You have turned my mourning into dancing

I will extol you, O LORD; for you have lifted me up, and have not made my foes to rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried unto you, and you have healed me. O LORD, you have brought up my soul from the grave: you have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing unto the LORD, O you saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endures but for a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. LORD, by your favor you have made my mountain to stand strong: you did hide your face, and I was troubled. I cried to you, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication. What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise you? shall it declare your truth? Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be my helper. You have turned for me my mourning into dancing: you have put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to you, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto you forever. Psalm 30

Walking according to the imagination of one’s own heart

Jeremiah 23

Thus says the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you worthless: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD has said, You shall have peace; and they say unto everyone that walks after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. vs 16-17

I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; vs 25-26

Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, says the LORD, that steal my words everyone from his neighbor. Behold, I am against the prophets, says the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He says. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, says the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their recklessness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, says the LORD. vs 30-32

There’s the bottom-line: There is no spiritual profit or edification in their “ministry”. It’s worthless.

Compel them to come to the Wedding

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. Luke 14:23

Soon we will see Jesus

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ… Titus 2:13

Death, or the LORD’s coming, is the greatest thing that can happen to a disciple of Jesus. We are to look for His coming. That is, to earnestly desire to see Him and stand before Him. The more we are grounded in this, the reality of His coming, and the glory to be revealed, the more we are alive to Him now, and fruitful in the Gospel and His Kingdom. Our hope is that blind eyes will be opened to see Jesus, and be ready to stand before Him with no shame.

The coming of the great day, when we shall see Jesus face to face, should shape our lives today. He is truly coming soon, and at an hour when people don’t expect.

I try to communicate to people: How will you be on that day, when you see Jesus face to face? To holy people, this excites them; fills them with joy. To the compromiser, it should awaken them to righteousness.

A meeting of hearts

is what Church should be. Some people ask, How do you do Church? Where there is a meeting of hearts, a coming together of kindred spirits, we don’t need to know “how” to do it. That would only be necessary for religious, cultural or social “fellowship”.

Trying to hang a sin on Jesus

To the Jewish people: What fault do you find in Jesus of Nazareth? Your ancient brothers really searched for a fault in Him, and they came up with nothing, except a false accusation. It was like this: Well, we can’t find any evidence that you’ve ever sinned, and you sure did have compassion on the sick and the sinner, healing all who were brought to you, even raising the dead, BUT there is this thing about you claiming that God is your Father, making you equal with God; THAT we have against you.

Jewish friends, it just does not cut it.

Love for Jesus is spelled T-I-M-E

I know your works, and your labor, and your patience, and how you can not bear them who are evil: and you have tried them who say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars: And have endured, and have patience, and for my name’s sake have labored, and have not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you are fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will remove your lampstand out of its place, except you repent. Revelation 2:2-5

Our time is something we can all give Jesus. No one can say that they don’t have any time to give Him.

Faith and Doubt

And he that doubts is condemned if he eats, because he eats not of faith: for whatever is not of faith is sin. Romans 14:23

This applies to everything in life, not just food. Everything we do should be OF faith : The result or effect of faith; Faith is the source of it; The outworking of what we believe is true and right. Whatever we do from doubt is sin.

The disciple who hears the voice of His Shepherd and who is grounded in His truth, will always walk in faith. The one who follows tradition will always be hounded by doubts, for their faith is not grounded in the truth; not in what God has said, but in what man has dictated.

The call of, My Abba! My Father!

For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by which we cry [call, heart-cry], Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: Romans 8:15-16

A good and faithful servant

attends to the things that he knows his Master wants and desires, and has called for. His life is determined and fashioned by the interests of his Master, and no one else. He will always reference himself to the Master and His will. He won’t think in terms, personally, separate from the Master (2 Timothy 2:3-4).

In 2011, may we all have the same attitude that was in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5-8).

Destination

He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:18

He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him. John 3:36

Love the Church

http://preachingjesus.wordpress.com/2010/12/22/love-the-church/
(Sorry the links in my posts are not activated. WordPress has blocked that function. But it’s not blocked when i post links in the comments)

One thing have I desired of the LORD

that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. Psalm 27:4

(The moment Sheela woke this morning, this truth was in her heart)

You observe days…

But now, after you have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days, and months, and times, and years. Galatians 4:9-10

We don’t observe days. It’s as simple as that. There is only an ETERNAL LIFE in Christ, nothing else. And as we live from this LIFE of Christ we come to learn there are no special, holy days anymore.

He that asks, but is double-minded, shall receive nothing of the LORD

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally, and reproaches not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the LORD. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8

See what the LORD has done!

What is the full sum of all the grace of God, in Christ Jesus, in your life so far? Can you quantify all the works of God in your life thus far? What is the extent of His work in you? How long has He been involved in your life?

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths

My son, forget not my law; but let your heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you: bind them about your neck; write them upon the table of your heart: So shall you find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to your body, and strength to your bones. Honor the LORD with your substance, and with the firstfruits of all your increase: So shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses shall burst out with new wine. My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loves He corrects; even as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:1-12

Flash Mobs for Jesus? Great idea!

An online campaign to spread Christmas cheer in California has resulted in thousands of people being evacuated from a shopping centre.

It is an internet phenomenon called a flash mob – groups of people, often strangers, conspire on social networking websites to turn up at the same place at the same time and burst into song.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/22/3099677.htm?section=justin

No Greater Joy

For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, even as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Beloved, you do faithfully whatsoever you do for the brethren, and for strangers; Who have borne witness of your love before the church: whom if you send forward on their journey in a godly manner, you shall do well: Because for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow helpers to the truth. 3 John 1:3-8

Here, the truth is widely applied to the totality of the Christian life: i.e. When we serve the brethren, in love, we are walking in truth.

It’s more than merely knowing what is the truth. John doesn’t rejoice in that. He rejoices that they WALK in truth. He says that the truth is IN THEM, and on that basis they WALK IN truth.

Prayer is to ask for that which only God can do

Your kingdom come, your will be done, today on earth as it is in heaven…

We ask this bcos we believe that God has all authority, and all power to undertake and do, concerning all things that pertain to our lives. It’s very basic, but prayer is to ask for that which we can’t do. It’s to ask for that which only God can do, asking Him to do it.

Your will be done, today...

You believe that God is the Sovereign God, who is over all, who has the power to work ALL things according to His will and purpose. There is not one thing, which pertains to us living in this present world, that is not subject to Him. We believe this, so that’s why we pray in faith. We are co-workers with God, ruling and reigning with Him. This is a life of prayer and obedience.

Therefore, a great renewal of the mind, daily, is needed, for we naturally tend to think in terms of what WE can do and achieve, according to our natural abilities. Ever-increasing faith.