November 27, 2024

Sacrifices and Joy

June 3, 2014 by

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Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love
and His wonderful deeds for mankind.
Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of His works with songs of joy.
Psalms 107:21-22

When one reads the Bible and thinks of sacrifice, they probably think about animal sacrifices to God.  However, most cultures do not do animal sacrifices anymore.  It is, in today’s modern world, an outdated practice in most cultures. Yet there are other ways to make sacrifices for God’s glory.

As parents, we sacrifice our time to raise Godly children.  We sacrifice our time to ensure that our children know who God is when we could be doing something else.  We sacrifice our own wants and wants of the flesh to bring glory to God through serving at church or in other capacities, working in various ministries, etc.  These are  just some ways we do “sacrifice thank offerings”—by giving up our own time to serve Him in some capacity.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13

When we accept Christ or witness others accept Christ, we are filled with joy.  We are joyful that one of the lost has found their way back into God’s arms again.  We take that same joy and tell of God’s great works and miracles through song and praise.  We tell of His wondrous life and works with joy to anybody who is yearning to hear His story of peace and redemption.  We become filled with the hope that the Holy Spirit brings us.  We spread this hope and joy and peace through sacrificing our time and selfish human desires to serve and worship God.

“My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead
and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
Luke 15:31-32

As in this parable about the prodigal son, the father had made great sacrifices to provide for his family.  He gave the one son his inheritance who then squandered it.  But, when that son returned home, the father was overjoyed.  In this parable, we can see God as making sacrifices for us, those who choose to ignore Him and refuse to follow Him.  However, when we come back to Him and accept Christ, He is overjoyed.  We are alive again, and we can tell of the great joy and miracles that God brings us through voice and song.

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Dear Heavenly Father, we are overjoyed that You love us.  We sing with joy of the wonderful blessings You give us and of the miracles You perform.  May we be strong witnesses of Your love and grace.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Deeds

June 1, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love,
for His wondrous works to the children of man!
And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and tell of His deeds in songs of joy!
Psalms 107:21-22

Reading the background of these verses, it amazes me how we are in such rebellion.  No matter how good we are, we cannot become better by our deeds. When we become ill, we pray for our heavenly Father to heal us, to make us better.  We pray when we lose our jobs.  We pray when we are in any kind of trouble.  What I want to do is praise my Father for whatever may come my way.  I want to sing for joy and dance with passion!

I believe it is this heart-change that allows us to see that God is not the image we have of our earthly father.  God is so not that man!  God wants us to love Him because He first loved us.  God has given us the Psalms and the other accounts to remind us of how He wants what is best.  He knew we would make mistakes…He knew we would need His loving arms around us all the time.

As God spoke and His word was done, we also can speak and proclaim His Word throughout all of the world.  We can speak them over our lives and the lives of those we love. We can speak the healing Scriptures over those that are hurting. For example we can pray,

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Yahweh is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the whole earth.
He never grows faint or weary;
there is no limit to His understanding.
He gives strength to the weary
and strengthens the powerless.
Youths may faint and grow weary,
and young men stumble and fall,
But those who trust 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 faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

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Father, give us courage to seek You everyday, with every waking moment and every breath we take.  Help us to not be afraid of what others may think if we begin to pray Your Word and proclaim it over our family, our church, and our nation.  We love You and want to experience life to the fullest!  In Your name we pray, Amen!

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Break Through The Chains

May 31, 2014 by

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Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!

For He has broken the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron apart.

Psalms 107:15-16

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Break through the chains in my life
Tear down the strongholds and the walls
Deliver me from all bondage and strife
That I may hear when You call and give You my all
Oh, Lord, my all I give You my all!

O Lord, my soul desire is to serve You
To honor You in everything I do
I surrender and lay down my life to You
Oh, Holy Spirit, come down and break through

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Protector

May 30, 2014 by

So thank God for His marvelous love,
for His miracle mercy to the children He loves;
He shattered the heavy jailhouse doors,
He snapped the prison bars like matchsticks!
Psalms107:15-16 (The Message)

God is our Protector.  When you review the Bible and history there are many times He rescued His people from certain extinction.  I have heard many people say they do not like history, but we need to know what was, to know how to prevent it from happening again or to know the signs to watch for.

When we search for miracles in God’s Word we read about Joseph. I recall that God used Joseph’s life as a foreshadowing of His Son Jesus coming to Earth, living among mankind, performing miracles and, while fulfilling God’s purposes, forgiving those who had wronged him.  How many of us can say that we have done that?  As Joseph forgave his brothers, God forgives us.

As we move forward in the Scriptures, we read where God used Moses to bring out the Hebrew people from Egypt into the Promised Land after the Egyptians endured the ten plagues. After the people were let go then they were led through the desert and came up to the Red Sea, where God performed yet another miracle in parting the Red Sea.  Let us not stop there, because the entire exodus from Egypt was a miracle in that no one starved, no one died (unless they angered God), no one grew thirsty, and their clothes never wore out.  God protected them in miraculous ways they would never have considered.

Moving forward a few hundred years, let’s go into the New Testament and meet the disciples in the Book of Acts as written by Luke. In Acts we see where the Holy Spirit empowers each person to carry out God’s purposes. Not by using tricks, but by the Spirit of the Living God.

In today’s times, we have seen men like Billy Graham share the Word of God in a miraculous way.  Through the recordings of his early messages Mr. Graham is reaching more people than ever before imagined.  Television, when used correctly, is a powerful tool for the spreading of the Gospel of Christ to the nations and the world.  With Mr. Graham’s outreach, it has allowed other ministries to reach out further than ever anticipated to peoples who would not have had the opportunity to hear the Gospel.

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Father, give us the tools we need to spread Your Word to the nations.  Empower us to train the next generation of missionaries to take the Gospel to those still living in dark places.  We look forward to serving You and we thank You for Your protection from the beginning of time…from then to the end of time.  Please bless our kids and empower them to carry Your Word to the nations.  In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

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Breaking Free

May 29, 2014 by

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Let them give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing love
and His wonderful deeds for men, for He breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
Psalms 107:15-16

Have you ever been by an iron mill when they are melting iron? If you have ever seen the movie “Rudy” then you at least have an idea about what goes on in the mill.  They are melting the iron down so that it can be used in the production of goods.  Have you ever been to one of those old- timey craft fairs where the blacksmith is working with some type of iron (or other metal)?  He beats the metal into something like a horseshoe or sword—just something that can be used for the good of mankind.

Now imagine an old junk yard.  This junk yard is full of old cars and trucks and just about anything else made of metal that you can think of.  Everything is starting to rust and break down.  There are people out there who go to these junkyards and get parts to keep cars and machinery running.  They use old parts from this rusting junk pile to make something, not exactly new, but to keep it running.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:
The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17

God does the same with us when we accept Jesus as our Savior.  He breaks us out of the iron restraints of sin and washes us clean.  He breaks us out of the iron hold of the world and Satan, and He purifies us.  God breaks down our old spirit and molds us into a new spirit that is worthy of His glory.  The old is thrown away, and God begins to mold us into how He wants us to be—pretty much like an ironworker working to make iron usable.

We are a new creation.  We are no longer rusting or going bad.  God has broken us out from an iron-clad prison that was holding us back from glorifying Him.  We are no longer prisoners of sin.  Because God loves us unfailingly, He does not leave us to rot in our sin.  He stays with us—pushing and pulling us out through the broken prison bars.  He never leaves us, and He works with us to accomplish the goals He sets before us.

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Dear Heavenly Father:  Thank You for Your wonderful and unfailing love.  Thank You for breaking us out from the chains of sin.  You have made us new and set goals in front of us that will make us more like You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Freedom

May 28, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17

Freedom isn’t something most of us have to worry about.  Frankly, it’s a privilege that is easy to take for granted.  Simple freedoms like the ability to worship whom we please…freedom to aspire to do as we please…freedom to make choices like where we will eat, work, live…freedom to choose who we will or will not associate with…freedom to pick what kind of car you will drive. Given some of these freedoms may take a little work, but they ARE possible.

Let them praise the Lord for His great love
and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
For He broke down their prison gates of bronze;
He cut apart their bars of iron.
Psalms 107:15-16

The Lord isn’t a fan of us being bound!  In Matthew 8 and 9 alone, Jesus

  • healed the leper,
  • healed the centurion’s servant,
  • healed Peter’s mother-in-law,
  • healed many demon-possessed,
  • calmed the storm,
  • raised a dead girl,
  • healed a sick woman,
  • healed the blind,
  • healed the mute.

Jesus came to give us a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10).  Please don’t be mistaken though!  This applies to your mental and spiritual life just as much as it does your physical, tangible life.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim
that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.
Isaiah 61:1

We can take heartache, fear, guilt, doubt, struggles, addictions, condemnation, shame, mistakes, questions and any type of burden you can think of to the Lord!  Trust him and do as He says in regards to the matter…and behold!  The new creation He makes.  God can make anything useful for His purpose if we will only give it to Him.  Emotions tend to hinder our willingness to believe this truth, but our God is a God of newness. He can make new that which was old and clean that which was dirty.

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Thank You, Lord for making me free. Thank You for taking that which I feel is untouchable and making it into something beautiful and useful. May I never take for granted the freedoms You have provided and may I never sit bound and crippled by the schemes of the enemy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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A Rare Love

May 27, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing love
and His wonderful deeds for mankind,
for He breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
Psalms 107:15-16

Unfailing love.  I think that this is a concept that is difficult for most to understand because we don’t typically see it in action…at least not from our peers, friends, and not even from our families.  It seems that failing love sometimes better defines the type of emotion shared in relationships, not at any fault of our own.  But there is only One who can truly say they have unfailing love for others—and that is Christ.  Because this can be such a rarity, the importance of acknowledging this love must be understood. Our Heavenly Father shows us this unfailing love daily, hourly, with each breath we take. Charles Lowery spoke at our church today and he reminded us that Christ has unfailing love for us even when we fail, even when we are less than we should be.

This verse proceeds to speak of iron and bronze.  Both metals are known for their strength, and use in battle.  Iron is known to be heavy, and known for its great strength and its hardness.  Bronze is used in the creation of weapons. Both are unbendable by human hands.  Both act as barriers and hurdles that without Christ we would never be able to overcome.

“…for He breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.”

When I think of these gates and bars, I don’t see them in their literal forms. Rather, I see the struggles we face on a daily basis.  I see our trials and tribulations.  I see Christ in our lives breaking the chains of iron and bronze that bind us—depression, illness, hatred, bitterness, and so much more. His unfailing love carries us through these gates and bars.  And He asks that in return, we give thanks.  And that we acknowledge the numerous things He does for us.  This can be done in so many ways, such as a gratitude journal, a song, or sharing our testimony.

My challenge for you this week is to think of the ways you can give thanks, and share what He has done for you.

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Let’s Pray:  Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wondrous works because without You we would be smothered by the iron and bronze that imprison us.  You ask so little from us in return.  Thank You Father, for Your unfailing love that helps us live each moment of our lives; a love that is there even in our most undeserving of times.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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Breaking Brass Gates and Busting Iron Bars

May 26, 2014 by

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May they erupt with praise and give thanks to the Eternal Lord
in honor of His loyal love and all the wonders He has performed for humankind!
He has broken down the bronze gates and severed the iron bars that imprisoned them.
Psalm 107:16 The Voice

Ever feel hesitant to do God’s will? Sometimes we are reluctant to follow the directions of God because all we see before us are the brass gates and iron bars blocking our way. The Amplified Bible shares Isaiah 45:2 this way:

I will go before you and level the mountains [to make the crooked places straight];
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron.

Psalm 107:16 and Isaiah 45:2 show us He will go before us and already have those obstacles removed before our arrival. God will make a way through the greatest difficulties we face. He will deliver us from the strongest prison, even if we are imprisoned in sin or consequences of our own making, and make the path straight ahead of us.  Micah 2:13 (Amplified) tells us that Jesus will be our Guide:

The Breaker [the Messiah] will go up before them.
They will break through, pass in through the gate and go out through it,
and their King will pass on before them, the Lord at their head.

Jesus has already broken through the barrier keeping us apart from God, paving the way for our salvation. He will continue to break through every obstacle in the way of our deliverance, our restoration, clearing a path through anyone or anything that opposes us. Nothing can hold us back if God is going before us.

Matthew Henry puts it like this:
“Those will find a ready road that have God going before them.”

Don’t let the brass gates and iron bars before you keep you from moving forward. Take that first step, all the while praising God. Watch Him shatter those gates and destroy the iron bars holding you back.

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Dear Lord, thank You so very much for Your grace and mercy. We are so thankful Your hand is upon us every step of the way. Do not let us hesitate when obstacles appear before. Remind us that You have already removed every obstacle blocking our path as long as we are following You. You are so good to us and we want to bring glory and honor to You in all we do. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen. So be it!

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What More Could You Need?

May 23, 2014 by

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Let them praise the Lord for His great love
and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Psalms 107:8-9

A car?  A house?  An awesome job?  A family?  Romantic husband?  Perfect health?  No debt?  Desires…aren’t they fun things!  Desires can be limitless. Nothing can stop me from desiring to go to the moon or to be a millionaire! (Well…aside from the negative chatter in my head and those people around me who would tell me that you could not…but that’s a totally different topic.)

Desire isn’t all bad; it’s when desire is left unchecked that we can run into problems.  Before any desire, Christ should always reign.  Christ needs to be Number One for everything else to make sense.  As well, we need to be very careful not to mix up wants with needs and to remember that Christ can provide us with all we need.

It’s important to make sure we are trusting God for our needs and not just things. We must focus on the Giver not the given.

Let them praise the Lord for His great love
and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Psalms 107:8-9

Immediately, when I read these verses I thought of the woman at the well (John chapter 4).  Jesus told her He was the Living Water.  Then, I remembered that Jesus also referred to Himself as the Bread of Life, in John 6:35.  Those are some pretty large claims to make.  Jesus wasn’t saying, “I’m all that and a bag of chips!” He was saying, “I’m a never-ending five course meal.”  But! Look what He did!  He went to Calvary for us.  I think it’s safe to say He can make those claims.

So, what do you need Christ for today?  Let Him satisfy you.

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Thank you, Lord, for being all that I need.  And for being able to satisfy any, every, and all my needs.  You are wonderful and worthy of all my praise!  Amen.

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Proper Thanks

May 20, 2014 by

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Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.
Psalms 107:8-9

I think that one of the first things we’re taught as a child, and one of the first things we teach our own children, is the importance of giving thanks…of saying ‘thank you’.  Two words that carry such weight.  Two words that when not spoken can turn a good mood bad, and that when are spoken can restore one’s belief in humanity.

Giving thanks is definitely an area I would like to work on.  I have a habit of offering a quick “Thanks, God!” when I find the phone I’ve inadvertently covered with a pillow, or when the caller ID displays the kid’s school—and it’s not a call for trouble—but simply a field trip reminder.  When He makes way for a bill to be paid…when He allows me to walk away from a car accident that I should not have survived…when He wakes me up.  Are they always followed with a true ‘Thank You, Father’?  I’ve noticed that I often expect my thanks simply to be known.  In my heart I am giving thanks, but often the expression remains right there, and is not always directed where they need to be.  I’m often rushing through life finding that I feel too busy to give proper thanks.

I know that I need to cultivate a habit of giving true thanks to God—for His wonderful works, for satisfying my longing soul, for easing a hunger that food wouldn’t began to relieve. He has done so much that He deserves thanks to be yelled from mountain tops.

Today I thank Him for His word, for His grace and mercy, for His love that continues despite my short comings.

Let’s pray:
Oh, that men (we, I) would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men (myself, my friends and family)!  For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Thank You, Lord, for all You have done. Thank You for doing these things even we fail to thank You as we should. Lord, place Your hand on our hearts and offer a gentle reminder to slow down and give credit where credit is due. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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