You Must Get Rid Of The Sin!

...you must get rid of the sin that is ruining your lives.
-- Jeremiah 4:3 (NET)

Lord, as this old year gives way to the new one, help us to know that the best example of "out with the old and in with the new" is when we choose to rid ourselves of our sin that ruins our lives and to clothe ourselves with Your righteousness that renews our souls. In Jesus' name. Amen.

What can wash away my sin? NOTHING..... but the Blood of Jesus!

Deo Volente -- Whatever God Wants!
Grateful

Don't Be Discouraged By The Way Things Appear

Lord, help me to trust in you and in what you are doing and can do and not be discouraged by the way things can appear.
-- A Young Believer named Jessica from Bulgaria

Indeed, our lives are guided by faith, not by sight.
-- 2 Corinthians 5:7 (GWT)

Click here: We Still Believe/Kathryn Scott/Hard To Watch Faith Video

Live By Faith! Die In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

Beer & Wine Are For Those Who Have Lost All Hope.

With the New Year approaching and all of the so-called "celebrations" on the horizon just ahead of us, I thought I would take a moment and just wave the warning lantern in hopes of helping some who read this post to minimize future regrets. Straight from the Bible, these are the words I share about the dangers of promiscuity and alcohol consumption:

What King Lemuel's Mother Taught Him

(1) These are the sayings that King Lemuel of Massa was taught by his mother. (2) My son Lemuel, you were born in answer to my prayers, so listen carefully. (3) Don't waste your life chasing after women! This has ruined many kings. (4) Kings and leaders should not get drunk or even want to drink. (5) Drinking makes you forget your responsibilities, and you mistreat the poor. (6) Beer and wine are only for the dying or for those who have lost all hope. (7) Let them drink and forget how poor and miserable they feel.
-- Proverbs 31:1-7 (CEV)

Deo Volente -- Whatever God Wants!
Grateful

Come Back To Me For Sin's Cure

Come back to Me, you wayward people. I want to cure your waywardness. Say, "Here we are. We come to You because You are the Lord our God."
-- Jeremiah 3:22 (NET)

But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.
-- 1 John 1:7 (NLT)

Lord, I give thanks because You not only sent Your Son to forgive me of my sins, yes to wash away my sinful deeds and evil actions, but You also gave Your Son to cure me of my Sin. Yes, by His Blood, Jesus also came to cleanse me of my sinful disposition and egotistical attitude. Let me never forget that Your amazing grace is not only a covering for my sins, but also a power that cures me of Sin. Thanks for being willing to give Your precious life's Blood to cleanse me of what was killing me, Sin. Yes, You in essence became Sin, Who knew no Sin, so I could become Your righteousness. You gave Your wonderful life to cure me of my waywardness. In the Name of Jesus, I accept Your cure and I am forever grateful. Amen.

Click here: Nothing But The Blood - Matt Redman - YouTube

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Turn To Me Before You Are In Trouble

Yes, they have turned away from Me instead of turning to Me.
Yet when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come and save us!’
-- From Jeremiah 2:27 (NET)

Lord, help us to turn to You everyday all-the-time. Yes, not just when the days grow dim, but also during the days of delight give us a desire to look to You. Give us a hunger to know You intimately in every instance, not just when we are in trouble. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Deo Volente -- Whatever God Wants!
Grateful

The Saddest Day Of The Year? December 26.

In C.S Lewis' Land of Narnia language, one line is so very sad:
It was always winter, but Christmas never came.

If you know me, you know that I really love Christmas. In many ways, as I look ahead, Christmas is that most wonderful time of the year that helps get me through each winter, and even through each day on the calendar for that matter. Yes, day-after-day and year-after-year, I personally look forward to the whole Christmas Advent season. In fact, from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas at midnight, I feel most alive as a human being. And, so, it's obvious, I'm sure, that Christmas Day is my most favorite day on the calendar.

In this same way, my daughter is surely her daddy's child. Last night, Christmas Night, I sent my daughter a message after she had arrived back at her home having spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with us. I said, "Merry Christmas. Only 55 minutes of Christmas 2011 left." Her message back to me was, "The day after Christmas is the saddest day of the year." I agree. I know you can get-all-spiritual on me and tell me "why the day after Christmas should not be the saddest day of the year". Still, I agree with my daughter, in that, emotionally speaking, because after awaking on the day after Christmas we are the very farthest we can be from the next Christmas Day, December 26 has to be, hands down, the saddest day of the year. So, for my daughter and her daddy, the case is closed. We just accept the fact and begin focusing forward to, you got it, December 25 again.

Still, on this morning after Christmas Day, I have been thanking God that, for us, "it is not always winter" and especially I am most grateful that "Christmas always comes where we live". So, my emotions are encouraged because in *364 more days, Lord willing, that most wonderful day of the year will come again. (* Actually 365 more days since 2012 is a leap year and has 366 days. Oh, well.)

Some say, "Christmas? It's just another day". To which I totally disagree, because Christmas Day is not just another day. Christmas is "The Day" that we celebrate The Birth of Hope. Yes, on Christmas Day, Hope was born in Bethlehem so we could get through all of the other days on planet earth, until someday we see the face of our King Jesus. Then He will take us to His Heavenly Home, where I have absolutely no doubt that it will be like CHRISTMAS ALL-THE-TIME, YES CHRISTMAS DAY EVERYDAY!

As Christmas 2011 is becoming an evaporating memory in our rear view mirrors, I think it would be good to share together in one more upbeat Christmas Carol. Click below and give thanks for Christmas Day and especially for The Christ Child.

Click here: Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord - Boney M - YouTube

ALL JOY TO YOUR WORLD!
Grateful

The Bethlehem Boy Brings Beautiful Joy!

BE BEAUTIFULLY BLESSED AT CHRISTMASTIME & BEYOND!

Shepherds watching… Night falling…

Angel appearing… Glory glowing…

Shepherds shaking… Good News given…

Great Joy promised… Bethlehem honored…

Shepherds humbled… Angels announcing…

Glory heightened… Peace resting…

Shepherds excited… Angels exiting…

Baby entering… Mary treasuring…

Shepherds returning… Shepherds glorifying…

Shepherds praising… Shepherds telling,

Dark ages are history! Light years are here!

THE BETHLEHEM BOY BRINGS BEAUTIFUL JOY!

Click here: Sarah McLachlan "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" - YouTube

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Grateful

Silver And Gold

The silver is mine, and the gold is Mine, declares the LORD of hosts.
-- Haggai 2:8 (ESV)

Click here: Silver & Gold - YouTube -- Burl Ives

MERRY CHRISTMAS.... Deo Volente (Whatever God Wants)!
Grateful

Whose Are You?

Finally, my dear friends, be glad that you belong to the Lord.
-- From Philippians 3:1 (CEV)

Click here: Larnelle Harris Live - I Can Be Glad - YouTube

These seven words from 2 Timothy 2:19. encourage my soul:
The Lord knows those who are His...

I am not my own. I belong to Christ!
Grateful

Who Can Be Trusted?

I alone am the God Who can be trusted.
-- From Isaiah 65:16 (CEV)

Today, Lord, we know as we place all of our trust in You, that Your mercies are renewed towards us. As new challenges arise on the horizons of our lives, encourage our hearts in knowing that Your compassions are also replenishing on our behalf. It's true, on Christ The Solid Rock we stand, all other ground is sinking sand. Amen.

Click here: On Christ the Solid Rock - YouTube

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

The Only God -- There Is None Like You

You are the only God ever seen or heard of who works miracles for His followers.
-- Isaiah 64:4 (CEV)

Click here: I Worship You, Almighty God (There is none like you)- Sondra Corbett - YouTube

My Dad and I are in the waiting room at the hospital. Not a favorite place to be at Christmastime, but we sense God's favor anyway.

Mom had hip surgery on Monday after she missed the bottom step coming down the stairs Sunday morning at 6 a.m. She thought her pain was only her arthritis, but later in the day after an ambulance ride to the Emergency Room, we learned her hip was indeed fractured. Recovery and rehabilitation are underway now. Her pain has been intense.

Dad and I are interceding in quiet prayer as the nurses are attempting to get Mom on her feet in her room. When I sat down, I plugged in my computer to listen to God's Word through my ear phones. I glanced over at Dad and he had the Gideon's Holy Bible open in his hand. Like his Mother, my Granny Margery, Dad whispers audibly when he reads "silently". Seeing my Dad whispering God's Word as I listen to God's Word warms my heart. We have no one else to turn to but God. And, we need no one else.

Our God, You are The Only God. There is None Like You! In Jesus' Name. Amen.

ALL JOY TO YOUR WORLD!

Grateful

Our Hero Has Won The Battle

Who is this Hero marching in His glorious uniform? "It's Mme, the LORD! I have won the battle, and I can save you!"
-- From Isaiah 63:1 (CEV)

Holiness unto The LORD!
Grateful

Mind-Reader

God can read your mind. He watches each of us and knows our thoughts.
-- From Proverbs 24:12 (CEV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Days of Sorrow Will End

I, the LORD, will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will come to an end.
-- Isaiah 60:20b (CEV)

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

It's Still The Greatest Story Ever Told

I must have inherited my love for Christmas music from my mother, Melba. I can still remember when I was a boy growing up in her presence and hearing her sing as she went about her housework. It's a wonderful heart-warming memory, especially hearing her sing Christmas music.

Last night Mom and Dad came to spend a few days with us. They are in their seventies now. I am humbled that they would drive 400-plus miles to spend time with us during this season of the year. As we talked last evening, eventually, the topic turned to, you guessed it, Christmas music.

Mom asked if I had ever heard the Christmas Song titled, "It's Still the Greatest Story Ever Told?" I had not heard it, but after searching on YouTube, I found it and played it for all of us to hear. It's a beautiful Christmas Song, indeed. And yes, Christmas, the story of Christ coming from Heaven to earth to save us from our sins, is still the greatest story ever told.

Listen for yourself:
Click here: Gaither Vocal Band - It's Still The Greatest Story Ever Told

Here are the written lyrics:

A woman and an angel, a promise and a song.
A word too grand for any mind to hold.
A tax law and a journey, a stable and some straw.
These tell the greatest story ever told.

Oh sing glory in the highest, He is come our great Messiah.
Come bow before this awesome mystery.
Mighty God and fragile baby, here a lowly manger holds.
And it's still the greatest story ever told.

A hillside and some shepherds, a blaze of blinding light.
Angels singing carols in the cold.
Eternal revelation to men as dull as stone.
The glorious, greatest story ever told.

Oh sing glory in the highest, He is come our great Messiah.
Come bow before this awesome mystery.
Mighty God and fragile baby, here a lowly manger holds.
And it's still the greatest story ever told.

Oh sing glory in the highest, He is come our great Messiah.
Come bow before this awesome mystery.
Mighty God and fragile baby, here a lowly manger holds.
And it's still the greatest story ever told.

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

What It Really Means To Worship The Lord

(6)I'll tell you what it really means to worship the LORD. Remove the chains of prisoners who are chained unjustly. Free those who are abused! (7) Share your food with everyone who is hungry; share your home with the poor and homeless. Give clothes to those in need; don't turn away your relatives. (8) Then your light will shine like the dawning sun, and you will quickly be healed. Your honesty will protect you as you advance, and the glory of the LORD will defend you from behind. (9) When you beg the LORD for help, He will answer, "Here I am!"
-- Isaiah 58:6-9 (CEV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

"I Am Here to Help!" -- Our Holy God

(15) Our Holy God lives forever in the highest heavens, and this is what He says: Though I live high above in the holy place, I am here to help those who are humble and depend only on me."
-- Isaiah 57:15 (CEV)

Click here: He is Here - Gaither Vocal Band - YouTube

Holiness unto the LORD!
Grateful

God Is Near. Breathe.

(6) Turn to the LORD! He can still be found. Call out to God! He is near. (7) Give up your crooked ways and your evil thoughts. Return to the LORD our God. He will be merciful and forgive your sins.
-- Isaiah 55:6-7 (CEV)

Click here: Michael W Smith - Breathe w/lyrics - YouTube

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Greedy, Indecent, Immoral.

Being greedy, indecent, or immoral is just another way of worshiping idols. You can be sure that people who behave in this way will never be part of the kingdom that belongs to Christ and to God.
-- Ephesians 5:5 (CEV)

Lord, I want to be generous, not greedy.
I want my life to be sacred, not indecent.
And please make me holy, lest I be immoral.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Who Are You Counting On And Longing For?

(5) I am counting on the Lord;
yes, I am counting on Him.
I have put my hope in His word.
(6) I long for the Lord
more than sentries long for the dawn,
yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.
-- Psalm 130:5-6 (NLT)

Click here: O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Daves Highway 2011

Lord, Your Presence is the Promise that demands my desires.
I love You, Lord, because You first loved me.
In Jesus' name. Amen

Lord, I want to know You more and more and more...
Grateful

When Others Insult You?

Don't be discouraged when others insult you and say hurtful things.

-- Isaiah 51:7 (CEV)

Holiness Unto The Lord!
Grateful

The Way Things Can Appear

It's 2:30 a.m. or so where I live and these thoughts I've heard and read are wondrously keeping me awake:

Lord, help me to trust in you and in what you are doing and can do and not be discouraged by the way things can appear.
-- Jessica, Bulgaria

For we walk by faith, not by sight...
-- 2 Corinthians 5;7 (KJV)

Click here: Rich Mullins: The just shall live - YouTube

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

P.S. Good Night! Indeed!

You Made God's Love Disappear.

I have never heard a more direct-to-the-heart and power-packed question and answer than when I recently heard this question and answer recorded in God's Word:

If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.
-- 1 John 3:17 (MSG)

Lord, don't let me allow Your Love to disappear in my circles of influence.
Grateful

Humbled. Overwhelmed. At Peace.

Tonight, as I was entering our local church sanctuary to be joyously blessed by The Annie Moses Band as they performed almost two hours of Christmas music during this glorious Advent Season, I found myself praying this rest-filled prayer:

Lord, I am humbled because of Your new mercy.
I am overwhelmed because of Your amazing grace.
I am at peace because of Your abiding presence.
Amen. Amen. Amen.

Click here: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Annie Moses Band

A Mighty and Merry Christmas To You!
Grateful

Stop Living Stupid. Be Truly Holy.

(17) As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people. (18) Their minds are in the dark, and they are stubborn and ignorant and have missed out on the life that comes from God. They no longer have any feelings about what is right, (19) and they are so greedy that they do all kinds of indecent things. (20-21) But that isn't what you were taught about Jesus Christ. He is the truth, and you heard about Him and learned about Him. (22) You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. (23) Let the Spirit change your way of thinking (24) and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please Him and be truly holy.
-- Ephesians 4:17-24 (CEV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

You Won't Be Disappointed If...

I am the LORD. You won't be disappointed if you trust Me.
-- Isaiah 49:23b (CEV)

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Graterful

He Was Here Before Time Began! He Is!

Come closer and listen! I have never kept secret the things I have said, and I was here before time began.
-- God's Claim in Isaiah 48:16 (CEV)

Click here: Aaron Jeoffrey--"He Is" - YouTube

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Hearts United

(2b) Patiently put up with each other and love each other. (3) Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace.
-- Ephesians 4:2b-3 (CEV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

You Felt... You... Were In Control?

(10) You hid behind evil like a shield and said, "No one can see me!" You were fooled by your wisdom and your knowledge; you felt sure that you alone were in full control.
-- Isaiah 47:10 (CEV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

When You Are Old And Gray

(3) You survivors in Israel, listen to Me, the LORD. Since the day you were born, I have carried you along. (4) I will still be the same when you are old and gray, and I will take care of you. I created you. I will carry you and always keep you safe. (5) Can anyone compare with Me? Is anyone My equal?
-- Isaiah 46:3-5 (CEV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

The Messiah May Dwell In Your Hearts

(16) I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, (17) and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love...
-- Ephesians 3:16-17 (HCS)

Cast out our sin and enter in. Be born in us today.
-- O Little Town of Bethlehem

Click here: Sarah McLachlan "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" - YouTube

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

O What A Savior! YOUR SAVIOR!

I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed (saved) you.
-- Isaiah 44:22 (HCS)

(10) The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, a message that will fill everyone with joy. (11) Today YOUR SAVIOR, Christ the Lord, was born in David’s city. (12) This is how you will recognize him: You will find an infant wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”
-- Luke 2:10-12 (GWT)

Last night as Pastor James Spruill and I were leaving the church parking lot following one of our Christmas Advent Season Revival services, gratitude for God's faithfulness was overflowing from both of our hearts. Pastor James exclaimed, "If I was a singer, I would have broken out loudly at the end of the altar time with the old hymn 'O What A Savior!"

Click here: Brian Free & Assurance-Oh What a Savior - YouTube

Here are the lyrics to that beloved hymn written by Marvin Dalton:

Once I was straying in sin's dark valley,
No hope within could I see,
But up in Heaven there is a Savior,
who saved a poor lost soul like me,

O what a Savior, O hallelujah!
His heart was broken on Calvary,
His hands were nail scarred,
His side was riven,
He gave His life-blood for even me.

He left the Father with all His riches,
With calmness sweet and serene,
Came down from Heaven and gave His life-blood,
To make the vilest sinner clean.

O what a Savior, O hallelujah!
His heart was broken on Calvary,
His hands were nail scarred,
His side was riven,
He gave His life-blood for even me.

Death's chilly waters I'll soon be crossing,
His hand will lead me safe o'er,
I'll join the chorus in that great city,
And sing up there forever more.

O what a Savior, O hallelujah!
His heart was broken on Calvary,
His hands were nail scarred,
His side was riven,
He gave His life-blood for even me.

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

You Have Burdened Me With Your Sins

But you have burdened Me with your sins;
you have wearied Me with your iniquities.
-- God's Cry in Isaiah 43:24b (HCS)

Lord forgive! Lord forbid! Lord, give us a holy hunger to live lives apart from sinning against You and give us hearts aflame with holy fire to worship only You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled.
-- Matthew 5:6 (HCS)

Click here: Hungry (Falling On My Knees) - Kathryn Scott - YouTube

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

"I Am Your King!" Yes, You Are My King!

Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.
-- Matthew 2:2 (HCS)

I am the LORD, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.
-- Isaiah 43:15 (HCS)

Lord, it seems in this verse You are crying out to me personally:
"I am your Lord, your Holy One, your King.
Worship Me. Know Me. Serve Me."

Click here: You Are My King (worship video w/ lyrics) - YouTube

Yes, You Are My King!
Grateful

Go Through

Many things in life you cannot go around, you just have to go through them.
-- James Spruill

Through many dangers, toil, and snares
I have already come...
-- The Hymn, Amazing Grace

Grateful

Access. No Longer Foreigners. Sanctuary.

(17) When Christ came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. (18) For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. (19) So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God's household, (20) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. (21) The whole building is being fitted together in Him and is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, (22) in whom you also are being built together for God's dwelling in the Spirit.
-- Ephesians 2:17-22 (HCS)

Click here: Sanctuary - Worship Video w/ lyrics Randy Rothwell

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

You Were Dead. You Are Saved.

(1) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins (2) in which you previously walked according to this worldly age, according to the ruler of the atmospheric domain, the spirit now working in the disobedient. (3) We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and by nature we were children under wrath, as the others were also. (4) But God, who is abundant in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, (5) made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. By grace you are saved!
-- Ephesians 2:1-5 (HCS)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Thankful That I Have & Need No Other Savior

(10) No god was formed before Me,
and there will be none after Me.
(11) I, I am the LORD,
and there is no other Savior but Me.
-- Isaiah 43:10-11 (HCS)

Lord, I am so thankful that I have no other Savior and I need no other Savior but YOU!

Click here: Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart - YouTube

Because of my Lord, it is truly a Happy Thanksgiving!
I have a Grateful heart, Indeed!

P.S. My favorite Thanksgiving Story at link below:

Click here: Are You Ready For The King's Thanksgiving?

Seeing Many Things, Surrendering Everything

Though seeing many things, you do not obey.
-- Isaiah 42:20 (HCS)

Lord, I want my eyes to have Your perspective and my heart to also be willing to totally obey Your desires. I know that seeing what You want is not enough. I must surrender to what You want. In Your Holy Name, make it so in my never-dying soul. Amen.

Click here: Michael W Smith/Coalo Zamorano/I Surrender All

Seeing Many Things, I Surrender Everything... to You, My LORD!
Grateful

Hear. See. Obey.

Though seeing many things, you do not obey.
-- Isaiah 42:20 (HCS)

Lord, give to me at all times ears to hear Your voice, eyes to see Your vision, and a hunger to obey Your desires, totally. Make it difficult for me to disobey Your desires. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

In The Bleak Midwinter (Warmth For The Soul)

On a late night ride home from the airport, I replayed this song on my car stereo at least a dozen times. Though winter is approaching, it was a tender season of warmth for my soul, yes a real joy ride for sure. I pray the lyrics will also now warm your heart:

Click here: In The Bleak Midwinter - James Taylor - YouTube

"In the Bleak MidWinter"
(Original words written as a poem: Christina Rosetti)

In the bleak midwinter,
frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him,
nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter
a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels
may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
thronged the air;
But His mother only,
in her maiden bliss,
Worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him,
poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man,
I would do my part;
Yet what I can give Him: give my heart.

ALL JOY TO YOUR WORLD!
Grateful

I Will Hold You. I Will Keep You.

(6) "I, the LORD, have called you
for a righteous purpose,
and I will hold you by your hand.
I will keep you, and I make you
a covenant for the people
and a light to the nations,
(7) in order to open blind eyes,
to bring out prisoners from the dungeon,
and those sitting in darkness from the prison house.
(8) I am Yahweh, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
or my praise to idols.
(9) The past events have indeed happened.
Now I declare new events;
I announce them to you before they occur."
-- Isaiah 42:6-9 (HCS)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Stay Away From Deep Pits And Narrow Wells

(25) Let your father and mother have joy,
and let her who gave birth to you rejoice.
(26) My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe my ways.
(27) For a prostitute is a deep pit,
and a forbidden woman is a narrow well;
(28) indeed, she sets an ambush like a robber
and increases those among men who are unfaithful.
-- Proverbs 23:25-28 (HCS)

Holiness Unto the LORD!
Grateful

Those Who Have An Anxious Heart

(3A) Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
(4) Say to those who have an anxious heart,
"Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you."
-- Isaiah 35:3-4(ESV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Walk By The Spirit

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

...if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
-- Romans 8:13b (NLT)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

The Lord is Rising Up. Wait For Him.

(18) Therefore the LORD is waiting to show you mercy,
and is rising up to show you compassion,
for the LORD is a just God.
Happy are all who wait patiently for Him.
-- Isaiah 30:18 (HCS)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

The One Who Believes? Unshakable!

Therefore the Lord GOD said:
"Look, I have laid a stone in Zion,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
the one who believes will be unshakable."
-- Isaiah 28:16 (HCS)

Click here: On Christ the Solid Rock - YouTube

On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand!
Grateful

Quiet Confidence or Fast Horses?

(15) For the Lord GOD , the Holy One of Israel, has said:
"You will be delivered by returning and resting;
your strength will lie in quiet confidence.
But you are not willing."
(16) You say, "No!
We will escape on horses"—
therefore you will escape!—
and, "We will ride on fast horses"—
but those who pursue you will be faster.
(17) One thousand will flee at the threat of one,
at the threat of five you will flee,
until you alone remain
like a solitary pole on a mountaintop
or a banner on a hill.
-- Isaiah 30:15-17 (HCS)

Lord, we want to be found always entering into Your quiet confidence rather than ever attempting to escape Your Presence on fast horses.
Grateful

Your Life Is Like A Morning Fog...

Hear these sobering words from James 4:14-17 (NLT):

(14) How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog — it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.
(15) What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”
(16) Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.
(17) Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Only one life will soon be past,
and only what's done for Christ will last.
-- Message on wall at my Granny and Granddaddy's homeplace

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

Skidboot, One The Most Amazing And Obedient Of Men's Best Friends Ever

Lord willing, I will be preaching on obedience this coming Sunday at our local church. In doing the research for the message, I came across two of my favorite Youtube videos of all-time. Yes, watch these Youtubes of David Hartwig from Texas and his blue heeler dog named Skidboot. Skidboot is surely one of the most amazing and obedient of men's best friends ever.

Click here: The Amazing Skidboot - YouTube

Click here: Skidboot the Amazing Dog - YouTube

Oh yeah, and Luke 5:1-11 might encourage you and me towards obedience as well, so that Jesus can call us His "obedient friends" too:

(1) One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on Him to listen to the word of God. (2) He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. (3) Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So He sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. (4) When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” (5) “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” (6) And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! (7) A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. (8) When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” (9) For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. (10) His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” (11) And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. (NLT)

Let's Trust and Obey Jesus Totally!
Grateful

God Will Wipe Away Tears...

This morning my phone rang early with heart-wrenching news that a beloved husband and father in our local fellowship had passed away in the night. He was two years younger than me. As I made my way to the home to cry with his family, I needed God's Word to cling to. This passage continues to give me some measure of perspective and peace in the midst of the pain:

(8) He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
(9) It will be said on that day,
"Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him,
that He might save us.
This is the LORD; we have waited for Him;
let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation."
-- Isaiah 25:8-9 (ESV)

Click here: Matt Maher - Hold Us Together - YouTube

Please pray for the precious wife and the dear sons that this beloved husband and father left behind. Pray that they will sense that God is holding them together with His Love and that the Hope of a Glad Reunion Day will begin to appear clearly before them.

Your Love Will Hold Us Together, Lord Jesus!
Grateful

Really Live!

Did it ever occur to you, that life was/is meant to be... LIVED!?

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
-- Words of Jesus in John 10:10b (NIV)

For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.
-- Philippians 1:10 (NLT)

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
-- Ephesians 3:19 (NLT)

Let's Look to Jesus and Really Live!
Grateful

What Sorrow

(11) What sorrow for those who get up early in the morning
looking for a drink of alcohol
and spend long evenings drinking wine
to make themselves flaming drunk.
(12) They furnish wine and lovely music at their grand parties—
lyre and harp, tambourine and flute—
but they never think about the Lord
or notice what He is doing.
-- Isaiah 5:11-12 (NLT)

Lord, I never want to be so numb that I never think about You or notice what You are doing.
Grateful

In The Night...

(8) In the path of your judgments,
O LORD, we wait for you;
Your name and remembrance
are the desire of our soul.
(9) My soul yearns for You in the night;
my spirit within me earnestly seeks You.
-- Isaiah 26:8-9 (ESV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Grace Rain Down

I was truly blessed in October of 2011 to be invited to an overseas gathering for about 650 church leaders from Europe, Asia, and The Middle East. It was such a humbling and glorious experience for me. The worship leader, Dave, from Hamburg, Germany, wrote a theme song for the worship services. He was kind enough to share the song with me and our local church has now been singing it in our own worship gatherings. I share the lyrics with you now. Be blessed:

GRACE RAIN DOWN

1. We have come together, long to see You now
Nothing here is hidden, move Your Word in power
Jesus, breathe from heaven, fill Your Church with life
Grant us new beginnings, beautify Your Bride
With one voice we sing, sing to You, our King

Chorus:
Let Your grace rain down
On every city, every town
Fill the earth with Your renown
Let salvation come
To every tribe and every tongue
For the victory is won

2. We, the still and idle, humbly now repent
We need to be awakened by the One who sends
Re-ignite compassion, let the visions grow
Lead us to the margins, gladly we will go
So, our lives we bring, all to You, our King

Bridge:
May the love be shown and the seed be sown
May the bread be shared, broken lives repaired
May the rich ones give so the poor ones live
May the sick be healed, Christ the King revealed

Coda:
Let Your Kingdom come, Lord
Let it come in us
Let Your Kingdom come, Lord
Let it come through us

Written and Copyrighted by David Schnitter, 2011

His Grace is Enough!
Grateful

The Lord Will Make Himself Known

...He will send them a Savior and Defender, and deliver them (those who swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts). And the LORD will make Himself known...
-- From Isaiah 19:20-21 (ESV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Words Left Unsaid. Deeds Left Undone.

The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.
--Harriet Beecher Stowe

Click here: If I Had Only Known - Reba McEntire

Lord, help us to live lives that minimize future regrets in our relationships.
Grateful

Do You Not Realize?

(5) Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (6) I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.
-- 2 Corinthians 14:5-6 (ESV)

Christ in you, the hope of glory! (Col. 1:27b)
Grateful

In God I Trust

(3) When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
(4) In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?
(11) ...In God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
-- Psalm 56:3-4, 11 (ESV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Is Your All On The Altar?

In a precious conversation with my dear Christlike Mom, she reminded me of this old hymn. The lyrics are so searching:

You have longed for sweet peace,
And for faith to increase,
And have earnestly, fervently prayed;
But you cannot have rest,
Or be perfectly blest,
Until all on the altar is laid.

Refrain:
Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart does the Spirit control?
You can only be blest,
And have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.

Would you walk with the Lord,
In the light of His word,
And have peace and contentment alway?
You must do His sweet will,
To be free from all ill,
On the altar your all you must lay.

Oh, we never can know
What the Lord will bestow
Of the blessings for which we have prayed,
Till our body and soul
He doth fully control,
And our all on the altar is laid.

Who can tell all the love
He will send from above,
And how happy our hearts will be made;
Of the fellowship sweet
We shall share at His feet,
When our all on the altar is laid.

Holiness unto The LORD!
Grateful

His Resting Place

My prayer today is that you will know glorious rest
in the Lord Almighty's presence.
In Jesus' name. Amen.

...and His resting place shall be glorious.
-- From Isaiah 11:10 (ESV)

Holiness unto the LORD!
Grateful

He Will Sustain You

Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.
-- Psalm 55:22 (ESV)

Click here: Hold Me Jesus - Rich Mullins with lyrics. - YouTube

"Sustain" = "to bear up under"

Lord, unless You sustain me, all hope is gone.
You are my Rock. Hold me Jesus!
Grateful

If You Will Live For Him?

After an 18-day overseas trip and spending time with God's people across Europe, Asia, and The Middle East, this passage was strong on my mind this morning so I shared it with our local church at offering time. I hope it speaks to you God's peace that surpasses all understanding:

(31) So don't worry about having enough food or clothing. (32) Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your Heavenly Father already knows all your needs. (33) and He will give you all you need from day to day if you will live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.
-- Matthew 6:31-33 (NLT)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

To Keep Me From Becoming Conceited

(7) So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. (8) Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. (9) But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
-- 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (ESV)

By Faith! in Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

Hearts Aflame Discipleship Journey

Today, I, along with one of my partners in ministry, Pastor Vic, baptized 20 people in the Jordan River. Tonight, I am lost in wonder, love, and praise.

One of the ladies on this discipleship journey, Dara, read these words from Mark, Chapter 1, from God's Holy Word just before the sacred moments of baptism began:

(9) One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized Him in the Jordan River. (10) As Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on Him like a dove. (11) And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and You bring me great joy.” (12) The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, (13) where He was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of Him. (14) Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where He preached God’s Good News. (15) “The time promised by God has come at last!” He announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

It was a powerful day to say the least.

Now, as I post this blog content, I can hear the waves of The Sea of Galilee lapping along the seashore about 20 feet outside my hotel room window. In the morning we, like Jesus, will steadfastly set our faces to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51).

Our guide in The Holy Land, Johnny, said this to us earlier in the week: "Every believer should desire to visit the Holy Land of our Lord Jesus at least once in their lifetime." Indeed, being here lives up to the reputation that comes along with journeying through the Holy Land -- Yes, it most surely is like living within what has been called The 5th Gospel of The Bible.

I pray that wherever you are, the presence of the Man from Galilee will speak "Peace be still to your soul" and that your heart will be aflame with the beauty of His Holiness.

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Wait For The Lord

I will wait for the LORD,
Who is hiding his face...
and I will hope in him.
-- Isaiah 8:17 (ESV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Consider Others More Important Than Yourselves

(3) Don't be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. (4) Care about them as much as you care about yourselves (5) and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought. -- Philippians 2:3-5 (CEV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

I Will Not Forget You!

(14) But Zion said, “The Lord has abandoned me. My Lord has forgotten me.” (15) Can a woman forget her nursing child? Will she have no compassion on the child from her womb? Although mothers may forget, I will not forget you. (16) I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Your walls are always in my presence.
-- Isaiah 49:14-16

Remember Me. I Will Remember You! -- God
Grateful

If You Want To Boast?

(17) As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” (18) When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.
-- 2 Corinthians 10:17-18 (NLT)

Lord, I am not my own. I belong to You!
Grateful

How Should We Walk?

...let us walk in the light of the Lord!
-- From Isaiah 2:5 (NLT)

Lord, I want to BE LIGHT! GO SHINE!
Grateful

Give Up Your Evil Ways

Get your sins out of my sight.
Give up your evil ways.
-- From Isaiah 1:16 (NLT)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Apart From The Existence of God

Live your life in such a way that it makes no sense apart from the existence of God.
-- Rev. Philip McAllister, Ireland

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

No Prayer? No Life!

This week I am spending a few days with ministry leaders from some of the most difficult regions of the world. It has been a humbling experience. I was invited to this designated location during these days to refresh the hearts of God's people in hopes that His Church might be strengthened in the days to come in these difficult places.

Today, I was blessed to speak on prayer in two separate sessions and to conclude each session with prayer laboratories. The room was full both sessions, and in the final session people were sitting on the floor, leaning along the wall, and standing in the doorway. (Corporate hunger for God is such a wonderful thing to experience.) Sacred whispers, yes, a continuous holy hum could be heard the whole time we were together as multiple translators were interpreting the messages and the prayers in real time. One of the interpreters came up to me at the end of the final session with tear-lined eyes to say how much God had helped her heart during our time together. God's sweet presence was so faithful to melt our hearts together as one. Hallelujah!

Early in the day, a pastor's wife from a Middle Eastern nation gave me strength with this one simple, yet profound sentence:

If we don't pray, we don't live!

Do we pray? I mean, really, do we know God in intimate relationships?
No prayer? No life!
Grateful

Jesus... The Only One I Could Ever Live For!

Tonight, I was humbled and blessed to be a part of a worship celebration led by a choir of pure worshipers from The Commonwealth of Independent States (regions of the former Soviet Union). As they sang praises to the Lord, I wept. Indeed, I did! It was so moving!

My faith was refastened to My Redeemer. God's vision for my own life gloriously refocused. While it would be totally impossible to define this experience with mere words, I will share some of the lyrics from four of the songs this choir led the congregation in as we, people of many different nations, passionately worshiped our God of all nations:

One Way -- Jesus!
You're the only One I could ever live for!

Name above all names,
worthy of praise.

Everyone needs compassion,
Love that's never failing.

Savior!
He can move the mountains!
He is mighty to save!

Holiness unto The LORD!
Grateful

Real Is More Wonderful Than Cool

This prayerful thought has been on my mind many times lately:
Lord, I want my life to be positive proof that "being real in You" is more wonderful than "being cool on my own".

Yes Lord, I want Your Holy Spirit's presence within me to be a real and wonderful moment-by-moment witness of Your undeniable Love for, and existence on, planet earth. In Jesus' name. Amen.

As a matter of fact, John 3:16-17, is in my face-and-eyes right now: (16) God loved the people of this world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who has faith in Him will have eternal life and never really die. (17) God did not send His Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent Him to save them! (CEV)

Christ in you (me), the hope of glory.
-- Colossians 1:27b

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Guard Against Any Criticism

We are traveling together to guard against any criticism...
-- From 2 Corinthians 18:20 (NLT)

We are one in the Spirit!
Grateful

His Blessed Will

I longed to walk along an easy road,
And leave behind the dull routine of home,
Thinking in other fields to serve my God;
But Jesus said, “My time has not yet come.”

I longed to sow the seed in other soil,
To be unfettered in the work, and free,
To join with other labourers in their toil;
But Jesus said, “‘Tis not My choice for thee.”

I longed to leave the desert, and be led
To work where souls were sunk in sin and shame,
That I might win them; but the Master said,
“I have not called thee, publish here My name.”

I longed to fight the battles of my King,
Lift high His standards in the thickest strife;
But my great Captain bade me wait and sing
Songs of His conquests in my quiet life.

I longed to leave the uncongenial sphere,
Where all alone I seemed to stand and wait,
To feel I had some human helper near,
But Jesus bade me guard one lonely gate.

I longed to leave the round of daily toil,
Where no one seemed to understand or care;
But Jesus said, “I choose for thee this soil,
That thou might’st raise for Me some blossoms rare.”

And now I have no longing but (to be), to do
At home, or else afar, His blessed will,
To work amid the many or the few;
Thus, “choosing not to choose,” my heart is still.
–Selected (Streams in the Desert)

Lord, I only want to obey
Whenever I hear you say:
"It is time for you to go for Me,
Or it is time for you to stay!"
-- My Prayer

Deo Volente -- Whatever God Wants!
Grateful

Waiting On God Or Waiting For God?

When we wait on God, He is waiting until we are ready.
When we wait for God, we are waiting until He is ready.
-- Mrs. Charles Cowman, Streams in the Desert

So the Lord must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help.
-- Isaiah 30:18 (NLT)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Words About Freedom

Freedom is never more than one generation away from distinction.
-- President Ronald Reagan's words about a National Freedom

So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.
-- King Jesus' Words about Spiritual Freedom in John 8:36 (NLT)

Lord, thank You for giving to us freedom from sin.
Grateful

In Youth... In Age...

In youth we learn; in age we understand.
– Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, 19th century German writer/novelist

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. – The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:11 (NKJV)

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

The Privilege of Sharing

...they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing...
-- From 2 Corinthians 8:3-4 (NLT)

Lord, make me like You.
Make me like, You.
You were a servant.
Make me one, too.
O, Lord, I am willing,
Do what You must do,
To make me like You, Lord.
Please, make me like You!

God, You so loved the world that You Gave...
Grateful

Painful But Helpful

The words of the wise are like cattle prods — painful but helpful.
-- From Ecclesiastes 12:11 (NLT)

Give us the eyes of Your Spirit. Yes, Your Mind, Christ!
Grateful

One Sinner...

...one sinner can destroy much that is good.
-- Ecclessiastes 9:18b (NLT)

Lord, You gave Your Life for us so we could turn our hearts forever away from sinning to worshipping You always. Amen.

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

"The Good Old Days?"

We often say that we wish to return to what we remember as "The Good Old Days", however, one thing we tend to forget is that distance from the past all too often lends enchantment to our memories.

Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise.
-- Ecclesiastes 7:10 (NLT)

Let's be present in the present.
Grateful

My Joy Knows No Bounds

I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
-- From 2 Corinthians 7:4 (NIV)

Lord, Your boundless Joy is my Strength!

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

More Words Equal Less Meaning!

The more the words, the less the meaning,
and how does that profit anyone?
-- Ecclesiastes 6:11 (NIV)

Lord, I want to worship You more and more in Spirit and in Truth,
and not merely with more words. Amen.

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Never Enough Money

Whoever loves money never has money enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
This too is meaningless.
-- Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NIV)

More of You, Lord, More of You!
Grateful

Eternity in The Hearts Of Men, Yet...

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
-- Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Whatever Is Has Already Been

Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.
-- Ecclesiastes 3:15 (NIV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Having Nothing Yet Possessing Everything

What joys are discovered in these precious *paradoxes found in God's Holy Word:

(9b) ...dying, and yet we live on;
beaten, and yet not killed;
(10a) sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;
poor, yet making many rich;
having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
-- 2 Corinthians 6:9b-10a (NIV)

* Paradox = a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is likely true.

Holiness unto The LORD!
Grateful

Looking For Enjoyment?

Reading through the Old Testament, these words just jumped off the page at me:

...for without God... who can... find enjoyment?
-- From Ecclesiasties 2:25 (NIV)

Lord, I want Your Joy to be my Strength!
Grateful

"Who Am I?"

When I was a child, our family liked to play board games at the kitchen table. Our favorite was a game called "SORRY." We also had a couple of Bible trivia games -- one called "What Am I" and the other called "Who Am I?"

In Job 38, God answered Job with some "Who Am I" questions. Here's a sample of the things God quizzed Job on:

(36) Who endowed the heart with wisdom
or gave understanding to the mind?
(37) Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens?
-- Job 38:37-37 (NIV)

Holiness Unto The Lord!
Grateful

Answers Out Of The Storm

If you are presently in a life-storm, yes if you are barely surviving a confusing season of life where God seems to be silent, maybe even absent, take heart, for while the wind is blowing, the rain is pouring, the lightning is striking, and the thunder is booming, you just might be about to get an answer from the Lord.

Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm.
-- Job 38:1b (NIV)

Note that while God answered Job out of the storm, the confusing season of life he was barely surviving, God also had some questions for Job as well. If you are bold, I invite you to read Job 38 in its entirety.

Click here: Praise You In This Storm Casting Crowns

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

The Meaning Of Wisdom According To God

God told us, "Wisdom means that you respect Me, the Lord, and turn from sin." -- Job 28:28 (CEV)

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
--Reinhold Niebuhr

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

The Pleasing Aroma of Christ

And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
-- Matthew 3:17 (NKJV)

For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
-- 2 Corinthians 2:15 (NIV)

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

God Is Not Oblivious Concerning Our Children

God is not indifferent, uncaring, or oblivious to what's going on in the lives of our children. (Let us as parents) entrust them back into God's care.
-- Brian, Daily Audio Bible Host

Bring up a child by teaching him the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn away from it.
-- Proverbs 22:6 (New Life Version)

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

God's Seal Of Ownership

(21) God establishes us, together with you, in a relationship with Christ. He has also anointed us. (22) In addition, He has put his seal of ownership on us and has given us the Spirit as His guarantee.
-- 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (GWT)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

God-Given Holiness

Lord, let these words from Your Holy Word characterize our daily lives:

We have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity...
-- 2 Corinthians 1:12 (GWT)

Click here: Find Us Faithful w/ Lyrics - YouTube

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Rock Solid Perspective. Abandoned To God.

This short film is powerful for gaining rock solid perspective on the things that really matter most in life. Yes, we get to see through the eyes of real people who claim the God of Grace as their strong foundation even though their world seems to be caving in all around them:

Click here: This Was Grace - Short File/YouTube

I waited and waited and waited for God.
At last He looked; finally He listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch,
pulled me from deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
to make sure I wouldn't slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
a praise-song to our God.
More and more people are seeing this:
they enter the mystery,
abandoning themselves to God.
-- Psalm 40:1-3 (MSG)

My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

-- God's Words in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (MSG)

Click here: Your Grace Is Enough by Matt Maher - YouTube

Do we believe God's Grace is enough?
Have we entered the mystery?
Have we abandoned ourselves to the God of Grace? Will we?
Grateful

"I'll Have A New Body!"

As we grow older, do we realize often enough that one day we will have heavenly bodies that will not decay?

I will forever remember a favorite song often sung in the little Free Grace Church where I was raised. The quartet special began with these wonderful words:

On That Resurrection Morning
When All The Dead In Christ Shall Rise,
I'll Have A New Body!
I'll have A New Life!

Click here: Cathedral Quartet - I'll Have A New Body - YouTube

I'm guessing the songwriter had been reading these wonderful verses from 1 Corinthians 15 in God's Holy Word before writing the life-filled lyrics. I invite you to read all the way from verse 35 to verse 58. It will be well worth your time:

(35) But someone will ask, “How do the dead come back to life? With what kind of body will they come back?” (36) You fool! The seed you plant doesn’t come to life unless it dies first. (37) What you plant, whether it’s wheat or something else, is only a seed. It doesn’t have the form that the plant will have. (38) God gives the plant the form he wants it to have. Each kind of seed grows into its own form. (39) Not all flesh is the same. Humans have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds have another, and fish have still another.

(40) There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. Heavenly bodies don’t all have the same splendor, neither do earthly bodies. (41) The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon has another kind of splendor, and the stars have still another kind of splendor. Even one star differs in splendor from another star. (42) That is how it will be when the dead come back to life. When the body is planted, it decays. When it comes back to life, it cannot decay. (43) When the body is planted, it doesn’t have any splendor and is weak. When it comes back to life, it has splendor and is strong. (44) It is planted as a physical body. It comes back to life as a spiritual body. As there is a physical body, so there is also a spiritual body.

(45) This is what Scripture says: “The first man, Adam, became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. (46) The spiritual does not come first, but the physical and then the spiritual. (47)The first man was made from the dust of the earth. He came from the earth. The second man came from heaven. (48) The people on earth are like the man who was made from the dust of the earth. The people in heaven are like the man who came from heaven. (49) As we have worn the likeness of the man who was made from the dust of the earth, we will also wear the likeness of the man who came from heaven. (50)Brothers and sisters, this is what I mean: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. What decays cannot inherit what doesn’t decay.

(51) I’m telling you a mystery. Not all of us will die, but we will all be changed. (52) It will happen in an instant, in a split second at the sound of the last trumpet. Indeed, that trumpet will sound, and then the dead will come back to life. They will be changed so that they can live forever. (53) This body that decays must be changed into a body that cannot decay. This mortal body must be changed into a body that will live forever. (54) When this body that decays is changed into a body that cannot decay, and this mortal body is changed into a body that will live forever, then the teaching of Scripture will come true: “Death is turned into victory! (55) Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?” (56) Sin gives death its sting, and God’s standards give sin its power. (57) Thank God that he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

(58) So, then, brothers and sisters, don’t let anyone move you off the foundation of your faith. Always excel in the work you do for the Lord. You know that the hard work you do for the Lord is not pointless.
-- 1 Corinthians 15:1-58 (GWT)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

You Are Worth Much More...

(6) Aren't five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one sparrow is forgotten by God. (7) Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows! -- Luke 12:6-7 (GNT)

Click: His Eye Is On The Sparrow - Crystal Lewis - YouTube

We Are Precious In His Sight!
Grateful

Go On Sinning? God Forbid!

Reverend Kim Mclean, singer, songwriter, and preacher along with her ministry sidekick, Devon Oday, will be with our ladies soon on their yearly SHE RETREAT. Kim and Devon will also stay over for our Sunday Services to lead us in Worship of our God and Kim will also share God's Word. I borrowed this post from Kim's blog. Great message indeed.

The Rules by Kim McLean

There is a verse in the Bible that is hard to believe. I John 3:9. “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he CANNOT go on sinning because he has been born of God.”

How is this possible? It IS possible, because when we are born of God we begin to take on God’s nature – which is love. To be “born of God” is to make a choice to live by God’s law – which is love. This happens by faith in God, in Jesus Christ. It happens day by day, choice by choice. We believe by faith, we say in our heart, “Thy will be done,” and we become by grace what God is by nature.

This is the Christian message. It’s about life. Being fully alive, reaching our greatest potential as human beings in God’s beautiful world. What a picture!! Consider Colossians 3:12-14. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” And consider Galatians 5:22 where love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are described by Paul as our new natural inclinations.

Some people seem to think that Christianity is full of rules. Yes, it is about rules, but it is the most natural thing in the world to abide by them:
Rule #1: Love God. It’s the best thing you’ll ever do for yourself.
Rule #2: Love one another. I’m talking about family and friends. Not so hard, right?
Rule #3: Love your enemies. Put forgiveness into the world, into the universe.

Now abides faith hope and love – but the greatest of these is LOVE.

If we are born of God? We Cannot Go On Sinning....
God Forgive. God Forbid.
Grateful

God's Mercies Begin Afresh Each Morning

(22) The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. (23) Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. (24) I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!” (25) The Lord is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him.
-- Lamentations 3:22-25 (NLT)

If you haven't watched the miracle of an early morning sunrise lately, here's one from Youtube. Enjoy and remember God's mercies begin afresh each morning.

Click here: Serendipity Sunrise Rodanthe, NC - YouTube

Let's rejoice in today and be glad in it!
Grateful

The Temptation of Isolation

The temptation of isolation is deadly wrong. -- President George W. Bush in 10th Anniversary Speech after 9/11 attacks

We really do need each other.
-- Rueben Welch

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
-- Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

Never Forget

On this 10th Anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, and rural Pennsylvania in the USA, these words of the Lord's concerning His children echo in my heart and mind:

(14)But Zion [Jerusalem, her people as seen in captivity] said, The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me. (15) [And the Lord answered] Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they may forget, yet I will not forget you. (16) Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands; [O Zion] your walls are continually before Me.
-- Isaiah 49:14-16 (AMP)

(14) Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us;
the Lord has forgotten us.”
(15) “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child?
Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?
But even if that were possible,
I would not forget you!
(16) See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.
-- Isaiah 49:14-16 (NLT)

Father God, You will never forget your children. You gave Your Son to be crucified to prove it. The proof You will never forget Your own is found in the nail-prints in His hands. Amen.

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Holiness Is What God Wants For Me

Holiness means absolute purity of your walk before God, the words coming from your mouth, and every thought in your mind — placing every detail of your life under the scrutiny of God Himself. Holiness is not simply what God gives me, but what God has given me that is being exhibited in my life.
-- Oswald Chambers

(15) But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. (16) For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
-- 1 Peter 1:15-16 (NLT)

Click : Holiness Is What I Long For - Donnie McClurkin YouTube

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Absolutely Obey God. Completely Love God.

Last night I gently heard the voice of my Father God. What I sensed Him saying was too personal to share. I am totally humbled, because I had no other desire but to absolutely obey what I heard Him say.

We must exercise the greatest care to be utterly obedient to God. He sees all the battlefield all the time. It is only He who can put each of us in the place where our lives can count for the most.
-- "Praying" John Hyde

But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love Him. That is how we know we are living in Him.
-- 1 John 2:5 (NLT)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Come Back... Stop Sinning.

(33) Don’t let anyone deceive you. Associating with bad people will ruin decent people. (34) Come back to the right point of view, and stop sinning. Some people don’t know anything about God. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
-- 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 (GWT)

Let's Shout to the Lord in Holy Worship.
Let's not shake our fists in His face in sinful rebellion.

Click here: Darlene Zschech - Shout to the Lord - YouTube

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Childlike Wonder For Creator God

The 1806 English Nursery Rhyme is on my mind today:

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
How I wonder what you are.
How I wonder what you are.

As children of the King of Kings, we cannot afford to lose childlike wonder for our Creator God. I was recently flooded with wonder as I reflected on this verse from God's Holy Word:

The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon has another kind of splendor, and the stars have still another kind of splendor. Even one star differs in splendor from another star.
-- 1 Corinthians 15:41 (GWT)

After the Nursery Rhyme and this wonder-filled New Testament verse, the song of worship, "God of Wonders", is now playing deep within my soul.

Click here: God of Wonders by Third Day - YouTube

In Name of the Wonderful One Who Loves You And Me. Amen.
Grateful

Take Up, Not Pick Out... Your Cross

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me.
-- Matthew 16:24 (NLT)

Lord, help me to remember, that while You have called me to take UP my cross, yes to pick UP my cross, I still don't get to pick OUT my cross. Help me to trust You totally with choosing the cross that you want me to carry. In Your Holy Name and for Your Glory, I pray. Amen.

Crucified With Christ,
Grateful

A True Labor of His Love & New Mercy

On this Labor Day in the U.S.A.
I know new mercy from Above,
Yes, my God is still refining me --
A true labor of His Love.

Click here: The Refiner's Fire w/ lyrics (Steve Green) - YouTube

No matter what I may lose, I choose The Refiner's Fire.

* Bonus Song Link (One of my all-time favorites):
Click here: New Mercy (Phillips, Craig & Dean) - YouTube

New Mercy,
Grateful

Job Somehow Maintained His Sarcasm?

In the midst of severe suffering and even while being preached at by his so-called friends, isn't it amazing that Job somehow maintained his sarcasm?

(1) Then Job replied to his friends, (2) “You certainly are wise people, and when you die, wisdom will die."
-- Job 12:1-2 (GWT)

Our Dearest Only Wise God, let us not be wise guys like Job's "comforters". In Jesus' name. Amen.
Grateful

The Last Enemy

The last enemy He will destroy is death.
-- 1 Corinthians 15:26 (GWT)

Now, that's Good News, heh?
Grateful

If Christ Hasn't Come Back To Life?

If Christ hasn’t come back to life, your faith is nonsense and sin still has you in its power.
-- 1 Corinthians 14:17 (GWT)

He's alive and I'm forgiven. Heaven's gates are open wide!
-- Don Francisco's Song from the Apostle Peter's Perspective

Click here: Don Francisco - He's Alive - YouTube

Grateful

Fleeting Shadows

We have only been around since yesterday, and we know nothing.
Our days on earth are only a fleeting shadow.
-- Job 8:9 (GWT)

Only one life 'twill soon be past.
Only what's done for Christ will last.
-- Plaque that hung in my grandparents' home

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

No Schism In The Body. Make Us One.

(25)...there should be no schism (division, separation, discord, disharmony) in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. (26) And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
-- 1 Corinthians 12:25-26 (NKJV)

Click here: Phil Driscoll - Make Us One - YouTube

Make Us One Heart. Make Us One Mind.
Make Us One. Let Your Will Be Done!
Grateful

What God Is Tired Of

You have abandoned me and turned your back on me,” says the Lord. “Therefore, I will raise my fist to destroy you. I am tired of always giving you another chance.
-- Jeremiah 15:6 (NLT)

I am tired of showing mercy.
-- Jeremiah 15:6 (CEV)

Father God, You gave Your one and only Son to die for us. We want to be made willing to live for You. Please, Holy Spirit, help us to be wholehearted God-worshippers and dye-in-the-wool despisers of sin. Jesus, we want to obey Your words, yes, Your spoken desires, when after defending the woman caught in adultery, in love You said to her, "Go and sin no more." Amen.

(1) Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, (2) but early the next morning He was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and He sat down and taught them. (3) As He was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. (4) “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. (5) The law of Moses says to stone her. What do You say?” (6) They were trying to trap Him into saying something they could use against Him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with His finger. (7) They kept demanding an answer, so He stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” (8) Then He stooped down again and wrote in the dust. (9) When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. (10) Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” (11) “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
-- John 8:1-11 (NLT)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Apostles. Fools. This World's Garbage.

(9b) ...apostles, like people condemned to die in public as a spectacle for the whole world of angels and of human beings. (10) For Christ's sake we are fools... we are weak... we are despised... (11) To this very moment we go hungry and thirsty; we are clothed in rags; we are beaten; we wander from place to place; (12) we wear ourselves out with hard work. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; (13) when we are insulted, we answer back with kind words. We are no more than this world's garbage; we are the scum of the earth to this very moment!
-- From 1 Corinthians 4:9-13 (GNT)

In Faith! By Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

One Heart, One Purpose, To Worship

And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship Me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants.
-- Jeremiah 32:39(NLT)

In Unity!
Grateful

Why We Are Not Afraid

In the past seven days, we have experienced lightning strikes, earthquakes, and now a hurricane. These verses from The Psalmist hold my heart strong:

(1) God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in times of trouble.
(2) That is why we are not afraid
even when the earth quakes
or the mountains topple into the depths of the sea.
(3) Water roars and foams,
and mountains shake at the surging waves.
Selah
-- Psalm 46:1-3 (GWT)

Deo Volente (whatever God wants),
Grateful

Sorrows And Joys

As the earth needs the clouds and sunshine,
Our souls need both sorrows and joys;
So God places us often in the fire,
The dross from the gold, He destroys.
-- Mrs. Charles Cowman, paraphrased

Deo Volente (whatever God wants),
Grateful

Calvary For Him, Community For Us

In Gethsemane, Christ said "Yes" to dying alone on Calvary. Now we can choose life together in community.

Click: You Are My King (Amazing Love) - Newsboys - YouTube

Deo Volente (whatever God wants),
Grateful

God Did Not Abandon Us!

For we were slaves, but in His unfailing love our God did not abandon us in our slavery.
-- Ezra 9:9 (GNT)

Yesterday, we had a 5.9 registered earthquake in Virginia that was felt across the east coast of the USA. It's the most powerful earthquake in these parts in over 100 years. While it was a time of helpless uncertainty for humanity here, we escaped with no loss of life and little damage. Could such a timely tremor be tied to God's immediate nudgings, so we will turn totally to Him to avoid His ultimate judgings?

Hurricane Irene is also headed towards the east coast of the USA with landfall expected Saturday. We need You, God! We want You, God! We love You, God! Because in Your unfailing Love, You first Loved us. In Jesus' Name, You will not abandon us. Give us hearts abandoned totally to You. Amen.

Holiness Unto the LORD!
Grateful

Praying Partners

Hezekiah the king and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed and cried to Heaven.
-- 2 Chronicles 32:22 (AMP)

Let us pray... together.
Grateful

Bubbling Over With Hope

May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.
-- Romans 15:13 (AMP)

Raise His Praise!
Grateful

He Heard Our Prayer

(21) And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that He would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled. (22) For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to accompany us and protect us from enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king, “Our God’s hand of protection is on all who worship Him, but His fierce anger rages against those who abandon Him.” (23) So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and He heard our prayer.
-- Ezra 8:21-23 (GNT)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Cursed Or Blessed?

Wisdom from the Lord

(5) This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
who rely on human strength
and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
(6) They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
in an uninhabited salty land.
(7) “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
(8) They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit.
-- Jeremiah 17:5-8 (NLT)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Truly Healed, Truly Saved

O Lord, if You heal me, I will be truly healed;
If You save me, I will be truly saved.
My praises are for You alone!
-- Jeremiah 17:4 (NLT)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Let Us Pray... Aloud!

They prayed aloud to the Lord their God.
-- From Nehemiah 9:4 (GNT)

Have we prayed aloud to the Lord, our God, lately?
We could pray aloud to the Lord, our God, now.
Let Us Pray... ALOUD!
Grateful

Idols or The One God?

...we know that an idol stands for something that does not really exist; we know that there is only the one God.
-- From 1 Corinthians 8:4 (GNT)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

My Stupidity

In my native eastern North Carolina home, there's "a kicking machine" alongside Highway 70. Yes, when I was a boy, my Grandaddy Gray explained to me how it worked. You would deposit a quarter in the machine, stand yourself on the "X", bend yourself over, and a mechanical boot would kick you square in the seat of the pants.

Reading Jeremiah's words I am reminded of that unusual contraption:

I turned away from God, but then I was sorry. I kicked myself for my stupidity! I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.
-- Jeremiah 31:19 (NLT)

I will ever love and trust Him. In His presence daily live.
Grateful

Give. Free To Give Themselves. The Tithe.

(4) He commanded the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites, that they might be free to give themselves to the Law of the Lord. (5) As soon as the command went abroad, the Israelites gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, vintage fruit, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything.
-- 2 Chronicles 31:4-5 (AMP)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Puffed Up or Built Up?

...knowledge... puffs up...; but love builds up.
-- From 1 Corinthians 8:1 (GNT)

Love Never Fails,
Grateful

Some Will Turn Away

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.
-- 1 Timothy 4:1 (NLT)

God Forbid!
Grateful

A Fool of "Spirits" or Full of The Holy Spirit?

It isn't smart to get drunk! Drinking makes a fool of you and leads to fights. -- Proverbs 20:1 (CEV)

Lord, I don't want to be a drinking fool of "spirits", but to drink fully of The Holy Spirit. I want no "spirits" to take control of my mind or possession of my life, except for Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

You Are Faithful. We Are Grateful.

Let's pray this prayer of assurance together to our Great and Good Holy God:

Our Hallowed Father, Our Holy God:
You are our Righteous Guide.
Yes, You go before us and You are above us.
You are our Reliable Gate.
Yes, You surround us on all sides at all times.
You are our Rock-Solid Ground.
Yes, You are the unshakable foundation under our feet.
You are our Reigning Guarantee.
Yes, Your Blessed Holy Spirit reigns within us, keeping us connected to You and comforted by You.
You are our Rear Guard.
Yes, You have our backs protected at all times.
You are Faithful and we are Grateful.
Yes, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Holiness Unto You, Our LORD!
We Are Grateful, Indeed!

When God Lives And Breathes In You...

At Pentecost and ever since, the outside God has been all about moving inside every fully devoted believer who will turn from acts of sinning, be cleansed from the attitude of Sin, and will wholeheartedly welcome Him in as Lord. What an inheritance He has offered to those who will belong exclusively to Him -- God's Holy Spirit abiding within!

This powerful passage from Romans 8, is an exclamation point behind the reality of Pentecost. Powerful, indeed:

(9-11) But if God Himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of Him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about. But for you who welcome Him, in whom He dwells — even though you still experience all the limitations of sin — you yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, He'll do the same thing in you that He did in Jesus, bringing you alive to Himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and He does, as surely as He did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With His Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's!

(12-14) So don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There's nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!

(15-17) This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who He is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us — an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with Him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with Him!

(18-21) That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.
-- Romans 8:9-21 (The Message)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful