http://youtu.be/zHOaFLx84Yk

Sometimes my heart just needs to be stirred, renewed. How awesome to know that I can cry, "Abba, Father." The Lord is the strength of my life. He provides what I do not even realize sometimes that I need. He answers prayers in ways that I could not even have considered to ask. His goodness overwhelms me. His mercy heals me. He is my God!

All of You, Jesus, is "more than enough for me."

Heb 4:12-16

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

KJV

Just to Know Him

2011-07-17T23:51:00.000-05:00

Jesus

So glad that we can

Know Him--

In the NOW!

"Could it be that You would really rather die than live without us?"

(Michael Card)

Know You in the Now

(Philippians 3:10)

Echo of history
A light so many strain to see
The One we talk so much about
But rarely ever live it out
Could You tell me why
Was it for this You came and died
A once a week observance
When we coldly mouth Your words

Lord I long to see
Your presence in reality
But I don't know how
Let me know You in the now

We should confess
We lose You in our busyness
We've made You in our image
So our faith's idolatry
Lord, deliver me
Break my heart so I can see
All the ways You dwell in us
That You're alive in me

Lord I long to see
Your presence in reality
But I don't know how
Let me know You in the now

http://www.lyricstime.com/michael-card-know-you-in-the-now-lyrics.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuQX0NXFZAM&feature=related

Phil 3:10

That I may know him,

and the power of his resurrection,

and the fellowship of his sufferings,

being made conformable unto his death;

2 Cor 5:14-21 (Excerpts)

For the love of Christ constraineth us...
If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.
And all things are of God,
who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,
and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

To wit, that God was in Christ,

reconciling the world unto himself...

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ...
we pray you in Christ's stead,
be ye reconciled to God.
For he hath made Him to be sin for us,
who knew no sin;
that we might be made
the righteousness of God in Him.

http://youtu.be/whjZTug_O-Y

The Name of Jesus--Salvation

2011-07-04T10:21:00.001-05:00

As I was looking for a particular sermon online last night, I found this one by Reverend Mike Williams. He speaks plainly and boldly about the necessity of the NAME OF JESUS in salvation. In a world where the church often tries to look generic, hoping to attract unbelievers, I'm so thankful for voices still speaking Truth unashamedly and straightforwardly!

(There was no "embed code" available. You will need to click on the link below to hear the message. Blessings, Dee)

http://thepentecostals.com/archive.htm:

"Neither is There Salvation in Any Other," November, 2010

Does Truth Exist?

http://www.apostoliclive.com/play.php?vid=2850

"The Truth is absolute. There is but one God. And, His name is JESUS!"

Reverend Jerry Jones

Rom 3:3-4
For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar;
(KJV)

Walking in Truth

2011-06-24T15:17:00.002-05:00

3 John 2-4

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

The letters written in second and third John are pretty short. But, they are powerful and to the point...

Just thinking this morning how important it is that we live in truth. Some believe in no absolutes. A friend recently told me about someone he knows who will receive instruction and guidance from nearly ANY book except the Bible. Perhaps, this little book of 3rd John helps to understand such a person. Why reject only one book? Because that book is a book of absolutes.

Some of the confusion today could be the result of the fact that the name of Jesus is powerful. Further, people learn how to use gifts. This problem was actually present when Jesus was walking and talking, teaching his disciples. John saw someone casting out devils in the name of Jesus. Jesus acknowledged that such events occur and indicated that the seeming offender was actually partially with them. Maybe just hearing the name of Jesus and feeling the release of that devil gone was a necessary step toward more truth for the "victim" of the demon.

John 9:38-40

And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part. For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

Just want to make sure that I am walking toward truth and not away from it all of the days of my life by His grace.

Luke 9:61-62

And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Acts 17:27-28

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:8 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

James 5:19-20

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

http://www.apostoliclive.com/play.php?vid=1277

John 14:12-18

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

If ye love me, keep my commandments.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

I will not leave you comfortless:

I will come to you.

http://www.apostoliclive.com/play.php?vid=3429

Thoughts on David's Sacrifice During the Plague

2011-06-17T13:40:00.002-05:00

Whatever You Ask: Steve Camp
http://youtu.be/Kv4DDXJTga8
_____________________________________________

1 Chron 21:17-28 (All scriptures are KJV.)

And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the Lord.

And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat. And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.

Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the Lord: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people. And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.

And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings without cost. So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the Lord; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. And the Lord commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.

At that time when David saw that the Lord had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.

_________________________________________________

The story is simple. David had sinned. Sooner or later, the price for sin would be paid. I am so thankful for the gift of repentance. Jesus paid the ultimate price and became the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Through that shedding of His own blood, He offers the gift of repentance freely.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Just as David did, we have to go by the altar of prayer and self-sacrifice. Our altar is not a physical one. Our sacrifice is not an animal. We have to sacrifice our own desires and worldly ambitions. We must offer what He reveals to us. Jesus told one man to go and sell all that had, give it away to the poor and follow Him in order to inherit eternal life (Luke 18:18-24). This requirement was not made of other people. The man had GREAT riches. Apparently, those riches stood between the man and Jesus. Whatever it is that stands between Jesus and each person must be laid individually upon an altar and sacrificed there. Sacrifice is not about saying. It is about doing. Words do not impress Jesus. The Apostle Paul expressed the discrepancy this way:

1 Cor 2:4-5
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Sometimes, our attitude shows best when we are NOT asked to give what we WANTED to offer. When David came to the threshingfloor and asked to purchase it, Ornan was willing to give all. A giver who is operating in the gift of giving can be a tremendous blessing! Whatever his reason for offering, Ornan was not the one required to give at this moment. In fact, Ornan's giving all would have hindered David's ability to produce the sacrifice he desperately needed to offer.

Even giving cannot be judged by external standards. We each have unique giftings and must be sensitive to the Holy Ghost in allowing us to bless with those gifts. Mistakes happen. Repentance and restoration are possible. Sometimes, the desire to be like someone else can actually hinder us from growing in the Lord. Taken to an extreme, such a focus on someone else might lead to coveting and actually attempting to be that person. How wonderful that Ornan kept a good spirit and backed down! He could have picked up an ugly attitude and thought, "I just wanted to give! How dare David! Who does he think he is?!" Instead, understanding allowed him to humbly accept the price that David had to pay. The fact is that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Sometimes it is actually easier to give than to receive. Both are necessary. Sensitivity is crucial.

David paid the price required to stop the plague. His offerings caused the Lord to answer by fire. David did not stop with offerings and an answer. THEN, he sacrificed. An entire book could possibly be written about how we respond AFTER the Lord has answered by fire. Indeed, the discussion concerning the difference between an offering and a sacrifice would be in order in such a work. This look at David's sacrifice does not allow for such in-depth writing.

Simply put, opportunities come to each of us who follow Jesus. We choose how far we will grow in Him. We choose whether or not we will stand in the gap for others who, for whatever reason, may be in a time of hopelessness. We choose our own attitudes and how we will respond to seeming rejection. We decide how we will handle being told, "No." When it is our turn to sacrifice, we either lay it down or we do not. We ultimately choose!

So, I'll end with a few questions for my own self today...

1) Am I willing to set up an altar in the name of the Lord?

Acts 4:10-12

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Heb 13:10-16 (Excerpts)

We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach...let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

2) How much am I willing to give in order to do the will of God?

Heb 10:8-9 (Excerpts)

Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will...

Luke 21:1-4

And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

3) What cost am I willing to pay?

Luke 14:27-30

And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

4) What sacrifice am I willing to make? Am I willing to receive?

Phil 4:18
But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.

Rom 12:1-3
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Thousands of other questions might be asked and answered based upon this one story. Wherever the Word ministers, it accomplishes what the LORD sends it to do. I have no doubt that Jesus still speaks, even through the Old Testament. For, I have been privileged to hear that still, small voice as His words have echoed through the chambers of my heart and mind.

Be blessed today and always as you seek Jesus through His written Word!

When Praise Demands a Sacrifice: Larnelle Harris

http://youtu.be/nwi1YU_Mi_A

Getting Understanding

2011-06-08T09:07:00.001-05:00

_________________________

(Proverbs 4:7)

Wisdom is the principal thing;
therefore get wisdom:

and

_________________________________________

This morning as I have considered several situations about which I have been praying, I find myself asking Jesus for understanding. Spiritual understanding is of the greatest importance to me. Having knowledge does not guide a person. But, wisdom and understanding about how to handle that knowledge make all the difference in the world about what to do next.

Surely, I am not the only person to find that "all of the pieces" do not always seem to "add up to the total." In other words, I'm at times seeing and hearing, "Two plus two." But, I am not arriving at the expected sum of "4."

Our eyes can deceive us. Our hearts can deceive. People can deceive. Even more than ever before, I pray for wisdom and understanding for how to use the knowledge that I have.

As you journey through your week, may you, too, be blessed with wisdom and understanding, especially in spiritual matters!

________________________________________________

www.dictionary.com

acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation...
familiarity (as with a particular subject or branch of learning)

acquaintance or familiarity gained by sight, experience, or report...

knowledge of what is true or right coupled with
just judgment as to action;

sagacity, discernment, or insight

mental process of a person who comprehends; comprehension...

superior power of discernment; enlightened intelligence

Happy Resurrection Celebration

2011-04-23T09:37:00.000-05:00

In my opinion, every day is Resurrection Day! Because Jesus lives, I live. This week, however, I join with others who have chosen to set aside a special time to commemorate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus...

Photo credit: smallwon from morguefile.com

Willing

2011-04-23T09:06:00.016-05:00

Willing

Willing to Listen ...

Willing to Go ...

Sometimes, the Lord simply asks us to slow down, stop and listen for a while as He speaks. Sometimes, He asks us to take action, to go.

Just meditating this morning briefly on the union of Issac and Rebekah. Sent by God to dwell in another land, Abraham absolutely wants his son Issac to take a wife from among his own people. The fact that Abraham sends his servant to seek the wife is a credit to that working relationship. Further, the servant's devotion and diligence in seeking the RIGHT mate for Issac speaks volumes about his relationship to Abraham and his own spiritual condition.(For more of the story, please read Genesis 24 and the surrounding passages.)

___________________________________

Willing to Listen...

Gen 24:2-4

"And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: But thou shalt go unto my country..."

In spite of his position as ruler over ALL of Abraham's belongings, the servant finds this task daunting. Indeed, he asks Abraham many questions concerning HOW to fulfill it. That's where we sometimes miss the boat. We must stop and ask for Godly counsel and listen to the voice of our Master, Counsellor and Friend, Jesus. Otherwise, we risk heading into uncharted waters without clear direction.

___________________________________

Willing to Go

Gen 24:7

"The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence."

Gen 24:10

"And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor."

Gen 24:27

"And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren."

Gen 24:51

"Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken."

Gen 24:57-58

"And they said, We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth. And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man?

And she said,

I will go."

Sent, the servant listens and goes. Sent, Rebekah listens and goes. We, too, may be asked to travel uncertain paths, roads we enjoy as well as those that threaten to weary us. Amazingly, we sometimes only have to get WILLING to go. Paul finds himself willing and wanting to visit Asia before ever is allowed to go there, for instance. Timing can be everything. What matters is that we are willing and obey.

Acts 16:6-7

"Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not."

Later...

Acts 19:22-23

"So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season."

Acts 19:26

"Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands..."

___________________________________________

Willing to Listen ...

Willing to Go ...

___________________________________________

Note: I actually started meditating upon this story and its implications (and writing) in February. Where I have been sent to teach this year has been TOUGH. This move has literally slowed down my life in areas such as writing and increased the speed in other areas beyond description. The original post was going to delve a little into the area of "giving" also, giving in prayer, worship, finances, etc. All of these aspects can be studied through the story of Abraham, the servant, Issac, Rebekah and her family. Perhaps when life shifts for me again, I will blog on the area of giving. In the meantime, I pray that something in these shared thoughts has blessed and ministered to you today, my blogger friend.

Pain, Prayer and Purpose

2011-03-08T09:09:00.001-06:00

I love when the Bible gives insight into relationships.

The story I have been reading this morning is about the relationship Jesus shared with a great family while He walked this earth in human form. Jesus was very close to Mary, Martha and Lazarus. They knew him intimately. Yet, even their worlds were shaken by the reality of sickness and death.

Sometimes, our pains and trials serve a greater purpose in the hands of the Master.

Mary, Martha and the Death of Lazarus

(Excerpts)

1) The sickness of Lazarus had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with how much Jesus loved Lazarus or this family. The Word about healing and the sickness not being UNTO DEATH meant something different than what their ears heard and minds understood. Sickness brought glory to God in this story.

John 11:1-5

Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

glitter-graphics.com

2) When sickness led to death, questions followed. Martha did not understand. This family NEEDED comfort. Death caused Mary to just sit still.

John 11:19-21

And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

glitter-graphics.com

3) No matter how things appeared, Jesus had always been totally in tune with this situation. When the time was right, he went to this family. He called Martha. In spite of her grief, she did not hesitate, but went quickly to Him.

John 11:28-30

And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.

glitter-graphics.com

4) Some say that Jesus wept because of the unbelief. He knew His intentions all along. Others say that this story is another example of how Jesus is touched by the feelings of our infirmities. Whatever His motive, the people experienced the tremendous love of Jesus through this humble act of heartfelt weeping. Yet, others questioned the authority of Jesus over death. These events created in Jesus a deep emotional reaction. Jesus responded by simply gave them a task which required obedience and reminded them of His promise.

John 11:33-40

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept.

Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

glitter-graphics.com

5) In the end, Jesus chose to hint at part of the reason for this trial, those who had been "standing by." He prayed for their benefit. God in flesh prayed so that others could hear. He did much of what He did SO THAT THE PEOPLE COULD HEAR, SEE and BELIEVE.

John 11:42-45

And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

(KJV)

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=4053890326797493565

Verse 1:
When there's no place to go, you think no
One knows
What you're going through
When you've done all you can,
You're exhausted my friend.
There's nothing left you can do.
When life overwhelms you or someone betrays you.
You feel like no one cares
There's still one place I know, when there's
no place to go
I can go to the Master in prayer

Chorus:
I can go to the Master. He always listens
He welcomes my please because He cares about me
He won't overlook my petition
He's standing above and He's watching in love
He's waiting my burden to bear
He's got time for you and a place for me too
I can go to the Master in prayer

Verse 2:
When the world turns on me, I'm so blind I can't see
Doubts are everywhere
When my friends turn me down and my spirit is bound
I can't rise above my fears
When the pain won't release me, there's no peace within me
I'm feeling like life isn't fair
When my nights sleep is lost and I've turned and I've tossed
I can go to the Master in prayer

Tag:
If your life's dead end, I can still recommend
We can go to the Master in prayer

Words and Music by Carrol McGruder
Copyright 1991 Integrated Copyright Group. BMI

http://www.theawakeningstore.com/index.php/music/karen-wheaton/soundtracks/remembering/remembering-soundtrack-collection-10.html

Oddly, I never intended to study this topic today. When I opened my Bible, the story seemed to jump from the pages. As I started to jot a few notes, those thoughts turned into a blog post. Maybe this one is only for me. A few weeks ago, a very dear friend died. This lady was close enough to one of my daughters to have been a second mother. What a blessing! A few weeks prior to her death, another friend, a pastor's wife, had passed from this life to glory. Saturday, I sat with my spiritual parents as they grieved the loss of a beloved family member. Recently, I visited the wake of a childhood friend who had committed suicide AND the wake of a young man who had been suddenly killed in a motorcycle accident.

Perhaps I did not even realize as I began to type this morning just how often recently that death has touched my world. Deep down, I know that if I'm ready, I'm going to be with Jesus eventually, whether by the grave or the calling away of the Church. That blessed assurance has kept me steady when the world around me has been changing.

I will miss those I have lost. But, I know that Jesus has a greater purpose than my eyes see and my ears hear. Whether the person who died was ready to go or not, Jesus can turn the pain of death into victory for others remaining here. Tears of personal loss fade into that certainty.

1 Thess 4:16-18

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

glitter-graphics.com

The POWER of His Love!

God, My Refuge

2011-01-15T09:18:00.003-06:00

"You're only one 'halleluia' from victory anyway!"

(Reverend Murrell Ewing)

If you feel that you're in the heat of a battle, HALLELUIA!

Never give up!

One of my favorite songs recorded by Sister Mickey Mangun is "Underneath Are His Everlasting Arms." This morning, I cannot seem to locate the song or the lyrics online. If you happen to locate either, please share the link(s) with me. In the meantime, here is the chorus, to the best of my memory:

Underneath are His everlasting arms.

Though the path be rough and narrow,

He will keep me from all harm.

He is my refuge.

Nothing shall alarm.

Underneath are His everlasting arms.

Ps 9:9-11

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.

Ps 48:2-3

Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge.

Ps 62:1-8

Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Isa 25:4-8

For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.

KJV

The Word

2011-01-01T15:11:00.000-06:00

As another year dawns, I want to thank each person who visits my Bible study page. If I were to write everything that inspires me when I read the Bible, I would absolutely need to quit my job and write full-time! While that option would surely bless me, the financial feasibility of it is low to impossible. If the Lord permits, however, I will continue to jot jewels He shares with me from time to time.

Thank You - Glitter Graphics

Glitter Graphics for Hi5, Myspace, Friendster, Orkut

The Word of God NEVER returns void. Just yesterday, I shared with a friend at lunch some of the multiple means through which the Word affects those who choose to consume it. I'm so thankful that it's a LIVING Word. Every time I read it, fresh manna fills me spiritually. Daniel wrote about a time when people would literally be "worn out!" I don't want to let the weights and cares of my day distract and steal personal Bible study and prayer moments.

Dan 7:25-28 (Excerpts)

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws ... As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.

Jesus also mentioned the danger of letting our hearts become weighted down with cares of life.

Luke 21:33-36

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Mark 4:18-20

And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

May the Word fall on the GOOD SOIL in each of us and may we labor together with Jesus toward a great harvest of souls for the Kingdom in 2011.

Happy New Year in Jesus!

The Lord, My Shepherd

2010-12-14T09:13:00.001-06:00

The Bible is full of metaphors about "sheep" and "shepherds." According to Fausset's Bible Dictionary, some of those images include the following:

Jehovah the Shepherd, His people the flock (Ps 23:1; Isa 40:11; Jer 23:1-2; Ezek 34:1).

Sinners, straying sheep whom the Good Shepherd came to save (Ps 119:176; Isa 53:6; Jer 50:6; Luke 15:4-6; John 10:8,11).

False teachers, thieves and wolves in sheep's clothing (Matt 7:15).

God's people, secure in their Father's hand (John 10:27-29).

Moses asked the Lord to put a man over the congregation to help lead the people. Jehovah chose Joshua. What a tremendous gift the Lord gave His people in calling Moses and Joshua! Even though my morning meditations focus on the Good Shepherd and his love and delicate care for His flock, I am thankful for those people in flesh given for leadership. Yes, people are flesh and they make mistakes. But, I refuse to attack the sacred office of ministry ordained by the Lord because of a "few bad apples" who have abused the trust given them in our day. After all, the Bible even makes note that those false teachers can appear as sheep. It can be hard to tell the difference sometimes. Isn't it wonderful to know that all things are revealed in time and that the guilty will answer to the great Shepherd who also holds the office of Judge? The ministry has been a blessing in my life. God is so good!

Num 27:15-20

And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying, Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.

Heb 13:17

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

1 Cor 4:1-5

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

KJV

Again, my morning meditations have been on the gentleness and love of the Great Shepherd. My pastor preached this past Sunday night on Psalm 23. From that time until now, those thoughts have reverberated through my heart with a renewed intensity. Jesus deeply cares for us in ways that words cannot express adequately. As many have quoted, "The darker the night, the brighter the Light." We truly have been placed in this world "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14). People may misunderstand and question. Pressures can mount in our lives. But, we have a Savior who restores us in those valleys. He leads us beside still waters. He comforts us. He anoints us. Surely, we are blessed! One day, the Chief Shepherd will return for us!

1 Peter 5:2-4

Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

KJV

If you happen to visit this site and have never experienced the powerful and comforting presence of Jesus, I invite you to reach out to this wonderful Friend.

http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/book.php?book=Acts&chapter=2&verse=38

Acts 2:36-40

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promiseyou is unto , and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
KJV

Sources:

FAUSSET'S BIBLE DICTIONARY
Andrew Robert Fausset, 1821-1910
Electronic Database
Copyright © 1998, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc.
All rights reserved

King James Version Bible:

http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/

The Song Remains

2010-11-26T11:52:00.001-06:00

Although critically little time has been available for blogging lately, the topic of praise continues to resound in my heart. Even in tough times, the LORD is in control. Someone once said, "His will never leads you where His grace won't keep you." And, "This I know: God is for me" (Psalm 56:9).

Deborah was a judge in Israel during times that were not always pleasant. She faithfully fulfilled her duties to the best of her ability. She had to say some things that were not always comfortable for others to hear. In the end, the Lord used her voice in putting the pieces together toward a great victory.

Biblical stories give me great hope in trying times. If I just stay faithful and let the LORD fight my battles, all will be well. Victory in Jesus is certain, although not always immediately apparent. In spite of the struggle, the song remains.Indeed, the "Song of Deborah" (Judges 5) in this triumph became one of the "finest and earliest examples of Hebrew poetry" (Nelson, 1986).

Reference:

NELSON'S ILLUSTRATED BIBLE DICTIONARY
Copyright © 1986 by
Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Judges 5 (Excerpts)

Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.

Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel.in the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel...

...Bless ye the Lord...

...Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam...

...So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.

And the land had rest forty years.

Purposeful Pain

2010-11-25T00:50:00.000-06:00

Michael Card:

Underneath the Door

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rs32vmDE9g

My father was a doctor, who would come home late at night
With a soul so bruised and bleeding from his unending, faithful fight
To keep a hold of kindness in a world that isn’t kind
To hold out the hope of healing to his hurting humankind

And he’d flee back to his study, to his bookish quiet place
With notes and books and journals to wall in his special space
Then he’d lock the door from things that cannot be locked out
And his youngest son would starve for what he would always do without

But it was meant to make me who I am and for all these many years
Still the little boy down on his knees, full of hope and full of fear
Calling underneath the door, “This is me, it’s who I am”
For we love the best by listening, when we try to understand

Desperate stubby fingers pushing pictures neath the door
And longing to be listened to by the man that I adored
Inside, someone who needed me just as much as I did him
Still unable to unlock the door that stayed closed inside of him

And it’s strange the way we tend to flee from what we need the most
That a father would lock out his son when his heart would hold him close
But our wounds are part of who we are and there’s nothing left to chance
And pain’s the pen that writes the songs and they call us forth to dance

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The pace of the last few months of my life has basically resulted in my near withdrawal from blogging for a while. When the time is right, I will share more details about these last 3 months. Meanwhile, I'm just so glad to have finally possibly entered a less busy period. Tonight, I just want to wish everyone who drops by this page a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

Comments Graphics

Prevailing

2010-10-07T22:59:00.000-05:00

Feel sometimes that you are swimming against the current? You are. If you are trying to live for Jesus, you will at some point encounter the resistance. Tonight, I just want to share a few verses of how David handled the opposition, prayer and faith. Then, I will close with Paul's description of our day to Timothy and his advice for how to live in this day.

As always, be blessed, my friend...

BIBLE, KING JAMES VERSION

Ps 70 (David's Prayer)

Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord.

Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.

Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.

Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.

But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O Lord, make no tarrying.

Ps 34:15-19 (David's Faith)

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

he righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

2 Tim 3:1-14 (Paul's Description and Advice)

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

Music: Why?

2010-09-18T12:31:00.000-05:00

Sister Kelly Linder, our music leader at Deliverance Tabernacle, recently asked me to do a study on the purpose of music in the Church. Even though I am quite tardy in getting it done, here are my notes that I will use in teaching this topic to our musicians. If I have violated anyone's copyright, please send me official notification and I will modify this post to suit your standards for citations. May you be blessed by what I have complied and written through prayer, study and meditation. Blessings as we worship the one true and living God, Jesus Christ our Friend, Lord and Savior. To Him, I give ALL glory, honor and praise for every good and perfect gift He has shared and for my very life.

(Please excuse any formatting and typographical issues. I have copied and pasted these notes from personal ones I have taken while studying. The formatting may conflict with Blogger formatting. Who knows?!)

(Complied by Sister Denise Dickson, 09-17-10)

MUSIC--Vocal or instrumental sounds with rhythm, melody, and harmony.

General Background

"Music was part of everyday life for the ancient Hebrew people."

Part of family merrymaking

Example: Homecoming party for the prodigal son (Luke 15:25)

Welcomed heroes and celebrated victories

Examples: Miriam and other women sang, danced, and played timbrels when the Israelites miraculously escaped the Egyptians (Ex 15:20), and the Song of Moses in Ex 15 is the earliest recorded song in the Bible. Jephthah's daughter greeted him with timbrels to celebrate his victory over the Ammonites (Judg 11:34). David's triumph brought music (1 Sam 18:6).

Used in making war and crowning kings

(Judg 7:18-20; 1 Kings 1:39-40; 2 Chron 20:28). Wartime music-making was apparently little more than making noise, as in the fall of Jericho (Josh 6).

Used for banquets and feasts

Examples: (Isa 5:12; 24:8-9) and royal courts and harems (Eccl 2:8).

Used in other ways

Examples: The Bible gives examples of occupational songs (Jer 31:4-5), dirges and laments (Matt 9:23), and chants (Ex 28:34-35; Josh 6:4-20).

The Jews were apparently a very musical people. The Assyrian king, Sennacherib, demanded as tribute from King Hezekiah of Judah male and female Judean musicians-a most unusual ransom. Ps 137 relates that the Babylonians demanded "songs of Zion" from the Israelites while they were in captivity (v. 3). During the period between the testaments, Strabo, a Greek geographer, called the female singers of Palestine the most musical in the world.


	Music in the Old Testament

Jubal was "the father of all those who play the harp and flute" (Gen 4:21).

Professional musicians do not appear in the Bible before David's time.

Even before professional musicians became the norm during David's reign, the concept of court musicians did exist. The young David was called to soothe Saul with music (1 Sam 16:16-23). In this sense David was a minstrel (2 Kings 3:15) - a player of stringed instruments.

The New Testament minstrels (Matt 9:23) were flute-players (professional mourners).

The transition from spontaneous music to professional male musicians chiefly associated with organized religion was a natural one. Israel's neighbors, Assyria and Egypt, had long had professional musicians. In spite of God's command to avoid other cultures, Israel was nevertheless strongly influenced by them-in music as well as religious practices.

Exactly how music was used in the tabernacle and Temple services is not known. But scholars are certain that it accompanied sacrificial rites. Sacrificial music was forbidden after the Romans destroyed the Temple in A.D. 70. The Levites, Temple assistants responsible for the music, seem to have kept this part of the service a secret.

David introduced music into the sanctuary worship. His son and successor Solomon later retained it after the Temple was built (2 Sam 6:5; 1 Kings 10:12).

· Music must have been considered an important part of the service, since Hezekiah and Josiah, the two reform kings, saw to it that music was included in the reformation (2 Chron 29:25; 35:15).

· Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun (Ethan) helped David set up the sanctuary worship. Asaph headed a choir of singers and musicians who were stationed before the ARK OF THE COVENANT in Jerusalem.

Heman and Jeduthun had similar choirs at the old tabernacle at Gibeon (1 Chron 16:4-6,39-42). These choirs had 4,000 members (1 Chron 23:5); 288 of these were trained musicians who directed the lesser-skilled musicians (1 Chron 25:7-8). All the musicians were divided into 24 courses, each containing 12 skilled musicians. An orchestra consisting of stringed instruments (harps and lyres) and cymbals accompanied the singers (1 Chron 15:19-21).

Our greatest clue to Hebrew music lies in the Book of Psalms, the earliest existing hymnbook. As hymns, these individual psalms were suitable for chanting and singing in the worship of God.

The Bible gives a glimpse of musical terminology in the headings of the Psalms which appear in the Hebrew language, the language in which the Old Testament was originally written. Their meanings, however, are, to a large extent, obscure. These meanings were apparently lost as early as 250 B.C., the approximate date of the Greek translation of the Old Testament.


	Selah

Word occurs 71 times in the Book of Psalms (also Hab 3:3,9,13).

Scholars agree that the term is a musical direction of some sort, but they are not agreed on what the direction is.

May mean: (1) an interlude-a pause in the singing while the orchestra continues; (2) the equivalent of today's "Amen"; as such it would separate psalms or sections of psalms which have different liturgical purposes; and (3) an acrostic which means "a change of voices" or "repeat."

Music in the New Testament

The New Testament contains little information about music. But it does give some additional hymns to add to the Old Testament hymns.

Examples: Those of Mary (Luke 1:46-55) and Zacharias (Luke 1:68-79) - the Magnificat and the Benedictus.

Early Christians sang Hebrew songs accompanied by music (2 Chron 29:27-28).

· The apostle Paul refers to "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16).

Matt 26:30 records that Christ and His disciples sang a hymn after the Passover supper, probably the second half of the HALLEL, or Ps 115-118.

The New Testament also contains accounts of the early Christians singing hymns for worship and comfort (Acts 16:25; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16).

Some fragments of early Christian hymns also appear in the New Testament (Eph 5:14; 1 Tim 3:16).

Pliny the Younger, at the beginning of the second century A.D., reported that Christians sang songs about Christ and their faith in Him.

Judah

[JOO duh] (praise)

The name of seven men and a place in the Old Testament:

The fourth son of Jacob by his wife Leah and the founder of the tribal family out of which the messianic line came (Gen 29:35; Num 26:19-21; Matt 1:2).

Most prominent of the 12 sons of Jacob

Saved Joseph's life by suggesting that his brothers sell Joseph to Ishmaelite merchants rather than kill him (Gen 37:26-28).

Begged Joseph to detain him (Judah) rather than Benjamin, Jacob's beloved son.

Confessed what he and his brothers had done to Joseph; shortly thereafter, Joseph identified himself to his brothers (Gen 44:14-45:1)

Appears that Judah was the leader of Jacob's sons who remained at home. Even though not the oldest son, Judah was sent by Jacob to precede him to Egypt (Gen 46:28). He received Jacob's blessing (Gen 49:3-10). In that blessing, Jacob foretold the rise of Judah: "Your father's children shall bow down before you....the scepter shall not depart from Judah...until Shiloh comes" (Gen 49:8,10).

Judah had three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah (Gen 38:3-5). Er and Onan were killed by divine judgment because of their sins (Gen 38:7-10). Judah also fathered twin sons, Perez and Zerah (Gen 38:29-30). The line of Judah ran through Perez to David and thus became the messianic line (Luke 3:30; Judas, KJV).

PRAISE

· An act of worship or acknowledgment by which the virtues or deeds of another are recognized and extolled.

The praise of man toward man, although often beneficial (1 Cor 11:2; 1 Peter 2:14), can be a snare to man (Prov 27:21; Matt 6:1-5).

But the praise of God toward man is the highest commendation a person can receive. Such an act of praise reflects a true servant's heart (Matt 25:21; 1 Cor 4:5; Eph 1:3-14).

The praise of man toward God is the means by which we express our joy to the Lord. We are to praise God both for who He is and for what He does (Ps 150:2). Praising God for who He is is called adoration; praising Him for what He does is known as thanksgiving. Praise of God may be in song or prayer, individually or collectively, spontaneous or prearranged, originating from the emotions or from the will.

The godly person will echo David's words,

"My praise shall be continually of You...And [I] will praise You yet more and more."

(Ps 71:6,14)

WORSHIP

Reverent devotion and allegiance pledged to God; the rituals or ceremonies by which this reverence is expressed. The English word worship comes from the Old English word worthship, a word which denotes the worthiness of the one receiving the special honor or devotion.

Although the New Testament does not instruct worshipers in a specific procedure to follow in their services, several elements appear regularly in the worship practices of the early church.

· Prayer apparently had a leading place in Christian worship. The letters of Paul regularly open with references to prayer for fellow-Christians who are instructed to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess 5:17).

Praise, either by individuals or in hymns sung in common, reflects the frequent use of psalms in the synagogue. Possible fragments of Christian hymns appear scattered through the New Testament (Acts 4:24-30; Eph 5:14; 1 Tim 3:16; Rev 4:8,11; 5:9-10,12-13).

New Testament worship was characterized by a joy and thanksgiving because of God's gracious redemption in Christ. This early Christian worship focused on God's saving work in Jesus Christ.

True worship was that which occurred under the inspiration of God's Spirit (John 4:23-24; Phil 3:3).

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(Part #2 notes taken from Bible and Dee's Thoughts)

Victory at Jericho

Josh 6:2-21 (Excerpts)

2 And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.

3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.

4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.

6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord.

7 And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord.

8 And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the Lord, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them.

9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rearward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.

11 So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.

12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.

13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rearward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.

15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.

16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city...

20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

Relationship to Presence of God’s Glory

2 Chron 5:11-14

11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)

13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord;

14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.

Gideon's Victory

Judg 7:17-24

17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.

18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.

19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.

20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.

21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.

22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath.

23 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.

24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan.

Judah Goes Up First...

Judg 20:18 and 35

18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first.

35 And the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.

Jehoshaphat's Victory

2 Chron 20:14-30

14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation;

15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.

18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.

19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever.

22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

26 And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.

27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.

28 And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord.

29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel.

30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.

A FEW THOUGHTS FROM DEE...

Leadership in God’s House, Underlying Design from the Beginning

1. It’s a service…

Num 18:6

And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

2. It’s a place of offering and sacrifice…

Josh 22:27

But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the Lord before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the Lord.

3. It’s a place for giving and receiving instruction with a right spirit…

1 Chron 25:5-7

All these were the sons of Heman the king's seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king's order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman. So the number of them, with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the Lord, even all that were cunning, was two hundred fourscore and eight.

4. It’s a place of letting go of one’s own ambitions and seeking God’s face…

2 Chron 31:20-21

And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God.1 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

5. It’s a place of commitment…

(Taken from Nelson’s Bible Dictionary)

Paul spoke of himself as a "servant," a word sometimes rendered as "bondservant" but frequently also as "slave" (Rom 1:1; Titus 1:1). Christians, especially ministers, are not hired servants but slaves committed to service to Jesus. A slave does not manage his own life. The person who calls himself a slave of Christ acknowledges that the Savior has power over him.

6. It’s a place where attitude matters…

Ps 100

1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Leadership in God’s House, A Choice

A person who serves here is free to go at any time. This service is not slavery. However, it demands devotion, prayer and humility. Before I close with a few verses about worship, holiness and other important topics, let’s review the Old Testament story of those who were in service as master and servant. Think about how that applies to service in God’s house. Notice the role that God’s house played even in that time period when it came to the consecration of a person who chose to stay and serve. Think about what it means to serve.

Ex 21:1-6

1 Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.

5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

Deut 15:17

17 Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

CLOSING VERSES ON PRAISE, WORSHIP and the SANCTUARY

1 Chron 16:29

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Ps 132:7

We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.

Ps 138:2

I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

John 4:23-24

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Ps 63:1-2

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

Ps 68:24-26

They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary. The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels. Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

Ps 77:13

Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

Ps 96:6-9

Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

Ps 134:2-3

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. The Lord that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.

Ps 150

1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.

2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.

3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.

4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

Choosing Words Thoughtfully and Prayerfully

2010-09-14T10:09:00.005-05:00

Sometimes choices occur too quickly. In a politically correct world, even the words one chooses to speak can be based upon what would please others and not what would please God. For instance, I stumbled this past week into a conversation in which two colleagues were verbally blasting conservative Christians. Even after I revealed to them that I consider myself to be a conservative Christian, they continued to degrade and to question the authenticity of the Bible. Words... Choices...

I am reminded of a song from years ago. Unfortunately, I do not remember the name or author of the song for a credit to the person. An online search produced only more questions as to the origins. While I may not have the words exactly correct, let me share the thoughts:

"He simply spoke the words, 'Let there be'

And out of nowhere came the land and sea.

The moment He said, 'Let there be light,'

The day was born right out of the night.

He has a way with words.

The moment He spoke,

This whole world occurred.

He has a way with words.

Hopelessly, she trudged along, her face turned toward the ground,

She had lost her only son. Her world was crashing down.

But, Jesus stopped the funeral, gave the mother back her son.

Just because He spoke the words, the miracle was done.

He has a way with words.

The moment He spoke,

This whole world occurred.

He has a way with words."

Words are powerful. The Almighty God hears even words spoken in private. An elder in my home church was quoted as having said, "Justice rides a slow horse. But, one of these days, He's gonna come riding up to the door." The fact that lightening does not fall from the sky when even blasphemous words are spoken does not mean that the just God has ignored our words.

Consider the Biblical story of Sapphira. Four words cost Sapphira her life. She and her husband had wanted to have appeared to have been politically correct in their day. They had wanted to have appeared to have given all that they had to the church, while holding back on part of it. In spite of their lie that broke unity in the Church, the Holy Ghost continued to move through those who were unified. Here's a bit of the story...

Acts 5:7-15

And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.

And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.

And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)

Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.

A comprehensive study of how the Bible addresses spoken words would take far more than one blog post. Still, I really want to be more conscious of my words. Yes, Christians must choose words carefully. At the same time, silence may not always be golden in our Country (United States), one that is steadily moving away from Biblical principles in favor of political correctness.

Jesus, give us wisdom to choose our words thoughtfully and prayerfully!

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A Few Scriptures that Reflect the Importance of Word Choices

Ex 19:3-7

And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him.

Deut 31:30-32:1

And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended. Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

1 Kings 5:7

And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be the Lord this day, which hath given unto David a wise son over this great people.

1 Kings 12:6-7

And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

Est 4:8-17

Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people. And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai; All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days. And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.

Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

Job 38:1-3

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

Ps 12:6

The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Ps 19:14

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Prov 7:4-5

Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

Prov 16:24

Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Prov 18:4 & 18:8

The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook... The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

Eccl 7:21-22

Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

Acts 10:44

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

1 Cor 2:4

And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

Eph 5:6

Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

1 Thess 2:4-5

But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:

1 Tim 6:4-6

He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain.

2 Tim 1:13

Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Jude 16-23

These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

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Seasons of Life

2010-08-21T22:29:00.000-05:00

To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven...

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Glittery texts by bigoo.ws

Understanding and acceptance of where one is in life contributes to peace and satisfaction with living. The seasons of life have been changing this year for my family. Holding to my commitment in January to simplify has not always been easy. By the grace of Jesus, I have been pressing on toward that mark. Cammie's graduation, Kara's wedding and my job change have vividly and unquestionably turned huge proverbial pages in our story. At the same time, Deliverance Tabernacle has been experiencing blessed and precious revival. Especially in the tough economy in America, many are searching for meaning. Those who are hungering and thirsting for righteousness are being filled, according to the Biblical promise given. May you, my friend, savor the season in which you find yourself tonight. When you have done all that you can do, stand.

Eph 6:12-18

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,

that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day,

and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore,

having your loins girt about with truth,

and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Above all, taking the shield of faith,

wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation,

and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching...

The Power of ONE!

2010-07-22T00:37:00.000-05:00

Want to see the Father?

Look into the face of Jesus...

Understanding that life is short, at best,

Finding the way "home" is of highest priority.

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John 14:1-7

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Thomas saith unto him, Lord,

we know not whither thou goest;

and how can we know the way?

Jesus saith unto him, I

am the way, the truth, and the life:

no man cometh unto the Father,

but by me.

If ye had known me,

ye should have known my Father also:

and from henceforth

ye know him,

and have seen him.

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If there was any doubt...

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Mark 12:29

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

Eph 4:4-6

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord,

one faith,

one baptism,

One God and Father of all,

who is above all,

and through all,

and in you all.

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http://www.apostoliclive.com/play.php?vid=718

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR_tGxq-QI0

Little Things Matter (Being Yourself)

2010-07-16T15:27:00.002-05:00

Glittery texts by bigoo.ws

"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting."

e. e. cummings

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/eecummin386070.html

A couple of years ago, I observed as a gentleman proselyted a young convert from another church. The process took place on their job and over a number of weeks. Maybe the person doing the persuading had a personal motive. Maybe the motive was spiritual pride. Perhaps he surmised that even though the original church had won and discipled the new convert, that church could not possibly be spiritual enough to "raise the child" in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Hmmm... I would imagine that the other person's spiritual well-being has rarely been at heart when proselyting has occurred. What are some of the "roots" of proselyting? What's underneath?

When the basic doctrines of faith are not being taught in a church, undoubtedly someone must step in and teach them in order for others to make informed and Spirit-led choices. Indeed, saints MUST be soul winners. We live in a world of hunger, spiritually longing to be led "out of darkness and into His marvellous light" (I Peter 2:9).

At the same time, when two churches are preaching the same gospel, why might one person try and persuade another person who is beginning to establish spiritual roots to uproot himself? Persistent persuasion can act in the same way as water washing continually over a substance. But, is that constant wear necessarily what is best for the individual?

In my repeated pondering, the image of erosion has come to mind. Today, I decided to do an introductory level study on erosion. My attention has been focused on an article I scanned about the formation of the Grand Canyon. Here's a bit of that article...

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The Grand Canyon:
http://www.bobspixels.com/kaibab.org/geology/gc_geol.htm

"The most powerful force to have an impact on the Grand Canyon is erosion, primarily by water (and ice) and second by wind... Water seems to have had the most impact basically because our planet has lots of it and it is always on the move. Many people cannot understand how water can have such a profound impact considering that the Canyon is basically located in a desert. This is one of the biggest reasons that water has such a big impact here...

The plants that grow in the Grand Canyon tend to have very shallow root systems so that they can grab as much water as possible on those rare occasions when it does rain. Unfortunately these root systems do nothing to deter erosion by holding the soil in place. Now you've got lots of water, no place for it to go, but down to the Colorado River, and nothing holding the soil and rock in place...

The result is frequently a flash flood roaring down a side canyon that can move boulders the size of automobiles, buses and even small houses. If automobiles, buses and small houses are in the way then it will take them too. Luckily no one builds houses in the Grand Canyon so that's not a problem but there are a few autos, vans and buses sitting at the bottom of the Colorado. This mass that moves down a side canyon during a flash flood is more like a fast flowing concrete than water and it can be very dangerous. You should always be well informed of weather conditions when you are hiking through side canyons in the Grand Canyon."

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Shallow roots can be problematic...

That constant pushing of, yes, even water, presents dangers. When there is nothing to hold soil in place, ANYTHING can inadvertently become a part of the washout debris as the water continues to do what water typically does, flow. I don't want to "carry the water to the sea," as an old song says. I want to carry it where it's needed. When people simply transplant from one church to another, is that revival? I think likely not.

After reading my post today, you may be inclined to draw the conclusion that people have left our church recently. That concern almost caused me not to make this post. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the last month, we have seen an influx of NEW people, people who have never experienced baptism in Jesus' name or the infilling of the Holy Ghost as evidenced by speaking in other tongues. If you are my friend and you are in a church that is preaching Truth, PLEASE do not move unless the Lord moves upon you to move! I love you WHERE YOU ARE!

While e e cummings was not particularly spiritual to my knowledge, he said it well, "Be yourself." Even religious groups can get caught up in fads and name-dropping. I'm not suggesting that we not have respect for each other and for our elders. When we allow our thinking to become worldly, though, we become more likely to engage in that "My Church Is Better Than Yours" behavior. The logical next step is to proselyte.

Here's a little Bible story that may help to pull these random deeper thoughts of my day together and emphasize my point...

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Mark 12:36-44

David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son?
And the common people heard him gladly.
And he said unto them in his doctrine,

Beware of the scribes,
which love to go in long clothing,
and love salutations in the marketplaces,
And the chief seats in the synagogues,
and the uppermost rooms at feasts:

Which devour widows' houses,
and for a pretence make long prayers:
these shall receive greater damnation.

And Jesus sat over against the treasury,
and beheld how the people
cast money into the treasury:
and many that were rich cast in much.
And there came a certain poor widow,
and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

And he called unto him his disciples,
and saith unto them,
Verily I say unto you,
That this poor widow hath cast more in,
than all they which have cast into the treasury:
For all they did cast in of their abundance;
but she of her want did cast in all that she had,
even all her living. (KJV)

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When our actions are based in pretense and/or the desire for personal fame, financial gain, and other self-interests, Jesus is obviously displeased. Jesus on earth as a man was never pretentious. He never did his miracles for financial gain. He was always Himself! Even when He spoke and taught as one with authority, sinners were drawn to Him. He said to one scribe, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head" (Matthew 8:20). He seemed to be deeply interested in HOW things were done.

Today's Apostolic church is in a blessed and unique position. We have been entrusted with the harvest of the last days. May Jesus give us wisdom and grace to reach others and to help them put "roots downward" and bear "fruit upward" (II Kings 19:30 and Isaiah 37:31). May He give us grace to be who He made each of us to be. Even though bills must be paid and the Church is privileged to provide for the man of God--the shepherd under the Great Shepherd who watches out for the saints' souls--may money NEVER become our motive in outreach. Even though we are called to testify of what the Lord is doing, may pride and "bragging rights" NOT be at the root of our efforts.

Lord, help us to be OURSELVES,

to be who You are making each of us to be.

Help us to remember that

little things can make

a BIG difference,

in our own lives and

in the lives of others.

May our own goals,

ambitions and human pride

never push a "little one"

in You to uproot.

May our motives be pure

by Your mercy and grace.

May we truly be laborers

together with You

in this great harvest of Yours...

In the precious name of Jesus, I pray!

Little Things Matter (Simplicity)

2010-07-13T11:05:00.000-05:00

Glittery texts by bigoo.ws

Lately, I have been so involved at home, church and work that I have sparsely blogged. But, I have certainly continued to ponder the value of the very small. In fact, the complexity of life lately has made contemplation of the simple even more intriguing. While I may or may not return to the Bible study on "little things" about which I have been blogging, the overall message remains the same ... Small, simple... Little Things Matter!

This morning, I read a quote by Leonardo DaVinci...

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

Pondering simplicity...
I do not completely adhere to or condone the overall beliefs of any of these writers. But, here are just a few quotes I have found inspiring...

"Blessed are the poor in spirit." Blessed are they who are stripped of every thing, even of their own wills, that they may no longer belong to themselves.

God would behold in you a simplicity which will contain so much the more of His wisdom as it contains less of your own.

(Both Quotes by François Fénelon)

Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.

Frédéric Chopin, as quoted in If Not God, Then What? (2007)

Finally, a rather humorous quote...

I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.

Blaise Pascal

(This quote has also been attributed to others.)

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Simplicity

... he that giveth, let him do it with SIMPLICITY ...

Romans 12:8

... that in SIMPLICITY and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world ....

II Corinthians 1:12

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the SIMPLICITY that is in Christ.

II Corinthians 11:3

The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the SIMPLE.

Psalm 119:130

Of course, the use of the word simple is not always a positive one in Scripture. In the context of focusing of what is MOST important, however, the uses are positive. Today, may each of us focus on the simplicity that is in Christ, even in the complexity of our world. May we not fall into the trap of the enemy...

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall WEAR OUT the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws...

Daniel 7:25

I'm so thankful for a place of rest, peace and simplicity in Jesus!
...He leadeth me beside STILL waters...

Little Things Matter (Gideon)

2010-06-11T23:44:00.000-05:00

Glittery texts by bigoo.ws

Sometimes we see our problems so largely that we fail to see our God. Our spiritual vision is not always clear. What seems little and insignificant in a worldly sense can be quite the opposite through God's eyes. The calling and ultimate obedience of Gideon in delivering Israel from the oppression of the Midianites provides an example...

Gideon

Judg 6:11-16

And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

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Gideon's View...

Gideon was actually hiding to thresh the wheat for FEAR of the Midianites.
The angel considered Gideon a man of VALOUR.
Gideon could only see the tragedy surrounding him. He could only ask, "Why?!"
Gideon felt forsaken by God.
Gideon saw himself as poor and little.

God's View...

The Lord LOOKED and saw things differently than Gideon.
The Lord saw Gideon's MIGHT!
The Lord promised to be with Gideon.
The Lord promised that Gideon would bring down the Midianites as though they were ONE man.

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Judg 7:2-8

And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place. So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

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Numbers impress people. We can be intimidated by them.
Numbers have never impressed God.
In Gideon's case, the Lord whittled the army down to 300 men so that the people could not say that they had won the battle by their own strength.
God used the little, the small, to confound the mighty.
Even God's military strategy defied traditional methodology....

Judg 7:18

When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

Gideon's army simply blew trumpets, broke pitchers and lit torches in their hands upon command, shouting, "The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon." Judges 7 tells the story of how the enemy host ran, cried and fled, turning on each other in their confusion. Israel celebrated a tremendous victory.

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When we view ourselves and our callings, keeping our spiritual eyes attuned to the vision of Jesus can be challenging. By its very nature, our modern world clamors to divert our attention. While we may be surrounded by a society trumpeting the magnificent and gargantuan, the glittery and mighty, we must keep our eyes on the mark for the prize. Gideon's life may give some insight along those lines. One commentator (Nelson's Bible Dictionary) notes that Gideon's life was "sustained by regular worship." The writer states that Gideon seems to have worshiped in times of personal crisis and celebration. We tend to become more like those with whom we spend time. Time with Jesus is vital. And...

May Jesus reveal to us when our vision is not in line with His...

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Phil 3:10-15

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Blessings today and always, my blogging friends...

Little Things Matter (Personal Experience)

2010-05-29T10:25:00.000-05:00

Glittery texts by bigoo.ws

While I do not normally attempt to link posts on my two blogs, I am going to do so today. Little things really do matter. If you have the time to read my ramblings on "Doodlings from Dee" today, you will see how I have actually lived this belief in the last few weeks. According to the Bible, all things are working together for the good of those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose. The word all includes the little things.

Doodlings from Dee Link:

http://denise-greatidea.blogspot.com/2010/05/in-his-time.html

Little Things Matter (Vision)

2010-05-22T10:39:00.000-05:00

Here are some famous pictures from various unknown artists. What do you see? Is it possible that there is more to each picture than what is seen at first glance?

Glittery texts by bigoo.ws

Just thinking this morning about spiritual vision, praying to see things as the Lord sees them. I heard Reverend Robert Trapani speak once about such a prayer. Though he is a fairly well-known conference speaker in Pentecost, Reverend Trapani said that he saw just a small child through his Father's eyes. Reverend Trapani's portrayal of the Fatherly image that Jesus revealed was moving.

Today, Lord, anoint my eyes again to see what You see...

Revelation 3:18

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

1 Sam 16:7

But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Isaiah 55:9

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Proverbs 29:18

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Luke 16:13-15

No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Deut 13:18

When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.

(Thought: The man of God can be the voice of God and reveal the sight of God.)

Matt 6:5-6

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

1 Peter 3:11-12

Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

Proverbs 5:21

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

Prov 15:3

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

2 Chr 16:9a

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him...

Little Things Matter (David)

2010-05-08T10:35:00.001-05:00

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Comments: I Sam 15:35-16:13

Spiritual casualties likely never leave our hearts. They certainly never go beyond the love of God in us. Sometimes, however, we need to stop mourning the spiritually dead and "move forward." Our own insecurities can make the tasks seem big and our abilities seem small. Obedience in these seemingly small areas can lead to great things. One can only wonder what might have happened had Samuel stayed where he was because of grief for Saul or refused to go to Jesse's house because of fear for his own future.

Our efforts to decide the will of God by what we see can mislead. The Lord had made it clear that He would name the new king-to-be for Samuel. Yet, as would seem natural, Samuel began looking on outward appearances. While Samuel seemed to get the message quickly that God was looking ONLY at the hearts of the individuals, the father of the potential candidates was much slower to get the message.

David, the youngest son, was ruddy in appearance.

David was a worker. David was a worshipper. David tended sheep. Perhaps through these experiences, the sun had made David's skin a bit reddish. It is interesting that he was good to look "to" and not necessarily to look "on" or "at." To whom do we look when we are seeking Godly relationships? Do we simply look on the external evidence? Or, do we choose those who are good to look "to" for spiritual wisdom, those with whom our spirits connect through internal evidence? It's only a small preposition. But, it makes a WORLD of difference in meaning.

I believe that David's beautiful countenance was probably the glow of His love for God and the result of time spent in worship and in the presence of the Almighty. David likely learned in the fields how great our God is, how protective He is of us. David's courage as a young man in fighting the giant Goliath gave evidence to His assurance that things are not always as they appear to be. His boldness demonstrated that he had learned to see things through God's eyes. Giants became small and little things such as stones became crucial.

From the day that he was named King and anointed, David's walk with the Lord changed. He still had many trials and even some failures to experience. In the end, the Lord took this young, unlikely candidate--a ruddy-looking youth--and transformed him into a great King of Israel.

Scripture (KJV): I Samuel 15:35-16:13

And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel. And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD's anointed is before him. But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him:

for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.

And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. And he sent, and brought him in.

Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

Glittery texts by bigoo.ws

An Artistic Interpretation of David's Life...

Little Things Matter (Saul)

2010-04-21T22:20:00.000-05:00

1 Sam 15:16-17

Then Samuel (the man of God) said unto Saul (the king), "Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night." And he said unto him, "Say on." And Samuel said,

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Glittery texts by bigoo.ws

According to the Bible, Saul was "little" in his own sight when he was anointed king over Israel. In fact, I Samuel 10 reveals a man who had submitted to the Lord and the prophet's words from the Lord. Saul had even held his peace when a group of evil men who despised his anointing as king voiced their feeling that he was unqualified to rule (I Samuel 10:27).

Somewhere, Saul strayed from these humble beginnings. Saul's spiritual vision obviously became poor. Saul's political position had surely resulted in fame, fortune and many friends for him. He had acquired power and influence along the way.Whatever blinded him to his own human weakness ultimately cost him the kingdom. Thus, we read the tragic words of the prophet,

Glitter Generators

In our own lives, we can so easily lose sight of the ultimate goal of seeing things as the Lord sees them. Our spiritual vision can become blurred by some of the same stones in the path of life that caused Saul to stumble. As one minister (Reverend Robert Trapani) taught at the Louisiana District Camp Meeting one year, may we always have the wisdom and grace to pray,

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Little things REALLY do matter!

Seeing What He Sees

2010-04-19T21:53:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I joyfully shared in a service with some of the Spanish-speaking women in our area. Sister (Hermana) Zepeda had invited me to teach. The Lord gave me a simple but deep series of thoughts on having the Lord's vision, seeing things as He does. Rediscovering the beauty Jesus sees in "little" things also blessed me. Over the next few days, I hope to share some of those thoughts on this site.

Be blessed, my friend...
"Little is much when God is in it!"

Letters

2010-04-01T11:49:00.000-05:00

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EPISTLE...

"A letter of correspondence between two or more parties; the form in which several books of the New Testament were originally written... Epistle sometimes is regarded as more formal correspondence, and letter as more personal."
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Copyright 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Because I love to write, the fact that much of the New Testament consists of letters to churches or specific people intrigues me. The letters were written by holy men of God. Often, they were written to instruct. When one reads those letters, awareness that the letters were penned to already-established churches or "saints" provides insight and understanding concerning the writer, the recipient and the purpose of the text.

Letters in general serve many purposes. Some simply serve to maintain contact, while others may contain essential information for intended persons (legal documents, etc). Some pieces of mail are just plain junk. With the arrival of e-mail, the task of digging through junk mail (spam) has become less arduous. The supposed offensive mail goes directly to the appropriate folder from which it can be easily disposed by a simple "delete" click.

Unfortunately, I have sometimes accidentally deleted a piece of mail I needed because it inadvertently made its way into the dreaded spam folder. Contrarily, I have discovered junk mail that somehow has managed to sliver into my "Inbox." Such sneaky notes often contains "links" that spread viruses and can shut down whole computers. One must be very careful when reading mail these days!

One thing is certain, Jesus intends for us to be just as concerned about the letters being written by our own lives. Indeed, we are letters, open and read by all men. Those who call themselves by the name of Jesus are His letters!

2 Cor 3:1-3

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

I pray that by His grace, my life is telling His story. I do not want to become so much like this world that my "mail" appears to be spam to others. At the same time, I want to make sure that what people see is who I really am. I do not want my life to appear to be right, all the while carrying "viruses" beneath the surface. May the writing of my life reflect His glory, even in my mistakes. May I have the courage to admit my humanness and allow Him to "create in me a clean heart," as the Psalmist David cried.

From the CD, Poiema

The Poem of Your Life
by Michael Card
(from Charm and Grace Cottage Blogspot)

Life is a song we must sing with our days-
A poem with meaning more than words can say-
A painting with colors no rainbow can tell-
A lyric that rhymes either heaven or hell-

We are living letters that doubt desecrates-
We're the notes of the song of the chorus of faith-
God shapes every second of our little lives-
And minds every minute as the universe waits by-

The pain and the longing-
The joy and the moments of light-
Are the rhythm and rhyme-
The free verse of the poem of life-

So look in the mirror and pray for the grace-
To tear off the mask, see the art of your face-
Open your ear lids to hear the sweet song-
Of each moment that passes and pray to prolong-

Your time in the ball of the dance of your days-
Your canvas of colors of moments ablaze-
With all that is holy-
With the joy and the strife-
With the rhythm and rhyme of the poem of your life-
With the rhythm and rhyme of the poem of your life-

The pain and the longing
The joy and the moments of light
Are the rhythm and rhyme
The free verse of the poem of life

Be blessed today as Jesus writes the letter of your life.

The Word

2010-03-24T19:42:00.000-05:00

Ps 1:1-3

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

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In order to live by it, we must read and study the Word of God. May the Word of God daily come alive and dwell in each of us RICHLY! Be blessed as you seek and find treasure there, my friend.

Walking in the Spirit

2010-03-15T22:32:00.000-05:00

A busy schedule and the need for sleep have prevented me from sharing thoughts recently. I have terribly missed journaling. Returning to the book of James tonight, I have decided to jot a note or two. Be blessed in your Bible studies, too, my friend!

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James 1:15-16

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.

James 2:8-9

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

James 4:16-17

But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

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Sin is tricky, isn't it? It actually has a birth process. Starting as conception in the unseen recesses of the mind, it ends in spiritual death. James implores the reader NOT to give in to this process. The most obvious step to take in avoiding sin is to turn it away at the first thought. My spiritual dad (Reverend Terry Tucker) has said, "A bird may land in your hair. But, you do not have to let him build a nest there!"

James also reminds the reader that sin does not always involve some heinous action. Sin can be as simple as having respect for one person over another, such as the rich over the poor. Such subtle sin can be illusive and go easily unnoticed. When we love as Jesus loves, that covering protects us as well as the other person from the damage done by respect of persons. Indeed, the Bible tells us that love covers a multitude of sins.

Pride is another sly sin. When we hear ourselves speaking boastful words, we must take notice and take the matter to prayer. Otherwise, we are likely to find ourselves not only boasting, but enjoying great personal pleasure from our vain words of self-elevation. We may even deceive ourselves in attempting to cloak our pride under the guise of false humility.

In short, anything good that we know to do and we refuse to do becomes SIN! Sin is not simply what we do. It is what we DO NOT do in many instances. I often pray that Jesus will let me see myself as He sees me. I want him to get and keep the junk out of my spirit.

Let us guard our hearts and minds...Where we fail, let us be quick to repent and seek restoration...May you and I "walk" in the Spirit and not in our flesh daily...

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Rom 8:6-9

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Established!

2010-03-05T22:05:00.000-06:00

Just thinking tonight...

The Lord's viewpoint is not always the same as man's. David wanted to build God a house. The man of God (Nathan, the prophet) obviously wanted David to build it. According to the Bible, the prophet was so sure that it was the will of God for David to build that he did not even stop to pray. When asked, he simply told David to build. The Lord apparently did not mind those curtains which had "housed" the ark of His presence. Furthermore, God had other plans in mind. David was not to build.
The Lord's plan is always best for us. The Lord planned for David's son Solomon to build the temple. David was in a position to gather materials and set the plan in order. David had resources. The Lord was looking at the whole picture, while David and Nathan could only see their parts. Amazingly, God established a house for David instead of David building one for Him. What a twist!
Our response to the Lord's plan when it is different from man's tells the story of our character. David never argued when the word came that he would not be able to build the house of God. He responded in thanks and worship. No wonder David became known as a man after God's own heart.

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Excerpts from the Story:
2 Samuel 7

And it came to pass, when the king (David) sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.

And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle...

Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto...And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy servant. For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them. Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears...

And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said. And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee. For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.

And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.

As you and I obediently submit to the will of Jesus--not our own or that of others who support us simply because of what seems obvious to them--we, too, become ESTABLISHED! I'm so thankful that nearly 20 years ago, Jesus filled me with the Holy Ghost. What an awesome God! Life has not always happened as I have expected. Through it all, my mission has been to seek His face and continue to thank and worship Him. He has continued to fill my life again and again with His presence in very personal ways. Especially when I have begun to veer from His will, He has corrected my spiritual walk. I want to be ESTABLISHED in Him. May you, too, take the time to find HIS WILL!

May this old song bless you. Let's see...I was about 4 years old spiritually at the time this was recorded! I'm so thankful that some things are settled and DO NOT change with the fads of time...

Love: An Action Verb (James, Post 5)

2010-02-17T09:47:00.000-06:00

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The instructions in James for living a godly life are clearly stated. One can hardly read the book without examining oneself. Someone has stated, "Living for God easy is hard. But, living for God hard is easy." James may seem to be a "hard" writer. Certainly, to live the words written in James with all one's heart makes life "easier."

The ending of this last chapter in James reverberates words of wisdom found throughout the Bible. For instance, I Corinthians 13 reminds the reader that faith, hope and charity remain. But, the greatest of these gifts is love. The following words are penned in the book of wisdom, Proverbs:

Prov 10:12 ...but love covereth all sins...

When one TRULY loves in WORD and DEED, many other issues take care of themselves naturally. Maybe that is why the book of James ends with these verses:

James 5:19-20

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Another example of love in action is based upon how one accomplishes and responds to financial gain. Some have said, "It is no sin to have money. It is a sin when your money has you!" True love prevents an individual from seeking personal gain while defrauding someone else...

James 5

Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

Love can be seen in the Lord's patience as He waits to reap the earth. There are still souls to be born into the spiritual Kingdom. Others have come. Others are yet to come to Jesus...

James 5

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

True love causes a person to speak the truth. One need not swear when one's word is faithful and trustworthy. This plea is made above all others...

James 5

But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

True love results in availability to others, no matter whether they or rejoicing or suffering. Love calls us to prayer for each other. Even when someone has strayed from the Truth, we may have an opportunity to reach for the fallen in love...

James 5

Is any among you afflicted? let him pray.

Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

So, I close my thoughts tonight as I began them...
Many problems can be avoided or solved by the fulfillment of one action verb...
Love!

Prov 10:12 ...but love covereth all sins...