Election day 2016

Convicted, humbled and repentant after reading / praying from the following article:

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/seven-ways-to-pray-on-election-day

Song: The Master's Calling, performed by Deborah Joy Winans (written by Thad Cockrell)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNBDCAeOiWs

... and with You, dear Lord, only because of Your great mercy and grace, my journey continues ...

Beginning anew

Lamentations 3:22-25, AMP

²² It is because of the Lord’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed,
Because His [tender] compassions never fail.

²³ They are new every morning;
Great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness.

²⁴ “The Lord is my portion and my inheritance,” says my soul;
“Therefore I have hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.”

²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait [confidently] for Him,
To those who seek Him [on the authority of God’s word].

 

This is a new day in a new month with new mercies to begin again … a day for us to rejoice and be glad for God’s goodness leading us  - always in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake - to His gracious, glorious gift of repentance. Hallelujah!

 

… and my journey with my graciously faithful and compassionate God continues …

Praise (song) break

Psalm 91:1 (AMP)

[Security of the One Who Trusts in the Lord. ] He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand].

“Who can stop The LORD Almighty?”  I stopped what I was doing, listening to these words being sung in my head, trying to remember the song to which they belonged. 

Proverbs 16:3 (AMP)

Commit your works to the Lord [submit and trust them to Him], And your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance].

Proverbs 16:9 (AMP)

A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], But the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.

Proverbs 19:21 (AMP)

Many plans are in a man’s mind, But it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand (be carried out).

Once again, I thanked God for the time in which I live and the technology to which He has provided access, because Google was available for me to search out this song. When I found it under the title “Lion and The Lamb” by Bethel Music, I proceeded to listen for a while on Youtube (there were multiple videos with different people leading), affirming with the singers the sovereignty and omnipotence of The LORD God Almighty.

Proverbs 25:2 (AMP)

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

LORD, thank You for continuing to reveal Yourself … for Your mercy, love and grace that continually invites us to turn to you, to acknowledge You, to come ever closer to You in our everyday lives.  Amen.  Selah.

… and my journey with my God, The LORD Almighty, continues …

Pentecost thoughts, 2016

Acts 2:1-4

(CJB, MSG, NKJV, VOICE)
¹When the Feast Day (festival) of Pentecost came 50 days after Passover, the believers were all gathered together with one accord in one place.
²And suddenly, without warning, there came a sound from heaven, as the roar of a rushing (violent) mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
³ Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them.
⁴ They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues [in different languages], as the Spirit prompted and gave them utterance [enabled them to speak].

Acts 2:14-21 (NKJV, CJB, AMPC)

¹⁴ Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and raised his voice to address them: “You Judeans, and all of you staying here in Jerusalem! Let me tell you what this means so that you will know and understand! Listen closely and pay attention to what I have to say!

¹⁵ “These people aren’t drunk, as you suppose — it’s only nine in the morning. ¹⁶ No, this is what was spoken about through the prophet Joel:
¹⁷ ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out from My Spirit upon everyone (all flesh); your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.
¹⁸ Yes, even on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out from My Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.
¹⁹ I will show wonders and perform miracles in heaven above and signs in and on the earth beneath — blood and fire and thick vapor of smoke.
²⁰ The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and fearful and awesome Day of the Lord.
²¹ And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
_______________________________________
Thinking of Pentecost this past weekend, and I kept hearing William McDowell's voice in my head singing, "Come like a rushing wind, come like never before ..."

Also thinking about Ezekiel 37 verses:

Ezekiel 37:1-14 (AMP)

¹ The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. ² He caused me to pass all around them, and behold, there were very many [human bones] in the open valley; and lo, they were very dry. ³ And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” ⁴ Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ ⁵ Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will make breath enter you so that you may come to life. ⁶ I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin, and I will put breath in you so that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’”

⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a [thundering] noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸ And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on the bones, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. ⁹ Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” ¹⁰ So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

¹¹ Then 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.’ ¹² Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will open your graves and make you come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you [back home] to the land of Israel. ¹³ Then you will know [with confidence] that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and made you come up out of your graves, My people. ¹⁴ I will put My Spirit in you and you will come to life, and I will place you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and fulfilled it,” says the Lord.’”

LORD, thank You that in Your faithfulness, You watch over Your Word to perform it, and that You fulfill what You have spoken.  Amen. Selah.

... and my journey with my Faithful God continues ...

Whole Heart

I was a little late for the corporate prayer meeting at church, and a young man was already singing Hillsong’s “I Surrender” as I walked in and took my seat.  Several things said and prayed made me think of renewed consecration, rededication and recommitment (as well as surrender) to the Lord. At church service later that same day, a young lady shared that  the Lord had asked for her whole heart, and as a result, at the Lord’s direction and in His timing, she was being ”re-baptized” as a sign of her surrendering to Him anew - rededicating and recommitting her life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Whole heart” … today’s Bible verse on my phone – Psalm 119:2 - happened to display in a translation (ASV) that used this same phrase:

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, That seek him with the whole heart.

 

This made me think of the song “Heart and Soul” (Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship Mass Choir, featuring BeBe Winans): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA_fma5MhEo

… and God’s promises in Jeremiah 29:13 …

 

CJB      When you seek me, you will find me, provided you seek for me wholeheartedly;

NET     When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul,

Looking at other “whole heart” Scriptures, I see Jeremiah 24:7 (AMP) …

I will give them a heart to know Me, [understanding fully] that I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.

… and Jeremiah 32:27, 36-41 (NKJV) …

²⁷ “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?

³⁶ “Now therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence’: ³⁷ Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. ³⁸ They shall be My people, and I will be their God; ³⁹ then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. ⁴⁰ And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. ⁴¹ Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.’

As I seek the LORD to know Him, and deep calls unto deep, think I’ll look up other Scriptures about all of one’s heart, or an undivided, perfect, and/or whole heart and see what (else) the Lord will speak …

 

… and my journey with my Lord continues …

Changed by Love

Found myself agonizing over a situation – battling negative “coulda, shoulda, woulda” thoughts with words of faith most of the night.  Finally, “How Awesome is Our God” (by Israel Houghton & New Breed, featuring Yolanda Adams) started playing in my mind’s playlist, and I was able to find peace enough to drift off to sleep.  The next day brought comfort as well as a rebuke for my doubt, fear and unbelief, leading to repentance and renewed praise to God for His tender grace shown in and through the strong correction. Soon afterwards, news came that the situation I feared had not materialized.  In His goodness, God had been merciful once again.

Lamentations 3:22 (AMPC)

It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not.

After running around with and for family most of the day, I was just getting ready to rest a bit (finally!) when I received a text asking for help – again.  I must confess that at that point I was not really in the mood (even as the thought came that "God loves a cheerful giver” [2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV]), but I nevertheless sought the Lord as to what He would have me to do.  Sensing that I was to allow the Lord to provide the requested assistance through me, I asked the Lord for His strength to do so.  My attitude changed as I remembered my gratitude for God’s gracious blessings in my life – specifically with regard to the aforementioned situation.  I thought of the verse, that to give to the poor [needy] is to lend to the Lord (Proverbs 19:17) as I went on my way (and now, even thinking of David’s statement in 2 Samuel 24:24 that he would not give to the Lord that which cost him nothing).

Colossians 2:6-7 (AMP, NIV, AMPC, VOICE)

⁶ Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to walk in [union with] Him [reflecting His character in the things you do and say—living lives that lead others away from sin], ⁷ having been deeply rooted [in Him] and now being continually built up in Him and [becoming increasingly more] established and strengthened in your faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with gratitude and thanksgiving.

Once the task was accomplished, I was almost back home when “How He Loves” (by David Crowder Band) began playing on the radio.  I received the song as a gift, signaling God’s approval and acceptance of my actions.  I just smiled and thanked God again for the magnificent, penetrating brilliance and pervasive nature of His love to change a heart – even my heart.

… and my journey with my Lord continues …

Rescued!

"You came to my rescue, You came to my rescue ..."

Awakened today, hearing these lyrics (of the song as sung by Christy Nockels) ... and thought of Scripture I read the other day in a YouVersion Bible reading plan ...

Ephesians 1:3-14 VOICE

³ Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, who grants us every spiritual blessing in these heavenly realms where we live in the Anointed—not because of anything we have done, but because of what He has done for us. ⁴ God chose us to be in a relationship with Him even before He laid out plans for this world; He wanted us to live holy lives characterized by love, free from sin, and blameless before Him. ⁵ He destined us to be adopted as His children through the covenant Jesus the Anointed inaugurated in His sacrificial life. This was His pleasure and His will for us. ⁶ Ultimately God is the one worthy of praise for showing us His grace; He is merciful and marvelous, freely giving us these gifts in His Beloved. ⁷ Visualize this: His blood freely flowing down the cross, setting us free! We are forgiven for our sinful ways by the richness of His grace, ⁸ which He has poured all over us. With all wisdom and insight, ⁹ He has enlightened us to the great mystery at the center of His will. With immense pleasure, He laid out His intentions through Jesus, ¹⁰ a plan that will climax when the time is right as He returns to create order and unity—both in heaven and on earth—when all things are brought together under the Anointed’s royal rule. In Him ¹¹ we stand to inherit even more. As His heirs, we are predestined to play a key role in His unfolding purpose that is energizing everything to conform to His will. ¹² As a result, we—the first to place our hope in the Anointed One—will live in a way to bring Him glory and praise. ¹³ Because you, too, have heard the word of truth—the good news of your salvation—and because you believed in the One who is truth, your lives are marked with His seal. This is none other than the Holy Spirit who was promised ¹⁴ as the guarantee toward the inheritance we are to receive when He frees and rescues all who belong to Him. To God be all praise and glory!

Selah.

... and my journey with my Lord continues ...