Praise

Praise.

How often do we as Christians praise God? I mean really praise and worship him on a daily basis not just at church on Sundays.

We always ask God to heal us and to bless us but do we thank him and give him the glory that he deserves for the things he has given us? Are we Joyful when we do it? Sometimes we cannot move forward without being content with where we are. That doesn’t mean that we cannot strive for the future but we need to be thankful for the things God has provided and even those he has not.

In Psalms 20:4

May he grant you according to your heart’s desire. And fulfill your purposes.

Then in verse 5 David states, “We will rejoice in your salvation, and set up our banners!”

We need to delight in what God achieves for us. We need to wave our banners and give him the praise and admiration he deserves. God is a boundless God who does magnificent works. We need to tell him what an awesome job he does in our lives. Even if our lives do not feel so splendid.

Your car may not be a top of the line Lexus but it gets you to your job and home. We need to thank him for the transportation that he has given us. The job that lets us afford the things that we have and the food that we eat. We need to thank him for that red light when we’re running late cause it saved us from the car accident that just happened down the road.

We need to Thank him for his word and the assurance he gives to us through it. Thank him for the past knowledge and the prophets that were sent before us to pave our way and to guide us home to God.

When we thank him and praise his name it needs to be done in an uplifting and joyful countenance.

Everyone likes to hear appreciation, God is no different.

Even Joseph who had been sold into slavery by his own brothers knew that God had allowed it so that he would preserve the future. He held fast to God as he went through trials and tribulations before he reached his promise. Using the vision and wisdom God had given him he rose to be Pharaoh’s equal. Joseph a Hebrew was the Egyptian Pharaohs equal. Could you imagine? Back then Egyptians and Hebrews did not even eat at the same tables. But he showed his faith in God and he was blessed. Then when he told his brothers who he was he told them not to worry or be angry with themselves for God lead him to where he was. Reading through his story in Genesis you will see that time and again he said this was gods doing not mans (his). God give him the power to interpret Pharaohs dreams and thus letting Joseph have the knowledge on how to preserve food during the 7 good years for the 7 years of draught.

“Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, ‘The dreams are one; God has shown Pharaoh what he is to do.” Genesis 41:25

Then another reference in verse 28, “This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.”

Later in verse 32, “And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.”

Joseph was giving God the credit. Joseph was a tool for God so that they may know what to do in that 14 year period. And in return Pharaoh made Joseph the man in charge. God truly blessed Joseph.

How many of us can withstand trials a tribulations and know that God will bless us or better yet is blessing us. His blessings are showered upon us in his own time; not ours. But we need to give him the honor praise and glory during those periods so that he knows we have not given up and will continue to be a child of the Lord.

Wash Away

What can wash away my sins…nothing but the blood of Jesus.

All of these “sins” can creep but up and bite you after you’ve given them to God. But don’t be discourage because he will carry us through those tough times.

The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows who trusts in Him. Nahum 1:7

The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on high hills. Habakkuk 3:1

Ask

“Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

John 16-:24

The 2 verses before states:

“Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. And in that day you will ask me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give you.” (John 16:22, 23)

Joy, the meaning of it according to Wikipedia, “Joy may refer to Happiness, an emotion.”

He gives us the strength to endure or he takes it away. “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 6:24). That’s powerful stuff. There are so many in the world that is going through ruff times (myself included) and what we need to be doing is giving our problems to God. Who doesn’t want happiness and joy?

Prayer is a powerful tool against all our aliments. By having faith and asking to wipe our issues away he will restore us. I once was lost and now I’m found is not just a clever song. It has real meaning.

So why do we fight every step of the way? When I was 18 I had the I’m 18 and I’m an adult I’ll do what I want. Looking back that wasn’t the best attitude to have. And that’s the attitude some of us carry with God.

Stumble a : to fall into sin or waywardness b : to make an error : blunder (Merriam-Webster)

Everyone stumbles and falls. It happens all the time and its ok. We are supposed to strive to be great Christians and sometimes we will fall short. When that happens we need to pick ourselves up and dust off and keep marching on. It’s harder than I make it sound. Sometimes you feel down and helpless but there is hope and there is joy to be found and to have.

He has restored my faith my mind and my spirit.

All that I am is because of what he has given me. I will praise him for the things that I have and even the things I do not have. We are who we are because of the things that we go through. Life experiences help us to understand better others situations. We are creatures that base much of our lives on emotions. Some emotions are hard to understand and deal with. But know this…however hard it is God is there to help us through it or take it completely away. Why we go through things is not for us to know; who are we to question God? Again, know this…however hard it is God is there to help us through it or take it completely away.

There are a number of verses throughout the Bible that gives reference to this. There are many songs and poems written in reference to it as well. What about the personal stories from people about the miracles that God has worked in their lives. He defeats Satan time and again.

All we have to do is ask…Come breathe on me By Jennifer Knapp

Come trickle down and save the world 
two hands that I can't see 
come breathe, come breathe, 
come breathe on me 
split-rib water, blood and bone 
come now, come Calvary 
come breathe, come breathe on me

His answers come in Gods own time not ours. However frustrating that is we know as Christians that if we hold fast to the Lord and have faith his work will be done.

…This is what it means to be held


How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life


And you survive


This is what it is to be loved and to know


That the promise was that when everything fell


We'd be held…

- Held by Natalie Grant

Hold Fast cause we are Held...we can find Joy in Christ!

Obedience

Isaiah 1:18-20

“Come now and let us reason together,” Says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

These verses give us 2 very opposite promises.

One of hope and the other of destruction. Not only is God a great loving and gracious God, giving us many chances over and over; but he is a God that is ready to stand and fight for what is his.

Now that may be scary for some, but for me both promises are a refuge. Not only is God loving and forgiving but he is willing fight for me. Who better to fight for you other than the most powerful being ever? He is the “Lord of Hosts, the Mighty one of Israel” (Isaiah 1:24). We call on him to fight our fights, heal our oppressions and forgive our transgressions.

He is very real and ready to take care of all we need.

The poem Footprints in the Sand…let us know that he carries us through our trouble times (even though it may not feel like it). He is there with us always. He will not forsake us.

Hebrews 13:5

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Verse 6 goes on to say, “So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; What can man do to me?’”

Again, we call on him to fight our fights, heal our oppressions and forgive our transgressions. And Satan will fight us the entire way. But we can hold tight to the promises that God will see us through it and never give us something that we cannot handle and when it gets to be too much…we can call on his name and the “Lord of Hosts, the Mighty one of Israel” (Isaiah 1:24) will be there to fight for us.

The God of healing will be there to restore us. Psalms 147:3 states, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds their wounds…Great is our Lord, and mighty in power…”

What about the extreme patience that God has. He forgives us when we overstep the realm of Christianity. “But you are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness” (Nehemiah 9:17).

This is Remarkable! He wants to do all of this for us. We, who are mere humans that are constantly sinning in some form. We’re not perfect and God is not asking us to be. He is asking that we be “willing and obedient” (Isaiah 1:18-20).

When it is too much for us…

But he said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” - Luke 18:27

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” - Hebrews 13:8

Whilst we fall he will pick us up.

Be glorified in this temple

The Bible is a learning tool for Christians. I have decided to read through it in a year on top of searching the word for inspiration for this blog. I never run short of inspiration either. Not only is the Bible great knowledge and great inspiration but songs are too. The other day at church we were singing:

Be glorified

Be glorified

Be glorified

Be glorified in this temple.

This made me stop and think…I used to believe “this temple” as our church. The epiphany that I received on Sunday made me pause mid song. I had a new meaning. Be glorified in this temple meant be glorified in me. We are his temple we are the body of Christ. As Christians our bodies, minds and spirits are the body of Christ. We need to be joyful of that revelation and in return need to glorify God.

1 Corinthians 6:19 states that, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

Ephesians 2:19-22 tells us that Christ is the cornerstone to the holy temple and the holy temple means “…you are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

We are his temple.

The Bible teaches and when I say teaches I mean that we need to learn from past experiences and then go forward. Take what generations went through and what the Bible commands us to do and move forward using it. We are his temple so we should glorify him because of the works that he does in/through us.

1 Corinthians 6:20…For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

The Bible also tells us to be a light unto men so they may see God through us and thus we are glorifying his name (Matthew 5:16)

Even Jesus Glorified God’s name, “’Father, Glorify Your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.’”

This is something I plan on working on. Glorifying God in everything that I do, everything that happens and for everything that I have. God is Great!

1-12-11

God Never Changes

God Never Changes

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

We’ve all heard this and may have even quoted it. As simple as this verse is to read it has far more meaning than the black and white on paper.

This verse is used in many contexts and used for quoting with other scriptures in the bible. This wows me with the impact of God.

All throughout the Bible we are reminded how great God is in many aspects. Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that not only was God great during the Old Testament and the New Testament but he is still that great now and will be when we are just a memory.

But you are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness. Nehemiah 9:17

And later in Psalms 86:15 it states, “But you, O Lord, are a God full of compassion and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.”

And even later on in Psalms 100:5 - The lord is good; His mercy is ever lasting.

Throughout (past, present and future) we see that he stayed the same merciful and gracious God He is.

Same can be said for forgiveness. Although people of the Old Testament received forgiveness through offerings to God and the New Testament receives forgiveness through Jesus. God’s forgiveness is still the same and he readily gives it to us when we ask.

Leviticus 5:10 says, “The priest shall then offer the other as a burnt offering in the prescribed way and make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.”

Psalms 32:5 … Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Then in Ephesians 4:32 we are reminded, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

What about Colossians 2:13? “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins”

He will continue to forgive us in our transgressions if we bring them to him.

Healing is another important constant of God throughout the Bible.

O Lord my God, I cried out to you, and you have healed me. Psalms 30:2 (This is a powerful verse)

Many are the affliction of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken. Psalms 34:19

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases…” Psalm 103:2

“For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 30:17

In the New Testament… Acts 10:38, “…God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with the power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

In the New and Old Testaments God is healing. Whether working through himself, Jesus, or the disciples. Today he heals through prayer and anointing. You hear the wondrous stories of those that have been touched and healed by the Lord.

Where ever it is in time, God is there and he remains the same.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Malachi 3:6, “For I am the Lord, I do not change…”

1-7-2011