“Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” II Corinthians 4:17
A few days ago I wrote a blog on trouble and the greatness of our God to be a very present help in that trouble. Today I am going to look at how our great God can turn our trouble into good (Rom.8:28) and glory for us – if we trust Him (Prove.3:5, 6). In II Corinthians 4:17, it says that our light (“easy”) trouble (comparatively speaking to Christ’s suffering) is but for a moment (“quickly passing”) – all of life is brief. God wants to use even the light trouble that is passing through our life, to “work out” and finish in us an “exceeding weight (abundance)” of glory (“honor”).
I have made bread for years, in fact, I have some rising now to be baked later. I won’t give all the details to making bread but I would like to share about the kneading process. Kneading is like the “working out” mentioned above. The yeast in the dough will cause the dough to rise to loaf size. The dough starts being quite small, but as you knead it thoroughly, mixing the yeast throughout the dough and “working out” all the air pockets, which cause holes and poor texture of the bread, then set it aside to rise, it will rise to double in size. When it swells to double size it is divided into loaf size pieces and kneaded again; crushing and folding, crushing and folding, “working out” all the air pockets. Then it is put into desired pans to rise again. After the dough has risen double again, it is time to bake it. If everything works as it should, the finished bread is quite ‘glorious.’ The baker always gets the glory and honor for the wonderful finished product.
This II Corinthians scripture is a good analogy to what the kneading does for the bread. Jesus is the ‘life maker’ and uses the troubles in our lives to “work out” the self-will and pride out of our life, then He folds us in His love. Our self-righteousness and independence are crushed and then folded in His love. This crushing and folding with circumstances and love will in eternity bring out “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” When finished the “life maker” will receive an abundance of honor and glory for such a perfected life and we will receive an abundance of glory for letting the crushing do its work. This eternal glory is why we are told to rejoice in tribulation (I Pet.1:6-7). Paul repeated this directive in Phil.4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice!”
To the world rejoicing in your trouble is ludicrous, but we are not of this world. We have a different mindset – a mindset of eternal things and the joys to come. If we thought this world with all of its troubles was all there was, we would truly be hopeless and most miserable (I Cor.15:19).
Jesus, thanks for the crushing, and thanks for the loving that follows. Thanks for the perfecting of this old self. Remind us to rejoice in You in the midst of our trouble and for the hope of that eternal weight of glory!
How much does your glory weigh?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Rest and Wait Patiently
“Rest in the Lord , and wait patiently for Him.”(Psalm 37:7) May 30, 2011
This scripture brings to my mind the picture of the Twenty Third Psalm. This is a picture of a satisfied, safe and contented sheep which is silently comfortably resting with provision all around him. As long as he stays in the fold and close to the shepherd it will remain safe, well provided for and is comfortable and resting. That sheep is content to wait, silently and patiently for the shepherd to call him by name and lead him to move to new and better pastures. The sheep trusts the shepherd’s wisdom to keep him safe and knows where to rest by the most optimum pasture and quiet waters.
It has been said that sheep are the most helpless of all creatures, even after coming into adulthood. If the sheep wanders away from the shepherd he becomes easy prey to any enemy waiting to separate the helpless sheep from the shepherd. If it falls on its back it cannot right itself alone. The sheep knows the shepherd’s voice and without the voice guidance of the shepherd a sheep can become disoriented and can quickly become lost. If a sheep becomes self-willed and runs away it can easily fall into holes, gets entangled in briars out of which it cannot free itself. Only the shepherd can find the lost sheep and bring him safely back to the fold, the green pasture, cool water and rest.
In the next picture I can see myself as one of the sheep in Jesus’ pasture, by His cool water, with His ample provision and trusting in His wisdom to lead me safely to His desired haven. Jesus is the “Good Shepherd.” He knows the crevices into which I might fall. He sees the traps that the predator has set for me. He knows how very vulnerable I am. He knows the pastures with ample provision and cool, still water. He knows the pits into which I might fall, and when I do He has the balm to heal my wounds. When I would choose my own way He draws me back with the crook of His staff. He beats the devourer off with His rod when it comes to steal me away, kill and destroy me.
Knowing the love and care of the Good Shepherd why wouldn’t I choose to stay close to Him and “rest in Him and wait patiently for Him.” Lord, help me to rest and quietly wait for you.
Gentle Shepherd
Bill and Gloria Gaither
Gentle Shepherd come and feed us for we need you to help us find our way.
Gentle Shepherd come and feed us for we need your strength from day to day.
There’s no other we can turn to who can help us face another day.
Gentle Shepherd come and feed us for we need you to help us find our way..
This scripture brings to my mind the picture of the Twenty Third Psalm. This is a picture of a satisfied, safe and contented sheep which is silently comfortably resting with provision all around him. As long as he stays in the fold and close to the shepherd it will remain safe, well provided for and is comfortable and resting. That sheep is content to wait, silently and patiently for the shepherd to call him by name and lead him to move to new and better pastures. The sheep trusts the shepherd’s wisdom to keep him safe and knows where to rest by the most optimum pasture and quiet waters.
It has been said that sheep are the most helpless of all creatures, even after coming into adulthood. If the sheep wanders away from the shepherd he becomes easy prey to any enemy waiting to separate the helpless sheep from the shepherd. If it falls on its back it cannot right itself alone. The sheep knows the shepherd’s voice and without the voice guidance of the shepherd a sheep can become disoriented and can quickly become lost. If a sheep becomes self-willed and runs away it can easily fall into holes, gets entangled in briars out of which it cannot free itself. Only the shepherd can find the lost sheep and bring him safely back to the fold, the green pasture, cool water and rest.
In the next picture I can see myself as one of the sheep in Jesus’ pasture, by His cool water, with His ample provision and trusting in His wisdom to lead me safely to His desired haven. Jesus is the “Good Shepherd.” He knows the crevices into which I might fall. He sees the traps that the predator has set for me. He knows how very vulnerable I am. He knows the pastures with ample provision and cool, still water. He knows the pits into which I might fall, and when I do He has the balm to heal my wounds. When I would choose my own way He draws me back with the crook of His staff. He beats the devourer off with His rod when it comes to steal me away, kill and destroy me.
Knowing the love and care of the Good Shepherd why wouldn’t I choose to stay close to Him and “rest in Him and wait patiently for Him.” Lord, help me to rest and quietly wait for you.
Gentle Shepherd
Bill and Gloria Gaither
Gentle Shepherd come and feed us for we need you to help us find our way.
Gentle Shepherd come and feed us for we need your strength from day to day.
There’s no other we can turn to who can help us face another day.
Gentle Shepherd come and feed us for we need you to help us find our way..
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The Greatness Of Our God
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1
It seems as if in this day and time the name of Satan’s game’ is, ‘trouble.’ Every day we wake to a new troubling scenario – a new war, a new natural disaster, a new political disaster, personal grief and hurts. All is because, Satan, the old serpent and deceiver, tempted Adam and Eve with sin, they fell into his trap and consequently and subsequently all of mankind has to face a troubled world filled with temptations, sin and separation from God.
The scriptures are very descriptive of Satan, the devil. He is the prince of this world (Jn.16:11), the prince of the power of the air (Eph.2:2), the accuser of the brethren (Rev.12:10), the old serpent and the deceiver (Rev.12:9), father of lies (John 8:44), ruler of the darkness (Eph.6:12), tempter (Matt.4:3), unclean spirit (Matt.12:43),
the wicked one (Matt.13:19, 38), the god of this world (II Cor.4:4), and many more horrible names which are characteristic of his attributes. You can have your pick of a name or maybe all of them, which describe how he has tripped you up or in which he may still hold you captive.
In John 10:10 it says that the thief (Satan) comes to steal from God’s children. To steal our peace, joy, love, sufficiency, health and everything that will make our life enjoyable. He also comes to kill us, to take our life, if possible. But our life is in God’s hand and only with His permission could Satan take our life (Job 1:6-12). Satan also comes to destroy us – our hope, our witness, our influence, our relationships and everything that has to do with our relationship with Christ. Satan came to make trouble for mankind, because we are God’s creation, made in His image and he hates God, and subsequently us. Satan will do all he can to hurt God so he does all he can to God’s beloved children to hurt them and turn them against the Father.
But, THERE IS HOPE! His name is JESUS! Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this world you will have tribulation (trouble), but take courage and be undaunted, for I have overcome this world. I have deprived it of its power to harm you and I have conquered it for you” (Amp). Satan is a defeated foe, and “greater and mightier is He that is within us than he that is in the world” (I Jn.4:4)! God is El Elyon, the God most High, the Strongest strong One, the Creator of heaven and earth, the King of kings! No power or trouble can snatch us out of His hand (Jn.10:29). By shifting the weight of our trouble off our shoulders onto God’s we find we have a wonderful resting place (I Pet.5:7)!
While Satan came to do his works of stealing, killing and destroying, Jesus came that we might have life and life more abundant, until it overflows (Jn.10:10). He came to destroy the works of the devil (I Jn.3:8). He came to bear witness of the Truth (Jn.18:37) and, among other things, He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). Remember, Jesus is a “present help” – Jehovah-Shammah – He is here (whenever, wherever). He has promised to never, no never leave us nor forsake us (Heb.13:5). Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to comfort, guide us and to illuminate the Truth to us. How Great is our God!
In these troubled times God is “shaking all that can be shaken” (Heb.12:27), literally and spiritually. Consider the historic earthquake in Japan; Arab regimes are toppling across the Middle East; economic fears in country after country; wars and rumors of wars around the world; families and individual crises; stress; depression and troubles unimaginable and overwhelming. Jesus said, “When we see these things begin to occur, lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).
Whenever we face deep troubles, our enemy, the devil, pushes right in to take advantage of our weakness and vulnerability. He comes in like a flood to overwhelm and overcome us. He usually uses fear as his weapon to make us doubt God’s ability, willingness and power to keep us and provide for our needs. When fear knocks at the door, let faith answer. Our Great God is mightier than any flood of troubles.
To be victorious over any trouble or problem we must build up our faith in the One Who has the answers and knows the way through the wilderness. Our faith is built up by hearing (ingesting, believing and practicing) the Word of God. Find the promises that apply to your trouble, study, meditate on them and then pray them in faith believing. Believe that God is great, that He is faithful and that He is good. Watch our great God show Himself mighty on your behalf! He has a reward waiting for you when you go to Him believing that He is God and diligently seek Him (Heb.11:6). He rewards you with strength to go through any trouble (Phil.4:13), and He will make a way out that you may be capable, strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently (I Cor.10:13). He rewards you with counsel and direction (Prov.3:5-6). He rewards you with joy and peace as you expect, look for and hope in Him, then you will rise above your trouble as on eagle’s wings, you will run and not be weary, you will walk and not faint (Isa.40:31).
Trouble can be a friend, because it causes us to seek God with all our hearts, it causes us to exercise our faith, and it brings us great joy as we see our God work His mighty wonders on our behalf. We should be full of joy in our troubles knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance develops maturity of character. And character of this sort produces the habit of joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Rom.5:3-5 Amp.).
In trouble the greatness of God’s mercy, blessings and His goodness is shown to be all we need to be an over-comer. Since we know as long as we are in this world we will have trouble we should be glad and rejoice and be exceeding glad that your name is written in heaven and we have hope after this world with its troubles!
Psalm 46:1
It seems as if in this day and time the name of Satan’s game’ is, ‘trouble.’ Every day we wake to a new troubling scenario – a new war, a new natural disaster, a new political disaster, personal grief and hurts. All is because, Satan, the old serpent and deceiver, tempted Adam and Eve with sin, they fell into his trap and consequently and subsequently all of mankind has to face a troubled world filled with temptations, sin and separation from God.
The scriptures are very descriptive of Satan, the devil. He is the prince of this world (Jn.16:11), the prince of the power of the air (Eph.2:2), the accuser of the brethren (Rev.12:10), the old serpent and the deceiver (Rev.12:9), father of lies (John 8:44), ruler of the darkness (Eph.6:12), tempter (Matt.4:3), unclean spirit (Matt.12:43),
the wicked one (Matt.13:19, 38), the god of this world (II Cor.4:4), and many more horrible names which are characteristic of his attributes. You can have your pick of a name or maybe all of them, which describe how he has tripped you up or in which he may still hold you captive.
In John 10:10 it says that the thief (Satan) comes to steal from God’s children. To steal our peace, joy, love, sufficiency, health and everything that will make our life enjoyable. He also comes to kill us, to take our life, if possible. But our life is in God’s hand and only with His permission could Satan take our life (Job 1:6-12). Satan also comes to destroy us – our hope, our witness, our influence, our relationships and everything that has to do with our relationship with Christ. Satan came to make trouble for mankind, because we are God’s creation, made in His image and he hates God, and subsequently us. Satan will do all he can to hurt God so he does all he can to God’s beloved children to hurt them and turn them against the Father.
But, THERE IS HOPE! His name is JESUS! Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this world you will have tribulation (trouble), but take courage and be undaunted, for I have overcome this world. I have deprived it of its power to harm you and I have conquered it for you” (Amp). Satan is a defeated foe, and “greater and mightier is He that is within us than he that is in the world” (I Jn.4:4)! God is El Elyon, the God most High, the Strongest strong One, the Creator of heaven and earth, the King of kings! No power or trouble can snatch us out of His hand (Jn.10:29). By shifting the weight of our trouble off our shoulders onto God’s we find we have a wonderful resting place (I Pet.5:7)!
While Satan came to do his works of stealing, killing and destroying, Jesus came that we might have life and life more abundant, until it overflows (Jn.10:10). He came to destroy the works of the devil (I Jn.3:8). He came to bear witness of the Truth (Jn.18:37) and, among other things, He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). Remember, Jesus is a “present help” – Jehovah-Shammah – He is here (whenever, wherever). He has promised to never, no never leave us nor forsake us (Heb.13:5). Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to comfort, guide us and to illuminate the Truth to us. How Great is our God!
In these troubled times God is “shaking all that can be shaken” (Heb.12:27), literally and spiritually. Consider the historic earthquake in Japan; Arab regimes are toppling across the Middle East; economic fears in country after country; wars and rumors of wars around the world; families and individual crises; stress; depression and troubles unimaginable and overwhelming. Jesus said, “When we see these things begin to occur, lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).
Whenever we face deep troubles, our enemy, the devil, pushes right in to take advantage of our weakness and vulnerability. He comes in like a flood to overwhelm and overcome us. He usually uses fear as his weapon to make us doubt God’s ability, willingness and power to keep us and provide for our needs. When fear knocks at the door, let faith answer. Our Great God is mightier than any flood of troubles.
To be victorious over any trouble or problem we must build up our faith in the One Who has the answers and knows the way through the wilderness. Our faith is built up by hearing (ingesting, believing and practicing) the Word of God. Find the promises that apply to your trouble, study, meditate on them and then pray them in faith believing. Believe that God is great, that He is faithful and that He is good. Watch our great God show Himself mighty on your behalf! He has a reward waiting for you when you go to Him believing that He is God and diligently seek Him (Heb.11:6). He rewards you with strength to go through any trouble (Phil.4:13), and He will make a way out that you may be capable, strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently (I Cor.10:13). He rewards you with counsel and direction (Prov.3:5-6). He rewards you with joy and peace as you expect, look for and hope in Him, then you will rise above your trouble as on eagle’s wings, you will run and not be weary, you will walk and not faint (Isa.40:31).
Trouble can be a friend, because it causes us to seek God with all our hearts, it causes us to exercise our faith, and it brings us great joy as we see our God work His mighty wonders on our behalf. We should be full of joy in our troubles knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance develops maturity of character. And character of this sort produces the habit of joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Rom.5:3-5 Amp.).
In trouble the greatness of God’s mercy, blessings and His goodness is shown to be all we need to be an over-comer. Since we know as long as we are in this world we will have trouble we should be glad and rejoice and be exceeding glad that your name is written in heaven and we have hope after this world with its troubles!
I Would - But You Would Not
“He loves righteousness and justice, the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”
(Psalm 33:5)
“He has showed you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you but to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”
(Micah 6:8)
The common talk today is of our chaotic world. The media, talk between friends, politicians and messages from our pulpits, all are talking about the mess in our world. The government is corrupt; there are wars and rumors of wars; natural disasters have devastated many areas around the world; diseases are rampant; the inequities coming out of the courts; and the sins of mankind are mind-boggling and stacked to the sky. Yet, “the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”
“His mercy is everlasting and His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations” (Psalm 100:5). We go to bed, sleep and wake up and live our days filled with God’s mercy, faithfulness, truth and His goodness. The earth is full of His goodness or else we would have been destroyed as soon as we reached the "age of accountability." His unconditional love is incomprehensible. This is not to say He will not judge the wicked, punish the unrighteous and that His Spirit will not always deal with the hearts of men, but the earth remains full of the goodness of the Lord. The heart of the Father yearns for the sinner and the wayward righteous to humble themselves, pray and seek His face and turn from their wicked way, then He will hear their cry and heal them, save them, deliver them and make them well.
I believe the Father’s heart is still broken over the world’s condition just as He was broken to the point of tears (Luke 19:41-42) over Jerusalem when He exclaimed, “Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace, for freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin and upon which your peace your security, safety, prosperity, and happiness depends.” (Luke 19:41-42) And again in, Luke 13:34, where He said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who continue to kill the prophets and to stone those who are sent to you! How often I have desired and yearned to gather your children together around Me, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you would not!” What condemning words – “I would - but you would not.”
What an indictment on us, here in the western world, who have had so much, and instead of appreciating and putting these ‘things’ in their proper place, they have become scales on our eyes that have blinded us to God’s goodness. We are blinded to the things that make for peace, freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin (ours and others) upon which our peace, security, safety, prosperity and happiness depends. We have been blind to the fact that it is not our wealth, our armies, our governments and our gods that will bring us peace, happiness or safety, but it is our “loving mercy, doing justly and living humbly with our God,” – Jehovah Sabaoth (LORD of hosts), Who is the One Who forms the mountains and creates the wind and speaks to man what is His Own thought, Who makes the morning darkness and treads on the heights of the earth – the Lord, the God of hosts, is His name (Amos 4:13)! He is the One whose goodness still fills the earth, Whose eyes are still in every place, keeping watch upon the evil and the good (Prov.15:3), ”Whose eyes still run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him (II Chron.16:9). He is still saying to us, “I would, but you would not!”
I pray, “Lord, help me to live righteously, to love mercy, to do justly and to live humbly before You. I will turn from my wicked way; I will seek your face with my whole heart and pray. Forgive me for my compromising with the world, for being so lukewarm in my zeal for You, for not loving as I should, for trying to please others instead of You. I need your strength to walk above sin, to overcome the bondage that keeps me from being all you want me to be. Cause me to resist the devil so he has to flee from me. I praise You for being all I need, for never leaving me nor forsaking me and I thank You that nothing can separate me from Your love, for adopting me into the family of God, and that You made me to be more than conquerors through Christ Jesus, my Lord and in Whose name I pray!”
Will you pray this prayer with me?
I Surrender All
Judson W. Van de Venter
All to Jesus I surrender, All to him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live.
All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow;
Worldly pleasures all forsaken, Take me, Jesus, take me now.
All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power, Let Thy blessings fall on me.
Chorus:
I surrender all, I surrender all, All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
(Psalm 33:5)
“He has showed you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you but to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”
(Micah 6:8)
The common talk today is of our chaotic world. The media, talk between friends, politicians and messages from our pulpits, all are talking about the mess in our world. The government is corrupt; there are wars and rumors of wars; natural disasters have devastated many areas around the world; diseases are rampant; the inequities coming out of the courts; and the sins of mankind are mind-boggling and stacked to the sky. Yet, “the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”
“His mercy is everlasting and His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations” (Psalm 100:5). We go to bed, sleep and wake up and live our days filled with God’s mercy, faithfulness, truth and His goodness. The earth is full of His goodness or else we would have been destroyed as soon as we reached the "age of accountability." His unconditional love is incomprehensible. This is not to say He will not judge the wicked, punish the unrighteous and that His Spirit will not always deal with the hearts of men, but the earth remains full of the goodness of the Lord. The heart of the Father yearns for the sinner and the wayward righteous to humble themselves, pray and seek His face and turn from their wicked way, then He will hear their cry and heal them, save them, deliver them and make them well.
I believe the Father’s heart is still broken over the world’s condition just as He was broken to the point of tears (Luke 19:41-42) over Jerusalem when He exclaimed, “Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace, for freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin and upon which your peace your security, safety, prosperity, and happiness depends.” (Luke 19:41-42) And again in, Luke 13:34, where He said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who continue to kill the prophets and to stone those who are sent to you! How often I have desired and yearned to gather your children together around Me, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you would not!” What condemning words – “I would - but you would not.”
What an indictment on us, here in the western world, who have had so much, and instead of appreciating and putting these ‘things’ in their proper place, they have become scales on our eyes that have blinded us to God’s goodness. We are blinded to the things that make for peace, freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin (ours and others) upon which our peace, security, safety, prosperity and happiness depends. We have been blind to the fact that it is not our wealth, our armies, our governments and our gods that will bring us peace, happiness or safety, but it is our “loving mercy, doing justly and living humbly with our God,” – Jehovah Sabaoth (LORD of hosts), Who is the One Who forms the mountains and creates the wind and speaks to man what is His Own thought, Who makes the morning darkness and treads on the heights of the earth – the Lord, the God of hosts, is His name (Amos 4:13)! He is the One whose goodness still fills the earth, Whose eyes are still in every place, keeping watch upon the evil and the good (Prov.15:3), ”Whose eyes still run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him (II Chron.16:9). He is still saying to us, “I would, but you would not!”
I pray, “Lord, help me to live righteously, to love mercy, to do justly and to live humbly before You. I will turn from my wicked way; I will seek your face with my whole heart and pray. Forgive me for my compromising with the world, for being so lukewarm in my zeal for You, for not loving as I should, for trying to please others instead of You. I need your strength to walk above sin, to overcome the bondage that keeps me from being all you want me to be. Cause me to resist the devil so he has to flee from me. I praise You for being all I need, for never leaving me nor forsaking me and I thank You that nothing can separate me from Your love, for adopting me into the family of God, and that You made me to be more than conquerors through Christ Jesus, my Lord and in Whose name I pray!”
Will you pray this prayer with me?
I Surrender All
Judson W. Van de Venter
All to Jesus I surrender, All to him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live.
All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow;
Worldly pleasures all forsaken, Take me, Jesus, take me now.
All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power, Let Thy blessings fall on me.
Chorus:
I surrender all, I surrender all, All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Just Call
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
Psalm 50:15This is a wonderful scripture with wonderful promises. It is wonderful to know God is just waiting by His heavenly telephone for us to call. He is just a call away. Do you have His number? It is Jer.33:3 – “Call on me and I will answer and show you great and mighty things you do not know.” What happens when we call on God?
1. In Psalm 50:15 He says to call on Him in our day of trouble and He will deliver us and then we shall make Him shine by telling of His mighty works. (Psalm 55:16; 80:18-19; 86:7; 91:15; 99:6; 145:18-19; Isa.58:9; Joel 2:32)
2. In Duet. 4:7, He says if we call on Him He will come near.
3. In I Samuel 12:16-17, He says to call on Him and “We will see the great thing He will do.”
4. In Psalm 86:7 and II Chronicles 7:14, He says, “If we who are called by His name (Christian) will humble themselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways, then He will hear from heaven and heal our land.”
5. He says we will be saved from our enemies if we call on Him with praises – II Samuel 22:4; Psalm 18:3.
6. In I Kings 18:24-39, Elijah called upon the Lord, the Lord answered with fire and
the people proclaimed Him to be “the Lord God.”
7. In Psalm 86:5 it says when we call on God, He forgives and is abundant in mercy.
8. If we call Him “our God” then He will say we are his people (Zech.13:9).
9. In Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13, He says if we call on Him we will be saved.
10. Romans 10:12 says, “All who call upon God in faith, He will bestow His riches on him.” What are God’s riches? – love, joy peace, patience, kindness, mercy, goodness, faithfulness, etc.
The word, “call,” in the Hebrew means, “To call out by name.” If your trouble is ‘sickness,’ call on Jehovah Ropha, (“I am the Lord Who heals you” Ex.15:26).
If your trouble is anxiety, call on Jehovah Shalom, (“Prince of Peace – Isa.9:6 & 26:3).
If your trouble is sin, call on Jehovah Tsidkenu, (The Lord Our Righteousness – Jer.23:6; 33:16).
If your trouble is want, call on Jehovah Jireh, (Our Provider – Phil.4:19).
If your trouble is loneliness or fear, call on Jehovah Shammah, (God is there – Jer. 42:11; Ps. 139:1-18).
If your trouble is helplessness, call on Jehovah Rohi, (The Lord is my Shepherd – Ps.23); He is your helper, friend, protector, deliverer – all you need.
If your trouble is grief, call on (The God of all Comfort – (II Cor. 1:3-5).
How big is your God? He holds you in His hands, trouble and all. HE IS BIG ENOUGH!
When God delivers you out of your trouble then “glorify” Him by praising His holy name/s and how He has answered your call.
Psalm 50:15This is a wonderful scripture with wonderful promises. It is wonderful to know God is just waiting by His heavenly telephone for us to call. He is just a call away. Do you have His number? It is Jer.33:3 – “Call on me and I will answer and show you great and mighty things you do not know.” What happens when we call on God?
1. In Psalm 50:15 He says to call on Him in our day of trouble and He will deliver us and then we shall make Him shine by telling of His mighty works. (Psalm 55:16; 80:18-19; 86:7; 91:15; 99:6; 145:18-19; Isa.58:9; Joel 2:32)
2. In Duet. 4:7, He says if we call on Him He will come near.
3. In I Samuel 12:16-17, He says to call on Him and “We will see the great thing He will do.”
4. In Psalm 86:7 and II Chronicles 7:14, He says, “If we who are called by His name (Christian) will humble themselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways, then He will hear from heaven and heal our land.”
5. He says we will be saved from our enemies if we call on Him with praises – II Samuel 22:4; Psalm 18:3.
6. In I Kings 18:24-39, Elijah called upon the Lord, the Lord answered with fire and
the people proclaimed Him to be “the Lord God.”
7. In Psalm 86:5 it says when we call on God, He forgives and is abundant in mercy.
8. If we call Him “our God” then He will say we are his people (Zech.13:9).
9. In Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13, He says if we call on Him we will be saved.
10. Romans 10:12 says, “All who call upon God in faith, He will bestow His riches on him.” What are God’s riches? – love, joy peace, patience, kindness, mercy, goodness, faithfulness, etc.
The word, “call,” in the Hebrew means, “To call out by name.” If your trouble is ‘sickness,’ call on Jehovah Ropha, (“I am the Lord Who heals you” Ex.15:26).
If your trouble is anxiety, call on Jehovah Shalom, (“Prince of Peace – Isa.9:6 & 26:3).
If your trouble is sin, call on Jehovah Tsidkenu, (The Lord Our Righteousness – Jer.23:6; 33:16).
If your trouble is want, call on Jehovah Jireh, (Our Provider – Phil.4:19).
If your trouble is loneliness or fear, call on Jehovah Shammah, (God is there – Jer. 42:11; Ps. 139:1-18).
If your trouble is helplessness, call on Jehovah Rohi, (The Lord is my Shepherd – Ps.23); He is your helper, friend, protector, deliverer – all you need.
If your trouble is grief, call on (The God of all Comfort – (II Cor. 1:3-5).
How big is your God? He holds you in His hands, trouble and all. HE IS BIG ENOUGH!
When God delivers you out of your trouble then “glorify” Him by praising His holy name/s and how He has answered your call.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Why Jews Are Hated
Wendell started an "Israel Support" group to which I am a part. Each member chose a topic from a list on which to make a report. I chose, "Why Jews Are Hated." The following is my report. There was a lot of information on the internet so that is where I gleaned most of this. With all this information (and there was more, but too much to put in this time-limited report), I still don't understand how true believers, who have the love of God within them, and knowing Jesus Christ was a Jew, could hate them and be anti-Semitic. I thought this information may be of interest to you. This is in outline form to help in my presentation.
I. The Primary reason
A. Because they are God’s chosen people to serve Him, bear
the Savior and spread the Gospel.
1. Even though they rebelled against God, He has set them
aside until the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled
(Luke 21:24).
a. The nation of Israel will suffer persecution, killings
and defeat in war until the Lord Jesus Christ returns.
b. God has turned to the Gentiles to preach the Gospel to
the world, to provoke the Jews to jealousy (Romans
11:11).
c. Sadly, most Jews today are Christ-rejecting followers
of Judaism, but they are still God’s chosen people.
Being chosen doesn’t entitle them to special treatment,
or a guaranteed ticket to Heaven. Jesus taught
Nicodemus, “You must be born again to enter into the
kingdom of God” (John 3:1-7). There is only one plan
of salvation given by God to man, and it is the same
for Gentile and Jew alike (Acts 4:10-12, John 3:16-17).
God never promised to bless Israelites today who reject
and disobey Him (Deut. 28).
d. Satan nature is to hate and he hates God’s chosen,
because they are the object of God’s promise of the
Messiah (Savior) of the world (Gen.3:15; 12:3; &
throughout the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments).
He hates them because God loves them so much.
(1)Satan hates God and, therefore, all of God’s people
because they are the object of God’s love and eternal
promises. He supposes he can crush God’s plans. If
we have not been born again our old nature will be
predominate and we can easily hate.
(2) Because Satan hates God’s human creation, he tries to
deceive them by influencing them to think God’s chosen,
the Jewish people, are loved more than Gentiles. God
loves all men the same, with an unconditional love
(Romans 5:8; John 3:16); and that God respects the Jew
over the Gentile (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; Gal.3:28).
II. The Jews are hated because of JEALOUSY. God has reached out to humanity through
the Jews. God could have chosen any other nation (Greeks, Romans, Germans,
Italians, etc.), but in His wisdom omniscience He chose the Israelites. If God had
chosen the Chinese to be the nation from which the Messiah would come, every other
nation would hate the Chinese. It is jealousy in the hearts of men that causes them to
hate God’s Chosen, the Jew.
A. People are jealous of the Jews because all the following came to mankind
through the nation of Israel:
1) The Messiah – Because of all the promises and blessings that came to the Jews
because of Jesus.
2) The Bible and The Ten Commandments brought the Law, and whether directly
or indirectly, they brought them guilt for their sins and made them aware they
were sinning, disobeying and displeasing God and they would pay the penalty for
that sin. The world hates the Jews because Israel gave the world a conscience
through the Law. They loved darkness rather than light (John 3:19; Isa.5:4).
3) God’s plan of redemption for mankind – God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah
55:8), and He is the omniscient, sovereign God and mankind’s rebellious heart
thinks God’s plan is too ‘simple,’ and are jealous because His plan came through
His chosen people, the Jews. It is God they world truly hates, because their
‘father’ is the deceiver, Satan, and has placed this jealousy and lies in their hearts.
4) Many people hate and are jealous of the Jews’ as a whole, because a small group
of elite Jews own and control the news media, Hollywood, the U.S. government,
the International Banking system and more and have great wealth and power; but
the Jewish people as a nation are not to blame.
III. Sad but true, Christians have often persecuted God’s people, mistakenly thinking they
were doing it for the cause of Christ. How tragic for both sides! For the Jews,
because they experienced unspeakable suffering and for Christians because they
invited curses in their own life and missed their chance to honor and love “the apple
of God’s eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10). Those who have persecuted Jews over the
centuries didn’t have the heart of God in the matter, after-all, Jesus was a Jew. To
the Jew hater this fact is abhorrent to them, but it is true. Could they be true
Christians and know the teachings of Jesus (Matt.22:39); or just be completely deceived
by Satan into believing the lies about the Jews? They certainly had not found the
“mind of Christ.”
A. Example in point – Martin Luther.
Martin Luther, who lived in the 16th century, restored a great truth to the Church – that salvation is by faith and not by works - yet he missed it entirely regarding the Jewish people. He wanted them annihilated and fueled persecution of Jews at that time. He was wrong but his influence down through the centuries following, sparked justification to men such as Hitler, who called himself ‘Christian,’ spewed his hatred in the Holocaust during World War II.
“So if men were inspired to despise God’s chosen people, who inspired them? Whose works are the works of hatred? Who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10)? Satan and the powers of darkness are behind every act of anti-
Semitism. The word Semite is derived from the Hebrew word Shem, meaning Holy blessed name, referring to God Himself. Thus, to be anti-Semitic is to be anti-God! If the powers of darkness can get Christians to participate in anti-Semitic acts, they are all the happier. Unfortunately there are too many willing partners in kings, religious and political leaders and common men upon the earth. A Jew hater is a hater of God.”
“There have always been two ways to kill the Jews. First by killing the Jew when he refused forced conversion – Christian Crusaders; Inquisitions; Polish, Russian, Hungarian, English, French and Italian pogroms; North, Central and South American Inquisitions of the 1500s and 1800s; and the Nazi Holocaust.
Second is through corrupt doctrine:
a. Through forced indoctrination to cause Jews to assimilate into the local
national culture and to abandon the old God-given ways once they come to
Yeshua (Jesus).
b. With strong teachings against keep the Lord’s Sabbath, His Torah, His Holy
Instructions, calling them bondages, His Holy seasons, the Lord’s holidays of
Leviticus 23; His dietary and nutritional laws; against the Talmud and writings
of the fathers.”
“After 4,000 years later and still people get upset because we eat in a unique manner. We do not eat certain things because God instructed us not to eat any unclean animal. It is simple obedience. For that reason, millions of our people have been killed during all these years. When we come to see our blessed Messiah, Yeshua, the first thing we are asked by some in the churches is, ‘Now that you know Jesus Christ, why do you insist on following all the Old Testament commandments?’ How interesting that no one ever thought to ask, ‘What would have happened if all Jews had assimilated 2000 years ago?’ Would there be any Israel to return to in the end of days?” (by Haim Levi)
Born-again Gentiles are also called “GOD’S PEOPLE” (Gal.3:7-9,14,16,18 and 29).
I. The Primary reason
A. Because they are God’s chosen people to serve Him, bear
the Savior and spread the Gospel.
1. Even though they rebelled against God, He has set them
aside until the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled
(Luke 21:24).
a. The nation of Israel will suffer persecution, killings
and defeat in war until the Lord Jesus Christ returns.
b. God has turned to the Gentiles to preach the Gospel to
the world, to provoke the Jews to jealousy (Romans
11:11).
c. Sadly, most Jews today are Christ-rejecting followers
of Judaism, but they are still God’s chosen people.
Being chosen doesn’t entitle them to special treatment,
or a guaranteed ticket to Heaven. Jesus taught
Nicodemus, “You must be born again to enter into the
kingdom of God” (John 3:1-7). There is only one plan
of salvation given by God to man, and it is the same
for Gentile and Jew alike (Acts 4:10-12, John 3:16-17).
God never promised to bless Israelites today who reject
and disobey Him (Deut. 28).
d. Satan nature is to hate and he hates God’s chosen,
because they are the object of God’s promise of the
Messiah (Savior) of the world (Gen.3:15; 12:3; &
throughout the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments).
He hates them because God loves them so much.
(1)Satan hates God and, therefore, all of God’s people
because they are the object of God’s love and eternal
promises. He supposes he can crush God’s plans. If
we have not been born again our old nature will be
predominate and we can easily hate.
(2) Because Satan hates God’s human creation, he tries to
deceive them by influencing them to think God’s chosen,
the Jewish people, are loved more than Gentiles. God
loves all men the same, with an unconditional love
(Romans 5:8; John 3:16); and that God respects the Jew
over the Gentile (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; Gal.3:28).
II. The Jews are hated because of JEALOUSY. God has reached out to humanity through
the Jews. God could have chosen any other nation (Greeks, Romans, Germans,
Italians, etc.), but in His wisdom omniscience He chose the Israelites. If God had
chosen the Chinese to be the nation from which the Messiah would come, every other
nation would hate the Chinese. It is jealousy in the hearts of men that causes them to
hate God’s Chosen, the Jew.
A. People are jealous of the Jews because all the following came to mankind
through the nation of Israel:
1) The Messiah – Because of all the promises and blessings that came to the Jews
because of Jesus.
2) The Bible and The Ten Commandments brought the Law, and whether directly
or indirectly, they brought them guilt for their sins and made them aware they
were sinning, disobeying and displeasing God and they would pay the penalty for
that sin. The world hates the Jews because Israel gave the world a conscience
through the Law. They loved darkness rather than light (John 3:19; Isa.5:4).
3) God’s plan of redemption for mankind – God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah
55:8), and He is the omniscient, sovereign God and mankind’s rebellious heart
thinks God’s plan is too ‘simple,’ and are jealous because His plan came through
His chosen people, the Jews. It is God they world truly hates, because their
‘father’ is the deceiver, Satan, and has placed this jealousy and lies in their hearts.
4) Many people hate and are jealous of the Jews’ as a whole, because a small group
of elite Jews own and control the news media, Hollywood, the U.S. government,
the International Banking system and more and have great wealth and power; but
the Jewish people as a nation are not to blame.
III. Sad but true, Christians have often persecuted God’s people, mistakenly thinking they
were doing it for the cause of Christ. How tragic for both sides! For the Jews,
because they experienced unspeakable suffering and for Christians because they
invited curses in their own life and missed their chance to honor and love “the apple
of God’s eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10). Those who have persecuted Jews over the
centuries didn’t have the heart of God in the matter, after-all, Jesus was a Jew. To
the Jew hater this fact is abhorrent to them, but it is true. Could they be true
Christians and know the teachings of Jesus (Matt.22:39); or just be completely deceived
by Satan into believing the lies about the Jews? They certainly had not found the
“mind of Christ.”
A. Example in point – Martin Luther.
Martin Luther, who lived in the 16th century, restored a great truth to the Church – that salvation is by faith and not by works - yet he missed it entirely regarding the Jewish people. He wanted them annihilated and fueled persecution of Jews at that time. He was wrong but his influence down through the centuries following, sparked justification to men such as Hitler, who called himself ‘Christian,’ spewed his hatred in the Holocaust during World War II.
“So if men were inspired to despise God’s chosen people, who inspired them? Whose works are the works of hatred? Who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10)? Satan and the powers of darkness are behind every act of anti-
Semitism. The word Semite is derived from the Hebrew word Shem, meaning Holy blessed name, referring to God Himself. Thus, to be anti-Semitic is to be anti-God! If the powers of darkness can get Christians to participate in anti-Semitic acts, they are all the happier. Unfortunately there are too many willing partners in kings, religious and political leaders and common men upon the earth. A Jew hater is a hater of God.”
“There have always been two ways to kill the Jews. First by killing the Jew when he refused forced conversion – Christian Crusaders; Inquisitions; Polish, Russian, Hungarian, English, French and Italian pogroms; North, Central and South American Inquisitions of the 1500s and 1800s; and the Nazi Holocaust.
Second is through corrupt doctrine:
a. Through forced indoctrination to cause Jews to assimilate into the local
national culture and to abandon the old God-given ways once they come to
Yeshua (Jesus).
b. With strong teachings against keep the Lord’s Sabbath, His Torah, His Holy
Instructions, calling them bondages, His Holy seasons, the Lord’s holidays of
Leviticus 23; His dietary and nutritional laws; against the Talmud and writings
of the fathers.”
“After 4,000 years later and still people get upset because we eat in a unique manner. We do not eat certain things because God instructed us not to eat any unclean animal. It is simple obedience. For that reason, millions of our people have been killed during all these years. When we come to see our blessed Messiah, Yeshua, the first thing we are asked by some in the churches is, ‘Now that you know Jesus Christ, why do you insist on following all the Old Testament commandments?’ How interesting that no one ever thought to ask, ‘What would have happened if all Jews had assimilated 2000 years ago?’ Would there be any Israel to return to in the end of days?” (by Haim Levi)
Born-again Gentiles are also called “GOD’S PEOPLE” (Gal.3:7-9,14,16,18 and 29).
Friday, May 13, 2011
Oh, The Wonder Of It All
“Blessed be the LORD GOD, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things!”
(Psalm 72:18)
Everything God does is wondrous! He is perfect, magnanimous, holy, loving and wondrous in all His ways! He cannot do any less than perfect. He is Yahweh – the Sovereign God – omniscient, omnipresent andomnipotent. If I am his redeemed and adopted child, how can I do anything less than say with David in Psalm 34:1, “His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” If I don’t feel like praising Him, Satan is oppressing me or I have let some sin get between myself and the Savior. Sin causes a disconnect between me and Jesus (Who should be my focus). It could be sins of the “flesh” or of the “spirit.” Sin brings darkness, depression, guilt and fear. But when I am walking in the Light, close to Him, all I want to do or say is to praise Him for the wondrous things He has done and is doing.
Electricity is a wonderful thing; it is also a puzzling thing. If it is captured and channeled its power can run huge turbines or light small lamps; but it must be connected to the source before it will work. I can’t define it, other than to say it is natural energy. Webster defines it as, “A fundament entity of nature consisting of negative and positive kinds composed respectively of electrons and protons and possibly electrons and positrons observable in the attractions and repulsions of bodies electrified by friction and in natural phenomena (as in lightening or in the aurora borealis) and usually utilized in the form of electrical current.” (I like my definition better. )
Electricity is a wonderful thing when it is channeled and controlled properly; but it is very dangerous if you are standing in an open field or under a tree in a lightening storm. People and animals have been seriously injured or even killed when they are struck by lightening or when they are using electrical current improperly. The same is true of God’s power – it is wondrous; but unless we are “plugged in” to His power we can do nothing. God has a plan and purpose for us; He has given us gifts, but if we are not vitally connected to His love we are like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal (I Cor.13:1). We are doing nothing more than ‘making noise.’ Our efforts must all be “through Christ Who strengthens me” (Phil.4:13). God is wondrous in all of His ways!
O, The Wonder Of It All!
(George Beverly Shea)
There's the wonder of sunset at evening,
The wonder as sunrise I see;
But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul
Is the wonder the God loves me.
Chorus:
O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all!
Just to think that God loves me.
O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all!
Just to think that God loves me.
There's the wonder of springtime and harvest,
The sky, the stars, the sun;
But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul
Is the wonder that's only begun.
(Psalm 72:18)
Everything God does is wondrous! He is perfect, magnanimous, holy, loving and wondrous in all His ways! He cannot do any less than perfect. He is Yahweh – the Sovereign God – omniscient, omnipresent andomnipotent. If I am his redeemed and adopted child, how can I do anything less than say with David in Psalm 34:1, “His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” If I don’t feel like praising Him, Satan is oppressing me or I have let some sin get between myself and the Savior. Sin causes a disconnect between me and Jesus (Who should be my focus). It could be sins of the “flesh” or of the “spirit.” Sin brings darkness, depression, guilt and fear. But when I am walking in the Light, close to Him, all I want to do or say is to praise Him for the wondrous things He has done and is doing.
Electricity is a wonderful thing; it is also a puzzling thing. If it is captured and channeled its power can run huge turbines or light small lamps; but it must be connected to the source before it will work. I can’t define it, other than to say it is natural energy. Webster defines it as, “A fundament entity of nature consisting of negative and positive kinds composed respectively of electrons and protons and possibly electrons and positrons observable in the attractions and repulsions of bodies electrified by friction and in natural phenomena (as in lightening or in the aurora borealis) and usually utilized in the form of electrical current.” (I like my definition better. )
Electricity is a wonderful thing when it is channeled and controlled properly; but it is very dangerous if you are standing in an open field or under a tree in a lightening storm. People and animals have been seriously injured or even killed when they are struck by lightening or when they are using electrical current improperly. The same is true of God’s power – it is wondrous; but unless we are “plugged in” to His power we can do nothing. God has a plan and purpose for us; He has given us gifts, but if we are not vitally connected to His love we are like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal (I Cor.13:1). We are doing nothing more than ‘making noise.’ Our efforts must all be “through Christ Who strengthens me” (Phil.4:13). God is wondrous in all of His ways!
O, The Wonder Of It All!
(George Beverly Shea)
There's the wonder of sunset at evening,
The wonder as sunrise I see;
But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul
Is the wonder the God loves me.
Chorus:
O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all!
Just to think that God loves me.
O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all!
Just to think that God loves me.
There's the wonder of springtime and harvest,
The sky, the stars, the sun;
But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul
Is the wonder that's only begun.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Separating the Precious From The Vile (Jer.15:19)
“I resolve to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ the Messiah and Him crucified.” I Cor.2:2
There are only a few temporal things I have inherited, and those things were a second-hand inheritance (I inherited because my mother had inherited them). As a child, 10-12 years of age, I remember my mother inherited some money from the estate of two maiden aunts who were doctors and had no children of their own on to whom they could pass their inheritance. So the nieces and nephews became the recipients of their legacy. I don’t know how much Mother received but being the unselfish person she was, she asked each of the children, still at home (probably six), what special one thing they would like to have.
Mother was a single, uneducated woman who worked at a laundry to care for her many children, so she had many needs on which she could have spent her inheritance and no one would have faulted her. But because of her complete selflessness she wanted her children to have a special desire of their heart they otherwise would probably never have, regardless if she had her desires and needs met (she knew Jesus would meet her needs). I remember my sister, Maxine, who was the sibling just older than I, wanted a pair of shoe skates. I don’t remember what the other children’s requests were, but they were similar in money value. As I had thought about the possibility of my receiving something I prized and desired that I probably would not ever have the possibility of getting (at least until I was old enough to buy it myself), there was only one thing I greatly desired – a piano. Not realizing the great cost, compared to the other children’s requested gifts, I boldly came to my mother who had offered this, what seemed to me as an unthinkable, ‘priceless’ gift, and I asked for a piano.
When Papa lived at home and we had moved from the farm into town, we lived in a big house on the other side of town, and we owned a big player piano – with the scrolls. Mother loved classical music so that is what most of the music was on our scrolls. Since I was preschool I learned to love music and could pick out the melody with my right hand, I just “banged” with my left. When I was a little older (maybe six or seven) a lady at our church noticed I could play the melody of the hymns we sang with my right hand and she took an interest in me and taught me how to play chords to go with the melody of the right hand, so was the beginning of my two-handed “playing by ear.” I never got to take lessons but when I was in high school and then college, I learned the notes and a few terms of music theory from being in choir and taking voice lessons. Since then the Lord has caused me to “hear” the combination of notes and chords, etc. I can’t explain it but I know the Lord gave me this gift, then He opened doors of opportunity for me to learn more and more about music (mostly hymns).
I have told all of this to say, my mother recognized my “gift” and wanted me to have a piano. For whatever reason I don't remember, we had to leave the player piano at our “big house” when we moved, she got me my requested piano. It was an old upright but nice, and it was my most treasured possession. I spent many hours just playing my piano and worshipping in song. Although a different piano from that old upright so many years ago, my present piano is my most treasured material belonging. It is just a temporal thing and not to be compared to my eternal treasure of “knowing Jesus, the Messiah,” and being intimately acquainted with Him; to have Him walk and talk with me daily. He cares about my cares and joys and His Holy Spirit fills me with Himself and gives me the power to overcome every trial and temptation Satan may throw my way.
What a ‘precious’ gift.
Besides the precious treasure of “knowing” Jesus and have His Spirit live within me He has given me the greatest treasure – eternal life – and will some day come to take me home to be with Him forever! Because of this knowledge we, as believers, must focus on separating the “precious from the vile” (Jer.15:19). The ‘precious’ things are the eternal things; the ‘vile’ things are the temporal things. These ‘vile’ things may be attitudes (doubts, unbelief,etc.), selfishness and sins of any kind. The word ‘precious’ in the Hebrew means, “valuable, to be prized;” the word “vile” means “worthless.” Although there are many temporal ‘things’ we treasure here and now, we must focus on the most ‘precious’ (the eternal) things. Psalm 116:15 tell us that the death of His saints are 'precious' to the Lord.
If my house were to catch on fire, what would be the most ‘precious’ things I would try to rescue on my way out? Of course my family would come first. Next, I guess would be my albums of pictures of our family and friends. But even these things will “pass away” - the silver fish can eat them, water damage can destroy those images on paper, age can dim those portraits of memories and times gone by. I would like to rescue my Bibles in which I have made notes and markings I would not like to lose, but they too can be destroyed, so those books I can hold in my hand can also pass away. But the Word of God will never pass away. Though heaven and earth may pass away, God’s Word will never pass away (Matt.24:35).
I read a story by E. MacLelland that told of a newly saved man who was sitting on the porch reading his Bible. A friend passing by stopped and asked, “Tom, what are you reading?” “Oh,” said Tom, “I’m reading my legacy, and I’m so happy to see all to which I am an heir.” “Who died?” asked the friend. The young believer replied, “The one who died was my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and now His inheritance is mine!”
If we are His children, then we are His heirs also, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (sharing his inheritance with Him), only we are to share His suffering if we are to share His glory (Rom.8:17)! We must focus on those things that will not pass away; those things that will not wear out, rust or decay; all of those “things” are the ‘precious’ we are to separate from the ‘vile.’ All the things of this earth, become ‘vile’ (or worthless) in comparison to knowing Jesus and the eternal life He has promised us; and the fellowship of the Godhead, and the spiritual gifts of the Holy spirit He has given us here and now.
Here are some ‘precious’ things that are in our inheritance package on which we should be focusing:
1) Godly wisdom (Prov.8:11);
2) God’s Word – Truth (Mark 13:31);
3) Godly counsel (Ps. 16:6,7);
4) fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore (Ps. 16:11);
5) righteousness, peace and vindication from opposition (Isa.54:17;
6) the conqueror’s crown (I Pet. 5:4);
7) the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:7);
8) eternal life (Heb.1:14);
9) forgiveness of sins (Acts 26:18);
10) the Holy Spirit(Eph.1:13-14)
11) our death (Ps.116:15)
All the states in the United States say there are hundreds of thousands of dollars of inherited money which have never been claimed. The money is just waiting for the one with the right to claim it. If we are children of God, we have the right to claim all that is our Father’s. Most of us are living immeasurably below the privileges of a “child of God.” Have you claimed your inheritance? Are you separating the 'precious' from the 'vile'?
There are only a few temporal things I have inherited, and those things were a second-hand inheritance (I inherited because my mother had inherited them). As a child, 10-12 years of age, I remember my mother inherited some money from the estate of two maiden aunts who were doctors and had no children of their own on to whom they could pass their inheritance. So the nieces and nephews became the recipients of their legacy. I don’t know how much Mother received but being the unselfish person she was, she asked each of the children, still at home (probably six), what special one thing they would like to have.
Mother was a single, uneducated woman who worked at a laundry to care for her many children, so she had many needs on which she could have spent her inheritance and no one would have faulted her. But because of her complete selflessness she wanted her children to have a special desire of their heart they otherwise would probably never have, regardless if she had her desires and needs met (she knew Jesus would meet her needs). I remember my sister, Maxine, who was the sibling just older than I, wanted a pair of shoe skates. I don’t remember what the other children’s requests were, but they were similar in money value. As I had thought about the possibility of my receiving something I prized and desired that I probably would not ever have the possibility of getting (at least until I was old enough to buy it myself), there was only one thing I greatly desired – a piano. Not realizing the great cost, compared to the other children’s requested gifts, I boldly came to my mother who had offered this, what seemed to me as an unthinkable, ‘priceless’ gift, and I asked for a piano.
When Papa lived at home and we had moved from the farm into town, we lived in a big house on the other side of town, and we owned a big player piano – with the scrolls. Mother loved classical music so that is what most of the music was on our scrolls. Since I was preschool I learned to love music and could pick out the melody with my right hand, I just “banged” with my left. When I was a little older (maybe six or seven) a lady at our church noticed I could play the melody of the hymns we sang with my right hand and she took an interest in me and taught me how to play chords to go with the melody of the right hand, so was the beginning of my two-handed “playing by ear.” I never got to take lessons but when I was in high school and then college, I learned the notes and a few terms of music theory from being in choir and taking voice lessons. Since then the Lord has caused me to “hear” the combination of notes and chords, etc. I can’t explain it but I know the Lord gave me this gift, then He opened doors of opportunity for me to learn more and more about music (mostly hymns).
I have told all of this to say, my mother recognized my “gift” and wanted me to have a piano. For whatever reason I don't remember, we had to leave the player piano at our “big house” when we moved, she got me my requested piano. It was an old upright but nice, and it was my most treasured possession. I spent many hours just playing my piano and worshipping in song. Although a different piano from that old upright so many years ago, my present piano is my most treasured material belonging. It is just a temporal thing and not to be compared to my eternal treasure of “knowing Jesus, the Messiah,” and being intimately acquainted with Him; to have Him walk and talk with me daily. He cares about my cares and joys and His Holy Spirit fills me with Himself and gives me the power to overcome every trial and temptation Satan may throw my way.
What a ‘precious’ gift.
Besides the precious treasure of “knowing” Jesus and have His Spirit live within me He has given me the greatest treasure – eternal life – and will some day come to take me home to be with Him forever! Because of this knowledge we, as believers, must focus on separating the “precious from the vile” (Jer.15:19). The ‘precious’ things are the eternal things; the ‘vile’ things are the temporal things. These ‘vile’ things may be attitudes (doubts, unbelief,etc.), selfishness and sins of any kind. The word ‘precious’ in the Hebrew means, “valuable, to be prized;” the word “vile” means “worthless.” Although there are many temporal ‘things’ we treasure here and now, we must focus on the most ‘precious’ (the eternal) things. Psalm 116:15 tell us that the death of His saints are 'precious' to the Lord.
If my house were to catch on fire, what would be the most ‘precious’ things I would try to rescue on my way out? Of course my family would come first. Next, I guess would be my albums of pictures of our family and friends. But even these things will “pass away” - the silver fish can eat them, water damage can destroy those images on paper, age can dim those portraits of memories and times gone by. I would like to rescue my Bibles in which I have made notes and markings I would not like to lose, but they too can be destroyed, so those books I can hold in my hand can also pass away. But the Word of God will never pass away. Though heaven and earth may pass away, God’s Word will never pass away (Matt.24:35).
I read a story by E. MacLelland that told of a newly saved man who was sitting on the porch reading his Bible. A friend passing by stopped and asked, “Tom, what are you reading?” “Oh,” said Tom, “I’m reading my legacy, and I’m so happy to see all to which I am an heir.” “Who died?” asked the friend. The young believer replied, “The one who died was my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and now His inheritance is mine!”
If we are His children, then we are His heirs also, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (sharing his inheritance with Him), only we are to share His suffering if we are to share His glory (Rom.8:17)! We must focus on those things that will not pass away; those things that will not wear out, rust or decay; all of those “things” are the ‘precious’ we are to separate from the ‘vile.’ All the things of this earth, become ‘vile’ (or worthless) in comparison to knowing Jesus and the eternal life He has promised us; and the fellowship of the Godhead, and the spiritual gifts of the Holy spirit He has given us here and now.
Here are some ‘precious’ things that are in our inheritance package on which we should be focusing:
1) Godly wisdom (Prov.8:11);
2) God’s Word – Truth (Mark 13:31);
3) Godly counsel (Ps. 16:6,7);
4) fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore (Ps. 16:11);
5) righteousness, peace and vindication from opposition (Isa.54:17;
6) the conqueror’s crown (I Pet. 5:4);
7) the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:7);
8) eternal life (Heb.1:14);
9) forgiveness of sins (Acts 26:18);
10) the Holy Spirit(Eph.1:13-14)
11) our death (Ps.116:15)
All the states in the United States say there are hundreds of thousands of dollars of inherited money which have never been claimed. The money is just waiting for the one with the right to claim it. If we are children of God, we have the right to claim all that is our Father’s. Most of us are living immeasurably below the privileges of a “child of God.” Have you claimed your inheritance? Are you separating the 'precious' from the 'vile'?
Friday, May 6, 2011
From The Mire and Into The Choir
A Story of Deliverance
“He drew me up also out of a horrible pit (of tumult and of destruction) out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and established my goings. And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see it, and fear (revere and worship), and shall put their trust and confident reliance in the LORD” (Psalms 40:2-3 (Amp.).
What a conversion! What marvelous Grace! O what Love! David was certainly a poetic orator and writer. He was so ready and quick to praise God for His goodness, mercy and love. In the first verse of this fortieth chapter David waited patiently and expectantly for God to hear his cry.
Then upon hearing David’s cry, the LORD reached down into the “pit” of David’s life and marvelously “drew him out of his tumult and destruction; out of the froth and slime of the miry clay in that pit; and He set his feet upon a rock, steadying his steps and established the way he should go” (v.2).
For an added blessing, the LORD put a new song in David’s mouth; it was a song of praise to David’s GOD, JEHOVAH. David continues to muse over his deliverance, “Many shall see and worship and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord” (v.3).
David continues in verse 4, “Fortunate and to be envied is the man who makes the Lord his refuge and trust, and turns not to the proud or to followers or false gods.”
David praises his God, “Many are the wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; no one can compare with You; if I should declare and speak of them, they are too many to be numbered” (v.5). David continues his praise in verse six, “You have given me the capacity to hear and obey Your law, a more valuable service than burnt offerings and sin offerings which you do not require.” David then blesses the Lord, “I delight to do Your will, O my God; yes, Your law is within my heart” (v.8).
George Hall compiled these verses so succinctly, “Out of the mire, and into the choir” aptly describes the spiritual change which takes place when we are saved. It is entirely of God’s grace, and is ours in our Lord Jesus Christ. What joyful songs of praise should fill our hearts and mouths, in appreciation of our great deliverance!”
HE LIFTED ME
Charles H. Gabriel
In loving-kindness Jesus came, My soul in mercy to reclaim,
And from the depths of sin and shame, Thru grace He lifted me.
He called me long before I heard, Before my sinful heart was stirred,
But when I took Him at His word, Forgiv’n He lifted me.
His brow was pierced with many a thorn, His hands by cruel nails were torn,
When from my guilt and grief, forlorn, In love He lifted me.
Now on a higher plane I dwell, And with my soul I know ‘tis well;
Yet how or why, I cannot tell, He should have lifted me.
From sinking sand He lifted me, With tender hand He lifted me;
From shades of night to plains of light, O praise His name, He lifted me!
“He drew me up also out of a horrible pit (of tumult and of destruction) out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and established my goings. And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see it, and fear (revere and worship), and shall put their trust and confident reliance in the LORD” (Psalms 40:2-3 (Amp.).
What a conversion! What marvelous Grace! O what Love! David was certainly a poetic orator and writer. He was so ready and quick to praise God for His goodness, mercy and love. In the first verse of this fortieth chapter David waited patiently and expectantly for God to hear his cry.
Then upon hearing David’s cry, the LORD reached down into the “pit” of David’s life and marvelously “drew him out of his tumult and destruction; out of the froth and slime of the miry clay in that pit; and He set his feet upon a rock, steadying his steps and established the way he should go” (v.2).
For an added blessing, the LORD put a new song in David’s mouth; it was a song of praise to David’s GOD, JEHOVAH. David continues to muse over his deliverance, “Many shall see and worship and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord” (v.3).
David continues in verse 4, “Fortunate and to be envied is the man who makes the Lord his refuge and trust, and turns not to the proud or to followers or false gods.”
David praises his God, “Many are the wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; no one can compare with You; if I should declare and speak of them, they are too many to be numbered” (v.5). David continues his praise in verse six, “You have given me the capacity to hear and obey Your law, a more valuable service than burnt offerings and sin offerings which you do not require.” David then blesses the Lord, “I delight to do Your will, O my God; yes, Your law is within my heart” (v.8).
George Hall compiled these verses so succinctly, “Out of the mire, and into the choir” aptly describes the spiritual change which takes place when we are saved. It is entirely of God’s grace, and is ours in our Lord Jesus Christ. What joyful songs of praise should fill our hearts and mouths, in appreciation of our great deliverance!”
HE LIFTED ME
Charles H. Gabriel
In loving-kindness Jesus came, My soul in mercy to reclaim,
And from the depths of sin and shame, Thru grace He lifted me.
He called me long before I heard, Before my sinful heart was stirred,
But when I took Him at His word, Forgiv’n He lifted me.
His brow was pierced with many a thorn, His hands by cruel nails were torn,
When from my guilt and grief, forlorn, In love He lifted me.
Now on a higher plane I dwell, And with my soul I know ‘tis well;
Yet how or why, I cannot tell, He should have lifted me.
From sinking sand He lifted me, With tender hand He lifted me;
From shades of night to plains of light, O praise His name, He lifted me!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
The Perfect Will Of God
“Not my will, but Yours be done.”
God’s will is perfect. His perfect will was set for each of us before He created our universe. His will is has been planned individually for every person who has lived and will live. Unless we relinquish our will to His perfect will we will never experience the fulfillment and abundant life He has planned for us. Living in His perfect will doesn’t mean we won’t experience troubles, temptations and tribulations, but His plan is to use these to sculpt His perfect likeness into our lives. As we continue to trust the Father through every experience, good or bad, our faith is grown and we experience the joy of “all things working out for our good (Rom.8:28).
In Jeremiah 29:11 God was speaking to those in captivity in Babylon, but it also applies to us (II Tim.3:16,17). God has plans for us for good and not for evil if we “seek Him with all our heart” (Jer. 29:13). This “seeking” must first involve our commitment to Him as Lord of our lives. Then we will find the joy, peace and fulfillment for which all of us are looking. Yielding our wills (plans, hopes and dreams) to the Father is the beginning of ‘knowing’ His perfect will for us. Proverds16:3 says, “Roll your works upon the Lord (commit and trust them wholly to Him). He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and so shall your plans be established and succeed.” One of Billy Graham’s daughters, Anne Graham Lotz, put it this way, “When we yield our lives to Jesus, we want what He wants more than what we want.”
If Jesus was so yielded to the Father’s will to pray this prayer in Luke 22:42, how can I be foolish enough to think I know what is best for my life (Prov.12:15)?
My prayer: “Father, I will commit my will to Your will so You will bring Your perfect will to pass in my life” (Ps.37:5 (Amp).
HAVE THINE OWN WAY
Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way.
You are the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Your will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
God’s will is perfect. His perfect will was set for each of us before He created our universe. His will is has been planned individually for every person who has lived and will live. Unless we relinquish our will to His perfect will we will never experience the fulfillment and abundant life He has planned for us. Living in His perfect will doesn’t mean we won’t experience troubles, temptations and tribulations, but His plan is to use these to sculpt His perfect likeness into our lives. As we continue to trust the Father through every experience, good or bad, our faith is grown and we experience the joy of “all things working out for our good (Rom.8:28).
In Jeremiah 29:11 God was speaking to those in captivity in Babylon, but it also applies to us (II Tim.3:16,17). God has plans for us for good and not for evil if we “seek Him with all our heart” (Jer. 29:13). This “seeking” must first involve our commitment to Him as Lord of our lives. Then we will find the joy, peace and fulfillment for which all of us are looking. Yielding our wills (plans, hopes and dreams) to the Father is the beginning of ‘knowing’ His perfect will for us. Proverds16:3 says, “Roll your works upon the Lord (commit and trust them wholly to Him). He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and so shall your plans be established and succeed.” One of Billy Graham’s daughters, Anne Graham Lotz, put it this way, “When we yield our lives to Jesus, we want what He wants more than what we want.”
If Jesus was so yielded to the Father’s will to pray this prayer in Luke 22:42, how can I be foolish enough to think I know what is best for my life (Prov.12:15)?
My prayer: “Father, I will commit my will to Your will so You will bring Your perfect will to pass in my life” (Ps.37:5 (Amp).
HAVE THINE OWN WAY
Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way.
You are the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Your will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
The Second Greatest Commandment
You Shall Love Your Neighbor As Yourself
Matthew 22:39
One day when Jesus was teaching, the Pharisees gathered together to ask Him a question they thought they could use to ‘stump’ Him. One of the Pharisee layers asked, “What is the greatest and most important commandment in the law?” Jesus not only answered with the first commandment from the Ten Commandments but elaborated on it. To love God with all our hearts (Who is easy to love) we must also ‘love our neighbor in the same way we love ourselves’ – this is the hard part. It is hard because our neighbor may not love us back. We love ourselves a lot, we put ourselves first, when we are hungry and thirsty we feed ourselves and satiate our thirst. When we hurt we seek comfort; when we are sick we do all within our power to get healing. When we are lonely we seek companionship. Whatever our need, spirit, soul or body, we go to any length to fulfill our need.
Do I love my neighbor (who may not be easy to love) in the same way as I love myself? Maybe a better question is, “Can I love my neighbor just like I do myself?” The answer is, “No.” It is an impossible task to love my neighbor without first loving the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and intellect. It is only with God’s indwelling love can I love others (even myself). Love is a choice so it is only with His indwelling love can I want to choose to love others.
The next question is, “What is this kind of love?” The Greek word for this kind of love is, ‘agapao,’ and means “to love in a moral or social sense.” This kind of love is “a deliberate assent of the will and intellect,” – I choose to love. I choose to forgive my neighbor who has wronged me. I choose to return to my neighbor good for the evil he has done to me. I choose to give to my needy neighbor from my supply. I choose to comfort my neighbor who is hurting. I choose to try to understand my neighbor’s situation, and ask myself, “How would I want them to treat me if I were in their situation?” and react to them as I would have them react to me; and how would Jesus react? This is living out the “Golden Rule” (Matt. 17:12).
Then the Pharisee lawyer trying to acquit himself of reproach asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus gave him the best definition of who our neighbor is in the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’ in Luke 10:30-37. This is the story of a traveling man who was attacked by robbers, who stripped him of his clothes and belongings, beat him and left him half dead, unconcernedly. Then by coincidence a preacher was going along that road, and when he saw the wounded man, he passed by on the other side, unconcernedly.
Next a Levite, a very religious and educated man who was responsible for keeping the
tabernacle and temple and activities that went on there. He too saw the injured man and passed by on the other side. But when a Samaritan, as he traveled along came to where the wounded man was, saw him and was moved with pity and sympathy for him. And he went to him and dressed his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine. Then he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
And the next day he took out two day’s wages and gave them to the inn keeper, saying, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I myself will repay you when I return.”
Which of these three, do you think, proved himself neighbor to him who fell among robbers? And the lawyer answered, “The one who showed pity and mercy to him.” And Jesus said to him “Go and do likewise.”
Jesus was speaking to us as well. When He comes in His glory and sits on the throne of glory, all the nations will stand before Him and He will separate all the people as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. The sheep will stand on His right hand and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come you favored of God, receive the kingdom prepared for you. For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care; I was in prison and you came to see Me.
Then the just and upright will answer Him, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave You drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and clothed You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You?” And the King will reply to them, “Truly, I tell you, in as far as you did it to one of the least (in the estimation of men) of these my brethren you have done it unto me.”
Then He will say to those at His left hand, “Be gone from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!” Then He began to explain why they were cursed instead of being blessed like those on His right. The scenario of the ‘goats’
was the opposite of the ‘sheep.’ “I declare to you, in so far as you failed to do it for the least of these (in the estimation of men) you failed to do it for Me.”
This detailed definition of ‘neighbor’ given to us all, Jesus clearly shows that ‘loving’ the least of these (in the estimation of men) is ‘loving’ Him.
Lord, help me to love my neighbor as you love.
Matthew 22:39
One day when Jesus was teaching, the Pharisees gathered together to ask Him a question they thought they could use to ‘stump’ Him. One of the Pharisee layers asked, “What is the greatest and most important commandment in the law?” Jesus not only answered with the first commandment from the Ten Commandments but elaborated on it. To love God with all our hearts (Who is easy to love) we must also ‘love our neighbor in the same way we love ourselves’ – this is the hard part. It is hard because our neighbor may not love us back. We love ourselves a lot, we put ourselves first, when we are hungry and thirsty we feed ourselves and satiate our thirst. When we hurt we seek comfort; when we are sick we do all within our power to get healing. When we are lonely we seek companionship. Whatever our need, spirit, soul or body, we go to any length to fulfill our need.
Do I love my neighbor (who may not be easy to love) in the same way as I love myself? Maybe a better question is, “Can I love my neighbor just like I do myself?” The answer is, “No.” It is an impossible task to love my neighbor without first loving the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and intellect. It is only with God’s indwelling love can I love others (even myself). Love is a choice so it is only with His indwelling love can I want to choose to love others.
The next question is, “What is this kind of love?” The Greek word for this kind of love is, ‘agapao,’ and means “to love in a moral or social sense.” This kind of love is “a deliberate assent of the will and intellect,” – I choose to love. I choose to forgive my neighbor who has wronged me. I choose to return to my neighbor good for the evil he has done to me. I choose to give to my needy neighbor from my supply. I choose to comfort my neighbor who is hurting. I choose to try to understand my neighbor’s situation, and ask myself, “How would I want them to treat me if I were in their situation?” and react to them as I would have them react to me; and how would Jesus react? This is living out the “Golden Rule” (Matt. 17:12).
Then the Pharisee lawyer trying to acquit himself of reproach asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus gave him the best definition of who our neighbor is in the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’ in Luke 10:30-37. This is the story of a traveling man who was attacked by robbers, who stripped him of his clothes and belongings, beat him and left him half dead, unconcernedly. Then by coincidence a preacher was going along that road, and when he saw the wounded man, he passed by on the other side, unconcernedly.
Next a Levite, a very religious and educated man who was responsible for keeping the
tabernacle and temple and activities that went on there. He too saw the injured man and passed by on the other side. But when a Samaritan, as he traveled along came to where the wounded man was, saw him and was moved with pity and sympathy for him. And he went to him and dressed his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine. Then he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
And the next day he took out two day’s wages and gave them to the inn keeper, saying, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I myself will repay you when I return.”
Which of these three, do you think, proved himself neighbor to him who fell among robbers? And the lawyer answered, “The one who showed pity and mercy to him.” And Jesus said to him “Go and do likewise.”
Jesus was speaking to us as well. When He comes in His glory and sits on the throne of glory, all the nations will stand before Him and He will separate all the people as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. The sheep will stand on His right hand and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come you favored of God, receive the kingdom prepared for you. For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care; I was in prison and you came to see Me.
Then the just and upright will answer Him, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave You drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and clothed You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You?” And the King will reply to them, “Truly, I tell you, in as far as you did it to one of the least (in the estimation of men) of these my brethren you have done it unto me.”
Then He will say to those at His left hand, “Be gone from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!” Then He began to explain why they were cursed instead of being blessed like those on His right. The scenario of the ‘goats’
was the opposite of the ‘sheep.’ “I declare to you, in so far as you failed to do it for the least of these (in the estimation of men) you failed to do it for Me.”
This detailed definition of ‘neighbor’ given to us all, Jesus clearly shows that ‘loving’ the least of these (in the estimation of men) is ‘loving’ Him.
Lord, help me to love my neighbor as you love.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Complete Satisfaction
“Satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!”
(Psalm 90:14)
Upon contemplating our move to Texas as young parents of three, we went by the way of Wendell’s parents in Arkansas to leave our two older children, Melody and Mark. Wendell and I took our youngest, Jennifer, with us as we went down to Marshall, Texas, to look for a place to live before moving the entire household down to Marshall, Texas. It was the first time to leave any of our children, for any length of time, away from us, even with grandparents. We had planned to take a couple days in Texas looking for a house and then back to Oklahoma to pack before going to retrieve our children in Arkansas.
Although it had only been a few days since we had seen each other, Mark became very dissatisfied and crying for us. Not only did the children get homesick but, “Mama” (I) got lonesome to see our two missing ‘chicks.’ To try to satisfy the homesick child Granny Jones gave Mark a big piece of cheese to eat, which she knew was his favorite snack. The cheese helped, for the moment, but it wasn’t long before the fussing began again. It so happened, that about that time, in the midst of our packing, we called to talk with our children, whom I was missing terribly. And after hearing Mark’s distraught crying for us we decided to leave our packing and go to Granny’s to bring Melody and Mark back to be with us. After calling right back to let Granny know of our decision and relaying this message to Mark, his crying stopped, a smile appeared and he responded to Granny with a smile, “Now I am completely satisfied.” All he needed to be satisfied was to know he was going to get to be with his mommy and daddy again, soon.
As a young child, then teenager and then an adult, I too found the only thing that “satisfied” me was to talk with my “Father” and read His love letters to me and all His promises. He tells me and shows me how much He loves me, and all His wonderful promises to me about how He will never leave me nor forsake me; about how he will provide for my every need; and especially about the home He is preparing for me with Him in heaven. I have been and will always be ”homesick” for my home He is preparing for me in heaven. I want to see His face and hear from His lips His words of love. After reading about and believing all this love and all these promises, I am “satisfied.” But I won’t be “completely satisfied” until I will be home in heaven with Jesus, my Lord, Savior and Friend.
In the story of the prodigal son who chose to take his inheritance; left his home and foolishly spent his inheritance. He ended up in a pigpen eating pig food. Then he came to his right mind and decided to go home to his Father. The things of this world never satisfy the spiritual longings of the heart, but in his Father’s house he was “completely satisfied” (Luke 15:11-32).
Just as our child who was separated from his parents could never be “completely satisfied” (even with a piece of cheese) until he was with his mother and father and hear their voices and feel their touch, we can never be “completely satisfied” until we come home to the Father. I will be “satisfied” only if I live close to Jesus as long as the Father leaves me here on this earth, because “In Your presence there is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11)!
SATISFIED
Clara Teare
All my life long I had panted for a draught from some cool spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning of the thirst I felt within.
Feeding on the husks around me, till my strength was almost gone,
Longed my soul for something better, only still to hunger on.
Poor I was, and sought for riches, something that would satisfy,
But the dust I gathered round me only mocked my soul’s sad cry.
Well of water, ever springing, Bread of life, so rich and free,
Untold wealth that never faileth, My redeemer is to me .
Hallelujah! I have found Him Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings; through His blood I now am saved.
(Psalm 90:14)
Upon contemplating our move to Texas as young parents of three, we went by the way of Wendell’s parents in Arkansas to leave our two older children, Melody and Mark. Wendell and I took our youngest, Jennifer, with us as we went down to Marshall, Texas, to look for a place to live before moving the entire household down to Marshall, Texas. It was the first time to leave any of our children, for any length of time, away from us, even with grandparents. We had planned to take a couple days in Texas looking for a house and then back to Oklahoma to pack before going to retrieve our children in Arkansas.
Although it had only been a few days since we had seen each other, Mark became very dissatisfied and crying for us. Not only did the children get homesick but, “Mama” (I) got lonesome to see our two missing ‘chicks.’ To try to satisfy the homesick child Granny Jones gave Mark a big piece of cheese to eat, which she knew was his favorite snack. The cheese helped, for the moment, but it wasn’t long before the fussing began again. It so happened, that about that time, in the midst of our packing, we called to talk with our children, whom I was missing terribly. And after hearing Mark’s distraught crying for us we decided to leave our packing and go to Granny’s to bring Melody and Mark back to be with us. After calling right back to let Granny know of our decision and relaying this message to Mark, his crying stopped, a smile appeared and he responded to Granny with a smile, “Now I am completely satisfied.” All he needed to be satisfied was to know he was going to get to be with his mommy and daddy again, soon.
As a young child, then teenager and then an adult, I too found the only thing that “satisfied” me was to talk with my “Father” and read His love letters to me and all His promises. He tells me and shows me how much He loves me, and all His wonderful promises to me about how He will never leave me nor forsake me; about how he will provide for my every need; and especially about the home He is preparing for me with Him in heaven. I have been and will always be ”homesick” for my home He is preparing for me in heaven. I want to see His face and hear from His lips His words of love. After reading about and believing all this love and all these promises, I am “satisfied.” But I won’t be “completely satisfied” until I will be home in heaven with Jesus, my Lord, Savior and Friend.
In the story of the prodigal son who chose to take his inheritance; left his home and foolishly spent his inheritance. He ended up in a pigpen eating pig food. Then he came to his right mind and decided to go home to his Father. The things of this world never satisfy the spiritual longings of the heart, but in his Father’s house he was “completely satisfied” (Luke 15:11-32).
Just as our child who was separated from his parents could never be “completely satisfied” (even with a piece of cheese) until he was with his mother and father and hear their voices and feel their touch, we can never be “completely satisfied” until we come home to the Father. I will be “satisfied” only if I live close to Jesus as long as the Father leaves me here on this earth, because “In Your presence there is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11)!
SATISFIED
Clara Teare
All my life long I had panted for a draught from some cool spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning of the thirst I felt within.
Feeding on the husks around me, till my strength was almost gone,
Longed my soul for something better, only still to hunger on.
Poor I was, and sought for riches, something that would satisfy,
But the dust I gathered round me only mocked my soul’s sad cry.
Well of water, ever springing, Bread of life, so rich and free,
Untold wealth that never faileth, My redeemer is to me .
Hallelujah! I have found Him Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings; through His blood I now am saved.
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