Encouraging Words From Streams in the Desert (Oct 19)

The ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them. (Numbers 10:33)

God sometimes does influence us with a simple touch or feeling, but not so we would act on the feeling. If the touch is from Him, He will then provide sufficient evidence to confirm it beyond the slightest doubt.

Consider the beautiful story of Jeremiah, when he felt God leading him to purchase the field at Anathoth. He did not act on his initial feeling but waited for God to completely fulfill His words to him before taking action. Then once his cousin came to him, bringing the external evidence of God’s direction by making a proposal for the purchase, he responded and said, “I knew that this was the word of the LORD” (Jer. 32:8).

Jeremiah waited until God confirmed his feeling through a providential act, and then he worked with a clear view of the facts, which God could also use to bring conviction to others. God wants us to act only once we have His mind on a certain situation. We are not to ignore the Shepherd’s personal voice to us, but like “Paul and his companions” (Acts 16:6) at Troas, we are to listen and also examine His providential work in our circumstances, in order to glean the full mind of the Lord. A. B. Simpson

Wherever God’s finger points, His hand will clear a way.

Never say in your heart what you will or will not do but wait until God reveals His way to you. As long as that way is hidden, it is clear that there is no need of action and that He holds Himself accountable for all the results of keeping you exactly where you are. Selected

For God through ways we have not known, will lead His own.

Reading this causes me to think upon Mary and Martha. Martha was moving, Mary was not. Martha was serving busily in the kitchen and holding Mary in contempt in her heart because her focus was on the work. Mary was serving in her stillness, worshiping with a pure heart because her focus was centered on Jesus. In our busy society it can be hard to understand that sometimes the Lord would have us serve Him in waiting quietly before Him with a pure and undefiled heart rather than serve Him in deeds and actions.

If the Lord has you in a holding pattern it is because He wants to spend time with you at His feet. Remember Jesus' words to Martha, "...you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." (emphasis mine)

Many blessings and Merry Christmas to you~

CC

He Isn't Finished Yet!

Streams in the Desert—April 17^th

^{“In one of George MacDonald’s books, one of the characters makes this bitter statement: “I wonder why God made me.  I certainly don’t see any purpose in it!”  Another of the characters responds, “Perhaps you don’t see any purpose yet, but then, He isn’t finished making you.  And besides, you are arguing with the process.”}

“If people would only believe they are still in the process of creation…allowing Him to handle them…and yield themselves…to the turning of His wheel, they would soon find themselves able to welcome every pressure from His hand on them, even if it results in pain.”    Jeremiah 18:4 

And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.

I’ve asked this question before---have you?  Well, be encouraged not to ever ask of your God and Creator this question again.  There are two statements that follow this question that are rich in truth, backed by Scripture.

1)  "…He isn’t finished making you.”

2)  ‘If people would only believe they are still in the process of creation…’

God isn’t finished with us (Phil 1:6)

We are still in the process of creation (1 Peter 2:5)

Creation doesn’t stop with our physical bodies, God has a far greater purpose in mind for us…His ways are higher than our ways. (Is 55:8-9)

2 Cor 3:18 But we all…are being transformed…from glory to glory…

The process of creation, in the lives of believers, is on going.

…you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house. 1 Peter 2:5

I like what Jon Courson comments on this verse, he writes, “That we are living stones who are being built up, or fit together, as a spiritual house brings to mind a most interesting Scripture.

And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made before it was brought tither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.  1 Kings 6:7

We’re living stones being fit together for an eternal temple in heaven.  This life is the quarry, which explains why we always feel like we’re being chipped and chiseled.

…God puts us in fixes to fix us, He puts us with people and in situations He knows will shape us most effectively.  So if I try to fix the fix God put me in, He will be faithful to put me in another fix to fix the fix He wanted to fix in the first place.” Jon Courson

As an onion has many layers our hearts have many layers as well.  God wants to go deep into those layers to purify us.  This is the part of the creation process that can hurt and bring sorrow, tears and great grief as the Lord exposes unholiness in our hearts to cleanse, sanctify and set us apart for His purposes.  This work is necessary for the Workman, our Creator, to complete the work He started in us. (Phil 1:6)

One day we will leave this quarry to be placed, a stone shaped to perfection, in an eternal temple.

…you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house…(emphasis mine)

One more thought—God already knows what we are made of; He knows our flaws.

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb    Ps 139:13

“…then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men)  1 Kings 8:39 (emphasis mine)

When God looks upon His creation, yes He sees our flaws, but He doesn’t criticize or baulk with disgust, rather He would say to you and to me, “I can fix that, if you will let Me help you.”

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  Heb 4:16

And let’s pray…

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.     Ps 139:23-24

Then wait and watch and as the Lord places His hand on those areas that need healing, don’t squirm away, don’t try to remove yourself from His wheel, rather, stay put under the pressure of His hand and …let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:4)

Staying put,

CC

Got Faith...?

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord: he is a double-minded man unstable in all his ways.  (James 1:5-8)

Now that is comforting to my soul.  Upon my initial reading of these scriptures, years ago, these verses struck a cord of fear in me for I knew I was a double-minded woman.  I longed for the wisdom of the Lord yet it seemed as though it would forever be withheld from me; uncertainty reigned in my heart.

I've grown over the years in my walk with the Lord.  I've learned a few things by the gentle teaching hand of the Holy Spirit.  What used to strike fear in me now brings comfort to my heart.  I have learned that it wasn't my Father withholding from me but me not allowing Him to give me His wisdom.  The Lord wasn't keeping something good from me rather I was refusing to accept His good and perfect gift (v17).  What the Lord was wanting to give to me I refused because doubt and worry consumed me and in this flesh can sometimes be comforting.

Doubting is dangerous to the christian because it clouds our vision.  You know the old hymn, "Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me...was blind but now I see"?  It is grace that gives us vision, salvation through the blood of Jesus, that we see more clearly, the scriptures are opened wide and new understanding floods our souls.  We are alive with Christ and the throne of heaven has been revealed.  

And yet we linger in doubt, we waver in lack of understanding, we trip over our intellect, and we fall due to human wisdom.   The Lord is always before us wanting to lead us and guide us away from the snares of the enemy.  Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught. (Prov 3:25-26)

What I have learned over the years is to do just as Proverbs 3:1 tells us to do. My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; (v2) for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.

Doubt is fear. Fear is False Evidence Appearing Real.  The Lord does not deceive for He cannot lie. (Num 23:19 and Titus 1:2) Thus the Lord is truth (John 14:16) and trustworthy.

When I doubt my focus is no longer on the Lord.  I become accutely aware of the possibilities of failure and that can be applied to a myriad of situations.  Such as, "I don't have what it takes", "What if I get burned", "They could hurt me".  I'm sure you can fill in the blanks with your own thoughts.  Doubt is centered on self.  Faith is centered on our Almighty God. (Heb 11:1)  So when we doubt we move ourselves into a position where we can no longer receive from God because He is no longer reigning in our hearts for we have placed doubt on the throne in our hearts.  

There is only one way to get ourselves back before the Lord and that is to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor 10: 5)  That obedience requires us to take his cross and follow after [Jesus]. (Mat 10:38)  Because, "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." (Mat 10:39)  

Meditate on these things:

Proverbs 2:1-9

My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints.  Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.

It is comforting to my soul to know that if the Lord gives [wisdom] to all liberally and without reproach, then it shall be done and we can confidently come before our Father and ask for direction in any given thing and He will give it in His time.  All we have to do is wait.  Isn't that glorious.  

Is 30:15 

In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.

Blessings to you in Christ,

CC

Voices

In Scripture we are told to test all things (1 Thess 5:21).  Jesus reassured us that His sheep know His voice (John 10:4) and again in verse 14 the Lord tells us, "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own."  Yet today there are many who claim to be followers of Jesus, who claim to know His voice, and count themselves among the saved, a child of God who do not know Jesus as Lord and twist the Scriptures.  In addition there are many who are following the teaching of these men and women blindly, on a course straight to hell.  I am not writing this to judge who is and who isn't of the family of God, rather I'm writing this because upon taking a closer look at what some pastors are proclaiming to be truth is in fact false, deceptive teaching and the Scriptures say (Mat 24:11), "...many false prophets will rise up and deceive many."  Because they regard the man so highly they aren't opening the Bible to test his or her words against God's word or are simply too lazy to read the word for themselves.  

When Paul visited Berea he reported, (Acts 17:11) "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.  The Bereans were checking the Scriptures to test what Paul was teaching against the word of God.  This was a commendable act because Paul is a man capable of sin like all other men.  As followers of Christ the word of God is our only measure of truth.  

Joshua 1:8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Psalm 19: 7-10a The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.  More to be desired are they than gold.

2 Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

However, many regard the reading of Scripture tedious, boring and dull.  Therefore they go to church to have their ears tickled and are unaware of how far from God and His truth they really are.  

Proverbs 9 warns us of the voices that will be calling to us.  There are only two, the voice of wisdom and the voice of folly and they sound very much alike.  Let's look at them both.

Proverbs 9:1-6  The voice of wisdom:

Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars; she has slaughtered her meat, she has mixed her wine, she has also furnished her table. She has maidens, she cries out from the highest places of the city, "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" As for him who lacks understanding  she says to him, "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding.

Proverbs 9:13-18 The voice of folly:

A foolish woman is clamorous; she is simple, and knows nothing. For she sits at the door of her house, on a seat by the highest places of the city, to call to those who pass by, who go straight on their way: "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here"; and as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, "Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of hell.

What I find interesting about these two voices is they both call from the same "pulpit" the highest places.  The false teachers of today stand in a pulpit just as the teachers filled with the Holy Spirit, called by God and equipped by God to teach His word.  Both pulpits are in a building called a church. 

The second thing I find interesting is the people they are calling, they are the simple and as we read in the Psalm 19 it is the word of God that makes a the simple wise.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 1:7).  If it is the word of God that makes the simple wise then without it we have no tool with which to measure truth or folly and no Person with which to guide us in truth.  

What is the difference between the two messages, it is the direction in which believing that message will take you.  Without the Lord, without His word to give us wisdom we will surely be led right to the pit of hell.  "But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of hell."

The Lord wishes that none would perish, that all would come to repentance and life.  John 3:17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Proverbs 9 declares there are two voices that will be calling for us to follow them, one is wisdom leading to life and the other is folly leading to hell.  Proverbs 9 also tells us the solution to the problem we have, "How do we know which is the voice of wisdom?"  Verse 10-11 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding, For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.

Proverbs 3:26 For the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.

If you are tempted to decide you do not need the Lord and you can determine for yourself which voice is the way of life you are already deceived, for it is the Lord that gives wisdom and without the word of God to guide you, you are among the lost.  Do not rely on a man or a woman to tell you the truth alone but search out the Scriptures to determine whether their words are wisdom or folly.  Proverbs 9:12 is clear, If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, and if you scoff, you will bear it alone.  Christ is our mediator (1 Tim 2:5), it is His blood that washes our sin and gives us life and citizenship in heaven (Eph 1:3-14) (Phil 3:20) (Col 1:9-14), to refuse Him is to stand on your own merit on that day of judgement(2 Cor 5:9-21).

Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.

Following Jesus,

CC

Email devo

Good morning...a friend of mine sent this devotional to me this morning and its simple message was great encouragement to me so I wanted to pass it along to you.

Blessings, CC

Home: More than Just a Word

Marybeth Whalen

 

 “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.”

Romans 12:10 (NIV)

         

Devotion:

I opened up my email to discover another one of those forwards we all get from time to time.  I almost hit “delete” but my eye landed on this acronym for the word “Home”:

 

Honor the Lord

Obey His Word

Minister to one another

Establish walls of truth

 

I was glad I took a look at this forward, because it made me think about whether or not these four components are present in my home.  When looked at it in this light, the word “home” means so much more than just a place to live. Isn’t that what we want all of our homes to be? More than a place to sleep and eat and occasionally clean, we want our homes to be a place where lives are shaped into God’s design. This little acronym zeroes in on four important goals we should have for our home.  The exciting thing is, no matter who lives there, or what problems we are facing, or what limits we feel like we have, with effort and intention our homes can be places where these four things happen. 

Honor the Lord: We can honor God with our lips, but yet our hearts can be far from Him (Mt. 15:8) — and the people who live with us will be the first to know when we do this! Let’s seek to honor Him behind the closed doors of our homes, living out our devotion to Him in a visible, gentle way as we realize that our families are watching.

Obey His Word: Obeying His Word at home is not always easy.  The Bible tells us to be submissive to our husbands, to love others more than we love ourselves, and to pick up our cross (as we pick up after our children, or care for our elderly parents).  When we do these things with humility, those we most want to impact will notice.  More than that, they will file it away in their hearts, and our lives will echo in theirs in ways we can’t possibly foresee.

Minister to one another: Ministry requires us to love others, to reach others, and to lay down our lives for the sake of those God has placed in our sphere of influence.  This must happen at home first.  And yet, if we’re honest, it’s usually the last place it happens.  We go out and give the best of what we have to offer to others, then give our leftovers to the people we profess to love the most. Let’s minister to those in our own homes first.

Establish walls of truth: When I first read this, I will confess that something prickled in me.  Establish walls?  How is it Biblical to establish walls? I questioned.  However, I soon realized I was thinking of walls as a means to keep people out.  When in actuality, we need to be building walls of truth—God’s truth, designed not to keep others out but to guard our hearts and give us a safe place to retreat and to rest.  These walls of truth make our homes into fortresses—a place to run to when our daily battles wear us out. 

These are not things we can just do once and move on.  They are daily requirements, regular sacrifices, and even personal struggles.  We won’t ever do it perfectly and there will be days we feel we are taking one step up and two steps back. But with God’s help, we can keep working to make H.O.M.E. mean so much more.                                                                                                         

Dear Lord, make my home a place that includes these four components.  I want my home to be more than just a place to  live in—I want it to be a place where lives are impacted and relationships are strengthened.  Lord, I need Your help to do these things. Thank You for Your promise to always help me when I ask. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

1Timothy 1:12-17

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Are you among the saved?  

CC

Wisdom from God...

Proverbs 8:1-21

Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice?  She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, beside the way, where the paths meet. 

She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entrance of the doors: "To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.  O You simple ones, understand prudence, and you fools, be of an understanding heart.  Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, and from the opening of my lips will come right things; for my mouth will speak truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.  All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; nothing crooked or pererse is in them.

They are all plain to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.  Receive my instructions, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and discretion. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.  By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth. I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me. Riches and honor are with me, enduring riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, and my revenue than choice silver.  I traverse the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice, that I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries.

Romans 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Matthew 7:7-11

"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. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 

Seek God and live!

CC

The Lord will be your confidence

Proverbs 3:25-26

Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence.  And will keep your foot from being caught.

Is there anything in which we can put our confidence today?  Can we look to our stock market for our investment future?  Can we look to our government, dare I ask?  Can we look to the banks for our hard earned money to be secure?  Can we rely on the generation being raised up? What can we put our confidence in, who can we trust with our future? 

As I read this verse recently I was once again reminded that only the Lord is trustworthy and I can place my full confidence in Him.  Sudden terror, troubles, wickedness these may all come our way but it is in the Lord that we are steady.  The Lord never changes, He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Do you feel yourself breathing out a sigh of relief knowing you can rest on this truth?  Is your relationship with Jesus such that He has proven this to you?  

If you aren't certain of the Lord's trustworthiness soak your brain in the word, let the scriptures wash over your mind, be brainwashed in the truth and allow the truth to wash away all the years (or even the daily arrows of death that have been implanted) of indoctrination of living in the world.  Let the word of God renew your mind.  This is the act of developing confidence in the Lord, of knowing you can (we can) (I can) put all our trust in our Father, our Jesus, our King, the lover of our souls and He will be good to us, He will take care of our needs, He will keep our foot from being caught.

Once again, David is our example of confidence and trust in the Lord.  In 1 Sam 21: 10-15 he fled for his life and went to seek refuge in Gath (Israel's enemies).  Once there he is outed as a Philistine, giant killer.  Fearing for his life he acts mad before the king who swiftly has him kicked out of his presence.  David talks about this in Psalm 56.  David attributes his deliverance to the Lord's intervention in his life. 

Ps 56:12-13 Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God: I will render praises to You, for You have delivered my soul from death.  Have You not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

Ps 52 David writes, "I will praise You forever, because You have done it; and in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.

Psalm 18 David writes, "You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me, so my feet did not slip."The Lord lives! Blessed by my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God who avenges me, and subdues the peoples under me; He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your name."

And I love what David writes in Psalm 56, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can man do to me? (Continue reading in v8-11)

Know Him, love Him, trust Him, obey Him!  No matter where you are, no matter whose before you, no matter what situation surrounds you the Lord is there, He is working and He is in control.  

Strong confidence,

CC

In all your ways acknowledge Him

Proverbs 1:7, 33 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. But whoever listens to me (wisdom) will dwell safely, and will be secure , without fear of evil.

Just as in Jesus' illustration of the wise man building his house on the rock and the foolish man building his house on the sand, whose house fell in the storm, we too have a choice to seek God and His wisdom in whom we will dwell safely, secure and without fear of evil.

I'm reminded of David's example in 2 Samuel 5:17-25.  The Philistines wanted David's head for taking so much from them.  He took their giant and he lived among them in peace while secretly slaughtering Philistine village's and town's.  As the Philistines "deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim" David sought the Lord for direction. The Lord told David, "Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand." So David went up and had a victory.  

Amazingly we read that the Philistines, once again, deploy themselves in the same valley in hopes of gaining a victory over Israel.  As before David seeks the Lord.  I don't know about you but I tend to look at a situation, particularly when it mirrors a previous circumstance, and do what I did last time because it worked. Not David, he didn't make assumptions or presumptions he went before his Lord for His leading.  

The Lord said, "You shall not go up: circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly.  For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines." 

I love this example of dependence upon the Lord, the humility of submission and willingness to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge HIm.  And He shall direct your paths." Prov 3:5,6

Truly the Lord will keep us secure and without fear of evil when we seek Him and follow His leading, when we submit to His leadership and declare our inability before our capable Lord.  If you find yourself in a situation that seems oddly familiar, resist the temptation to forge ahead but seek Him.  Wait upon His guidance and wisdom and regardless if the solution is a bit unorthodox press on and keep your eyes open for the Lord says, "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great an mighty things, which you do not know." Jer 33:3

David saw and heard great and mighty things in that second battle, he heard marching in the tops of the mulberry trees then as he advanced he saw the Lord go before him and gain the victory.

In David's example lets see what the Lord desires to show us and teach us about His character so our faith will be strengthened as we learn the faithfulness of God.

Blessings,

CC

He will take...

Today my reading led me to 1 Samuel 8 and once again I am struck by the similarities of the passage to some of the events of today's presidential campaign.  

The people demanded Samuel give them a king.  The people wanted something different in their leadership, they wanted a change.  The Lord instructed Samuel to give the people what they wanted but to first "...solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them."  (8:9)

Samuel proceeds to list six times how this king will take from them.  The king will take their sons, their daughters, the best of the their fields, a tenth of their grain, their male and female servants, and their sheep.  And finally the warning ends with this truth, "And you will be his servants." (8:11-17)

Over the past few months we have seen time and time again the quality, character and potential of the man many are screaming to be our next president.  The issues he supports, the people he sympathizes with, the leadership he associates with and his track record have all been presented and proven to the people of this nation on more than one occasion.  We have been forewarned. 

This man will take our sons (the strength of our country, he will increase his government), he will take our daughters (the beauty and appeal of our freedoms), he will take our fields, grain, servants, and sheep (our wealth, free market, investments and free enterprise) and finally we will become his servants (he will take our independence).  

And yet, despite the truth spelled out and deliberately laid before the people of this great nation we continue to hear the people say, just as the Israelites said to Samuel, "No, but we will have a king over us." (8:19)

Oh this grieves my heart. No, I don't know the outcome of this election, but I hear the heart of this country as we have strayed so far from the truth of God's word.  The rejection of the people of the sovereignty of God.  Yet, God would say to us (those whose heart's long for Him and this nation to follow after Him) "...they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them."

My first inclination is overwhelming when I consider the ramifications of what this could mean for our freedoms as we know them to be.  Very few of us have lived in oppression and I know there are many areas of my freedoms I take advantage of today.  But my hope is not lost, for this is not the end of the story.  As Audio Adrenaline sings, "A Mighty Good Leader is on the way."  Just as we see God's grace in giving the Israelites a king after His heart, a good leader, we know God is not finished with this story.  Secretly Samuel was sent to the house of Jesse and anointed David, God's choice, as king over His people. So today, the Lord is working behind the scenes and although David was banished from the land for a time, much like God is being banished from our society, the King will return and His kingdom will be glorious.  

Therefore, my peace rests in the promise of the hope of Christ's return.  I thank God daily for the strong confidence we can put in His promises to us.  Promises like: He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5), if God is for us who can be against us (Rom 8:31), His thoughts towards us are of peace and not of evil to give us a future and a hope (Jer 29:11). These are all promises we know and I repeat them over and over but each time as I am reminded of these beautiful truths my faith is strengthened, because my resolve in grounded, the Lord has proven Himself faithful and true filling my heart with His peace and abolishing my fears by His strength.  The Lord, He is God and there is no other god besides our God (Ps 86:10).

No matter how this election turns it is the Lord who reigns.  Even if the man in question becomes our next president (it may be many years still before this nation is thrown into the extremes of oppression mentioned in 1 Samuel 8) this is not my home and there is no sufficient place to flee but into the strong tower of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Look up for our redemption draws near,

CC

Verse of the Day Phil 2:13-14

...for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.  Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.

And what a crooked and perverse generation we live.  Lord, have mercy on us.  By Your wisdom strengthen our hand and transform our minds to follow hard after You this day.  Lord, may our lives bring You glory and honor and praise as we live in the world but not of the world.  Thank You, Father, for the confidence we have, by the promise of Your word, You will complete the work You started in us.  In Your perfect name we pray, Amen!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, CC

The Words of Amos

For behold, He who forms mountains, and creates the wind, who declares to man what his thought is, and makes the morning darkness, who treads the high places of the earth--the Lord God of hosts is His name. 4:13

Seek Me and live. 5:4

Seek good and not evil, that you may live; so the Lord God of hosts will be with you, as you have spoken. Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. 5:14-15

Isn't this the simple truth of the gospel, seek Me (the Lord) and live?  Yes, it is very simple and I thank my God for this simplicity.  When we are back-sliding to return to the ways of the Lord are so simple, He says, "Seek Me and live." And He is mighty to save.

Isn't it amazing that the Lord, mighty in all the earth, makes coming to Him so incredibly simple.  

2 Chr 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him."

The Lord, He's looking...and His eyes are not looking to the form of the words on our lips, "Lord, help me get out of this mess." Yes, He hears but it is the heart behind those words that He sees and He is looking for the heart, broken, contrite and humble asking Him to save from the situation as well as the heart desiring to turn in repentance to His guidance from this day forward. Every heart that cries out in this manner the Lord hears, the Lord sees and the Lord saves--without exception!

If this is you, the Lord is looking for you. Would you turn to Him, cry out and be saved?

In Christ's love,

CC

Comments from my pastor

The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life

John 6:63

Words of Life

(September 4, 2008)

Broken Pieces

So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’ anger

became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.

Exodus 32:19

**********************************************************************

It all happened in an instant. Moses anger hit the flash point. He came down the mountain

after having an incredible experience with the Lord. He saw the golden calf and the dancing and

without time to think he reacted and the tablets of stone flew out of his hand in a fit of rage. All the

work the Lord had accomplished over the past forty days lay on the ground in a pile of broken pieces.

The flesh had won. It had governed over the situation and the result appeared irreversible. There was

no glue that could be used to repair this damage. It was permanent. The tablets had been destroyed.

Have you ever had a similar experience? Times when your fellowship was so close that you

could almost hear His audible voice and feel His presence as He spoke to you from His word. Then, it

happened. Wham! Without time to think about it some situation hit and the flesh does what it does

best. It jumps in right at the critical moment and the words fly or the gesture is made or the temptation

is given in to. Before you know it everything Lord has just completed in your life lay on the ground in a

pile of broken pieces. Yes, I imagine most of us have had similar experiences for we are all made of the

same flesh & blood Moses was made of.

Fortunately the story doesn’t end there. As we read on, God deals with the sin of the people and

then begins the process with Moses that eventually leads to the replacement of the broken tablets. God

is in the restoration business. He knows how best to put the pieces back together. It can be helpful to

follow this process through step by step. By doing so it may help those of you who think God can never

use you to the fullest because of some past incident in your life where you allowed the flesh to win. Or,

maybe you are in a place right now where the flesh is winning out or where anger is gripping you.

I love the fact that the first thing God does is confirm the call He has upon Moses’ life. But He

also commands Moses to keep moving forward into that call (Ex 33:1-3). The fact that Moses blew it

was not to become the focal point. The call of God was to remain the main focus of his life. He just

needed to get back to the place where God could continue to use him. It is important to understand that

God’s call does not cease with our failures. We must keep moving forward into the call (Col 4:17).

Secondly, Moses prays and asks God for guidance and grace (Ex 33:13). Moses knew he

needed both. He needed God to direct his steps and understood God’s grace was needed to cover his

fleshly weaknesses. It is a tremendous lesson for us. We must do the same. We must never stop asking

God to guide us and give us His grace which He always provides (Heb 4:16).

Next Moses asks for God’s presence to go with him (Ex 33:15). It wasn’t enough for Moses to

settle for guidance and grace. He wanted the very presence of God Almighty to be near him as he

headed out into the wilderness. As he stepped out once again into the call God had for him. He has

already blown it. And the people weren’t making it any easier for him. Moses needed the Lord Himself

to be with him. The journey would be a difficult one and Moses didn’t want to set out without the

promise of God’s presence. I encourage every one of you to do the same. Ask God for His presence to

be with you every day as you move forward into His call upon your life. This is a prayer He delights in

answering.

Finally, Moses asks to see God’s glory (Ex 33:18). What a prayer! Especially after a major

failure. When we sin, we must ask forgiveness and turn from our sin (1John1:9). But how often do we

follow that prayer with a request to see God’s glory? We most often feel unworthy at that point. But

Moses musters the courage and inspite of his inadequacy and failure utters this request before God. As

The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life

John 6:63

The answer God gives is powerful. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be Moses and

hear God’s voice as He spoke these words in Ex 33:21,22

“And the LORD said, ‘Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be,

while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My

hand while I pass by.’”

These verses speak volumes to me! Note God’s instruction to Moses prior to revealing His

glory…... Moses! Come stand by me. No Moses, I am not done with you. I want to restore you and

use you. I want you to be successful in the call I have upon your life. And yes Moses, I even want to

reveal My glory to you. But in order for that to happen you need to come and stand by Me. This is the

place you MUST be if you are to see any part of My glory and live. You can not be far from me. You

can not have it your way. You must draw near. You must be right by My side. Furthermore, I want

you to stand on the rock Moses. I want your feet firmly planted on solid ground and not on shifting

sand. When you see My glory and the power of My presence, your feet will need to be anchored and

steady. Because this is not just about seeing me Moses. This is about changing you! This is about

preparing you for the journey ahead and equipping you for the work I have for you. That will require

steadiness which will come from standing on solid ground. One more thing Moses. You must not only

be on the rock, but you must move inside the rock. You must move into the cleft of the rock. I will

provide the cleft, the opening, into which you go. Then I will cover you with my and. Only then Moses,

will you behold my glory.

Can you see the parallels? Can you see that God desires to show you His glory in the same way

He showed Moses? And can you see the provision He has made that you may see His glory? JESUS

CHRIST is the answer. Jesus is the one standing next to the Father, so as we are in Christ, we are by

the side of the Father. Jesus Christ is the rock upon which we stand and within which we abide. He is

both our foundation and our refuge. He is our filter that allows us to see the Father without perishing.

God has provided the very same opportunity to you that He provided to Moses.

Moses obeyed and climbed up the rock and into the cleft and waited. God covered him with His

hand and then passed by. Only then, was Moses fully prepared to go up the mountain once again, his

anger having been dealt with. The broken pieces that once lay in a pile on the ground would now be

behind Moses and the new tablets would be in his hands. He was now ready to move forward. But

Moses was NOT ready to move forward prior to drawing near to God, standing upon the rock and

moving into the cleft. Then he beheld the glory of His everlasting Father. Then he was ready to move

forward once again.

Pastor Ted

To Shine As Lights

The other day I was in a bible study with some friends.  Our conversation ended up taking us to Romans 1: 21-23.  As the group was discussing these verses the Lord opened my eyes to something I had not seen before.  

Recently I've been praying and putting into practice (or at least learning to sometimes put into practice) Phil 2:14-16 Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.  

Complaining and grumbling come easy to me.  I've been so comfortable in this life and in this society it is very easy to make oneself comfortable.  So, when the Lord allows things into my life that ruffle my feathers I complain.  As I have recently begun to desire to live according to the exhortations in Phil 2:14-16 I've also been reading in Exodus.  The Israelites were all about complaining and not trusting in God.  You know, it's true, when you see your sin on someone else it is ugly and my tendency is to judge that person or persons.  Usually it is on a living person I see my sin being displayed, but in this case it is through a generation long gone but praise be to God who recorded their lives for me to observe and learn.

Three days after the Lord parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross over before Pharaoh's army and then He closed waters as the army was crossing over to kill them, the Israelites were complaining because they had no water to drink.  If God can part the Sea can He provide some water for the people to drink.  Don't you just want scream, "Wake up!  You just saw the Lord do amazing things, why do you doubt, why do you grumble?

Yet I see the Lord work amazing circumstances in my life then I turn around three days later to complain about the little things that go wrong in my life.  The Lord is good.  I, too, need to trust in Him in all things.

It's interesting to me the word says, Do all thins without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless...

Harmless or innocent of wrong doing.  Literally this means without any mixture of deceit. When I complain I'm saying, "God Your not doing enough."  I'm not glorifying God. I'm deceiving myself and others who may be around me into believing God is not good all the time.

This brings me back to Romans and the Lord opening my eyes to something I hadn't seen before.  Romans 1:21 says, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

I know that this verse is not talking about me, it is talking about those who practice sin willingly and purposefully, but it did shed light on 1 Thess 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

There's a contrast in behavior here that the Lord wanted me to see, the behavior of a wicked man verses the behavior of a child of God.  The wicked man in Romans "did not glorify God, nor were thankful," whereas, the child of God in 1 Thess is exhorted to "rejoice always, [and] in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

So as a child of God I am to rejoice always, and my rejoicing is from the understanding given to me that God is always good, He is faithful and true and I can trust in Him in every circumstance.  Then there are the gifts God has given me, the promises of His word, His presence and I could go on and on.  I am to give thanks in everything.  My life has been saved and redeemed, I'm a child of God, a friend of the King and one day my salvation will be complete when this flesh dies and I'm in the physical presence of Christ.  I am to be thankful for the hope that is in me because one day I will be eternally delivered from this body of death and the sorrow we experience on this earth.  

But that is not all. I am also told to pray without ceasing.  It's pretty cool this exhortation is sandwiched between rejoice always and in everything give thanks, because it seems to me that there are times when things are extremely hard and rejoicing and being thankful are the last things that come to mind.  It is in those times, great and small, that we should be praying. Praying for mercy, praying for grace, for the Lord's help to endure and to glorify Him in the process, knowing it is His promise to never leave us nor forsake us and that He delights to be given access into our hearts to mold and shape us into something of beauty.

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.  More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, then much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.  Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.  Ps 19:7-11

Wouldn't you agree?

Be encouraged to rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks, so that you may shine as lights in this world.  

CC

Heaven Our Home

A friend sent this quote to me this morning, it encouraged me greatly.  I wanted to share it with you.

"Fellow citizens with the saints."

Eph 2:19

What is meant by our being citizens in heaven?  It means that we are under heaven's government.  Christ the king of heaven reigns in our hearts; our daily prayer is, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  The proclamations issued from the throne of glory are freely received by us: the decrees of the Great King we cheerfully obey.  Then as citizens of the New Jerusalem, we share heaven's honours.  The glory which belongs to beautified saints belongs to us, for we are already sons of God, already princes [princesses] of the blood imperial; already we wear the spotless robe of Jesus' righteousness; already we have angels for our servitors, saints for our companions, Christ for our Brother, God for our Father, and a crown of immortality for our reward.  We share the honours of citizenship, for we have come to the general assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven.  As citizens, we have common rights to all the property of heaven.  Ours are its gates of pearl and walls of chrysolite; ours the azure light of the city that needs no candle nor light of the sun; ours the the river of the water of life, and the twelve manner of fruits which grow on the trees planted on the banks thereof; there is nought in heaven that belongeth not to us.  "Things present, or things to come," all are ours.  Also as citizens of heaven we enjoy its delights.  Do they there rejoice over sinners that repent-prodigals that have returned?  So do we.  Do they chant the glories of triumphant grace?  We do the same.  Do they cast their crowns at Jesus' feet? Such honours as we have we cast there too.  Are they charmed with His smile?  It is not less sweet to us who dwell below.  Do they look forward, waiting for His second advent?  We also look and long for His appearing.  If, then, we are thus citizens of heaven, let our walk and actions be consistent with our high dignity.

~Spurgeon~

I was reminded of the time I was preparing to go to Thailand with my family on a missions trip. Their culture is very different from ours and I wanted to learn the do's and don'ts so I wouldn't offend the people.  After all I was going to serve them.   There was a spiritual truth the Lord began to show me as I researched the Thai culture so I would be prepared to walk among the Thai's in peace and harmony.  Everyday when I study the word of God, seek the leading of the Holy Spirit and daily lay my life down as Jesus did I'm conforming to the culture of heaven.  My desire to see my true home was heightened.  The longing in my heart to see my King deepened.

Heaven is a place we will see, are we preparing ourselves for that day as I prepared myself for the day I would visit Thailand?

However, as I read this quote from Spurgeon I'm gently reminded that we presently, as believers, live our lives as citizens of heaven.  Daily we partake of the richness of the culture and the fruit of the land.  I cannot live my life as a citizen of any other country unless I move to that country.  I cannot partake of a foreign culture or of the fruit of the land unless I go there.  I cannot live a life of a Thai person while I'm living here in the United States.  I suppose I could move to a Thai community but, again, to live as a Thai requires me to make a move.  In contrast, believer's have the privilege to daily live our lives as citizen's of heaven without making a physical move.  We don't have to wait until we are in heaven to live as a heavenly person, nor should we wait.   Oh yes, we've made a move, a move only the power of the blood of Jesus Christ could perform, and yet physically we remain occupants of this earth and this tent looking ahead to the glory of a new body and the pure dwelling of heaven.

We don't simply look forward to our life in heaven, as Spurgeon writes, we are partakers of the heavenly life today.  The fruits of heaven: repentance of a sinner, the return of a prodigal, the victory of grace, the sweetness of mercy given, the healing power of forgiveness, the strength of the joy of Christ, peace that surpasses understanding, the glorious presence of our King, His voice in our hearts, the cleansing power of His word, the hope of things to come and the security and confidence of a faithful High Priest, our King, our Father, our friend and the covering of the blood of Christ and His robe of righteousness.

Paul writes in 1 Cor 9:10, "Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.  

our hope...

Col 1:27 To them (His saints) God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

If Christ is our hope, this hope is in us and we can be partakers of this hope, partakers of Christ, are you partaking of the richness of Christ, the King of glory?  

The King of heaven dwells within our hearts and He wants to lead us in His ways, to delight within us His culture, the fruit of His land, He has given us comrades in fellowship, support in prayer, He is keeping for us an inheritance never to be spoiled or stolen, He has made peace with us through the blood of Jesus.  Seek Him and live as a citizen of heaven to which you have been called.

United with you in blood and spirit,

CC