Good morning, Lord. I am eager to get my day started. It is next to my last day of orientation this week. I have 3 days left next week before I am on the floor. I am thankful to You for this opportunity and am eager to begin.
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I received an email from Debra yesterday regarding healing. Healing begins even when we are still in our weakness. Thank You, Lord, for her and for her words of comfort. I realize that healing has begun and I have in faith that You will bring about good from all of this. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
The following comes from The Gift the New Testament for New Believers:
Trusting God to help you overcome your sins and shortcomings sounds so spiritual, doesn't it? Turning everything over to God, letting God handle your problems, giving your burdens to the Lord...Can't argue with the wisdom there.
But when it's just you and your bad temper, or your runaway sex drive, or your weakness for cherry cheesecake, where do you find the strength to say no?
You might not guess it to look at you, but you have available to you--right now--the same kind of power that God "demonstrated...in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead" (Ephesians 1:20). And as you begin facing even your toughest challenges with the weapons of prayer, Bible truth, worship, thanksgiving, accountability, and other specific strategies that you'll begin gaining through experience, you'll see sin's deception for what it is, you'll turn your back on habits that have had your number for yeas, and your heart for instant gratification will be changed into a heart that knows where its power lies.
Since old habits don't go away overnight and may continue to be a nagging source of frustration and (at times) failure for many years, where does the victory start coming in? it comes from not underestimating the struggle of Christian living--or the power that God has put in you.
"This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. (I pray) that the God f our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and a revelation in the knowledge of Him. (I pray) that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches o His inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength." Ephesians 1:15-19
Thank You, O Lord, and amen!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Humility
Thank You, Lord, for another beautiful day. Thank You for another safe night and for the awesome power of Your love and forgiveness. I am thankful to be alive and to have the opportunities presented to me.
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I miss TJ and my boys. I have felt lonely but not to the same degree as before. I know You are with me and I am comforted. I ask that You would help me to be patient and to live for You alone. Amen.
Today's passages are from Exodus 13:1-22 with the following prayer:
May I be strong and courageous and careful to obey Your word; may I not turn from it to the right or to the left, that I may act wisely wherever I go. (Joshua 1:7)
I ask You, Lord, for wisdom and for a greater skill in all areas of my life. My life is Yours, help me use my skills to glorify You, O Lord.
The following is from The Gift the New Testament for New Believers:
You wouldn't know him. He lived in a small town and preached in a small church, earning a salary so small that he had to take a job at a local clothing factory to provide for his wife and family. Even in stature he was small, not the kind of man who entered a room with an immediate presence. You could have passed him in the mall or waited behind him in line at the grocery store and not have paid him much attention.
But this man with the small life was a giant among men, backing up his Sunday morning words with a long, unassuming list of all week-long actions. Who knows how many times his neighbors had seen him at their door with a sackful of beans and tomatoes from his garden?-- or how many times an elderly widow had heard his mower starting up in her yard?--or how many strangers had literally received the shirt (and possibly even the coat) right off his back?
You wouldn't know. He'd never say.
It takes big people to be truly humble.
Humble people don't tend to attract a lot of attention--not because they feel inferior, but because they know the value of serving people where only God can see it. Want to feel good about your elf when you lie down at night? Think about others through the day.
"When it is in your power, don't withhold good from the one to whom it is due. Don't say to your neighbor, 'Go away! Come back later. I'll give it tomorrow'--when it is there with you. don't plan any harm against your neighbor, for he trusts you and lives near you. Don't accuse anyone without cause, when he has done you no harm. Don't envy a violent man or choose any of his ways; for the devious are detestable to the Lord, but He is a friend to the upright. The Lord's curse is on the household of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous; He mocks those who mock, but gives grace to the humble. The wise will inherit honor, but He holds up fools to dishonor.'" Proverbs 3:27-35
Help me Lord to be humble. Amen.
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I miss TJ and my boys. I have felt lonely but not to the same degree as before. I know You are with me and I am comforted. I ask that You would help me to be patient and to live for You alone. Amen.
Today's passages are from Exodus 13:1-22 with the following prayer:
May I be strong and courageous and careful to obey Your word; may I not turn from it to the right or to the left, that I may act wisely wherever I go. (Joshua 1:7)
I ask You, Lord, for wisdom and for a greater skill in all areas of my life. My life is Yours, help me use my skills to glorify You, O Lord.
The following is from The Gift the New Testament for New Believers:
You wouldn't know him. He lived in a small town and preached in a small church, earning a salary so small that he had to take a job at a local clothing factory to provide for his wife and family. Even in stature he was small, not the kind of man who entered a room with an immediate presence. You could have passed him in the mall or waited behind him in line at the grocery store and not have paid him much attention.
But this man with the small life was a giant among men, backing up his Sunday morning words with a long, unassuming list of all week-long actions. Who knows how many times his neighbors had seen him at their door with a sackful of beans and tomatoes from his garden?-- or how many times an elderly widow had heard his mower starting up in her yard?--or how many strangers had literally received the shirt (and possibly even the coat) right off his back?
You wouldn't know. He'd never say.
It takes big people to be truly humble.
Humble people don't tend to attract a lot of attention--not because they feel inferior, but because they know the value of serving people where only God can see it. Want to feel good about your elf when you lie down at night? Think about others through the day.
"When it is in your power, don't withhold good from the one to whom it is due. Don't say to your neighbor, 'Go away! Come back later. I'll give it tomorrow'--when it is there with you. don't plan any harm against your neighbor, for he trusts you and lives near you. Don't accuse anyone without cause, when he has done you no harm. Don't envy a violent man or choose any of his ways; for the devious are detestable to the Lord, but He is a friend to the upright. The Lord's curse is on the household of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous; He mocks those who mock, but gives grace to the humble. The wise will inherit honor, but He holds up fools to dishonor.'" Proverbs 3:27-35
Help me Lord to be humble. Amen.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Moving On
Good morning, Great and Merciful Lord. Thank You for another day, for a job, for warmth and for love... Thank You, Lord, for all things. I awakened this morning much earlier than I had hoped, but it's OK for You are with me.
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I am a bit nervous about this morning simply because it has been a while since I have worked. I am looking forward to it, but at the same time I am nervous. My prayers are that You, O Lord, be with me and help me to grow in godly character. Help me to be patient, kind, loving, forgiving, and merciful with all. Amen.
Today's message is from Exodus 11:1-12:51. The Israelites free from Egypt, amen. Thank You, Lord, for freedom. Help me to celebrate and live in a manner which is pleasing to You.
The NT reading is from Acts 14:1-20 with the following prayer:
"You, O Lord, desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of You more than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)... Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. (Matthew 5:7)"
The following comes from The Gift the New Testament for New Believers:
Life looks different through the eyes of eternity.
The game can be played without your son getting to start. The dirty laundry won't kill anyone if it's not cleaned until tomorrow. The meeting you're in charge of today won't affect the fate of the nations.
You can relax.
The bedrooms aren't in quite as big a rush to be painted. You can go to bed without having to read the newspaper. You can be thankful your old car is at least good transportation.
You can wait.
The hours you spend listening to the goofballs on radio call-in shows will seem a waste. The urgency of telling people about Jesus will burn in your spirit. The people you haven't told lately how much you love them will be the next phone call you make or the next letter you write.
You can act.
You can be holy. You can be pure. You can be real.
You can live. Oh, boy, how you can live!
They can make you breathe the air down here. They can make you drink the water. But they can't make your heart feel at home anymore. You belong somewhere else. If people say you've got your head in the clouds, tell them not to knock it till they've been there.
"... and that I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching it to you in public and from house to house. I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus, 'And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, bound in my spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there, except that in town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God's grace.'" Acts 20:22-24
"Our inheritance is as sure as morning. Why are we so reluctant to leave this dingy world? Things really are better further on." Calvin Miller
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I am a bit nervous about this morning simply because it has been a while since I have worked. I am looking forward to it, but at the same time I am nervous. My prayers are that You, O Lord, be with me and help me to grow in godly character. Help me to be patient, kind, loving, forgiving, and merciful with all. Amen.
Today's message is from Exodus 11:1-12:51. The Israelites free from Egypt, amen. Thank You, Lord, for freedom. Help me to celebrate and live in a manner which is pleasing to You.
The NT reading is from Acts 14:1-20 with the following prayer:
"You, O Lord, desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of You more than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)... Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. (Matthew 5:7)"
The following comes from The Gift the New Testament for New Believers:
Life looks different through the eyes of eternity.
The game can be played without your son getting to start. The dirty laundry won't kill anyone if it's not cleaned until tomorrow. The meeting you're in charge of today won't affect the fate of the nations.
You can relax.
The bedrooms aren't in quite as big a rush to be painted. You can go to bed without having to read the newspaper. You can be thankful your old car is at least good transportation.
You can wait.
The hours you spend listening to the goofballs on radio call-in shows will seem a waste. The urgency of telling people about Jesus will burn in your spirit. The people you haven't told lately how much you love them will be the next phone call you make or the next letter you write.
You can act.
You can be holy. You can be pure. You can be real.
You can live. Oh, boy, how you can live!
They can make you breathe the air down here. They can make you drink the water. But they can't make your heart feel at home anymore. You belong somewhere else. If people say you've got your head in the clouds, tell them not to knock it till they've been there.
"... and that I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching it to you in public and from house to house. I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus, 'And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, bound in my spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there, except that in town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God's grace.'" Acts 20:22-24
"Our inheritance is as sure as morning. Why are we so reluctant to leave this dingy world? Things really are better further on." Calvin Miller
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Thankfulness and Anticipation
Hello Lord. Here I am again. Words to a song, yes, I know. It was really great seeing TJ again yesterday. I wasn't expecting it, but it was nice. With just a look and a hug he can still make me feel all warm and toasty inside.
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He told me he misses me. I wasn't expecting that either. He hugged me and kissed me on the temple. It was a full, two-armed hug and it was great. It was delightful to be back in his arms again. Thank You, Lord, for all You have done and all You have given me. I have opportunities opening up for me which I don't know that I would have been courageous enough to pursue before. My life is changing for the better and I want to share it with him.
Today's Bible study was Exodus 10:1-29. The plague of locusts and of darkness. The things of the world like locusts trying to devour my soul, and the darkness... Oh, the darkness. The feeling of being smothered by blackness. Thank You, O Lord, for bringing me through it, for saving me out of it. Acts 13:13-29 was the NT reading with the following prayer.
"Have mercy on me, O god, have mercy on me, for in You my sou takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until destruction passes by. I cry out to You, O God Most High, to You who fulfill Your purpose for me. (Psalm 57:1-2)...O Lord God, O Holy One of Israel, in repentance and rest is our salvation; in quietness and trust is our strength. (Isaiah 30:15)
Thank You, O God, for sending Your son, Jesus, to be my Savior so that I might have eternal life with You.
The following comes from The Gift the New Testament for New Believers:
Through no fault of our own, really, we've become so acclimated to this earth that at times the thought of Christ's return makes us wish He's hold off for a while. We want to see our children marry. We want to take our grandkids out for pizza. We want to see our business flourish, get a home in the country, finally work our way up to a marathon, see the tulips bubs bloom out in the spring, enjoy the only life that we know.
If we only knew.
Christ's coming to earth will be more glorious than anything we've ever experienced--more thrilling than Game Seven of a World Series, more exhilarating than the chill of a mountain spring in summertime, more beautiful than your wife's eyes behind her wedding veil. We will see Him--yes, Him!--Jesus, the Lamb of God, the Lord of glory, the Lover of our souls--face to face, eye to eye, as though He's just been breathless for the day to come when he could hold us in His arms, wrap us in His love, and take us safely home to the glorious place He's made for us. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Jesus Christ is coming back to earth through a real sky on a real day to take real people to a real paradise. Wouldn't you really like to be here to see that? Just as surely as you believe He lay in a manger, He's going to peel back the sky and call us home.
"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord's coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel's voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
"Somewhere, somewhen, somehow, we who are worshiping God here will wake up to see Him as He is, face to face." John Bailie
The following passage caught my eye and spoke to me:
"Now we ask you, brothers, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we exhort you brothers: warn those who are lazy, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.
Rejoice always!
Pray constantly.
Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Don't stifle the Spirit.
Don't despise prophecies, but test all things.
Hold on to what is good.
Stay away from every form of evil." 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
In this passage, we see the three compartments of the human make-up: the spirit, the soul, and the body. And we see the three persons of the Godhead: the Holy Spirit "sanctifying us", encouraging us to obedience, the Son preparing for His near return, the Father faithfully keeping us ready."
More...
He told me he misses me. I wasn't expecting that either. He hugged me and kissed me on the temple. It was a full, two-armed hug and it was great. It was delightful to be back in his arms again. Thank You, Lord, for all You have done and all You have given me. I have opportunities opening up for me which I don't know that I would have been courageous enough to pursue before. My life is changing for the better and I want to share it with him.
Today's Bible study was Exodus 10:1-29. The plague of locusts and of darkness. The things of the world like locusts trying to devour my soul, and the darkness... Oh, the darkness. The feeling of being smothered by blackness. Thank You, O Lord, for bringing me through it, for saving me out of it. Acts 13:13-29 was the NT reading with the following prayer.
"Have mercy on me, O god, have mercy on me, for in You my sou takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until destruction passes by. I cry out to You, O God Most High, to You who fulfill Your purpose for me. (Psalm 57:1-2)...O Lord God, O Holy One of Israel, in repentance and rest is our salvation; in quietness and trust is our strength. (Isaiah 30:15)
Thank You, O God, for sending Your son, Jesus, to be my Savior so that I might have eternal life with You.
The following comes from The Gift the New Testament for New Believers:
Through no fault of our own, really, we've become so acclimated to this earth that at times the thought of Christ's return makes us wish He's hold off for a while. We want to see our children marry. We want to take our grandkids out for pizza. We want to see our business flourish, get a home in the country, finally work our way up to a marathon, see the tulips bubs bloom out in the spring, enjoy the only life that we know.
If we only knew.
Christ's coming to earth will be more glorious than anything we've ever experienced--more thrilling than Game Seven of a World Series, more exhilarating than the chill of a mountain spring in summertime, more beautiful than your wife's eyes behind her wedding veil. We will see Him--yes, Him!--Jesus, the Lamb of God, the Lord of glory, the Lover of our souls--face to face, eye to eye, as though He's just been breathless for the day to come when he could hold us in His arms, wrap us in His love, and take us safely home to the glorious place He's made for us. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Jesus Christ is coming back to earth through a real sky on a real day to take real people to a real paradise. Wouldn't you really like to be here to see that? Just as surely as you believe He lay in a manger, He's going to peel back the sky and call us home.
"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord's coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel's voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
"Somewhere, somewhen, somehow, we who are worshiping God here will wake up to see Him as He is, face to face." John Bailie
The following passage caught my eye and spoke to me:
"Now we ask you, brothers, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we exhort you brothers: warn those who are lazy, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.
Rejoice always!
Pray constantly.
Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Don't stifle the Spirit.
Don't despise prophecies, but test all things.
Hold on to what is good.
Stay away from every form of evil." 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
In this passage, we see the three compartments of the human make-up: the spirit, the soul, and the body. And we see the three persons of the Godhead: the Holy Spirit "sanctifying us", encouraging us to obedience, the Son preparing for His near return, the Father faithfully keeping us ready."
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