GREATER

Tags

2 Samuel 7:22, christian music, Eternal Lord, Greater, Jesus, lap quilts, much of you, no God greater, song, Steven Curtis Chapman

I am sitting by the sewing machine making lap quilts, listening to Christian Music and I heard this song.

I want to make much of you JESUS.

My efforts are so small, Lord

Only you are great, Eternal Lord!

MUCH OF YOU  by Steven Curtis Chapman

https://www.google.com/#q=much+of+you+by+steven+curtis+chapman+site:youtube.com

2 Samuel 7:22 (VOICE) So You are great, O Eternal Lord. No one else like You exists, and there is no god greater than You, as we should know from everything we have heard.

2 Samuel 7:22 (NIRV) Lord and King, how great you are! There isn’t anyone like you. There isn’t any God but you. We have heard about it with our own ears.

FRAUD

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affection, Christianity, compassions, conviction, Cookies, Epistle to the Galatians, fraud, Fruit of the Holy Spirit, Galations, gates of joy and peace, Gifts, God, HolySpirit, hurt others sef-control, ice cream, Jesus, lethal weapon, problems, Religion and Spirituality, serence, thoughts in check, tongue

Fruit of the Spirit (Photo credit: Martin LaBar)

I am a Fraud with a capital F.

Let me tell you about the real ME.

I do not love the way I should, I have trouble keeping my thoughts in check and I have a problem with living inside the gates of joy and peace. My tongue is a lethal weapon.  I am not serene. I am not holy. I am not always kind or gentle or patient. I hurt my loved ones and others, probably, more times than I know.

Self-control?

Hah, Hah and Hah!

Can you hear those cookies calling my name?  How about the two (count them “2”) ice cream cartons residing in my refrigerator.

Or how about the evil one sliding in and out of my brain saying “See, I told you – nothing ever changes!”

But when I get it right and live GOD’S WAY…..

I give, produce, lead, carry, convey and generate the fruit of the Spirit.

I receive God’s gift.  I can be confident and assured that a God’s Holiness will soak, saturate and spread through my life and then penetrate into the lives of others.

When I welcome God’s Gifts, He enables me to extend generosity to others through compassion, affection and conviction.

Instead of forcing my will into other’s lives, I can direct God’s energy into the lives of others.

No more fraud just God’s Holy Harvest.

Galatians 5: 22-23 (MSG)

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

 

THURSDAY THINK (6-13)

Tags

FOLLOW HIM, Jesus, Our Daily Bread, The Way, THOUGHT, THURSDAY

Thursday’s Thought (**credit to Our Daily Bread**)

 

(old hymn)

My Lord knows the way through the wilderness;

All I have to do is follow

Strength for today is mine always

And all that I need for tomorrow

 

JESUS KNOWS THE WAY – FOLLOW HIM

Chorus Line

Tags

Bible, Bird vocalization, chorus line, family, God, HolySpirit, Jesus, learning, Lord, Lord's Prayer, mama and baby chicks, morning, Nature, parents, quiet, schooled, training manual, Worship

Blackbird (Turdus merula), singing male. Bogense havn, Funen, Denmark. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

God‘s Nature is amazing!

When I awoke this morning, I opened the patio door to let in some cool morning air. I started to sit down on the couch for my early morning Bible readings and Worship time with the Lord.

I love early morning Worship. What a great way to start the day – soaking in the Word of God.

That’s when I heard the sound of a bird. No it wasn’t a chirp or bird-song. It sounded like a diffent pitches with highs and lows- Wrrrp! Wupp! Wrrp!

Then came the answering Wrrrp’s and Wupp’s close by.

I snuck over to the window trying to be as quiet as possible.

There they were! A Chorus Line! Mama and three baby chicks just old enough to fly but still learning from their wise Mama.

Mama and Daddy Bird have been great parents – watching and guarding the nest and providing food for their new chicks.

Now the training manual is being pulled out and the chicks are being schooled.

Romans 5: 3-5 (MSG) There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Our BIBLE is our training manual. When we pull out our Bible’s, we are schooled by the Holy Spirit.

Our Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ, are family to us as they watch and guard our every move.

Join the Chorus Line of Praise

Nehemiah 9: 5-6 (MSG) Blessed be your glorious name, exalted above all blessing and praise! You’re the one, God, you alone; You made the heavens, the heavens of heavens, and all angels; The earth and everything on it, the seas and everything in them; You keep them all alive; heaven’s angels worship you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Noble Purpose or Common Use

Tags

Bible, Epistle to the Romans, God, Human, Jesus, Lord, New International Version, O Lord

Romans 9: 20-21 (NIV)

But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” ²¹ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

O Lord, who am I to question your authority? You formed me and made me like this.

Use me, O God, whether you chose me for noble purposes or common use.

Mold me, shape me!

Romans 9: 23 (NIV)

What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory

Lord, I am the object of Your mercy. You called me before I was born.

You are preparing me for Your Glory. I fall to my knees at the thought of your Mercy.

Thank you God that I am in Your Mighty Potter’s Hand!

Abomination and Giving

Tags

Christ, Folklore, God, Jesus, Literature, Lord, New King James Version, Proverbs and Sayings

147/365: Friday, May 27, 2011: Green pastures (Photo credit: Stephen Little)

Proverbs 6: 16-19 (NKJ)

¹⁶ These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

^1. A proud look,

2. a lying tongue,

3. and hands that shed innocent blood,

^4.  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,

5. feet that be swift in running to mischief,

^6.A false witness that speaketh lies,

ABOMINATION: Repugnance – Loathing – Revulsion – Disgust

Discord: arguments, disputes, friction, disagreements are an abomination to God!

7. and he that soweth discord among brethren.

OUR LOVING GOD NEVER TAKES ANYTHING AWAY WITHOUT GIVING

Proverbs 6: 20-23 (NKJ)

My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

TAKE ME BACK THURSDAY

Tags

Bible, Billy, Billy the Kid, Chisum, Jesus, John Wayne, New Mexico, United States

Cover of Chisum

TODAY IS TAKE ME BACK THURSDAY (RE-POST FROM 12/11)

I know – I know – I’ve said this before and you will probably hear about it again, but, I love John Wayne movies. I just finished watching Chisum last night. I’ve probably seen that movie more than twenty times.

Billy the Kid happens to be in the movie. The plot really doesn’t matter but there is one character, trying to guide Billy morally and spiritually (it’s not Johnny Baby). The character is a wealthy land owner who takes Billy the Kid under his wing. He notices Billy cannot read. The land-owner reaches out and teaches Billy how to read by using the Bible. During the movie the land owner gives Billy his own Bible.

The kind man inscribes the Bible with the following saying: Prepare your heart in the way of the Lord and, then, live by it.

Although we will never know if Billy the Kid had a spiritual advisor in his life, we can live by those beautiful words.

Prepare your hearts – stretch out your hands towards Jesus – Humble your hearts and be prepared to Hear.

Job 11:13: If you would prepare your heart, And stretch out your hands toward Him; 

Psalm 10:17: LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, 

FIXING UP

Tags

Caulk, Christianity, Evangelism, God, Jesus, Opposing Views, Paint, Religion and Spirituality

Dried green paint (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We are going to paint the house! Yuck and Hooray!

We bought a foreclosed home, although in fairly good condition, the outside paint has been neglected. The paint is faded and peeling and just plain, ole tired!

So I gathered up some caulk, the caulking gun and some paint swatches. Hubby and I sanded and scraped off the peeling paint. We’ve pushed and cajoled the caulk into all of the surface cracks and crevices.

All this fixing up is hard work but it gives you time to think about life and enjoy the fall weather. As I was smearing some more caulk into an unyielding area, I thought about God’s process of “fixing us up”.

We come to Jesus like a worn, old foreclosed home. Jesus sands us down to the bare wood, primes and caulks any needed areas and repaints us. He restores us and makes us new again.

Through Jesus’ Grace we are renewed!

Jesus makes us new in order for His Grace to shine through us.

Yep, that’s quite a paint job!

PSALM 65: 9-13 (the Message)

Oh, visit the earth, ask her to join the dance! Deck her out in spring showers, fill the God-River with living water. Paint the wheat fields golden. Creation was made for this! Drench the plowed fields, soak the dirt clods With rainfall as harrow and rake bring her to blossom and fruit. Snow-crown the peaks with splendor, scatter rose petals down your paths, All through the wild meadows, rose petals. Set the hills to dancing, Dress the canyon walls with live sheep, a drape of flax across the valleys. Let them shout, and shout, and shout! Oh, oh, let them sing!

If you love me

Tags

children, Christian, Faith, Jesus, John 14, Living, Our Daily Bread, safe guards, Truth

Do you have small children, elementary, middle or high school age children? How many times have you heard “That’s not fair – You don’t love me – If you loved me you would let me go here or do this or watch that!”

We make rules for our children because we love them; not to cause them pain. We try to help them through the growing process by placing safe-guards in their lives. Sometimes, rules are in place so our children will not experience the same “hurts” we felt while we were growing up.

Jesus tried to place safe-guards into the disciple’s lives before His suffering, death and resurrection. He gently guided His followers by talking to them about “things” to come.  He warned them to listen carefully and place His teachings into the back of their minds “while He was still with them”.

He reminded them several times about the Holy Spirit, the Comforter’s visit. He loved his followers and wished them peace. Jesus, the Son of God, freely spoke of the agonizing torture He was about to face. He wanted His beloved followers to have peace and not let their hearts be troubled or afraid. The prophesied and impending torture of our Redeemer was placed on the back burner in order for Jesus to comfort His followers. Jesus is still comforting us today! Are you listening?

The following verses were printed in Our Daily Bread:
John 14: 25-31(NIRV): I have spoken all these things while I am still with you. But the Father will send the Friend in my name to help you. The Friend is the Holy Spirit. He will teach you all things. He will remind you of everything I have said to you. “I leave my peace with you. I give my peace to you. I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be troubled. And do not be afraid.
 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away. And I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad I am going to the Father. The Father is greater than I am. I have told you now before this happens. Then when it does happen, you will believe. “I will not speak with you much longer. The prince of this world is coming. He has no power over me. But the world must learn that I love the Father. They must also learn that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me to do.

This was the prayer in Our Daily Bread written with the above verse:

Lord, I want to have peace in my life.
To be at peace with You, with others, and with myself,
Your Word says that comes from You.
Please give me Your gift of peace. Amen

BFF

Tags

BFF, Christian, Faith, Forever, Friend, Jesus, John 15, Living, Truth

Today is Sunday; as usual I read Our Daily Bread after prayers and before I start my Bible reading. The title of today’s reading was Genuine Friends (www.ourdailybread.org)
The referenced reading was John 15:15: No longer do I call you servants; …. But I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
John 15: 9-17: As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.
You are Jesus’ BFF! Jesus is your best forever friends. Jesus invites you to abide in His love – take His love to heart and accept His love. Jesus chose you and He appointed you to go out and bear fruit. Jesus says: I have called you friend – Forever Friend