November 22, 2024

Take Joy

May 7, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.   Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Ever been accused of doing something you did not do?  It can be an occasion to become angry, confused, and desperate.  Jesus was foreshadowing how His life was going to play out.  Even though He knew the outcome of His life, He still chose to let others in on God’s basic plan.  God wanted His people, Israel to come back to Him.  From the time that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they have done nothing but whine and complain.

In the New Testament we have Christ’s example to follow in order to honor Him. We also have the Apostle Paul and John the Baptist as examples of how to live and not become discouraged. Jesus was tasked to show and tell others about His Father in Heaven, about how to get to Heaven, and how to grow in our faith.  Paul showed us through his perseverance during his journey across the Middle East that teaching others about God’s love was more important than his own safety and comfort. While Paul was beaten, whipped, stranded, jailed, and shipwrecked, he never lost his passion and drive to share with others. The zeal he had used to persecute the Christians was the same he used to tell others the good news!

John the Baptist is an example of sacrifice for his beliefs. God sent John to be a messenger for Jesus’ ministry.  John was raised with rules and a different purpose than most other kids.  Being taught Scripture by both parents, he was raised in a strict Nazarene lifestyle—set apart and different.  I am sure he was persecuted for the way he behaved and how he was different while he was young and definitely during his ministry. The Holy Spirit was with John while he preached the coming of the Messiah. He was able to discern the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and other religious leaders when they came to hear him speak.

We all know the outcome of each of their lives. What is more important is how they lived. The desire to serve God was so overwhelming they could not stop themselves. I pray that we, also, would receive a desire like their’s to share the Lord’s love with others as we live our lives.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In The Name Of The Lord

April 12, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Crowds have lined the narrow street
To see this Man from Galilee
Just a carpenter some say leading fools astray
Yet many kneel to give Him praise

And in His eyes they glimpse the power
That sees the heart of all men
And He knows His Father’s mind
And He speaks His Father’s words
For He comes in the Name of the Lord

There Is Strength In The Name Of The Lord
There Is Power In The Name Of The Lord
There Is Hope In The Name Of The Lord
Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord
In The Name Of The Lord

And when my plans have fallen through
And when my strength is nearly gone
When there’s nothing left to do but just depend on You
And the power of Your Name

And when we call upon Your Name
Your Strength through weakness to show
We can know the Master’s plan, extend the Master’s Hand
When we come in the Name Of The Lord

His Name will be worshipped forever
Creator, Redeemer, and King

Lyrics written by Gloria Gaither and Phill McHugh
Music written by Sandi Patty
Performed by Sandi Patty

*  ~  *  ~   ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥    ~  *  ~  * 

It was the Passover, and the Jewish people were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate.  Then Jesus entered the city riding on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy of their coming king (Zechariah 9:9).  No wonder they shouted “Hosanna!”  We find this important event recorded in all four of the Gospels: Matthew 21:4-9, Mark 11:7-10, Luke 19:35-38, and John 12:12-15.

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
John 12:12-13

We, the Church, celebrate this event as Palm Sunday.  During this Easter season we are reminded over and over that Christ came, died, and was resurrected for our salvation and eternal life.

Most of us reading this today have chosen to welcome Christ’s coming into our hearts and lives.

Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:8-9

Rejoice greatly…Behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He…
Zechariah 9:9

If you haven’t welcomed Jesus Christ into your life yet, if your “plans have fallen through, and your strength is nearly gone,” today is the day to reach out and take “the Master’s Hand” and allow Christ to fulfill His “Master’s Plan” in your life. Then you, too, will sing, “There is hope in the Name of the Lord.  Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord!”

Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!
We bless You from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God,
and He has made His light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!
You are my God, and I will give thanks to You;
You are my God; I will extol You. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His steadfast love endures forever!
Psalms 118:26-29

AMEN!

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This Is Amazing Grace

April 5, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Who breaks the power of sin and darkness?
Whose love is mighty and so much stronger?
The King of glory, the King above all kings.

Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder
And leaves us breathless in awe and wonder?
The King of glory, the King above all kings.

This is amazing grace. This is unfailing love.
That You would take my place. That You would bear my cross.
You laid down your life that I would be set free.
Oh, Jesus I sing for all that You’ve done for me.

Who brings our chaos back into order?
Who makes the orphan a son and daughter?
The King of glory, the King of glory.

Who rules the nations with truth and justice?
Shines like the sun in all of its brilliance?
The King of glory, the King above all kings!

Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain.
Worthy is the King Who conquered the grave.
Worthy! Worthy!

This is amazing grace. This is unfailing love.
That You would take my place. That You would bear my cross.
You laid down Your life, that I would be set free.
Oh, Jesus I sing for all that You’ve done for me.

~  Sing this song with me as our prayer and worship today.  ~

Written by Phil Wickham and Jeremy Riddle/Performed by Phil Wickham

 *  ~  *  ~    ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥    ~  *  ~  * 

It was five words that would change my life forever: “God is not mad at you.”  Let me give you some backstory.  I have a rich heritage of Christ followers in my family.  My grandparents laid a strong foundation of faith that has reached and shaped generations.  I was attending church in the womb – you know what I’m saying? I came to Christ at an early age, but for some reason this truth never really sunk in as it should.  I heard those five words a little over four years ago, after I married and began to return to worshipping regularly.  I thought “This guy is crazy.  He needs to stop telling folks that God is not mad at them. We’ve all sinned. God hates sin. How can he tell these people God is not mad?”  The man continued to talk about how much God loves us.  I mean, I knew that. But I began to read in my Bible to get some answers.  I needed proof to back up everything I’d learned, right?

Perhaps you’ve heard the same things I did growing up.  That my sin placed Jesus on the cross.  That every time I sinned I nailed him back up there. We learn guilt and shame and “we’re not worthy of the blood of Jesus.”  True.  We are not worthy. But what does John 3:16 say?  “God so loved the world….” Loved. LOVED the world. Loved the world so much that he gave his Son. Not that He was so angry with the world.  Not that He was so mad at the world.  Not that He was so exasperated that He was forced to send Jesus.  Nope.  LOVE.  It took me a while to come to grips with that truth, to be honest. I had to pray about it. I needed God to help me break some strongholds of religion and denomination and come to grips with what The Word said.  Can you understand what I’m saying?  You want a pure relationship with God?  You need to allow Him to break down your barriers to his unbelievable, unfathomable, supernatural, all-powerful, relentless love for you. “Yeah, but you don’t know….” I can hear those wheels turning in your head.  So can God.  Sorry, friend. God is bigger than your objections. HE. LOVES. YOU.

He loves you so much that He GAVE His Son in your place. It’s called the “divine exchange.”  Jesus took on your garbage so you could have the good stuff. MANY books have been written on the topic.  If you’d like some awesome reading, I will suggest “Bought with Blood” by Derek Prince. With Scripture it shows you exactly what Jesus took in our place when He died for us, and what we receive in return.  I could seriously be here all day talking about what happened on the Cross, but here’s a teaser, so that you can allow God to show you Himself:

  • Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven
  • Jesus was wounded that we might be healed
  • Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness that we might be made righteous with His righteousness
  • Jesus tasted death for us that we might share His life
  • Jesus was made a curse that we might receive the blessing
  • Jesus endured our poverty that we might share His abundance
  • Jesus bore our shame that we might share His glory
  • Jesus endured my rejection that I might have His acceptance with the Father
  • He was cut off that we might be joined to the Lord
  • Our old man was put to death in Him that the new man might come to life in us

Hallelujah!  This is why I love this song – it reminds me of how AWESOME God is and how deeply Jesus loves us.  “Jesus, I DO sing for all that You’ve done for me!”  Friend, let me tell you today: God is not mad at you.  God loves you.  Don’t believe me?  Ask Him to show you, just like I did.  Believe Him when He shows you.  Then watch what unfailing love can do in YOUR life!

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The Only Name (Yours Will Be)

March 21, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Yours will be the only Name that matters to me
The only One Whose favor I seek
The only Name that matters to me

Yours will be the friendship and affection I need
To feel my Father smiling on me
The only Name that matters to me

Yours is the Name, the Name that has saved me
Mercy and grace the power that forgave me
And Your love is all I’ve ever needed

When I wake up in the Land of Glory
And with the saints I will tell my story
There will be one Name that I proclaim

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, just that Name

~  Sing this song with me as our prayer and worship today.  ~

 
~  Performed by Big Daddy Weave / Words and Music by Benji Cowart  ~
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Jesus.  The Name that calms storms and heals the sick and raises the dead to living. The blind could see again just by believing in Him.  The woman at the well carried Living Water home with her so she never would thirst again.  And Lazarus, he rose from the dead, just as our Savior would one day.  Jesus.   Doesn’t saying His name just calm you?

His Name is the name that we should seek above all.  Do you know that He experienced everything on earth that we do?  I’m not saying that He sinned, I’m saying that He lived here and walked here and saw the same hurts and sickness that we do.  God sent Him to pave the way for us.  And to experience the same powers that He had.  Of all the things of this world, nothing else matters except our relationship with Jesus, the Son of Man, the Son of God.  Jesus is the difference between life and death.  He is the difference between Christianity and all other religions. You must accept Him in your heart and have a relationship—a day to day speaking, and loving, relationship with Him.

Do you see His beauty?  Do you feel His presence with you?  As it says in this song, His name saves.  His name forgives and shows mercy and grace.  He so readily loves and so readily befriends all.  He is Jesus, friend of sinners.  He is the “I Am.”  We all will live with our Heavenly Father forever, because of Jesus.  He ate with tax collectors.  His own brother didn’t believe in Him and yet Jesus loved him so.  His own disciple betrayed Him, yet He broke bread with them and gave thanks, knowing that His own Father would have to turn His back on Him.  Don’t you want to love like that?  If so, then let’s do this together.  Let’s start now, preparing our hearts for His coming.  While we are here, let’s love each other.  Let’s get our hands dirty and get in the middle of life with each other.  There are plenty of onlookers but not enough team members!  Let’s ask God to empower us to truly turn it all over to Him and start fresh.

This week was the first week of Spring.  It’s time to do some cleaning up and cleaning out; and it’s time to plant some new seeds.  And when you’re ready to give in or give up, or when life is so hard and you just can’t breathe—just whisper His Name, Jesus. It still calms storms!

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Let us pray:  Dear Lord, we praise You for who You are.  We thank You for sending Your Son to walk before us in life and prepare the way for us.  Thank You for Your Word that documents His every move, from birth to death and every miracle in between.  Oh, how we are blessed!!!  Thank You that we can call on You in every situation and You are right there.  Because of Your Son, we are never alone and never will be.  We will forever walk with You and we have been given life abundant, full of joy, full of peace, full of grace, and full of You!  Thank You for the journey…for the wild ride that’s called our life.  Help us to prepare our hearts for Easter and to never take His death for granted.  For it’s in His name we pray, Amen.

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

Ain’t That Good News

March 15, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I got a robe up in that Kingdom
Ain’t that good news, Ain’t that good news
I got a robe up in that Kingdom
Ain’t that good news, Ain’t that good news

I’m gonna lay down this world,
Gonna shoulder up my cross
Gonna take it home to my Jesus,
Ain’t that good news, ain’t that good news

I got a crown up in that Kingdom
Ain’t that good news, Ain’t that good news
I got a crown up in that Kingdom
Ain’t that good news, Ain’t that good news

I’m gonna lay down this world
Gonna shoulder up my cross
Gonna take it home to my Jesus
Ain’t that good news, ain’t that good news

I got a Savior in-a that Kingdom
Ain’t that good news, Ain’t that good news
I got a Savior in-a that Kingdom
Ain’t that good news, Ain’t that good news

I’m gonna lay down this world
Gonna shoulder up my cross
Gonna take it home to my Jesus
Ain’t that good news, ain’t that good news

~  Sing this song with me as our prayer and worship today.  ~

DSA Concert Choir / Traditional Negro Spiritual
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge will award to me on that day
—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.
2 Timothy 4:8 NIV
If you’ve read any of my blogposts, I’m sure it will come as no surprise that music was an integral part of my life growing up.   My parents were careful to guard what my sister and I listened to when we were younger, and the radio was not on often.   We did, however, have a treasure trove of records (some of you probably don’t even know what records are…) of some of my parents’ favorite music that we listened to often.  Many of those albums I now have on CD or in a digital music file on my computer!

One of the records I dearly loved was of a college gospel choir, who sang many gospel classics and Negro spirituals.  This song, “Ain’t-a That Good News” was one of my favorites from that album, and always made my heart rejoice.   Imagine being a small child (or anyone, for that matter) and hearing that you had a robe and a crown awaiting you—in a kingdom!  I was royalty!  That was, indeed, good news!  I may not have understood salvation when I first heard that song, but I could still feel the joy of being a princess.

Some of us still don’t truly understand the full measure of what it means to be saved.  We don’t realize that, yes, we ARE children of God, the ultimate King!  We ARE royalty, by the love and sacrifice of Jesus. We have a robe, a crown, and our Savior in that Kingdom, awaiting our arrival.  Ain’t that good news??

In Romans 8:16-17 the apostle Paul writes:

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,
if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.

So if we look at this verse, it also tells us in order to share His glory we will also share in His suffering.  We’ve all tasted that, haven’t we?  All of us have been touched by sickness, sorrow, death, discouragement—but this beautiful song says that “I’m gonna lay down this world, gonna shoulder up my cross, gonna take it home to my Jesus….”

At the feet of Jesus I will lay all the burdens, trials, troubles, and my own cross where He daily receives me!  And when my short time on this Earth is finished and I get to go home, I get my robe, my crown, and the Presence of my Savior!  Hallelujah!  Now ain’t that good news?

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CHRISTLife — FORTY: Embracing A Glorious Future

March 7, 2014 by

CLday40gloriousfuture

What an opportunity, privilege, and awakening we have experienced in the last 39 days of this study.  We have been made aware again, or perhaps for the first time, that God created us because He loves us.  He created us on purpose to have a relationship and fellowship with Him.  We didn’t come crawling out of some swampland.  We came out of His heart.

We discovered that the ideal mirror to look into is not our bathroom mirror but the mirror of God’s Word, which is His Truth and His Love.  It is the “reliable, unchangeable grounds for accepting ourselves.” (Ruth Myers)

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

1 John 3:1

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Yes, we each came into this study with images of ourselves influenced by our past; many of those were negative experiences, failures, and hurts.  But God chose this time, this study, and each of us to destroy those images and replace them with His image of us from His Word, transforming our minds to line up with His mind.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern  of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Romans 12:2

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For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

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But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:16

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Through this study we have begun to recognize and accept God’s description of us, His followers.  We “have chosen the way of Truth” (Psalm 119:30, NKJV).  I flipped back through the book, CHRISTLife, and was blessed to read again what God calls us:

created, child of God, daughter, called, chosen, loved, saved, sanctified, desired, beloved’s, bride, quilt-free, blessed, clean, redeemed, forgiven, righteous, purified, justified, alive, alert, new, holy, victorious, obedient, Christ-like, delivered, united, fruitful, transformed, temple, priest(ess), filled, complete, receiver, empowered, strong, enlightened, belong, accepted, approved, friend, citizen, servant, worshiper, worthy, delighted in, favored, honored, royal, nurtured, satisfied, secure, treasured, competent, beautiful, bold, confident, overcomer, anointed, purposeful, witness…and more!

Wow!  After reading those I’m breaking out into a little song and dance—what about you!?  Those affirmations fill me with hope, and confidence for now and for my future. As Ruth Myers said, “In God’s unlimited view, He sees our increasing glory as His Spirit transforms us into finished works of art.”

…Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

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Ladies, these “works of art” (us!) weren’t created to hang on some museum wall and gather dust.  We weren’t even created to walk this dusty earth forever.  Oh no, God has created us for purpose: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’” declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).  Our hope will be complete when we meet Jesus face to face (Isaiah 33:17).   Our future will be for all eternity, worshiping and serving in the presence of our King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 1:5-6).

Time after time in the Scriptures, God shares His desire and plan for us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.  Here are just a few passages for you to look up as you study today:

John 3:14-17, 17:2-3
Psalm 16:11
Romans 6:22-23
1 Timothy 6:12
Titus 1:2, 3:4-7
1 John 1:2, 2:25
Jude 1:21
Revelation 3:5

Ecclesiastes 3:11 even tells us that He has set eternity in the hearts of men, even though we can’t fathom everything He has done for us.  God loves us, God has chosen us, God planned from before time began for us to spend eternity with Him.  That desire is in His heart, and He placed it in our hearts—and Jesus went to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-4).

If you have given your heart to Jesus, then you have everything you need to spend a glorious future in the very presence of our Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  It’s time to embrace your true and deepest identity, for “God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever” (Psalm 73:26).   “I AM Who God Says I Am!”

What a day that will be,
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

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Dear Lord, we have completed the study of this book, but I pray that we never stop studying from Your Book what You have to say to us and about us.  Thank You for loving us and choosing us to be Your children so that we can spend both here and in Heaven a glorious future with You.  I pray that You, the God of peace, will sanctify each lady in this study through and through.  May their whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.   The One who “…calls each of us is faithful, and He will do it”(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).  I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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

Forgiveness – Matthew West

February 15, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

It’s the hardest thing to give away and the last thing on your mind today
It always goes to those that don’t deserve
It’s the opposite of how you feel when the pain they caused is just too real
It takes everything you have just to say the word—”forgiveness”

It flies in the face of all your pride, it moves away the mad inside
It’s always anger’s own worst enemy
Even when the jury and the judge say you gotta right to hold a grudge
It’s the whisper in your ear saying ‘Set It Free”

Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Help me now to do the impossible…forgiveness

It’ll clear the bitterness away, it can even set a prisoner free
There is no end to what it’s power can do
So, let it go and be amazed by what you see through eyes of grace
The prisoner that it really frees is you—Forgiveness

Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible—forgiveness
I want to finally set it free so show me how to see what Your mercy sees
Help me now to give what You gave to me—forgiveness

~  Matthew West  ~

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

It’s the hardest thing to give away and the last thing on your mind today
It always goes to those that don’t deserve
It’s the opposite of how you feel when the pain they caused is just too real
It takes everything you have just to say the word—”forgiveness”

Sisters, do you want the most of what God has planned for you?  Do you want to feel the FULL expression of God’s love?  Then you have to step out in faith and forgive. This song by Matthew West came to mind last night after praying for a choir member who is going to see his dying, aged father this weekend for the first time in over 30 years.  He is going to forgive his father, and seeking forgiveness himself.  This song would not leave my mind all night, so I figured God put it heavily on my heart and mind because he needed me to share it with you all—and also make sure my own plate is clean.

It flies in the face of all your pride, it moves away the mad inside
It’s always anger’s own worst enemy
Even when the jury and the judge say you gotta right to hold a grudge
It’s the whisper in your ear saying ‘Set It Free’—Forgiveness

Some of you may feel offended or irritated that I would suggest that to feel the full measure of God’s love that you would need to forgive others.  You might be thinking right now of a person who you should forgive but don’t want to.  You know of someone that justifiably deserves your anger for all of the wrong committed against you, right?  I don’t know what you’re going through.  That’s true…I don’t.  (But God does.)

Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Help me now to do the impossible…forgiveness

You see, God does understand.  He sees your life.  He sees you’re hurt.  He knows the pain that has been brought on you by others.  But He says to lay your cares on Him, to let Him avenge your wrongs—He is faithful to do those things for you, because He loves you.  He also knows that when you don’t forgive someone, the person it really hurts is YOU.  The anger, the emotion, the pain – it keeps you in bondage. When you don’t give that person over to God to deal with, you remain a captive to the hurt you feel.  The circumstance has power of you, not the other way around.  And, in case this hasn’t crossed your mind lately, when was the last time you hurt God?

It’ll clear the bitterness away, it can even set a prisoner free
There is no end to what it’s power can do
So, let it go and be amazed by what you see through eyes of grace
The prisoner that it really frees is you—Forgiveness

Was it yesterday that you sinned against God?  Have you even made it this far into the day before you’ve done something that could separate you eternally from the presence of Jesus?  Do you really understand the power of God’s love and forgiveness toward you?  In 1 John 1:9, the Bible says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” God can (and will) forgive us daily.  If you’ve truly felt the full measure of God’s forgiveness—why not extend that to someone else?

Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible—forgiveness
I want to finally set it free so show me how to see what Your mercy sees
Help me now to give what You gave to me—forgiveness

You know, no one said forgiveness is easy.  And you may not forgive others because you don’t fully realize what it feels to be forgiven.  You may not accept the gift that forgiveness is.  But God is here to help you—to help you accept your own forgiveness, and to help you forgive another.  Try it today…and experience freedom from the bondage of hurt!

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Let’s pray:  Dear Lord, thank You for Your abundant forgiveness.  Please help me to forgive others as You have forgiven me.  Help me to extend the same healing power to others as I have received.  Where I am resistant, help me change.  Break down the bondage of unbelief.  Free me from the need to get revenge.  Help me to trust that You will vindicate me.  Help me to see others how Your mercy sees them.  Help me to love those who have hurt me.  Forgive me where I have hurt others and hurt You. Help me to walk in freedom!  In Your Son’s name, Amen.

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Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

February 12, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

O soul are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Saviour,
And life more abundant and free:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion
For more than conqu’rors we are!

His word shall not fail you He promised;
Believe Him and all will be well.
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

~  Helen H. Lemmel, 1922  ~

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

The inspiration for Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, which Helen entitled ‘The Heavenly Vision’, came from the writings of author and artist Lilias Trotter (1853-1928), a brilliant artist whose talent opened the doors to wealth and influence. Her other love was missions. After struggling in prayer for two years, she laid down her love of art in order to fix her eyes solely on Jesus and on His calling to the mission field. She served for more than 38 years as a missionary to the Muslims of Algeria. She also authored several books and tracts. The following is an excerpt from her tract, “Which Passion Will Prevail?”

“Never has it been so easy to live in half a dozen harmless worlds at once — art, music, social science, games, motoring, the following of some profession, and so on. And between them we run the risk of drifting about, the good hiding the best.” It is easy to find out whether our lives are focused, and if so, where the focus lies. Where do our thoughts settle when consciousness comes back in the morning? Where do they swing back when the pressure is off during the day? Dare to have it out with God, and ask Him to show you whether or not all is focused on Christ and His Glory. Turn your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him.”

Life gets busy, and even crazy! But whenever I sing this song, my eyes focus on Jesus, and I do find refreshing in “life more abundant and free.” This is what Jesus desires for us each and every day.

And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
Hebrews 12:1,2

There are others who are “weary and troubled” in the darkness of life.   Jesus commands us to share His light with them too.
Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.
Mark 16:15

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Lord, I don’t want the good of life to hide Your best.  Help me focus on “Your wonderful face,” and do what You say, go where You call, and share with those You lead me to.  You promised Your Word would never fail me, so I’m turning my eyes on You, Lord.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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CHRISTLife — Twenty: Alive With His Life

February 7, 2014 by

cl alive with his life

When you were born again in Christ, did you sense that your innermost being was passing from death into life?  Ephesians 2:1 and 2 says, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air.  But….”  (read on, dear sister!)

But God—so rich is He in His mercy!
Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful
and intense love with which He loved us,
even when we were dead (slain)
by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses,
He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ;
[He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life
with which He quickened Him, for]
it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve)
that you are saved (delivered from judgment
and made partakers of Christ’s salvation).
Ephesians 2:4 and 5 AMP

To satisfy His intense love for us, God through Christ made us alive in union with Him.  He gave us the same life He gave Jesus Christ so we could be saved!  Oh, what mercy and grace!

“Alive” what does that mean to you?  To get a good perspective, I looked up the definition of “alive.”  Some definitions that struck me were—’not just living but alert…active…vital…and energetic’.  Romans 6:11 NLT, “So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive [alert, TLB] to God through Christ Jesus.

Then I found this quote from Adolf Deissman, a professor of theology in two major universities in Germany from 1897 to 1935.

“Just as all men live in the air, and cannot live without air,
so the Christian lives in Christ…To be in Christ is to live a life
in which Christ is the atmosphere which we breathe.”

Christ is the very atmosphere in which I “live and move and have my being” (Acts 17:28 NIV).  As Michael W. Smith’s song, “Breathe” states,

I’m desperate for You, I’m lost without You. You are the very air I breathe!

This union with Christ has given us full access to “the life-giving God” (1 Timothy 6:13 Message). Even Jesus refers over and over to God as His/our source of life:

…I (Jesus) live because of the Father…
John 6:57

For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself.
John 5:26

He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.
Luke 20:38

John 17:20-26 records Jesus’ prayer for all future people who would become believers (that includes us).

I pray also for those who will believe in Me
through their (the disciples’) message,
that all of them may be one, Father,
just as You are in Me and I am in You.
May they also be in Us
so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.
I have given them the glory that You gave Me,
that they may be one as We are one—
I in them and You in Me—
so that they may be brought to complete unity.
Then the world will know that You sent Me
and have loved them even as You have loved Me.

Do you see that, ladies?  Jesus asked His Father to spiritually unite us as He and the Father are united.  The only way that is possible is for each of us to have the same Spirit—“I in them and You in Me.”  Our spiritual aliveness is from the life of Jesus Christ Himself, “The very Source, the Author of life” (Acts 3:15 AMP), and our unity is because of that oneness in Christ.

When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He was determined that we would remain in Him—to be alive, alert, vital, and active—so He gave us the wonderful gift of His Holy Spirit to help us.

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you
another Advocate, who will never leave you.
He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth…
you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you.
John 14:16-17 NLT

It is the Spirit who gives life…
John 6:63 NASB

How do we continue to grow in this aliveness?  We need to renew our minds (Romans 12:2 KJV).  We do that by daily feeding on “The True Bread of God… anyone who feeds on Me will live because of Me” John 6:33 and 57 NLT.  This is Jesus’ promise to us.  The world would like us to think that if we satisfy our own cravings and lust that we will really live.  Oh, they are so misled (1 John 2:15-17)!  Those things will never satisfy the hunger that was placed in us when we were created.  It can only be satisfied by Christ, Himself.

I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life…”
John 14:6

…the man/woman who does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2:17

As I learn and grow by spending time in His Word, I know Christ better.  As I know Him better, I fall more in love with Him.  In that love, I am alive, alert, active, and vital for Him.

“You are the God who preserves alive all living things (1 Timothy 6:13 AMP).
I acknowledge that all of my life—physical and spiritual—
is in Your hands and under Your control.”
—Ruth Myers, page 87

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Dear Lord, thank You for desiring us to be alive in You.  We are desperate for more of You.  You ARE the very air we breathe.  Help us to renew our minds and satisfy our hunger by feeding on Your Word daily.  Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who sustains, comforts, and guides us in our aliveness in You.  In the Name of our Living Lord, Jesus Christ, we pray.  Amen.

 

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Sweet, Sweet Spirit

January 30, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjvIt’s December 22, 1990. It’s cold outside—and inside, really.  I’m wearing a green velvet dress and I’m waiting to walk down the aisle.  It’s my sister’s wedding. Not expected really, two daughters marrying in one year. We needed the Holy Spirit now, more than ever. See, my sweet daddy was giving away his baby, his last daughter and it wasn’t supposed to be this soon. She had a sweet blessing on the way and made the decision to get married. She and I both always wanted our dad to sing in our weddings and here we were. He had just sang at mine and that was hard but now he could barely choke out the words. We were “praying and we were praying through.”

A lady by the name of Doris Akers wrote this beautiful song in 1945. One night, as she prayed with her own choir, she felt they weren’t ready for the service and they really needed to pray. Again and again they prayed and they didn’t feel Him. Then she said, “We need to pray and pray through!”  They did and the Holy Spirit came down in a powerful way, just like it did that day in December during my sister’s wedding. The next morning, Doris had this song in her mind, playing over and over. She titled it, “Sweet, Sweet Spirit.”  Here are the lyrics:

There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place,
And I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord;
There are sweet expressions on each face,
And I know they feel the presence of the Lord.

Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet heavenly Dove,
Stay right here with us, filling us with Your love.
And for these blessings we lift our hearts in praise;
Without a doubt we’ll know that we have been revived,
When we shall leave this place.

There are blessings you cannot receive
Till you know Him in His fullness and believe;
You’re the one to profit when you say,
“I am going to walk with Jesus all the way.”

If you say He saved you from your sin,
Now you’re weak, you’re bound and cannot enter in,
You can make it right if you will yield,
You’ll enjoy the Holy Spirit that we feel”

Words and Music: Doris Akers / Performed by Gaither Vocal Band & SSQ

  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  

When Jesus left earth to go back to His Father, He left us with a task that we could not possibly do on our own. He made it clear that we would need the power of the Holy Spirit.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you
and you will be my witnesses.
Acts 1:8

Have you ever thought about how your life is different because you have the Spirit living inside you? He is your comforter, advisor, encourager, and strength. He guides us in the way we should go!

So as believers, we do feel the “sweet sweet spirit” in this place.  And we know that it’s the Presence of the Lord.  Need Him today? Call on Jesus, ask the Lord for His Holy Spirit to fill you and guide you in every direction and every aspect of your life. And pray and pray and pray through!  What a gift we have been left by Jesus Himself.

And like the song says, “I am going to walk with Jesus all the way!”

Let us pray:  Dear Lord Jesus, we thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit to guide us and comfort us and fill us so that we can have the joy and freedom given by being saved.  Help us to empty ourselves of us and receive Your Spirit and all that goes with that.  We love You and we praise You for giving us the strength to resist temptation, to be able to love each other, to spread Your hope and good news to the world.  Thank You for the Spirit to intercede on our behalf when we don’t even know what to say.  Help us to keep our eyes on You.  For it’s in Your Name we pray, amen.

 

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