This is a Blog for those interested in following hard after His heart. Those willing to strive to live a moment-by-moment life as we go through the transformation process with Him. It is not an easy life, but the Father expects each of us to become an offering for His pleasure. So, if this is you, then let’s journey together hand in hand. I am humbled that you have chosen to walk with me. Thanks!
22 August, 2014
The Hiding Place
Sometimes dangerous errors,
He will hide us from . . .
Hail, sovereign love which first began,
Against the God who rules the sky,
Enwrapt in thick Egyptian night,
But thus the eternal counsel ran:
Indignant Justice stood in view;
E'er long, a heavenly voice I heard,
Should sevenfold storms of thunder roll,
On Him almighty vengeance fell,
A few more rolling suns at most,
21 August, 2014
His Disciples - "Fellowship of the Unashamed"
Romans 12:1
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice
An African pastor was overwhelmed by rebels who demanded that he renounce his faith. He refused. The night before they took his life, he wrote the following lines on a scrap of paper:I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed." I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I've stepped over the line.
The decision has been made. I am a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals!
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.
My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought , compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, let up, or burn up till I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ.
I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops.
And when He comes to get His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear.
Prayer: Lord, develop in me the perseverance and faithfulness to pursue Your goal for my life even in the face of rejection.
20 August, 2014
How God Works
You shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him
I believe in miracles, and I accept as fact every one recorded in the Bible. I believe that our entire Christian experience is a miracle. It simply cannot be explained by natural means. And God's power is seen in other miraculous ways today, but must He always prove Himself by stepping outside His created order? If God doesn't primarily guide us through His Word (which never changes) and take into account the fixed order of the universe, how can we ever have any stability? How can we make any plans if God doesn't reveal His ways and then stay consistent with them?
God is not capricious in His dealings with man. He has clearly established His ways and He is faithful to them. I believe God has revealed His ways and we are to walk in them. The question is, how does God work through human responsibility and the natural order of the universe to bring about His will? Somehow He works through a less-than-perfect church, orchestrating human affairs in such a way as to guarantee the outcome of the ages. What really impresses me is His timing, not His miraculous interventions.
Notice how Jesus responded to those who insisted on a sign: "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet" (Matthew 12:39). Satan wanted a sign too. He said, "If You are the Son of God throw Yourself down" (Matthew 4:6). To this Jesus responded, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test" (verse 7 NIV ). Jesus was saying that the sign we need is the Word of God, and we are to use the Word to guard against Satan's temptations to force the Lord to prove Himself.
I think it is better to prove ourselves to God rather than demand He prove Himself to us. We are the ones being tested, not God. "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).
Prayer: Lord, I want to be responsible to use the gifts You have given me and lay aside sin and fruitless activities.
http://www.lightsource.com/devotionals/neil-andersons-daily-in-christ/daily-in-christ-820-544738.html
19 August, 2014
Asking Why?
Luke 5:36
No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old
Determining the purpose of a Christian practice, and whether it is appropriate, requires an answer to the question, "Why?" "We have always done it this way before" is unacceptable. Christian practices continue for years, often outliving their purpose, until someone asks, "Why do we do that?" Characteristically, the defenses come up as though you were challenging what they believe!
For instance, having three church services a week is generally practiced by evangelical Christians, but few know why. Originally, Sunday morning was for instruction and worship, Sunday evening was for evangelism, and the Wednesday service was for prayer. Today few churches have three services for those same purposes. In many churches, evangelism has switched to Sunday morning (if there is an evangelistic service). Sunday evenings range from body life gatherings to an informal repeat of the morning service. Wednesday stopped being a prayer meeting years ago in most churches.
Few people can say why they have an adult fellowship group and, consequently, most never fulfill the greatest purpose for which they exist. Without a clear purpose, planning dribbles down to who is going to be the teacher and what is the next monthly social! The purpose of fellowship groups is to provide a base for incorporating new people into the church, going after those who stray, and meeting the needs of one another. Routine activities that lack purpose produce mindless participation. How is God going to guide such a group?
The greatest avenue for productive change is to clarify the purpose of any existing ministry or group. I sat with the leaders of an adult group and helped them hammer out a purpose statement. Some major changes took place in their class. Within two years they had doubled. Asking "Why?" forced them to evaluate their purpose and ministry, and necessary changes came.
Prayer: Lord, I purpose not to waste my time or effort on traditions that are no longer valid vehicles for ministry.
http://www.christianity.com/devotionals/daily-in-christ-neil-anderson/daily-in-christ-8-or-19-544736.html
18 August, 2014
Test Everything (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21)
August 18
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 NIVDo not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good
Alvin was discouraged and defeated. For several years he believed he had a special gift of prophecy from God. But over a period of months his personal life began to fall apart. By the time he came to see me he had been unemployed for two years, he was being cared for by his father, and he was a slave to prescription drugs.
Alvin and I read 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21. I said, "Alvin, Satan can counterfeit spiritual gifts. That's why the Scriptures instruct us to put everything to the test."
Alvin admitted, "I think my problems began when I failed to test the 'gifts' of tongues and prophecy conferred on me by false teachers."
"Would you be willing to put your gift of tongues to the test?" I asked. Alvin really wanted to be free. "Yes," he answered.
I instructed Alvin to begin praying aloud in his "spiritual language." As he began to chant an unintelligible prayer, I said, "In the name of Christ and in obedience to God's Word, I command you, spirit, to identify yourself."
Alvin stopped in the middle of his chanting and said, "I am he."
"Are you the 'He' who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, buried, raised on the third day, and who now sits at the right hand of the Father?" I asked.
Alvin almost shouted the response: "No! Not He!" I led Alvin through a prayer renouncing Satan's activity in his life, and he was free from that deception.
I am not against spiritual gifts, even prophecy and tongues. I am committed to obeying Scripture, and 1 Corinthians 14:39 says, "Desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues." But Scripture also requires that all spiritual phenomena be tested. I believe that false prophets and teachers flourish today simply because Christians accept their ministry without testing the spirits behind it.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to stay alert to spiritual seduction and reject all phenomena that do not come from God.
FROM LIGHTSOURCE WEBSITE:
http://www.lightsource.com/devotionals/neil-andersons-daily-in-christ/daily-in-christ-818-544734.html
17 August, 2014
Are We in Reality—What We are in Name?
By Samuel Davies
"The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch." Acts 11:26
We call ourselves Christians—but do we really understand the MEANING and sacred import of that name? Do we really know what it is to BE Christians indeed?
Are we in reality—what we are in name? Certainly it is time for us to consider the matter!
What is it to be a Christian?
To be a Christian, in the popular and fashionable sense, is no really difficult or excellent thing. It is to be baptized, to profess the Christian religion; to believe, like our neighbors, that Christ is the Messiah, and to attend upon public worship once a week, in some church or another. In this sense, a man may be a 'Christian'—and yet be habitually careless about eternal things. He may be a 'Christian'—and yet fall short of the morality of many of the heathen.
He may be a 'Christian'—and yet a drunkard, a swearer, or a slave to some vice or other. He may be a 'Christian'—and yet a willful, impenitent offender against God and man.
But is this to be a 'real Christian'—in the original and proper sense of the word? No! that is something of a very different and superior kind.
To be a Christian indeed—is to be like to Christ, from whom the name is taken!To be a Christian indeed—is to be a follower and imitator of Christ!To be a Christian indeed—is to have Christ's spirit and temper; and to live as He lived in the world!
In short, to be a Christian, is to have our sentiments, our character and our practice, formed upon the sacred model of the gospel.
16 August, 2014
Evidences & Results Of Sanctified Affliction - Part 4
By John Angell James
8. A
more entire consecration of the soul to God's service in general, and to some
special service in particular, is also a proof of sanctified affliction. How
delightful a spectacle is it to God, to angels, and to men—to see a Christian
rising from the bed of his own sickness, or returning from the grave of a near
relative, in the spirit of the hundred and sixteenth Psalm—and while the eyes
are yet moistened with tears, and the heart soft with sorrow, yielding up
himself afresh to the claims, the service, and the glory of God; and instead of
being paralyzed with grief, or taken up with enjoyment, setting himself apart
by a new dedication to God.
How beautiful is the language of the Psalmist in
the review of his deliverance, "I
love the Lord because He has heard my appeal for mercy. Because He has turned
His ear to me, I will call out to Him as long as I live. The ropes of death
were wrapped around me, and the horrors of the grave overcame me; I encountered
trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: "Lord, save
me!" The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is compassionate.
The
Lord guards the simple; I was helpless, and He saved me. Return to your rest,
my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. For You, Lord, rescued me from
death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. I will walk before the Lord
in the land of the living. I believed, even when I said, "I am severely
afflicted." How can I repay the Lord all the good He has done for me? I
will take the cup of salvation and worship the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to
the Lord in the presence of all His people. Lord, I am indeed Your servant; I
am Your servant! You have loosened my bonds. I will offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving
and will worship the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord, in the very
presence of all His people, in the courts of the Lord's house. Hallelujah!"
This
is the language of sanctified affliction. Then when the Christian is seen
giving himself afresh to the service of God, in a more devoted attendance upon
all the means of grace, private, domestic, and public; when his liberality is
more diffusive, and his zeal more ardent; when he seems concerned, inventive,
and laborious to show his gratitude and love by new acts of devotedness, and
former measures of service will not content him—it is a convincing evidence
that he has derived benefit from tribulation.
9.
Increased sympathy for others in their affliction, is a proof that our own
affliction has done us good. In some cases sorrow has hardened the heart, and
made men selfish; it has drawn off all their attention from others, and
concentrated it on themselves. This is a dark sign; nothing can be a stronger
proof that trials have done us harm, instead of good—than when they have
blunted our susceptibilities, hardened our hearts, and put all our tears in
reserve for ourselves!
Nor, on the contrary, can there be a more convincing
evidence that they have benefited us, than an increase of sympathy, and a
greater readiness to weep with those who weep. It is a delightful exhibition of
a mind softened and sanctified by affliction, to see a person, on recovering
from it, still holding in remembrance the wormwood and the gall—and instead of
giving himself to selfish enjoyment, going forth with quickened sensibilities
to support and comfort the distressed.
Such
are the proofs, evidences and results of sanctified
affliction.
May
they be found in you, my dear friends; and in your pastor. Trials abound in
this world—it is a valley of tears. Happy will it be for us, if we shall emerge
from it at length into that blessed region, where God shall wipe away all tears
from every eye. "I reckon," said the blessed Paul, "that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in us!" "Our light affliction, which is but
for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory!" "We know that all things work together for good to those who
love God, and are called according to his purpose." With such internal
consolations as the gospel affords, and with such a peace as passes
understanding—what external tribulation may we not endure, and endure not only
with all patience, but with joyfulness?
It is
beautifully said by Leighton, "All outward distress to a mind thus at
peace, is but as the rattling hail upon the tiles, to him who sits within the
house at a sumptuous feast." Do not dread affliction—or at least dread far
more being left to grow worldly and sinful, for lack of affliction; or being
allowed to endure the pain of affliction without reaping the benefit of it. The
losses, the pains, the disappointments, of the present state—if blessed for our
spiritual good—will all fit us for the state where there shall be no more
sorrow nor crying! The drops of sanctified grief—are the seeds of immortal joy!
There will soon be a last tear—but never a last joy! Fix your heart upon holiness
as the preparative for heaven, and be little concerned at what expense of
present ease and possessions it be obtained—so that it holiness obtained.
The
first look at Jesus as he is, and the first moment spent in heaven—will make
ample amends for the longest and the saddest life on earth! Abound in hope—a lively hope of that
inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled, and unfading, reserved in
Heaven for you! Be much in prayer for the presence and help of the Spirit of
God as a Comforter. Without his aid the least trial will distress you—and with
it the greatest cannot crush you! God is able to support and comfort—as well as
save—to the uttermost! And none of us can tell what, in either case—the
uttermost of God can do!
PART 3
PART 3
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