Wednesday, December 27, 2006
I have been striving for a holiday spirit thru these holidays and God has been helping me so much!! There have been several helpful things involved. My husband's guidance, Pastor Brian's Sunday message and God softly reminding me something. I was thinking about a Mary/Martha heart issue.... I guess Wes from church prayed that on sunday.... anyway, I always think of the Mary/Martha issue as a physical, work issue or lack of it. Than the Holy Spirit made me realize that it is really a heart attitude..... as i work thru things, be it chaos of kids, cooking, preparing, etc.... My heart needs to reflect the attitude of sitting before God. There are things that need to be done, there are people to go see, it gets crazy, but in my heart, that is where the peace, love and Mary heart need to be.... that really made a difference to me this Christmastime. Maybe it seems normal and basic, but that makes my relationship with God all the more personal this Christmas. Maybe that was His gift to me :)
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
I have an obsession.... well, lots of them really, but one of them is the TRUTH. In our world, at least our american culture, there tends to be such an absence of truth. That to me is the center of sin issues that i deal with--as in selfishness, pride, etc.... i think i am the main thing. Or as in lying, i think that lying will get me out of trouble--the truth, is God's way tho, and in the long run, only that is lasting, real and satisfying. The sin issues, or the lies only complicate and cause pain. So i was encouraged the other day to read in John 15 that Jesus was telling his disciples about 'the Spirit of Truth" and in John 16, He talks about sending the 'Comforter' or 'Spirit of truth'....so does it seem that the Holy Spirit guides us by giving us truth, and guiding us in that??? How cool is that!!!!
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
I am totally living off this passage today...it is sustaining me ;)
Lamentations 3
21 Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:22 The faithful love of the LORD never ends!* His mercies never cease.23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!"25 The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.26 So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD.27 And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline:28 Let them sit alone in silence beneath the LORD's demands.29 Let them lie face down in the dust, for there may be hope at last.30 Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies.31 For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever.32 Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love.33 For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.34 If people crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land,35 if they deprive others of their rights in defiance of the Most High,36 if they twist justice in the courts— doesn't the Lord see all these things?37 Who can command things to happen without the Lord's permission?
Lamentations 3
21 Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:22 The faithful love of the LORD never ends!* His mercies never cease.23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!"25 The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.26 So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD.27 And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline:28 Let them sit alone in silence beneath the LORD's demands.29 Let them lie face down in the dust, for there may be hope at last.30 Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies.31 For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever.32 Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love.33 For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.34 If people crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land,35 if they deprive others of their rights in defiance of the Most High,36 if they twist justice in the courts— doesn't the Lord see all these things?37 Who can command things to happen without the Lord's permission?
Monday, December 18, 2006
Praises to God today for:
yay, the sun is shining today ;)
I started my day the right way today...i usually don't read on the weekends, but i pay for it soooo bad...i don't want to be a legalist, but i absolutely need God's word everyday, or i become consummed with myself!! i can't stop it, so i have to fight it i guess! but I thank God that He made me desperate for HIS WORD....that only happens when HE puts that desire in me.
yay, the sun is shining today ;)
I started my day the right way today...i usually don't read on the weekends, but i pay for it soooo bad...i don't want to be a legalist, but i absolutely need God's word everyday, or i become consummed with myself!! i can't stop it, so i have to fight it i guess! but I thank God that He made me desperate for HIS WORD....that only happens when HE puts that desire in me.
Friday, December 15, 2006
From a friend....very meaningful and needful for me today and really, my favorite passage ;)
Joh 15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower.
Joh 15:2 He removes every branch in me that does not produce fruit, and he cleanses every branch that does produce fruit so that it might produce more fruit.
Joh 15:3 You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
Joh 15:4 "Abide in me, and I will abide in you. Just as the branch cannot produce fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who abides in me while I abide in him produces much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Joh 15:6 Unless a person abides in me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up. People gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
Joh 15:7 If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you can ask for anything you want, and it will be yours.
Joh 15:8 This is how my Father is glorified, when you produce a lot of fruit and prove to be my disciples.
Joh 15:9 Just as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. So abide in my love.
Joh 15:10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
Joh 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
Joh 15:12 "This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 No one shows greater love than when he lays down his life for his friends.
Joh 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
Joh 15:15 I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.
Joh 15:16 "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. I have appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
Joh 15:17 I am giving you these commandments so that you may love one another."
meditating on this is sooooo helpful, needful and good!!
Joh 15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower.
Joh 15:2 He removes every branch in me that does not produce fruit, and he cleanses every branch that does produce fruit so that it might produce more fruit.
Joh 15:3 You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
Joh 15:4 "Abide in me, and I will abide in you. Just as the branch cannot produce fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who abides in me while I abide in him produces much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Joh 15:6 Unless a person abides in me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up. People gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
Joh 15:7 If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you can ask for anything you want, and it will be yours.
Joh 15:8 This is how my Father is glorified, when you produce a lot of fruit and prove to be my disciples.
Joh 15:9 Just as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. So abide in my love.
Joh 15:10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
Joh 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
Joh 15:12 "This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 No one shows greater love than when he lays down his life for his friends.
Joh 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
Joh 15:15 I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.
Joh 15:16 "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. I have appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
Joh 15:17 I am giving you these commandments so that you may love one another."
meditating on this is sooooo helpful, needful and good!!
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Yesterday, God really showed me some interesting things.... A very long story, but let's see if I can get some of it out at least ;)
Well, I have been really struggling through my times with God,and sometimes for days at a time avoiding it altogether. Not on purpose, but things happen and I just let it 'slide'. This has been happening on and off for about 2 weeks. Well, some things are happening as far as 'rest of my life' decisions with Tim and I and I just felt a really big need to hear from and sit before God.... sooooo here's what came really directly from God ....I am very thankful BTW....Because as I said, I have NOT been faithful to him, yet he continues to be faithful to me!! How amazing and wonderful....
So, I realize as I go to God's word that I need someone to preach to me....I am not getting it on my own, so I chose Spurgeon for this day, ( either choose him or CS Lewis :).....Well, the title of this particular entry was "The sin of unbelief"
"Thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof." Listen unbelievers! Ye have heard this morning your sin; now listen to your doom: "Ye shall see it with your eyes, but shalt not eat thereof." It is so often with God's own saints. When they are unbelieving, they see the mercy with their eyes, but do not eat it. Now, here is corn in this land of Egypt; but there are some of God's saints who come here on the Sabbath, and say, "I do not know whether the Lord will be with me or not." Some of them say, "Well, the gospel is preached, but I do not know whether it will be successful." They are always doubting and fearing. Listen to them when they get out of the chapel. "Well, did you get a good meal this morning?" "Nothing for me." Of course not. Ye could see it with your eyes, but did not eat it, because you had no faith. If you had come up with faith, you would have had a morsel. I have found Christians, who have grown so very critical, that if the whole portion of the meat they are to have, in due season, is not cut up exactly into square pieces, and put upon some choice dish of porcelain, they cannot eat it. Then they ought to go without; and they will have to go without, until they are brought to their appetites. They will have some affliction, which will act like quinine upon them: they will be made to eat by means of bitters in their mouths; they will be put in prison for a day or two until their appetite returns, and then they will be glad to eat the most ordinary food, off the most common platter, or no platter at all. But the real reason why God's people do not feed under a gospel ministry, is, because they have not faith. If you believed, if you did but hear one promise, that would be enough.
for meditation: The unbeliever needs to hear in order to believe (Romans 10:14);the believer needs to believe in order to hear"
the Scriptures that went with this devotional were 2Kings 7:19 and John 20:24-29 Which show 2 people and their unbelief. A king's messenger who says even if God opens heaven, that won't happen and Thomas who says I won't believe unless I see. God honors Thomas and punishes the messenger. How encouraging that God gently, kindly ministers to the needs of Thomas, even in his unbelief!!! Let me believe, but minister to my unbelief as well dear Lord!! I guess the difference is that the messenger says, no matter what God does, it can't happen! I pray that God will keep me from that! --- so belief is a big issue and i am sure it is going to apply to alot of my 'life decision' issues..... but i also need to know what to do in relation to my whole 'life decision' ---hope you can follow my 'random' thots.......but anyway........ we were not in agreement with our thots..... this was in the back of my mind...... and as I finished my time with God I really wanted to have a take away verse that I could carry with me and be encouraged by and this is the one God gave me! It's Philippians 2:2b (and beyond really) but this is what I needed in relation to my 'life issue'
"agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose" ---so there's my direction for this life decision. I didn't really have a feeling of agreement, but that truth from God's word confirmed what I need to do and changed my heart!! But I remember that I was faithless and God was faithful to me in the midst of that--so, it is nothing of me, but God in His kindness making me a little bit more like Jesus ;) and I am sooooo thankful for that!!!
and today, Spurgeon's title was "Self-Sufficiency Slain" scriptures 2Chronicles 32:30-31 John 15:5 and Philippians 4:6-13--i am glad for this as well, cuz i don't want to think "I have this down"..... i need God every bit in this area as ever....k, guess i better be done here.....
Well, I have been really struggling through my times with God,and sometimes for days at a time avoiding it altogether. Not on purpose, but things happen and I just let it 'slide'. This has been happening on and off for about 2 weeks. Well, some things are happening as far as 'rest of my life' decisions with Tim and I and I just felt a really big need to hear from and sit before God.... sooooo here's what came really directly from God ....I am very thankful BTW....Because as I said, I have NOT been faithful to him, yet he continues to be faithful to me!! How amazing and wonderful....
So, I realize as I go to God's word that I need someone to preach to me....I am not getting it on my own, so I chose Spurgeon for this day, ( either choose him or CS Lewis :).....Well, the title of this particular entry was "The sin of unbelief"
"Thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof." Listen unbelievers! Ye have heard this morning your sin; now listen to your doom: "Ye shall see it with your eyes, but shalt not eat thereof." It is so often with God's own saints. When they are unbelieving, they see the mercy with their eyes, but do not eat it. Now, here is corn in this land of Egypt; but there are some of God's saints who come here on the Sabbath, and say, "I do not know whether the Lord will be with me or not." Some of them say, "Well, the gospel is preached, but I do not know whether it will be successful." They are always doubting and fearing. Listen to them when they get out of the chapel. "Well, did you get a good meal this morning?" "Nothing for me." Of course not. Ye could see it with your eyes, but did not eat it, because you had no faith. If you had come up with faith, you would have had a morsel. I have found Christians, who have grown so very critical, that if the whole portion of the meat they are to have, in due season, is not cut up exactly into square pieces, and put upon some choice dish of porcelain, they cannot eat it. Then they ought to go without; and they will have to go without, until they are brought to their appetites. They will have some affliction, which will act like quinine upon them: they will be made to eat by means of bitters in their mouths; they will be put in prison for a day or two until their appetite returns, and then they will be glad to eat the most ordinary food, off the most common platter, or no platter at all. But the real reason why God's people do not feed under a gospel ministry, is, because they have not faith. If you believed, if you did but hear one promise, that would be enough.
for meditation: The unbeliever needs to hear in order to believe (Romans 10:14);the believer needs to believe in order to hear"
the Scriptures that went with this devotional were 2Kings 7:19 and John 20:24-29 Which show 2 people and their unbelief. A king's messenger who says even if God opens heaven, that won't happen and Thomas who says I won't believe unless I see. God honors Thomas and punishes the messenger. How encouraging that God gently, kindly ministers to the needs of Thomas, even in his unbelief!!! Let me believe, but minister to my unbelief as well dear Lord!! I guess the difference is that the messenger says, no matter what God does, it can't happen! I pray that God will keep me from that! --- so belief is a big issue and i am sure it is going to apply to alot of my 'life decision' issues..... but i also need to know what to do in relation to my whole 'life decision' ---hope you can follow my 'random' thots.......but anyway........ we were not in agreement with our thots..... this was in the back of my mind...... and as I finished my time with God I really wanted to have a take away verse that I could carry with me and be encouraged by and this is the one God gave me! It's Philippians 2:2b (and beyond really) but this is what I needed in relation to my 'life issue'
"agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose" ---so there's my direction for this life decision. I didn't really have a feeling of agreement, but that truth from God's word confirmed what I need to do and changed my heart!! But I remember that I was faithless and God was faithful to me in the midst of that--so, it is nothing of me, but God in His kindness making me a little bit more like Jesus ;) and I am sooooo thankful for that!!!
and today, Spurgeon's title was "Self-Sufficiency Slain" scriptures 2Chronicles 32:30-31 John 15:5 and Philippians 4:6-13--i am glad for this as well, cuz i don't want to think "I have this down"..... i need God every bit in this area as ever....k, guess i better be done here.....
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