Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.
By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all
integrity a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow;
by me every tongue will swear.
Isaiah 45:22-23
A promise is only as good as the one giving or representing that promise. Can they deliver what they promise? What has their track record been in the past? What happens if they change their minds?
God has sworn BY himself, there is no one higher. He is, as the saying goes, “where the buck stops”. He is God there is none above Him none equal to Him none that will save Him or make good His promises if He can’t. HE IS!!! His integrity is on the line with each word He has spoken. Likewise, each word He has spoken cannot be revoked or overruled by another—no one has that power. Not Satan, you, me…NO ONE. What God has said WILL remain, never to be erased, never to be improved upon, never to be changed…NEVER!
I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times,
what is still to come.
I say: My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please…..
What I have said that will I bring about
what I have planned, that will I do.
Isaiah 46:10-11
No matter what circumstances have been brought into our lives, nothing can negate what God has spoken and put in to place before time as we know it even existed. Whatever we face today there is Someone who is above it all, perhaps even right in the midst of it waiting for us to open our closed fists and allow Him to work it all out for His purpose within us.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
CONDUITS
You are My witnesses," declares the LORD,
"And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
"I, even I, am the LORD,
And there is no savior besides Me.
"It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,
And there was no strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses," declares the LORD,
"And I am God.
"Even from eternity I am He,
And there is none who can deliver out of My hand;
I act and who can reverse it?"
Isaiah 43:10-13
Our part:
KNOW…to perceive, distinguish, discriminate, acknowledge, confess, know by experience, be revealed, be instructed
BELIEVE….to stand firm, to trust, to be certain, to believe in, pillars, supporters of the door
UNDERSTAND…acted wisely, consider, diligently consider, discern, intelligent ,interpret, investigating, look carefully, observe, perceive,
God’s part:
DECLARE…to be conspicuous, tell, make known
SAVE… liberate, save, delivere, victorious
PROCLAIM… to hear, listen to, obey, to grant request
Reality is, God does it ALL but chooses to reveal Himself through you and me. We just need to be available and obedient, an open conduit. Sounds so simple…why do we make it so hard??
"And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
"I, even I, am the LORD,
And there is no savior besides Me.
"It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,
And there was no strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses," declares the LORD,
"And I am God.
"Even from eternity I am He,
And there is none who can deliver out of My hand;
I act and who can reverse it?"
Isaiah 43:10-13
Our part:
KNOW…to perceive, distinguish, discriminate, acknowledge, confess, know by experience, be revealed, be instructed
BELIEVE….to stand firm, to trust, to be certain, to believe in, pillars, supporters of the door
UNDERSTAND…acted wisely, consider, diligently consider, discern, intelligent ,interpret, investigating, look carefully, observe, perceive,
God’s part:
DECLARE…to be conspicuous, tell, make known
SAVE… liberate, save, delivere, victorious
PROCLAIM… to hear, listen to, obey, to grant request
Reality is, God does it ALL but chooses to reveal Himself through you and me. We just need to be available and obedient, an open conduit. Sounds so simple…why do we make it so hard??
Thursday, January 6, 2011
SERVING AS EVIDENCE
Last year I used the Bible In Chronological order as my devotional source. This year I’m focusing on a Biblical theme each month: witnessing, salvation, healing, Holy Spirit, etc.
I would love to hear your thoughts on these life-paths we live every day, even though at times we may not realize or understand the path we are on.
Witnessing
My trusty old dictionary describes two words critical to this theme:
(1) witness as “evidence; testimony; a person who saw, or can give a first and account of something; to be present; see personally; to serve as evidence of”;
(2) evident/evidence as “easy to see or perceive, clear, obvious or plain; something that makes another thing evident, indication, sign; something that tends to prove.”
To “serve as evidence of” and “something that tends to prove” is more than just SPEAKING of evidence but living (SERVE) as proof of that evidence.
To be a good witness we must be credible or our testimony will not hold any weight. We must have firsthand knowledge of what we witness or else it is hearsay. In a courtroom others can rebut what is said. Likewise in the world others will try to refute our verbal testimony of a living God.
Because we not only experience His power but are evidence of His power (He lives in us), will we by our actions prove He does or doesn’t exist?
“For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.” Psalm 96:4-6
As believers, confessors and followers of Christ, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19; Rom 8:11). It is His strength and glory that should be witnessed by the world around us…through difficult or peaceful times. Today let us serve to those around us as evidence of the resurrection and power of the one and only true Living God.
I would love to hear your thoughts on these life-paths we live every day, even though at times we may not realize or understand the path we are on.
Witnessing
My trusty old dictionary describes two words critical to this theme:
(1) witness as “evidence; testimony; a person who saw, or can give a first and account of something; to be present; see personally; to serve as evidence of”;
(2) evident/evidence as “easy to see or perceive, clear, obvious or plain; something that makes another thing evident, indication, sign; something that tends to prove.”
To “serve as evidence of” and “something that tends to prove” is more than just SPEAKING of evidence but living (SERVE) as proof of that evidence.
To be a good witness we must be credible or our testimony will not hold any weight. We must have firsthand knowledge of what we witness or else it is hearsay. In a courtroom others can rebut what is said. Likewise in the world others will try to refute our verbal testimony of a living God.
Because we not only experience His power but are evidence of His power (He lives in us), will we by our actions prove He does or doesn’t exist?
“For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.” Psalm 96:4-6
As believers, confessors and followers of Christ, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19; Rom 8:11). It is His strength and glory that should be witnessed by the world around us…through difficult or peaceful times. Today let us serve to those around us as evidence of the resurrection and power of the one and only true Living God.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
The Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God transcends and invades every kingdom, continent, country, state, village and town of this planet yet is not held by boundaries or contained within buildings.
It is not advanced by man’s deeds or manipulations but by humility.
It is not held by the “wheelers and dealers” of any earthly kingdom but by those that are the lowest or least important in the eyes of earthly powers.
It cannot be overthrown in a coup or held hostage by any man.
Its power is beyond anything we have ever experienced in earthly kingdoms and yet its power is not motivated and fueled by greed or self preservation.
There are no political parties vying for power in this Kingdom- just One rule, One power, One authority.
Truth, not deception, is its foundation.
Entrance into this Kingdom is not by way of a broad boulevard; a valid passport purchased by the individual; or obtained by any governments nod of approval.
Entrance has been obtained by the Owners Sons life…it is by his life we have life...his life we have citizenship. It is this same Son who will be the light of this Kingdom.
The authority and power of the Owner is automatically transferred to all its citizens.
All are welcome but not everyone will choose to enter.
It is displayed through simplistic yet explosive power.
As citizens of this Kingdom, it is displayed through you and me…AMAZING!!
It is not advanced by man’s deeds or manipulations but by humility.
It is not held by the “wheelers and dealers” of any earthly kingdom but by those that are the lowest or least important in the eyes of earthly powers.
It cannot be overthrown in a coup or held hostage by any man.
Its power is beyond anything we have ever experienced in earthly kingdoms and yet its power is not motivated and fueled by greed or self preservation.
There are no political parties vying for power in this Kingdom- just One rule, One power, One authority.
Truth, not deception, is its foundation.
Entrance into this Kingdom is not by way of a broad boulevard; a valid passport purchased by the individual; or obtained by any governments nod of approval.
Entrance has been obtained by the Owners Sons life…it is by his life we have life...his life we have citizenship. It is this same Son who will be the light of this Kingdom.
The authority and power of the Owner is automatically transferred to all its citizens.
All are welcome but not everyone will choose to enter.
It is displayed through simplistic yet explosive power.
As citizens of this Kingdom, it is displayed through you and me…AMAZING!!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Wonderings
Recently I heard a sermon where the preacher suggested a reason for the Israelites 40 year desert wonderings was in order to get the Egyptian culture out of them. The Israelites had been in Egypt for such a long time and had absorbed so much of its culture they could no longer be recognized as the chosen children of the Most High God. So much did the culture overtake what God had instilled in them that it took 40 years for the “culture cleansing” process to be accomplished. Influence, good or bad, has a way of lingering from one generation to another.
I sometime think God uses the wonderings of our lives, those situations we question that come into our life journey, to cleanse our pre-conceived ideas of how and when He SHOULD work in and through us. In doing this, God once again seems to remind us that He alone, not the “action”, is to be our heart's desire. He will lead us into the land of His promise that He prepared for us way before we were even born.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. Eph 1:11
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10
It is in this land of His promise we will reveal to those around us who God is and the blessed hope he has for them. But this can only happen as we take on His character---His culture.
And as with the Israelites we too may think the process, the journey is taking way too long. But God's timing is perfect in ALL things...even in our wonderings.
I sometime think God uses the wonderings of our lives, those situations we question that come into our life journey, to cleanse our pre-conceived ideas of how and when He SHOULD work in and through us. In doing this, God once again seems to remind us that He alone, not the “action”, is to be our heart's desire. He will lead us into the land of His promise that He prepared for us way before we were even born.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. Eph 1:11
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10
It is in this land of His promise we will reveal to those around us who God is and the blessed hope he has for them. But this can only happen as we take on His character---His culture.
And as with the Israelites we too may think the process, the journey is taking way too long. But God's timing is perfect in ALL things...even in our wonderings.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Lord, I want to see your face
My hearts cry has been, “Lord I want to see your face.” Not that I don’t want to see His hands working through signs and miracles, but there is something about looking into someone’s eyes when they speak and observing their facial expressions when they look to you.
But could it be that I am looking for the wrong “face”?
Could it be that all along I have been looking into the face of God when I see a child crying…the beggar on the street searching for food….the alcoholic lost and stumbling...the teenager pregnant scared and not sure what to do….the mother so overwhelmed by tragedy she is willing to sell her children to survive….
And could it be they are looking to me to see the hands, arms and compassion of God?
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. The people of every nation will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right but the goats on his left. “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, my Father has blessed you! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 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 took me into your home. I needed clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then the people who have God’s approval will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or see you thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you into our homes or see you in need of clothes and give you something to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “The king will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did for me.’
“Then the king will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me! God has cursed you! Go into everlasting fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels! I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me into your homes. I needed clothes, and you didn’t give me anything to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t take care of me.’ “They, too, will ask, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or as a stranger or in need of clothes or sick or in prison and didn’t help you?’ “He will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you failed to do for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do for me.’
“These people will go away into eternal punishment, but those with God’s approval will go into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)
But could it be that I am looking for the wrong “face”?
Could it be that all along I have been looking into the face of God when I see a child crying…the beggar on the street searching for food….the alcoholic lost and stumbling...the teenager pregnant scared and not sure what to do….the mother so overwhelmed by tragedy she is willing to sell her children to survive….
And could it be they are looking to me to see the hands, arms and compassion of God?
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. The people of every nation will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right but the goats on his left. “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, my Father has blessed you! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 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 took me into your home. I needed clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then the people who have God’s approval will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or see you thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you into our homes or see you in need of clothes and give you something to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “The king will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did for me.’
“Then the king will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me! God has cursed you! Go into everlasting fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels! I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me into your homes. I needed clothes, and you didn’t give me anything to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t take care of me.’ “They, too, will ask, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or as a stranger or in need of clothes or sick or in prison and didn’t help you?’ “He will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you failed to do for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do for me.’
“These people will go away into eternal punishment, but those with God’s approval will go into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)
Monday, June 21, 2010
Gratitude
“When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.” Hosea 13:5
Lord, keep me hungry enough to remember you are the source and supplier of everything I need… never too full or satisfied I forget it is from your gracious hands I have received.Teach me humility so I will not become too dependent on myself that I forget You. Surround me with opportunities to open my eyes, ears, heart and hands to those who are hungry and thirsty around me so they may see You.
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