With Every Breath…

Songs: Eternal Praise – Linda Norwood (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuU8emPQgZk)
All of Creation – MercyMe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UADsz7ToO8w)
Psalm 150 – The Skys (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT0Ki1JuCBA)
Psalm 150 – J Moss (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqkdzgGv8H0&feature=related)

Scriptures:
Psalm 150:6 (AMP)
6Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
Genesis 2:7 (NKJV)
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
Job 27:3-4 (NKJV)
3 As long as my breath is in me, And the breath of God in my nostrils,
4 My lips will not speak wickedness, Nor my tongue utter deceit.
Job 32:8 (NKJV)
But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
Job 33:4 (NKJV)
The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Job 34:14-15 (NKJV)
14 If He should set His heart on it, If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
15 All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.
Psalm 104:29 (NKJV)You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
Ezekiel 37:1-14 (AMP)
1THE HAND of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.
2And He caused me to pass round about among them, and behold, there were very many [human bones] in the open valley or plain, and behold, they were very dry.
3And He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, You know!(A)
4Again He said to me, Prophesy to these bones and say to them, O you dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.(B)
5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath and spirit to enter you, and you shall live;
6And I will lay sinews upon you and bring up flesh upon you and cover you with skin, and I will put breath and spirit in you, and you [dry bones] shall live; and you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service].
7So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a [thundering] noise and behold, a shaking and trembling and a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
8And I looked and behold, there were sinews upon [the bones] and flesh came upon them and skin covered them over, but there was no breath or spirit in them.
9Then said He to me, Prophesy to the breath and spirit, son of man, and say to the breath and spirit, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath and spirit, and breathe upon these slain that they may live.
10So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath and spirit came into [the bones], and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceedingly great host.(C)
11Then He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, Our bones are dried up and our hope is lost; we are completely cut off.
12Therefore prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people; and I will bring you [back home] to the land of Israel.(D)
13And you shall know that I am the Lord [your Sovereign Ruler], when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, O My people.
14And I shall put My Spirit in you and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land. Then you shall know, understand, and realize that I the Lord have spoken it and performed it, says the Lord.
Cross references:
A. Ezekiel 37:3 : I Cor 15:35
B. Ezekiel 37:4 : John 5:28
C. Ezekiel 37:10 : Rev 11:11
D. Ezekiel 37:12 : Hos 13:14
Daniel 5:23 (NKJV)And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.
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“…the reason we breathe is to sing of His glory…” (from All of Creation, by MercyMe)

Isaiah 42:5-12 (AMP)
5Thus says God the Lord--He Who created the heavens and stretched them forth, He Who spread abroad the earth and that which comes out of it, He Who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:
6I the Lord have called You [the Messiah] for a righteous purpose and in righteousness; I will take You by the hand and will keep You; I will give You for a covenant to the people [Israel], for a light to the nations [Gentiles],
7To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness from the prison.
8I am the Lord; that is My name! And My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images.
9Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.
10Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the end of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, the islands and coastal regions and the inhabitants of them [sing a song such as has never been heard in the heathen world]!
11Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices, the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of the rock [Sela or Petra] sing; let them shout from the tops of the mountains!
12Let them give glory to the Lord and declare His praise in the islands and coastal regions.

Song: Dear God, Smokie Norful (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnWbYqSJ3_w)

Lord, thank You for life, and breath – that I was made in Your image, and by Your Spirit. Thank You that You didn’t stop there, but continue to work with me, to work in me, to transform me to the image of Your Son through the power of Your Holy Spirit within me. Help me, Lord God – lead me to praise and worship You in, with, through, and by every breath of life You give to me. Be glorified, be magnified in my life as I give You all honor and praise, for truly You alone are worthy …

Acts 17:24-31 (GW)
24The God who made the universe and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn’t live in shrines made by humans, 25and he isn’t served by humans as if he needed anything. He gives everyone life, breath, and everything they have. 26 From one man he has made every nation of humanity to live all over the earth. He has given them the seasons of the year and the boundaries within which to live. 27He has done this so that they would look for God, somehow reach for him, and find him. In fact, he is never far from any one of us. 28Certainly, we live, move, and exist because of him. As some of your poets have said, ‘We are God’s children.’ 29So if we are God’s children, we shouldn’t think that the divine being is like an image made from gold, silver, or stone, an image that is the product of human imagination and skill.
30“God overlooked the times when people didn’t know any better. But now he commands everyone everywhere to turn to him and change the way they think and act. 31He has set a day when he is going to judge the world with justice, and he will use a man he has appointed to do this. God has given proof to everyone that he will do this by bringing that man back to life.”

“…You are The Way, The Truth, The Life, the very reason I have breath … I will praise…” (from Eternal Praise, by Linda Norwood)

... and my journey with Him continues ...

Heavenly Perspective

Songs: Every Starry Night - Chris August
When Everything Falls - Fee
My Own Little World – Matthew West
Our God Reigns – Brandon Heath

Scriptures:
Genesis 1:1-18 (NLT)
The Account of Creation
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.[a] 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day" and the darkness "night."
And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.
6 Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” 7 And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. 8 God called the space “sky.”
And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day.
9 Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. 10 God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. 12 The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.
13 And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day.
14 Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them mark off the seasons, days, and years. 15 Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. 16 God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, 18 to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
Footnotes:
a. Genesis 1:1 Or In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, . . . Or When God began to create the heavens and the earth, . . .

Psalm 33:5-6 (NIV)
5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

Isaiah 40:26 (NIV)
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Isaiah 45:12 (NIV)
It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts.

Isaiah 45:18 (NIV)
For this is what the LORD says— he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited— he says: “I am the LORD, and there is no other.

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So, here’s what happened:

I was reading an email from a friend letting me know about the upcoming Passion Church’s scheduled production of an event, “Indescribable”. I’m getting over a cold, but I have enjoyed all of the Passion Church events I’ve attended, so I thought I might think about going.

Then, I got an email about a Louie Giglio video on “laminin” (an email similar to the one investigated / reported on at http://www.snopes.com/glurge/laminin.asp) … so I thought, “hmmm, Louie Giglio twice – hmmm” and looked on youtube for the laminin video. While watching this, I also saw listed youtube videos for Louie Giglio / Indescribable (5 parts), so I thought I’d watch / listen to these while going through the rest of my email.

Psalm 136:1-9 (NKJV)
Thanksgiving to God for His Enduring Mercy
1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever.
3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever:

4 To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever;
5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever;
6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever;
7 To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever—
8 The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever;
9 The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever.

As I was going through the “Indescribable” videos, I received a prayer request. Because of where my head / heart / spirit was after contemplating the majesty, magnificence, and power of God, I believe I had been given a “heavenly perspective” from which to pray – so I did.

(I thought of Colossians 3:2 - Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.)

I thought that all happening in this way was just such an awesome thing, and sent an email to another friend about part of it, saying that God is awesome. Then, I opened an email about this Sunday’s Sunday School lesson entitled, “God is Awesome”, with lesson Scripture from Psalm 66:

Psalm 66 (NKJV)
To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm.
1 Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
2 Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious.
3 Say to God, “How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
4 All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name.” Selah

5 Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
6 He turned the sea into dry land; They went through the river on foot. There we will rejoice in Him.
7 He rules by His power forever; His eyes observe the nations; Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

8 Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
9 Who keeps our soul among the living, And does not allow our feet to be moved.
10 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs.
12 You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

13 I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows,
14 Which my lips have uttered And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals, With the sweet aroma of rams; I will offer bulls with goats. Selah

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
17 I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.
19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.

20 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!

I really did laugh out loud with joy – literally. What a wonderful, marvelous God He IS!!!

Song: Marvelous – Walter Hawkins

Psalm 8 (AMP)
To the Chief Musician; set to a Philistine lute, or [possibly] to a particular Hittite tune. A Psalm of David.
1O LORD, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory on [or above] the heavens.
2Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants You have established strength because of Your foes, that You might silence the enemy and the avenger.(A)
3When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established,
4What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him?
5Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet:(B)
7All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field,
8The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth!
Cross references:
A. Psalm 8:2 : Matt 21:15, 16
B. Psalm 8:6 : I Cor 15:27; Eph 1:22, 23; Heb 2:6-8

... and my journey with Him continues ...

I Just Want to Say “Thank You”

Songs: I Want to Say Thank You, performed by Lisa Page-Brooks

Scriptures:
Colossians 2:6-7 (New International Version © 2010)
Spiritual Fullness in Christ
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 3:1-17 (New International Version © 2010)
Living as Those Made Alive in Christ
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 4:2 (New International Version © 2010)
[ Further Instructions ] Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

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For several weeks, it seemed that every time I was in the car, I would hear a certain song on the radio – “Thank You,” performed by Lisa Page-Brooks. One day when it came on, it occurred to me how much I was hearing that song, and, because I was going through the channels looking for musical variety, I thought something akin to, “not that song again.” I immediately felt a “check in my spirit” – the feeling that something was wrong. Then, a sadness settled over me. Before I could even wonder what was going on, what I was feeling or why, it occurred to me that I was being given a gift – a reminder of the generosity of my God, Who loves me sooooo patiently, in the opportunity – in the very need - to say / sing “Thank You” along with the song, and to think on His goodness, even to one such as me. How selfish and
self-centered my search appeared – for my entertainment and not for His glory. How ungrateful my thought seemed!

I quickly repented and felt the sadness lift, replaced by a sweet peace as my thoughts went God-ward in contrite, humbled thanksgiving.

So now I don’t hear the song so much anymore. But when I do, I smile, thanking God for the lesson, and for one more chance, one more reason to say, “Thank YOU!!!”

Hebrews 12 (New International Version © 2010)
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

God Disciplines His Children
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[a]
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,”[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Warning and Encouragement
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy
18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”[c] 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”[d]
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”[e] 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”[f]
Footnotes:
a. Hebrews 12:6 Prov. 3:11,12 (see Septuagint)
b. Hebrews 12:13 Prov. 4:26
c. Hebrews 12:20 Exodus 19:12,13
d. Hebrews 12:21 See Deut. 9:19.
e. Hebrews 12:26 Haggai 2:6
f. Hebrews 12:29 Deut. 4:24

Again, reference to our worship, per verse 28: …”let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,”

New Living Translation (NLT)
28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.

The Message (MSG)
28Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God.

Amplified Bible (AMP)
28Let us therefore, receiving a kingdom that is firm and stable and cannot be shaken, offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship, with modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe;

New Century Version (NCV)
28 So let us be thankful, because we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. We should worship God in a way that pleases him with respect and fear,

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
28Therefore, we must be thankful that we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Because we are thankful, we must serve God with fear and awe in a way that pleases him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. [a] By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe; (A)
Footnotes:
a. Hebrews 12:28 Or let us give thanks, or let us have grace
Cross references:
A. Hebrews 12:28 : Daniel 2:44; Hebrews 13:15;

J. B. Phillips New Testament (PHIL)
Since then we have been given a kingdom that is "unshakeable", let us serve God with thankfulness in the ways which please him, but always with reverence and holy fear.

... and my journey with Him continues ...

Forgiveness

Songs: A Heart That Forgives, Kevin LeVar (http://www.onlinefellowship.org/2010/02/16/kevin-levar-a-heart-that-forgives-official-video-and-lyrics/)
Lead me to the Cross, Hillsong United (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-vX_6y89Ks&feature=related)

Scriptures:
Genesis 37:18-24, 28; 50:15-20 (New Century Version, www.biblegateway.com)
Joseph Sold into Slavery
18 Joseph's brothers saw him coming from far away. Before he reached them, they made a plan to kill him.19 They said to each other, "Here comes that dreamer.20 Let's kill him and throw his body into one of the wells. We can tell our father that a wild animal killed him. Then we will see what will become of his dreams."
21 But Reuben heard their plan and saved Joseph, saying, "Let's not kill him.22 Don't spill any blood. Throw him into this well here in the desert, but don't hurt him!" Reuben planned to save Joseph later and send him back to his father.23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they pulled off his robe with long sleeves24 and threw him into the well. It was empty, and there was no water in it…
28 So when the Midianite traders came by, the brothers took Joseph out of the well and sold him to the Ishmaelites for eight ounces of silver. And the Ishmaelites took him to Egypt…

The Brothers Fear Joseph
15 After Jacob died, Joseph's brothers said, "What if Joseph is still angry with us? We did many wrong things to him. What if he plans to pay us back?"16 So they sent a message to Joseph that said, "Your father gave this command before he died.17 He said to us, 'You have done wrong and have sinned and done evil to Joseph. Tell Joseph to forgive you, his brothers.' So now, Joseph, we beg you to forgive our wrong. We are the servants of the God of your father." When Joseph received the message, he cried.
18 And his brothers went to him and bowed low before him and said, "We are your slaves."
19 Then Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Can I do what only God can do?20 You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good to save the lives of many people, which is being done.

Proverbs 20:22 (New Century Version, www.biblegateway.com)
22 Don't say, "I'll pay you back for the wrong you did." Wait for the Lord, and he will make things right.

Hebrews 10:23-31 (New Living Translation, http://www.crosswalk.com/)
23 Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.

26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received a full knowledge of the truth, there is no other sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27 There will be nothing to look forward to but the terrible expectation of God's judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 28 Anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Think how much more terrible the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God and have treated the blood of the covenant as if it were common and unholy. Such people have insulted and enraged the Holy Spirit who brings God's mercy to his people. 30 For we know the one who said, "I will take vengeance. I will repay those who deserve it." He also said, "The Lord will judge his own people." 31 It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.


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I was reading in Max Lucado’s book, Cast of Characters, the chapter about Joseph. Some of the things said about anger, revenge, and forgiveness are:

“…there is power in revenge. Intoxicating power. Haven’t we tasted it? Haven’t we been tempted to get even?”

“Judgment is God’s job. To assume otherwise is to assume God can’t do it. Revenge is irreverent.”

“Forgiveness comes easier with a wide-angle lens. Joseph uses one to get the whole picture. He refuses to focus on the betrayal of his brothers without also seeing the loyalty of his God.”

“To forgive someone is to admit our limitations. We’ve been given only one piece of life’s jigsaw puzzle. Only God has the cover of the box.”

“To forgive someone is to display reverence. Forgiveness is not saying the one who hurt you was right. Forgiveness is stating that God is fair and He will do what is right.”

A short time prior to that, I heard (for the first time, I think) a song, about having “a heart that forgives.” Hmmm – to have a heart (attitude) like Christ’s…

Philippians 2:1-11 (New Living Translation, www.biblegateway.com)
Have the Attitude of Christ
1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God,[a] he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges[b]; he took the humble position of a slave[c] and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,[d]
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Footnotes:
a. Philippians 2:6 Or Being in the form of God.
b. Philippians 2:7 Greek he emptied himself.
c. Philippians 2:7 Or the form of a slave.
d. Philippians 2:7 Some English translations put this phrase in verse 8.


Romans 5:6-8 (New Century Version, www.biblegateway.com)
6 When we were unable to help ourselves, at the right time, Christ died for us, although we were living against God. 7 Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die.8 But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still
sinners.

Ephesians 4:17-32 (New Living Translation, http://www.crosswalk.com/)
17 With the Lord's authority let me say this: Live no longer as the ungodly do,
for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their closed minds are full of darkness;
they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds and
hardened their hearts against him. 19 They don't care anymore about right and
wrong, and they have given themselves over to immoral ways. Their lives are
filled with all kinds of impurity and greed.

20 But that isn't what you were taught when you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard all about him and have learned the truth that is in Jesus, 22 throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. 23 Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. 24 You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness -- righteous, holy, and true.

25 So put away all falsehood and "tell your neighbor the truth" because we belong to each other. 26 And "don't sin by letting anger gain control over you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.

28 If you are a thief, stop stealing. Begin using your hands for honest work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

30 And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

So as I think about worship with the upcoming praise and worship events, I find myself once again in Romans 12:1, outlining my “spiritual worship” – my worship “in spirit” (John 4:23) from God’s Truth:

Romans 12 (Amplified Bible, www.biblegateway.com)
1I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.
2Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
3For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him.
4For as in one physical body we have many parts (organs, members) and all of these parts do not have the same function or use,
5So we, numerous as we are, are one body in Christ (the Messiah) and individually we are parts one of another [mutually dependent on one another].
6Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: [He whose gift is] prophecy, [let him prophesy] according to the proportion of his faith;
7[He whose gift is] practical service, let him give himself to serving; he who teaches, to his teaching;
8He who exhorts (encourages), to his exhortation; he who contributes, let him do it in simplicity and liberality; he who gives aid and superintends, with zeal and singleness of mind; he who does acts of mercy, with genuine cheerfulness and joyful eagerness.
9[Let your] love be sincere (a real thing); hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good.
10Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another.
11Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.
12Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer.
13Contribute to the needs of God's people [sharing in the necessities of the saints]; pursue the practice of hospitality.
14Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them.
15Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others' joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others' grief].
16Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits.(A)
17Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone.(B)
18If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God's] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord.(C)
20But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.(D)
21Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good.

Cross references:
A. Romans 12:16 : Prov 3:7
B. Romans 12:17 : Prov 20:22
C. Romans 12:19 : Deut 32:35
D. Romans 12:20 : Prov 25:21,22

Hmmm... overcome evil with good...

... and my journey with Him continues ...