August 8, 2006
Psalms 106:26-27 Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness: To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.
The Bible tells of countless nations, kingdoms, empires and individuals whom God promised to destroy because they incurred His wrath. This stands to prove the Word and is the earmark of divine authorship, as a study of history teaches us that whom God said should be destroyed, has been destroyed. In the ancient world, one of the most threatening forms of destructions, as a person or as a nation, was the termination of the family or tribal name and therefore the descendance.
In the case of the children of Israel, the Bible tells us that God made a promise of perpetual descendance to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. This promise was to be fulfilled through someone from the tribe of Judah, the son of Israel (Jacob) (Genesis 32:28), to be born in Bethlehem, Judea (Micah 5:2). The Bible also tells us that the land of Canaan was given to the children of Israel under conditions of obedience to God’s laws; that if they did not obey Him, He would scatter them throughout the nations (Leviticus 36:13-42), and give the land to a more worthy one (Matthew 21:33-36).
The children of Israel disobeyed, and disobedience cannot go unpunished (Romans 6:23). The Assyrian empire conquered the ten northern tribes which dispersed into the world, but God preserved Judea until such a time when Jesus was born to fulfill the promises He made. Forty years after Jesus crucifixion, Judea was also scattered into the nations.
Such is the fruit of sin in the world. Attachment to the land no longer bears the importance that it did in the past. Mankind has now become a wanderer and is no longer ‘grounded’—he has lost his connection and attachment to the land. His descendance is scattered all over the world. Thank God that as in the case of the Jewish nation, the promise of a return home, of a gathering of our seed is fulfilled through Jesus Christ. We will all meet in New Jerusalem, the kingdom that he has prepared for all of us who long to go home after a long journey through the wilderness (John 14:2-3; Revelations 21:2-3).
Revelation 22:2-3 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
'Be strong, be strong and be strengthened!'
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Monday, August 07, 2006
Daily Devotion
August 7, 2006
Psalms 106:24-25 Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD.
God promised the children of Israel a land that flowed with milk and honey--a rich land, the glory of all lands (Ezekiel 20:6), a land of their own. He proved his power to them by delivering them from Egypt, their land of bondage, with his mighty hand. He took them by that same hand and led them every step of the way; supplied them with water from a rock and with food from heaven. Yet, in spite of all the support God gave them, they despised the land of promise. They despised the future heaven God had prepared for them; to them, it was not worth the trouble, it was not worth crossing the harsh desert, it was not worth fighting for. “Let us go back to the bread of Egypt, to its flesh pots (Exodus 16:3),” they cried.
Our future dwelling in heaven is still earmarked with the notion of the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46): that to acquire it, we must leave this world behind. We are not going there with our I-pods, favorite music, jewelry, houses, lands, nor any of our worldly trinkets. Should we complain? Does that give us a sense of loss? Paul said that compared to knowing Jesus, he counted all things on earth as dung (Philippians 3:8).
It is a bad sign when the child of God despises his God-given heritage and future blessings, to dwell among the flesh pots of the world. It is a bad sign when we value the things of the world more than the land of promise Jesus has gone to prepare for us (John 14:2-3). It is a bad sign when the physical realm has such a grip on us that we do not appreciate the beauty and blessings of the spiritual realm. It is a bad sign when we murmur against he Lord because His blessings may cost a little. Complaining against the blessings of the Lord comes from doubt, and doubts come from not believing his Word.
Do we look at the children of Israel in a critical way because of these things? Let us conjure in our minds our own picture of the millennium to come--how do we see it? Is it a picture where we are surrounded with all the things of this world that are important to us, or is it a picture of deliverance from the bondage of the madness of the materialism that has brought the world to the brink of destruction? Oh, the freedom that surrounds us when we have truly surrendered all to Him and are liberated from the flesh pots of “Egypt”; oh the beauty that appears when our spiritual vision is cleared from material obstructions. No more murmuring, only thankfulness; no more complaints, only gratefulness.
1 Timothy 6:5-6 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 106:24-25 Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD.
God promised the children of Israel a land that flowed with milk and honey--a rich land, the glory of all lands (Ezekiel 20:6), a land of their own. He proved his power to them by delivering them from Egypt, their land of bondage, with his mighty hand. He took them by that same hand and led them every step of the way; supplied them with water from a rock and with food from heaven. Yet, in spite of all the support God gave them, they despised the land of promise. They despised the future heaven God had prepared for them; to them, it was not worth the trouble, it was not worth crossing the harsh desert, it was not worth fighting for. “Let us go back to the bread of Egypt, to its flesh pots (Exodus 16:3),” they cried.
Our future dwelling in heaven is still earmarked with the notion of the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46): that to acquire it, we must leave this world behind. We are not going there with our I-pods, favorite music, jewelry, houses, lands, nor any of our worldly trinkets. Should we complain? Does that give us a sense of loss? Paul said that compared to knowing Jesus, he counted all things on earth as dung (Philippians 3:8).
It is a bad sign when the child of God despises his God-given heritage and future blessings, to dwell among the flesh pots of the world. It is a bad sign when we value the things of the world more than the land of promise Jesus has gone to prepare for us (John 14:2-3). It is a bad sign when the physical realm has such a grip on us that we do not appreciate the beauty and blessings of the spiritual realm. It is a bad sign when we murmur against he Lord because His blessings may cost a little. Complaining against the blessings of the Lord comes from doubt, and doubts come from not believing his Word.
Do we look at the children of Israel in a critical way because of these things? Let us conjure in our minds our own picture of the millennium to come--how do we see it? Is it a picture where we are surrounded with all the things of this world that are important to us, or is it a picture of deliverance from the bondage of the madness of the materialism that has brought the world to the brink of destruction? Oh, the freedom that surrounds us when we have truly surrendered all to Him and are liberated from the flesh pots of “Egypt”; oh the beauty that appears when our spiritual vision is cleared from material obstructions. No more murmuring, only thankfulness; no more complaints, only gratefulness.
1 Timothy 6:5-6 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Daily Devotion
August 6, 2006
Psalms 106:23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
From his conception, Moses is a primary earthly figure directing us to the understanding of what the Messiah’s role on earth would be. The edict in Egypt sought Moses’ life even as Herod would seek the life of the young Jesus. Just like Jesus after his flight to Egypt as a child, Moses was called out of Egypt to be with his people. Moses left his people as criminal but returned to deliver them even as Jesus suffered the crucifixion as a criminal but gave everlasting life to those who trust in Him.
Moses provided water from a rock; Jesus is the water and the rock. Moses prayed for bread from heaven; Jesus is the bread from heaven. Moses brought the Word of God’s instructions engraved in stone; Jesus is the Word of instruction made flesh engraved in our heart. Moses acted a mediator when people could not hear from God themselves, Jesus is the mediator between God and Man. Moses interceded for the people against the wrath of God; Jesus takes the punishment for us. Moses prayed to divert the wrath of God from us; he ordered Aaron the high priest to prepare a sacrifice of atonement (Numbers 16:46-48). Jesus prayed for us and became the sacrifice of atonement; He is the lamb, the altar and the shed blood.
Jesus told us that we, like Moses, should also pray and not faint (Luke 18:1); Paul advised us to pray for presidents and kings (! Timothy 2:1-2), and James pleaded that we’d pray one for another that we may be healed (James 5:16).
God is still in the business of answering prayers. Let us therefore join the rank of the great men and women of God, and with the sacrifice of intercessory tears for our husbands, wives, children, friends, soldiers, and politicians, tap more fervently from this all too often ignored primary resource. If prayer changes things, if things are not changed, it could lie with our lack of intercessory prayer.
James 5:17-18 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 106:23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
From his conception, Moses is a primary earthly figure directing us to the understanding of what the Messiah’s role on earth would be. The edict in Egypt sought Moses’ life even as Herod would seek the life of the young Jesus. Just like Jesus after his flight to Egypt as a child, Moses was called out of Egypt to be with his people. Moses left his people as criminal but returned to deliver them even as Jesus suffered the crucifixion as a criminal but gave everlasting life to those who trust in Him.
Moses provided water from a rock; Jesus is the water and the rock. Moses prayed for bread from heaven; Jesus is the bread from heaven. Moses brought the Word of God’s instructions engraved in stone; Jesus is the Word of instruction made flesh engraved in our heart. Moses acted a mediator when people could not hear from God themselves, Jesus is the mediator between God and Man. Moses interceded for the people against the wrath of God; Jesus takes the punishment for us. Moses prayed to divert the wrath of God from us; he ordered Aaron the high priest to prepare a sacrifice of atonement (Numbers 16:46-48). Jesus prayed for us and became the sacrifice of atonement; He is the lamb, the altar and the shed blood.
Jesus told us that we, like Moses, should also pray and not faint (Luke 18:1); Paul advised us to pray for presidents and kings (! Timothy 2:1-2), and James pleaded that we’d pray one for another that we may be healed (James 5:16).
God is still in the business of answering prayers. Let us therefore join the rank of the great men and women of God, and with the sacrifice of intercessory tears for our husbands, wives, children, friends, soldiers, and politicians, tap more fervently from this all too often ignored primary resource. If prayer changes things, if things are not changed, it could lie with our lack of intercessory prayer.
James 5:17-18 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Daily Devotion
August 5, 2006
Psalms 106:21-22 They forgat God their savior, which had done great things in Egypt; Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.
This is an image of the decadence of man’s spirituality, a tragic picture of the conditioning of the human spirit; a satire to the pride of mankind mixed with a warning to future generations.
When we are given a chance at betterment in our lives, we all too often complain that it comes through those who seem to know more about things than we do: through people like us, our peers, who have gone through and graduated from something we are still gripped by. This challenges our sensitive pride and leaves us with the humbling feeling that we are not valued at our true worth. Our complaints are then transformed into a cynical vilifying of the personality of our wise counselors, which in our own eyes brings them down to our low level, and excuses us from listening to their wise counsel. Sad to say, we also do that with God. We don’t like his wise control over our lives; his obvious superiority gives us an inferiority complex which is really a ‘superiority complex’ born of pride.
While at the Mount of God, the children of Israel were asked to agree to God’s laws before they even heard them (Exodus 19:3-8); they were to wait on Moses’ return not knowing if he would even return (Exodus 32:1); they were in a total state of dependency to God, and faced with the most basic of all elements of faith: the fact that none of us as nations, societies, communities or individuals are self-sufficient.
We obviously are unable to govern ourselves and, except by the grace and mercy of God, we make an absolute mess of our personal lives. In spite of empiric historical evidence to these facts, we insist on wanting to know “better” than God. We certainly do not want a God who will lead us, poor dumb sheep, in the pastures of His great wisdom (Psalms 23:10.) We want a God in the similitude of an ox that we can lead about to serve us in our own pleasures; a god that we yoke to go our ways, one whose love for us is proven by his answering our way our every whim of prayer. How parallel to the picture of the “loving god” many of us are tempted to imagine, what a blatant picture of man’s pride.
Let us now, humanity even in the person of each one of us, kneel in our prayer closet and affirm to him who created all things our utter dependence on his wisdom as nations and individuals. Let us yield to His yoke and let our soul receive the rest it desperately needs.
Matthew 11:29-30 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
P.Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 106:21-22 They forgat God their savior, which had done great things in Egypt; Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.
This is an image of the decadence of man’s spirituality, a tragic picture of the conditioning of the human spirit; a satire to the pride of mankind mixed with a warning to future generations.
When we are given a chance at betterment in our lives, we all too often complain that it comes through those who seem to know more about things than we do: through people like us, our peers, who have gone through and graduated from something we are still gripped by. This challenges our sensitive pride and leaves us with the humbling feeling that we are not valued at our true worth. Our complaints are then transformed into a cynical vilifying of the personality of our wise counselors, which in our own eyes brings them down to our low level, and excuses us from listening to their wise counsel. Sad to say, we also do that with God. We don’t like his wise control over our lives; his obvious superiority gives us an inferiority complex which is really a ‘superiority complex’ born of pride.
While at the Mount of God, the children of Israel were asked to agree to God’s laws before they even heard them (Exodus 19:3-8); they were to wait on Moses’ return not knowing if he would even return (Exodus 32:1); they were in a total state of dependency to God, and faced with the most basic of all elements of faith: the fact that none of us as nations, societies, communities or individuals are self-sufficient.
We obviously are unable to govern ourselves and, except by the grace and mercy of God, we make an absolute mess of our personal lives. In spite of empiric historical evidence to these facts, we insist on wanting to know “better” than God. We certainly do not want a God who will lead us, poor dumb sheep, in the pastures of His great wisdom (Psalms 23:10.) We want a God in the similitude of an ox that we can lead about to serve us in our own pleasures; a god that we yoke to go our ways, one whose love for us is proven by his answering our way our every whim of prayer. How parallel to the picture of the “loving god” many of us are tempted to imagine, what a blatant picture of man’s pride.
Let us now, humanity even in the person of each one of us, kneel in our prayer closet and affirm to him who created all things our utter dependence on his wisdom as nations and individuals. Let us yield to His yoke and let our soul receive the rest it desperately needs.
Matthew 11:29-30 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
P.Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Daily Devotion
August 4, 2006
Psalms 106:19-20 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. (20) Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
In the very place where the children of Israel committed themselves to obey God without reservation, in that very place, when their brand new walk of faith was tested, they retuned to their old ways.
We are creatures of habit. Not only do we form habits in the physical, but also our minds create grooves and methods with which we subconsciously process the problems we face. Just like when driving to a new place we easily make a wrong turn by taking the habitual road, habit easily takes us down the old way of thinking, even after regeneration. The religion of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was a world away from the children of Israel; their concept of God was corrupted by Egyptian idolatry and there was a long road ahead of them dedicated to training and rewiring.
We can look amused at the children of Israel who carved the golden calf (Exodus 32:4). We can easily think, “After witnessing such mighty miracles from the Lord, how could they? They had with them the God of the universe who saved them with a mighty hand, how could they so easily return to a dead idol carved by the hands of man?” But let us not be so harsh on them, don’t we condemn our selves with such reasoning? If the books were to be opened right now, if the measure of faith in our life was to be evaluated, how much evidence would God find in our heart that after we have been so mightily saved in the miraculous resurrection of His Son, after having been delivered from the emptiness of the world, we still rely on the deaf, dumb and blind empty gods of man for our economic, educational, emotional, psychological and even spiritual welfare?
Let us now honestly gauge our faith; let us not grade it on the curve of man’s weakness, but let us measure it with the standard of the Words pronounced in Horeb, I am the Lord thy God,. . .. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:2-3). Let us make sure that regardless of outward appearances, our heart relies of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 31:1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 106:19-20 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. (20) Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
In the very place where the children of Israel committed themselves to obey God without reservation, in that very place, when their brand new walk of faith was tested, they retuned to their old ways.
We are creatures of habit. Not only do we form habits in the physical, but also our minds create grooves and methods with which we subconsciously process the problems we face. Just like when driving to a new place we easily make a wrong turn by taking the habitual road, habit easily takes us down the old way of thinking, even after regeneration. The religion of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was a world away from the children of Israel; their concept of God was corrupted by Egyptian idolatry and there was a long road ahead of them dedicated to training and rewiring.
We can look amused at the children of Israel who carved the golden calf (Exodus 32:4). We can easily think, “After witnessing such mighty miracles from the Lord, how could they? They had with them the God of the universe who saved them with a mighty hand, how could they so easily return to a dead idol carved by the hands of man?” But let us not be so harsh on them, don’t we condemn our selves with such reasoning? If the books were to be opened right now, if the measure of faith in our life was to be evaluated, how much evidence would God find in our heart that after we have been so mightily saved in the miraculous resurrection of His Son, after having been delivered from the emptiness of the world, we still rely on the deaf, dumb and blind empty gods of man for our economic, educational, emotional, psychological and even spiritual welfare?
Let us now honestly gauge our faith; let us not grade it on the curve of man’s weakness, but let us measure it with the standard of the Words pronounced in Horeb, I am the Lord thy God,. . .. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:2-3). Let us make sure that regardless of outward appearances, our heart relies of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 31:1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Daily Devotion
August 3, 2006
Psalms 106:17-18 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. (18) And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.
Two hundred fifty princes of the children of Israel had gathered together to challenge Moses and Aaron’s authority (Numbers 16). The people didn’t just challenged their authority, but also their claim to leadership. Accusations of pride and self-elevation were leveled and a full-scale mutiny was on its way. Moses used no uncertain means to make his point. Korah, a Levite, led the rebellion with two other people from the tribe of Reuben. These people were not just complaining, they had already built an alternative leadership structure with their own religious service. Their argument was that since everyone is holy, it doesn’t really matter who’s in charge; they had lost respect for God’ s election of Moses and of Aaron (Numbers 16:1).
Moses, a very pragmatic man, did not care to justify himself in front of these men; he took his case to the God who had instructed him. The levitical law expressedly forbade any non ordained religious services. Under sentence of death, services had to be ordained by God, conducted in His way, by the person of His choice (Leviticus 10:1-2). This law was an exercise to the concept of respecting the one and only atonement made for our sins in the form and manner of Jesus Christ. All Moses had to do was to tell them, “Alright, you most likely remember what happened to those who offer unauthorized sacrifices. If God ordained you, bring your censers close to the tabernacle and let’s see what happens” (Numbers 16:5-7). They did as Moses said, and they were consumed in the fiery judgment of the Lord.
God may work with us about certain things like He did with Lot (Genesis 19:20-21). But His role in our lives, as well as the atoning role of Jesus is not up to a vote, nor even for discussion. Moses and Aaron were types and images of the future role Jesus and the Holy Sprit would play in our lives. They therefore could not be upstaged. Jesus said, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men (Matthew 12:31). The people who came to Moses attributed themselves a religious position of leadership that God had not ordained, which is blasphemy. A time is coming, and its shadow is already upon us, when the people of the world will replace Yehovah with a god carved according to their own value system (Revelations 13). Those guilty of this great transgression will suffer the same fate as those of the rebellion on Mt. Sinai (Revelations 19:20).
Let us make sure that Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah ordained of God, is the only atoning sacrifice in our heart. Let us rely solely on His saving blood without any adulteration from our own works and concepts. Let us serve Him with His ordained will, without the confusion of our own. Let us humbly yield our heart to God who knows best.
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 106:17-18 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. (18) And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.
Two hundred fifty princes of the children of Israel had gathered together to challenge Moses and Aaron’s authority (Numbers 16). The people didn’t just challenged their authority, but also their claim to leadership. Accusations of pride and self-elevation were leveled and a full-scale mutiny was on its way. Moses used no uncertain means to make his point. Korah, a Levite, led the rebellion with two other people from the tribe of Reuben. These people were not just complaining, they had already built an alternative leadership structure with their own religious service. Their argument was that since everyone is holy, it doesn’t really matter who’s in charge; they had lost respect for God’ s election of Moses and of Aaron (Numbers 16:1).
Moses, a very pragmatic man, did not care to justify himself in front of these men; he took his case to the God who had instructed him. The levitical law expressedly forbade any non ordained religious services. Under sentence of death, services had to be ordained by God, conducted in His way, by the person of His choice (Leviticus 10:1-2). This law was an exercise to the concept of respecting the one and only atonement made for our sins in the form and manner of Jesus Christ. All Moses had to do was to tell them, “Alright, you most likely remember what happened to those who offer unauthorized sacrifices. If God ordained you, bring your censers close to the tabernacle and let’s see what happens” (Numbers 16:5-7). They did as Moses said, and they were consumed in the fiery judgment of the Lord.
God may work with us about certain things like He did with Lot (Genesis 19:20-21). But His role in our lives, as well as the atoning role of Jesus is not up to a vote, nor even for discussion. Moses and Aaron were types and images of the future role Jesus and the Holy Sprit would play in our lives. They therefore could not be upstaged. Jesus said, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men (Matthew 12:31). The people who came to Moses attributed themselves a religious position of leadership that God had not ordained, which is blasphemy. A time is coming, and its shadow is already upon us, when the people of the world will replace Yehovah with a god carved according to their own value system (Revelations 13). Those guilty of this great transgression will suffer the same fate as those of the rebellion on Mt. Sinai (Revelations 19:20).
Let us make sure that Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah ordained of God, is the only atoning sacrifice in our heart. Let us rely solely on His saving blood without any adulteration from our own works and concepts. Let us serve Him with His ordained will, without the confusion of our own. Let us humbly yield our heart to God who knows best.
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Daily Devotion
August 1st, 2006
Psalms 106:15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
Indulgence is so often equated with being loved. We think that we show love to a child when we pamper him with things. In the same way, we equate God’s love for us in the measure of answered prayers.
Answered prayer is no proof of God’s favor. When traveling in the Sinai desert, God provided the children of Israel with a food correspondent to their lifestyle. Due to the heat, meat would have been unhealthy. But the people were unthankful for this health diet coming from the heart of the great dietitian, and they sniffed at angels’ food (Psalms 78:25). They desired meat and God gave them so much that it made them sick (Numbers 11:32.).
It is the reality of our nature that we do not appreciate the good that God does in spite of ourselves, until He’s allowed us a taste of the bad we so much want. When we retrace our lives with the wisdom afforded by the years, we sometimes realize how we have pushed for certain things and frustrated ourselves in our own efforts to make them happen, only to be left with ashes between our teeth and bitterness in our hearts. When we are so stubborn, God may allow us to learn our lesson by letting us have our own way and then reap the results.
Let us therefore make sure that we are yielded to God in all things. That we pray intelligently, importunately if need be, but that when all is said and done, we also leave things in his hands in the complete trust that he knows best.
Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 106:15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
Indulgence is so often equated with being loved. We think that we show love to a child when we pamper him with things. In the same way, we equate God’s love for us in the measure of answered prayers.
Answered prayer is no proof of God’s favor. When traveling in the Sinai desert, God provided the children of Israel with a food correspondent to their lifestyle. Due to the heat, meat would have been unhealthy. But the people were unthankful for this health diet coming from the heart of the great dietitian, and they sniffed at angels’ food (Psalms 78:25). They desired meat and God gave them so much that it made them sick (Numbers 11:32.).
It is the reality of our nature that we do not appreciate the good that God does in spite of ourselves, until He’s allowed us a taste of the bad we so much want. When we retrace our lives with the wisdom afforded by the years, we sometimes realize how we have pushed for certain things and frustrated ourselves in our own efforts to make them happen, only to be left with ashes between our teeth and bitterness in our hearts. When we are so stubborn, God may allow us to learn our lesson by letting us have our own way and then reap the results.
Let us therefore make sure that we are yielded to God in all things. That we pray intelligently, importunately if need be, but that when all is said and done, we also leave things in his hands in the complete trust that he knows best.
Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Daily Devotion
July 31, 2006
Psalms 106:13-14 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
When Moses was on the mount getting the instructions that would become the code of ethics for Israel and eventually the whole world, the children of Israel became impatient. Even though life was hard in Egypt, they were used to its dainties and security (Numbers 11:5). When things got hard and life required more faith on their part as individuals, they quickly went back and carved the golden calf of the security of corporate pagan faith, which allowed them more of what they wanted and required less personal sacrifice.
It is easy to criticize the Children of Israel for these doubts and rebellion against God after they witnessing such strong miracles of his power, but how do we fare today?
Everyday we are sustained by the strength of the manna of God’s grace and forgiveness; we drink freely of the abundant waters of His life empowering Living Words; we enjoy the benefits of answered prayers; we are blessed with the fellowship of like-spirited people, with whom we are able to fellowship in trust and confidence. Yet in spite of all these things, especially when things get difficult, don’t we sometimes want to give up this life of faith as we hanker and lust after the seeming ease in the ungodly lifestyle of the world of mammon (Luke 16:13)?
Waiting on God can be so difficult for many of us; we quickly forget his works. It seems so much easier to rest our faith on the ‘golden calf’ of our own efforts and carnal wisdom. Let us not do so, but learning from the mistakes of the past, let us, at the times that god appoints in our lives, patiently sit at the foot of the mount waiting for his instruction.
Luk 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 106:13-14 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
When Moses was on the mount getting the instructions that would become the code of ethics for Israel and eventually the whole world, the children of Israel became impatient. Even though life was hard in Egypt, they were used to its dainties and security (Numbers 11:5). When things got hard and life required more faith on their part as individuals, they quickly went back and carved the golden calf of the security of corporate pagan faith, which allowed them more of what they wanted and required less personal sacrifice.
It is easy to criticize the Children of Israel for these doubts and rebellion against God after they witnessing such strong miracles of his power, but how do we fare today?
Everyday we are sustained by the strength of the manna of God’s grace and forgiveness; we drink freely of the abundant waters of His life empowering Living Words; we enjoy the benefits of answered prayers; we are blessed with the fellowship of like-spirited people, with whom we are able to fellowship in trust and confidence. Yet in spite of all these things, especially when things get difficult, don’t we sometimes want to give up this life of faith as we hanker and lust after the seeming ease in the ungodly lifestyle of the world of mammon (Luke 16:13)?
Waiting on God can be so difficult for many of us; we quickly forget his works. It seems so much easier to rest our faith on the ‘golden calf’ of our own efforts and carnal wisdom. Let us not do so, but learning from the mistakes of the past, let us, at the times that god appoints in our lives, patiently sit at the foot of the mount waiting for his instruction.
Luk 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Daily Devotion
July 30, 2006
Psalms 106:11-12 And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left. Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.
The Lord does nothing halfway. In the day that he delivers his children from their enemies, he executes a full deliverance and there is no doubt as to who gets the credit for it.
When God desired to take a people from among the many tribes living on the earth, a people through whom he would reveal the character of His beloved Son to the world, He chose the children of Israel. To win their trust and confidence, God first gave them a leader who was from among them, one who was familiar with the Egyptian culture in which they lived. God also performed many mighty miracles in their midst while He delivered them from their oppressors. When all was said and done, there was no doubt in the mind of the people that God was with the children of Israel, and that he performed mighty miracles for them (Exodus 14). There was no doubt either in the mind of the children of Israel as to whom to accredit their complete deliverance. It was after they witnessed all these things, that they believed His Words and sang His praises. These events were forever to be their testimony to the nations.
In the same manner, Jesus Christ lived among us in order to be subjected to everything we are subjected to (Hebrews 4:15). He became familiar with the lives we face. By performing the miracle of resurrection, Jesus delivers us from the enemy of our soul who would love to keep us in bondage. As the waters of the Red Sea closed in on the Egyptian army, it delivered Israel from its pursuing enemy, and created a separating gulf between the two. In the same way, the waters of baptism drown the enslaving power the enemy wants to exercise on our soul, and creates a separation between our old life and us.
Let us then, as the children of Israel did after their miraculous deliverance, believe his Words, sing his praises, and live lives that reflect the testimony of his power.
1 Chronicles 16:8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 106:11-12 And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left. Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.
The Lord does nothing halfway. In the day that he delivers his children from their enemies, he executes a full deliverance and there is no doubt as to who gets the credit for it.
When God desired to take a people from among the many tribes living on the earth, a people through whom he would reveal the character of His beloved Son to the world, He chose the children of Israel. To win their trust and confidence, God first gave them a leader who was from among them, one who was familiar with the Egyptian culture in which they lived. God also performed many mighty miracles in their midst while He delivered them from their oppressors. When all was said and done, there was no doubt in the mind of the people that God was with the children of Israel, and that he performed mighty miracles for them (Exodus 14). There was no doubt either in the mind of the children of Israel as to whom to accredit their complete deliverance. It was after they witnessed all these things, that they believed His Words and sang His praises. These events were forever to be their testimony to the nations.
In the same manner, Jesus Christ lived among us in order to be subjected to everything we are subjected to (Hebrews 4:15). He became familiar with the lives we face. By performing the miracle of resurrection, Jesus delivers us from the enemy of our soul who would love to keep us in bondage. As the waters of the Red Sea closed in on the Egyptian army, it delivered Israel from its pursuing enemy, and created a separating gulf between the two. In the same way, the waters of baptism drown the enslaving power the enemy wants to exercise on our soul, and creates a separation between our old life and us.
Let us then, as the children of Israel did after their miraculous deliverance, believe his Words, sing his praises, and live lives that reflect the testimony of his power.
1 Chronicles 16:8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Daily Devotion
July 30, 2006
Psalms 106:11-12 And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left. Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.
The Lord does nothing halfway. In the day that he delivers his children from their enemies, he executes a full deliverance and there is no doubt as to who gets the credit for it.
When God desired to take a people from among the many tribes living on the earth, a people through whom he would reveal the character of His beloved Son to the world, He chose the children of Israel. To win their trust and confidence, God first gave them a leader who was from among them, one who was familiar with the Egyptian culture in which they lived. God also performed many mighty miracles in their midst while He delivered them from their oppressors. When all was said and done, there was no doubt in the mind of the people that God was with the children of Israel, and that he performed mighty miracles for them (Exodus 14). There was no doubt either in the mind of the children of Israel as to whom to accredit their complete deliverance. It was after they witnessed all these things, that they believed His Words and sang His praises. These events were forever to be their testimony to the nations.
In the same manner, Jesus Christ lived among us in order to be subjected to everything we are subjected to (Hebrews 4:15). He became familiar with the lives we face. By performing the miracle of resurrection, Jesus delivers us from the enemy of our soul who would love to keep us in bondage. As the waters of the Red Sea closed in on the Egyptian army, it delivered Israel from its pursuing enemy, and created a separating gulf between the two. In the same way, the waters of baptism drown the enslaving power the enemy wants to exercise on our soul, and creates a separation between our old life and us.
Let us then, as the children of Israel did after their miraculous deliverance, believe his Words, sing his praises, and live lives that reflect the testimony of his power.
1 Chronicles 16:8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 106:11-12 And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left. Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.
The Lord does nothing halfway. In the day that he delivers his children from their enemies, he executes a full deliverance and there is no doubt as to who gets the credit for it.
When God desired to take a people from among the many tribes living on the earth, a people through whom he would reveal the character of His beloved Son to the world, He chose the children of Israel. To win their trust and confidence, God first gave them a leader who was from among them, one who was familiar with the Egyptian culture in which they lived. God also performed many mighty miracles in their midst while He delivered them from their oppressors. When all was said and done, there was no doubt in the mind of the people that God was with the children of Israel, and that he performed mighty miracles for them (Exodus 14). There was no doubt either in the mind of the children of Israel as to whom to accredit their complete deliverance. It was after they witnessed all these things, that they believed His Words and sang His praises. These events were forever to be their testimony to the nations.
In the same manner, Jesus Christ lived among us in order to be subjected to everything we are subjected to (Hebrews 4:15). He became familiar with the lives we face. By performing the miracle of resurrection, Jesus delivers us from the enemy of our soul who would love to keep us in bondage. As the waters of the Red Sea closed in on the Egyptian army, it delivered Israel from its pursuing enemy, and created a separating gulf between the two. In the same way, the waters of baptism drown the enslaving power the enemy wants to exercise on our soul, and creates a separation between our old life and us.
Let us then, as the children of Israel did after their miraculous deliverance, believe his Words, sing his praises, and live lives that reflect the testimony of his power.
1 Chronicles 16:8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Daily Devotion
July 29, 2006
Psalms 106:10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
There is the kind of hate that we receive from people because of their vindictive spirit. We have wronged them and they are hurt, because they do not know how to suffer themselves to be defrauded, they do not know how to take wrong (1 Corinthians 6:7).
There is also the hate of people who are just plain hateful. They are self-righteous, contentious, and they do not like anything that does not project their personal views and opinions. This is close to the hate of religious people who in their zealous efforts to obey the Lord’s injunction to hate evil (Psalms 97:10), look at people in a critical way, hating them for their weaknesses instead of hating the sin within them and loving them with the love of Jesus Christ who sees beyond our weaknesses.
There is also political and ethnic hatred where we are hated because we belong to a different race or culture; where people persecute and set us aside because we are not part of their cultural clique. We see this happen throughout world history, a history that is rich in religious and cultural wars, and even cases of ethnic cleansing. Christian kids are also targeted by the “cool cats” of this generation, put aside as “uncool” because they do not want to yield to evil peer pressure.
On the other hand, the child of God, regardless of his cultural or social background, from the moment he is saved, incurs the hate of the very enemy of God. From the moment we invite Jesus to live in us, we represent everything Satan hates. From birth control to abortion, war, car accidents, ethnic cleansing, bad company, the devil will use everything in his arsenal of evil to physically kill as many Christians as he can, or even more so, killing them spiritually by rendering them useless by leading them to live a life in compromise of their Christian values.
We need to be aware of the devices of the evil one who as a roaring lion walks about seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8), but most of all we need to be aware of the One who from the beginning redeems us from the hands of him that hates us.
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 106:10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
There is the kind of hate that we receive from people because of their vindictive spirit. We have wronged them and they are hurt, because they do not know how to suffer themselves to be defrauded, they do not know how to take wrong (1 Corinthians 6:7).
There is also the hate of people who are just plain hateful. They are self-righteous, contentious, and they do not like anything that does not project their personal views and opinions. This is close to the hate of religious people who in their zealous efforts to obey the Lord’s injunction to hate evil (Psalms 97:10), look at people in a critical way, hating them for their weaknesses instead of hating the sin within them and loving them with the love of Jesus Christ who sees beyond our weaknesses.
There is also political and ethnic hatred where we are hated because we belong to a different race or culture; where people persecute and set us aside because we are not part of their cultural clique. We see this happen throughout world history, a history that is rich in religious and cultural wars, and even cases of ethnic cleansing. Christian kids are also targeted by the “cool cats” of this generation, put aside as “uncool” because they do not want to yield to evil peer pressure.
On the other hand, the child of God, regardless of his cultural or social background, from the moment he is saved, incurs the hate of the very enemy of God. From the moment we invite Jesus to live in us, we represent everything Satan hates. From birth control to abortion, war, car accidents, ethnic cleansing, bad company, the devil will use everything in his arsenal of evil to physically kill as many Christians as he can, or even more so, killing them spiritually by rendering them useless by leading them to live a life in compromise of their Christian values.
We need to be aware of the devices of the evil one who as a roaring lion walks about seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8), but most of all we need to be aware of the One who from the beginning redeems us from the hands of him that hates us.
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Daily Devotion
July 28, 2006
Psalms 106:9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
When the children sat on the shore of Nuweibi beach on the Eastern arm of the red Sea, they were not going to the Promised Land. To go to Canaan from Goshen, they did not need to cross the sea. On their way to Sinai, in Arabia (Galatians 4:25), they were going to do what Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had to do before they could inherit the promises of God. The Children of Israel were coming out their familiar world and surroundings, to go to a place where they could hear God and God alone, in a position of total surrender and dependence. God does not take second place, nor even does He take His rank among the myriad of possibilities that surround us. When He wants to bless us, He eliminates all the other ‘competitors’; He wants to be the One and the only One. God led the Children of Israel on that path because he wanted them to cut their bridges behind them; to put the sea, the desert and the possibility of return between them and Egypt (Exodus 13:17-18). On their way to that Mountain in the land of Median, they were going to hear from God.
When we are on our way to hear from Him, God will hear the news from afar off that His child is coming to Him. He will anxiously wait on the top of the nearest hill expecting at any time to see the silhouette of His beloved child. God will send His armies to escort the returning prodigal. They will stand between His son and his pursuing enemy; they will be light to show him the way and blindness to his enemies (Exodus 14:19-20); they will make for him a pathway through the sea to show him the way; they will take off the wheels from the chariot of his pursuers and drown them into the sea (Exodus 14:25). God will also send His servants ahead in the wilderness to provide food and water for His beloved child (Exodus 16:15; 17:6).
There are times in our lives when God seems to let everything fail around us; times when we are back to square one, back to the drawing board of listening to Him and trying to find His will. Let us not fear these times. Let us not fear loosing control of our own destiny; let us not fear God getting into the ‘driver’s seat’ of our lives telling us to take a nap in the back of the car and let Him drive. Rather let us enjoy being carried on the wings of the wind of His will in utter dependence to Him. Patiently sit at the foot of the Mount, waiting for His Word (let us not, in our impatience carve the golden calf of our own will (Exodus 32:1-4)). If during these times we wait for Him, He will give us the Word that will change and redirect our lives in the way we should live to enjoy the Land of His Promises.
Heb 6:15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
Psalms 106:9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
When the children sat on the shore of Nuweibi beach on the Eastern arm of the red Sea, they were not going to the Promised Land. To go to Canaan from Goshen, they did not need to cross the sea. On their way to Sinai, in Arabia (Galatians 4:25), they were going to do what Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had to do before they could inherit the promises of God. The Children of Israel were coming out their familiar world and surroundings, to go to a place where they could hear God and God alone, in a position of total surrender and dependence. God does not take second place, nor even does He take His rank among the myriad of possibilities that surround us. When He wants to bless us, He eliminates all the other ‘competitors’; He wants to be the One and the only One. God led the Children of Israel on that path because he wanted them to cut their bridges behind them; to put the sea, the desert and the possibility of return between them and Egypt (Exodus 13:17-18). On their way to that Mountain in the land of Median, they were going to hear from God.
When we are on our way to hear from Him, God will hear the news from afar off that His child is coming to Him. He will anxiously wait on the top of the nearest hill expecting at any time to see the silhouette of His beloved child. God will send His armies to escort the returning prodigal. They will stand between His son and his pursuing enemy; they will be light to show him the way and blindness to his enemies (Exodus 14:19-20); they will make for him a pathway through the sea to show him the way; they will take off the wheels from the chariot of his pursuers and drown them into the sea (Exodus 14:25). God will also send His servants ahead in the wilderness to provide food and water for His beloved child (Exodus 16:15; 17:6).
There are times in our lives when God seems to let everything fail around us; times when we are back to square one, back to the drawing board of listening to Him and trying to find His will. Let us not fear these times. Let us not fear loosing control of our own destiny; let us not fear God getting into the ‘driver’s seat’ of our lives telling us to take a nap in the back of the car and let Him drive. Rather let us enjoy being carried on the wings of the wind of His will in utter dependence to Him. Patiently sit at the foot of the Mount, waiting for His Word (let us not, in our impatience carve the golden calf of our own will (Exodus 32:1-4)). If during these times we wait for Him, He will give us the Word that will change and redirect our lives in the way we should live to enjoy the Land of His Promises.
Heb 6:15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
Daily Devotion
July 27, 2006
Psalms 106:7-8 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea. (8) Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
It is not until children grow up and have a turn in the role of parenthood that they are able to truly appreciate what their parents have done for them. We, as parents, know the anguish, tears, desperate prayers and long night watches spent at the bedside of a sick child. We are accustomed with the worries and concerns that plague us as our dear one is suddenly faced with the brand new issues of teenage hood. We are familiar with the dilemma of not being able to afford to give a child something very important to them, and have been faced with the deep sacrifices required to secure their future. Most of all, when all is said and done, we also know the scorn, criticism and ungratefulness of the young ‘buck’ who like the proverbial prodigal son, proudly leaves the family den to show us ‘how it should be done’. He then squanders our love and care on what does not profit, only to come back years later with his tail between his legs’ begging for cash to get him out of a ‘pickle’ and to get a chance to a new start. Taking the issue down one more knot, only a parent, no matter what the child has done, will continue to love, care, show concern and mercy to a child, even through a microphone behind the glass of a prison’s visiting room, or during visits at a recovery center.
When the prodigal son returned home, his father told the older son, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine” (Luke 15:31). The older brother was now the sole inheritor of the father’s wealth. The younger brother had lost all except one thing: the love of his Father; he was still welcome at the father’s table, as a son. This story is the analogy that Jesus gave to describe God’s relationship with us, to show us the love He has for us, as a parent.
Not only He loves us, but also He seems to care about His sample to us as a parent. When a parent abandons his child just because he is bad, this parent is looked down upon. So God, that he might make his mighty power to be known (Psalms 106:8) saves us. That is the miracle of His loving grace and power that He saves us in spite of us!
1Ti 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 106:7-8 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea. (8) Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
It is not until children grow up and have a turn in the role of parenthood that they are able to truly appreciate what their parents have done for them. We, as parents, know the anguish, tears, desperate prayers and long night watches spent at the bedside of a sick child. We are accustomed with the worries and concerns that plague us as our dear one is suddenly faced with the brand new issues of teenage hood. We are familiar with the dilemma of not being able to afford to give a child something very important to them, and have been faced with the deep sacrifices required to secure their future. Most of all, when all is said and done, we also know the scorn, criticism and ungratefulness of the young ‘buck’ who like the proverbial prodigal son, proudly leaves the family den to show us ‘how it should be done’. He then squanders our love and care on what does not profit, only to come back years later with his tail between his legs’ begging for cash to get him out of a ‘pickle’ and to get a chance to a new start. Taking the issue down one more knot, only a parent, no matter what the child has done, will continue to love, care, show concern and mercy to a child, even through a microphone behind the glass of a prison’s visiting room, or during visits at a recovery center.
When the prodigal son returned home, his father told the older son, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine” (Luke 15:31). The older brother was now the sole inheritor of the father’s wealth. The younger brother had lost all except one thing: the love of his Father; he was still welcome at the father’s table, as a son. This story is the analogy that Jesus gave to describe God’s relationship with us, to show us the love He has for us, as a parent.
Not only He loves us, but also He seems to care about His sample to us as a parent. When a parent abandons his child just because he is bad, this parent is looked down upon. So God, that he might make his mighty power to be known (Psalms 106:8) saves us. That is the miracle of His loving grace and power that He saves us in spite of us!
1Ti 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 26, 2006
Psalms 106:6 We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
It is God who rules over the kingdoms of man, and He gives it to whomsoever He will (Daniel 4:25). It is God who ordains kings and rulers; He puts one up, takes down another, and He often gives people the type of government they deserve. Just like when we have a large family, we do not approach each of our children in the same manner. We may ‘rule’ over the one who is unruly, while being able to reason with the one who is reasonable. Unruly people need a strong type of government to keep them corralled, while a milder natured people can do with a softer rule (1 timothy 1:9).
A nation is blessed or punished according to the acts of its king. When a king is godly, makes wise choices according to God’s Spirit, God blesses the nation with increase, wisdom, the favor of its neighbors, internal peace, security and an overall sense of growth towards righteousness and virtue. This principle has often given rise to new empires from lessons found in the decadent ashes of their indulgent wicked predecessors; but when this new empire also backslides from the virtue that earned God’s blessing, in turn, it also becomes the prey of its more righteous neighbor.
This generation is proud and does not like to admit to faults and sins. It justifies itself to its own conscience with ‘conditions’, and ‘syndromes’, but healing and forgiveness can only come after full admission of error. David, a man of God not unaffected by human passions, knew how to eventually humble himself before God and endorse not just his own sins, but also the sins of his ancestors, and that of the nation. Like Moses, he was a true mediator of the people, and God blessed the country when under his rule.
Oh, that God may give us kings, rulers who refuse to pride themselves on the arm of the flesh; who know not only to seek God about their own sin, but to also acknowledge the sins of their fathers and of their nation; kings who have the spirit of atonement for their people, who seek God’s blessing for them even at their own hurt; then and only then, will we again draw God’s blessing upon our land.
When the world will have come to the end of its own unraveling, when its economy, politics and diplomacy will arrive at the impasse of all impasses, when it will have pushed itself into a corner, Jesus Christ, the King of Glory who atones for the sins of all nations, will make a triumphal entry on the world scene (Revelations 19:11). He will show of us how we have sinned in our pride show us the example of a true king.
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 106:6 We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
It is God who rules over the kingdoms of man, and He gives it to whomsoever He will (Daniel 4:25). It is God who ordains kings and rulers; He puts one up, takes down another, and He often gives people the type of government they deserve. Just like when we have a large family, we do not approach each of our children in the same manner. We may ‘rule’ over the one who is unruly, while being able to reason with the one who is reasonable. Unruly people need a strong type of government to keep them corralled, while a milder natured people can do with a softer rule (1 timothy 1:9).
A nation is blessed or punished according to the acts of its king. When a king is godly, makes wise choices according to God’s Spirit, God blesses the nation with increase, wisdom, the favor of its neighbors, internal peace, security and an overall sense of growth towards righteousness and virtue. This principle has often given rise to new empires from lessons found in the decadent ashes of their indulgent wicked predecessors; but when this new empire also backslides from the virtue that earned God’s blessing, in turn, it also becomes the prey of its more righteous neighbor.
This generation is proud and does not like to admit to faults and sins. It justifies itself to its own conscience with ‘conditions’, and ‘syndromes’, but healing and forgiveness can only come after full admission of error. David, a man of God not unaffected by human passions, knew how to eventually humble himself before God and endorse not just his own sins, but also the sins of his ancestors, and that of the nation. Like Moses, he was a true mediator of the people, and God blessed the country when under his rule.
Oh, that God may give us kings, rulers who refuse to pride themselves on the arm of the flesh; who know not only to seek God about their own sin, but to also acknowledge the sins of their fathers and of their nation; kings who have the spirit of atonement for their people, who seek God’s blessing for them even at their own hurt; then and only then, will we again draw God’s blessing upon our land.
When the world will have come to the end of its own unraveling, when its economy, politics and diplomacy will arrive at the impasse of all impasses, when it will have pushed itself into a corner, Jesus Christ, the King of Glory who atones for the sins of all nations, will make a triumphal entry on the world scene (Revelations 19:11). He will show of us how we have sinned in our pride show us the example of a true king.
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 25, 2006
Psalms 106:5 That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.
This expression of longing is introduced to us by David’s supplication for salvation in the preceding verse: Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation. David calls salvation, the favour that God bears to His people.
Our lives are often complicated; it is sometimes hard to make sense of things. Many of us grope in such darkness that we do not even see even one full step ahead of us. We do not understand the injustices, the sicknesses, the sufferings, the conflicts between people and between countries where more often than not, innocent young soldiers and civilians pay the price of political debacle and confusion.
Let us now for an instant turn our eyes and look to the promises that David looked forward to. He was hungry for salvation because he wanted to see the good of God’s chosen; he wanted to rejoice in the gladness of the nation of God, be a partaker of the glory with God’s inheritance. David knew that God’s promises to His people would first be fulfilled through the coming Messiah; and that through salvation, he would see goodness and rejoicing with all of God’s people throughout the earth.
So no matter how dark the night for the child of God in this realm, we have the promise of a glorious dawn at the edge of eternity; a time when the promises made to the fathers will be fulfilled in the children; the time when Jesus Christ will reign supreme. He will then teach each of us His Words that tell us how the world should have been run and how to solve problems and differences maturely. He will also teach us that wealth is in the ability to give without expecting returns, that power is the ability to submit even to one’s own hurt, and that God’s love is the motivating principle by which all of creation was designed (Isaiah 11:6; 65:25).
In the meantime, God has given us an advance on these things: He gave us the earnest of the spirit (2 Corinthians 1:22); so even if today we have very little control in the way the world is being run, we can already look to the Spirit of God to bring peace to our lives and to that of those around us.
1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Jo 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 106:5 That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.
This expression of longing is introduced to us by David’s supplication for salvation in the preceding verse: Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation. David calls salvation, the favour that God bears to His people.
Our lives are often complicated; it is sometimes hard to make sense of things. Many of us grope in such darkness that we do not even see even one full step ahead of us. We do not understand the injustices, the sicknesses, the sufferings, the conflicts between people and between countries where more often than not, innocent young soldiers and civilians pay the price of political debacle and confusion.
Let us now for an instant turn our eyes and look to the promises that David looked forward to. He was hungry for salvation because he wanted to see the good of God’s chosen; he wanted to rejoice in the gladness of the nation of God, be a partaker of the glory with God’s inheritance. David knew that God’s promises to His people would first be fulfilled through the coming Messiah; and that through salvation, he would see goodness and rejoicing with all of God’s people throughout the earth.
So no matter how dark the night for the child of God in this realm, we have the promise of a glorious dawn at the edge of eternity; a time when the promises made to the fathers will be fulfilled in the children; the time when Jesus Christ will reign supreme. He will then teach each of us His Words that tell us how the world should have been run and how to solve problems and differences maturely. He will also teach us that wealth is in the ability to give without expecting returns, that power is the ability to submit even to one’s own hurt, and that God’s love is the motivating principle by which all of creation was designed (Isaiah 11:6; 65:25).
In the meantime, God has given us an advance on these things: He gave us the earnest of the spirit (2 Corinthians 1:22); so even if today we have very little control in the way the world is being run, we can already look to the Spirit of God to bring peace to our lives and to that of those around us.
1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Jo 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 23, 2006
Psalms 106:3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
What praise, what beatitude, what truth!
At the end of the long road of life, we take stock of our existence. If we are honest in our assessment, we see that whenever we followed God, kept His judgments and did righteousness we were blessed; and that whenever we stubbornly clung to our own ways pushing to fulfill our desires we created our own doom. We also realize that if we had done things God’s way all the time, we would have been blessed all the time; but we didn’t. We didn’t because our human nature is such that it fights against the ways of God (Romans 7:18-23).
What then? If the very nature of which I am made keeps me from the very blessedness God intended for me, what good is it for me? Is the above scripture the teasing of a God who satirically enjoys setting before His children ‘cookies’ that are impossible to reach? Maybe this statement is to blame for the present attitude of a world who decided to indulge in pleasures today because ‘tomorrow we die’. After all, what good is it to put forth the effort if it is impossible?
Yea, my friend, it is impossible; but the things which are impossible with men are possible with God (Luk 18:27); the end of man’s strength, is the beginning of God’s opportunity. In this prophetic statement, David saw the living Christ, the one who would take upon Himself the sin of the world, the embodiment of the perpetual levitical atonment blood of sacrifice, the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
How many of us whose hearts have been sprinkled (Exodus 12:7) by the blood of the Lamb Jesus Christ still, subconsciously, define righteousness through our own ‘works’ and attitudes? A lifetime may not be enough for us to grasp the fullness of His mercy.
Don’t we remember what Jesus taught us, that it is the altar that sanctifies the gift, not the gift the altar (Matthew 23:19). Jesus is the altar, the lamb and the shed blood. Let us now lay ourselves on the altar of His person, to be healed by His broken body (Luke 22:19) and by His stripes of righteousness (Isaiah 53:5); to be forgiven by His shed blood of atonement (Matthew 26:28). Let us give up all personal attempts at righteousness, knowing that His blood, and His blood alone is able to make us walk in God’s judgment, doing His righteousness all the time.
Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 106:3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
What praise, what beatitude, what truth!
At the end of the long road of life, we take stock of our existence. If we are honest in our assessment, we see that whenever we followed God, kept His judgments and did righteousness we were blessed; and that whenever we stubbornly clung to our own ways pushing to fulfill our desires we created our own doom. We also realize that if we had done things God’s way all the time, we would have been blessed all the time; but we didn’t. We didn’t because our human nature is such that it fights against the ways of God (Romans 7:18-23).
What then? If the very nature of which I am made keeps me from the very blessedness God intended for me, what good is it for me? Is the above scripture the teasing of a God who satirically enjoys setting before His children ‘cookies’ that are impossible to reach? Maybe this statement is to blame for the present attitude of a world who decided to indulge in pleasures today because ‘tomorrow we die’. After all, what good is it to put forth the effort if it is impossible?
Yea, my friend, it is impossible; but the things which are impossible with men are possible with God (Luk 18:27); the end of man’s strength, is the beginning of God’s opportunity. In this prophetic statement, David saw the living Christ, the one who would take upon Himself the sin of the world, the embodiment of the perpetual levitical atonment blood of sacrifice, the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
How many of us whose hearts have been sprinkled (Exodus 12:7) by the blood of the Lamb Jesus Christ still, subconsciously, define righteousness through our own ‘works’ and attitudes? A lifetime may not be enough for us to grasp the fullness of His mercy.
Don’t we remember what Jesus taught us, that it is the altar that sanctifies the gift, not the gift the altar (Matthew 23:19). Jesus is the altar, the lamb and the shed blood. Let us now lay ourselves on the altar of His person, to be healed by His broken body (Luke 22:19) and by His stripes of righteousness (Isaiah 53:5); to be forgiven by His shed blood of atonement (Matthew 26:28). Let us give up all personal attempts at righteousness, knowing that His blood, and His blood alone is able to make us walk in God’s judgment, doing His righteousness all the time.
Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 22, 2006
Psalms 106:1-2 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?
King David ordered the liturgy of the Temple worship; his songs were, and are still used for praise in Jewish worship. This sentence is written in the imperative. This is a command for the whole congregation to praise the Lord. It is not only the duty of the priests and choirs to praise the Lord but the whole congregation was probed to worship God and acknowledge the greatness of His mighty acts.
In any text, book, movie, story, documentary, it is easy to remain at the surface of the story line, and miss the essentials of the message. When talking about God’s mighty acts, we may imagine the creation of the universe in six days (Genesis 1); the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21); people strengthened, healed, resurrected (Hebrews 11), and the coming down of the final new Jerusalem (Revelations 21-22).; but what are these mighty acts that David conveys in his song of praise to the Lord?
The song starts and ends with Praise ye the Lord, the English translation for the Hebrew praise: Hallelujah. The space between the two praises is filled with the mournful accounts of Israel’s willful disobediences to God. This tells us of God’s mercy towards His flock, His people, His children, His wife, and His church even in spite of their rebellious defiance. This song reminds us that even though the fathers have sinned, the children inherit the promise. This song assures us that God’s promises are not conditional, that like the one made to Abraham (Genesis 15:4-6), they hold their weight in gold; that they will be fulfilled, no matter what you or I can do.
These are the unutterable mighty acts of God for who can equate with His patience, with the mercy He shows? We are so quick to go after revenge, justice and retaliation, but God, while never compromising righteousness, finds a way, even at His own cost, to fulfill His promises of mercy. May Jesus Christ, the Son of God through whom the promises are fulfilled be praised forever.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 106:1-2 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?
King David ordered the liturgy of the Temple worship; his songs were, and are still used for praise in Jewish worship. This sentence is written in the imperative. This is a command for the whole congregation to praise the Lord. It is not only the duty of the priests and choirs to praise the Lord but the whole congregation was probed to worship God and acknowledge the greatness of His mighty acts.
In any text, book, movie, story, documentary, it is easy to remain at the surface of the story line, and miss the essentials of the message. When talking about God’s mighty acts, we may imagine the creation of the universe in six days (Genesis 1); the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21); people strengthened, healed, resurrected (Hebrews 11), and the coming down of the final new Jerusalem (Revelations 21-22).; but what are these mighty acts that David conveys in his song of praise to the Lord?
The song starts and ends with Praise ye the Lord, the English translation for the Hebrew praise: Hallelujah. The space between the two praises is filled with the mournful accounts of Israel’s willful disobediences to God. This tells us of God’s mercy towards His flock, His people, His children, His wife, and His church even in spite of their rebellious defiance. This song reminds us that even though the fathers have sinned, the children inherit the promise. This song assures us that God’s promises are not conditional, that like the one made to Abraham (Genesis 15:4-6), they hold their weight in gold; that they will be fulfilled, no matter what you or I can do.
These are the unutterable mighty acts of God for who can equate with His patience, with the mercy He shows? We are so quick to go after revenge, justice and retaliation, but God, while never compromising righteousness, finds a way, even at His own cost, to fulfill His promises of mercy. May Jesus Christ, the Son of God through whom the promises are fulfilled be praised forever.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Friday, July 21, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 21, 2006
Psalms 103:20-22 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. (21) Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. (22) Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
Is someone ‘good’ just because they believe in the virtue of goodness? Is someone clean just because they believe cleanliness is right? Is someone honest just because they acquiesce that honesty is a good thing? Is one a Christian just because he attends a church?
What would you think of a child who praises his parents up and down, claims to acknowledge and agree with their wisdom in decision-making, confesses desire to emulate them and yet, in his daily behavior, does everything contrary to their bidding. That child would certainly be viewed as a hypocrite and a liar.
It is a sad thing that today, while praising their Father in Heaven, God’s children everywhere rob, lie, kill; rely on the arm of flesh rather than that of God; worship icons, images and places, and are more attentive to the traditions of man than to the commandment of God (Matthew 15:3). By our example, we, who are supposed to be the custodians of the faith imparted to us, have sadly been the biggest enemies of its propagation. The apostle Paul severely rebuked the Roman church for such behavior, and told then that the name of God was blasphemed among the unbelievers because of their hypocritical sample (Rom 2:17-24).
That is why Jesus Christ told us that the heart of the law of God was justice and mercy (Matthew 23:23); obedience not sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22); and that if we have ought against our ‘brother’, He would rather that we leave aside our sacrificial service to Him and reconcile with him first (Matthew 5:23-24).
Let us now seriously and honestly ponder these things. Let us raise unto God praises cleaned from malice and envy; let us offer a service purified from our owns works of disobedience; let us match our walk with our talk.
Romans 2:13 For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 103:20-22 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. (21) Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. (22) Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
Is someone ‘good’ just because they believe in the virtue of goodness? Is someone clean just because they believe cleanliness is right? Is someone honest just because they acquiesce that honesty is a good thing? Is one a Christian just because he attends a church?
What would you think of a child who praises his parents up and down, claims to acknowledge and agree with their wisdom in decision-making, confesses desire to emulate them and yet, in his daily behavior, does everything contrary to their bidding. That child would certainly be viewed as a hypocrite and a liar.
It is a sad thing that today, while praising their Father in Heaven, God’s children everywhere rob, lie, kill; rely on the arm of flesh rather than that of God; worship icons, images and places, and are more attentive to the traditions of man than to the commandment of God (Matthew 15:3). By our example, we, who are supposed to be the custodians of the faith imparted to us, have sadly been the biggest enemies of its propagation. The apostle Paul severely rebuked the Roman church for such behavior, and told then that the name of God was blasphemed among the unbelievers because of their hypocritical sample (Rom 2:17-24).
That is why Jesus Christ told us that the heart of the law of God was justice and mercy (Matthew 23:23); obedience not sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22); and that if we have ought against our ‘brother’, He would rather that we leave aside our sacrificial service to Him and reconcile with him first (Matthew 5:23-24).
Let us now seriously and honestly ponder these things. Let us raise unto God praises cleaned from malice and envy; let us offer a service purified from our owns works of disobedience; let us match our walk with our talk.
Romans 2:13 For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 20, 2006
Psalms 103:19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Looking at the increasing freak weather events, the insanity of escalating wars, the plague of rampant urban crime, and mounting seismologic instability, the conditions of the earth today could be described with these words from the second verse of the first chapter in the Bible book of Genesis: the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: confusion. The consolation of every human being on the globe is that The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. He will some day soon come to the earth, separate the light from the darkness and bring order out of the confusion of six thousand years of man’s rule (Genesis 1). By the sovereignty of His own spirit, He will to calm the ‘sea’ of religious, political and natural instability (Mathew 8:26) and establish His loving rule over all of mankind (Revelations 19:15).
Our personal lives can also feel like a tangled mass of confusion, and this consolation offered us concerning the world of tomorrow can be very small for many of us when it comes to the hope needed to overcome today’s problems. The good news is that the Lord reigns also in the lives and hearts of His subjects. He does not force Himself on us, but He reigns as a loving ruler who endeavors to win the loyalty of His people.
As we watch our ships returned with broken sails; as we hopelessly stare at the tangled mess of our own plans; as we ponder upon the confusion of our personal lives, let us honestly (Luke 8:15) in spirit and in truth (John 4:23), look to the One who reigns over us all and yield, surrender our hearts to Him. He will separate the light form the darkness, the truth from the lies, the chaff from the wheat, the true hope from the false dream.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 103:19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Looking at the increasing freak weather events, the insanity of escalating wars, the plague of rampant urban crime, and mounting seismologic instability, the conditions of the earth today could be described with these words from the second verse of the first chapter in the Bible book of Genesis: the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: confusion. The consolation of every human being on the globe is that The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. He will some day soon come to the earth, separate the light from the darkness and bring order out of the confusion of six thousand years of man’s rule (Genesis 1). By the sovereignty of His own spirit, He will to calm the ‘sea’ of religious, political and natural instability (Mathew 8:26) and establish His loving rule over all of mankind (Revelations 19:15).
Our personal lives can also feel like a tangled mass of confusion, and this consolation offered us concerning the world of tomorrow can be very small for many of us when it comes to the hope needed to overcome today’s problems. The good news is that the Lord reigns also in the lives and hearts of His subjects. He does not force Himself on us, but He reigns as a loving ruler who endeavors to win the loyalty of His people.
As we watch our ships returned with broken sails; as we hopelessly stare at the tangled mess of our own plans; as we ponder upon the confusion of our personal lives, let us honestly (Luke 8:15) in spirit and in truth (John 4:23), look to the One who reigns over us all and yield, surrender our hearts to Him. He will separate the light form the darkness, the truth from the lies, the chaff from the wheat, the true hope from the false dream.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 19, 2006
Psalms 103:17-18 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; (18) To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
After pondering the vanity and futility of the days of man (Psalms 103:15-16), let us wonder at the Lord’s perpetual mercy and righteousness. How is it that the intelligent man of today cannot see that without the eternal God that created him his life is doomed to emptiness? The temporal tabernacle of our flesh (2 Corinthians 5:1) incases a soul that is hungry for eternity. To withhold the spirit of God from its eternal destiny and force it to live within the narrow confines of human flesh, is denying the wings of an eagle the freedom of the mountain’s mighty wind by forcing it to live in a cage (John 3:8).
The world stands on the verge of blowing itself to pieces. Many lives are daily shattered by the evils of wars-- religious wars. All sides claim to have an edge on God, but who truly fears Him and His righteousness? Who keeps His covenant and remembers His commandments to do them? They have religiously thrown their silver and their gold at the altar of man’ justice and vengeance, and their political priests have built them the golden calf of enmity with God (Exodus 32:2-4). The Words of God’s covenant of peace tells us, ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it (Numbers 35:33). So much blood has been shed, but Jesus Christ has enough ‘blood’ to cleanse the land.
Come now, all humanity; come arm in arm and heart to heart. Come to the Rock that pours forth the only ‘holy water’ of peace. Come now to the great gates of Zion, come to pay your respects to the One, the only one who has written in His blood the covenant of peace for the world. Come and let Him write in your heart His commandments of love and true righteousness. Let dropping tears of repentance replace missiles; the pricks of a convicted heart replace vengeance, and pure white snow cover offenses. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect Mat 5:48.
1 Corinthians 6:7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 103:17-18 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; (18) To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
After pondering the vanity and futility of the days of man (Psalms 103:15-16), let us wonder at the Lord’s perpetual mercy and righteousness. How is it that the intelligent man of today cannot see that without the eternal God that created him his life is doomed to emptiness? The temporal tabernacle of our flesh (2 Corinthians 5:1) incases a soul that is hungry for eternity. To withhold the spirit of God from its eternal destiny and force it to live within the narrow confines of human flesh, is denying the wings of an eagle the freedom of the mountain’s mighty wind by forcing it to live in a cage (John 3:8).
The world stands on the verge of blowing itself to pieces. Many lives are daily shattered by the evils of wars-- religious wars. All sides claim to have an edge on God, but who truly fears Him and His righteousness? Who keeps His covenant and remembers His commandments to do them? They have religiously thrown their silver and their gold at the altar of man’ justice and vengeance, and their political priests have built them the golden calf of enmity with God (Exodus 32:2-4). The Words of God’s covenant of peace tells us, ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it (Numbers 35:33). So much blood has been shed, but Jesus Christ has enough ‘blood’ to cleanse the land.
Come now, all humanity; come arm in arm and heart to heart. Come to the Rock that pours forth the only ‘holy water’ of peace. Come now to the great gates of Zion, come to pay your respects to the One, the only one who has written in His blood the covenant of peace for the world. Come and let Him write in your heart His commandments of love and true righteousness. Let dropping tears of repentance replace missiles; the pricks of a convicted heart replace vengeance, and pure white snow cover offenses. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect Mat 5:48.
1 Corinthians 6:7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 18, 2006
Psalms 103:15-16 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. (16) For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
My friend, Marshall, refurbished old computers that he would donate to schools and ministries. I sent many of these machines abroad to fledgling computer training centers in poorer countries. Marshall had turned his garage into a computer parts warehouse as well as into a workshop, from where he taught teenagers how to build and maintain computers. What a passion he had for this project! A couple of years later he passed away, and his grown sons emptied the garage and sent it all to the dump. They felt they could finally dispose of this ‘junk’ that they felt their father had wasted his time with.
Such a spirit of vanity and uselessness prevails today. A man can work his whole life to build an empire, or even a good reputation for his family, but he has no guarantee that his children will take over after him. He can’t be sure that they will not obliterate his hard work after he’s gone. This generation is left with the mentality of ‘let’s eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die’, and with very little or no care for future generations. There was a time when a man knew that by his own hard work, he could leave a farm, a company, an inheritance to his children They were thankful to carry on the family business or farm after the father died. This hope existed in spite of the knowledge that tragedy or the simple passing of time could in a moment dry the flower of the finest of hopes. God has a way of reminding us that He ultimately sits at the controls. What is then a man to do to escape this sense of uselessness and emptiness?
Jesus warned us of this when He said, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life….” (John 6:27). He also gave us this parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened (Mat 13:33). Only what is done for Jesus Christ in this life will resist the corruption of time and the devaluation of the currency of human values. It will even use time to augment its own worth.
Let us today honestly take stock of the quantum of our life; how much of it is the ‘perishing ’ part, and how much the ‘enduring’ part (John 6:27). Let us make sure to leave behind us a spiritual inheritance of enduring eternal souls won for His eternal heavenly Kingdom.
1 Corinthians 3:13-15 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. (14) If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (15) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. .
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 103:15-16 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. (16) For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
My friend, Marshall, refurbished old computers that he would donate to schools and ministries. I sent many of these machines abroad to fledgling computer training centers in poorer countries. Marshall had turned his garage into a computer parts warehouse as well as into a workshop, from where he taught teenagers how to build and maintain computers. What a passion he had for this project! A couple of years later he passed away, and his grown sons emptied the garage and sent it all to the dump. They felt they could finally dispose of this ‘junk’ that they felt their father had wasted his time with.
Such a spirit of vanity and uselessness prevails today. A man can work his whole life to build an empire, or even a good reputation for his family, but he has no guarantee that his children will take over after him. He can’t be sure that they will not obliterate his hard work after he’s gone. This generation is left with the mentality of ‘let’s eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die’, and with very little or no care for future generations. There was a time when a man knew that by his own hard work, he could leave a farm, a company, an inheritance to his children They were thankful to carry on the family business or farm after the father died. This hope existed in spite of the knowledge that tragedy or the simple passing of time could in a moment dry the flower of the finest of hopes. God has a way of reminding us that He ultimately sits at the controls. What is then a man to do to escape this sense of uselessness and emptiness?
Jesus warned us of this when He said, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life….” (John 6:27). He also gave us this parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened (Mat 13:33). Only what is done for Jesus Christ in this life will resist the corruption of time and the devaluation of the currency of human values. It will even use time to augment its own worth.
Let us today honestly take stock of the quantum of our life; how much of it is the ‘perishing ’ part, and how much the ‘enduring’ part (John 6:27). Let us make sure to leave behind us a spiritual inheritance of enduring eternal souls won for His eternal heavenly Kingdom.
1 Corinthians 3:13-15 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. (14) If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (15) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. .
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Monday, July 17, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 17, 2006
Psalms 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
In the recent movie “End of the Spear”, we are introduced to a young Waodani convert, Dayumae. At a young age, she took refuge with foreigners to flee the revenge killings that plagued her tribe. The Waodanis were a primitive people who lived in the Amazon forest of Ecuador. Their social mentality brought them into such a cycle of revenge and retaliation that spearing wars with neighboring tribes nearly brought them to a point of self-annihilation. Life expectancy was so low, no one had grandchildren; everyone had at least one close family member who had been speared. It is when they received the Gospel of the God who didn’t want them to kill that they were able to keep their first generation of grandfathers.
In the movie, we are shown how Dayumae was instrumental to this change of behavior. The message she brought was: “God has a Son. God’s Son came on earth to tell us that God doesn’t want us to kill. People speared Him because of His message, but He did not spear back. He did it so that those who speared Him could live well and in peace.” This God could understand the Waodanis; He also had a relative who was ‘speared’.
God’s empathy for our frame is not born out of false or emotional pity. He understands our losses; He also lost a Son, who was tortured and killed for the ransom price for our redemption. His Son voluntarily yielded Himself to everyday things we go through on earth as human beings, as well as to the cruel and painful death of the sinner so He could represent us to the Father--so He could be a worthy and empathic high-priest to us (Hebrews 4:15).
Yes, we have a God who is emotional like we are. He is capable of anger (Exodus 4:14); of repentance (Exodus 32:14); of wrath (Exodus 15:7); of pity (Psalms 103:13); of hate (Proverb 6:16); of empathy (Psalms 103:14); and of hurt (Jer 8:21).
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
In the recent movie “End of the Spear”, we are introduced to a young Waodani convert, Dayumae. At a young age, she took refuge with foreigners to flee the revenge killings that plagued her tribe. The Waodanis were a primitive people who lived in the Amazon forest of Ecuador. Their social mentality brought them into such a cycle of revenge and retaliation that spearing wars with neighboring tribes nearly brought them to a point of self-annihilation. Life expectancy was so low, no one had grandchildren; everyone had at least one close family member who had been speared. It is when they received the Gospel of the God who didn’t want them to kill that they were able to keep their first generation of grandfathers.
In the movie, we are shown how Dayumae was instrumental to this change of behavior. The message she brought was: “God has a Son. God’s Son came on earth to tell us that God doesn’t want us to kill. People speared Him because of His message, but He did not spear back. He did it so that those who speared Him could live well and in peace.” This God could understand the Waodanis; He also had a relative who was ‘speared’.
God’s empathy for our frame is not born out of false or emotional pity. He understands our losses; He also lost a Son, who was tortured and killed for the ransom price for our redemption. His Son voluntarily yielded Himself to everyday things we go through on earth as human beings, as well as to the cruel and painful death of the sinner so He could represent us to the Father--so He could be a worthy and empathic high-priest to us (Hebrews 4:15).
Yes, we have a God who is emotional like we are. He is capable of anger (Exodus 4:14); of repentance (Exodus 32:14); of wrath (Exodus 15:7); of pity (Psalms 103:13); of hate (Proverb 6:16); of empathy (Psalms 103:14); and of hurt (Jer 8:21).
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 16, 2006
Psalms 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
Have you any doubt concerning the love of God for you? Here is, in these few divine words, the expression of the true love of the Father.
I am a father. Some of my children who have left the nest to live their destiny seem to have forgotten the instructions of godly principles and virtues taught to them when they were younger. I hope the best for them; even if it be by the way of hard knocks that will lead them back to the paths of the Lord. I know that sometimes things have got to get worse before they get better.
Did my children heed all my instructions? No. Did they walk according to my hopes and wishes? No. But are they still my sons? Yes. Am I proud of them? Yes. Do I still love them, pray for them? Yes. Will I be there for them in their day of trouble? Yes. Will it be my joy and comfort even to the point of tears when they finally yield their souls to the God of all spirits? Yes.
To all fathers here I write, to all of us for whom parenthood has left ashes in the teeth, and bitterness within the heart. Do we wonder about the final fate of our wandering children? This I say: if we, who are evil, are able of grace, care and mercy towards our offspring, how much God, who is perfect, should be capable of the same towards us all, yet without compromising truth and righteousness (Matthew 7:11). Also this I want to ask: can anyone, can any physical or spiritual powers rob God of one of His children? Nay, my friend nay! (John 10:28).
In our pride, we like to have things under our control; we feel that unless we hold in our hands the regulating of the life and people around us, things will fail. Let us now remember this; that as our children leave the family home, as they fly away from under the protection of our wings, they go under the wings and control of Him who has a much greater vantage point and perspective on their lives than we could ever dream to have. He is the Alpha and the Omega; He sees their lives from beginning to end. Who are we then to argue with the lesson plans that He choses for them?
Luke 15:22-24 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: (23) And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: (24) For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
Have you any doubt concerning the love of God for you? Here is, in these few divine words, the expression of the true love of the Father.
I am a father. Some of my children who have left the nest to live their destiny seem to have forgotten the instructions of godly principles and virtues taught to them when they were younger. I hope the best for them; even if it be by the way of hard knocks that will lead them back to the paths of the Lord. I know that sometimes things have got to get worse before they get better.
Did my children heed all my instructions? No. Did they walk according to my hopes and wishes? No. But are they still my sons? Yes. Am I proud of them? Yes. Do I still love them, pray for them? Yes. Will I be there for them in their day of trouble? Yes. Will it be my joy and comfort even to the point of tears when they finally yield their souls to the God of all spirits? Yes.
To all fathers here I write, to all of us for whom parenthood has left ashes in the teeth, and bitterness within the heart. Do we wonder about the final fate of our wandering children? This I say: if we, who are evil, are able of grace, care and mercy towards our offspring, how much God, who is perfect, should be capable of the same towards us all, yet without compromising truth and righteousness (Matthew 7:11). Also this I want to ask: can anyone, can any physical or spiritual powers rob God of one of His children? Nay, my friend nay! (John 10:28).
In our pride, we like to have things under our control; we feel that unless we hold in our hands the regulating of the life and people around us, things will fail. Let us now remember this; that as our children leave the family home, as they fly away from under the protection of our wings, they go under the wings and control of Him who has a much greater vantage point and perspective on their lives than we could ever dream to have. He is the Alpha and the Omega; He sees their lives from beginning to end. Who are we then to argue with the lesson plans that He choses for them?
Luke 15:22-24 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: (23) And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: (24) For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 15, 2006
Psalms 103:11-12 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. (12) As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
We humans often offend each other. We hold grudges and want restitution. We demand the humiliation of the offender. Ironically, though we are so self-righteous to those who offend us, we are not blameless ourselves. Mercy is a bridge we all need to cross. To blow it up so others can’t use it works to our disadvantage.
The distance of the heaven above the earth and between East and West are the most extensive dimensions we can think of. Our finite and limited human mind can only speculate the notions of them. God, the creator of the heavens, of the earth, and of the whole universe, knows these dimensions, and knowing that they are out of the realm of our human comprehension, He uses them to tell us that His mercy towards us is grander than anything we can imagine. He can’t put a price on it; it cost His Son to give it to us, and who can price a life? All He asks for in return is that we fear Him: that we recognize Him as God, and that we reverence and give due respect to His commandments and His will in our lives. Who could refuse a God like that? Man tries to apply justice; but only God has the power to give true mercy.
It is not comprehensible that one would refuse the free mercy of God, but will willingly accept the costly ‘free’ offers of the devil. It is pride that makes us refuse what is freely given; we want to work for it, earn it, to deserve it, which gives us an edge on control. The irony of this is that we live in a society where many of us accept to be lured by unnecessary indulgences which indebt us to financial institutions, using monies that aren’t truly ours and yet, in pride, refuse to be indebted to God and accept His free gift of mercy.
We should not be afraid to throw ourselves at God’s mercy, to indebt ourselves to Him in respect and reverence. It only costs the yielding of our lives, only to receive the resurrected life of His Son in return.
Matthew 13:45-46 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: (46) Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 103:11-12 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. (12) As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
We humans often offend each other. We hold grudges and want restitution. We demand the humiliation of the offender. Ironically, though we are so self-righteous to those who offend us, we are not blameless ourselves. Mercy is a bridge we all need to cross. To blow it up so others can’t use it works to our disadvantage.
The distance of the heaven above the earth and between East and West are the most extensive dimensions we can think of. Our finite and limited human mind can only speculate the notions of them. God, the creator of the heavens, of the earth, and of the whole universe, knows these dimensions, and knowing that they are out of the realm of our human comprehension, He uses them to tell us that His mercy towards us is grander than anything we can imagine. He can’t put a price on it; it cost His Son to give it to us, and who can price a life? All He asks for in return is that we fear Him: that we recognize Him as God, and that we reverence and give due respect to His commandments and His will in our lives. Who could refuse a God like that? Man tries to apply justice; but only God has the power to give true mercy.
It is not comprehensible that one would refuse the free mercy of God, but will willingly accept the costly ‘free’ offers of the devil. It is pride that makes us refuse what is freely given; we want to work for it, earn it, to deserve it, which gives us an edge on control. The irony of this is that we live in a society where many of us accept to be lured by unnecessary indulgences which indebt us to financial institutions, using monies that aren’t truly ours and yet, in pride, refuse to be indebted to God and accept His free gift of mercy.
We should not be afraid to throw ourselves at God’s mercy, to indebt ourselves to Him in respect and reverence. It only costs the yielding of our lives, only to receive the resurrected life of His Son in return.
Matthew 13:45-46 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: (46) Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Friday, July 14, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 14, 2006
Psalms 103:9-10 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. (10) He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Several years ago, I suffered a bout of asthma that left sick for days on end. I had been using some sort of inhaler but I had gone beyond the stage of its usefulness. I had asked the Lord about going to the hospital but I was not given permission; before getting physically delivered, the Lord wanted me to come to grips with sin in my life. I laid in bed for several days praying and waiting for deliverance but to no avail; things were going very bad.
When conditions bring us to a physically weakened state, pride, arrogance and self-dependency seem to more easily take the back seat of the composition of our attitudes. At that moment, when through physical affliction my heart was freed from the blinding of self-justification, my mean, intolerant and harsh behavior towards people I was working with came to light in my own sight and convicted my heart. Then pride, the relentless enemy of godliness, took hold of me in the form of extreme condemnation and discouragement, a misplaced feeling of unworthiness that kept me form reaching out to God for forgiveness, restoration and healing, both spiritually and physically.
One evening, as my wife read to me the text mentioned above, it brought tears to my eyes when I realized that even this discouragement was conceived by my pride; if He said that He will not be angry with me forever, and that He has not rewarded me according to my iniquity, also needed not to try to be more ‘righteous’ than Him, accept the forgiveness that He offered my repentant heart and also forgive myself. After coming to grips with these precious spiritual lesson, faith returned to me; I claimed healing by getting up in my sickened state, forced food into my weakened body and went to an outreach event we had that evening singing at a Gipsy Church in the suburbs of Paris, France.
Oh precious words of grace. We see here the love of the Father. The anger, the indignation, and the wrath have their time and place as they that expose the offense, the scar and the tear. But the Father of all, not wanting to be separate from His creation, provides, at His own cost, the means of restoration into heavenly fellowship.
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 103:9-10 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. (10) He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Several years ago, I suffered a bout of asthma that left sick for days on end. I had been using some sort of inhaler but I had gone beyond the stage of its usefulness. I had asked the Lord about going to the hospital but I was not given permission; before getting physically delivered, the Lord wanted me to come to grips with sin in my life. I laid in bed for several days praying and waiting for deliverance but to no avail; things were going very bad.
When conditions bring us to a physically weakened state, pride, arrogance and self-dependency seem to more easily take the back seat of the composition of our attitudes. At that moment, when through physical affliction my heart was freed from the blinding of self-justification, my mean, intolerant and harsh behavior towards people I was working with came to light in my own sight and convicted my heart. Then pride, the relentless enemy of godliness, took hold of me in the form of extreme condemnation and discouragement, a misplaced feeling of unworthiness that kept me form reaching out to God for forgiveness, restoration and healing, both spiritually and physically.
One evening, as my wife read to me the text mentioned above, it brought tears to my eyes when I realized that even this discouragement was conceived by my pride; if He said that He will not be angry with me forever, and that He has not rewarded me according to my iniquity, also needed not to try to be more ‘righteous’ than Him, accept the forgiveness that He offered my repentant heart and also forgive myself. After coming to grips with these precious spiritual lesson, faith returned to me; I claimed healing by getting up in my sickened state, forced food into my weakened body and went to an outreach event we had that evening singing at a Gipsy Church in the suburbs of Paris, France.
Oh precious words of grace. We see here the love of the Father. The anger, the indignation, and the wrath have their time and place as they that expose the offense, the scar and the tear. But the Father of all, not wanting to be separate from His creation, provides, at His own cost, the means of restoration into heavenly fellowship.
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 13, 2006
Psalms 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
From the beginning of time, God had every good reason to destroy the human race. We have challenged Him to His face over and over. We have been contemptuous to Him, cruel to His children; we have abused His mercy, and been indifferent to His Word. How could He ever forgive us? This is, my friend, the grace and beauty of our salvation: that in spite of our contemptible state and despicable behavior, God has enough mercy to withhold His anger and let us live through His Son, Jesus.
Abraham pleaded with the Lord for selfish Lot’s deliverance from the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 18:20-33). Moses pleaded for God to withhold His anger against the idolatrous children of Israel (Exodus 32:10-11); and today, Jesus lives to intercede for us in the face of the Father (Hebrews 7:25).
Let us climb Horeb together. Let us leave the cares of this life in His able hands. Let us go to the place of His habitation. There His mercy will put us in the cleft of the rock Jesus-Christ; His hands of grace will cover and over shadow us while He passes in front of us in all His majesty (Exodus 33:22). God knows that man is weak and cannot sustain His glory. He knows the fire of His righteousness, the light of His brightness, and the beauty of His majesty and yet, God made a way; He made a way for us, consumable and corrupt mortals, to approach Him.
Oh, let us hide today in the Rock of mercy in the Lord Jesus. Let His hands of grace cover our face that we may not be consumed while we are instructed by Him, beholding of the beauty of His glory (Exodus 34:5-6.)
Deuteronomy 18:15-16 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; (16) According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
From the beginning of time, God had every good reason to destroy the human race. We have challenged Him to His face over and over. We have been contemptuous to Him, cruel to His children; we have abused His mercy, and been indifferent to His Word. How could He ever forgive us? This is, my friend, the grace and beauty of our salvation: that in spite of our contemptible state and despicable behavior, God has enough mercy to withhold His anger and let us live through His Son, Jesus.
Abraham pleaded with the Lord for selfish Lot’s deliverance from the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 18:20-33). Moses pleaded for God to withhold His anger against the idolatrous children of Israel (Exodus 32:10-11); and today, Jesus lives to intercede for us in the face of the Father (Hebrews 7:25).
Let us climb Horeb together. Let us leave the cares of this life in His able hands. Let us go to the place of His habitation. There His mercy will put us in the cleft of the rock Jesus-Christ; His hands of grace will cover and over shadow us while He passes in front of us in all His majesty (Exodus 33:22). God knows that man is weak and cannot sustain His glory. He knows the fire of His righteousness, the light of His brightness, and the beauty of His majesty and yet, God made a way; He made a way for us, consumable and corrupt mortals, to approach Him.
Oh, let us hide today in the Rock of mercy in the Lord Jesus. Let His hands of grace cover our face that we may not be consumed while we are instructed by Him, beholding of the beauty of His glory (Exodus 34:5-6.)
Deuteronomy 18:15-16 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; (16) According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 12, 2006
Psalms 103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
When God wants to teach His ways to someone, it is an act of election: God chooses the vessel, and He writes the lesson plan. Moses had the privilege of being taught the fullness God’s ways with the children of Israel. He had the leading role in the main act of their history. Like an expectant mother, Moses suffered the apprehension of pregnancy, the pains of labor, the joy of deliverance, and the strenuous work of raising the child to full maturity. Like a mother he pleaded with God’s mercy for them when they disobeyed; he exhorted them daily to follow the commandments of the Lord (Numb 14).
Moses was the epitome of the missionary. He saw the plight of the people from afar and allowed God to break his heart. He felt the need of the situation (Exodus 2:11-12). He left his lofty station as prince of Egypt to become a member of the nation of slaves (Hebrews 11:24-27), and yielded himself to forty years of training in the wilderness as a shepherd (Exodus 3:1). He had to learn to become the instrument of God, solely dependant on Him, not on his own strength. He dedicated his entire life to his mission, until the day he died, when he passed it on to the person he had trained to take over (Deuteronomy 34:7-9).
We want to be shown God’s ways, but He instructs us in unexpected ways. God does not usually teach us in a classroom set up with books, expounding theoretical lectures and discourses. On-the-job lessons are His way, and our life is the tool of the trade. If we men, and yes I am talking to men, would know the teachings of God, if we would know the great wisdom of His ways with us, we would do well to stop our feverish activities once in a while, take a sabbatical rest and reflect on our lives, and that of the flock God has entrusted us with, the life of our spouses and of our children.
Like Moses, let us go to the place of isolation on Mt. Horeb (Exodus 3); take off our shoes and listen to Him; there yield our life for an instrument of His peace. Like Mary, let us forego the serving, sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from the Word of divine grace (Luke 10:41-42). Quiet in the presence of the Lord, we will learn the wisdom of ages; we will receive the ‘law’ that will take us, as well as our flocks to the promised Land.
Isaiah 30:15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
When God wants to teach His ways to someone, it is an act of election: God chooses the vessel, and He writes the lesson plan. Moses had the privilege of being taught the fullness God’s ways with the children of Israel. He had the leading role in the main act of their history. Like an expectant mother, Moses suffered the apprehension of pregnancy, the pains of labor, the joy of deliverance, and the strenuous work of raising the child to full maturity. Like a mother he pleaded with God’s mercy for them when they disobeyed; he exhorted them daily to follow the commandments of the Lord (Numb 14).
Moses was the epitome of the missionary. He saw the plight of the people from afar and allowed God to break his heart. He felt the need of the situation (Exodus 2:11-12). He left his lofty station as prince of Egypt to become a member of the nation of slaves (Hebrews 11:24-27), and yielded himself to forty years of training in the wilderness as a shepherd (Exodus 3:1). He had to learn to become the instrument of God, solely dependant on Him, not on his own strength. He dedicated his entire life to his mission, until the day he died, when he passed it on to the person he had trained to take over (Deuteronomy 34:7-9).
We want to be shown God’s ways, but He instructs us in unexpected ways. God does not usually teach us in a classroom set up with books, expounding theoretical lectures and discourses. On-the-job lessons are His way, and our life is the tool of the trade. If we men, and yes I am talking to men, would know the teachings of God, if we would know the great wisdom of His ways with us, we would do well to stop our feverish activities once in a while, take a sabbatical rest and reflect on our lives, and that of the flock God has entrusted us with, the life of our spouses and of our children.
Like Moses, let us go to the place of isolation on Mt. Horeb (Exodus 3); take off our shoes and listen to Him; there yield our life for an instrument of His peace. Like Mary, let us forego the serving, sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from the Word of divine grace (Luke 10:41-42). Quiet in the presence of the Lord, we will learn the wisdom of ages; we will receive the ‘law’ that will take us, as well as our flocks to the promised Land.
Isaiah 30:15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 11, 2006
Psalms 103:6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
For six thousand years mankind has attempted to govern itself. For six thousand years kingdoms, empires, rulers, philosophies and modes of governments have come and gone, and yet there has never been a time when the whole earth was ruled in peace, with happiness and plenty for all. There may have been societies who’ve accomplished a certain level of harmony, but it has always been at the price of oppression of a ethnic, social, or economic minority.
The Bible teaches us the basic social structure by which man should be governed. It also instructs us on godly economics, justice and righteousness; but instead of learning from the One who created us all, we are all too busy trying to ‘reinvent the wheel.’ To our great God’s chosen form of government is not decided majority rule, and neither is the office of being God available to public election.
Only Jesus the Messiah will succeed in ruling the world as it should be run. When He returns to live with us here on earth, He will teach us all how the world should have been governed. Then and only then, will the planet be ruled without social and economic injustice. The poor will have enough and the rich not too much; the magistrate will rule under God without respect of persons; justice will be rendered; issues will be resolved in a wise and mature way without the use of force.
As for today, if one claims to be a Christian, a follower of Jesus the Christ, he may do well to take the time to review his earthly social behavior with the Word of God. Let there be no mistake: our salvation is by grace, but every one of our words, every one of our actions, will be weighed and reckoned with. We will be made to eat our own words and to see the fruits of our selfish, conceited actions and poor judgment (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). Judgment does begin at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17).
Psalms 9:16 The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 103:6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
For six thousand years mankind has attempted to govern itself. For six thousand years kingdoms, empires, rulers, philosophies and modes of governments have come and gone, and yet there has never been a time when the whole earth was ruled in peace, with happiness and plenty for all. There may have been societies who’ve accomplished a certain level of harmony, but it has always been at the price of oppression of a ethnic, social, or economic minority.
The Bible teaches us the basic social structure by which man should be governed. It also instructs us on godly economics, justice and righteousness; but instead of learning from the One who created us all, we are all too busy trying to ‘reinvent the wheel.’ To our great God’s chosen form of government is not decided majority rule, and neither is the office of being God available to public election.
Only Jesus the Messiah will succeed in ruling the world as it should be run. When He returns to live with us here on earth, He will teach us all how the world should have been governed. Then and only then, will the planet be ruled without social and economic injustice. The poor will have enough and the rich not too much; the magistrate will rule under God without respect of persons; justice will be rendered; issues will be resolved in a wise and mature way without the use of force.
As for today, if one claims to be a Christian, a follower of Jesus the Christ, he may do well to take the time to review his earthly social behavior with the Word of God. Let there be no mistake: our salvation is by grace, but every one of our words, every one of our actions, will be weighed and reckoned with. We will be made to eat our own words and to see the fruits of our selfish, conceited actions and poor judgment (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). Judgment does begin at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17).
Psalms 9:16 The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Monday, July 10, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 10, 2006
Psalms 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
There is a difference between being satiated and being satisfied. One can be satiated without being satisfied. The things of the world fill us up with spiritual junk food, but only the LORD satisfies our soul with “good things.”
It is easy to make the difference between junk food that just fills and the healthy food that satisfies. After many hours of hard work, my energy level is low; I need food to sustain me. I stop working and I eat a healthy meal of protein, carbohydrates and fiber. I might even contribute to healthy digestion with a catnap. After eating healthy food and resting, my body is strengthened, I feel renewed, and I can work again. But if I instead filled myself with junk food, even though I rest, I will still feel weak and tired and not able to resume my work. After a while of such a habit, I begin to wonder if I am sick and need to see doctor.
My friend, when the LORD feeds us, we are filled with “good things.” One who is daily nurtured by the Word of the LORD is satisfied. The dainties of the world do not tempt him; they have lost their tempting power over him; they mean nothing to him because his heart is truly full. Just the same, a husband who is well cared for by his wife will generally not be tempted to look ‘elsewhere’ for satisfaction. When asked by a hippie why she doesn’t do marijuana my wife answered, “Because it brings me down,” she said, “with the Spirit of the Lord, I’m already high.”
One who is satisfied with the things of the LORD, doesn’t grope in darkness and confusion; he has a clear vision, understanding, and perspective of the positive, and of the negative elements of his life. Things may sadden him at times, but depression has no grip on him. How could one walk in the Light and not see his way? (Psa 25:12-14)
It is important that we be honest with ourselves. Let us ask our souls the questions that matter so we can truly diagnose our spiritual health. Let us ask, like King David, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?” (Psa 42:5) It is normal for the one who does not partake of heavenly food to be hungry, but there is an inconsistency when the Child of God who claims to regularly eat at the Father’s table is still hungry, confused and in the dark; and still hungry for the junk-food of the world.
Psa 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
There is a difference between being satiated and being satisfied. One can be satiated without being satisfied. The things of the world fill us up with spiritual junk food, but only the LORD satisfies our soul with “good things.”
It is easy to make the difference between junk food that just fills and the healthy food that satisfies. After many hours of hard work, my energy level is low; I need food to sustain me. I stop working and I eat a healthy meal of protein, carbohydrates and fiber. I might even contribute to healthy digestion with a catnap. After eating healthy food and resting, my body is strengthened, I feel renewed, and I can work again. But if I instead filled myself with junk food, even though I rest, I will still feel weak and tired and not able to resume my work. After a while of such a habit, I begin to wonder if I am sick and need to see doctor.
My friend, when the LORD feeds us, we are filled with “good things.” One who is daily nurtured by the Word of the LORD is satisfied. The dainties of the world do not tempt him; they have lost their tempting power over him; they mean nothing to him because his heart is truly full. Just the same, a husband who is well cared for by his wife will generally not be tempted to look ‘elsewhere’ for satisfaction. When asked by a hippie why she doesn’t do marijuana my wife answered, “Because it brings me down,” she said, “with the Spirit of the Lord, I’m already high.”
One who is satisfied with the things of the LORD, doesn’t grope in darkness and confusion; he has a clear vision, understanding, and perspective of the positive, and of the negative elements of his life. Things may sadden him at times, but depression has no grip on him. How could one walk in the Light and not see his way? (Psa 25:12-14)
It is important that we be honest with ourselves. Let us ask our souls the questions that matter so we can truly diagnose our spiritual health. Let us ask, like King David, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?” (Psa 42:5) It is normal for the one who does not partake of heavenly food to be hungry, but there is an inconsistency when the Child of God who claims to regularly eat at the Father’s table is still hungry, confused and in the dark; and still hungry for the junk-food of the world.
Psa 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Daily Devotion Psalms 103:4
July 8, 2006
Psalms 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Sometimes we get so sidetracked from the main issues. We assume that God does not answer some of our prayers so we doubt His love for us. We often approach our relationship with Him like a job application. We examine the pros and cons of the contract; we evaluate the benefits, and are ready to sue if things don’t go according to our expectations. Some of us also act like the ungrateful children of this generation. They have parents who are able to provide them with basic food, shelter, clothing and education, but they are not happy unless they have the trendy latest fads and fashion in clothing, styles and gadgets. One day we will realize that even if Jesus didn’t give us anything else, like our parents, he gave us the most important things: life and protection.
From the moment of conception, human beings exist in the shadow of physical death, at the mercy of the carrying mother. Later, they are born so helpless that it seems the odds are against them. Good parents adopt a lifestyle that provides shelter and protection for the new life and for the child that is to come. They live with constant watchful care and concern for their child, and this continues long into the child’s adulthood.
Similarly, since the original sin (Gen 3) our spiritual life is doomed to spiritual death (Rom 6:23), to live a life separated from God, and spend eternity in the lake of fire (Rev 20:15.) God, our heavenly Father, watches over us and protects and shelters us. He has provided His Son Jesus-Christ to willingly and mercifully pay the “wages of sin” (Rom 6:23). We are now free from death, the condemnation of sin, and able to enjoy life in God’s presence while on earth, and after life, in God’s heavenly city, new Jerusalem, for ever.
This is God’s main gift to us, and even if He would give us nothing else, this is the best deal ever offered this side of the universe. Oh, that we would realize the value of this sacrifice conceived in the depth of the heart of the love of God for us! Let us not whine anymore but be thankful for this crown of mercy that redeems us from inevitable death.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (56) The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. (57) But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Sometimes we get so sidetracked from the main issues. We assume that God does not answer some of our prayers so we doubt His love for us. We often approach our relationship with Him like a job application. We examine the pros and cons of the contract; we evaluate the benefits, and are ready to sue if things don’t go according to our expectations. Some of us also act like the ungrateful children of this generation. They have parents who are able to provide them with basic food, shelter, clothing and education, but they are not happy unless they have the trendy latest fads and fashion in clothing, styles and gadgets. One day we will realize that even if Jesus didn’t give us anything else, like our parents, he gave us the most important things: life and protection.
From the moment of conception, human beings exist in the shadow of physical death, at the mercy of the carrying mother. Later, they are born so helpless that it seems the odds are against them. Good parents adopt a lifestyle that provides shelter and protection for the new life and for the child that is to come. They live with constant watchful care and concern for their child, and this continues long into the child’s adulthood.
Similarly, since the original sin (Gen 3) our spiritual life is doomed to spiritual death (Rom 6:23), to live a life separated from God, and spend eternity in the lake of fire (Rev 20:15.) God, our heavenly Father, watches over us and protects and shelters us. He has provided His Son Jesus-Christ to willingly and mercifully pay the “wages of sin” (Rom 6:23). We are now free from death, the condemnation of sin, and able to enjoy life in God’s presence while on earth, and after life, in God’s heavenly city, new Jerusalem, for ever.
This is God’s main gift to us, and even if He would give us nothing else, this is the best deal ever offered this side of the universe. Oh, that we would realize the value of this sacrifice conceived in the depth of the heart of the love of God for us! Let us not whine anymore but be thankful for this crown of mercy that redeems us from inevitable death.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (56) The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. (57) But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 8, 2006
Psalms 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
A little girl once made a comment on Jesus forgiving our sins. She said, “We are like in a car in the rain; the rain keeps obstructing the view on the windshield, but Jesus is like the windshield wipers that keep clearing it up.”
Most of the time we play the game of righteousness with ourselves. We feel that we are not so bad, or at least not as bad as others, and we are pretty pleased with our own spiritual standing. When we feel comfortable with ourselves we tend to get proud; when we get proud, like the proverbial whale, we blow; and when we blow, like the whale, we get harpooned. At that moment, we realize that we are not all that good after all, and our hurt pride takes us down to the abyss of discouragement.
It is good for us when we feel spiritually comfortable to be reminded of our earthly frame. The Lord often uses the people who know us best such as close friends, spouses, and teenage children to remind us of the fact that we are “but dust”.
When our hurt pride feels the rain of condemnation and when despair blurs our vision, it is time to turn on the ‘windshield-wipers’. If the rain gets heavier, we turn them on to the next speed. We may need to be more careful in our driving, to slow down in order to avoid hydroplaning; hopefully, our tires are sound and sturdy, sticking to the road.
No matter how much rain falls on us during life’s travels, if we are honest with ourselves and acknowledge our weaknesses to God, we can flip the switch and turn on Jesus, His perpetual windshield wipers, and they will clear our vision.
1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (2) And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
A little girl once made a comment on Jesus forgiving our sins. She said, “We are like in a car in the rain; the rain keeps obstructing the view on the windshield, but Jesus is like the windshield wipers that keep clearing it up.”
Most of the time we play the game of righteousness with ourselves. We feel that we are not so bad, or at least not as bad as others, and we are pretty pleased with our own spiritual standing. When we feel comfortable with ourselves we tend to get proud; when we get proud, like the proverbial whale, we blow; and when we blow, like the whale, we get harpooned. At that moment, we realize that we are not all that good after all, and our hurt pride takes us down to the abyss of discouragement.
It is good for us when we feel spiritually comfortable to be reminded of our earthly frame. The Lord often uses the people who know us best such as close friends, spouses, and teenage children to remind us of the fact that we are “but dust”.
When our hurt pride feels the rain of condemnation and when despair blurs our vision, it is time to turn on the ‘windshield-wipers’. If the rain gets heavier, we turn them on to the next speed. We may need to be more careful in our driving, to slow down in order to avoid hydroplaning; hopefully, our tires are sound and sturdy, sticking to the road.
No matter how much rain falls on us during life’s travels, if we are honest with ourselves and acknowledge our weaknesses to God, we can flip the switch and turn on Jesus, His perpetual windshield wipers, and they will clear our vision.
1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (2) And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Friday, July 07, 2006
July 7, 2006
Psalms 103:1-2 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. (2) Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
“In Tewin churchyard, a short distance from King's Cross Station, in England, stands a great four-trunked tree growing out of a grave. Its presence there has given rise to much speculation among the residents of that section. The grave from which it grows is that of Lady Anne Grimston.
Is the tree a monument to a woman's disbelief or did it happen to grow there merely by chance? Nobody knows. Lady Anne Grimston did not believe in life after death. When she lay dying in her palatial home, she said to a friend, "I shall live again as surely as a tree will grow from my body." She was buried in a marble tomb. The grave was marked by a large marble slab, & surrounded by an iron railing. Years later the marble slab was found to be moved a little. Then it cracked, & through the crack a small tree grew. The tree continued to grow, tilting the stone & breaking the marble masonry until today it has surrounded the tomb with its roots, & has torn the railing out of the ground with its massive trunks. The tree at Lady Anne Grimston's grave is one of the largest in England.
Was it mere chance that caused the tree to grow there? Perhaps God the Almighty took her challenge. “ (Author unknown)
A tree is such a wonderful example of praise; no matter the obstacle in its way, it will lift its branches to the skies to praise and give glory to the LORD that made it.
Let the world praise the wicked, I will praise He that is holy. Let the world murmur and gripe, I will bless your Name. Let the world glory in its own works, I will remember your benefits. Let the world praise his own name, I will praise your Name. Not with my lips only, not with the vanity of gaudy words, but with my soul: the conjunction of my body and of the spirit of life (Gen 2:7), will I praise Him; with the fullness of my words and of my actions.
In all that we do, in all that we go through, may we never forget that the main purpose of our existence is to please God (Rev 4:11), and that to praise Him is the sign that we have faith in Him.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: (18) Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 103:1-2 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. (2) Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
“In Tewin churchyard, a short distance from King's Cross Station, in England, stands a great four-trunked tree growing out of a grave. Its presence there has given rise to much speculation among the residents of that section. The grave from which it grows is that of Lady Anne Grimston.
Is the tree a monument to a woman's disbelief or did it happen to grow there merely by chance? Nobody knows. Lady Anne Grimston did not believe in life after death. When she lay dying in her palatial home, she said to a friend, "I shall live again as surely as a tree will grow from my body." She was buried in a marble tomb. The grave was marked by a large marble slab, & surrounded by an iron railing. Years later the marble slab was found to be moved a little. Then it cracked, & through the crack a small tree grew. The tree continued to grow, tilting the stone & breaking the marble masonry until today it has surrounded the tomb with its roots, & has torn the railing out of the ground with its massive trunks. The tree at Lady Anne Grimston's grave is one of the largest in England.
Was it mere chance that caused the tree to grow there? Perhaps God the Almighty took her challenge. “ (Author unknown)
A tree is such a wonderful example of praise; no matter the obstacle in its way, it will lift its branches to the skies to praise and give glory to the LORD that made it.
Let the world praise the wicked, I will praise He that is holy. Let the world murmur and gripe, I will bless your Name. Let the world glory in its own works, I will remember your benefits. Let the world praise his own name, I will praise your Name. Not with my lips only, not with the vanity of gaudy words, but with my soul: the conjunction of my body and of the spirit of life (Gen 2:7), will I praise Him; with the fullness of my words and of my actions.
In all that we do, in all that we go through, may we never forget that the main purpose of our existence is to please God (Rev 4:11), and that to praise Him is the sign that we have faith in Him.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: (18) Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 6, 2006
(Psalms 84:12) O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
No matter where this road of life takes you, remember that if you’ve put your trust in the Lord, you are blessed. When evil beasts assail you, when enemies conquer you, remember that if you’ve put your trust in the Lord, you are blessed. When the road of your pilgrimage seems weary and long and maybe you’ve lost your way, remember that if you’ve put your trust in the Lord, you are blessed. When you feel strong, when you feel weak, when you’re faced with impossibility, remember that if you’ve put your trust in the Lord, you are blessed.
The blessing of the Lord is not prejudiced; it does not discriminate according to the hypocritical games of man. Will it go to the well attired? Will it favor those who make show of attendance in the congregation?
One may trust in the strength of his arms, but the blessing of the Lord in upon those who trust in Him.
One may trust in the brilliance of his mind, but the blessing of the Lord is upon those who trust in Him
One may trust in the might of his wealth, but the blessing of the Lord is upon those who trust in Him.
One may trust in his own sense of virtue, but the blessing of the Lord is upon those who trust in Him.
God blesses the kind of faith that when there is a choice, a decision, or an alternative, great faith still chooses to trust the Lord in spite of other possibilities.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
(Psalms 84:12) O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
No matter where this road of life takes you, remember that if you’ve put your trust in the Lord, you are blessed. When evil beasts assail you, when enemies conquer you, remember that if you’ve put your trust in the Lord, you are blessed. When the road of your pilgrimage seems weary and long and maybe you’ve lost your way, remember that if you’ve put your trust in the Lord, you are blessed. When you feel strong, when you feel weak, when you’re faced with impossibility, remember that if you’ve put your trust in the Lord, you are blessed.
The blessing of the Lord is not prejudiced; it does not discriminate according to the hypocritical games of man. Will it go to the well attired? Will it favor those who make show of attendance in the congregation?
One may trust in the strength of his arms, but the blessing of the Lord in upon those who trust in Him.
One may trust in the brilliance of his mind, but the blessing of the Lord is upon those who trust in Him
One may trust in the might of his wealth, but the blessing of the Lord is upon those who trust in Him.
One may trust in his own sense of virtue, but the blessing of the Lord is upon those who trust in Him.
God blesses the kind of faith that when there is a choice, a decision, or an alternative, great faith still chooses to trust the Lord in spite of other possibilities.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 5, 2006
Psalms 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
The earthly pilgrim is in dire need of the light of the sun that he might see his way. Without it, he would be groping in the dark and cold would also overtake him. A shield to ward off dangerous enemies is also imperative. Without it, he would be at the mercy of would-be assassins. A sun for light and warmth, a shield for protection, such is the Lord for the spiritual pilgrim on his journey to New Jerusalem. His way through the world is spiritually dark, cold and unfriendly. He needs the ‘sun’ of God to show him the way and to keep him warm. He needs God’s shield of protection to “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Eph 6:16), to protect him against his “adversary the devil” who “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1Pe 5:8)
Is the way hard, long and strenuous? Are you weary in your pilgrimage? In your longing and yearning do you dream of the day when you will be home in the safe haven of the spiritual home of your soul? Beloved pilgrim, remember these words God gave to the great pilgrim of all times, the apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” 2Co 12:9. The grace He gives to strengthen your failing soul glorifies His Name.
Your pilgrimage to New Jerusalem may require denying of your soul (Mat 16:24); it may leave you uncertain of shelter (Mat 8:20); it may lead into combat with the ungodly (Heb 11:34), and even in mortal danger; but may you always remember the promise He gave to all the pilgrims en route to their Heavenly Home, “no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (2) Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
The earthly pilgrim is in dire need of the light of the sun that he might see his way. Without it, he would be groping in the dark and cold would also overtake him. A shield to ward off dangerous enemies is also imperative. Without it, he would be at the mercy of would-be assassins. A sun for light and warmth, a shield for protection, such is the Lord for the spiritual pilgrim on his journey to New Jerusalem. His way through the world is spiritually dark, cold and unfriendly. He needs the ‘sun’ of God to show him the way and to keep him warm. He needs God’s shield of protection to “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Eph 6:16), to protect him against his “adversary the devil” who “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1Pe 5:8)
Is the way hard, long and strenuous? Are you weary in your pilgrimage? In your longing and yearning do you dream of the day when you will be home in the safe haven of the spiritual home of your soul? Beloved pilgrim, remember these words God gave to the great pilgrim of all times, the apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” 2Co 12:9. The grace He gives to strengthen your failing soul glorifies His Name.
Your pilgrimage to New Jerusalem may require denying of your soul (Mat 16:24); it may leave you uncertain of shelter (Mat 8:20); it may lead into combat with the ungodly (Heb 11:34), and even in mortal danger; but may you always remember the promise He gave to all the pilgrims en route to their Heavenly Home, “no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (2) Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 3, 2006
Psalms 84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
God’s favorite test with us seems to be the one of loyalty. At one time or another in our lives, the Spirit takes us to a place of decision. It is a decision that reflects the epitome of our strength or of our weakness; a decision between serving personal interest and serving God; settling for the good versus striving for the best; temporal instant gratification versus eternal future happiness. It is a decision that involves personal sacrifice.
When the Lord brings people to that place, He lays out a path that will lead to a Promised Land. This prospect pushes them to desire to climb the Hills of Difficulty, to cross the Desert of Hardship, and to conquer the evil beasts of Impossibility and Failure. But at the last minute, they cower at the sight of these Giants on the Road of Service. They choose rather the Path of Ease by the River of Go-With-the-Flow. They leave their dream and settle for the easily reached.
When Caleb arrived in Canaan, he and Joshua were the oldest men among the Children of Israel, the only ones left from the generation that left Egypt. He was eighty five years old when he said, “…behold, … I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims (giants) were there, … if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. (Josh 14:10-12). The narration of the story tells us that, “Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb… because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel. (Josh 14:14). This mountain was the mountain range of Judea where king David was to reign from for 40 years, where the Temple was built, where Jesus was crucified, and where He will return (Zec 14:4).
Beloved, it is a hard climb to the Temple of the Lord on top of the mountains. It is a steep road to the place of usefulness where you will be part of His everlasting plan. It may have required for you to leave everything behind. Like Jacob, you may arrive crippled by the fight (Gen 32:25), but oh what a sight, what a glory when you arrive! One day in the place of the Lord on the mountain of His Temple cannot compare with a whole life of ease the valley has to offer.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
God’s favorite test with us seems to be the one of loyalty. At one time or another in our lives, the Spirit takes us to a place of decision. It is a decision that reflects the epitome of our strength or of our weakness; a decision between serving personal interest and serving God; settling for the good versus striving for the best; temporal instant gratification versus eternal future happiness. It is a decision that involves personal sacrifice.
When the Lord brings people to that place, He lays out a path that will lead to a Promised Land. This prospect pushes them to desire to climb the Hills of Difficulty, to cross the Desert of Hardship, and to conquer the evil beasts of Impossibility and Failure. But at the last minute, they cower at the sight of these Giants on the Road of Service. They choose rather the Path of Ease by the River of Go-With-the-Flow. They leave their dream and settle for the easily reached.
When Caleb arrived in Canaan, he and Joshua were the oldest men among the Children of Israel, the only ones left from the generation that left Egypt. He was eighty five years old when he said, “…behold, … I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims (giants) were there, … if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. (Josh 14:10-12). The narration of the story tells us that, “Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb… because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel. (Josh 14:14). This mountain was the mountain range of Judea where king David was to reign from for 40 years, where the Temple was built, where Jesus was crucified, and where He will return (Zec 14:4).
Beloved, it is a hard climb to the Temple of the Lord on top of the mountains. It is a steep road to the place of usefulness where you will be part of His everlasting plan. It may have required for you to leave everything behind. Like Jacob, you may arrive crippled by the fight (Gen 32:25), but oh what a sight, what a glory when you arrive! One day in the place of the Lord on the mountain of His Temple cannot compare with a whole life of ease the valley has to offer.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 2, 2006
Psalms 84:7-8 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. (8) O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
It has been said, “It is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog”; and if the size of the ‘fight’ in the ‘dog’ is the strength of the Spirit of God, this David can kill any Goliath.
Decay, waste and corruption are of the earth; they belong to the incomplete and temporal realm of the physical. What is today new is soon become old: the grass and flowers of spring fade after a season; the beauty that once radiated vanishes under the wrinkles of time; the strength of yester years gives way to weakness and dependence. The whole creation groans (Rom 8:22) and laments fighting the corruption brought by the cohorts of death.
Only in the realm of the Spirit of God is this phenomena reversed. Lo and behold, hear now the wonders of the realm of the Kingdom of God. It is a realm where the old becomes new (2 Cor 5:17), and the weak becomes strong (Heb 11:34). Youth is renewed (Psa 103:5), and death conquered in resurrection. Life is sown in dishonor and weakness, yet reaped in power and glory in the last day (1 Cor 15:43).
So think not as men think. Do not judge by appearance only, because what is despised to man as weak and meek may be covered with the power of God. Remember also the words of the apostle: “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2Co 12:10)
Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 84:7-8 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. (8) O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
It has been said, “It is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog”; and if the size of the ‘fight’ in the ‘dog’ is the strength of the Spirit of God, this David can kill any Goliath.
Decay, waste and corruption are of the earth; they belong to the incomplete and temporal realm of the physical. What is today new is soon become old: the grass and flowers of spring fade after a season; the beauty that once radiated vanishes under the wrinkles of time; the strength of yester years gives way to weakness and dependence. The whole creation groans (Rom 8:22) and laments fighting the corruption brought by the cohorts of death.
Only in the realm of the Spirit of God is this phenomena reversed. Lo and behold, hear now the wonders of the realm of the Kingdom of God. It is a realm where the old becomes new (2 Cor 5:17), and the weak becomes strong (Heb 11:34). Youth is renewed (Psa 103:5), and death conquered in resurrection. Life is sown in dishonor and weakness, yet reaped in power and glory in the last day (1 Cor 15:43).
So think not as men think. Do not judge by appearance only, because what is despised to man as weak and meek may be covered with the power of God. Remember also the words of the apostle: “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2Co 12:10)
Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Daily Devotion
July 1st, 2006
Psalms 84:5-6 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. (6) Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
Three times a year the Jewish man was required to climb the Judean mountains and present himself to God at the Temple in Jerusalem. Even though these pilgrimages were done in either spring or fall when the weather is relatively temperate, the journey was long, arduous and dangerous. These pilgrimages represented the greatest of Jewish privileges. The messianic inspired joy of partaking in the festivals of the Feasts of the LORD (Lev 23:4) greatly dimmed the inconveniences of the trip.
The pilgrim traveled out of love for His God. It is the journey of the homing pigeon back to its nest, after accomplishing its mission; of water purified, returning to the sky of its maker, after baptizing the earth; of the Bride offered in love to the impassioned expectant Bridegroom after a long betrothal; of the stranger finally returning home--man eagerly returning to his God, after his wearisome pilgrimage on earth.
Such a man is in denial of physical reality. There is no danger, no inconvenience, no trial, and no tear that one would not face for such a journey, for even the vale of tears (“Baca” is Hebrew for ‘weeping’) is transformed into a “well” filled by the former and latter “rains” of God’s blessings.
We are strangers and pilgrims on this earth on a journey back to the home Jesus has prepared for us (Joh 14:3). Let us not be weary for the length, danger and difficulty of the way. Let us live in the all-empowering strength of God, who can transform our valleys of tears into wells of blessings.
Hebrews 11:13,16 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (16) But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
Psalms 84:5-6 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. (6) Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
Three times a year the Jewish man was required to climb the Judean mountains and present himself to God at the Temple in Jerusalem. Even though these pilgrimages were done in either spring or fall when the weather is relatively temperate, the journey was long, arduous and dangerous. These pilgrimages represented the greatest of Jewish privileges. The messianic inspired joy of partaking in the festivals of the Feasts of the LORD (Lev 23:4) greatly dimmed the inconveniences of the trip.
The pilgrim traveled out of love for His God. It is the journey of the homing pigeon back to its nest, after accomplishing its mission; of water purified, returning to the sky of its maker, after baptizing the earth; of the Bride offered in love to the impassioned expectant Bridegroom after a long betrothal; of the stranger finally returning home--man eagerly returning to his God, after his wearisome pilgrimage on earth.
Such a man is in denial of physical reality. There is no danger, no inconvenience, no trial, and no tear that one would not face for such a journey, for even the vale of tears (“Baca” is Hebrew for ‘weeping’) is transformed into a “well” filled by the former and latter “rains” of God’s blessings.
We are strangers and pilgrims on this earth on a journey back to the home Jesus has prepared for us (Joh 14:3). Let us not be weary for the length, danger and difficulty of the way. Let us live in the all-empowering strength of God, who can transform our valleys of tears into wells of blessings.
Hebrews 11:13,16 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (16) But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
htt\p://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/
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