Prayer

Pray fervently, pray as Jesus did in the garden. This world is twisted and would make us into what twisted us. DON'T LET IT!  Seek first the kingdom of god. 

On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. (Luke 22:40-44 NIV)

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” (Luke 14:34, 35 NIV)

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart— they do no wrong but follow his ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. (Psalm 119:1-8 NIV)

"That which brings the praying soul near god is humility of heart. That which gives wings to prayer is lowliness of mind. That which gives ready access to the throne of grace is self-deprecation. Pride, self-esteem and self-praise effectually shut the door of prayer. He who would come to god must approach with SELF hid from his eyes. He must not be puffed-up with conceit, nor be possessed with an overestimate of his virtues and good works."  E.M. Bounds

Let us approach the throne of grace denying ourselves seeking god with humility. 

http://youtu.be/N2kl7tqpnY4

Love is at its best when things are at their worst.

I believe someone else wrote this.  I found it written on my phone and thought it was worth sharing. 

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for. “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family. “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble. “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:3-16 MSG)

Is it possible there is a relationship you have left for dead, that god hasn't?

Gods blessing is in our relationships no matter how hard they are. 

http://youtu.be/zbVC2nmkyQE

Man up

This post might anger some people, but that is ok.  We have all struggled with temtation.  It might not be sexual in nature, but we all struggle.  Listen to the song, I don't often post rap in my blogs, but I think this one fits. The verse below goes along with the interludes that are from the song below. 

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NIV)

Sex is a gift from God but we've taken it and made it idolatry
We've taken it and put it in the place of God
And we worship it and so it comes out in all kinds of profane ways
And so we blame the women for what they're wearing
And we blame the media for what they're producing
But we never blame ourselves
For how we've twisted God's gift to glorify us

Manning up is not just managing your sexual temptations / It's not just managing your sin that's not what it means to be a man / Because you can try harder and you can do better / And you can hang on longer that's not manning up / Manning up is our ability to lay down all of our effort / And all of our trying and all of our strength and say I trust in Jesus / I trust in his perfection I trust in his power I trust in his ressurection / Because he's the only one that can get me through this / And he's the only one that can make me free

http://youtu.be/TCqIZ3xMCyc

We have all been tempted, the key when tempted isn't to rely on our own understanding and reasoning. Instead run to Jesus he is there to help!  Run from sin and turn to him! 

Love ran red

Love.  As defined on Wikipedia 

Love is a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes that ranges from interpersonal affection ("I love my mother") to pleasure ("I loved that meal"). It can refer to an emotion of a strong attraction and personalattachment.^[1] It can also be a virtuerepresenting human kindness,compassion, and affection—"the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another".^[2] It may also describe compassionate and affectionate actions towards other humans, one's self or animals.^[3]

Ancient Greeks identified four forms of love: kinship or familiarity (in Greek,storge), friendship (philia), sexual and/orromantic desire (eros), and self-emptying or divine love (agape).^[4][5]Modern authors have distinguished further varieties of romantic love.^[6] Non-Western traditions have also distinguished variants or symbioses of these states.^[7] This diversity of uses and meanings combined with the complexity of the feelings involved makes love unusually difficult to consistently define, compared to other emotional states.

Love in its various forms acts as a major facilitator of interpersonal relationshipsand, owing to its central psychological importance, is one of the most common themes in the creative arts.^[8]

Love may be understood as a function to keep human beings together against menaces and to facilitate the continuation of the species.^[9]

While by definition love could be portrayed several ways god displayed his love for us as follows:

In Christian theology, kenosis (from the Greek word for emptinessκένωσις, kénōsis) is the 'self-emptying' of one's own will and becoming entirely receptive to God's divine will.

The word ἐκένωσεν (ekénōsen) is used in Philippians 2:7, "[Jesus] made himself nothing ..."^{[Phil. 2:7]} (NIV) or "...[he] emptied himself..."^{[Phil. 2:7]}(NRSV), using the verb form κενόω (kenóō) "to empty". See also Strong's G2758.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8 NIV)

How often do we live "self emptying". Are we picking up our cross daily emptying ourselves of our desires for his?  I am in debt to Christ for bleeding the ground red on cavalry while I wasn't worthy of it. I am in debt. His love is more vast and overwhelming than I have words to describe it. I am in debt, forever may I pickup my cross and follow him.  As my brother in Christ Kerry says...deo volente

http://youtu.be/zbVC2nmkyQE

http://youtu.be/Uv452nFvUGc

Come all who are weary

Isaiah 9:1-4

New Living Translation (NLT)

Hope in the Messiah

9 [a]Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

2 [b] The people who walk in darkness
    will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,[c]
    a light will shine.
3 You will enlarge the nation of Israel,
    and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest
    and like warriors dividing the plunder.
4 For you will break the yoke of their slavery
    and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.
You will break the oppressor’s rod,
    just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.

It seems to me that this world is dark and heavy just as it was in the time when Isaiah 9 was written.  Isaiah 9 was foretelling of the coming messiah.  Both of these are in my opinion still very retentive today just as they were when they were written.  Times here is 2014 are just as dark and heavy as they were then.  There are burdens we try to carry that we were never meant to carry.  Often it seems we are too proud to admit we can't carry them.  We trudge on heavy laden and burdened with the stress and anxiety that we take on ourselves.

baggage

Matthew 11:25-30

New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus’ Prayer of Thanksgiving

25 At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!

27 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”


Even though the world is just as dark as it was in the time of Isaiah 9 there is good news!  we don't have to carry this burden around.

2 Corinthians 1:3

New Living Translation (NLT)

God Offers Comfort to All

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.

Hebrews 4:14-16

New Living Translation (NLT)

Christ Is Our High Priest

14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

His grace is always enough!  No matter the baggage...no matter the burden we carry...Give your baggage to the one who can carry it for you!

your favor

come as you are

Prayer

Below is a devotional I received a few days ago. Will you join in prayer for the lost?  

Fire Seekers: Joining Jesus in Prayer

Soon after Missionary Amy Carmichael arrived in India, she was distressed because orphan girls were given to Hindu temples to be used as prostitutes. Her heart ached for those girls, so she started an orphanage hoping to rescue them. The Hindu priests resented her intrusion into their affairs, and soon British businessmen complained to the missionaries that they must stop Amy. When the unsympathetic missionaries told her to quit, Amy went to the priest herself. He was not about to hand the girls over to her. She went home thinking she would have to forget helping these young prostitutes. Surely it was not to be her burden. But then it seemed she saw Jesus kneeling alone as He knelt long ago weeping under the olive trees.  Would Amy Carmichael share His burden and weep with Jesus?" The only thing that one who cared could do," she wrote, "was to go softly and kneel down beside Him, so that He would not be alone in His sorrow over the little children." God eventually used Amy to rescue hundreds of girl prostitutes from the temples. A heart God can burden is His priceless gift to us. To receive this gift we put priority on personal communion with Jesus. He longs to share with us what is on His heart. Even now Jesus "always lives to intercede" (Heb. 7:25). Perhaps nothing pleases Christ more than for us to share His passion for others so deeply that we are moved to tears.  Let's regularly ask God to burden our hearts for revival and then indicate our sincere desire for a burden by praying earnestly daily. Jesus will see we are in earnest and reward us with a deepened prayer burden. "Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I'm going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives." (Galatians 4:19NLT).

Follow first, see second

Below is my devotional for today, thought it was worth sharing.

Reflecting God - Follow First, See Second

---

Follow First, See Second Posted: 17 Jun 2014 12:00 AM PDT John 1:35-51 “You don’t have to believe me,” a salesman proclaims. “There’s a money back guarantee! Absolutely no risk to you!” Lots of spray-on hair, food dehydrators, and wearable blankets have been sold under those promises. People are like that. We like to see some proof before we make a commitment. Perhaps that is why being fully devoted to Christ provides such a challenge forsome. Maybe it was a stretch for John the Baptist’s two disciples, when they asked Jesus where He was staying, because He didn’t directly answer their question. Instead, He invites them to follow. “‘Come,’ he replied, ‘and you will see.’” (John 1:39a). The order of the two verbs—come then see—is repeated later when skeptical Nathanael inquires about Jesus’ credentials. “‘Come and see,’ said Philip” (John 1:46b). In Christ, it’s follow first, see second. Often, when I have asked the Lord a question, I have sensed in His response not information but an invitation. In those instances, like John’s two disciples, I didn’t just simply see where Jesus was but who He is. Author: Brian Charette

Chair folding

While sitting pool side relaxing I observed a lady trying to fold a Chair the incorrect way. Try as she might it wouldn't fold. Such is the way our lives are outside of gods will, gods plan. Try as we might nothing works out. We have problem after problem or situation upon situation. When we seek first his will it all falls into place. 

This quote from a book my Oswald chambers seems to fit. 

 If I am abandoned to Jesus I have no ends of my own to serve. 

- Chambers

If we abandon ourselves to him we will have nothing outside of his will in the way. I pray I live abandoned to his plan, not mine. 

A faithful watchman

(The following is a devotional from May 31st titled reflecting god)

After seven days the LORD spoke his word to me. He said, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the people of Israel. Listen to what I say, and warn them for me. Suppose I tell you that wicked people will surely die, but you don’t warn them or speak out so that they can change their wicked ways in order to save their lives. Then these wicked people will die because of their sin, but I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But suppose you warn the wicked people, and they don’t turn from their wicked ways. Then they will die because of their sin, but you will save yourself. If righteous people turn from living the right way and do wrong, I will make them stumble, and they will die. If you don’t warn them, they will die because of their sin, and the right things they did will not be remembered. I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn righteous people not to sin, and they don’t sin, they will certainly live because they listened to the warning. You will save yourself.” (Ezekiel 3:16-21 GW)

The watchman was a key and comforting figure in ancient cities. Typically the Jews divided the night into three “watches” of approximately four hours each. The watchman was to stay alert while the city slept. It was his job to watch out for any danger that might threaten the life or property of the residents: thieves, fire, an approaching army, whatever. If a danger was discovered the watchman was to raise the alarm. If a watchman neglected his duty by sleeping on his watch or, even worse, by taking a bribe to “look the other way,” his own life could be forfeit for his betrayal of trust. Being a watchman was a serious responsibility.

 

It is no less true for the one who speaks for God. If God gave Ezekiel a warning for the people, he must speak out “or be held accountable for their blood” (3:18). If they ignore God’s messenger, then the judgment falls on them but not His faithful servant.

 

Ezekiel was God’s servant whether in silence or speaking.

 

Faithfulness was the key. It still is.

 

http://youtu.be/N2kl7tqpnY4

Trust

Lay your requests before me and wait in expectation. Waiting and trusting g are ever so closely connected. The more you trust me, the more you can wait with a positive attitude. Meeting with me each morning is a profound demonstration of trust. This practice helps you begin the day with a thankful heart-receiving it as a precious gift from me. 

Waiting in my presence has beneficial "side effects" so don't be overly focused on getting the answers you seek. In my holy light you relate to me as creature to creator, as clay to potter. This humbles you and helps you worship me as I truly am. Many people create in their minds aconvenient god who suits their goals and lifestyle. They may call this god by my name, but they are actually practicing idolatry. You need to search the scriptures to protect yourself from this tragic deception. As you read my word ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate your mind so you can see me more clearly without distortions. 

Feel free to bring me many requests, because your world is brimming with neediness - as you are. While you watch and wait in my presence, look trustingly up to me. I speak graciously to your heart, assuring you of my unfailing love.  

In the morning, O LORD, hear my voice. In the morning I lay my needs in front of you, and I wait. (Psalms 5:3 GW)

But now, LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are our potter. We are the work of your hands. (Isaiah 64:8 GW)

Indeed, the time is coming, and it is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. The Father is looking for people like that to worship him. (John 4:23 GW)

But I trust your mercy. My heart finds joy in your salvation. (Psalms 13:5 GW)

http://youtu.be/LZfsxydxEXA

http://youtu.be/hfa3GZOEb38