ACCESS TO GOD ~~~

by: A.W. Pink/Evangelsist, Biblical Scholar

~~~LET us begin by asking the question; 'Is it possible for a depraved and defiled creature to obtain access unto the Holy One?'

Scripture plainly teaches that sin separates the sinner and God. This fearful fact is impressively set forth in Genesis 3:24: that flaming sword was the symbol of a sin-hating God, barring approach unto the emblem of His presence.

Not only does God debar the sinner from access, the sinner himself has no desire to approach unto Him. After our fist parents had eaten of the forbidden fruit and they heard the voice of the Lord God in the Garden, they fled in terror, seeking to hide from Him. And thus it has been ever since.

Is there, then, no access to God for the fallen creature? Not so. Access to God is possible--possible even for the chief of sinners--but only via the appointed Mediator.

"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access" (Rom. 5:1,2).

Our legal right to approach unto God is found alone in the merits of Christ: His sacrificial work and the present exercise of His Priesthood give me title to draw near unto the Throne of Grace.

"For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Eph. 2:18).

Each person of the blessed Trinity is accorded His own distinctive place in the economy of redemption: access is unto the Father, it is through Christ, but it is by the Spirit.

But will the Spirit perform these gracious operations if we are indifferent as to whether or not our conduct grieves Him? No, there must be a moral fitness if the suppliant is to obtain access to God. Our folly must be repented of and humbly acknowledged before fellowship can be restored with God.

"Therefore being justified by 'faith' we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by 'faith' into this grace" (Rom. 5:1-2).

Faith is the appointed means of access, for it is the hand which receives every blessing from God. Faith in God's willingness to grant us an audience, faith in the sufficiency of Christ's atoning sacrifice to provide us with the title of approach, faith in the Divine promises that if we contritely confess our sins He will cleanse us.

Now to sum up. It is one thing to know theoretically the legal way and right of approach unto God, but it is quite another to enjoy conscious access to Him. For that, the aid of the Spirit is imperative, but He will not perform His gracious operations within us if He be grieved.

We must penitently confess our sins, and sincerely determine there shall be no repetition of them.

"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you" (James 4:8).

----------------
A CLOSER LOOK
A.W. Pink

Arthur Walkington Pink (1886-1952), Evangelist and Biblical Scholar, was born in Nottingham, England on April 1, 1886. He immigrated to the United States to study at Moody Bible Institute, and eventually pastored churches in Colorado, California, Kentucky and South Carolina. Pink returned to England and began writing books and pamplets.

This article was taken from: Prayer Point/Samaritan's Purse
President: Franklin Graham
--------------

A POWERFUL
MESSAGE -

1 Corinthians 1:18-25
______________
The gospel of Christ
...is the power of
God to salvation
for everyone who
believes.
---Romans 1:16
__________________

BIBLE teacher Lehman Strauss was brought to Christ through the power of the Word when he was young. at his girlfriend's suggestion, he read Romans 3:23, 5:8, and 10:13. As he did, he was convicted of his sin. He wept and believed.

When his son Richard was 7 years old, he asked his father how to be saved. Lehman used the same verses that his girlfriend (who was now his wife), had used years earlier. His son believed too, and eventually became a Pastor.

God's Word has tremendous power! The first recorded time God spoke. He creataed light (Gen. 1:3). He spoke a promise to Abraham (17:15-19) and enabled his 90-year-0ld wife Sarah to bear a child (21:1-2). God still speaks with power today, and all who hear and believe the Gospel are saved (Rom. 1:16).

Yes, the message of Christ and His saving work on the cross can change the direction of a person's life. It has the power to reach the heart of that person you love and have prayed for many times.

So don't give up in your witness. Be consistent in your daily walk. Keep praying and sharing the Gospel with others. It's a powerful message!

Sweetly echo the Gospel call---
Wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all--
Wonderful words of life.
______________________________________
OUR WORDS HAVE POWER TO INFLUENCE;
GOD'S WORDS HAVE POWER TO SAVE.

Our Daily Bread
Blessings, Abishag

I never used to believe Jesus actually existed-- much less that He is our Savior until a life changing encounter years ago. He really is WHO He says He is-- the Christ- Son of God.

My life changed from that point on-- After we accept Him as our Savior, the Holy Spirit begins a work in us so that we will also love Him as Lord and King as well. It takes our entire lifetime to fully accept Him as our King, because our self-nature is so strong, that it doesn't want to surrender to a Higher Authority. The only way we can surrender is by grace, and out of love for Him.

In the beginning of our Christian path, we stop doing the gross obvious sins, but then the Holy Spirit later shows us the little selfish things and little prides, etc, that we still need to surrender over to Him. Things we didnt notice about ourselves before- things that may have even secretly annoyed others that we had no clue about.

Being a Christian is a lifelong path where we have to say, "Be patient with me cuz God ain't finished with me yet"

Hi Lil'Aug,

Thank you for sharing this. And I'm so happy that you found Christ!

So true what you said. We are a not done deal, but a work in progress.

Regarding sin? Absolutely. The more one walks with Christ, the more one become "illuminated" and the more even the "little" things we had once never even considered begin to show up as something we need to work on. I think this is the journey towards holiness. Become increasingly aware of oneself and striving to become more Christlike.

It's about walking with Christ daily. Moment by moment.

God bless

Blessings Lil'Aug and dearest Bex!

Yes, thanks to both of you for sharing. We are on a 'Pilgrim's Progress'. Thanks be to God who gives us the VICTORY in Jesus!

His Perfect Will --

READ/ PROVERBS 16:5

----FEW things impact our ability to hear the Lord's voice more than our attitude. If we come to God as rebellious, proud, or self-sufficient, what should we expect to hear? The truth is, we're not going to hear much of anything.

Why? It is because our whole attitude is completely slanted away from God. We cannot expect to see Him if we are looking in the opposite direction. So we need to reexamine the way that we approach Him. Specifically, we should be aware of three crucial areas.

First, we must come to the Lord submissively, bowing before Him in humility and thanking Him for His accessibility. Pride is something that God absolutely hates (Prov. 16:5). He will not allow us to enter His presence with arrogance in our hearts.

Second, we must trust God, knowing that He will guide us in the right direction and never steer us down a wrong path. Remembering His past faithfulness can grow our trust.

Third, we must be thankful in our speech and mindset, showing Him that we recognize and appreciate the innumberable blessings He has bestowed upon us. We should demonstrate, as the saying goes, "an attitude of gratitude."
____________________
If we come to the throne of God in submission, trust, and gratitude, then we are going to hear the truth from our caring Father. Otherwise, we may miss His message. Prayerfully search your heart in these three areas today, asking the Lord to realign your heart and mind to His perfect will.

Pastor Charles Stanley
In Touch Ministries
Blessings, Abishag <><

--"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not of works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works , which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:8-10

HAPPINESS and all of the unlimited benefits which flow from the storehouse of heaven are contingent upon our relationship to God. Absolute dependency and absolute yieldedness are the conditions of being His child. Only His children are entitiled to receive those things that lend themselves to happiness; and in order to be His child, there must be the surrender of the will to Him.

We must admit we are poor before we can be made rich. We must admit we are destitute before we can become children of adoption. When we realize that all our own goodness is as filthy rags in God's sight, and become aware of the destructive power of our stubborn wills; when we realize our absolute dependence upon the grace of God through faith and nothing more, then we have started on the road to happiness.

Man does not come to know God through works--he comes to know God by faith through grace. You cannot work your way toward happiness and heaven, you cannot moralize your way, you cannot reform your way, you cannot buy your way. It comes as a gift of God through Christ.

Prayer For the Day:
'Ever impress upon us, Lord Jesus,
that it is through grace that we came to know
You; that it is because of You that we stand righteous before You.

Day by Day
Billy Graham/Evangelist

"Your body is the temple (home), of the Holy Spirit..."
1 Corinthians 6:19 (TLB) ~

~~~WHO is the Holy Spirit? He is God, just as God the Father and God the Son are also God. We speak of them as the Trinity. You ask me to explain the Trinity. Our minds can but dimly grasp these great spiritual facts, because we are finite and God is infinite. It may help to remember that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have all existed from eternity.

The work of creation was given to the Son and we are told that, "All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made."

But when you read the second verse of the first Chapter of Genesis, you will find that the Holy Spirit was also there, moving upon the face of His creation.

In time, the Son of God came into the world as a man, to redeem the world which He had created. After His death on the cross, and His resurrection, He went back to the Father in heaven. During His earthly ministry His work and life were spent within a circumscribed area in Palestine. When He went back to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to exercise a worldwide ministry.

Today the Holy Spirit illuminates the minds of people, makes us yearn for God, and takes spiritual truth and makes it understandable to us. All over the world the Holy Spirit is wooing men to Christ, and He lives in the hearts of believers and helps us each day. To be Spirit-filled Christians is to be the kind of Christians that God wants us to be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer For The Day:
'The knowledge of Your Holy Spirit living in my heart
gives me comfort and strength, Lord Jesus. Thank you for always staying within me.' Amen.

Billy Graham/Evangelist
Blessings, Abishag ----- JESUS IS LORD!

------ God's Plans


"FOR I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

-----JEREMIAH 29:11-13

"Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only...."
James 1:22

-----JESUS indicated that there will be a permissive society just before He comes back. "As in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the coming of the Son of man."

The world today is on an immoral binge such as has not been known since the days of Rome. We are in a hedonistic society, and what we are seeing is human nature expressing itself without God.

Many have fallen into an antinomianism in which they believe intellectually, and then go out and live like the devil, imagining that God will forgive them and take them to heaven.

I believe there is an obedience to the Gospel, there is self-denial and a bearing of the cross, if you are to be a follower of Christ.

Being a Christian is a serious business.

~~~~~~~~~~
Billy Graham/Evangelist
Day by Day <><

---WHO IS DEAF?

Isaiah 42:1-4,23-25
___________
The LORD's hand is
not shortened, that it
cannot save...[But]
your sins have hidden
His face from you, so
that He will not hear.
--Isaiah 59:1-2

~~~~THE ancient Israelites thought God was deaf when the problem was actually with them. Isaiah was a prophet sent to warn God's people about impending judgment, but his message fell on deaf ears. Instead of being God's covenant people, who were to bring light to those in darkness and release them from the dungeons of sin (42:7), they refused to hear Him. "They would not walk in HIs ways, nor were they obedient to His law" (v.24).

The prophet explained why their prayers seemed to fall on deaf ears: "The LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God" (Isa. 59:1-2). One reason for not receiving answers from God is that sin may be blocking our hearing. Let's examine ourselves carefully.

1 John 1:9-10 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."

Our God isn't hard of hearing.
__________
Nothing between my soul and the Savior,
Naught of this world's delusive dream;
I have renounced all sinful pleasure,
Jesus is mine; there's nothing between.
-----------------------------------------

GOD SPEAKS THROUGH HIS WORD
TO THOSE WHO LISTEN WITH THEIR HEART.

Our Daily Bread
C.P.Hia
Blessings <><

GOD'S HEART
REVEALED --

Revelation 3:14-22
------
As many as I love, I
rebuke and chasten.
Therefore be zealous
and repent.
--Revelation 3:19
----
IT'S easy to think of God as a divine fly-swatter, just waiting for you to land so that --whap--He can nail you for your sins. But that's not what we see in Revelation 2-3 in His letters to the seven churches. The pattern of the letters demonstrates God's loving heart for wayward people.

Jesus began many of these letters by affirming the good things His people had done. This shows us that when we do what is good and right, the Lord is pleased.

But Jesus is also concerned about the faults in our lives. His commendation in these letters was often followed by clear words of reproof. And while it's not comfortable to hear Him say, "Nevertheless I have this against you" (2:4; see vv. 14,20), He reveals what needs to be changed in our lives to keep us from self-deceit.

This moves us to the heart of the matter--repentance. When the Lord told these churches to repent, He was revealing His love for wayward saints. His goal wasn't to condemn but to restore them to fellowship with Him.

And don't miss the fact that each letter ends with a specific promise for the "overcomers." Clearly God desires to reward those who live lives that are pleasing to Him.

What's He saying to you today?
---------------
To live a life that pleases Christ,
It's crucial to obey His voice;
When He reveals our sin to us,
Repentance is the wisest choice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REPENTANCE RESTORES AND RENEWS
OUR INTIMACY WITH THE LORD.

Our Daily Bread ~
JESUS IS LORD !!!

Soldiers For Christ ~~~

READ/ 2 Timothy 2:1-4

TODAY'S passage is from Paul's letter to Timothy. The apostle encourages the young man--and, by extension, every believer--to face difficulty as a good soldier. The military term "soldier" implies that we are in a battle. And in fact, the combat started before Adam and Eve's lifetime.

We see the first evidence when Almighty God, who had created all the celestial beings, nevertheless allowed Satan and other angels (thereafter known as "demons") to rebel against Him. They established their own kingdom and waged war with the Lord.

Later we see this strife extend to all humankind. In the Garden of Eden, Satan tempted Eve to violate God's command by eating forbidden fruit. Her disobedience corrupted mankind's innocence, and ever since, all human beings have been born with a nature bent away from the Lord--and with a profound need for a Savior.

Tempted by Satan in the wildrness, Jesus modeled how to be victorious in spiritual conflict: by means of Scripture. God's Word give us everything we need to win--from offensive and defensive weapons (Eph. 6:10-17) to the proper perspective on our adversaries' real identity: "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the...spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (v.12).

EARLY LIGHT/ When we see ungodliness in our society, the Enemy may at times seem to be winning. Yet we who are saved have assurance that we belong to Him who is greater--and who will have the final victory (1 John 4:4; John 16:33). View daily battles Biblically and look to God, who is mightier than all evil. --

Pastor Charles Stanley
In Touch
Blessings, Abishag/ JESUS IS LORD!

MAKE WAY --

Isaiah 40:3-5
_____
Prepare the way
of the LORD; make
straight in the desert
a highway for our
God.--Isaiah 40:3

DWIGHT D. Eisenhower was known for his courageous leadership during World War II. His battle-testsed skill equipped the troops to reclaim Europe. Soon after returning to the US as a hero, he was elected president.

While in Europe, Eisenhower had experienced the danger and difficulty of navigating the twisting roads. So, for the sake of US national security, he commissioned a network of roads that became the nations's interstate highway system. Mountains were tunneled through and valleys were traversed by mammoth bridges.

In ancient times, conquering kings gained access to newly acquired territories through highways built for their troops. Isaiah had this in mind when he declared, "Make straight in the desert a highway for our God" (Isa. 40:3) And John the Baptist called people to repentance to "prepare the way" into their hearts for the arrival of King Jesus!

What needs to be done to allow Jesus unhindered access to your own heart? Are there rough places of bitterness that need the bulldozer of forgiveness? Are there valleys of complaining that need to be filled with contentment? We can't afford to neglect this spiritual engineering. Let's prepare the way for the King!

God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way;
He works in ways we cannot see,
He will make a way for me. <><
___________________________________
REPENTANCE CLEARS THE WAY FOR OUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE KING.

Our Daily Bread/JS
Blessings, Abishag

'Having a good conscience' -

"Keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile our good behavior in Christ will be put to shame." 1 Peter 3:16

~~WHAT is conscience? God has put within each one of us something that cries aloud against us, whenever we do that which we know to be wrong. Conscience is the detective that watches the direction of our steps and decries every conscious transgression. Conscience is a vigilant eye before which each imagination, thought, and act, is held up for either censure or approval.

I believe there is no greater argument for the existence of God in the world today than conscience. There is no greater proof of the existence of a moral law and Lawgiver in the universe than this little light of the soul.

It is God's voice to the inner man. Conscience is our wisest counselor and teacher, our most faithful and most patient friend.

Prayer For the Day:
'Thank You, Father, for my conscience which
checks me and guards my actions. Help me
to be alert to its promptings, through Your
Holy Spirt.'

Billy Graham/Evangelist
Blessings, Abishag/ JESUS IS LORD !

--WHAT YOU
CAN DO ~~

Ephesians 3:14-21
---
[I pray that] He
would grant you...
to be strengthened
with might through
His Spirit in the
inner man.
---Ephesians 3:16 -

ARE you getting what you want out of life? Or do you feel that the economy, your government, your circumstances, or other outside factors are robbing you of value and joy?

Recently, a polling agency asked 1,000 people what they most desired in their lives. One fascinating result was that 90 percent of Bible-believing Christians said that they wanted these outcomes; a close relationship with God, a clear purpose in life, a high degree of integrity, and a deep commitment to faith.

Notice that these heartfelt desires are all things we as individuals can do something about, with no outside human help. No government program will assist here, and tough economic times cannot steal these ideals. These life goals are achieved as we allow God's Word to rule in our hearts and as we receive the Spirit's strength to build up "the inner man" (Eph. 3:16), resulting in true joy.

It's tempting to put our quest for what we desire into the hands of others--to expect an outside entity to fulfill our desires. While we sometimes need help, and we cannot live in isolation, it's not outside sources that provide true happiness. That comes from within--from letting Christ be at home in our hearts (v.17).

Holy Spirit, all divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down every idol throne,
Reign supreme and reign alone. +
------------------
--IF A TROUBLED WORLD GETS YOU DOWN, LOOK UP TO JESUS!

Our Daily Bread
Blessings, as we celebrate the birth of our Risen Lord Jesus!

POWER TO
PERSEVERE

James 5:1-11
----
Indeed we count
them blessed who
endure...The Lord
is very compassionate
and merciful.
---James 5:11 -
~~~
THE challenges of life can tax us to the very end of our strength, and in such times it is easy to want to give up. But James offers followers of Christ another perspective. He says that while life is a battle, it is also a blessing: "Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful" (James 5:11).

In Job's example, we find encouragement and the power to persevere in life's darkest hours--power rooted in God, who is compassionate and merciful. Even when life is painful and hard, we can persevere because God is there. His mercy endures forever (Ps. 136).--

I searched with all my heart to know
If God was really there;
He graciously revealed Himself,
His mercy, love, and care. ---
------------------
GOD PROVIDES THE POWER WE NEED TO PERSEVERE. WE PRESS ON!

Our Daily Bread/bc
Blessings for a New Year, in Jesus! Abishag +

QUIET TIME
WITH GOD ~

Psalm 23
~~~
He makes me to
lie down in green
pastures; He leads
me beside the still
waters. --Psalm 23:2 -
-------

THE word 'connected' captures our contemporary experience of life. Many people rarely go anywhere without a cell phone, iPod, laptop, or pager. We have become accessible 24 hours a day. Some psychologists see this as an addiction. Yet a growing number of people are deliberately limiting their use of technology. Being a "techno" is their way of preserving times of quiet, while limiting the flow of information into their lives.

Many followers of Christ find that a daily time of Bible reading and prayer is essential. This "quiet time" is a disconection from external distractions in order to connect with God. The "green pastures" and "still waters" of Psalm 23:2 are more than an idyllic country scene. They speak of our communion with God whereby He restores our souls and leads us in His paths (v.3).

All of us can make time to meet with God, but do we? In Robert Foster's booklet "7 Minutes With God," he suggests a way to begin: Start with a brief prayer for guidance, then read the Bible for a few minutes, and close with a short time of prayer than includes adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication for others. It's vital to take time today to connect with the Lord, who is our life.

We need to set aside the time
To read God's Word and pray,
And listen for the Spirit's voice
To guide us in His way.
--------------------------------
TIME SPENT WITH GOD IS TIME WELL SPENT. ~

--THE RESCUE
BUSINESS

Romans 3:10-22
-----
There is joy in the
presence of the angels
of God over one
sinner who repents.
--Luke 15:10 ----
~~~~~
LIVING in Colorado, I climb mountains. On summer weekends, I see casual hikers who have no idea what they are doing. In sancals, shorts, and T-shirts, carrying a single container of water, they start up on a trail at mid-morning. They have no map, no compass, and no rain gear.

My neighbor, who volunteers for Alpine Rescue, has told me stories of tourists rescued from certain death after wandering off a trail. Regardless of the circumstances, Alpine Rescue always responds to a call for help. Not once have they lectured a hapless tourist, "Well, since you ignored the rules of the wilderness, you'll just have to bear the consequences." Their mission is rescue. They pursue every needy hiker, no matter how undeserving.

The message of the Bible is one of rescue. Paul points out that none of us "deserve" God's mercy and none of us can save ourselves. Like a stranded hiker, all we can do is call for help. Quoting the Psalmist, he says, "There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God" (Rom. 3:10-11; Ps. 14:1-3).

The good news of the Bible is that in spite of our state,God seeks after us and responds to every plea for help. You might say that God is in the rescue business. ~~

THINKING IT OVER ~~~
What keeps you from calling out to God for spiritual rescue? Your pride? Do you fear that you are too bad for God's grace? What does Romans 3:23-26 say?
----------------------
THE HEART OF REPENTANCE IS TURNING FROM SIN AND TOWARD GOD.

ODB/py
Jesus is waiting for YOU. Won't you invite Him into your heart today? The angels will rejoice!

--"Cast all your cares on Jesus,
because he cares about you."
---1 PETER 5:7 --

~~WORRY...makes you forget who's in charge. And when the focus is on yourself...--you worrry. You become anxious about many things. You worry that:

Your co-workers won't appreciate you.

Your leaders will overwork you.

Your superintendent won't understand you.

Your congregation won't support you.

With time your agenda becomes more important than God's. You're more concerned with presenting 'self' than pleasing Him. And you may even find yourself doubting God's judgment...

God has gifted you with talents. He has done the same to your neighbor. If you concern yourself with your neighbor's talents, you will neglect yours. But if you concern yourself with yours, you could inspire both.

~~~~He Still Moves Stones
By: Max Lucado
JESUS IS LORD! Tell somebody today. Tomorrow may be too late.

--WHAT DOES
IT TAKE?

Genesis 2:1-7
----
Six days you shall do
your work, and on
the seventh day you
shall rest.
---Exodus 23:12 -
~~~~~~
TODAY'S technology allows some people to work 24/7. We can bring our work home or take it on vacation. Work is ever-present with us--except when the electricity goes off.

An ice storm last winter covered several states in a thick glass-like glaze. Trees and branches fell, blocking roads and keeping people home. Power lines fell, leaving people in cold darkness, unable to do anything that required electricity.

Whenever something like this interrupts my life, I realize how important my work is to me. Without it, I feel unimportant and useless. But God doesn't want work to be that important to us, and we shouldn't need a power outage to get us to stop. In the Old Testament, God had a plan for getting His people to stop and pay attention to Him. It was called Sabbath. On the seventh day of the week, they were to stop their work (Ex. 23:12).

Although New Testament believers aren't required to keep this law, rest is still important. Practicing a day of rest can keep us from the faulty belief that our work is more important than God's.

What does it take to make you stop and pay attention to God

He gives me work that I may seek His rest,
He gives me strength to meet the hardest test;
And as I walk in providential grace,
I find that joy goes with me, at God's pace. -

ODB/JAL
JESUS IS LORD! JESUS LOVES YOU!

OUR
DEMANDING
SCHEDULES ~ ~

Mark 1:32-39
~~~
The whole city was
gathered together at
the door. Then He
healed many.
---Mark 1:33-34 --------

IS your life too busy? Business deadlines, productivity quotas, and shuttling children to lessons and sporting events can really fill up your schedule. It's easy to think, 'If only I didn't have so many responsibilities, then I could walk in vital union with God.'

Yet C.S.Lewis wisely points out that no one was busier than Christ. "Our model is the Jesus...of the workshop, the roads, the crowds, the clamorous demands and surly oppositions, the lack of all peace and privacy, the interruptions. For this...is the Divine life operating under human conditions."

We read of Jesus in Capernaum: "They brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Then He healed many" (Mark 1:32-34). The next day Christ sought out a solitary place and prayed. There He received direction from His Father to pursue a demanding ministry in another place. Our Lord communed with His Father and depended on the Spirit to minister through Him.

Is your schedule demanding? Follow the example of Jesus and set aside a specific time for prayer. Then depend upon God's power to help you meet each day's demands.
-------
TO KEEP YOUR LIFE IN BALANCE, LEAN ON THE LORD.

ODB/DF

-THE GREAT
MIRACLE ~

Isaiah 6:1-8
---
He touched my
mouth with it, and
said:"Behold, this
has touched your lips;
your sin purged."
--Isaiah 6:7 --
~~~
Leonard Ravenhill (1907-1994), a British evangelist, once said, "The greatest miracle God can do today is take an unholy man out of an unholy world, make that man holy, then put him back into that unholy world and keep him holy in it." This seems to be what God did to Isaiah when He called him to speak to His people.

Around the time of the death of Uzziah, one of Judah's more successful kings, Isaiah had a vision of God. The prophet saw Him as the true King of the universe, sitting on a lofty throne. In the vision, Isaiah saw seraphim worshiping God with a hymn that praised His holiness, majesty, and glory.

Isaiah's vision of God led to a true vision of himself as unholy and broken before God. "Woe is me, for I am undone!" Isaiah said (6:5). This recognition of sin led him to receive God's cleansing grace (v.7). Newly cleansed, Isaiah was commissioned to spread God's message (v.9). The Lord sent Isaiah into an unholy world, not only to live a holy life but also to tell an unholy people about a holy God.

The Lord wants to show Himself to us, thus giving us a truer vision of ourselves, a deeper need for His grace, and a greater commitment to live and speak for Him.

What a miracle! -
-------
Amid the darkness of sin,
the light of God's grace shines brightest.

ODB/MW

ANGEL AT WORK
-- --

THE British express train raced through the night, its powerful headlight piercing the darkness. Queen Victoria was a passenger on the train.

Suddenly the engineer saw a startling sight. Revealed in the beam of the engine's light was a strange figure in a black cloak standing in the middle of the tracks and waving its arms. The engineer grabbed for the brake and brought the train to a grinding halt.

He and his fellow trainmen clambered down to see what had stopped them. But they could find no trace of the strange figure. On a hunch the engineer walked a few yards further up the tracks. Suddenly he stopped and stared into the fog in horror. A bridge had been washed out in the middle and ahead of them it had toppled into a swollen stream. If the engineer had not heeded the ghostly figure, his train would have plummeted down into the stream.

While the bridge and tracks were being repaired, the crew made a more intensive search for the strange flagman. But not until they got to London did they solve the mystery.

At the base of the engine's head lamp the engineer discovered a huge dead moth. He looked at it a moment, then on impulse wet its wings and pasted it to the glass of the lamp.

Climbing back in to his cab, he switched on the light and saw the "flagman" in the beam, seconds before the train was due to reach the washed-out bridge. In the fog, it appeared to be a phantom figure, waving its arms.

When Queen Victoria was told of the strange happening she said, "I'm sure it was no accident. It was God's way of protecting us."

No, the figure the engineer saw in the headlight's beam was not an angel...and yet God, quite possibly through the ministry of His unseen angels, had placed the moth on the headlight lens exactly when and where it was needed.

Truly "He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11 NIV). ~~
~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~

-Staying Close
to the Almighty ~
--
READ/ Isaiah 41:10-14 -

As children of the Most High, we are called to walk with Him whether circumstances are delightful or difficult. Both can be challenging.

In times of relative ease, we may lose sight of how dependent we are on God. Of course, we still desperately need His direction and care, but pleasant "seasons" can cloud that reality and lull us into a self-sufficient mindset. To prevent this, we should discipline ourselves to fill our minds with God's Word, pray for direction, and listen for His answer.

Strenuous times, on the other hand, can draw us to our Creator for sustenance and help. With Christ by our side, we can walk fearlessly through any situation. As Jesus warned, hardship is inevitable (John 16:33). Yet we have a choice about how to respond. We can either let painful situations trigger increased dependence upon the Lord, or we can allow doubt, depression, and anger to fill us.

The Lord promises to give all that we need to endure difficulty well. Our responsibility is to stay by His side, follow where He leads, and obey even when we don't like or understand what is happening. Our goal should align with the apostle Paul's: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7).
---
Where are you today--in the midst of a trial or pleasant circumstances? Be aware of temptations like discouragement or apathy that could pull you away from a close walk with your heavenly Father. When you emerge from this period, will you be able to say with Paul that you finished well?
--
--In Touch

--FAULT LINE

Matthew 7:24-27
--
Whoever hears these
sayings of Mine, and
does them, I will
liken him to a wise
man who built his
house on the rock.
--Matthew 7:24 --
----
IN 1931, the city of Hayward, California, built its first permanent city hall building. Costing $100,000 at the time, the structure with its square Corinthian columns and Roman arch entry was considered a marvel. There was only one problem--it was built on the Hayward Fault and is gradually splitting in two, In 1989, an earthquake forced its closure, and it is now off limits to occupants.

Building on an unstable foundation is not wise. This is also true of our spiritual lives. Jesus taught His disciples this truth with an illustration: "Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built is house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall" (Matt. 7:26-27).

The shifting morals of our present world can be confusing. We may be tempted to let culture or the opinions of society be the foundation for the decisions we make. But obeying the unwavering truth of God's Word brings stability unavailable anywhere else. "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock" (v.24).
--
The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,
It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;
I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
For the Bible stands!
---
Build your life on the solid foundation--Jesus Christ.

ODB/DF

HEAT AND
HOLINESS

Isaiah 43:1-13
---
When you walk
through the fire,you
shall not be burned.
--Isaiah 43:2
~~~~~
'Why is it taking my hair so long to get dry?' I wondered. As usual, I was in a hurry, and I didn't want to go outside into the wintry weather with wet hair. Then I realized the problem. I had changed the setting on the hairdryer to "warm" instead of "hot" to accomodate my niece's preferences.

I often wish I could control the conditions of life as easily as I can change the setting on my hair dryer. I would choose a comfortable setting--not too hot, not to cold. I certainly wouldn't choose the heat of adversity or the fire of affliction. But in the spiritual realm, warm doesn't get the job done. We are called to holiness, and holiness often involves "heat."

To be holy means to be set apart for God--separated from anything unclean or impure. To refine and purify us, God sometimes uses the furnace of affliction. The prophet Isaiah said, "When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned" (Isa. 43:2); he didn't say if. And the apostle Peter said that we should not be surprised by trials (1 Peter 4:12).
--
None of us knows when we'll be called to walk through the fire or how hot the furnace will be. But we do know this: God's purpose for the flames is to purify us, not to destroy us.
----
The only way God hurries holiness is by turning up the heat.

ODB/JAL

--Matthew 16:26

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"-

Give Me Jesus / Sung By: Jeremy Camp

'Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus

You can have all this world,

'just give me Jesus!

-WHAT A GREAT
KINGDOM! ~~

Romans 14:13-19
---
For the kingdom of
God is not eating
and drinking, but
righteousness and
peace and joy in the
Holy Spirit.
--Romans 14:17 -
--
It is important to remember that God has placed us into the "kingdom of the Son" (Col. 1:13). Living in His kingdom means there are life-transforming behavior patterns that should clearly reflect our spiritual location. This is why Paul reminds us that God's kingdom is not about arguing and bickering over earthly stuff but about "righteousness and peace and joy" (Rom. 14:17).

Living by God's right standards, living to be a peacemaker, and living to be a source of joy in our relationships are what kingdom life is all about. And, when we live like this, our lives please God and bless others (v.18).

Sounds like the kind of kingdom anyone would love to live in!

The world gets a glimpse of God
When those who claim to be
The followers of Jesus Christ
Are living righteously. ~~
---
If you're part of the kingdom of God,
it will make a difference in how you live. ~

-Giving Jesus First Place
-PHILIPPIANS 2:9-11

When Christ has first place in our lives, we will experience many blessings. These include a . . .

Quiet spirit. As we turn our attention to the Lord and meditate on His Word, He "leads us beside quiet waters," where we find rest for our soul (Ps. 23:2). The Holy Spirit will help us shut out the "noise" of worldly distractions so He can provide assurance of our Father's love and support. With a quieted heart and mind, we will be able to discern what God is saying to us.

Stronger faith. Studying the Scriptures will enlarge our view of God and give us insight and direction. Reading how the Lord has helped others, we will gain confidence that He is at our side, enabling us to meet life's demands. Our faith will grow as we follow His direction and watch how He works on our behalf.

Purified heart. Like a mirror, the Bible reflects back to us who we truly are and reveals where we need to change. When we confess our sin, God promises to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Prepared mind. We don't know what's in our tomorrows, but God does. He wants to prepare us for the future—both the joyous times and the hard ones. Through the Holy Spirit's ministry, we will be equipped for whatever life brings (2 Peter 1:3).

Paul's life demonstrates what it means to give Jesus first place. Because the apostle made Christ the Lord of his life (Gal. 2:20), he knew joy amidst trials and received the strength to face turmoil and difficulty. These blessings will also be ours when we make relationship with Jesus our highest goal.

--In Touch

-God's Hand

Psalm 37:23-26
---
The LORD upholds
him with His hand.
--Psalm 37:24
---
Tough times can cause us to get our perspective turned around. I was reminded of this recently as I talked to a fellow-griever, another parent who, like Sue and me, lost a teenage daughter to death suddenly and without warning.

She told me she had been missing her daughter terribly. Then she felt as if God reminded her that His hand of protection was there to hold her up, that she could trust Him.

That's a better perspective, isn't it? This picture reminds us that when troubles come and we feel least able to hold on to our faith, it's not up to us. It's up to God to support us with His mighty hand.

Psalm 37:23-24 says: "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD...Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand." And Psalm 63:8 tells us: "My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me."

In tough times, we can become so preoccupied with our role in "clinging to God" that we forget about His promised protection. His loving hands will always sustain us. We can trust in Him.
---
No one is more secure than the one who is held in God's hand.

ODB/DB

-WHEN GOD
CLEANS HOUSE

Jonah 1
---
Let all bitterness,
wrath, anger,clamor,
and evil speaking be
put away from you,
with all malice.
--Ephesians 4:31
---
God did some Fall house cleaning this week. He sent a mighty wind through our neighborhood that made the trees tremble and shake loose their dead branches. When it finished, I had a mess to clean up.

In my own life, God sometimes works in a similar way. He will allow stormy circumstances that shake loose the "lifeless branches" I've been refusing to release. Sometimes it's something that once was good, like an area of ministry, but is no longer bearing fruit. More often it's something that's not good, like a bad habit I've slid into or a stubborn attitude.

The Old Testament prophet Jonah discovered what can happen when one refuses to get rid of a stubborn attitude. His hatred for the Ninevites was stronger than his love for God, so God sent a great storm that landed Jonah in a giant fish (Jonah 1:4,17). God preserved the reluctant prophet in that unlikely place and gave him a second chance to obey (2:10;3:1-3).

The lifeless limbs in my yard caused me to think of attitudes that God expects me to dispose of. Paul's letter to the Ephesians lists some of them: bitterness, anger, and evil speech (4:31). When God shakes things up, we need to get rid of what He shakes loose.
---
Christ's cleansing power can remove
the most stubborn stain of sin.

ODB/JAL

-The Seeking Savior
-Revelation 3:14-22 (recommended reading)

The Christians at Laodicea were self-deceived, picturing themselves as rich and self-sufficient, when in reality, their spiritual blindness and self-righteousness had prevented them from seeing their true poverty. Though they had "closed a door" between themselves and Jesus, He never gave up on them. Can you relate to this idea of a loving Savior reaching out to you?

Stands at the door—Jesus takes the initiative. He's ready and willing to seek us, even when we've erected a barrier.

Knocks at the door—He tries to get our attention through a variety of means: circumstances, needs, pain, trials, conviction, sleeplessness, or His Word. Then He patiently waits for us to respond.

Invites us to open the door—Though Christ is omnipotent, He never pushes His way into a relationship with us. He lets us choose whether or not we will respond.

Enters through the door—If we open up to Him, He'll come into our lives. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we'll actually partake of Christ's divine nature and be transformed into His image.

Dines inside the door—Now that nothing stands between us and Jesus, we can begin to enjoy all the benefits of an intimate relationship with Him and be nourished by His Word.
-----
Where are you in this process? Have you built a barrier between yourself and the Lord? The Laodiceans show us how miserable and wretched we are when we try to keep Jesus at arm's length. Only when we let Him have unhindered access to our lives will we experience the joy of intimacy with Him.
-BEHOLD OUR GOD!

-The Great Commission
-By: Henry Morris, Ph.D.

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew 28:19)

These incomparable words were spoken by Christ on a mountain in Galilee (v. 16), sometime after His resurrection. He had already told His disciples while they were still gathered in the upper room: "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you" (John 20:21). Then the sense of His instruction on the mountain was: "As you go into the world, you are to make disciples in every nation."

What an amazing thing to ask of such a small, unpromising group of followers. Yet, soon afterward, on the Mount of Olives, He made this command an actual prophecy: "Ye shall be witnesses unto me . . . unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). This absurdly impossible prophecy seemingly could never be carried out by such a motley group, but somehow it has! There are today millions of followers of Christ, some in practically every nation on earth. The prophecy seemed humanly impossible, but the Holy Spirit of God came upon them in great power, and He has been with Christ's witnesses in every age since.

Not only the Spirit of God, but also the Father and the Son. New disciples were, in fact, to be identified as such by baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One name, yet three names! The three are each equally and fully God, and each is vitally involved in the redemption, guidance, and ultimate glorification of each believer. "For through (Christ) we both (that is, Jew and Gentile) have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Ephesians 2:18). Someday the Great Commission will have been completed, and all the disciples from every land and every age will assemble in praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the heavenly "city of the living God" (Hebrews 12:22). HMM

-HELP NEEDED!

Hebrerws 4:9-16
---
Let us therefore come
boldly to the throne
of grace, that we
may obtain mercy
and find grace to help
in time of need.
--Hebrews 4:16
---
During World War II, the British Isles respresented the last line of resistance against the sweep of Nazi oppression in Europe. Under relentless attack and in danger of collapse, however, Britain lacked the resources to see the conflict through to victory. For that reason, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill went on BBC radio and appealed to the world: "Give us the tools, and we will finish the job." He knew that without help from the outside, they could not endure the assault they were facing.

Life is like that. Often, we are inadequate for the troubles life throws at us, and we need help from outside of ourselves. As members of the body of Christ, that help can come at times from our Christian brothers and sisters (Rom. 12:10-13)--and that is a wonderful thing. Untimately, however, we seek help from our heavenly Father. The good and great news is that our God has invitied us to come confidently before him: "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:16).

At such times our greatest resouce is prayer--for it brings us into the very presence of God. There we find, in His mercy and grace, the help we need.
---
Don't let prayer be your last recourse in time of need;
make it your first.

-ODB/BC

-Future Grace
Isaiah 11:1-16

"The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them."
--(Isaiah 11:6)

There is a fascinating video on YouTube of two young men who rescued a lion cub and raised it until it grew too big to keep. At that time they took it to Africa and released it into the wild, hoping it would survive. A couple of years later, they returned to Africa to see if they could find their lion friend and if so, would he recognize and accept them. To their great delight they were able to relocate that lion. He came running to them, just as playfully as he did when he was a cub. What a joyful reunion!

I was struck with the divine message that the video brought to mind. A brief glimpse of future grace was revealed in nature. One day, as Isaiah says, the lion will lie down with the lamb and the King of Kings will rule over all. Animosity at all levels will be no more. All "wildness" will be tamed.

Nature provides glimpses of the Gospel, sky and tree and rock testifying to His greatness. These revelations do not replace Scripture but provide beautiful illustrations of Bible truth.
---
There is a future that the hearts of all mankind long for; the Kingdom of God in its fullness!

(I did find several versions of the YouTube mentoned above. This one is by far the best. You don't need the music, yet it brings a special joy in your heart, as you watch and listen. I replayed 3:00 +, several times!) ENJOY!

-HERE AM I

-1 John 3:16-23
---
Open your mouth,
judge righteously, and
plead the cause of
the poor and needy.
--Proverbs 31:9
----
IN the courtroom while waiting for his case to come before the judge, Gary heard story after sad story of people who were losing their homes. Many went through the procedure as if it were familiar to them. But one woman named Leslie seemed bewildered. Gary sensed that she didn't know what to do or where to turn.

He tried to silence the quiet voice inside him that was urging him to help, but he couldn't. He thought of many reasons not to get involved. First, engaging strangers in conversation is not one of his strengths; second, he was afraid of being misunderstood. But he thought that the prompting was from God, and he didn't want to risk being disobedient.

When Gary saw Leslie leaving the courthouse, he said to her,"I heard your testimony inside the courtroom, and I believe God wants me to help you." At first Leslie was suspicious, but Gary assured her of his sincerity. He made some phone calls and got her connected with people in a local church who provided the help she needed to keep her house.

God has called us to active duty (1 John 3:18). When we sense His prompting to help someone, we should be willing to say, "I believe God wants me to help you."

God calls into action today
All those who are children of light;
Whatever our hand finds to do,
Let's do it with all of our might.
---
-We are at our best when we are serving others.

--ODB/JAL

-Abiding in the Vine

-BIBLE MEDITATION:
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing." John 15:4-5

-DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
You'll never see a fruit factory. Now, you'll see factories for making clothing, cars, and computers, but not a fruit factory. Instead fruit is grown in an orchard. It is dependent upon life.

There is no fruit without life. The only way that fruit is going to ripen and grow is in the right climate and with the right nutrients. Just like we can't grow bananas in Alaska, we can't grow and produce the fruit of the Spirit unless we're in the place where the Spirit can produce His fruit in us. And that place is walking and abiding in the Spirit.

-ACTION POINT:
Read Galatians 5:22-25 today and ask God to help you abide in the Spirit to produce the fruit He desires in your life.

--Adrian Rogers

-AVAILABLE
NOW! ~

Psalm 119:89-96
---
I will never forget
Your precepts, for
by them You have
given me life.
--Psalm 119:93
---
The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in the late 1940s, contain the oldest known copies of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament). For decades, the scrolls have been carefully guarded and their use often restricted to a small group of scholars. In an effort to preserve the ancient fragments while broadening access to them, the Israel Antiquities Authority, in partnershp with Google, is making high-resolution images of the 2,000-year-old scrolls available to everyone online.

That's good news for scholars and curious students alike. It's also a reminder of the great treasure we currently possess in the Bible itself. Throughout Psalm 119, the writer celebrates the eternal nature and life changing wisdom of God's Word. At the heart of today's passage, the writer declares "I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life" (v.93).

Many of us have had a Bible almost all our lives, yet how much time do we spend in reading and studying it? How deeply do we think about the meaning of familiar passages? Why not make Bible reading a priority each day? Ask God to guide, teach, and strengthen you through His written Word. This amazing resource is accessible to all and availabe now.

Thank You, Lord, for the Bible, Your Word to us.
Give us wisdom as we read and study it.
Make us sensitive to Your voice
and give us hearts to obey. Amen.
----
-God speaks through His Word--take time to listen.

--ODB/DM

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus..."
---Romans 3:23-24

A man and his wife were getting ready to go out for dinner one evening, when the husband called down the stairs and asked, “Honey, is this shirt too dirty to wear?” Immediately, the wife snapped back and said, “Yes!” So he put the shirt away and found another one in his closet.

After he had gotten ready, he came down the stairs and asked his wife, “How did you know the shirt was too dirty? You didn’t even look at it.” She peered up over her reading glasses, smirked, and said, “If you had to ask, it was too dirty!”

The Scriptures tell us that apart from Christ, our very best behavior on the best day of our life is nothing more than filthy rags in the eyes of God (Isaiah 64:6). And because of that, if we even have to ask if we’ve been good enough to merit eternal life, the answer is a resounding “No.”

There’s no way for your good works to save you. But the work of Jesus Christ, the perfect God-man who died for you and rose again, has the power to save if you’ll trust in Him. In Christ, you’re free from the burden of doing your best to get saved. Rest in that truth today!

-REST IN THE TRUTH THAT YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING TO EARN GOD’S GRACE. YOU CAN ONLY TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST!

-The Judgment
-Read | 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 (Recommended Reading)
-----
Every Christian is answerable to Jesus for how he or she lived life. We will not stand before the Great White Throne of Revelation 20:11--that is where unbelievers will be judged. Instead, we will go before Christ's judgment seat and give an account of ourselves.

Perhaps this seems like a contradiction: Believers will not be judged but will stand before Christ's judgment seat. The Greek word that 2 Corinthians uses for "judgment seat" is bema, which means a place of accountability. So those who believe in the Savior will not be condemned to death but will live and be accountable to Him.

Do not confuse accountability with giving a defense. We won't defend our worthless actions--those things we said and did that brought no honor to the Lord or shamed His name. God likens our selfish works to wood, hay, and stubble, which are items fit only for the fire (1 Cor. 3:13). The valuable thoughts, words, and deeds that serve the Lord are exchanged for rewards in heaven.

What we'll be judged on is the quality of our work. God has given every believer an individual purpose, along with the personality, talents, and spiritual gifts needed to fulfill it. The question that will be answered at Christ's judgment seat is, Did I live out my purpose to honor and glorify God? Am I sharing Christ and Him crucified, with the world? Am I telling others that Jesus is alive today, sitting at the right hand of the Father, interceeding for us?

Standing before Christ's judgment seat is something to look forward to. We need not fear, since we are beloved co-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17, 34). Because of His sacrifice, we have a right to the treasures of heaven. He is eager to bestow them as a reward for faithfulness and obedience.
-----
Now what will we do with those rewards or treasures we earn while here on earth? We will cast them back at the Savior, and cry, "Holy Holy Holy, is the Lord God Almighty. All things belong to You, Most Holy Savior."~~~~

--The House of the Lord

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple." (Psalm 27:4)

The theme of the house of God is prominent in the book of Psalms. The phrase "the house of the LORD" occurs seven times, plus once each for "the LORD's house" and "the house of the LORD our God." There are three references to "the house of God," one to "the house of my God," and one to "the house of our God." Then, "thy house" is mentioned eleven times, making a total of at least 25 explicit references to the house of the Lord in the book of Psalms alone.

Many of these passages refer, of course, to the actual temple in Jerusalem. On the other hand, since it was in the temple's holy place that the Shekinah glory dwelled and where the high priest met once each year with God on behalf of the people, there naturally follows a personal metaphorical application with the house of the Lord referring to the spiritual presence of the Lord in the life of each believer.

In our text, the psalmist expresses as his highest desire that of continually dwelling in God's presence all the days of his life. A number of the other references express the same holy desire, and the New Testament response is that, indeed, "ye are the temple of God, and . . . the Spirit of God dwelleth in you" (1 Corinthians 3:16).

It is wonderful to "dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life," but that is not all we can look forward to. The glorious concluding assurance of the 23rd Psalm is even greater.

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever" (Psalm 23:6).
-ICR/HMM

-BEING SENSITIVE
TO HIS VOICE ~

-Psalm 40:1-10
---
-Sacrifice and offering
You did not desire;
my ears You have opened.
Burnt offering and sin
offering You did not
require. --Psalm 40:6
-----
Recently I was having trouble with my ears and decided to try a somewhat controversial treatment. It was supposed to melt the wax in my ears and clear out any impediments that might get in the way of the ability to hear. I have to admit that it sounded like a strange experience. But I was desperate to be able to hear clearly, so I was willing to give it a try.

As important as good hearing is in life, it is even more important in our walk with God. In Psalm 40:6, David declared, "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire..(see text). The word opened in this verse can be translated "cleared out," and it speaks of what God desires for us. He wants our ears to be open and ready to hear Him as He speaks to us through His Word. Sometimes, however, our spiritual ears may be blocked by the background noise of the surrounding culture or the siren songs of temptation and sin.

May we instead turn our hearts to the Lord in full devotion, keeping our ears open to Him so that we will be sensitive to His voice. As He speaks, He will put His Word in our hearts, and we will learn from Him to delight in His will (v.8).
----
-God speaks through His Word
to those who listen with their heart.
--ODB/BC

--Being Saved

-What does it mean to be saved? I think the best answer to that question is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Who’d watch someone they love step toward a pit and not stop them before they plunged into darkness? God loves you so much, he wants to save you—from the world, from Satan, from yourself! But the debt is too big to pay on your own! So Jesus did all the work two thousand years ago on a cross!

So, what’s next? Believe! Believe that Jesus died for you and me. Our sin bill—paid in full! You are set free—to enjoy life eternal with your Savior himself!

Jesus said, "Why do you call me Lord, and do not do the things I say?" If we are true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will bear 'fruit' for His kingdom. We will speak truth, and point others to Christ. So how do we do that?
Jesus said, "Search the scriptures for in them you will find true life, it is they that testify of Me." Get in the Bible! As you read it, Jesus speaks to you, and then as you pray, 'you speak to Him."

-From: Max on Life

--Victory Comes in 'Cans' -
-1 Samuel 17:32-50
---
"I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength."
--Philippians 4:13)
---
-Goliath, champion of the Philistines, taunted Saul and his army morning and evening for 40 days. "Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects" (1 Samuel 17:8-9), he declared. The response of Saul and each of the Israelites--including David's three oldest brothers--was "I can't!" How right they were! Young David's response was, "I can!" because in his simple faith he knew that the God who had enabled him to defend his father's sheep from a lion and a bear was well able to give victory over Goliath.

Taking on the giants in our lives requires more than just "can-do" positive thinking. Our trust is in the One who has chosen us to be His hands to do the deed. Our trust is in a Savior who conquered Satan and death. David fired the stone from his sling knowing God had prepared him for that moment. Each of us stands with the God of all Creation who can and will accomplish all His holy will, sometimes even using us as His instruments to do so.
---
-I know my LORD is able to carry me through. (Paul E. Paino, 1958)
--Haven Today

-FIRST THINGS
-FIRST ~~

-1 Chronicles 28:5-10
---
Know the God of
your father, and serve
Him with a loyal
heart and with a
willing mind.
--1 Chronicles 28:9
---
First things first, we say. And the first thing in all of life is to know God and enjoy Him. Acknowledging and knowing God helps us to become what we were meant to be. Here is King David's counsel to his son Solomon: "Know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind" (1 Chron. 28:9).

Remember, God can be known. He is a Person, not a logical or theological concept. He thinks, wills, enjoys, feels, loves, and desires as any person does. A. W.Tozer writes, "He is a person and can be known in increasing degrees of intimacy as we prepare our hearts for the wonder of it." Ah, there's the rub: We must "prepare our hearts."

The Lord is not playing hard to know; those who want to know Him can. He will not foist His love on us, but He does wait patiently, for He wants to be known by you. Knowing Him is the first thing in life.
----
--The thought of God staggers the mind
but to know Him satisfies the heart.

--ODB/DR

---How to Know the Will of God

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) =

-The key to knowing God’s will is willingness and determination to follow it before knowing it. “If any man will [literally ‘wills to’] do his will, he shall know” (John 7:17).

The best indicator as to whether one is really willing to follow God’s will, of course, is whether or not he is now following that part of His will which is already known, as revealed in His Word. This requires first knowing and believing, and then obeying the Word, especially those portions dealing with God’s general will for all Christians. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). Then, if one indeed is following the revealed will of God, he may ask in confidence (1 John 5:14-15) for the Lord to indicate His will in a specific matter on which there is no explicit biblical teaching (see also James 1:5-6).

God will then answer, though it may not be immediately. “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). It may not be in accordance with our preferences or personal judgment, but it will always be for the ultimate best. “For we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit . . . maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:26-28).

God will lead in two ways in the absence of specific Scripture guidance (which must always take precedence, of course). 'One is by providential circumstances, the other by inner witness of the Spirit, and these two must agree. '
Then, if all the terms have been met, one should proceed to follow God’s will as best he can, knowing that God will redirect him if he has made a mistake. God does want us to know His will, and He will “direct our paths.”

--ICR/HMM

--THE PATH OF WISDOM ~~~
--Psalm 38:1-15
-----
In You, O LORD, I
hope; You will hear,
O Lord my God.
--Psalm 38:15
----
-ALBERT EINSTEIN was heard to say, "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." Sadly, it does seem that far too often there is no limit to the foolishness we get ourselves into--or the damage we create by our foolishness and poor choices.

It was in such a season of regret that David poured out his struggle and complaint to God in Psalm 38. As he recounted his own failings, as well as the painful consequences he was enduring because of those failings, the shepherd-king made an insightful comment: "My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness"(v.5). Although the Psalmist does not give us the details of those choices or of his worsening wounds, one thing is clear--David recognized his own foolishness as their root cause.

The answer for such destructive foolishness is to embrace the wisdom of God. Proverbs 9:10 reminds us, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
Only by allowing God to transform us can we overcome the foolish decisions that cause so much trouble. With His loving guidance, we can follow the pathway of godly wisdom.
------
--GOD'S WISDOM IS GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HUMBLY ASK HIM FOR IT.~~

--ODB/BC

---EUREKA STONE ~~

-Matthew 13:44-50
------
The kingdom of
heaven is like
treasure hidden in a
field, which a man
found and hid.
---Matthew 13:44
-----
-IN 1867 on a farm in South Africa, 15-year-old Erasmus Jacobs saw a stone glistening in the sun. The rock was eventually reported to a neighbor, who wanted to buy it from the family. Not knowing its value, Erasmus' mother told the neighbor, "You can keep the stone, if you want it."

Eventually, a mineralogist determined the stone to be a 21.25 carat diamond and worth a great sum. It became known as the "Eureka Diamond." (The Greek word 'eureka' means "I found it!") Soon the fields near the Jacobs' farm soared in value. Underneath the land was one of the richest diamond deposits ever discovered.

Jesus said that the value of being part of God's kingdom is like treasure: "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field" (Matt. 13:44).

When we put our faith in Christ, a spiritual "eureka moment" arrives. God gives us forgiveness in His Son. It is the greatest treasure that could ever be found. Now all of life can begin to center on the value of becoming a joyous member of His eternal kingdom. It's our joy to share that valuable discovery with others.

How we need a keen awareness
Of the joys God wants to share!
Priceless treasures found in Jesus--
We are rich beyond compare!~~-
---------
-GOD'S KINGDOM IS A TREASURE MEANT TO BE SHARED.

--ODB/DDH

--SPIRITUAL
-PLAGIARISM~~

-John 1:1-18
-----
'The Word became
flesh and dwelt
among us, and we
beheld His glory.'
---John 1:14
----
-WHEN I teach English composition, I require students to write in class. I know that in-class writing is their own work, so in this way I become familiar with each student's writing voice and am able to detect if they "borrow" from another writer. Students are surprised to learn that their writing voice--which includes what they say as well as how they say it--is as distinctive as their speaking voice. Just as the words we speak come from our hearts, so do the words we write. They reveal who we are.

We become familiar with God's voice in much the same way. By reading what He has written, we learn who His is. Satan, however, tries to make himself sound like God (2 Cor. 11:14). By using God's words in a slightly altered fashion, he comes up with convincing arguments for things that are untrue.

For example, by convincing people to do things that simulate godliness, such as trusting in an outward regimen of self-discipline rather than Christ's death for salvation (Col. 2:23), Satan has led many astray.

God went to extremes to make sure we'd recognize His voice. He not only gave us His Word, He gave us the Word made flesh--Jesus (John 1:14)--so that we will not be easily deceived or misled.
----------
"Your Word is very pure;
therefore Your servant loves it." --Psalm 119:140

--ODB/JAL

--GOD, OUR DEFENDER~

-"He is my defender; I will not be defeated."
--PSALM 62:6

---HERE is a big question. What is God doing when you are in a bind? When the lifeboat springs a leak? When the rip cord snaps? When the last penny is gone before the last bill is paid?....

I know what we are doing. Nibbling on nails like corn on the cob. Pacing floors. Taking pills.....

But what does God do?...

He fights for us. He steps into the ring and points us to our corner and takes over. "Remain calm; the LORD will fight for you" (Exodus 14:14).

His job is to fight. Our job is to trust.
Just trust. Not direct. Or question....Our job is to pray and wait. Wait upon the Lord and He will direct your steps.

---When God Whispers Your Name/ML

--Genuine Repentance
--2 Corinthians 7:8-10= (recommended reading)

Because we desire to be more like Jesus, we make resolutions, ask Him to help us, and try to behave differently. Yet despite our best efforts to do things God's way, we slide back into old habits. Frustrated, we may ask Him, "Why can't I change?" The reason is, overcoming sinful attitudes and behaviors starts with genuine repentance, which has three aspects.

Conviction. The Holy Spirit will reveal the areas in which we've sinned and convict us of wrongdoing. Through Scripture, the Spirit shows us God's standard and what needs to change. Repentance begins with understanding where we have gone astray.

Contrition. The next step--grieving over our iniquity--is followed by confession to the Lord. Genuine sorrow arises from the knowledge that we've sinned against Him. In contrast, human unhappiness often comes from being caught misbehaving. Other times we are miserable because of where our choices led us, or feel shame that people know about our sin. True contrition is followed by humble confession.

Commitment to act. Real repentance is complete when we wholeheartedly pledge to turn from our old behavior and move toward righteous ways. God knows we won't live perfectly, but He looks for a surrendered heart that diligently seeks to obey Him.

Paul used strong language when telling us to turn from iniquity: "Put to death... whatever belongs to your earthly nature" (Col. 3:5 niv). What sin are you struggling to overcome? Have you genuinely repented, committing to turn from it permanently? Let the Holy Spirit empower you to change.
------------
-The Lord requires: (same text=verse 10) "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death."

-ALL THROUGH
THIS HOUR ~~~

-Psalm 25:1-11
----
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
-----
THE majestic chime of London's Great Clock of Westminster, commonly known as Big Ben, is familiar to many. In fact, some of us may have clocks in our homes that sound the same hourly chime. It is traditionally thought that the melody was taken from Handel's 'Messiah'. And the lyrics inscribed in the Big Ben clock room have a time significance:
All through this hour,
Lord, be my guide;
And by Thy power,
No foot shall slide.

These lyrics are a good reminder of our constant need for God's guidance. King David recognized that he needed guidance all through the day as he faced the challenges of life. In Psalm 25 he says: "Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day" (v.5). Wanting to be a teachable follower of God, David looked to his Redeemer for direction. His heart's desire was to wait on God with dependent faith throughout the entire day.

May this be our desire as well. Our requests for God's help often begin the day, but then distractions call pull our attention away from Him. Lord, remind us to pray: "All through this hour, Lord, be my guide."
-----------
-Let Christ be first in your thoughts in the morning, and last in your thoughts at night. ~~~

--ODB/DF/ MY REDEEMER LIVES!
<http://youtu.be/MD5ATCQUsSM>
-----------

--MADE FOR HEAVEN ~~

-"My Kingdom does not belong to this world."
--John 18:36

~~~Unhappiness on earth cultivates a hunger for Heaven. By gracing us with a deep dissatisfaction, God holds our attention. The only tragedy, then, is to be satisfied prematurely. To settle for earth. To be content in a strange land....

We are not happy here because we are not at home here. We are not happy here because we are not supposed to be happy here. We are "like foreigners and strangers in this world" (1 Peter 2:11)....

And you will never be completely happy on earth simply because you were not made for earth. Oh, you will have your moments of joy. You will catch glimpses of light. You will know moments or even days of peace. But they simply do not compare with the happiness that lies ahead. Earth is not our home. For the Christian, our Heavenly Jerusalem awaits us, when our Lord will come and take us Home with Him. ~~

--When God Whispers Your Name/ML= / THE LIGHT OF THE CITY!
<http://youtu.be/93ApTNr71lg>

--God's Standards

“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)-

It is remarkable how different are our human standards of value from those of God. But what should be the criteria by which men recognize hearts of lovingkindness, attitudes of justice, and characters of righteousness? These are the attributes of our Creator and Savior, and it is our achievements in these areas that determine our real standing, in the scales of eternity, before Him. Human wisdom, might, and riches easily generate pride, and pride is “the condemnation of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:6).

Thus the Scripture has to remind us “that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: . . . That no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Corinthians 1:26, 29). We should, indeed, desire wisdom, might, and riches, but not as measured by the world. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). “As poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things” (2 Corinthians 6:10). “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Let lovingkindness become the standard of true wisdom; justice, the measure of real power; and righteousness, our criterion of riches. All are found fully only in Jesus Christ.

If we must “glory” in something, let it be the Cross.
“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14).
-ICR/ HMM =/ I WILL GLORY IN THE CROSS!
<http://youtu.be/ZfVA4gKM30E>
------------

--How to Worship God Appropriately~~

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” --
---Exodus 20:4

-As we look at the commandments of God, many people think the one in today’s verse is the most irrelevant. Most Americans simply don’t struggle with the idea of fashioning a golden calf and falling down to worship it.

I heard about a fellow who was at church listening to a sermon on the Ten Commandments. After the service, he looked at his wife and said, “Well, at least I haven’t made any carved images!”

But I would submit to you today that most Americans are breaking the second commandment because there are so many false images of God in our culture. There’s a line of thought that God wants us to be nothing more than happy and healthy, so many worship that god. There’s also many who, under the guise of being family-focused, worship their children and put them before everything else in their lives. That’s a sin!

How you conceive of God matters. If He’s just one of the idols on your shelf that you pull down when you need it, then you’re violating this commandment because you’re worshiping a little 'god'. But if He is your all-consuming everything, then all the other aspects of your life are going to be submitted to Him first.

=WORSHIP GOD APPROPRIATELY BY MAKING HIM THE ALL-CONSUMING PRIORITY OVER EVERYTHING ELSE IN YOUR LIFE.= Days of Elijah/ Sung By: Judy Jacobs!WOW! /
<http://youtu.be/lTl5Z9OuVfA>
--------------

--Laboring Fervently
--in Prayer ~~

-Colossians 1:1-12; 4:12
------
For it pleased the
Father that in Him
all the fullness
should dwell.
-----
IN the apostle Paul's letter to the followers of Christ in Colosse, he assured them that he and his colleagues were praying always for them (Col. 1:3,9). In closing he mentioned Epaphras, a founder of the Colossian church, who is "always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God" (4:12).

Some people are given the high visibility task of preaching the Gospel in "the Big Tent", or "Large Arenas", but God has extended to us all the great privilege of kneeling "in the little tent", our prayer closet, and bring others before the throne of God.
---
-Prayer is not preparation for the work, it is the work.
---Oswald Chambers

--ODB/DM /Below is a Message by David Wilkerson on "Prayer"
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpaxuiDxQU8>

--THE FIRE WITHIN~~

-"Jesus began to explain everything that had been written about Himself in the Scriptures." (LUKE 24:27)~~
----
~~~WHEN [the disciples] saw who He was, He disappeared. They said to each other, 'It felt like a fire burning in us when Jesus talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us" (Luke 24:31-32).

Don't you love that verse? They knew they had been with Jesus because of the fire within them. God reveals his will by setting a torch to your soul. He gave Jeremiah a fire for hard hearts. He gave Nehemiah a fire for a forgotten city. He set Abraham on fire for a land he'd never seen. He set Isaiah on fire with a spiritual revelation he couldn't resist. Forty years of fruitless preaching didn't extinguish the fire of Noah....

Mark it down: Jesus comes to set you on fire! He walks as a torch from heart to heart, warming the cold and thawing the chilled and stirring the ashes...He comes to purge infection and illuminate your direction.
Jesus comes to set you free from sin, self, Satan and the world. Follow the fire within!

--Grace/ML- LIGHT THE FIRE AGAIN / BRIAN DOERKSEN +
<http://youtu.be/f9BNUpdMMjg>
-------------

--What God Requires~~

“And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

-This sounds simple enough, and the people of Israel readily agreed with Moses to do these things. Modern religious liberals cite such a lifestyle as all that is necessary to satisfy God. But the rub is this: Who dares claim to “walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD [his] God with all [his] heart?” Anyone who makes such a claim would be breaking God’s commandment against lying.

Solomon reached a conclusion of like kind: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Indeed so, but who can “keep his commandments”? “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10).

Another favorite verse of the liberals is Micah 6:8: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Yes, but the problem is that “there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” (Ecclesiastes 7:20).

There was One such man, of course! The Lord Jesus Christ “did no sin,” yet was willing to “bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness” (1 Peter 2:22-24). What we could never do, He has done for us. Now, through faith in the finished work of Christ, we have been set free from the bondage of sin and can indeed “have [our] fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Romans 6:22).
--ICR/ HMM -/ GIVE ME JESUS! -Jeremy Camp
<http://youtu.be/wS4JQi4dgvg>
-----------

--Jesus, the Bridge Spanning the Great Divide

--BIBLE MEDITATION:
“And that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Cross, having slain the enmity thereby.” Ephesians 2:16

-DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Up in heaven is the holy God.
Down below is the sinful man.
And sin is the dividing rod that separates.

Without God, man has an empty void in his life he knows he must fill, so man is constantly trying to reach God. But he keeps rebounding off the sin barrier.

Then God, moved in mercy by the pitiful plight of sinful man, said, “I will do something.”

God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to make a way. And upon the rough-hewn timbers of a Cross, Jesus gave His life so you and I could live forever and live forgiven. Jesus built a bridge between man and God. It’s a bridge man could never build. And a bridge that man can never take away.

God made a way that we couldn’t make . . . for me . . . and for you. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." There is no other way. No religions. It is a personal relationship with the living Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Jesus paid the 'sin-debt' that no man could ever pay. Won't you accept this 'free gift' from Him. He died so that you may live eternally with Him.

--ACTION POINT:
Since Jesus built a bridge of love for you to be reconciled to God, it’s your turn to build a bridge of love to someone who is lost and searching. Yes, if you are saved and 'born-again' as John 3:3 instructs, THEN it is your job to tell others of the saving love of Christ, and the Holy Spirit does the work of bringing them into His kingdom.

--Adrian Rogers=/ Holy Spirit Rain Down /Darlene Zschech
<http://youtu.be/d-SI_HRWooA>
-------

--Prayer Wrestling

“Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, for the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.” --Romans 15:30

-One of the things I’m trying to cure myself of is casual prayer, prayer that is not intense, prayer that costs little.

Do you know the Bible calls prayer “wrestling”? Paul said, “…that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me."

Have you ever thought of prayer as striving, as wrestling? If you really get into intercession, you’re going to find out that the devil will fight you and oppose you. Prayer is work. I’d rather preach for an hour than to pray for a half an hour, so far as the labor that it takes for genuine prayer.

Ask yourself: How much genuine agonizing do I do in prayer?

--Adrian Rogers =/ OPEN UP THE SKY! - Deluge~~
<http://youtu.be/Z9uTJAaXpT8>
------------

--ACCESS TO GOD~~

--'In a Time of Emergency'
--Daniel 6:1-23

-"Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published...Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before."
---Daniel 6:10

-A RECENT NEWS headline read, "America's Religious Past Fades in a Secular Age." You hardly need to read the actual article to know what it is about. I was saddened to learn that only one in five Americans today has any religious affiliation at all. That is a far cry from how our country first began.

But if you read through the Book of Daniel, you'll be struck by Daniel's commitment to prayer regardless of his circumstances in Babylonian captivity. We recall how evil men plotted to get King Darius to create an edict against any prayers offered to anyone other than him.
Daniel learned of this, yet went home and humbly got down on his knees for his regular habit in prayer, "just as he had done before." Clearly, it was a way of life for him, a pattern he practiced on a regular basis. Even with the uncertainty of what it might cost him, Daniel honored God in prayer.

Regardless of economic conditions and the world's issues, let's not let our prayer life "fade in this secular age."
The Lord hears our prayers!
----
-God is with us. As we commune with Him through prayer, we grow more willing to respond to His prompting in our lives.~~~

--Anchor / http://youtu.be/7YwT71HcWKQ

--Delight in the Law

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” (Psalm 1:2)

-Most Christians feel that God’s law is harsh and burdensome, and they rejoice that God’s grace has set them free from the law. The fact is, however, that the law should be a joy and delight to anyone who really loves the Lord. Even Paul, the great apostle of grace, said: “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man” (Romans 7:22). “The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12). David testified that “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting [or ‘restoring’] the soul” (Psalm 19:7).

The majestic 119th Psalm contains no less than 25 specific testimonies to the benefits of the law. For example: “Blessed [i.e., ‘happy’] are [those] who walk in the law of the LORD” (v. 1). “Great peace have they which love thy law” (v. 165). “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (v. 18). “Thy law is my delight” (v. 77).

That God’s law was not set aside when Christ came is evident from the first mention of the law in the New Testament: Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law. . . . Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18). That the law was not for Jews only is suggested in its first mention in the Old Testament: “One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you” (Exodus 12:49).

The law cannot save, of course: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). But “Christ . . . redeemed us from the curse of the law” (Galatians 3:13) when He died for our sins. His law (which now includes the entire Bible) is no more a burden but a delight—restoring the soul and bringing true success and great peace to those who love it.

--ICR/HMM =/ LET GOD ARISE! / Paul Wilbur~
<http://youtu.be/nWXSYjHEe6I?list=UUvVbLvn0UQ7belUB3wzYAeA>
--------

--IS IT NECESSARY TO READ THE OLD TESTAMENT TODAY?
--Since we are 'saved by grace through faith', can we just read the New Testament today?

--Written for Our Learning
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)

Let no modern Christian ever think that he can ignore the Old Testament and base all his faith and practice on just the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, as vital as they are. Even the apostle Paul, who wrote more of the New Testament than anyone else, depended heavily on the Old Testament Scriptures for his exposition of the New Testament doctrines he had received “by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12).

For example, in the longest and most doctrinal of all his epistles—that is, Romans—he actually quoted from the Old Testament no less than sixty times, even though the epistle had been specifically addressed to Gentiles (Romans 11:13).

In his letter to the Gentiles at Corinth, after an extensive discussion of the Old Testament account of the experience of the Israelites in the wilderness, he said: “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Corinthians 10:11).

In this passage, the word translated “examples” is the Greek tupos, from which we derive our word “types.” Thus the experiences of the Israelites were actually revealed by God to be “types” of Christ and our relation to Him. Therefore, in addition to the many explicit prophecies about Christ in the Old Testament, many other Scriptures can be profitably expounded as “types” of Christ. Indeed, in all the Old Testament Scriptures, as Christ Himself taught, are “things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).
--ICR/ HMM

--God’s Protection and Peace in Life’s Storms
--Read | John 14:27
-"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (NIV)

-Emotional storms within us can be as hard to handle as external physical ones. Grief, fear, and worry can cause us to be in great turmoil.

To see us through the rough times of life, God provides His protection and peace. But protection does not mean that troubles won’t occur. Jesus allowed the disciples to experience the fear and anxiety of being in a boat on a turbulent sea. He permitted them to suffer because He had something far more important in mind. He wanted to teach them to recognize their own helplessness, His sufficiency, and their need of Him.

The peace that God provides is not dependent upon the quieting of our circumstances or the removal of external pressures. Nor does it mean the absence of conflict. The promised peace comes in three ways. First, Jesus Himself becomes our peace. Through His death, He has reconciled us to the Father, and we are no longer His enemies (Rom. 5:1). In God, we can be at rest. Second, when in right relationship with the Father, we have the ability to live at peace with our fellow man (Eph. 2:14). Through God, we have the power to choose to forgive, to keep no record of wrongs, and to show love to people who oppose us. Third, the transforming work of the Holy Spirit enables us to experience an increasing sense of inner tranquility (Phil. 4:7).

-The heavenly Father will provide what we need spiritually to both endure and grow stronger in our Christian faith. What challenges do you face? Are you using what God has provided?<http://youtu.be/lBdU24XtHH8>
--IN TOUCH~~/Walk in the Light = Ted Pearce

---Change Your Focus and Relax

--Psalm 23:2 says, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; leads me beside the still waters.” Note the two pronouns preceding the two verbs. He makes me. . .He leads me. Who is the active one? Who is in charge? The Shepherd!

We see the waves of the water rather than the Savior walking through them. We focus on our paltry provisions rather than on the One who can feed five thousand hungry people. Change your focus—and relax! While you’re at it, change your schedule and rest! Life can get so loud we forget to shut it down.
When David says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures,” he is saying my shepherd makes me lie down in his finished work. His pasture is his gift to us. This is not the pasture you’ve made. It is a gift from God, and your Shepherd invites you there!
--The Traveling Light/ML~~

--Know What You Believe~

--1 Peter 3:13-16~~

--Firstly let's recall an earlier post, 'Jesus called Himself both Son of Man and Son of God.'
The first title emphasized His humanity; the second, His deity. He's the only person in history who was both God and man. Leaving Heaven, He laid aside His divine glory and took upon Himself the robe of humanness (Phil 2:6-7). ~~~

-----
--KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE~~
--1 Peter 3:13-16 (read)

--Though sharing our faith with others is important, doing so isn't always easy. Certain people claim what they believe makes no difference. Some go so far as to deny the existence of truth. Yet our belief system actually matters greatly, as it's the foundation for our character, conduct, and decisions.

For instance, a person who concludes there is no God and no eternity will live for the moment. On the other hand, someone who trust in God and His promise of Heaven will have a totally different lifestyle. Obedience, faith, and responsibility will characterize him as he lives to please his Heavenly Father.

Knowing what we believe is critical--first of all, because our salvation depends on it. In John 8:24, Jesus made a powerful and unequivocal statement about this subject:; "Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." The Bible is very clear that all people have sinned and in their natural state are separated from God (Romans 3:23). The punishment for sin is death, which is eternal separation from the Lord. But the Father, in His love and mercy, sent His own Son to die in our place. As a result, everyone who believes in Jesus is forgiven and receives His free gift of salvation.

Believers are to share the good news of salvation, but the world's hostility can make us afraid. Today's passage encourages us not to fear. Telling others about Jesus doesn't require lofty words or long quotations of memorized Scripture. Simply be ready with an answer if you're asked about "the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15).~~

--IN TOUCH ~~/ MAJESTY (Jesus is LOVE, our Sacrifice)-(Michael Janz)
<https://youtu.be/IcOLw3HA51Y>
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--JESUS IS LOOKING FOR FULL-TIME FOLLOWERS!

--'Whoever loses his
life for My sake will
find it."- (Matt. 16:25)
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-WHEN Elisha decided to follow the prophet Elijah, Elisha did something incredible that made it difficult, impossible really, for him to return to his prior occupation of farming. After going home and having a farewell banquet, Eisha "took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them" (1 Kings 19:21). Leaving his way of life, he burned up his plowing equipments. He roasted the freshly butchered meat over the blaze and fed everyone present. Then "[Elisha] arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant" (v.21).

Giving ourselves to God, who deserves our devotion, often comes with a price. At times, it means making difficult decisions about relationships, finances, and living arrangements. However, nothing compares with what we gain when we continue on with Christ. Jesus said, "Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matt. 16:25). ~~
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'Father, help me to see if there's something You want me to leave behind to follow You completely.'
--ODB/JBS
-UNBROKEN PRAISE (BE YOURS FOREVER) /Matt Redman <https://youtu.be/hpvJDyLI07M>

---OUR HELPER IN PRAYER ~~
--John 14:16-17 - (Please read)

--One of the most painful emotions is loneliness. Of course, there are times in life when being alone is unavoidable. But since God has sent His Spirit to live within us, we are never truly on our own. The Holy Spirit—whom Jesus referred to as our “Helper”—is with us and available every second of every day.

Let’s think about ways that the Spirit of God helps us in our prayer life. First, He burdens us to pray. Have you ever felt a strong sense that you needed to spend time with the Lord? Perhaps you weren’t even sure why. That is the Spirit convicting you. He has many reasons for doing this. For instance, He may know that you need strength because of an imminent difficulty. Or He sometimes encourages us to confess sin so that our fellowship with the Father is not hindered.

Second, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. There are times when we do not know how to pray—when sorrow or helplessness overwhelms us to the point that words are impossible to speak, even to the Lord. Thankfully, when all we can do is cry to Jesus, the Spirit will lead on our behalf. He understands the depth of our thoughts, feelings, and needs, and He translates them into effective supplication according to God’s will.

The Savior loves you intimately—enough to die in your place and send a Helper to reside within you. What a privilege to have God’s Spirit dwelling in your heart. Do you recognize His power and love throughout your day? He longs to comfort, enable, and guide you each and every moment. Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you always, even until the end of time." BELIEVE HIM!
--IN TOUCH~ // CREATION CALLS = BRIAN DOERKSEN
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=82&v=STYwXSKK4Xw>

--Responding to God's Holiness~~

--(Isaiah 6:1-8 / please read)
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-A STUNNING SUNSET, A RAINBOW, THE FIRST BLOOMS OF SPRING, LEAVES CHANGING COLORS IN FALL and many other displays of nature will elicit strong reactions. In a similar way, God's holiness is so magnificent that it causes people to respond in various ways.

Isaiah had a vision of the Lord's moral purity and holiness. When he saw God seated on a throne in all His glorious splendor, the prophet cried out, "Woe is me, for I am ruined!" (v.5). A glimpse of divine perfection caused Isaiah to recognize the depths of his own sinful condition and to acknowledge the holiness of God.

We are Christ's ambassadors to a hurting world, and we must always act with love toward others. But sometimes those who are not abiding in Christ will experience what I call "holy heat." People who have rejected Jesus may act as if we are trying to force them to believe in Him. And Christians living in rebellion toward God may become uncomfortable around those who abide in Jesus; they may even ignore the advice of believers who have loved and advised them for years.

God wants us to live out our faith in love, regardless of others' reactions. Has your faith permeated the many areas of your life? Allow the Holy Spirit to flow through you. He will draw others to Christ, as you continue in His love.
--IN TOUCH/~~
--OUR GREAT GOD / Fernando Ortego & Mac Powell
<https://youtu.be/jdtHwaNUZho>
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--WHO IS KEEPING YOU IN GOD'S HAND?

--BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.” -(Deuteronomy 7:9)

--DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
--When I talk about eternal security, inevitably I will hear, “Well, maybe your sins can’t take you out of the hand of God, but Satan can.”

In all due respect, I respond, “Pardon me. But that is foolishness. If Satan could take you out of the hand of God, why hasn’t he done it yet? Hasn’t he been nice to you? That would be a strange doctrine. You’re going to heaven by the grace of the devil!”

God saves us. God keeps us. What has been settled in eternity can never be undone by the ways of men or the schemes of the devil.

--ACTION POINT:
[Read Romans 8:38-39 today. These would be important verses for you to memorize.]
--Adrian Rogers~~
-"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels no demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39 NIV)~~ / In Christ Alone~Kristian Stanfill
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iGDaPQNGUQ>

--WHAT YOU WERE MADE TO DO~~

--Many people stop short of their destiny. They settle for someone else’s story. 'Grandpa was a butcher, Dad was a butcher, so I guess I’ll be a butcher. Everyone I know is in farming, so I guess I’m supposed to farm.' Consequently, they risk leading dull, joyless, and fruitless lives. They never sing the song God wrote for their voices. They never cross a finish line with heavenward-stretched arms and declare, I was made to do this! They fit in, settle in, and blend in. But they never find their call.

-Don’t make the same mistake. Ephesians 2:10 says: “It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.”
Your existence is not accidental. Your skills are not incidental. God shaped each person in turn!
--Glory Days/Max Lucado
['But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For He himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the Cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
"He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." (Ephesians 2:14-18)~~I See the Cross/ Brian Doerksen

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU1UF7MpK1k>

--JESUS THE BIBLE TEACHER ~~

“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.” (Luke 24:44-45)

--On the day of His resurrection, the Lord Jesus had given a wonderful session of Bible teaching to two of His followers on the road to Emmaus. “Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). Later that same evening, Jesus appeared to the eleven apostles and the other disciples, probably in the upper room, and gave a similar study to all of them together, as summarized in our text above.

We can learn much from our Master Teacher concerning how we also should teach the Bible, for it was He, through “the Spirit of Christ” (1 Peter 1:11), who in effect wrote the Bible in the first place. Note in both cases, for example, that the whole Bible speaks of Christ in prophecy, or type, or in other ways. Note also that He began with the writings of Moses, which means first of all the account of creation and primeval history that is the foundation of all the rest.

It is evident, too, that He regarded “all the scriptures” to be of divine authority, which “must be fulfilled,” either at His first coming or His second coming. He believed implicitly in plenary inspiration of the Bible, as well as the miracle of fulfilled prophecy.

Finally, even in the case of these closest followers, it was essential that the Holy Spirit “open . . . their understanding” if they were really to “understand the scriptures.” All who would hope to be teachers of the Word today should teach as He taught, for He is our teacher.
--ICR/HMM