'You are my help and my deliverer, O Lord do not delay.'
Psalm 70:5
We all have struggles and areas in our lives that are/have been affected by tribulation - for we live in a sinful world. And there have been times when we have wondered what is the Lord doing - why does He delay? - I am struggling with these things and I can't seem to understand what is going on, Lord are you there!
Yet we serve a God that is intimately acquainted with us. He created us, He formed us in our mother's womb, He loves us with an everlasting love and He sent His Son to die for us. So, why do we, at times, have such difficulty believing that He is our help and our deliverer? When we are 'in the moment' of our struggles, our trials, our tribulations, we have difficulty seeing that the fire of adversity provides the crucible for greater strength in and renewal and even restoration of our faith and relationship with Him.
I know what you are going to say - but I can do just as well in my faith and relationship with Him without the struggles and the trials and the tribulations! Silver is not refined without fire, wheat is not ready until it has been threshed, a diamond is not created without pressure. And so it is with man - our sinful nature pushes us away from God, not closer to Him. The struggle has been the flesh against the spirit and the flesh is held captive to the world and its desires - lust of the eye, lust of the flesh and the pride of life.
The life in the spirit must become the place where we live each day and I believe that our Lord not only desires that we live there but He is also our help in achieving it. He has delivered us from the wiles of this world, He has helped us to overcome our flesh by the power of His atoning work - we need to walk in His victory. And yes, sometimes it seems as though we are out there on a limb, by ourselves, facing the adversity of the world alone and we wonder - why do you delay, oh Lord, in helping me, and where are you, oh Lord, my deliverer?
And yet the truth is - You are my help and my deliverer, in You alone Lord shall I trust!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
By His power, by His wisdom, by His understanding…
It is He who made the earth by His power,
Who established the world by His wisdom;
And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens.
(Jeremiah 10:12)
By His power, by His wisdom, by His understanding…
We serve a God that is not limited by our understanding, He is not guided by our wisdom and His power is beyond our comprehension. Yet we seem to live in a world today where even within the church we want to limit our God to something that fits our understanding, that resides within our level of wisdom and for the most part we really don't believe that He is all powerful - we have restricted, in our minds, His power to our level of comfort.
I say let us begin afresh, renew and strengthen our faith and believe fully and completely in our God who is ALL POWERFUL, who has ALL WISDOM, who has ALL UNDERSTANDING…let us not be as the world and place God within a box of our own construct.
Let us whole heartedly seek after Him who is ALL TRUTH and ALL GRACE.
A God in whom NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.
May we bless Him with our desire to love Him with an ever abiding love.
May we honor Him with our total commitment to follow His truth.
May we praise His Holy Name for the amazing Creator God that He is.
And with our heart, mind and will may we show our devotion and trust in Him in all things.
And may we never forget, nor never doubt that our God reigns in glory and power and honor forever and ever, amen.
Who established the world by His wisdom;
And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens.
(Jeremiah 10:12)
By His power, by His wisdom, by His understanding…
We serve a God that is not limited by our understanding, He is not guided by our wisdom and His power is beyond our comprehension. Yet we seem to live in a world today where even within the church we want to limit our God to something that fits our understanding, that resides within our level of wisdom and for the most part we really don't believe that He is all powerful - we have restricted, in our minds, His power to our level of comfort.
I say let us begin afresh, renew and strengthen our faith and believe fully and completely in our God who is ALL POWERFUL, who has ALL WISDOM, who has ALL UNDERSTANDING…let us not be as the world and place God within a box of our own construct.
Let us whole heartedly seek after Him who is ALL TRUTH and ALL GRACE.
A God in whom NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.
May we bless Him with our desire to love Him with an ever abiding love.
May we honor Him with our total commitment to follow His truth.
May we praise His Holy Name for the amazing Creator God that He is.
And with our heart, mind and will may we show our devotion and trust in Him in all things.
And may we never forget, nor never doubt that our God reigns in glory and power and honor forever and ever, amen.
Friday, April 16, 2010
ask for the ancient paths
Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.' (Jeremiah 6:16)
The ancient paths…stand by their ways, seek and ask for them…where the good way is, walk in it.
What are the ancient paths? And why would the Lord exhort His people to walk in them? At this point in the history of Israel they had again wandered away from the Lord and His truth. And He had sent another prophet (Jeremiah) to 'put the people on notice so that they might be without excuse' (the grace and mercy of God shown to His people even though they had wandered so far off).
My take on the 'ancient paths' is that we are to stand by the ways, see and ask for and walk in the pure and uncompromised Truth of God - for the Word of the Lord is good. And Jesus Christ is the ancient path. He has always been and will forever be the Truth. We are encouraged to walk with Him in our lives, even to the point of dying to self and abiding in Him. And His promise to His people for following is that we shall find rest for our souls.
Yet, we live in an age today where the answer to the Lord's exhortation seems to be the same as the people of Jeremiah's time - 'we will not walk in it'. We want something new, something that man has conjured up…there is no pure truth - our wisdom has surpassed the 'ancient ways'…or so we believe.
Believers in the living Lord, here is our admonition - stand firm in His truth and in the power of His might and walk in the ancient paths.
The ancient paths…stand by their ways, seek and ask for them…where the good way is, walk in it.
What are the ancient paths? And why would the Lord exhort His people to walk in them? At this point in the history of Israel they had again wandered away from the Lord and His truth. And He had sent another prophet (Jeremiah) to 'put the people on notice so that they might be without excuse' (the grace and mercy of God shown to His people even though they had wandered so far off).
My take on the 'ancient paths' is that we are to stand by the ways, see and ask for and walk in the pure and uncompromised Truth of God - for the Word of the Lord is good. And Jesus Christ is the ancient path. He has always been and will forever be the Truth. We are encouraged to walk with Him in our lives, even to the point of dying to self and abiding in Him. And His promise to His people for following is that we shall find rest for our souls.
Yet, we live in an age today where the answer to the Lord's exhortation seems to be the same as the people of Jeremiah's time - 'we will not walk in it'. We want something new, something that man has conjured up…there is no pure truth - our wisdom has surpassed the 'ancient ways'…or so we believe.
Believers in the living Lord, here is our admonition - stand firm in His truth and in the power of His might and walk in the ancient paths.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Banner of Truth
'You have given a banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth.'
(Psalm 60:4)
Where is our banner?
The banner that He has given us is TRUTH.
A banner that declares our trust in the Lord and the power of His might…that we stand firm in His truth…that we fear and honor Him above anything or anyone…
It is time that we hold His banner high and rejoice in it…
We, the true and living church of Jesus Christ, can no longer afford to play both sides. We can no longer just concern ourselves with our convenience and our comfort. Complacency is not an option - the price that was paid on Calvary was too high. Eternity weighs in the balance.
As the army of God we must follow His banner, holding it high, marching forward against the adversary - 'For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places' that have blinded man.
Our rallying cry -'Lord God Almighty save with Your Right Hand.
For it is only by His saving grace and the power of His truth that lives will be changed for His kingdom.
That is our call…that is why we uphold His banner.
(Psalm 60:4)
Where is our banner?
The banner that He has given us is TRUTH.
A banner that declares our trust in the Lord and the power of His might…that we stand firm in His truth…that we fear and honor Him above anything or anyone…
It is time that we hold His banner high and rejoice in it…
We, the true and living church of Jesus Christ, can no longer afford to play both sides. We can no longer just concern ourselves with our convenience and our comfort. Complacency is not an option - the price that was paid on Calvary was too high. Eternity weighs in the balance.
As the army of God we must follow His banner, holding it high, marching forward against the adversary - 'For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places' that have blinded man.
Our rallying cry -'Lord God Almighty save with Your Right Hand.
For it is only by His saving grace and the power of His truth that lives will be changed for His kingdom.
That is our call…that is why we uphold His banner.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
The Passover Lamb of God
The Passover Lamb of God
As another Passover is celebrated
The foreshadowing of what was to come
Celebrating a future fulfillment of the promise
A promise made from the foundation of the world
The Passover Lamb of God
His broken body would be pierced for our transgressions
He would be crushed for our iniquities
By His scourging we would be healed
He would be poured out even to death for our sin
His blood would be shed to overcome death’s sting
The Passover Lamb of God
And yet, He was despised and forsaken of men
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him
The Passover Lamb of God
The Righteous One who came to serve
His sacrifice made, the price paid that many might be set free
Redemption accomplished through an act of His loving-kindness
Grace and mercy interceding for our transgressions
The Passover Lamb of God
Salvation is among us, liberty and life anew
Rejoice for He has risen, Rejoice for He is alive
Our Passover Lamb of God
Our Redeemer, Our Savior, Our Lord
Jesus
As another Passover is celebrated
The foreshadowing of what was to come
Celebrating a future fulfillment of the promise
A promise made from the foundation of the world
The Passover Lamb of God
His broken body would be pierced for our transgressions
He would be crushed for our iniquities
By His scourging we would be healed
He would be poured out even to death for our sin
His blood would be shed to overcome death’s sting
The Passover Lamb of God
And yet, He was despised and forsaken of men
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him
The Passover Lamb of God
The Righteous One who came to serve
His sacrifice made, the price paid that many might be set free
Redemption accomplished through an act of His loving-kindness
Grace and mercy interceding for our transgressions
The Passover Lamb of God
Salvation is among us, liberty and life anew
Rejoice for He has risen, Rejoice for He is alive
Our Passover Lamb of God
Our Redeemer, Our Savior, Our Lord
Jesus
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