Psalm 107

Psalm 107
1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
3 And gathered out of the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.


4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;
They found no city to dwell in.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
Their soul fainted in them.
6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He delivered them out of their distresses.
7 And He led them forth by the right way,
That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.
8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
9 For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.


41 Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction,
And makes their families like a flock.
42 The righteous see it and rejoice,
And all iniquity stops its mouth.
43 Whoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

Let Us Run

Hebrews 12: 1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

I recently happened to see a video of a college student running some race. Towards the end for some reason, her legs caved in with great pain and she literally crossed the finish line crawling. Her determination was fascinating. Her goal was not to come first or second, at that moment of time, her goal was to finish the race. Her face shone with much pride and great happiness while she was being lauded for her amazing perseverance in finishing the race.

Towards the finishing line it was interesting to watch her coach cheering her on to complete the race but all the while he was looking at her closely for any further signs of physical failure.

In this race of life, sin will weigh us down. Most times sin is comforting, beautiful, and attractive to the point that we can lose sight of our goal, Jesus Christ. That is actually the main aim of the devil. The moment we lose sight of our Author we will miss the complete story.

Our goal is not heaven but our goal is Jesus Christ. He has saved us by His precious blood and keeping that in view we got to reach the finish line.

Many a time we can blame someone else for our sin or our habitual sins. I love the way God asks us to remove what weighs us down. He is going to be there like the coach encouraging us to finish the line. He is though a gentleman and will not force us to abandon our sin.He will convict, admonish and let us know that it is not good for us, but He will never force us to abandon our sin. He has bestowed us with free will and given us the guideline. The choice is ours.

Perseverance is the key to our spiritual race. People's opinions, ideologies, daily trials and tribulations will all test our perseverance.

Our goal is to prayerfully look at Jesus and keep going. Hebrews 12:2b states,"For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Consider not all that surrounds you today but consider Him...who endured the cross on our behalf. Consider Him, consider the cross and keep running!

The Shepherd

Psalm 23
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

There is a story of an old man and a young man on the same platform before an audience. A special part of the program was being presented. Each of the men was to repeat the Twenty-Third Psalm.

The young man, trained in speech and drama, gave in oratory, the Psalm. When finished the audience clapped for more so that they could hear his beautiful, modulated voice once more.

Then the old man, leaning on his cane, stepped to the front of the platform and in a feeble, shaking voice, repeated the same words. But when he was seated no sound came from the listeners.

Folks wiped tears as they seemed to pray. In the ensuing silence, the young man again stepped forward and made the following statement:

"Friends, I wish to make an explanation. You asked me to repeat the Psalm with your applause, but you remained silent when my friend was finished.

The difference? I shall tell you. I know the Psalm, but he knows the Shepherd of the Psalm."
(Credited to:The Shepherd's Psalm by Robert Strand from Especially For the Hurting Heart)

Do we know the Psalm or the Shepherd?

With Me

Exodus 33:15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

Even after all the miraculous signs that were performed including the parting of the Red Sea the Israelites still remained a stiff necked people. Moses was tired and yet God directs him to lead the people into a land of milk and honey.

Moses could have been presumptuous and said, "Well...God since you have been with me this far...I know you will be with me in the future". Moses knew that without God he was totally useless. He had learnt that lesson good and proper. He knew that He was an instrument in God's hand for His glory.

It is very encouraging to read that Moses did not ask for wondrous signs and miracles. He asked for God's presence. He had learnt that with God all things are possible. He relied on His God and not on an arm of flesh. He had learnt that favor with God is the best thing to happen to man.

We can go out dressed in all our finery, latest designer clothes and the best shoes but if God's presence is not with us we are little more useful than cardboard cut-outs of us. We might as well be the mighty Michelin man blowing in the wind, huge but of no real use either to man or God.

Let us seek His presence, that is one thing He will not deny.

Waiting?

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change his mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

Every now and then I remember my first day in kindergarten. School was done by four and in the good ol' days in India they just held up every kid and the parent would come and pick their child up. I waited and waited and every so often the teacher would pick me up and my mother was not there. Of course, by the time 49 kids were picked up I was a mess. My eyes were swollen with weeping, snort running done my little nose, I was hysterical and I thought I would never see my family again. Finally an hour later my mother arrived. She thought the school was going to be done at 5.30.

My mother picked me up, hugged me and all was well. It wasn't really a broken promise just a misunderstanding. But it is so common for people to forget or break their word. The plumber is suppose to turn up at 2 o'clock instead comes the next day. How about someone promising you to do something and then just ignoring you? All but common.

Why is it like a breath of fresh air when someone keeps his or her promise? The reason I think is really simple. So often, we are disappointed by people who do not keep their promises or keep their word.

We have become a people that are most skeptical of the spoken word then in any other generation, I think. Cell phones turned off, landlines unhooked, someone being stood up for dinner...all very common in today's jet set age. Vows broken, contracts not honored.

But there is one whose Word never fails. Isaiah 40:8 "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."

God promised that He would make Abraham into a great nation even when Abraham was old and did not have a son. God fulfilled His promised through Isaac. God promised Joseph in a dream that he would be above his brothers. Years later after being sold into slavery, being imprisoned and being forgotten, Joseph was promoted to being second to Pharaoh. David was just a young shepherd when Samuel had anointed David to be King after Saul. Saul He tried many times to kill David or have him killed; David had to live as a fugitive. But God saw him through every adversity and set him King over Israel.

What is the promise that God has made to you? Stay the course, press in and believe that He will show up. He has never known to fail those who wait for Him.

I will end with this amazing scripture from John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He always was, is and will always be. The Word cannot fail because He always exists.

First Love

Revelation 2:3-5 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

We all do remember that moment in time, when the love of God first flooded our hearts and minds. The moment of time when we said, "Yes, Lord!" Everything from then on for a few weeks, or for a few months, seemed so extraordinarily filled with the love of God. We could worship Him spontaneously, we could praise our God for silly reasons, quiet time with Him was a priority...then over the years everything about that freshness, that passion began to fade. We kind of settled in.

Earthly marriages often go this way of “settling in”. The first few years for some are filled with the wonderful memories of the wedding itself, the sweetness of the honeymoon and all the little romantic things that are done in the name of love. Then slowly we start taking our spouse for granted. Spontaneous kisses are gone, laughing together and doing nothing but just being in each other’s company becomes a chore. Then life is suddenly filled with other more important things or habits. And love whimpers in the corner and finally dies.

The difference in being in love with God and keeping Him as our first love is that He has never changed and never will. The Bible says in Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. He loves us with the same passion He did from the beginning of time. He would die for us all over again if need be. He watches over us tenderly every second of the day. He longs to talk with us and spend time with us. He loves to walk with us in the cool of day and stay beside us in the night watches. He never changed but we did.

We got busy with our "works" for Him. We now labor with all our might for His Kingdom. Our heart seems to be on the right course, but is it really?

Let us today prayerfully remember how we felt in our sinful estate before He met us.
Let us remember how we were without hope and without God. Let us remember that we were destined for an eternity without eternal love. Let us remember the One that loved us and gave His life for us. Let us remember how we first loved Him and let us pray that our love would be rekindled and be brighter, stronger and better that when we first knew Him.

As the world prepares to celebrate Christmas with Christmas trees, presents and the revelry let us prepare our hearts to be a place for the King to dwell in.

Let us hurry to be beside our Beloved!

Aroma

Ephesians2:12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

As my eyes fell on this scripture this morning, I remembered. I remembered how hopeless and meaningless my life was without Christ. I remembered I often wondered where I would go after I die. I often wondered how my sins were going to be dealt with. My greatest pain was not knowing the God that created me.

I am thankful that someone took the time to share the love of God with me.

Let's look around real hard as we begin our day and ask God to give us insights into those around us that are without hope and without God.

They don't need our long prayers, our sermons, or our well written gospel tracts. All they need is the love of God displayed to them in human form. Let us today remove anything that so hinders or obstructs our sharing the love of God with those around us.

Let us remember how we once were in that place without God and without hope. Let us determine today to share the greatest love of all with those that God would lead us to today. Let us share the aroma of Christ or better still let us be the aroma of Christ. As we interact with people may they not just take in our cologne of the day or a body spray but let them breathe in the pure fragrance of Christ.

Come, let us demonstrate today hope and God! Let us demonstrate a love that would be hard to deny.

Flourish

Psalm 92

A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.
1 It is good to praise the LORD
and make music to your name, O Most High,
2 proclaiming your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp.

4 For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD;
I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
5 How great are your works, LORD,
how profound your thoughts!
6 Senseless people do not know,
fools do not understand,
7 that though the wicked spring up like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they will be destroyed forever.

8 But you, LORD, are forever exalted.

9 For surely your enemies, LORD,
surely your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
10 You have exalted my horn[b] like that of a wild ox;
fine oils have been poured on me.
11 My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;
my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.

12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
13 planted in the house of the LORD,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
15 proclaiming, “The LORD is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

See You Through

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

So many times in our life we come to a place where we think it’s the end or should be the end. We are tired, beaten down and bruised from the trials. Our burdens overwhelm us; circumstances look like a pride of roaring lions waiting to devour us. Storms don't seem to abate and the ship seems too battered anyway to make it to the shore.

Sometimes the blows that life deals us with are so hard that we wish we were dead. Our pain so deep that another breath seems hard to take and we want it to be all over. Yet...we have a future in our God. He is not done with us yet. He has a plan to give us a future and a hope.

The Bible says in James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Further in verse 12 it states that blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Let us say aloud today that in spite of the storm the plan is good. I am now firmly rooted in Christ and know that this trial or trials are producing perseverance and bringing a maturity which could never come otherwise.

When you consider that He poured out His life for you...consider that He knows this present trial and He can see you through.

Fourth Man?

Daniel 3:19-25 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

Certain mighty "men" of valor on the side of evil are no match for our God. These certain "men" of valor need not be in a physical sense by our side. There are spirits of discouragement, distress, hopelessness and hate that the devil will employ against us, ultimately seeking to make us live a defeated Christian life.

The power of being set free from these demonic activities does not lie solely in our ability to fight, or use the right words or say the right prayers. The power of being set free lies on totally relying on the fourth man in the flame, "the Son of God."

At one time or another we will all suffer from these evil "men" seeking to intimidate our souls, our very existence. But know that there is no power mightier than the risen Lord. He is able to save to the uttermost those that come to Him.

Have you seen people that shine when they walk in the room? People that have great compassion for the poor and the lost? People whose hearts are tender to the core? People that will not compromise in the face of persecution and suffering? These are the ones that have walked with the fourth man in the fire daily and then the fourth man in the fire has walked with them when they need Him.

Psalm 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Music?

Daniel 3:13-15 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

What an interesting course of events and principles here. Nebuchadnezzar wanted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to worship a golden image set up amidst the revelry of music.

Have you noticed that music is often used to sway people emotionally? It is nothing new...age old principle of the enemy to gain mind control. Very often people who think they would never succumb to sin will do so in an atmosphere where the music overtakes their mind.

When King Nebuchadnezzar tells these three men who are actually captive in Babylon that, “if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace”, I am pretty sure that they were scared like any other human being. But they had walked long enough and strong enough with God. These words did not intimidate them from following the Truth.

I am certain that inwardly they smiled when the King said to them, “Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

Their victory was in their silence and their confidence in the strong hand of God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who created the heavens and the earth.

One day they had decided to follow hard after God and neither this day nor the circumstances that challenged that walk was going to change their commitment.

Give me an unwavering heart, O God!

Prayer

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.















PRAYER

What is prayer
A hosts of hymns
Recitations – verses
Learned by head ?

Nay - for me its
A conversation with my God.
Sometimes I do not even converse
Not because I cannot
But I’d rather not
I sit in perfect silence
Contemplating , enjoying
The beauty of His home.

I need not talk
For sitting there alone
He refills my cup
With serenity and strength.

I stand and do not wobble
My frown is now
Replaced with a smile.

Jewels Mesaros

Lullaby

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.

One of the earliest good memories I have of my father is him singing for me. Toothaches were a sad part of my life growing up. Somehow the toothache monster always attacked me at nights. There were neither emergency clinics nor a dentist available at those unearthly hours.

My Dad would sweep me up in his arms. He would then let me snuggle and then walk in the garden all night, sometimes carrying me till daybreak. He would hum and softly singing lullabies to me. His soothing tone eased the pain in my mouth and I would drift off to sleep. If I so much as whimpered he would start his humming all over again.

Today as I read this scripture, I rejoice. My heavenly Father is always with me and then He even rejoices over me with singing. That is a comforting thought as I write this post, knowing that in a few minutes I will be heading for bed.

Troubles are all around right now, life seems so different than what I want it to be. In the midst of my “life aches” my heavenly Father sings over me. I believe He sings songs of salvation, songs of love and songs pure joy. He sings not because He has to but because He wants to.

He rejoices over me by the simple virtue of the fact that I am His daughter.

Enduring

2 Timothy 4:5-6a But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and discharge all the duties of your ministry. For I am already being poured out like a drink offering.

Trials are part of life. If we are moving strongly day by day sharing the hope and love of Jesus Christ, trials are always going to be part of our existence.

In two Timothy chapter four Paul talks about being poured out like a drink offering. When you have the desire to serve God with all your heart, you will be poured out like a drink offering. There will be terrible trials and whenever there is calm, it will probably be the eye of the storm.

If our Savior Himself suffered so much how can we expect to live a life that is without suffering? Even so in all the suffering let us remember one thing that though the enemy will mean it for evil against us, God will use it for our good.

Let us focus on the God that become man and gave His life on the cross. Let us be willing to be poured out like a drink offering and be a light.

Let us prayerfully ask the Lord to do a new work in our lives and to view our ministry with His eyes.

Who shall?

Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Strong words considering we live in a time and age when many times words hold no importance.

Couples make vows to stay together through sickness and health, rich and poor and everything else. Then when something strikes at the root of the marriage they consider separating.

Vows become words that have no meaning and the power in them is lost.

Contracts are broken on a daily basis and the consequence is court, judgments and bitterness that last a life time.

As we look into these verses this morning...let us focus on one thing. Who shall and that means not even ourselves. Sometimes we are so weary in our spiritual battle that we want to give up, all hope seems lost and the Word just seems like lots of words printed on a page.

Let us remember though here that nothing including ourselves can separate us from the love of Christ. He has deemed it to love us once and for all, forever.

Nothing is going to change His mind. He has demonstrated that love by His sacrificial death on the cross.

When Jesus gave Himself He knew that we would doubt, we would fail, we would recoil, but He went ahead and gave it all anyway.

Yes, because like the Lord says in His Word, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ", no one..."not any other created thing", which includes you and me.

Take a moment to sit and bask in that today...nothing can separate you from the love of Christ, yes nothing, not even yourself.

Race Anyone?

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).


I love the fact that God renews our strength. As we wait upon Him, it’s not an empty waiting. During that waiting I believe someone is praying for us. You may ask, how can I be so sure? Hebrews 7:25 states that He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Then sometimes the Lord will give us a Word, or have us meet someone "accidently" in the super market who will have a word of encouragement for us. Sometimes in this waiting when we reach out to someone the Lord will reach out to us and fill us with hope.

There are numerous things that happen while we wait. The absolutely amazing thing is that while we wait on the Lord and not on a person there is hope.

For a few years I was often puzzled about that fact that why we shall run and not be weary and walk and not faint. More than likely we shall faint when we are running, right?

Have you seen athletes that run track? When they finish a long track they normally start walking and some who have done too much just keel, fall over and faint. So they don't normally faint while they are running they just grow weary. Then when the race is almost done they are out of strength that's when they faint.

Interesting that God wants us to know that we are not ordinary, worldly athletes. The Kingdom race is different.

Take courage today if you are waiting on Him, you will not grow weary and for sure you will not faint. His strength will be your portion and be encouraged He is praying for you.

Appearance

1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees;[a] for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

We all at one time or another have judged people by appearance. A few years ago my husband and I were on a short vacation on an island in the Northwest. I walked into the local store to get some snacks. There was this kid working at the cash register. His hair was in a frizz and probably about 8 inches high. Many thoughts crossed my mind as to what kind of kid he maybe.

I forgot all about him and went whale watching. We returned the next day to the store and right on the front page of the local newspaper was the picture of the kid. He had been killed the night before by a motorist while he was returning home from work on his bicycle.

In his obituary it mentioned what an exemplary son he was. His Dad had died a couple of years ago with cancer. His brother was studying in a big university somewhere and this young kid took on the responsibility of the ranch his dad left behind, was taking care of his mom, was working this job and preparing to go to college to work in the field of media.

That newspaper article may as well been a hard punch in the stomach. All my thoughts melted at my feet. I was so presumptuous about this kid. I was judging from his outward appearance. The Spirit of God really convicted me of my attitude and it is a lesson I am careful to remember to this day.

As we go about out daily business, meet people; let us remember to be like our Savior.

Let us not judge by outward appearance, by their clothes or unkempt hair or even the by their clothes and well maintained hair. Let us lean on the Spirit of God for guidance on how to approach the world around us and be His light.

Give Thanks

PSALM 100
A Psalm of Thanksgiving.
Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting,And His truth endures to all generations.

Our Golden Calf?

Exodus 32:23-24 For they said to me, 'Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' And I said to them, 'Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.' So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out."

Moses spent forty days and forty nights on the mountain with God. All the Israelites that came out of bondage from Egypt were at that time under the temporary leadership of Aaron. The people started getting restless and decided that something may have happened to Moses. They decided they should get their own God.

Aaron asked everyone to donate their gold. They melted it, made a golden calf and began worshipping it. The Israelites forgot how the Lord delivered them from the hands of Pharaoh. They forgot the awesome miracles that He performed, including the incredible parting of the Red Sea.

The thing that gets my attention is when Moses comes back and asks him about the golden calf, Aaron replies..."and this calf came out." He knew as much as you and I do that if we throw some metal into the fire nothing really that is of any design is going to come out. It has to be heated at the right temperature and then shaped into what one wants.

How often when we are in a situation where we have given into our flesh, do we want to say, "It just happened?"

Let us go before the Lord today and ask Him to not only forgive us for our golden calves but also to renew our heart and mind that He may be Lord over everything, so that it may go well with us.

Know the Way?

Jeremiah 10:23 LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

When I was a little girl it was mother who always said, "Go this way, don't take the shortcut, go that way or you will not find the store." Her words ring in my ears when I need to make decisions about where I am going. The only trouble is they ring in my ear as a sweet voice from times past, now she cannot guide me for two reasons. One that she is no longer on earth and secondly I do need divine guidance. Even with all her wisdom and love for me, she could never have guided me in the right manner.

How often we are guided by the voice of men? Some people will advise us because they think it is the right way to go. Others will advise us because they have tried it out before and it worked for them, still others will advise because they think they know what is best for us.

Today let us really contemplate on this verse in Jeremiah. So true, we have not made ourselves, we cannot so much as take a breath if it were not for God allowing it, so then how can we make all those decisions without seeking His will and His way?

"I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope." Psalm 16:7-8

Let us wholeheartedly seek counsel from the One who knows the end from the beginning.

Multiplication Anyone?

Acts 6:3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith".

I was once in contact with a Pastor who started a new Church in our neighborhood. It was a seeker friendly church that desired to cater to the “modern” generation. The music was not only in bad taste but also just of course without any anointing just to attract numbers.

Soon the older members of the congregation began to leave and this young Pastor asked me what the reason could be, I gently told him that the answer lay in the Book of Acts.

If we look really hard into the Book of Acts we see great faith woven with great intercession. They had a purity of heart and mind, in seeking the purposes of God, rather than the accolades of men.

Let us revert back to the old and infallible formula of a wise God. Instead of printing hundreds of brochures and spending thousands on billboards let us the formula of the Ancient of Days. Prayer + word + obedience = multiplication of believers.

God is the best math teacher but we have to follow His formula to get the correct answers. Working it His way will affect eternity and the souls of men in a positive manner.

Come let us pray, obey and let us seek to multiply His Kingdom in the way the King intended to.

No Matter What

Acts 16: 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

I have often wondered about that scripture and tried to look at it many different ways. The truth of the matter remains though that Paul and Silas were in prison for preaching the gospel. Now my imagination runs wild.

For one I do not think that the prison they were in was fancy, no cell phone, no air-condition and indeed no running water and light. So it was infested with rats, some other creepy crawlies and it was dark and dingy.

In modern times you could imagine a broken guitar lying in the corner and the pages of the music sheets torn beyond recognition but that did not deter Paul and Silas from worshipping God and true to His Word God came down in the situation.

So often we are trapped in a situation beyond our control. The cares of this world and the impossible situations are for sure larger than rats and the creepy crawlies. The hopelessness that surrounds us is truly a dark place and the loneliness sure dingy. If we keep on complaining about our situation I am pretty sure it will not change.

Let’s be encouraged and as we wait in our dire situations come let us praise our God. Continuously with great joy let our praises resound. He will come. He is not a God who show favoritism but one that watches over His promise to perform.

Try Him, praise Him and the promise is this that He will come and deliver. When God steps into a situation darkness flees and is replaced with His light. Loneliness runs and is replaced with divine fellowship. Fetters of needs, pain, sickness and disease of every nature are broken. Bands are loosed and doors to the future open wide and the resurrection power surges into every bleak and dead situation bringing life!

Signs

Mark 16: 17-18 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

Sunday routine for many, wake up, coffee, dress, turn key in ignition, attend service, benediction, lunch, home rest, TV, dinner, sleep. Seems like a good day, yet many of us will be dissatisfied at the whole mechanism of just attending, just listening and just being.

Very often we will look for someone else to be a power house and demonstrate the Kingdom of God. We come away disappointed that “someone” did not do their job. We forget that those who believe are the power houses of God.

If we look closely at this scripture it definitely does not say, “and these signs will accompany the pastors, the leaders, the wealthy man in the congregation. The Word of God is very clear it says, “And these signs will accompany those who believe”, irrespective of your age, gender, financial status or anything else the world defines you by.

As we prepare our hearts to meet corporately tomorrow let us remember that the promise is for ALL those who believe. Sometimes a church service may be just that a church service without the slightest demonstration of the Kingdom of God or the King of kings.

Let us resolve to prayerfully go out and demonstrate the Kingdom in love. We may not encounter a snake bite in urban America but I am positive we will encounter a sick person or two. Let us will willing to be poured out as a drink offering, not keeping back anything. Emptying ourselves so that God can use us.

Let our thoughts and actions flow from the throne room of God and demonstrate the Kingdom, standing on the promises of our God that by His stripes and wounds we were healed and believe a mighty God for a miraculous healing for those hurting around us.

Same Place?

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do no break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

When I was a little girl I vividly remember the memorial service of our rich landlord. I even saw the hearse passing the street. Looking back though he had no U-haul attached to his hearse. All his many mansions, many buildings, his many treasures were left behind.

Interestingly in India where I come from, coffins are either plain white sheets in which bodies are wrapped for disposal or some simple wooden ones. Makes sense to me.
Then I remember one of the homeless soul we use to minister to under the bridge. When he passed away he had the same kind of burial. Time of death –in accordance with the Maker, difference at death – none.

And then in my early twenties the Lord put in my hand the autobiography of a humble man, namely George Mueller. (German - born as : Johann Georg Ferdinand Müller) (September 27, 1805 – March 10, 1898), a Christian evangelist and Director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England, cared for 10,024 orphans in his life. He was well-known for providing an education to the children under his care, to the point where he was accused of raising the poor above their natural station in life. He also established 117 schools which offered Christian education to over 120,000 children, many of them being orphans.

Interestingly enough I gained a new perspective when I read that he not only did all this but during his entire life NEVER raised a single dollar, NEVER wrote a single newsletter nor did any kind of campaigning to acquire funds for the very noble cause of the orphans or his work. Anytime apart from his work was spent on his knees in prayer.

Through the autobiography of his life and by the Spirit of God I gained a new understanding to the meaning of “where your treasure is there will be your heart also".

If our treasure is in the heart of God then our heart will trust that God for the treasures we need.

He who made the heavens and the earth is well able to provide for the needs of the ministry and every other need, be it for a good paying job, or the coloring books for the children in the orphanage or the 2000 sq. foot building we need to build for some worthy cause.

He has not changed since the beginning of time. He provided everything that George Mueller prayed for because George Mueller’s treasure was the heart of God and our cry daily should be the same…let our treasure be in you and you alone, oh my God.

Waiting Silently

Psalm 62:1 Truly my soul silently waits for God;From Him comes my salvation.

Have you been in a situation with someone involving so many different facets that words become obsolete? You say all you had to, you did all you could and then there is a silence, somehow it’s not a deafening silence you just know that it is a silence where things are being sorted out in the heart and mind.

In that silence you either wait for an answer to come or simply just wait because neither one of you has a solution.

But in God’s court it is completely different. You wait by faith, knowing that the One who loves you so completely, has an answer for your situation.The answer may be an obvious one just what you need for the problem. It may be that in the waiting God is renewing your heart to be all that He wants you to be.

It may also be that in the waiting He is longing to just to have you draw near to Him. No matter what the outcome, but know that your salvation does come only from Him and His intention is to always do you good.

Sometimes I have been in real tough places…more times than I would like and the situation seems almost like insurmountable mountains before me but I know whom I believe in.

Let’s remember what the Psalmist says in Psalm 139:4 "even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether" (Ps. 139:4).

He knows it altogether and our tears sometimes speak more volumes than our words could and our silence sometimes is even more vocal. Let not your eyes look elsewhere except upward and stay in the shadow of His wings..till the storms of destruction pass by”. Psalm 57:1b

Water

Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

When we moved to the new place early this year I was delighted to see two fig trees in my yard. They have been here for about 25 years or so. My neighbor spoke highly of those fig trees and said that their fruit is sweet and they both bear hundreds of fruits. She asked me if her daughter could come pick some when the figs would be ready. I was more than willing to share some, though figs are one of my favorite fruits.

As soon as we moved in we had problems with our water storage system and our landlord sent a plumber who installed complete new plumbing. In a few days the leaves on the fig tree began to wither. My husband and I thought it must be some kind of a bug and with some enquiry around began to treat it. Nothing helped, within a few weeks the trees died. This morning I noticed that the tree has begun to split due to the dryness and it dawned on me that when the plumber fixed the water problem he somehow cut of supply running from the waste water in the bathroom to the trees.

The trees are not only dead but of course will never bear fruit again. They stand now as mute testimony to the importance of being planted near water or basically just having water to survive.

Psalm 1 demonstrates the same principle. A person who does not have the God life in him or her basically ends up withered and dies. There is no purpose or joy in existence and everything is on the way to drying and dying.

Come let us drink from the Word of God today so that we can be like a tree planted by streams of water and bear much fruit.

In God’s Kingdom there are no annuals only perennials. There is no limit how much of the Word you can drink and when. Just drinking and taking the Word in, is not only refreshing, rewarding but in short, life giving.

Justice

Isaiah 30:18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

Justice from God comes in many ways. Some visible to the human eye some not, some instantly in earthly time frame, some not. The sure thing is that there is always justice in the Kingdom of God. For our sins there was justice paid by the Son on the Cross. Your redemption and mine, total and complete. Justice came in the form of mercy and set us free.

Then are those situations where it looks like God has forgotten to be just. Joseph languishing in prison, forgotten by men but not by God. God raised him from prisoner to be second only to Pharaoh in the land.

Daniel in the lion’s den, rising literally from the jaws of death after which Cyrus an unbeliever issued a decree enjoining reverence for "the God of Daniel”.

Unspeakable injustices but a just ending from the hands of a just God.

God has not forgotten you. You may be in a prison like Joseph, maybe not literally but bound in some way. Wait on Him, His justice will prevail.

His arm is not too shortened that He cannot save nor His ear too heavy that He cannot hear.

Sometimes we cannot even pick our battles they are predetermined to be battles. But you and I can pick what we need to do. Sometimes just waiting in His presence is all that will be required of us.

He will rise to show compassion and in the time of our waiting we will be blessed. Fret not…just wait, He will come.

The Dash?

Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Every tombstone no matter how old the person was, has something like this written
Born (date) – Died (date)

Many of us focus on the name and dates then move on. But as someone said the little dash contains our entire life.

Jack the main character of the movie Titanic has a reply to the people in the first class, when they ask him what he does and where he is going…Jack: Well, yes, ma'am, I do... I mean, I got everything I need right here with me. I got air in my lungs, a few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the morning not knowing what's gonna happen or, who I'm gonna meet, where I'm gonna wind up. Just the other night I was sleeping under a bridge and now here I am on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people. I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next.You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count.

Each day will add on and make our life. May it be so with us that each day we calculate how we are going to serve our God, how we are going to be servants and givers. Taking our responsibility for each day is really what will finally add up to the dash on the tombstone.

It will either be just an empty dash lived selfishly, complaining and grumbling or a dash that gave hope, life, kindness and above all spread the love of our Heavenly Father where it was needed the most.

Let’s consider this precious gift called life and make each day count. Let us prayerfully hand over our lives to the Lord this morning and as God’s children we can be more than conquerors and encompass those around us so that it counts for them too.

Let us make each day count, lest our lives be just an empty dash.

Comfort

Hosea 14:3b For in You the fatherless finds mercy.

I was expecting that call but when it did come I was totally devastated. My Dad was gone. He had been sick for a number of years and finally a bout of pneumonia took him.

My mother went 32 years before him. Now I was truly an orphan.

As I took deep breaths and knelt by the side of the bed taking in this new pain, this grief, this unfathomable agony I felt the soothing hand of the Lord on my soul.

He just kind of leaned and softly whispered, “You have found new mercy today. In me the fatherless finds mercy. I am going to cover you, be there for you. Now I am your heavenly and your earthly Father.”

The pain slowly lifted over the next few weeks as I let myself fall into the arms of eternal mercy, in the arms of my Father both heavenly and "earthly".

No matter what kind of childhood you had, maybe a father who was absent, maybe somone who did not treat you as deserved, maybe just some one who never saw you as precious as you are...but remember today you are not fatherless, as surely as the Lord lives and according to His unfailing promise…in Him you will find mercy.

Hurry run now...His arms are open wide!

Encouragement

Acts 18:23 And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.

Many times during the day I wish there was someone to encourage me, pray with me or just bring me come spiritual and emotional comfort.

Many of us experience that some days are devoid of any comfort and I have to encourage myself in the Lord and think of His many benefits and bless His name

How marvelous would it be if I would listen intently to the Father and see if there be any like me that would need some strengthening?

Is it not true that oft times when we set out to strengthen someone we are strengthened in turn?

Let’s determine today to prayerfully strengthen some saint. There are many around hurting, discouraged, feeble and sometimes just plain weary.

Come let us go today and through this week and months ahead strengthen someone even when we are weak, for that is His calling and let us remember that His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Kingdom Keepers

Acts 18:10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.

In the late 1980’s the Lord called me to work with the street kids in the city of Bombay now called Mumbai in India. Our daily schedule was to gather the street kids and start school.

We sat in an open air class on mats and along with reading writing and arithmetic we brought the love of God to their lives.

One day a man accosted me and asked me to leave the railway premises immediately or else I would have to face dire consequences.

I was summoned to the railway police but after a 20 minutes interrogation they let me continue with the classes and I learnt that the man had no official authority in that place.

Fear gripped me for a moment but God’s Word was final. He had said, “I am with you, and no man shall set on you to hurt you, for I have many people in this city”.

True…every child that I was teaching and all their family members were gathered around me to protect me…I smile as I think on that day.

He who has called will always be faithful.

Wherever you are at this moment and thinking about your difficult day on the mission field know that He has His people in the city for you

Destination

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.

In today’s world with the invention of the GPS, travelling in unfamiliar territory is not a problem. All you do is punch in your destination and the GPS will vocally tell you how to get there.

Until recently many people depended on the good ol' road map and many still do. No matter what kind of gadget you have the important thing is to read it right and follow it exactly.

When we seek God for directions, He is always willing to guide us to our destination. We sometimes lose our way in the process and are bewildered as to why God lead us there.

If we ponder on our course of action leading to our misplaced destination we will find that you and I never followed the instructions right.

It is important to pay attention to every detail just like on a road map and follow the great Eternal guide minutely as He leads us to our destination.

Let Him order our steps and let us not be ordered by a friend or a feeling.

Voice of Weeping

Psalm 6:6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. Psalm 6:7a Mine eye is consumed because of grief - Psalm6:8b the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.

Surely these scriptures are a picture of one in utter grief.

In today’s world culture weeping is not cool. Suffering is an alien word even in Christian circles.

Somehow we have bought into the world system and think and many believe that following Christ means hardships, nails and a crosss. We have forgotten that our tears clear the dust, remove the heavy curtains that blind us from seeing our Lord more clearly.

The truth is that suffering is part of human existence and yet the other truth is that in that pit of pain and languish the Lord does hear the voice of our weeping.I wonder sometimes how people can make it without the knowledge of a loving Savior and a Father that cares. When I was little much as my Father loved me there were times I fell and hurt myself, other times bad things happened and there was nothing that my Dad could do except let me go through those pains so that I could grow a little more.
But, he was always there for me. I was never out of his heart and most times I am sure on His mind. God loves in a way that is far more complete than my earthly Dad could ever be.

Let us take courage that He does hear us. As it says in Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But to know that He hears you have to call with a voice of weeping.

Whole Life?

1 Samuel 1:28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." And he worshiped the Lord there.

“For his life he will be given over to the Lord.” Hannah did not waver from her promise. Great men and women of God count the cost and follow through.

In today’s world it is indeed shocking to see how we seek to pamper our children lest the upbringing is too strict and they turn away from the Lord. I know of missionary couples whose children are allowed to see all kinds of films, idolize raunchy teen singers and actors who have no moral values.

In our human thinking we try to rationalize our behavior to make life easier for our children. Hannah knew that commitment was going to be costly, the words “for his whole life,” meant every part sure and secured in the service of the Lord. Not just Sundays, and Bible study days and when some preacher visits the house days…yes the whole life meaning complete and nothing less.

Let’s as parents rest on the word of the Lord, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6) Let us strive not to think we are smarter than Him but let’s trust Him to do it His way to yield true everlasting results.

In Plain Sight

John 13:35 By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

In Plain Sight

You see me across the street
And carry on driving immersed in your next thought.
Waiting for the signal to turn green so you can put me off.

You see me on the sidewalk
As you rush to get your kid from school
I am one more number in your child’s math book.

You see me outside the coffee shop
As you come on your office break
It is easy to ignore me as you take the steps.

I have been waiting on every street corner for you
Disheveled, dirty, stinking and feeling blue
I know you have been waiting for me too.

But I am not found in big building on a Sunday morn
Nor in a gathering of a so called revival dawn
Not in any of those places am I found.

I am here in plain sight if you will only see
You will encounter me in everyday life that be
My revival starts in your heart as you reach out to me.

By this shall all men know that you are my disciples
That you love one another
I am waiting for you to love me,
I am in plain sight don’t you see?

Jewels Mesaros

Unbridled

Psalm 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Growing up is never easy for some reason. Has it to do with the fact that children don’t come with a handbook on “how to”?

We all have our share of sorrow, joy and disciplining as we grow. I lived in a community that had people from various educational and economic back grounds. Some disciplined their kids, others did not. Some used a belt; others their hand, my mother sometime used a rolling pin.

One evening we kids were all playing and someone used a swear word. My mom was in the kitchen and heard it, for some strange reason she thought it was me. Out she came with her rolling pin and wacked me hard on my arm. Through my tears I tried to convince her it wasn’t me. After thorough investigation we finally together nailed the culprit.

My tongue was often bridled because I knew Mother was near by and I could not use the language of the streets.

Now I am all grown up and want to remember that my God would love that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart to be pleasing to Him and others.

I love to wake up in the morning and say... "Good Morning, Lord,” then I must remember through out the day that my Savior is with me and my words and my meditation better befitting of the King.

Revelation

Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
As Christians when trials come our way we lean towards thinking that we may have done something wrong. If we are among those following hard after Him, trials will come. Trials are not a barometer of how much the Lord loves us or does not love us. It is not a barometer of God’s favor.
What is a barometer of His love and favor is the revelation that comes from Him in the times of trial to cope with the difficult situation. As long as we are living in this fallen world, pain is part of it. What sets us apart though is what the Lord will reveal to us on how to cope with the situation.
From the time it was revealed to Noah to build an ark to the revelations given to John on the Patmos Island in all these instances the Lord was near.

Take courage in your dire situation and ask the Lord to reveal Himself. He is faithful and will not only bring the revelation but also the required redemption in the crisis. Our survival in our crisis is the revealed arm of God!

Still seek Him!

Matthew 2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

One of my favorite things to do is to watch families wherever they are gathered, at parties or malls or some event.

I love to watch the exquisite expressions on the faces of grandparents as they watch their grandchildren play or do something cute. It delights my heart to see mommies and little girls walking hand in hand or a father holding his little bundle of joy while the mother is busy shopping.

My heart fills with great joy to see that love is the ultimate expression of who God is.

One Christmas holiday I was at the mall and had the privilege of seeing grandparents being reunited with the grandchildren. The hugs, the kisses and cuddling in one phrase and there was exceedingly great joy filling the mall.

What brings us exceeding joy? A great bank account, a healthy child, a much needed vacation or a beautiful home, or maybe even a wonderful mate?

But, we are called to be like the three wise men whose eyes were frantically looking for the star. It is believed that these three wise men were gentiles. How much more should you and I search for that “Star” who brightens our path and who hovers over us?

Jesus became man so that we could become sons of God. Wise men still seek Him.

A Nasty Rooster!

Psalm 6:9 The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.

One of my earliest memories of animals unfortunately is a nasty rooster.

Our landlord had one that was ferocious. He would chase all the little kids and then peck real hard at our ankles, always drawing some blood. It’s unbelievable but true.

I remember one time he was chasing me and all I did was call out, “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy”, in sheer terror. My Dad who was within ear shot came and picked me up in his arms.

In that instant all my fear melted into relief as I sank in his strong embrace.

What kinds of roosters are chasing us today? Our past, our present or is it our future?

Grief and worry come in all shapes and sizes but remember what the Word of God says, “The Lord will receive my prayer”. Not maybe, or could be or don’t know…but the Lord will receive my prayers and hear your voice of supplication.

Now let your heavenly Dad swoop you in His arms and sink in there safe and sound. He is able.

Great Whales

Genesis 1:21a And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly.

Last year I had the opportunity to witness the beautiful gray whales in the Pacific from about a distance of about forty feet. What magnificent creatures!

I was completely amazed when one of them came out and did a great big flip in mid-air and went back down. Adult gray whales measure about 14 meters and weigh about 30 to 40 tons.

You would think they feed on other sea mammals to maintain their size but they feed on small crustaceans such as amphipods and tube worms found at the bottom of the ocean. Our Father created those wonderful and exotic creatures and one of the reasons was to bring us great joy.

How generous is our God and how big. He charters the paths of those whales from Alaska to Mexico and back. I believe He holds them in the palm of His hands as He does you and me. Indeed how great is our God!

Give thanks!

Psalm 35:18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.


Public speaking brings a picture of knocking knees and breaking out in sweat. I am sure at times the Psalmist felt that too, yet the Psalmist says, “I will give thee thanks in the great congregation”.

Note it’s not the little congregation only but also the great congregation. When tribes gathered in the Old Testament there were a great many people that came together and in those great congregations there were the faithful who praised God.

When we are in Church and the Pastor says, “Does anyone have a testimony”? How often do we look around to see who has one? It is indeed discouraging to note that there isn’t a rush or stampede or even a long line to give testimonies and thank God for His goodness.

Next time there is an invitation to give thanks let us arise and give thanks in the great congregation and praise our Lord among much people.

Light and Life

Gen 1:4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

One of the first things mentioned in the Bible with regards to separation is that of light and darkness. Interesting and amazing how all of life is divided into just two components light and darkness.

When a baby is in the womb there is nothing but darkness then when it comes to light there is life.

I was just watching a clip on the internet on information that now gives technicians the ability to make a physical model from a 3D sonogram image.

The model is a life like depiction of the baby in vitro. It looks very real, looks exactly like the baby to the minutest detail but it is still only a depiction, life like but lifeless.

Then when you think of the baby being actually born…what a difference! The coming of the baby into the light brings out all the things that pertain to life and living.

Makes me wonder whether I am in the dark just being a life like depiction or is the life and light of Christ shining through me.

Safe

Psalm 18:16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.


Our plane was thirty thousand feet above sea level and it was aflame. The engine on fire and there was just the ocean below.

My assignment was to go to Germany where I was invited to preach and now I found myself on this plane about to burst into flames. Twenty minutes later we landed back to the airport we had boarded from, safe and sound. Two days later I was in Germany on my assignment on schedule.

The Lord was true to His promise, “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.”

Look at your circumstances and know that He is able to deliver you out of it. Just trust and obey.

Hide and Seek?

Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

Have you watched movies where one person is being chased and is hiding behind the trees in a wooded area? Everyone in the scene moves real stealthily so as not to give themselves away but one single move that makes a sound like crushing dried leaves brings attention to the target and then the pace escalates.

Now imagine Adam and Eve trying to hide from God. The scriptures say, “They heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day”.

The Psalmist rightly says in Psalm 139:7 “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?”

Yet like Adam and Eve how often do we forget that we cannot flee His presence? His footprints are indelibly marked on all of creation.

That the incident in the garden ended with a redemption plan stands as a covenant to this day. Instead of running away let us run to Him because His compassions never fail and He is just to forgive.

Truly I repeat as the Psalmist says..."Where O Lord, can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?"