Bless His Holy Name

In 1975, my Grandaddy Gray went to be with Jesus. My Granny Margery loved that man so. When she came out of the hospital hallway where she had just closed his eyes in death, these words came from Granny's lips to her beloved ones in the hospital waiting room:

Let's go home my children. "...the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." -- Job 1:21b (KJV)

Years later, Granny passed to be with Jesus. I envision her and Grandaddy blessing God in Heaven.

Bless His Holy Name.
Grateful

In the Aftermath of the Mega-Storm? Pray!

Let us be in prayer today following the aftermath of the Mega-storm named "Sandy" that hit the east coast of the United States last evening. The storm surge in lower Manhattan, New York City, produced the highest tide there since the year 1821.

Our daughter and her husband who live in a 5th floor apartment in lower Manhattan just contacted us a few minutes ago to say the high water is beginning to recede and except for a loss of electricity they are fine. In her words, "It's less scary now."

Devastation will be assessed in many of the north eastern states as the day unfolds. Loss of life is already being reported. Also, the stubborn storm is still wreaking havoc as it continues to move inland. Especially, those in low-lying regions are experiencing hardship unique to their own experiences. Let us pray for those who await rescue and for those who will arrive to rescue.

This song link pasted below by Kathryn Scott is on my heart this morning. Maybe some in the wake of this severe weather will listen and be encouraged and know that they are loved and there is Hope..

Click here: I Belong - Kathryn Scott - YouTube

Please, Lord have mercy... and speak to us "Peace be still."
Grateful

Who's Responsible for Lost People?

There are more lost people in the world, this morning, than ever there has been in history; and the Church of Jesus Christ is responsible for them. -- Leonard Ravenhill

The two saddest words imaginable have to be... too late.

“The harvest is past,
the summer has ended,
and we are not saved.”
-- Jeremiah 8:20 (GWT)

Lord have mercy...
Grateful

Speak to Me and Through Me

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing Lord to you and encouraging to others. Speak to me and through me, Lord, I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Grateful

Bathed with Tears?

When was the last time you were in a prayer meeting that was bathed with tears or someone got angry because of the devil's monopoly of the world? -- Leonard Ravenhill

 

Lord, have mercy...

Grateful

Imprison Me

Make me a captive, Lord.
And then I shall be free;
Force me to render up my sword,
And I shall conqueror be.
I sink in life's alarms
When by myself I stand,
Imprison me within Thine arms,
And strong shall be my hand.
-- George Matheson

Lord, I am exclusively Yours.
Grateful

Humility is...

Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble. -- Andrew Murray

You mortals, the Lord has told you what is good.
This is what the Lord requires from you:
to do what is right,
to love mercy,
and to live humbly with your God.
-- Micah 6:8 (GWT)

Let us humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord.
Grateful

Seriously

Why should the world take us seriously when we don't God seriously?
-- Leonard Ravenhill

Could it be that the reason the whole world doesn't turn to Jesus is because those who claim to be believers seem no different in their passions and the focus of their daily lives than the nonbelievers?

Please Love Jesus Passionately!
Grateful

Holy Proof

There's only one proof of the Holy Spirit in your life and that's a holy life. -- Leonard Ravenhill

 

Scripture says, “Be holy, because I am holy.”

-- 1 Peter 1:16 (GWT)

 

Holiness Unto The LORD!

Grateful

Prayer is Not... Prayer is...

Our minds must be saturated by the revelation of prayer until we learn in every detail to pray in the Holy Spirit. Prayer is not an exercise; it is life.

-- Oswald Chambers

 

Just like breathing, we should pray all the time.

Grateful

A Legacy of Sweet Extravagance

⁶ Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon, a man who had suffered from a skin disease. ⁷ While Jesus was sitting there, a woman went to Him with a bottle of very expensive perfume and poured it on His head. ⁸ The disciples were irritated when they saw this. They asked, “Why did she waste it like this? ⁹ It could have been sold for a high price, and the money could have been given to the poor.” ¹⁰ Since Jesus knew what was going on, He said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. ¹¹ You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have Me with you. ¹² She poured this perfume on My body before it is placed in a tomb. ¹³ I can guarantee this truth: Wherever this Good News is spoken in the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
-- Matthew 26:6-13 (GWT)

Dear Lord, help us, like the worshipper at Bethany, to lavish sweet, extravagant worship on You, because surely such a spontaneous love breeds a legacy that lives on beyond our lifetimes. In Your Holy Name, Dear Lord, help us to move above sincere generosity to sweet, undeniable extravagance in our living and in our giving . Amen.
Grateful 

Your Holy Word, My Many Words

Lord, surely I want to be a man of Your Holy Word,
and not merely a man of many words.

 

Your Word, my Lord, is LIFE!

Gratefu 

Human Performance, Holy Intimacy

Lord remind me that Holy-Spiritual success happens...

...not by human performance on my part,

but by holy intimacy with Your heart.

 

Not by might, not by power, but by Your Spirit, my Lord.

Grateful 

Eclipse My Foolishness

Absorb the aroma of this beautiful and vulnerable e-mail testimony that I received from a college-age daughter of the Living God after a Bible study on the subject of "Gaining an Audience with God in Personal Prayer":
 
There are still those days when I tell Yahweh-- the One who just IS, was, and will be, and the Creator of the universe-- that whatever He's doing isn't working and He's not listening! I have to give praise for His abounding mercy that eclipses my foolishness.

This is my verbal prayer in the afterglow of her written testimony:
God, I want You to be God all by Yourself. While You value me, you do not need my help to be Who You are. Please help me to trust You totally and to love You passionately for forever and today. Amen.
Grateful

Communion With God, Communication With People

The blessings of communion with God can easily be lost by entering too deeply into communication with people. The spirit of inner prayer must be carried over into a holy watchfulness throughout the day. -- Andrew Murray

Click here: More Precious Than Silver with Lyrics - YouTube

Lord, nothing I desire compares to communion with You.
Grateful

Personal Revival

If we are living on this earth then we need revival, continually. Let's pray together that our Lord will give us hearts for personal revival on a never-ending basis. Yes, brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus, let us join together in one cry for renewed intimacy with Almighty God and for the rescue of lost souls before it's too late.

Lord, revive me according to Your great generosity.
Grateful

My Soul-Companion: Christ Now Lives In Me.

When the two disciples recognized Jesus as He broke the bread for them in their house in Emmaus, He "vanished from their sight" (Luke 24:31). The recognition and the disappearance of Jesus are one and the same event. Why? Because the disciples recognized that their Lord Jesus, the Christ, now lives in them ... that they have become Christ-bearers. Therefore, Jesus no longer sits across the table from them as the stranger, the guest, the friend with whom they can speak and from whom they can receive good counsel. He has become one with them. He has given them His own Spirit of Love. Their companion on the journey has become the companion of their souls. They are alive, yet it is no longer them, but Christ living in them.
-- Henri Nouwen

"Christ now lives in me..." -- See Galatians 2:20.
Grateful

After the Last Tear Falls

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There won’t be any more death. There won’t be any grief, crying, or pain, because the first things have disappeared.
-- Revelation 21:4 (GWT)

This song touches my souls so sacredly. Take time to consider the words.

Click here: After the Last Tear Falls/Andrew Peterson - YouTube

God's Love Never Fails and His Hope Surely Prevails!
Grateful

Vision Painting

When the devil paints you a vision of your past, simply paint him a vision of his future. (Using the Word of God, of course.)

 

Yes, read aloud to the ancient Accuser from the Word of God in Revelation 20:10 -- The devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were also thrown. They will be tortured day and night forever and ever. (GWT)

 

Holiness Unto The LORD!

Grateful

No Matter What I May Lose, I Choose...

A few days ago, a young lady in our local church who loves the Lord with all of her heart sent me this as her "verse for the day":

 

The crucible is for refining silver and the smelter for gold,
but the One Who purifies hearts by fire is the Lord.

-- Proverbs 17:3 (GWT)

After reading the verse this classic song by Steve Green came immediately to my mind. It was a theme song of sorts for me personally back in 1987 as I willingly surrendered my all to my Almighty God:

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

 

No matter what I may lose, I choose... the Refiner's fire.

Grateful

Reveal the Heavenly Mysteries

The Spirit Who is in you is prepared to:
(1) teach you
(2) to lead you to the cross
(3) and to make you know something of what the crucified Christ wills to do for you and in you.

He wants you to spend time with Him, so that He may reveal the Heavenly mysteries to you. He will teach you what is meant by:

(4) the denial of self
(5) taking up your cross
(6) losing your life
(7) and following (knowing) Him.
-- Andrew Murray

Lord, please reveal your Heavenly mysteries to me and through me.
Grateful

Belong Exclusively to God and...

Belong Exclusively to God and be unsettled by nothing.

Look to the Lord and fear no one else.

Remember, this life is only temporary.
Eternity never ends, neither does God's Love.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Endure patiently on earth and confidently await His return.

Belong exclusively to God and you will want for nothing else.

Let God sustain you for His grace is enough.

Say to God: "Whatever You want is what I desire."

Seek to know Him in ever-increasing intimacy.
Make trusting Him totally your life's vision.  

Please Love Jesus Passionately!

 

So be it.

Grateful

The Certain Expectation

We must, by faith in what God will do in us, appropriate (take exclusive possession of) the heavenly life of Christ as He lived it here on earth. We must have the certain expectation that the Spirit, Who filled Jesus with the Word and prayer, will also accomplish that work in us.
-- Andrew Murray

Grateful

The Living, The Dying

A few years back as I was living a local rest home after visiting a 90-year-old widower, it seemed the Lord whispered these words deep within me:

You only love the living as much as you care for the dying.

 

Today, perhaps the Lord will remind us to pray for and even to contact someone who is specifically nearing the end of their lives. Let's express the Lord's compassion to all  generations, yes to the young and the aged, the living and the dying with the His holy passion to rescue the perishing in all generations.

 

Click here: Rescue the Perishing - YouTube

 

Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
-- Ephesians 3:21 (NLT)

 

Grateful

Yours Truly... Humbled

Today, the pastors of our local church (including "yours truly") were showered with appreciation that was truly over-the-top touching. I always sign my blog posts "Grateful". Today, another word seems even more appropriate...

Humbled

I just read through many cards. One precious church member wrote,"Please never leave our church. We would surely be lost without your leadership."

Talk about "touching". I am humbled, indeed! Yet, I am keenly and confidently aware that while they might find themselves at a temporary loss if and when God ordains my departure, the local church would still be ultimately led by the True Shepherd Who laid down His Life to find His lost flock -- Jesus. After all, His name is on the sign -- Church of THE NAZARENE.

Read John, chapter 10.

Yours Truly... Humbled.

Dream Destination: Happily-Ever-After

A few years ago in a magazine interview I was asked what my dream destination was? The answer was easy: "To walk my daughter down the aisle to be married someday." Today was that someday. I have been blessed beyond measure.

"Happily-ever-after to our only darling daughter, Allison, and to her beloved husband, Joshua!"

I was blessed to write their marriage vows... yes, I cried, of course, I cried... glad tears...

Humbled.... speechless...
Grateful

"Rest Easy"

"Rest Easy" is a song I recently heard on Christian radio. Andrew Peterson sings it. It touches me in the deep places of my heart. I think it will inspire you with hope as well.

 

Click here: Rest Easy (Official Music Video) - Andrew Peterson - YouTube

 

You are not alone
I will always be with you
Even to the end

You don’t have to work so hard
You can rest easy
You don’t have to prove yourself
You’re already mine
You don’t have to hide your heart
I already love you
I hold it in mine
So you can rest easy

Do not be afraid
Nothing, nothing in the world
Can come between us now

You don’t have to work so hard
You can rest easy
You don’t have to prove yourself
You’re already mine
You don’t have to hide your heart
I already love you
I hold it in mine
So you can rest easy

You work so hard to wear yourself down
And you’re running like a rodeo clown
You’re smiling like you’re scared to death
You’re out of faith and all out of breath
You’re so afraid you’ve got nowhere left to go

Well, you are not alone
I will always be with you

You don’t have to work so hard
You can rest easy
You don’t have to prove yourself
You’re already mine
You don’t have to hide your heart
I already love you
I hold it in mine
You can rest easy

 

Trust in the One Who Loves You Most -- JESUS!

Grateful

When We Are... The Lord Is...

This verse has been my soul's inspiration as I have been in Scripture saturation.

 

The Lord is my strength and my song.
He is my Savior.

-- Psalm 118:14 (GWT)

 Click here: CeCe Winans - His Strength Is Perfect (with lyrics) - YouTube

 

When we are... at our weakest, The Lord is... still The Strongest!

Grateful

What is The Death of Prayer?

Selfishness is the death of prayer.
-- Andrew Murray

Lord, let self-centeredness stay dead in my life,
so that prayer can stay alive.
In Jesus' name. Amen.

Grateful

Pride is From Hell

Blessed are the meek...

-- Words of Jesus in Matthew 5:5a (KJV)

There is no way to get to Heaven except by meekness, by entirely dying to our pride, and by living entirely in the lowliness of Jesus. Pride gives no rest. Pride is from Hell. Pride must die or nothing of Heaven can live in us.

-- Andrew Murray

Let us surrender our lives entirely to the Blood of the Lamb, exchanging our pride for His meekness.
Grateful.

Everything Needed to Please God

What God did in Christ is the pledge of what He will do in us.

-- Andrew Murray

 Pray for us.

We have no doubts about what we’re doing or why,

but it’s hard going and we need your prayers.

All we care about is living well before God.

Pray that we may be together soon.

May God, who puts all things together,
makes all things whole,
Who made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus,
the sacrifice of blood that sealed the eternal covenant,
Who led Jesus, our Great Shepherd,
up and alive from the dead,
Now put you together, provide you
with everything you need to please Him,
Make us into what gives Him most pleasure,
by means of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah.
All glory to Jesus forever and always!
Oh, yes, yes, yes.

-- Hebrews 13:18-21 (The Message)

Grateful