March 31

March is going out like a lion, stormy, windy, rainy... and April is waiting with its showers.
The seasons move on and we all move toward that date with destiny and the ending of our own lives.  What do you live for?  What are your goals and dreams?  How do you live each day?


If you have Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, then you have it all... really.  But think of the price He paid for your sins..



March 31


Morning
“With his stripes we are healed.”  - Isa_53:5


Pilate delivered our Lord to the lictors to be scourged. The Roman scourge was a most dreadful instrument of torture. 
It was made of the sinews of oxen, and sharp bones were inter-twisted every here and there among the sinews; so that every time the lash came down these pieces of bone inflicted fearful laceration, and tore off the flesh from the bone. The Saviour was, no doubt, bound to the column, and thus beaten. He had been beaten before; but this of the Roman lictors was probably the most severe of his flagellations. 


My soul, stand here and weep over his poor stricken body.


Believer in Jesus, can you gaze upon him without tears, as he stands before you the mirror of agonizing love? He is at once fair as the lily for innocence, and red as the rose with the crimson of his own blood. As we feel the sure and blessed healing which his stripes have wrought in us, does not our heart melt at once with love and grief? If ever we have loved our Lord Jesus, surely we must feel that affection glowing now within our bosoms.


“See how the patient Jesus stands,
Insulted in his lowest case!
Sinners have bound the Almighty’s hands,
And spit in their Creator’s face.
With thorns his temples gor’d and gash’d
Send streams of blood from every part;
His back’s with knotted scourges lash’d.
But sharper scourges tear his heart.”


We would fain go to our chambers and weep; but since our business calls us away, we will first pray our Beloved to print the image of his bleeding self upon the tablets of our hearts all the day, and at nightfall we will return to commune with him, and sorrow that our sin should have cost him so dear.


Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the son of man, God incarnate came and suffered for your sins.  Just let Him wash away your sins, give you a new life... why?  Because He loves you.


Have a blessed day in Christ. 

Wednesday March 30

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening... is it good for you?  Is life good for you?  In all the things that we do, most of us never seem to have enough, get enough, do enough... we are rarely truly satisfied and happy with our lives.  This striving is good in some ways, but there is always the struggle.


Today's mediation by Bob Hoekstra gives some insight:



March 30


Reigning in Life through Christ


For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.  (Rom_5:17)


The Lord wants us to grow in the magnificent blessing of living victoriously through Him. Having a triumphant Christian walk can only be realized from a developing acquaintanceship with the Lord, because we are only able to "reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 
Significant spiritual issues are set against a victorious life: 
"By the one man's offense death reigned through the one." 
Because of Adam's sin, spiritual deadness ruled over the family of man. 
The enemy of men's souls uses this deadness to dominate and destroy lives. Elsewhere, Jesus likened him to a thief. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (Joh_10:10). 
This is why lives, households, and nations experience such deadly defeats and crushing failure. A tyrant dictator, "death," dominates all lives that are only born once in Adam. They can only draw upon Adam's fallen, sinful, inadequate life source. 


A new and greater resource is needed and is found in Christ. "Much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." These heavenly provisions are "much more" than is needed to replace the defeats of Adam with the victories of Christ. 
The resources are two-fold: "abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness." 
One of these two is possessed by every believer in Christ: "the gift of righteousness." This is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus, given to us by faith. That allows us to stand accepted before a holy God: "found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith" (Phi_3:9). 
Every believer has this gift, but not every believer is victorious. 


Thus, the key variable is to be receiving "abundance of grace." Every Christian has been the recipient of grace. Yet, many of God's people do not live day by day by grace. They walk according to the flesh, thereby drawing upon Adam's natural bankrupt resources.


 Remember, living by grace involves humility and faith. God "gives grace to the humble" (Jam_4:6). Likewise, through Jesus," we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand" (Rom_5:2).


Lord God of grace, the reign of death has certainly assailed my life, bringing defeat and failure. Teach me to draw upon the abundant measures of Your grace, that I might reign in life, living victoriously, through Your Son, Christ Jesus, Amen.


May your life be filled with Grace through Faith in God, in accepting Jesus as your Savior, and being filled by the Holy Spirit.

Tuesday March 29

I have been so blessed.  Though I have suffered so many things, though I have had to deal with so many heartaches and pains, I am blessed to be Saved by the Grace of God through the blood sacrifice of my Holy Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  
In addition, though I am too weak to feel the Holy Spirit at all times, I know that I am blessed to have the help and guidance and blessings of the Holy Spirit, God in Spirit, dwelling in me, filling me, enveloping me in His Love and Grace.  
Thank you God - in Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit - for Your Love and Grace that saved me, that blesses me, that guides me.


Today's meditation is from Charles Spurgeon:



March 29


Morning


“Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” - Heb_5:8


We are told that the Captain of our salvation was made perfect through suffering, therefore we who are sinful, and who are far from being perfect, must not wonder if we are called to pass through suffering too. 
Shall the head be crowned with thorns, and shall the other members of the body be rocked upon the dainty lap of ease? Must Christ pass through seas of his own blood to win the crown, and are we to walk to heaven dryshod in silver slippers? No, our Master’s experience teaches us that suffering is necessary, and the true-born child of God must not, would not, escape it if he might. 
But there is one very comforting thought in the fact of Christ’s “being made perfect through suffering”-it is, that he can have complete sympathy with us. “He is not an high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” In this sympathy of Christ we find a sustaining power. One of the early martyrs said, “I can bear it all, for Jesus suffered, and he suffers in me now; he sympathizes with me, and this makes me strong.” 
Believer, lay hold of this thought in all times of agony. Let the thought of Jesus strengthen you as you follow in his steps. Find a sweet support in his sympathy; and remember that, to suffer is an honourable thing-to suffer for Christ is glory. The apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to do this. Just so far as the Lord shall give us grace to suffer for Christ, to suffer with Christ, just so far does he honour us. 
The jewels of a Christian are his afflictions. The regalia of the kings whom God hath anointed are their troubles, their sorrows, and their griefs. Let us not, therefore, shun being honoured. Let us not turn aside from being exalted. Griefs exalt us, and troubles lift us up. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.”


Evening


“I called him, but he gave me no answer.” - Son_5:6


Prayer sometimes tarrieth, like a petitioner at the gate, until the King cometh forth to fill her bosom with the blessings which she seeketh. 


The Lord, when he hath given great faith, has been known to try it by long delayings. He has suffered his servants’ voices to echo in their ears as from a brazen sky. They have knocked at the golden gate, but it has remained immovable, as though it were rusted upon its hinges. Like Jeremiah, they have cried, “Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.” Thus have true saints continued long in patient waiting without reply, not because their prayers were not vehement, nor because they were unaccepted, but because it so pleased him who is a Sovereign, and who gives according to his own pleasure. 
If it pleases him to bid our patience exercise itself, shall he not do as he wills with his own! Beggars must not be choosers either as to time, place, or form. But we must be careful not to take delays in prayer for denials: God’s long-dated bills will be punctually honoured; we must not suffer Satan to shake our confidence in the God of truth by pointing to our unanswered prayers. 
Unanswered petitions are not unheard. God keeps a file for our prayers-they are not blown away by the wind, they are treasured in the King’s archives. This is a registry in the court of heaven wherein every prayer is recorded. Tried believer, thy Lord hath a tear-bottle in which the costly drops of sacred grief are put away, and a book in which thy holy groanings are numbered. 
By-and-by, thy suit shall prevail. Canst thou not be content to wait a little? Will not thy Lord’s time be better than thy time? By-and-by he will comfortably appear, to thy soul’s joy, and make thee put away the sackcloth and ashes of long waiting, and put on the scarlet and fine linen of full fruition.

I hope you are blessed to be a Child of the Living God.  I hope that your prayers are answered.  I hope you find that the Love of God is all you need.

Monday March 28

Final Monday of March, Spring is here, warm weather returns (to the northern hemisphere) and life changes.  Snow yields to the sun's warm rays, crocuses and daffodils pop their heads through the dark gray days.  Another season, another year.  
How is your year going?  
Mine sucks, Thank God.  I know that no matter what happens, I am in God's Hands, in His Love and Grace.  So no matter what ill or evil, God is there for me.


Bob Hoekstra puts it this way:



March 28


Intimacy of Relationship in Christ


But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  (Eph_2:13)


We have begun to see that the new covenant of grace is a covenant of relationship. The simple phrase "in Christ" indicates the extent of the intimacy that is available by grace. "In Christ" is where we live spiritually. It is also how we live. As sure as a fish is in the ocean and lives on the resources of the ocean, we are "in Christ" and live on the resources of Christ. As sure as a unborn child is in the mother and lives on the life of the mother, we are "in Christ" and live on the life of Christ. 


We who believe in Jesus are not only "brought near by the blood of Christ. (Eph_2:13), we are joined to Him in a "united closeness," like a body is to its head. "He is the head of the body, the church" (Col_1:18). We can relate to the Lord Jesus more closely than the members of our physical body relate to our physical head. We can look to Jesus for direction and coordination. We can depend upon Him for planning, guiding, and timing in our entire lives. We can anticipate that He will monitor, maintain, and adjust our situations. 
This union of intimacy is also like a vine and its branches. "I am the vine, you are the branches" (Joh_15:5). We can look to Christ for our very life source. We don't have to produce a life on our own. We can concentrate on abiding (depending) on Him. He makes our lives fruitful and effective. 


The intimate relationship the Lord wants to develop with us is also likened to the joining of a husband and a wife. "You also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another, even to Him who was raised from the dead" (Rom_7:4). We can count upon Jesus to love us faithfully and sacrificially. We can rest in His constant companionship, never leaving us for any reason throughout our pilgrimage here on earth. 
What blessings are ours for time and eternity "in Christ."   Joined intimately to Christ, nothing can separate us from the love and kindness that He has for us: "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. . . that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Rom_8:38-39 and Eph_2:7).


"Lord Jesus, I am overwhelmed by the intimacy that is available to me, now that I am united to You. Lord, I want to depend upon You as my Vine, follow You as my head, and love You as my bridegroom. Lord, please continue to reveal to me the implications of being joined to You for all time and eternity, in Your holy name I pray,Amen."


yeah, isn't it wonderful to know that we can be intimate, closely loved and cared for by a Loving God?  
Yes indeed!

Sunday March 27

Sunday, the first day of the week.  The day Jesus Christ rose up to declare a new order, a new life for all.  The day that God began His mighty creation.  The day there was light and darkness fell away.  


Dear friend, if you have not accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, then do so today.  Just say you want Him as your personal Savior.  That's it!  All else will work out after that.  


Today's meditation is from Bob Hoekstra.  Consider it's meanings for your life:



March 27


The New Covenant of Grace: A Covenant of Relationship


In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace . . . But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  (Eph_1:7; Eph_2:13)


The ultimate blessing of the new covenant of grace is that it allows people to develop an intimate relationship with the true and living God. We began our personal history greatly separated from God: "you who once were far off." How could we ever comprehend the "vast relational distance" that our sins brought between us and the Lord? We could not relate to God. We could not talk to Him or enjoy His presence. We were "without Christ . . having no hope and without God in the world" (Eph_2:12). Therefore, we were "alienated from the life of God" (Eph_4:18). 


Then, "according to the riches of His grace," we found "forgiveness of sins," as Jesus shed His blood unto death to pay the redemption price. "In Him we have redemption through His blood."

Now, the entire picture is drastically changed. "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." We are no longer alienated from God. "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God" (Eph_2:19). We are now members of God's family. We are His beloved children. "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!'" (Gal_4:6). 
By the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we cry out intimately to the Lord God as our "Heavenly Papa!" "You received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Rom_8:15-16). As we cry out "Abba," the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, gives us a deep internal, spiritual confirmation that we truly are God's children. 


Our heavenly Father wants to build a close relationship with us, His children. He wants us to know His love. "The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Rom_5:5). Also, God wants us to respond in love to Him. " 
We love Him because He first loved us" (1Jo_4:19). He wants us to call upon Him, that He might respond to us. "Call to Me, and I will answer you" (Jeremiah 33:3). He wants us to empty our heart unto Him. "Pour out your heart before Him" (Psa_62:8). By God's grace, the way for intimacy is now open to us.


"Dear Abba, Father, I thank You for washing away my sins. I praise You for bringing me close to You. I desire to grow in intimacy with You. Help me to see Your love  more clearly, that I might respond in stronger love to You. Remind me to cry out to You consistently and to pour out my heart honestly, all by the blood of Christ, Amen."


May you find peace and love in Jesus so that you can come to your Abba, your Heavenly Father by His grace and Love.


Have a wonderfully blessed day.

Thursday March 24

Sometimes life is full and other times it feels so empty.  We have dreams and hopes, needs and wants, trials and tribulations, and an occasional triumph and joy that makes us think about life and ask questions.  Obviously, for me, why did I get separated from my Appa?  That event truly changed my life.  
So, who's my daddy?


Today's mediation from James Ryle makes a clear point:


March 24


"Who's Your Daddy?"


"Lord," said Philip, "let us see the Father; that is all we want." (John 14:8. Moffatt NT)


In the ongoing human drama of Adam's fallen race there is an undeniable, universal need for a Liberator – a knight in shining armor. This is why every culture throughout the history of mankind has its one great hero, its singular mighty champion; that gallant braveheart who steps forward as a deliverer; be he king, warrior, prophet, priest, or sage. And in all these lands — both near and far away — books have been written, stories told and poems penned in attempts to let us all know that he (or she) has arrived on the scene.
And in each scenario, when the time comes that such a one actually emerges in our midst we press in for a closer look to see if he is indeed the One. Even John the Baptist asked of Jesus, "Art thou He who is to come, or look we for another?”


It is undeniably true that we search for a Savior in every relationship, a Deliverer in every circumstance, a Hero in every battle, and a Braveheart in every epic quest for freedom. And in each case when we find what we seek, we discover – surprisingly — an even deeper hunger that drives our lives ever onward, always upward. It is the hunger for a Father.
The un-penned script of the human experience is coded with this deep and irremovable desire; it is carved into our very being, and we will not rest until it be answered – "Show us the Father.”
Yes, the great heartache of humanity cries out continually for a Dad. One who loves us truly, disciplines us thoroughly, empowers us nobly, and secures us eternally. It is precisely at this point that Jesus of Nazareth distinguishes Himself from all others who lay claim to the throne of our affections. "He that has seen Me," He said, "has seen the Father.”


What does this mean, really?
Simply, and profoundly this — that everything Jesus said and did was a revelation, not of Himself, but of the Father. It you truly want to know what God the Father is like — look at Jesus, for He is "the express image of His person, the exact representation of His nature" (Hebrews 1:3).


The Daddy you need, and have been looking for all your life, 
can be found in Jesus.

I hope you will come to accept Jesus in all of His manifestations and let Him be your Savior, your Friend, your Brother, and a representative of our Heavenly Father.  God bless you with His grace for Salvation through Jesus.  

Wednesday March 23

Good morning, Wednesday already.  Mid week and the weekly cycle continues ticking away the moments of our lives.  How's your life?  


I offer a thought from James Ryle today which is based on a historical event, nearly a 100 years ago.  My has the world changed since then, and we wonder what the world will be like in a 100 years from now.  Certainly much different than now.  Where will you be then?



March 23


A Titanic Decision


"God is not willing that any should perish..." (1 Peter 3:9)


The RMS Titanic, that ill-fated luxury liner now known all over the world, had a passenger list of the some of the world's richest and most influential people. It also carried on board a host of middle class, and blue collar workers.
Its full compliment of travelers ranged from the very rich, to the very poor; very successful men (and their doting women), along with those who were struggling just to make ends meet. There were those who were highly educated and well traveled, alongside those who had no education to speak of, and for whom The Titanic voyage would be their first....and last trip.


The Great Ship was supposedly unsinkable, yet she went down in the icy waters of the North Atlantic on her maiden voyage in the early morning of April 15, 1912.


Over 1500 perished at sea; there were fewer than half as many survivors. Despite all the aforementioned things that distinguished this vast group of people from one another, at shore their names were posted in two simple and unmistakable columns – SAVED and LOST. In the end that was the only difference that truly mattered.
This planet Earth, a Great Titan on its maiden voyage among the stars of God's heaven, is itself on a collision course with a great and dreadful Day of Judgment. Though many scoff at the thought, the unthinkable will happen – the unsinkable will sink.
And on that final Day when the names are posted on the shores of God's heaven, we will not be listed according to our wealth, status, fame, achievements, religious affiliation or ethnicity. No. There will be but two columns of names recorded in august and sobering finality – SAVED and LOST. On which list, my friend, will your name appear?


You are faced with a titanic decision. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. This means you. Even now, if you will call upon the name of the Lord, He will save you — and secure you in His strong and loving arms, both now and forever.
Oh, do it my friend — an iceberg approaches. And the penman stands at shore, waiting to record your name.


It's so simple, it seems too easy, it can't be this easy - but it is:



Rom 10:9  Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. 
Rom 10:10  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation. 

That's all there is to it!  Do it today!

Tuesday March 22...

Sure enough the end of the month of March cometh quickly.  One more week and we are nearly done. Spring has officially come according to the calendar... the sun has passed the equator in its journey north as the earth spins and rotates and revolves around the sun.  We will see a gradual warming until it gets so hot and burning time will be here.  Yet, the freshness of spring feels good after a very eventful winter.  Enjoy this change, enjoy the gifts of warm breezes and beautiful flowers awakening from winter's slumber.


Today's meditation has some good thoughts, from James Ryle:



March 22


When the Chips are Down


"Did you teach hawks to fly south for the winter?" (Job 39:26)


There once was a bird that lived in Canada. One winter he announced to the other birds, "I'm not flying south for the winter. I'm staying right here!" All the other birds said he was crazy, but he answered, "You're the ones that are crazy. You'll get down south, turn around and fly right back up here again next year. What's the point?!”
The other birds shook their heads, shrugged their shoulders, and took to flight; leaving him behind.
Wondering what winter in Canada would be like, the lone bird was pleasantly surprised at the stretch of Indian Summer that lingered long into the fall. "Aha!" he said to himself, "I was right to stay. This is wonderful!" But then, winter hit full force in the middle of December. Shuddering in the cold the silly bird finally realized, "I must hurry and leave before I freeze to death!”


He took to flight and made it as far as Montana. There, in mid-air, he froze up and tumbled to the ground; landing in a farmer's barnyard. "Oh, what a stupid bird I am," he moaned to himself. "I should've flown south with all the other birds, but now I am about to die.”
Just then a cow in the barnyard strolled past the fallen bird and without realizing it dropped a big cow-plop right on top of him! "Oh, this is just great," mumbled the buried bird. "It's not bad enough that I'm about to die; now I'm covered with cow manure!”
But then he noticed something he had not expected. The warmth of the plop actually began to thaw him out and restore him to life. "Why, what do you know about that?" said the bird. "This ain't so bad after all!" Then he began chirping and singing under the pile of poop.
Meanwhile, the barnyard cat was passing by and heard the sound of singing coming from the pile. Curious as a cat can be, he pawed around in the pile and uncovered the thawed bird. Their eyes met, there was a silent moment of suspense, and then the cat ate the bird.


The moral of the story is three-fold. First, not everyone who dumps on you is your enemy. Second, not everyone who cleans it off is your friend. Third, when you do get dumped on, it is best to keep your mouth shut.
The bottom line is this. When the chips are down, the Lord is up to something good. Take heart, and place your trust in Him. You'll be blessed in every way.


Well, the first thing was to have the proper thing and do what is right... in accordance with God's will... but then there wouldn't be a lesson! Or is there?

Just some random thoughts before bed

I really think mondays should be banned... easy too, just go to a four day week, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, half friday!  there you go, problem solved... more jobs for more people, those out of work can pick up the half day on friday and work mondays for time and a half, so we now doubled the number of people working!  cool!


what about weekends... special case... volunteers...working double time for saturday and sunday... again equals 4 days... now we've tripled the amount of jobs we have... otherwise the machines stand down, things go cold, and well. we waste so much starting back up on mondays... now more jobs, more productivity, more of the good stuff for all peoples... just manage the supply and demand in all areas...


and why not work round the clock... again more jobs... so now almost no unemployment... everyone works, gets paid, has money to spend and invest, and the world goes around and around


yeah right, like we could really do that!~  WHY THE HELL NOT?


and then there's no monday morning blues... no lack of productivity, no loss due to down time... 


AND I WANT MONEY, SO MUCH I CAN'T EVER COUNT IT, SPEND IT ALL, USE IT ALL, SO MUCH THAT THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO LOOKS LIKE A PAUPER... I WANT MONEY


and good health,
and a happy family,
 and joy among my kids
and no sorrowful orphans, 
no hunger, 
no poverty,
no pain,
no evil
no stupidity
no vices
no greed
no hate
no war
no unequal distribution
no inequality of anything
no more


yeah right again
so which one has the better chance?


hmmmm

Monday March 21

Here we go again, into the last full week of March 2011.  The days are moving faster, and age is catching up with me ever more quickly.


Today's meditations are reminders of what we Christians have available to us through Faith and the Grace of God:


From F.B.MEYER:



A NEW BEATITUDE
"And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me."-- Mat_11:6.


OUR LORD put within the reach of His noble Forerunner the blessedness of those who have not seen and yet have believed; of those who trust Him though they are slain; of those who wait the Lord's pleasure; and of those who cannot understand His dealings, but rest in what they know of His heart. 
This is the beatitude of the unoffended, of those who do not stumble over the mystery of God's dealings with their life.
This Blessedness is within our reach also. There are times when we are overpowered with the mystery of life and nature. 
The world is so full of pain and sorrow, strong hearts seem breaking under an intolerable load. God's children are sometimes the most bitterly tried. For them the fires are heated seven times; they suffer, not only at the hand of man, but the heavens seem as brass to their cries and tears. The enemy of souls has reason to challenge them with the taunt, "Where is now your God?"


You and I have perhaps been in this plight. We have said, "Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies?" We are tempted to stumble; we are prone to fall over the mysteries of God's dealings with us. But it is then that we have the chance of inheriting this new beatitude. If we refuse to bend under the mighty hand of God--questioning, chafing, murmuring at His appointments--we miss the door which would admit us into rich and unalloyed happiness; we fumble about the latch, but it is not lifted.


But if we will quiet our souls like a weaned child, anointing our heads and washing our faces, then light will break in on us from the eternal morning. The peace of God will keep our hearts and minds, and we shall enter upon this blessedness of which our Lord speaks.


PRAYER
Forgive our sins, our faithless tears, and our repining murmurs. Lift us on the tide of Thy love into fuller, richer, deeper experiences. May we know what it is to have Christ in us, the Hope of Glory. AMEN.


And this wonderful insight from Morrison:



Jesus Walking on the Sea
"And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea"— Mat_14:25


Jesus Felt the Necessity of Being Alone with God
It had been a day of trial and stress for Jesus, and when the sun set, the danger was not over. There were terrible risks in that enthusiastic crowd that surged and swayed upon the mountain side. The miracle of His feeding the five thousand had made a powerful impression. It had struck deep into these fickle hearts. And if the cry once rang along the hillside "Jesus is King!" who knew where the echoes of that cry might end? Christ recognised the peril of the hour. He felt the supreme necessity of prayer. It was a moment in the Master's life when His greatest desire was to be alone with God. Full of that quiet authority that moved the crowd as wonderfully as it calmed the sea, Jesus constrained the disciples to depart, and sent the throng away. How they would talk as they travelled homeward! How gladly, as the first gusts of storm swept down on them, would they descry the gleaming of their cottage windows! I see the children plucking their mothers' robes, and crying, "Mother, where is the Teacher now? We left Him on the hill—has He no home?" Perhaps some of them would learn in after days that it was home and heaven and life for Jesus to be alone with God.


A Storm Breaks Out to Teach the Disciples Dependence
Meantime the storm had broken. The clouds swept out the stars, the wind came whistling through the glens and corries, the sea ran high. And out in the midst of it toiled the disciples, Masterless, shelterless, helpless. It was a wild night after a weary day. It was a strange fulfilment of their promised rest (Mar_6:31). And yet I question if any holiday among the hills could have taught them as much as did that unmanageable boat. That very evening they had been ordering their Master (Mat_14:15). They had been giving Him advice about five thousand men. They had been eager to manage that great crowd for Jesus—and now they cannot manage their little craft! It was a very blessed and very humbling storm. It brought the disciples to their place again. It printed upon their hearts, as in a picture, that the secret of Christian power is dependence.


They Wanted Jesus and Yet They Did Not Recognise Him
And so the night wore on, and every wave that dashed into the boat deepened their need of Jesus. The crowds were home now, the children were asleep, and every light by the lake side was out. Then with the dawn came Christ. They spied a form, moving along the ridges of the sea, now lost for a moment in the trough of the waves, now dimmed by the showers of spray. And though they had longed for Jesus, and prayed for Jesus, and this was Jesus, they did not know Him, and cried out for fear. Sometimes we get the very thing we ask, and we do not recognise it when it comes. Sometimes we win the very help we need, and we are just as troubled as before. They cried, It is a spirit! The demon of the tempest was abroad, and Jesus—where was He? Who can describe their joy when the familiar voice rang over the white crests, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid!"


One Stood Out
Now there are times when a man's character is revealed, and one of these times is often that of storm. When we find Jesus sleeping in the tempest, it teaches us His perfect trust in God. When we rehearse Paul's conduct in the shipwreck, it opens a window into that noble heart. So here, from all the disciples, one stands out; and amid the spray, and in the driving wind of that wild morning, there falls a shaft of light on Simon Peter. It is Peter who cries across the storm, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee." It is Peter who flings himself upon the waves to get to Christ. And it is Peter who begins to sink, and would have gone to the depths but for the hand of Jesus. There is the strength and there is the weakness of that hero. There is the story of his life condensed. When the wind ceased, and the ship's company knelt down to worship Jesus, none felt so deeply as Peter that this was the Son of God.


The Long Delays of Heaven
Among the many lessons of this miracle we shall note three. First remark the long delays of heaven. The night must have seemed endless to the twelve. Hour after hour dragged on, and hour after hour brought no word of Jesus. And it was not till the Roman guard in Caesarea had changed for the fourth watch, that the beloved voice was heard over the waves. Had they lost heart and hope? Did they suspect that Jesus had forgotten them? We are always ready to think ill of God, because of God's great method of delay. But of this be sure that when our need is greatest, God is closest. He may delay, He will not disappoint. We must be schooled out of our impatience somehow. We must be trained in waiting and in trusting. It was not only for a night of prayer that Jesus lingered. It was to teach His own that patience of hope which was to win such triumphs for the Church.


Christ Comes by Unexpected Roads
I see, too, that Christ comes by unexpected roads. That night the twelve were longing for their Master, but they never dreamed that He would come that way. If any sail went beating up the lake, their hopes rose, for Jesus might be there. But even Peter, most sanguine of them all, had never guessed that the waves would be His street. Yet by that unexpected avenue the King approached, and on unlikeliest highways He is coming still. By what strange roads Christ enters human hearts! By what strange ways He comes into our homes! A word, a visit of a stranger perhaps, a sickness or a death—and He is here. And it is all so different from what we looked for, that we do not recognise it is the Lord. There are ten thousand thoroughfares for Jesus. His ways of ingress into human souls are endless. Let me not bind Him. Let me not limit Him either to my preconceptions or my prayers. He puts to shame my wellworn offers of salvation, and comes to men by unexpected roads.


We Sink When We See Nothing But the Storm
And lastly, this meets me in the story: we sink when we see nothing but the storm. When Peter looked to Jesus he was safe. But perhaps a wave came and towered like a wall before him, and for the moment he could not see his Lord. He saw the waves, he felt the spray, he heard the wind. But he looked and he saw no face, no arm, no hand, and in that moment Peter began to sink. Do we still detect that presence in the tempest? Do we discern the presence and the love of God in the confusion of our common day? 


When we see nothing but the storm, we sink. When we see Christ enthroned in it, we triumph.

May God bless you today and help you see His love and grace.

Sunday March 20

Sunday, God's special day... for it is not the day of rest, that's the Sabbath... Saturday.  No, Sunday is the first day of the week, the day when Jesus our Savior, our Brother, our Lord, our God rose from the dead to give each of us eternal life.  Sunday, a day of renewal.  How's your day going?


Today I have two wonderful thoughts to share with you, one from George Morrison:



March 20


The Lavishness of Jesus


And they did all eat, and were filled. and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full— Mat_14:20


Love Never Asks How Little Can I Do
One of the characteristics of our Lord was a certain glorious lavishness, an uncalculating generosity that was impatient of the less or more. This made Him very lovable. It was one of the features of His grace. He exhibited that royal largeness which always captivates the human heart. For the miser is universally condemned, and the stingy person forever unattractive, nor does the niggard, though scrupulously just, ever really draw the hearts of men. There is a lavishness which is pure thoughtlessness, and which sooner or later issues in remorse. It is far easier for shallow natures to squander than to save. But the lavishness of Jesus struck its roots into His deepest being, and was the flower of uncalculating love. Love never asks how little can I do; love always asks how much. Love does not merely go the measured mile; love travels to the uttermost. Love never haggles, never bargains, with "nicely calculated less or more." It gives up to the point of prodigality.


The Lavishness of Jesus in His Actions
We find the lavishness of Christ in every sphere, and first let us note it in His actions. "Gather up the fragments that remain, and they gathered up twelve baskets full." Men find in that a lesson in economy. Christ was careful that not a crumb be lost. And it is well we should be taught that lesson—we are so apt to be careless with life's fragments. But surely a far deeper lesson, leading us to the inmost heart of Jesus, is that of His uncalculating lavishness. He took no nice and precise measurements of what that hungry multitude required. He did not think of the minimum of need; He thought of the maximum of love. He gave so lavishly that when every man was fed, and every little whimpering child was satisfied, there yet remained twelve baskets full. That was the manner in which Jesus gave, and in such a manner is He giving still. Men come for healing, and they get pardon also. They come for a shilling and they get a sovereign. I take it that is why so many people fail to see the answers to their prayers; they have asked for a sixpence, and they get a fortune.


The Lavishness of Jesus in His Parabolic Teaching
The same uncalculating lavishness of love is witnessed in the teaching of His parables. I do not think there is a single parable in which that divine element is wanting. The sower does not nicely measure things; he sows on the beaten path and on the rock. The employer of labour, at the eleventh hour, gives a full day's pay for an hour's work. The servant who was faithful with ten pounds finds himself the ruler of ten cities, no doubt to his own intense astonishment. Men quarrel with the doctrine of rewards. They say we ought to do good for its own sake. Christ, knowing human nature, never hesitates to introduce rewards. But then His rewards are so amazing, so utterly unproportioned to our merit, that they entirely lose the aspect of reward, and shine as gifts of undeserved grace. When the poor prodigal came home again, a bare forgiveness would have contented him. But it evidently did not content the overflowing heart of Jesus. The best robe must be given to him; there must be a ring on his finger and shoes upon his feet; there must be music and dancing in the house.


Jesus Noticed the Much Found in the Little
Again, we might think a moment of the kind of thing that Jesus loved. If we are to follow Him, and take His scale of values, it is imperative that we discover that. He did not love the narrowness of Pharisees, nor had He any tenderness for lengthy prayers. He felt no sympathy with the precise exactitude that tithes the mint and the anise and the cummin. But one day He saw a widow woman lavishing her little all for God, and that caught the tendrils of His heart. Again, another day there came a woman with an alabaster box of precious ointment. And she broke the box and poured that precious ointment on the dear feet of Him whom she loved. And men were indignant at this gross extravagance—to what purpose is this waste?—but to Jesus it was incomparably fine. It was not the squandering of hysteria. To Him it was the lavishness of love. It was love, despising calculation, and giving to the very uttermost. He caught in it a spark of that same flame that had lit up every moment of His life, and was now to shine in glory on the cross.


Was Christ's Death for All a Waste Since All Do Not Accept Him?
Jesus died on the cross for every man. He died for the sins of the whole world. There was virtue in that atoning death for all the guilty sinners of mankind. Now look around and tell me, are all men being saved? Are none going down into the glen of weeping? Are none heading for the outer darkness? If so, to what purpose is this waste? Why this lavish squandering of sacrifice in the agony and dereliction of the cross? 
The only answer is that God is love, and love never asks how little, but how much. Love does not calculate nor nicely measure; it gives as the woman with the alabaster box did. In that lavishness our Saviour lived. In that lavishness He fed the multitude. In that lavishness He died on Calvary.


Truly, God gives as only God can, He loves us as only God can!


Now a really neat explanation of God's love from James Ryle:



March 20


A Genuine Lightbulb Moment


"He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is Love." 1 John 4:8 (KJV)


The Bible tells us God is love. The Bible also tells us that love is patient. Doesn't it stand to reason, therefore, that God is patient? Of course! With this thought in mind, I believe that when the Apostle Paul wrote 1st Corinthians 13, he was not attempting to give us a definition of Love; rather, he was in fact giving us an inspired description of God Himself!


The following is my paraphrase of that most famous passage of Scripture, inserting God in the place of the word love. Brace yourself — this is a genuine lightbulb moment. You are about to see what God is really like.


"God is always patient; He waits, and waits, and waits; and does not grow anxious or hurried. God is always gracious and kind. Always. God does not behave indecently, or inappropriately. There is nothing He would ever say or do, that would intentionally embarrass or humiliate us. Never.
God is never envious, insolent, or rude. He is not sarcastic in His speech, cutting in His wit, nor condemning in His tone. God is not puffed up, nor conceited. He does not cherish inflated ideas of His own importance. He does not walk about heaven staring at Himself in mirrors.
God does not behave in an unseemly manner in any situation, or towards anybody. He is never vulgar nor haughty. God does not pursue His own things; He does not seek, nor demand His own way. God is not irritable or touchy. He is not easily annoyed, nor quickly provoked. He is not resentful. God hardly notices when He is wronged, and doesn't even take it much into account when it occurs. He certainly does not keep a personal record of petty offenses; a scorecard of all the times others have tried to tick Him off.
God does not impute evil on anybody. He doesn't even think evil; such things do not enter His mind. God is never glad with sin, but always glad to side with truth. He is never glad about injustice of any kind, and He sings the loudest whenever the truth wins.
God quietly covers all things that could otherwise bring shame and dishonor to your life, and He graciously bears you up under everything that tries to put you down. God believes the best about you at all times and in all things, and He will never give up on you. Never.
His hope is unlimited, His love is unfailing, His commitment is unflagging, and His power is unending — no matter what the circumstances of your life may be, you will find Him there at your side...and on your side.
He will always stand His ground defending you, no matter what it cost Him. Dear friend, God loves you. He not only loves you in what you are facing, but He will also love you through it. And in the end, you will love Him for it." (from I Corinthians 13:4-6)


Do you hear that popping sound? It's lighbulbs going on all around the world!


Did Mr. Ryle's explanation give you an A-HA moment?  
Isn't it good to be so deeply, truly, wonderfully LOVED by GOD?


Amen!

Friday March 18th

I am sure we all have had doubts. We humans are the doubting kind, skeptical and questioning.  The good of that is we can try to determine the real truth in things.  We try to be cautious and not be tricked because there are too many people and too many things that are out there to get us.  


I submit that after examining Christ in every possible way that Jesus Christ IS THE ANSWER.  Your faith and hopes will be rewarded in Jesus.  He is the Son of God who died for you so you can be reconciled to God.  


Today's meditation concerns the ultimate question: is there life after death?



March 18


The Resurrection Related to Justification and Sanctification


I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  (Joh_11:25-26)


It would be appropriate to again follow a pattern we have used previously, applying our present subject (the resurrection) both to our starting out with God (justification) and our going on with God (sanctification). The great value in doing such is to be repeatedly reminded that the grace of God that starts us out in this new life in Christ is the same grace that develops this life in Christ. 


When Jesus proclaimed the words of our present verses, He was standing at the tomb of Lazarus. Martha, one of the sisters, was interacting with Him. She had hoped that Jesus would have arrived earlier, knowing He could have prevented this death. "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (Joh_11:21). Even now, with her brother in the tomb, she realizes He could possibly yet intervene. "But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You" (Joh_11:22). Jesus comforts her by assuring that Lazarus will be resurrected. "Your brother will rise again" (Joh_11:23). Martha assumes that Jesus is referring to the final resurrection of the saints. "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day" (Joh_11:24). 


At this point, Jesus offers one of those glorious "I am" revelations. "I am the resurrection and the life." Then, He added two wonderful applications. First, faith in Him can even bring the dead to life, like Lazarus. "He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live." Second, faith in him can ensure eternal life to those who are yet alive. "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." 
Think again of the implications connected with Jesus' basic statement. "I am the resurrection and the life." Martha desired an immediate resurrection for her brother. She wanted him to live once again. Jesus revealed that He Himself was what Martha desired for her brother. He was "the resurrection and the life." Jesus provides resurrection and life, because in His very person He is resurrection life. He is the resurrection that we all need from our deadness, whether physical or spiritual. "I am the resurrection."  He is the life that we need, if we are to live as God intended. "I am . . . the life." Knowing Christ by faith makes us partakers of what He Himself is: "the resurrection and the life." This is vital to see, because the Christian life is a resurrection life. Such a life can only be found in a resurrected Lord, and it can only be developed following a resurrected Lord.


"Jesus, I bow down before You as my resurrected Lord. Apart from You, I would only know spiritual deadness as a fallen son of Adam. In You I have a spiritual resurrection to new life. Now, I want to pursue You daily to see that new, resurrected life more fully developed in me. Lord Jesus, lead me, I pray, into more life, Amen."


I pray you have found Christ as your Savior.

Wednesday March 16th

Good morning,
My how time flies.  It is already March Madness, now that the Super Bowl is done, Daytona 500 is over, and the Masters is next month.  Wow, have you noticed that time seems to be measured by events and holidays?  
So, how's your life going?


BTW, my meditation quotes come from a totally free resource: 
check out www.e-sword.net for all these and many other wonderful resources, including many free Bible downloads and Bible study helps.  It's FREE.  


Today's meditations is from Bob Hoekstra and he gives great insight:


  March 16


Resurrection Victory by the Grace of God


The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  (1Co_15:56-57)


1 Corinthians 15 is the great resurrection chapter of the scriptures. In verse 56, we see two of the enormous problems that the resurrection of Jesus Christ overcomes. "The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law." The sting that brings physical and spiritual death to the family of man is sin. "For the wages of sin is death" (Rom_6:23). 
Adam sinned and immediately died spiritually. Eventually, he died physically. "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned" (Rom_5:12). We sinned in Adam, our leader. 


Also, we personally walked in sin and spiritual death until we came to Christ. 


The strength that sin exerts over lives is the law. "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God" (Rom_3:19). There is no way that man by his own strength can remove the guilt of sin which God's law holds powerfully over him. 
The righteous power of the law holds sinful humanity fully accountable before the Lord. 
The resurrection of Jesus Christ validates His sacrifice for sin, removing sin's sting. "O Death, where is your sting?" (1Co_15:55).  Eternal life replaces sin's sting for all who believe in the Lord Jesus. "The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" 
Rom_6:23). Such victorious grace stirs gratitude in the hearts of the redeemed. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 


Notice the language of grace used to describe that which is provided through the resurrection. "The gift of God is eternal life . . . thanks be to God, who gives us the victory." These two terms ("gift" and "gives") are the language of grace. Eternal life comes to us as a gift, an undeserved generosity from God. The victory that we receive through the resurrection is established through Jesus Christ. Then, this victory is given to us, not earned or achieved by us. Thereafter, our Lord desires to guide us daily in His resurrection victory of grace. "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ" (2Co_2:14).


"O Righteous Father, I confess that I sinned against You, just as Adam did. Lord, I struggled under the spiritual deadness that sin brought. Your holy law, O God, rightly locked me under guilt and condemnation. I could do nothing myself to bring relief. Then, You gave me eternal life, as I trusted in Your Son. By Your grace, You gave me victory. Thank You, Thank You! Now, Lord, please lead me in that victory, Amen."


I hope and pray that you have found the gift of salvation through Jesus.  Know that you are loved and you will be given it all for free by just accepting Jesus as your Savior and Redeemer.  Do it today!