Friday, March 13, 2015

Loss

In this life there are 2 things that are certain, death and taxes.  My previous post kinda describes where my family and I have been over the past few weeks. 

http://ephesianssix18.blogspot.com/2015/03/at-his-feet.html

Last night I layed vigil next to our family pet as he suffered through the last few moments of his life on earth. In pain he would cry out, I would rub his head and he would calm back down. It might seem silly to some, but I read psalm 23 to him as he slipped  further and further away from this earth and closer and closer to his rest. 

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. (Psalms 23:1-4 NLT)

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, GOD -of-Angel-Armies protects us. (Psalm 46:1-3 MSG)

I will miss his loyal companionship and crazy things he would do. He might be gone from this life, but I know where he will be and I'm looking forward to seeing him again. 


Tuesday, March 10, 2015

At his feet

10 years ago my wonderful wife and I were married. Shortly there after we adopted an orange and white kitten. Time passed and the kitten grew and grew.  Not long ago he weighed in at around 20 pounds and could stretch around 3 feet. Over the past few weeks his health has gone down hill. So much so that he hardly walks anymore. Yesterday he stayed in the bathtub all day.  This morning as I awoke and went into the bathroom to get ready for my day, he came and layed down at my feet.  As sick and poorly as he has been getting along over the past few weeks he walked from where he was laying in the hall and layed down at my feet. At the time it touched me deeply. Later on I senced the lord saying to me that, that is what he wants us to do. No matter what the situation he wants us to lay it down at his feet and cry on our abba father. He is a big God and is bigger than what is the matter. Might be like my cat and wanted comfort, might be relational issues, problems at work or any number of other issues. He knows and he cares. 

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, GOD -of-Angel-Armies protects us.

River fountains splash joy, cooling God’s city, this sacred haunt of the Most High. God lives here, the streets are safe, God at your service from crack of dawn. Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten, but Earth does anything he says.

Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, GOD -of-Angel-Armies protects us. Attention, all! See the marvels of GOD! He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, Bans war from pole to pole, breaks all the weapons across his knee. “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”

Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, GOD -of-Angel-Armies protects us. (Psalm 46:1-11 MSG)



Sunday, February 22, 2015

We Glorify Your Name

We glorify your name.  how often do we really glorify his name?  Do we wake each morning and thank god for what he has done for us...or do we simply go about our day simply by our own strength?  How often in our daily walk do we lean on him to guide our steps?   I for one want each breath i take, each step i take to bring glory to his name for all he has done for me.  He is our strength,  all sufficient, all that is necessary for our daily walk.  He is above, and below us, before and behind us.  He is all around us. 

 The world wants us to conform to its ways.  It wants us to think we are all sufficient by our-self.  That one more drink will be enough for us to cope, that one more cigarette will be enough for us to cope, that those prescription drugs will be enough.  when they aren't enough, what then?  How will you cope then?  When you hit the bottom where will you turn?  Where or to whom will you run?  I assure you that this world doesn't hold the answers.  But there is one who cares.  There is one who before you fell to your bottom, was there waiting on you, he was there with you from beginning to your darkest hour.  His name is jesus!  This world might have ran you down the wrong path but jesus is there waiting, saying come to me all you who bear a heavy load and i will give you rest.  I beg you to run to the arms of jesus!  he is more that enough!




Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Amusement park

It seems some feel the need to use our bodies as if they were a ride at an amusement park.  Drinking,  smoking, drugs, all sexual sin.  Our tongue can get us jnto the same situation in how we talk to each other,  and act around each other.   Don't get me wrong here, I'm all for having fun, but we don't need the above list to have fun.   God wants us to be wholly and holy united with him, he wants to dwell in our temple, but do you think he wants to dwell in a dirty temple?  Our temple should be without blemishes or stains.  You say well mine is already blemished.   How can god ever want to dwell in me in my dirtyness. 

1 Corinthians 6:12-20 GW

Someone may say, “I’m allowed to do anything,” but not everything is helpful. I’m allowed to do anything, but I won’t allow anything to gain control over my life.  Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food, but God will put an end to both of them. However, the body is not for sexual sin but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.  God brought the Lord back to life, and by his power God will also bring us back to life. Don’t you realize that your bodies are parts of Christ’s body? Should I take the parts of Christ’s body and make them parts of a prostitute’s body? That’s unthinkable!  Don’t you realize that the person who unites himself with a prostitute becomes one body with her? God says, “The two will be one.”  However, the person who unites himself with the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Stay away from sexual sins. Other sins that people commit don’t affect their bodies the same way sexual sins do. People who sin sexually sin against their own bodies.  Don’t you know that your body is a temple that belongs to the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit, whom you received from God, lives in you. You don’t belong to yourselves.  You were bought for a price. So bring glory to God in the way you use your body.

Matthew 27:31-54 GW

After the soldiers finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. On the way they found a man named Simon. He was from the city of Cyrene. The soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).  They gave him a drink of wine mixed with a drug called gall. When he tasted it, he refused to drink it.  After they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice.  Then they sat there and kept watch over him.  They placed a written accusation above his head. It read, “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.” At that time they crucified two criminals with him, one on his right and the other on his left. Those who passed by insulted him. They shook their heads  and said, “You were going to tear down God’s temple and build it again in three days. Save yourself! If you’re the Son of God, come down from the cross.”  The chief priests together with the experts in Moses’ Teachings and the leaders made fun of him in the same way. They said,  “He saved others, but he can’t save himself. So he’s Israel’s king! Let him come down from the cross now, and we’ll believe him.  He trusted God. Let God rescue him now if he wants. After all, this man said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”  Even the criminals crucified with him were insulting him the same way. At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.  About three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”  When some of the people standing there heard him say that, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”  One of the men ran at once, took a sponge, and soaked it in some vinegar. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus a drink.  The others said, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” Then Jesus loudly cried out once again and gave up his life. Suddenly, the curtain in the temple was split in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split open.  The tombs were opened, and the bodies of many holy people who had died came back to life.  They came out of the tombs after he had come back to life, and they went into the holy city where they appeared to many people. An army officer and those watching Jesus with him saw the earthquake and the other things happening. They were terrified and said, “Certainly, this was the Son of God!”

Matt Maher - Lord, I Need You: http://youtu.be/LuvfMDhTyMA

Do you need him today?  Do you want him to help you clean your temple?  All it takes is for you to ask him, lord jesus up to now I have used my temple as an amusement park.  I admit I have been wrong, come into my temple and help me clean up.  Help me remove all the worldliness and evil that are currently in it.  You are lord of all and you are my savior.   Amen

If you prayed this prayer I invite you to tell someone, we are not in this fight alone,  we have a mighty savior who is right beside us cheering us on.  Run to him, not the world.

Jeremy Camp - He Knows (Lyric Video): http://youtu.be/OsccUg4TDd8

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Dew from God

It has been a hectic few days for me as of late. Just learned yesterday that a dear friend passed away of an apparent heart attack. While my heart is sad for the loss to his wife and family, I also look forward to one day seeing him again. 

This life is but a vapor. We get so busy with the things in this world that distract us and sometimes try to bring us down that we don't make, or seem to have the time to "be still."(psalm 46 msg). In my devotions a day or so ago it said "every day you must receive renewal by the Holy Spirit."  We too often stay too busy to just be still and let the dew of heaven fall on us. (Hosea 14:5).  Quietness and stillness bring the dew. My prayer for myself and all who read this is that we would take time either today, and everyday to be still In the presence of the master. 

Sunday, January 11, 2015

High ground

Over the past several months, if not since last year I have had a few scriptures that seem to keep coming to my mind. 

The power of the LORD came over me. The LORD brought me out by his Spirit and put me down in the middle of a valley. The valley was filled with bones. He led me all around them. I saw that there were very many bones at the bottom of the valley, and they were very dry. Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I answered, “Only you know, Almighty LORD.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones. Tell them, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD. This is what the Almighty LORD says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live. I will put ligaments on you, place muscles on you, and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’ ” So I prophesied as I was commanded. While I was prophesying, suddenly there was a rattling noise, and the bones came together, one bone ⌊attaching itself⌋ to another. As I looked, I saw that ligaments were on them, muscles were on them, and skin covered them. Yet, there was no breath in them. Then the LORD said to me, “Prophesy to the breath! Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, ‘This is what the Almighty LORD says: Come from the four winds, Breath, and breathe on these people who were killed so that they will live.’ ” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath entered them. Then they came to life and stood on their feet. There were enough of them to form a very large army. The LORD also said to me, “Son of man, all the people of Israel are like these bones. The people say, ‘Our bones are dry, and our hope has vanished. We are completely destroyed.’ So prophesy. Tell them, ‘This is what the Almighty LORD says: My people, I will open your graves and take you out of them. I will bring you to Israel. Then, my people, you will know that I am the LORD, because I will open your graves and bring you out of your graves. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live. I will place you in your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’ ” (Ezekiel 37:1-14 GW)

Do not be preoccupied with evildoers. Do not envy those who do wicked things. They will quickly dry up like grass and wither away like green plants. (Psalms 37:1-2 GW)

I know in my past I have been in the valley of dry bones. Being concerned with only things of this world. Living for myself. I wonder how many of those I know, or call a friend are adrift in that valley, dry and brittle. Wanting longing for the breath of the lord. Waiting on his living water to refresh. I pray that all who I know that are lost in that valley will find their way to the high ground, and to the lord Jesus Christ. He is waiting, longing for your arrival. 


Saturday, January 3, 2015

New

We haven't been this way before. It's the first couple days of 2015. Seems like a lot has happened these first three days. The days ahead might seem a little scary, terrifying even, the fear of the unknown. There is good news though, as scary as the days ahead might seem they have been traveled before!  

So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.” (Genesis 33:14 NIV)

But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” (Mark 14:28 NIV)

“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. (Exodus 23:20 NIV)

Jesus has already gone ahead of us into the new year. So I say fear not, and trust for greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world!