Intercession

There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.
Luke 23:32-34 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/luk.23.32-34.NKJV

But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who  is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.
Hebrews 7:24-28 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/heb.7.24-28.NKJV

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the  will  of God.
Romans 8:26-27 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/rom.8.26-27.NKJV

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,
Colossians 4:2-3 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/col.4.2-3.NKJV

I pray that this new year we as a people of god will take time to not only to be still in his presence, but to not be afraid to kneel before almighty god. 

"A man is what he is on his knees before God, and nothing more."  Robert Murry M'Cheyne

House fires - this love

Reflecting God - Our light and our salvation

Psalm 27:1-14

The story is told of the famed Scottish hero, Robert Bruce, who, when fleeing his enemies, took refuge in a cave, and prayed for God’s protection. While in the cave, a spider wove a web across its entrance. His pursuers came to the cave, but seeing the spider web across its opening concluded that he could not have entered without breaking the web and went on their way. Later Bruce said, “Without God, a stone wall is as a spider web; with God a spider web is as a stone wall.”

Why is it we are often afraid when we belong to the great God of the universe who sees all, knows all, and loves His children with tender, protective love? Further, He has promised to be with us, even to the end of the world. When the waters are rising and trouble seems bent on our destruction, we should remember our position in the Father’s love. We should exercise the faith He gives us and send our fears packing; for He is our stronghold, and He has promised to stay with us for the long haul.

Battlefield

Many battles are won in the prayer closet.  Often enough they are won not by a single prayer but by intersession and petition of almighty god. 

Keep praying. Pay attention when you offer prayers of thanksgiving. At the same time also pray for us. Pray that God will give us an opportunity to speak the word so that we may tell the mystery about Christ. It is because of this mystery that I am a prisoner. Pray that I may make this mystery as clear as possible. This is what I have to do. Be wise in the way you act toward those who are outside ⌊the Christian faith⌋. Make the most of your opportunities. Everything you say should be kind and well thought out so that you know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:2-6 GW
http://bible.com/70/col.4.2-6.GW

The text below is from a devotional by A.W.Tozer.

I have met christians who insist that it is wrong to pray for the same thing twice, the reason being that if w truly beleive when we pray we have the answer the first time;  any second prayer betrays the unbelief of the first!

There are three things wrong with this teaching.  One is it ignoresa large body of scipture; the second is that it rarely works in practice, even for the saintlest soul; and the third is that, if persisted in, it robs the praying man of two of his mightiest weapons in his warfarewith the flesh and the devil - intersession and petition.

For let it be said without qualification that the effective intersessor is never a one-prayer man, neither does the successful  petitioner win his mighty resources in his first attempt!

It must be noted that such a teaching will very often result in an unconscious spiritual pride.

One has but to note the smug smile of superiority on the face of the one-prayer christian to sence that there is a lot of pride behind the smile.  While other christians wrestle with god in an agony of intersession they sit back in humble pride waiting it out.  They do not pray because they have already prayed.  The devil has no fear of such christians.  He has already won over them, and his technique has been false logic. 

A.W. Tozer

He has searched us

http://youtu.be/7n9KNHwIzyc

Listen to the above link as you read the scripture below. Our God knows us each individually and knows what we need before we ask. 

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.”

Romans 8:18-30 NLT

http://bible.com/116/rom.8.18-30.nlt

Reflecting God - Justice Will Reign

Isaiah 11:1-9

The 1930s were a dark era for the United States. Crime, war, and economic collapse loomed. There was not enough work. Criminal gangs were pillaging and killing. As the president tried to repair the critical state of the fractured country, we were introduced to a legend, one who, at least in the comics and movies, made the commoner feel less small and helpless. He was a champion from far beyond the stars–from the planet Krypton. Superman would stand behind a beam of light, the American flag in his hand, and declare his fight for truth, justice, and the American way.

Not much has changed in 80 years. The superhero still attracts us, but he’s only pretend.

There is only one real source of justice–not “the man of steel” but the Son of Man. He is God himself, and He will bring true justice to the planet that sin has soiled. He will judge with perfect justice and real righteousness. His own blood redeems us from wrath and seals our position among the righteous.

worthy of all our worship and praise

No matter what kind of week you've had, busy, stressful, peaceful or other, our god is still in control and worthy of all our praise.  I am a debtor to all he has done for me!

who you are - kristian stanfill

Your glory speaks in every language
Across the sky to every nation
You are beauty
Unimagined
This is who you are
You are the Lord of my salvation
You are the one who lights my way
Through the dark night
You will lead me 
This is who you are 
This is who you are
Lift it up
Lift it up
Endless praises to our God
Full of grace 
Full of love 
And He’s reigning over us
You are faithful
You are worthy, God 
This is who you are
Day and night
The angels singing
Holy, Holy
Is the Lord
There’s none more worthy
To receive it 
This is who you are 
You hear the cry of every broken heart
You give the hopeless soul a brand new start
You lead the captive in Your freedom song 
This is who you are
And in the night when all our hope is lost
You are the one who won’t give up on us
You hold the orphan in your loving arms 
This is who you are