January 31
Psalms 119:39 Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good.
Oh, the sin that sticks to us like a burr. Oh, how past transgression likes to butt in to buffet and vex our soul and try the grace of God in us. We know so well that our guilty feeling is right because God’s judgments are good and we deserve to be chastised.
How long has it been, how deep are these ‘old files’ buried? Would we listen to one who would dare to bring up these records to the forefront of our soul? Do we have the courage to bring them up and expose them to the forgiving grace of Jesus?
Why should we pay any attention to the devil, the accuser of the Saints who tries to subject our hearts to his own unrepentant and therefore unforgiven state? Nay; but he has no place in us (Ephesians 4:27). We will face him lifting the blood of the Christ who died and resurrected for us and we will live (Numbers 21:8). We will look unto the brazen snake as unto the Son of God made sin for us (John 3:14). We will look him straight in the face and shout, “Jesus took my sin for me.” Again, “Jesus took my sin for me.” And again, “Jesus took my sin for me.” There now, the is weight lifted; the reproach taken away.
Our every stripe, our every lash, and our every burn from the fiery lake, He has taken upon Himself. When we come to Him in His appointed time, He will not sternly look at us and say, “What have you done”, but seeing the imprint of His blood on the side posts of our heart (Exodus 12:7) He will say, “Enter thou into the joy of Thy Lord” (Matthew 25:23).
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
'Be strong, be strong and be strengthened!'
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
THE ANCHOR OF OUR VIRTUE
January 30
Psalms 119:38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.
Some of us, some more than others, are prone to doubt God’s Word; we have a natural tendency to doubt his promises of care and support. It is true that these days, from all sides wherever we go, we are incessantly bombarded with alternative concepts. If we are not on-guard against them, these erode at our faith and trust in the Lord. Sad to say, the most common scenario is that our virtue gets trampled upon and we don’t even realize it. We continue our life in a humdrum fashion until something wrong happens which serves as a catalyst to expose our waning spiritual condition. Tragedy in our lives often renews in us the lost fear of the Lord.
The good news is that if we have an inner devotion to the fear of the Lord, we will be able to see it. Unless our soul is ‘seared’ (1 Timothy 4:2) by a self-justifying spirit of rebellion, if we live close to the Lord, He is able to show us when our faith sinks under the pressures of the world.
May then God help establish his Word, his promises and his spiritual principles in our hearts. May they be anchored, keeping our ship unmovable against the raging and roaring influences that would sink it in doubts. May his Word be the ‘fact’ and the ‘amen’ to each and every situation coming our way. And with all these, may the peace that passes all understanding reigns in us as a testimony of the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15).
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Psalms 119:38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.
Some of us, some more than others, are prone to doubt God’s Word; we have a natural tendency to doubt his promises of care and support. It is true that these days, from all sides wherever we go, we are incessantly bombarded with alternative concepts. If we are not on-guard against them, these erode at our faith and trust in the Lord. Sad to say, the most common scenario is that our virtue gets trampled upon and we don’t even realize it. We continue our life in a humdrum fashion until something wrong happens which serves as a catalyst to expose our waning spiritual condition. Tragedy in our lives often renews in us the lost fear of the Lord.
The good news is that if we have an inner devotion to the fear of the Lord, we will be able to see it. Unless our soul is ‘seared’ (1 Timothy 4:2) by a self-justifying spirit of rebellion, if we live close to the Lord, He is able to show us when our faith sinks under the pressures of the world.
May then God help establish his Word, his promises and his spiritual principles in our hearts. May they be anchored, keeping our ship unmovable against the raging and roaring influences that would sink it in doubts. May his Word be the ‘fact’ and the ‘amen’ to each and every situation coming our way. And with all these, may the peace that passes all understanding reigns in us as a testimony of the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15).
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Monday, January 29, 2007
WE BECOME WHAT WE FEED OUR SPIRIT
January 29
Psalms 119:37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
The continual watching of ungodly sights and hearing of foul sounds numbs our senses to evil. When we constantly subject ourselves to them, we actually train our spirit to be comfortable with them. We fight against the God-given Holy Spirit in us who, by the means of our conscience, would normally reject them.
How sad, how pitiful, how pathetic it is when we vex, and abuse the Spirit of God in us through our deliberate subjection to worldly vanities. Eventually, we numb our senses and we cannot discern good from bad and right from wrong anymore. Our conscience becomes eared (1 Timothy 4:2) and we cannot recognize the voice of His Spirit anymore. Ultimately, we do not even feel when God is grieved within us.
O how those worldly vanities sap the strength and spirit out of us so we become soul-less, spirit-less humanoids easily reachable to be used by Satan. Like King David in this passage, let us honestly, sincerely and without reservations, ask the Lord to ‘turn away’ our eyes (as it seems we cannot do it ourselves) from beholding and loathing at the prideful and vain sights and sounds of the world, so He can ‘quicken’* us.
*Quicken: to make alive.
Psalms 25:15 Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Psalms 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
Psalms 119:37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
The continual watching of ungodly sights and hearing of foul sounds numbs our senses to evil. When we constantly subject ourselves to them, we actually train our spirit to be comfortable with them. We fight against the God-given Holy Spirit in us who, by the means of our conscience, would normally reject them.
How sad, how pitiful, how pathetic it is when we vex, and abuse the Spirit of God in us through our deliberate subjection to worldly vanities. Eventually, we numb our senses and we cannot discern good from bad and right from wrong anymore. Our conscience becomes eared (1 Timothy 4:2) and we cannot recognize the voice of His Spirit anymore. Ultimately, we do not even feel when God is grieved within us.
O how those worldly vanities sap the strength and spirit out of us so we become soul-less, spirit-less humanoids easily reachable to be used by Satan. Like King David in this passage, let us honestly, sincerely and without reservations, ask the Lord to ‘turn away’ our eyes (as it seems we cannot do it ourselves) from beholding and loathing at the prideful and vain sights and sounds of the world, so He can ‘quicken’* us.
*Quicken: to make alive.
Psalms 25:15 Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Psalms 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
TO COVET OR NOT TO COVET
January 28
Psalms 119:36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
The tenth commandment of the Instructions* given to Moses on Mt Sinai tells us, “Thou shalt not covet” Exodus 20:17. In the New Testament, Paul the Apostle tells us to “covet earnestly the best gifts”1 Corinthians 12:31. Is there a contradiction here on the attitude towards coveting?
* The word ‘Torah’ generally translated by ‘Law’, actually means ‘intruction’.
--The first instruction is relevant of the physical realm, the second instruction of the spiritual. --The first cautions, the second instructs. --The first is a negative instruction, the second, a positive. --The fist tells of the dangers of coveting the wealth from the world, the second tells of the blessings of coveting the gifts of the Spirit.
God must have known that as human beings created from the elements of the earth, earthly things would become a pull and exercise power over us. We can see it in the case of our lust for junk-food, wealth, sex, and in the character corrupting influences brought by power and fame. Coveting them is natural, but it is bad for us. To resist that tendency, our hearts need to be consciously ’inclined’ to desire the spiritual blessings that only God can give.
This inclination to desire spiritual blessings is not natural to us, and the devil knows it. He uses us every trick of his evil trade to sidetrack us using the carnal elements he knows we fall so easily for. Paul, also warns us that the carnal always fights against the spiritual, and that the two are in constant enmity. (Romans 8:7).
In order to keep our loyalty focused on his material and carnal realm, the devil constantly bombards us with his concepts through the sights and sounds offered us by the ‘media-sirens’ of the world. The only way to be ‘rehabilitated’, to be reformed from the infatuations and addictions to his ‘virtual-world’, is to prioritize our life and constantly bathe ourselves in the very real and tangible Spirit of the Lord, “praying without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and in studying to show ourselves approved unto God” (2Timothy 2:15)
Let us despise the wicked ‘virtual-reality’ the prince of the power of the air lays before us, and let us actively and aggressively pursue the spiritual gifts God has set for our well-being.
Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Psalms 119:36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
The tenth commandment of the Instructions* given to Moses on Mt Sinai tells us, “Thou shalt not covet” Exodus 20:17. In the New Testament, Paul the Apostle tells us to “covet earnestly the best gifts”1 Corinthians 12:31. Is there a contradiction here on the attitude towards coveting?
* The word ‘Torah’ generally translated by ‘Law’, actually means ‘intruction’.
--The first instruction is relevant of the physical realm, the second instruction of the spiritual. --The first cautions, the second instructs. --The first is a negative instruction, the second, a positive. --The fist tells of the dangers of coveting the wealth from the world, the second tells of the blessings of coveting the gifts of the Spirit.
God must have known that as human beings created from the elements of the earth, earthly things would become a pull and exercise power over us. We can see it in the case of our lust for junk-food, wealth, sex, and in the character corrupting influences brought by power and fame. Coveting them is natural, but it is bad for us. To resist that tendency, our hearts need to be consciously ’inclined’ to desire the spiritual blessings that only God can give.
This inclination to desire spiritual blessings is not natural to us, and the devil knows it. He uses us every trick of his evil trade to sidetrack us using the carnal elements he knows we fall so easily for. Paul, also warns us that the carnal always fights against the spiritual, and that the two are in constant enmity. (Romans 8:7).
In order to keep our loyalty focused on his material and carnal realm, the devil constantly bombards us with his concepts through the sights and sounds offered us by the ‘media-sirens’ of the world. The only way to be ‘rehabilitated’, to be reformed from the infatuations and addictions to his ‘virtual-world’, is to prioritize our life and constantly bathe ourselves in the very real and tangible Spirit of the Lord, “praying without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and in studying to show ourselves approved unto God” (2Timothy 2:15)
Let us despise the wicked ‘virtual-reality’ the prince of the power of the air lays before us, and let us actively and aggressively pursue the spiritual gifts God has set for our well-being.
Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
TO DELIGHT IN HIS COMMANDMENTS
January 27
Psalms 119:35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.
One time I heard someone pray a similar prayer. A person who was so discouraged with her own efforts to overcome a certain weakness in her life, that she was ready for God to do anything, and I mean, anything, to help her. She prayed something to this effect, “Lord, please, do anything, absolutely anything, you have to do in my life in order that I’d be delivered from this temptation. It hinders my walk with you, my walk with my brothers and sisters, as well as my testimony of being your child. I give you leave Lord to do whatever it takes to deliver me.”
I coned this the ‘Whatever-it-takes’ prayer.
How much we want to go in the path of His commandments has a lot to do with how much we want it. And how much we want it has a lot to do with how much we delight in them. One day, during the course of a class, I gave my students a description of the peace, beauty and spiritual cleanliness that will be in the millennium; I explained how we will then live closer to the creation and to the Creator. One of them who very much enjoys the spiritual and technological pollution of this didn’t even seem excited about it. He was disappointed. The prospect of life without its present-day three-ring-circus of travel, communication and entertainment seemed to him dreadful. He delighted in the ways of the world so he couldn’t appreciate the ways of the Lord.
May God help us to delight in the Lord, in His ways, in His commandments, and in His Spirit, so we can pray with a whole and sincere heart, Make me to go in the path of thy commandments.
Isaiah 45:11 Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
Psalms 119:35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.
One time I heard someone pray a similar prayer. A person who was so discouraged with her own efforts to overcome a certain weakness in her life, that she was ready for God to do anything, and I mean, anything, to help her. She prayed something to this effect, “Lord, please, do anything, absolutely anything, you have to do in my life in order that I’d be delivered from this temptation. It hinders my walk with you, my walk with my brothers and sisters, as well as my testimony of being your child. I give you leave Lord to do whatever it takes to deliver me.”
I coned this the ‘Whatever-it-takes’ prayer.
How much we want to go in the path of His commandments has a lot to do with how much we want it. And how much we want it has a lot to do with how much we delight in them. One day, during the course of a class, I gave my students a description of the peace, beauty and spiritual cleanliness that will be in the millennium; I explained how we will then live closer to the creation and to the Creator. One of them who very much enjoys the spiritual and technological pollution of this didn’t even seem excited about it. He was disappointed. The prospect of life without its present-day three-ring-circus of travel, communication and entertainment seemed to him dreadful. He delighted in the ways of the world so he couldn’t appreciate the ways of the Lord.
May God help us to delight in the Lord, in His ways, in His commandments, and in His Spirit, so we can pray with a whole and sincere heart, Make me to go in the path of thy commandments.
Isaiah 45:11 Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
Friday, January 26, 2007
RELIGION VS LIVING FAITH
January 26
Psalms 119:33-34 Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. (34) Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Paul said that the natural man does not receive the Law of God; that our carnal mind is in enmity with the mind of God.
It takes work to learn the Law of God. It doesn’t come naturally because we do not rationally understand it, but yet to obey it in a robotic ritualistic fashion would defeat its main purpose which is to train and teach our hearts and spirits into His ways.
Without properly understanding the way of His statutes, we miss the point. This is what the prophets and Jesus were constantly telling the religionists of their days, that they followed the letter of the Law and not the Spirit of it (John 6:63; 2 Corinthians 3:6), and that was because they did not understand His statutes with their hearts, they only knew the “letter”!
Those who are satisfied with only following in a ritualistic fashion are not only cheating God of His due from our hearts, but also they are deceiving their own selves with the spirit of “religion”. Their type of adherence to the Word resembles more the ways of paganism than the ways of God. Do they do that because they are afraid of the cost of truly understanding what God expects of them, and thereby would be responsible for it (John 9:41)?
May God help us to give God more credit for giving us not just a religion, but a ‘living faith’ leading us into the wonderful knowledge of His person in an intimate and real fashion.
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Psalms 119:33-34 Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. (34) Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Paul said that the natural man does not receive the Law of God; that our carnal mind is in enmity with the mind of God.
It takes work to learn the Law of God. It doesn’t come naturally because we do not rationally understand it, but yet to obey it in a robotic ritualistic fashion would defeat its main purpose which is to train and teach our hearts and spirits into His ways.
Without properly understanding the way of His statutes, we miss the point. This is what the prophets and Jesus were constantly telling the religionists of their days, that they followed the letter of the Law and not the Spirit of it (John 6:63; 2 Corinthians 3:6), and that was because they did not understand His statutes with their hearts, they only knew the “letter”!
Those who are satisfied with only following in a ritualistic fashion are not only cheating God of His due from our hearts, but also they are deceiving their own selves with the spirit of “religion”. Their type of adherence to the Word resembles more the ways of paganism than the ways of God. Do they do that because they are afraid of the cost of truly understanding what God expects of them, and thereby would be responsible for it (John 9:41)?
May God help us to give God more credit for giving us not just a religion, but a ‘living faith’ leading us into the wonderful knowledge of His person in an intimate and real fashion.
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
LET HIM ENLARGE YOU
January 25
Psalms 119:32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
Sometimes the Lord puts in our hearts burdens that seem greater than us. He blows upon us the wind of a commission, of a duty with dimensions that our flesh and carnal mind cannot endorse. At such times, we are made to feel the need for more of Him to accomplish the tasks He has laid upon us.
If our feet were free to run; if our bodies were able to fly, if by a miracle the limitation of age and physical weakness were to disappear, oh, how we would run to do His bidding. With such abundance of energy and zeal; with such love, tears, blood, sweat and self-denying oh yes we would go.
Such a miracle is possible, such a miracle exists for people like you and me, because the aptitude, spontaneity, and promptitude of the feet are solely dependant on the position of the heart towards our Lord. We can ask Him. We can ask Him to enlarge us. We can ask Him to enlarge our soul so our feet can run to do His will with all that His heavenly grace provides.
If we let Him, He will enlarge our heart (Oh how it hurts). If we let Him, He will push the walls of our soul (Oh how it robs us). If we let Him, He will take us to the heavenly realm of invisible evidence (Oh how it scares us), of the substance of things hoped for (Oh how it humbles us) (Heb 11:1). If we let Him, He will take us out of our comfort zone, and keep us comforted by His presence.
When we finally yield the controls, when we take our hands off of destiny He would write for us, the simple insect that is our life lights up the valley as the summer firefly and our caterpillar turns into a soaring butterfly bringing its heavenly touch to all around him.
2Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
Psalms 119:32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
Sometimes the Lord puts in our hearts burdens that seem greater than us. He blows upon us the wind of a commission, of a duty with dimensions that our flesh and carnal mind cannot endorse. At such times, we are made to feel the need for more of Him to accomplish the tasks He has laid upon us.
If our feet were free to run; if our bodies were able to fly, if by a miracle the limitation of age and physical weakness were to disappear, oh, how we would run to do His bidding. With such abundance of energy and zeal; with such love, tears, blood, sweat and self-denying oh yes we would go.
Such a miracle is possible, such a miracle exists for people like you and me, because the aptitude, spontaneity, and promptitude of the feet are solely dependant on the position of the heart towards our Lord. We can ask Him. We can ask Him to enlarge us. We can ask Him to enlarge our soul so our feet can run to do His will with all that His heavenly grace provides.
If we let Him, He will enlarge our heart (Oh how it hurts). If we let Him, He will push the walls of our soul (Oh how it robs us). If we let Him, He will take us to the heavenly realm of invisible evidence (Oh how it scares us), of the substance of things hoped for (Oh how it humbles us) (Heb 11:1). If we let Him, He will take us out of our comfort zone, and keep us comforted by His presence.
When we finally yield the controls, when we take our hands off of destiny He would write for us, the simple insect that is our life lights up the valley as the summer firefly and our caterpillar turns into a soaring butterfly bringing its heavenly touch to all around him.
2Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
THE TRUE COURAGE OF DEPENDANCY
January 24
Psalms 119:31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.
Oh the brave heart of David. It takes a lot of bravery; it takes a lot of strength to stick to God’s testimonies. It takes a lot of courage to continue trusting Him through seeming defeats while we contend with un-reached goals and what we are tempted to qualify as ‘unanswered’ prayers. It takes a supernatural element of faith to hang on to God’ Word of promise and be assured of His support just because we know He has done it in the past.
Some have boldly declared that it is the coward and the weak who lean on faith, those who are unsure of themselves and who need a crutch. How ironic. In David we have a soldier; a man who has lived in the battlefield; been a fugitive; spent his life on the brink of very real dangers. David’s life hardly testifies that of a self-concerned coward but yet, he confesses utter dependency to God.
The heart of a brave man can be more wounded by shame than by any of man’s evil weaponry, but David despised the shame (Hebrews 12:2 ) and endured the cruel mockings (Hebrews 11:36) of the proud and conceited reprobates. In the eyes of the other nations around him, he seemed to lean on a God with no name, no face, no Temple, nor any of the religious elements which in their eyes constitutes the strength and greatness of a god. In spite of the mockery, David stood for the honor of the Almighty God expecting Him to extend and prove Himself. As a result, God honored him and proved wrong the spiritual and physical forces of evil that tried to withhold him. .
Sometimes, God takes us to a place where He is the only One who can help us against the forces of logic, carnal wisdom and rational thinking. Sometimes He asks us to walk on limb and saw it off. Those times are times to learn to utterly trust Him and sing the following song:
"Cheer up, ye saints of God--there's nothing to worry about--
Nothing to make you feel afraid--Nothing to make you doubt!
Our God has never failed, so why not trust Him and shout!
You'll be glad you trusted Him tomorrow!"
2Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
Psalms 119:31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.
Oh the brave heart of David. It takes a lot of bravery; it takes a lot of strength to stick to God’s testimonies. It takes a lot of courage to continue trusting Him through seeming defeats while we contend with un-reached goals and what we are tempted to qualify as ‘unanswered’ prayers. It takes a supernatural element of faith to hang on to God’ Word of promise and be assured of His support just because we know He has done it in the past.
Some have boldly declared that it is the coward and the weak who lean on faith, those who are unsure of themselves and who need a crutch. How ironic. In David we have a soldier; a man who has lived in the battlefield; been a fugitive; spent his life on the brink of very real dangers. David’s life hardly testifies that of a self-concerned coward but yet, he confesses utter dependency to God.
The heart of a brave man can be more wounded by shame than by any of man’s evil weaponry, but David despised the shame (Hebrews 12:2 ) and endured the cruel mockings (Hebrews 11:36) of the proud and conceited reprobates. In the eyes of the other nations around him, he seemed to lean on a God with no name, no face, no Temple, nor any of the religious elements which in their eyes constitutes the strength and greatness of a god. In spite of the mockery, David stood for the honor of the Almighty God expecting Him to extend and prove Himself. As a result, God honored him and proved wrong the spiritual and physical forces of evil that tried to withhold him. .
Sometimes, God takes us to a place where He is the only One who can help us against the forces of logic, carnal wisdom and rational thinking. Sometimes He asks us to walk on limb and saw it off. Those times are times to learn to utterly trust Him and sing the following song:
"Cheer up, ye saints of God--there's nothing to worry about--
Nothing to make you feel afraid--Nothing to make you doubt!
Our God has never failed, so why not trust Him and shout!
You'll be glad you trusted Him tomorrow!"
2Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
CHOOSE THE WAY OF TRUTH
January 23
Psalms 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.
We do not stumble on the way of truth by accident. Unless we know the Truth we are looking for, we don’t recognize it, and oh, so many have it right by them, and shamefully discard it as they would a common lie. We must study, we must learn and then, we must intelligently, consciously and actively choose the way of truth. We must take a definite concrete executive action that ‘chooses’ the way of truth, and very often, it first has to do with rejecting the way of falsehood.
--It is not enough for a gardener to love flowers; he must also hate the weeds that threaten to choke his flowers.
--It is not enough for one to love fresh vegetables; he must also hate the slugs and worms that destroy the crop.
--It is not enough to love truth; we must also hate lies that pervert his mind and supplants it in our hearts.
We must be militant, yes we must be militant in aggressively ‘choosing’ the way of truth by constantly laying the judgments of God before our heart. As darkness can’t stand the Light and flees from it, so does the spirit of lying flee when the Truth of God’s judgment in His Word comes to us as we read and study it.
Let us today militantly choose the way of truth; let us stop compromising with the wicked judgments and ways of this world and with open hearts and mind lay God’s judgments before us.
2Corinthians 6:14-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Psalms 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.
We do not stumble on the way of truth by accident. Unless we know the Truth we are looking for, we don’t recognize it, and oh, so many have it right by them, and shamefully discard it as they would a common lie. We must study, we must learn and then, we must intelligently, consciously and actively choose the way of truth. We must take a definite concrete executive action that ‘chooses’ the way of truth, and very often, it first has to do with rejecting the way of falsehood.
--It is not enough for a gardener to love flowers; he must also hate the weeds that threaten to choke his flowers.
--It is not enough for one to love fresh vegetables; he must also hate the slugs and worms that destroy the crop.
--It is not enough to love truth; we must also hate lies that pervert his mind and supplants it in our hearts.
We must be militant, yes we must be militant in aggressively ‘choosing’ the way of truth by constantly laying the judgments of God before our heart. As darkness can’t stand the Light and flees from it, so does the spirit of lying flee when the Truth of God’s judgment in His Word comes to us as we read and study it.
Let us today militantly choose the way of truth; let us stop compromising with the wicked judgments and ways of this world and with open hearts and mind lay God’s judgments before us.
2Corinthians 6:14-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Monday, January 22, 2007
PURE REFLECTION IN THE WORD OF TRUTH
January 22
Psalms 119:29 Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.
As imperfect human beings living in the lower dimension of humanity, our perspective of life, of history and of the universe is rather incomplete. Our sight and understanding of our environment is easily affected by misplaced zeal, cynical indifference, incomplete knowledge or emotional irrationalism. Yet at times, in spite of it all, we can claim such assurance, and such definite surety. But in this media ruled age when every minute of the day fills our eyes and ears with someone vying for our attention, loyalty and opinion, it is for lying attitudes to influence us. Therefore, since we are often deceived unawares, our only protection against the way of lying is not in our own ability to judge, assess and process, bit in the realm of prayer, asking for God to remove from us the influences that would lead us astray.
God has graciously granted the request in this prayer, not only for King David who originated it, but also for the whole world. Jesus died so the Holy Spirit could live in us (John 14), so the Law could be written in our hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-33) and guide us into all truth (John 16:13).
Let us therefore honestly and sincerely look into the law of the Christ of God as laid out in the Gospels and in the epistles. Let us compare ourselves with the pure Commandments of love, honesty, sincerity, generosity, integrity and humility. Let us do it without fear. Let us allow their pure light and fire to purify our soul, burn the dross that cumbers our heart and show us His healing truth.
James 1:23-25 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Psalms 119:29 Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.
As imperfect human beings living in the lower dimension of humanity, our perspective of life, of history and of the universe is rather incomplete. Our sight and understanding of our environment is easily affected by misplaced zeal, cynical indifference, incomplete knowledge or emotional irrationalism. Yet at times, in spite of it all, we can claim such assurance, and such definite surety. But in this media ruled age when every minute of the day fills our eyes and ears with someone vying for our attention, loyalty and opinion, it is for lying attitudes to influence us. Therefore, since we are often deceived unawares, our only protection against the way of lying is not in our own ability to judge, assess and process, bit in the realm of prayer, asking for God to remove from us the influences that would lead us astray.
God has graciously granted the request in this prayer, not only for King David who originated it, but also for the whole world. Jesus died so the Holy Spirit could live in us (John 14), so the Law could be written in our hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-33) and guide us into all truth (John 16:13).
Let us therefore honestly and sincerely look into the law of the Christ of God as laid out in the Gospels and in the epistles. Let us compare ourselves with the pure Commandments of love, honesty, sincerity, generosity, integrity and humility. Let us do it without fear. Let us allow their pure light and fire to purify our soul, burn the dross that cumbers our heart and show us His healing truth.
James 1:23-25 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
BEAUTY FOR ASHES
January 21
Psalms 119:28 My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.
The Hebrew word employed in the original text here is more like ‘drip’, or ‘distill’ rather than ‘melt’. C. Spurgeon wrote, Tears are the distillation of the heart; when a man weeps he wastes away his soul.
The picture here is of a great warrior king wasting his soul in tears; a picture of great vexation of heart and spirit. King David, this great contender of kings and giants; this righteous challenger of the armies of the heathen, had such great love for his Lord. It is said that those who know great love also know great sorrow. David’s soul melted in tears of sorrow for the distress and vexation of his spirit, because he cared.
The biggest plague of our modern society is indifference. Indifference makes us not care about things; indifference makes not want to get involved because involvement and caring hurts. Caring causes pain. Caring causes vexation of heart and soul and spirit. We don’t like to hurt and we equate hurt with negative feelings. But God has meant for us to hurt sometimes because hurt is good for us. Hurt edifies our soul, matures our character, builds our spirit, and strengthens our faith.
Pain and hurt is meant to cause us to desperately call onto God, and remind Him of His Promises of comfort to us through His Holy Spirit. Hurt brings us close to His Spirit.
In our times of heartbreak, in our hour of sorrow, when our heart aches so much that we feel that it’s going to burst out of our chest, let’s remember God’s Promises and asks for His strengthening. He will never fail to be there for you.
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Psalms 119:28 My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.
The Hebrew word employed in the original text here is more like ‘drip’, or ‘distill’ rather than ‘melt’. C. Spurgeon wrote, Tears are the distillation of the heart; when a man weeps he wastes away his soul.
The picture here is of a great warrior king wasting his soul in tears; a picture of great vexation of heart and spirit. King David, this great contender of kings and giants; this righteous challenger of the armies of the heathen, had such great love for his Lord. It is said that those who know great love also know great sorrow. David’s soul melted in tears of sorrow for the distress and vexation of his spirit, because he cared.
The biggest plague of our modern society is indifference. Indifference makes us not care about things; indifference makes not want to get involved because involvement and caring hurts. Caring causes pain. Caring causes vexation of heart and soul and spirit. We don’t like to hurt and we equate hurt with negative feelings. But God has meant for us to hurt sometimes because hurt is good for us. Hurt edifies our soul, matures our character, builds our spirit, and strengthens our faith.
Pain and hurt is meant to cause us to desperately call onto God, and remind Him of His Promises of comfort to us through His Holy Spirit. Hurt brings us close to His Spirit.
In our times of heartbreak, in our hour of sorrow, when our heart aches so much that we feel that it’s going to burst out of our chest, let’s remember God’s Promises and asks for His strengthening. He will never fail to be there for you.
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
WE GET THE FIRE FROM SITTING AT HIS FEET
January 20
Psalms 119:27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
Up to the time Jesus resurrected, the disciples were indecisive in their faith. They understood it somewhat with their heads, but their heart wasn’t illuminated yet. This is the reason why they were cowardly and not able to stand strong when Jesus was captured. They deserted Him. Peter even denied to know Him three times (Matthew 26:72).
After Jesus resurrected, things were different. He met two of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. After breaking bread in front ot them, Jesus disappeared and we are told that, …their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? (Luke 24). Later, Jesus appeared to 500 of the disciples (1 Cor 15:6) being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: (Acts 1:3).
It is after this time spent in the presence of the LORD. It is after they sat at His feet learning from Him for forty days. It is after they were taught by the Lord Himself all the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God that the disciples became the fiery evangelists that changed the world, each one suffering persecution for the sake of Jesus’ name and the kingdom of God. What happened?
When we finally get it. When we finally understand the height, the depth, the length and the width of our salvation. When we dare to fathom the mercy and the love He has for us. When we finally realize everything that transpired from the beginning of creation so that we, little us today, can be the recipient of this most wonderful gift, it become an irresistible evangelical power within us that cannot be stopped or it will blow up like Krakatoa. The way the disciples changed from their cowardly attitude and died for their faith is the greatest proof of the resurrection. They would never have had the conviction; they could never have done it without that tangible undeniable evidence.
Oh my friend, we want to learn to earnestly and sincerely testify of our faith? We need to spend time with Him sitting at His feet listening to Him expounding all the marvelous things concerning the kingdom. As we understand the way of His precepts, this evangelical fire then will come naturally, and we will talk of His wondrous works.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Psalms 119:27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
Up to the time Jesus resurrected, the disciples were indecisive in their faith. They understood it somewhat with their heads, but their heart wasn’t illuminated yet. This is the reason why they were cowardly and not able to stand strong when Jesus was captured. They deserted Him. Peter even denied to know Him three times (Matthew 26:72).
After Jesus resurrected, things were different. He met two of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. After breaking bread in front ot them, Jesus disappeared and we are told that, …their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? (Luke 24). Later, Jesus appeared to 500 of the disciples (1 Cor 15:6) being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: (Acts 1:3).
It is after this time spent in the presence of the LORD. It is after they sat at His feet learning from Him for forty days. It is after they were taught by the Lord Himself all the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God that the disciples became the fiery evangelists that changed the world, each one suffering persecution for the sake of Jesus’ name and the kingdom of God. What happened?
When we finally get it. When we finally understand the height, the depth, the length and the width of our salvation. When we dare to fathom the mercy and the love He has for us. When we finally realize everything that transpired from the beginning of creation so that we, little us today, can be the recipient of this most wonderful gift, it become an irresistible evangelical power within us that cannot be stopped or it will blow up like Krakatoa. The way the disciples changed from their cowardly attitude and died for their faith is the greatest proof of the resurrection. They would never have had the conviction; they could never have done it without that tangible undeniable evidence.
Oh my friend, we want to learn to earnestly and sincerely testify of our faith? We need to spend time with Him sitting at His feet listening to Him expounding all the marvelous things concerning the kingdom. As we understand the way of His precepts, this evangelical fire then will come naturally, and we will talk of His wondrous works.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
WHAT CAN WE HIDE ANYWAYS
January 19
Psalms 119:26 I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.
Dear child of God, my friend, my brother; shall we declare our ways to our Lord?
Oh yes, He knows it all and sees it all; but with all due respect, He will not ‘steal’ information not volunteered to Him. Let’s now reach down deep at the bottom of our heart. Let’s use a scraper. Let’s peel off anything that clings to the walls of our soul, and expose that which we fear to be declared. Let’s make ourselves utterly naked in the sight of our Lord. Let’s make a free will offering of the transparency of our soul. Oh no we shouldn’t fear. He is as gentle as a dove; His cooing refreshes our weary soul.
See Him now. He puts on gloves of gentleness. He carefully and gently lays out all the parts of our heart, the part we have voluntarily given Him. He stands in privileged gratefulness. He looks at every part with judgment and mercy. Now He cries; now He intercedes; now He takes upon Himself every injustice, every ache, every hurt, and the pain that He sees. He makes an atonement for all selfishness, for our every proud thought, and each contending ways.
He now applies the balm of Gilead, this famous balm that heals and softens. Its regenerating qualities flow from the Lord’s mouth and from His tears. It lubricates and softens His tender hands of love as He retrains every part of our soul to stand upright again, as he sets in the statutes of His Holy Spirit within the walls of our heart.
Oh yes; oh yes we can trust Him with our soul. Oh yes we can trust Him with our heart. We can trust Him to gently engrave in it His statutes.
Proverbs 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Psalms 119:26 I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.
Dear child of God, my friend, my brother; shall we declare our ways to our Lord?
Oh yes, He knows it all and sees it all; but with all due respect, He will not ‘steal’ information not volunteered to Him. Let’s now reach down deep at the bottom of our heart. Let’s use a scraper. Let’s peel off anything that clings to the walls of our soul, and expose that which we fear to be declared. Let’s make ourselves utterly naked in the sight of our Lord. Let’s make a free will offering of the transparency of our soul. Oh no we shouldn’t fear. He is as gentle as a dove; His cooing refreshes our weary soul.
See Him now. He puts on gloves of gentleness. He carefully and gently lays out all the parts of our heart, the part we have voluntarily given Him. He stands in privileged gratefulness. He looks at every part with judgment and mercy. Now He cries; now He intercedes; now He takes upon Himself every injustice, every ache, every hurt, and the pain that He sees. He makes an atonement for all selfishness, for our every proud thought, and each contending ways.
He now applies the balm of Gilead, this famous balm that heals and softens. Its regenerating qualities flow from the Lord’s mouth and from His tears. It lubricates and softens His tender hands of love as He retrains every part of our soul to stand upright again, as he sets in the statutes of His Holy Spirit within the walls of our heart.
Oh yes; oh yes we can trust Him with our soul. Oh yes we can trust Him with our heart. We can trust Him to gently engrave in it His statutes.
Proverbs 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
THE REGENERATED LIFE
January 18
Psalms 119:25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.
How low is unregenerate man; he scurries about the world solely concerned with earthly matters:
--He has no notion of a spiritual life; he exists for the sole purpose of eating, drinking and making merry.
--His thoughts are prisoners to earthly concerns; with personal needs, lusts and personal appearance.
--He doesn’t know the heavenly ‘retributor’, so his morals are earthly and sensual.
--He can only rise as high as his poor human brain can conceive.
--He has no concept of spiritual reality; his life begins, exists, and ends on earth.
--He lives for himself; his life’s accomplishments are given to moth and rust; and he dies for nothing.
--Like a worm, his soul truly ‘cleaveth’ to the dust.
How different is the spiritual man; his main concern is the heavenly realm.
--He lives on the spiritual realm; his life reflects a balance of heavenly and earthly concerns.
--His thoughts are free from the demands of the world; they look up above, to the needs of his soul, and with how to please his Lord.
--He knows that God renders every man according to his deeds, so he lives by the law of His Lord.
--His goals are as high as what God can conceive.
--He lives in preparation for spending eternity in Heaven; his life reflects that he is only a pilgrim on earth.
--He lives for his Lord; his life’s accomplishments last for eternity; he dies as a witness of the cause of Christ leaving a seed for future generations.
--The cocoon of the death of this life can’t hold him; he resurrects to fly to the heavenlies.
What makes the difference between the unregenerate and the regenerate man?
The regenerate man is ‘quickened’ by God’s Word.
Let our lives reflect the costly gift of regeneration given to us freely by Jesus-Christ the Son of God.
1Corinthians 15:19-20 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
Psalms 119:25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.
How low is unregenerate man; he scurries about the world solely concerned with earthly matters:
--He has no notion of a spiritual life; he exists for the sole purpose of eating, drinking and making merry.
--His thoughts are prisoners to earthly concerns; with personal needs, lusts and personal appearance.
--He doesn’t know the heavenly ‘retributor’, so his morals are earthly and sensual.
--He can only rise as high as his poor human brain can conceive.
--He has no concept of spiritual reality; his life begins, exists, and ends on earth.
--He lives for himself; his life’s accomplishments are given to moth and rust; and he dies for nothing.
--Like a worm, his soul truly ‘cleaveth’ to the dust.
How different is the spiritual man; his main concern is the heavenly realm.
--He lives on the spiritual realm; his life reflects a balance of heavenly and earthly concerns.
--His thoughts are free from the demands of the world; they look up above, to the needs of his soul, and with how to please his Lord.
--He knows that God renders every man according to his deeds, so he lives by the law of His Lord.
--His goals are as high as what God can conceive.
--He lives in preparation for spending eternity in Heaven; his life reflects that he is only a pilgrim on earth.
--He lives for his Lord; his life’s accomplishments last for eternity; he dies as a witness of the cause of Christ leaving a seed for future generations.
--The cocoon of the death of this life can’t hold him; he resurrects to fly to the heavenlies.
What makes the difference between the unregenerate and the regenerate man?
The regenerate man is ‘quickened’ by God’s Word.
Let our lives reflect the costly gift of regeneration given to us freely by Jesus-Christ the Son of God.
1Corinthians 15:19-20 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
RUN TO THE SWORD
January 17
Psalms 119:23-24 Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes. (24) Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.
Abraham overcame the five kings of the valley by obeying the Word of God. Joseph won Pharaoh with the wisdom and integrity of the Word of God. Moses also challenged a pharaoh with the strength of the Word of God. Joshua, and the judges conquered their enemies by following the Word of God. Daniel won a king to salvation by opening the Word of God. Paul of Tarsus changed the face of the world proclaiming the Word of God. Martin Luther stood up to princes and kings, with the sole authority of the Word of God, and won!
Today, the princes of darkness speak against the righteous. They connive tricks to make us fall, or at least to control the damage we cause to their ‘cozy’ little kingdom. They have pulled out all the stops in their efforts to drown the people of God.
Shall we fight the devil on our own? Run yes let’s run. This is not our fight; the devil is really is not fighting against us, he is fighting against the Lord and our sole weapon and protection, is Him. So let’s run, yes let’s run. Not from him as though in fear. Is a soldier coward because he runs to his sword in time of attack? So run to the two-edged sword of the Word that defeated the devil 2000 years ago with the joy, anticipation and expectation brought by the assurance of great victories, and fight.
Psalms 18:10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
Psalms 119:23-24 Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes. (24) Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.
Abraham overcame the five kings of the valley by obeying the Word of God. Joseph won Pharaoh with the wisdom and integrity of the Word of God. Moses also challenged a pharaoh with the strength of the Word of God. Joshua, and the judges conquered their enemies by following the Word of God. Daniel won a king to salvation by opening the Word of God. Paul of Tarsus changed the face of the world proclaiming the Word of God. Martin Luther stood up to princes and kings, with the sole authority of the Word of God, and won!
Today, the princes of darkness speak against the righteous. They connive tricks to make us fall, or at least to control the damage we cause to their ‘cozy’ little kingdom. They have pulled out all the stops in their efforts to drown the people of God.
Shall we fight the devil on our own? Run yes let’s run. This is not our fight; the devil is really is not fighting against us, he is fighting against the Lord and our sole weapon and protection, is Him. So let’s run, yes let’s run. Not from him as though in fear. Is a soldier coward because he runs to his sword in time of attack? So run to the two-edged sword of the Word that defeated the devil 2000 years ago with the joy, anticipation and expectation brought by the assurance of great victories, and fight.
Psalms 18:10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
A LIFE THAT REMOVES THE REPROACH
January 16
Psalms 119:21-22 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments. (22) Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.
Do you know someone whose life seems to be a never-ending strand of wrong decisions? One who never fails to go against God and conscience? One whose head is proud,’ bloody and unbowed’? It is wise to watch and be warned, oh yea Child of God, to watch and be warned. At the end of our lives, we will see it. We will either see the matured evil fruit of all our self projected futile labors, or worse yet, the dry, parched, famine-stricken, lonely barrenness of a life passing away and taking with it a bad dream that cries to be forgotten. We hear in this passage the pronouncement of the divine curse against ‘proud’.
If we watch, if we learn from the wisdom of the sages, we find a lesson, yea a parable as we read the epitaph on the tombstone of the unbowed.
When the day of ‘reproach’ and ‘contempt’ comes, bringing with it endless accusations and condemnations, let us contend with the evil one, the accuser of the saints. Let us, donned in the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:13) wave at him the precious sword (Ephesians 6:17) with the Words of the contract established by God, the contract signed in the blood of His precious Son. Let us now live a life that will answer the devil and say, “Not so, foul fiend; get thee behind me Satan. I rebuke you and all your accusations. I have kept His testimonies; the blood of the Holy Son of God is on my soul; I have not loved my life unto death; Jesus bought and paid for all my sins, and even now He stands at the right hand of the throne of God interceding and atoning for my mistakes”.
Revelations 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Psalms 119:21-22 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments. (22) Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.
Do you know someone whose life seems to be a never-ending strand of wrong decisions? One who never fails to go against God and conscience? One whose head is proud,’ bloody and unbowed’? It is wise to watch and be warned, oh yea Child of God, to watch and be warned. At the end of our lives, we will see it. We will either see the matured evil fruit of all our self projected futile labors, or worse yet, the dry, parched, famine-stricken, lonely barrenness of a life passing away and taking with it a bad dream that cries to be forgotten. We hear in this passage the pronouncement of the divine curse against ‘proud’.
If we watch, if we learn from the wisdom of the sages, we find a lesson, yea a parable as we read the epitaph on the tombstone of the unbowed.
When the day of ‘reproach’ and ‘contempt’ comes, bringing with it endless accusations and condemnations, let us contend with the evil one, the accuser of the saints. Let us, donned in the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:13) wave at him the precious sword (Ephesians 6:17) with the Words of the contract established by God, the contract signed in the blood of His precious Son. Let us now live a life that will answer the devil and say, “Not so, foul fiend; get thee behind me Satan. I rebuke you and all your accusations. I have kept His testimonies; the blood of the Holy Son of God is on my soul; I have not loved my life unto death; Jesus bought and paid for all my sins, and even now He stands at the right hand of the throne of God interceding and atoning for my mistakes”.
Revelations 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Monday, January 15, 2007
AT HOME. . .
January 15
Psalms 119:19-20 I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me. (20) My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.
At home we take off the armor.
At home there is no fear.
At home the heart rests at ease.
At home everything is clear and understood
Because,
At home is where we are with ‘kin’.
At home we’re first-class citizens.
At home we take off our shoes.
At home we sit in the armchair, rest our legs for a while.
And
At home is where we are free to serve those we love; those we care for.
At home is where we receive fair, true and unbiased judgment from God.
At home we partake of the loving merciful abundance of the great Father.
At home we love God freely, even in extravagance
Because
At home, we are not strangers.
Home—home, to the home of our soul is where we all seek to go. . . to return.
Any one who loves God is an alien to this world. We are foreigners, pilgrims and strangers on this earth (Hebrews 11:13-16).
There was a time, oh, a long time ago when ‘Home’ was on this earth--East of Eden (Genesis 2:8). God put us there, until such a time it seems that we had to learn to appreciate how good we had it, by having home taken away from us. Out of mercy and to foster hope, through the Holy Spirit Jesus gave us a spiritual connection with ‘Home’, but one day, ’home’ will return to us in all its glory, and we will live in it forever. (Revelations 21:1-4).
(Isaiah 64:4 ) For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
Psalms 119:19-20 I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me. (20) My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.
At home we take off the armor.
At home there is no fear.
At home the heart rests at ease.
At home everything is clear and understood
Because,
At home is where we are with ‘kin’.
At home we’re first-class citizens.
At home we take off our shoes.
At home we sit in the armchair, rest our legs for a while.
And
At home is where we are free to serve those we love; those we care for.
At home is where we receive fair, true and unbiased judgment from God.
At home we partake of the loving merciful abundance of the great Father.
At home we love God freely, even in extravagance
Because
At home, we are not strangers.
Home—home, to the home of our soul is where we all seek to go. . . to return.
Any one who loves God is an alien to this world. We are foreigners, pilgrims and strangers on this earth (Hebrews 11:13-16).
There was a time, oh, a long time ago when ‘Home’ was on this earth--East of Eden (Genesis 2:8). God put us there, until such a time it seems that we had to learn to appreciate how good we had it, by having home taken away from us. Out of mercy and to foster hope, through the Holy Spirit Jesus gave us a spiritual connection with ‘Home’, but one day, ’home’ will return to us in all its glory, and we will live in it forever. (Revelations 21:1-4).
(Isaiah 64:4 ) For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
CAN WE STAND TRUTH?
January 14
Psalms 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
In the Hebrew tongue, this expression ‘open thou mine eyes’ has a much stronger meaning. It is more like “shamelessly expose, denude, make naked”.
How much can we stand to look at the naked Truth of God in the face? Before Jesus finally declared God unto us, no one had even seen God (John 1:18). The seventy elders who accompanied Moses on Mt Sinai could not even stand to hear the sound of His voice, so much so, that they pleaded with Moses to be their mediator, a mediator that was later replaced by Jesus (Ex 20:18-19; Deut 18:15-19; Acts:3:22-23; Acts 7:37).
God spoke with Moses’“face to face’, and after one such encounter, Moses’ face shone so that he had to put a “vail” on it. (Ex 33:11; 34:29-35). Since this event was in pre-crucifixion times, still being in their un-atoned sinful state, it is understandable that the Children of Israel could not stand to see the glory of God no, not even on the face of Moses, a man from among them.
What about today? Do we still need to cover the brightness of the truth of God with a “vail” so we don’t have to look at it, don’t know it and can live in denial of its requirements? Can we truly ask God to denude, reveal and expose His truth to us? Do we put ourselves in the spiritually yielded position of listening’ hearing, receiving and learn His wonderful truth?
Psalms 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
Psalms 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
In the Hebrew tongue, this expression ‘open thou mine eyes’ has a much stronger meaning. It is more like “shamelessly expose, denude, make naked”.
How much can we stand to look at the naked Truth of God in the face? Before Jesus finally declared God unto us, no one had even seen God (John 1:18). The seventy elders who accompanied Moses on Mt Sinai could not even stand to hear the sound of His voice, so much so, that they pleaded with Moses to be their mediator, a mediator that was later replaced by Jesus (Ex 20:18-19; Deut 18:15-19; Acts:3:22-23; Acts 7:37).
God spoke with Moses’“face to face’, and after one such encounter, Moses’ face shone so that he had to put a “vail” on it. (Ex 33:11; 34:29-35). Since this event was in pre-crucifixion times, still being in their un-atoned sinful state, it is understandable that the Children of Israel could not stand to see the glory of God no, not even on the face of Moses, a man from among them.
What about today? Do we still need to cover the brightness of the truth of God with a “vail” so we don’t have to look at it, don’t know it and can live in denial of its requirements? Can we truly ask God to denude, reveal and expose His truth to us? Do we put ourselves in the spiritually yielded position of listening’ hearing, receiving and learn His wonderful truth?
Psalms 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
OUR PRAISE FROM HIS BOUNTY
January 13
Psalms 119:17 Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.
Oh, for the beauty and integrity of a life that is dependant on God and God alone.
The word ‘dependant’ has a bad connotation today. Someone who is ‘dependant’ is assumed weak, incomplete, insufficient, needy, restricted in movement, curbed in personal freedom, with a ‘cramped’ ‘style’. Have we forgotten that life itself comes from the bounty of its executor? He, and He only gives us the dependency that gives life, liberates and strengthens.
A new Christian asked me once how is it that by submitting to God instead of to our own wishes and wants, we find freedom. The concept of being free through submission sounded contradictory to her. I just had to explain to her that because God is so much bigger and powerful than we are, that we by comparison are very small and limited, so by yielding to Him instead of ourselves, we take part of His divine nature, and obtain the freedom a life on a bigger or spiritual plane offers; a life beyond the narrow confines of our limited human nature.
Yes, Lord, do deal bountifully with us. Our lives depend upon it. Incline your heart to our poor and weak human nature. Understand that when in abundance we are tempted to forget You, and that when in lack we are tempted to curse You. So please, deal with us mercifully that we may live and keep Your Word; that we may praise you forever.
(2 Peter 1:4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Psalms 119:17 Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.
Oh, for the beauty and integrity of a life that is dependant on God and God alone.
The word ‘dependant’ has a bad connotation today. Someone who is ‘dependant’ is assumed weak, incomplete, insufficient, needy, restricted in movement, curbed in personal freedom, with a ‘cramped’ ‘style’. Have we forgotten that life itself comes from the bounty of its executor? He, and He only gives us the dependency that gives life, liberates and strengthens.
A new Christian asked me once how is it that by submitting to God instead of to our own wishes and wants, we find freedom. The concept of being free through submission sounded contradictory to her. I just had to explain to her that because God is so much bigger and powerful than we are, that we by comparison are very small and limited, so by yielding to Him instead of ourselves, we take part of His divine nature, and obtain the freedom a life on a bigger or spiritual plane offers; a life beyond the narrow confines of our limited human nature.
Yes, Lord, do deal bountifully with us. Our lives depend upon it. Incline your heart to our poor and weak human nature. Understand that when in abundance we are tempted to forget You, and that when in lack we are tempted to curse You. So please, deal with us mercifully that we may live and keep Your Word; that we may praise you forever.
(2 Peter 1:4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
DIVE IN HIS WORDS
January 12
Psalms 119:16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
Soon after the giving of the Torah at Mt Sinai, a man was put to death by the congregation because he was gathering sticks to make a fire. He had apparently ‘forgot’ the law that forbade him to make a fire during the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32-36). To help the children of Israel to remember His statutes, the Lord instituted that they should wear four fringes laced with a thread of blue on each of the four sides of their garments. The thread of blue is supposed to remind them the Commandments of the Word (Numbers 15:37-40).
Thanks to Jesus who shed His blood as atonement for our sins, we have been restored into the presence of God. The Holy Spirit within us has the Word of Commandment engraved upon our hearts instead of upon stones. Jesus also promised that the Holy Spirit will ‘remind us’ of all things (John 14:26). In essence, we should not have a problem ‘forgetting’ the Word any more right? But is reality so?
Many of us seem to be afflicted with “selective memory”. The things we like and care for, we tend to remember easily; while the things we like less and don’t care so much for, we seem to ‘forget’. Regularly delighting in the Word, daily diving in its unsearchable depths, is the key to heal a ‘poor memory’.
The Word is like a vast sea. Staying near the shore, we can be amused for a while wading in the waves or even venturing out swimming a little further. But if we are to discover the treasures of darkness (Isaiah 45:3), we must lose sight of the shore, dive in and put ourselves at the mercies of God. Only then can we enjoy a lifetime of adventure and discovery while studying the Word.
May God help us to venture out by faith and discover the delights of His Word. May we be blessed with unforgettable experiences that will draw us back for more.
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Psalms 119:16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
Soon after the giving of the Torah at Mt Sinai, a man was put to death by the congregation because he was gathering sticks to make a fire. He had apparently ‘forgot’ the law that forbade him to make a fire during the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32-36). To help the children of Israel to remember His statutes, the Lord instituted that they should wear four fringes laced with a thread of blue on each of the four sides of their garments. The thread of blue is supposed to remind them the Commandments of the Word (Numbers 15:37-40).
Thanks to Jesus who shed His blood as atonement for our sins, we have been restored into the presence of God. The Holy Spirit within us has the Word of Commandment engraved upon our hearts instead of upon stones. Jesus also promised that the Holy Spirit will ‘remind us’ of all things (John 14:26). In essence, we should not have a problem ‘forgetting’ the Word any more right? But is reality so?
Many of us seem to be afflicted with “selective memory”. The things we like and care for, we tend to remember easily; while the things we like less and don’t care so much for, we seem to ‘forget’. Regularly delighting in the Word, daily diving in its unsearchable depths, is the key to heal a ‘poor memory’.
The Word is like a vast sea. Staying near the shore, we can be amused for a while wading in the waves or even venturing out swimming a little further. But if we are to discover the treasures of darkness (Isaiah 45:3), we must lose sight of the shore, dive in and put ourselves at the mercies of God. Only then can we enjoy a lifetime of adventure and discovery while studying the Word.
May God help us to venture out by faith and discover the delights of His Word. May we be blessed with unforgettable experiences that will draw us back for more.
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
STUDY HIS WORDS,HAVE RESPECT UNTO HIS WAYS
January 11
Psalms 119:15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
How many times do we quickly brush aside a piece of advice, suggestion or idea, to later realize that it was key to solving a stubborn issue? How many times do we carelessly discard checks and premonitions, to sadly later realize that we ‘knew it’ all along?
Today, it is normal not to pay attention to the words of man, or to even be doubtful and unsure about our personal premonitions, checks and feelings. Too many people talk unprayerfully about too many things and generate vain ideas that lead us astray, sometimes even in our thinking pattern. Should we act towards God’s Word with the same incredulity?
Many people utter doubts about the authenticity, accuracy, veracity, righteousness and wisdom of the Word of God. All we have to do is dig a little deeper at their argument and very soon we find the evidence of ignorant, immature thinking based on bigoted bias conceptualities. On the other hand, when we meditate on the Word of God with a totally honest and good heart (Luke 8:15) it never fails to generate respect for the ways of the Lord.
“Lord, help us to not be guilty of not finding respect for Your ways because of our ignorance and lack of meditation on It.”
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Psalms 119:15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
How many times do we quickly brush aside a piece of advice, suggestion or idea, to later realize that it was key to solving a stubborn issue? How many times do we carelessly discard checks and premonitions, to sadly later realize that we ‘knew it’ all along?
Today, it is normal not to pay attention to the words of man, or to even be doubtful and unsure about our personal premonitions, checks and feelings. Too many people talk unprayerfully about too many things and generate vain ideas that lead us astray, sometimes even in our thinking pattern. Should we act towards God’s Word with the same incredulity?
Many people utter doubts about the authenticity, accuracy, veracity, righteousness and wisdom of the Word of God. All we have to do is dig a little deeper at their argument and very soon we find the evidence of ignorant, immature thinking based on bigoted bias conceptualities. On the other hand, when we meditate on the Word of God with a totally honest and good heart (Luke 8:15) it never fails to generate respect for the ways of the Lord.
“Lord, help us to not be guilty of not finding respect for Your ways because of our ignorance and lack of meditation on It.”
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
THE PRICE OF THE PEARL
January 10
Psalms 119:14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.
Let’s imagine a great penury; years of deprivation, cold and hunger. Let’s imagine our wives and children at the throes of suffering and sickness due to lack of resources. Suddenly as if by miracle, like in the famous story of Ali-Baba, fate seems to turn. We now possess everything we need and even want. Our problems are now solved. No more tears, no more hunger, no more sickness, no more deprivation. One problem though; as in the famous story, these treasures are stolen. They are sweet, but forbidden waters (Proverbs 9:17).
Then comes the Son of Man with one pearl, one measly pearl in the midst of so much wealth; one pearl that He would give us for free, as a forever gift. Oh, but this was no ordinary pearl, bought from the corner store jeweler. This pearl was not found in the midst of the common sea. It was not refined in simple fire like mere silver or gold. This pearl came from the treasures of the Master Jeweler; shaped in the dark cave of trying experience. It was refined in the furnace of affliction (Isaiah 48:10) and was purchased with the shed tears and blood of the Son of God. This one pearl also carried with her promises for this life; it carries promises of joy and sorrow; abasing and abounding (Philippians 4:12), sweetness and bitterness. It also carries the key to the kingdom of God in the next life.
But Lord, it is such a small pearl compared to these other treasures. Do you really expect me to let go of the loot of my life for this… one pearl? Do you really want me to choose what seems such an uncertain future against the present visible assurance of sufficiency? Why, what makes that pearl worth more than all these riches?
“My son” he says, “The value of the pearl is not in the pearl itself; it is in what it took to acquire it. Is anything more precious than the blood, life, and suffering of the Son of Man?”
Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
Psalms 119:14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.
Let’s imagine a great penury; years of deprivation, cold and hunger. Let’s imagine our wives and children at the throes of suffering and sickness due to lack of resources. Suddenly as if by miracle, like in the famous story of Ali-Baba, fate seems to turn. We now possess everything we need and even want. Our problems are now solved. No more tears, no more hunger, no more sickness, no more deprivation. One problem though; as in the famous story, these treasures are stolen. They are sweet, but forbidden waters (Proverbs 9:17).
Then comes the Son of Man with one pearl, one measly pearl in the midst of so much wealth; one pearl that He would give us for free, as a forever gift. Oh, but this was no ordinary pearl, bought from the corner store jeweler. This pearl was not found in the midst of the common sea. It was not refined in simple fire like mere silver or gold. This pearl came from the treasures of the Master Jeweler; shaped in the dark cave of trying experience. It was refined in the furnace of affliction (Isaiah 48:10) and was purchased with the shed tears and blood of the Son of God. This one pearl also carried with her promises for this life; it carries promises of joy and sorrow; abasing and abounding (Philippians 4:12), sweetness and bitterness. It also carries the key to the kingdom of God in the next life.
But Lord, it is such a small pearl compared to these other treasures. Do you really expect me to let go of the loot of my life for this… one pearl? Do you really want me to choose what seems such an uncertain future against the present visible assurance of sufficiency? Why, what makes that pearl worth more than all these riches?
“My son” he says, “The value of the pearl is not in the pearl itself; it is in what it took to acquire it. Is anything more precious than the blood, life, and suffering of the Son of Man?”
Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
GRATEFULNESS FROM THE HEART
January 9
GRATEFULNESS FROM THE HEART
Psalms 119:13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
The head of a household at the morning meal had asked the blessing as usual, thanking God for a bountiful provision. Immediately afterward he began to grumble about the hard times, the poor quality of food he was forced to eat, & the way it was cooked.
His little daughter interrupted him.
"Father," she began, "do you suppose God heard what you said a little while ago?"
"Certainly," he replied confidently.
"And did He hear what you said about the bacon & the coffee?"
"Of course"--not quite so confidently.
"Then, Father, which did God believe?"
Oh, it is so easy to declare God’s righteous judgments in our lives by repeating our memorized “catechism”. When we are on guard of the public eye, how religious, oh how righteous we can sound, how pious can we appear. But the truth about ourselves really comes out when we are ‘alone’, in our familiar surroundings, when we are not so much aware of the presence of others. Then we are known, if only by our conscience, and certainly by our Lord and maker of our substance who already knew, whether we are really thankful for the righteousness of the judgments, for the will of God in our lives, for what He allows to be ‘dished out’ to us.
Oh Lord, help us not to be like the hypocrites who appear righteous on the outside, while inside are full of envy, doubts, complaining and murmuring (Matthew 23:27). Help us to declare the righteousness of your judgments with our mouth and with our heart; in the presence of others, but from a heart that is truly yielded and grateful for all Your bounty.
Psalms 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
GRATEFULNESS FROM THE HEART
Psalms 119:13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
The head of a household at the morning meal had asked the blessing as usual, thanking God for a bountiful provision. Immediately afterward he began to grumble about the hard times, the poor quality of food he was forced to eat, & the way it was cooked.
His little daughter interrupted him.
"Father," she began, "do you suppose God heard what you said a little while ago?"
"Certainly," he replied confidently.
"And did He hear what you said about the bacon & the coffee?"
"Of course"--not quite so confidently.
"Then, Father, which did God believe?"
Oh, it is so easy to declare God’s righteous judgments in our lives by repeating our memorized “catechism”. When we are on guard of the public eye, how religious, oh how righteous we can sound, how pious can we appear. But the truth about ourselves really comes out when we are ‘alone’, in our familiar surroundings, when we are not so much aware of the presence of others. Then we are known, if only by our conscience, and certainly by our Lord and maker of our substance who already knew, whether we are really thankful for the righteousness of the judgments, for the will of God in our lives, for what He allows to be ‘dished out’ to us.
Oh Lord, help us not to be like the hypocrites who appear righteous on the outside, while inside are full of envy, doubts, complaining and murmuring (Matthew 23:27). Help us to declare the righteousness of your judgments with our mouth and with our heart; in the presence of others, but from a heart that is truly yielded and grateful for all Your bounty.
Psalms 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
Monday, January 08, 2007
HIS WORDS, THE ONLY REDEMPTION
Psalms 119:11-12 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (12) Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
Throughout history, religions have conjured up many absurd inventions to help us fight against sin, to help us be victorious against the lusts that war in our members (James 4:1). This Word of God through David is clear though. As Jesus taught Martha when Mary sat at His feet cradled by His Words, “one thing is needful” (Luke10:42).
David knew of our sinful nature. “I was conceived in sin” he declared, and “in iniquity have I been made” (Psalms 51:5). He knew that keeping from sin had nothing to do with our personal efforts; that it could only be achieved by a miracle of the grace of God. He tried to impart to us in his songs that our sole part in it was to walk close to Jesus daily. Since He is without sin (Hebrews 4:15), if we walk close to Him, it is impossible for us to go astray.
Jesus is His Word, and His Word is Him. We must hide His Word in our heart; we do this by memorizing It. We must let it occupy our thoughts and make It the essence of your daily ‘conversation’. We must determine to hide It in the chambers of our being like a treasure we hold dear. The Word will then be our map, our light and our ‘safety net’ against the tempting detours of the evil one.
Proverbs 6:20-22 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
Throughout history, religions have conjured up many absurd inventions to help us fight against sin, to help us be victorious against the lusts that war in our members (James 4:1). This Word of God through David is clear though. As Jesus taught Martha when Mary sat at His feet cradled by His Words, “one thing is needful” (Luke10:42).
David knew of our sinful nature. “I was conceived in sin” he declared, and “in iniquity have I been made” (Psalms 51:5). He knew that keeping from sin had nothing to do with our personal efforts; that it could only be achieved by a miracle of the grace of God. He tried to impart to us in his songs that our sole part in it was to walk close to Jesus daily. Since He is without sin (Hebrews 4:15), if we walk close to Him, it is impossible for us to go astray.
Jesus is His Word, and His Word is Him. We must hide His Word in our heart; we do this by memorizing It. We must let it occupy our thoughts and make It the essence of your daily ‘conversation’. We must determine to hide It in the chambers of our being like a treasure we hold dear. The Word will then be our map, our light and our ‘safety net’ against the tempting detours of the evil one.
Proverbs 6:20-22 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
FEED MY LAMBS
January 7
FEED MY LAMBS
Psalms 119:9-10 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. (10) With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Having a heart yielded and close to God is always a struggle for youth. When encamped in Sheshem, the hot and young sons of Jacob caused their whole tribe to have to leave the Promised Land Jacob had fought so hard to return to (Genesis 34). The young prodigal son wanted to enjoy his inheritance ahead of the appointed time (Luke 15:11-32).
Inexperience, in its young and virgin innocence spares a life from the cynicism that experience and age uses to caution it. It carries in itself an irresistible attraction, and at times, unbeknownst to them, God uses that premature sense of invincibility to accomplish His purpose in and through young people. The devil knows it, so works very hard and plays on their inexperienced sense of emotions to make them go astray from the path of God.
Rational and logical thinking will not help the youth to make wise and godly decisions. We as parents, pastors and teachers cannot even use our rational, logical and cautious ways to tell them what are wise and godly decisions, because God is not rational nor logical. His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). The only way a youth can make sure not to stray from the clean path of God’s will in his life is to stay close to the Lord, and harmonize his mind, spirit, heart and walk according to the Spirit of His Word.
As parents, teachers and mentors of the next generation, the most important gift we can give our children is a love for God’s Word. The most essential habit we can instill in them is a dedication for daily study and memorization. The greatest knowledge we can impart to them is to know how to use the Word as a guide to their lives.
John 21:15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
FEED MY LAMBS
Psalms 119:9-10 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. (10) With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Having a heart yielded and close to God is always a struggle for youth. When encamped in Sheshem, the hot and young sons of Jacob caused their whole tribe to have to leave the Promised Land Jacob had fought so hard to return to (Genesis 34). The young prodigal son wanted to enjoy his inheritance ahead of the appointed time (Luke 15:11-32).
Inexperience, in its young and virgin innocence spares a life from the cynicism that experience and age uses to caution it. It carries in itself an irresistible attraction, and at times, unbeknownst to them, God uses that premature sense of invincibility to accomplish His purpose in and through young people. The devil knows it, so works very hard and plays on their inexperienced sense of emotions to make them go astray from the path of God.
Rational and logical thinking will not help the youth to make wise and godly decisions. We as parents, pastors and teachers cannot even use our rational, logical and cautious ways to tell them what are wise and godly decisions, because God is not rational nor logical. His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). The only way a youth can make sure not to stray from the clean path of God’s will in his life is to stay close to the Lord, and harmonize his mind, spirit, heart and walk according to the Spirit of His Word.
As parents, teachers and mentors of the next generation, the most important gift we can give our children is a love for God’s Word. The most essential habit we can instill in them is a dedication for daily study and memorization. The greatest knowledge we can impart to them is to know how to use the Word as a guide to their lives.
John 21:15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
WITHIN GOD'S EARSHOT
January 6
WITHIN GOD’S ‘EARSHOT’
Psalms 119:8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
During an interview regarding the 9-11 tragedy, Jane Clayson, host of Early Show, asked Anne Graham Billy Graham's daughter, "How could God let something like this happen?" Anne Graham proceeded to give an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe that God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman that He is, I believe that He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand that He leave us alone?"
In the Word above, King David acknowledges the conditional elements of getting answers to prayers, of not being forsaken by God. This old time warrior who saw many battlefield dangers often had his life on the line at the sole mercy of God. He knew that one cannot benefits of God’s sheltering hands of protections while at the same time living far away from Him. David knew that we cannot expect God to honor His promises of protection in our lives if we live in disobedience to the loving guidance He set before us.
Oh how like children do, we like to run far from His range so we can claim that we don’t hear Him. He won’t shout. He won’t run after us. It is our responsibility to stay near and close and not like Peter, hours before the cruscifixion, follow afar off (Matthew 26:58). In our daily walk, do we stay within God’s ‘earshot’ of obedience and of the keeping of His statutes?
Psalms 143:9 Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
WITHIN GOD’S ‘EARSHOT’
Psalms 119:8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
During an interview regarding the 9-11 tragedy, Jane Clayson, host of Early Show, asked Anne Graham Billy Graham's daughter, "How could God let something like this happen?" Anne Graham proceeded to give an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe that God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman that He is, I believe that He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand that He leave us alone?"
In the Word above, King David acknowledges the conditional elements of getting answers to prayers, of not being forsaken by God. This old time warrior who saw many battlefield dangers often had his life on the line at the sole mercy of God. He knew that one cannot benefits of God’s sheltering hands of protections while at the same time living far away from Him. David knew that we cannot expect God to honor His promises of protection in our lives if we live in disobedience to the loving guidance He set before us.
Oh how like children do, we like to run far from His range so we can claim that we don’t hear Him. He won’t shout. He won’t run after us. It is our responsibility to stay near and close and not like Peter, hours before the cruscifixion, follow afar off (Matthew 26:58). In our daily walk, do we stay within God’s ‘earshot’ of obedience and of the keeping of His statutes?
Psalms 143:9 Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
Friday, January 05, 2007
BREAD THAT LOOKS LIKE A ROCK
January 5
BREAD THAT LOOKS LIKE A ROCK
Psalms 119:7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
Do we know what to praise the Lord for? Do we know what to thank Him for? Jesus wondered if we sometimes might mistake the bread He provides us for a stone, and that the fish He may give us for a serpent (Luke 11:11-13).
Now, what about that recurring problem we often struggle with? What about these annoying issues in our lives that are not working out? This disease that is not going away, this or that weakness, which makes us desperately cling to the grace of God (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Could these be the bread and fish Jesus promised? Bread and fish we can’t see because of partial blindness, because we look at them with the eyes of flesh instead of with the eyes of the spirit?
George Matheson, the well-known blind preacher of Scotland, now with the Lord, said: "My God, I have never thanked Thee for my `thorn'! I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my `thorn'; I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensation for my cross as itself a present glory. Teach me the glory of my cross; teach me the value of my `thorn'. Show me that I have climbed to Thee by the path of pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbow."
When we apply ourselves to learn the righteous judgments of God; when we learn what He considers to be the right and blessed events in our life; when we finally come to the point where we give up the controls and trust Him for what He gives or withholds; when we learn to totally yield our lies and sprit to Him, then, oh yes then, the bread and fish that He gives us are revealed to us in all their heavenly glory, even through disguised in rocks and serpents; then we are able to praise Him for His many blessings.
1Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
BREAD THAT LOOKS LIKE A ROCK
Psalms 119:7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
Do we know what to praise the Lord for? Do we know what to thank Him for? Jesus wondered if we sometimes might mistake the bread He provides us for a stone, and that the fish He may give us for a serpent (Luke 11:11-13).
Now, what about that recurring problem we often struggle with? What about these annoying issues in our lives that are not working out? This disease that is not going away, this or that weakness, which makes us desperately cling to the grace of God (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Could these be the bread and fish Jesus promised? Bread and fish we can’t see because of partial blindness, because we look at them with the eyes of flesh instead of with the eyes of the spirit?
George Matheson, the well-known blind preacher of Scotland, now with the Lord, said: "My God, I have never thanked Thee for my `thorn'! I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my `thorn'; I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensation for my cross as itself a present glory. Teach me the glory of my cross; teach me the value of my `thorn'. Show me that I have climbed to Thee by the path of pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbow."
When we apply ourselves to learn the righteous judgments of God; when we learn what He considers to be the right and blessed events in our life; when we finally come to the point where we give up the controls and trust Him for what He gives or withholds; when we learn to totally yield our lies and sprit to Him, then, oh yes then, the bread and fish that He gives us are revealed to us in all their heavenly glory, even through disguised in rocks and serpents; then we are able to praise Him for His many blessings.
1Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
THE REMEMBRANCE OF HIS TESTIMONIES
January 3
THE REMEMBRANCE OF HIS TESTIMONIES
Psalms119:2-4 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. (3) They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. (4) Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
When God asked the children of Israel for their exclusive worship, He first reminded them that He was the God that had done for them more than anyone else could have ever done. In essence, He gave them His ‘credentials’, His ‘resume’ (Exodus 20;2-3).
We may not be one of those who crossed the Red Sea as on dry land. We may not be either one of those who ate manna, food out of God’s hand in the desert; who drank water out of a rock. We may not have witnessed the leading cloud by day, and the enlightening fire by night. We may not have trembled at foot of the fiery mount of God, nor at the depth of His judgments against those who arrogantly defied Him. We are witnesses to greater than that--we are witnesses to something about which even the angels hush. We are witnesses to our own redemption and salvation, not from Egypt, but from the clutches of the devil who would have us ensnared and enslaved in the fear of death. We are witnesses to coming out of death and into life. We are witnesses to, and have followed the only one who can, and delivers us from the ‘pharaonic’ oppression of addiction, sickness, wickedness and from all the other fruits of hell: the Lord Jesus-Christ. He is the One who faithfully takes care of supplying our needs even in time of ‘desertic’ penury. He helps us fight our own demons of doubt and fear and takes us by the hand into the Promised Land of sabbatical fellowship.
These are our testimonies. We must seek and remember them daily for thereby we are blessed. We must not forget them, but we must continually bring them back to our mind; this helps us do no iniquity and to walk in His ways. This is the key to Godly purity: to meditate on His testimonies, that is why He commanded us to keep them diligently.
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
THE REMEMBRANCE OF HIS TESTIMONIES
Psalms119:2-4 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. (3) They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. (4) Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
When God asked the children of Israel for their exclusive worship, He first reminded them that He was the God that had done for them more than anyone else could have ever done. In essence, He gave them His ‘credentials’, His ‘resume’ (Exodus 20;2-3).
We may not be one of those who crossed the Red Sea as on dry land. We may not be either one of those who ate manna, food out of God’s hand in the desert; who drank water out of a rock. We may not have witnessed the leading cloud by day, and the enlightening fire by night. We may not have trembled at foot of the fiery mount of God, nor at the depth of His judgments against those who arrogantly defied Him. We are witnesses to greater than that--we are witnesses to something about which even the angels hush. We are witnesses to our own redemption and salvation, not from Egypt, but from the clutches of the devil who would have us ensnared and enslaved in the fear of death. We are witnesses to coming out of death and into life. We are witnesses to, and have followed the only one who can, and delivers us from the ‘pharaonic’ oppression of addiction, sickness, wickedness and from all the other fruits of hell: the Lord Jesus-Christ. He is the One who faithfully takes care of supplying our needs even in time of ‘desertic’ penury. He helps us fight our own demons of doubt and fear and takes us by the hand into the Promised Land of sabbatical fellowship.
These are our testimonies. We must seek and remember them daily for thereby we are blessed. We must not forget them, but we must continually bring them back to our mind; this helps us do no iniquity and to walk in His ways. This is the key to Godly purity: to meditate on His testimonies, that is why He commanded us to keep them diligently.
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
THE BLESSED
January 2
THE BLESSED
Psalms 119:1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
How different from the cry we hear today! The media sirens of the world seem to sing a very different song. They tell us of the happiness of the worldly reveler. They glorify the great achievement of self-indulgence. They proclaim the glory of independence so-called. They glorify the virtue of self-determination. They teach us to be assertive, regardless of right or wrong. Today by contrast, just because the soul that is yielded to God is concerned about right and wrong, it is looked upon as weak, simple, dependant, oppressed.
Jesus said it. He said that in their generation, the children of the world are wiser than the children of Light (Luke16:8). Paul affirmed it. He said that God chooses the poor, foolish, weak and despised nothings of the world to prove its foolish prideful arrogance (1 Corinthians 1:27-28).
Now my friend; will we choose to listen to them? We live in evil times where the bad is proclaimed good and the good proclaimed bad. Will we give heed to their foolish evil proclamations? Will we be lulled by the sweet song of the sirens of Babylon and cause the boat of your life to crash against sharp reefs? Or will we adhere to the love and grace of the songs of Zion; stay the course in the instruction of God’s Word, and make it safely blessed the harbor?
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
THE BLESSED
Psalms 119:1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
How different from the cry we hear today! The media sirens of the world seem to sing a very different song. They tell us of the happiness of the worldly reveler. They glorify the great achievement of self-indulgence. They proclaim the glory of independence so-called. They glorify the virtue of self-determination. They teach us to be assertive, regardless of right or wrong. Today by contrast, just because the soul that is yielded to God is concerned about right and wrong, it is looked upon as weak, simple, dependant, oppressed.
Jesus said it. He said that in their generation, the children of the world are wiser than the children of Light (Luke16:8). Paul affirmed it. He said that God chooses the poor, foolish, weak and despised nothings of the world to prove its foolish prideful arrogance (1 Corinthians 1:27-28).
Now my friend; will we choose to listen to them? We live in evil times where the bad is proclaimed good and the good proclaimed bad. Will we give heed to their foolish evil proclamations? Will we be lulled by the sweet song of the sirens of Babylon and cause the boat of your life to crash against sharp reefs? Or will we adhere to the love and grace of the songs of Zion; stay the course in the instruction of God’s Word, and make it safely blessed the harbor?
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
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