Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.
Psalm 126:5 NLT
http://youtu.be/7Qp11X6LKYY - Blessed be Your Name - Matt Redman
This week as I was doing my homework for "Stepping Up", the Beth Moore bible study my ladies' class is doing,
I learned that simply reading, even studying God's Word, isn't what will bring me a harvest of blessings. Think about it. I can be moved to tears, I can be convicted of my shortcomings and even say "amen" when the preacher tells me I need to love more deeply. But if I don't take action, if I don't plant the seeds of change, if I don't obey God's instructions instead of just reading and crying over some moving passage or story, what good does it do? A seed must be planted to grow.
Jesus tells the parable of the Sower. "A sower went out to sow his seed..." Some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot and the birds ate the seed. Some fell on rocky ground and grew, but soon wilted and died because there was no moisture. Some fell among thorns and the thorns choked out the seed. But some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.
The disciples asked Him what this parable meant and He answered.
Luke 8:11-15 NLT
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
Psalm 126 is a a song of promise. Listen to the words:
When the LORD brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!
2 We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said, “What amazing things the LORD has done for them.”
3 Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy!
4 Restore our fortunes, LORD, as streams renew the desert.
5 Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest.
The Israelites sang this song of hope and promise as they remembered how God had saved them in the past. When things were so bad they had almost given up hope, God restored their fortunes. He turned their tears to laughter. Even the other nations saw how the Lord had done great things for the Israelites.
Verse 4 begins with a plea to God, to save them once again. The Israelites know that God is able, and they know that He will redeem them just like He did in the past.
Look at verses 5-6. "those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed BUT they sing as they return with the harvest." The Israelites were going through another tough time. But the promise was if they would keep planting (obeying) the seed (God's Word), they would see a harvest (redemption).
God will restore our fortunes just as He did the Israelites if we keep our eyes on Him. When things are too difficult to bear, and we are overwhelmed with fear or sadness, or pain, instead of giving up on God, we are to keep doing what He tells us is right and good, even when it doesn't make sense to us. If we listen and obey His instructions, He will redeem the circumstance. Our harvest may not come until we see Jesus face to face, but we can be assured of this promise. God has a Harvest waiting for us if we keep planting the seed - even through our tears.
Each step we take in this life can lead to that Harvest God has for us. Sometimes the growing process we endure is painful and we can find ourselves wondering why God allows such pain in our lives. What if God is using that battle I'm facing to strengthen muscles that I'll need for the next leg of my journey? I'm convinced God doesn't allow anything in my life that He can't use to help me draw closer to Him, or maybe to help someone else draw closer to Him. I don't always understand why, but I trust God's love for me enough to know He doesn't allow the pain without first filtering it through His love for me. I trust His promise that Jesus will give me the strength I need to do all things necessary to get through any circumstance He allows. When I trust Him even when I can't understand, the Seed of His Word grows and develops in my heart, and I become more like the person He created me to me. And that's a very good thing.
Beth tells the story of a mission trip she and her husband Keith made to Africa. The small villages they visited were filled with children and adults who were desperately malnourished.
from Stepping Up by Beth Moore - page 81...
"I learned something in one of the rural villages that will mark my teaching and response to the Word of God. As we stood, trying to absorb the sights and smells of living death, our new friend, Isak Pretorius said, "One of the most frustrating things is that the villages where they receive seed, they often eat the seed rather than planting it and bring forth the harvest." I couldn't get the statement out of my mind and suddenly had an answer to the questions I most often ask God: Why do some people see the results of the Word and others don't? Why do some study the Word of God yet remain in their captivity?
Some just eat the seed and never sow it for a harvest. You want examples? Why have many of us heard hundreds of messages on freedom, done every line of Bible studies like Breaking Free, wept over them, been blessed by them, and even memorized parts of them, yet remain in captivity? Because we ate the seed instead of sowing it. Why have many of us read books on forgiving people, known the teaching were true and right, cried over them, marked them up with our highlighters, yet remain in our bitterness? Because we ate the seed instead of sowing it. Why have we repeatedly heard how Christ has forgiven our sinful pasts and sobbed with gratitude over the grace of it, yet we remain in bondage to condemnation? Because we ate the seed instead of sowing it.
Sometimes we don't even realize the difference. We'll think we accepted the teaching because we were so moved by it. But you see, the seed of God's Word can fill our stomachs and give us immediate satisfaction and still not produce a harvest - that's when we eat it but don't sow it. Many times we apply biblical truth to our theologies without applying it to the actual practicalities of life. I know because I practiced this approach for years and could not understand why I was still in bondage.
I cannot say this loudly enough. God's Word is meant to be applied to our reality. We can "Amen!" the pastor as he preaches sacrificial love. We can walk to the car and comment on the great sermon he gave, drive home, and march in as mean and cold as the person who pulled out of the driveway. We decide surely God did not mean us to apply His truth to our reality because He knows how difficult this or that person is to love. What just happened? We ate the seed instead of sowing it.
...I'm concerned that many of us eat the seed instead of sowing it. Then we charge God with unfaithfulness when we don't get the harvest He promised. God repeatedly says that a harvest is sown - not eaten as seed. We have to get down on our knees in the hardship of our circumstances and apply God's Word to the most difficult places, believing God will bring a harvest....
We were meant to eat from the sheaves - not from the seeds."
This study of the Psalms of Ascents has really been a blessing to me. Starting with Psalm 120 all the way through Psalm 134, these psalms are songs that praise, encourage, remind us of God's faithfulness and His goodness... Today, I learned that I've been eating lots of seed instead of allowing God to plant it in my heart so that it grow and nourish my spirit.
from Stepping Up - " we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.."
I'm going to have struggles and suffering in this world, but if I keep on trusting in God's promises and don't give up, the harvest will come. I believe His promise. And Heaven will be so worth all the suffering and all the struggles.
Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
We will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Don't give up before the Harvest. Keep allowing God's Word, His Seed, to grow in your heart. Even when times are very hard, You can trust that God's promises are true. A Harvest is coming if we just hold on.
Dear LORD, I remember when You restored my fortune. I was scared and ready to give up, but like a dream, You came to my rescue. When I realized what You had done for me, I laughed until I cried with tears of joy. I saw the great thing You had done for me and I praise You and thank You so very much.
LORD please restore my good fortune again. No matter what the circumstances may be, I will continually sow even in my tears until reaping time comes, and then I will be shouting for joy. I know that although I may have a heavy heart now as I carry the weight of my burden, but I will plant Your Seed of truth in my heart, so that I will be able to enjoy the Harvest You have for me.
It's not about me.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
What's my purpose?
http://youtu.be/bjmpbl2OUMU - In a Blink of an Eye - MercyMe
Does God have a purpose for my life? Does He really have a plan that includes me? Am I living for today, for
this earthly life that is "like a vapor - here today and gone tomorrow"? Am I focused on this world, or do I keep
my eyes on the Eternity?
It's so easy to get caught up in the things of this world. Too many times I'm distracted to the point that I forget
what really matters.
Why am I here?
I'm here bring glory to God. I'm here to shine for Jesus! It's a lot easier to "shine" when life is great, and I have no problems. Pretty much anyone can be joyful when life is good. But difficult circumstances that God allows in my life can be a platform for me to testify to God's faithfulness. He has promised to give me everything I need to face any challenge. I may not be able to do it on my own but I can do all things through the Strength that Christ gives me. He is my Strength. When I face trials and struggles with the confidence that Christ will not leave nor forsake me, others can see His Light
shining through me. The light people see in me when I choose to make the most of every situation is far brighter than the light they see in me when everything is going my way.
Joseph faced incredibly difficult situations in his life. Yet he chose to look to God. Joseph chose to make the best of every circumstance, and people took notice. God blessed him, and gave him favor with those around him. Joseph chose to shine for God.
If you have the time, read Genesis 37, 39-41. This is the story of Joseph's life. He was betrayed by his brothers. He was sold into slavery by them. He was taken away from his parents when he was still a young man. He was accused unjustly for sexual assault of Potiphar's wife and thrown into prison, where Joseph was a model prisoner. He was made assistant to the prison guard and was in charge of all the prisoners - while he was imprisoned for years. He made the best of the situation. He was forgotten by the cup bearer who had promised to tell Pharaoh of Joseph's plight. Yet Joseph continued to make the most of his circumstances. In the end, God used Joseph to save not only his family, but all of Egypt.
When his brothers came to him for help, they didn't know that the man they stood before begging for food, the man who was second in command over all Egypt, that same man was their little brother whom they had sold into slavery.
The brothers were afraid when Joseph revealed himself to them. But Joseph had nothing by love and forgiveness. He knew that God had used his circumstances to save so many people.
When Jacob (Israel) died, the brothers were scared to death. With their father no longer there to influence his beloved son to care for his family, they just knew that Joseph would have them put to death. But Joseph didn't focus on the past. He knew God had used every situation for a good purpose.
Genesis 50:19-21 NIV
But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
What circumstance in my life could God be using for His purpose and glory? Will I fight and pout and fret about my hard luck, my sickness, my financial ruin, my broken relationships? Or will I rise above, like Joseph, and make the most of the opportunity to shine for Jesus?
Here's another prayer from "A Treasury of Praise" by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers.
Thank you, my gracious and sovereign God, that You have been with me and carried me from the day of my birth until today...that You have known my whole life, from beginning to end, since before I was born...and that You wrote in Your book all the days that You ordained for me before one of them came to be.
Thank You that in Your gracious plan to bless and use me, You've allowed me to go through hard times, through trials that many people go through in this fallen world. How glad I am that You're so good at reaching down and making something beautiful out of even the worst situations! How encouraged I am when I think how You did this for Joseph...how his brothers hated and abused and betrayed him, and how You worked these things out for blessing, both for Joseph and his family and for countless other people.
I'm so grateful that all my past circumstances were permitted by You to make me see my need of You and prepare my heart for Your Word... to draw me to Yourself and to work out Your good purposes for my life. I rejoice that You are the Blessed Controller of all things -- You are no, You will be throughout the future, and You always were. All my days had Your touch of love and wisdom whether or not I can as yet fully see it.
And Lord, I choose to look beyond my past and present troubles in this life - this temporary life - and fix my eyes on the unseen things that will last forever. I praise You for the eternal glory these things are piling up for me as I choose to trust You.
Isaiah 46:3, 9-10
“Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel.
I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born.
Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God!
I am God, and there is none like me. 10 Only I can tell you the future
before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass,
for I do whatever I wish.
Psalm 139:16 NLT
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Hebrews 10:34 NLT
You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you,
you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
1 Peter 5:9 NLT
Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and
sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
Deuteronomy 8:3 NLT
Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
Psalm 66:6-12 NLT
He made a dry path through the Red Sea, and his people went across on foot.
There we rejoiced in him.
7 For by his great power he rules forever. He watches every movement of the nations;
let no rebel rise in defiance.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
http://youtu.be/J4xm2mtDj2c - This Life by MercyMe
http://youtu.be/bjmpbl2OUMU - In a Blink of an Eye - MercyMe
Does God have a purpose for my life? Does He really have a plan that includes me? Am I living for today, for
this earthly life that is "like a vapor - here today and gone tomorrow"? Am I focused on this world, or do I keep
my eyes on the Eternity?
It's so easy to get caught up in the things of this world. Too many times I'm distracted to the point that I forget
what really matters.
Why am I here?
I'm here bring glory to God. I'm here to shine for Jesus! It's a lot easier to "shine" when life is great, and I have no problems. Pretty much anyone can be joyful when life is good. But difficult circumstances that God allows in my life can be a platform for me to testify to God's faithfulness. He has promised to give me everything I need to face any challenge. I may not be able to do it on my own but I can do all things through the Strength that Christ gives me. He is my Strength. When I face trials and struggles with the confidence that Christ will not leave nor forsake me, others can see His Light
shining through me. The light people see in me when I choose to make the most of every situation is far brighter than the light they see in me when everything is going my way.
Joseph faced incredibly difficult situations in his life. Yet he chose to look to God. Joseph chose to make the best of every circumstance, and people took notice. God blessed him, and gave him favor with those around him. Joseph chose to shine for God.
If you have the time, read Genesis 37, 39-41. This is the story of Joseph's life. He was betrayed by his brothers. He was sold into slavery by them. He was taken away from his parents when he was still a young man. He was accused unjustly for sexual assault of Potiphar's wife and thrown into prison, where Joseph was a model prisoner. He was made assistant to the prison guard and was in charge of all the prisoners - while he was imprisoned for years. He made the best of the situation. He was forgotten by the cup bearer who had promised to tell Pharaoh of Joseph's plight. Yet Joseph continued to make the most of his circumstances. In the end, God used Joseph to save not only his family, but all of Egypt.
When his brothers came to him for help, they didn't know that the man they stood before begging for food, the man who was second in command over all Egypt, that same man was their little brother whom they had sold into slavery.
The brothers were afraid when Joseph revealed himself to them. But Joseph had nothing by love and forgiveness. He knew that God had used his circumstances to save so many people.
When Jacob (Israel) died, the brothers were scared to death. With their father no longer there to influence his beloved son to care for his family, they just knew that Joseph would have them put to death. But Joseph didn't focus on the past. He knew God had used every situation for a good purpose.
Genesis 50:19-21 NIV
But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
What circumstance in my life could God be using for His purpose and glory? Will I fight and pout and fret about my hard luck, my sickness, my financial ruin, my broken relationships? Or will I rise above, like Joseph, and make the most of the opportunity to shine for Jesus?
Here's another prayer from "A Treasury of Praise" by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers.
Thank you, my gracious and sovereign God, that You have been with me and carried me from the day of my birth until today...that You have known my whole life, from beginning to end, since before I was born...and that You wrote in Your book all the days that You ordained for me before one of them came to be.
Thank You that in Your gracious plan to bless and use me, You've allowed me to go through hard times, through trials that many people go through in this fallen world. How glad I am that You're so good at reaching down and making something beautiful out of even the worst situations! How encouraged I am when I think how You did this for Joseph...how his brothers hated and abused and betrayed him, and how You worked these things out for blessing, both for Joseph and his family and for countless other people.
I'm so grateful that all my past circumstances were permitted by You to make me see my need of You and prepare my heart for Your Word... to draw me to Yourself and to work out Your good purposes for my life. I rejoice that You are the Blessed Controller of all things -- You are no, You will be throughout the future, and You always were. All my days had Your touch of love and wisdom whether or not I can as yet fully see it.
And Lord, I choose to look beyond my past and present troubles in this life - this temporary life - and fix my eyes on the unseen things that will last forever. I praise You for the eternal glory these things are piling up for me as I choose to trust You.
Isaiah 46:3, 9-10
“Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel.
I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born.
Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God!
I am God, and there is none like me. 10 Only I can tell you the future
before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass,
for I do whatever I wish.
Psalm 139:16 NLT
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Hebrews 10:34 NLT
You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you,
you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
1 Peter 5:9 NLT
Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and
sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
Deuteronomy 8:3 NLT
Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
Psalm 66:6-12 NLT
He made a dry path through the Red Sea, and his people went across on foot.
There we rejoiced in him.
7 For by his great power he rules forever. He watches every movement of the nations;
let no rebel rise in defiance.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
http://youtu.be/J4xm2mtDj2c - This Life by MercyMe
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
How Great is our God?http://youtu.be/t7F-B2DLvAQ - God of wonders - Chris Tomlin
What better way to start the day than by remembering how great is our God?
from "A Treasury of Praise" by Ruth Myers w/ Warren Myers
I magnify You, O Lord, I exalt Your name, for You are great and highly to be praised. I praise You for the glorious splendor of Your majesty and the power of Your awe-inspiring acts. Your power is unlimited ... absolute ... beyond imagining. You are able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or dream of. "There is nothing too hard for You." Who is like You, "majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders"?
O Lord Most High, You rule over the heavens and the earth, for You made all things by Your great power, and You keep them existing and working by Your mighty Word. You are exalted high above every star and galaxy in the entire cosmos ... yet You are also "the God of all mankind," the great, personally present, personally involved God who loves, rescues, and takes care of all who trust You. You exercise Your gracious authority over all nations -- and over each individual in all the world. There is none like You, the true God, the living God, the everlasting King.
I praise You for Your sovereignty over the broad events of my life and over the details. With You, nothing is accidental, nothing is incidental, and no experience is wasted. You hold in Your own power my breath of life and all my destiny. And every trial that You allow to happen is a platform on which You reveal Yourself, showing Your love and power, both to me and to others looking on. Thank You that I can move into the future non defensively, with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead, for You hold the future and You will always be with me, even to my old age... and through all eternity.
-----------------------------------
Praise His Holy Name!
http://youtu.be/xi0yLRX4d2M - How Great is our God? - Chris Tomlin
I long to be able to praise God with powerful words of adoration and thanksgiving. But so many times, my words just seem to fall flat. They are so inadequate. I love that God has provided us with a way to praise Him - using Spirit filled words right from the Bible. The prayer above is Scripture prayer and praise. The verses below were used to speak the powerful truths in this prayer. The inspired Words of Scripture never fall short. What better way to speak His praises?
Psalm 145:3-6 NKJV
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works.
Ephesians 3:20 NKJV
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all
that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
Jeremiah 32:17 NKJV
‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth
by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
Exodus 15:11 NIV
Who among the gods is like you, LORD?
Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
Hebrews 1:3 NIV
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
Jeremiah 32:27 NIV
“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
Jeremiah 10:6-7 NIV
No one is like you, LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.
Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due.
Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms,
there is no one like you.
Daniel 5:23c NIV
You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone,
which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the
God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.
Hebrews 13:5 NIV
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Isaiah 46:4 NIV
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
http://youtu.be/qa1hABLMzDE - I will lift my eyes - Bebo Norman
Our ladies' Bible Class is studying Beth Moore's "Stepping Up" - a study of the Psalms of Ascents. These are songs that were most likely song by the Israelites as they made their way to worship God in Jerusalem. As they traveled many, sometimes grueling miles, they focused on the their destination. To them, the Temple in Jerusalem was where God was present. So no matter how tough the journey, they kept their eyes on the hills - or mountains where they could draw near to God. That was where they would find strength and comfort.
Psalm 121 is our memory verse for this study. "I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.
Too many times the Israelites took their eyes off the LORD and instead, they focused on their circumstances. They forgot all the times HE had delivered them. They failed to give thanks and praise for His Provision and Protection. They didn't remember His unfailing love. When the Israelites looked down instead of up, they were lost and the Enemy could easily defeat them. When they looked up, the LORD protected them from all evil.
I read about the Israelites, God's chosen people, and frankly, I'm disgusted by how quick they turn from Him. But when I am honest with myself, I am just like the Israelites. I, too, have been chosen by God to be His special possession, and He has promised to work all things together for my good according to His purpose for me. If I believe God's promise, why am I so quick to forget how faithful He has always been to save me? I forget to look to the Hills from whence my help comes. I'm so thankful that Jesus came to save me from myself. Without His righteousness covering me, I'd be without hope. I'm so thankful for the Holy Spirit living in me. He gently reminds me that God is worthy of all my trust, and even when I take my eyes off God for a time, the Holy Spirit draws me back. I am so thankful for the LORD's patience and His amazing love. Why He choose me? I'm so unworthy of His love and grace. But I'm His child, purchased and redeemed with the blood of His precious Son, and that makes all the difference.
Today, I'm looking up! My help comes from the Maker of heaven and earth.
The following is from "A Treasury of Praise" by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers:
LORD, I extol You for Your great power toward us who believe -- Your tremendous, invincible power that works in us and for us... the same almighty strength You used when You raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him far above all other powers, visible and invisible. You are able to do infinitely beyond all our highest prayers or thoughts. Nothing is impossible with You!
Thank You that when I praise You and bring my requests to You in simple faith, I plug into Your almighty power...that when I offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, I open a door for You to rescue me and bless my life, and I prepare the way for You to rescus and bless other people, near and far.
Ephesians 3:12 NIV 1984
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Hebrews 10:19-22 NIV 1984
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 4:16 NIV 1984
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Romans 5:17 NIV 1984
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Philippians 4:6 NIV1984
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present
your requests to God.
Psalm 62:8 NIV 1984
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
1 John 1:8-10 NIV 1984
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
Proverbs 28:13 NIV 1984
He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
http://youtu.be/7fwI4qbLpxE - Just another mountain - Jamie Slocum
Monday, February 6, 2012
Because He first loved me...
When I look at this photo from The Passion of the Christ, I have to turn my head. It's too hard to imagine. His death was not pretty. So many renditions of the scene don't show the true horror of death by cruxificion. I think it's important to remember what He suffered. I have to look at this photo and see the true physical suffering Jesus endured for me.
My sins put Jesus on the cross. And probably the worst part for Him was enduring my shame and my guilt. The physical torture He suffered must have been nothing compared to carrying the weight of all of our shame and guilt for every sin humanity has ever done. He took our place. We deserved that death and torture. But by His wounds, we are healed.
Thank You, Lord Jesus.
http://youtu.be/xODpgyqGCYM - Living He loved me, Dying He saved me by Casting Crowms
God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT
http://youtu.be/Gt0WluTpFTg - My Savior My God -Aaron Shust
When I think about how much Christ did for me, I can't help but worship Him. Acknowledging my specific sins and failures helps me to realize how much He has forgiven me. If I simply say to God, "forgive me of my sins", without feeling the weight of those sins and experiencing the brokenness of realizing that I, like David, have sinned against the LORD, then I don't think I can appreciate the full weight of what Christ did for me. He took my punishment and shame and nailed it to the cross on my behalf. He took my place.
When I think about my past sins especially, it's very hard because I realize how much I hurt the people I love with my careless actions. The pain of that realization is great. That pain that I feel for my sins, that's what Jesus took on Himself. He had to experience my guilt and my regrets. I put that on my Savior! And He willingly took it away from me and gave me in its place, His righteousness. He took my guilt and shame on Himself and wrapped me in His robe of goodness and mercy so that I can now stand before our Holy God, spotless, without blemish.
I'm forgiven because of what Jesus did. He is worthy of all my adoration, praise and devotion.
1 Peter 2:21-24 NASB
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
1 John 4:10 NLT
This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Philippians 2:6-9
6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Isaiah 53:3-12
He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows[a] that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the LORD laid on him
the sins of us all.
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10 But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
The following is from "A Treasury of Praise - Enjoying God Anew" by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers
I love You, Father, because You first loved me and sent Your Son to atone for my sins. And I stand amazed that Jesus, who by nature had always been God, did not cling to His rights as Your equal...that He laid aside all His privileges to be born as a human being...that He totally humbled Himself, submitting to the death of a common criminal, enduring infinite humiliation and pain...that on the cross You laid on Him the compressed weight of all my sin and guilt and shame, all my griefs and sorrows, and He became sin for me, dying the death I deserve.
And how much I praise You that it was impossible for death to hold Him in its power...that You raised Him from the dead to be my Savior, to make me righteous in Your sight...that You highly exalted Him, giving Him a position infinitely superior to any conceivable command, authority, power, or control, both natural and supernatural. Thank You that He is the Great High Priest...that He is able to save me completely, for He lives forever and prays for me and for all of us who have come to You through Him. I glorify You, my Father, with gratefulness and joy.
And I bow at the feet of Him who was dead and is now alive forever and ever. I exalt Him, I yield myself to Him, for He is worthy of the total response of my entire being: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."
Revelation 1:18
I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
Revelation 5:12
And they sang in a mighty chorus:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing.”
When I look at this photo from The Passion of the Christ, I have to turn my head. It's too hard to imagine. His death was not pretty. So many renditions of the scene don't show the true horror of death by cruxificion. I think it's important to remember what He suffered. I have to look at this photo and see the true physical suffering Jesus endured for me.
My sins put Jesus on the cross. And probably the worst part for Him was enduring my shame and my guilt. The physical torture He suffered must have been nothing compared to carrying the weight of all of our shame and guilt for every sin humanity has ever done. He took our place. We deserved that death and torture. But by His wounds, we are healed.
Thank You, Lord Jesus.
http://youtu.be/xODpgyqGCYM - Living He loved me, Dying He saved me by Casting Crowms
 |
| He took my place. |
http://youtu.be/Gt0WluTpFTg - My Savior My God -Aaron Shust
When I think about how much Christ did for me, I can't help but worship Him. Acknowledging my specific sins and failures helps me to realize how much He has forgiven me. If I simply say to God, "forgive me of my sins", without feeling the weight of those sins and experiencing the brokenness of realizing that I, like David, have sinned against the LORD, then I don't think I can appreciate the full weight of what Christ did for me. He took my punishment and shame and nailed it to the cross on my behalf. He took my place.
When I think about my past sins especially, it's very hard because I realize how much I hurt the people I love with my careless actions. The pain of that realization is great. That pain that I feel for my sins, that's what Jesus took on Himself. He had to experience my guilt and my regrets. I put that on my Savior! And He willingly took it away from me and gave me in its place, His righteousness. He took my guilt and shame on Himself and wrapped me in His robe of goodness and mercy so that I can now stand before our Holy God, spotless, without blemish.
I'm forgiven because of what Jesus did. He is worthy of all my adoration, praise and devotion.
1 Peter 2:21-24 NASB
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
1 John 4:10 NLT
This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Philippians 2:6-9
6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Isaiah 53:3-12
He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows[a] that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the LORD laid on him
the sins of us all.
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10 But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
The following is from "A Treasury of Praise - Enjoying God Anew" by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers
I love You, Father, because You first loved me and sent Your Son to atone for my sins. And I stand amazed that Jesus, who by nature had always been God, did not cling to His rights as Your equal...that He laid aside all His privileges to be born as a human being...that He totally humbled Himself, submitting to the death of a common criminal, enduring infinite humiliation and pain...that on the cross You laid on Him the compressed weight of all my sin and guilt and shame, all my griefs and sorrows, and He became sin for me, dying the death I deserve.
And how much I praise You that it was impossible for death to hold Him in its power...that You raised Him from the dead to be my Savior, to make me righteous in Your sight...that You highly exalted Him, giving Him a position infinitely superior to any conceivable command, authority, power, or control, both natural and supernatural. Thank You that He is the Great High Priest...that He is able to save me completely, for He lives forever and prays for me and for all of us who have come to You through Him. I glorify You, my Father, with gratefulness and joy.
And I bow at the feet of Him who was dead and is now alive forever and ever. I exalt Him, I yield myself to Him, for He is worthy of the total response of my entire being: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."
Revelation 1:18
I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
Revelation 5:12
And they sang in a mighty chorus:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing.”
Friday, February 3, 2012
The Sword of the Spirit -
http://youtu.be/trUI1wtIIFk - Word of God Speak - Mercy Me
Help me understand the meaning of your commandments,
and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds. - Psalm 119:27 NLT
How many times have you heard someone say that the Bible is just too hard to understand? Unfortunately, too many people give up on reading God's Word for that reason - or excuse.
A preacher asked this question:
"If you were given a treasure map and were told that if you followed the map, the treasure you would find would be a chest full of golden coins equal to millions of dollars. Now imagine that this map is complicated, not easy to read or understand. Wouldn't you study that map and do whatever you needed to do to get to that treasure chest?
Well, the Word of God is a Treasure map. It's holds the answers to all of life's questions and concerns. There's so much wealth of knowledge and wisdom written in the pages of the Bible. It shows us God's great love and compassion for us - His chosen people.
God has given us His very Word filled with instructions on how to live our lives to the fullest. Yet
we say, 'it's too complicated, too hard to understand.' It's the best "self help book" ever written. What a shame that God's very special gift to us - His written Word - isn't worth at least the same effort we'd give to understand a treasure map."
Today I want to thank God for His written Word which is powerful and active. and when/if I listen, He speaks specifically to me through His Word - bringing each passage into my heart and showing me how I personally can apply His great wisdom and insight. His Word is light unto my path.
It takes effort, and it takes practice. But the Word of God is the powerful weapon we have against the Enemy. When we write God's Word on our hearts through reading and meditating on it, the Holy Spirit will help us yield this powerful sword against anything that would keep us from accomplishing God purpose for us on earth. Today, I want to be a mighty warrior for Christ. I can do that because He's given me the Sword of the Spirit, His precious written Word.
Hebrews 4:12 nlt
12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Psalm 119:105 nasb
Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Psalm 45:3-7 nlt
3 Put on your sword, O mighty warrior!
You are so glorious, so majestic!
4 In your majesty, ride out to victory,
defending truth, humility, and justice.
Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds!
5 Your arrows are sharp, piercing your enemies’ hearts.
The nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever.
You rule with a scepter of justice.
7 You love justice and hate evil.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you,
pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The following is from "A Treasury of Praise - Enjoying God Anew" by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers.
Thank You, Lord, for how You continue in our day to speak with power through Your Word, the sword of the Spirit. You've promised that Your Word will not return to You useless. You send forth Your command over the earth, and Your Word runs swiftly, controlling the forces of nature, defeating the power and schemes of the adversary. Delivery me from letting my experience of Your written-down truth get stale through neglect. Thank You that Your Word is the Bread of Life, which nourishes my soul as I feed on it richly and hide it in my heart -- as I let it grip me in a powerful way, just as You intend. May Your Word day by day be the joy and rejoicing of my heart!
I love Your Word especially because it so vividly displays the wonders of who You are: Your heart of love, Your thoughts and values, Your character with its deep concern for me and all people, Your delight in each of Your children, and Your infinite, boundless power to bless Your loved ones and to defeat the purposes of Satan. How grateful I am for this written revelation of who You are and of how I can be a joy to You, fulfilling Your purposes for my life. Your Word reveals what You want for me and from me. It shows how infinitely greater Your power is than our adversary's, as well as how infinitely better Your purposes are than his. How I praise You for this wonderful Book!
I thank You again that Your Word is a sword that cuts through Satan's power and purposes, enabling me to experience You in all I am and in all I do. Use Your Word in my life day by day. Strengthen me through it and tune me in to Your wisdom. Enhance my delight in it and deepen my knowledge of You...increase my trust in You...and enrich my experience of You as I face the needs and demands of daily life. More and more may Your Word be "the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts."
Isaiah 55:11 nlt
It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
Psalm 147:15 nasb
15 He sends forth His command to the earth;
His word runs very swiftly.
Psalm 119:11 nasb
Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
Luke 4:4 nlt
4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’”
Jeremiah 15:16 nkjv
Your words were found, and I ate them,
And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;
For I am called by Your name,
O Lord God of hosts.
Acts 26:18 nlt
Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles 18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’
James 2:19 nlt
You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.
Ephesians 6:17 nlt
Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Psalm 1:1-2 nlt
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the LORD,
meditating on it day and night.
http://youtu.be/trUI1wtIIFk - Word of God Speak - Mercy Me
Help me understand the meaning of your commandments,
and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds. - Psalm 119:27 NLT
How many times have you heard someone say that the Bible is just too hard to understand? Unfortunately, too many people give up on reading God's Word for that reason - or excuse.
A preacher asked this question:
"If you were given a treasure map and were told that if you followed the map, the treasure you would find would be a chest full of golden coins equal to millions of dollars. Now imagine that this map is complicated, not easy to read or understand. Wouldn't you study that map and do whatever you needed to do to get to that treasure chest?
Well, the Word of God is a Treasure map. It's holds the answers to all of life's questions and concerns. There's so much wealth of knowledge and wisdom written in the pages of the Bible. It shows us God's great love and compassion for us - His chosen people.
God has given us His very Word filled with instructions on how to live our lives to the fullest. Yet
we say, 'it's too complicated, too hard to understand.' It's the best "self help book" ever written. What a shame that God's very special gift to us - His written Word - isn't worth at least the same effort we'd give to understand a treasure map."
Today I want to thank God for His written Word which is powerful and active. and when/if I listen, He speaks specifically to me through His Word - bringing each passage into my heart and showing me how I personally can apply His great wisdom and insight. His Word is light unto my path.
It takes effort, and it takes practice. But the Word of God is the powerful weapon we have against the Enemy. When we write God's Word on our hearts through reading and meditating on it, the Holy Spirit will help us yield this powerful sword against anything that would keep us from accomplishing God purpose for us on earth. Today, I want to be a mighty warrior for Christ. I can do that because He's given me the Sword of the Spirit, His precious written Word.
Hebrews 4:12 nlt
12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Psalm 119:105 nasb
Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Psalm 45:3-7 nlt
3 Put on your sword, O mighty warrior!
You are so glorious, so majestic!
4 In your majesty, ride out to victory,
defending truth, humility, and justice.
Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds!
5 Your arrows are sharp, piercing your enemies’ hearts.
The nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever.
You rule with a scepter of justice.
7 You love justice and hate evil.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you,
pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The following is from "A Treasury of Praise - Enjoying God Anew" by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers.
Thank You, Lord, for how You continue in our day to speak with power through Your Word, the sword of the Spirit. You've promised that Your Word will not return to You useless. You send forth Your command over the earth, and Your Word runs swiftly, controlling the forces of nature, defeating the power and schemes of the adversary. Delivery me from letting my experience of Your written-down truth get stale through neglect. Thank You that Your Word is the Bread of Life, which nourishes my soul as I feed on it richly and hide it in my heart -- as I let it grip me in a powerful way, just as You intend. May Your Word day by day be the joy and rejoicing of my heart!
I love Your Word especially because it so vividly displays the wonders of who You are: Your heart of love, Your thoughts and values, Your character with its deep concern for me and all people, Your delight in each of Your children, and Your infinite, boundless power to bless Your loved ones and to defeat the purposes of Satan. How grateful I am for this written revelation of who You are and of how I can be a joy to You, fulfilling Your purposes for my life. Your Word reveals what You want for me and from me. It shows how infinitely greater Your power is than our adversary's, as well as how infinitely better Your purposes are than his. How I praise You for this wonderful Book!
I thank You again that Your Word is a sword that cuts through Satan's power and purposes, enabling me to experience You in all I am and in all I do. Use Your Word in my life day by day. Strengthen me through it and tune me in to Your wisdom. Enhance my delight in it and deepen my knowledge of You...increase my trust in You...and enrich my experience of You as I face the needs and demands of daily life. More and more may Your Word be "the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts."
Isaiah 55:11 nlt
It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
Psalm 147:15 nasb
15 He sends forth His command to the earth;
His word runs very swiftly.
Psalm 119:11 nasb
Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
Luke 4:4 nlt
4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’”
Jeremiah 15:16 nkjv
Your words were found, and I ate them,
And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;
For I am called by Your name,
O Lord God of hosts.
Acts 26:18 nlt
Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles 18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’
James 2:19 nlt
You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.
Ephesians 6:17 nlt
Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Psalm 1:1-2 nlt
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the LORD,
meditating on it day and night.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
For me...
http://youtu.be/XrO5KGCNGHM - God with Us - Mercy Me
John 3:16 NASB
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
I hope you're enjoying the daily devotionals from "A Treasury of Praise - Enjoying God Anew" . This book is truly a "treasure". I found my copy at Mardel's, but I'm sure that this little book of Praises can be purchased online at www.Amazon.com. .
Day Two
from "A Treasury of Praise - Enjoying God Anew" by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers
Thank You, Father, that You so loved the world that You gave Your one and only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that when the time had fully come, He wrapped Himself in human form, being born as a helpless baby into a poor family. Thank You that He walked here on earth, radiating the brightness of Your glory and flawlessly expressing Your nature. And so, through Him, people saw You in action, involved with them, available to meet their needs. Thank You that He focused Your almighty power into the lives of common people with deep needs, just like me...that He preached the gospel to the poor, proclaimed freedom to prisoners of sin and recovery of sight to the blind, and set free the oppressed victims of sin and Satan -- the downtrodden, the lost, the hurting, the broken. Thank You for the way He rebuked the arrogant and looked with favor on the humble-minded, opening wide the door of His kingdom to those who were destitute and helpless in spirit. I delight in Your tender mercies, O my God, by which the Sunrise from on high has come to us!
Thank You that through the Gospels I can watch this beloved One walk among ordinary people. I can hear the gracious words that came from His lips. I can see His compassion and tenderness toward needy people, His anger at hypocrisy, His faithfulness, His intense love for His followers.
Fairest Lord Jesus? You alone are my heart's desire...my chief delight...my soul's glory, joy and crown. Every advantage life can offer is like rubbish, compared with the overwhelming gain of knowing You. You are worthy, Lord --- worthy to be thanked and praised and worshiped and adored.
All passages are from the New American Standard Bible unless noted otherwise. The Words spoken by Jesus are in red.
Galatians 4:4
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
Hebrews 1:3
And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Luke 4:18-19
“THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,
BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.
HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES,
AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND,
TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”
Matthew 5:3
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Luke 1:78 NLT
Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us
Luke 4:22
And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
Matthew 15:32
And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, “I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.”
Matthew 23:13-33, 37
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
John 13:1
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’ 17 You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.’ 19 You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? 20 Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full [u]of robbery and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?"
vs 37
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling."
John 13:1
Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
Psalm 45:2
You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
Song of Solomon 5:16
“His mouth is full of sweetness.
And he is wholly desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.”
Philippians 3:7-11 Phillips
Yet every advantage that I had gained I considered lost for Christ’s sake. Yes, and I look upon everything as loss compared with the overwhelming gain of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord. For his sake I did in actual fact suffer the loss of everything, but I considered it useless rubbish compared with being able to win Christ. For now my place is in him, and I am not dependent upon any of the self-achieved righteousness of the Law. God has given me that genuine righteousness which comes from faith in Christ. How changed are my ambitions! Now I long to know Christ and the power shown by his resurrection: now I long to share his sufferings, even to die as he died, so that I may perhaps attain as he did, the resurrection from the dead.
Matthew 9:36
Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.
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http://youtu.be/XrO5KGCNGHM - God with Us - Mercy Me
John 3:16 NASB
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
I hope you're enjoying the daily devotionals from "A Treasury of Praise - Enjoying God Anew" . This book is truly a "treasure". I found my copy at Mardel's, but I'm sure that this little book of Praises can be purchased online at www.Amazon.com. .
Day Two
from "A Treasury of Praise - Enjoying God Anew" by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers
Thank You, Father, that You so loved the world that You gave Your one and only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that when the time had fully come, He wrapped Himself in human form, being born as a helpless baby into a poor family. Thank You that He walked here on earth, radiating the brightness of Your glory and flawlessly expressing Your nature. And so, through Him, people saw You in action, involved with them, available to meet their needs. Thank You that He focused Your almighty power into the lives of common people with deep needs, just like me...that He preached the gospel to the poor, proclaimed freedom to prisoners of sin and recovery of sight to the blind, and set free the oppressed victims of sin and Satan -- the downtrodden, the lost, the hurting, the broken. Thank You for the way He rebuked the arrogant and looked with favor on the humble-minded, opening wide the door of His kingdom to those who were destitute and helpless in spirit. I delight in Your tender mercies, O my God, by which the Sunrise from on high has come to us!
Thank You that through the Gospels I can watch this beloved One walk among ordinary people. I can hear the gracious words that came from His lips. I can see His compassion and tenderness toward needy people, His anger at hypocrisy, His faithfulness, His intense love for His followers.
Fairest Lord Jesus? You alone are my heart's desire...my chief delight...my soul's glory, joy and crown. Every advantage life can offer is like rubbish, compared with the overwhelming gain of knowing You. You are worthy, Lord --- worthy to be thanked and praised and worshiped and adored.
All passages are from the New American Standard Bible unless noted otherwise. The Words spoken by Jesus are in red.
Galatians 4:4
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
Hebrews 1:3
And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Luke 4:18-19
“THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,
BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.
HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES,
AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND,
TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”
Matthew 5:3
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Luke 1:78 NLT
Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us
Luke 4:22
And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
Matthew 15:32
And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, “I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.”
Matthew 23:13-33, 37
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
John 13:1
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’ 17 You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.’ 19 You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? 20 Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full [u]of robbery and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?"
vs 37
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling."
John 13:1
Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
Psalm 45:2
You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
Song of Solomon 5:16
“His mouth is full of sweetness.
And he is wholly desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.”
Philippians 3:7-11 Phillips
Yet every advantage that I had gained I considered lost for Christ’s sake. Yes, and I look upon everything as loss compared with the overwhelming gain of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord. For his sake I did in actual fact suffer the loss of everything, but I considered it useless rubbish compared with being able to win Christ. For now my place is in him, and I am not dependent upon any of the self-achieved righteousness of the Law. God has given me that genuine righteousness which comes from faith in Christ. How changed are my ambitions! Now I long to know Christ and the power shown by his resurrection: now I long to share his sufferings, even to die as he died, so that I may perhaps attain as he did, the resurrection from the dead.
Matthew 9:36
Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.
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