November 15, 2024

CHRISTLife — ThirtyNine: Purposeful

March 6, 2014 by

cl purposeful

We each have the very same purpose that Jesus had when He walked this earth.  His purpose—to love. Our purpose—to love.

• God purposed to love the world by giving His Son.

Jesus was sent to show God’s love, to be God’s love, to give God’s love.  He was the epitome and the manifestation of His Father’s love.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

• Jesus purposed to love by revealing God’s love.

Immediately before He allowed Himself to be arrested, and knowing that He would be interrogated, tortured, crucified, and ultimately give His life, Jesus prayed this prayer.

Father, I desire that they also whom You have entrusted to Me [as Your gift to Me]
may be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory,
which You have given Me [Your love gift to Me];
for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
O just and righteous Father, although the world has not known You and has failed
to recognize You and has never acknowledged You, I have known You [continually];
and these men understand and know that You have sent Me.
I have made Your Name known to them and revealed Your character
and Your very Self, and I will continue to make [You] known,
that the love which You have bestowed upon Me may be in them
[felt in their hearts] and that I [Myself] may be in them.
John 17:24-26

• Jesus purposed to love by giving up His life.

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13

• Our purpose is to show God’s love by giving of ourselves.

Jesus taught a great lesson (Luke 10) about love in the parable about the Good Samaritan.

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?”

Jesus taught His disciples and other followers numerous times about love and the immense importance of it. There is much to glean and learn in Jesus’ lesson.  In this account, He gave a graphic example of what love DID NOT look like…and how love DID look.  And then He said,

“Go and do the same.”
Verse 37

The love that the Samaritan showed for the stranger laying on the side of the road was purposeful…intentional…took effort.  All love should be the same.

• Not only do we have the same purpose……but we have the same ability.  With Christ in our hearts, we can know this love.

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us.
God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence
in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.
1 John 4:16 and 17

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself
unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him,
he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love;
just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
John 15:4-5, 10-11

I pray that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory,
to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend
with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:16-20

Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.
1 John 4:11

Each of us is a person with one life of purpose to live along with the choice to love.
By God’s love and grace we have been given the ability to purposefully live out this high calling.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

And NOW here is some encouragement from Kim
along with the final  page for her beautiful inner identity album!

CLiiakim030614

I love how Mrs. Myers writes: “We are not qualified from a human viewpoint, for we lack many longed-for qualities, abilities, talents. Yet from Gods viewpoint we are qualified. God does not call the qualified.”   He qualifies the called…so let your light shine before men so that your Father in Heaven may be glorified.

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CHRISTLife — ThirtySeven: Competent

March 4, 2014 by

cl competent

We have this kind of confidence toward God through Christ.
It is not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything
as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God.
2 Corinthians 3:4 and 5

This is the Truth.  There is nothing, not anything, not even one tiny bit that you (or me, too!) can do to add to…or even take away from…this fact.  Our competency (some versions use the word ‘sufficiency’) comes from Almighty God.  He planned for it, He purposed it, He predestined us to be competent…through Christ.

“How, Coleen?” you might ask.  The ‘how’ is by continuing to learn about who we are in Jesus…and Who He is…through the Scriptures!  We seek Him and keep our eyes on Him.  As we do, we will be transfigured (or changed) into His very own image! (Those are not my words…listen!)

And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold
[in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord,
are constantly being transfigured into His very own image
in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another;
2 Corinthians 3:18

“God has purposed for us to share in Christ’s glory so that the glory of the Son might be magnified in the countless mirrors of those who are conformed to His image.”  Every believer (you and me!) has this supernatural thing done in them by God’s grace and mercy!  It is a continual process, this redeeming work, and has been begun by our Lord in each of us!  It is part who God knew you (me, too!) to be before the foundations of the world.

For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,
in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.
And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified,
and those whom He justified He also glorified.
Romans 8:29-30

This is our competency—our sufficiency IN Christ—already accomplished for us.  We must have the mindset that ‘I AM who God says I am!’  We must keep the Truth in our minds, replacing the negative images we have thought about ourselves for so long with the righteous, holy, sanctified, justified, TRUE images that the Lord tells us we ARE!

So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above,
where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God.
When the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed,
then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-4

The day will come when the fullness, the completeness, the total magnitude of ALL that God has purposed will come to pass.  At that time we, too, will BE the glory of the Lord! At that time we will no longer be hidden in Christ but will be revealed in full with Him in glory!  But even now, we have been made sufficient and competent!  We are constantly being transfigured (changed). We can do!

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

We ARE who God says we are!  And we are ready to be the fullness of His glory, amen? Come quickly, Lord Jesus!  We want to be all that God has purposed for us to be!  We want to bring honor and glory to You!

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Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese Medallions

March 3, 2014 by

2014-03-02 19.11.32

It is almost spring!!!  Yes, yes…I KNOW…it is still snowy (I have looked outside!).

In the produce department, we are starting to see the return of the spring vegetables!  So here we go!  For the next few weeks, we will do a mini-series featuring spring vegetables…last week we featured an Asparagus Pasta Bake.   Today’s recipe is a salad with roasted beets, and baby lettuces such as arugula and kale.  YUMMMMMY!  Enjoy!

Roasted Beet Salad with Warm Goat Cheese Medallions

2014-03-03 00.58.19

Ingredients:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (I used honey balsamic)
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-4 medium beets, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups fresh arugula
2 cups baby kale
1 head romaine, chopped (or your favorite lettuce blend)
1/2 cup sliced almonds or pignoli
8 ounce log of goat cheese
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup almond meal/flour
1/2 cup sliced almonds, finely chopped (by hand or with a food processor)

Directions:
Goat Cheese Medallions:

  • Place the goat cheese log into the freezer ‘til firm (10-15 minutes).
  • Remove from freezer and carefully slice with thin, sharp knife into 8 rounds.
  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Whisk together the egg and water.
  • Spread the almond flour on a paper plate, and the chopped almonds onto a separate plate.  Coat each goat cheese round with almond flour.
  • Dip each round in the egg wash and then roll in the chopped almonds to coat.
  • Place the coated goat cheese rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 10 minutes. Turn them over and broil on the top rack of the oven for 2-3 minutes, until the almonds turn golden brown. (Watch carefully!) Remove from oven and set aside.

Beets:

  • Line a baking sheet with foil. Raise oven temp to 450.
  • Whisk the balsamic vinegar and honey together in a small bowl to blend.
  • Slowly whisk in the oil. Season the vinaigrette with plenty of salt and LOTS of pepper.
  • Toss the beets in a small bowl with the 2 T of evoo and just a drizzle of the vinaigrette; thoroughly coat.
  • Place the beets on the foil-lined baking sheet and roast ‘til the beets are slightly caramelized, stirring once or twice, for about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Salad:

  • Toss the lettuces along with a small amount of the vinaigrette in a large bowl ‘til lightly coated.
  • Season the salad, to taste, with additional salt and pepper. Place the dressed salad onto a large serving plate.
  • Arrange the beets around the salad.
  • Sprinkle with the nuts and top with the warm goat cheese medallions.
  • Serve with the extra vinaigrette on the side.

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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CHRISTLife — ThirtySix: Nurtured, Satisfied, and Secure

March 3, 2014 by

cl nurtured satisfied and secure

Today let’s go to one chapter in the Book of John to be reminded of the Truth.  The one I would like us to focus on is Chapter 17; this is the record of Jesus’ prayer to His Father.  This prayer was offered to God immediately prior to Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, unlawful trial, torture, crucifixion, and His death.  Jesus, knowing of all that was imminent, took the time—not to ask His Father to help Him to prepare, He didn’t go hide somewhere, He didn’t do anything for Himself—He took the time to pray for His disciples…and you and me.  Listen to His words of love.

Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

And this is the verse that speaks to the value, the enormity, the security of God’s love for you (for me, too). Isn’t this so amazing?

I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united,
that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me
nd that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me.
Verse 23

I AM who God says I am! We have been staking our claim to this Truth, these righteous God-ordained images throughout our study, true? So, based on the words of our Lord Jesus, let me ask you a question: Since you ARE loved by Almighty God—Jesus SAID so—how secure is that love?

I pray the following prayer of Paul’s over each of you…perhaps you could take this into your heart/personalize it with your name…and believe it. <3

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father…that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you, ______ , to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your heart, ______ , through faith; that you, ______ , being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you ______ may be filled with all the fulness of God. ~ Ephesians 3:14-19

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In Your Hands

March 2, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

 ~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

The dawn is breaking and I can hear Your whisper on the breeze
The world is waking and I am here to meet You on my knees
When I’m with You my soul finds rest ‘cause I can leave it in Your hands

The day keeps coming pulling me a million different ways
I’m always running but never seem to catch the things I chase
When I’m with You my soul finds rest ‘cause I can leave it in Your hands

Every sorrow, I leave it in Your hands
Every sickness, I leave it in Your hands
All my failures, I leave ‘em in Your hands
Amen. (I leave it in Your hands)

So I am laying the weight of all these burdens at Your feet
No more waiting ‘cause You’ve already won my victories
In Jesus my soul finds rest ‘cause I can leave it in Your hands

Every promise, I leave it in Your hands
Every healing, I leave it in Your hands
And my future, I leave it in Your hands
Amen. (I can leave it in Your hands)

It’s Your hands that form the mountains
Your hands set boundaries for the seas
And in Your hands You hold tomorrow
The same hands that took the nails for me

Every sorrow, I leave it in Your hands
Every sickness, I leave it in Your hands
All my failures, I leave them in Your hands
Amen. (I can leave it in Your hands)

Every promise, I leave it in Your hands
Every healing, I leave it in Your hands
And my future, I leave it in Your hands
Amen. (I can leave it in Your hands)
…I can leave it in Your hands

~  Performed by Unspoken  ~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
I love this song for the confession of the Truth that it is!  Where would we be if it were not for choosing to ‘leave it in His hands’?  We can proclaim our trust as the psalmist did.

But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord,
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in Your hand…
Psalms 31:14 and 15

These could easily have been similar words to what Ezra voiced in his prayers to his God.  Ezra was a man “uncompromisingly righteous” (I Kings 8:32).  God worked many things through the life and ministry of the priest Ezra and it was very apparent that Ezra’s life was in God’s hand (verses 6, 9, 28).  Most notably were the events which led to Ezra being commanded to come before King Artaxerxes (the son of Ahaseurus (Xerxes)—yes! THAT Ahaseurus…the husband of Esther!) to write a most important letter to be carried throughout the kingdom which determined that much wealth and “things” were acquired for the beautifying of the Temple in Jerusalem. (You can read the whole amazing record here.)

On the first of the first month he started out from Babylon, and on the first of the fifth month he arrived in Jerusalem, for upon him was the good hand of his God.
For Ezra had prepared and set his heart to seek the Law of the Lord [to inquire for it and of it, to require and yearn for it], and to do and teach in Israel its statutes and its ordinances.

Ezra 7:9 and 10

Ezra wrote (“scribed”) the king’s decree and also accompanied the letter throughout the kingdom. He thoroughly understood the magnitude of this event and praised God saying,

Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers [said Ezra], Who put such a thing as this into the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and Who has extended His mercy and steadfast love to me before the king, his counselors, and all the king’s mighty officers. I was strengthened and encouraged, for the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together outstanding men of Israel to go with me to Jerusalem.

Verses 27 and 28

God’s hand accomplishes small and mighty things!  The point is not in the enormity of His blessing but the point is His sovereignty!  Our God has had the entire world and the lives of every person ever born ‘in His hand’ all along.

The prophet Isaiah was given many strong encouraging AND admonishing words to speak to God’s people.  He had told them just how to pursue God when fasting and they chose to do it their own way…and they did not receive the things they were asking of the Lord.  And Isaiah plainly told them why “the Lord’s hand” was against them.

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save,
nor His ear dull with deafness, that it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.
Isaiah 59:1 and 2

We, as well, must always have the true fear of the Lord in our hearts compelling us to believe (and obey!).

Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest,
any one of you may seem to have come short of it.
For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word
they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.
For we who have believed enter that rest….
Hebrews 4:1-3

God’s heart (and His accompanying hand of provision and blessing) is to always provide what is good and best for those who seek Him. As Unspoken sings, “every sorrow…sickness…failure as well as every promise…healing…and our future” are best left in His hand.  Amen?

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind
and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him,
and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord
and turn [entirely] away from evil.

Proverbs 3:5-7

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CHRISTLife — Week Eight

March 2, 2014 by

cl part three banner

Here we are, friends, coming down the homestretch!  This is week 8—the final week of our CHRISTLife study!  Y’know perhaps ‘homestretch’ is not the right word.  Truly this is not the destination but rather the launching pad to living our lives with the mindset ‘I AM who God says I am!’

Born-again and given a new identity in Christ, we have total sufficiency in Him (2 Corinthians 3:5).  And this week, Mrs. Myers puts before us that “…righteous, holy living is consistent with the persons we are now. It isn’t something foreign to us that we have to produce out of duty or even gratefulness. Rather, as we choose to follow Christ, we can expect to live a holy life because of who Christ is, what He has done, and what He has made us through our new birth.”

We ARE who God says we are…who Christ has enabled us to be!  Some of these images we will consider this week are:

  • Nurtured

Casting the whole of your care…on Him, for He cares for you
affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
1 Peter 5:7

  • Satisfied

I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
Psalm 63:5

  • Secure

He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
Psalm 40:2

  • Competent

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10

  • Bold

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

  • Confident

And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying,
This is the way; walk in it,
when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.
Isaiah 30:21

  • Purposeful

…for it is God who is at work in you,
both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13

May I encourage each of you, friends, to believe and take hold of these Truthful images that we are looking at each day this week.  They are who you are (me, too!) because of the indwelling of Christ!

In this song, I Lift My Life Up, the lyrics go “When I hear You calling out…I follow now wherever the road may go.”  We, too, can make this commitment knowing that God has already enabled us!  This is who we ARE!  And, God has not left us alone to figure out what to do with these enablements. We have His Holy Spirit inside us helping us to remember that I AM who God says I am—nurtured, satisfied, secure, competent, bold, confident, and purposeful!  All for His glory!

I lift my life, lift my life up
I give it all in surrender
I lift my heart, lift my heart up
You can have it forever
All my dreams, all my plans
Lord, I leave it in Your hands
I lift my life, lift my life up
Have Your way in me

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Better Is One Day In Your Courts

March 1, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!  Selah.
O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of Your anointed.
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Psalms 84:8-12

 

 

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CHRISTLife — A Quiet Time (part four)

March 1, 2014 by

IMG_1391

This week we continue to look at one of the absolute joys of our relationship with our heavenly Father—our ‘quiet time’ with Him.  Each Saturday we have been looking in-depth at a few of the more important aspects of a dedicated, purposeful, intentional, devoted quiet time.

Over the past few weeks we have considered some of these aspects, such as:

  • reading the Scriptures
  • singing our praises
  • thankfulness

In addition to each of these, I do believe that quietness—actual ‘physical-absence-of-distracting-noise quiet’…and perhaps even more important…quietness in our hearts—is required as a component of a purposeful, intentional devotional time.

Before we go any further, let’s stop for just five minutes and worship our God giving our praise for these times of stillness and quiet alone with Him!

Here In The Stillness  {Singer/Songwriter – Ali Matthews}
Here in the stillness my heart is at rest
Alone in the silence, that’s where I hear You best
In the rush of the river, like a song in the breeze
It’s here in the stillness You speak to me

When I’m lost in Your Presence the world disappears
Taking all of my troubles…my burdens, my fears
Oh how gently You hold me, You are all that I see
It’s here in the stillness You speak to me

I will be still, I will stand in awe
Oh, just to know You are my God; You are my God

Yes it’s here in the stillness You speak to me
You speak to me

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Our Lord recognized His need for quiet and time alone to pray to His Father.  If He, in His perfect sinless life, needed quiet time alone with God then we surely do also…and even more so!  His example speaks clearly to us.

And in the morning, long before daylight, He got up
and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed.
Mark 1:35

…and great crowds gathered to hear Him and to be healed of their infirmities.
But He would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
Luke 5:15, 16

(Perhaps, when our Lord was alone, He sang words similar to those in that beautiful song we just listened to….)

There is also another type of quietness—a quiet, peaceful heart.  Isn’t this something that each of us yearns for?  Truly I believe it can only be found as we seek Him. There is a incomparable quietness that we are promised as we trust in our Lord.

Be still and rest in the Lord;
wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him;
fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way,
because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.

Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
fret not yourself—it tends only to evildoing.
For evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait and hope and look for the Lord
shall inherit the earth.
Psalms 37:7-9

Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.
Psalms 46:10 and 11

And as Jesus Himself said to us,
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened,
and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]
Matthew 11:28

In closing, think about how the psalmist viewed his quiet time with his God.  As we intentionally pursue having quiet time alone with our God may we ‘pour out our heart before Him; God is a Refuge for us!’

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.
He alone is my Rock and my Salvation, my Fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him..
On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty Rock, my Refuge is God.
Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him;
God is a Refuge for us. Selah
(excerpts from Psalm 62)

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CHRISTLife — ThirtyFour: Loved

February 27, 2014 by

cl loved

In this is love, not that we loved God,
but that He loved us and sent His Son
to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:10

The KJV substitutes “Herein is love” for the phrase “In this is love” at the beginning of this verse.  Isn’t that a tremendous interpretation?—‘Herein, or, in here’ is love…truly nowhere else!  In God is love…He is love!

In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace….
Ephesians 1:5 and 6

“God’s unfailing love for us is an objective fact affirmed over and over in the Scriptures.  It is true whether we believe it or not.  Our doubts do not destroy God’s love, nor does our faith create it.  It originates in the very nature of God, who IS Love, and it flows to us through our union with His beloved Son.” ~ Jerry Bridges

The love of God for you (me, too!) is a fact…an absolute…a given—the Truth.  I can doubt it, if I choose.  I can worry about losing it, if I want.  I can wonder how God could possibly love me, if I want.

OR, I can believe it.

This God, the Great I AM, my ABBA Father, communicates all throughout the Scriptures of His love—

  • steadfast (Psalm 103:11)
  • unfailing (Psalm 147:11)
  • inseparable (Romans 8:38 and 39)
  • faithful (Exodus 34:6)
  • everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3)
  • unconditional (Luke 15)
  • compassionate (Psalm 86:15)
  • merciful (Titus 3:4 and 5)
  • enduring (Psalm 106:1)
  • and more; so much more!

Confess these Truths to yourself, my friend…encourage and strengthen yourself in the Truth of God’s love for you!  Would you, please, do this…Look at yourself in the mirror and remind yourself of the Truth, “God loves me!  He chose me, actually picked me out for Himself to have a relationship with Him.”  (Did you say it out loud?) Read through that list of truths that tell of the love of God…and speak them over yourself.  You are loved by God!

Perhaps you can sing along with the Psalmist David,

…in the morning I will sing of Your love;
for You are my Fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
O my strength, I sing praise to You;
You, O God, are my Fortress, my loving God.
Psalms 59:16 and 17

Perhaps you can sing this beautiful song, too; will you…would you try?   ‘Cause He loves us..oh, how He loves us!!!

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * 

And NOW here is some encouragement from Kim
along with her beautiful inner identity album page for this week!

CLkimiia0227

God’s redeeming love is such a powerful life-changing love…unlike ANYTHING I have ever experienced in my life!  He loved me out of my darkness and redeemed my life.  As Isaiah 54:8 states, “With everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer.”  Thank You, Father, for loving me that much….

Filed Under: CHRISTLife Bible Study Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Watches Of The Night

February 26, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv
~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

I look towards the wintering trees to hush my fretful soul
As they rise to face the icy sky and hold fast beneath the snow
Their rings grow wide, their roots go deep that they might hold their height
And stand like valiant soldiers through the watches of the night

No human shoulder ever bears the weight of all the world
But hearts can sink beneath the ache of trouble’s sudden surge
Yet far beyond full knowing there’s a strong unsleeping Light
That reaches round to hold me through the watches of the night

I have cried upon the steps that seem too steep for me to climb
And I’ve prayed against a burden I did not want to be mine
But, here I am and this is where You’re calling me to fight
And You I will remember through the watches of the night
…You I will remember through the watches of the night

~  The Watches of the Night, Mrs. Krysten Getty / Getty Music  ~

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

I venture to say that you, too, have had times of sleeplessness, leading you to prayerfulness and remembering ‘through the watches of the night.’  In each of our lives there are situations and circumstances that seem to be are a burden we do not want to bear.

Here’s the Truth, my friend: we are not to bear our burdens, our cares, our anxieties, our worries alone.  Our heavenly Father loves you so much and wants to be the Bearer of your burden.

Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you;
He will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 55:22

Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day,
even the God Who is our salvation! Selah.
Psalm 68:19

He is

  • Jehovah-Jireh (He Who provides)
  • Jehovah-Shalom (He Who is our peace)
  • Jehovah-Rohi (the Shepherd of our souls)

Even to your old age I will be the same,
And even to your graying years I will bear you!
I have done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you and I will deliver you.
Isaiah 46:4

I love this promise from my God…it settles my heart each time.  He has already done the bearing of any burden I could ever perceive!  As Mrs. Getty writes in her poem, “There’s a strong unsleeping Light that reaches round to hold me through the watches of the night.”  Almighty God will carry us throughout any wearisome, worrisome situation we are in.  His promises are true and Amen!

So I encourage you (me, too!) to always remember God’s heart towards us when we are feeling overwhelmed and burdened.  He is faithful to His promises, and He cares for you!

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that He may exalt you at the proper time,
casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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