Friday March 30 2012

The hardest times in life offers two choices - turn to God or turn to our own resources.  
Turn to God.  
Let Go and Let God!


Bob Hoekstra says this:



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.

Wednesday March 28 2012

How's your faith doing these days?  We approach the Easter season with joy and hope.  Easter, the celebration of a risen Lord and Savior, our God, our Redeemer and Hope, Jesus Christ the Son of God.  


So, our Faith gives us Hope, our Hope gives us the will and strength to live the good Christian life.  


F.B. Meyer says this:



March 28


THE SOUL'S AMEN
"Then answered I, and said, Amen, O Lord."-- Jer_11:5 (R.V.).


JEREMIAH WAS conscious of the special current of Divine energy which was passing into and through his soul. The word had come to him "from the Lord," and he felt it as a burning fire which he could not contain. He must needs give vent to it, but when it has passed his lips, and he has time carefully to consider it, he answers the Divine message by saying--"So be it, O Lord!"
The soul's affirmation. Let us guard against mistake. It is not always possible to say "Amen"--Yes--to God, in tones of triumph and ecstasy. Sometimes our response is choked with sobs that cannot be stifled, and soaked with tears that cannot be repressed. It was probably so with Abraham, when he tore himself from Ur of the Chaldees; when he waited weary years for his son; when he climbed the steep of Moriah. These words may be read by some who suffer year after year constant pain, by those whose earthly life is tossed upon the sea of anxiety, over which billows of care and turmoil perpetually roll. It is not improbable that these will protest as to the possibility of saying "Amen" to God's providential dealings, or they will ask: Of what avail is it to utter with the lips a word against which the whole heart stands in revolt?
In reply, let all such remember that our blessed Lord, in the garden, was content to put His will upon the side of God. He knew it was enough if, in the lower parts of the earth to which His human nature had descended, He was able, unflinchingly to affirm, "Not as I will, but as Thou wilt."
Dare to say "Amen" to God's providential dealings. Say it, though heart and flesh fail, and you will find that if the will doth acquiesce, the heart comes ultimately to choose; and as the days pass, some incident, some turn in the road, some concurrence of unforeseen circumstances, will suddenly flash the conviction on the mind and reason that God's way was right, the wisest, and the best. "What thou knowest not now, thou shalt know hereafter," is the assurance of our Guide. Dare to trust Him, and in the strength of that trust to say, "Amen, O Lord."


PRAYER
For all things beautiful, and good, and true;
For all things that seemed not good yet turned to good;
For all the sweet compulsions of Thy Will
That chased, and tried, and wrought us to Thy shape--
We thank Thee, Lord.

Tuesday March 27 2012

So, here we are, you and I.  Near the end of March.  
What can we do now that is better, more useful, and more productive as we move through this wonderful SPRING time?  Whatever it is, we can't do it alone, that's for sure. 
God is the center and perimeter of our lives.  We must always love God and be with Him in mind and spirit.
Then God loves us, as His children.  


Here's today's thoughts on this from James Ryle:

March 27


The Headlines in Heaven
"Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!" (Matthew 3:2)
After 400 years of silence from Heaven, a man is sent from God with a message. His name was John, and they called him the Baptizer. His message was singular — "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!" Thus does the New Testament begin.
These words were not spoken with a snarl, like we see on many tired and angry pulpit faces these days. No! John's message was filled with hope and wonder. When he said the word repent, it was not a rebuke — but an invitation. An invitation extended from God Himself, offering His fallen and captive sons and daughters a way out of the darkness.
The word means "to change." It signifies the turning from one thing, and unto another. In this case, it is the turning away from the bondage of sin unto the liberty of Christ's kingdom. Thus John says, "for the Kingdom of God is at hand!"
In other words — you can turn from sin to God because His ruling authority has now over-ruled all other claims to your soul. 
There is no title, nor deed, nor any papers of authorization clutched in greedy hands, that surpass the unyielding power of the Lord's decree that you be free. And free you are, despite all lies to the contrary. 


Now, you may indeed not be walking in your freedom ; but that does not mean it is not yours. It just means you need to repent — you need to change. You can now because the power of God is present to help you.
As Light is immeasurably greater than darkness, so is Jesus far greater than the prince of darkness. And His Kingdom is superior in every way to the kingdom of darkness. There is no law from that dark world that can now do anything but wither like a weed in the blaze of Christ's royal ruling power. All satanic decrees have now been overruled, and all tried cases have been overturned. The captives have been released from the dungeons of doom, and restored to their better estates.
And this made the Headlines in Heaven.


Now then, what will you do today on Earth? What good turn can you make that demonstrates the present power of Christ's rule in your heart. What stand can you take that shows openly the defeat of the devil, and the withering weakness of his wicked kingdom?
Oh, prove it to a watching world that the Kingdom of God is at hand!
And that will also make the Headlines in Heaven!

Monday March 26 2012

Last week of March 2012... April comes in next week.
So, how was this transitional month for you?  Winter into Spring, flowers, warmth (in the northern hemisphere, Autumn coming in the southern hemisphere).  So many things happen and time moves on. How are you doing?
What a winter, eh?  
Well, life is what you make it, what others contribute and what chance, luck, fortune, fate, destiny, karma, God make it... but overall, you are the final decision maker about what and where your life goes.


Decide to choose Christ as your guide, your helper, your Savior, your Redeemer, your Propitiation for all you need... your God.  Why?


This from Bob Hoekstra:

March 26


The Resurrection: Reality, Not Dead Religion
Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.  (Act_4:1-2)
The resurrection of Christ is the difference between a dead religion and a personal relationship. Living by resurrection power is the difference between earthly striving and heavenly reality. These differences can be seen in the contrast between the religious authorities of Israel and the disciples of Jesus. 
The disciples were proclaiming to the people the wondrous message of the risen Lord Jesus. "They taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead." Such a message infuriated the religious leaders. "The priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed." Today, many religious leaders reflect a similar response. In the popular religious world, universalism and skepticism prevail. Each religion is viewed as one more road leading to God. Anything miraculous is unacceptable, as human reasoning reigns supreme. In many religious circles, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is either an object of scoffing or an area of hypocritical compromise. 
The Sadducees of old were like this. They would talk about the resurrection, even asking Jesus questions that seemed to affirm that God could raise people from the dead. "Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her" (Mat_22:28). This question followed their scenario in which seven brothers would become the husband of the same woman, through seven death and marriage sequences. What a mockery this question represented. First, it was given in hypocrisy. "The Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him" (Mat_22:23). Second, they were unaware of what the scriptures said about such a heavenly matter. "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage" (Mat_22:30). Jesus explained that these religious rationalists made two great errors in their approach. "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God" (Mat_22:29). 
We who have been born again by faith in the risen Lord Jesus can err in a similar fashion in our day by day living. We can talk about the resurrection of Jesus, but behave as though it were not an actual reality for Christian living. We can be mistaken, "not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God."
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your patience when I profess belief in the resurrection, but live by my inadequate human resources. Help me to understand what the scriptures say about living daily in the power of the resurrection of Christ, Amen.

Thursday March 22 2012

How wonderful life can be and then how awful and painful it can turn!  Things and events in our lives sometimes go the way we want, but mostly we plod along as if on a conveyor belt, a people mover, moving from here to there without too much thought.


We can only get to our real destination, Heaven, through Jesus our Lord.  That's the only way.  So, dear friend, accept Jesus and let God move you and guide you.  Then you will begin to live in a grander, more peaceful way.  


Consider today's meditation by 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; leavig 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.

Wed March 21 2012

Finding answers, solutions and direction can be the most difficult part of our lives.  How? What? When, Where, Who, and Why are the five questions we have to answer in most situations.
God answers the biggest questions in His book - the Bible, God's words.  Look there first and find His answers to the 5WHs of your life.  


Here's what Bob Hoekstra states on this:



March 21


The Resurrection and Sanctification
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know . . . what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.  (Eph_1:18-20)
Just as the resurrection had an essential role in our starting out with God (in justification), it also plays an irreplaceable part in our going on with God (in sanctification). In the new covenant of grace, the resurrection is involved from start to finish in the Christian life. 
Our scripture meditation is from one of the great prayers in all of the Bible. This portion begins by asking God to give us spiritual insight: "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened." What the Lord addresses in this prayer determines whether a believer will live by godly power or by human weakness. God desires to give us heavenly insight on this vital matter. Then, He intends for this spiritual enlightenment to lead us into a personal walk concerning this reality: "that you may know." The issue of this prayer is to become a part of our daily experience. 
God wants us to experience the proper power source for living the Christian life: "that you may know . . . what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe." We who have been justified (declared righteous) through faith in Christ are not supposed to face each day by our meager, inadequate resources. We who have been born again by the Spirit of God are to live this new life by the power of God! 
The aspect of God's power in view here is resurrection power: "according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead." Think of the mighty power of God that was at work to bring Jesus from a crucified Savior to a victorious risen Lord. This is the power that our God wants to unleash upon us day by day. 
As great as this display of power was, even more is available to us: "and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places." This mighty divine power that brought forth Jesus from the dead, also raised Him to the right hand of the Father in the heaven realm. Surely, this power is sufficient to lift us out of any deadening situation of our minds or our surroundings.


Dear God of resurrection power, too many days and years have passed without me turning to You for this mighty power. Too often I have lived by a power that came from me — will power, emotional power, mental power. I repent for relying upon such feeble resources. Lord, by Your grace I see that heavenly resurrection power is to be my supply, so I look to You now for this work in me, in Your mighty name, Amen.

Tuesday March 20 2012

Tuesday is a day of getting things done.
How are things going in your life?
Mine is a bit difficult and complicated right now, that is why I need Jesus's love, the Holy Spirit's guidance, and God's blessings.  I could not get through this without God's love and blessings and guidance.  
Consider this 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!

Definitely a different way to look and think about God!  

Monday March 19 2012

Well, here we are.  
Back from a short, challenging break full of seeming disasters.  So we move on. 


Here's today's meditation, from Bob Hoeskstra:

March 19


The Resurrection and Justification
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  (1Pe_1:3)
We have a myriad of reasons to bless our great God, to speak of Him with grateful praises. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Our heavenly Father has mercifully showered us with so many blessings that we rightly desire Him to honored and blessed. "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You" (Psa_86:5). Based on His great love, He sent His Son to pay for our debt of sin. Through faith in His name, we have received forgiveness and new life. Day by day He is present with us and is working in and through our lives. How blessed we are! 
In the scripture before us, God's merciful heart toward us is focused on a magnificent matter: "who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope." The Lord's mercy has provided a plan whereby He can righteously hold back the awful judgment that we rightly deserve. This plan of salvation offers new birth. God has "begotten us again." This could be rendered, "caused us to be born again." We all were begotten of our earthly parents, a birth that brings temporal human life. For all of us who believe in the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior, we have been given a new birth from God into everlasting spiritual life in Christ. This is one of the heavenly realities that relate to justification (being declared righteous in God's sight, and thereby able to begin a walk with God). 
This new birth is also "to a living hope." When we were born into the Lord's family, real "hope" became available to us everafter. Biblical hope is about absolute certainties concerning the future. It is about guaranteed expectations for time and eternity. These are vital needs for every person. Otherwise, people flounder in hopelessness and despair, or they march along in vain fantasies and imaginations. 
The unique hope the Lord provides for us is a "living hope." It is a hope that pulsates with resurrection life. "[God] has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." This hope is permeated with the Lord's resurrection. This resurrection hope is sufficient to raise us from any agonizing deadness, whether in our aching hearts or in our threatening circumstances.
Lord God of mercy, I praise You for Your abundant mercy toward me. I thank You for new birth. I am especially grateful for living hope. I now ask You to work in the dead aspects of my life. Lord, You know what areas of my heart are lifeless. You see the circumstances that are killing me. Raise my heart to new vitality. Lift me above circumstantial living, through the reality of the resurrection of Your Son, Amen.

Friday March 9 2012

Friday, here at last.  The second Friday of March, and now we begin the transition to Spring.  Depending where you are, it may already be Spring, especially here in the Southern part of the USA.  How nice right now, as the chill of winter goes away, and the balmy winds of a warm spring breeze comes caressing.  


God is in everything.  He designed all of this wonderfulness for you and me.  God made a Garden in space, this earth for us, His children.  Now it is up to us to go to God and thank Him for all His gifts and love.
How?
Consider this from Bob Hoekstra:



March 9


More on Praying for the Fullness of the Spirit
And I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened . . . your heavenly Father [will] give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!  (Luk_11:9-10, Luk_11:13)
Here again, the work of the Spirit in our lives is associated with prayer. Prayer is that wonderful God-ordained means of relating to the Lord in humility and faith (the two means by which we access grace). In praying, we are humbly admitting that we need God. In praying, we are exercising faith toward God that He will act on our behalf. We pray; God moves by His Spirit, pouring out whatever grace is necessary for any given situation. 
We saw this in our previous meditation. "That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith . . . that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph_3:16-19). Here, prayer was the avenue to being filled with the bountiful work of the Spirit in our lives. We humbly ask; the Lord faithfully works. This is precisely the teaching of Jesus in our present passage. 
The end of Jesus' message involves the Spirit being given to those who ask. "How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" This is also where our scripture began. "And I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." These are three parallel commands, followed by three parallel promises. Who receives Holy Spirit fullness? Those who ask God for such. Who experiences the life-empowering work of the Spirit, that every child of God must find? Those who seek God to impart such. Who is flooded with the outpouring of God's Spirit? Those who knock prayerfully on heaven's doors. 
Then, making these three "command-promise" couplets even more sure, Jesus adds three more statements of certainty. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." These are absolutes. There are no exceptions. Those who genuinely ask, seek, or knock can go on their way by faith, knowing that the Lord will be doing a thorough work of His Spirit in them. 
As with the earlier command to be filled with the Spirit (Eph_5:18), these imperatives are also in the present tense. They could be rendered: keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. Again, this is a way to live; not a singular event.
Giver of every good and perfect gift, I humbly ask You for a fresh new work of Your Spirit. Lord, I rest on Your promise that everyone who asks receives. Manifest Your fullness in me in any way that You desire, in Jesus name, Amen.

Thursday March 8 2012

Thursday!  A day of promise and of hope.  A day full of goodness and potential.  A day to close out a lot of the weeks work and demands.  A day before mentally breaking down our intense world focus and turning that focus to self and regeneration.


Today's meditation from F.B. Meyer:

March 8


TURNING PASSION INTO PRAYER
"Elijah was a man of like passions with us, and he prayed fervently."-- Jam_5:17 (R.V.).


WHEN WE read that Elijah was a man subject to the same passions as ourselves, we are apt to suppose that we have the clue to the driving force of his life. But Scripture shows that the results of his wonderful career were achieved, not by his passion, but by his prayer! Elijah, though capable of the same vehement earnestness with which we are all endowed, refused to accomplish his life-work by the employment of lower energies, but set himself to obtain the results he desired, through prayer. He was a man of like passions with ourselves, but he prayed earnestly. He turned his passion into prayer.
There was no salient element of a strong nature of which his was destitute. There was the passion of patriotism, as when he was prepared even to witness the sufferings of his people, if these would bring them back to God; of tenderness, as when he bore the dead body of the child to his room; of righteousness, as when he slew the false prophets; of love for Nature, as when he fled into the wilderness to die; of devotion to God's glory, as when he cried, "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts." All these passions dwelt strongly within his breast, but if he had relied on them alone, his life-work would have faded as the mirage on the glistening sand.
There is a marvellous contagion in vehement feeling. As a tiny pith-ball, light as a feather, by continually impinging on a suspended bar of iron, will make it move, so one soul can move others. The brain is able to create waves of thought, and the heart waves of emotion. But we must learn to secure through God results which some try to achieve by the energy of their own nature. Let us pray more. Let us seek to be filled with a passionate love to our Lord Jesus, and to the world of men---with a love so hot that the most passionate words of St. Bernard or Faber may not seem extravagant. 
Then let us divert the glowing metal into the mould of prayer--which may express itself in an intense silence of intercession, or with strong cryings and tears. At least let us not dare to be tepid and apathetic in the midst of this wonderful universe which is electric with living energy! (Rev_3:15-16.)


PRAYER
O Christ, who baptizest with fire, kindle in our hearts the flame of Thy love, that we may not be lukewarm or cold. We would not trust in the force of our emotions, lest they fail us, but in the power of prayer and of Thine intercession for us. AMEN.

Tuesday March 6 2012

HOPE.
There are so many human emotions.  Love, hate, anger, fear, but there seems to be this universal thing - hope.  Hope is eternal in us all, the belief that things will get better and we do matter and we will better our lives.  Hope.
So I encourage you to have hope and then with faith in the impossible, accept Christ as your Savior, your HOPE.  


Consider today's lesson from F. B. Meyer:

March 6


THE SECRET PLACE OF PRAYER
"When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to Thy Father which is in secret."-- Mat_6:6.


IN PRAYER there must be deliberateness, the secret place, the inner chamber, the fixed time, the shut door against distraction and intruders. In that secret place the Father is waiting for us. 
He is as certainly there as He is in Heaven, Be reverent, as Moses when he took the shoes from off his feet! 
Be trustful, because you are having an audience with One who is infinite sympathy and love! Be comforted, because there is no problem He cannot solve, no knot He cannot untie!
God knows even better than we do what we need and should ask for. He has gone over every item of our life, every trial, every temptation--the unknown and unexpected, the glints of sunshine on the path, and the clouds of weeping. He listens to our forecast and requests, and rejoices when they accord with His infinite foreknowledge; or He may give us something better and more appropriate to our case.
"He will recompense thee." If He does not remove the cup, He will send an angel to strengthen; if the thorn remains unremoved, He will give more grace. You may be sure that, in some way or other, your Heavenly Father is going to meet your particular need. It is as certain as though you heard Him say: "Go your way, your prayer is heard: I will undertake, trust Me, leave all in My hand!" 
When you have once definitely put a matter into God's hands, leave it there. Do not repeat the committal, for that suggests that you have never made it. Your attitude thenceforward is to look into God's face, not to ask Him to remember, but to say: "Father, Thou knowest, understandest, carest! I know whom I have trusted, and am persuaded that Thou wilt not fail."


There is a prayer which is without ceasing; but surely that is not the reiterated request for the same thing, but the blessed interchange of happy fellowship. Use not vain repetitions, as do the heathen, who think that they will be heard for much speaking, but count Him faithful that promised! 
This reckoning of faith is probably the loftiest attribute of prayer, for faith is the quiet assurance of things not yet seen!


PRAYER
Lift us into light and love and purity and blessedness, and give us at last our portion with those who have trusted in Thee, and sought in small things as in great, in things tempered and things eternal, to do Thy Holy Will. AMEN.

Monday March 5 2012

Life is such a wonderful journey.  You live, you learn, you love, you lose, you go on.  You ask questions, you seek answers, you study, you think and you learn.  You need, you want, you seek, you get, you keep, you lose and you start all over.  
So it is, we all grow through the experiences of life, the passage of time and we get to the end.  


How is your journey?  Did you get Jesus yet?


Here's James Ryle's thoughts:

March 5


Breaking Free from Lesser Things
"I am doing a great work...." (Nehemiah 6:3)
There are many people who meander through life as though it were a flea market, browsing the bins for the deal of a lifetime, but only coming home with someone else's junk. Others are a bit more like the crazy rabbit in Alice's Wonderland, always on the go for something that is always somewhere else; and never getting there.
Some people set in the stands and watch others play the game, and reassure themselves that they could do that if they wanted to. Others see a great opportunity of some kind, and console themselves with a reflective sigh, "I should do that." But, of course they never do. And then there are those who wistfully say, "I would do that," hinting by their tone that it's somebody else's fault if they don't.
Could do, should do, and would do never do. The only thing that works is when you find the thing that you must do.
God uses the inner pull of that upward call to free you from the gravity of lesser things. There is a resolute power inherent to any great work, and once you become involved in such an enterprise, you are virtually unstoppable.
Nehemiah undertook the great challenge of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, and was constantly opposed by enemies who sought his ruin.
First they tried ridicule; it didn't work. Then they made overt threats of hostility; it was, as they say, water off a duck's back to Nehemiah. Next they attempted covert sabotage; but he foiled their plot. Nothing fazed him. Finally they tried the diplomatic approach, seeking some sort of compromise. Nehemiah's answer stands to this day as one of the greatest closers in any conflict: 
"I am doing a great work," he said, "Why should the work stop while I come down to you?”
Nehemiah's passion for answering the upward call, minimized the effects of those who were always seeking to drag him down to their level. They lost; he won. The same will be true of you.
The words of this old hymn say it best —
"I am resolved no longer to linger,
charmed by the world's delight;
Things that are higher, things that are nobler,
These have allured my sight.
I am resolved to enter the kingdom,
leaving the paths of sin;
Friends may oppose me, foes may beset me;
Still I will enter in.
I am resolved, and who will go with me?
Come, friends, without delay.
Taught by the Bible, led by the Spirit,
We'll walk the heavenly way.”
                            Palmer Hartsough, 1896

Sunday March 4

Good morning my friends,
March has come in like a lion... tornadoes and storms bashing parts of our country and much death and destruction.  There is nothing we can do against such powers of nature.  We are indeed a part of nature and nothing man can do will make much of a stand against mother nature's fury.
But, God created and makes all things.  God is the all powerful and all knowing God.  He is able to intervene, to change and to reroute nature.  God is more powerful than Nature, for God created nature.  
So we must rely on our God and trust God to love us, guide us and save us. God sent His son Jesus to us to redeem us and to save us from ourselves.  Then God sends the Holy Spirit to aid us and fill us with His love and presence.  
So, accept Jesus as your Savior and Redeemer.  Let God love you and give you His Holy Spirit. 


Consider today's meditations by Charles Spurgeon:

March 4


Morning
“My grace is sufficient for thee.” - 2Co_12:9
If none of God’s saints were poor and tried, we should not know half so well the consolations of divine grace. When we find the wanderer who has not where to lay his head, who yet can say, “Still will I trust in the Lord;” when we see the pauper starving on bread and water, who still glories in Jesus; when we see the bereaved widow overwhelmed in affliction, and yet having faith in Christ, oh! what honour it reflects on the gospel. God’s grace is illustrated and magnified in the poverty and trials of believers. Saints bear up under every discouragement, believing that all things work together for their good, and that out of apparent evils a real blessing shall ultimately spring-that their God will either work a deliverance for them speedily, or most assuredly support them in the trouble, as long as he is pleased to keep them in it. This patience of the saints proves the power of divine grace. There is a lighthouse out at sea: it is a calm night-I cannot tell whether the edifice is firm; the tempest must rage about it, and then I shall know whether it will stand. So with the Spirit’s work: if it were not on many occasions surrounded with tempestuous waters, we should not know that it was true and strong; if the winds did not blow upon it, we should not know how firm and secure it was. The master-works of God are those men who stand in the midst of difficulties, stedfast, unmoveable,-
“Calm mid the bewildering cry,
Confident of victory.”
He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting with many trials. No man can be illustrious before the Lord unless his conflicts be many. If then, yours be a much-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will the better show forth the all-sufficient grace of God. As for his failing you, never dream of it-hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now, should be trusted to the end.


Evening
“They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house.”
- Psa_36:8
Sheba’s queen was amazed at the sumptuousness of Solomon’s table. She lost all heart when she saw the provision of a single day; and she marvelled equally at the company of servants who were feasted at the royal board. But what is this to the hospitalities of the God of grace? Ten thousand thousand of his people are daily fed; hungry and thirsty, they bring large appetites with them to the banquet, but not one of them returns unsatisfied; there is enough for each, enough for all, enough for evermore. Though the host that feed at Jehovah’s table is countless as the stars of heaven, yet each one has his portion of meat. Think how much grace one saint requires, so much that nothing but the Infinite could supply him for one day; and yet the Lord spreads his table, not for one, but many saints, not for one day, but for many years; not for many years only, but for generation after generation. Observe the full feasting spoken of in the text, the guests at mercy’s banquet are satisfied, nay, more “abundantly satisfied;” and that not with ordinary fare, but with fatness, the peculiar fatness of God’s own house; and such feasting is guaranteed by a faithful promise to all those children of men who put their trust under the shadow of Jehovah’s wings. I once thought if I might but get the broken meat at God’s back door of grace I should be satisfied; like the woman who said, “The dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the master’s table;” but no child of God is ever served with scraps and leavings; like Mephibosheth, they all eat from the king’s own table. In matters of grace, we all have Benjamin’s mess-we all have ten times more than we could have expected, and though our necessities are great, yet are we often amazed at the marvellous plenty of grace which God gives us experimentally to enjoy.

Saturday March 3 2012

Wow, can life be more challenging or difficult than when all hope and dreams seemed dashed?  Without hope and dreams, without our goals and objectives, what do we live for or work for?  Sometimes it seems that no matter what we do, how hard we work, or devote our energies... we come out on the short end.  
F. B. Meyer puts it this way:



March 3


THE VIEWPOINT OF THE SANCTUARY
"It is good for me to draw near to God."-- Psa_73:28.


THE GOOD Asaph was greatly troubled about the prosperity of the wicked of his time. He refrained from speaking to others on the matter, lest it should impair their religious life; but the iron went deep into his soul! Here were people, who seemed always at ease, though they set their mouths against the heavens, while he, though he cleansed his heart, and washed his hands in innocency, was plagued all day long.
It was in a very perturbed and distressed condition of mind, therefore, that he went one day into the Sanctuary of God. It was there that God spoke to him and unveiled the future, and showed the glorious contrast between the wicked and himself, when Time had given place to Eternity, and heaven had corrected the uneven balances of earth.
Each of us has, or should have, a sanctuary--the House of God, or it may be a quiet room, or some sacred spot in the woods or garden or beside the sea. Greatly is the soul to be pitied that has no sanctuary, where it can shelter from the rush and noise of life. Like Abraham, we need to have some place where we can stand before the Lord (Gen_18:22-23).
Let us remember the injunction to build according to the sanctuary pattern (Exo_25:8, Exo_25:9, Exo_25:40). We must not drift aimlessly through life, at the mercy of every current and every gust of wind; nor must we be content to be our own pattern-makers, or mere copyists. Before we enter upon some change or fresh objective in our life, let us ascend into the sanctuary of God's mountains, and get to know His Mind and Will. 
Be sure that He has a plan and programme for each of us, extending even to the cords and tassels of our life; and if we are true to the leadings of His Spirit, we shall be led out and on to things that eye hath not seen, nor heart conceived.
Frances Ridley Havergal writes: "I am struck with the possibilities of the Christian life! In my own case, what once were far-off possibilities are now actualities; while a new horizon opens before me of possibilities, which also in God's time shall become actualities."


Forget the past! Your failures and sins; the fading laurels of past successes; the bitter memories of abortive efforts. Leave them with God! Let the dead bury their dead! Work out your life-plan knowing that God is able and willing to make the necessary grace abound toward you.


PRAYER
Grant unto me, O Lord, the blessedness of the one whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach unto Thee. AMEN.

Friday March 2 2012

Welcome to March 2012.  The third month already. Life moves on, things change and so many things don't seem to make sense at all.  Too many things to worry about.  Yet in all the rush of life, there is God.
God IS!
And from that we can move forward and make sense of our lives, of our meaning, and of our goals and destination.  
We are here to love God and be loved in return.  


Today's meditation:



March 2


Shining Bright in the Darkest Hour
"...among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Phil.2:15).
The prophet Daniel wrote, "the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do great exploits; they shall prevail valiantly" (Dan.11:32). The backdrop for this splendid display of moral courage and social action was a time when deceit and flattery from political leaders had seduced the mindless masses into settling for a meaningless existence.
That's when the people of God shine the brightest – "blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Phil.2:15).
Is it possible, my friend, that God is summoning you out of the comfort of a convenient life into a contest for truth and justice; an epic battle against the encroaching powers of darkness, which are stalking our homes, our schools, our courts, our market places, and our churches? Is it possible that you're the one who can stop the plague?
All it takes is the right man at the right time.
Arthur Hugh Clough said it best in his little poem — "Say not, 'The struggle naught availeth; 
the labor and the toils are vain. 
The enemy shrinks not, nor faileth. 
As things have been, so they remain.' 
For if hopes be dupes, then fears be liars. 
It may be even now, 
your comrades in yon smoke concealed,
chase the fliers 
– and, but for you, possess the field.”


Your part matters far more than perhaps you may even realize; for you could be the voice that turns the battle, the life that makes the difference, that light that shines brightest in the darkest hour.