pursuit

In this life there are many things we pursue.  Some of them are of god...most are not.  Search me oh god.  If there are things i am in pursuit of that aren't of you, guide me away from them.  i will pursue you, and only you father.  i want only your presence.  I don't want to be where you are not.

Psalm 88

A song; a psalm by Korah’s descendants; for the choir director; according to mahalath leannoth;^[a] a maskil by Heman the Ezrahite.

¹ O Lord God, my savior,
    I cry out to you during the day and at night.
        
            Turn your ear to hear my cries.
³ My soul is filled with troubles,
    and my life comes closer to the grave.
        
        I am like a man without any strength—
            
            like those who have been killed and lie in graves,
            like those whom you no longer remember,
                who are cut off from your power.
⁶ You have put me in the bottom of the pit—in deep, dark places.
⁷ Your rage lies heavily on me.
    You make all your waves pound on me. Selah
⁸ You have taken my friends far away from me.
    You made me disgusting to them.
    I’m shut in, and I can’t get out.
        
            All day long I call out to you, O Lord.
                I stretch out my hands to you in prayer.

¹⁰ Will you perform miracles for those who are dead?
    Will the spirits of the dead rise and give thanks to you?Selah
¹¹ Will anyone tell about your mercy in Sheol
    or about your faithfulness in Abaddon?
¹² Will anyone know about your miracles in that dark place
    or about your righteousness in the place where forgotten people live?

¹³ I cry out to you for help, O Lord,
    and in the morning my prayer will come into your presence.

¹⁴ Why do you reject my soul, O Lord?
    Why do you hide your face from me?
¹⁵ Ever since I was young, I have been suffering and near death.
    I have endured your terrors, and now I am in despair.^[b]
16 Your burning anger has swept over me.
    Your terrors have destroyed me.
¹⁷ They swirl around me all day long like water.
    They surround me on all sides.
¹⁸ You have taken my loved ones and friends far away from me.
    Darkness is my only friend!^[c]

Father you gave it all on calvalry...all to you i owe!

Psalm 91

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Psalm 91

¹ Whoever lives under the shelter of the Most High
    will remain in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say to the Lord,
    “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”

³ He is the one who will rescue you from hunters’ traps
    and from deadly plagues.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge.
        His truth is your shield and armor.

⁵ You do not need to fear
    terrors of the night,
    arrows that fly during the day,
⁶ plagues that roam the dark,
    epidemics that strike at noon.
        
            even though a thousand may fall dead beside you
                or ten thousand at your right side.

⁸ You only have to look with your eyes
    to see the punishment of wicked people.

⁹ You, O Lord, are my refuge!

You have made the Most High your home.
¹⁰ No harm will come to you.
    No sickness will come near your house.
¹¹ He will put his angels in charge of you
    to protect you in all your ways.
¹² They will carry you in their hands
    so that you never hit your foot against a rock.
¹³ You will step on lions and cobras.
    You will trample young lions and snakes.

¹⁴ Because you love me, I will rescue you.
    I will protect you because you know my name.
¹⁵ When you call to me, I will answer you.
    I will be with you when you are in trouble.
    I will save you and honor you.
¹⁶ I will satisfy you with a long life.
    I will show you how I will save you.

The following song has been on my heart for the past few days. I often wonder if all i pursue is of god.  i pray that if there are things that aren't of god...that he would help me see!  If there are things in people who read this post i pray that you would help them see where their pursuits lie.  

kim walker smith - pursuit

what are you pursuing?

chains

This morning when i woke up i had an image of two hands bound together in chains.  Feet shackeled together bound to the hands.  I got on facebook shortly there after and there was an image of two hands bound together and there was a quote on the picture "the further society drifts from TRUTH, the more it will hate those that speak it." george orwell 

I would imagine that bondage to sin is not what mr orwell was thinking when he pinned these words...but it is so true.  we are often bound by our sin to the point we are totally unaware of it.  we walk through this world living as it does.  We act as the world does.  Are we tired of walking as the world does, when will we call on the name of jesus to Come break our chains?  He is always beside us, walking with us.  He wants to cut our chains to sin...if we would only ask.

2 Corinthians 4:7-18

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁷ We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.^[a] This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
⁸ We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. ⁹ We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. ¹⁰ Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
¹¹ Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. ¹² So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
¹³ But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”^{[b] 14} We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus,^[c] will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. ¹⁵ All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
¹⁶ That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are^[d] being renewed every day. ¹⁷ For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸ So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.


Will we let him come fill us up?  or would we rather go on living and wallowing in our sin?  would we rather be bound to the sins of this world?  I for one want him to come fill me to overflowing.  I don't want anything to do with the ways of this world.  I want to live wholy and totally for him.  Sin can take a hike, cause Jesus is here with  me and in me...it has no place in me.  Will you let him in to drive out sin?  will you let him fill you to overflowing? I pray so!

Father i pray that if there is any body that reads this that needs to pray, or needs someone to pray for them that they wouldn't hesitate to either comment on this post, or somehow get in touch with me.  I pray for those that won't read this or will read it and not pray.  Father help them see you are the only way...this world holds nothing any of us need.  ALL i need is you!

amen

jesus culture - spirit break out

Jesus culture - fill me up

life in the light

How many of us know people that claim to be christian, but only open their bible for one hour on sunday?  How many know people who own a bible but don't know where it is?  Still how many more of us see wrongs being done unto others...and yet we sit here and do nothing? 

Matthew 25:31-46

New International Version (NIV)

The Sheep and the Goats

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”


He has called us do do what we can.  But will we...it's time us as Christians rose up stopped sitting on our laurels and did what we could.  If you have been blessed financially, give.  if you have been blessed with the ability to cook...cook for those you know who either can't or are unable to.  We can all make a difference to someone...question is will we?

I pray that God will fill us to over flowing.  May we that can shine his love to those who need it.

jesus culture - fill me up 

are you full?

It seems that a lot of the time we hunger and thirst for things.  It may be different for each of us.  There are so many around this world that would give anything for the scraps of food we throw away.  We are so blessed as a people that most of us really don't see it.  Most are caught up in the turmoil of the way society is.  We are too worried about stuff that doesn't matter.  All i want is for jesus to fill me with his holy spirit.  i want Him to come into this shack, and renovate it.  i want him to so fill me with his spirit and truth that i overflow.

the following are some items i have found on other websites.  The prayer below is my prayer for this new year, for not only me and my family, but everyone i know!  If anyone who reads this wants me to pray for them, leave a comment. 

jesus culture - fill me up

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

Luke 11:13

Heavenly Father!You know the thirst in me! Yes! Lord I have come to ask You to fill me with Your Holy Spirit.Lord! We have come to the last days and You have promised to pour out Your Spirit upon all flesh! I claim in Your promise and plead for Your Holy Spirit Lord! Your Word says whoever asks shall receive! Let Your Holy Spirit step into my heart Lord and let His mighty presence engulf me even now!Lord cleanse me of all my sins and short comings so that Your Holy Spirit can dwell in me. Lord! Unless He comes into my life, I can never lead a flawless life before You! So I need Your Spirit. I open my heart to You, come in and take control of my whole being and quench my thirst Lord!I thank You Lord right now for granting me this precious gift. Let Him be my sweet companion for ever and let Him direct my steps. I know You have answered this prayer because I ask this in the most precious name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.Amen.

darkness part 1

Darkness surrounds us, ever present, never stoping, always trying to drown us.  Only one thing, only one person can keep us safe from the slings and arrows this dark world can throw at us.  Only the light of my savior Jesus Christ can be a beacon of light and hope in the other wise inky darkness of this world.

John 1:5-12

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

⁵ The light shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it.^[a]
6 God sent a man named John to be his messenger. ⁷ John came to declare the truth about the light so that everyone would become believers through his message. ⁸ John was not the light, but he came to declare the truth about the light.
⁹ The real light, which shines on everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him. Yet, the world didn’t recognize him. ¹¹ He went to his own people, and his own people didn’t accept him. ¹² However, he gave the right to become God’s children to everyone who believed in him. 

Ephesians 5:7-14

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁷ Don’t participate in the things these people do. ⁸ For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! ⁹ For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
¹⁰ Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. ¹³ But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, ¹⁴ for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,
    rise up from the dead,
    and Christ will give you light.”

gods light shines brightly into all places and things.  with him living in me there is nothing in this dark world for me to fear.  There is nothing  that is hidden, for his light makes all visible.  Are you living in his light?  Are you living in the inky black darkness?  We must all ask ourselves this question.  are we really living in his light?  There are so many in this world that are just waiting for us as christians to just lend them a hand!!!!  and yet we say no not me, or not right now....

Father i want to be a lamp stand for you.  I want to shine your light into the Inky darkness like a lighthouse shines it's light to warn ships of danger.   I want to say this way to help!  I pray that you give me the guidance i need.  I feel there is more to say about the darkness that surrounds us...give me the words to write, and the places to study.

amen

jesus culture - roof tops