Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;
Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the LORD sits as King forever. Psalm 29: 2, 10
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?Our Lord knows what we need and has said He will provide it. What more do we need? Put your trust in Him today. 1 Peter 5:7, reminds us, “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "
But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." Mark 5:25-35 (NIV)I love this story of faith in action. This woman had great faith but she did not want to call attention to herself and she did not want to bother the Teacher. She had confidence in His ability to heal her; she only needed to reach out and touch the hem of His garment. She knew according to the custom of her people she was considered unclean; she felt unworthy; she was desperate; but she had faith in the healing power of Jesus Christ. She did not sit around and ring her hands in despair; she took action based on her faith. And the response of Jesus? “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Psalm 143:10 (NIV)Some of us seem destined for the spotlight while others hope to remain in the shadows. I tend to be one of those individuals. My talents, skills, and abilities happen to be in the area of support. I’d rather write than speak; I’d rather organize and implement than maintain and follow-up.
"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!” Luke 12:27-28 (NIV)We are invited to cast all our cares upon Him; the One who cares for us. He calls us to be faithful to His word; to trust Him for ALL our needs. Relinquishing control can be difficult, but through the unending grace of God we are able to do this with the knowledge that we are objects of His divine and infinite love. AMEN!
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 2 Peter 3:8It seems we are always in a hurry…to go somewhere, to do something…or worse yet, waiting on someone else to go somewhere or do something. Some of us are more inept than others when it comes to the task of waiting. I must admit waiting is not one of my great talents.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day. Psalm 25:5
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You. Psalm 25:21
Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! Psalm 27:14
Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20
And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. Psalm 39:7It is important, however, to remember during the times we wait upon the Lord, we are not to be idle, for Jesus reminds us in Luke 10:2, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few”.
I will wait for You, O You his Strength; For God is my defense. Psalm 59:9
Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. Psalm 62:1
For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. Psalm 66:10The process of spiritual growth and transformation is not a one-time event but a continuing process of refinement and purification. Only by surrendering to the leadership of the Holy Spirit can we remain focused on the path ahead. Christian growth should always move forward even though the process can be painful. In his book, Forgotten God, Francis Chan writes,
“The Holy Spirit of God will mold you into the person you were made to be. This often incredibly painful process strips you of selfishness, pride, and fear. The Holy Spirit does not seek to hurt us, but He does seek to make us Christ-like, and this can be painful.” Chan says, “…you have to release your grip of control on your life and decide to be led, come what may.”While there may well be growing pains to endure, I think you’ll find, the more you know of the Holy Spirit, the more you’ll want to know; the more you yield yourself to be filled and led by the Holy Spirit, the more you’ll want to be filled and led by the Holy Spirit.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105I am constantly in awe of and amazed by the word of God. As I read through my Bible I continually find the Holy Spirit revealing more and more to me…things I didn’t “get” the last time I read through the same passage.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8God bless!
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33If you don’t know that kind of peace, accept Christ today and know the peace that overcomes the world. If you know Christ but are fearful and feel peace fleeing, remember, draw near to Him and He will draw near to you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.
"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26
Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.When man chose to sin, God who cannot look upon sin, made a way for man to regain fellowship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. Genesis 26, 28 (NKJV)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17, (NKJV)Further, in Romans 8:31 we read, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.My prayer for you is that you have true love; everlasting love; divine love through Jesus Christ.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Romans 12:3-8 (NIV)Each of us has certain talents and abilities that just come natural to us—we are born with them. Just as that is true in the physical realm, it is also true in the spiritual realm; when we are “born again” into the body of Christ, we are gifted with certain talents and abilities to further the work of Christ.
“So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, ‘Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.’ And the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed it was too much.”As you may have already guessed, the point of all of this is to say, when God has a plan for you, never fear, never doubt, for He will call you by name, give you the plan, and if you are faithful, the result will be heaped up and overflowing. God is in charge; all you need to do is follow.
“For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.”As I read this my thoughts were, “This is it. I’m supposed to be doing this.” Quickly, I took a mental inventory of what I have done in this regard. The result of my quick inventory was shockingly meager.
‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ Matthew 25: 35,36,40b (NASB)
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (NKJV)Have you ever known anyone who put on a different face and attitude depending on the situation? You know what I’m talking about. They sing in the choir on Sunday and have a “Honk If You Love Jesus”, bumper sticker on their car, but on Monday morning they are swearing and telling dirty jokes by the water cooler.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (KJV)We should not be a person of a thousand faces and personalities. We should be the same person on Sunday that we are the rest of the week. If we aren’t, then we are living a lie; either we are living a lie on Sunday before our church family or we are living a lie the rest of the week in front of our family, friends, co-workers and strangers.
O LORD, You have searched me and known me.God Bless.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O LORD, You know it all.
You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,"
Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day
Darkness and light are alike to You.
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother's womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand
When I awake, I am still with You.
O that You would slay the wicked, O God;
Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.
For they speak against You wickedly,
And Your enemies take Your name in vain.
Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
Psalm 139 (NASB)
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace”. (NASB)This morning I was reading in the book of Psalm. Long before the prophet Isaiah came along, David, was also writing of Christ. The psalms attributed to David were written during the 10th century BC.
“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will worship before Thee. For the kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations.”If you are feeling in the Spirit, read on through Psalm 23, which portrays the beautiful, kind, and loving Shepherd providing for and protecting His sheep. Next, Psalm 24 is a hymn of praise to the Creator and opens with,
“The earth is the Lord’s and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.”Verses such as those mentioned above remind me, whenever I’m feeling down about something, I need only to stop and remember, God is still in charge; He is still in control and I only have to turn over to Him whatever may be bothering me at the moment. Praise God – He was, He is, He always will be!!
The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 1 Kings 19:11-13a (NIV)Here in the United States Christians are not running away for fear of their lives but we do allow ourselves to get so caught up in the pressures and stresses of everyday life we wonder why God is no longer speaking to us, especially when we are experiencing all this difficulty. Do not fear. God has not deserted us; He is still there; He is still speaking. We are the ones who have changed. We have allowed the noise of the world to become so loud within our lives it has deafened us to the voice of God.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)And through that love He has given us an opportunity to be joint-heirs with Christ Jesus, His beloved Son.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, Romans 8: 14, 16-17a (NKJV)God has offered to us an unspeakable, indescribable gift. If you haven’t already done so, accept Christ today.
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” John 14:26 (NASB)Have you ever sat wringing your hands wondering what plan God has for you? I know I have. I knew God wasn’t going to give me a step-by-step-five-year-plan to follow…if He did, I wouldn’t need Him; I’d just need the plan. However, in truth, that step-by-step-plan is really what I wanted. I was praying each day that God would reveal His plan for my life to me. Only recently have I realized I was getting it all wrong.
“As for God, His way is perfect: The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect. Psalm 18:30-32 (NKJV)God Bless!