“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after” (Psalm 27:4). King David knew there had to be more to knowing God; he sensed there was something of the Lord he hadn’t obtained, and he would not rest until he found it. He said, in short, “There is a beauty, a glory, an excitement about the Lord I haven’t yet seen in my life. I want to know what it’s like to have uninterrupted communion with my God. I want my life to be a living prayer. Only that will see me through the rest of my days.”

The face of God is his likeness, his reflection. In answering the cry of David’s heart to have intimacy with him, God said, “Seek ye my face.” David’s response was, “Lord, when you said, ‘Seek my face,’ my heart leapt in response.” “My heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek’” (Psalm 27:8).

In answering as he did, the Lord revealed to David that he could satisfy his longings by reflecting God in his own life. He was instructing David, “Learn of me. Search my Word and pray for understanding through the Spirit, so you can be like me. I want your life to reflect my beauty to the world.”

This was not merely a call to prayer; David had already been praying seven times a day. In fact, David’s prayers are what created this passion in him to know the Lord. No, this call from God was to hunger for a lifestyle that totally reflects who Jesus is.

You see, at Calvary, God took on a human face. Jesus came to earth as a man. God in flesh. And he did this so he could feel our pain, be tempted and tried, as we are, and show the Father. Scripture calls Jesus the express image (meaning the exact likeness) of God. He is the same essence and substance of God the Father (see Hebrews 1:3), the same “engraved cut.” In short, he is “the same as” the Father in all ways.

To this very day, Jesus Christ is the face, or very likeness, of God on earth. And because of him, we have uninterrupted fellowship with the Father. Through the Cross, we have the privilege of “seeing his face,” of touching him. We can live as he did, testifying, “I don’t do anything except as I see and hear it from the Lord.”

Today, when God says, “Seek my face,” his words have greater implications than at any other time in history. With all that is going on in the world around us, how should we respond? When David was surrounded by a host of idolaters, God said, “Seek my face.” And we do it for one purpose: that we may be like him! That we become his express image, so that those who seek the true Christ will see him in us.


--

David Wilkerson/ The Face of God ~

The Mystery of Christ Expounded ----

"..the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints;

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory;.." Colossians 2:26-27

"Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved." Psalm 80:3

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Cor.4:6

The Transfiguration

Matthew 17:1-5

"And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

"And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

"And behold, there appeared unto them Moses, and Elias talking with him.

"Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, 'Lord, it is good for us to be here; if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.'

"While he yet spake, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are Jesus' sheep. He asks that we be salt and light for Him.

Christian Influence

Matthew 5:13-16

"Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

"Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlesstick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This world is passing away. God tells us, as He did to David, "Seek my face." And we do it for one purpose; that we may be like Him!

May those who seek the true Christ Jesus, see him in us!

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory in Jesus Christ!

JESUS IS LORD!
Blessings!!!

---Nothing Less than Jesus


"I have obeyed my Father's commands, and I remain in his love. In the same way, if you obey my commands, you will remain in my love." JOHN 15:10

---GOD rewards those who seek him. Not those who seek doctrine or religion or systems or creeds. Many settle for these lesser passions, but the reward goes to those who settle for nothing less than Jesus himself. And what is the reward? What awaits those who seek Jesus? Nothing short of the heart of Jesus. "And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him" (2 Cor.3:18 TLB).

Can you think of a greater gift than to be like Jesus? Christ felt no guilt; God wants to banish yours. Jesus had no bad habits;; God wants to remove yours. Jesus had no fear of death; God wants you to be fearless. Jesus had kindness for the diseased and mercy for the rebellious and courage for the challenges. God wants you to have the same....

He wants you to be just like Jesus.
~~~~~~~~
Max Lucado
Just Like Jesus --
JESUS IS LORD! Heaven Rules!
Blessings, Abishag <><

OUR GOAL ~

"All I have is yours, and all you have
is mine. And my glory is shown through
them." John 17:10


~~~GOD is in the business of changing the face of the world.

Let me be very clear. This change is his job, not ours. Our goal is not to make our faces radiant. Not even Jesus did that. Matthew says, "Jesus' appearance was changed" not "Jesus changed his appearance." Moses didn't even know his face was shining (Exo. 34:29). Our goal is not to conjure up some fake, frozen expression. Our goal is simply to stand before God with a prepared and willing heart and then let God do his work.

And he does. He wipes away the tears. He mops away the perspiration. He softens our furrowed brows. He touches our cheeks. He changes our faces as we worship.

Max Lucado
Just Like Jesus

"If the Son therefore shall make you free,
ye shall be free indeed." John 8:36

THE mark of a true Christian is found in his personal relationship to the Person of Jesus Christ. Christianity is Christ. Christ is Christianity.

I speak reverently when I say that Jesus is more than His ideas. All that He said was true, but without Him even the truth would have been powerless. Men know the power of truth, and truth is that which sets men free.

Jesus said, "I am truth." Jesus said, "I and the Father are One." John 10:30

Prayer For the Day:
'Thank You, Jesus, for the shackles that
have been broken in my life! Thank you, Lord, for setting me free!'
---------
Billy Graham/Evangelist
Day by Day

FINDING JESUS --

Romans 8:27-39
----
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?
---Romans 8:32 --

AFTER someone stole a valuable ceramic figurine of Baby Jesus from a nativity scene in Wellington, Florida, officials took action to keep thieves from succeeding again. An Associated Press report described how they placed a GPS tracking device inside the replacement figurine. When Baby Jesus disappeared again the next Christmas, sheriff's deputies were led by the signal to the thief's apartment.

There are times when difficult circumstances or personal loss can cause us to feel that Christ has been stolen from our Christmas. How can we find Jesus when life seems to be working against us?

Like a spiritual GPS, Romans 8 guides us to God's never-failing love and presence with us. We read that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses and intercedes for us (v.27). We know that God is for us (v.31). And we have this grand assurance: "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?" (v.32). Finally, we are reminded that nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ Jesus (vv.38-39).

Look for Jesus in the manger, on the cross, risen from the dead, and in our hearts. That's where we can find Jesus at Christmas.
------------------------
-IF WE FOCUS ONLY ON CHRISTMAS, WE MIGHT LOSE SIGHT OF CHRIST.

Our Daily Bread/dm
Blessings! Happy Birthday to King Jesus!

--The Perfect Priest -

"On the day when the Lord Jesus comes,...all the
people who have believed will be amazed at Jesus." 2Thes. 1:10

~~~WHEN we see Christ, what will we see?

We will see the perfect Priest. "He was dressed in a long robe and had a gold band around his chest" (Rev. 1:13). The first readers of this message knew the significance of the robe and band. Jesus is wearing the clothing of a priest. A priest presents people to God and God to people.

You have known other Priests. There have been others in your life, whether clergy or not, who sought to bring you to God. But they, too, needed a priest. Some needed a priest more than you did. They, like you, were sinful. Not so with Jesus. "Jesus is the kind of high Priest we need. He is holy, sinless, pure, not influenced by sinners, and he is raised above the heavens" (Hebrews 7:26).

Jesus is the perfect Priest.
---
When Christ Comes
Max Lucado ~

--SEEING THE FATHER

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17)

JAMES used three unique words in his description of the heavenly Father. The Greek phrase is 'ouk eni parallage e tropes aposkiasma'. A good translation would be, "Threre is not any possibility of change nor place for a shadow to turn." Certainly, this is similar to John's critical message: "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1John 1:5).

We are told that the Lord Jesus, the Word "made flesh" (John 1:14), is "the light of the world" (John 8:12). Moreover, because He is also the "Lord of lords, and King of kings" (Revelation 17:14), He is the only one who 'hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen" (1 Timothy 6:16). The great paradoxical mystery of the triune Godhead can only be seen and understood as we recognized the Lord Jesus Christ as "the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9). Philip once wanted to "see the Father." Jesus simply told him, and us, "he that hat seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9).

No wonder, then, that when we are given a physical description of the resurrected Christ (the only physical description of the Lord Jeesus, by the way), He is described by John as such: "His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace" (Revelation 1:14-15). Centuries earlier, Daniel saw the preincarnate Word and noted: "His body also was like the beryl, and his fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass" (Daniel 10:6). All of us would do well to "see" our Lord this way when we seek His face in prayer.
-------
Days of Praise
ICR/HMM III
What a mighty God we serve, indeed! JESUS IS LORD!
Blessings, Abishag

Thank you, Bex, for this wonderful post unto our Sovereign Lord Jesus!
~~~~~~~~~~~
THE FAIREST

Revelation 5:8-14
~~~~~~~
Worthy is the Lamb
who was slain!
--Revelation 5:12 --
----
When I first became a Christian at age 19, I immediately fell in love with singing the great hymns of the faith. My heart overflowed with joy and thanksgiving as we sang of God's love for us in Christ. Soon one of my favorite hymns became "Fairest LORD Jesus!" I love the simplicity of the melody and the awesomeness of the One exalted in these words:

Fair is the sunshie,
fairer still the moonlight,
and all the twinkling starry host:
Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer than all the
angels heaven can boast
Beautiful Savior!
Lord of the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration
now and forevermore be Thine! ---

God's Son, whom we sing about in this song, came to this earth, lived a perfect life, and gave Himself for us on the cross (Luke 23:33). He arose from the grave (Luke 24:6) and is now seated at God's right hand (Heb. 1:3). One day we'll join in worship with thousands upon thousands and say: "Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Rev. 5:13). Maybe we'll sing "Fairest Lord Jesus!" too.

Until then, let's allow Jesus to be "the fairest" above all in our personal lives by seeking wisdom from His Word and following in His ways.
~~~~~~~~~~~
WE CAN NEVER PRAISE JESUS TOO MUCH!

ODB/AC
Glory and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ!- +

OUR
CO-PILOT?

Galatians 2:11-21
-----
I have been crucified
with Christ; it is no
longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me.
---Galatians 2:20 -
----
THE bumper sticker "Jesus is my co-pilot" may be a well-intentioned sentiment, but it has always troubled me. Whenever I'm in the driver's seat of my life, the destination is nowhere good. Jesus is not meant to be just a spiritual "co-pilot" giving directions every now and then. He is always meant to be in the driver's seat. Period!

We often say that Jesus died for us, which of course is true. But there's more to it than that. Because Jesus died on the cross, something inside of us died--the power of sin. It's what Paul meant when he said, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). We were essentially co-crucified with Him.

With Jesus in the driver's seat, the old destinations are off-limits. No more turning down the streets of self-centeredness, greed, or lust. No more off-road ventures into the swamp of pride or the ditch of bitterness. We died so that He alone can drive and define us.

So, if you've died and Chirst lives in you, He's not your co-pilot. Your joy is to let Him drive and define your life. There may be a few bumps in the road, but you can count on it--He'll take you somewhere good.

Lord, I thank You for salvation,
For Your mercy, full and free;
Take my all in consecration,
Glorify Yourself in me.
~~~~~~~
STILL AT THE WHEEL OF YOUR LIFE?
IT'S TIME TO LET JESUS DRIVE.

ODB/js

WHERE DOES GOD DWELL?
By: David Wilkerson --

After Jesus was taken up to heaven, the apostle John received a magnificent vision of glory. He said, "I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it...and the Lamb is the light thereof" (Revelation 21:22-23). In other words, the only temple in heaven is Jesus himself.

Now that God's temple is in glory, sitting at his right hand, where does the Lord dwell on earth? As God himself asks,"What house will you build me? Where is the place of my rest?" We know that no building can contain God. He isn't in St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican. Nor is he in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. And he isn't in any of the great European cathedals. No, as Paul stated on Mars Hill in Athens, "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands" ( Acts 17:24). Simply put, if we look for God's dwelling place in some building, we're not going to find it.

The Lord has found his habitation--he lives and rests in the bodies of his created humankind. Paul states that the temple of God is now in human bodies:
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Once we place our belief in Jesus, we become a temple, God's very dwelling place. This was demonstrated most visibly at the Upper Room. The Holy Spirit fell on the disciples there, filling them with himself. And he claimed their sanctified bodies as God's temple, where the Father would come and live.

The Spirit would help them to mortify and destroy the works of their sinful flesh. And he would give them power to live victoriously. Their bodies became God's temple, a dwelling place not built with hands.

Jesus says, "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (John 14:23). An abode is a residence, a place to stay.

Paul says, "Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Corinthians 6:20). In other words, you belong to God and he wants you to be his resting place.

Now, open up your heart to the truth and give him glory by receiving Him into your life. ~~
--

ALWAYS THERE

Psalm 55:16-23
----
Evening and morning
and at noon I will
pray, and cry aloud,
and He shall hear my
voice. ---Psalm 55:17 -
~~~~~
THE radio engineers who work at RBC Ministries were getting ready to broadcast a program via satellite. They had prepared everything, including the satellite link. But just as they were to begin uploading, the signal to the satellite was lost--the satellite was gone. Literally. The satellite had suddenly and suprisingly fallen from the sky. It was no longer there.

I suspect that sometimes when we pray, we think something similar has happened to God--that for some reason He isn't there. But the Bible offers us comfort with the assurance that God hasn't "fallen from the sky." He is always available to us. He hears and He cares.

In a time of desperation, David wrote, "Even and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice" (Ps. 55:17). No matter when we call on God, He hears the cries of His children. That should encourage our hearts. David said, "Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you" (v.22). Although God may not answer as we would like or when we would like, we know that at "evening and morning and at noon" He is always there. ~

God hears us when we call to Him--
His ears take in each voice;
The knowledge that He's always there
Should cause us to rejoice.
--
ODB/BC
JESUS IS LORD! JESUS LOVES YOU! Call on Him today!

BOTH NEAR
AND FAR
(Commitment)

Matthew 15:7-20
~~~
Turn away my eyes
from looking at
worthless things, and
revive me in Your
way. --Psalm 119:37
~~~
EVERYTHING was quiet in our yard. While I worked at the patio table, our dog, Maggie, lay nearby in the grass. A slight rustling of dry leaves changed everything. Maggie made her move, and suddenly she was circling a tree, where a woodchuck clung tightly to the trunk.

Maggie came when I called, but I couldn't get her to look at me. Her neck was in a rigidly fixed position. Although she was near me physically, her thoughts and desires were with that woodchuck.

Maggie and the woodchuck remind me of how quickly I become preoccupied with things that take my eyes off Jesus. Old temptations, new responsibilities, or ongoing desires for possessions or pleasure can quickly divert my attention from the One who knows and wants what is best for me.

A similar spiritual condition afflicted the Pharisees (Matt. 15:8-9). They were serving in the temple and instructing others, but their hearts were far from God.

We too can teach and serve at church but be far from God. Even our religious activity becomes meaningless when our focus is not on Jesus. But if we stop being "stiff-necked" (Acts 7:51), the Lord can turn our eyes away from worthless things and revive our hearts. ~~

Some people follow Jesus Christ,
Then obstacles get in their way;
But if they'll focus on the Lord
They won't be led astray.
---
When Christ is the center of our life,
all else comes into proper focus. -

ODB/JAL

The Infinite God Allows Us to Know Him !
Devotional thought from the messages of Adrian Rogers

BIBLE MEDITATION:

Matthew 11:27 - "All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him."
--
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

When God condescends to make Himself known to us, the Bible calls that "revelation." The Infinite reveals Himself to the finite. Now, what is the agent in this revelation? The Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit knows the mind of God and searches the deep things of God.

You and I cannot know God apart from the Holy Spirit revealing Him to us. Isaiah 55:9 says, [u]"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."[/u]

ACTION POINT:

Even in the human realm, the only way you and I know anything about each other is when we reveal ourselves to one another. And the only way that man will ever know God is for God to reveal Himself. Praise God that He has chosen to do that!

-What Does It Mean to Be "Pure in Heart"?
Devotional thought from the messages of Adrian Rogers

BIBLE MEDITATION:
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8
--
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
This beatitude narrows our focus into one rich goal--to be pure in heart.

Now, "pure in heart" doesn't just mean you don't look at pornography or think vile thoughts. That will be a result of being pure in heart. But to be pure in heart really means to have an undiluted heart. That is, there is no substance in your heart that is adulterated. You have a singleness of mind.

You are undivided in your devotion. All of the issues of your life are brought down into one burning focus--to be pure in heart before God.

ACTION POINT:
Is Jesus Christ the burning focus of your life? Then the promise is that you will see God.

"Now, wait a minute," you say. "No one has seen God." You're right. You will see God not with your physical eyes, but with your spiritual eyes. He will become all the more clear!.
--

JESUS CALLING ~
By: Sarah Young

"SAVE YOUR BEST STRIVING FOR SEEKING MY FACE. I am constantly communicating with you. To find Me and hear My voice, you must seek Me above all else. Anything that you desire more than Me becomes an idol. When you are determined to get your own way, you blot Me out of your consciousness. Instead of single-mindedly pursuing some goal, talk with Me about it. Let the Light of My Presence shine on this pursuit, so that you can see it from My perspective. If the goal fits into My plans for you, I will help you reach it. If it is contrary to My will for you, I will gradually change the desire of your heart.
Seek Me first and foremost; then the rest of your life will fall into place, piece by piece." ~~
I Love You, JESUS ~

1 Chronicles 16:11; Matthew 6:33 -