This morning as I was reading the Word this scripture stood out:
I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that YOU will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Philemon verse 6
In the process of us sharing our faith our understanding of Jesus increases! I haven't studied this out, but I will take it for what it says. Our sharing the gospel has a two fold purpose. Others come to Salvation and our own faith grows! The Lord desperately desires that we walk in fullness! There are so many applications to this little nugget. Seeing and experiencing others come to Christ brings understanding to us as Believers.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Listening
"And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die." Exodus 20:19
We do not consciously disobey God, we simply do not heed Him. God has given us His commands; there they are, but we do not pay any attention to them, not because of wilful disobedience but because we do not love and respect Him. "If ye love Me, ye will keep My commandments." When once we realize that we have been "disrespecting" God all the time, we are covered with shame and humiliation because we have not heeded Him.
"Speak thou with us . . . but let not God speak with us." We show how little we love God by preferring to listen to His servants only. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we do not desire that God Himself should speak to us. Why are we so terrified lest God should speak to us? Because we know that if God does speak, either the thing must be done or we must tell God we will not obey Him. If it is only the servant's voice we hear, we feel it is not imperative, we can say, "Well, that is simply your own idea, though I don't deny it is probably God's truth."
Am I putting God in the humiliating position of having treated me as a child of His whilst all the time I have been ignoring Him? When I do hear Him, the humiliation I have put on Him comes back on me - "Lord, why was I so dull and so obstinate?" This is always the result when once we do hear God. The real delight of hearing Him is tempered with shame in having been so long in hearing Him.
Oswald Chambers
We do not consciously disobey God, we simply do not heed Him. God has given us His commands; there they are, but we do not pay any attention to them, not because of wilful disobedience but because we do not love and respect Him. "If ye love Me, ye will keep My commandments." When once we realize that we have been "disrespecting" God all the time, we are covered with shame and humiliation because we have not heeded Him.
"Speak thou with us . . . but let not God speak with us." We show how little we love God by preferring to listen to His servants only. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we do not desire that God Himself should speak to us. Why are we so terrified lest God should speak to us? Because we know that if God does speak, either the thing must be done or we must tell God we will not obey Him. If it is only the servant's voice we hear, we feel it is not imperative, we can say, "Well, that is simply your own idea, though I don't deny it is probably God's truth."
Am I putting God in the humiliating position of having treated me as a child of His whilst all the time I have been ignoring Him? When I do hear Him, the humiliation I have put on Him comes back on me - "Lord, why was I so dull and so obstinate?" This is always the result when once we do hear God. The real delight of hearing Him is tempered with shame in having been so long in hearing Him.
Oswald Chambers
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Surrender
"To be surrendered to God is of more value than our personal holiness. Concern over our personal holiness causes us to focus our eyes on ourselves, and we become overly concerned about the way we walk and talk and look, out of fear of offending God. ". . . but perfect love casts out fear . . ." once we are surrendered to God ( 1 John 4:18 )... Once we are totally surrendered to God, He will work through us all the time."
From Oswald Chambers
http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/my-utmost-for-his-highest/02/21/devotion.aspx?year=2008
From Oswald Chambers
http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/my-utmost-for-his-highest/02/21/devotion.aspx?year=2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
My Heart's Cry
As I was thinking about living a life that prays without ceasing, Steven Curtis Chapman's song This Is My Heart's Cry came to my mind. (The audio is a little fuzzy.)
Listen: http://home.cogeco.ca/~jonesie2/05.htm
Listen: http://home.cogeco.ca/~jonesie2/05.htm
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Praying At All Times
When I read the Apostle Paul's instruction in I Thes. 5:17 to pray without ceasing, I have no doubt that he could do it. But me? Yes, me and you and every single child of God can pray without ceasing when we choose to place our Heavenly Father at the very center of all we do, say, think, see and experience.
He hears our every word, knows our deepest thoughts, sees when we give a kind smile, knows when our heart sings because of His glorious creation, knows our weaknesses and strengths, understands our hearts desires-after all He places them there. There is not one little part of His precious child that is hidden from His sight. The good, the bad and the ugly-He knows AND He loves and desires a RELATIONSHIP in spite of it all.
Spending time with the Lord in prayer builds that relationship. First off, we need set aside time to read the Word, pray, meditate and just "be" in His presence. There is no right amount of time or perfect place or method. Talk to your Abba, your Father. Just speak and He will hear. Need help getting started-read King David's Psalms to the Lord. Then let your own words flow. Simple, plain words. Nothing fancy needed. Think of the way you love it when your little ones come climb up in your lap and tell you about their day. How you comfort them when they scrape their knees. How you encourage them to try the failed task again. How you praise the way they cleaned up the toys. The same with our Father and us. He desires to spend time with us to meet our every need according to His plan and purpose.
Having a sweet, simple relationship with an Awesome Mighty God leads us into worship and prayer. It is the natural overflow from the love of God. I believe it is the cornerstone for a power filled, satisfying prayer life and ever growing relationship with the Lord.
Okay, now back to the praying without ceasing. As our relationship grows, the Lord becomes more and more a part of every part of our lives. We begin to recognize Him in everything! He has been there all along, but we know Him better now. And our prayer comes without even thinking about it. We ask for healing when we see a car accident. We say "thanks" for a sale on children's shoes. We stop to smell the roses along the sidewalk and remember their Creator. We are no longer keeping God in the Sunday morning box. He is ever present now. Our joy, our thoughts, our dreams, our everything is prayer!
" In him we live and move and have our being" Acts 17:28
What an incredible place to be! No striving. No rules. If we fall, we dust off and get back up. He is patient as we build up our strength in Him.
He hears our every word, knows our deepest thoughts, sees when we give a kind smile, knows when our heart sings because of His glorious creation, knows our weaknesses and strengths, understands our hearts desires-after all He places them there. There is not one little part of His precious child that is hidden from His sight. The good, the bad and the ugly-He knows AND He loves and desires a RELATIONSHIP in spite of it all.
Spending time with the Lord in prayer builds that relationship. First off, we need set aside time to read the Word, pray, meditate and just "be" in His presence. There is no right amount of time or perfect place or method. Talk to your Abba, your Father. Just speak and He will hear. Need help getting started-read King David's Psalms to the Lord. Then let your own words flow. Simple, plain words. Nothing fancy needed. Think of the way you love it when your little ones come climb up in your lap and tell you about their day. How you comfort them when they scrape their knees. How you encourage them to try the failed task again. How you praise the way they cleaned up the toys. The same with our Father and us. He desires to spend time with us to meet our every need according to His plan and purpose.
Having a sweet, simple relationship with an Awesome Mighty God leads us into worship and prayer. It is the natural overflow from the love of God. I believe it is the cornerstone for a power filled, satisfying prayer life and ever growing relationship with the Lord.
Okay, now back to the praying without ceasing. As our relationship grows, the Lord becomes more and more a part of every part of our lives. We begin to recognize Him in everything! He has been there all along, but we know Him better now. And our prayer comes without even thinking about it. We ask for healing when we see a car accident. We say "thanks" for a sale on children's shoes. We stop to smell the roses along the sidewalk and remember their Creator. We are no longer keeping God in the Sunday morning box. He is ever present now. Our joy, our thoughts, our dreams, our everything is prayer!
" In him we live and move and have our being" Acts 17:28
What an incredible place to be! No striving. No rules. If we fall, we dust off and get back up. He is patient as we build up our strength in Him.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
My Glory Will Sing His Praise
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
(You have done this so...)
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever~
Psalms 30:11,12
This morning as I read this familiar scripture, it suddenly jumped out to me that the Lord has given me dancing and gladness for a purpose: That my glory may sing His praise and not be silent. How have I managed to read the Psalms many times and miss that?
Lord, I will sing your praise and not be silent. I will be clothed with the gladness that comes from walking as a child of God. Amen. So Be It.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Great Love
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
I John 3:1
I John 3:1
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