A grateful heart, a thankful heart...

A grateful heart, a thankful heart that ever dwells upon Your loving-kindness and faithfulness…for Your loving-kindness is everlasting and Your faithfulness is never ending…

May it be the desire of our heart, along with the acknowledgement of our mind and the exercise of our will, that we daily live in Your presence, filled with Your Spirit, showered by Your love, engulfed by Your grace, empowered by Your truth and overwhelmed by Your glory.

Let not the world divert us nor the enemy distract us from the gift of Your presence each and every day.

The First Gift of Christmas…

What is the first gift of Christmas? 
His presence! 
The promise fulfilled… 
Emmanuel - God with us… 
His glory revealed to all mankind…the veil torn asunder… 
The unfolding of God's gift of redemption and restoration… 
 
Salvation! 
 
Rejoice…for the Lord has come! 

tis the season....

Christmas - a time to rejoice and celebrate as we give thanks and praise to God the Father for His indescribable gift to man… 
 
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Cor 9:15) 
 
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (James 1:17) 

Christmas cheer...

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is to shine the Light of Jesus both far and near…

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, " I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." (John 8:12-13)

"I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. ( John 12:46)

Thanksgiving...

May your Thanksgiving be blessed with thankfulness...

Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name… (Psalm 140:13)

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, I would exhort you to deeply ponder upon this verse from the Psalms.
Do we have an attitude of gratitude in all things, every day of our lives?
Do we give thanks to the Lord God our maker with all that is in within us?

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders.
(Psalms 9:1)

With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the LORD; And in the midst of many I will praise Him.
(Psalms 109:30)

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His loving-kindness is everlasting.
(Psalms 118:1)

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-19)

His Glory

How much of His glory do we want in our life? 
 
In a pastor's message the other day at a church that we visited he indicated 
that, for the most part, we only want a little bit of His glory in our lives. 
That we want just enough of His glory to be comfortable and have our faith be 
stable. Not so much of His glory that our lives are changed and transformed - 
for we fear change. 
 
Yet, the Lord wants to fill us with His glory, to be overflowing vessels of His 
glory, to have His glory shine so amazingly through our lives that people can't 
help but see Him! And for His glory to so touch our lives that we are being 
completely transformed into His image. 
 
How much of His glory do you want in your life? 
 
2 Cor 3:18 
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, 
are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the 
Lord, the Spirit. 
 
Ps 138:5 
For great is the glory of the LORD. 
 
Isa 60:1-3 
Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon 
you.  For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; 
But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you. Nations will 
come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. 
 
Hab 2:14 
For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the 
waters cover the sea. 

quote for ponderment

As long as you have the tiniest bit of spiritual impertinence, it will always reveal itself in the fact that you are expecting God to tell you to do a big thing, and all He is telling you to do is to "come."

Oswald Chambers

New Life in Christ.....

New life in Christ, the flesh is undone, our spirit is empowered 
Continually Transforming us into His image 
Restored, Refreshed,  Renewed  at the fountain of Living Water 
Flowing to those who seek to live by the Spirit and daily walk in the Spirit 

The Lord of Glory -

The glory of Your power…

And the power of Your glory…

May Your glory shine powerfully this day that all may see

Transforming lives for eternity…

Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory. (Isa 6:3)

Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God (Rev 19:1)

quote for the weak...

The wisdom of Proverbs shows us the way forward:

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

It might be too long to fit on a bumper sticker, but Proverbs shows us the way out of the mess we’ve gotten ourselves.  Wisdom proves it! History proves it!  

Old Testament scholar W. McKane in his commentary on Proverbs makes this biting remark about righteousness exalting a nation: “A land gets the statesmen it deserves.”

(Water from Rock)

The Power of God's Word…

Truly understanding and living in the power of God's Word versus just studying it to 'know more'…do we really believe that His Word is inspired, that it is living and active and able to transform lives or are we content to gain merely an academic understanding that only increases our head knowledge while ignoring and/or rejecting its power?

Do you keep the two-edged sword in its sheath or are you willing to allow its power to be unleashed in this battle that is life in this world?

Is the powerful Word of God transforming you or are you trying to transform the Word of God to fit your worldly wisdom and understanding?

quote for ponderment

William Booth
       1829-1912
      
       William Booth was the founder of the Salvation Army. At the age of 23 he began his evangelistic career and subsequently traveled through England as an itinerant preacher of the Methodist New Connection Church.
      
       After separating from the church in 1861, he continued his ministry independently. In 1865 Booth and his wife, Catherine, to propagate the Christian faith and to furnish spiritual and material aid to needy persons, founded the Christian Mission in London, which in 1878 became known as the Salvation Army.
      
       Members of the army, equipped with uniforms and flags, drums and cornets, were greeted with riotous demonstrations on their first appearances in the streets and were frequently arrested for disturbing the peace. The work progressed, however, and branches of the army were established in all parts of the world, with international headquarters in London. 

God's Word

God's Word is -

1) inspired

2) filled with power

3) transforming

Every day of the week, every moment of the day…

Do we really believe it? Do we live it? Do we experience it? Do we share it?

What more do we need?

for ponderment....

why has the church become so worldly?

why do we lack courage and the resoluteness to stand firm?

why have we been so accommodating to 'live' with comfortable relativism? 

Christian author: US churches are weak because they’re worldly

WASHINGTON (AP) — Evangelical author Os (ahz) Guinness says churches have lost influence in America because Christians are fearful and compromised.

Guinness told an audience at the Family Research Council in Washington that the church is weak because it’s worldly, at a time when the world needs “a positive and persuasive alternative vision of human flourishing.”

He said too many American Christians lack the “courage to be different and to clearly make a stand” in a culture that’s increasingly disdainful if not hostile to Christianity.

Guinness said modern culture’s comfortable relativism has done more to undermine Christianity “than all the persecutors in history put together.”

Now Solomon loved the LORD, except…

Now Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. (1 Kings 3:3) 
 
What is our area of 'except' as we walk with the Lord? What do we continue to hold onto of the world that is an exception to completely surrendering to the Lord, to loving Him with all of our heart,  

soul, mind and strength? 

quote for the weak....

The chief danger of the Church today is that it is trying to get on the same side as the world, instead of turning the world upside down. Our Master expects us to accomplish results, even if they bring opposition and conflict. Anything is better than compromise, apathy, and paralysis. God, give to us an intense cry for the old-time power of the Gospel and the Holy Ghost!

--A.B. Simpson (December 15, 1843 - October 29, 1919, Canadian preacher, theologian, author, and founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance)

the war wages

The war wages for the minds and hearts of man 
The walls have been breached 
The enemy lays siege to all in his path 
Destroying the fortresses of man 
The darkness settles in and man is unable to sense it 
Unable to resist its seductive powers 
And evil is called good and good is called evil 
Lies, destruction, death leave their wake 
And man no longer comprehends his bondage 
For the darkness has overcome his hardened heart 
Yet, there is the Light that shines 
The Light that is able to pierce the veil of darkness 
And the more the Light shines the less darkness retains its hold 
As it is with the light that slowly comes with each morning's sun rise 
May we allow the Light of the Son to shine as we arise each day 
Sharing His Light in this world of darkness 
For it is only His Light that can pierce the hardened heart of man 
And overcome the darkness… 

quote for the weak....

Millions call themselves by His name, it is true, and pay some token respect to Him, but a simple test will show how little He is really honored among them. Let the average man be put to the proof on the question of who or what is above, and his true position will be exposed.
Let him be forced into making a choice between God and money, God and men, between God and personal ambition, God and self, God and human love, and God will take second place every time. Those other things will be exalted above. However the man may protest, the proof is in the choices he makes day after day throughout his life.

A.W. Tozer

Blessed, Blessing, Bless

He shows His love for us by blessing us…. 
 Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has 
blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ  
 
We should show our love for God by blessing Him…. 
 Psalm 103:1-5 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His 
holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who 
pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life 
from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies 
your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. 
 
And we, in turn, should bless others as we have been blessed by the Lord…. 
 Psalm 129:8 The blessing of the LORD be upon you; We bless you in the name of 
the LORD. 
 1 Peter 3:8-10 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, 
kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for 
insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose 
that you might inherit a blessing. 
 Proverbs 11:11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted… 
 Luke 6:27-29 "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those 
who hate you,  bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you….. 
 
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD  (Psalm 33:1) 
 
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!  (Psalm 34:8) 

is this a picture of our life today?

Is this a picture of our life today? 

Overloaded with all that is going on, sucking up the power (exerting all of our energy) in an attempt to meet everything that pulls on us while trying not to burn out (flip the breaker)...

The key questions we need to contemplate as we look at our lives:

1. what is our power source - the world and our own perceived competency OR the Lord

2. what are we really spending our time (energy) on - gold and silver (valuable) OR wood, hay and stubble (not valuable)

3. are we plugged into the things that are temporal OR eternal

4. do we live abundant lives OR lives that are overly abundant with the world's stuff

Disciples' math:

     Seed (Truth)               we are to plant the seed of Truth all around us

+   Water (Grace)            we are to water with the abundant and life giving Grace of God

 =  The Harvest                and the Lord will reap His harvest...

mid-week ponderment

Only in our brokenness

It is only in our brokenness that the Lord is able to minister to us. Without 
brokenness our pride gets in the way of His ministration. Pride creates in us a 
belief that we have control, that we have the ability to take care of everything 
that happens to us in this life and it is pride that keeps us from a life of 
deep faith, true worship and Spirit-lead ministry. It is in brokenness that our 
pride is overwhelmed as we become aware of our own fleshly weaknesses. When our 
boastful pride has been vanquished and we allow the Spirit to over-fill us, then 
and only then, can we become over comers for His glory in this world that is 
lost in darkness. 

Where do we walk

Are you walking in the Light or are you dwelling in the darkness. Since, in our day, we seem to live our lives ever aware of the darkness as we are continually bombarded with the news of evil that is around us, might we target our focus by seeking after the things of the Light. For where the Light shines there is life - abundant life. Let us seek after and search for His testimonies of Light - where the Lord has touched (is touching) people's hearts and minds - and we shall be encouraged in our faith. Might we even be one of His testimonies that is shared with this lost world!

He has not left us without a testimony and He is actively and powerfully working in the lives of His people!

May we walk in His glorious Light while we stand firm against the darkness.

quote for ponderment...

Christians desire to live virtuously with beliefs grounded in love, truth and justice. However, for many churches, justice has been perverted from its biblical meaning - conformity to God's statutes - into a quest for egalitarianism. Truth - consistency to the character and will of God - has lost its clarity. Love has been reduced into a mere emotion. Many mainline denominations afford more certainty to atheists in academia and media than Scripture.  

Many Christians abandoned Scripture, embarrassed by its teachings anywhere they differ from what passes for progressive, nuanced or sophisticated thought. Paul warned against being deceived by the world's philosophies (Colossians 2:8), but many mainline churches were overrun by the same leftist ideologies that overran every other facet of America's intellectual current. Babel rises anew.  

--Bill Flax (Banker, former Marine, and Sunday School teacher at his Baptist Church)  

Col 2:8  See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 

Blessed be the Lord, for He is -

my Rock, my Loving-kindness, my Fortress, my Shepherd, 

my Stronghold, my Deliverer, my Shield, my Refuge, my Healer, 

my Portion, my Righteousness, my Provider, my Hope, my Redeemer, my Savior, my Lord…

and I am blessed because He is…

but one thing I do...

Philippians 3:13-14 …but one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Releasing my struggles of the past, I must forget what lies behind and reach forward with expectation for what lies ahead in You, Lord….pressing on in faith and trust - looking at what has been only to praise You for Your loving-kindness and goodness and faithfulness….

Realizing our captivity

Do we truly realize, understand and acknowledge our captivity in and to this world? The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life hold us in their bondage as we walk this earth - while the enemy of our souls strives to keep us there.

There is only ONE who can release us from the bondage of this captivity.

He has broken the chains, He sets the captives free….

The price has been paid, the power of the enemy has been defeated…

Let us confidently walk in His victory praising and honoring Him and Him alone. 

quote for ponderment

When the psalmist saw the transgression of the wicked his heart told him how it could be. 

"There is no fear of God before his eyes" he explained, and in so saying revealed to us the psychology of sin. 

When men no longer fear God, they transgress His laws without hesitation. The fear of consequences is no deterrent when the fear of God is gone.

A.W. Tozer

Fruit of the Spirit

 Do we 'bare' the fruit of the Spirit in our daily lives? Or do we 'bare' our deeds of the flesh?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control….(Galatians 5:22-23)

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these….(Galatians 5:19-21)

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit…

Galatians 5:16-18 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 

right with God.....

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.   

For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. 

Matthew 7:13-14

Today is a gift, what are you going to do with it?

Do we look at each new day as a gift from God? Are we reveling in this gift each day or are we stuck in our daily routine rut and not truly appreciating the gift of life that we have been blessed with? And this gift is not meant to be held onto, it is meant to be shared with those around us. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Open it up, be excited about it, be filled with anticipation and expectation, share it's wonders with others……The Lord has blessed you with this day (and each day that you wake up and are still upon this earth) - so what are you going to do with it?

quote to ponder upon...

Our Father in heaven knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. 

He knew our inborn treachery, and for His own sake engaged to save us. 

His only begotten Son, when He walked among us, felt our pains in their naked intensity of anguish. 

His knowledge of our afflictions and adversities is more than theoretic; it is personal, warm, and compassionate. 

Whatever may befall us, God knows and cares as no one else can. 

A.W. Tozer

Conversation with the Lord regarding the struggles of this life:

Me: Lord, I just don't understand what is going on. What am I supposed to do as I struggle with all of these issues of life that impact me every single day?

The Lord: Be still and know that I am God

Me: But Lord, how can I be still when there is so much to worry about and consider each day?

The Lord: Wait on Me

Me: Wait! What does that look like in real life, Lord? How can I 'wait' on You when I have so much to get accomplished, so many problems to solve, so many frustrations each way that I turn?

The Lord: Cease striving

Me: It's just not in me to cease, I have to do something! Even if it's just worry more and have a bad attitude about everything and everyone.

The Lord: My peace I will give to you, My grace is sufficient, My Spirit will lead you…but you must be still, wait on Me and cease striving My child. Come boldly with confidence to My throne of grace that you may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. (Psalm 37:7-8)

Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.  (Psalm 27:13-14)

Cease striving and know that I am God… (Psalm 46:10)

Today and every day...

Today and every day that I live upon this earth, as one of His children, may my steadfast desire be to walk the path that seeks to offer up to Him -

Thanksgiving for His awesome mercy

Blessing for His amazing grace

Honor for He is Lord of all

Praise for His loving-kindness and goodness

Worship for He is holy and He alone is worthy to be exalted

Glory to God in the highest

My life for He is truly my loving Father

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God    (1 John 3:1)

We are warriors…

We, as believers, are at war…whether we want to believe it or not! And we are called to the battle front to stand firm against the enemy. The Lord has provided us with the armament to defeat the enemy but we must put it on and stand firm in it. And the battle rages onward - we must not ignore it nor back down - it is ever present around us.

In pondering upon this the situation of Sgt Bergdahl came to mind. It seems that within the body of Christ (the church) we have 'walked away' from the battle front and wandered into the enemy's camp. We live a life in captivity to the enemy not realizing that the Lord has provided us with the weapons of warfare to overcome the enemy. The Lord has already made the prisoner exchange for us - His crucifixion. Yet, we stay bound up in the enemy's captivity when the prison gates have been opened to those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

The time has come church - For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 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. 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might you warriors of the Living God. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes (captivity) of the devil.

New creations

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is  a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

If we are indeed a new creature (creation) why do we spend so much time dwelling upon and dealing with the old one? I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me! Let us live in the new (and amazingly improved) version that Christ has created us to be…as we are conformed into His image. We no longer have to walk in the darkness - we are able to walk in the True Light (for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord). And the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth. That is where I desire to walk!

John 8:12-13 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

Ephesians 5:6-10 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

quote for the week

Perseverance = Endurance + Assurance

Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen.... If our hopes seem to be experiencing disappointment right now, it simply means that they are being purified.

Oswald Chambers

Is it all just a game anymore….

Where is truth? Where is integrity? Where is honor? How about taking responsibility for one's actions? Accountability where have you gone…humility has left the building….and arrogance has filled the house…..selfishness reigns…'love one another' has become just another lot of empty and meaningless words…the 'golden rule' has evolved to the 'he who has the gold wins' rule…..power and money, money and power - these are the only drivers of today's self-titled and self-obsessed elite.

Words…..only words…no action…points without effort….form over substance…this is what we have become.

Does anybody think beyond today? Does anyone even stop to consider where the path that we are presently on will ultimately lead us?

As believers and followers of Christ here is our charge:

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.                             

(2 Corinthians 2:14-17)  

what can man do to me...

We spend so much time worrying about what man can do to us instead of faithfully dwelling (focusing) upon what the Lord can do through us…

In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Psalm 56:11)

The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me? (Psalm 118:6)

Lust of the eye, lust of the flesh, boastful pride of life

Lust of the eye, lust of the flesh, boastful pride of life - there it is all in a nutshell…why we struggle so much in this life of ours upon this earth. These three are so ingrained in our daily life that, for the most part, we don't see them, notice them nor even acknowledge their presence.

Because we walk in the flesh and not in the Spirit, we cannot and will not overcome them in our own power - no matter what anyone says or teaches! If it were so Jesus would not have had to come and suffer such a grave penalty to enable us to be victorious!

Only by His grace and His truth along with the indwelling power of His Holy Spirit are we overcomers.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)

For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8)

For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  (Romans 8:5-8) 

A world of darkness

We live in a world of darkness. Our rebellion makes it so. Only the Light can pierce the darkness of rebellion. And only the True Light of life can bring hope to those who are lost and living in the darkness. Without the Light there is no life. As darkness is the absence of  light so also is it the absence of life.

He is the light of the world, in His light is the fountain of life…Jesus is the Light and in Him is life. The Light has come and illuminates the darkness…setting the captives free.

Ps 18:28 For You light my lamp; The LORD my God illumines my darkness.

Isa 9:2 The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.

Ps 36:9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

Ps 112:4 Light arises in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious and compassionate and righteous.

Ps 82:5 They do not know nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are shaken. 

Blessed be...

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, 
 
Who alone works wonders. 
 
And blessed be His glorious name forever; 
 
And may the whole earth be filled with His glory. 
 
Amen, and Amen. 
 
(Psalm 72:18-19) 

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 

Passover

The Passover celebration occurs this coming week - April 15^th to be exact. I would encourage you to read the Passover account that can be found in the book of Exodus chapter 12 verses 1-32 as we approach Passion week. Additionally, I would encourage you to also read from the book of Luke chapter 22 verses 1-23; Christ's Passover observance.

Christ is our Passover, He is the Passover Lamb of God, He saves us from the destroyer by His shed blood…from out of the darkness He has rescued us from bondage and redeemed us by His sacrifice.

Is the blood of Christ on the doorposts and lintel of your heart?

The box of our own making

Why do we put God in a box of our own making? 

Why do we try to limit His majesty and His glory and His power? 

We so desire to control our lives in a way that makes sense to us that we miss the miraculous, the amazing, the glorious and majestic hand of the Living God.

A quote for ponderment: "God is looking for those with whom He can do the impossible -- what a pity that we plan only the things that we can do by ourselves." A.W. Tozer

Whom do we seek, whom do we serve

            The lord, my genie, I shall be served… (my desires, my wants, my esteem, my honor) because I rule my own destiny.

            or

            The Lord, my God, I shall not want… (I am Your bond-servant, may Your will be done in my life, it is my desire and my joy to honor and exalt You) because You are faithful and Your loving-kindness lasts forever.

Does your life reveal an attitude that the Lord is there to serve you…..or is it truly your heart's desire to live a life that is reflective and indicative of a bond-servant of the Lord?

Holy Spirit fill us, empower us, guide us and lead us to be humble bond-servants of the living Lord…

Phillippians 2:3-8 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and  being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

Until we are breathless….

We are one breath away from eternity - what are we doing with each remaining breath that we have?

Glorifying the Lord?

Truly loving our wife, our children, our family, our friends and our neighbor (in word and deed)?

Sharing His grace and truth?

Making disciples?

Blessing and honoring and rejoicing with each and every waking breath that we take?

With the empowering of the Holy Spirit, let us strive to shake off the distractions of this world that lead us to wade in the mire of darkness that can oft times consume us.

May it be our desire to clearly reflect, in our words and in our actions, the amazingly brilliant and pure Light that is Christ Jesus in all that we do each and every day….

Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be broken…. And blessed are the upright for they shall stand firm and  be steadfast

How can we be both? 

We must be flexible when the Lord calls us to minister - when He calls us to pray, when He calls us to meet a need for our neighbor, when He calls us to go visit someone who is sick or in prison, when He calls us to minister to the widows and orphans, when He call us we must be ready no matter what our schedule says…

And yet, He also calls us to stand firm and be steadfast in His truth and His righteousness - He desires that we do not compromise with the darkness of this world, that we do not condone or even ignore evil, that we do not participate in lying or cheating or stealing nor do we turn the other way when innocent blood is being shed…

Our First Love

What is our relationship with our first love?

Do you love to be in His presence? Do you enjoy spending time with Him? Or have you moved on to something else that has taken over His place in your daily life?

Revelation 2:4 ….you have left your first love…

His lovingkindness calls out to us…He showers us with His grace and mercy…He longs for us to enter into His presence…He surrounds us with His glory…He desires to bathe us in the Light of His love…

1 John 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.

1 John 4:15-16  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.                                                                 

1 John 4:19  We love, because He first loved us…

an article for ponderment.......

And my questions:

- whose church is it anyway?

- do we seek to follow our leader (the Great Shepherd) and listen to His voice?

- do we desire the full presence of the Holy Spirit as we gather together for our time of worship and equipping? 

- how much of man's ways and wisdom have infiltrated the church thereby squelching the work of the Holy Spirit?

- is the church today truly encouraging the work of making disciples?

 Author Donald Miller Muses on Church With Holy Spirit as Pastor

By Anugrah Kumar

February 16, 2014

Donald Miller, a bestselling author who recently stirred a debate after saying he doesn't attend church regularly, has written another follow-up post on his blog, this time musing over a question: what would a church look like if the Holy Spirit were its pastor?

Miller, who focuses on Christian spirituality as "an explanation for beauty, meaning, and the human struggle," writes that he attended a church last Sunday, and "enjoyed it very much."

However, as a result of his admission that he doesn't go to church often, he felt a "deceptive polarized pull of 'Wait, are you supposed to be here? Aren't you either in or out?'"

"I consoled myself by reminding myself I'd never left 'the church' just simply didn't attend many services," writes the 42-year-old author of New York Times Bestseller Blue Like Jazz.

Two weeks ago, Miller sought to clarify his Feb. 3 blog post about his church attendance. "Many people thought the blog was saying people shouldn't go to church or that I had something against church. None of that is true," he wrote.

Miller had written: "It's just that I don't experience that intimacy in a traditional worship service. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of sermons I actually remember. So to be brutally honest, I don't learn much about God hearing a sermon and I don't connect with him by singing songs to him. So, like most men, a traditional church service can be somewhat long and difficult to get through."

Tim Suttle, a pastor, writer and musician who blogs on Patheos.com, responded by writing, "The hard work of slogging to church every single Sunday morning so that we can worship with people who are different from us, is at least in part, necessary so that we don't fall into the egocentric patterns of our society."    (yet, we already have and continue to do so......just attending 'church' today has not effected change for His kingdom, the 'church' has become more like the egocentric world....prb comment)

In his latest blog post, Miller continues that after the Sunday service, he had dinner with a pastor friend, and discussed with him the meaning and significance of church. A line of thought he really liked was a question, "If the Holy Spirit were pastor of a church, what would that church look like?"

"The vision I got was of a pastor who sees his or herself as a pastor to pastors… a pastor who spends Sunday equipping the congregation to be pastors themselves, that is to baptize people through the week, perhaps in their home swimming pools, to guide people through communion, perhaps around their own dinner tables, to teach the Bible to their friends and neighbors, to sing together in their homes, to make meals and share them with the sick and so forth," explains Miller, who serves on President Barack Obama's Task Force on Fatherhood and Healthy Families.

On Sunday, such pastors could gather to encourage each other and share stories about their own "churches" in the world, he adds. "I even imagined buying a bunch of little sheriff badges so a pastor could 'deputize' their congregations as priests in God's kingdom, answering to the Holy Spirit and doing the work of Jesus directly."

Miller goes on to say that some of the most significant spiritual moments of his life have been when he's stepped into the authority God has given him as a priest in His kingdom.

The author says he has done communion on a loading dock using hot chocolate and cookies, and baptized friends in a waterfall. But those experiences aren't too many, he adds. "The thing about those moments, though, is they remind me Jesus is sharing agency with us here on earth."

Calvin, who believed it was only the Apostles who were supposed to baptize, would disagree with him, Miller says.

The author then asks, "What if we really were called to that kind of adventure and at church we were being equipped to do pastoral work, to have authority and agency?" (The Lord has already called His people to His great and wonderful adventure....we need to respond to His call!  prb comment)

The life would get messy, he answers. (yes it would.....but life already is messy.....why not let it be messy in God's way!! prb comment)

"To let the church know they have much more agency than they ever realized would open a can of worms and there would be theological arguments left and right." But there was "an awful lot of organized chaos" in the book of Acts, too, Miller argues. "I wonder if we've not lost the stomach for that kind of adventure?" (No, it's called faith to follow the Lord and trust in Him and His ways.....we do not trust Him in all things and we lack the faith to act.... prb comment )

What vision has the Lord given to you for this time?

We are all called to share His grace and mercy during our lives on this planet 
we call Earth - we are His ambassadors. He specifically directed our efforts to 
make disciples as we are empowered by Him through the working of the Holy 
Spirit. And each of us is provided with a vision for our specific ministry that 
He has called us to, prepared us for and will equip us to accomplish. 
 
If you do not know what that specific calling is you must take the time to seek 
Him and listen to His still small voice and then press on to fulfill that call. 
 
We live in a time where the truth of God has been systematically rejected, 
referred to as a myths and fables by the intellectual elite, and even considered 
a laughing stock, a crutch and a joke by some. Now, more than ever, we need the 
army of the Living God to rise up and heed His voice and follow His call - 
boldly sharing His grace and truth in word and deed. 
 
It is time brothers and sisters in Christ to understand the vision, rise up to 
your calling, to fulfill your ministry that the Lord has blessed you with, to 
stand firm against the powers of this world and bring the amazing news of 
redemption and forgiveness and new life in Christ to everyone - it is the ONLY 
answer to all of the issues of this life. 
 
Where there is no vision, the people perish…(Prov 29:18) 
 
The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of 
the harvest to send out workers into His harvest. (Matt 9:37-38) 

None of me…and ALL of You

We like to make ourselves in our own image. We are, in this flesh of ours, 
totally unable to be righteous, our sin nature rules so strongly and our hearts 
are exceedingly wicked. In our flesh there is always our agenda that is behind 
the scenes, pushing for its own way. 
 
As believers, the old man has died but we just can't leave him in the grave. Our 
agenda constantly seems to 'sneak' back into the forefront of our lives. In the 
world which we live today it is very easy to 'reenter' into the world's ways 
(power of the flesh) each day, getting caught up in all of the stuff of this 
life - the struggles, the problems, the concerns, the wants, the earthly kingdom 
building of man. Yet we have become new creations, not of this world, and we are 
to walk in this new life - life in the Son. 
 
So, to that end, might we really become radical in our walk of faith and push 
the envelope that says there should be 'less of me more of You' and move to the 
place where we say 'none of me and ALL of You, Lord Jesus'. A total surrender of 
our lives to Him for His purpose, for His glory and for His honor - a complete 
and total sacrifice of praise to Him who is worthy. A bond servant who wholly 
trusts in his Savior. Radically saved, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit 
to share His grace and truth with this lost world. 

I shall proclaim...

Your grace and mercy provide the way 
Yet for rebellion’s price we must pay 
 
Man was made to reflect Your face 
But for a lie we rejected Your grace 
 
Redemption was Your ultimate gift 
The sacrifice of Your loving-kindness 
 
The One True God to You we call 
May we before You humbly bow 
 
We will seek Your face as well as Your hand 
Resolute in You we shall make our stand 
 
For man is but a vapor upon this earth 
And being with You is eternity’s worth 
 
I shall proclaim for all to see 
My Lord, my God it is You that I seek 
Your grace and Your mercy restore me 
Your righteousness and Your holiness uphold me 
Your loving-kindness abounds unto me 
For You know who I am... 
 
prb 

dwell in Your joy

Lead me,
guide me,
direct me,
make my paths straight,
that I might walk as a bond servant of the living God most high....
for You are worthy Lord.
Holy Spirit fill me,
may Your presence envelope me,
that I might dwell in the joy of thy salvation every day....