Month: November 2017

Matthew 6: 9”In this manner, therefore, pray:

‘Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.’”

With gratitude I greet You, Father God, for I am the work of Your hand and the breath of life I have, is because of Your choosing.  I am still very basic material as a person, and by Your intervention and glorious power, I can allow You to mould and change me, so that I more and more reflect Your God given characteristics; in my personal life and in how I interact with other people.  Praise Your glorious and holy name, for I am in great need of being refined in every Christian grace.  Isaiah 64: 8” But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand.”

As promised Jesus specifically sent the ‘Helper’ (another name for the Holy Spirit), to  be with every person, and draw them to Himself, so that where He is in heaven we could someday be, (Matt16: 7).  Matthew 16: 8 – 11 “and when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement; of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”  Satan, who at present has sway in the world, by perpetuating sin and death, received his death sentence, when Jesus died for our sins; and the death that attends all sin, because Jesus arose to life again.

It is so good to pray and uphold others who have faith in Christ Jesus, as well as those who have not yet accepted His all-encompassing love.  Colossians 1: 3 “We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.”  Then followed a very beautiful message to fellow believers, Colossians 1: 9 – 12 “…..we do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakes of the inheritance of the saints in the light.”  Here is a prayer that covers all our needs as a Christian, walking worthy of God, combined with how God will give abundantly of His treasures, to address our every spiritual need.  I am so encouraged, that God not only loves me beyond imagination, but is more than willing to change and mould me into the type of person, who He can use now in His service, and in that glorious day of redemption, welcome me into His heavenly home.

With the power of God in the life, we can claim right now, the promise of being delivered from the sentence for sin; which should be eternal death.  Colossians 1: 12, 13 “Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakes of the inheritance of the saints in the light.  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”   

Oh what joy can be ours in the here and now, whether we live a long life of service for our Master, or a shortened one, due to accident or illness?  Today I claim the words of 1 Corinthians 15; 55, 57 “’O death, where is your sting?  O Hades, where is Your victory?  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I love You Lord,

Amen

 

Dear God, as You know I have woken up feeling a bit ‘blue’, because I allowed myself to dwell on some neglect from someone close.  I missed the feeling of gratitude and joy that I usually feel on a Sabbath morning, when I give my first thoughts to You, in appreciation for a new day, and another day of life, with anticipation for the blessings that will come from special time devoted to the You.  After prayer asking for a change of thought, along with looking out on the beauty of nature, with some restful music playing on the DVD player, my thoughts lift to Your dwelling place, and now I can be in a position to reflect upon You and the scriptures.  I am so thankful to be lifted up out of the ‘doldrums’ of my own unprofitable thinking.  What a God of love and provision you really are!

I have noted that when we really love someone, we want to share ourselves, and good things with them.  When we love Jesus, we automatically come close to His Father, because they are so closely aligned in love and purpose.   John 14: 23, 24 “…….’If anyone loves Me. He will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.  He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.’” Amazingly we are invited to come into a close relationship with the ‘Twosome’ that is God the Father and God the Son, and then we will be in love with them (for we are already loved by Them) and be one in their purpose for us and how we act in the world, and eventually dwell with them, because we had become their spiritual children.

Jesus after His short life, taught and manifested divine love toward thousands of people, and then finished His rescue mission, by allowing Himself to be crucified in sacrifice for the sins of every human person.  Jesus always attempted to teach and prepare His followers and disciples, about the purpose for coming to earth, and the events that were to take place around His final earthly days.  When living on earth, Jesus had only been able to physically be with some of His disciples at a time, in one locale, but after His return to heaven, the Holy Spirit would come as a Helper, and He could be in all parts of the earth teaching, comforting and leading people to Jesus, the Saviour of the world.  John 14: 26, 27 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  Death could not contain the Son of God, and He arose as predicted after 3 days, and after a month or so returned to His Father and the angels in heaven!  Praise God the Holy Spirit is available to all who believe the words of Jesus, right now, at all times.

After Jesus returned to heaven, the disciples came together in unity, and in soul searching prayer, with repentance, putting away out of their hearts anything that was not of God, in preparation for the filling of the Holy Spirit.  When this occurred they were totally converted and in love with Jesus, to the point that they could not keep quiet about Him; whether it was in prison or any place they lived or visited.  Many of them wrote letters of encouragement and direction, which we today can read with benefit. Philippians 4: 4 – 7 “Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I will say rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men.  The Lord is at hand. 6  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” 

Father in heaven, I give thanks, that the Holy Spirit took me from a place of being down hearted, to rejoicing, able to receive the ‘peace of God, which surpasses all understanding’.  I pray that I will allow Jesus to guard my heart and mind, today and in the coming weeks.

Amen

It is as refreshing as rain upon our hard dry gravel packed ground, here in this portion of Western Australia, to come apart, read the Holy Scriptures, pray and receive the blessings within my heart, that come from God.  God is always attentive and available, ever knowing, not only how to fill my heart and mind with needed instruction, but comfort and joy as well.  When some passage is hard to understand, or I have missed the meaning, then I can claim Gods promise, for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and He will come and make it plain.  1 Corinthians 1: 3, 4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.”

In the book of James, the writer comes right out and tells the Christian, how to find Jesus and the way to live, for example, James 4: 12 “There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy.  Who are you to judge another?” Verses 14, 15 “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’”  Truly as human people how little we know about ourselves, others and how the future is going to pan out.  Instead of looking at what others are doing right or wrong, I need to be looking toward Jesus, and allowing Him to have my heart, to be changed and renewed.  Titus 2: 11- 13 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

No matter the circumstance, today I have the assurance from God, that He will always be there for me in the now and gives the hope for eternal life in the future.   When I accept His mighty love with gratitude, I can be truly thankful for His every mercy and provision.  Romans 8: 28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who live God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” V31 “What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?” V35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”

Dear God, I am so very grateful, that nothing can separate me from Your love.  Please keep me focused upon that today, lifting my thoughts away from myself, and my affliction.  I thank You for hearing and answering my prayer.

With love,

Amen

Heavenly Father, it gives me pleasure to greet You this beautiful day, upon which I come aside to rest from busyness, to worship and celebrate all Your creative works.  I am truly grateful for another day of life, and the opportunity to come to know You a little better and Your will for me. Please fill me with the Holy Spirit, as I contemplate, discuss and apply my chosen scripture verses, for this week.

Ecclesiastes can have some somewhat difficult passages, but the following give direction, Eccl. 1:12 “I, the Preacher, was king over Jerusalem.”  Here was a man whom had been singularly blessed, in talents, goods and wisdom, yet along the way got side tracked on ways that were not directed by his God, and in the end found in his excesses, and seeking of worldly knowledge and wisdom, absolutely no joy or satisfaction.  From the same experiences has come similar disillusionment for many people since that time.  Verse 14 “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.”  In much of Lamentations, the Preacher reports he tested every popular way to give life meaning, happiness and fulfillment, and did not find them there.  The writer who had previously loved God, and been abundantly blessed by Him, found apart from God, knowledge, power, prestige, wealth and ‘high living’, had not filled his deepest emotional needs.   But when all creative works and the living of life is seen in the way God has revealed, then everything takes on new meaning, causing that person, to eat of Gods bounty with thankfulness, be mindful of the needs of others, and with happiness and purpose, be able to reverence God and keep His commandments.  I can affirm that I also have found that God is faithful, loving and merciful; and l with all my heart seek to live out His will for me.  Having given my heart and life to God, out should go anything, no matter how ‘darling’, that hinders my relationship with Him.  2 Corinthians 6: 16 “And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?  For you are the temple of the living God.  As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.’”

Lamentations 3: 22, 23 “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed.  Because His compassions fail not.  23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”  Never a man spoke his words of praise to God, out of a more tragic, personally unfulfilling life within threatening circumstances.  Throughout, he was often lamenting the wickedness and non-repentance of the people, when he delivered the directions and severe rebukes from the Lord.  However during this time, Jeremiah triumphed in his faith in God, Verses 24 – 26 “’The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I hope in Him!’ 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him.  To the soul who seeks Him. 26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”  As I reflect upon these words, I wonder why at any time, I ever presume to be impatient or complain about any of my life circumstances.

My Saviour Jesus Christ, when on earth, had much harassment, trial, then persecution and death.  As His children, we have been promised, everlasting love and mercy, sufficient for the hardest times, and at the other end of the grave, the promise of eternal life.  Whilst on earth, Jesus spoke words, that when believed, were to comfort and prepare us for waiting and hard times; such as John 16: 33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  Luke 21: 26 “Men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” 

I thank Jesus, for all His words of comfort and warning, for example, Luke 21: 28 “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”  It is my conviction that no ‘darling indulgence’ or the following of the dictates of any person is worthwhile for me, if it means I reject Jesus or any of scripture.  One future day, I plan on hearing the words, Luke 22: 28, 29 “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me”

Thank You, dear Jesus.