March 30th, 2014

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee...

because he trusteth in Thee." Isaiah 26:3

March 27th, 2014

March 25th, 2014

"Leave the HOW with Jesus,

Secret things He knows;

Infinite in wisdom,

Time will all disclose.

Leave the HOW with Jesus,

He will comfort bring;

Thro' the storm He'll hide thee

Underneath His wing."

"All my life's whys and whens and wheres and wherefores are in God's Hand!" 

-Dan Crawford

March 24th, 2014

March 19th, 2014

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation [trial] taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful [He cannot lie], who will not suffer [allow] you to be tempted [tried] above that ye are able; but will with the temptation [trial] also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore [therefore], my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” There is a wealth of encouragement in these few passages that provide tremendous help to servants experiencing weariness of mind, trials that drain one physically and bring one to the very edge of despair. Burned out Christian workers ready to quit in despair desperately need Paul’s message!

Notice that Paul directs the believer to find hope, not in himself, but in the promises of a faithful God. He assures those who suffer that God does not allow a trial without also providing ways of escaping or coping with the trial. Therefore, their expectation and reliance must be on God, and not on anything or anyone else. What Israel loved most was made manifest during those times of trial. Rather than look with confidence for God’s way of escape, or trust God’s wisdom in what He was doing, she complained and demanded. And when she did not get what she wanted when she wanted it, she ultimately quit. As a result, this generation never inherited the land it could have enjoyed.

When difficulties and perplexing situations exhaust our strength and understanding, we are most vulnerable to solving problems by quitting, complaining, finding comfort in indulging our selfish desires or devising solutions that are in violation of God’s instructions. We, as Israel, often fail to overcome temptation in times of trial because we fail to obey God’s Word and keep Him foremost in our love and worship. God wants our love and devotion, not because of the gifts He gives, but because of who He is. Putting anything, including our own desires, before God is idolatry, therefore, Paul correctly identifies this as Israel’s motivating sin and cause of despair. He not only exhorts us to put our trust in the promises and shepherding care of Christ during times of difficulty and hardship, but also warns us to flee idolatry at the same time.

Paul concludes first Corinthians with a mature description and godly perspective of love as God loves us. He urges believers to follow after charity and desire growth in their efforts to love God and love one another. Without the love of Christ, Christian workers will find it impossible to love the unlovable, the immature, the selfish and the sinful. So then we come to a favorite passage of Christian workers that offers comfort to those who labor among such difficult people. “Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (15:58)

The second letter Paul wrote to the Corinthians contains a much different message and addresses a more mature group of Christian workers. Evidently they took Paul’s words to heart and grew tremendously, as evidenced by their obedience and application of Paul’s instruction. Chapter three and four contain more encouragement to those who are serving Christ. Paul mentions the change that has taken place in believer’s hearts and declares the source of all change and all sufficiency to be of God. He says, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (3:18) The very next verse begins Paul’s testimony as to why he does not faint and quit in light of all the difficulty he endures. “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not…” (4:1)

March 18th, 2014

March 17th, 2014

March 16th, 2014

March 15th, 2014

Isaiah 61:1-3 reads “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me…to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of Joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…”(NKJV)

In times of heaviness and depression, we have to remember to wear praise like a designer jacket or a good pair of jeans. Christ’s job description in Isaiah tells us that heaviness, depression and times of emotional negativity are spirits that weigh us down. But praise for His infinite blessings and awesome nature is what God wants us to exchange all of these things for, because praise wipes out negativity.

I have had to use this concept in the past and see the need for it now. I’ve let my present dark days block my view of God’s greatness. On days when life’s trials made me not want to get out of the bed, I often had to physically “put on” my praise by forcing myself to remember His goodness, the ways He helped me to overcome in the past and the assurance that He would do the same in the future. I had to remember that He is both the strength of my life and my strength in times of trouble (Psalms 27:1 and 37:39).

But being an imperfect individual, it is not always easy to do this. Even now, it’s hard to do, because until I actually put on the garment of praise, that spirit of heaviness does its job of weighing me down. It often feels as if I am fighting for my life; fighting to pull off that heaviness that wants to cling to my shoulders. That’s why it’s good to realize that in God’s eyes, the process is an exchange. If I would get past the sadness and the tears, if I would just let it go, if I could pull off the heaviness in order to trade it for something better, giving it completely over to God, He will supply a garment that was designed to for life abundantly.

So as a person learning to dress myself in the goodness of God, to any depressed or hurting person I would say this: the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). In God’s presence, joy is at its fullness (Psalm 16:11). When the darkness around us gets to be too much, we have to remind ourselves of all the light that is God. Wrap yourself in the garment of praise. If we don’t, we’ll walk around defeated for the rest of our lives and the good Lord knows that would be a major waste. I thank Him that He is such a concerned parent, not wanting us to freeze out in the cold, but wanting us to zip up and put on our praise.

-Garrett Drew Ellis

March 14th, 2014

God has more to do IN us and TO us

than BY us and THROUGH us.

"So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to HIM be glory..." Ephesians chapter 3 ESV

March 13th, 2014

Rise Up

By Matt Maher

When you see the road ahead

that you've been down before

When you're half way to no where

and you can't pay the toll

You're hanging onto mercy

withered on the vine

With your feet on the ground, your head in the clouds

and your heart on the line

Open up your eyes

Chorus

You've got to rise up (rise up)

when this life has got you down

You've got to look up (look up)

when you search & nothings found

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the love that's here and now

It's coming down

So rise up now.

March 12th, 2014

 

March 10th, 2014

March 8th, 1024

Not what, but WHOM I do believe!

That, in my darkest hour of need,

Hath comfort that no mortal creed

To mortal man may give.

Not what, but WHOM!

For Christ is more than all the creeds,

And His full life of gentle deeds

Shall all the creeds outlive.

Not what I do believe, but WHOM!

WHO walks beside me in the gloom?

WHO shares the burden wearisome?

WHO all the dim way doth illume,

And bigs me look beyond the tomb

The larger life to live?

Not what I do believe BUT WHOM!

Not what,

But WHOM!

-John Oxenham

March 6th, 2014

A hymn I love from my childhood...evoking memories of congregational singing on a Sunday afternoon.  Full stomachs, legs tired after running around, now sitting in a chair during the meeting as the feeling of contented comfort wafts over me.  The familiar words enter my brain as we sing together this very old hymn. 

LORD, Thou hast drawn us after Thee,

Now let us run and never tire;

Thy presence shall our comfort be,

Thyself our hope, our sole desire,

Our present Saviour, while nor fear

Nor sin can come if Thou art near.

What in Thy love possess we not?

Our star by night, our sun by day,

Our spring of life when parched with drought,

Our wine to cheer, our bread to stay,

Our strength, our shield, our safe abode,

Our robe before the throne of God!

Unchangeable Thy gracious love

Our earthly path has ceaseless viewed;

Ere yet these beating hearts could move,

Thy tender mercies still pursued;

Ever with us may they abide,

And close us in on every side.

by Paul Gerhardt 1607-1676

March 5th, 2014

1. He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
   He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
   To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
   To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.
2. When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
   When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
   When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
   Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
3. Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
   Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
   Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
   The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.
4. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
   His power no boundary known unto men;
   For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
   He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

Annie Johnson Flint

March 4th, 2014

Mighty To Save

Jeremy Camp

Everyone needs compassion

Love that's never failing

Let mercy fall on me

Everyone needs forgiveness

The kindness of a Savior

The hope of nations

Savior, He can move the mountains

My God is mighty to save

He is mighty to save

Forever, author of salvation

He rose and conquered the grave

Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me

All my fears and failures

Fill my life again

I give my life to follow

Everything I believe in

Now I surrender

My Savior, He can move the mountains

My God is mighty to save

He is mighty to save

Forever, author of salvation

He rose and conquered the grave

Jesus conquered the grave

Shine your light and let the whole world see

We're singing for the glory of the risen King, Jesus

We're singing for the glory of the risen King, Jesus

My Savior, He can move the mountains

My God is mighty to save

He is mighty to save

Forever, author of salvation

He rose and conquered the grave

Jesus conquered the grave

March 3rd, 2014

March 2nd, 2014

In ages past ere time began,

God saw and placed you in His plan,

And where He leads that place must be

His pre-appointed place for thee.

God looks upon the work He planned,

And sees the part wherein you stand;

Another cannot fill the place

Where He has set you, through His grace.

-Author unknown

March 1st, 2014

Why do I think I can't "do" life?  Why am I so discouraged about being unfit, unable, insufficient, inadequate?  CHRIST is all that I am not!  "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed: for I am thy God: I WILL strengthen thee; yea, I WILL help thee; yea, I WILL uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."  Isaiah 41:10

"I can do all things through Him 

who strengthens me." 

Philippians 4:13 NASB

"If you faint in the day of adversity, your 

strength is small." 

Proverbs 24:10 ESV