http://youtu.be/xnWw24s5gG8
LORD you are my light my salvation my grace.
You know my desire to glorify you. I am Yours. You have bought me.
No guilt in life, no fear in death. This is the power of YOU in me!
I love you so much my Christ.
Amen
Monday, March 12, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Inner Hope
I went and saw "The Muppets" with my sisters and cousins tonight.
I am always inspired when I see the creativity of others. I love seeing stories come together and a plot twist and turn.
It is also interesting how much philosophy and world view come into play in a movie created for children.
The main character is encouraged to discover within himself the special gift he can add to the group- to believe in himself and then he can succeed.
I have found that if I was to follow this idea for my own life I would be terribly disappointed with myself.
The Psalmist writes this to our God:
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
(Psalm 139:14 ESV)
God has created you and me as individuals and we are to find our hope in Christ. When I look within myself as a Christian I see that He is the one holding me together. If I was not saved I would look inside for some form of hope and find myself empty and without help.
Obviously this movie was from a secular perspective attempting to encourage young people and build self esteem.
In fact I really enjoyed the movie and laughed through most of it. I wish the creativity of these writers could be used to help young Christian children laugh and find their inner hope in Christ.
We all are created with WONDER and MIRCLE by a LORD who LOVES us. He has given each a gift and when you find Him that gift can be used FULLY.
LORD thank you for completing me.
Amen.
I am always inspired when I see the creativity of others. I love seeing stories come together and a plot twist and turn.
It is also interesting how much philosophy and world view come into play in a movie created for children.
The main character is encouraged to discover within himself the special gift he can add to the group- to believe in himself and then he can succeed.
I have found that if I was to follow this idea for my own life I would be terribly disappointed with myself.
The Psalmist writes this to our God:
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
(Psalm 139:14 ESV)
God has created you and me as individuals and we are to find our hope in Christ. When I look within myself as a Christian I see that He is the one holding me together. If I was not saved I would look inside for some form of hope and find myself empty and without help.
Obviously this movie was from a secular perspective attempting to encourage young people and build self esteem.
In fact I really enjoyed the movie and laughed through most of it. I wish the creativity of these writers could be used to help young Christian children laugh and find their inner hope in Christ.
We all are created with WONDER and MIRCLE by a LORD who LOVES us. He has given each a gift and when you find Him that gift can be used FULLY.
LORD thank you for completing me.
Amen.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Prayer
What is my prayer but what my heart feels?
Does my prayer need to be logical?
Does my prayer need to behave in a certain way in order for there to be a response?
Logic:
God is Love
My prayer needs to be directed towards love.
My need is God. My need is LOVE.
LORD my lack is love, my lack is YOU. Fill my cup, run over.
_________________________
"Surprised by Joy"
SURPRISED by joy--impatient as the Wind I turned to share the transport--Oh! with whom But Thee, deep buried in the silent tomb, That spot which no vicissitude can find? Love, faithful love, recalled thee to my mind-- But how could I forget thee? Through what power, Even for the least division of an hour, Have I been so beguiled as to be blind To my most grievous loss?--That thought's return Was the worst pang that sorrow ever bore, Save one, one only, when I stood forlorn, Knowing my heart's best treasure was no more; That neither present time, nor years unborn Could to my sight that heavenly face restore.
-William Wordsworth
Does my prayer need to be logical?
Does my prayer need to behave in a certain way in order for there to be a response?
Logic:
God is Love
My prayer needs to be directed towards love.
My need is God. My need is LOVE.
LORD my lack is love, my lack is YOU. Fill my cup, run over.
_________________________
"Surprised by Joy"
SURPRISED by joy--impatient as the Wind I turned to share the transport--Oh! with whom But Thee, deep buried in the silent tomb, That spot which no vicissitude can find? Love, faithful love, recalled thee to my mind-- But how could I forget thee? Through what power, Even for the least division of an hour, Have I been so beguiled as to be blind To my most grievous loss?--That thought's return Was the worst pang that sorrow ever bore, Save one, one only, when I stood forlorn, Knowing my heart's best treasure was no more; That neither present time, nor years unborn Could to my sight that heavenly face restore.
-William Wordsworth
Certainly 'feelings' have a place integrated with the logic of my prayer.
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
(Psalm 42:5-6 ESV)
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
What is with the drama?
I look back and am so excited because I am not there any more.
I am glad that God has created time so that we can move on with life and not sit in one place at a constant state.
People who say they are trustworthy some times aren't. People are simply disappointing, me included.
I praise my LORD for giving the promise of making perfect in me, something I cannot do.
My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
(Proverbs 7:1-3 ESV)
When ever anyone actively pursues wisdom the LORD greatly provides.
James writes,
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
(James 1:5 ESV)
Now James also reminds the reader that also:
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
(James 1:22-25 ESV)
I don't know about you but if I am not actively in the WORD of GOD then I actively forget the WORD of GOD. It is WORK- Therefore an ACTION VERB! Not that my SALVATION is dependent on this WORK but my expression of LOVE is.
How does God know I love HIS grace that He gave me FREELY? By my LOVE in OBEDIENCE.
Some times people have a way of suffocating any freedom in grace. Surely they have forgotten that it is only by GRACE that any OBEDIENCE is capable.
GRACE not taken for granted (ROMANS 6 in mind).
Remember you and I are sinners; our natural intent is always wrong. That is why Paul reminds us in Philippians to train our minds.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
(Philippians 4:8 ESV)
Granted people can spend their lives working out and using a microscope to discover all the sins. And as they see each of them attach that label to themselves.
ex. "I am a liar." "I am a murder." "I am glutton." "I am an alcoholic." ...ect.
People will hold on to these sins as something not rid of but apart of their being. Granted this is a fallen world and each of the examples are mere attributes to the problem of sin.
SIN conquered on the CROSS and LIVED out in a BELIEVER or CHRISTIAN.
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Corinthians 15:54-57 ESV)
You and I need to be saying- nay yelling this;
"GLUTTONY where is your sting?!"
"LYING you are DEAD!!"
"HATE there is DEATH for you LOVE indwells me now!!!"
"DRINK you have LOST Christ has the VICTORY!"
LORD build me. ENGRAVE Your wisdom on my heart. I know I am slow; teach me on Your time. I am here. A willing vessel.
AMEN
I am glad that God has created time so that we can move on with life and not sit in one place at a constant state.
People who say they are trustworthy some times aren't. People are simply disappointing, me included.
I praise my LORD for giving the promise of making perfect in me, something I cannot do.
My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
(Proverbs 7:1-3 ESV)
When ever anyone actively pursues wisdom the LORD greatly provides.
James writes,
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
(James 1:5 ESV)
Now James also reminds the reader that also:
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
(James 1:22-25 ESV)
I don't know about you but if I am not actively in the WORD of GOD then I actively forget the WORD of GOD. It is WORK- Therefore an ACTION VERB! Not that my SALVATION is dependent on this WORK but my expression of LOVE is.
How does God know I love HIS grace that He gave me FREELY? By my LOVE in OBEDIENCE.
Some times people have a way of suffocating any freedom in grace. Surely they have forgotten that it is only by GRACE that any OBEDIENCE is capable.
GRACE not taken for granted (ROMANS 6 in mind).
Remember you and I are sinners; our natural intent is always wrong. That is why Paul reminds us in Philippians to train our minds.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
(Philippians 4:8 ESV)
Granted people can spend their lives working out and using a microscope to discover all the sins. And as they see each of them attach that label to themselves.
ex. "I am a liar." "I am a murder." "I am glutton." "I am an alcoholic." ...ect.
People will hold on to these sins as something not rid of but apart of their being. Granted this is a fallen world and each of the examples are mere attributes to the problem of sin.
SIN conquered on the CROSS and LIVED out in a BELIEVER or CHRISTIAN.
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Corinthians 15:54-57 ESV)
You and I need to be saying- nay yelling this;
"GLUTTONY where is your sting?!"
"LYING you are DEAD!!"
"HATE there is DEATH for you LOVE indwells me now!!!"
"DRINK you have LOST Christ has the VICTORY!"
LORD build me. ENGRAVE Your wisdom on my heart. I know I am slow; teach me on Your time. I am here. A willing vessel.
AMEN
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Matthew 5:2-11
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
----------------------------------------
Recently it has come to my attention that a new change is about to take place in my life. I know above all things if I express what Christ spoke in this sermon He will guide me through this new part of my life.
Christ you alone I lean on. You are my reputation. I don't care what people think. I live for the LORD.
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
----------------------------------------
Recently it has come to my attention that a new change is about to take place in my life. I know above all things if I express what Christ spoke in this sermon He will guide me through this new part of my life.
Christ you alone I lean on. You are my reputation. I don't care what people think. I live for the LORD.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Many Blessings
Have you ever been angry with God? I have; much like being angry at a parent you might recent the choices God has made for your own life.
What snapped me out of my anger from God most recently was a visit from three dear friends. Never calling me out their actions and nearness to God caused me to realize what I was neglecting.
I missed my Father. I spent two days holding healthy discussions and active time hanging out.
My friend Mike and I began a discussion of what I call "Getting there , but not there yet", and what he calls being SANCTIFIED.
Growing as a man he was telling me is a tenuous and difficult process of actively choosing wise choices consecutively one after the other. Our natural man always wants selfishly for himself and recognizing those choices and deciding against them.
He went on reminding me that Satan above all things wants us to forget these verses.
We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
(Romans 6:9-11 ESV)
WE as saved men and women have conquered DEATH by Christ, and also by Christ have CONQUERED sin. Because the death of our flesh will fall away but we live on in Christ.
---------------------------------------------
LORD thank you for your persistence in teaching me and helping me grow into a man.
Amen.
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