I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have
kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to
me on that day.
- 2 Timothy 4:7-8
Prayer:
Faithful and loving God, you have so richly blessed me with
salvation by your grace. Please strengthen me out of the riches of
that grace. I am sometimes weak and falter in my faithfulness. I
know your grace is lavish, but I don't want to presume on it or
abuse it. Please give me strength and courage to live faithfully
and passionately for you until the day I see you face to face and
share with you in your glory and victory. In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
A SIMPLE PRAYER
Today,
For what I am that I ought not to be,
Forgive me.
For what I am not that I ought to be,
Forgive me.
Be with my mouth in what it speaks
Be with my hands in what they do
Be with my mind in what it thinks
Be with my heart in what it feels
Work in me
….through me
….for me
….in spite of me
In the precious name of Jesus,
Amen
For what I am that I ought not to be,
Forgive me.
For what I am not that I ought to be,
Forgive me.
Be with my mouth in what it speaks
Be with my hands in what they do
Be with my mind in what it thinks
Be with my heart in what it feels
Work in me
….through me
….for me
….in spite of me
In the precious name of Jesus,
Amen
Thursday, May 19, 2011
I CHOOSE
I read this today...and could only imagine what the world would be like if each one of us strived each day to live in this way. IMAGINE THAT :)
I Choose Love...No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I Choose Joy...I will invite my God to be the God of circumstances. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I Choose Peace...I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I Choose Patience...I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of yelling at the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I Choose Kindness...I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I Choose Goodness...I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.
I Choose Faithfulness...Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.
I Choose Gentleness...Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I Choose Self-Control...I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will not, rule the eternal. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.
"LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF CONTROL"
-Galations 5:22-23
To these, I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest with the peace that passes all understanding.
-Philippians 4:7
Dear Lord
May you give each of us the strength to live our lives each day in this way. Where we succeed - may we praise you for the works you have done in us, and where we fail - may we seek you to lift us up and help us reach the finish line.
In your precious name,
Amen :)
I Choose Love...No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I Choose Joy...I will invite my God to be the God of circumstances. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I Choose Peace...I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I Choose Patience...I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of yelling at the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I Choose Kindness...I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I Choose Goodness...I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.
I Choose Faithfulness...Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.
I Choose Gentleness...Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I Choose Self-Control...I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will not, rule the eternal. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.
"LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF CONTROL"
-Galations 5:22-23
To these, I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest with the peace that passes all understanding.
-Philippians 4:7
Dear Lord
May you give each of us the strength to live our lives each day in this way. Where we succeed - may we praise you for the works you have done in us, and where we fail - may we seek you to lift us up and help us reach the finish line.
In your precious name,
Amen :)
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The Painting
Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a passion for art collecting. Together they traveled around the world, adding only the finest art treasures to their collection. Priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and many others adorned the walls of the family estate. The widowed elder man looked on with satisfaction, as his only child became an experienced art collector. The son's trained eye and sharp business mind caused his father to beam with pride as they dealt with art collectors around the world.
As winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram. His beloved son was missing in action. The art collector anxiously awaited more news, fearing he would never see his son again.
Within days, his fears were confirmed. The young man had died while rushing a fellow soldier to a medic. Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Easter holidays with anguish and sadness. The joy of the season, a season that he and his son had so looked forward to, would visit his house no longer. On Easter morning, a knock on the door awakened the depressed old man.
As he walked to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming home. As he opened the door, he was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his hand. He introduced himself to the man by saying, "I was a friend of your son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you."
As the two began to talk, the soldier told of how the man's son had told everyone of his father's love of fine art. "I'm an artist," said the soldier, "and I want to give you this." As the old man unwrapped the package, the paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the man's son. Though the world would never consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured the young man's face in striking detail.
Overcome with emotion, the man thanked the soldier, promising to hang the picture above the fireplace. A few hours later, after the soldier had departed, the old man set about his task.
True to his word, the painting went above the fireplace, pushing aside thousands of dollars of paintings. And then the man sat in his chair and spent Easter gazing at the gift he had been given. During the days and weeks that followed, the man realized that even though his son was no longer with him, the boy's life would live on because of those he had touched. He would soon learn that his son had rescued dozens of wounded soldiers before a bullet stilled his caring heart.
As the stories of his son's gallantry continued to reach him, fatherly pride and satisfaction began to ease the grief. The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in the pieces for which museums around the world clamored. He told his neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever received. The following spring, the old man became ill and passed away. The art world was in anticipation.
With the collector's passing, and his only son dead, those paintings would be sold at an auction. According to the will of the old man, all of the art works would be auctioned on Easter day, the day he had received his greatest gift.
The day soon arrived. Art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on some of the world's most spectacular paintings. Dreams would be fulfilled this day; greatness would be achieved as many would claim "I have the greatest collection." The auction began with a painting that was not on any museum's list. It was the painting of the man's son.
The auctioneer asked for an opening bid. The room was silent. "Who will open the bidding with $100?" he asked. Minutes passed. No one spoke. From the back of the room came, "Who cares about that painting? It's just a picture of his son. Let's forget it and go on to the good stuff." More voices echoed in agreement.
"No, we have to sell this one first," replied the auctioneer.
"Now, who will take the son?" Finally, a friend of the old man and his son spoke. "Will you take ten dollars for the painting? That's all I have. I knew the boy, so I'd like to have it."
"I have ten dollars. Will anyone go higher?" called the auctioneer. After more silence, the auctioneer said, "Going once, going twice. Gone." The gavel fell. Cheers filled the room and someone exclaimed, "Now we can get on with it and we can bid on these treasures!"
The auctioneer looked at the audience and announced the auction was over.
Stunned disbelief quieted the room. Someone spoke up and asked, "What do you mean it's over? We didn't come here for a picture of some old guy's son. What about all of these paintings? There are millions of dollars of art here! I demand that you explain what's going on here!"
The auctioneer replied, "It's very simple. According to the will of the father, whoever takes the son... gets it all!"
Just as those art collectors discovered on that Easter day, the message is still the same - the love of a Father - a Father whose greatest joy came from His Son who left his home and gave his life rescuing others. And because of that Father's love... whoever takes the Son gets it all.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life"
- John 3:16
AMAZING - INCREDIBLE - AWESOME
As winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram. His beloved son was missing in action. The art collector anxiously awaited more news, fearing he would never see his son again.
Within days, his fears were confirmed. The young man had died while rushing a fellow soldier to a medic. Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Easter holidays with anguish and sadness. The joy of the season, a season that he and his son had so looked forward to, would visit his house no longer. On Easter morning, a knock on the door awakened the depressed old man.
As he walked to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming home. As he opened the door, he was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his hand. He introduced himself to the man by saying, "I was a friend of your son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you."
As the two began to talk, the soldier told of how the man's son had told everyone of his father's love of fine art. "I'm an artist," said the soldier, "and I want to give you this." As the old man unwrapped the package, the paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the man's son. Though the world would never consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured the young man's face in striking detail.
Overcome with emotion, the man thanked the soldier, promising to hang the picture above the fireplace. A few hours later, after the soldier had departed, the old man set about his task.
True to his word, the painting went above the fireplace, pushing aside thousands of dollars of paintings. And then the man sat in his chair and spent Easter gazing at the gift he had been given. During the days and weeks that followed, the man realized that even though his son was no longer with him, the boy's life would live on because of those he had touched. He would soon learn that his son had rescued dozens of wounded soldiers before a bullet stilled his caring heart.
As the stories of his son's gallantry continued to reach him, fatherly pride and satisfaction began to ease the grief. The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in the pieces for which museums around the world clamored. He told his neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever received. The following spring, the old man became ill and passed away. The art world was in anticipation.
With the collector's passing, and his only son dead, those paintings would be sold at an auction. According to the will of the old man, all of the art works would be auctioned on Easter day, the day he had received his greatest gift.
The day soon arrived. Art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on some of the world's most spectacular paintings. Dreams would be fulfilled this day; greatness would be achieved as many would claim "I have the greatest collection." The auction began with a painting that was not on any museum's list. It was the painting of the man's son.
The auctioneer asked for an opening bid. The room was silent. "Who will open the bidding with $100?" he asked. Minutes passed. No one spoke. From the back of the room came, "Who cares about that painting? It's just a picture of his son. Let's forget it and go on to the good stuff." More voices echoed in agreement.
"No, we have to sell this one first," replied the auctioneer.
"Now, who will take the son?" Finally, a friend of the old man and his son spoke. "Will you take ten dollars for the painting? That's all I have. I knew the boy, so I'd like to have it."
"I have ten dollars. Will anyone go higher?" called the auctioneer. After more silence, the auctioneer said, "Going once, going twice. Gone." The gavel fell. Cheers filled the room and someone exclaimed, "Now we can get on with it and we can bid on these treasures!"
The auctioneer looked at the audience and announced the auction was over.
Stunned disbelief quieted the room. Someone spoke up and asked, "What do you mean it's over? We didn't come here for a picture of some old guy's son. What about all of these paintings? There are millions of dollars of art here! I demand that you explain what's going on here!"
The auctioneer replied, "It's very simple. According to the will of the father, whoever takes the son... gets it all!"
Just as those art collectors discovered on that Easter day, the message is still the same - the love of a Father - a Father whose greatest joy came from His Son who left his home and gave his life rescuing others. And because of that Father's love... whoever takes the Son gets it all.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life"
- John 3:16
AMAZING - INCREDIBLE - AWESOME
Friday, April 8, 2011
Shining Light...
A little girl on the way home from church turned to her mother and said, "Mommy, the preacher's sermon this morning confused me."
The mother said, "Oh! Why is that?"
The girl replied, "Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?"
"Yes, that's true," the mother replied.
"He also said that God lives within us. Is that true, too?"
Again the mother replied, "Yes."
"Well," said the girl. "If God is bigger than us and he lives in us, wouldn't He show through?"
I like that little girl's way of putting it. If God lives in us, then there's no way of keeping Him from "showing through". That's the essence of Christian living - living in such a way that people around will see God in our lives.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
- Matthew 5:16
The mother said, "Oh! Why is that?"
The girl replied, "Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?"
"Yes, that's true," the mother replied.
"He also said that God lives within us. Is that true, too?"
Again the mother replied, "Yes."
"Well," said the girl. "If God is bigger than us and he lives in us, wouldn't He show through?"
I like that little girl's way of putting it. If God lives in us, then there's no way of keeping Him from "showing through". That's the essence of Christian living - living in such a way that people around will see God in our lives.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
- Matthew 5:16
Thursday, April 7, 2011
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
- Philippians 4:6-9
- Philippians 4:6-9
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
God knows our hearts...
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
- Romans 8:26-28
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Homecoming
An old missionary couple had been working in Africa for years and were returning to New York to retire. They had no pension; their health was broken; they were defeated, discouraged, and afraid. They discovered they were booked on the same ship as President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from one of his big-game hunting expeditions.
No one paid any attention to them. They watched the fanfare that accompanied the President's entourage, with passengers trying to catch a glimpse of the great man. As the ship moved across the ocean, the old missionary said to his wife, "Something is wrong."
"Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a hunting trip and everybody makes much over him, but nobody gives two hoots about us."
"Dear, you shouldn't feel that way", his wife said.
He replied "I can't help it; it doesn't seem right."
When the ship docked in New York, a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor and other dignitaries were there. The papers were full of the President's arrival. No one noticed this missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East Side, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city.
That night the man's spirit broke. He said to his wife, "I can't take this; God is not treating us fairly". His wife replied, "Why don't you go in the bedroom and tell that to the Lord?"
A short time later he came out from the bedroom, but now his face was completely different. His wife asked, "Dear, what happened?"
"The Lord settled it with me", he said. "I told Him how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one met us as we returned home. And when I finished, it seemed as though the Lord put His hand on my shoulder and simply said;
"But you're not home yet."
"So, then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household."
- Ephesians 2:19
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ"
- Philippians 3:20
No one paid any attention to them. They watched the fanfare that accompanied the President's entourage, with passengers trying to catch a glimpse of the great man. As the ship moved across the ocean, the old missionary said to his wife, "Something is wrong."
"Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a hunting trip and everybody makes much over him, but nobody gives two hoots about us."
"Dear, you shouldn't feel that way", his wife said.
He replied "I can't help it; it doesn't seem right."
When the ship docked in New York, a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor and other dignitaries were there. The papers were full of the President's arrival. No one noticed this missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East Side, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city.
That night the man's spirit broke. He said to his wife, "I can't take this; God is not treating us fairly". His wife replied, "Why don't you go in the bedroom and tell that to the Lord?"
A short time later he came out from the bedroom, but now his face was completely different. His wife asked, "Dear, what happened?"
"The Lord settled it with me", he said. "I told Him how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one met us as we returned home. And when I finished, it seemed as though the Lord put His hand on my shoulder and simply said;
"But you're not home yet."
"So, then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household."
- Ephesians 2:19
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ"
- Philippians 3:20
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
I hate to wait
Waiting is the bane of my existence. If there are two lines at the movie theater, the one I choose will grind to a halt while the other glides by. Don't get behind me at a toll booth; the driver in front of me will be searching his seat cushions for quarters while the other lines whiz through. Bank tellers go on break when I get near the front of their line; supermarket checkout computers go on strike when I draw near.
Someone said that life is what happens to you while you're making other plans. Slowly I'm learning that there is redemption in every moment, as God uses each minute for his glory and our good. It's hard to think of a biblical hero who didn't take a detour on the way to his or her destination...
Noah spent 100 years building his ark before the rains finally came; Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for Isaac; Joseph journeyed through Potiphar's prison on the way to Pharaoh's palace. Moses spent decades running from Pharaoh before the Lord sent him back to free his people. God told David he would be king long before Saul gave up the throne. John had to go to Patmos to meet his glorified Friend and Lord.
Are you waiting on God this morning?
Perhaps you're praying without seeing answers, or waiting on a job that hasn't come or health the Lord has not restored. You need direction or provision from God, but he doesn't seem to be working on your timeline.
One of the most frustrating reminders in Scripture is this statement from God: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).
God redeems all he allows. If you're waiting on him this morning, there's a reason. He wants to use this delay to draw you closer to him, or prepare you for what comes next, or help you trust him in hard times. Remember that your Father never makes a mistake. His will is "good, pleasing and perfect"
(Romans 12:2).
His timing is always right.
Dr. James C. Denison
President, Center for Informed Faith, Dallas, Texas
Someone said that life is what happens to you while you're making other plans. Slowly I'm learning that there is redemption in every moment, as God uses each minute for his glory and our good. It's hard to think of a biblical hero who didn't take a detour on the way to his or her destination...
Noah spent 100 years building his ark before the rains finally came; Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for Isaac; Joseph journeyed through Potiphar's prison on the way to Pharaoh's palace. Moses spent decades running from Pharaoh before the Lord sent him back to free his people. God told David he would be king long before Saul gave up the throne. John had to go to Patmos to meet his glorified Friend and Lord.
Are you waiting on God this morning?
Perhaps you're praying without seeing answers, or waiting on a job that hasn't come or health the Lord has not restored. You need direction or provision from God, but he doesn't seem to be working on your timeline.
One of the most frustrating reminders in Scripture is this statement from God: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).
God redeems all he allows. If you're waiting on him this morning, there's a reason. He wants to use this delay to draw you closer to him, or prepare you for what comes next, or help you trust him in hard times. Remember that your Father never makes a mistake. His will is "good, pleasing and perfect"
(Romans 12:2).
His timing is always right.
Dr. James C. Denison
President, Center for Informed Faith, Dallas, Texas
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Silent Sermon
My grandfather would tuck his Bible under his arm and walk through the small town where he lived to Sunday School and church services. For the last five years of his life, he could not hear, and he never heard a word of any sermon. Yet, he continued to go.
One day I asked him,"Grampa, why do you keep on going to Sunday School and church when you can't hear a word that the preacher says?"
"I keep on going." he replied, "even if I don't hear, because I want peope to know whose side I'm on."
- Author unknown
Do people know whose side you're on? Do you want them to know? It's time for Christians to take a stand for Christ. We must be different from the world if we are to help it. Until we make it clear who it is we serve, no one will ever pay attention to us.
Make sure the world knows whose side you're on.
"...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
- Joshua 24:15
One day I asked him,"Grampa, why do you keep on going to Sunday School and church when you can't hear a word that the preacher says?"
"I keep on going." he replied, "even if I don't hear, because I want peope to know whose side I'm on."
- Author unknown
Do people know whose side you're on? Do you want them to know? It's time for Christians to take a stand for Christ. We must be different from the world if we are to help it. Until we make it clear who it is we serve, no one will ever pay attention to us.
Make sure the world knows whose side you're on.
"...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
- Joshua 24:15
The battle is God's...
"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
- Philippians 3:13b-14
- Philippians 3:13b-14
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
How great is the love God lavishes on us!
You are more sinful than you can believe, but you are more loved than you can imagine.
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
- Romans 3:23
"As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;"
- Romans 3:10
Fortunately, despite our sinful natures, God offers the life of his very son for us.
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"
- Romans 5:8-10
God doesn't owe us anything, but he gives us everything. That's love.
Our sin is placed on Christ, and Christ's righteousness is placed on us.
We gain what he deserved—life—and he gains what we deserved—death.
- Romans 5:8-10
God doesn't owe us anything, but he gives us everything. That's love.
Our sin is placed on Christ, and Christ's righteousness is placed on us.
We gain what he deserved—life—and he gains what we deserved—death.
Authority
"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."
- Romans 13:1-2
"Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience."
- Romans 13:5
"Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. "
- Hebrews 13:17
"Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. "
- 1 Peter 2:13-14
- Romans 13:1-2
"Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience."
- Romans 13:5
"Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. "
- Hebrews 13:17
"Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. "
- 1 Peter 2:13-14
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Wait!!!
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried,
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait."
"Wait? You say, wait! " my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By Faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word.
My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.
And Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting ... for what?"
He seemed, then, to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,
And he tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.
All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want - But, you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.
You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.
You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I give and I save... (for a start),
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.
You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that "My grace is sufficient for Thee."
Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true,
But, Oh, the Loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!
So, be silent, My Child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft may My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still, "WAIT."
- Author unknown
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait."
"Wait? You say, wait! " my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By Faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word.
My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.
And Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting ... for what?"
He seemed, then, to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,
And he tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.
All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want - But, you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.
You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.
You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I give and I save... (for a start),
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.
You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that "My grace is sufficient for Thee."
Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true,
But, Oh, the Loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!
So, be silent, My Child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft may My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still, "WAIT."
- Author unknown
Sunday, March 13, 2011
TrusT...
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths."
- Proverbs 3:5-6
When a train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do you jump out? Of course not! You sit still and trust the engineer to get you through.
- Proverbs 3:5-6
When a train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do you jump out? Of course not! You sit still and trust the engineer to get you through.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Romans 12
A Living Sacrifice
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.Humble Service in the Body of Christ
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.Love in Action
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
A Time for Everything
Ecclesiastes 3
1 There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
There are seasons in our lives that involve times of famine and times of restoration. Solomon tells us that He has made everything beautiful in its time and that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under Heaven.
God brings about both the good and the bad. The seasons of famine have a divine purpose in our lives. They accomplish things that only these hard places can accomplish. But there is a time when those hard places have accomplished their purpose and He begins to restore.
God wants each of us to know that there is a time when He will restore in order to demonstrate His gracious hand in our lives. He is a loving Father who tenderly guides His children through the difficult places. If God has taken you through a time of leanness, know that He is the restorer of that which the locusts have eaten. Wait patiently for Him to bring this about in your life. He will do it.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Made Alive in Christ
" 1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. "
- Ephesians 2:1-10
- Ephesians 2:1-10
The Supremacy of the Son of God
" 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."
- Colossians 1:15-20
- Colossians 1:15-20
In the belly of the fish...
Many times, God will allow a painful situation or a painful circumstance in our life to "swallow us up."
This season in our spiritual growth is a holding pattern. We can't move to the left or the right. All we can do is sit, like Jonah sat in the belly of that great fish, so God can have our undivided attention and speak to us.
God put Jonah in a holding pattern because He needed to speak to his heart. Jonah was all alone. There were no friends to call, no colleagues to drop by, no books to read, no food to eat, no interferences, and no interruptions. He had plenty of time to sit, think, meditate, and pray.
When we're deep down in the midst of a difficult situation, God can talk to us. When He has our undivided attention, He can show us things about ourselves that we might not otherwise have seen.
When we are deep in the belly of a difficult situation, there are no interruptions. God has our undivided attention. All we can do is sit, think, meditate, and pray.
Like Jonah, we cannot run from God, because there are no mountains that are high enough, valleys that are low enough, rivers that are wide enough, rooms that are dark enough, or places that are hidden from Him.
We must remember to praise Him while we're waiting, and remember three things:
1. The pattern has a purpose.
2. The pattern has a plan.
3. The pattern has a process.
We need to stop struggling and start listening, praying and trusting.
This season in our spiritual growth is a holding pattern. We can't move to the left or the right. All we can do is sit, like Jonah sat in the belly of that great fish, so God can have our undivided attention and speak to us.
God put Jonah in a holding pattern because He needed to speak to his heart. Jonah was all alone. There were no friends to call, no colleagues to drop by, no books to read, no food to eat, no interferences, and no interruptions. He had plenty of time to sit, think, meditate, and pray.
When we're deep down in the midst of a difficult situation, God can talk to us. When He has our undivided attention, He can show us things about ourselves that we might not otherwise have seen.
When we are deep in the belly of a difficult situation, there are no interruptions. God has our undivided attention. All we can do is sit, think, meditate, and pray.
Like Jonah, we cannot run from God, because there are no mountains that are high enough, valleys that are low enough, rivers that are wide enough, rooms that are dark enough, or places that are hidden from Him.
We must remember to praise Him while we're waiting, and remember three things:
1. The pattern has a purpose.
2. The pattern has a plan.
3. The pattern has a process.
We need to stop struggling and start listening, praying and trusting.
In our weakness...
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
- 2 Corinthians 12:9
"God had looked for a man weak enough, and He found me."
- Hudson Taylor
- 2 Corinthians 12:9
"God had looked for a man weak enough, and He found me."
- Hudson Taylor
Change and Trust
by Gini Andrews
LIFE for most of us is not a steady-paced stroll through time, with a beginning, a middle, and an end, like a well-constructed play. It's filled with change. We change schools, careers, homes, relationships, and "images" almost as casually as our great-grandparents changed horses.
Not that all change is by choice. Tragedy strikes and our lives change forever. A marriage dissolves, and a woman, linked to her husband by a thousand threads, finds those threads snapped and wonders who she is. Cherished friendships change in character or another person's choice cuts directly across our own, bringing us where we never wanted to be.
A career change, voluntary or involuntary, may disrupt our lives, leaving us searching for the chain that holds the beads of our lives together. Financial losses sweep away our props. Even geographic change can be disorienting.
And always there is the unchangeable, the irreversible. We long to go back and begin again, to undo our mistakes. Impossible of course. When we pull out the nails of our failures, the ugly holes remain.
For the believer, then, the question is vital: is our God the Lord of change? Will he be with us in the change, especially when it strains our trust to its limit?
Ironically, while we trust him with our eternal fate, we may find it difficult to trust him for next month's car payment, a new relationship, or an unexpected turn in our lives.
The assumption that the Almighty is unacquainted with the complex people he has made keeps us hanging onto bits and pieces of our lives, decieved by Satan's ancient lie that God does not want the best for us.
In a threatened world, in the kaleidoscopic whirl of our life patterns, it can be enormously reassuring to remind ourselves that God is unchanging;
"I the Lord do not change"
- Malachi 3:6
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever"
- Hebrews 13:8
LIFE for most of us is not a steady-paced stroll through time, with a beginning, a middle, and an end, like a well-constructed play. It's filled with change. We change schools, careers, homes, relationships, and "images" almost as casually as our great-grandparents changed horses.
Not that all change is by choice. Tragedy strikes and our lives change forever. A marriage dissolves, and a woman, linked to her husband by a thousand threads, finds those threads snapped and wonders who she is. Cherished friendships change in character or another person's choice cuts directly across our own, bringing us where we never wanted to be.
A career change, voluntary or involuntary, may disrupt our lives, leaving us searching for the chain that holds the beads of our lives together. Financial losses sweep away our props. Even geographic change can be disorienting.
And always there is the unchangeable, the irreversible. We long to go back and begin again, to undo our mistakes. Impossible of course. When we pull out the nails of our failures, the ugly holes remain.
For the believer, then, the question is vital: is our God the Lord of change? Will he be with us in the change, especially when it strains our trust to its limit?
Ironically, while we trust him with our eternal fate, we may find it difficult to trust him for next month's car payment, a new relationship, or an unexpected turn in our lives.
The assumption that the Almighty is unacquainted with the complex people he has made keeps us hanging onto bits and pieces of our lives, decieved by Satan's ancient lie that God does not want the best for us.
In a threatened world, in the kaleidoscopic whirl of our life patterns, it can be enormously reassuring to remind ourselves that God is unchanging;
"I the Lord do not change"
- Malachi 3:6
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever"
- Hebrews 13:8
Bib or Apron - Which are you wearing?
Bibs are for people who only want to be fed.
Bibs are for those who are not yet ready or willing to feed
themselves.
Bibs are for those who are more interested in being served than
in serving.
Bibs are for those who insist that the church exists for them
and their needs.
Bibs are for babes in the faith, those who haven't caught God's
vision for the church, or those who are not yet of the faith.
Aprons are for those who have a heart to serve others in Jesus'
name.
Aprons are for those who know that they are the church.
Aprons are for those who don't mind getting their hands dirty.
Aprons are for those who take the time daily to feed their
spiritual hunger.
Aprons are for those who are growing in faith, and hunger to
help others grow.
On the night when he was betrayed, just hours before he was
crucified, the very Son of God took off his outer garments,
wrapped a towel around his waist, and washed his disciples'
feet. When he was done he said, "I have just given you an
example to follow."
In other words, Jesus called his disciples to wear aprons, not bibs.
"For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to
serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."
Matthew 20:28
He also said, "If you cling to your life, you will lose it;
but if you give it up for me, you will find it."
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank you for feeding me daily with your word.
Fill me with your redeeming love.
Open my eyes to clearly see the needs of those around me,
and then open my hands to serve them.
Each day, strengthen me with your Spirit, so that I might
choose to wear an apron, not a bib.
In your precious name
Amen
Bibs are for those who are not yet ready or willing to feed
themselves.
Bibs are for those who are more interested in being served than
in serving.
Bibs are for those who insist that the church exists for them
and their needs.
Bibs are for babes in the faith, those who haven't caught God's
vision for the church, or those who are not yet of the faith.
Aprons are for those who have a heart to serve others in Jesus'
name.
Aprons are for those who know that they are the church.
Aprons are for those who don't mind getting their hands dirty.
Aprons are for those who take the time daily to feed their
spiritual hunger.
Aprons are for those who are growing in faith, and hunger to
help others grow.
On the night when he was betrayed, just hours before he was
crucified, the very Son of God took off his outer garments,
wrapped a towel around his waist, and washed his disciples'
feet. When he was done he said, "I have just given you an
example to follow."
In other words, Jesus called his disciples to wear aprons, not bibs.
"For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to
serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."
Matthew 20:28
He also said, "If you cling to your life, you will lose it;
but if you give it up for me, you will find it."
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank you for feeding me daily with your word.
Fill me with your redeeming love.
Open my eyes to clearly see the needs of those around me,
and then open my hands to serve them.
Each day, strengthen me with your Spirit, so that I might
choose to wear an apron, not a bib.
In your precious name
Amen
CHOMP
Chomps happen to be one of my FAVOURITE chocolates...so for me, these acronyms are pretty awesome :)
C = Christ
H = Helps
O = Overcome
M = Many
P = Problems
C = Christ
H = Has
O = Only
M = Magnificent
P = Promises
C = Christ
H = Helps
O = Overcome
M = Many
P = Problems
C = Christ
H = Has
O = Only
M = Magnificent
P = Promises
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
What are you holding on 2?
The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.
"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.
"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. James if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls.
They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere - Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"
"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess - the white horse from my collection - the one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."
"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss. About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?" "Daddy, you know I love you." "Then give me your pearls."
"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."
"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."
And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"
Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."
With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.
Jenny's father is like our heavenly Father. He also is waiting for us to give up our dime store stuff and seek Him first ... so He can fling open the windows of Heaven and pour us out such a blessing that we will not have room enough to hold it.
What are you hanging on to?
"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.
"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. James if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls.
They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere - Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"
"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess - the white horse from my collection - the one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."
"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss. About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?" "Daddy, you know I love you." "Then give me your pearls."
"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."
"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."
And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"
Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."
With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.
Jenny's father is like our heavenly Father. He also is waiting for us to give up our dime store stuff and seek Him first ... so He can fling open the windows of Heaven and pour us out such a blessing that we will not have room enough to hold it.
What are you hanging on to?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Lord is my shepherd :)
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
- Psalm 23:1-4
Whilst reading this...yet AGAIN i am reminded of the need to get out of the drivers seat...and let God take His rightful place in my life.
I need to realise that I should go to Jesus with all my weaknesses: physical, emotional and spiritual, and rest in the comfort of His presence, remembering that nothing is impossible with Him.
It's so important that we take our minds away from our problems so we can focus our attention solely on Him.
God is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ever ask or imagine.
Why not, instead of trying to direct Him to do this and that, don't we seek to attune ourselves to what He is already doing?
When anxiety attempts to wedge its way into our thoughts, we need to remind ourselves that Jesus is our shepherd!
The bottom line is that He is taking care of each and everyone of us, so we needn't be afraid of anything.
Rather than trying to maintain control over our lives, we should abandon ourselves to His will.
The end result is that we will be in the safest place we ever could be:)
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
- Psalm 23:1-4
Whilst reading this...yet AGAIN i am reminded of the need to get out of the drivers seat...and let God take His rightful place in my life.
I need to realise that I should go to Jesus with all my weaknesses: physical, emotional and spiritual, and rest in the comfort of His presence, remembering that nothing is impossible with Him.
It's so important that we take our minds away from our problems so we can focus our attention solely on Him.
God is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ever ask or imagine.
Why not, instead of trying to direct Him to do this and that, don't we seek to attune ourselves to what He is already doing?
When anxiety attempts to wedge its way into our thoughts, we need to remind ourselves that Jesus is our shepherd!
The bottom line is that He is taking care of each and everyone of us, so we needn't be afraid of anything.
Rather than trying to maintain control over our lives, we should abandon ourselves to His will.
The end result is that we will be in the safest place we ever could be:)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
FAITH LIKE POTATOES... :)
Potatoes are the most resilient vegetables out there!!!!
- They can survive the most extreme conditions.
- They are brutally mashed
- Seared into chips
- Scorched into baked delights
- Boiled and diced
Their aroma is delightful, and their taste is sensational.
WE NEED TO HAVE FAITH LIKE POTATOES :) :) :)
- They can survive the most extreme conditions.
- They are brutally mashed
- Seared into chips
- Scorched into baked delights
- Boiled and diced
Their aroma is delightful, and their taste is sensational.
WE NEED TO HAVE FAITH LIKE POTATOES :) :) :)
Friday, January 7, 2011
Week #1
Wowza - can't believe we are already @ the end of week number one of 2011 - yikes...how time flies!!!
There are so many ideas and thoughts running through my mind - Shew!!! Funny how that happens at the beginning of the year :)
Well...I have a few thoughts from the last couple of days - that I think are worth sharing....
"But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me
and lift up my head."
-- Psalm 3:3
So I read a little story - which goes like this...
My dad would never let me walk slouched over with my head down.
"Remember son, you are a Ware. That's nothing to be ashamed of.
Even on your worst day you are still my son and a child of God!"
Since it's the beginning of the year and all - it will be good to remember these few things:
- God is our protector and our proud Father.
- He gives us glory because he loves us.
- Because he is our Father who gives us such gracious gifts, we don't walk with our head bowed low and our spirits slumped over.
- He gives us ultimate victory! Even on those dark days when victory is hard to find, we are still God's
children.
- Our Father paints the sunsets and holds the stars in their orbits.
- He guarantees our future.
How can we walk dejectedly when we remember this?
As John Piper said @ the 2010 Rezolution conference - we should "Image" Christ - so we should literally shine our lights for all the world to see - so that we may know Who and What we live for :)
Thought number two from this week...
A lot of reading has been taking place in my life over the last week - and the main thing that I have noticed through all the pages I have read of this 7 days - is how BIG, GREAT, and SUPREME how God is. He REALLY reigns over EVERTHING!!! I find it hard to fathom @ times, but it is also so VERY VERY comforting to know that he has my life in the palm of his hands....and he has my story already written....something very very exciting to look forward too.
Our pastor preached on this passage towards the end of last year:
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the LORD[a];
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.[b]
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.”
9 You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,[c]
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?
13 Who can fathom the Spirit[d] of the LORD,
or instruct the LORD as his counselor?
14 Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,
or showed him the path of understanding?
15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.
16 Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.
18 With whom, then, will you compare God?
To what image will you liken him?
19 As for an idol, a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol that will not topple.
21 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
23 He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
24 No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
25 “To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.
27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Anyways - I read it again this week :) How GREAT is our God!!! He is in control of little thing.
OK - well that's it from me for this week...
On a final note:
Precious Father, thank you for being with me as I begin
this new year. Please empower me with your Spirit to
greet it with passion and excitement for the opportunities
ahead. Please forgive me when my own inadequacies
and the unknown ahead of me make me fearful and
indecisive. Give me courage to live boldly for you
this year. I recognize that my plans and my ways are not
necessarily your plans or your ways, but please help me
as I dedicate myself to reading Scripture and listening
for your will. I want to honor you in all I do and
dedicate my efforts and myself to your glory, honor,
and praise. In your extra special name, Amen.
There are so many ideas and thoughts running through my mind - Shew!!! Funny how that happens at the beginning of the year :)
Well...I have a few thoughts from the last couple of days - that I think are worth sharing....
"But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me
and lift up my head."
-- Psalm 3:3
So I read a little story - which goes like this...
My dad would never let me walk slouched over with my head down.
"Remember son, you are a Ware. That's nothing to be ashamed of.
Even on your worst day you are still my son and a child of God!"
Since it's the beginning of the year and all - it will be good to remember these few things:
- God is our protector and our proud Father.
- He gives us glory because he loves us.
- Because he is our Father who gives us such gracious gifts, we don't walk with our head bowed low and our spirits slumped over.
- He gives us ultimate victory! Even on those dark days when victory is hard to find, we are still God's
children.
- Our Father paints the sunsets and holds the stars in their orbits.
- He guarantees our future.
How can we walk dejectedly when we remember this?
As John Piper said @ the 2010 Rezolution conference - we should "Image" Christ - so we should literally shine our lights for all the world to see - so that we may know Who and What we live for :)
Thought number two from this week...
A lot of reading has been taking place in my life over the last week - and the main thing that I have noticed through all the pages I have read of this 7 days - is how BIG, GREAT, and SUPREME how God is. He REALLY reigns over EVERTHING!!! I find it hard to fathom @ times, but it is also so VERY VERY comforting to know that he has my life in the palm of his hands....and he has my story already written....something very very exciting to look forward too.
Our pastor preached on this passage towards the end of last year:
Isaiah 40
Comfort for God’s People
1 Comfort, comfort my people,says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the LORD[a];
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.[b]
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.”
9 You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,[c]
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?
13 Who can fathom the Spirit[d] of the LORD,
or instruct the LORD as his counselor?
14 Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,
or showed him the path of understanding?
15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.
16 Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.
18 With whom, then, will you compare God?
To what image will you liken him?
19 As for an idol, a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol that will not topple.
21 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
23 He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
24 No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
25 “To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.
27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Anyways - I read it again this week :) How GREAT is our God!!! He is in control of little thing.
OK - well that's it from me for this week...
On a final note:
Precious Father, thank you for being with me as I begin
this new year. Please empower me with your Spirit to
greet it with passion and excitement for the opportunities
ahead. Please forgive me when my own inadequacies
and the unknown ahead of me make me fearful and
indecisive. Give me courage to live boldly for you
this year. I recognize that my plans and my ways are not
necessarily your plans or your ways, but please help me
as I dedicate myself to reading Scripture and listening
for your will. I want to honor you in all I do and
dedicate my efforts and myself to your glory, honor,
and praise. In your extra special name, Amen.
Monday, January 3, 2011
It's 2011....
Ok - so it is the beginning of 2011 - Can't believe how fast the holiday came and went. Goodness me!!! Such good times nonetheless - loved every single moment spent with my family and friends!
But it is a time to look forward and make the most of the moments to come....something I am so VERY looking forward too!! :)
All the very best wishes for the new year everyone...may God richly bless each of your lives in a very special way.
I got sent this verse yesterday from a friend...and to me it pretty much sums things up in terms of it being a new year and all..."Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God." - Romans 5:1-2
We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand - out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.
My prayer today....
Holy Father, the Great I Am,
Thank you for being there tomorrow before I arrive there.
Thank you for being there in my past when all others forsook me.
Thank you for being there when I was unaware of your presence until I looked back and saw the evidences of your grace.
Please give me courage to truly believe your promises, especially your promise that you are always there. May I shine your light in everything I do.
In the your precious name...
Amen
But it is a time to look forward and make the most of the moments to come....something I am so VERY looking forward too!! :)
All the very best wishes for the new year everyone...may God richly bless each of your lives in a very special way.
I got sent this verse yesterday from a friend...and to me it pretty much sums things up in terms of it being a new year and all..."Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God." - Romans 5:1-2
We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand - out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.
My prayer today....
Holy Father, the Great I Am,
Thank you for being there tomorrow before I arrive there.
Thank you for being there in my past when all others forsook me.
Thank you for being there when I was unaware of your presence until I looked back and saw the evidences of your grace.
Please give me courage to truly believe your promises, especially your promise that you are always there. May I shine your light in everything I do.
In the your precious name...
Amen
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