Monday April 30, 2012

Good morning friends, 
Here we are at the end of April.  For most of us in the northern hemisphere the transition to Spring is completed, May arrives with flowers and growth and Summer is waiting for us!  
Just a month or more of school and life continues its cycles and rhythms.  
How are you?  Thanks for checking in on me.  Let me know how I can check in on you!  I most likely don't know you but I do feel and believe that we are all God's children and thus we are connected in the extended "Family of God".  


The hardest things in life happen when things go wrong and don't happen the way we want or anticipate.  Pains, losses, set backs, and disappointments!  Wow, we all have those.  But, it's all part of this grand journey of life.  It' s nothing new and it won't be the last.  We are certainly not the begging nor the end of this life spectrum.  So how do we handle the pains and frustrations of life?
Consider this from Charles Spurgeon:

April 30


Morning
“And all the children of Israel murmured.”  
Numbers 14:2
There are murmurers amongst Christians now, as there were in the camp of Israel of old. There are those who, when the rod falls, cry out against the afflictive dispensation. They ask, “Why am I thus afflicted? What have I done to be chastened in this manner?” 
A word with thee, O murmurer! Why shouldst thou murmur against the dispensations of thy heavenly Father? Can he treat thee more hardly than thou deservest? Consider what a rebel thou wast once, but he has pardoned thee! 
Surely, if he in his wisdom sees fit now to chasten thee, thou shouldst not complain. After all, art thou smitten as hardly as thy sins deserve? Consider the corruption which is in thy breast, and then wilt thou wonder that there needs so much of the rod to fetch it out? Weigh thyself, and discern how much dross is mingled with thy gold; and dost thou think the fire too hot to purge away so much dross as thou hast? Does not that proud rebellious spirit of thine prove that thy heart is not thoroughly sanctified? Are not those murmuring words contrary to the holy submissive nature of God’s children? Is not the correction needed? 
But if thou wilt murmur against the chastening, take heed, for it will go hard with murmurers. God always chastises his children twice, if they do not bear the first stroke patiently. But know one thing-”He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.” 
All his corrections are sent in love, to purify thee, and to draw thee nearer to himself. 
Surely it must help thee to bear the chastening with resignation if thou art able to recognize thy Father’s hand. For “whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons.” “Murmur not as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer.”


Evening
“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God.”   Psalm 139:17


Divine omniscience affords no comfort to the ungodly mind, but to the child of God it overflows with consolation. God is always thinking upon us, never turns aside his mind from us, has us always before his eyes; and this is precisely as we would have it, for it would be dreadful to exist for a moment beyond the observation of our heavenly Father. 
His thoughts are always tender, loving, wise, prudent, far-reaching, and they bring to us countless benefits: hence it is a choice delight to remember them. The Lord always did think upon his people: hence their election and the covenant of grace by which their salvation is secured; he always will think upon them: hence their final perseverance by which they shall be brought safely to their final rest. 
In all our wanderings the watchful glance of the Eternal Watcher is evermore fixed upon us-we never roam beyond the Shepherd’s eye. In our sorrows he observes us incessantly, and not a pang escapes him; in our toils he marks all our weariness, and writes in his book all the struggles of his faithful ones. 
These thoughts of the Lord encompass us in all our paths, and penetrate the innermost region of our being. Not a nerve or tissue, valve or vessel, of our bodily organization is uncared for; all the littles of our little world are thought upon by the great God.


Dear reader, is this precious to you? 
Then hold to it. Never be led astray by those philosophic fools who preach up an impersonal God, and talk of self-existent, self-governing matter. The Lord liveth and thinketh upon us, this is a truth far too precious for us to be lightly robbed of it. The notice of a nobleman is valued so highly that he who has it counts his fortune made; but what is it to be thought of by the King of kings! If the Lord thinketh upon us, all is well, and we may rejoice evermore.

Wednesday April 25

Wow, life can be so complicated and perplexing.  The more you want something, the less you get it, so it seems.  Life is the full spectrum of good and evil.  So, how do we get through this challenge?
Well, we can't do it very well by ourselves.  God is the answer and Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.  Do you have your path?  If it's not clear to you, then you need to turn to Jesus, accept Him as your Savior and then trust in Him to lead you back to God.  
Consider today's thoughts from James Ryle:



April 25


When the Lights Go Out
"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light" (Isaiah 9:2)
There are times in our travels of faith when the lights go out. Despite the unfailing glow of God's word in our hearts, all about us is nevertheless covered with a thick darkness that hides even His presence from our perceptions. He promised never to leave us, but what are we to do in such seasons of silence and apparent absence?
Isaiah asked, "Who among you fears the LORD and obeys His servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God." That's the answer — we are to continue trusting, for He is faithful and will never fail us. Even though He may seem distant and detached, He is all the more nearer in those trying moments.
After encouraging us to stay the course, the prophet Isaiah then adds this sobering warning, "But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from Me: You will soon fall down in great torment." (Isaiah 50:10-11).
The temptation to light things up on our own is never greater than in those times when the Lord seems far away. It is then that we are most susceptible to try and make something happen on our own. This is what gives rise to much of the hype and hullabaloo that passes itself off as anointing and power in many religious circles today. But the end of that path is trouble in every way.
You may be in one of those dark seasons right now — so take heart. The Lord is closer than you realize. Keep walking by faith and in due time you will again see a great light. And in that light you will discover the many treasures the Lord has brought forth for you while you were passing through the muttering tunnel.
Remember David's words? 
"Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff comfort me."
Be comforted, my dear friend; there is light aplenty just up ahead!

Tuesday April 24 2012

How wonderful life can be or how terribly trying and awful it can turn.  We are assailed between these two poles and we live our lives in a flux.  If we are lucky and blessed to be chosen of God, then these variations don't matter.  We have the constant and unending love of God.  We are blessed to have the steady rudder and keel of God's love to guide and protect us.  
Consider today's meditation from Bob Hoekstra:



April 24


More Than Conquerors Even in Impossibilities
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  (Rom_8:35-37)
When considering the triumphant Christian life, we may wrongly think that victory depends upon getting out of impossible situations. Actually, we are already "more than conquerors" even while we are in the midst of the impossibilities. 
For us to be ultimately defeated, we would have to be separated from Christ's love for us. We would have to be cut off from the loving care of our victorious Lord. Can any foe or any situation accomplish that? "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  " This question is answered in Rom_8:38-39. "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." 
No spiritual foe can enforce such a separation. Neither can any circumstance of impossibility separate us from our loving God. Rom_8:35-36 list some of the impossibilities that make us feel as though we are being defeated. "Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter' ." When troubles and pressures arise, when we are attacked or are lacking resources, we may be tempted to think that victory is no longer available. When our experience is like a lamb being led to the slaughter, we may think that victory could never be ours. Nevertheless, the truth is that "in all these things we are more than conquerors." 
Yes, right in the middle of the impossibilities of life, we are already more than a spiritual victor. Actually, we have already been made participants in a mighty, eternal, abundant victory, the victory that Christ accomplished on the cross and in the resurrection. "We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Our victorious position in any situation is not circumstantial. It is relational. We are united by faith to the victorious one, the Lord Jesus Christ! "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1Co_15:57).
Dear Father, I praise You for the constant provision of victory through Your triumphant Son. Lord, help me to view spiritual victory as a relational matter and not a circumstantial one. I thank You that through Christ I am already more than a conqueror right in the midst of my present impossibilities, Amen.

Friday April 20 2012

My oh my what a wonderful day!
April is a turning month for many--- turning from winter to spring and so many other changes that come with the change in seasons.  
How about you?  How's your life right now?  Troubles, debts, challenges of all kinds?  Yes, don't we all.  
We try to do things on our own and we struggle, get stressed and sometimes freak out.  That's human.  
How about giving it all to God and then letting God fill you with whatever you need for this life?  Yeah, that's FAITH!
Then God will give you all you need and fill your heart and soul with the true and good things of life.


Listen to James Ryle's thoughts:



April 20


One Way Jesus on a Two Way Street
"Give, and it shall be given to you" (Luke 6:38).
It is one of the many remarkable features of following Jesus, that you cannot give without receiving back even more than you gave. The other side is also true — you cannot receive without giving. It's a two-way street that we walk with the One Way Jesus.
Jesus is only going one way — but it is in every direction. He is building a kingdom, and has invited each of us to become a part of what He is doing. We become a part by giving whatever He has entrusted to us.
You cannot teach without being taught, and you cannot be taught without teaching others. You cannot lead without being a follower; and you cannot follow without being led. If you will look for opportunities to bless someone else, you yourself will be blessed. Love, and you will be loved. Serve, and you will be served. Smile, and the world will smile with you. Sing, and folks will.....OK, they will probably ask you to keep that to yourself! At least for most of us, anyway.
So, instead of going through life as a taker, grabbing desperately at everything you can get your hands on, and then storing it up in secured bins of plenty — open the flood gates of generosity and start being a giver. The truth be told, you cannot live until you give.
Give your heart to Christ and He will fill it with love. Give your mind to Christ, and He will fill it with truth. Give your dreams to Christ, and He will fill them with heavenly vision and power. Give your hands to Christ, and He will fill them with service; labor that is filled with laughter and significance. Give your time to Christ, and will be redeem it; making you timely in every word and deed.
If you will walk with One Way Jesus on this Two Way Street, everything in and about your life will abound with multiplied blessing. Solomon said, "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed" (Proverbs 11:25).
Take the Lord at His word and you will see that He is true — "Give, and it shall be given unto you."

Thursday April 19 2012

So here we are.  With questions no one can answer, with doubts because of what we see and experience, with hopes because we have dreams and wishes.  
Then, what is this all about, this journey of life?  
Consider this passage from James Ryle:



April 19


The Outer-Edge-Of-Things
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1John 2:15).
A few years ago I came across a delightful little book called The Uncrowned King, written in 1910 by American author Harold Bell Wright. It's a story about a young man named Hadji, who travels across the Desert of Facts to the Temple of Truth, located on the Outer-Edge-Of-Things; where an angelic Guardian named Thyself tells him a remarkable story about the Uncrowned King. If you can find a copy, it is well worth snagging.
Upon Hadji's arrival at the Temple, the Guardian gently inquires, "Is there anything you would ask Thyself?"
"Yes," Hadji answers, "Tell me why the journey is so long, and the Temple of Truth is here on the Outer-Edge-Of-Things."
And Thyself answered clearly, "He who lives always within Things can never worship in Truth. Eyes blinded by the fog of Things cannot see Truth. Ears deafened by the din of Things cannot hear Truth. Brains bewildered by the whirl of Things cannot think Truth. Hearts deadened by the weight of Things cannot feel Truth. Throats choked by the dust of Things cannot speak Truth. Therefore, O Hadji, is the Temple of Truth here on the Outer-Edge-Of-Things."
After a brief pause, Thyself then asked, "Found you no bones in the desert?"
Hadji replied, "I saw the desert white with bones."
"And the hands of the dead?" asked Thyself.
"The hands of the dead held fast to their treasures," Hadji replied, "held fast to their Wealth of Traditions, to their Holy Prejudices, to the Sacred Opinions, Customs, Favors and Honors of Men."
Then the Guardian stepped aside and Hadji, with head bowed in reverence, crossed the threshold and passed through the high arched doorway into the sacred corridors of the Temple of Truth.
Interesting, don't you think, that the question God asked Moses in the desert at the Burning Bush was, "What's that in your hand?" (Exodus 4:2). Are you holding on to any Thing that would keep you from worshipping in the Temple of Truth? 
.

What is the Truth?

Here it is, from Bob Hoekstra:

April 19

Experiencing the Lord's Goodness

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!  (Psa_34:8)

The scriptures clearly declare that the knowledge of the Lord is for developing a relationship, not merely cataloging correct information about Him. Grace and peace are to be "multiplied to" us (2Pe_1:2), not just memorized by us. "All things that pertain to life and godliness" (2Pe_1:3) are to be drawn upon for godly living, not merely listed to validate our orthodoxy. As we get to know the Lord, His goodness is to be experienced in our lives. 

Our present verse is quite forthright concerning this point. "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good." The Lord is good. He is merciful, kind, gracious, and patient. The scriptures abound with declarations of God's goodness. "Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever" (Psa_107:1). This goodness of God is to be experienced by God's people. "My people shall be satisfied with My goodness" (Jer_31:14). We are to "taste and see" God's goodness, not only to hear of it and talk about it. 

How does a person experience the goodness of the Lord? "Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" God's goodness is available for our personal experience whenever we trust in Him. "Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! " (Psa_31:19). When we rely upon the Lord, His goodness brings forth peace in our lives. "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You" (Isaiah 26:3). When we depend upon the Lord, His goodness brings forth rejoicing in our lives. "Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name" (Psa_33:20-21). 

It should not be surprising to us that faith in the Lord is the pathway to experiencing His goodness. We have noted in a number of these meditations that faith is one of the relational realities that allow a child of God to live by His grace. Faith accesses grace (Rom_5:2). "The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him" (Lam_3:25). 

We trust in the Lord the more we get acquainted with Him. We trust in the Lord the more we allow Him to demonstrate His faithfulness. 

"And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You" (Psa_9:10).

Lord, You are so good! Too often I fail to experience Your goodness, because I do not trust in You. forgive me, Lord. I long to taste of Your goodness. Teach me to live in dependence upon You, in Jesus name, Amen.

Wednesday April 18

We are given so much in life... and then we are given the power to choose.  Free Will is indeed the greatest gift and the heaviest burden. 
Do you believe in God?  You choose.
Who is God? You choose.
How do I relate to my God?  You choose.
From these decisions come all the rest of your life!  
As the knight tells Indiana Jones "Choose Wisely!"


Here's a a thought on this choice from Bob Hoekstra:



April 18


Fully Supplied through Knowing God
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.  (2Pe_1:2-3)
Our lives are blessed whenever the Lord adds any of His blessings to our experience. Yet, there are times when we sense a need for God's blessings to be multiplied to us. Well, God desires to intensify His working toward us. "Grace and peace be multiplied to you." Drop after drop of refreshing water may encourage the thirsty soul. However, our hearts' true need may be for fountains of living water. God loves to pour forth in abundance. "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). God's grace (His undeserved resource for living) is available in multiplied measures. God's peace (His heaven-sent spiritual tranquility) can be partaken of in magnified portions. 
The process for partaking of these multiplied provisions simply involves growing in knowing our Lord. "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." 
Another astounding truth about believers in Jesus Christ is that we have already been given everything needed for abundant Christian living: "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness." This is not to say that we are aware of what is ours, or that we are experiencing all that is ours. Nonetheless, God has already given us every spiritual provision needed to live as He desires ("all things that pertain to life") and to grow in Christlikeness as He wills ("all things that pertain to . . . godliness"). 
The process for accessing these comprehensive resources also involves getting to know the Lord better: "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him," 
It is by grace that we initially come to know the Lord. As we get to know Him better, grace is then multiplied into our lives. When we first met the Lord, He gave us everything that we needed to live as He intended. As we grow in knowing Him, we access for living all that He has already given to us in Christ.
Dear Lord of abundant blessings, I praise You for Your bountiful grace. So frequently I underestimate Your goodness to me. What a staggering thought that You have already given me in Christ all that I need for a godly life. O Lord, I long to grow in knowing You, that all of these heavenly realities might be manifested in my life, for Your glory and honor, Amen.

May God bless you with His Grace to see and choose God's love for your life!

Tuesday April 17

So, did you pay your taxes?  Yeah, it's hard to realize that you work and work and then you have so little so show for it seems.  That is IF you have a job.  So many these days don't even have a job!  
We are thankful, sometimes at Thanksgiving, but not often enough.  We are blessed and we are given so much.  We do need to Thank God for all of His blessings!
Consider today's meditation by F.B. Meyer:



April 17


OUR RESOURCES
"Be content with such things as ye have; for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."-- Heb_13:5.


SUCH THINGS as ye have, plus! The Greek literally means that there is within us an undeveloped power only awaiting the call, and there will be enough. I may be speaking to people who wish that they had more money, or more brains, or more influence. They dream of the lives they would live, of the deeds they would do, if only they were better circumstanced. But God says No! You have present within the narrow confines of your own reach the qualities that the world is wanting. Use them, and be content with the things that you have. You have never explored the resources of your own soul.
"Such things as ye have"--Moses had only a rod, but a rod with God can open the Red Sea. David had only five pebbles, but these with God brought down Goliath. The woman had only a little pot of oil, but that pot of oil with God paid all her debts. The poor widow was scraping the bottom of the barrel, but with God the handful of meal kept her child, herself, and the prophet until the rain came. The boy had only five tiny loaves and two small fish, but with Jesus they were enough for five thousand men, beside women and children. Estimate what you have got, and then count God into the bargain! He never lets go your hand. He will never leave nor forsake those that trust in Him!
Therefore be content! The most glorious deeds that have blessed and enriched the world have not been done by wealthy men. Our Lord had none of this world's goods; the apostles had neither silver nor gold; Carey was only a poor cobbler; Bunyan a travelling tinker; Wesley left two silver spoons. It is not money, but human love and God that is needed. Therefore do not be covetous; do not hoard, but give! Be strong and content. With good courage say: "The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear"--for life or death, for sorrow or joy!


PRAYER
The soul that to Jesus has fled for repose,
He cannot, He will not, desert to its foes.
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to take,
He'll never, no never, no never forsake!
AMEN.