More Strength! and Peace,,,

Songs: Strength – John P. Kee & New Life Community Choir (NLCC) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lVkoeIIS1E&feature=related part 1, and w/Dorinda Clark-Cole, part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSfHGsO_uqg&feature=related)

Everything I Need – Kutless (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXTFwGjzjag)

Scripture: Psalm 29:11
The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

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I hadn't really planned to do this, but I stayed up all night the other night. The next day, I knew I had something to do, but thought that it would only take a little while. It took all day. But I didn’t get tired at all, praise be to God! I am so grateful for the strength that God gives...for the strength that He is ... for all that He is to and for me!

And His peace keeps me, even when things aren't going as I plan or as I think they should or as I want. Thank You, Lord, for Your perfect peace!

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Exodus 15:2
The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

1 Chronicles 29:12
Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all.

Psalm 18:1
[ To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said: ] I will love You, O LORD, my strength.

Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.

Psalm 31:24
Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.

Psalm 37:39
But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble.

Psalm 68:35
O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!

Psalm 71:16
I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD;I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.

Isaiah 40:29
He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.

Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 49:5
“ And now the LORD says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, So that Israel is gathered to Him (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, And My God shall be My strength),

Isaiah 58:11
The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Daniel 10:19
And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

Joel 3:16
The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.

Habakkuk 3:19
The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet,And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.

Zechariah 10:6
“ I will strengthen the house of Judah, And I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, Because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; For I am the LORD their God, And I will hear them.

2 Timothy 4:17
[ The Lord Is Faithful ] But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

…and my journey with Him continues…

Reading Material – (2g)

Here is information on another book I’ve read recently (Scripture is from biblegateway.org):

The Power of a Whisper: Hearing God. Having the guts to respond. - by Bill Hybels.

In this book, vision is cast, and a challenge is given to live in every circumstance of life with “an ear toward heaven – discerning whispers that arbitrate key decisions, nudges that rescue from dark nights of the soul, promptings that spur growth, urgings from the lips of another person, and inspiration that opens glazed-over eyes to the plight of injustice and poverty in our world” – and to “get gutsier about actually doing what God is prompting you to do.”

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Isaiah 30:21, New International Version 1984, ©1984
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

In the stories presented, I saw anew the benefits of being obedient to God, and thereby being positioned to participate in the increase of His kingdom. Sometimes I do better at being obedient than at others; hopefully, I will grow stronger and mature spiritually to a point where I will be more obedient, not thinking about myself (which would make me subject to selfishness, pride, timidity, cowardice, etc.) but only about obeying God.

Proverbs 29:25, Contemporary English Version
Don't fall into the trap of being a coward-- trust the LORD, and you will be safe.

Mark 8:35, New Living Translation
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.

2 Timothy 1:7, New Living Translation
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

And as I grow closer to God, I expect my ability to discern His voice, His whisper, to grow. Five “filters” were shared in examining whether a “whisper” is really from God: Ask if it is truly from God, check if it is Scriptural, consider if it is wise, determine if it is in tune with your own character, and discern what people you trust most think about it.

Proverbs 11:14, New King James Version
Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

Proverbs 24:6, New King James Version
For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.

…and my journey with Him continues…

Reading Material – (2f)

Here is information on another book I’ve read recently (Scripture is from biblegateway.org):

Getting Another Chance from The God Who Won’t Let Go; Divine grace in the face of guilt, tragedy, and failure, by Dean Merrill.

“If you could use a fresh start,” this book “offers biblical insights that can help you align yourself with God’s redemptive will for your life. It provides practical questions for reflection. And through true-life examples, it reveals a Savior who will meet you in the midst of your circumstances … and flood your life with unexpected grace.”

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Song: Second Chance, Hezekiah Walker and the Love Fellowship Crusade Choir, featuring Monique Walker (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlIzVnBM3jo&feature=related)
[There are multiple videos of this song. This one is live – slower and longer than some of the others - and at the end, Ms. Walker sings “Another Chance” – that was the former title of this book!]

I actually picked this book up when I was in the library because of the author. Always before, I had seen Dean Merrill’s name listed on a book as being “with” someone else who had “top billing” for authorship. The book was a good reminder that God’s mercy truly endures forever.

Someone had asked me about repentance, and I was able to share some information from this book with them:

1) In his book Let Us Enjoy Forgiveness, Judson Cornwall explains and then illustrates how completely God removes our sins once they are confessed. This excerpt begins with a comment on Colossians 2:13-14, “He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to His cross.”

The more common Greek word for the cancellation of a contract is chiazein, which means to write the Greek letter chi, which is the same shape as a capital X, right across the document. This was called a “cross out.” But Paul uses the Greek word exaleiphein, which literally means “to wash over,” as in whitewashing, or “to wipe out.” The ink used in Paul’s day was basically soot mixed with gum and dilated with water. It would last for a long time and retain its color, but a wet sponge passed over the surface of the papyrus could wash the paper as clean as it had been before the writing had been inscribed on it. This is the word Paul uses here. Our sins have not merely been canceled out; they have been blotted out…

God made this truth tremendously clear to me when I was pasturing on the West Coast. I had been burdened for a pastor who had been defrocked by his denomination for immorality and had moved to my community to start life over as a watchman for a plywood mill. Over a period of many months, we lunched together and came to know each other quite well. I continuously sought to cause him to accept the forgiveness he used to preach and encouraged him to live as a forgiven man, but it was difficult for him, since he had lived most of his life in the concept that God has a separate standard for ministers. After more than a year, the reality of God’s forgiveness began to dawn upon him. … It was great to see this guilt-ridden brother begin to accept the fullness of God’s glorious forgiveness. In time, his denomination recognized the change in him and reinstated him, offering him a small church to begin his ministry anew. …
“Lord,” I prayed, “have I been mistaken about him all along? Did he really confess his sin, or did he merely admit his guilt? Is he caught up in self-condemnation, or is he still guilty in Your sight?”

God’s answer came in the form of an immediate vision. With my eyes still closed in prayer, I saw myself in a large room that had bookcases on all four walls with volumes of leather-bound books from floor to ceiling. It reminded me of a legal library. As I looked at the books, I saw that they were alphabetized by names of people. A large hand with an extended index finger began to move across the books, until it came to the one with this minister’s name on it. The book was removed from the shelf, placed on a small table, and opened in such a way that I could see and read the pages. The first page told the story of his birth, and subsequent pages told of his early childhood, of his call into the ministry while he was still in his teens, of his first ministry and pastorate, of his courtship and marriage and of his climb to a respected position in his denomination. … Everything that I read fit what I had come to know about this man.

The top of each page was dated, very much like a diary, and as the pages got closer and closer to the first incidence of adultery, I wondered how God would have it recorded. But when the book opened to that date, the page was absolutely blank, as were succeeding pages for what would be chapters of space. Then when we came to the date of his repentance, it was fully recorded with a marginal gloss that this had produced great rejoicing in heaven. Following this, the pages recorded his progress back into faith, his ministry in our church, his reacceptance into the denomination, and his call to the new church. Puzzled by the many blank pages, I asked if I could have a closer look at them. My request was granted, and I saw that there had been writing on the pages, but that it had been erased. On the bottom of each erased page, in red, were the initials “JC.”

True to His word, Jesus Christ had “blotted out the charges proved against you, the list of His commandments which you had not obeyed” (Colossians 2:14 LB). Heaven had no record of this man’s sin. The only existing record was in his memory.

Excited with this revelation, I rushed to the phone and called the brother. After I told him what God had shown me, he quit his job, took the church, and re-entered the ministry as a forgiven man.

God does not forgive and then file it away for future reference; he forgives and then erases the record. The pages of transcript that record our sinning are erased clean. Even the tape recording of our confession is erased, so that none will ever have access to our past. The guilt is removed and so is the evidence. This is the way God forgives the repentant one. Acts 3:19 urges us, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out [Greek exaleiphein], when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (KJV).

2) To be forgiven, to have our blot erased and forgotten, is a great gift. But to watch God fill the empty space, writing a new thing upon the tablet of our lives, is even greater. It is the final evidence that He does not hold a grudge, that He has not schemed some kind of residual punishment for us. His love is so complete that it does not stop until He has assured us that we are more than just tolerable in His sight; we are valuable.

Justice: We get what we deserve.
Mercy: We do not get what we deserve.
Grace: We get what we do not deserve.
Sam Wilson

[ Makes me think of verses from Isaiah 43:1-4, 18-19:

The Redeemer of Israel
1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“ Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life. ..
18 “ Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.

…and Philippians 3:12-16 (New King James Version)

Pressing Toward the Goal
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.]

…and my journey with Him continues…

Reading Material – (2e)

Here is information on another book I’ve read recently (Scripture is from biblegateway.org):

another man’s war: The True Story of One Man’s Battle to Save Children in the Sudan, by Sam Childers.

This book follows “Childers’s remarkable transformation from violent thug to a man of faith, and his ongoing battle to save children in one of the world’s most lawless areas. His mission is simple: save the children, no matter the cost.”

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In cleaning up, I kept coming upon a slip of paper for the address of Shekinah Fellowship, where I had sent a contribution once to aid in rescue of the children of Sudan and Uganda. Since I couldn’t seem to get rid of the paper, I looked them up on the internet and found that there was a book about the “gun-toting preacher” who runs the rescue efforts. Once again, the public library had the book, and it was in so I checked it out and read it.

When I had initially seen some film footage some years ago about the orphanage that was started for the rescued children, I was really horrified to see (and not just hear about) the evidence of some of the violence and atrocities they suffered. I was even more troubled when I felt the Lord speaking to me that their healing would only come through forgiveness. How could someone forgive this?

Mark 10:26-28 (Amplified Bible)
26And they were shocked and exceedingly astonished, and said to Him and to one another, Then who can be saved?

27Jesus glanced around at them and said, With men [it is] impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.

28Peter started to say to Him, Behold, we have yielded up and abandoned everything [once and for all and joined You as Your disciples, siding with Your party] and accompanied You [walking the same road that You walk].

Then I remembered reading an account of holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom’s encounter with a Nazi guard who had been at one of the concentration camps where she was detained during the World War II. Part of an online account reprinted from a Guideposts magazine article tells the story (http://www.familylifeeducation.org/gilliland/procgroup/CorrieTenBoom.htm):

“ ‘But since that time,’ he went on, ‘I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fräulein,’ again the hand came out—’will you forgive me?’

“And I stood there—I whose sins had again and again to be forgiven—and could not forgive. Betsie had died in that place—could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking?

“It could not have been many seconds that he stood there—hand held out—but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.

“For I had to do it—I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. ‘If you do not forgive men their
trespasses,’ Jesus says, ‘neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.’

“I knew it not only as a commandment of God, but as a daily experience. Since the end of the war I had had a home in Holland for victims of Nazi brutality. Those who were able to forgive their former enemies were able also to return to the outside world and rebuild their lives, no matter what the physical scars. Those who nursed their bitterness remained invalids. It was as simple and as horrible as that.

“And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion—I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. ‘… Help!’ I prayed silently. ‘I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling.’

“And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.

“ ‘I forgive you, brother!’ I cried. ‘With all my heart!’

“For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely, as I did then.”

The book does talk some of the forgiveness those rescued have experienced – there is even a story where Pastor Sam had met with a man who had hurt many people, intending to kill him but instead “led him to eternal life in heaven….His old life of death and evil was gone, replaced with a new, clean, spotless life in Christ….All sinners are equally damned and everyone, no matter what they’ve done, can be equally forgiven and blessed.”

Hard lessons sometimes, but still…

…and my journey with Him continues…

Reading Material – (2d)

Romans 2, New Century Version (NCV)
You People Also Are Sinful
1 If you think you can judge others, you are wrong. When you judge them, you are really judging yourself guilty, because you do the same things they do.2 God judges those who do wrong things, and we know that his judging is right.3 You judge those who do wrong, but you do wrong yourselves. Do you think you will be able to escape the judgment of God?4 He has been very kind and patient, waiting for you to change, but you think nothing of his kindness. Perhaps you do not understand that God is kind to you so you will change your hearts and lives.5 But you are stubborn and refuse to change, so you are making your own punishment even greater on the day he shows his anger. On that day everyone will see God's right judgments.6 God will reward or punish every person for what that person has done.7 Some people, by always continuing to do good, live for God's glory, for honor, and for life that has no end. God will give them life forever.8 But other people are selfish. They refuse to follow truth and, instead, follow evil. God will give them his punishment and anger.9 He will give trouble and suffering to everyone who does evil—to the Jews first and also to those who are not Jews.10 But he will give glory, honor, and peace to everyone who does good—to the Jews first and also to those who are not Jews.11 For God judges all people in the same way.

12 People who do not have the law and who are sinners will be lost, although they do not have the law. And, in the same way, those who have the law and are sinners will be judged by the law.13 Hearing the law does not make people right with God. It is those who obey the law who will be right with him.14 (Those who are not Jews do not have the law, but when they freely do what the law commands, they are the law for themselves. This is true even though they do not have the law.15 They show that in their hearts they know what is right and wrong, just as the law commands. And they show this by their consciences. Sometimes their thoughts tell them they did wrong, and sometimes their thoughts tell them they did right.)16 All these things will happen on the day when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge people's secret thoughts. The Good News that I preach says this.

The Jews and the Law
17 What about you? You call yourself a Jew. You trust in the law of Moses and brag that you are close to God.18 You know what he wants you to do and what is important, because you have learned the law.19 You think you are a guide for the blind and a light for those who are in darkness.20 You think you can show foolish people what is right and teach those who know nothing. You have the law; so you think you know everything and have all truth.21 You teach others, so why don't you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but you steal.22 You say that others must not take part in adultery, but you are guilty of that sin. You hate idols, but you steal from temples.23 You brag about having God's law, but you bring shame to God by breaking his law,24 just as the Scriptures say: "Those who are not Jews speak against God's name because of you."[a]

25 If you follow the law, your circumcision has meaning. But if you break the law, it is as if you were never circumcised.26 People who are not Jews are not circumcised, but if they do what the law says, it is as if they were circumcised.27 You Jews have the written law and circumcision, but you break the law. So those who are not circumcised in their bodies, but still obey the law, will show that you are guilty.28 They can do this because a person is not a true Jew if he is only a Jew in his physical body; true circumcision is not only on the outside of the body.29 A person is a Jew only if he is a Jew inside; true circumcision is done in the heart by the Spirit, not by the written law. Such a person gets praise from God rather than from people.

Footnotes:
a. Romans 2:24 "Those . . . you." Quotation from Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:20.
(Scripture is from biblegateway.org)

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Here is information about another book I’ve read recently:

When God Comes to Church: Experiencing the Fullness of His Presence, by Steve Gaines, with Dean Merrill.

“People talk about getting God back into government and public schools, but what about getting God back into our churches? Gently guiding Christians to look inward about the matter, Pastor Steve Gaines calls for a determined return to the core point of corporate worship. Setting up the book’s absorbing discussion, he suggests a ‘reformation of worship, a whole new understanding based on Scripture of what it means to draw close to God’ [and] offers a reformative mission statement:

Worship services should not be designed primarily to attract people. Rather, worship services should be designed to attract
the manifest presence of God, and He in turn will attract the people.”

I found Romans 2 (my recent Lenten reading) reminding me of this book, in considering Christians “spiritual Jews” …

…and my journey with Him continues…

Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (New King James Version)
Comfort in Suffering
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

2 Corinthians 7:5-7 (New King James Version)
5 For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. 6 Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

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Some things weren’t going the way I expected. I wasn’t worried, though maybe just a little concerned. The Lord ministered to me through music as I drove doing errands:

Our God – Chris Tomlin
I Choose to Worship – Wes Morgan
Before the Morning – John Wilson
Wholly Yours – David Crowder Band
Beautiful – MercyMe
You Alone – Echoing Angels

I thought of all the comfort that the Lord was providing to me at this time – through His Presence, through the music. While parked, I was reading sermon notes from a church program (Providence Missionary Baptist Church); the sermon title was “God’s Comfort Can Cure” with Scripture text 2 Corinthians 1:3-11. In part, Pastor Gerald L. Durley says:

Comfort is a word which in modern speech has lost much of its New Testament meaning. It suggests to us a kind of sedative, a palliative for pain of the body or mind. The comfort of God is no narcotic. The word “comforter” applied to the Holy Spirit means “strengthener” (John 14:16). It has the same root as "fortify.” We comfort a sufferer when we give him/her courage to bear their pain
or face any misfortune. Comfort is what establishes people back on their feet. The comfort of God is rooted in His fellowship. Comfort is felt when God enters the situation. God gives us comforting thoughts to guide us on our journey. The best answer to human need is a more adequate thought of God. Comfort makes trouble bearable. It delivers us from the fear of this crushing universe. It fills life with hope. It takes us out of the grip of loneliness. … Let us find God’s comfort for whatever we are going through by learning to trust Him more and more … draw closer to God and completely, even for a brief moment, surrender to God’s divine authority and accept His comfort.

Then, I met a woman and we talked for a little while. As we were parting, I introduced myself and asked her name. It was Comfort…

…and my journey with Him continues…

Strength and Healing

Song: Time to Believe, by forever Jones (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIH10cSarLc)
Scripture: Luke 7:1-10 (New International Version, ©2011)
The Faith of the Centurion
1 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
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Through God’s goodness and with His help, maybe I’m growing so I won’t be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Hallelujah!

1.) As I finally lay down for the night, I felt like there was something else that I was supposed to be doing. I wanted to be obedient, but I was really just too tired. Many times before in that situation, I would beg off, asking God to let me off the hook, forgive me for what I was not going to do, and then I would just go on to sleep. This time I just told Him that I was very tired, too physically tired to do it. I‘m not even sure I asked for strength – I just admitted my need. Almost immediately I felt strengthened! I smiled, and prayed a silent “thank You” as I sang a “thank You” song chorus. Then I got up and did what I was to do.

The next day, I read the previous day’s Our Daily Bread devotional (http://odb.org/2011/03/20/the-stones/), and at the end it said:

God’s faithfulness we’ve known throughout the years,
His oneness with us in our joys and tears;
So many times the Lord has helped us through,
Has answered prayer and given strength anew. —F. Hess
Remembering God’s goodness is a good cure for doubt.

2.) So today, I’m battling this cough – not sure if it’s because of a cold or allergy or some combination. I was trying to catch a nap, but the cough wouldn’t let up. I had some cough drops in another room, but – again – felt too tired to do what I should – in this case, to get up and get the medicine.

I remembered the strength I received the other day. I had really been physically tired and sleepy, but all of that was changed in an instant. What I felt, what my body was going through, changed. I had recently read the story of Jesus healing the centurion’s servant, and I thought about that as well. So I asked God if the “go and then it goes” applied to coughs as well. The cough stopped. There seemed to be this calming that settled on my throat and chest, and the coughing stopped. WOW!!! Thank You, God!

Song: Doxology, by Helen Baylor (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4aa6o_doxology-by-helen-baylor_music)

Romans 4:19-25

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
19Abraham didn’t weaken. Through faith he regarded the facts: His body was already as good as dead now that he was about a hundred years old, and Sarah was unable to have children. 20He didn’t doubt God’s promise out of a lack of faith. Instead, giving honor to God for the promise, he became strong because of faith 21and was absolutely confident that God would do what he promised. 22That is why his faith was regarded as God’s approval of him.

23But the words “his faith was regarded as God’s approval of him” were written not only for him 24but also for us. Our faith will be regarded as God’s approval of us who believe in the one who brought Jesus, our Lord, back to life. 25Jesus, our Lord, was handed over to death because of our failures and was brought back to life so that we could receive God’s approval.

New Living Translation (NLT)
19 And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.
20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

…and my journey with Him continues…

Reading Material – (2c)

Here is information about another book I’ve read recently, and its relevance in and to my life:

I Saw The Lord: A wake-up call for your heart, by Anne Graham Lotz.

“When we call ourselves Christians, we expect that our love for Jesus, our hunger for His presence, our urgent longing to see Him again will be a constant,motivating force in our lives. Yet sometimes …

in the busyness of our days
or the duties of our jobs
or the familiar habits of our worship
or the everyday routine of our homes,

the longing becomes complacency, and we sleep through opportunities to be with Him. … It’s then … that we most need … a jolt that pushes us to seek out a revival of our passion for Jesus that began as a blazing fire but somehow has died down to an ineffective glow.”

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Since unfortunately I do so often, literally, sleep through opportunities to be with Him, I knew I had to read this book…
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Song: Bring the Rain, by MercyMe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU)

Isaiah 6 (New International Version, ©2011)
Isaiah’s Commission
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
9 He said, “Go and tell this people:
“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ 10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
11 Then I said, “For how long, Lord?”
And he answered:
“Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, 12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. 13 And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”

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In writing yesterday’s blog, I said that I didn’t want to be ruined. In writing this one today, the translation used for the Scripture from Isaiah has the prophet saying, in verse 5, “I am ruined!” In humility and honesty, I find I must confess with Isaiah that I, too, am ruined. I found myself telling a lie to get my way (actually, out of fear that I wouldn’t get to do what I wanted), and I was convicted almost immediately (although I rationalized it for myself, and for those with whom I shared.) After repenting and asking the Lord’s forgiveness, I remembered instances where this type of behavior was exampled, instructed or accepted in my life. So, like Isaiah, I am a person of unclean (defiled, impure, untruthful) lips living amongst a people of unclean lips. But – praise God! – like Isaiah my guilt has also been taken away and my sin atoned for.

Romans 7:21-8:2 (New International Version, ©2011)
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of in at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Life Through the Spirit
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Not too long ago, I heard someone speaking on prayer and I believe the statement was made (at least to my understanding) that revival is not something for which we (the Church) are to pray. Because I immediately thought of Scriptures having to do with revival, I didn’t quite agree with what I believed to have been said. The message of this book is for personal revival – “not a tent meeting or a series of church services designed to save the lost” but instead, something that “involves a quiet, miraculous, eye-opening revelation of” God within our spirits that will change us and the way we live our lives for Him.

2 Chronicles 7:13-14, King James Version (KJV)
13If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

The book has much to say of the benefits of daily Bible reading and prayer. While I have been trying to keep up with the lectionary readings (it’s just the third day and I’m already struggling!), I must also do more for a focused prayer strategy (which may include praying the “Jesus Prayer” as mentioned in yesterday’s blog) to “pray without ceasing” during this Lenten season – and beyond. (I do realize that some of the changes I will be led to make during Lent this year may be more in the nature of a permanent lifestyle rather than that of a temporary activity.)

Referring once more to yesterday’s blog of my study involving Luke 18:35-43, I noticed that in some translations the blind man’s request of Jesus was “to see again.” The “again” part is not always obvious when the request is translated “to receive sight.” In this book, one of the chapters is called “A Longing to See Jesus … Again.” To see Him, know Him in a new, fresh way …

So the author says:

“My prayer for you as you read this book is that the eyes of your heart will be opened and you will not just see what genuine revival is but that you will see the Lord.”

“So center down. Be still. Listen with the ears of our heart. Can you hear Him? The still, small voice of God is calling you to see Jesus … again. He is calling you to an experience of personal revival. Here. Now.”

“So …

Stir up the fire! Throw on the logs! Talk to Him! Listen to Him! Fan into flame your love for Jesus! Stay Awake!

… until your faith becomes sight and you can exclaim, “I saw the Lord!””

…and my journey with Him continues…

Reading Material – (2b)

Here is information about another book I’ve read recently:

Soul Provider: Spiritual Steps to Limitless Love, by Edward L. Beck.

“In The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Saint John Climacus described the thirty steps all seekers must take on the path to spiritual fulfillment. In Soul Provider, Beck explains the significance of the steps, demonstrating how they lead to deeper understanding of our present-day spiritual journeys, provide for our souls, and draw us closer to God.”

Psalm 73:28 (NKJV)
But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.

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Drawing closer to God – that is what (I think) I want. So I had picked up this book at the library …

James 4:6-10, New King James Version (NKJV)
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
Humility Cures Worldliness
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

I had a birthday during this time, and I reflected on my life – who and where (I think) I am, who and where (I think) I want to be, who (I think) God says I am - and what (I think) I have to do to get me where (I think) I need to be.

Psalm 139:23-24, King James Version (KJV)
23Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Romans 12:1-3, New Living Translation (NLT)
A Living Sacrifice to God
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this
warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.

So then I keep getting all these messages about “change” and “transformation.” With the Lenten season coming up, I am already thinking about change, and spiritual growth. But when I am finally ready to read this book, I open it and see this quote:

We would rather be ruined than changed;
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb the cross of the moment
And let our illusions die.~W.H. Auden

I don’t want to be ruined, and I think I want truth more than illusion … so I kept reading on and off for several days. Finally, I am almost finished with the book. I go to church on Sunday, and hear the following Scripture read:

1 Peter 5:5-7, New King James Version (NKJV)
Submit to God, Resist the Devil
5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

I thought about humbling myself “under the mighty hand of God” as I read the chapter on prayer, and note the reference to the “Jesus Prayer” – “Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The book mentions the healing of Blind Bartimaeus (as found in the 10th chapter of Mark.) The next day, I went to a Bible study and we were studying from Luke 18, verses 31-43, with verses 35-43 involving what appears to be the same healing – a blind man who called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” So now I may look into praying the “Jesus Prayer” – especially during this Lenten season – and see what effect it will have on my spiritual development.

Hebrews 10:19-25 (New International Version, ©2011)
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

While I was looking up the Auden quotation on the internet(http://www.quotegarden.com/change.html), I found another one as well, still in regards to change:

If you would attain to what you are not yet, you must always be displeased by what you are. For where you are pleased with yourself there you have remained. Keep adding, keep walking, keep advancing. ~Saint Augustine

Makes me think of the ending of the song: It Ain’t Over, by Maurette Brown Clark (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnHDDgdJ7Y8)

Serenity Prayer
(from http://www.thevoiceforlove.com/serenity-prayer.html)
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.

…and my journey with Him continues…