What Faith!

Here we are faced with a seemingly impossible situation, living the life of a Christian. We prepare ourselves  heavily with our weapons. We surround ourselves with rules and regulations(Don't do this, don't do that), words of affirmation("I will not sin, I will not sin, I will not sin"), and in example, censoring our own usage of the internet with apps to block the more terrible websites. Things that we think will keep us from sinning. David even had another person heap a weight of armor onto his being thinking surely this unproven young man couldn't go into battle without it. They are the ones in our lives that try to make us doubt that the power and the Name of Jesus Christ can save such a weak one.  We know the battle is already won because he proclaimed it so. In Ephesians 6:10-18 it talks about our armor, the  armor of God. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, prayer and the word of God(Greek for "word" is rhema, that which is uttered or poured forth). We can hold the truth but not speak it, believe in what is right but not do it, desire peace but not accept it, keep our faith to ourselves, and our salvation for a future date, and only ask for temporal things. But we won't be able to stand when the enemy throws his javelin. If we stand there trusting in the heavy armor OR our shield of unbelief we will not stand.  David poured forth the name of the Lord fully assured of the salvation of his people by their God. Not in arrogance, but knowing his God. Believing his God. And throwing that stone in a victory already declared.

I Am Clay

I am clay
Perfectly molded for Thee
I am flint
Thou makest me strong to face the foe
I am light
Reflecting Thy glory
I am an instrument
Fitted for Thy hand
I am a stone
Perfectly placed to support Thine own
I am clay

The Beauty of the Assembly

The assembly of saints is not solely for us individually to receive, for the Lord said it is better to give than receive. And the sole purpose of assembling is not to worship God also. But the beauty of the assembly is the intertwining of the edification of all TO the Glory of God. When we are gathered together the members of the body are edified AND God is worshipped. For in the laying down of each self for the others, He is lifted up. Our human body parts are not for themselves but are for the benefit of the whole. When they all gloriously work together then it is the whole that is seen. We don't look at a person and say "there's John's ear, John's eyes, John's hands, John's feet, John's mouth etc. We would say "there is John". When we as a body are seen, the one seeing should be able to say "there is Christ".

 

Psalm 22:22, 25  35:18  40:9, 10  107:32  149:1,  Romans  chap 12, 1Corinthians chap 12 - chap 14,   Ephesians 5:18-21, Colossians 3:12-17

A Prayer

O Lord, if only the Jews would grasp for YOU and not just for an earthly piece of land! For "he that puts his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain" . O Lord, it is your Son Jesus Christ who is our promised reward along with a new heaven and new earth, one in which righteousness reigns. Your people struggle and war for something that is passing away. They are no different than the other men of this world grasping for control in Iraq, Ukraine, Nigeria, Syria, and the Palestinians whom they fight! Glorify your name in them and turn their eyes to You in whom they will find an end of all struggling.

Isaiah 49:9-11

On high He sets a table before me

A uniting to a life set free

 

A lamp sits there to give sight

An everlasting glorious light

 

An abundant ever flowing buffet

Will satisfy from day to day

 

Forever strolling by that mercy water

Step by step without a falter

 

A journey up a mountain side

That higher way is where He guides

 

Psalm 5:3

"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning

will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up."

The root word of  "morning" in Hebrew means to seek, enquire or look for. As the earth seeks or turns toward the sun which creates the morning, so should we turn our faces upward toward the Son who is seated in Heaven and put our trust in Him.

Psalm 19

There is no where hidden from Your sight. You may speak Your word, sometimes more, sometimes less, but there is never a time without You speaking O Lord....

...Thinking on  Alaska which in some parts of the state sometimes gets only one hour or less a day of sunlight. But the opposite part of the year it gets 23 plus hours of sun! There is never complete darkness, but various degrees of light.

Some Christians live in that one hour of light and some live in that 23 hour light.  But all experience that light.

House Finch

Beautiful, beautiful bird
Tell of the Savior's story
You do not sow but you reap from His hand
You do not keep a garden but you eat

Safe in the eye of God
Singing of wonderful things
Your given a voice to spread the news
Your notes tell of new life in Spring

Beautiful, beautiful bird
Show what God is to us
Ones who look for a mate
The other to feed and guard and keep safe

Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah

The Prodigal

On days like today, with many things of the natural distracting my attention from you, I see how forgiving and loving of a Father you are. I've wasted many a moment with other things and not sat at your feet. But when you come to mind again I realize what in what state I am. Nothing today has been satisfying  though I have "accomplished" much I am parched for you! O Father, receive me back into your presence! So that I may partake even of the scraps at your table. You not only gladly receive me but bestow on me a feast! You always are there with open arms to receive.

Arise and Shine!

What a beautiful day! The Lord woke me up this morning at just the right moment when I turned over in bed toward the window, the sun boldly rose up over the horizon. And when I opened the word a little later it opened to Isa.60. Not the usual reading for most on this day. For years I have been opposed to the untimely traditions of men and preached against the wrongness of them, but I have also been in the wrong. It is right to say that the church has strayed in regards to how they remember the resurrection, mixing with earthly things. But I have not helped in pointing our eyes to the One who arose. My focus has also been on these earthly things.... in opposition to them.​

In Isaiah 60  the Lord shows us that we will no longer be subject to earthly time. Not that the sun and moon will forever go away(Ps 89, 136), but that for us we will not need to be subject to its timing(v 19-20)(Rev 21:23, 22:5), their rising and setting, waxing and waning. The true Son is everlasting Light; there is no waxing and waning with Him.

His time is not April 20 or back in the month of March like last year's observance of the resurrection. He appointed a day almost two millennia ago, not making his purpose fit into our calendar but making a day to fulfil His purpose.

Basking in the Son today...

Lift me up to Thee!

Thou brought me up
From a place where things
Could never satisfy
Out from the desert
To a place
Where the waters
Never run dry

Lift me up to Thee!

Let us walk from a place
Where the sands blow around
Up to a place of fruitful ground
Out from the desert dry
Up to a garden on
A mountain high

Lift me up to Thee!

Soaring High

Ready to step off this earthly ground

Knowing that it is in Him I am found

Higher I go to a place I can't see

Closer I am hiding in Thee

 

My treasure place

My heavenly store

Lift me up and make me soar!

 

Wind beneath these arms of feathers

Draw me up from the earthly nether

Soaring high to heavenly realm

To rest with Thee at Thy helm

 

 

 

 

Fear not tomorrow, God is already there

 

Therefore with joy shall ye draw water

Therefore with joy shall ye draw water
Out of the wells of salvation.
And in that day shall ye say,
Praise the Lord.
(Repeat)

Call upon His name,
Declare His doings among the people,
Make mention that His name is exalted.
Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion:
For great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

*artwork by blog author

 

Trodding that Same Path

When any ounce of my being is lifted up
My Lord reminds me that it is with the meek with whom He will sup
When any praise swells my heart inside
My Lord reminds me that grace is given to the humble not the one with pride

My knees must be flexible and always ready to bend
As a sheep who is willing to let it’s Shepherd tend
Comfort comes from knowing that He with His staff and rod
Will lovingly train and conform me and lead me up the same Path He trod

The Killing Zone

From the comfort of my chair

 As I sit with little care

 A thought comes to mind

“How could I be so unkind?

 Forgetting those our brethren

 Also looking forward to the Kingdom of Heaven"

As I fall down to my knees

“Father, help them please.

 Endure the pain of torture

 To remember their Hope so sure

 And as men seek to take their life,

 Remind them that Jesus did not fight back in strife"

Prostrate on my face I now lie

“Make me worthy Lord also to die.

 To suffer for Thy name

 And bring thee glory not shame

 Just like those thy saints in the killing zone

 Patiently longing for their true home"

Radiant and Unashamed

We ponder on what the day of our departure holds
When this body gives up the spirit
Will we young, will we be old
Will there be pain in this body when it dies

Will it happen when we slumber
Never to be another earthly morning wake.
Will we never die an earthly death
But meet him in the clouds for all the world to see

Wherefore comfort one another with these words sons of God
When we see Him we will be like Him
Radiant and unashamed, beholding His face in righteousness
Awakened and satisfied with His likeness

The King looking back at us is just like we will be
Holy without a spot, wrinkle, or blemish
Not a somber moment but glorious it will be
Dressed in His finest, rejoicing with gladness
My beloved and His bride…

1 John 3:2, 1 John 2:28, Psalms 17:15, Psalms 34:5,
 Ephesians 5:27, Psalms 45:13-15, Isaiah 61:10,
 Rev 21:2, 1 Thess 4

Fullness of Life

Fountain of Life

   Flowing in my soul

Refreshing and abundantly bold

Spirit of Life
Abiding in me
Comforting and assuring that I am free

Word of Life
Dwelling in my heart
Guarding and guiding every part

Bread of Life
Through fire You would be
Broken and shared with me