Psalm 123
1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you whose throne is in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
till he shows us his mercy.
3 Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us,
for we have endured much contempt.
4 We have endured much ridicule from the proud,
much contempt from the arrogant.
It's short, sweet, and to the point. Psalm 123 may be brief, but it is full of wisdom. It is often the smallest passages that really can be inspirational and be concise enough to give us some important messages. Psalm 123 says that we're servants! Not many people want to believe that statement because they want to personally be in the center of their life and have everything revolve around them.
I pray that one day you realize that it's an absolute privilege to be servant of God. Of course we don't deserve it, but thank God for us mercy anyway! As a result, Christ is on our side and lets us rise up into the position of a servant.
What is there to lose? Worldly friends who don't support you? Are you confident that God provides everything for you? This is important to realize because nobody is perfect. We are born sinful, but through Christ we are saved!
Often we fall down pleading for forgiveness and mercy from God. We don't want to be eternally condemned. How does this work then? We're not perfect until we're in heaven with the Lord, so... Well, Jesus died for us! When we cry out for God's mercy sincerely, then God doesn't see our sin. Instead, God envisions the blood of Christ. He knows your heart.
This is a wonderful gift from God. This grace and mercy is something we don't deserve at all. God could have left everyone to be condemned, but he sent his Son to save his people so that we could all be with him. What an honor! We're never worthy. However, we go to God out of humility. God, give us your mercy to take us away from our sins today!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Your Instincts.
Psalm 4:8
8 I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.
As always, it's a pretty ordinary day. There's nothing unusual about it. That is, until you get this really unusual feeling. Typically, it's when you're in the middle of something. It's not like you're sitting around waiting for that nudge.
I know specifically for me those nudges that I remember have been while driving. A couple times I have turned on a different street than normal because I have had a bad feeling. Of course, I don't know what would have happened, but I just followed my instinct. Another time, I hesitated a little longer than normal after the light turned green. It was a good thing because a car wasn't going to stop at the light and he went through. It's amazing what a little listening will do.
While I don't mull over the situation specifically, in times like those, I just wonder what held me back? Was there any reason or was it purely coincidental? Is it the same feeling that tells us to avoid certain turns on the highway of life?
It's more like "who held me back?" I always give credit to God. He's my safety blanket. I know if I'm observant and I am aware of those nudges, that chances are, they're probably from God. He has angels watching over every one of us.
Remember, you can thank your lucky stars all you want, but God is guiding you! Lord, grace us with your merciful presence when unforeseen circumstances come our way. In the same way, let us know when to keep going in life. Thank you, Lord, for your field of safety that surrounds us.
Here's a beautiful song from MercyMe: "Here With Me."
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
8 I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.
As always, it's a pretty ordinary day. There's nothing unusual about it. That is, until you get this really unusual feeling. Typically, it's when you're in the middle of something. It's not like you're sitting around waiting for that nudge.
I know specifically for me those nudges that I remember have been while driving. A couple times I have turned on a different street than normal because I have had a bad feeling. Of course, I don't know what would have happened, but I just followed my instinct. Another time, I hesitated a little longer than normal after the light turned green. It was a good thing because a car wasn't going to stop at the light and he went through. It's amazing what a little listening will do.
While I don't mull over the situation specifically, in times like those, I just wonder what held me back? Was there any reason or was it purely coincidental? Is it the same feeling that tells us to avoid certain turns on the highway of life?
It's more like "who held me back?" I always give credit to God. He's my safety blanket. I know if I'm observant and I am aware of those nudges, that chances are, they're probably from God. He has angels watching over every one of us.
Remember, you can thank your lucky stars all you want, but God is guiding you! Lord, grace us with your merciful presence when unforeseen circumstances come our way. In the same way, let us know when to keep going in life. Thank you, Lord, for your field of safety that surrounds us.
Here's a beautiful song from MercyMe: "Here With Me."
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The End of the World.
Matthew 24:4-14
4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
The "end of the world" discussion has been a pretty big deal for the past year or so now. It's a huge controversy as the Mayan calendar suggests that the end of the world will occur at the end of 2012. Is the whole 2012 thing a lie? I mean there's a movie about it, so it must be true, right?
Well, I don't know of anyone who can give you a definite answer except for God. He knows the end of time, but of course he's not going to come up to you, tap you on the shoulder, and tell you when the end is in sight. He wants you to live. Have you ever thought about how you would live your life if you knew how much longer you had to live? Thing would be much different, that's for sure.
With the recent major earthquakes around the world, it's no wonder why people think that the end is near: Haiti, Chile, and Indonesia...along with a couple other countries had significant earthquakes. The thing is, while I do believe the earthquake in Haiti caused a sort of domino effect with various faults around the world, I really don't believe that we're seeing any more than we've seen in the past.
Just about every minute, the earth is shaking from at least a minor earthquake. There are hundreds each day, with only a fraction that are noticeable to humans. Typically, the world experiences one major earthquake every month. That makes sense because Haiti's quake was in January, Chile's was in February, etc. However, great earthquakes, which are those of 8.0 or higher, occur about every one to two years. Prior to Chile, I don't remember one that was above 8.0 for some time.
I just think that with the media's constant coverage whether on the television, on the internet, or in the newspapers, more information is being released to the general public. We're demanding. There has likely not been an increase in numbers.
So many people have asked me whether I think this is the end. Jokingly, sometimes I come out and say it upfront. I'll say something along the lines of: "What's going on with the world?" Then, reality will kick in and I'll say: "There is no telling when the end will be, but I believe this is only the beginning of the end, as scripture indicates." I like to think of natural disasters as God's way of managing the earth. He has his reasons that are not easy to explain.
The bottom line is that I don't believe it's important to think about the end of time. Don't let anyone deceive you. Focus on God. Live in the now with Christ. Understand, believe, and live John 3:16 before it really is...THE END!
4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
The "end of the world" discussion has been a pretty big deal for the past year or so now. It's a huge controversy as the Mayan calendar suggests that the end of the world will occur at the end of 2012. Is the whole 2012 thing a lie? I mean there's a movie about it, so it must be true, right?
Well, I don't know of anyone who can give you a definite answer except for God. He knows the end of time, but of course he's not going to come up to you, tap you on the shoulder, and tell you when the end is in sight. He wants you to live. Have you ever thought about how you would live your life if you knew how much longer you had to live? Thing would be much different, that's for sure.
With the recent major earthquakes around the world, it's no wonder why people think that the end is near: Haiti, Chile, and Indonesia...along with a couple other countries had significant earthquakes. The thing is, while I do believe the earthquake in Haiti caused a sort of domino effect with various faults around the world, I really don't believe that we're seeing any more than we've seen in the past.
Just about every minute, the earth is shaking from at least a minor earthquake. There are hundreds each day, with only a fraction that are noticeable to humans. Typically, the world experiences one major earthquake every month. That makes sense because Haiti's quake was in January, Chile's was in February, etc. However, great earthquakes, which are those of 8.0 or higher, occur about every one to two years. Prior to Chile, I don't remember one that was above 8.0 for some time.
I just think that with the media's constant coverage whether on the television, on the internet, or in the newspapers, more information is being released to the general public. We're demanding. There has likely not been an increase in numbers.
So many people have asked me whether I think this is the end. Jokingly, sometimes I come out and say it upfront. I'll say something along the lines of: "What's going on with the world?" Then, reality will kick in and I'll say: "There is no telling when the end will be, but I believe this is only the beginning of the end, as scripture indicates." I like to think of natural disasters as God's way of managing the earth. He has his reasons that are not easy to explain.
The bottom line is that I don't believe it's important to think about the end of time. Don't let anyone deceive you. Focus on God. Live in the now with Christ. Understand, believe, and live John 3:16 before it really is...THE END!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Double Standards.
2 Corinthians 3:2
2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.
You mean everything as a Christian! All of your actions hopefully represent the Word of God. If it doesn't, people are going to notice!
This is an important point to realize and it goes along with lying and deception with which I've been discussing this week.
Think about it, if you go against what the good news says then you're making it an unattractive source. If it doesn't match up to what comes out of our mouth, how you behave, and what you believe in, then other people get the impression "what's the point of being a Christian again?" I'm sure this is a clear turning point for people who are in the middle - and it probably means a no. You must be respectful too. Don't steal anything or take advantage of someone either as this all looks bad. In other words, don't make the Bible look bad and then invite someone to church. What does that say about you, then?
No matter where you are...home, work, school, or in the grocery store, don't live a double standard or two-faced life. Live out what you believe all the time. If you don't do this, no one will feel the need to serve the Lord. If you curse, cheat, or lie, then you're making the Bible look like it's worth nothing and worth nobody's time.
2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.
You mean everything as a Christian! All of your actions hopefully represent the Word of God. If it doesn't, people are going to notice!
This is an important point to realize and it goes along with lying and deception with which I've been discussing this week.
Think about it, if you go against what the good news says then you're making it an unattractive source. If it doesn't match up to what comes out of our mouth, how you behave, and what you believe in, then other people get the impression "what's the point of being a Christian again?" I'm sure this is a clear turning point for people who are in the middle - and it probably means a no. You must be respectful too. Don't steal anything or take advantage of someone either as this all looks bad. In other words, don't make the Bible look bad and then invite someone to church. What does that say about you, then?
No matter where you are...home, work, school, or in the grocery store, don't live a double standard or two-faced life. Live out what you believe all the time. If you don't do this, no one will feel the need to serve the Lord. If you curse, cheat, or lie, then you're making the Bible look like it's worth nothing and worth nobody's time.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Drama.
Romans 16:17-18
17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
Avoid drama! As I've been writing this, I can't think of a non-contemporary word to sum up this passage from Romans which is why I used "drama." Everyone probably has their own terminology for it anyway. I hope you know what I'm talking about. It's pretty childish and unnecessary, if you ask me. In reality, however, everyone knows someone who isn't happy unless those around them are angry and unhappy.
Depending on the age, different situations arise. With teenagers, it may be jealousy in a relationship. A common thought is that once you are in a relationship, you can't have any other friends, for example. It's silly and so unrealistic.
Maybe someone wants you to fall for their troubles. They don't just have one; they have a new problem everyday. They expect you to react and panic along with them and if you don't, you're a horrible friend.
Talk about insecurity! You have to remember though that everyone is human. Anyone who is a drama queen, learn to love and accept them anyway. Prayers and positive encouragement are always good things to throw into the mix.
Still, don't let your acceptance of this person get in the way with the rest of your (social) life. Find a balance as best as you can. Be loving, but also protect your relationships from someone's inharmonious manners.
17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
Avoid drama! As I've been writing this, I can't think of a non-contemporary word to sum up this passage from Romans which is why I used "drama." Everyone probably has their own terminology for it anyway. I hope you know what I'm talking about. It's pretty childish and unnecessary, if you ask me. In reality, however, everyone knows someone who isn't happy unless those around them are angry and unhappy.
Depending on the age, different situations arise. With teenagers, it may be jealousy in a relationship. A common thought is that once you are in a relationship, you can't have any other friends, for example. It's silly and so unrealistic.
Maybe someone wants you to fall for their troubles. They don't just have one; they have a new problem everyday. They expect you to react and panic along with them and if you don't, you're a horrible friend.
Talk about insecurity! You have to remember though that everyone is human. Anyone who is a drama queen, learn to love and accept them anyway. Prayers and positive encouragement are always good things to throw into the mix.
Still, don't let your acceptance of this person get in the way with the rest of your (social) life. Find a balance as best as you can. Be loving, but also protect your relationships from someone's inharmonious manners.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Secular Ways.
2 Kings 23:25
25 Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
King Josiah of Judah was probably one of the most faithful servants that I can think of in which the Bible describes. After all, he not only heard God's Word, but he listened and reacted in an obedient manner.
Do you remember when you first started seeking out God and his unending love with all your heart? It probably wasn't the easiest thing in the world because of all the worldly behavior that surrounds us. However, many times in order to make a change in our lives, we have to break through certain barriers; one of the barriers we have to deal with on a daily basis is the world. The world may have many idols, for example, but you have to worship only the one, true God with all of your heart, your mind, and your soul.
As a part of the ungodly like behavior, we are always pressured by friends and celebrities. They say that God's will doesn't matter. Perhaps this already hinders a declining relationship with God because of a busy schedule. These two factors combined offer little time for prayer and the inability to grow leaps and bounds in our faith.
Think about a couple things that you can remove from your life so that you can become closer to God by removing the ungodly things from it. May God do something heavenly in your life.
25 Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
King Josiah of Judah was probably one of the most faithful servants that I can think of in which the Bible describes. After all, he not only heard God's Word, but he listened and reacted in an obedient manner.
Do you remember when you first started seeking out God and his unending love with all your heart? It probably wasn't the easiest thing in the world because of all the worldly behavior that surrounds us. However, many times in order to make a change in our lives, we have to break through certain barriers; one of the barriers we have to deal with on a daily basis is the world. The world may have many idols, for example, but you have to worship only the one, true God with all of your heart, your mind, and your soul.
As a part of the ungodly like behavior, we are always pressured by friends and celebrities. They say that God's will doesn't matter. Perhaps this already hinders a declining relationship with God because of a busy schedule. These two factors combined offer little time for prayer and the inability to grow leaps and bounds in our faith.
Think about a couple things that you can remove from your life so that you can become closer to God by removing the ungodly things from it. May God do something heavenly in your life.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Are You Fighting the Wildfire?
Exodus 20:16
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Isn't it sometimes hard to be truthful on your daily walk with Christ for whatever reason? Not only are we called to be truthful, but we need to go a step further and prevent any form of misunderstanding and mis-communication.
Have you heard others who have completely the wrong idea of someone? Perhaps they just base their impression on their first judgment. Perhaps, they go along with what someone else believes and they don't see what the person is like for themselves. The question is do you know the truth? Have you ever stood up for someone?
Even when "talk" is flying like wildfire behind someone's back, as a Christian, you should be controlling that wildfire. If you know the real deal about someone, then you should stand up for them and protect their reputation (just think, if you were in this innocent person's shoes.) Realize that if you know what's good and refrain from doing it, then it's a sin.
The lesson to be learned here is that you should always know the full story before anything comes out of your mouth. Be assured that what's coming out of your mouth is the truth. You don't want to spread rumors because what does that really say about your reputation even though people only hear what is being said about someone initially? Their going to find out the truth eventually. And where does that put you? Smack dab in the middle of a lie.
I know this is extremely vague, but a huge part of trustworthiness and honesty involves swapping out lies with the real mccoy.
If you're having a hard time making a proactive step to stop any gossip, pray to God. Also, read God's Word.
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Isn't it sometimes hard to be truthful on your daily walk with Christ for whatever reason? Not only are we called to be truthful, but we need to go a step further and prevent any form of misunderstanding and mis-communication.
Have you heard others who have completely the wrong idea of someone? Perhaps they just base their impression on their first judgment. Perhaps, they go along with what someone else believes and they don't see what the person is like for themselves. The question is do you know the truth? Have you ever stood up for someone?
Even when "talk" is flying like wildfire behind someone's back, as a Christian, you should be controlling that wildfire. If you know the real deal about someone, then you should stand up for them and protect their reputation (just think, if you were in this innocent person's shoes.) Realize that if you know what's good and refrain from doing it, then it's a sin.
The lesson to be learned here is that you should always know the full story before anything comes out of your mouth. Be assured that what's coming out of your mouth is the truth. You don't want to spread rumors because what does that really say about your reputation even though people only hear what is being said about someone initially? Their going to find out the truth eventually. And where does that put you? Smack dab in the middle of a lie.
I know this is extremely vague, but a huge part of trustworthiness and honesty involves swapping out lies with the real mccoy.
If you're having a hard time making a proactive step to stop any gossip, pray to God. Also, read God's Word.
Monday, April 5, 2010
It's Just a Lie.
1 Samuel 22:16-17
16 But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family."
17 Then the king ordered the guards at his side: "Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me."
But the king's officials were not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the LORD.
Why did the King order that the priests be killed? Simply, Ahimelech, who was the chief priest, committed mutiny. He helped the King's enemy, David, even though he didn't realize he was doing it.
During, this time, David was becoming increasingly popular as a result of the slaying of Goliath. The King (I didn't mention before, but his name was Saul) was on a rage of jealousy because of David's prominent status; King Saul knew that he'd be able to dominate the kingdom if he gained too much more power, so he ordered that David be killed. He tried to kill David in the dining room, but David ran off. King Saul left without any of his weapons. When he arrived at Ahimelech's residence, David was asked why he journeyed off alone. David lied and that was it. David, however, told Ahimelech the truth saying that nobody else could know about it. Ahimelech was a loyal supporter of King Saul and wanted to help fulfill his goals. He gave David bread and a sword. David was not concerned about his lie, however Ahimelech and many others lost their lives.
When lies come out of your mouth, you have no idea who it will harm and when it will harm them. There's going to be some consequence down the road at least. Whether, it's feeling guilty, losing a loved one, or destroying your reputation, the truth is the way to go.
But you ask, isn't it easier to lie? Yes, but I ask you then, besides it being easier, what do you gain from lying in the long term? Nothing! Just pray to the Lord for the ability to muster the strength to tell the truth...all the time. Quit thinking, it's just a lie so I can lie just this once. That's one lie too many!
16 But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family."
17 Then the king ordered the guards at his side: "Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me."
But the king's officials were not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the LORD.
Why did the King order that the priests be killed? Simply, Ahimelech, who was the chief priest, committed mutiny. He helped the King's enemy, David, even though he didn't realize he was doing it.
During, this time, David was becoming increasingly popular as a result of the slaying of Goliath. The King (I didn't mention before, but his name was Saul) was on a rage of jealousy because of David's prominent status; King Saul knew that he'd be able to dominate the kingdom if he gained too much more power, so he ordered that David be killed. He tried to kill David in the dining room, but David ran off. King Saul left without any of his weapons. When he arrived at Ahimelech's residence, David was asked why he journeyed off alone. David lied and that was it. David, however, told Ahimelech the truth saying that nobody else could know about it. Ahimelech was a loyal supporter of King Saul and wanted to help fulfill his goals. He gave David bread and a sword. David was not concerned about his lie, however Ahimelech and many others lost their lives.
When lies come out of your mouth, you have no idea who it will harm and when it will harm them. There's going to be some consequence down the road at least. Whether, it's feeling guilty, losing a loved one, or destroying your reputation, the truth is the way to go.
But you ask, isn't it easier to lie? Yes, but I ask you then, besides it being easier, what do you gain from lying in the long term? Nothing! Just pray to the Lord for the ability to muster the strength to tell the truth...all the time. Quit thinking, it's just a lie so I can lie just this once. That's one lie too many!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Turn to Jesus.
Hebrews 12:2
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
I want to start off by saying Happy Easter to all my blog readers!
Why is it so hard to look at Jesus, the reason for today, but so easy to give into Satan and his lies? Satan's plan is just the opposite of the Holy Spirit's. Satan wants to tell you that YOUR sins can't be forgiven, that there's no possible way that YOU can continue living the way you are, and that YOU'RE not anyone in Christ. Notice how these thoughts are all about YOU. That's the devil and his schemes.
You see, the Holy Spirit, brings us away from ourselves, and helps us to "fix our eyes on JESUS." Sure we're not worthy of anything, if we turn to Christ, we are worthy of everything, however. You will never be satisfied by your own prayers and desires, but instead you will be only be satisfied by those of Jesus. Jesus gives us rest and comfort in our soul. He is the "author and perfecter of our faith."
How do we overcome Satan's traps and enjoy the peace that God offers through Jesus Christ? Look into the eyes of Jesus Christ. Keep his death, suffering, and glory in the front of your mind. Follow Jesus and surely he won't fail you.
Lord Jesus, may we build our hope on nothing other than your blood that was shed on the cross, your healing mercy, and your love on this Easter Sunday.
Happy Easter! May you have a blessed day!
I think we need to sing "Happy Day" today. I've used this song in an earlier post, but I believe that it is highly important to understand the meaning of Easter. Plus, think of all the songs you sing on Easter: aren't some of them usually slow and/or somber? Well, not this one. Enjoy and start celebrating!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
I want to start off by saying Happy Easter to all my blog readers!
Why is it so hard to look at Jesus, the reason for today, but so easy to give into Satan and his lies? Satan's plan is just the opposite of the Holy Spirit's. Satan wants to tell you that YOUR sins can't be forgiven, that there's no possible way that YOU can continue living the way you are, and that YOU'RE not anyone in Christ. Notice how these thoughts are all about YOU. That's the devil and his schemes.
You see, the Holy Spirit, brings us away from ourselves, and helps us to "fix our eyes on JESUS." Sure we're not worthy of anything, if we turn to Christ, we are worthy of everything, however. You will never be satisfied by your own prayers and desires, but instead you will be only be satisfied by those of Jesus. Jesus gives us rest and comfort in our soul. He is the "author and perfecter of our faith."
How do we overcome Satan's traps and enjoy the peace that God offers through Jesus Christ? Look into the eyes of Jesus Christ. Keep his death, suffering, and glory in the front of your mind. Follow Jesus and surely he won't fail you.
Lord Jesus, may we build our hope on nothing other than your blood that was shed on the cross, your healing mercy, and your love on this Easter Sunday.
Happy Easter! May you have a blessed day!
I think we need to sing "Happy Day" today. I've used this song in an earlier post, but I believe that it is highly important to understand the meaning of Easter. Plus, think of all the songs you sing on Easter: aren't some of them usually slow and/or somber? Well, not this one. Enjoy and start celebrating!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Come Near to God.
James 4:8
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
As I wrap up the prayer series today, I think we've all learned some new lessons about prayer in the last month because of God's Word. I believe today's verse is a nice way to end the series.
Every bit of space is occupied by the Holy Lord. Is it hard to wrap your mind around that statement? I think sometimes we think that in order to pray, we must be a hero, live a perfect life, and know exactly what our future holds. Really, that's not true.
Then, there are those times that we pray when we need God's immediate rescue. Notice how when we need "help" we don't just leave God at that. We pray more than just that single word. However, when difficult times depart us, we soften up and our regular prayer tendencies shoot down because we believe that we can't possibly meet his standards. This means that we have sleepless nights as we try to put on our superman costume and deal with our sins and temptations, hurts and questions, stress and concerns, all while whispering just a few words in prayer to the Almighty.
Well, surprise surprise, there are no requirements nor expectations when it comes to our prayer life! We don't have to be forgiven by God before we pray. We don't have to be knocking on the door of heaven before we pray. The only things you should remember are: time, good intentions, and acknowledgment of the Lord as your forgiving Savior when you pray. You can whisper your prayer, you can say your prayer out loud, you can write it down. Either way, God is near.
Lord, let us breathe in your presence and call out your name at all times of the day no matter what's happening in our life: trials or joyfulness. Just think, if everyone prayed...
NOTE: There will be a special post tomorrow as it's Easter!
Listen to the song: "What If His People Prayed" by Casting Crowns.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
As I wrap up the prayer series today, I think we've all learned some new lessons about prayer in the last month because of God's Word. I believe today's verse is a nice way to end the series.
Every bit of space is occupied by the Holy Lord. Is it hard to wrap your mind around that statement? I think sometimes we think that in order to pray, we must be a hero, live a perfect life, and know exactly what our future holds. Really, that's not true.
Then, there are those times that we pray when we need God's immediate rescue. Notice how when we need "help" we don't just leave God at that. We pray more than just that single word. However, when difficult times depart us, we soften up and our regular prayer tendencies shoot down because we believe that we can't possibly meet his standards. This means that we have sleepless nights as we try to put on our superman costume and deal with our sins and temptations, hurts and questions, stress and concerns, all while whispering just a few words in prayer to the Almighty.
Well, surprise surprise, there are no requirements nor expectations when it comes to our prayer life! We don't have to be forgiven by God before we pray. We don't have to be knocking on the door of heaven before we pray. The only things you should remember are: time, good intentions, and acknowledgment of the Lord as your forgiving Savior when you pray. You can whisper your prayer, you can say your prayer out loud, you can write it down. Either way, God is near.
Lord, let us breathe in your presence and call out your name at all times of the day no matter what's happening in our life: trials or joyfulness. Just think, if everyone prayed...
NOTE: There will be a special post tomorrow as it's Easter!
Listen to the song: "What If His People Prayed" by Casting Crowns.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Tears of Joy and Pain.
Psalm 39:12
12 "Hear my prayer, O LORD,
listen to my cry for help;
be not deaf to my weeping.
For I dwell with you as an alien,
a stranger, as all my fathers were.
When you think of tears running down someone's face, you don't think of them as dry do you? They're moist tears. The same can be said with the human heart. Tears soften our heart. Have you ever seen someone like your best friend cry? How about a child who falls? I know instantly when that happens, my heart is filled with compassion and sometimes I even begin to tear. How about when we cry? Isn't it comforting when others surround us and act in order to comfort us. Words are only successful and meaningful to a certain extent. Not only do actions fill in the gaps, but so do tears.
Have you ever gone to the Lord in tears? Sometimes that's the only thing that you can do. The good thing about weeping is that often it conveys our feelings and emotions best - everything from extreme anguish and grief to joy and praise. They come instantly and usually without control. When words can't express our thoughts, sometimes tears come in as a substitute. Even then, the Holy Spirit guides your conversation with God.
When you cry, God's heart is softened too. I think this makes the Lord turn his attention to us. When Jesus said his prayers with agony, God heard them and he expressed great compassion. Our tears should represent our acknowledgment of the need for help from the Lord. God comforts and heals us. God, may our cries be heard by you.
Two days until He is Risen! It's Good Friday everyone.
12 "Hear my prayer, O LORD,
listen to my cry for help;
be not deaf to my weeping.
For I dwell with you as an alien,
a stranger, as all my fathers were.
When you think of tears running down someone's face, you don't think of them as dry do you? They're moist tears. The same can be said with the human heart. Tears soften our heart. Have you ever seen someone like your best friend cry? How about a child who falls? I know instantly when that happens, my heart is filled with compassion and sometimes I even begin to tear. How about when we cry? Isn't it comforting when others surround us and act in order to comfort us. Words are only successful and meaningful to a certain extent. Not only do actions fill in the gaps, but so do tears.
Have you ever gone to the Lord in tears? Sometimes that's the only thing that you can do. The good thing about weeping is that often it conveys our feelings and emotions best - everything from extreme anguish and grief to joy and praise. They come instantly and usually without control. When words can't express our thoughts, sometimes tears come in as a substitute. Even then, the Holy Spirit guides your conversation with God.
When you cry, God's heart is softened too. I think this makes the Lord turn his attention to us. When Jesus said his prayers with agony, God heard them and he expressed great compassion. Our tears should represent our acknowledgment of the need for help from the Lord. God comforts and heals us. God, may our cries be heard by you.
Two days until He is Risen! It's Good Friday everyone.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Give it to God.
Psalm 25:7
7 Remember not the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you are good, O LORD.
We often carry the weight of our burdens, sins, betrayals, and failures on our shoulders. It weighs down on us and hushes us. Still, we try to deem ourselves acceptable to the rest of the world. Nonetheless, our silent rebellions continue within us.
Once we remember what we've done, we fall into a sort of remission and constant cycle of sorrow. The thought is that our actions can't be undone. The reality is, it can be undone through God because of the forgiveness he grants us. I was telling someone this week that we're so unworthy, but we still can readily receive God's grace and forgiveness.
The problem is that we try to cover up these memories once we realize that it's our responsibility. As Christians, this makes us two-faced (and hey, that's a real April Fools joke).
I tell you today that you can give it all to God. When your sins make you want to collapse, give it to God. The good news is that God will cover you with grace and forgiveness in his arms day in and day out. Say a prayer today from your heart so that God will make you feel worthy.
Lord, let us go into the world and be ourselves. Help us realize that we are who you say we are and that even when we mess up, you can always unleash your mercy upon us!
Remember these words today from the song "Take It All" by Hillsong United:
Jesus, we're living for Your name,
We'll never be ashamed of you
Woah oh oh
Our praise
And all we are today
Take, take, take, it all.
Take, take, take, it all.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you are good, O LORD.
We often carry the weight of our burdens, sins, betrayals, and failures on our shoulders. It weighs down on us and hushes us. Still, we try to deem ourselves acceptable to the rest of the world. Nonetheless, our silent rebellions continue within us.
Once we remember what we've done, we fall into a sort of remission and constant cycle of sorrow. The thought is that our actions can't be undone. The reality is, it can be undone through God because of the forgiveness he grants us. I was telling someone this week that we're so unworthy, but we still can readily receive God's grace and forgiveness.
The problem is that we try to cover up these memories once we realize that it's our responsibility. As Christians, this makes us two-faced (and hey, that's a real April Fools joke).
I tell you today that you can give it all to God. When your sins make you want to collapse, give it to God. The good news is that God will cover you with grace and forgiveness in his arms day in and day out. Say a prayer today from your heart so that God will make you feel worthy.
Lord, let us go into the world and be ourselves. Help us realize that we are who you say we are and that even when we mess up, you can always unleash your mercy upon us!
Remember these words today from the song "Take It All" by Hillsong United:
Jesus, we're living for Your name,
We'll never be ashamed of you
Woah oh oh
Our praise
And all we are today
Take, take, take, it all.
Take, take, take, it all.
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