Prayers for 2016

This is the time of year when I make my prayer list for 2016. I don't do New Year Resolutions because I have very little confidence in my resolve. It's called personal history. So, I make a prayer list. I don't pray all of these specifically every night. Some of them, more than others, are on my heart on certain days, but I can always, every night, pray, "Lord, those prayers." He knows which ones I mean. And the Holy Spirit always does a better job of praying them than I do. Anyway, here's my prayer list for 2016--so far. Yes, you are on it.
1. Lord, I have been praying many of these prayers for years, often with no visible evidence that You are at work, but I know You are. You answer every prayer. Remind me to pray with a thankful heart trusting your love and wisdom. Remind me to pray with a confident heart--a Romans 8:28 heart--knowing that the good is coming. The good is always coming.
2. May those that I know and love who are enemies of the cross overtly or secretly in their heart be brought by any means necessary to the foot of the cross and the wonder of Your love for them. And may they find me there in wonder on my knees.
3. May I live a life of fear and trembling; fear and trembling that I might do or say something that would break Your loving heart and grieve Your Spirit.
4. May the theology in my head become a certainty in my experience as I walk with you day by day.
5. May my tears--even the hard ones--always be tears of joy.
6. I know Your Second Coming will be dreadful, heart-rending; yet, full of Your love and to Your glory. Even so, come Lord Jesus. May You find me living a life of expectant loving obedience.
7. May I do no harm of any kind to even one of Your students that You have entrusted to my care.
8. May academics never get in the way of Your call to discipleship. Give me a sensitivity to the spiritual needs of Your students and may they always trump their academic needs.
9. May I be reminded each day that this day is my future. All of it that I have. Help me to rest in Your forgiveness for the stupidities of my yesterdays. And to not fear the human idea of "my future." Thank You that today--in my future--I have so much more than I could ever need.
10. May my first response always be forgiveness.
11. If You continue to give me opportunities to share Your truth in word and the written word, may I always exhort, edify, and encourage--never tear down. "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
12. May You burn all the baskets I fearfully use to hide the Light of Your presence. Help me to always be Christ in the room.
13. May I never take the beauty of The Acres for granted, the beauty of Your presence here. May my Gardening Angels have a marvelous year planned for our walks together. Surprise me every day.
14. As my physical health continues to decline, may my spiritual health soar. If this is the year that You take me Home, may I be able to say with Paul that clothed every day in the whole armor of God, I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course You laid out for me. May my weapons be spiritual. And may I live a good death.
15. May I see in every circumstance in my life and in the world, Your work as the God of love. May it always be the dominating factor in my understanding of the times.
16. May I always remember where my citizenship lies and that I am an ambassador of the King--my King.
17. Nevertheless not my will but Thine be done. Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Faith Believes

Faith believes:

Where there is no forgiveness there is no love;
Struggle--God's discipline and training--is proof of family membership, the breath of spiritual life, and the only path to transformational growth;
That no matter what one sees, God is working good in his or her life--in every situation;
Knowing Him more deeply requires suffering--a fellowship, participation, in His suffering for them;
That no one is in his or her life by accident; they are there because they need to experience first-hand His love;
That the fragrance of Christ emanating from one's life can draw people to Him or can act as a repellent:
That the battleground between Satan and God is the Christian's life;
That the message of The Golden Rule is to remind us that you reap what you sow; sow good seed;
That the church is the place where someone should always be able to find encouragement and love lavished upon them;
That blind people walk by sight.

Faith lives what it believes.

Wise Men

The last couple of days I've been thinking about the Magi--the Wise Men. The first thing that comes to mind--because I've been thinking a lot about him too, this Christmas--are the words of Simeon. He will be "a light to the Gentiles." The Magi: "We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." "And the glory of Thy people, Israel." The Shepherds: "And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them." Simeon's words--fulfilled before he even said them.
Now, I know the people of ancient times were star gazers, students of the heavens, always looking for signs in the skies, but why when they saw a "new" star did they think, "the King of the Jews has been born." Say what? There had to be a million different things they could have imagined. Why "the King of the Jews"? I'm thinking, grace, God's grace revealed to them.
And they had no doubts. They embarked on a journey fraught with dangers--perilous. Most people believe they embarked on a two-year journey--one way--to see that child. I'm sure they had servants with them. And with all those riches, guards of some kind. It was a courageous choice. But they went seeking--and arrived safely. Hmm, I'm thinking . . .
And what was so special about a king of the Jews? Who were they at that point in history? Most of them were scattered throughout the world. Those in the homeland were certainly viewed as irrelevant "players" in the events of the times. A small backward province on the edges of the Roman Empire known only for being an irritant. Why go to find such a child? King of the Jews? Who cares? They must have known more about Him than the Bible tells us. (Herod certainly knew they were looking for the Messiah.) They were seekers. But why? Yep, I'm thinking . . .
And then the surprise along the journey--there are always surprises. They show up in Jerusalem thinking surely the child was born there, and everyone will be excited about Him--but, no, He's not there, and no one has the slightest idea that He's been born. A little research came up with Bethlehem--a town so small it probably wasn't even on the map. So, on they go, and find Him, and--"rejoice exceedingly" (Wow!) Seekers always find Him. You know why.


And they worship Him,


Then, they head back home--warned by God to stay away from Herod (Someone wants to harm the child, the King? How can that be?!)--with who knows what thoughts going through their minds--for the rest of their lives. No doubt, they always remembered that child
There's so much the Bible doesn't tell us about so many things. But this we know. His promises are fulfilled before they are even spoken. He seeks men. What a God of grace! And the seekers, no matter how perilous the journey, no matter how many surprises they encounter along the way, no matter how much evil is at work in the world--the seekers find Him, and rejoice exceedingly. And, of course, God does tell us the most important thing--"Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ the eternal King."

Be Still

This time of year there is a simple commandment we need to embrace with our whole heart:  "Be still, and know that I am God."

It is in that stillness that He assures us that:
He is our refuge and strength--"is"--every moment of every day.
He is our very present help in times of trouble--"call unto Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things." Will, not might.
Though the nations rage, He utters His voice and they are nothing.
Though the world trembles in fear, we need not fear. "The Lord of hosts--the Lord of battle--is with us."
Though the oceans roar, we stand like a tree planted by the rivers of water bearing fruit in its season--the fruit of the Spirit, the beauty of His likeness.
He is the God of gladness.
He is the God of steadfastness.
He is the God of peace.
He will be exalted among the nations--in the fullness of time, once more.

A Child has been born. The Son has been given. "And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

And of His kingdom, there will be no end."

Beware of the idol of busyness. Be still. And know. Worship your King and Savior in the quietness of your heart. Cry, "Abba, Father" in the whispering of your prayers. Let your loneliness vanish in the time alone you spend with Him--your inescapable Lover. Find rest for your soul.

The Mind of Christ

Let this mind--this attitude--be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:

A willingness to pour yourself out for others--empty yourself as a sacrifice for the needs of those around you. Deny yourself daily. Such a life will fill you and those you serve with joy.

Be so controlled by the Spirit that you can't walk by anyone with a need--emotional, spiritual, even physical without responding. You can't help yourself. Such a life edifies--builds up--strengthens--those you help and fortifies your spiritual faith in His desire--and ability--to use you for His glory.

Be committed to live such a life of obedient service for others no matter what--until death. Such a life of loving obedience in all things fills you with a sense of His presence--a sense of His faithful love toward you. "For me to live is Christ--and to die, gain."

Such a life of complete surrender to the Spirit lifts of the beauty of the Savior before the eyes of men. And if He is lifted up . . .?

Focused

The journey Home is fraught with disappointment, failure, danger, and greater tests of our faith. We must be focused on seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness on a daily basis. We must not be lured by the treasures of earth which are only, and always, "fools gold." If heavenly treasure, the fruit of the Spirit evident in our daily walk, is our sole desire, disappointment will be transformed into blessing, failure into victory, danger into deliverance, and the greater tests of our faith will deepen our love for Him and solidify our confidence in His goodness. As our faith matures into faithfulness, we will find that it is His faithfulness that secures the journey Home. I must be sure that the light that guides my next step into the darkness of this world is the light of His Word, the lamp for my feet. I must be sure that nothing can quench the Spirit's love radiating from a grace-filled walk. I must be sure that those that stumble find in me a gentleness that is eager to willingly stoop down and lift up--and not a harsh critical spirit quick to judge. I must be sure to humbly grab the hand of those who lovingly desire to lift me up when I have stumbled. I must be unafraid to admit my weaknesses. I must remember that I am called to pour myself out for others, to spontaneously serve others, to understand that in this world I am called to be His feet, His voice, His presence in the lives of all others on the journey with me. I must embrace the promise: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and all the things you really need will be provided from the rich, inexhaustible storehouses of My glory."

Jesus Christ is all I need. I must set my affections on things above where my lovely Savior is seated on the right hand of our Father.. "Fixing our eyes" on Jesus is the only way to walk worthy, to walk the walk of faith, the only walk that pleases Him. The walk that ends with "Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into My rest."

Prince of Peace

In a neurotic, hate-filled, war-infested world, God comes with an offer--a promise of peace. And not just the future peace when men's weapons will be used to plow fields, but a right now peace with God--a peace that fills the heart with the peace of God.
Peace with God takes a man or woman with their natural enmity toward God and His righteousness and transfers them eternally into the Kingdom of the God of Love. It is a peace that not even death can destroy. Absent from the body, welcomed with open arms into the presence of The Prince of Peace.
The peace of God overcomes the world, removes troubles from a troubled heart living in a troubled, peaceless world. It removes fears of the unknown because the God of peace has no unknowns. It removes fears of loss because no one can fill up the empty places like the compassionate God of all comfort. It removes fears of failure because weakness engenders spiritual strength. It removes fear of the human enemy because a simple prayer turns them over to the God of justice and vindication. It removes the fear of "the enemy" because He was forever, completely routed on the cross and in the power of the empty tomb. It is a steadfast peace that enables one to continue to abound in the work of the Lord of Peace knowing that all work in His Name is not in vain. Ever. It is a peace that builds a impenetrable fortress of contentment around the heart and mind of the faithful soldier of the cross. The soldier whose weapons are the Sword of the Spirit and the compassion of the Savior that allows them to proclaim lovingly the gospel of peace to all that he or she encounters.

And to whom is this peace offered--peace with God and the peace of God?

A poor young woman and her tradesman husband
A group of unknown shepherds huddled around a fire
An old righteous and devout saint
An old widow prayer-warrior
Rich, wise kings of a distant land
Fishermen
Zealots
The teacher of Israel
Prostitutes
Crooked tax-collectors--of any height
Arrogant blaspheming Pharisees
Jew. Gentile. Man. Woman. Civilized. Barbarian.
All sinners

You.

Me.

All those in a neurotic, hate-filled, war-infested world who place their faith in the cross and the empty tomb and the Victorious Winner of the battle for the souls of men--in the Prince of Peace.

"For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Joy in Sorrow

Joy is not the absence of sorrow. It is the transforming power in the inner man that enables him or her to mature into the image of Christ--the "Man of Sorrows" who Himself endured the cross through the inner strength of joy. Joy comes from looking into my future, to the hope of every believer--to my inheritance with the saints. When I pause, just for a moment, and think of all that He has given me in this life, and all that He has promised me in eternity, the present difficulties, no matter how severe, seem inconsequential. They are not worthy to even be compared. I am, by His grace, a joint-heir with Christ. Everything that is His--and how much is His?--though I could never earn any of it for a second, He has promised to enjoy with me for all eternity. Joy allows me to triumph in sorrow--to persevere, to develop "proven character" which rests in the promised hope, "and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." 

"Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in my love." Reflect on that for just a moment . . . "As the Father has loved Me.'  I understand that I have lived with myself longer than many of you have lived with yourself, but I find that incomprehensible--to be so deeply loved. Me? "Amazing love, how can it be?"

"These things have I spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."
Joy in the midst of sorrow is the evidence of His great love being poured into our hearts It is the evidence of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit Who has sealed us until the day of redemption--until the Hope becomes a reality--forever.

Patience

To be Christ-like one must develop patience. Patience is the ability to accept people where God has them for the moment. It's the faith to allow God to take all the time He wants to change them--or you. To lack patience is to become a stumbling block to spiritual growth. God clearly tells us in Scripture that it is the patience of God that brings men to repentance--to a change of heart and behavior that pleases Him. We must love others--no matter how much they are irritating us at the moment--right where they are, patiently, trusting God to do what is necessary to change and mature them. We are not the transformers. God alone is. We are the instruments--the lights--He uses to bring others His love in order that they might seek Him and find Him.

For You

I often wonder what conversations, what activity, or even what the Shepherds were thinking as they sat that evening, under those stars, before the angels appeared with their message of hope. Was there a David among them, softly playing his lyre, singing a psalm, quieting the sheep--and his own heart? If so, I think I know what psalm was his favorite: "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures." Perhaps the star that alerted the magi to the coming of the King, and then led them to Bethlehem, was visible in their night sky? Did they discuss among themselves its significance? Or maybe they talked of Abraham and resting in the vista of that starry night, they reflected on the promises: "Your seed will be as numerous as the stars." "In you all the nations of the earth will be blessed." And can you even imagine the magnificence of the starry sky that they could see in the dark heavens of a world without lights? Must have been like a twinkling blanket of white. Or perhaps they talked about family and home, spouses and children, or maybe, just sat in silence alert to any dangers to their flock of sheep. Hey, maybe they were complaining about having to work the "night shift"? Personally, though, I think that's the shift I would have loved to work.
They, obviously, were men of simple, and thus, profound faith. The angels' appearence to these men--and boys, I assume; shepherds in training--was not a random act. God doesn't do random. They went from feeling petrified to being overcome with ecstatic joy. The message must have seemed improbable--the Savior has come; He has been born in Bethlehem; you'll find Him wrapped in rags--a baby, and in a manger. Oh, Bethlehem, was not improbable--the city of David, but a baby, poor like them, clothed humbly like them? But yes, "for you, has been born this day in the city of David, a Savior." Yes, "for you." And so they ran, "made haste"--whatever that may have looked like--joyous wonder and expectation in motion, a flock of men seeking their Shepherd. And they had no doubts. They didn't go to see if it was true--they went to see. And having seen, they went joyously to tell--"the Savior is here. Angels told us where to find Him." And then they returned to the darkness on the hillside, and, I imagine, looking up at those innumerable stars, just like Father Abraham, believed. And it was imputed to their account as righteousness. A Savior. Born for us. The Savior through whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

Yes, for you, was born that day, a Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. Yes, for you. And the message is the same: "Seek, and you will find."
Believe. Rejoice. Tell.

The Message of Hope

The message of Christianity is a message of hope not despair. For the sorrowful and broken-hearted their is an inexhaustible well-spring of comfort to be found in a loving relationship with Jesus Christ who promises to work all things for the good of His children and promises to in all things make the radiant majesty of His person--the weighty importance of His presence in the world--known. His followers spontaneously weep with those who weep. His followers respond to the agony inflicted by evil-doers, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Yes, genuine faith in Him forgives, and thus, trusts in His sovereignty, His wisdom, and His love, and makes no room in the heart--not an inch--for fear and hatred.

Heresy 101

Heresy 101
Could it be that since it is so incredibly difficult to take the gospel into Muslim countries that the God of all grace--who is not willing that any should perish--has decided to send them to us? You know, a new evangelistic "strategy" in these modern times. So that now we are being given the incredible opportunity to demonstrate to them the love and grace of God. So, perhaps, some will come to know the real Jesus, the One who willingly went to the cross to bring them eternal salvation and redemption--the One who died on that cross to pay for their sins--and ours.
And how many Muslim immigrants coming to know the Savior would make it all worthwhile? Personally, I'm guessing one maybe?

Attitude

My attitude toward God's Word--and for the person God has placed in my life to instruct me in God's Word--is truly my attitude toward God and toward obedience to His Word. We shake our heads at the attitude of the Jewish people toward God's prophets and their "Thus says the Lord," but are we any different? Am I any different? May my heart sing with David, "I love Thy law, O Lord." Why do we call Him, "Lord, Lord," and then sit under the teaching of His Word with apathetic hearts?

Loved

As I reminded my students this week: (Yep, I claim them all)

When your circumstances make you question God's love for you--

First. Stand for a moment at the foot of the cross. He died for you. The longer I live the more I am moved in my soul by that truth. I have lived with myself for a long time, and I can't imagine anyone willingly dying for me. But the perfect, sinless Son of God died for me. And I didn't ask Him to--He willingly volunteered.
Second. Remember that positionally--this very moment--you are perfect. All your sins have been forgiven. All of them. You can never be condemned. You have been justified. He has taken away your sin and robed you in His righteousness. As Paul says in Colossians--your life is hid in Christ. When God looks at you, He sees His Son.
Third. Daily, because though you are positionally perfect but not yet perfected, He intercedes on your behalf. He ever lives to make intercession for you. Even when you deliberately sin, He stands before the Father and says, "I paid for that sin." And if that love doesn't motivate you to loving obedience, I don't know what will.
Fourth. One day, when He is revealed, when you see Him as He is, you will be eternally made perfect. You will be like Him. You will be forever freed from even the desire to sin.
Fifth. He will never leave you nor forsake you. You will never experience what He experienced on the cross--being forsaken by God. Even when you are faithless, He will be faithful. Ascend up into the heavens--He is there. Descend into the deepest part of the ocean--He is there. Go so far East you're West. He is there. Go to the grave. He is there. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are WITH me. Nothing in life, not even death can separate you from His love. No amount of space or time can separate you from His love. No power natural or supernatural can separate you from His love. As you weep over your circumstances, guess where He is? Yes. There with you--weeping.
Sixth. When you are flat on your face, defeated, strengthless, not being able to imagine going on, He comes to you and promises: "When you are weak, then I can empower you with My strength. Yes, now, I can use you to do all things. Now I can transform you into My likeness. Now you can be the personification of My love and My grace to all with whom you interact."

You are deeply loved! And the key to understanding more fully the depth of His love, the key to being filled with the fullness of God exceedingly above all that you could ask or imagine is His prayer in the Garden. When in your Gethsemane, you cry out to the Father, "Isn't there another way for me to accomplish Your will?" and the Father, Who is Love, says, "No, this is the only way." Then, you must pray, "Then not my will, Lord, but Yours. Whatever it takes for me to glorify You--and to sense experientially the great heighth, and width, and depth of your love for me--that's what I desire--I want Your will above all else.

Yes, when the worst imaginable thing is happening to you, you are incomprehensibly loved.

Goals of Discipleship

The goals of discipleship :

To strengthen the inner man
To deepen one's faith in the reality that the Spirit lives within each of us to empower us to live lives of obedience by submission to His complete control over our every decision.
To make the unfathomable, inescapable love of God more of a reality in one's daily experience than the mere knowledge of that love in one's theology.
To encourage someone along the journey to becoming filled with the fullness of God--to becoming Christ in the room wherever they are.

And such a work is impossible without a total dependence on God. And total dependence on God is impossible without a reliance on intercessory prayer for those we have been called to disciple. Not by human strength nor by human power but by the Spirit only can discipleship be effectual.

And without discipleship the church is totally incapable of impacting the world. Simply because it is off mission. Whatever work it claims to be doing, is not God's work. It's the work of human strength and human power.

The Gift

I remember from many years ago a Christmas door-decorating contest that we held at Worthington Christian. When I came in one morning the young lady who was decorating the door to my room, had covered it with brown paper bags, bits of old cloth, and dried grass. No sparkle. No tinsel. No brightly colored paper. Indeed. That's how He came, was it not? Simply. In poverty. Humbly. Oh, the angels couldn't contain themselves and burst into song in a field, but they were, no doubt, quite a distance from the hay-filled manger where a little child was born, wrapped in cloth, son of a poor laborer and his young wife. And they sang their oratorio to the poorest of the poor--society's outcasts. And, yes, a couple years later, He would receive gifts--the funds necessary to live awhile in Egypt. (I'll bet I know when they ran out of funds.) But He didn't come to receive gifts. He was the Gift. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." May we in this season--and all year round--wrap ourselves in humility, content with what we have. And what do we have? The Gift of the Son--Christ in us, the hope of glory. The riches of His grace.

Untroubled Hearts

"And the peace of God which is beyond human understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Often when the turmoil of the world floods my thoughts, I must return to the promise: "My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in Me."

Beyond my understanding is the truth that in a world of turmoil and pain, He gives a heart filled with incomprehensible peace. And then, by faith, the mind, too, finds rests in His fortress of peace.

"Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Musings

Musings:
We feel as if we are entitled to so many things today except the one thing we are entitled to: Responsibility for our choices--even the ones we don't make.
"Addicted to affluence" Sadly, an apt description of so many of God's children. "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." Famous last words of the church at Laodocia until the "lights" went out in their church. Is there a prophet in Scripture that doesn't warn God's people about the injustice of ignoring the needs of the poor, the widow, the orphan? (That's called a rhetorical question.)
The church is never more beautiful--more Christ-like--than when it surrounds heart-broken saints with the comfort, love, and strength of Christ's compassionate presence. Ah, the power of a quiet hug.
Discipleship. There is no other priority. And it's a calling that is never finished.
The United States is not God's "country." The church is--and it can be found all over the world.
Too often the pursuit of political power and influence leads someone into a spiritual desert.
God chooses the weak and flawed and broken--the "base"--to do His work because otherwise we have the tendency to do our work in our way and call it His. Spiritual pride is a killer.
God has forgiven your past. Who in your past do you refuse to forgive?
God's "well done good and faithful servant" will be awarded to the diligent student committed to integrity--regardless of his or her IQ. And look all you'd like to, you won't find a column for it on a report card.
A heart filled with ingratitude will never be filled with joy. Or contentment, Or love. Or obedience. Or anything--but self.
Be a listener--not a talker.
Jesus made a conscious effort to spend time alone with the Father. Alone. Even though He was surrounded by urgent needs. You need times of renewal and strengthening to be able to respond to needs. As He would have you respond.
Disobedience is a lack of love.

Fret Not

A Reminder:
The wicked never prosper: In God's universe you reap what you sow. All the wicked do in order to gain their "prosperity" will reap a harvest. And every seed sown reaps much "fruit." God is letting the wicked pass judgment on themselves.

All the wicked desire is to them an appetite. Appetites are never , satisfied. If God allows them to gain all that they pursue, they will be the most miserable people on earth.

"He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury: but as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain."

"Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence, and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, lest He become angry and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!"

As I was reminded today by a friend: "The earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

How much of the sea is covered by water?

I am thankful that my King--the King of Kings and Lord of Lords--the Almighty is always on His throne.

"Fret not because of evil doers."

The Lord God Omnipotent reigns. Every second. Of every day.

The righteous will live by faith.

Worthy

I am thankful that:

"The Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals . . . And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign on the earth.' . . . Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." 

Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne; hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own! Awake my soul and sing of Him who died for thee, and hail Him as Thy matchless king through all eternity

Crown Him the Son of God
Crown Him the Lord of life
Crown Him the Lord of peace
Crown Him the Lord of love!

Choices

I am thankful that the choices that other people make--no matter how much they may impact my circumstances--do not define who I am. The only choices that define who I am are the ones I make.

Choose you this day whom you will serve. As for me, I will serve the Lord.
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Don't lay up for yourself treasures on earth where thieves break in and steal and moth and rust destroys. Lay up for yourself treasures in heaven.
Rejoice in the Lord--always.

What choices are defining who you are?

The Prayer

I am thankful that in the midst of deep struggles I can--with confidence-- pray the prayer . .
.
I am thankful that when all seems to be good, everything seems to be falling into place I can--with confidence--pray the prayer . . .

I am thankful that when I have no idea what God is up to I can--with confidence--pray the prayer .
. .
I am thankful that when I have a good idea of what God is up to and I don't like it one bit I can pray--with confidence--the prayer. . .

I am thankful that when God gives me an opportunity to touch someone's life with His love I can--with confidence--pray the prayer . . .

I am thankful when I see no visible evidence that God is using me at all I can--with confidence--pray the prayer . . .

I am thankful that every morning when I wake up and every evening before I go to sleep I can--with confidence--pray the prayer. 
. .

Yes, no matter what, you and I can and should--with confidence--pray the prayer: "Nevertheless, Lord, not my will, but Thine."

Grace

I am thankful that God loves rascals like Jacob--and me.
I am thankful that God loves doubters like Thomas--and me.
I am thankful that God loves those with a "past" like Mary Magdalene--and me.
I am thankful that God loves those who deliberately commit horrendous sins like David--and me.
I am thankful that God loves those who shake their fists in His face like Paul--and me.
I am thankful that God loves the hesitant even when His presence is as undeniable as a burning bush like Moses--and me.
I am thankful that God loves the betrayers like Peter--and me.
I am thankful that God loves the arrogant and prideful like Nebuchadnezzar--and me.
I am thankful that God loves those disenchanted with their calling like the disciples in their fishing boat after the resurrection--and me.

I am thankful that when the angels in Heaven ask Him why He bothers to love someone like me, He says because of the kind intention--the good pleasure of His will, the eternal purpose of His plan, the riches of His grace, and the praise of His glory.

His love--unconditional, eternal, inescapable, transformational, full of loyal lovingkindness, merciful, and patient--makes all the difference.

"Loved with everlasting love, led by grace that love to know."

Fear

If God be for us, who can be against us?

I shall not fear what man can do to me?

And do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?

Absent from the body; present with the Lord.

I am thankful that the worst thing man believes he can do to me--take my life, will instead usher me into the arms of the One who is the Lover of my eternal soul.

But remember to weep with those who weep. He does.

It's Not a Maybe

I am thankful that when God answers your prayer in the one way that you didn't want Him to answer, that time always proves what a loving and wise and caring Savior He is. "All things work together for good" is not a "maybe."

Just One

I am thankful--and you are too, I'm sure--that God only made one of me. No duplicates.

So:
I know that He loves me just the way He made me.
I know that He has a part for me in His plan that I have been designed/created to fulfill.
I know that the gifts and talents He has graciously given me will make my calling--whatever it is; as multifaceted as it is--sacred.
I know that He calls me by name.

Convinced

I am thankful that "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

"For I am convinced that . . ."
Nothing that can happen to me in this life can separate me from God's love which is in Christ Jesus. Nothing.
Death cannot separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Satan and all his angels cannot separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
No amount of time--even into the eternal future when time shall be no more--can separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is no place I can go in this universe and be separated from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is no earthly power--personal, national, international--that can separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nothing--time, space, powers, created beings, events past, present, and future--nothing. The only love God has is everlasting love. "In a love which cannot cease, I am His and He is mine."

Yes, "More secure is no one ever than the loved ones of the Savior"

Speaking

I am thankful that:

"By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks."

"Through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks."

Think about it. After God has called us home, our life will still be "speaking." Abel's life will speak until the end of time. For though heaven and earth may pass away, God's Word abides forever. My friend Randy's life is still speaking of his love for His Savior. And it will continue to speak through his wife, his sons and daughters, their spouses, his grandchildren. Randy still speaks--perhaps, by God's grace, until the end of time.
In our family an old Presbyterian minister by the name of Seth Means still speaks. He shared the message of the Savior with my mom and my dad--and many others. And Mom and Pop spoke that message into my sisters' lives and into my life and into their grandchildren's lives. Yes, Pastor Means, though dead for years and years, still speaks. Every life that my family has been used by God to speak into--Seth Mean's life still speaks. By God's grace, until the end of time.
To be honest everyone's life will still "speak" after he or she is taken from this temporal world. The question is what will it "say"? After all, Cain's life still speaks, does it not? So, when the Lord takes you home what will your life say? What will my life say?

Lord, may my life echo the "words" of your son Abel: "Without faith, it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to Him must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."

And could there be a greater reward than to live a life through which God can testify--"though he is dead, he still speaks" of My goodness and My faithfulness and that no matter what the cost, he believed that it was worth it to have followed Me--even unto death.

"And it was."

Thankful

I'm thankful that in the confusion and noise and frustration and "hecticness" and clamor and whirlwinds and earthquakes and . . . whatever comes my way. the Spirit's still small voice can be heard loud and clear.
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 I'm thankful that God doesn't have any age restrictions on "usability." He can use chubby old bald guys. He can use committed teenagers--I know, they're in my classes. He is eager to use all those who simply say, "Here am I. Send me."
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I'm thankful that when I have no idea whatsoever what's going on, my omniscient Savior is sitting on His throne rejoicing in His perfect plan for my life. And it's a plan immersed in His love. His eternal, inescapable love.
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 I am thankful that the One who knows all there is to know about me--my struggles, my failures, my deliberate disobedience, my faithlessness, my doubts, my murmurings, my iniquity, my sinfulness, my pride, my stubbornness, my past . . .everything there is to know about me--loves me with all His heart.
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I am thankful that yesterday and tomorrow are His days. And for this day--which is mine--He promises to supply all my needs--including all the strength necessary to use this day for His glory. That's why every morning when I wake up, I can say with confidence--and a grateful heart--
.
"This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it."
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 I am thankful that God in His lovingkindness always gives us what we need, not what we think need.
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 I am thankful that when my human frailties get in the way of my heart's desire to please Him--He looks at my heart.
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 I am thankful that the simplest ways to say, "I love you," are always the most profound.
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 Great performance tonight by the WC band and jazz ensemble! How can anyone not be thankful for music? I can't wait to hear the "recording" of the morning stars singing in joy at God's creation, Moses' singing on the other side of the Red Sea, David playing and singing under the stars to calm the sheep, Jesus and the disciples singing on the way to Gethsemane . . and on and on. The gift of music!! Thank You, Lord!
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 I am thankful for the church the body of Christ. Flawed, sure. But the hands and feet and heart of God in this world. God's comforters. God's encouragers. God's exhorters. As it gazes into His face, it reflects His glory to all around. No one will ever be everything God desires for them to be without spending time gathering together with other members of the body. No one.

Access

The veil was ripped in two. From top to bottom.

I am thankful that the Father has given us access to His throne of grace and mercy through the sacrifice of His Son.

Access for those times of need--those times when I desperately need grace and mercy.

I have lots of those--"times of need."

Daily.

And access is never denied. Never.

Yet

I am thankful that

"For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him."

Helpless. Ungodly. Sinner.

Yet

Much more then-- Justified. Saved.

I am eternally thankful for the "yet" of God's love.

Therefore

This is the time of year when we focus on being thankful. This is where it begins:

"But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is your victory? O death where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore (this is how you "tell" Him you're thankful), my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."

Yes, thankfulness is a life style. "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus."

How thankful are you for "the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ"?

If someone spent just one day with us--maybe just one hour--I bet they would know.

A Reminder

A reminder tonight of something I've reminded you of, oh, a couple thousand times probably. But as Paul says we need reminding. We are a forgetful people. We too often forget the most important things we know--simultaneously.

Here's your reminder (our reminder): If you are still on this earth, God has something for you to do--tomorrow. And it's spectacular. Show everyone you meet the love of Christ. No one else is going to meet all the same people that you will meet tomorrow. They are in the appointment book He made for you. They either need to be reminded of, or they need to encounter, the great salvation that God has provided through His Son. As Dwight Moody put it:

For God--the greatest Lover
So loved--the greatest degree
The World--the greatest number
That He gave--the greatest act
His only begotten Son--the greatest gift
That whosoever--the greatest invitation
Believes--the greatest simplicity
In Him--the greatest person
Should not perish--the greatest deliverance
But--the greatest difference
Have--the greatest certainty
Everlasting Life--the greatest possession.

Tomorrow, may the Spirit enable us, through our lives, to make that truth undeniably true.

You have been reminded.

Don't forget.

The Path of Suffering

'''And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you in His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."

Where the path of suffering leads: The God of all grace . . . will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."

Spiritual Self-Confidence

"Without Me, you can do nothing."

"I can do all things through Christ who is my strength."

Nothing is more dangerous to Christian growth and victorious living than spiritual self-confidence.

The Mercies of God

The mercies of God: the Creation that clearly--and undeniably--declares His divine power and majestic attributes, a law that shows us our desperate need for a Savior, grace greater than all our sins, mercy that frees us from condemnation, regeneration that makes us alive in Him, redemption that declares the price fully paid, justification that removes our sin guilt and replaces it with His righteousness, propitiation that willing accepted the wrath of God that we deserved, reconciliation that transforms us from enemy to friend, a joint-heirship that makes us spiritually rich beyond our comprehension, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that sanctifies us--makes us each day more like Him and gives us victory over sin in our life, access into the very throne room of God emboldened by the prayers of the Spirit on our behalf, a promise that all will be well--for His glory and for our good, an adoption into His family--His beloved child by His choice, the lavishing of an inescapable love, eternal life in His presence.

"With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give Him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to Him and acceptable by Him. Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan God has for you is good, meets all His demands and moves toward the goal of true maturity."

Threat

The greatest threat to the power of today's church to transform lives is today's church. The church is called to Be holy as He is holy. To meet the needs of the poor, the orphan, and the widow. To speak the truth in love. To live in harmony with one another. To confront sin in the body. To practice hospitality to strangers. To treat the alien in the same way you who are an alien in this world desires to be treated, To love sacrificially God's fellow sheep, To comfort the hurting, To preach the gospel to the lost. To give double honor--from our wallets--to those who have been called as ministers in the church. To be unspotted by the world. To as much as possible live in peace with all men. To remember that no Scripture is of any private interpretation--God says what He means.

And if you believe that the threat applies to everyone else's church and not your own--pride goes before a fall. The angel of light is in the building. Soon he will reveal himself as the devouring lion.
Be diligent to show yourself approved unto God, a servant that doesn't shame His Lord, one who rightly divides the Word of God.

Why?

Our Father rarely tells us "why." He tells us "wait." And He trusts that now, in the present tense, we will find peace in the midst of deep sorrow knowing how much He loves us. He tells us that often--that He loves us. He demonstrated that love on the cross that bore His Son--His Dearly Beloved--Who died for us that He might give us hope. A sure hope, not a wishful hope. A death has been defeated hope. A death is dead hope. A "I Am the resurrection and the life, He who believes in me will never die." hope. A new life hope. A reunion hope. An eternal reunion hope. And He is touched by our sorrow. He weeps with those who weep. Our tears are precious in His sight. No doubt, He was a young man--perhaps a boy--who wept with His mother when His earthly father died. He is always by our side--He is at hand. Joy comes in the morning--in that eternal morning when we will all meet again. And He--our eternal Lover--will be there. And we will have no more "whys" to ask. 

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

We are loved by everlasting love.

Necessay

God has no insignificant, second class citizens in His kingdom. He clearly tells us that those we have a tendency to view as "less than necessary" are vital to the kingdom work--the kingdom is dependent upon their faithfulness.

God has no children that He doesn't love fully and unconditionally with every fiber of His eternal being as the God who is love. We, like John, are all the disciples whom Jesus loves.
Embrace today your "vitalness" and the depth of His love for you.

For Tomorrow

Some reminders for tomorrow:

You will not meet any Christian tomorrow--not one--with whom God is finished. And God has put you into each other's life because iron sharpens iron. Be encouraging, be exhorting, be loving so that God can use you to build them up in the faith--transform them more into His likeness. And understand that they will interact with you tomorrow in such a way that you, too, can learn and grow. You have no accidental Christian friends. Edify. Don't tear down. Be a stepping stone not a stumbling block. Love them where God has them on their journey to His likeness. And don't assume that He's finished with the Christian you see in the mirror tomorrow morning either.

His mercies are new every morning? Why new? Because undoubtedly you will need some "mercies" tomorrow that you didn't need today. And the Spirit who searches your soul and your body knows exactly which ones you'll need. "Old" ones and "new" ones. Thankfully, He never shakes His head and mutters, "You need what?" No, He always says come with Me--boldly--to the Father's throne. He has everything you need. We may refuse to come and try to make it on our own through our tomorrows--it's called courting disaster; and it breaks His heart--but He will never say, "Don't come with Me to the throne room."

God sends rain on the "just and the unjust." On the justified and the "un-justified." How dare I not be willing to be one of God's showers of blessing on the "un-justified." Prayerfully, on the not yet justified.

Some of the people I will show God's love to tomorrow, some of those I will show that I care, will never know who I was. But they will know that someone showed them love, someone cared about them. They will know that they are worthy to be loved and cared for. And God is pleased when I embrace being just a someone.

The reason I am growing physically weaker and weaker is so that I can grow stronger and stronger spiritually. Total dependence works that way, you know?

God's heroes--those who know that we all share a common destiny--accountability to God--never ask, "What will happen if I obey?" They just lovingly obey because they know whose in charge of "what will happen when I obey." And whatever it is, it will glorify Him and be good for His people, His body, His bride--the love of His eternal life. Be doers of the Word, not just hearers only. Please Him by faith--through faithfulness--don't grieve His loving heart.

Tomorrow will be here before you know it. Got any plans? He certainly does. And they include you.

Therefore

But when this corruptible will have put on incorruption, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Do you believe that? Honestly, believe that? Then, this should be your response:

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Steadfast: fixed in direction, firm in purpose, unwavering in resolution

Immovable: unalterable, incapable of being moved from one's purpose

Abounding: to be filled, to be rich

Is your purpose in life to day by day touch others with the love of Christ? Is it impossible for any circumstances to keep you from demonstrating that love? Do you see such a purpose as the thing that makes your life rich, the activity that fills you with contentment? These attitudes will be true of you if you honestly believe that the victory over sin's power and over death itself is yours through Christ--eternally. The "war" has been won. Grace is the victory.

One day that grace will take you into His presence. And even though it was His power at work in you, He will take you in His arms and tell you, "Thank you, good and faithful servant, beloved child. Enter into my eternal rest free from sin's power and safe from death's sting forever and ever.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

A Revival

If you are counting on a political revival, don't. When people seek the approval, favor, praise of men, they are living in fear of men. When the most important thing is to please your constituents, you are living in the fear of men. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. I'm afraid that any politician who made His decisions based on the fear of God would have little chance of getting elected. And if by some miracle he did, he'd be a minority of one. You want to start a revival in America? You live in the fear of God.

What Might Have Been

Sometimes the enemy causes us to question the love and wisdom of God by afflicting our thoughts with a case of the What Might Have Beens. Knowing that our contentment is the gift that makes us spiritually prosperous he will try any stratagem to undermine it. Yet, those things that we wish would have "come out" differently are invariably the events God has used to draw us closer to Him, to mold us into a vessel more fit for His service, to empower us to reach into the lives of others--some of which we would have never known if those things had not happened to us. He always guides us with the loving hand of an all-wise Father. He always is busy molding us into a earthen jar more useful to the needs of the kingdom and the needs of those He has brought into our lives for us to minister to in this time and in this place. If we could see what our lives would be like if the What Might Have Beens would have occurred, I have no doubt we would be deeply sorrowful--and be doubting Him with other What Might Have Beens.

What Might Have Been if Reuben had been successful in freeing Joseph from the pit before he was sold into slavery?

What Might Have Been if Joseph had not been wrongly accused and cast into prison--for living righteously?

What Might Have Been if the man whose dream he interpreted to his advantage had remembered Joseph right away instead of when Pharaoh was deeply conflicted about his dream?

What Might Have Been? Joseph and his father and brothers and all of their families--not to mention the thousands upon thousands that lived in the Middle East at that time--would have died of starvation in the devastating seven years of famine.

Put aside the thoughts of What Might Have Been and rejoice in the truth that where He has you now is the best place His love "imagined" for you. The best place for you to know His love, to discover His wisdom, and to be His useful servant for the good of the body. He can be trusted. Always.

No One

No one ever cared for me like Jesus. Rarely for a righteous man would someone die. But when I was dead in my trespasses and sins, He died for me. For the joy that was set before Him, died for me.

No one cares for me right now like Jesus. "He is my strength from day to day without Him I would fail." And even when I am faithless, He is always faithful. In fact, when I sin--even deliberate sin--He stands before the Father as my Advocate, my Defender. And His plea on my behalf: His righteousness. I need no other argument. 

No one could possibly care for me throughout the ages to come like Jesus. He will give me an incorruptible, immortal body like His. Like His! I am a joint heir with Him. No amount of time will ever separate me from His love.

So, why am I so reluctant to cast all my cares on Him--the Greatest Carer?

All.

A Plan

God has a plan for our life. When you stop to think about it, that's beyond remarkable. Why would the eternal, omnipotent God include me in His plans? But He has. Everything that has happened in my life is part of the plan--part of the preparation necessary for what He intends for me to do for His kingdom. And He is molding me for the future and for today. Since I am still here, I have not yet reached "the moment" that He has planned for me. I'm still in "training"--in preparation. Where I am now--or where I've come from--are often not what I would choose if I was making the plan. But the circumstances of my life are the divinely appointed catalysts for what He needs me to do. And the beauty of His plan rests in His ability to see the plan with eternity in view. I, in my finitness, see only now. He sees forever. Could He do it without me? Of course, but that is not His plan. I am His plan. And He is confident that I will do it. When I embrace His plan for my life as it is today, I embrace the beauty and eternality of the plan He has for me for tomorrow. God has a plan for my life. My life! If I revel in that amazing truth, my life will be His masterpiece, His poetry, His good pleasure. And "Whatever God does, it will be forever."

Ricochets for October 2015

He loves you.
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His question: Do you believe that I not only can but am willing?

Our prayer: Yes, Lord, I believe. Help Thou my unbelief!
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The two greatest hindrances to spiritual growth are legalism and obeying as you please. Both abuse the marvelous wonder of grace.
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Genuine faith is to care for the widows and orphans. Care as in action. How genuine is our faith?
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 "Go into all the world and make disciples." Any ministry that has anything else as its number one priority is in disobedience to Jesus command to His disciples.
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Nothing is more unfair than treating everyone the same.
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The foundation of our faithfulness: Great is Thy faithfulness.
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 God calls the broken-hearted to spend the rest of their lives ministering to those who have a broken heart.
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 Humility in action: "Not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead."

Immaturity

Spiritual immaturity has one foundation: the failure to truly understand the depth of God's redeeming love--the greatness of my Savior's sacrifice on my behalf on that cruelest of crosses. When I understand His love, unwavering discipleship is a joyous act of love to Him. How can I not love Him?! To know Him is to love Him and to love Him is to obey Him regardless of the cost.

Lord impress upon my heart--daily--that You "came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst."

Filled

'''And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit."

The more alcohol a man consumes the more the alcohol controls him--his speech, his walk, his thinking, his mannerisms. And such a "filling" leads to dissipation--the wasting away of one's life.
The more a man is filled with the Spirit, the more the Spirit controls him--his speech, his walk, his thinking, his mannerisms. And such a filling leads to an abundance of joy and contentment, a cup running over--an abiding in His presence.
And though alcohol is the illustration Paul uses because it's so clear to mankind, anything that one uses to "fill" up his or her life other than the Spirit leads to a life of wasting away--emptiness. And it's such a subtle, almost unconscious emptying. Is anything more frightening then pursuing a life filled with emptiness?
One gets filled with the Spirit by feasting on the Word--the rain and snow of Heaven, the meat and milk of the spiritual diet, and the source of the Fountain of Life that resides, springs up, flowing within us.

The question is obvious: What are you filling up your life with?

And yes, Paul wrote this command to the Christians in the church at Ephesus.

A Solution

Sometimes when the present looks and feels overwhelming. And the future--whatever that is--"looks" bleak, I find there is only one solution. I just start remembering all the times He has blessed me in my past beyond what I could ask or think. And wow! is that a long list!! And thus I am reminded--faithful then, faithful now, faithful forever. That's the wonder of my God and Father and of my loving Savior. The same "yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same. All may fail, but Jesus never. glory to His name."

Life

No thirst. No life.
No hunger. No life.
No growth. No life
No struggle. No life.
No fruit. No life.

Thirst. Life.
Hunger. Life
Growth. Life
Struggle. Life.
Fruit. Life.

By Grace

"For by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourself; it is the gift of God"

"Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us."

"By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus."

"I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Me."

"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Ricochets September 2015

When someone intentionally and maliciously hurts you, the reason is simple: God needs another Joseph.
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Caleb spent 45 years wandering and battling just so he could get his hands on those giants and prove that with God's help those giants had no chance. Man, was that 46th year marvelous. Well, not so much for those giants.

Keep being faithful.
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 Yes, God needs you to be precisely the individual that He created you to be. Why? Because the individual He created you to be fits perfectly into the precise place He needs you to complete the body so it can do its work in the kingdom. Together is the essence of Christianity.

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 The spiritual wrestling match is fought on one's knees. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood."

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 He lived a life "full of grace and truth." That's not fifty percent grace and fifty percent truth. His life always reflected fully, lovingly, and uncompromisingly grace and truth. We must live the same way if people are going to behold His glory in us. Anything less and all they will see is us. That's not such a "pretty picture."

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We always get impatient with God when He calls on us to wait. Yet, waiting is the foundation of a faith that can soar in the winds of adversity. No waiting in our lives. No eagle's wings. "Wait, I say, on the Lord."

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 Jesus asked, "Will I find any faith when I come?" Yes, He's asking that question of you and me.  Will He?

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Praise is a lifestyle.

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 The struggle is evidence that you are right where God wants you.

Little Cloud Prayers

Elijah was promised that if he prayed it would rain. So he prayed, and there wasn't even a cloud in the sky. Did he quit praying? Did he doubt God's promise? Not a chance. He prayed again. Still nary a single cloud. This time he quit praying? Not a chance. Prayed again.

Elijah's servant: "Well, there's at least one little cloud, Elijah."

Elijah: "Run for it; a monsoon's coming."

And the monsoon came.

Don't stop praying, trust in the promises of God. And when you see that "little cloud" of promise? Wait until you see the showers of blessing that are right behind that cloud.

"There shall be showers of blessing--this is the promise of love; there shall be seasons refreshing, sent from the Savior above. Showers of blessing, showers of blessing we need; mercy drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead."

Keep praying til you see that little cloud.

Remember

Spiritually and physically exhausted?
Deeply burdened?
Confused by your circumstances?
Depressed?
Teetering on the edge of despair?

Remember His Cross:
All of your sins have been completely and eternally forgiven--removed from My presence as far as the East is from the West.

Remember His Commitment:
The work I began in you I will finish until the day you stand in My very presence fully accepted in Me, the Beloved.

Remember His Call:
Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Me.

Remember His Confidence:
My grace is sufficient for you. My stength is made perfect through your weakness.

Remember His Companionship:
Take My yoke upon you, learn of Me. Together--shared--the yoke is easy, the burden light, the soul at rest. Cast your care on Me. No one cares for you like I do.

Too Often

Too often we as believers look at the culture, at the world around us, and cry out against it's evil when what we should be doing is falling on our knees and pleading with God, "Lord, I hide my faith behind so many baskets; my saltiness is so lacking; please enbolden me to let my light shine. Please enable me to create in others a thirst for You. May others see that the good that is in me is totally the outworking of Your grace and love active in my life. May Christ be seen in me."

When

When the Lord's answer to your prayer is the one thing you didn't want to happen, the following are still true:

He loves you just as deeply, unconditionally, and lavishly as He always has.
He doesn't make mistakes.
He is filled with empathy for your every tear and for your sense of disappointment.
He has placed His confidence in you that your response to His will---to your circumstances--will bring glory to His name.
He will never leave you nor forsake you.
He is going to bring people into your life that you might encourage them to trust His love and wisdom as they experience similar sorrows and disappointments. And He will do so for the rest of your life.
All things work together for good--even if the good is not revealed to you until you stand in His presence. And hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
It will be worth it all to have followed Him.

The Heart

Love the Lord your God with all your heart.

As a man thinks in his heart, so he is.

Out of the abundance of his heart, a man speaks.

A broken and a contrite heart Thou will not despise, O Lord.

Let the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

Create for me a clean heart, O God

Incline my heart to Thy testimonies

Thy word I have treasured in my heart that I might not sin against Thee

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

"Search me O God, and know my heart today; try me, O Savior, know my thoughts I pray; see if there be some wicked way in me; cleanse me from every sin, and set me free."

Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart.

Doers

"Be doers of the word and not hearers only."
Don't miss the balance here. It does not say that "hearing" is unnecessary, let alone "wrong." Remember, "faith comes by hearing." Jesus said multiple times, "He that has an ear to hear, let him hear." Mary was told that the one necessary thing was to sit at His feet and hear what He had to teach. Hearing His Word spoken by others or moving in our hearts by the Spirit's wooing as we read the Word is vitally important. Vitally.
Doing is necessary because it reflects the depth of my love for Him, my confidence--my faith--in His promises, the steadfastness of my hope, and my passion for His will. If I just hear and don't do, the life of Christ in me will never be seen. The radiance of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" will be mere words and lack the Spirit's power to transform others by my testimony to His faithfulness--"I live, but yet not I. Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the power of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Feast on the Word--through Bible teaching, preaching, reading, studying, singing spiritual songs. Be a hearer. But never stop there. Let Christ live through you. It's really a simple choice. Do I want to be a stagnant, complacent Christian? Or do I want to walk in the Spirit and so fulfill the loving law of Christ? Do I want to love the Lord my God with all my heart and love my neighbor as He loves me? Then, I must be a doer of the word, and not a hearer only. Must.

The Real

For the child of God nothing is more dangerous than to look only at the present circumstances instead of focusing on the treasures of eternity. The eternal promises are even more real and certain and tangible than the tribulations of the present tense.

The Goodness of God

How often have I sung "God is so good?" Yet, as I have been reminded lately, how often do I demonstrate through my actions that I doubt that that is true? Is my "contentment" too often resignation?--"Well, that's just the way things are. There's nothing I can do about it. I may as well just accept it. God's not going to do anything about it." Do I pray disbelieving? I don't think God is going to change that person's heart, but I'm supposed to pray for them, so . . .? Do I fear my future believing God is not going to do good for me? Do I quit asking Him for what I think I need, because I doubt He will do good in my life? 

There isn't anyone in my life beyond the reach of God's grace. Anyone.

There isn't any future ahead of me that will not be "greater than I can imagine."

There isn't anything I need that He will not supply--and abundantly more.

God deliver my heart from the doubts of your goodness. Fill my prayers with fervent confidence in your promise to always do good. Root out the complacency in my faith before it becomes a bitter spirit. May I with a child's faith in a loving Father sing with joy, unwavering, unquestioning joy, "God is so good. God is so good. God is so good, He's so good to me."

Revival

The next President of the United States, whoever that may be, has no chance of stirring up a revival in America. Only prayer can make it happen. And revival occurs one person at a time. And not in the life of the "other guy." And revival is not a stirring up of religious ritual. It's a heart thing--a melding of will and love--a steady obedience to God's commands no matter the personal cost. God's revival throughout history has always been the setting aside of a faithful remnant, a faithful few. Will you be one of the few?
__________
 No human being can throw up a roadblock to God's plans--thwart God's will. Whatever you see going on around you, the hand of God is at work in it. Even that which is meant for evil, God will use for good. Grace will triumph.

Loved

The eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, sovereign. Lord of Lords and King of Kings knows me as His child. Knows all there is to know about me--deeds, thoughts, motives, doubts, faults, fears, complaints, hypocrisy--and loves me. Not "loves me anyway"--just devotedly loves me.

To Ignore

There's all the difference in the world between ignoring something and ignorance. The latter is regrettable, but the former is tragic--at least in spiritual terms. God consistently tells us in Scripture that those who know what to do, who know what is right, but refuse to do so, or in some cases, turn from doing what they know is right, are under a stricter judgment. Those who have sat under the teaching of God's Word and refuse to accept it and obey its precepts are in grave danger now and eternally. To simply ignore God's truth or to proclaim that you don't believe it any more as if by doing so you can escape responsibility for it is a fool's mindset. God is neither impressed by nor debased by such a profession. Those in ignorance can be taught. Those who ignore or deny are stiff-necked, unteachable. God in His loving patience will give time for repentance--but not all the time in the world.

Psalm 1

"How spiritually prosperous is the man (or woman) who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!"
The choices you don't make are just as vital to your spiritual walk as the choices you do make. And not many choices are more significant than the friends and confidants you chose to be active participants in your life--those with whom you fellowship. Wrong friends. Wrong path. Wrong walk. A lifetime of wrong choices. The loss of a sense of His presence. And what a loss that is!

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night."
His delight--not his duty. A choice to hunger and thirst after righteousness is the only path to satisfaction--to godliness with contentment. To a life of rich blessing. Is your mind so saturated with His Word that day or night His freedom giving thoughts are constantly active, constantly counseling you in the way that you should go?

"And he (or she) will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he grows toward maturity."
How does choosing the right friends and choosing to delightfully feast on the Word impact the quality of your life? You will stand firm in the storms. You will endure the worst droughts. You will reflect His character to all those around you--be a blessing to those God has placed in your life. You will grow on to spiritual maturity in all that you do.

"The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away."
They are spiritually dead. Lifeless. No fruit. No substance. The opposite of everything you are in Him. What fellowship has light with darkness?

"Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord approves the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."
Choose your friends wisely. Walk in His way not their way. Delight in His Counsel not their empty words. Be His evergreen. Firmly planted, not as powerless as chaff in the winds of life's storms. How spiritually prosperous are you? How spiritually prosperous will be the whole course of your life? Whose approval are you seeking?

Psalm 32

Who you are:
How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!
Blessed. Transgressions forgiven--lifted up and taken away. Sin covered--made invisible to God. Iniquity, not imputed--it will never be put on your account. Blessed.

Your attitude toward your sin:
When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to Thee, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"; and Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found; surely in a flood of great waters they shall not reach him. Thou are my hiding place; Thou dost preserve me from trouble; Thou does surround me with songs of deliverance.
He, the One whose heart's desire is to walk with us all day long in the light, reveals to us our sin that we might confess and find cleansing--live in the rhythm of His songs of deliverance. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." "If we walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship one with another."

His promise:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, otherwise they will not come near to you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice you righteous ones, and shout for joy all you who are upright in heart.
Instruction. Teaching. Concerned counsel. Nearness. Trust, be glad, and shout in His promise. Don't resist like the stubborn mule. "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

Job

The testimony of the life of Job

All those who live godly will suffer persecution. All. Will.
You are the battleground.
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
I know that in my flesh I will see God--I will stand in His presence clothed in His righteousness. One day I will see Him!
You are His gold. His refining fire makes you more like Him.
It is the height of arrogance to assume that you know why someone else is going through suffering. God hates such arrogance.
Faith is more important than prosperity.
He knows the way you take. And He has prepared your path for your good and His glory.
The height--the depth--of spiritual blindness--to not see the incomparable wonders of His nature in the awesomeness of His creation.
When I truly "see" the majesty of my God, why doesn't matter.
He humbles so that He can exalt.
Let patience have its perfect work.
Lovingly intercede for your fiercest critics so that God will bless them.
One person's faith makes a difference.

Noah

Testimony of the life of Noah:

God is patient. We must be too--even if no one responds in a positive way.
God's patience may run out. When it does . . .
God is our refuge in the storm.
Faith, the fear of the Lord, and patience are inseparable.
God is the One we must please.
God is just as glorified when He judges as when He gives grace.
Grace.

Seek

 We live in a world that is desperately thirsty for meaning. The problem is not just that they have turned from Him--"the fountain of living water"--but that they have built for themselves "broken cisterns that can hold no water." Pray that their eyes will be opened to the brokenness of their cisterns so that they can return to the Fountain of Living Water. And through your life show them--as the panting deer--where your thirst is daily satisfied.
 ____________________

"Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake His way, and the unrighteous his thoughts. And let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."

He will--not might--have compassion.

He will--not might--abundantly pardon. Abundantly.

"Who is a pardoning God like Thee? Or who has grace so rich and free?"

Measuring

"When they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding." Beware of self-made standards of righteousness. Those standards are the paving stones on the path that leads to a total misunderstanding and total misrepresentation of the person of Christ--to the erecting of an false image that looks an awful lot like me. Can you think of a more spiritually devastating path for the child of God? "For if anyone think he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
____________________
 The problem with the world today is not its wickedness. The problem is the baskets placed over the lights. How much love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control does the world see in my life? First, in how I treat my fellow members in the household of God? And then how I interact with the lost? "If we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another."
____________________
 The person I most need to be delivered from is myself. "If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself." Why are we so stubborn in trusting in our own wisdom and our own planning when they invariably end up creating such a mess? Lord deliver me from self-justification and self-reliance.

Those Days

On those tough days. On those hard days. On those "I don't understand" days. On those "I don't think I can do this" days. On those "I don't want to do this anymore, Lord" days. (I always add "Lord." Hmm.)

And I have more of those days than I care to admit--especially to myself. He already knows. And cares--with a concerned heart not a judgmental heart.

On those days--this is the truth that strengthens me:

"There is a green hill far away, outside a city wall,
Where the dear Lord was crucified Who died to save us all.
Oh, dearly, dearly has He loved, and we must love Him too,
And trust in His redeeming blood, and try His work to do."

Lord

Lord, keep me from the pride that is content with the way things are.
Lord, keep me from the selfish callousness that places "I want" over "they need."
Lord, keep me from trying to find my joy in the worthless nothings of this material world.
Lord, keep me from the spiritual pride that prays for judgment on others instead of interceding for pardon and mercy and a repentant heart.
Lord, keep me from the impudence that quenches the Spirit's conviction in my soul, that tries to quiet His loving prodding with the false lie that "I'm fine the way I am."

Lord, help me to be absorbed in the music--the psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs--that fills my thoughts and my heart with the Spirit's presence.
Lord, help me to willingly be a pillar that those I love can rest on, draw strength from, and thus, become all that you intend for them to be.
Lord, help me to be the enemy of indifference.
Lord, help me in the gloom, in the darkness, in the shadows to be your flickering candle.
Lord, help me to love good by seeking first the kingdom of God day by day.

May you be the Lord of my life as Your love and the sense of Your Presence keeps me from having a divided heart. May I never forget that divided loyalty is disloyalty.

Keep me.
Help me.

I can do nothing without You.

Lord.

Weary

 "The Son of Man came into the world not to be ministered to, but to minister to others." Never forget that your entire life, lived before men, is your ministry. Every second of every day.

"And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary."

"But as for you brethren, do not grow weary of doing good."

"But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart"

Feeling weary? Don't gaze at the seemingly impossible challenges of the ministry He's called you to. Don't gaze at the people in the ministry--yes, they are in need of just as much mercy as you are. Don't gaze at tomorrow or back at yesterday. What can you possibly do about those days? Set your affections, your heart, your love on the beauty of your Savior--whom having not seen you love. He never changes. He's always faithful. Every seed He's enabled you to plant will one day bring the harvest. Every one. We labor not in vain. Feeling weary? With unveiled face gaze on Jesus who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despised the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Father--work completed. And as you gaze on Him, the Spirit will transform you into the Son's image, and the Father will use you--just as He used His Son to glorify His Name..


 

Two Outs

As someone has said, "God often waits until the bottom of the ninth, two outs, and the worst hitter coming to bat--you." Things become possible when they appear to be impossible. Hope springs from such moments. Why? So the only testimony can be, "Isn't God wonderful!"

God's Purpose

God's purpose in every situation is to turn it into a blessing--the blessing of a transformed life. In other words, God's purpose in every situation is to make you a blessing to others.

The Motions

Nothing is more heart-breaking to our God of love than for us to go through all the motions of worship and then live an unrighteous life the rest of the week. Nothing is more deadly to the kingdom's mission either. Some people will go to church tomorrow with a heart of stone; not knowing Christ as their Savior the Word will have--can have--no impact on their lives. Pray that the Spirit will call them--today is the day of salvation. Some will listen to the Word tomorrow and be moved emotionally but as soon as they discover that being obedient to what they heard taught will bring them into conflict with the world, they will refuse to obey. Pray that God will instill them with the courage to count the cost and still be faithful. Some will sit under the teaching of God's Word, but be intent on living "the best of both worlds"--trying vainly to be immersed in the world and still follow Christ. No man can serve two masters. The only fruit they will produce is worry and a luke-warm God-sickening, lifestyle. Pray that they will seek first the Kingdom of God and let Him take care of the other stuff. Some will sit under the Word and pray that with the Spirit's enabling they will daily be empowered to take up their cross and follow Him--live a life of faithfulness no matter what. What heart will you bring?

Nothing is more heart-breaking to our God of love than for us to go through all the motions of worship and then live an unrighteous life the rest of the week. And nothing is more deadly to the kingdom's mission either.

Faithfulness

Faithfulness knows that love and obedience cannot be separated.
Faithfulness endures because of joy.
Faithfulness understands that it must be done one step at a time, moment by moment.
Faithfulness is never in a hurry; it is patient.
Faithfulness does not demand earthly reward or recognition.
Faithfulness begins each day on its knees.
Faithfulness does not view acts of kindness as a distraction from steadfastness.
Faithfulness needs no followers.
Faithfulness is diligent.
Faithfulness while running the race, always stops to help the injured runner and stays focused on the example of the One who finished the race with joy.
Faithfulness strives for excellence not merely success and makes no excuse for failure.
Faithfulness is not too proud or too stubborn to accept a helping hand of love.
Faithfulness in deep poverty gives abundantly.
Faithfulness is not concerned when it sees everyone else headed in the opposite direction.
Faithfulness is careful to not take even one step to the right hand or the left.
Faithfulness leaves the consequences in the hands of his sovereign, loving, ever-faithful Father.
Faithfulness knows that the principle of sowing and reaping is a declaration of God's compassionate love.
Faithfulness finishes.

"Faithful is He who calls you, and He will also bring it to pass. Brethren, pray for us."

Spiritually Prosperous

Spiritually prosperous--the only true prosperity--are those who humbly recognize that all the beauty and goodness that resides within them is a gracious gift from God their Father. Moment by moment they demonstrate to all the richness of kingdom membership--godliness with contentment.
Spiritually prosperous are those who show their broken heart for the broken world and the broken people in that world. The God of All Comfort will daily immerse them in a sense of His presence and will, one day, wipe all tears from their eyes.
Spiritually prosperous are those who use the strength that God gives them to gently and meekly stoop down to lift up the fallen. As His servants, they will one day live and reign with Him--the Perfect Servant.
Spiritually prosperous are those who seek their satisfaction in the milk and meat of the Word--eagerly obeying its righteous commands. They will be continually filled with the Spirit.
Spiritually prosperous are those who tenderheartedly, in kindness, forgive all others as they themselves have been freely and unconditionally forgiven by Him. They will deeply sense the wonder and love of His daily intercession on their behalf before the Father.
Spiritually prosperous are those whose heart's desire is to have a heart like His--to be more and more like Him--pure in motive and action. One day, clothed in the incorruptible righteousness of their righteous Advocate, they will stand redeemed in the very presence of the Holy God--eternally accepted in The Beloved.
Spiritually prosperous are those who live a quiet, tranquil life, uncontentious, maligning no one, adverse to self-defense, interceding even for their enemies, they, themselves, living, as an enemy of strife and division. They will be recognized as children of the Sovereign Lord--King of Kings, Almighty God, Ruler of His universe.
Spiritually prosperous are those who as they become more and more like Him and less and less like the world in which they live are found worthy to suffer joyfully for His sake.
Spiritually prosperous are those who as His salt in a world whose tendency is toward rottenness and as His light in a world that loves its darkness daily make His presence felt by all with whom they interact--who, in whatever they do--glorify His matchless Name.

LORD

A Prayer:

LORD:

Help me to understand the sorrow in Your heart when I sin.
Teach to embrace the deep love that fills the affliction that You send my way
When I miss Your presence, may I eagerly, expectantly, seek You with all my heart
May I rest in the wonder that Your choice is always to love.
Remind me of the strong link between grace and repentance
Thank You for Your gentle protections
Let those who observe my life see kindness and loyalty
May others understand that my patience is rooted in my unwavering confidence that You are working in the lives of those I love--in the lives of those You love, those we love.
Thank You that You proclaim Yourself to be the God of Jacobs--of rascals like me.
Help me to consistently pray for those in authority in this nation to which You have sent me as Your ambassador of love--help me to pray without ceasing because a nation's power is no greater than its faith in Thee.
May I rejoice that my weakness doesn't disappoint You--that it is the reason You love me.
Teach me to find my satisfaction only in Thee.
Empower me to daily in some small way demonstrate to my--our--students Your image. I would have them see Jesus.