Romans 4:4-5
When people work, their wages are not a gift.
Workers earn what they receive.
But people are declared righteous because of their faith,
not because of their work. (NLT)
The apostle Paul is telling us what God said of Abraham (Genesis 15:6) many centuries before as an illustration of faith in contrast to works. Paul is expanding on the declaration of justification by faith, saying that the act of declaring a person righteous before God is set completely apart from any kind of human work. If salvation were based on our own effort, God would owe salvation as a debt to be paid—but salvation is “always” a sovereignly given gift of God’s amazing grace (Ephesians 2:8); the gift that no one deserves, nor can be earned. For a gift is just what it is—a freely given. It is only those who relinquish all claims to goodness and acknowledge their ungodliness who become candidates for justification (Luke 5:31-32).
When a person faithfully receives the greatest gift ever given to mankind and repents of their ungodly living, the Holy Spirit of the Living God will take up residence in your heart and give you all that you need to live a righteous life that will not only benefit you, but everyone around you as well. The only way that I am able to fight the sinful nature we all inherited, is with the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within me. There is absolutely no other way that I or anyone would be able to fight the good fight well enough to win the battle for our souls without God’s sovereign strength and wisdom. And the only way to victory and everlasting life, my friends, is by accepting the gift of His saving grace and then live faithfully in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.
A Whisper of Hope
Accepting My gift faithfully…dear child, brings joy to My heart. For the only way to survive the pounding this world gives is by your living in Me and I in you—and then believe. The beating you take from this world is nothing compared to the glory that awaits you in Paradise. But in order to get there, My child, you must walk with Me in faith; in the Light that will show you the Way.
Genesis 15:6
And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD
declared him righteous because of his faith. (NLT)
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. (NASB)
Luke 5:31-32
And Jesus answered and said to them,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick.
“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Hope For All
Matthew 12:20-21
“A battered reed He will not break off,
And a smoldering wick He will not put out,
Until He leads justice to victory,
And in His name the Gentiles will hope.” (NASB)
Here the apostle Matthew is quoting the words of God through the prophet Isaiah to demonstrate (contrary to the typical Jewish belief) that the Messiah would not arrive with political agendas, military campaigns, and with great fanfare, but with a gracious and gentle touch—giving hope to the entire known world. Shepherds used the reed to make their flutes, but once cracked or worn it became useless for making music. A smoldering wick is also deemed useless for giving light. These two examples represent people who were also deemed useless to the world. Our Savior, the Jesus Christ, came to restore and rekindle such people, not to break or quench and throw away. We find in these verses words that speak of His tender compassion toward the lowliest of the lost. He did not come to gather the strong for a revolution, but to show mercy and grace to the weak and hopeless.
Simply knowing who our mighty and loving God is, can and will bring joy to anyone no matter who you are or what your circumstances may be. The coming of our Lord, Christ Jesus (Luke 2:11), to save the lost and hopeless and to redeem His people (Titus 2:11) gives us reason to rejoice and sing praises to His glorious name. When you know the Truth, that the world hates and tries to hide in darkness, it is like a breath of fresh air or the coming of spring after a long and blistery winter. Receiving the gift of new life from the Savior of the world is the message of Christmas, my friends, and one we can celebrate with joy even when darkness and trouble are knocking at our door (1 Peter 1:6).
A Whisper of Hope
I Am your Sustainer…dear child. I bring hope to the lost and joy to the suffering. I came to walk with you in this life-journey, and I will be with you always. Put your trust in Me, for you cannot trust a world that hates Me. I came to give you life, the very life that the world wants to take away from you. Rejoice in Me, My child, for in Me there is joy for all!
Luke 2:11
For today in the city of David there has been born
for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (NASB)
Titus 2:11
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. (NASB)
1 Peter 1:6
So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though
it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. (NLT)
“A battered reed He will not break off,
And a smoldering wick He will not put out,
Until He leads justice to victory,
And in His name the Gentiles will hope.” (NASB)
Here the apostle Matthew is quoting the words of God through the prophet Isaiah to demonstrate (contrary to the typical Jewish belief) that the Messiah would not arrive with political agendas, military campaigns, and with great fanfare, but with a gracious and gentle touch—giving hope to the entire known world. Shepherds used the reed to make their flutes, but once cracked or worn it became useless for making music. A smoldering wick is also deemed useless for giving light. These two examples represent people who were also deemed useless to the world. Our Savior, the Jesus Christ, came to restore and rekindle such people, not to break or quench and throw away. We find in these verses words that speak of His tender compassion toward the lowliest of the lost. He did not come to gather the strong for a revolution, but to show mercy and grace to the weak and hopeless.
Simply knowing who our mighty and loving God is, can and will bring joy to anyone no matter who you are or what your circumstances may be. The coming of our Lord, Christ Jesus (Luke 2:11), to save the lost and hopeless and to redeem His people (Titus 2:11) gives us reason to rejoice and sing praises to His glorious name. When you know the Truth, that the world hates and tries to hide in darkness, it is like a breath of fresh air or the coming of spring after a long and blistery winter. Receiving the gift of new life from the Savior of the world is the message of Christmas, my friends, and one we can celebrate with joy even when darkness and trouble are knocking at our door (1 Peter 1:6).
A Whisper of Hope
I Am your Sustainer…dear child. I bring hope to the lost and joy to the suffering. I came to walk with you in this life-journey, and I will be with you always. Put your trust in Me, for you cannot trust a world that hates Me. I came to give you life, the very life that the world wants to take away from you. Rejoice in Me, My child, for in Me there is joy for all!
Luke 2:11
For today in the city of David there has been born
for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (NASB)
Titus 2:11
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. (NASB)
1 Peter 1:6
So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though
it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. (NLT)
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Light For The World
Luke 2:28-32
Simeon was there.
He took the child in his arms and praised God saying,
“Lord, now I can die in Peace!
As You promised me, I have seen the Savior
You have given to all the people.
He is the Light to reveal God to the nations,
and He is the Glory of Your people Israel!” (NLT)
Eight days after Jesus’ birth and after His circumcision in the Temple, Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem for the purification offering, as required by the Law of Moses. It was here they met a devout and righteous man named Simon who had been told by an angel of the LORD that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. This psalm of praise, the forth of five psalms found in the Gospel of Luke, is a heart felt expression of one man’s extraordinary faith.
Although this particular man called Simon is not mentioned anyplace else in the Bible, he is certainly worth mentioning because of his amazing faith. It seems to be our human nature that we get impatient or lose hope when we have to wait for something we are in dire need of or something we desire and long to have. And much like Abraham’s wife Sarah, we often grow weary of waiting on the Lord and take matters into our own hands, often finding ourselves discouraged and feeling even more hopeless. It is for this very reason that we must fully trust in the Lord our God, for He knows perfectly what we need and when we need it.
Because God is holy (Psalm 99:9), He cannot lie (Titus 1:2), nor can He give us false promises and hope. And for all who believe in God’s Word as Truth there is no longer the need to wait for the Messiah, because He has come and provided the salvation that all peoples are so dire in need of. For every man, woman, and child who is borne into this world cannot (by their own will or strength) save themselves from the final judgment of God by obeying the Law of Moses; it is impossible without the saving grace of God. It is by faith in Christ Jesus our Savior that we are saved from the power of sin and death which hangs over our heads and enslaves our lives (Romans 3:25). And it is with this faith that we receive both the strength and the wisdom of God, through His Holy Spirit, that we are able to maintain our righteous standing before our eternal holy and just God. My dear friends, now that we have faith in God’s salvation we must wait patiently, once again, with the steadfast faith of Simon; for Jesus is coming back, just as His words in the Book of Revelation tell us, to completely destroy the old and fallen way of life so that He can bring in the new and perfect everlasting life for those who put their faith in the Truth that the LORD Almighty has so graciously provided.
A Whisper of Hope
Stay to Me…dear child, for it is through Me that you have found right standing before the Most Holy God. Remain in Me and I shall remain in you, and together forever will we be.
Psalm 99:9
For the LORD our God is holy. (NKJV)
Titus 1:2
In the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago. (NASB)
Romans 3:25
For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins
and satisfy God’s anger against us. (NLT)
Simeon was there.
He took the child in his arms and praised God saying,
“Lord, now I can die in Peace!
As You promised me, I have seen the Savior
You have given to all the people.
He is the Light to reveal God to the nations,
and He is the Glory of Your people Israel!” (NLT)
Eight days after Jesus’ birth and after His circumcision in the Temple, Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem for the purification offering, as required by the Law of Moses. It was here they met a devout and righteous man named Simon who had been told by an angel of the LORD that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. This psalm of praise, the forth of five psalms found in the Gospel of Luke, is a heart felt expression of one man’s extraordinary faith.
Although this particular man called Simon is not mentioned anyplace else in the Bible, he is certainly worth mentioning because of his amazing faith. It seems to be our human nature that we get impatient or lose hope when we have to wait for something we are in dire need of or something we desire and long to have. And much like Abraham’s wife Sarah, we often grow weary of waiting on the Lord and take matters into our own hands, often finding ourselves discouraged and feeling even more hopeless. It is for this very reason that we must fully trust in the Lord our God, for He knows perfectly what we need and when we need it.
Because God is holy (Psalm 99:9), He cannot lie (Titus 1:2), nor can He give us false promises and hope. And for all who believe in God’s Word as Truth there is no longer the need to wait for the Messiah, because He has come and provided the salvation that all peoples are so dire in need of. For every man, woman, and child who is borne into this world cannot (by their own will or strength) save themselves from the final judgment of God by obeying the Law of Moses; it is impossible without the saving grace of God. It is by faith in Christ Jesus our Savior that we are saved from the power of sin and death which hangs over our heads and enslaves our lives (Romans 3:25). And it is with this faith that we receive both the strength and the wisdom of God, through His Holy Spirit, that we are able to maintain our righteous standing before our eternal holy and just God. My dear friends, now that we have faith in God’s salvation we must wait patiently, once again, with the steadfast faith of Simon; for Jesus is coming back, just as His words in the Book of Revelation tell us, to completely destroy the old and fallen way of life so that He can bring in the new and perfect everlasting life for those who put their faith in the Truth that the LORD Almighty has so graciously provided.
A Whisper of Hope
Stay to Me…dear child, for it is through Me that you have found right standing before the Most Holy God. Remain in Me and I shall remain in you, and together forever will we be.
Psalm 99:9
For the LORD our God is holy. (NKJV)
Titus 1:2
In the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago. (NASB)
Romans 3:25
For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins
and satisfy God’s anger against us. (NLT)
The Joy of God
Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet,
and send portions to him who has nothing prepared;
for this day is holy to our Lord.
Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is our strength. (NASB)
After the High Priest Ezra, with some help from the Levites, read and explained God’s Law, the people of Israel, including Ezra, were filled with sorrowful remorse and wept, not only for their rebellion against God, but also for the terrible consequences that their sin brought upon the entire nation of Israel. It was then that the governor, Nehemiah, told his people to rejoice in this day of revelation; the day when they not only came to understand both their sin and its punishment, but most importantly, the saving grace of the merciful and Almighty God.
As I ponder my days gone past, I realize that the word “joy” was a word I only heard during the Christmas season; a word that had no true significance for me other than a temporary feeling that masked my pain of living too many years without hope. For the first fifty-five years of my life I can remember times when I did feel the joy of Christmas tugging on my heart even though I could not grasp the incredible message of hope that Christmas brings.
In humble thanksgiving, I now understand and believe with confidence that God has walked with us on earth, fully man, yet fully God (Luke 1:35). He came to show us the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). It is God’s nature to save that which is lost (Luke 19:10) and there is no better reason for rejoicing, my dear friends, than celebrating the human birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Knowing the Truth of Christmas can bring the kind of joy which can be celebrated every single day of the year. It is the true joy of Christmas that gives us hope when we are hopeless; that gives us strength when we have no strength left; and gladness when there is nothing but sorrow. This amazing joy you experience in knowing that the God of all creation is the same God who loves you enough to save you from a path of self-destruction to a path that brings life, is feeling the joy of heaven, which brings such a gladness to the heart that nothing of this world will ever be able take away from you.
A Whisper of Hope
Joy to the world…is My gift to you, dear and precious one. I came to bring you good tidings; to bring you the Good News. You bring Me great joy, My child, when you walk with thanksgiving, this path I have given you. No matter what your circumstances are, know that I Am who I say I Am; the Savior of the world. Rejoice in Me, your Redeemer, so that we can rejoice together one day soon!
Luke 1:35
The angle answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason
the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.
John 4:16
Jesus said to him, “ I am the way, and the truth, and the life…”
Luke 19:10
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet,
and send portions to him who has nothing prepared;
for this day is holy to our Lord.
Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is our strength. (NASB)
After the High Priest Ezra, with some help from the Levites, read and explained God’s Law, the people of Israel, including Ezra, were filled with sorrowful remorse and wept, not only for their rebellion against God, but also for the terrible consequences that their sin brought upon the entire nation of Israel. It was then that the governor, Nehemiah, told his people to rejoice in this day of revelation; the day when they not only came to understand both their sin and its punishment, but most importantly, the saving grace of the merciful and Almighty God.
As I ponder my days gone past, I realize that the word “joy” was a word I only heard during the Christmas season; a word that had no true significance for me other than a temporary feeling that masked my pain of living too many years without hope. For the first fifty-five years of my life I can remember times when I did feel the joy of Christmas tugging on my heart even though I could not grasp the incredible message of hope that Christmas brings.
In humble thanksgiving, I now understand and believe with confidence that God has walked with us on earth, fully man, yet fully God (Luke 1:35). He came to show us the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). It is God’s nature to save that which is lost (Luke 19:10) and there is no better reason for rejoicing, my dear friends, than celebrating the human birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Knowing the Truth of Christmas can bring the kind of joy which can be celebrated every single day of the year. It is the true joy of Christmas that gives us hope when we are hopeless; that gives us strength when we have no strength left; and gladness when there is nothing but sorrow. This amazing joy you experience in knowing that the God of all creation is the same God who loves you enough to save you from a path of self-destruction to a path that brings life, is feeling the joy of heaven, which brings such a gladness to the heart that nothing of this world will ever be able take away from you.
A Whisper of Hope
Joy to the world…is My gift to you, dear and precious one. I came to bring you good tidings; to bring you the Good News. You bring Me great joy, My child, when you walk with thanksgiving, this path I have given you. No matter what your circumstances are, know that I Am who I say I Am; the Savior of the world. Rejoice in Me, your Redeemer, so that we can rejoice together one day soon!
Luke 1:35
The angle answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason
the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.
John 4:16
Jesus said to him, “ I am the way, and the truth, and the life…”
Luke 19:10
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
The Birth of Christmas
Luke 2:9-11
And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them;
and they were terribly frightened.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold,
I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;
for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (NASB)
This “Good News” which announced the arrival of baby Jesus is indeed as joyful today as it was two thousand years ago to these lowly, yet righteous shepherds. Knowing that the Creator of life left the glory of heaven to take on a fully human existence in order to live and suffer and die so that you and all peoples would be set free from the power of sin and death, and have the opportunity to share in His heavenly glory is truly, my friends, a reason to rejoice. The hope that Christmas brings (this greatest event in human history) is for everyone who ever was or will ever be borne into this world; from the lowest to the highest; for the poorest to the richest, and for the worst of us to the best of us. The birth of God into this fallen world has given us the only hope there is if we are to experience any peace at all while living this hard and unpredictable life that spares no one the pain and uncertainty that it brings. There are so many deprived people in this world who live every day of their lives in disease and hunger and in persecution and fear; innocent people who are hoping for something; for anything that will ease the darkness they are living in. But even for those who suffer unmercifully there is Good News, for when Jesus brings the hope of heaven into their lives, it becomes their peace and joy and the one thing they can look forward to with certainty—the only Truth that will bring comfort and peace to their weary souls. Christ Jesus is the only Hope anyone has in this cruel and unforgiving world. Only Jesus has the power to truly comfort and bring peace to our weary souls; souls who long for the heartbreak and pain of suffering to end so that they, too, can find some joy in living.
If the Lord our God had not been borne to us, our Savior, this world would be a place without hope, without joy, and without the only Light that saves us from the dark wrath that this fallen world brings. I pray that the hand of God will touch all people this Christmas Season, so that every soul would hear the truth of why we should celebrate this special time of year. The birth of Jesus our Lord brings both joy and light to the world—a world that needed the Savior then, and a world that is still very much in need of the Savior today!
A Whisper of Hope
I have come…just as it was promised you, My child. I have come to give you hope, to give you a future that shares in My glory. Celebrate My coming with joy and peace in your heart which endures all things. It is because I love you that I came. I came to save your soul. I came to give you joy.
Micah 5:2
“As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from long ago, from days of eternity.”
Malachi 3:1
“Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me”.
Luke 2:14
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them;
and they were terribly frightened.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold,
I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;
for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (NASB)
This “Good News” which announced the arrival of baby Jesus is indeed as joyful today as it was two thousand years ago to these lowly, yet righteous shepherds. Knowing that the Creator of life left the glory of heaven to take on a fully human existence in order to live and suffer and die so that you and all peoples would be set free from the power of sin and death, and have the opportunity to share in His heavenly glory is truly, my friends, a reason to rejoice. The hope that Christmas brings (this greatest event in human history) is for everyone who ever was or will ever be borne into this world; from the lowest to the highest; for the poorest to the richest, and for the worst of us to the best of us. The birth of God into this fallen world has given us the only hope there is if we are to experience any peace at all while living this hard and unpredictable life that spares no one the pain and uncertainty that it brings. There are so many deprived people in this world who live every day of their lives in disease and hunger and in persecution and fear; innocent people who are hoping for something; for anything that will ease the darkness they are living in. But even for those who suffer unmercifully there is Good News, for when Jesus brings the hope of heaven into their lives, it becomes their peace and joy and the one thing they can look forward to with certainty—the only Truth that will bring comfort and peace to their weary souls. Christ Jesus is the only Hope anyone has in this cruel and unforgiving world. Only Jesus has the power to truly comfort and bring peace to our weary souls; souls who long for the heartbreak and pain of suffering to end so that they, too, can find some joy in living.
If the Lord our God had not been borne to us, our Savior, this world would be a place without hope, without joy, and without the only Light that saves us from the dark wrath that this fallen world brings. I pray that the hand of God will touch all people this Christmas Season, so that every soul would hear the truth of why we should celebrate this special time of year. The birth of Jesus our Lord brings both joy and light to the world—a world that needed the Savior then, and a world that is still very much in need of the Savior today!
A Whisper of Hope
I have come…just as it was promised you, My child. I have come to give you hope, to give you a future that shares in My glory. Celebrate My coming with joy and peace in your heart which endures all things. It is because I love you that I came. I came to save your soul. I came to give you joy.
Micah 5:2
“As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from long ago, from days of eternity.”
Malachi 3:1
“Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me”.
Luke 2:14
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
God's Gift
Romans 8:1-4
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus
from the power of sin that leads to death.
The Law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature.
But God put into effect a different plan to save us.
He sent His own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful.
God destroyed sin’s control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
He did this so that the requirement of the Law would be fully accomplished for us
who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. (NLT)
There is absolutely no better blessing than receiving and believing in the Good News of our LORD, Jesus Christ, for this is when life truly begins—as it did for me six years ago today. It was not until the Lord came knocking at my door and offered me His free gift of salvation that I discovered the real meaning of living a life with joy and gratitude (Revelation 3:20). It was only after the Lord opened my eyes to His Truth and filled my heart with His Peace that I was finally able to live this life with thanksgiving in my heart and experience the joy of living by walking in the Spirit of the Lord our God, Christ Jesus. Like most people of this world, there have been many dark and difficult circumstances in my life that I was unable to look beyond, which, without God, held me in bondage to sin and depression—a depression that took away any joy I found in living, even though the Lord had given me plenty that I could rejoice in. And like many, I looked for the joy of living in all the wrong places and for all the wrong reasons, and when discovered, I was unable to recognize it and where it came from. My, dearest friends, we deserve nothing but condemnation for our rebellion against God’s holiness. It is only because of God’s mercy and grace that any of us have been spared the full consequences of our sin (Ephesians 2:4-7). It is only by the love of the Father that we have any hope at all in a world that is infected with sin and death. Even the poor and suffering souls who have no reason to believe in hope, there is Hope in Jesus, especially when the Spirit of God is living in your heart and directing your path. We all know that life in this world is short, but what many do not know is that the eternal life we find in Christ Jesus is both glorious and forever. And by the Word of His promise, it will be worth any and all the suffering that we endure in this hard and difficult life-journey (Romans 8:18). For those of us who are alive in Christ, we can set our eyes on what lies beyond our painful circumstances, and what we see brings us a joy that is far above and beyond any joy that the world is able to give.
A Whisper of Hope
I have set you free, My child…no longer must you fear the world and its promise of death. I have taken your punishment upon Myself and you are now clothed in My righteousness and can stand in awe before the Holy Living God. Cast all your burdens upon My shoulders and put your hope in the One who made you His own. Rejoice in Me, dear child, for you are mine forever!
Revelations 3:20
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (NASB)
Ephesians 2:4-5
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) (NASB)
Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (NASB)
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus
from the power of sin that leads to death.
The Law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature.
But God put into effect a different plan to save us.
He sent His own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful.
God destroyed sin’s control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
He did this so that the requirement of the Law would be fully accomplished for us
who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. (NLT)
There is absolutely no better blessing than receiving and believing in the Good News of our LORD, Jesus Christ, for this is when life truly begins—as it did for me six years ago today. It was not until the Lord came knocking at my door and offered me His free gift of salvation that I discovered the real meaning of living a life with joy and gratitude (Revelation 3:20). It was only after the Lord opened my eyes to His Truth and filled my heart with His Peace that I was finally able to live this life with thanksgiving in my heart and experience the joy of living by walking in the Spirit of the Lord our God, Christ Jesus. Like most people of this world, there have been many dark and difficult circumstances in my life that I was unable to look beyond, which, without God, held me in bondage to sin and depression—a depression that took away any joy I found in living, even though the Lord had given me plenty that I could rejoice in. And like many, I looked for the joy of living in all the wrong places and for all the wrong reasons, and when discovered, I was unable to recognize it and where it came from. My, dearest friends, we deserve nothing but condemnation for our rebellion against God’s holiness. It is only because of God’s mercy and grace that any of us have been spared the full consequences of our sin (Ephesians 2:4-7). It is only by the love of the Father that we have any hope at all in a world that is infected with sin and death. Even the poor and suffering souls who have no reason to believe in hope, there is Hope in Jesus, especially when the Spirit of God is living in your heart and directing your path. We all know that life in this world is short, but what many do not know is that the eternal life we find in Christ Jesus is both glorious and forever. And by the Word of His promise, it will be worth any and all the suffering that we endure in this hard and difficult life-journey (Romans 8:18). For those of us who are alive in Christ, we can set our eyes on what lies beyond our painful circumstances, and what we see brings us a joy that is far above and beyond any joy that the world is able to give.
A Whisper of Hope
I have set you free, My child…no longer must you fear the world and its promise of death. I have taken your punishment upon Myself and you are now clothed in My righteousness and can stand in awe before the Holy Living God. Cast all your burdens upon My shoulders and put your hope in the One who made you His own. Rejoice in Me, dear child, for you are mine forever!
Revelations 3:20
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (NASB)
Ephesians 2:4-5
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) (NASB)
Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (NASB)
Soul Comfort
Psalm 119:81-82
My soul languishes for Your salvation: I wait for Your word.
My eyes fail with longing for Your word;
While I say, “When will You comfort me?” (NASB)
Much like King David, our hearts and souls also long for God to deliver us from this hard and difficult life. We long for that day when all the pain and disappointment will cease; the day when there will be no more death and destruction; the day when we are no longer loaded down with all the doubt and fear that hold us captive to sin and then robs us of the joy that God has for us. And like David, many of us cry out night and day for God to deliver us from our times of darkness, praying for the comfort and the answers that only our Creator can provide.
But unlike David and all of God’s people of the Old Testament times, we have our Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, who has provided us with the salvation that was promised from the beginning of time (Genesis 3:15). We now have the New Testament in our hands and the entire Bible in words that can be read or listened to by most peoples in our world. And unlike David, we need not look too much further into the future for the return of our Savior, for His return is so much closer now than it was when David wrote this Psalm. We also do not have to rely solely on the words of the prophets any longer, for our Lord has not only come and fulfilled His promise to us (John 3:16), but He has also given us the Holy Spirit to not only prepare our hearts for eternity, but to comfort us with His peace (Romans 8:16) until He returns to take us Home. Although the hour is rapidly approaching, my dear friends, there is still time to prepare our hearts and share the Good News with the hopeless and lost, because the LORD our Savior wants no one left behind.
A Whisper of Hope
Never doubt…My dear one, that your salvation has been accomplished with My blood. The price has been paid in full and one day soon I will share My inheritance with you. When anyone asks you if you are going to heaven, you need not hesitate your answer, because when you believe that I Am the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb who gave His life to save your soul, you can be sure that your salvation has been accomplished once and for all.
Genesis 3:15
“And I will put enmity between your seed
and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.” (NASB)
John 3:16
“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.” (NASB)
Romans 8:16
For His Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us
that we are God’s children. And since we are His children,
we will share His treasures—for everything God gives to His Son, Christ, is ours, too. (NLT)
My soul languishes for Your salvation: I wait for Your word.
My eyes fail with longing for Your word;
While I say, “When will You comfort me?” (NASB)
Much like King David, our hearts and souls also long for God to deliver us from this hard and difficult life. We long for that day when all the pain and disappointment will cease; the day when there will be no more death and destruction; the day when we are no longer loaded down with all the doubt and fear that hold us captive to sin and then robs us of the joy that God has for us. And like David, many of us cry out night and day for God to deliver us from our times of darkness, praying for the comfort and the answers that only our Creator can provide.
But unlike David and all of God’s people of the Old Testament times, we have our Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, who has provided us with the salvation that was promised from the beginning of time (Genesis 3:15). We now have the New Testament in our hands and the entire Bible in words that can be read or listened to by most peoples in our world. And unlike David, we need not look too much further into the future for the return of our Savior, for His return is so much closer now than it was when David wrote this Psalm. We also do not have to rely solely on the words of the prophets any longer, for our Lord has not only come and fulfilled His promise to us (John 3:16), but He has also given us the Holy Spirit to not only prepare our hearts for eternity, but to comfort us with His peace (Romans 8:16) until He returns to take us Home. Although the hour is rapidly approaching, my dear friends, there is still time to prepare our hearts and share the Good News with the hopeless and lost, because the LORD our Savior wants no one left behind.
A Whisper of Hope
Never doubt…My dear one, that your salvation has been accomplished with My blood. The price has been paid in full and one day soon I will share My inheritance with you. When anyone asks you if you are going to heaven, you need not hesitate your answer, because when you believe that I Am the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb who gave His life to save your soul, you can be sure that your salvation has been accomplished once and for all.
Genesis 3:15
“And I will put enmity between your seed
and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.” (NASB)
John 3:16
“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.” (NASB)
Romans 8:16
For His Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us
that we are God’s children. And since we are His children,
we will share His treasures—for everything God gives to His Son, Christ, is ours, too. (NLT)
Saturday, December 11, 2010
The Word of Life
Psalm 119:49-50
Remember the word to Your servant,
Upon which You have caused me to hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction,
For Your word has given me life. (NKJV)
There is no greater Hope, than the hope we have in the Creator of life and the God of our salvation, Christ Jesus (Psalm 146:5). Who else can better comfort our discouraged souls and give us peace amidst the afflictions we suffer in this world, than the One who voluntarily took upon Himself the sins of the world and the wrath of God in order that we could stand righteous in our sin before the LORD? My dear friends, when you begin to understand and believe in the Truth that our gracious God has given us, you will learn to pray with confidence and put your hope in the mercy and grace of our Loving God (1 Chronicles 16:34), because the Word of the LORD is “Truth” itself and all of His promises hold true (Psalm 119:160).
There have been many people throughout the age of man who have spent their entire lives without experiencing the joy of God’s Truth and go to the grave never knowing the Hope of true joy in this life that was created in and for God’s glory. But because of God’s incredible mercy and grace there have also been many, like myself, who were once living a life (dead in sin) without any hope but death itself, that have now been made alive in Christ who gives us hope and peace in all our circumstances. Through God’s Word, the Holy Spirit can breathe into any dying soul the precious gift of eternal life that He, the Author of Life, has promised to all who humbly come to Him believing in the Truth that He has so graciously given to us.
A Whisper of Hope
My Truth is your only Hope…dear child. For when you put your hope in anything this world has to offer, you will discover that it is a false hope that leads to disappointment, and if pursued will end in the total destruction of your life forever. It is far better to wait on the LORD in patient perseverance with the hope of better things to come, then to accumulate all that the world has for you only to loose it all when you die and be forever lacking in any good thing at all.
Psalm 146:5
How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
Whose hope is in the LORD his God. (NASB)
1 Chronicles 16:34
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. (NKJV)
Psalm 119:160
The sum of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting. (NASB)
Remember the word to Your servant,
Upon which You have caused me to hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction,
For Your word has given me life. (NKJV)
There is no greater Hope, than the hope we have in the Creator of life and the God of our salvation, Christ Jesus (Psalm 146:5). Who else can better comfort our discouraged souls and give us peace amidst the afflictions we suffer in this world, than the One who voluntarily took upon Himself the sins of the world and the wrath of God in order that we could stand righteous in our sin before the LORD? My dear friends, when you begin to understand and believe in the Truth that our gracious God has given us, you will learn to pray with confidence and put your hope in the mercy and grace of our Loving God (1 Chronicles 16:34), because the Word of the LORD is “Truth” itself and all of His promises hold true (Psalm 119:160).
There have been many people throughout the age of man who have spent their entire lives without experiencing the joy of God’s Truth and go to the grave never knowing the Hope of true joy in this life that was created in and for God’s glory. But because of God’s incredible mercy and grace there have also been many, like myself, who were once living a life (dead in sin) without any hope but death itself, that have now been made alive in Christ who gives us hope and peace in all our circumstances. Through God’s Word, the Holy Spirit can breathe into any dying soul the precious gift of eternal life that He, the Author of Life, has promised to all who humbly come to Him believing in the Truth that He has so graciously given to us.
A Whisper of Hope
My Truth is your only Hope…dear child. For when you put your hope in anything this world has to offer, you will discover that it is a false hope that leads to disappointment, and if pursued will end in the total destruction of your life forever. It is far better to wait on the LORD in patient perseverance with the hope of better things to come, then to accumulate all that the world has for you only to loose it all when you die and be forever lacking in any good thing at all.
Psalm 146:5
How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
Whose hope is in the LORD his God. (NASB)
1 Chronicles 16:34
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. (NKJV)
Psalm 119:160
The sum of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting. (NASB)
Believing The Unseen Truth
John 20:29
Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed?
Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” (NLT)
In this passage of Scripture, Jesus is speaking to the Apostle Thomas who was not present the first time Jesus had appeared to His disciples after His death and resurrection. Doubting Thomas, as he is often called, had told his fellow disciples that He would have to see and touch Jesus in order to believe that Jesus had conquered death.
As imperfect human beings living in this imperfect world, many of us have difficulty believing in things that we cannot actually see with our own imperfect eyes. For example; even though we are in the mist of a raging spiritual warfare for our very souls (Ephesians 6:12), the unbelieving people of this world pass it off as a myth of the disillusioned religious fanatic, or just another great theme for a science fiction novel. Or how about the day when Christ will return to Earth in all His glory to judge both the living and the dead (Revelation 20:11-13); Fact or fiction? The unseen Truth of not?
I wonder how many times you have said, “I’ll have to see it to believe it?” I know there are many new Christians out there who struggle with their faith wishing that Jesus would some how show Himself so they could be sure that His Word is the absolute Truth. But I also know there have been many lost souls, like myself, who were so lost and so hopeless and had so given up that when the Savior called we reached out in blind faith to grab hold of the hand of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. For many of us this was our last hope, because any other option would have had the same unfulfilling results as before. And because everything in our fallen world has been infected with sin, this world can only temporarily satisfy the hungers of our sinful nature. The world with all its recourses will never be able to fulfill the deep desires of our hearts, because it is only God who can satisfy us completely (John 6:35). My dear friends, until the King of kings and the Lord of all lord’s returns to take us Home, we must trust with as much human faith as we can possibly muster, for only then will our imperfect eyes be changed so that we will be able to see and touch and experience the Perfect Truth of our Glorious God in Heaven.
A Whisper of Hope
Believe in the Hope…I give you, My child. For I Am the only Hope that holds true in this world of endless lies and false hope. One day your earthly life will be taken away, but until that time you must trust in the path that I have chosen for you; a righteous path that requires steadfast faith in Me; a path that will lead you Home to Me where you belong!
Ephesians 6:12
For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. (NLT)
Revelation 20:11-13
And I saw a great white throne, and I saw the One who was sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from His presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done. The sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead in them. They were all judged according to their deeds. (NLT)
John 6:35
Jesus replied, “I am the Bread of Life. No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry again. Those who believe in Me will never thirst. (NLT)
Zakery Daniel
Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed?
Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” (NLT)
In this passage of Scripture, Jesus is speaking to the Apostle Thomas who was not present the first time Jesus had appeared to His disciples after His death and resurrection. Doubting Thomas, as he is often called, had told his fellow disciples that He would have to see and touch Jesus in order to believe that Jesus had conquered death.
As imperfect human beings living in this imperfect world, many of us have difficulty believing in things that we cannot actually see with our own imperfect eyes. For example; even though we are in the mist of a raging spiritual warfare for our very souls (Ephesians 6:12), the unbelieving people of this world pass it off as a myth of the disillusioned religious fanatic, or just another great theme for a science fiction novel. Or how about the day when Christ will return to Earth in all His glory to judge both the living and the dead (Revelation 20:11-13); Fact or fiction? The unseen Truth of not?
I wonder how many times you have said, “I’ll have to see it to believe it?” I know there are many new Christians out there who struggle with their faith wishing that Jesus would some how show Himself so they could be sure that His Word is the absolute Truth. But I also know there have been many lost souls, like myself, who were so lost and so hopeless and had so given up that when the Savior called we reached out in blind faith to grab hold of the hand of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. For many of us this was our last hope, because any other option would have had the same unfulfilling results as before. And because everything in our fallen world has been infected with sin, this world can only temporarily satisfy the hungers of our sinful nature. The world with all its recourses will never be able to fulfill the deep desires of our hearts, because it is only God who can satisfy us completely (John 6:35). My dear friends, until the King of kings and the Lord of all lord’s returns to take us Home, we must trust with as much human faith as we can possibly muster, for only then will our imperfect eyes be changed so that we will be able to see and touch and experience the Perfect Truth of our Glorious God in Heaven.
A Whisper of Hope
Believe in the Hope…I give you, My child. For I Am the only Hope that holds true in this world of endless lies and false hope. One day your earthly life will be taken away, but until that time you must trust in the path that I have chosen for you; a righteous path that requires steadfast faith in Me; a path that will lead you Home to Me where you belong!
Ephesians 6:12
For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. (NLT)
Revelation 20:11-13
And I saw a great white throne, and I saw the One who was sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from His presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done. The sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead in them. They were all judged according to their deeds. (NLT)
John 6:35
Jesus replied, “I am the Bread of Life. No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry again. Those who believe in Me will never thirst. (NLT)
Zakery Daniel
Friday, November 26, 2010
Know The Truth
John 17:3
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. ( NASB)
This verse comes from the farewell prayer of our “High Priest” Jesus Christ; a prayer that is essentially an intercession for all believers, especially for those who will go on to form the future church. This was the prayer that Jesus prayed before He and His disciples went into the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives where Jesus was arrested, and soon after crucified. The eternal life that Jesus is speaking of in this verse is basically His definition of our salvation and the way that we, as believers, can receive it.
Jesus, our High Priest (Hebrews 9:11-12), is the only One who can intercede with God on our behalf. It is only through Jesus, our Lord and Savior, that we can come into the Holy Presence of God the Father. There is no other way, my friends. Good deeds won’t get us there; good behavior won’t get the job done. We cannot buy our way in, nor can we trick our way into Paradise. The only option we have is our faith (Romans 5:1-2) in believing God’s will for us. And the only way that we can know what God’s will is, is through our life-line to God, Christ Jesus.
It is my belief that understanding Jesus’ farewell prayer to His disciples is a prerequisite if we, as Christians, are to successfully minister to the peoples of this fallen world. For after we have spoken from God to them, through the Truth of His Word, we need to then follow through by speaking to God on their behalf through our prayers and petitions (1 Timothy 2:1-7).
A Whisper of Hope
I Am…your only Hope and Salvation. I Am the final High Priest and the only One that can bring you into the Glory of God’s Holy Presence. All other ways preached are the false doctrine of the Deceiver, the father of lies. Don’t be fooled, My child, for I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Hebrews 9:11-12
So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that great, perfect sanctuary in heaven, not made by human hands and not part of this created world. Once for all time He took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took His own blood, and with it He secured our salvation forever. (NLT)
Romans 5:1-2
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
1 Timothy 2:1-7
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God’s mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, for He wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time. And I have been chosen—this is the absolute truth—as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles about faith and truth. (NLT)
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. ( NASB)
This verse comes from the farewell prayer of our “High Priest” Jesus Christ; a prayer that is essentially an intercession for all believers, especially for those who will go on to form the future church. This was the prayer that Jesus prayed before He and His disciples went into the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives where Jesus was arrested, and soon after crucified. The eternal life that Jesus is speaking of in this verse is basically His definition of our salvation and the way that we, as believers, can receive it.
Jesus, our High Priest (Hebrews 9:11-12), is the only One who can intercede with God on our behalf. It is only through Jesus, our Lord and Savior, that we can come into the Holy Presence of God the Father. There is no other way, my friends. Good deeds won’t get us there; good behavior won’t get the job done. We cannot buy our way in, nor can we trick our way into Paradise. The only option we have is our faith (Romans 5:1-2) in believing God’s will for us. And the only way that we can know what God’s will is, is through our life-line to God, Christ Jesus.
It is my belief that understanding Jesus’ farewell prayer to His disciples is a prerequisite if we, as Christians, are to successfully minister to the peoples of this fallen world. For after we have spoken from God to them, through the Truth of His Word, we need to then follow through by speaking to God on their behalf through our prayers and petitions (1 Timothy 2:1-7).
A Whisper of Hope
I Am…your only Hope and Salvation. I Am the final High Priest and the only One that can bring you into the Glory of God’s Holy Presence. All other ways preached are the false doctrine of the Deceiver, the father of lies. Don’t be fooled, My child, for I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Hebrews 9:11-12
So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that great, perfect sanctuary in heaven, not made by human hands and not part of this created world. Once for all time He took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took His own blood, and with it He secured our salvation forever. (NLT)
Romans 5:1-2
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
1 Timothy 2:1-7
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God’s mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, for He wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time. And I have been chosen—this is the absolute truth—as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles about faith and truth. (NLT)
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving To God
1 Chronicles 16:8-11, 34
Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting. (NASB)
King David (through the Spirit) composed this thanksgiving psalm to be sung upon the entry of the Ark into a special tent that was prepared for it. The Ark had been stolen and returned to Israel but sat obscure in a country village until that time when David ordered it to be moved.
As I sit here this Thanksgiving morning pondering the things that fill my heart with thanksgiving and gladness, the one thing that stands apart from the multitude of blessings I am so gratefully thankful for is the lovingkindness and the mercy and grace of God the Father for sending into our world God the Son, Lord Jesus Christ who sent us God the Holy Spirit.
Thanksgiving is traditionally an American holiday set aside from all other days to give thanks to the LORD our God for His many blessings, which has made us a unique nation in a dark and rebellious world that despises His Son. Our mighty nation under God has given more of itself to help the deprived souls of this wicked world than any other nation in the history of man. God has used U.S. for His purpose and it gives me great honor to have been able to defend our God and be called an American. But more importantly I am even more honored to be called a child of the Living God, who has given me the true meaning of what it means to be thankful, for without Him in our world we would be engulfed in total darkness without the Light that gives us life. Without Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior we would be without the hope of better things to come; without a meaningful purpose to satisfy our longing hearts; without the Way that brings true joy and understanding; without the Comforter who gives us peace and confidence to trust during our afflictions. We, my friends, would be raw meat in the jaws of the Enemy who shows no mercy, for He would devour us in his contempt for God and we would never have the chance (know matter how hard we may try) to experience the goodness of who our Creator is and what He has planned for those who believe and trust in the Son He has so graciously given to us. For He is our Light in this dark world and when you take His mighty hand with thanksgiving, my friends, He will lead you into the Presence of God where you will discover His True Majestic Glory face to Face.
Psalm 92:1-2
It is good to give thanks to the LORD
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning
And Your faithfulness by night. (NASB)
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (NASB)
Colossians 1:3
We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NASB)
Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting. (NASB)
King David (through the Spirit) composed this thanksgiving psalm to be sung upon the entry of the Ark into a special tent that was prepared for it. The Ark had been stolen and returned to Israel but sat obscure in a country village until that time when David ordered it to be moved.
As I sit here this Thanksgiving morning pondering the things that fill my heart with thanksgiving and gladness, the one thing that stands apart from the multitude of blessings I am so gratefully thankful for is the lovingkindness and the mercy and grace of God the Father for sending into our world God the Son, Lord Jesus Christ who sent us God the Holy Spirit.
Thanksgiving is traditionally an American holiday set aside from all other days to give thanks to the LORD our God for His many blessings, which has made us a unique nation in a dark and rebellious world that despises His Son. Our mighty nation under God has given more of itself to help the deprived souls of this wicked world than any other nation in the history of man. God has used U.S. for His purpose and it gives me great honor to have been able to defend our God and be called an American. But more importantly I am even more honored to be called a child of the Living God, who has given me the true meaning of what it means to be thankful, for without Him in our world we would be engulfed in total darkness without the Light that gives us life. Without Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior we would be without the hope of better things to come; without a meaningful purpose to satisfy our longing hearts; without the Way that brings true joy and understanding; without the Comforter who gives us peace and confidence to trust during our afflictions. We, my friends, would be raw meat in the jaws of the Enemy who shows no mercy, for He would devour us in his contempt for God and we would never have the chance (know matter how hard we may try) to experience the goodness of who our Creator is and what He has planned for those who believe and trust in the Son He has so graciously given to us. For He is our Light in this dark world and when you take His mighty hand with thanksgiving, my friends, He will lead you into the Presence of God where you will discover His True Majestic Glory face to Face.
Psalm 92:1-2
It is good to give thanks to the LORD
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning
And Your faithfulness by night. (NASB)
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (NASB)
Colossians 1:3
We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NASB)
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
The Father We Can Trust
Daniel 9:18-19
“O my God, listen to me and hear my request. Open your eyes and see our wretchedness. See how your city lies in ruins—for everyone knows that it is Yours. We do not ask because we deserve help, but because you are so merciful.”
“O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, for Your people and Your city bear Your name.” (NLT)
Daniel’s prayer for his people did not go unanswered even though he knew from reading the Scriptures that Jerusalem must lay in ruins for seventy years. Yet, he cried out to God for mercy and confessed the wickedness of Israel. Daniel was well aware that it was Israel’s rebellion against God that had caused their downfall, but he longed for understanding and mercy, therefore, petitioned God through prayer. And while Daniel was deep in prayer God sent His angel Gabriel with visions of what was to come.
As Christians, our prayer life is an intricate part of our relationship with God, our Creator. God delights in our prayers because they not only show God that we are putting our trust in Him, our Father, but we are also acknowledging our dependence on Him, who loves us. When we humbly bow before Him in faith filled prayer we are relying on God’s wisdom, His love and compassion, His goodness and power. The Lord God is our Father and so as His children we should always turn and rely on our Father (Luke 11: 11-13) to provide and protect so that we can gain the wisdom that will not only give us an abundant life in all its fullness, but will also honor and glorify our Gracious Father who has provided us with the priceless, precious gift of undeserved salvation.
Setting aside all the reason’s we should pray, I believe that the most fulfilling aspect of our personal prayer life is the fact that it brings us into a deeper and more intimate relationship with God; not only an increased love and devotion to Him, but a true fellowship that draws us into His Presence with an everlasting friendship that has no bounds. Our prayers are the way we communicate with our loving, merciful, Almighty God and Father. And ever doubt, my friends, that when you humbly come into God’s Holy Presence (with sincere faith in our hearts) to pray, that He will answer you according to His will (Matthew 21:21-22).
A Whisper of Hope
Ask Me in faith…dear one, and it will be done according to My Truth. And when you ask, know that you can trust Me with an answer that is best for you and for the glory of My kingdom. For when you have faith in Me, you have a hope and a future that exceeds anything that you can imagine or dream, because with Me nothing is impossible!
Luke 11:11-13
“Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (NASB)
Matthew 21:21-22
And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.” “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (NASB)
“O my God, listen to me and hear my request. Open your eyes and see our wretchedness. See how your city lies in ruins—for everyone knows that it is Yours. We do not ask because we deserve help, but because you are so merciful.”
“O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, for Your people and Your city bear Your name.” (NLT)
Daniel’s prayer for his people did not go unanswered even though he knew from reading the Scriptures that Jerusalem must lay in ruins for seventy years. Yet, he cried out to God for mercy and confessed the wickedness of Israel. Daniel was well aware that it was Israel’s rebellion against God that had caused their downfall, but he longed for understanding and mercy, therefore, petitioned God through prayer. And while Daniel was deep in prayer God sent His angel Gabriel with visions of what was to come.
As Christians, our prayer life is an intricate part of our relationship with God, our Creator. God delights in our prayers because they not only show God that we are putting our trust in Him, our Father, but we are also acknowledging our dependence on Him, who loves us. When we humbly bow before Him in faith filled prayer we are relying on God’s wisdom, His love and compassion, His goodness and power. The Lord God is our Father and so as His children we should always turn and rely on our Father (Luke 11: 11-13) to provide and protect so that we can gain the wisdom that will not only give us an abundant life in all its fullness, but will also honor and glorify our Gracious Father who has provided us with the priceless, precious gift of undeserved salvation.
Setting aside all the reason’s we should pray, I believe that the most fulfilling aspect of our personal prayer life is the fact that it brings us into a deeper and more intimate relationship with God; not only an increased love and devotion to Him, but a true fellowship that draws us into His Presence with an everlasting friendship that has no bounds. Our prayers are the way we communicate with our loving, merciful, Almighty God and Father. And ever doubt, my friends, that when you humbly come into God’s Holy Presence (with sincere faith in our hearts) to pray, that He will answer you according to His will (Matthew 21:21-22).
A Whisper of Hope
Ask Me in faith…dear one, and it will be done according to My Truth. And when you ask, know that you can trust Me with an answer that is best for you and for the glory of My kingdom. For when you have faith in Me, you have a hope and a future that exceeds anything that you can imagine or dream, because with Me nothing is impossible!
Luke 11:11-13
“Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (NASB)
Matthew 21:21-22
And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.” “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (NASB)
Monday, November 22, 2010
The Living God
Daniel 6: 25-27
Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world:
“Peace and prosperity to you!
I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.
For He is the Living God, and He will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His rule will never end.
He rescues and saves His people;
He performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth.
He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” (NLT)
After King Darius, the successor of King Nebuchadnezzar, was tricked into signing a deliberate and irrevocable law that would condemn Daniel, the king had no choice but to have Daniel thrown into the lion’s den. But the Sovereign God protected Daniel throughout the night and rescued him from being devoured by the lion’s. And so it was that King Darius was overjoyed in God’s miraculous intervention that he ordered his men to remove Daniel from the lion’s den and sent this message throughout his kingdom, which was the known world at that time.
Throughout the age of man God has been very active in the lives of His people. We know this because His Holy Word, the Bible, is living proof of this. All the words in Scripture are God’s words, and therefore, speak the absolute truth (2 Samuel 7:28), (John 17:17). Just as it was in biblical times, our Gracious God is still very active today protecting and saving His children from the jaws of the roaring lion, Satan, who is always searching for some poor, unprotected soul to devour (1 Peter 5:8). My dear friends, without our sovereign God and Savior and His gift of salvation, this fallen world and all its people would be unprotected and at the hands of the Destroyer; Whereby, every soul would suffer the sting of death and the final wrath of our Holy and Sovereign God. This healthy fear of God should motivate us all to turn away from the lies of the Enemy and his world view and focus on the only Truth that will save our weary souls.
As for myself, I will never let a day go by without thanking my gracious God for saving me from the devouring jaws of Satan, which would have condemned me to an eternal life of being totally separated from the goodness that the LORD our God has planned for all those who cry out to Him for help, trusting fully in the Word that gives life!
A Whisper of Hope
Walk with Me…my child, for I Am your protector. There is nothing I cannot save you from. The power I hold over My creation is absolute. The authority and inerrancy and of My Word is something that you can rely on and trust your life with. It never changes. It is not only the life-line that connects you to Me and holds the keys to Paradise, but it holds within its pages the power to comfort you and give you the power to overcome this world which thrives on your demise.
2 Samuel 7:28
Now, O LORD GOD, You are God and Your words are truth. (NASB)
John 17:17
“Your word is truth”. (NASB)
1 Peter 5:8
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (NASB)
Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world:
“Peace and prosperity to you!
I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.
For He is the Living God, and He will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His rule will never end.
He rescues and saves His people;
He performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth.
He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” (NLT)
After King Darius, the successor of King Nebuchadnezzar, was tricked into signing a deliberate and irrevocable law that would condemn Daniel, the king had no choice but to have Daniel thrown into the lion’s den. But the Sovereign God protected Daniel throughout the night and rescued him from being devoured by the lion’s. And so it was that King Darius was overjoyed in God’s miraculous intervention that he ordered his men to remove Daniel from the lion’s den and sent this message throughout his kingdom, which was the known world at that time.
Throughout the age of man God has been very active in the lives of His people. We know this because His Holy Word, the Bible, is living proof of this. All the words in Scripture are God’s words, and therefore, speak the absolute truth (2 Samuel 7:28), (John 17:17). Just as it was in biblical times, our Gracious God is still very active today protecting and saving His children from the jaws of the roaring lion, Satan, who is always searching for some poor, unprotected soul to devour (1 Peter 5:8). My dear friends, without our sovereign God and Savior and His gift of salvation, this fallen world and all its people would be unprotected and at the hands of the Destroyer; Whereby, every soul would suffer the sting of death and the final wrath of our Holy and Sovereign God. This healthy fear of God should motivate us all to turn away from the lies of the Enemy and his world view and focus on the only Truth that will save our weary souls.
As for myself, I will never let a day go by without thanking my gracious God for saving me from the devouring jaws of Satan, which would have condemned me to an eternal life of being totally separated from the goodness that the LORD our God has planned for all those who cry out to Him for help, trusting fully in the Word that gives life!
A Whisper of Hope
Walk with Me…my child, for I Am your protector. There is nothing I cannot save you from. The power I hold over My creation is absolute. The authority and inerrancy and of My Word is something that you can rely on and trust your life with. It never changes. It is not only the life-line that connects you to Me and holds the keys to Paradise, but it holds within its pages the power to comfort you and give you the power to overcome this world which thrives on your demise.
2 Samuel 7:28
Now, O LORD GOD, You are God and Your words are truth. (NASB)
John 17:17
“Your word is truth”. (NASB)
1 Peter 5:8
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (NASB)
Power In Prayer
Daniel 2:19-20
Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven; Daniel answered and said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
For wisdom and power belong to Him.”
Daniel went to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, in order to request more time to discover what the king’s dream was and its interpretation so that he, his three friends, and all the wise men of Babylon would not be put to death for not knowing Nebuchadnezzar disturbing dream. After speaking with the king, Daniel went back home to pray and to ask his three friends to also pray for God’s mercy and to reveal the dream to Daniel. And so it came to be on that very night, a vision from God giving Daniel every detail of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and what it all meant.
Our most powerful God; the One who spoke the universe into existence and create life itself, is the same God who delights and takes a personal interest in all His children’s lives. Because of His character and sovereignty, the LORD sees and hears (both believers and unbelievers) our every cry for His mercy and grace (2 Chronicles 16:9). And just as we see here with Daniel and his friends, all Christians everywhere have this same awesome power that prayer in faith can unlock. Our prayers become a mighty tool for those believers who are humble of heart, for our Mighty God in His providence can work miracles in any life by doing the impossible; things that we cannot accomplish on our own. The LORD is completely sovereign and controls everything in both the physical realm as well as the spiritual realm and there is absolutely nothing that He cannot accomplish (Jeremiah 32:17). And this, my friends, when realized, can do miraculous wonders for those who pray in faith. And just as God answered Daniel and his friend’s prayers, so too, will God answer those who freely bring Him all their troubles and concerns when believing that He will listen and respond in His own time and in His own way according to His will. Then like Daniel, we will be able to sing praises and give thanks to the LORD our God no matter what circumstances we may find ourselves in at any time. Understand this dear brothers and sisters that the Lord our God is your Eternal Father (Isaiah 9:6); a Father who loves you beyond all human understanding. He desires a loving relationship with you, but He will not force it upon you. It is your decision to make. So get to know your One True Father in heaven while you still have time, and with a humble and thankful heart talk with Him in faithful prayer, for when you do you can be sure that He will answer in a way that is forever in your best interest.
A Whisper of Hope
Talk with Me…My child, for when you do I listen. I know what is best for your life. For only in Me will you ever find the true meaning of life, love, and joy.
2 Chronicles 16:9
For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. (NASB)
Jeremiah 32:17
Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by
Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too
difficult for You. (NASB)
Isaiah 9:6
For a child will be born…And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (NASB)
Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven; Daniel answered and said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
For wisdom and power belong to Him.”
Daniel went to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, in order to request more time to discover what the king’s dream was and its interpretation so that he, his three friends, and all the wise men of Babylon would not be put to death for not knowing Nebuchadnezzar disturbing dream. After speaking with the king, Daniel went back home to pray and to ask his three friends to also pray for God’s mercy and to reveal the dream to Daniel. And so it came to be on that very night, a vision from God giving Daniel every detail of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and what it all meant.
Our most powerful God; the One who spoke the universe into existence and create life itself, is the same God who delights and takes a personal interest in all His children’s lives. Because of His character and sovereignty, the LORD sees and hears (both believers and unbelievers) our every cry for His mercy and grace (2 Chronicles 16:9). And just as we see here with Daniel and his friends, all Christians everywhere have this same awesome power that prayer in faith can unlock. Our prayers become a mighty tool for those believers who are humble of heart, for our Mighty God in His providence can work miracles in any life by doing the impossible; things that we cannot accomplish on our own. The LORD is completely sovereign and controls everything in both the physical realm as well as the spiritual realm and there is absolutely nothing that He cannot accomplish (Jeremiah 32:17). And this, my friends, when realized, can do miraculous wonders for those who pray in faith. And just as God answered Daniel and his friend’s prayers, so too, will God answer those who freely bring Him all their troubles and concerns when believing that He will listen and respond in His own time and in His own way according to His will. Then like Daniel, we will be able to sing praises and give thanks to the LORD our God no matter what circumstances we may find ourselves in at any time. Understand this dear brothers and sisters that the Lord our God is your Eternal Father (Isaiah 9:6); a Father who loves you beyond all human understanding. He desires a loving relationship with you, but He will not force it upon you. It is your decision to make. So get to know your One True Father in heaven while you still have time, and with a humble and thankful heart talk with Him in faithful prayer, for when you do you can be sure that He will answer in a way that is forever in your best interest.
A Whisper of Hope
Talk with Me…My child, for when you do I listen. I know what is best for your life. For only in Me will you ever find the true meaning of life, love, and joy.
2 Chronicles 16:9
For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. (NASB)
Jeremiah 32:17
Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by
Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too
difficult for You. (NASB)
Isaiah 9:6
For a child will be born…And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (NASB)
Monday, November 15, 2010
To Whom Will You Go?
John 6:68-69
Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go?
You alone have the words that give eternal life.
We believe them, and we know You are the Holy One of God.” (NLT)
Jesus was asking His twelve disciples if they, too, were going to abandoned Him. Jesus had just finished teaching His disciples about who He was; the True Bread of Life. All of His followers, except the twelve, could not understand what Jesus was saying when He said, “All who eat my flesh and drink my blood remain in Me, and I in them (John 6:56). Those who had abandoned Jesus at that point could only see the humanistic, literal meaning of Jesus’ words, for they were unable to comprehend the spiritual message. On the other hand, eleven of the men that Jesus had hand picked to be His disciples had learned through His teachings that Jesus was who He said He was; the Son of the Living God, and all who came to believe in His every Word would have eternal life in Him.
As I look back on my life-journey, specifically at the times I half-heartedly tried drawing close to God so that I might learn His take on life, I found that there were just too many things (at that time in my life) that I just could not wrap my mind around, because they seemed so out-of-touch with the world I was struggling to survive in. And with each failed attempt I turned and walked further away from God and the Truth, feeling more empty, more unsatisfied, and more hopeless in my quest to find the answers that I so desperately needed; answers that would give true meaning to this hard and difficult life; one that, thus far, had never provided any viable answers I could use, and one with little joy.
The Lord our God is sovereign over all His creation (Colossians 1:17) and there are many things in this life that our finite minds will never understand, but I believe that when a person becomes totally discouraged with the world’s ways of copping with this difficult life and humbly puts his or her life into the mighty and loving hands of our Lord God, Jesus Christ, that He ( our Savior and the Author of Life) will open their eyes to the absolute Truth of God’s Word, and they will begin to see what the Lord wants them to see and understand one day at a time. So it was with me; I had totally given up on my quest for the truth and walked away from God, focusing all my energy on medicating myself to death. But our loving and gracious God had a different plan for me and in His mercy and grace, He intervened at the last moment; sparing me the devastating death I had once so deeply desired and prayed for.
We have a God, my dear friends, who knows precisely how desperately we need Him (Matthew 6:8). We have a Savior who has made it possible for “everyone” to find the peace about this life, which in time, will sustain our hearts in joy until He comes again to restore our world, and all those who believe in Him, to its full glory.
A Whisper of Hope
I Am…your joy and the only One who has the answers that will sustain you in peace and joy while living in this fallen world that is ruled by Satan. And all you need is the faith to believe in Me, for there is a day coming when your earthly life will end, or I will come in all My Glory to lead you Home. Either way, My child, I offer you safety in the shadow of My Wings and all you must do is “Believe and Trust” My Word!
Colossians 1:17
He existed before everything else began, and He holds all creation together. (NLT)
Matthew 6:8
So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need
before you ask Him. (NASB)
Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go?
You alone have the words that give eternal life.
We believe them, and we know You are the Holy One of God.” (NLT)
Jesus was asking His twelve disciples if they, too, were going to abandoned Him. Jesus had just finished teaching His disciples about who He was; the True Bread of Life. All of His followers, except the twelve, could not understand what Jesus was saying when He said, “All who eat my flesh and drink my blood remain in Me, and I in them (John 6:56). Those who had abandoned Jesus at that point could only see the humanistic, literal meaning of Jesus’ words, for they were unable to comprehend the spiritual message. On the other hand, eleven of the men that Jesus had hand picked to be His disciples had learned through His teachings that Jesus was who He said He was; the Son of the Living God, and all who came to believe in His every Word would have eternal life in Him.
As I look back on my life-journey, specifically at the times I half-heartedly tried drawing close to God so that I might learn His take on life, I found that there were just too many things (at that time in my life) that I just could not wrap my mind around, because they seemed so out-of-touch with the world I was struggling to survive in. And with each failed attempt I turned and walked further away from God and the Truth, feeling more empty, more unsatisfied, and more hopeless in my quest to find the answers that I so desperately needed; answers that would give true meaning to this hard and difficult life; one that, thus far, had never provided any viable answers I could use, and one with little joy.
The Lord our God is sovereign over all His creation (Colossians 1:17) and there are many things in this life that our finite minds will never understand, but I believe that when a person becomes totally discouraged with the world’s ways of copping with this difficult life and humbly puts his or her life into the mighty and loving hands of our Lord God, Jesus Christ, that He ( our Savior and the Author of Life) will open their eyes to the absolute Truth of God’s Word, and they will begin to see what the Lord wants them to see and understand one day at a time. So it was with me; I had totally given up on my quest for the truth and walked away from God, focusing all my energy on medicating myself to death. But our loving and gracious God had a different plan for me and in His mercy and grace, He intervened at the last moment; sparing me the devastating death I had once so deeply desired and prayed for.
We have a God, my dear friends, who knows precisely how desperately we need Him (Matthew 6:8). We have a Savior who has made it possible for “everyone” to find the peace about this life, which in time, will sustain our hearts in joy until He comes again to restore our world, and all those who believe in Him, to its full glory.
A Whisper of Hope
I Am…your joy and the only One who has the answers that will sustain you in peace and joy while living in this fallen world that is ruled by Satan. And all you need is the faith to believe in Me, for there is a day coming when your earthly life will end, or I will come in all My Glory to lead you Home. Either way, My child, I offer you safety in the shadow of My Wings and all you must do is “Believe and Trust” My Word!
Colossians 1:17
He existed before everything else began, and He holds all creation together. (NLT)
Matthew 6:8
So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need
before you ask Him. (NASB)
Faithful Is The LORD
Psalm 78:56
Yet though He did all this for them,
they continued to test His patience.
They rebelled against the Most High
and refused to follow His decrees. (NLT)
The psalmist here was talking about God’s faithfulness to His people Israel; having led them safely out of Egypt, the LORD provided and protected them throughout their wanderings in the wilderness until He brought them into the Promised Land. Yet they turned their backs on Him in rebellion. Even though we have a gracious and loving God, sin has its devastating consequences. Like His people Israel, the LORD will turn away and allow our enemies to defeat us, and if we are wise, we will learn from our mistakes by understanding why God has allowed this to happen and then ask for His forgiveness and repent.
We live in a sinful world; in a sinful body and no matter how thankful we are for God’s grace and forgiveness, we will always fall short of God’s glorious standard. There are times in my life when I feel much like an Israelite; one moment…praising and thanking God for saving me from the sin that can so easily take a hold of me, and the next moment… falling prey to one of the many temptations that robs from me the opportunity to glorify and honor God. Ever since God created man to walk upon this earth the story has been the same—we walk with God and praise Him for a time, then we falter and rebel against Him, and He graciously forgives and saves us. After awhile it should become quite apparent that as imperfect, sinful human beings, we are helpless in our quest to do what is right without God’s help (Romans 7:24, 25). We simply do not have the power to survive on our own—we cannot save ourselves from the enemy of our souls, nor can we earn our way into God’s grace. We must fully understand and live by this truth, for it is our only hope. When I came to the realization that I was powerless against the forces of evil and that I had to rely on the mighty power of God to live, He gave me the ability to humbly surrender both my will and my life to Him, and I gained the wisdom to know that I would always sin and fall short of His glorious standard, and when I did—He would forgive and forget (Romans 3:23-24).
There is no One more gracious, nor One more loving than our Almighty God. And there is no One who is more compassionate and forgiving than Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior (Psalm 86:8). And when this fact is written on your heart you will gain the wisdom of knowing that while you live in this fallen body you will always fall short of God’s glory, but God has made a way for you to be forgiven and transformed. And when this happens, it will then become amazingly clear; who you are and who you are not.
A Whisper of Hope
I Am your Redeemer…My child, the only One you can trust with your life. There is no power greater than I, and My power is your life-line. The only way you can defeat the Enemy and save your soul is by relying on the Truth that will set you free. This is My Word…This is My Promise.
Romans 7:24, 25
Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. (NLT)
Romans 3:23-24
For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet now God in His gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. (NLT)
Psalm 86:8
The is no one like You among the gods, O Lord,
Nor are there any works like Yours. (NASB)
Yet though He did all this for them,
they continued to test His patience.
They rebelled against the Most High
and refused to follow His decrees. (NLT)
The psalmist here was talking about God’s faithfulness to His people Israel; having led them safely out of Egypt, the LORD provided and protected them throughout their wanderings in the wilderness until He brought them into the Promised Land. Yet they turned their backs on Him in rebellion. Even though we have a gracious and loving God, sin has its devastating consequences. Like His people Israel, the LORD will turn away and allow our enemies to defeat us, and if we are wise, we will learn from our mistakes by understanding why God has allowed this to happen and then ask for His forgiveness and repent.
We live in a sinful world; in a sinful body and no matter how thankful we are for God’s grace and forgiveness, we will always fall short of God’s glorious standard. There are times in my life when I feel much like an Israelite; one moment…praising and thanking God for saving me from the sin that can so easily take a hold of me, and the next moment… falling prey to one of the many temptations that robs from me the opportunity to glorify and honor God. Ever since God created man to walk upon this earth the story has been the same—we walk with God and praise Him for a time, then we falter and rebel against Him, and He graciously forgives and saves us. After awhile it should become quite apparent that as imperfect, sinful human beings, we are helpless in our quest to do what is right without God’s help (Romans 7:24, 25). We simply do not have the power to survive on our own—we cannot save ourselves from the enemy of our souls, nor can we earn our way into God’s grace. We must fully understand and live by this truth, for it is our only hope. When I came to the realization that I was powerless against the forces of evil and that I had to rely on the mighty power of God to live, He gave me the ability to humbly surrender both my will and my life to Him, and I gained the wisdom to know that I would always sin and fall short of His glorious standard, and when I did—He would forgive and forget (Romans 3:23-24).
There is no One more gracious, nor One more loving than our Almighty God. And there is no One who is more compassionate and forgiving than Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior (Psalm 86:8). And when this fact is written on your heart you will gain the wisdom of knowing that while you live in this fallen body you will always fall short of God’s glory, but God has made a way for you to be forgiven and transformed. And when this happens, it will then become amazingly clear; who you are and who you are not.
A Whisper of Hope
I Am your Redeemer…My child, the only One you can trust with your life. There is no power greater than I, and My power is your life-line. The only way you can defeat the Enemy and save your soul is by relying on the Truth that will set you free. This is My Word…This is My Promise.
Romans 7:24, 25
Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. (NLT)
Romans 3:23-24
For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet now God in His gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. (NLT)
Psalm 86:8
The is no one like You among the gods, O Lord,
Nor are there any works like Yours. (NASB)
Blessed Be The LORD
Psalm 68:19
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden,
The God who is our salvation. (NASB)
For those people who have totally surrendered their lives to the LORD their God, relying on Him to guide their life-journey, it becomes quite natural to praise and give Him thanks for all that He has done and will continue to do, but specifically for the price He paid for our salvation—the saving grace of salvation that no one deserves, nor could ever accomplish on their own. And just knowing that you have in the Lord, Christ Jesus, a personal Savior with whom you can trust and unload those heavy burdens that weigh you down, will give you the peace you need in order to rest and gain the strength it takes to live in this cruel world that wants to constantly beat you down and rob from you the precious gift of a glorious new life in heaven.
My dear friends, I believe that the best gifts we can bring to the LORD our God are our lives and our praise. It delights the LORD when we humbly open our hearts and share every detail of our lives with Him, and it honors Him greatly when we live in thanksgiving regardless of our circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). During my faith walk with the LORD, I have discovered that He not only takes delight in these things, but He also makes a point of walking at our side doing the things that we cannot do for ourselves (Proverbs 16:7). What I find so incredible is that we have, as God’s children, the same Saving Power that raised our Lord Jesus from the grave, and the same Mighty Power that created and holds the universe together, available to help us in our times of need. We have many reasons to praise and worship the One who formed us with His very hands and gave us life, but it is our salvation that we should be most thankful for, because without it, living in this sin-filled world that is spinning out of control would have no lasting meaning nor value, and we would all be without the Hope of a better world and a better life to come (Romans 6:23)!
A Whisper of Hope
Honor Me, My child…with songs of thanksgiving and by living a righteous life, for without Me your future is bleak. When you entrust your entire life-journey to Me, I will direct your steps with precision and bring you safely Home where you belong. The journey is tough, but the rewards are great. My desire has always been to provide you with the Way, the Truth, and the Life. So take My hand with confidence, dear child, and we will walk the journey Home together!
1Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (NASB)
Proverbs 16:7
When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. (NASB)
Romans 6:22
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NLT)
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden,
The God who is our salvation. (NASB)
For those people who have totally surrendered their lives to the LORD their God, relying on Him to guide their life-journey, it becomes quite natural to praise and give Him thanks for all that He has done and will continue to do, but specifically for the price He paid for our salvation—the saving grace of salvation that no one deserves, nor could ever accomplish on their own. And just knowing that you have in the Lord, Christ Jesus, a personal Savior with whom you can trust and unload those heavy burdens that weigh you down, will give you the peace you need in order to rest and gain the strength it takes to live in this cruel world that wants to constantly beat you down and rob from you the precious gift of a glorious new life in heaven.
My dear friends, I believe that the best gifts we can bring to the LORD our God are our lives and our praise. It delights the LORD when we humbly open our hearts and share every detail of our lives with Him, and it honors Him greatly when we live in thanksgiving regardless of our circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). During my faith walk with the LORD, I have discovered that He not only takes delight in these things, but He also makes a point of walking at our side doing the things that we cannot do for ourselves (Proverbs 16:7). What I find so incredible is that we have, as God’s children, the same Saving Power that raised our Lord Jesus from the grave, and the same Mighty Power that created and holds the universe together, available to help us in our times of need. We have many reasons to praise and worship the One who formed us with His very hands and gave us life, but it is our salvation that we should be most thankful for, because without it, living in this sin-filled world that is spinning out of control would have no lasting meaning nor value, and we would all be without the Hope of a better world and a better life to come (Romans 6:23)!
A Whisper of Hope
Honor Me, My child…with songs of thanksgiving and by living a righteous life, for without Me your future is bleak. When you entrust your entire life-journey to Me, I will direct your steps with precision and bring you safely Home where you belong. The journey is tough, but the rewards are great. My desire has always been to provide you with the Way, the Truth, and the Life. So take My hand with confidence, dear child, and we will walk the journey Home together!
1Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (NASB)
Proverbs 16:7
When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. (NASB)
Romans 6:22
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NLT)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Our Rock of Ages
Psalm 62:5-6
I wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in Him.
He alone is my Rock and my salvation,
my Fortress where I will not be shaken. (NLT)
Because of our fallen nature it can be quite a struggle for us to wait in silence for God to reveal His will, especially when we are hurting and discouraged and fearfully in doubt that God will intervene on our behalf. David realizes that he is nothing without God’s power and grace, and this gives him the confidence to remain steadfast in his faith that God’s will, will be done.
To have this kind of faith as David did, does not happen overnight. It comes by learning who God really is and what part He plays in our world and in our own personal lives. It comes by learning the Truth that is found in God’s Holy Word (Psalm 119:73). When you learn and believe in all the amazing things God has done through ordinary people (like you and me) since the creation of man, you will understand that our sovereign God is “in control”. He knows all things, my friends, and nothing will alter His plans for us, His creation—plans for good; plans for a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
Whenever we build the foundation of our lives on the solid Rock of Creation, we will systemically grow in our faith and learn to rely on the LORD our God, especially during the raging storms of life (Luke 6:47-48). And when you know that God is near and you have the hope of salvation stamped forever on your heart, you will fear less of this unstable world and have the Peace of God to comfort your weary soul and His strength to get you through!
A Whisper of Hope
Come to Me…dear child, for I Am the Rock that will protect you and give you a safe haven in this savaged world destined for destruction. When you rely on Me, the Savior of your soul, I will direct your path and lead you in Truth. I have overcome this fallen world and have made the Way for you to follow suit. I allow you to suffer so that you will grow and strengthen in your faith in Me; the One who is in control of all things. All that I ask is for you to do your best with what I have so graciously given you and rely on Me for all the rest!
Psalm 119:73
Your hands made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn
Your commandments. (NASB)
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have you,” says the LORD,
“They are plans for good and not for disaster, to
give you a future and a hope. (NASB)
Luke 6:47-48
Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like; he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. (NASB)
I wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in Him.
He alone is my Rock and my salvation,
my Fortress where I will not be shaken. (NLT)
Because of our fallen nature it can be quite a struggle for us to wait in silence for God to reveal His will, especially when we are hurting and discouraged and fearfully in doubt that God will intervene on our behalf. David realizes that he is nothing without God’s power and grace, and this gives him the confidence to remain steadfast in his faith that God’s will, will be done.
To have this kind of faith as David did, does not happen overnight. It comes by learning who God really is and what part He plays in our world and in our own personal lives. It comes by learning the Truth that is found in God’s Holy Word (Psalm 119:73). When you learn and believe in all the amazing things God has done through ordinary people (like you and me) since the creation of man, you will understand that our sovereign God is “in control”. He knows all things, my friends, and nothing will alter His plans for us, His creation—plans for good; plans for a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
Whenever we build the foundation of our lives on the solid Rock of Creation, we will systemically grow in our faith and learn to rely on the LORD our God, especially during the raging storms of life (Luke 6:47-48). And when you know that God is near and you have the hope of salvation stamped forever on your heart, you will fear less of this unstable world and have the Peace of God to comfort your weary soul and His strength to get you through!
A Whisper of Hope
Come to Me…dear child, for I Am the Rock that will protect you and give you a safe haven in this savaged world destined for destruction. When you rely on Me, the Savior of your soul, I will direct your path and lead you in Truth. I have overcome this fallen world and have made the Way for you to follow suit. I allow you to suffer so that you will grow and strengthen in your faith in Me; the One who is in control of all things. All that I ask is for you to do your best with what I have so graciously given you and rely on Me for all the rest!
Psalm 119:73
Your hands made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn
Your commandments. (NASB)
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have you,” says the LORD,
“They are plans for good and not for disaster, to
give you a future and a hope. (NASB)
Luke 6:47-48
Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like; he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. (NASB)
Heart of the Matter
1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (NASB)
Because Saul, Israel’s first king, had openly defied God’s commands, the LORD told Samuel to anoint a new king for His people and this new king was to be chosen from the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem. Like most humans, when Samuel saw the first of Jesse’s sons Eliab, he looked at Eliab’s appearance and thought that this must be God’s choice, but the LORD told him different. Samuel had to go through all of Jesse’s sons in order to find God’s choice for Israel’s next king. God knew that Jesse’s youngest son David was the right choice, because He knows each of us perfectly, both inside and out (Psalm 139:13-14).
God not only created us as physical beings, but because He breathed His breath of life into us (Genesis 2:7), we have a spiritual life as well. And it is because of this single act of love and compassion that we cannot hide anything from the LORD our God. He knows us far better than we know ourselves; He knows what is in our hearts and minds. Our God is so much more than an all powerful, all knowing God; He is also all loving and all caring and takes a personal interest in each of our individual lives.
Are we not all guilty of judging a person by their appearance before we have the opportunity of getting to know them? How blessed we are that God is not like us (Isaiah 55:9), for if He were, most of us would never have the gracious opportunity of drawing close to the LORD our God and find the new life in Christ Jesus that He desires for all His created peoples.
A Whisper of Hope
Come to Me…the One who knows you completely. I know you inside and out, and therefore, I know just what you need when you need it. I know when you are lost and confused and longing for answers that you so desperately need. I know when you are sad and lonely and long for the comfort that only I can give that will render unto you, a peace unlike any other. And whenever you choose to completely surrender your life and allow Me to do what you cannot do for yourself, I will transform you in ways that will give you honor and proclaim My Glory.
Psalm 139:13-14
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and
wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works.
And my soul knows it very well. (NASB)
Genesis 2:7
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living being. (NASB)
Isaiah 55:9
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts. (NASB)
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (NASB)
Because Saul, Israel’s first king, had openly defied God’s commands, the LORD told Samuel to anoint a new king for His people and this new king was to be chosen from the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem. Like most humans, when Samuel saw the first of Jesse’s sons Eliab, he looked at Eliab’s appearance and thought that this must be God’s choice, but the LORD told him different. Samuel had to go through all of Jesse’s sons in order to find God’s choice for Israel’s next king. God knew that Jesse’s youngest son David was the right choice, because He knows each of us perfectly, both inside and out (Psalm 139:13-14).
God not only created us as physical beings, but because He breathed His breath of life into us (Genesis 2:7), we have a spiritual life as well. And it is because of this single act of love and compassion that we cannot hide anything from the LORD our God. He knows us far better than we know ourselves; He knows what is in our hearts and minds. Our God is so much more than an all powerful, all knowing God; He is also all loving and all caring and takes a personal interest in each of our individual lives.
Are we not all guilty of judging a person by their appearance before we have the opportunity of getting to know them? How blessed we are that God is not like us (Isaiah 55:9), for if He were, most of us would never have the gracious opportunity of drawing close to the LORD our God and find the new life in Christ Jesus that He desires for all His created peoples.
A Whisper of Hope
Come to Me…the One who knows you completely. I know you inside and out, and therefore, I know just what you need when you need it. I know when you are lost and confused and longing for answers that you so desperately need. I know when you are sad and lonely and long for the comfort that only I can give that will render unto you, a peace unlike any other. And whenever you choose to completely surrender your life and allow Me to do what you cannot do for yourself, I will transform you in ways that will give you honor and proclaim My Glory.
Psalm 139:13-14
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and
wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works.
And my soul knows it very well. (NASB)
Genesis 2:7
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living being. (NASB)
Isaiah 55:9
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts. (NASB)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Peace In Christ
Psalm 50:13-14
I don’t need the bulls you sacrifice;
I don’t need the blood of goats.
What I want instead is your true thanks to God;
I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High. (NLT)
The LORD God no longer requires people to sacrifice the blood of His animals because the blood of the Perfect Lamb, Christ Jesus, was shed “once and for all” as the final sin offering. What the LORD now wants from His people; is that we humbly bring before Him all our sin and rebellion asking for His forgiveness, then walk in repentance with thankful hearts, for it is far better to walk in obedience, trusting and giving Him our thanks and praise, than the offering of sacrifices (1 Samuel 15:22).
We live in a fallen world, my friends, and there are many people who say they have the answers that will lead us out of the chaos that man has created in this world, but there is only One with whom we can entrust our lives to and He is our Creator and the only Savior of our world, Lord Jesus, the Lamb who has taken away the sins of the world (John 1:26). The sacrifice that God really wants is our broken spirits—our broken and repentant hearts (Psalm 51:17).
As a nation formed by Christian values given by God, we have taken our eyes off the LORD, being lulled into a comatose state of comfort while the world creeps in to destroy what God as made. As a nation build by God, we have become disillusioned with the world around us saying, “it could never happen to us”, but in reality the evil in this world has been infiltrating our churches, our schools, and our government for many years.
The best Hope we have, my friends, is to focus on the Truth found in the Holy Book of God’s Words and be ever so thankful for the salvation we do not deserve. When you “let go and let God” direct your paths it may not be the easiest road to follow, but it will fill your heart with a peace about this difficult life that will enable you to comfort those troubled hearts who live in fear of the days ahead. Don’t listen to the lies that question the goodness of God, for He hears every cry of His people and He is true to His Word! He is…coming to rescue us!
A Whisper of Hope
I Am the Only Hope…for the World, My World and My people. Whenever you exalt my Name above all other names, you have my full attention. Whenever you rely on Me as the One who saves, you can be sure of My Saving Power. Fear and doubt are part of your fallen nature, but with Me you don’t have to let it rule your life, for when keep your focus on Me, I will direct your path so that you can walk confidently Homeward bound.
Samuel 15:22
Obedience is far better than sacrifice.
John 1:26
“Look, there is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Psalm 51:17
The sacrifice You want is a broken spirit.
A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise.
I don’t need the bulls you sacrifice;
I don’t need the blood of goats.
What I want instead is your true thanks to God;
I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High. (NLT)
The LORD God no longer requires people to sacrifice the blood of His animals because the blood of the Perfect Lamb, Christ Jesus, was shed “once and for all” as the final sin offering. What the LORD now wants from His people; is that we humbly bring before Him all our sin and rebellion asking for His forgiveness, then walk in repentance with thankful hearts, for it is far better to walk in obedience, trusting and giving Him our thanks and praise, than the offering of sacrifices (1 Samuel 15:22).
We live in a fallen world, my friends, and there are many people who say they have the answers that will lead us out of the chaos that man has created in this world, but there is only One with whom we can entrust our lives to and He is our Creator and the only Savior of our world, Lord Jesus, the Lamb who has taken away the sins of the world (John 1:26). The sacrifice that God really wants is our broken spirits—our broken and repentant hearts (Psalm 51:17).
As a nation formed by Christian values given by God, we have taken our eyes off the LORD, being lulled into a comatose state of comfort while the world creeps in to destroy what God as made. As a nation build by God, we have become disillusioned with the world around us saying, “it could never happen to us”, but in reality the evil in this world has been infiltrating our churches, our schools, and our government for many years.
The best Hope we have, my friends, is to focus on the Truth found in the Holy Book of God’s Words and be ever so thankful for the salvation we do not deserve. When you “let go and let God” direct your paths it may not be the easiest road to follow, but it will fill your heart with a peace about this difficult life that will enable you to comfort those troubled hearts who live in fear of the days ahead. Don’t listen to the lies that question the goodness of God, for He hears every cry of His people and He is true to His Word! He is…coming to rescue us!
A Whisper of Hope
I Am the Only Hope…for the World, My World and My people. Whenever you exalt my Name above all other names, you have my full attention. Whenever you rely on Me as the One who saves, you can be sure of My Saving Power. Fear and doubt are part of your fallen nature, but with Me you don’t have to let it rule your life, for when keep your focus on Me, I will direct your path so that you can walk confidently Homeward bound.
Samuel 15:22
Obedience is far better than sacrifice.
John 1:26
“Look, there is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Psalm 51:17
The sacrifice You want is a broken spirit.
A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise.
God Is Holy
1 Samuel 16:20
Who is able to stand in the presence of the LORD,
this holy God?” they cried out. (NLT)
After the Ark of the LORD was captured by the Philistines, the LORD inflicted plagues of tumors upon the Philistine people wherever their leaders sent the Ark. So in their fear, these kings sent the Ark back to Israel. But while the Ark of the LORD was in Beth-shemesh, seventy Israelite men looked into the Ark, and the LORD promptly killed them. So the people mourned, crying out, “who is able to stand in the presence of the holy God?”
Our Mighty and Holy God cannot be in the presence of anything that is not holy as He. Because His holiness is so pure and so good no human being, in their fallen state, is able to stand before Him and live. And it is because of this that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to intervene—so that our lives would be hidden in the One who is without sin and perfectly holy (Colossians 3:3). What an amazing gift this is, my friends, to be able to come before the living God (in our sinful and rebellious state) with all our concerns and questions and not be struck down or ignored, but forgiven and loved!
We have in our Lord, Christ Jesus, the only Way to God the Father. The world will tell you differently and try to convince you otherwise, but Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). There is no other way, dear friends, that we will find face to Face fellowship and everlasting life with God other than entering heaven’s Most Holy Place with the Most Holy One, who is no longer separated from us because of the precious blood of Christ, our Lord and Savior (Hebrews 10:19-2o).
A Whisper of Hope
Walk with Me…My dear child, for I will lead you into Heaven’s Most Holy Place where you will receive everlasting life. You will no longer live in a fallen state. You will live in glory as you were intended to live—I have made sure of this. But you must persevere in Me with faith and patience while living this difficult life—trusting in the absolute Truth that I have given you. Until then, your sinful nature is hidden in Me, which pleases the Father!
Colossians 3:3
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (NASB)
John 14:6
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me. (NLT)
Hebrews 10:19-20
And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. This is the new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us through the sacred curtain, by means of His death for us. (NLT)
Who is able to stand in the presence of the LORD,
this holy God?” they cried out. (NLT)
After the Ark of the LORD was captured by the Philistines, the LORD inflicted plagues of tumors upon the Philistine people wherever their leaders sent the Ark. So in their fear, these kings sent the Ark back to Israel. But while the Ark of the LORD was in Beth-shemesh, seventy Israelite men looked into the Ark, and the LORD promptly killed them. So the people mourned, crying out, “who is able to stand in the presence of the holy God?”
Our Mighty and Holy God cannot be in the presence of anything that is not holy as He. Because His holiness is so pure and so good no human being, in their fallen state, is able to stand before Him and live. And it is because of this that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to intervene—so that our lives would be hidden in the One who is without sin and perfectly holy (Colossians 3:3). What an amazing gift this is, my friends, to be able to come before the living God (in our sinful and rebellious state) with all our concerns and questions and not be struck down or ignored, but forgiven and loved!
We have in our Lord, Christ Jesus, the only Way to God the Father. The world will tell you differently and try to convince you otherwise, but Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). There is no other way, dear friends, that we will find face to Face fellowship and everlasting life with God other than entering heaven’s Most Holy Place with the Most Holy One, who is no longer separated from us because of the precious blood of Christ, our Lord and Savior (Hebrews 10:19-2o).
A Whisper of Hope
Walk with Me…My dear child, for I will lead you into Heaven’s Most Holy Place where you will receive everlasting life. You will no longer live in a fallen state. You will live in glory as you were intended to live—I have made sure of this. But you must persevere in Me with faith and patience while living this difficult life—trusting in the absolute Truth that I have given you. Until then, your sinful nature is hidden in Me, which pleases the Father!
Colossians 3:3
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (NASB)
John 14:6
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me. (NLT)
Hebrews 10:19-20
And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. This is the new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us through the sacred curtain, by means of His death for us. (NLT)
Monday, October 18, 2010
Honor That Is Due
Malachi 2:1-2
“And now this commandment is for you, O priests. If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the LORD of hosts, “then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart. (NASB)
Even though this message from the LORD was given to the priests of Judah who were using their influence in corrupt ways to hurt God’s people rather than help them, I believe it still speaks to us today, because as Christians, we are all disciples of God’s Truth and the LORD holds us accountable in our spheres of influence. This especially holds true for the leaders of the Church, who God has set apart to shepherd His people.
The moral decline within America is a perfect example of how our leaders and the media can influence a nation. The LORD has exposed many evangelical leaders and Catholic priests in our country who have defiled the Lord’s name by their corrupt and immoral actions. Not only is the Church seeing a moral decline but our country as a whole is suffering this affliction as well, because many of our leaders in Government, the very people we voted into office, are corrupt, immoral, and are leading our great nation down a destructive path. All the turmoil that has engulfed our world is the consequences of moral decay and worldwide rebellion against our LORD God. And these consequences are running their course, my friends, just as God’s Word has been telling us for thousands of years.
With that said, there is indeed some Good News—our Almighty and All Loving God is alive and well and has provided us with a Savior, His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (John 3:16). He is our ticket out of this hellish turmoil that is dominated by Satan and those who are enslaved by the sinful pleasures of their flesh. Our Lord, Christ Jesus, will come again to save both the living and the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18), restoring them and all His creation (Revelation 21:5) to its original glory so that we can live eternally in the presence of our Holy God. Imagine……sitting down and talking face to Face with our Creator. What a “Wonderful Life” it will be for those who persevere with faith in God’s Amazing Grace.
A Whisper of Hope
When you honor Me…I will honor you with “New Life.” When you follow Me, I will lead you away from the false hopes of the Enemy that end in eternal death and damnation. Whenever you call on Me in faith, My child, I will be there to shine My Light of Truth upon your life-journey so that you can find your Way. Depending on Me as your Guide does not make your journey an easy one, but you can be sure of the heavenly destination.
John 3:16
“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.” (NASB)
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with Him forever. (NLT)
Revelation 21:5
And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” (NASB)
“And now this commandment is for you, O priests. If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the LORD of hosts, “then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart. (NASB)
Even though this message from the LORD was given to the priests of Judah who were using their influence in corrupt ways to hurt God’s people rather than help them, I believe it still speaks to us today, because as Christians, we are all disciples of God’s Truth and the LORD holds us accountable in our spheres of influence. This especially holds true for the leaders of the Church, who God has set apart to shepherd His people.
The moral decline within America is a perfect example of how our leaders and the media can influence a nation. The LORD has exposed many evangelical leaders and Catholic priests in our country who have defiled the Lord’s name by their corrupt and immoral actions. Not only is the Church seeing a moral decline but our country as a whole is suffering this affliction as well, because many of our leaders in Government, the very people we voted into office, are corrupt, immoral, and are leading our great nation down a destructive path. All the turmoil that has engulfed our world is the consequences of moral decay and worldwide rebellion against our LORD God. And these consequences are running their course, my friends, just as God’s Word has been telling us for thousands of years.
With that said, there is indeed some Good News—our Almighty and All Loving God is alive and well and has provided us with a Savior, His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (John 3:16). He is our ticket out of this hellish turmoil that is dominated by Satan and those who are enslaved by the sinful pleasures of their flesh. Our Lord, Christ Jesus, will come again to save both the living and the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18), restoring them and all His creation (Revelation 21:5) to its original glory so that we can live eternally in the presence of our Holy God. Imagine……sitting down and talking face to Face with our Creator. What a “Wonderful Life” it will be for those who persevere with faith in God’s Amazing Grace.
A Whisper of Hope
When you honor Me…I will honor you with “New Life.” When you follow Me, I will lead you away from the false hopes of the Enemy that end in eternal death and damnation. Whenever you call on Me in faith, My child, I will be there to shine My Light of Truth upon your life-journey so that you can find your Way. Depending on Me as your Guide does not make your journey an easy one, but you can be sure of the heavenly destination.
John 3:16
“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.” (NASB)
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with Him forever. (NLT)
Revelation 21:5
And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” (NASB)
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Truth That Leads To Life
Zechariah 10:2
Household gods give false advice, fortunetellers predict only lies, and interpreters of dreams pronounce comfortless falsehoods. So my people are wandering like lost sheep, without a shepherd to protect and guide them. (NLT)
Just as it was in the days of Zechariah, God’s people are still looking to the many false gods of this fallen world for truth about the how’s and why’s of living this difficult and challenging life. We may not have carved figures in our homes that we bow down to and worship, but just the same, we have many other man-made objects that we give our full attention to hoping they will give us the joy and fulfillment that our hearts long for. Many of the world’s people still go to fortunetellers, use Tara cards, perform séances, schedule their day by the horoscope found in the daily newspaper, and join various religious cults instead of looking to the only reliable source for Truth. And the only Reliable Source for absolute Truth, my friends, is the LORD God our Creator (John 14:6). And when you completely surrender your life to the LORD and His will, you will no longer find yourself wandering aimlessly through the darkness headed for hell, instead, He gives you both the desire and the ability to live a righteous life worth living—a walk in the Light that leads to Heaven.
This fallen world seems to have an endless supply of false hope and frivolous ways to obtain happiness and peace of mind that seem good at the time, but these schemes of the Enemy will only lead you further from the goodness that God wants for you (Matthew 7:15). We must remember and believe, my dear friends, that we are all God’s guests in this life; travelers just passing through (Psalm 39:12) on our way to an eternal life. You are given the choice to use your limited time depending on God’s Word to lead you Home or you can spend your allotted time searching for the things that will make you feel good in this life while ignoring where it leads to in the next.
A Whisper of Hope
Listen to Me…My child, for the words I speak to you are true. My Way is the only way you will ever find peace for your heart in this world of turmoil. For amidst all the turmoil “there is Hope” that will give you everlasting life—and My Hope I give to you—a Hope for a glorious future; one that is good and void of all evil. Trust in this Hope and persevere in Me; you will be glad you did!
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father but through Me. (NASB)
Matthew 7:15
Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but inwardly are ravenous wolves. (NASB)
Psalm 39:12
Hear my prayer, O LORD!
Listen to my cries for help. Don’t ignore my tears.
For I am your guest—a traveler passing through,
as my ancestors were before me. (NLT)
Household gods give false advice, fortunetellers predict only lies, and interpreters of dreams pronounce comfortless falsehoods. So my people are wandering like lost sheep, without a shepherd to protect and guide them. (NLT)
Just as it was in the days of Zechariah, God’s people are still looking to the many false gods of this fallen world for truth about the how’s and why’s of living this difficult and challenging life. We may not have carved figures in our homes that we bow down to and worship, but just the same, we have many other man-made objects that we give our full attention to hoping they will give us the joy and fulfillment that our hearts long for. Many of the world’s people still go to fortunetellers, use Tara cards, perform séances, schedule their day by the horoscope found in the daily newspaper, and join various religious cults instead of looking to the only reliable source for Truth. And the only Reliable Source for absolute Truth, my friends, is the LORD God our Creator (John 14:6). And when you completely surrender your life to the LORD and His will, you will no longer find yourself wandering aimlessly through the darkness headed for hell, instead, He gives you both the desire and the ability to live a righteous life worth living—a walk in the Light that leads to Heaven.
This fallen world seems to have an endless supply of false hope and frivolous ways to obtain happiness and peace of mind that seem good at the time, but these schemes of the Enemy will only lead you further from the goodness that God wants for you (Matthew 7:15). We must remember and believe, my dear friends, that we are all God’s guests in this life; travelers just passing through (Psalm 39:12) on our way to an eternal life. You are given the choice to use your limited time depending on God’s Word to lead you Home or you can spend your allotted time searching for the things that will make you feel good in this life while ignoring where it leads to in the next.
A Whisper of Hope
Listen to Me…My child, for the words I speak to you are true. My Way is the only way you will ever find peace for your heart in this world of turmoil. For amidst all the turmoil “there is Hope” that will give you everlasting life—and My Hope I give to you—a Hope for a glorious future; one that is good and void of all evil. Trust in this Hope and persevere in Me; you will be glad you did!
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father but through Me. (NASB)
Matthew 7:15
Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but inwardly are ravenous wolves. (NASB)
Psalm 39:12
Hear my prayer, O LORD!
Listen to my cries for help. Don’t ignore my tears.
For I am your guest—a traveler passing through,
as my ancestors were before me. (NLT)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
A Song Worth Singing
Psalm 30:1, 12
I will praise You, LORD, for you have rescued me.
You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.
O, LORD my God, I will give You thanks forever!
What an honor it is to be able to sing this song. What an incredible blessing it is to know that the victory is yours and that no matter how this fallen world may try to deceive and discourage you, the children of God have a glorious future ahead of them—One so glorious that our Creator, who loved His creation so much, put a plan into place that would keep the people who put their trust in Him out of the grips of eternal death and damnation (Jeremiah 29:11). We have in our LORD, a loving and gracious Savior; a faithful Shepherd who never gets tired of calling out to His lost ones. And once His call has been heard, the promise is this: If we return to Him, He will return to us (Zechariah 1:3). And this, my dear friends, is a promise that we can count on no matter how far we have gone astray.
As far as my own life is concerned, the Enemy came so close in completely taking my eternal life, which would have, forever, separated me from the Glory of God. What an amazing joy it brings me just knowing that all of my sins have been truly forgiven and forever forgotten by our Loving and Gracious and Merciful God (Isaiah 43: 25). This inner joy, which forever fills the heart, is what makes Christians everywhere stand apart from the rest of the world, because there is no doubt, whatsoever, that we, too, just as our Lord Christ Jesus, will be given a glorious new body that is void of death and decay, and pain and suffering. Our everlasting new life will be without shame or guilt. It will be abundantly happy, void of sadness and without the tears of frustration and grief. It will be an eternal life of seeing God face to face and walking hand in hand with our Savior. There is nothing of this world, my friends, which has the ability to fulfill this kind of joy. It is only through the Word of God and His Amazing Grace that we can find the Joy that gives us Everlasting Life in Him!
Truth That Speaks To My Heart
Shout for joy…My dear child. Sing songs of praise to your Savior. I came to into this world, not to judge, but to save. I came into this world to suffer and die so that you could escape the final wrath of God and find peace for your soul. Be a faithful witness and share the Truth about My Power to save with those who have been blind sighted by the Enemy’s deceit. This is the mission that I have so graciously given you! So do this for Me, My child, and do it well!
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,
plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (ESV)
Zechariah 1:3
This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the LORD Almighty.’ (NLT)
Isaiah 43:24
“I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins. (ESV)
I will praise You, LORD, for you have rescued me.
You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.
O, LORD my God, I will give You thanks forever!
What an honor it is to be able to sing this song. What an incredible blessing it is to know that the victory is yours and that no matter how this fallen world may try to deceive and discourage you, the children of God have a glorious future ahead of them—One so glorious that our Creator, who loved His creation so much, put a plan into place that would keep the people who put their trust in Him out of the grips of eternal death and damnation (Jeremiah 29:11). We have in our LORD, a loving and gracious Savior; a faithful Shepherd who never gets tired of calling out to His lost ones. And once His call has been heard, the promise is this: If we return to Him, He will return to us (Zechariah 1:3). And this, my dear friends, is a promise that we can count on no matter how far we have gone astray.
As far as my own life is concerned, the Enemy came so close in completely taking my eternal life, which would have, forever, separated me from the Glory of God. What an amazing joy it brings me just knowing that all of my sins have been truly forgiven and forever forgotten by our Loving and Gracious and Merciful God (Isaiah 43: 25). This inner joy, which forever fills the heart, is what makes Christians everywhere stand apart from the rest of the world, because there is no doubt, whatsoever, that we, too, just as our Lord Christ Jesus, will be given a glorious new body that is void of death and decay, and pain and suffering. Our everlasting new life will be without shame or guilt. It will be abundantly happy, void of sadness and without the tears of frustration and grief. It will be an eternal life of seeing God face to face and walking hand in hand with our Savior. There is nothing of this world, my friends, which has the ability to fulfill this kind of joy. It is only through the Word of God and His Amazing Grace that we can find the Joy that gives us Everlasting Life in Him!
Truth That Speaks To My Heart
Shout for joy…My dear child. Sing songs of praise to your Savior. I came to into this world, not to judge, but to save. I came into this world to suffer and die so that you could escape the final wrath of God and find peace for your soul. Be a faithful witness and share the Truth about My Power to save with those who have been blind sighted by the Enemy’s deceit. This is the mission that I have so graciously given you! So do this for Me, My child, and do it well!
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,
plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (ESV)
Zechariah 1:3
This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the LORD Almighty.’ (NLT)
Isaiah 43:24
“I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins. (ESV)
Monday, September 27, 2010
God Hears Our Cry
Habakkuk 1: 2, 4
How long, O LORD, must I call for help?
But you do not listen! I cry, but you do not come to save.
The wicked far outnumber the righteous,
And justice is perverted with bribes and trickery. (NLT)
With all the problems that the human race is faced with today, I find it rather easy to understand why so many of the world’s people are crying out to God for help. And I believe the reason we cry out to God is because when we finally admit that man is incapable of fixing the problems it becomes quite obvious that it will take the Almighty God to get us out of the mess we have created. What is hard to understand, though, is why our gracious and loving God does not seem to hear our many cries for help! No matter where in the world you live, your physical well being (the very life that God has given you) is threatened with each new day, and there seems to be no end in sight. This is the very reason, my dear friends, that we must take our concerns to the LORD, for His sovereignty allows Him to see and hear all the cries of His people (Psalm 34:15), and it is only through our faith and trust in Him that we will ever find the kind of peace that will help us persevere in this confusing and difficult life journey with joy in our hearts and the hope of better things to come (Romans 5:1-2).
The LORD God is the Creator. We were created for His purpose and to give Him glory. If we are to remain steadfast in His purpose, we must believe that “God is in control.” Our Father in heaven gives us all that we need to know—all that we can handle in this life. He desires that we come to Him with our concerns and question Him for knowledge and understanding, but what He does not want us to do; is to question His sovereignty.
Remember, my friends, we are all destined to suffer in this life, just as our Lord Jesus suffered, and just as Jesus was raised into eternal life with a new and glorious heavenly body, so will you if you would only believe and trust in Him no matter what this fallen world does! For you will not only find joy in this Truth, but He will also give you great strength and the peace (Psalm 29:11) to wait patiently for His return.
Truth That Speaks To My Heart
I hear your cry…My dear child, and I know all the difficulties you and My world faces. I Am the Creator and you must believe in Me and My purposes, for they are good and just. And as long as you cry out to Me, your Savior, I will give you all that you need to remain steadfast in your faith. Never doubt that all of My promises will remain true and that My faithful ones will surely share in the Glory that is due when My purposes are fulfilled.
Psalm 34:15
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. (NAS)
Romans 5:1-2
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. (NLT)
Psalm 29:11
The LORD will give strength to His people.
The LORD will bless His people with peace.
How long, O LORD, must I call for help?
But you do not listen! I cry, but you do not come to save.
The wicked far outnumber the righteous,
And justice is perverted with bribes and trickery. (NLT)
With all the problems that the human race is faced with today, I find it rather easy to understand why so many of the world’s people are crying out to God for help. And I believe the reason we cry out to God is because when we finally admit that man is incapable of fixing the problems it becomes quite obvious that it will take the Almighty God to get us out of the mess we have created. What is hard to understand, though, is why our gracious and loving God does not seem to hear our many cries for help! No matter where in the world you live, your physical well being (the very life that God has given you) is threatened with each new day, and there seems to be no end in sight. This is the very reason, my dear friends, that we must take our concerns to the LORD, for His sovereignty allows Him to see and hear all the cries of His people (Psalm 34:15), and it is only through our faith and trust in Him that we will ever find the kind of peace that will help us persevere in this confusing and difficult life journey with joy in our hearts and the hope of better things to come (Romans 5:1-2).
The LORD God is the Creator. We were created for His purpose and to give Him glory. If we are to remain steadfast in His purpose, we must believe that “God is in control.” Our Father in heaven gives us all that we need to know—all that we can handle in this life. He desires that we come to Him with our concerns and question Him for knowledge and understanding, but what He does not want us to do; is to question His sovereignty.
Remember, my friends, we are all destined to suffer in this life, just as our Lord Jesus suffered, and just as Jesus was raised into eternal life with a new and glorious heavenly body, so will you if you would only believe and trust in Him no matter what this fallen world does! For you will not only find joy in this Truth, but He will also give you great strength and the peace (Psalm 29:11) to wait patiently for His return.
Truth That Speaks To My Heart
I hear your cry…My dear child, and I know all the difficulties you and My world faces. I Am the Creator and you must believe in Me and My purposes, for they are good and just. And as long as you cry out to Me, your Savior, I will give you all that you need to remain steadfast in your faith. Never doubt that all of My promises will remain true and that My faithful ones will surely share in the Glory that is due when My purposes are fulfilled.
Psalm 34:15
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. (NAS)
Romans 5:1-2
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. (NLT)
Psalm 29:11
The LORD will give strength to His people.
The LORD will bless His people with peace.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
The Truth
Micah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, and to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God? (NAS)
We have such a gracious God (2 Chronicles 30:9), my dear friends; for He has never held back those things that bring about “right living” which not only pleases Him, but ourselves and others as well. The LORD our God gives us all that we need to live a righteous life in this world so that we can enjoy a holy life with Him forever in the next.
Is it such a difficult formula to understand? Is it so hard to act justly and show kindness to others? Is it possible to accept that there is a Power much greater than our own—a higher, Divine Power who is in control of our lives, and One we must bow down to?
None of these things takes someone of superior intelligence to comprehend, but it is because of our sin and prideful nature that these very things become extremely difficult to believe and act upon. Unfortunately, for those people who have never heard the words of God, the world is in control and it is the world that they submit to. For those who deny the existence of God, it is survival of the fittest that fuels their motivation. And for those who believe in God but refuse His sovereignty, they become their own gods and believe it is their right to control others for their own personal gain.
Believe this, my friends; that Satan, the ruler of all evil, has much power and control over our world, and has succeeded in deceiving many of its inhabitants into believing that God is dead and His Truth is not really the truth at all (1 John 2:22) . Too many people today believe that they have only one chance at life and, therefore, they must achieve all that they can while they can and sadly, if anyone stands in their way, they discard them and continue on with their quest with little or no remorse at all.
The ways of this world stand against the very fiber of God’s Being (Psalm 145:17), but when the His love fills your heart, you will find that acting justly with lovingkindness is the better way and when you walk humbly in faith, our loving and gracious LORD will honor that and bestow upon you the blessings of an eternal lifetime of peace and joy!
Truth That Speaks To My Heart
Come to Me…dear child, for I will show you the Way which leads to life. The ways of this fallen world are deceiving in their nature and will rob you of the life I have promised you. Don’t believe in the lies of the Enemy and his followers, because they may sound sweet to the ears but they are poison for your soul. Be humble, My child, and know that I Am your God. I went to the Cross for you. I paid the final price for your freedom. Hold tightly to this Truth and let it shine for all to see!
2 Chronicles 39:9
“For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful
and will not turn away His face from you, if you return to Him.” (ESV)
1 John 2:22
And who is the great liar? The one who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Such people are antichrists, for they have denied the Father and the Son. (NLT)
Psalm 145:17
The LORD is righteous in all His ways
and kind in all His works. (ESV)
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, and to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God? (NAS)
We have such a gracious God (2 Chronicles 30:9), my dear friends; for He has never held back those things that bring about “right living” which not only pleases Him, but ourselves and others as well. The LORD our God gives us all that we need to live a righteous life in this world so that we can enjoy a holy life with Him forever in the next.
Is it such a difficult formula to understand? Is it so hard to act justly and show kindness to others? Is it possible to accept that there is a Power much greater than our own—a higher, Divine Power who is in control of our lives, and One we must bow down to?
None of these things takes someone of superior intelligence to comprehend, but it is because of our sin and prideful nature that these very things become extremely difficult to believe and act upon. Unfortunately, for those people who have never heard the words of God, the world is in control and it is the world that they submit to. For those who deny the existence of God, it is survival of the fittest that fuels their motivation. And for those who believe in God but refuse His sovereignty, they become their own gods and believe it is their right to control others for their own personal gain.
Believe this, my friends; that Satan, the ruler of all evil, has much power and control over our world, and has succeeded in deceiving many of its inhabitants into believing that God is dead and His Truth is not really the truth at all (1 John 2:22) . Too many people today believe that they have only one chance at life and, therefore, they must achieve all that they can while they can and sadly, if anyone stands in their way, they discard them and continue on with their quest with little or no remorse at all.
The ways of this world stand against the very fiber of God’s Being (Psalm 145:17), but when the His love fills your heart, you will find that acting justly with lovingkindness is the better way and when you walk humbly in faith, our loving and gracious LORD will honor that and bestow upon you the blessings of an eternal lifetime of peace and joy!
Truth That Speaks To My Heart
Come to Me…dear child, for I will show you the Way which leads to life. The ways of this fallen world are deceiving in their nature and will rob you of the life I have promised you. Don’t believe in the lies of the Enemy and his followers, because they may sound sweet to the ears but they are poison for your soul. Be humble, My child, and know that I Am your God. I went to the Cross for you. I paid the final price for your freedom. Hold tightly to this Truth and let it shine for all to see!
2 Chronicles 39:9
“For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful
and will not turn away His face from you, if you return to Him.” (ESV)
1 John 2:22
And who is the great liar? The one who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Such people are antichrists, for they have denied the Father and the Son. (NLT)
Psalm 145:17
The LORD is righteous in all His ways
and kind in all His works. (ESV)
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Grace of Hope
Joel 2:21, 23
Don’t be afraid, my people! Be glad now and rejoice
because the LORD has done great things.
Rejoice in the LORD your God! For the rains He sends
are an expression of His grace. (NLT)
I think I can speak for the multitudes of people around the world when I say that it is not hard for the world we live in to discourage and get us down, and that Christian people are certainly not immune to the hardships of living in a fallen world. I believe that when it comes to the perseverance of trials in this hard and difficult life, the most obvious difference between people who are Christians and those who are not is this: the Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit and has the only Hope for a better tomorrow, which is (in this day and time) a reason to truly rejoice. And the reason Christians world wide can rejoice and be glad, my friends, is because they can confidently live each and everyday relying on God’s unending grace; for they have learned that relying on the world’s view for hope is not only disappointing, but has devastating consequences as well.
When people begin to know and understand the Christian Faith, they start relying on God’s sovereignty (instead of their own abilities) to get them through the difficult choices that must be made, for they know and believe that He does great and amazing things for those who put their trust in Him. We live in a world of uncertainties that threaten us everyday of our lives, but this should not keep you discouraged and fearful, dear friends, because just as the rain God sends to sustains us, so do the everyday miracles of His gracious favor. By trusting and relying on the LORD our God, there is really no need to fear this world (Psalm 27:1) and what it can do to you, because no matter what your circumstances may be, the Lord’s grace will always be more than sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9), and nothing can ever separate you from His unconditional, abounding love (Romans 8:38-39).
Truth That Speaks To My Heart
Walk boldly with Me…my child, for when you do My Light will shine through the heavy darkness which surrounds you. Do not be afraid and live in fear, because this will not only take away the joy of living, but it also robs you of the joyful hope for an amazing future. Oh, the plans I have for you, dear child, plans that you cannot imagine—plans that have no end!
Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? (ESV)
2 Corinthians 12:9
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (ESV)
Romans 8:38
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. (NLT)
Don’t be afraid, my people! Be glad now and rejoice
because the LORD has done great things.
Rejoice in the LORD your God! For the rains He sends
are an expression of His grace. (NLT)
I think I can speak for the multitudes of people around the world when I say that it is not hard for the world we live in to discourage and get us down, and that Christian people are certainly not immune to the hardships of living in a fallen world. I believe that when it comes to the perseverance of trials in this hard and difficult life, the most obvious difference between people who are Christians and those who are not is this: the Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit and has the only Hope for a better tomorrow, which is (in this day and time) a reason to truly rejoice. And the reason Christians world wide can rejoice and be glad, my friends, is because they can confidently live each and everyday relying on God’s unending grace; for they have learned that relying on the world’s view for hope is not only disappointing, but has devastating consequences as well.
When people begin to know and understand the Christian Faith, they start relying on God’s sovereignty (instead of their own abilities) to get them through the difficult choices that must be made, for they know and believe that He does great and amazing things for those who put their trust in Him. We live in a world of uncertainties that threaten us everyday of our lives, but this should not keep you discouraged and fearful, dear friends, because just as the rain God sends to sustains us, so do the everyday miracles of His gracious favor. By trusting and relying on the LORD our God, there is really no need to fear this world (Psalm 27:1) and what it can do to you, because no matter what your circumstances may be, the Lord’s grace will always be more than sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9), and nothing can ever separate you from His unconditional, abounding love (Romans 8:38-39).
Truth That Speaks To My Heart
Walk boldly with Me…my child, for when you do My Light will shine through the heavy darkness which surrounds you. Do not be afraid and live in fear, because this will not only take away the joy of living, but it also robs you of the joyful hope for an amazing future. Oh, the plans I have for you, dear child, plans that you cannot imagine—plans that have no end!
Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? (ESV)
2 Corinthians 12:9
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (ESV)
Romans 8:38
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. (NLT)
Sunday, September 12, 2010
A God Unlike Any Other
Isaiah 64:4, 8
For since the world began, no ear has heard,
and no eye has seen a God like You,
who works for those who wait for Him!
And yet, LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, and You are the potter.
We are all formed by Your hand. (NLT)
We can choose to believe it or not, but the LORD Almighty is the God and Creator of everything that exists. And unlike everything else that He has made, our God specially created us as His children by breathing the Spirit of life into our souls. (Genesis 2:7).
Although God chose Abraham to father the nation of Israel to be His people (Genesis 17:5), we are all children of the Sovereign God who takes a personal interest in every person that He forms with His hands. Our God has always been and always will be a relational being. And because He is a Father who does what is best for His children, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to be the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb so that all believers, both Jewish and Gentile, can share in the inheritance He has promised.
We have, my friends, a majestic Father in Heaven who has created a universe so big that it will take an eternity to discover it all. We also have a God who is unlike any other god, for His Spirit is alive in everyone who calls Him “Abba” and because of His great love for us; He has chosen to share the glory of His inheritance with His children. (Romans 8:15-17).
Truth That Speaks To My Heart
You are My child…and I love you as if you were My only one. There is nothing that can separate my love from you. I formed you in your mother’s womb, making each cell that became who you are. You are as unique as you are special. I have provided everything that you will need to live in this life as well as in the next. So never doubt, my child, for I Am who I say I Am, and by believing in this, you will share in the inheritance that has been set aside for you alone.
Genesis 2:7
Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground.
He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man
became a living person. (NLT)
Genesis 17:5, 7
“What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram; now you will be known as Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.
I will continue this everlasting covenant between us, generation after generation. It will continue between me and your offspring forever. And I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. (NLT)
Romans 8:15-17
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry our, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (NKJ)
For since the world began, no ear has heard,
and no eye has seen a God like You,
who works for those who wait for Him!
And yet, LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, and You are the potter.
We are all formed by Your hand. (NLT)
We can choose to believe it or not, but the LORD Almighty is the God and Creator of everything that exists. And unlike everything else that He has made, our God specially created us as His children by breathing the Spirit of life into our souls. (Genesis 2:7).
Although God chose Abraham to father the nation of Israel to be His people (Genesis 17:5), we are all children of the Sovereign God who takes a personal interest in every person that He forms with His hands. Our God has always been and always will be a relational being. And because He is a Father who does what is best for His children, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to be the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb so that all believers, both Jewish and Gentile, can share in the inheritance He has promised.
We have, my friends, a majestic Father in Heaven who has created a universe so big that it will take an eternity to discover it all. We also have a God who is unlike any other god, for His Spirit is alive in everyone who calls Him “Abba” and because of His great love for us; He has chosen to share the glory of His inheritance with His children. (Romans 8:15-17).
Truth That Speaks To My Heart
You are My child…and I love you as if you were My only one. There is nothing that can separate my love from you. I formed you in your mother’s womb, making each cell that became who you are. You are as unique as you are special. I have provided everything that you will need to live in this life as well as in the next. So never doubt, my child, for I Am who I say I Am, and by believing in this, you will share in the inheritance that has been set aside for you alone.
Genesis 2:7
Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground.
He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man
became a living person. (NLT)
Genesis 17:5, 7
“What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram; now you will be known as Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.
I will continue this everlasting covenant between us, generation after generation. It will continue between me and your offspring forever. And I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. (NLT)
Romans 8:15-17
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry our, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (NKJ)
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Isaiah 57:15
The high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, the Holy One, says this:
“I live in that high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite
and humble. I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with
repentant hearts.” (NLT)
Our God is a faithful God, my friends, One who does everything He promises His children (Deuteronomy 7:9). Knowing that the God of all creation is always faithful with His children as He closely watches over them, is indeed refreshing, especially in this dark and troubling world that wants to swallow you up. When we humbly admit that our hearts are wicked by nature and that we need God’s forgiveness and grace to change, our gracious and loving God will not only comfort us, but give us both the courage and strength( Psalm 46:1) to fight the battle for our souls. Having a deep desire to change our hearts and minds so that we can life a godly life that brings glory to God in the highest is not an easy task for anyone, especially for those of us who have lived most of our lives apart from God. Changing the way we think and act from a world view to a godly view can be a difficult journey indeed, for the evil that consumes this world is a powerful force to be reckoned with, and one that is very hard to break away from.
My dear friends, our Mighty Lord promises us victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:57), but in order to secure this promise we must rely on Him for the courage and strength, because our own abilities will never sustain us in battle. Let Him, your Redeemer and Refresher, do what only He can do—give you renewed hope when you fail, and the courage to walk humbly in faith knowing that the victory is yours.
Truth That Speaks To My Heart
Rely on Me…My dear child, for I will never fail you nor will I ever forsake you. I will refresh you with the Living Water that sustains you, for I know the weariness this life-journey brings you. Take My hand and walk Home with Me, child, for there is no One else that knows the Way. And there is no One else who can provide everything you will need for this difficult and dangerous journey to the Home where you truly belong!
Deuteronomy 7:7
“Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who deeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” (NASB)
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble. (NLT)
1 Corinthians 15:57
How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death
through Jesus Christ our Lord! (NLT)
The high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, the Holy One, says this:
“I live in that high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite
and humble. I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with
repentant hearts.” (NLT)
Our God is a faithful God, my friends, One who does everything He promises His children (Deuteronomy 7:9). Knowing that the God of all creation is always faithful with His children as He closely watches over them, is indeed refreshing, especially in this dark and troubling world that wants to swallow you up. When we humbly admit that our hearts are wicked by nature and that we need God’s forgiveness and grace to change, our gracious and loving God will not only comfort us, but give us both the courage and strength( Psalm 46:1) to fight the battle for our souls. Having a deep desire to change our hearts and minds so that we can life a godly life that brings glory to God in the highest is not an easy task for anyone, especially for those of us who have lived most of our lives apart from God. Changing the way we think and act from a world view to a godly view can be a difficult journey indeed, for the evil that consumes this world is a powerful force to be reckoned with, and one that is very hard to break away from.
My dear friends, our Mighty Lord promises us victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:57), but in order to secure this promise we must rely on Him for the courage and strength, because our own abilities will never sustain us in battle. Let Him, your Redeemer and Refresher, do what only He can do—give you renewed hope when you fail, and the courage to walk humbly in faith knowing that the victory is yours.
Truth That Speaks To My Heart
Rely on Me…My dear child, for I will never fail you nor will I ever forsake you. I will refresh you with the Living Water that sustains you, for I know the weariness this life-journey brings you. Take My hand and walk Home with Me, child, for there is no One else that knows the Way. And there is no One else who can provide everything you will need for this difficult and dangerous journey to the Home where you truly belong!
Deuteronomy 7:7
“Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who deeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” (NASB)
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble. (NLT)
1 Corinthians 15:57
How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death
through Jesus Christ our Lord! (NLT)
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Faithful and Righteous Is He
September 4, 2010
Psalm 145:13, 14
The LORD is faithful in all He says;
He is gracious in all He does.
The LORD helps the fallen
and lifts up those bent beneath their loads.
I have heard that the Christian faith is nothing more than a crutch to lean upon (Halleluiah!) or a cop-out when things get tough. What many non-believers do not seem to get is that we humans are extremely weak and fragile when compared to the reality of this fallen world, which is ruled by the seen and unseen forces that hate God and everything He stands for, and that we all need something greater than ourselves or anything the world has to offer when this reality shows its ugly head (2 Peter 1:2-4).
As God’s created beings, we depend on Him for everything we need to sustain us, both our physical needs as well as our spiritual needs (Acts 17:25). It is only by His grace that we have everything we need (2 Corinthians 12:9) and it is out of His abundant love that He watches over us (including those who want nothing to do with Him or His ways). Much like a human creator does with his creation, our sovereign God, even more so, carefully puts us together with His loving hands wanting only the best for His people by perfecting in us what we were intended to do; and that, my friends, is giving Him glory in all that we do. And we can be assured that when something goes wrong, He is right there doing what He does best—fixing us, the most precious of all His amazing creation, so that we can, one day, share in His Majestic Glory.
Truth That Speaks To My Heart
You are…the most precious of all My creation and I will care for you above all else. But in order for Me to do this you must pledge your allegiance to Me, alone. Remember, My child, the world hated me first and will continue to do so, but fear not, for I have overcome the world and will protect you until its time for you to come Home. Remember, my child, that I Am not only your Provider, but your Redeemer as well, and all that I promise is true—even in the midst your darkest hour.
2 Peter 1:2-4
As we know Jesus better, His divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive His own glory and goodness! And by that same mighty power, He has given us all of His rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in His Divine Nature. (NLT)
Acts 17:25
He Himself gives life and breath to everything,
and He satisfies every need there is. (NLT)
2 Corinthians 12:9
“My gracious favor is all you need.” (NLT)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)