Tag Archives: Lord Jesus

Expect

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Remember the delight associated with realizing you had entered and followed through with your first Divine Opportunity? Do you recall that awesome moment, when the blinds came off, the veil removed and you saw God’s guiding hand specifically intervening through your life.  Do you remember the end of your belief in coincidence, when God for whatever inestimable reason chose to act through you to assist in rectifying a dilemma for a total stranger?  That memory allowed you for the first time to feel true fulfillment in a world where we all pursue it from one angle or another.  Today, I was blessed to have one of those days, where a sequence of events, seemingly incongruous or unrelated led to a series of introductions, conversations, encouragement, prayers and intercession for which the outcomes will only be discernible in Heaven.  Remember my last entry and behold, Our God responds to prayer.  He directed me to the right people to use my specific gifts in a Godly manner to assist some people who had briefly forgotten encouragement, hope and real loving kindness.  God reminded me that I do know how to love like a Prince when I allow Him to guide my thoughts, heart and words.

What dreams do you dream?  Are they of escape, fantasizing of “coming out” from your humdrum/unbearable worldly existence or are your dreams filled with things which have not yet been seen?  Do you remain in memory of the momentary gratification of your sin or does God show you the things that happened and how He must transform you to free you from the pain of your history?  Do you ponder the accumulation of gold, prestige, position or power?  Are you haunted by the hunger for the gratification of all the temporary splendors of this world or are you enhanced by momentary views into eternity?  What is the desired outcome of your requests to God?  Do you offer prayer to Him at all?  Do you trust the Lord enough to express to Him the desires of your heart, which He already knows but is waiting for you to share in faithful petition?  Are you full of big dreams or do you fear and avoid them for the decisions and change they represent?  “Be of good courage and know that I am the Lord your God” said the Lord to Joshua.

Please expect God to show up because He always will and watch for Him with a keen eye and a willing, responsive Spirit.  That is the magic as an unbeliever shall never comprehend, that magical joy which reminds you of your relationship to the King of All Universes.  The joy which overcomes even the most gruesome, unbearable ugliness that this world may present.  For we must be prepared to exceed those trials we shall undertake and this success is accomplished through relationship.  Remember and savor each time that the Lord actively guides, direct, listens, intervenes and shapes our experiences and interactions, for this is the treasure of our lifetime, which shall surpass the veil of death.  Remember the moments spent on Kingdom work and the people as they first heard the Gospel, bask in their excitement, for these people are likely among the treasures you are storing up for yourself in heaven.  Put on the full armor of God, His faith, righteousness, truth, salvation, peace and Infinitely Sharp Word so that you never wander or forget His presence.  Live in joy now so that others may see and wonder how you got there.  Praise God for His faithfulness, even when my fails His shall remain.  Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Trust, hope and joy

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Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.  You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.  I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.  Psalm 4:6.5-8 NKJV

Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my meditation.  Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray.  My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.  Psalm 5:1-3

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy because You defend them, Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.  For You, O Lord, will will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround as with a shield.  Psalm 5:11-12

Where did we discover the great things in life?  When did we know, each of us the satisfaction of being safe, knowing favor or safety in the eyes of worthy protectors or for that matter did we understand hope?  What happened to the man which experienced none of these motivating, foundational principles?  How do young women mature without hope, never knowing security or faith?  How are relationships possible without trust?  We all know the answers and dread the truth of it, for life without hope, trust and safety is war.

Did your parents watch over you, keeping you safe and assuring you that nothing would get passed their loving arms of protection?  What made them wish to show you this thing, what gave them the overwhelming desire to place your welfare above their own, even in the midst of true danger?  Why have they worked so hard to earn your trust?  Why does it hurt you so that they have not?  Where is hope born?  How do you know that the sun will rise tomorrow?  How is certainty founded in a body that only believes in evolving man?  My questions all point to God, their is no escaping the logic, the reality, the knowledge of his existence.  Not because I want to convince you of something that I believe, rather I wish for you to challenge everything I proclaim, because I know, just as God’s Word states, that every man knows the truth of God.  The problem is that so many have forgotten, having been provoked by absent love and trust or holding their hands over their ears in denial hoping to forget the pain of guilt accompanying sin.  The price is heavy, having given up hope, or trust and life lived without safety is ill conceived.

Why then should I have hope in God?  What makes me believe, No, better Know that He will be there to fulfill each of His promises?  Why would I spend a lifetime in prayer and worship of a God that I am merely guessing will demonstrate His love for me when the opportunity presents itself?  The answer for those of narrow faith or maybe even if you are reading and you don’t know Jesus, is that, He has proven it to me time and again.  He has taught me to trust, He has given me hope, He has shown me the contentment of feeling completely safe in His protecting arms.  God is not the God of dreams and wishes, like some djinn, wooden shrine or dancing nymph.  He shows up, not only when you are in dire need, but also in the everyday, in the success, in the quiet or in the devastation of loss.  The difference between any “religious” or “spiritual” person and a Christian is that we have a relationship with Almighty God, not just a chant, a golden lantern or an oracle, we connect with God.  We don’t just repeat some mantra to the waiting air, in hope that someone is there or put our foreheads on the ground facing east to suit the mandates of a capricious and uninvolved sovereign, who has never shown himself.  We serve a God who stepped into humanity and humbled himself, sacrificed himself for our salvation and lives on in each believer’s heart as His sanctuary.  Name me any other god in man’s history who gave his own life for creation?

I have hope because God showed me that I had cause to hope in Him.  I have trust because God showed me I could trust Him and taught me how to trust others.  I am safe because He stood over me in my nightmare and watched over my sleep until once again I could stand.  Without these things life will never be complete.  That alone is reason enough to cry out to God at this very moment.  Try it, you will be surprised when He answers, that is the greatest of joys.  Praise God in Jesus’ Name.

The oil of gladness

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Let your heart be filled with overflowing joy, let fear dissolve, your countenance chastened and restored.  Have you had the grand opportunity to sit down and read the Word of God.  Not just studying it or using it as an attempt to secure some understanding, but honestly sitting down and relaxing into its grandeur.  For example, the book of Hebrews, such a short book it simply astounds.  I can read it over and over and be edified each time, delving into God’s love for Jesus and how that love became the greatest gift from a loving Father to all the Earth.  It is a Holy Spirit inspired road map of how God’s grace frees believers from the prisons of law, sin and death.  Hebrews is a reassuring manual on what to expect as a believer, resolving misunderstanding, building appropriate expectation and securing hope.  This book is the quintessential guide to Divine and Christian relationship, explaining the need and benefits of enduring relationship, even explaining the positive effects of chastisement and testing.

There is great joy of maintenance in the Word of God.  Just as in Hebrews, the other epistles provide sufficient detailed explanation on church life, family, kingdom works, reputation, gifts, healing, protection, preparedness and warnings against enemies, complacency and backsliding.  Reading them builds confidence, courage, faith, strength and thorough understanding and logical reliance upon the Truth of Christian Hope.  We are of the same family, sharing in the riches of righteousness and glory, not due to worldly qualifiers of fitness, survival or class but because we believed.  That is something which cannot be taken from us, even by death.  Did you hear that, even through death we cannot be stripped of our heritage, or lineage or kinship to Christ Jesus?  What a gift, but lest we fall prey to worldly weakness, remember to heed this word not just read it.  Obedience is love for God, verified in faith.

Be glad, be of good courage and know that the Lord is our God for now and forever, Amen.  Jesus, may I make full use of the gifts I have been given to Your greatest Glory.

Direction

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Sin is not my master.  I choose to give into its siren call, unwillingly or not it is my choice to take my eyes from Christ and pursue sensuality.  I must set my mind and my eyes upon the Lord Jesus, for as just in driving a car, your vehicle goes the direction you are looking.  I must not fix my eyes upon sin and give it leash to lead me from the path, this is the difficult tasking.  Without the Holy Spirit of God this task would be impossible, but thanks be to God He is in us to intervene on our behalf, keeping us from harm, guiding, changing, shaping and teaching us in the way we should go.  I must not make the mistake of believing that I am alone in this battle or that this task will simply be accomplished through my own dedicated efforts.  If I could have freed myself from sin then Christ ought never have died on my behalf.  This is the Lord’s work to which I have volunteered.  I must make a decision to pursue righteousness, then stand in good courage and the Lord will take up the fight for my sanctification.

Yes I sin and it turns my stomach that I have nothing in common with the character of Daniel or Joseph or Elijah.  I wish that I were a man of that manner of substance, but that does not mean because I am not equal to being a hero of the Bible that I am going to sit down on the battlefield.  For however insubstantial my purpose, I still am a tool and a servant of Almighty God.  Perhaps I was destined to bring water to a famished and failing hero in the battle or to encourage someone who is to do something mighty for the Kingdom.  I must not allow sin to dictate my feelings of inadequacy or to make me greedy for power so that I am displeased with the simple works that God has prepared for my duty.  It is God’s will that I not follow sin.  It is God’s will that I be ready to listen for His direction, in spreading the Gospel or laying the groundwork for the Holy Spirit.  I do not know what God has planned for me but I must say that am content just knowing that I am His.  I am also extremely happy to know that God is faithful to finish the work that He started in me.  That secure knowledge lets me overcome sin more often than not, because I reside on the promises of God to sanctify me by His hand.

I see my weakness.  I see the things yet to be changed.  I am aware of my humanity and I take it to God in prayer, hoping that this very day will be the one He chooses to remove my feet of clay.  Lord, I wish you would come today, but I know that you may need every moment of time remaining to complete the work in me.  So, I pray that you come soon Lord but I dedicate myself to your hand for the remainder of my earthly life and look forward to spending my heavenly life at your feet.  I am grateful for all you’ve done and continue to do.  Praise Jesus Christ the King.