Celebration Over Condemnation.

This song started my Monday morning off prayerfully and with celebration over condemnation. (Thanks for the YouTube, Billy.)

http://youtu.be/WSKmcRuSjBg

Give away your life... In celebration of The One Who gave our souls liberation. 

Grateful 

Choose Life

Click image for full-frame verse:

Give away your life... Choosing Life!

Grateful 

Still

My brother in Christ, Billy Hooke, sent me this moving song on YouTube:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LXP6s6gxKHI&feature=youtu.be

Give away your life... Still.

Grateful 

My Prayer to Be Faithful

Dearest My Holy God:

I pray that I would prove to be faithful to the calling you have given me to Yourself and Your desires. 

Give me a mind, like Yours -- creative, alert, curious, and eager to experience the truth. 

Give me a heart like Yours -- humble, honorable, and holy -- forever allow the eyes of my heart to see servanthood as glorious. 

Give me a faithful Spirit like Yours -- actually, let Your Sweet Holy Spirit perform Christlike faithfulness in and through me -- faithfulness that truly pleases and surely glorifies You.

Give me a pure attitude like Yours -- make me willing to persevere without praise; let me always be overflowing with gratitude in all that I am, think, and do. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen. 

Give away your life... Desiring faithfulness. 

Grateful 

"Evil Invades Us Quietly."

"Evil invades us quietly. Before we are aware of it, we have compromised and gone along with standards widely accepted... Many Christians allow evil to take root in their own lives... False forces can invade our lives and take up 'residence' in the very temple of our spirit, polluting and destroying us in the process... Do not allow evil to remain." 

-- Stedman remix on commentary from Nehemiah 3:12-18

Give away your life... To Holiness not evil.

Grateful 

Not Guilty, Yet Put to Death.

These words spoken by Governor Pilate concerning King Jesus touch my soul so deeply: "I don't find this man guilty of anything." (John 19:4b GWT)

So, I pray: My Lord Jesus, at your trial You were found not guilty, yet you were still put to death to redeem me from my guilt. Let Your Holy Spirit rise up within me, enabling me to live day-by-day with an undying realization that You willingly died for me. Amen. 

Give away your life... To the One Who was innocent, yet crucified to save your soul for forever and today.

Grateful 

Trusting God Patiently

As believers we don't grow by leaps and bounds but by taking one moment at a time and trusting God patiently through all circumstances. No matter where we are, where Jesus is 'tis Heaven there.
-- Lady Melba

Give away your life... Trusting God patiently.
Grateful

The Gift of Friendship

"Friendship is one of the greatest gifts a human being can receive. It is a bond beyond common goals, common interests, or common histories. It is a bond stronger than sexual union can create, deeper than a shared destiny can solidify, and even more intimate than the bonds of marriage or community. Friendship is being with the other in joy and sorrow, even when we cannot increase the joy or decrease the sorrow. It is a unity of souls that gives nobility and sincerity to love. Friendship makes all of life shine brightly. Blessed are those who lay down their lives for their friends."

-- Henri Nouwen

"No greater love hath anyone, than he/she lay down their life for their friends...."

Jesus

Give away your life... To The Friend of Friends and for your friends.

Grateful 

35 Years of Faithfulness

35 years ago today I married Kim. I am speechless with gratitude for God's faithfulness and for Kim's, too. 

Give away your life... Being Faithful over the long-haul. 

 

Grateful 

Increase and Enlarge Our Unity (Local Church)

"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

Lord, I am so grateful that I have a local church family to meet together with, to share life with, and to receive encouragement from. As The Day of Your Return approaches, increase and enlarge our Unity, I pray. Amen. 

Give away your life... Meeting together in The Name of Jesus.

Grateful 

Repenters Not Repeaters of Sin

If we confess unconditionally that we have hurt God with our rebellion, God promises to hear us, forgive us and restore us. (See 2 Chronicles 7:14)

Lord, help us to turn totally away from disobedience and to walk in devotion after You. We want to be repenters from sin not repeaters of sin. In Jesus' Name. Amen. 

Give away your life... Repenting of (not repeating) what breaks the heart of Holy God. 

Grateful 

"To Participate, First Saturate..." / The Resting Place

Before we rush off to represent The Lord, we must first pause to know Him personally. He must become The Resting Place for our own souls before He will reach the rest of the world through us. 

If we desire to participate in The Kingdom, we must first take time to saturate with The King. 

"Be silent before God and let Him mold you." Psalm 46:10 remix

"So they (the disciples and Jesus) went privately in the boat to a lonely place." Mark 6:31

Give away your life... Privately to The Lord, if you want Him to send you for His  glory publicly. 

Grateful 

"TAKE ALARM!"

"If you find yourself beginning to love any pleasure better than your prayers, any book better than the Bible, any house better than God's, any table better than The Lord's, any person better than your Savior, any thing better than your soul, a present indulgence better than the hope of Heaven -- TAKE ALARM!"

-- Guthrie, via Moody

Give away your life... Not to what is good but to Who is Best -- Jesus.

Grateful 

One of My Mom's Favorite Spiritual Songs

In spending a few days with my Mom, she reminded me of one of her favorite spiritual songs. 

Click text below for a full-frame look at a portion of the song:

Give away your life... To Jesus, His Glory and Grace.

Grateful 

"Now You're in a Painful Situation, But..."

"Now you're in a painful situation. But I will see you again. Then you will be happy, and no one will take your happiness away." 

Words of Jesus, John 16:22 GWT

Give away your life... Get ready to trade your pain for His Happiness. 

Grateful 

Say... "I Love You!"

I am convinced that a future regret of ours will be how we too often held onto three strong words even though our hearts told us to say them aloud.The three words? "I Love You."

Is there someone in our lives today who we want to say these three words to, someone who also needs desperately to hear us say those words aloud?

I realize saying "I Love You" can feel immediately awkward at times, but not saying "I Love You" will, I believe, ultimately prove to feel pretty awful. If we can get past awkward today, tomorrow it will turn into awesome. 

I want the people I love to know it. Some would declare that I say "I Love You" too often. Maybe so? Yet I will still keep saying to those precious-to-my-heart people in my life "I Love You" because it's true, and I want to minimize future regrets in my own life.

Do I say "I Love You" more to others than I hear others say "I Love You" to me? Maybe? But I'm not counting because Love keeps no records of wrong. :)

(1 Corinthians 13)

Give away your life... Say... "I Love You!" 

Grateful. 

Sharing Inspiring Times of Devotion -- Peace

In spending a few days with my Mama, Lady Melba, at my childhood home, one of the many blessings of being with her is being able to share inspiring times of devotion in God's Word together. 

Here's one portion of Scripture we shared, along with added commentary that touched our hearts:

Phil. 4:6-7 -- "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the Peace  of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (KJV) 

The Peace of God is that tranquility of mind freeing the believer from fear and worry. "Peace which passeth  understanding" means:

(1) Peace divinely given in times of anxiety, so wonderful that it exceeds one's ability to understand it; and...

(2) God's Peace far surpassing one's own understanding of the problem, and his/her ability to cope with and solve it. 

(Notes above from KJV Study Bible Commentary) 

Give away your life... For God's Peace.

Grateful 

Thirsty?

If you're thirsty? 

(Click on image for full-frame.)

Give away your life... And receive The Water of Life.

Grateful 

You Are Not Your Own

This holy passage has been on my heart much of today:

 

(Click text below for full-frame.)

Give away your life... To The One Who paid the price to own you. 

Grateful 

When Praise Demands a Sacrifice

I bless you today with my favorite Larnelle Harris song:

http://youtu.be/nwi1YU_Mi_A

Give away your life... When Praise Demands a Sacrifice.

Grateful 

Spontaneous Prayer

I prayed this spontaneous prayer over a friend by text this morning. So, now I ask you to receive it as your own, too.

Lord, help us 

to pray and obey, 

to hear and draw near. 

Make your voice clear

to us day-by-day.

Give away your life... To Jesus, The Way!

Grateful 

"Help Me To Remember..."

My prayer today, my Lord, is this:

"Help me to remember that You have arisen and will arise within me. Never let me forget, Jesus, that  because you are for me, nothing can prevail against me! Amen."

"Remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead." -- 2 Timothy 2:8

Give away your life... To The Resurrection and The Life, Jesus Christ. 

Grateful 

Regeneration

Because of Jesus, we can know regeneration, yes, we can go from spiritually dead to spiritually alive.

(Click type below for full-frame view of Scripture spoken by Jesus.)

Give away your life... For His Life in you.

Grateful 

Days of Revival

This week our local church has been experiencing days of revival. We call our summer gathering "Indoor Campmeeting". Today, one lady looked at me tenderly and said "Thanks Pastor for planning this season. So many blanks to my spiritual questions have been filled in this week." I agreed. For me, having a set-aside season of spiritual seeking in the local church gives missing pieces to the puzzles in my own life.

Many churches have given up on days of revival. My prayer is that local churches will return these sacred seasons to yearly schedules and experience spiritual awakening. Our church, for one, can testify on the witness stand of your life this truth: spiritual slippage is being corrected in those of us who have a hunger and thirst for a right relationship with God. Also, the burden of our lives has been lightened by the undeniable presence of the Lord among and within us.

Give away your life... To The God who revives His people when they seek Him with all of their hearts.

Grateful    

"Let It Be Jesus!"

Kristy Nockels is an instrument of The Lord. Yes, her heralding voice and holy passion can certainly lead the weakest of souls to worship Jesus.

This song will bless your heart. Take a timeout in your life and listen now. Peace. Be still. Let it be Jesus Who becomes your Everything. 

http://youtu.be/N2h9Hm9JZho

Give away your life... To The Christ! 

Grateful 

The Subtle Influence of Being Light

"Now you are light in The Lord; walk as children of light..."  -- Eph. 5:8b

"We do not realize the importance of the unconscious part of our life ministry. It goes on continually. In every greeting we give to another on the street, in every moment's conversation, in every letter we write, in every contact with other lives, there is the subtle influence that goes from us that often reaches further, and leaves a deeper impression than the things themselves that we are doing at the time. It is not so much 'what we do' in this world as 'what we are' that tells in spiritual results and impressions."

-- J.R. Miller

Give away your life... As His light in the lives of others.

Grateful 

"Sit Down & Shut Up!"

"As Christians, unless we tell our feelings to sit down and shut up, we won't make it in this life of living in God's Truth by faith." 

-- James Spruill 

Give away your life... Not to your own feelings but to The One called The Truth. 

Grateful 

Drink Rest Deep

After reading Mrs. Cowman's writing for today from her volume titled "Springs in The Valley", I prayed this prayer over a loved one who came immediately to my mind. I now pray it over all of us:

May we drink rest deep in our beings, today, and may it prove to be holy tonic for renewed strength.  

May we know afresh a new capacity, even a new permission to simply stop. 

May we recline on the chest of Christ and hear Him softly say ""Be still my child." 

May He sanctify our rest for our good and His glory. 

May we, as a result, see the paths before us as passageways to new-found "springs" of purity, power, peace and presence. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen. 

Give away your life... Being Still and Knowing God.

Grateful