Tag: jesus

What if I do Surrender All of Myself? Starting and Continuing the Struggle, Allow God Fullest Access to my heart and Soul, Receiving His Restoration? John 21:15-21

John 21:15-19 Christian Standard Bible

Jesus’s Threefold Restoration of Peter

15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John,[a] do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Feed my lambs,” he told him. 16 A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Shepherd my sheep,” he told him.

17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

“Feed my sheep,” Jesus said. 18 “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Stuck in the Concrete of Guilt, Restored to Discipleship

On the fateful night Jesus was arrested, Peter had surrendered his discipleship.

Under sudden and overwhelming (perceived) threat, in the High Priest’s courtyard he had hardcore denied three times that he was a follower of Jesus.

Then came the piercing eye to eye contact with His Messiah. When he realized the gravity of what he had just publicly done, Peter went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:69-75). He was severely overwhelmed by his shame and guilt.

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Lord asked Peter a question. But the question wasn’t “Why did you abandon me when I needed you?” or “Why didn’t you have the guts to stick up for me?” It was simply “Peter, Do you love me?”

Jesus had died on the cross for Peter’s sins.

What he wanted to know, three times now, was whether Peter, looking up from the bottomless pit of his shame and guilt, still loved him. Jesus is saying to him; that Peter’s sins were in the past; Peter’s restored love would shape his future.

When Peter said, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you,” Jesus, the conqueror of sin and death, the Lord of life, Restorer of spirits, graciously invited him to once again “gird up his loins” take up his discipleship and follow him into His future.

Psalm 103:11-13 Christian Standard Bible

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his faithful love
toward those who fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed
our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

If we were the one’s on the receiving end of this priceless exchange, Jesus doing the same with us, I pray that we recognize that Jesus is astonishingly gracious.

He doesn’t try to bury us, bringing up our past sins, betrayals, or infidelities. He simply wants for us to know “if we love him.” For that makes all the difference.

Anyone ever tried to measure exactly how far distant is the east from the west?

Anyone ever tried measuring exactly how far apart is the north from the south?

Anyone ever measure the exact length, width, height, depths of God’s Creation?

Do I Give Myself Away … So God may, in THEIR fullness, use me?

Isaiah 61:6-7 Christian Standard Bible

6 But you will be called the Lord’s priests;
they will speak of you as ministers of our God;
you will eat the wealth of the nations,
and you will boast in their riches.
7 In place of your shame, you will have a double portion;
in place of disgrace, they will rejoice over their share.
So they will possess double in their land,
and eternal joy will be theirs.

Against the backdrop of John 21:15-19, how close do we resemble Peter?

How closely do we identify with the depths, the whole of Peter’s experience?

Are we even .01% ready to sit with Jesus, remaining with him, eating with him, not returning to our catastrophically poor impulse control – but humbling self?

Are we ready to surrender to God 1% the darkest depths of our shame, our guilt?

Are we ready to be confronted by the reality of the disaster we’ve made of self?

Are we prepared to receive the magnitude of change Jesus is offering to Peter?

Do we 1% seek His Restoration with 110% of our hearts, minds, soul, strength?

Are we authentically seeking Jesus?

Do we authentically love him?

Do we 110% realize that He still invites us to go out and serve him today?

Forgiving, Gracious, compassionate, merciful, 100% ready to cast with the very heaviest millstone, our guilt and shame into the deepest depths of the great sea of forgetfulness? Never be seen nor heard from or be remembered ever again?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 42 Complete Jewish Bible

Book II: Psalms 42–72

42 (0) For the leader. A maskil of the descendants of Korach:

2 (1) Just as a deer longs for running streams,
God, I long for you.
3 (2) I am thirsty for God, for the living God!
When can I come and appear before God?

4 (3) My tears are my food, day and night,
while all day people ask me, “Where is your God?”
5 (4) I recall, as my feelings well up within me,
how I’d go with the crowd to the house of God,
with sounds of joy and praise from the throngs
observing the festival.

6 (5) My soul, why are you so downcast?
Why are you groaning inside me?
Hope in God, since I will praise him again
for the salvation that comes from his presence.
7 (6) My God, when I feel so downcast,
I remind myself of you
from the land of Yarden, from the peaks of Hermon,
from the hill Mizar.
8 (7) Deep is calling to deep
at the thunder of your waterfalls;
all your surging rapids and waves
are sweeping over me.
9 (8) By day Adonai commands his grace,
and at night his song is with me
as a prayer to the God of my life.
10 (9) I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
under pressure by the enemy?
11 (10) My adversaries’ taunts make me feel
as if my bones were crushed,
as they ask me all day long,
‘Where is your God?’ ”

12 (11) My soul, why are you so downcast?
Why are you groaning inside me?
Hope in God, since I will praise him again
for being my Savior and God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Hypothetically, our entertaining the practice of bringing the Greatness of God into Others lives This Christmas. Luke 1:26-28

Luke 1:26-28 New King James Version

Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; [a]blessed are you among women!”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to take a message to a virgin named Mary.

The angel Gabriel was obedient to God and brought the message into the life of Mary and for countless subsequent generations later, bringing, both directly, decisively, into the life, living narrative of God’s kingdom in this 21st century.

28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; [a]blessed are you among women!”

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1525/nkjv/tr/0-1/

The angel Gabriel bringing with him the message of the greatness of God, but not just bringing the message but actually speaking it into the humanity of a previously anonymous, soon to be married Israelite peasant girl named Mary.

Not any particularly complicated message, nothing complex nor theologically overwhelming as might be heard in an higher academic university lecture hall setting to new divinity, theology, seminary students or doctoral candidates.

I mean, examine the context of the biblical text. Mary is a teenage girl, probably naïve, going about her regular daily chores, she is not being trained, mentored by any one Temple priest named Rabboni Gamaliel – Saul’s mentor and teacher.

She is not destined to deliver any commencement address at any synagogue of any note or the Temple or at any famous Ivy League university of this century.

Regular Mary to be married by family arrangement to Joseph of the lineage and house of someone named David – of the lineage and house (not royal) of David.

The message the angel Gabriel brings with him into the narrative of mankind;

Greetings,

Rejoice,

Highly favored one …

the Lord is with you; 

[a]blessed are you among women!”

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” (Luke 1:30)

In one precise moment of time, young Mary’s life was forever changed. As the angel of the Lord spoke directly about her future, Mary went from an obscure Jewish teenager to the hand-selected mother of the long-awaited Messiah.

O’ how suddenly everything changed when she understood her destiny.

Mary didn’t know power or popularity, wealth or fame; we don’t even know her last name. Yet she was chosen by God above all the women throughout time to bring the greatness, goodness, of God’s salvation and healing into this world.

It’s the kind of salvation needed by both princes, paupers and kings and queens and presidents, rich and poor, black, white, known and back alley’s obscure too.

And such healing would become the spark of life in the darkness of dead men’s souls, and bridge the great divide between our lost humanity and a loving God.

Yet her journey was not without difficulty as she had to deal with practical facts:

not fully understanding God’s plan, judgmental people speaking lies about her, her own doubts and fears, and trusting God to vindicate and protect her. Mary’s sudden “what do you mean by so confidently saying nothing to be afraid of in your face” story was a hardcore test of faith. Yet she made it through and so can we.

Because like Mary, we are all, in our own God-ordained way, called to bring something extraordinary the greatness and goodness of God, into the world.

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

But to do so, we must make that brief interactive moment between God, the angel Gabriel and Mary and consciously learn something from experience.

Commit to Personal Righteousness

“Personal righteousness” refers to a disciplined commitment by believers to live consistently with God’s high calling to carry His light into a lost world.

We must commit to display integrity, purity, honor, respect and holiness.

Our lives should be examples for others to emulate – not perfect lives without fault, failure or messiness, but lives that are consistent with being called and sent on a mission for God Himself.

We must hold grace, not as an excuse to sin, but as a motivating force to live honorably before God.

We should neither become judgmental nor a stumbling block to those who desperately need the message of Christ’s love and forgiveness delivered.

Personal righteousness is a battle that we steadfastly commit to fight in order to be living examples of God’s authentic love that helps lead people to salvation.

And I believe “personal righteousness” was a factor in Mary’s selection to bear the Messiah for mankind:

“…to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:27).

“Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’” (Luke 1:34).

These verses imply that Mary, who was divinely chosen for this extraordinary task, was chosen partly because of her commitment to personal righteousness.

In fact, the Word makes it clear that there is a connection between personal righteousness and God’s decision to entrust great responsibilities to people.

This also implies lackluster personal righteousness limits the effectiveness of the individual in their success.

“…let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT).

Anything less than focused commitment to personal righteousness will become a giant millstone weight that stands in the way of our God-given assignment.

And I’m convinced if we would fight as vehemently for personal righteousness as we do for social righteousness, or pointing out the sins of the world, we each would make a significant impact in the Kingdom in much more profound ways!

John 14:12-14 Amplified Bible

12 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in My name [[a]as My representative], this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified and celebrated in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name [as My representative], I will do it.

Be Willing to Risk Everything

Think of what Mary risked to bring the salvation of God into the world.

Imagine the dinner conversation with her parents.

Or the angry, too hushed argument raging between her parents and Joseph’s parents. Imagine what it felt like to walk to the marketplace, sit in synagogue or look into Joseph’s wounded eyes.

For Mary to fulfill her God-given assignment, she had to release control and risk it all: her reputation, family and friends, her financial security – even her life. In the culture of that day, she could have been stoned to death for adultery while betrothed to Joseph.

Whatever God entrusts you to bring into the world, regardless of your sphere of influence, your high or low estate, be aware there will be a personal cost, a high degree of personal risk. Jesus did not try to hide this aspect of being His disciple.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me’” (Matthew 16:24).

One of the greatest challenges for many of us, especially in Western society, is seeing ourselves as God’s servants. We forget that as believers, by our Baptism we have given the totality of our lives over to Christ, and we are no longer our own; rather, we have been bought with a price – the lifeblood of God’s own Son.

John 10:22-30 New American Standard Bible

Jesus Asserts His Deity

22 At that time the [a]Feast of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area, in the portico of Solomon. 24  The Jews then surrounded Him and began saying to Him, “How long [b]will You keep us in suspense? If You are the [c]Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me.  26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep. 27 My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28  and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 [d]My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are [e]one.”

The Christ who created us and redeemed us from death now has the absolute right to direct our lives and our actions in it, regardless of perceived risk to our plans, social standing or financial well-being. But every person who seeks to have an impact the world in a significant way for God understands this truth.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 24 New King James Version

The King of Glory and His Kingdom

A Psalm of David.

24 The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the [a]waters.

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face. Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Hope! From the very start of creation, God’s ultimate plan for us, His people and His creation, is to dwell with us. His permanent, His forever dwelling place, is with us. Revelation 21:1-5

Revelation 21:1-5 New King James Version

All Things Made New

21 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, [a]John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said  [b]to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

When have we ever not struggled with feeling out of place?

Like the skin you are in doesn’t quite feel like home?

Maybe exhausted from the endless struggles of being a person in a body?

We all long to be in the Presence of the Lord, to spend our eternity worshiping God with the angels. I so fervently pray that we feel this way from time to time, prayerfully, much more frequently, much more significantly than we do now.

But are we recognizing, with a much greater frequency, there are the moments where Heaven just breaks through and we feel a sense of other worldly peace.

Where our souls feel rest, beauty and goodness shine through.

It’s unexpected moments of testifying, witnessing things, as they are meant to be, and even more exciting than that, believing it’s the way they one day will be.

Revelation 21:3 declares, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’”

God’s ultimate plan for us, his people and his creation, is to dwell with us. His permanent, forever dwelling place is with us. What a crazy thought to ponder while we are stuck here in the middle, advocating for Heaven to touch us but not yet free from the powers of evil that cause grief, strife, struggle, for humanity.

From the exact start of creation, He saw the ending. This is why He could say what He had done – what He had created – was good. He knew this creation would be one that would go through some things, that would wander and stray, go their own separate ways, but at the very end of his story would be a reunion.

All creation groans for his plan of redemption and grace to come to completion. (Romans 8:22)

He made a way to make right the many wrongs that humanity has committed.

By our Baptism, we are each a part of a story which is ultimately leading us to the unification of the holy Creator and his beloved Creation.

How Do We Live in This Place of Waiting?

Right now, all things (including our hearts) are waiting to be made new again!

As we long for God to come down from Heaven and dwell with us again, it can be challenging to see the beauty of his plan. We are his children and we struggle with doubt, a lack of faith. It’s a hardcore fight for us to take him at his Word.

Which is why we must each discipline ourselves, immerse ourselves, saturate ourselves, in his Word so we know it, we believe it, and we grow to rely on it.

While we’re waiting, it’s all our covenant responsibility to get to know him. 

Joshua 1:7-9 New King James Version

7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may [a]prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you[b] shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

John 17:3 tells us, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

Our Eternity starts now and how we see it in the land of the living is through a dynamic, growing relationship with Christ.

This relationship is defined by his love and mercy that chases after us for all of our days (Psalm 23:6).

We don’t know God through a salvation hack, we know him when we give him our hearts and he miraculously changes us so we can experience His freedom.

Knowing God comes when we take time to be in his house and in his presence.

His house is the church and his presence is always available to us, but is best accessed through prayer and praise.

Have you ever felt unsettled and then just stilled yourself in prayer?

How quickly does quiet time with the Lord change our hearts!

What about a moment you felt discouraged and then you gathered with other believers in the church? God so often graciously uses the words of other Christ followers to encourage, inspire us. He does not leave us alone in the waiting.

As we know him, we grow in his love, and then we can share it. 

2 Corinthians 5:14 tells us, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.”

His love compels us to action.

To share. To serve. To change our thought patterns. To both consider and create goodness and beauty. His love is a transformative power for all who know him.

Knowing Our Future Gives Us Peace in the Present

As you consider the future and the anxiety that sometimes lives out there in the great unknown, remember that God has a plan. He is sovereign over all and his ultimate goal is reunification with us, his beloved creation.

God doesn’t share many things with us, but he has graciously clued us into the most important aspects of his forever plan.

While we face trials and hardships of many diverse kinds, the end of the story is always, ultimately a good one. One day we will dwell with our God! All will know him, see him, and be submitted under his rule. What a future to look forward to!

When you know where you are headed, it gives you strength to overcome trials of many kinds as you journey forward.

This is why at the start of a marriage you begin with vows that point directly to remaining faithful through sickness and health, prosperity and poverty until death do we part. When we share a life together, there are so many holes on the road. But the goal remains faithful devotion until one of you leaves this earth.

God’s promise to us that we will one day dwell in His house with him is like those marriage vows.

It’s a promise that we can cling to when life around us makes no sense. When our needs feel greater than his goodness. When loss tears at the fabric of our hearts. While we still have to walk through the hard, we are overcomers through Christ! We have a promised good future ahead of us that inspires hope for our lost and dying world. Don’t lose sight of the hope that is yours through Christ.

God Is a Relational King

God’s main aim isn’t just to put right all the wrongs for the sake of justice.

If that was true, then humanity would not have lasted long because it would have made more sense to scrap us than to patiently allow us time to find him.

Ultimately, God’s main goal is to be with us.

That’s why he tells us about a forever Heavenly home with him that gets our imaginations excited. He wants us to know that what he cares about most is the chance to one day walk his streets of gold hand-in-hand. Until then, he wants us to live in our homes, to be the guide of our hearts, and to show us his ways.

The God over all Creation loves you and his ultimate dwelling place is with you.

You are not a means to an end, you are the end. You are the gift that he has moved all Heaven and Earth to get to know. Thank you Jesus for that truth. 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 100 New King James Version

A Song of Praise for the Lord’s Faithfulness to His People

A Psalm of Thanksgiving.

100 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, [a]all you lands!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and [b]not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Our Walking through our Valley, Our Walking through the Fires; Finishing our struggle, Surrendering unto God. Psalm 51:10-17

Psalm 51:10-17 Common English Bible

10 Create a clean heart for me, God;
    put a new, faithful spirit deep inside me!
11 Please don’t throw me out of your presence;
    please don’t take your holy spirit away from me.
12 Return the joy of your salvation to me
    and sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach wrongdoers your ways,
    and sinners will come back to you.

14 Deliver me from violence, God, God of my salvation,
    so that my tongue can sing of your righteousness.
15 Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
16 You don’t want sacrifices.
    If I gave an entirely burned offering,
    you wouldn’t be pleased.
17 A broken spirit is my sacrifice, God.[a]
    You won’t despise a heart, God, that is broken and crushed.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Our Continually Struggling to Surrender to God

Psalm 51 was written by King David after he committed the sin of adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed to cover his sin (2 Samuel 11).

It has been said of David that he sinned big, but repented bigger.

But only after he was ‘publicly’ caught by Nathan in David’s throne room. One has to wonder how this scripture would read if Nathan never confronts David.

But God, who sees everything no matter how hard or deep we try to hide our actions, was not blind to David’s severest of transgression – his Capital Crime.

God sent Nathan to David’s throne room and fortunately so – lest the wrath of God be meted out without any scriptural announcements – a bolt of lightning strikes David on his throne with no witnesses to testify or witness the event.

David is consigned to a violent death and we probably do not have a lineage that would have been steadfastly honorable, or noteworthy to proclaim as Psalm 51.

Let us shout “Thanks Be to God” for sending Nathan with God’s message of life!

Because now generations of men, women and children are blessed by Psalm 51.

David became for us an inspiring, empowering model to us of what real heart felt repentance looks like. He mightily struggled with his sin, so much so that he took off his crown and regal regalia, and surrendered his throne which God granted to him and walked sullenly to the tabernacle to take a lonely seat before God His Judge for his righteous Judgment – keep the throne or be publicly tried.

He had no promises that God would permit his return to the throne, he might well have done the same as he first did to Saul, to remove His Spirit from Him, essentially permanently remove His support, from which Saul never recovered.

David understood the gravity of his crime against God and understood that God could do the same to his as Saul, and nothing short of absolute surrender would be acceptable sacrifice. Psalm 51 is David’s agonized cry to God for forgiveness.

Psalm 51:17 says, “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”

The meaning of this is connected with Verse 16 says, “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.”

David is stating that there is nothing we can offer God to appease Him when we have sinned. When we have strived more mightily to stay in control. More not superficial but well intentioned animal sacrifices were not what God was going to be looking for nor even .00001% accept as our God desires true repentance.

Many people miss this truth. Rather than repent, they try to rush in with their superficial “clean up their act,” give more, pray more, or busy themselves in other religious activity in hopes God will finally “get over” being mad at them.

In Psalm 51, David is saying he knows that God wants none of that. External religious activity cannot replace internal, heartfelt contrition (1 Samuel 16:7).

Psalm 51:17 points out the one and only thing God desires more than any other: brokenness over our own sin. When we agree with God about how bad our sin is, we take the first baby steps toward a sincere heartfelt reconciliation with Him.

As long as we try to “pseudo-surrender” justify, excuse, or rationalize the evil of our own sin bent hearts, we will never find our way back into God’s presence.

Something Jesus Himself made a point of declaring at the start of His Ministry;

Mark 1:14-15 Amplified Bible

Jesus Preaches in Galilee

14 Now after John [the Baptist] was arrested and [a]taken into custody, Jesus went to Galilee, preaching the good news of [the kingdom of] God, 15 and saying, “The  [appointed period of] time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life] and believe [with a deep, abiding trust] in the good news [regarding salvation].”

Nothing less than 100% surrender and repentance is our doorway to freedom.

Satan knows this better than us, does everything he can to detract us from it.

He suggests things that our selfish nature likes to hear:

“Your sin wasn’t that bad.” “Compared to others, you’re okay.” “God has forgotten it already. No need to confess it.”

When we listen to the devil’s cunning oily words, we will veer away from the doorway to freedom and remain in bondage. We may feel remorse or regret, but neither is sufficient substitute for true repentance (Genesis 3, Hebrews 12:15-17).

Hebrews 12:15-17 Amplified Bible

15 See to it that no one falls short of God’s grace; that no root of resentment springs up and causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; 16 and [see to it] that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single  meal. 17 For you know that later on, when he wanted [to regain title to] his inheritance of the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance [there was no way to repair what he had done, no chance to recall the choice he had made], even though he sought for it with [bitter] tears.

David reminds us in Psalm 51 that the only path to forgiveness is a broken heart and a humble spirit (cf. Matthew 5:3).

When we throw ourselves on the mercy of God, He delights to lift us up (Luke 18:13-14). When we openly acknowledge our sin against God, turn from it, and cry out for cleansing, God promises that He will hear us and forgive (1 John 1:9).

It is interesting to note that, although David sinned against Bathsheba and her murdered husband, Uriah, David surrenders this stunning confession to God:

“Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4).

David gets straight to the heart of why God so hates sin. It is an abomination, a hardcore heart hardened willful malicious pre-meditated violation of His very nature. We are each created in that image, but our sin mars it (Genesis 3), like a giant smudge of blackest tar on a mirror. Our broken spirit, our contrite heart, invite God to clean that smudge and restore us to right relationship with Him.

Now, Ponder long and hard the 100% authentic state of your “contrite” heart!

Now, Ponder long and hard the words “utter surrender.” then “Before God!”

Then … “prepare ye, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make your paths straight.”

OMG … Stand still, Quit striving against Him, “What will God wrought now?”

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 139:23-24 Amplified Bible

23 
Search me [thoroughly], O God, (investigate my life) and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 
And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

Psalm 19 Amplified Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands.
2 
Day after day pours forth speech,
And night after night reveals knowledge.
3 
There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars];
Their voice is not heard.
4 
Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth,
Their words to the end of the world.
In them and in the heavens He has made a tent for the sun,
5 
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 
The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 
The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul;
The statutes of the Lord are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 
The precepts of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether.
10 
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed];
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 
Who can understand his errors or omissions? Acquit me of hidden (unconscious, unintended) faults.
13 
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful) sins;
Let them not rule and have control over me.
Then I will be blameless (complete),
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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What Authentic Difference Could It Make for us to Pray Without Ceasing for Peace in our World? John 16:33

John 16:25-33 New King James Version

Jesus Christ Has Overcome the World

25 “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. 28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”

29 His disciples said to Him, “See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! 30 Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God.”

31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his [a]own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you [b]will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

For close to two thousand years now, Christians everywhere celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Some of us sang the words, “I serve a risen Savior, he’s in the world today.” And our hearts and souls resonated with every word.

We’re back to school or work or at home facing the pressures of everyday life.

The joyous celebration of Christmas getting closer every moment of everyday.

But the risen Savior may not seem nearly as close today, and little may seem to have changed over the course of time and history.

We’re still faced with that lingering disease called sin, that broken relationship, between humanity and our Savior, those cultural and societal, governmental issues, those impossible financial problems, or those hardships that come with growing older but not so much proportionately smarter or wiser or peaceable.

We hear about poverty and persecution, about war and conflict in so many countries, and we might ask,

“Has the Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ really made .01% a difference? Has all the prayers prayed since that glorious moment, has anything changed in the past 2,000 years since Jesus’ resurrection? Are things any better, are things that much the worst for the passage of time in the 21st century than they were in the first century?”

Though nations, technology, social institutions have changed a lot since then, our human condition is much the same. God’s image-bearers are still addicted to sin, still refuse to acknowledge the seriousness of sin, refuse to honor God.

In our text from John’s narrative, Jesus sternly warned all of his followers,

“In this world you will have trouble.”

But because he has overcome the world, we can have new life in him and peace in Him in spite of the enormity of our struggles. We can with much effort strive to enact God’s restoration in our daily lives. We can pray, share his love with others and look forward together to the day when the risen Savior will return!

What Difference Does It Make to Pray for Peace in Our World?

Praying for peace seems an impossible task, or even a waste of time.

When we look at the current unrest in our world — the wars in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Sudan, to name just three — we know that if or even when conflict comes to an end in these regions, peace can be precarious, tentative.

If war doesn’t return to these areas, it will flare up elsewhere in our world.

Even down to the level of our homes, we know that peace is elusive. Quarrels, silent treatment, or someone walking out can occur at any time. As much as we try to mediate the peace — or work to make those times we get together with our families peaceful — it is often an ongoing battle to live without tension.

In any case, didn’t Jesus sternly warn us in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble”? Didn’t Jesus say that “wars and rumors of wars” were a sign of end times and his return (Matthew 24:6-8)?

And yet, the Bible doesn’t leave us with this sense of unrest.

It does the opposite.

The biblical view is to seek peace.

The biblical exhortation is to

1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 New King James Version

14 Now we [a]exhort you, brethren, warn those who are [b]unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

As I heard someone say recently, “Chase after peace, pursue it, handcuff it.”

First, to understand what we are praying for, we need to grasp the meaning of peace more fully. We need to know what the word “peace” means in the Bible.

The word for peace, shalom in Hebrew in the Old Testament, is more than an absence of conflict.

Shalom’s meaning is much broader and more comprehensive.

It more correctly means wholeness, soundness, health, security, well-being, and salvation. It can also mean quietness, rest, stillness and completion.

Here are three reasons we should pray for peace and the difference it can make.

Peace Is a Blessing from God for His People

Peace, in all the forms mentioned above, is not created by human beings but comes from God himself.

Just like love, grace, and mercy are characteristics of God, so is peace; and wholeness, well-being, and completion are each a part of God’s nature.

God is the creator of peace.

And as one commentator says, “peace is the ideal of creation.”

God says this of himself in Isaiah 45:7:

“I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.”

The word for “well-being” in this verse is  shalom.

God’s government and authority is one of peace. 

Job 25:2 “Dominion and fear are with God; he makes peace in his high heaven.”

When we pray “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in heaven,” we are praying for God’s peace that rules in heaven to come to earth. God’s kingdom is one of wholeness, soundness, health, security, well-being, rest and salvation.

The Creator God of peace, whose reign in his kingdom is harmonious and 100% complete, also blesses His people with peace.

Psalm 29:10-11 says: “…The Lord reigns as king forever. The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.”

And Psalm 85:8 says: “…he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants.”

We get a sense from these Psalms that God’s blessing and promise of peace — soundness, wholeness, rest even — is for His people, corporately.

And because of that, we are summoned to pray corporately for God’s peace.

We pray for the plan of the Creator to fill the earth, as the heavens, with His peace. We pray for God to restore our world to His intended plan for creation.

We should pray within our churches and with other believers for the blessing of God’s peace to come to earth from heaven. Just as the Lord’s prayer begins: Our Father… we ask for His blessing of peace on us, all as his people.

God’s Kingdom of peace is the needed difference to our world.

Let’s use this prayer together.

Our Father in heaven, may your Kingdom of peace, salvation, wholeness, and completion rule on earth as it does in heaven. We ask you to pour out your gift and blessing of peace on us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Peace Is a Gift That Individuals Have with God through Jesus

The New Testament word for peace is irene. This word means rest, but it also incorporates all the meanings of shalom mentioned above, too.

With the announcement of the birth of Jesus, the angels praised God:

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14).

The peace of heaven came to earth through the birth of Jesus, Prince of Peace.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of one who would come, one who was hoped for.

We know this as Jesus.

Just as we repeat the words of the angels during our Christmas celebrations, so we recite the words of Isaiah 9:6:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Psalms above indicate, God’s people prayed for God’s peace to come to earth. This Prince of Peace was longed for by God’s people for hundreds of years.

We know that Jesus didn’t bring peace to the land, even if his disciples hoped that Jesus’s rule would be a physical kingdom (Matthew 20:21).

Instead, Savior Jesus gave all he had at Calvary, by his resurrection, gave us individuals peace—rest, well-being, salvation—in their relationship with God.

Jesus understood that his mission was one of peace, too:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

And Paul developed on Jesus’ mission by explaining that peace came through Jesus’ death for us as sinners. 

Romans 5:1: “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”

Those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus know the peace it has brought to our hearts as we understand, or perhaps realize is beyond our understanding, a sense of well-being, wholeness, rest, and security that we are right before God.

The most important peace we can pray for is for individuals to be reconciled with God through Jesus.

And prayer is the way in which we invite others to place their faith in God, through Jesus, and receive salvation. Prayer brings individual peace with God.

Use this prayer for the people in your life to find peace with God.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your Son, Jesus, the bringer of peace. I bring before you those I know and love who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior. May they turn to you in faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Peace Is a Gift of the Holy Spirit for Our Relationships with Other People

Galatians 5:22 lists “peace” as a gift of the Holy Spirit:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

God’s peace, part of His nature, is bestowed on us through the Holy Spirit.

As God’s people we receive his blessing of peace, and we are reconciled to God in peace through his Son Jesus. Then we also have God’s peace dwelling within us through his Holy Spirit. We are surrounded, both inside and out, by peace.

There are two things we should know, though, about peace that comes through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

First, the fruit of the Holy Spirit is never exclusive for ourselves, it is for the benefit of other people. Second, peace is not automatic, we must work at it.

Paul, in his letters, valued the quality of peace to such a high degree that he coupled it with God’s grace.

In his letters, he greeted the churches with the words “grace and peace to you.” See 1 Corinthians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, and Colossians 1:2 as examples.

The writer of Hebrews also knew of the importance of setting peace as a goal:

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy” (Hebrews 12:14).

Peace makes the body of Christ work as it should. It brings “full restoration,” God’s wholeness and completeness. It brings a “harvest of righteousness,” through knowing Christ as our only Lord and Savior, and it leads to holiness.

Immanuel, Living in peace means that God is with us, other people will notice, and God will be glorified. Let’s pray to work at finding peace with each other.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your Holy Spirit and the gift of peace that he brings. Give us the strength and wisdom to strive and work for peace with other people, especially other believers. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 46 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 46

To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed,
and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,
though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God,
the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved:
God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved:
he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth;
he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder;
he burneth the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still, and know that I am God:
I will be exalted among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Today’s Prayer: Hardcore Acceptance or Hardcore Rejection: For those who are living among us and “dealing” with family rejection. Psalm 27:7-10 

Psalm 27:7-10 Easy-to-Read Version

7 Lord, hear my voice.
    Be kind and answer me.
8 My heart told me to come to you, Lord,
    so I am coming to ask for your help.
9 Don’t turn away from me.
    Don’t be angry with your servant.
    You are the only one who can help me.
My God, don’t leave me all alone.
    You are my Savior.
10 Even if my mother and father leave me,
    the Lord will take me in.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

When My Father and Mother Forsake Me …

Psalm 27 includes a verse that begs us to look closer.

David declares, “When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.”

He doesn’t say, “If my father and mother forsake me,” he says, “when.” This is something that David knows about.

Having a parent forsake you is one of the most hurtful situations a child can experience.

Some are blessed with great parents.

But then again, for reasons and rationale known but to God alone, too many are not blessed with great parents, these children experienced complicated family situations first-hand. For the very coldest of all of them, a mother or father had called long distance to let him know that they never wanted to see them again.

I know of a couple of families where the parent’s texted their children in school to tell them they would need to find somewhere else to live because they could not, would not, will not at any future time be able to care for them any longer.

Those children ended up living out their school years on the streets, in drug houses and essentially homeless. Eventually they both ended up in prison cells.

They only remember their Thanksgiving and Christmas days living in squalor or behind prison bars – abandoned, forsaken, forgotten, destitute, hating God.

The Psalm writer David knew something about hardcore family rejection.

After he had been anointed king by Samuel, but was not actually the king, things got a exceptionally thorny, even life threatening pretty quickly.

King Saul had no intention of giving up his crown to a boy and was becoming murderously unstable. David was married to the king’s daughter and bff’s with his son, but that didn’t keep King Saul from failing in his family responsibilities and with sword, chasing him around the country with intentions of killing him.

During this time, it was not only David’s life that was in danger, his family was now facing a very real threat to their own safety.

In 1 Samuel 22, they packed up and left Bethlehem to be with David.

Verse two, “And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontent gathered to him.”

This was definitely not what they envisioned about hospitality and family !

By verse three David had asked the king of Moab if his parents could stay there.

Jewish life completely revolved around their family and community.

Their land was passed down from generation to generation. Jewish families would never have abandoned their family land if they had any choice at all.

Moving to Moab (historically Israel’s enemy) must have been devastating for David’s mom and dad.

We don’t hear of David’s parents again.

We might assume that they died in this foreign land where everything was unfamiliar and hard.

We might also assume, based on Psalm 27, that they let David know that they blamed him for their situation.

Whatever was said, he felt their disapproval acutely.

You may also have a complicated relationship with one or both of your parents.

It’s hard. It may be something that you have tried to overcome your entire life.

If that is the case, let David’s words bring you some comfort. “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.” Then the Lord will.

I don’t say this flippantly at all, but in such times let the Lord take care of you.

So often we experience deep, deep hurt and we never heal from it because we hold it tight, even find our identity in it, and never let it go enough to let Jesus bind up our wounds, heal broken hearts. You have to choose to let Him heal you.

We may never have lifelong congenial relationships with our parents. Reality may be the depth of the betraying situation is echelons beyond unrecoverable.

Letting go of the immensity of our hurt won’t be easy. But with an effort, it will require prayer and Godly council from spiritually strong people who understand what they’ve experienced. If we have empathy, courage to give our hurt to God, as David did, we will find that He takes better care of us than we can imagine.

Does The Faithful, Perfect Father really Exist for me?

Psalm 68:4-6 Easy-to-Read Version

4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name!
    Prepare the way for the one who rides on the clouds.
His name is Yah.[a]
    Worship before him with joy.
5 God, who lives in his holy palace, is a father to orphans,
    and he takes care of widows.
6 God provides homes for those who are lonely.
    He frees people from prison and makes them happy.
    But those who turn against him will live in the desert.

Unfortunately, not everyone has had a positive experience with their father.

Deadbeat dads walk out on their families, offering only neglect instead of care.

Some children have never met their fathers.

Or, worse, some wish they had never met them.

Sadly, our world is plagued with poor examples of fathers, men who abandon, neglect, or abuse their families.

Your own bad experience may make it difficult to accept God as your heavenly Father.

But God’s faithfulness far exceeds that of even the best parents.

Even if our father and mother forsake us, the Lord will not.

Our Father God is the perfect Father. He fills a painful vacuum of love for all whose earthly fathers have forsaken them.

God’s intention in calling himself Father is to reveal his heart’s desire to have a real relationship with you, his child. He loves you in a way that no human has ever loved you, with ferocity and faithfulness that no human love can match.

If your own father has failed you, then you need, more than most, the faithful Father in your life.

Do not reject the vivid image of God as your Father because your own father failed to live up to his calling.

No one should be abandoned, neglected, or abused. We all need the authentic unconditional love and affirmation of the perfect Father.

If God is in us … We can be a model of fatherhood, more like God the Father …

https://fathers.com/ might just be a good place to start being more like God.

Our Father who art in Heaven … Hallowed be THY name … thy kingdom come thy will be done … on earth as it is in heaven … give us this day our daily bread.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Father, thank you for calling us your own children and welcoming us into your life and into your family. Replace the pain of our bro-ken relationships with the joy of your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Psalm 133 Easy-to-Read Version

A song of David for going up to the Temple.

133 Oh, how wonderful, how pleasing it is
    when God’s people all come together as one[a]!
2 It is like the sweet-smelling oil that is poured over the high priest’s[b] head,
    that runs down his beard flowing over his robes.
3 It is like a gentle rain[c] from Mount Hermon falling on Mount Zion.
    It is there that the Lord has promised his blessing of eternal life.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Where is that so called Flicker of Light on the Long Journey of Life? Who is in charge of keeping it lit? Hebrews 12:1-2

Hebrews 12:1-2 New Century Version

Follow Jesus’ Example

12 We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back. 2 Let us look only unto Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But he accepted the shame as if it were nothing because of the joy that God put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

For 17 months, I have been praying relentlessly for strength and even just a bit more motivation; to be set free from the chains of discouragement that seemed to be holding me down, zapping my energy, and paralyzing my will and way.

And to my momentary relief and honor this morning, I woke with a slight sort of spring to my step. A tiny touch of hope greeted my heart.

But only for a brief, flickering flash as reminders of previous disappointments began to spring to my mind that since my triple bypass open heart surgery had deflated many of my dreams, led to my self becoming increasingly frustrated.

At the break of day this morning, I temporarily felt something beneath the surface, ready to burst out and up into positive change and progress – perhaps the coming Christmas season. But the force of the enemy keeps coming on so strong my life’s fight felt threatened, and once again, I was tempted to cave.

Do you ever feel desperate for God’s power to push you onward? Dying for 1% more encouragement and hope to take deep root in your soul with persevering patience, joyful expectation, and certain tiny baby steps of confident purpose?

In my heart and in my soul I do know that God can’t be defeated. I know that his all-powerful spirit is alive and well within me. And so he can and will conquer the enemy trying to turn off, extinguish the light in my soul and surroundings.

But how do we shed even 1% of what is weighing us down, what is keeping our feet super glued to the floor, stand strong against the suppression of our souls?

I bet you’ve wondered something similar.

What is it?

Maybe you’re feeling down due to a past season that didn’t go quite as you hoped or planned.

Or in that lonely wilderness place with no spiritual food or drink to be found, depressed by a current situation that feels incredibly stagnant and hopeless.

Or disheartened by an uncertain future clouded with acute, chronic medical issues (for example – cancer, heart, diabetes, and so on) that looks dim, has no cure, will only get worse with time and feels so completely out of your control.

I get it.

Rising to better health following my heart surgery, constantly getting more tired, fighting Diabetes, I’ve been resisting the pull-down of darkness, too.

But when I step back and ask myself how I can resist, I remember how I’ve done it before. And I’m reminded that it’s in these wrestling places and spaces that we need to stand firm on God’s Word. His Word that says, I am with you.

His Word that says, “I will help you.” “I will keep watch over you day and night, “ And his trustworthy Word brightly proclaiming, “With me, we will conquer this.” 

We can and should look up to God, rise and stand up for Jesus, balance ourselves steady our thoughts, look forward, stand sturdy on the solid rock of scripture. 

Isaiah 41:10 and Romans 8:37 are verses worth memorizing and scripting on our hearts to fight and face such fragile moments.

They read, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10) and, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). 

And closing out the Eighth chapter of Romans … we read these powerful words;

Romans 8:37-39 New Century Version

37 But in all these things we are completely victorious through God who showed his love for us. 38 Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, 39 nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We can grow wiser and more mature in God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, trust these words and truths of his presence, help, and victory.

They are his gifts to us and me as children of God.

Yes, in our moments of struggle, we need to listen to the voice of God saying, 

“I am here.”

“I always know exactly where you are and why and how you arrived there!”

We need to receive the subtle nudges of encouragement, strength, and light, he showers on us constantly through his creation, people, and presence, His Word!

And we need to never take our eyes off of him, shed what weighs us down which serves only to threaten the integrity of our connection, let go of his hand, while running with highest perseverance the race of life he has mapped out before us.

I know the race is long.

I know there are very few ultra marathoners capable of going on ahead without being consumed by the thoughts, feelings of physical exhaustion, like a never-ending, vision of the unpredictable, heights of a previously unknown marathon.

You’ll keep yourself looking and seeking taking a step forward, two back, three forward, and lose ground all over again. But keep your eyes open and toward the light. It’s always there. It’s always shining. It’s him. The almighty good God.

Ready to risk it?

Praying to God, pleading to God, crying out to God, that by His intercession, we are looking, moving forward. that if we look back far enough, we can see it.

And he will keep moving you on.

He will keep encouraging you, He always has with his presence, his help, and his victorious good and sovereign hand.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Don’t take your eyes off the light of the Lord today.

And keep looking to him as you journey on.

He is always 100% with you.

He is for you. And he will fortify your fight and perfect your faith as you continue on with him through your life and to the finish line of eternity.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 121 New Century Version

The Lord Guards His People

A song for going up to worship.

121 I look up to the hills,
    but where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let you be defeated.
    He who guards you never sleeps.
4 He who guards Israel
    never rests or sleeps.
5 The Lord guards you.
    The Lord is the shade that protects you from the sun.
6 The sun cannot hurt you during the day,
    and the moon cannot hurt you at night.
7 The Lord will protect you from all dangers;
    he will guard your life.
8 The Lord will guard you as you come and go,
    both now and forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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From the time of our Beginnings, From our very first moments Our Happiness is always found in our being Created by God in His Image. Ephesians 2:1-10

Ephesians 2:1-10 Common English Bible

Saved from sin to life

2 At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. 2 You used to live like people of this world. You followed the rule of a destructive spiritual power. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will that is now at work in persons whose lives are characterized by disobedience. 3 At one time you were like those persons. All of you used to do whatever felt good and whatever you thought you wanted so that you were children headed for punishment just like everyone else.

4-5 However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! 6 And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. 7 God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus.

8 You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith.[a] This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. 9 It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. 10 Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Can anyone answer the question; “Where and when did our happiness begin?”

If we had to take our best guess, our most educated guess, our best considered guess, our best biblical or theological guess when our happiness really began;

How would we be most likely to respond?

Contemplatively?

Considerately?

Compassionately?

Easily?

Instantly?

Quickly?

Immediately?

Joyfully?

Mockingly?

Scornfully?

Spitefully?

Spontaneously?

Snarky?

Mysteriously?

Cryptically?

Instinctively?

Laughingly?

Sadly?

Tearfully?

Angrily?

With as much malice and forethought as we could muster from inside our soul?

With a “wide eyed thousand mile stare into the depths of who knows where?”

Not answer the question at all?

Is it really that difficult a question to ask and then expect an honest answer to?

What time frame would we be most likely to assign to our answer?

Minutes ago?

Just a few seconds ago?

Hours ago?

Days, weeks, months, years, decades ago?

“I cannot remember when I last felt happiness?”

“I don’t believe I have ever experienced happiness!”

“What is happiness, anyway?”

If we were to ask Abraham or Sarah?

If we were to ask the Israelites being held in bondage in Egypt?

If we were to interview Moses – while a Prince of Egypt, while a fugitive on the run for murdering an Egyptian, wandering in the harsh wilderness with so little to eat, drink to keep him moving forward toward survival in who knows where?

When he was received and was welcomed in Midian, took a wife, had children, a steady job? Before or after his experience with God Himself and a burning bush?

What about an interview with King Saul, before and after he was anointed the first King of Israel and then suddenly lost it when he was disobedient to God?

David, standing in the presence of a scared stiff King Saul, listening to the day after day taunts of the giant Goliath? Then defending the honor of his nation in a simple shepherds tunic with only a sling and a few stones from a dried river?

Examine the moment when he lustfully eyeballed a naked bathing Bathsheba?

When David then conceived, then enacted, his plot to cover up his adultery?

Select and examine any moment in scripture … when did their happiness start?

Our Happiness began in our Being Created by God.

Genesis 1:26-28 Common English Bible

26 Then God said, “Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us so that they may take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and all the crawling things on earth.”

27 God created humanity in God’s own image,
        in the divine image God created them,[a]
            male and female God created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and master it. Take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, and everything crawling on the ground.”

Why are we here?

What is our purpose for living here and now?

Maybe you have asked or heard these questions before.

These are philosophical questions that have kept the brightest people busy.

Do you have an answer?

The Bible teaches that we are created by God and made in his image.

“We are God’s handiwork,” and he sent Jesus to redeem and renew us so that we can have eternal life with him.

God renews us so that we can do good, and this is our purpose in life.

With the new life that God makes possible for us in Christ, we seek to live God’s way and to do good so that we can show others the way to know God.

We find true happiness in being created by God for an extraordinary purpose.

We are not a piece of wood floating aimlessly through the ocean of life.

We are not like a loose leaf carried by the wind.

Life has a truly meaningful purpose.

We are created by God to have full life with God and to shine the light of his love to others. God is the source and the destiny of our life.

The very meaning of eternal life is to know God and his Son, Jesus Christ, through the life-giving work of his Holy Spirit.

There lies our greatest and most complete happiness.

What is the origin, the real source of our happiness in our life?

In our current emotional, multi-emotional condition, what are we doing here to help ourselves connect to that moment when our happiness genuinely began??

How will you happily help someone happily answer these questions?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16 New Century Version

The Lord Takes Care of His People

A miktam of David.

16 Protect me, God,
    because I trust in you.
2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord.
    Every good thing I have comes from you.”
3 As for the godly people in the world,
    they are the wonderful ones I enjoy.
4 But those who turn to idols
    will have much pain.
I will not offer blood to those idols
    or even speak their names.

5 No, the Lord is all I need.
    He takes care of me.
6 My share in life has been pleasant;
    my part has been beautiful.

7 I praise the Lord because he advises me.
    Even at night, I feel his leading.
8 I keep the Lord before me always.
    Because he is close by my side,
    I will not be hurt.
9 So I rejoice and am glad.
    Even my body has hope,
10 because you will not leave me in the grave.
    You will not let your holy one rot.
11 You will teach me how to live a holy life.
    Being with you will fill me with joy;
    at your right hand I will find pleasure forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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From before the beginning of all Creation, our hopes began in great darkness and greater emptiness and inexorably surges forward, yet today. Genesis 1:1-2

Genesis 1:1-2 Amplified Bible

The Creation

1 In the beginning God ([a]Elohim) [b]created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was [c]formless and void or a waste and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep [primeval ocean that covered the unformed earth]. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Beginnings are important. Backgrounds about characters in novels and movies help us see the start of situations that have helped shaped them. Sometimes we introduce ourselves by telling about our ancestors or about relevant events that have shaped our family history. We pray that we recognize that who we are has a lot to do with the array of situations, the diverse people who came before us.

We ourselves have no memory of our beginnings. Memories do not begin to take shape until we are 4 years old-mine is the memory of my mom making my bed.

However, God was there at our very beginning when we were conceived in the darkness inside our mother’s womb (Psalm 139) in greatest detail, weaving us together within that darkness into who and where we all are walking today.

Similarly, the Bible’s first words about the earth are that it was “formless and empty” and that indescribable “darkness was over the surface of the deep”—a poetic way of saying that the world did not exist before God started creating.

Have you ever been in a cave without any flash lights on? It can be so dark that you can’t see your hands even when you touch your nose. The Bible begins with a darkness that is deeper than that. It’s the deepest darkness the Bible writers could possibly imagine: the depths, empty darkness, of the world not existing.

As we begin our time through this Advent 2024, looking forward to the light of Jesus’ coming, there is something very comforting about the Bible’s beginning.

John 1:1-5 Amplified Bible

The Deity of Jesus Christ

1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word ([a]Christ), and the Word was with God, and [b]the Word was God Himself. 2 He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. 3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. 4 In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines on in the [c]darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].

However heavy and impossible our current circumstances may feel, the Bible reminds us that our story begins with the God who creates life in the midst of the deepest darkness imaginable. In other words, with God there is always hope the light of our salvation is already there, has always been there, will always be there and there is nothing even the darkest of darkness can do to change that.

Contemplate the Darkness as it was in the beginning of all things before God spoke and Creation responded – How the darkness could do nothing about it.

Contemplate the Hope before God spoke creation into being, the hope that began to be revealed as creation responded and the hope which surged like biggest Tsunami we could ever conceive of in our finite minds that despite the greatest efforts of the darkness to overcome that surging hope, it did not work.

Even in the greatest darkness anyone could conceive today – God has long since proven that hope has existed from the very beginning, Jesus is alive, is eternal!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 Amplified Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands.
2 
Day after day pours forth speech,
And night after night reveals knowledge.
3 
There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars];
Their voice is not heard.
4 
Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth,
Their words to the end of the world.
In them and in the heavens He has made a tent for the sun,
5 
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 
The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 
The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul;
The statutes of the Lord are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 
The precepts of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether.
10 
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed];
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 
Who can understand his errors or omissions? Acquit me of hidden (unconscious, unintended) faults.
13 
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful) sins;
Let them not rule and have control over me.
Then I will be blameless (complete),
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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From my affliction, I wish my soul had prayed to my God, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I wait quietly for Him.” Lamentations 3:24-25 

Lamentations 3:19-33 English Standard Version

19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
    the wormwood and the gall!
20 My soul continually remembers it
    and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope:

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[b]
    his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will 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 wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man that he bear
    the yoke in his youth.

28 Let him sit alone in silence
    when it is laid on him;
29 let him put his mouth in the dust—
    there may yet be hope;
30 let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
    and let him be filled with insults.

31 For the Lord will not
    cast off forever,
32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
    according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
33 for he does not afflict from his heart
    or grieve the children of men.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

A Prayer for Steadfast Patience for the Good God Promises

Lamentations 3:22-27 Easy-to-Read Version

22 We are still alive because
    the Lord’s faithful love never ends.
23 Every morning he shows it in new ways!
    You are so very true and loyal!
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my God,
    and I trust him.”[a]

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him.
    He is good to those who look for him.
26 It is good to wait quietly
    for the Lord to save them.
27 It is good for a man to wear his yoke
    from the time he is young.

How is it with your soul, today?

I have to confess that it’s been a really hard year for me and my wife.

One of the hardest we can remember actually.

And right now, our inner sense is that the hope-light within us seems to be dimming a little more each day.

We know God is good.

We know He has us both etched in the palm of his righteous hands. But, as the disappointment and difficulties linger longer and longer, our patience thins.

How do we hold on?

How do we swell with hope and joy, peace and love when our shared hurts seems to overpower all the encouragement we desperately try to cling to?

I don’t know about you, but as a whole, humanity is really good at wearing an “all is well” smile.”

I mean, who wants to be hanging around with a perpetual frowner anyway? But on the inside, regardless of how justified we seem to feel defeated and deflated, the long depressing struggles of life over these last 18 months can eat us alive.

Do any of you readers feel any of this as we enter both Advent and Christmas?

Getting through Thanksgiving was a tough ride. Do you know God is good and still trust he has good in store for you, but right now, through a tough season or situation, you’re really struggling to rest in patience for his promises to prevail?

For specks of the promised goodness and peace you long for.

For relief from the struggle and deep breaths of refreshment to renew your sorrowful soul?

I know.

My Wife knows.

My Wife and Me echo this longing too. We all want the good God has promised.

And we all wish we could be more patient.

So what do we do? I believe we need to keep clinging… to God.

Patience is extremely difficult for us too, but we must keep clinging.

I recently placed a bookmark in my Bible, in Lamentations 3, highlighting verses 24 and 25 to remind us both that the Lord is our portion.

We all need to remember this.

Holding on to reassurance that he is and will provide our exact needs each day.

True, maybe not all of our wants—though some may come our way—but God provides the perfect portions of “perfect peace” we all need now, and he will assuredly provide every necessary portion for all our tomorrows. Those days and places ahead that deep down we question will hold any speck of light at all.

Therefore, we are to wait for him. Because we know—and his trustworthy word says so— that God’s portion is now and then.

This is the surest hope we can cling to. He is the surest hope we can cling to.

A sure and certain hope that will fortify our patience as we hold tight to it.

Proverbs 27:17 Complete Jewish Bible

17 Just as iron sharpens iron,
    a person sharpens the character of his friend.

And we keep  seeking him.

Because these words of truth also remind us the Lord is good to those who do.

And yes, we will find goodness even today as we seek him, day to day cling to him, and moment by precious moment we still keep placing our hope in him.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16 English Standard Version

You Will Not Abandon My Soul

A Miktam[a] of David.

16 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    I have no good apart from you.”

3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
    in whom is all my delight.[b]

4 The sorrows of those who run after[c] another god shall multiply;
    their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
    or take their names on my lips.

5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
    you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me.[d]
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being[e] rejoices;
    my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
    or let your holy one see corruption.[f]

11 You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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