tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667355468902589252024-03-13T16:31:47.237+02:00Listening for GodThoughts that inspire me, challenge me, teach me... & bring me closer to God.Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-19522843211364090692011-12-26T15:59:00.002+02:002011-12-26T16:00:53.630+02:00CHRISTMAS 2011<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ErQNOTCJg8Q/Tvh9qB4L8XI/AAAAAAAAFSM/ZHOCvb03CUo/s1600/beautiful-christmas-tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ErQNOTCJg8Q/Tvh9qB4L8XI/AAAAAAAAFSM/ZHOCvb03CUo/s200/beautiful-christmas-tree.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
Every year for the
past few years, I have felt less and less in the Christmas spirit. So, a week
or so before Christmas this year I started listening to the Glee Christmas
albums, volume 1 and 2, to start psyching myself up and “feel” Christmas.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-ZA">One song they did
really elegantly was <b>O Christmas Tree</b>.
Such a beautiful song, melody.. but singing all that about a Christmas tree? I
found it slightly ridiculous. Then I substituted Christ for Christmas tree and
it became this beautiful hymn to God who “<b>is
like a tree that is always green</b>” ~<b>Hosea
14:8</b>. It was only when I looked up the original lyrics, that lo and behold,
there is a verse about God right at the end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!<br />
Thy leaves are so <b>unchanging</b>;<br />
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!<br />
Thy leaves are so unchanging;<br />
<b>Not only green when summer's here,<br />
But also when 'tis cold and drear</b>.<br />
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!<br />
Thy leaves are so unchanging!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!<br />
<b>Much pleasure thou can'st give me</b>;<br />
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!<br />
Much pleasure thou can'st give me;<br />
How often has the Christmas tree<br />
<b>Afforded me the greatest glee</b>!<br />
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!<br />
Much pleasure thou can'st give me.<br />
<br />
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!<br />
Thy candles <b>shine so brightly</b>!<br />
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!<br />
Thy candles shine so brightly!<br />
From base to summit, gay and bright,<br />
<b>There's only splendor for the sight.</b><br />
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!<br />
Thy candles shine so brightly!<br />
<br />
<b>O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!<br />
How richly God has decked thee!<br />
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!<br />
How richly God has decked thee!<br />
Thou bidst us true and faithful be,<br />
And trust in God unchangingly.<br />
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!<br />
How richly God has decked thee!!"</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-ZA">However, I still
didn’t feel very Christmassy. Didn’t help that I worked right up to 5pm on
Friday, 23 December. [Side note: Whatever happened to <b>companies</b> <b>closing</b> over
the Christmas period and <b>people</b> <b>slowing</b> down to really savour it?]
Anyway, my point? Not feeling Christmassy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-ZA">Then I attended an
evening my aunt and my cousin orchestrated on Christmas eve. What a blessed
event that was!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-ZA"> They rented a small community hall, put a few
decorations on the tables, served some delicious food, and …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-ZA"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-ZA">A story was read to
the children to speak about the meaning of Christmas, using a story about
trees. (Oh, light bulb moment, another tree reference! Hehehe).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-ZA">My one aunt played 3
Christmas carols on the piano and we sang along. (My aunt can play piano? And secondly,
we haven’t done THAT in.. have we ever done that as a family and not just at a
church service?)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-ZA">My cousin’s husband
sang an inspiring song about God (he can sing? Surprise!), my other cousin’s
wife read a Christmas poem about God and then shared a verse in the Bible that
got them through a very difficult year. And you could hear that this verse had
become a lifeline.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-ZA">Hebrews 13:5-6 (Amplified Bible)*</span></b><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 1cm; margin-right: 35.65pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size: 10pt;">Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money
[including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be
satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; <b>for He [God] Himself has said, I will not
in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 1cm; margin-right: 35.65pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 1cm; margin-right: 35.65pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-ZA" style="color: red; font-size: 10pt;">[I will] not, [I
will] not, [I will] not </span></b><b><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size: 10pt;">in any degree leave
you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down</span></b><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size: 10pt;"> <b>(relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 1cm; margin-right: 35.65pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 1cm; margin-right: 35.65pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size: 10pt;">So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say,
The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or
dread or be terrified]. <b>What can man do
to me?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-ZA">*And since this is my
funny coincidental life, this very verse from this very translation was read on
a TV sermon the next morning<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-ZA">My dad made a speech
that almost had me in tears it was so touching. (I am so proud and so lucky to
have my parents – they are stellar people.) One of the things he said was, “what
would the world be without Christmas? The year would just end, no special times
with family etc.” For all that we complain about Christmas I, Karin, really
would miss it AND we choose to make it a meaningful holiday or a shopping extravaganza.
We CHOOSE. It’s not big expensive gifts,
it’s just having a time of year that we make special, that we decorate our
homes, that we make nice meals.. just doing something special!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-ZA">My step-cousin also
made a speech that nearly had us in tears again. About how beautiful the
evening was, how important family is.. I could only agree.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-ZA">Everything was done
from the heart, sincerely. No pretence. No hoopla. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-ZA">It was beautiful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-ZA">It was Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-45698276522676420132011-09-21T20:00:00.000+02:002011-09-21T20:00:27.083+02:00Our God ReignsI must be one of the few Christians who start grinding my teeth when a praise/worship song has the line "Our God Reigns"<br />
<br />
Let me explain my reasons why and please keep in mind this is just my opinion and I respect that you may not share it or see things the same way. Respect then that this is how I see it.<br />
<br />
<b><u>OUR </u></b>GOD<br />
<br />
Firstly it seems to divide people into 2 groups. There's 'our' group that sings about "<i><b>our God</b></i>" and then 'your' group that doesn't serve this God of mine or doesn't serve Him the same way. The attitude seems to be one of "This is my God, na-na-na-na, He is so much better than yours!"<br />
<br />
It's gotten to the point where I have to rewrite the meaning in my head for it to mean, "God of all people; Of all the earth," even if there are people that have yet to meet or accept Him.<br />
<br />
OUR GOD <b><u>REIGNS</u></b><br />
<br />
In my eyes, there is only one God, God of heaven and earth, creator, sustainer, consisting of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One God. No competition.<br />
<br />
So if you sing "Our God Reigns" who are you singing it to? Who are you trying to prove it to?<br />
<br />
Why not just sing of your love for Him and extol His virtues. It will unite and invite, and not divide.<br />
<br />
I know, I know, I'm different/strange/quirky. Thank you for bearing with me! :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-65077177068028633172011-06-24T12:27:00.000+02:002011-06-24T12:27:31.480+02:00Oooh! Oooh! God's gonna get you!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SwNTV0Wfhwc/TgRmVmnsjbI/AAAAAAAAFLk/1EanL1eoC4c/s1600/rubbinghands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SwNTV0Wfhwc/TgRmVmnsjbI/AAAAAAAAFLk/1EanL1eoC4c/s200/rubbinghands.jpg" width="184" /></a></div><br />
Today I was reading a blog post on <b>Growing with God</b> called <a href="http://growingwithgodbyronwyn.blogspot.com/2011/06/reverse-justice.html">"<b>Reverse Justice</b>"</a> . It ended with the following "<i>You can feel safe asking God to help you heal your spiritual wounds while he covers your heart. Allow your heart to trust in him</i>".<br />
<br />
It's beautiful, and it speaks to me about God being with you always in all ways, meaning He never forsakes you. So it's funny to me (and not in the ha-ha sense) how so many Christians presume to speak for God when confronting a fellow Christian <i>they </i>believe are rebelling or whom <i>they </i>believe are <i>willfully </i>sinning, presuming to speak for God, saying God will not stay patient for always. Decoded: "You better stop what you're doing or God's gonna get mad and you will be in trou-ble!" And they do it with so much "holy" glee. They almost seem to be <b>glad </b>God is going to punish the person if they keep doing what they're doing, because in their eyes it means there's some justice in the world. If <i>they </i>have to follow the rules, then by golly so do you!<br />
<br />
Only problem is, if you're going to say God is love and we know that "love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.." then I think it's safe to assume God has a wee bit more patience with us human beings than we do with each other. It also means He sees into our hearts, and knows why we do what we do. Knowing the motivation behind a person's so called bad behaviour leads to compassion. God is compassionate.<br />
<br />
So today I come to the conclusion that God is actively wooing those whom we may see as willfully sinning, trying to heal their wounded heart. He is not getting ready to whip them into shape if they dare to continue for one more second to "defy" Him.<br />
<br />
We are all saved by grace. Maybe we should extend some to our neighbour.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-size: x-small;"><i>*Passage quoted on love is from the well known scripture 1 Corinthians 13:4-7</i></span>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-9482046467805164852011-04-04T21:59:00.000+02:002011-04-04T22:04:50.889+02:00Do you understand what I have done for you?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yxr91C5bLp0/TZoiiV0sjvI/AAAAAAAAFLg/9mPUNuOV2mU/s1600/mother-and-baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yxr91C5bLp0/TZoiiV0sjvI/AAAAAAAAFLg/9mPUNuOV2mU/s200/mother-and-baby.jpg" width="136" /></a></div><br />
Jesus washing his disciples' feet is a familiar passage. I think most of us have experienced a setting where a group took it literally and washed each other's feet. Humbling. Nice. Symbolic. Nothing to write home about I am ashamed to say. <br />
<br />
So, I found myself reading it again, but in my NIV translation. (I usually prefer the New Living Translation). Jesus asks his disciples a question and this time it pops out and SPEAKS to me:<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Do you understand what I have done for you?</b>(Jhn 13:12)<br />
<br />
And it's like I get it... what the crucifixion and resurrection means. The atonement. It's not just about the forgiveness, reconciliation and eternal life. It's about how Jesus washed us clean, spiritually. Only it's not just the fact of him washing us clean that is jumping out at me, but the <b>tender love</b> that went into it that I experience in my heart. It's the love of Abba, Father.<br />
<br />
God is lovingly washing me clean, like I am a treasured baby and He is asking me: Do you understand what I have done for you?<br />
<br />
Do <b>you</b> understand what He has done for you?Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-63769907437072780962011-03-24T23:35:00.000+02:002011-03-24T23:44:39.321+02:00Hard hearted!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jOqqt46hnKo/TYu6Bgz0gQI/AAAAAAAAFLY/WfSm0VgIMBQ/s1600/tears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jOqqt46hnKo/TYu6Bgz0gQI/AAAAAAAAFLY/WfSm0VgIMBQ/s200/tears.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Misty Edwards sings "<i><b>tears made my heart soft, I am ready for the return of the Lover</b></i>" in a song to God.<br />
<br />
In the Bible it says "<i>for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. <b>Their hearts were too hard to take it in</b></i><b>.</b>" [Mark 6:52]<br />
<br />
Jesus said to His disciples, "<i>Don't you know or understand even yet? <b>Are your hearts too hard to take it in?</b> You have eyes, can't you see? You have ears, can't you hear?</i>" [Mark 8:17-18]<br />
<br />
and<br />
<br />
‘<i>When you hear what I say, you will not understand.</i><br />
<i> When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.<br />
<b>For the hearts of these people are hardened</b>, </i><br />
<i>and their ears cannot hear,<br />
and they have closed their eyes—<br />
so their eyes cannot see,<br />
and their ears cannot hear,<br />
and their hearts cannot understand,<br />
and they cannot turn to me<br />
and let me heal them.</i>’<br />
[Mat 13:14-15]<br />
<br />
We make the choice to harden our hearts. We can make the choice to soften them too! We can make the choice to allow ourselves to cry; to allow those tears to fall. Only we are too proud! "Oh, not me!" we say. "I am <i>not </i>going to cry!" Once you do let go though, you'll find it's a beautiful place. A holy place. A place where you meet God and feel His presence. So today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts. [Heb 3:7-8]<br />
<div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Tears made my heart soft, I am ready for the return of the Lover</b></i></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-70447982441745687092011-02-24T12:37:00.000+02:002011-02-24T16:25:39.286+02:00Just kill me now, Lord!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HTL9rygew30/TWYxu8gB3XI/AAAAAAAAFLM/LS-wrNcumkI/s1600/anger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HTL9rygew30/TWYxu8gB3XI/AAAAAAAAFLM/LS-wrNcumkI/s1600/anger.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I think we all know the story of Jonah and the whale. How he was to go announce God's judgement on the city of Nineveh and how he tried to get out of it..only to land up in the belly of a whale.<br />
<br />
Why did God want to go pronounce judgement on a city? What happened to Him being a God of love? Well, the chapter ends with a verse that explains God's heart towards Nineveh and even it's animals.<br />
<blockquote>But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?” (Jonah 4:11)</blockquote>God was not rubbing His hands together in glee, just waiting to distroy Nineveh. He wanted SAVE the people and the animals.<br />
<br />
After Jonah went to Nineveh and gave them God's judgement, the people repented and changed their ways.<br />
<br />
Did Jonah feel happy about it? Oh no! Oh no!<br />
<br />
In fact, he complained to God saying the reason he ran away the first time was because he knows God is kind and compassionate and merciful and slow to anger and that if the people of Nineveh repented God would save this city. He went on to say "<b>Just kill me now, Lord</b>! <b>I'd rather be dead</b> than alive if what I predicted (the destruction of the city) will not happen." (Jonah 4:1-3)<br />
<br />
Can you imagine that? He'd rather be dead than see God save the people of Nineveh?!<br />
<br />
What saddens me is that some Christians also react this way when God saves people they think don't deserve it..people <i>they </i>deem sinners, freaks, evil or whatever they have labelled them. How dare God save <i>them</i>? God is love but surely He can't love <i>those </i>people.<br />
<br />
Sobering people. Sobering. Are you judging someone God accepts?Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-48277412863536277062011-02-15T10:38:00.000+02:002011-02-15T10:54:08.109+02:00Away with your noisy hymns of praise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cYWclMwTSFc/TVo-t1Lu-wI/AAAAAAAAFLI/T_PsZfkmis8/s1600/musical_instruments.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cYWclMwTSFc/TVo-t1Lu-wI/AAAAAAAAFLI/T_PsZfkmis8/s200/musical_instruments.gif" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>When you start singing with a music ministry band again, even if it's only informal jam sessions, and you read the book of Amos it is humbling.<br />
<br />
Amos is definitely not a pleasant Bible book to read, but Sunday I found myself reading from it:<br />
<blockquote>I hate all your <b>show </b>and <b>pretense </b>— the <b>hypocrisy </b>of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.<br />
I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings.<br />
Away with your <b>noisy hymns</b> of praise! <b>I will not listen</b> to the music of your harps.<br />
(<i>Amos 5:21-24 nlt</i>)</blockquote>and<br />
<br />
<blockquote>You sing <b>trivial songs</b> to the sound of the harp and <b>fancy yourselves to be great musicians</b> like David.<br />
(<i>Amos 6:5 nlt</i>)</blockquote><br />
The interesting point this book highlights though is the reason God found their worship offensive was because their lifestyle didn't match their singing. It says "You care nothing about the ruin of your nation." (<i>Amos 6:6</i>)<br />
<br />
<div>It would seem to me the biggest sin these people were committing in God's eyes were in oppressing the poor and the needy. (<i>Amos 4:1-2</i>)</div><div><br />
</div><div>God is just not interested in our worship, our lip service, if we ignore hurting people around us, or worse, are the ones hurting them.</div><div><br />
</div><div>"Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living." (<i>Amos 5:24</i>)</div><div><br />
</div><div>Or as it says in Matthew 25...</div><blockquote>For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’<br />
“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’<br />
“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me.’<br />
(<i>Matthew 25:42-45 nlt</i>)</blockquote>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-68442642648086940402011-02-09T12:59:00.000+02:002011-02-09T13:01:34.224+02:00Ignorant of the very thing you worship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-F9XqPRR_M0/TVJ0BEwob7I/AAAAAAAAFLE/0o40vvUsm6M/s1600/questionmarkman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-F9XqPRR_M0/TVJ0BEwob7I/AAAAAAAAFLE/0o40vvUsm6M/s1600/questionmarkman.jpg" /></a></div>It is actually <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: yellow;">physically uncomfortable</span> to watch or be part of worship when the singers/band do not reach out to God with their spirits while they worship. You can feel it. It's.. flat..dead. I start squirming in my seat. And, no matter how hard I try on my own to just worship God irrespective of what's going on in the service, the fact is I am still very influenced by it.<br />
<blockquote>Matthew 15:8-9<br />
‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.<br />
Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’</blockquote><div><div>Why does this happen? Why do people who profess to love and want to worship God not really worship Him then? I can give you a reason - It's hard to worship God if you don't really love Him, but actually just feel it's your <i>duty</i>, or worse, <i>fear </i>Him. </div><div><br />
</div><div><div>Acts 17, verse 23 talks about worshiping a God you don't know, a God you are ignorant about. I feel this is sadly what happens in so many churches, or even happens in the hearts of Christians.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>You're not going to love God if you don't know Him. You're not going to get know Him by obeying the rules, and doing or saying the right thing. He's not about rules. Got that? He is NOT ABOUT RULES, no matter how much your pastor preaches on sin, preaches on how you fall short, preaches on how you better stop doing this or that and get in line. God is about relationship. He is about love. He is about drawing you with kindness.</div><div><br />
</div><div>When do you feel love for someone? Isn't it when they accept you unconditionally, love you, care for you, look out for you, are positive and fun?</div><div><br />
</div><div>So why do we think God is like, completely the opposite of the above! That He doesn't accept us, love us, care for us, look out for us. That He's not positive or *gasp* fun?</div><div><br />
</div><div>Just read this, from that dusty book Deuteronomy that we all usually avoid like the plague..</div><blockquote>In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste.<br />
He <b>shielded him</b> and <b>cared for him</b>; he <b>guarded him as the apple of his eye</b>,<br />
like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young,<br />
that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft.<br />
The Lord alone <b>led him</b>; no foreign god was with him.<br />
He <b>made him ride on the heights</b> of the land and fed him with the fruit of the fields.<br />
He <b>nourished him</b> with honey from the rock, and with oil from the flinty crag,<br />
with curds and milk from herd and flock and with fattened lambs and goats,<br />
with choice rams of Bashan and the finest kernels of wheat.<br />
You drank the foaming blood of the grape.<br />
(Deut 32:10-14)</blockquote></div><div><div>Start thinking about love, about God. Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 .. would a God like <i>that </i>not be worth getting to know... learning to love?</div><div><br />
</div><div>And then, when your heart is overflowing with that love for God..guess what happens? * drum roll please* Yup, you guessed right! True worship!</div></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-70261924970837795722011-01-28T11:19:00.000+02:002011-01-28T11:47:45.723+02:00Praying honestly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-F9XqPRR_M0/TUKPNvfahpI/AAAAAAAAFK0/KxGTI1UzY0A/s1600/praying-hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-F9XqPRR_M0/TUKPNvfahpI/AAAAAAAAFK0/KxGTI1UzY0A/s200/praying-hands.jpg" width="152" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-F9XqPRR_M0/TUKPNvfahpI/AAAAAAAAFK0/KxGTI1UzY0A/s1600/praying-hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Last night, as we were closing our bible study/cell group with prayer, I felt frustrated. I kept on feeling we were just on the brink of really powerful prayer but we never crossed over. We were praying for things close to our hearts, but the prayers felt... not powerless exactly, but not very effective either. I know God still heard us, but today as I was pondering this issue, I finally realised what the problem is. We were not praying honestly.</div><br />
I'm sure the other members of my group must at this moment think I'm not very nice for saying that, but let me explain what I mean. I believe we will all agree on my definition in the end. :-)<br />
<br />
Do you know when <b>I </b>really feel that I've prayed and reached God? It's when I tell Him exactly what I want to happen, what end result I would like to happen more than anything in the world and THEN leave Him room to talk to me about it or to make it happen.<br />
<br />
Well, what do I mean by this? Say, for example, there's this woman you know in an abusive relationship. You really want her to see the light and get out. You want her to leave that poor example of a human being, she calls her boyfriend. <b>That </b>is what you want. But when you pray, you ask God in general terms to intervene, to touch her, to help her, etc. You don't come before God and just say: "God, I want Miss X to leave Mr Y. I can't stand to see what he's doing to her. You know though, that I can't <i>make </i>another person do anything." You add whatever else is on your heart regarding this, then, with your heart open because you've been completely honest, you wait before God. Maybe He leads you into what to pray, maybe He's silent. But you leave it with Him and I tell you, He usually then does something about the situation that completely and very pleasantly surprises you.<br />
<br />
God knows. He <i>knows </i>what you really want deep down in your heart.You are not fooling Him that you don't feel passionately about something by saying a meek "politically correct" prayer. And when you honestly tell Him what you want, it just opens up this huge powerful honest space between the two of you.<br />
<br />
Have I made sense?<br />
<br />
In love,<br />
KarinKarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-80855383863290533812011-01-27T22:55:00.000+02:002011-01-27T23:00:46.474+02:00The frustrated Jesus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-F9XqPRR_M0/TUHc56gDM4I/AAAAAAAAFKw/qqU28kDkb-U/s1600/are-you-listening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-F9XqPRR_M0/TUHc56gDM4I/AAAAAAAAFKw/qqU28kDkb-U/s320/are-you-listening.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So, Jesus arrives in Bethany 4 days after Lazarus has died. The people are wailing and crying, <i>loudly</i>. It was part of their culture at the time to show <b>public <i>displays </i>of grief</b>. Jesus had known<i> </i>Lazarus had been very sick, but he waited four days before He set off to Bethany. He had told his disciples when they first heard of Lazarus being sick that "“<i>Lazarus’s sickness <b>will not end in death</b>. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this</i>.” (John 11:4). Before they reach Bethany He tells them that “Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.” (John 11:14-15)<br />
<br />
We are all acquainted with the part of this story that says Jesus wept (John 11:35). What we fail to take notice of is that just before this, in verse 33, it says a deep anger welled up within Him, and He was deeply troubled. Jesus got angry? Angry that people were mourning the death of a loved one? What's up with that?<br />
<br />
Remember now, He had told His disciples this would not END in death. He had performed many miracles. The people still did not <b>believe</b>!<br />
<br />
In fact, it says in verse 38 that Jesus was <i><b>still </b></i>angry as He arrived at the tomb. So I imagine when He said "<i>Roll the stone aside</i>' it wasn't a friendly request. Martha then jumps in saying there's going to be an unpleasant smell because he has been dead 4 days after all.<br />
<br />
I imagine the next words of Jesus was still not the friendliest: <i>"Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?" </i>(John 11:40)<br />
<br />
These people are not listening to Him! I believe we all know the frustration when people just. don't. listen.<br />
<br />
Jesus then goes on to pray what I believe is a very exasperated prayer: “<i>Father, thank you for hearing me. [Karin's note: Father, at least YOU are listening to me].You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will <b>believe </b>you sent me.</i>”<br />
<br />
Then, what does He do? He <b>SHOUTS</b>: Lazarus, come out!<br />
<br />
The title of my blog is <b>Listening for God</b>. Are we really <i><b>listening</b>?</i>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-87303637361993481922010-11-20T11:34:00.000+02:002010-11-20T11:58:51.615+02:00Paper Prayers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-F9XqPRR_M0/TOeZqqKfpoI/AAAAAAAAFKM/mX_Tl3DCBpg/s1600/folder+paper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-F9XqPRR_M0/TOeZqqKfpoI/AAAAAAAAFKM/mX_Tl3DCBpg/s200/folder+paper.jpg" width="166" /></a></div>It's summer, it's Saturday and I stand amazed at how God has started answering the prayers on my prayer sheets. "Prayer sheets?" you may be asking. Well, I suppose it's prayer journaling; writing my prayers down instead of praying them out loud. I'm penning down requests about the things that are causing me to worry or that are making me unhappy. It's short, it's precise, immediate. There are no long term wishes or goals or even rambling. It's God and I, right here, right now. Initially I just folded up that first piece of prayer paper and went about my day. Then God answered one of the prayer requests on the very same day I wrote about it. Bam! Got MY attention! So I have continued my prayer sheets but now I stick them in a folder. Feels like a FBI dosier. Tehehehe. <clears throat=""> Moving on.. Today, God started answering another prayer. I wanted to sit there gaping open mouthed at Person X, but well, she was unaware that what she had just said was so unlike her usual response AND that it was exactly what I've started praying for that I had to keep it all inside. Oh, but inside I was air fist pumping: YES! YES! YES!</clears><br />
<br />
Sooooo, I'm very exited about this. It's hard to explain my feelings about these prayers other than to say it's not like I see God as some kind of cosmic genie that grants my every wish. What it is, is a love relationship with G-O-D, a beautiful majestic royal Spirit Being who loves me and who loves to answer prayer. I'm snuggling up to my eternal Lover and if God answers a prayer it's gorgeous. If God doesn't, well I'm still in awe and adoration, trusting the one that is the very definition of reliable.Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-17397792684576511702010-10-17T12:49:00.000+02:002010-10-17T15:16:56.054+02:00Knowing God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cornerstonelv.com/Site_Images/KnowingGod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="133" src="http://www.cornerstonelv.com/Site_Images/KnowingGod.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;">And this is the way to have eternal life—<strong>to know you</strong>, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. ~John 17:3 </span><br />
<br />
<br />
"Knowing" someone is to enter into a close relationship with that person. <br />
John 15 talks about remaining in the Vine (Jesus). The Greek word for remain is "meno" which, according to my NLT Study Bible, means to remain/stay/abide. My Bible's study notes go on to say it means to have a "profound, intimate, enduring relationship." <br />
<blockquote>"I pray that they will all <strong>be one</strong>, just as you and I are one—as you are<strong> in me</strong>, Father, and I am in you. And may they be<strong> in us</strong>." (John 15:21)</blockquote>"This mutual indwelling between God and the believer/disciple is not a fleeting or temporary commitment but an unending, permanent and eternal relationship."<br />
<br />
God wants us to know Him.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>Hosea 4:6 My people are being destroyed because<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"> they don’t know me</span>. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. <br />
<br />
Hosea 6:3<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"> Oh, that we might know the Lord!</span> <span style="background-color: #f4cccc;">Let us press on to know him.</span>He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”<br />
<br />
Hosea 6:6 I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. <span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"> I want you to know me more than I</span> want burnt offerings.</blockquote>Knowing God, being one with Him, to me is a union that fills me with peace, with bliss. So when God says we are to love each other the same way He has loved us in the same passage that speaks about remaining in Him, well, it takes on a whole new meaning. Do we really have any idea what it is to love God, love ourselves, love each other? To have that intimacy, joy, peace, bliss in knowing God, ourselves, each other?<br />
<br />
Wow.Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-41975767888515508492010-07-05T10:31:00.000+02:002010-07-05T11:01:16.665+02:00Desperate Hope vs Trust<div class="mobile-photo"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-F9XqPRR_M0/TDGYOQnV8xI/AAAAAAAAFJE/_L2TmvEZo4w/s1600/angel-749257.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490336791486919442" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-F9XqPRR_M0/TDGYOQnV8xI/AAAAAAAAFJE/_L2TmvEZo4w/s320/angel-749257.JPG" /></a></span><br />
<br />
When we have a "desperate" situation in our lives, it's not always easy to "let go and let God". Somehow we feel that if we stop worrying, then all will completely fall apart. God keeps reminding me through different books and "mentors" to trust Him. Completely. I hope the excerpts below speak to you today as they spoke to me.<br />
<br />
<b>Quotes by Florence Scovel Shinn</b><br />
<br />
Anything forced into manifestation through personal will, is always "ill-got" and has "ever bad success."<br />
Man is admonished, "My will (God's will) be done not thine," and the curious thing is, man always gets just what he desires when he does relinquish personal will, thereby enabling Infinite Intelligence to work through him.<br />
<br />
Put it in God's hands and use this statement:<br />
-I put this situation in the hands of Infinite love and Wisdom; if this is the divine plan, I bless it and no longer resist, but if it is not divinely planned, I give thanks that it is now dissolved and dissipated.<br />
<br />
-Divine Love now dissolves and dissipates every wrong condition in my mind, body and affairs. Divine Love is the most powerful chemical in the universe, and dissolves everything which is not of itself!<br />
-Divine Love floods my consciousness, and every cell in my body is filled with light.<br />
<br />
<b>From the Bible:</b><br />
Matthew 6:9-13 - Pray like this:<br />
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. </div><div class="mobile-photo"><b>May </b><i>Your </i><b>Kingdom come soon.</b><br />
<b>May <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Your </span></i>will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.</b><br />
Give us today the food we need,<br />
and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.<br />
And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.<br />
<br />
<b>Quotes from Matha Beck:</b><br />
-I just keep seeing evidence that we can throw ourselves into the bright void of hope, fully expecting to be lifted right back up. Trust!<br />
-The universe doesn't reward desperation-neither desperate hope nor desperate anxiety. To reward it would only teach us to sustain it.<br />
-Seriously, here's how to make things happen: drop the evil-twin attachments of desperate hope & desperate fear: rest in trust. It works.<br />
-Create only from a place of peace. If you don't feel peace, go inward and heal before you create.<br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo"><b>From the Bible:</b><br />
Isaiah 30:15 - This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: "Only in returning to Me and <b>resting </b>in Me will you be saved. In <b>quietness </b>and <b>confidence </b>is your strength.<br />
<br />
Lastly, this devotional by <b>Joseph Prince</b> appeared on my Facebook newsfeed just after I had posted this blog entry originally:<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fce5cd;">Rest And Receive Your Miracle</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>Hebrews 4:9 -There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.</b><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo">In the healing of the paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1–16), Jesus knew that for 38 years, the man had been flat on his back, unable to do anything for himself or others, no matter how hard he struggled.<br />
<br />
In the case of the woman oppressed with a spirit of infirmity (Luke 13:10–13), Jesus knew that the woman had been bowed over for 18 years. And in that condition, she saw very little that was beautiful in life, only thedusty ground, dirty sandals and bruised feet.<br />
<br />
What about the man with a withered hand? (Luke 6:6–10) Jesus knew from His carpenter days how a useless hand could have easily given the man a very poor sense of self-worth.<br />
<br />
I believe that all three of them must have struggled for so long to get back on their feet, to try to lift themselves up, to attempt to do something about their situations, only to be disappointed each time they failed. In fact, they got so frustrated with striving to get better that by the time they met Jesus, they had probably given up trying to change their situations.<br />
<br />
It was then that Jesus came and extended His offer to turn their situations around. And when they embraced His offer, they received the miracles that they had sought for so long.<br />
<br />
You too may have been struggling to get back on your feet, or to lift yourself out of the problem that has sorely weighed you down. You have attempted to do whatever you could, hoping that it would amount to something, but you have been frustrated time and again. My friend, God wants you to cease from all your struggling and accept the offer He extends to turn your situation around.<br />
<br />
It is no coincidence that all three of them received their miracles on the Sabbath, the day of rest for the Jews. God’s Word says, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.” The day you cease from your own laboring and striving, and rest in the finished work of Christ, is the day you receive your miracle.<br />
<br />
Jesus has done all the work. Whatever you need has been provided for at the cross. So just be at rest and receive your miracle!</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
<b><u>Thought of The Day</u></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fce5cd;">God wants you to cease from all your struggling and accept the offer He extends to turn your situation around.</span></b></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-9653243722671028922010-06-29T20:31:00.000+02:002010-07-01T15:09:48.605+02:00The Drop of blood<div class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-F9XqPRR_M0/TCo6_tZ3vhI/AAAAAAAAFI0/Bl0vlXYmfCg/s1600/droplet-730664.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488263962098646546" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-F9XqPRR_M0/TCo6_tZ3vhI/AAAAAAAAFI0/Bl0vlXYmfCg/s320/droplet-730664.jpg" /></span></span></a></div><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I see in my mind's eye, a drop of the blood of Jesus dripping onto the forehead of our spiritual bodies. Then how it penetrates to our physical bodies until the whole person is covered and purified, washed and protected with and by the blood of the Lamb.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
This is how I envision spiritually applying the blood of Jesus when I start thinking of covering someone with the blood of Jesus through prayer.<br />
<br />
I started thinking about this topic of pleading the blood after feeling prompted to read again about the account of how the Israelites protected their 1st born children during the plagues in Egypt by covering the doorposts with the blood of a pure lamb.</span></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span> <br />
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.8ex; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 1ex;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. </span></span></blockquote><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.8ex; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 1ex;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt. </span></span></blockquote><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.8ex; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 1ex;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Exodus 12:13).</span></span></blockquote></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Then Retha McPherson started talking about it again in her newsletters on spiritual warfare/protection </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.rethamcpherson.com/">(Retha McPherson Ministries)</a></span><br />
<br />
<div><i> </i></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It was also the topic the pastor ended the sermon with at a church service I attended this Sunday - pleading the blood of Jesus over a person by putting your hand on their forehead and praying.</span></span><br />
<div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">When we think of blood, we think of red... of stains. It isn't logical to think that washing with blood can make you clean. Spiritually though, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span> </span></span></div><br />
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.8ex; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 1ex;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.8ex; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 1ex;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Revelation 7:14b)</span></span></blockquote></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As that old hymn says: ♪♫ </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">There is power in the blood</span>!</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> ♪♫</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-80407369861085359302010-06-09T15:12:00.000+02:002010-06-09T15:12:12.825+02:00God, Your will be done on earth<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So yesterday evening a friend who has cancer asks for my prayer support because her faith is running on empty a bit. I "happen" upon </span></span><a href="http://www.greganderson.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Greg Anderson</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> who wrote a book called "<b>Cancer and the Lord's Prayer</b>". </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Greg and his wife Linda responded to the following question in an interview on the Kyria website</span></span><br />
<b><blockquote><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Your book talks about <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">the Lord's Prayer</span>. What role did that play?</span></span></b></blockquote></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Greg</b>: One clause that's often overlooked is, "<b>Thy will be done</b>." A lot of people pray, "Lord, help me. Heal me. Take the cancer away." But there comes a spiritual maturity that says, "<b>Lord, above all, make known to me your will</b>. And I will do whatever possible to make that my life." I didn't say take away the cancer. I said, "Use the cancer." I didn't say, "Perform a miracle," I said, "Lord, help me reveal your will."</span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><blockquote><b>Linda</b>: When we started to concentrate on that during Greg's cancer, God started to move emotionally, spiritually, and physically.</blockquote></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">(You can read the rest of the article here: <a href="http://www.kyria.com/topics/marriagefamily/marriage/helphealing/12.40.html">30 days to live</a>)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So I go read <b>the Lord's prayer </b>again in the Bible </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(Matthew 6)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and it lists a reference to <b>1 Chronicles 29:10-12</b></span></span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> “O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! <b>Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is Yours</b>, O Lord, <b><u><i>and this is Your kingdom</i></u></b>. <b>We adore You as <i><u>the one who is over all things</u></i>. Wealth and honor come from You alone, for You rule over everything</b>. Power and might are in Your hand, and at Your discretion people are made great and given strength.</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Then I "happen" upon a website of Pieter van Rooyen called <a href="http://www.businessunusual.org/">Business Unusual (Banking on God)</a><br />
<br />
He lists a prayer on his website under the following heading:<br />
<b>If you are desperate for miracles in your Life, Health, Family, Finances or Business please pray this prayer out loud:</b><br />
<blockquote>“Lord Jesus I come to You today to give You all praise and glory for who You are. I declare You are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Lord <b>You alone reign over the universe</b>. I thank you that you love me so much that you even created me into your image (Gen1:26-27) and that you have given me authority here on earth over all things, except man (Gen1:28). Lord you taught us to pray: “…<b>let Your kingdom come, [here] on earth as it is in heaven</b>” (Matt 6:10). Lord I declare that in heaven there is abundance in every area of my life. In heaven there is no sickness and no diseases, in heaven my family are well, happy and are all serving you, in heaven there is no lack of finances and in heaven my business is prosperous! Lord You call me an ambassador (2 Cor 5:20) of the Kingdom of Heaven, You call me a son (child) of the Most High (2 Cor 6:18) and an heir to Your throne (Gal 4:7). As a born again citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, I declare I have authority (Gen. 1:28) over every area of my life and I plead Lord that Your kingdom come in my (life/health/family/ finances/business), as it is in heaven. Lord I ask that You protect me and that You put a hedge around (Job 1:10) me and my (life/health/family/ finances/business). I declare greater miracles (John 14:12) in my life and receive it now by faith only. I ask this in the name of Jesus, AMEN.”</blockquote></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Take a new look at the Lord's prayer. Don't say it just as a ritual but let it come alive as you talk to God.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For Yours is the kingdom and the power and glory, forever.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Amen!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
</span></span></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-57990060943937714752010-06-08T16:25:00.000+02:002010-07-01T13:48:40.674+02:00Praying is YOUR responsibility<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now don't get me wrong, if someone asks for prayer support, of course you pray with them. At other times, God will even lead you to pray for someone who may never even know that you prayed for them.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What I am talking about here is people who say " I don't know </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">how </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">to pray", or "God doesn't listen to </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">my </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">prayers, so please will you pray FOR me." (The implication is "</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I am not going to pray for this myself"</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, and "</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">your prayers carry more power than mine"</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You don't get saved because someone else believes in Jesus Christ on your behalf. God gives us free will to </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">choose </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">to believe in Him. Expecting someone else to do your praying work for you, well, ultimately that's not going to work either.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">God is not a genie in a bottle - there to grant your every wish while you couldn't be bothered to talk to Him. He is your </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">God</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, who also longs to be a close and intimate friend. He wants you to get to know Him, love Him, trust Him, spend time just breathing in His presence ... as you reach out to Him, pour out your heart to Him, believe in His goodness, rest in Him, you will find your trust in Him growing.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is not going to happen if you continually ask others to pray for you while you go on your merry way.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Start believing that God is who He says He is: LOVE</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Start doing what He says: forgive, bless and pray for your enemies; have faith</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's <b>God </b>who answers the prayer and it's got nothing to do with any "special powers" the person praying may appear to have. He is available to all who seek Him. The death and resurrection of Jesus gave us all direct access to the Father. Believe it!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">prayer today is that all of us will grow closer to Him, reach out to Him, receive His love peace guidance and yes, even miracles!</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thank you, Jesus</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Amen.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<b>2 Corinthians 1:24 (New Living Translation)</b><br />
But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-65474556140717572522010-05-26T09:52:00.000+02:002010-05-26T09:52:59.947+02:00Cold Love<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Last night reading the Bible a verse caught my attention in Matthew 24:</span></span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Because of the increase of wickedness, <b>the love of most will grow cold</b>, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. ~Matthew 24:12-13 (NIV)</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I started wondering why the love of most would "grow cold as wickedness increased" and I can think of 2 reasons why people's love for God would decrease:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1) "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> We become more and more desensitised to violence, lust, etc so that we accept it as normal and join in.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2) "What's the use when there's all this evil and suffering in the world?"</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> We start questioning if God exists because of the presence of evil and suffering.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Love </b>is what it's all about. God is love, and God wants us to love Him, ourselves and all others. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Don't allow circumstances to rob you of your love for God. Rather focus on His goodness, His nature, His love and allow the Holy Spirit to keep your heart open, flexible and responsive.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It makes life worth living!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Have a blessed day!</span></span>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-82465008720526670922010-05-02T15:22:00.000+02:002010-11-20T13:17:21.714+02:00The women in Jesus' bloodline<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Matthew 1 starts with the genealogy of Jesus. Now genealogies don't really spark much excitement for most people, myself included.</span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">However, I have been pleasantly surprised to learn a few valuable lessons from a dry old list of names.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">It is worthy to note that the genealogy in Matthew 1 mentions five women! It's rare for one woman to be named in a genealogy like this, let alone five. The five woman are: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and of course, Mary, the mother of Jesus.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Besides the fact that imperfect people ("sinners") make out part of the genealogy of Jesus, the first wow is .... </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b>David & Bathsheba, the parents of Solomon</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b>Mistakes can be part of God's plan</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Their relationship started out as adultery. Bathsheba was married to Uriah. David sent Uriah into battle, making sure all his supporting men would withdraw as the battle heated up so Uriah would be killed. <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Murder</span></b>, <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">adultery</span></b>.. not exactly a spotless background.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">What stands out for me in this is that even though we may sin, make a sinful, wrong choice and have to deal with consequences of that sin (David & Bathsheba's first baby died) ... many times what we want to think of as a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><b>"mistake"</b></span> or <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">wrong choice</span></b> is something God uses in the bigger picture of life as part of His plan. He uses everything for His glory.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The second wow is...</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b>Rahab</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b>Prostitute by profession</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I read about Rahab again recently while reading about the fall of Jericho and then someone pointed out to me that she is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. I immediately checked for myself! *smile* I never made the connection that it was THIS Rahab.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> What it boils down to is that Rahab was a <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">prostitute, not a Jew, </span></b>who hid some Israelite spies and saved their lives, and therefore she was saved when the city of Jericho was destroyed. She went on to become the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our sin, our <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">past</span></b>, doesn't keep God from using us. Those whom the church would judge as <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><b>unfit outsiders</b></span> are sometimes the very people God wants to use!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b> <u>1 Samuel 16:7</u></b></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.</span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b> <u>Romans 2:11</u></b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For God does not show favoritism.</span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b> <u>Romans 8:28</u></b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.</span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">To end, my bible's footnote says <b>Romans 8:28</b> can also read:</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"></span></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"></span></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"></span></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"></span></b></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
</span></b></span></span></span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And we know in all things God works <i>together </i>with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who have been called according to His purpose.</span></span></b></span></span></b></span></span></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-63049657389897918632010-04-21T19:58:00.000+02:002010-04-21T20:05:13.155+02:00Make Jesus your Guru<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been reading a book by Lester Levenson that made the suggestion to constantly think of your Master, constantly read his words, as though he's talking to you directly.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, I have only one Master in my life, Jesus, so let's rephrase that:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Constantly think of Jesus, your Saviour, constantly read His words, as though He's talking to you directly.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wanted to give it a go, so I thought of the passage where Jesus says I am the way, the truth and the life. Settling down I imagined a fuzzy image of a human form of Jesus saying these words to me as I read them in the Bible, and I suggest you do the same thing. Imagine Jesus saying this directly to you:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-26663" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5 </span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">... "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-26664" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jesus answered, "</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. </span></span></span></b><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-26665" style="line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7</span></span></span></b></sup><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him</span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">."</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-26666" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-26667" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jesus answered: "</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?</span></span></span></b><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-26668" style="line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10</span></span></span></b></sup><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. </span></span></span></b><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-26669" style="line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">11</span></span></span></b></sup><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. </span></span></span></b><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-26670" style="line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">12</span></span></span></b></sup><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father</span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">." (John 14:5-12)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You know what happened to me when I did that? I realised for the first time how that must have sounded to His disciples ... here is this "man" Jesus, saying God the Father is in Him and He is in God the Father. Wow. He must have known too how our little minds would try to wrap themselves around that because in verse 11 he says, "BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY that I am in the Father and the Father is in me."</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've since tried this experiment with the passages on loving your enemy and judging in Luke 6. It really makes you see things you may not have seen before!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So next time you read the Bible, go to a passage where Jesus is speaking and imagine Him saying the words to YOU.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God bless,</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Karin</span></span>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-24178309851188862462010-03-24T13:16:00.000+02:002010-03-25T15:18:22.208+02:00Sing over youSometimes, when we think of loved ones going through a tough time, we start feeling despair. We start feeling a sense of hopelessness, because we want to help them and we can't. We get so lost in the negative details of their lives and not seeing a way out for them that we find it hard to even pray for them. Right then, focusing on the impossible, we can't see what IS possible.<br />
<br />
At other times, someone may have hurt us. It could have been inadvertently or it could have been on purpose. Either way, hurting, we find it hard to pray for them, let alone pray blessings over them.<br />
<br />
What if you don't have to say a prayer for them?<br />
What if you could sing over them instead?<br />
<br />
Sing? Yes, Sing!<br />
<br />
Sing <b>God's </b>heart over them. God after all is good and loving to all. God is mighty to save and the God of the impossible. God is also singing over you. Heaven is singing over you.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #001320; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #ead1dc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He will rejoice over you with joyful songs</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">."</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #001320; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #ead1dc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Zephaniah 3:17</span></span></b></span></div><br />
All this went through my mind as I listened to <i>THERE IS ALWAYS A SONG</i> on the Compassionart album. I've heard it many times before, but yesterday I really <i>listened</i>.<br />
<br />
Please read through the lyrics below, and if you can, watch the youtube video link given below it.<br />
<br />
Blessings!<br />
Karin<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b><u>There is always a song</u></b><br />
<br />
I don’t know how to breathe<br />
I don’t know how to leave you<br />
I don’t know what to say<br />
And who am I to say it anyway</span></span><br />
<div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br />
<i>But there is always a song<br />
And I’ll try to sing along over you<br />
I can hear it being sung<br />
All of heaven sings along over you</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br />
I hardly know your name<br />
I didn’t come to save you<br />
Your smile just broke my heart<br />
Now in my heart I know you’ll never leave me.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br />
<i>Sing, sing like you’ve never sung<br />
Sing for your joy to come<br />
Sing, sing like you’ve never sung<br />
Sing of our joy to come</i><br />
© 2008 GloWorks Limited for CompassionArt</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bPQIDSDEmTA&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bPQIDSDEmTA&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></span></span></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-34181014152157237562010-02-16T10:45:00.000+02:002010-02-17T14:02:33.803+02:00Finding meaning in your life<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We generally all want to believe that God created us for a specific reason or purpose, and that we have some mission to fulfill for Him.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Last night I was pondering the fact that it really may not be any kind of "official" mission (like preacher, prophet, singer, etc.), but just simply living your life where you are and serving God and others with it. Still, a part of me feels there must be some specific mission we all need to fulfill in our lives.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While following up some verses on "grace" in my Bible study, my eyes lighted on Acts 20:24, "But my life is worth nothing to me </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">- the work of telling others the good news about the wonderful grace of God."</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our lives really does not feel like there is any lasting meaning / purpose to it unless we serve others in a way shown to us by Jesus, for Jesus.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">With that in mind, let's give of ourselves to serve others in some way, and ask God to make it clear how He would use us individually.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 Corinthians 9:12-13</span></span></u></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">..this ministry of giving...as a result of your ministry they will give glory to God.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Acts 20:35</span></span></u></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's more blessed to give than to receive.</span></span>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-56661214536926194122010-02-11T12:12:00.000+02:002010-02-11T12:12:32.552+02:00A private audience with God<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Last night I was feeling tired and drained after a difficult day at work, dealing with a difficult applicant all via email. Although I had done nothing wrong, I had been the one this person vented on all day long.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So at one stage in the evening I aimlessly paged through my Bible, emotionally not really open to anything I read.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Then I focused on the heading "Hezekiah asks for help" in Isaiah 37. That slowly got my attention, especially this part:</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>Isaiah 37:14-16</u></b></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, <b>he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord</b>. And Hezekiah <b>prayed </b>this prayer before the Lord: “O Lordof Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim!</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>From the </u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><u>Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary</u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;">:</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The phrase, "</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">dwellest between the cherubim</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">," arose from their position at each end of the mercy seat, while the Shekinah (glory), and the awful name, Jehovah, in written letters, were in the intervening space. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: yellow;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They are so inseparably associated with <b>the manifestation of God's glory</b>, that whether the Lord is at rest or in motion, they always are mentioned with Him</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> (Nu 7:89; Ps 18:10).</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">I just got this sense of God calling me to enter into His presence, to come right into His throne room, and just tell Him how terrible my day had been and soak in His peace and awesome Presence.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">But so many times we just feel sorry for ourselves and don't feel like praying. What God wanted me to see is this is not "praying" in the traditional sense, this is just running to God's inner sanctuary and being with Him there while He restores my soul.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">With that in mind, these verses below took on a much richer meaning for me.</span></span></div></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><b><u>Hebrews 4:14,16</u></b></span></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">So then, <u>since we have a great High Priest</u> who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe...So <u>let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God</u>. <u>There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.</u></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><b><u>Hebrews 6:19-20</u></b></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It <u>leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us</u>. <u>He has become our eternal High Priest</u> in the order of Melchizedek.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><b><u>Hebrews 10: 19-22</u></b></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">And so, dear brothers and sisters, <u>we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.</u> By his death, <u>Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place</u>. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, <u>let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean</u>, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Ephesians 3:12</u></b><br />
<u>Because of Christ</u> and our faith in him, <u>we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence</u>.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><b><u>Ephesians 2:18</u></b></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><u>Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us</u>.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;"></span></span></span></span></div></div></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-64215618431397961552010-02-08T12:39:00.001+02:002010-02-08T12:39:15.739+02:00Loving God with your all<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><b>"You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind."<br />
</b></span></span><b><u><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Matthew 22:37</span></span></u></b><span style="color: #333333;"><b><br />
</b></span></span><br />
<div><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">That verse took on a new meaning for me today.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">It happened because I'm studying some material by Ariel & Shya Kane about living in the moment.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">They are passionate about the concept of </span><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">being present</span></b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> in your own life, because you are either </span><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">living </span></b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">your life, or </span><b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">thinking </span></b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">about your life. You can't do both at the same time. You miss your own life if you become preoccupied.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">So in that context, what does loving the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind mean? Bringing all of your attention to God when you love Him.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">It's just like when we talk to a loved one, we want all of their attention at that time. We want the gift of the whole person engaged with us in that moment.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: black;">Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.</span></span></span></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-76199513155777220242010-02-03T09:50:00.000+02:002010-02-03T16:47:50.994+02:00The Lord really is good<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We have all heard that verse "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps 34:8) so many times that we don't even "hear" what is says anymore!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Lord is good.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The problem is that many times and for some people all the time, we don't actually believe God </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">is </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">good. We've got our evidence to the contrary. Life has dealt us some heavy blows, we get depressed, someone breaks our heart, we don't get that job we so desperately needed... and we're left thinking God doesn't really care. Or worse, that's He's vindictive and spiteful.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Psalm 118 starts by saying give thanks to the Lord for He is .... *drumroll please*... <i>good</i>. And continues on to say "His faithful love endures forever." It says so again in Psalm 136, oh and in 2 Chronicles 20:21...and so forth and so forth. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Lord is good.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lamentations 3:25 goes on to say "The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him."</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And what about Isaiah 30:18-19? It doesn't specifically mention the word good, but that's pretty much what it means..</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion.</span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><blockquote>For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.</blockquote><blockquote>O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.</blockquote><blockquote>He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.</blockquote></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you are weary and longing to experience the Lord's goodness, listen to the song on the youtube video below.<br />
</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>The lyrics to Peace Be Still</b></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Come to Me, you who are weakLet My strength be yours tonight; Come and rest, let My love be your bed<br />
Let My heart be yours tonight<br />
<br />
Peace be still, Peace be still; Please be still and know that I am God<br />
And know that I am God<br />
<br />
Come empty cup, let Me fill you up; I'll descend on you like a dove tonight<br />
Lift your head, let your eyes fall into Mine; Let your fear subside tonight<br />
<br />
Hallelujah, Hallelujah<br />
<br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iwwXF3JT8lQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iwwXF3JT8lQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366735546890258925.post-8199848223018478342010-02-02T12:36:00.000+02:002010-02-02T12:39:12.753+02:00To this end was I born<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The New Living translation of </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">John 18:37</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> reads as follows:</span></span></div><blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 40px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pilate said, “So you are a king?”<br />
Jesus responded, “</span></span></b><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You </span></span></b></i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">say I am a king. </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth</span></span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”</span></span></b></blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Most translations read as follows:</span></span></div><blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 40px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.<br />
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."</span></span></b></blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The second version make us focus more on the fact that Jesus confirmed He is a king, than on what he stated as his life's purpose (born to testify to the truth), whereas the New Living Translation, by not confirming what Pilate asked, brings the focus to the fact that Jesus "was born and came into the world to testify to the truth".</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Okay, go read them again to see what I mean. :-)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Neat huh, but it gets better! The following two emails I received later on pretty much confirmed what that verse means to me when I read it. That I too was born with a purpose, to testify to the truth. The first devotional, </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The purpose of life</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, doesn't mention who wrote it, which is a pity. The second devotional is a prophetic word (</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I love you</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">) that gets sent out to all members on the list.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">See what they mean to you.</span></span></div><div><br />
</div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">THE PURPOSE OF LIFE</span></b></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">"To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth."-- John 18:37.<br />
<br />
This was our Lord's answer to Pilate's inquiry, and to a certain extent each of us may appropriate His words. Wordsworth's immortal lines suggest that we stood before God to receive our commission, ere we became clothed with this body of humiliation. Whether or not the poet is right in his surmise, that "not in utter nakedness or forgetfulness do we come from God, who is our Home," we need not argue. It is enough that God, who hates nothing that He has made, sent us forth to realise an ideal, to fulfil a purpose, to bear witness to some phase of Truth! Shall we not ask ourselves, as in His Presence, whether we are fulfilling the<br />
<br />
Divine purpose of what the Apostle calls "our high calling"? (Phil 3:14).</span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">God created each soul with a purpose</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">. The potter takes in hand a lump of clay with a distinct design. He means, when he places it on the horizontal wheel, to make of it a vessel to adorn a temple or palace, or he has in mind to serve some household use. The revolving wheel on the one hand, and his skilful manipulation on the other, will evolve and complete his purpose. "Cannot I do with you, as this potter? saith the Lord."<br />
<br />
"Thou hast made me and fashioned me. Thou didst choose the time and circumstances of my birth, my parentage and heredity, my mental equipment and my physical frame. From the first Thou didst know the constitution of my body, which Thou didst fashion in secret, and curiously work in the lowest places of the earth."<br />
<br />
To our humble challenge: "Why hast Thou made me thus?" God does not always give an audible reply. His answer is often voiceless, it steals in upon the soul insensibly, and we know that we are fulfilling His purpose. If you are engaged in some unwelcome task, which evidently is your duty; if you are shut up as companion with some uncongenial charge; if you are called to minister to people who seem unresponsive or unsympathising, ask that the Saviour and you may be yoked together, that His Will may be done through you, that His love and kindness may bear and forbear in you, and that you may witness to the truth, as it is in Jesus.<br />
<br />
PRAYER<br />
O God, some of us shrink from our life-work, from those with whom we have to associate, from unwelcome toil and irksome tasks. Enable us to see Thy plan, and to trust Thee who art working out Thy plan in our lives. May the love of Christ constrain us no longer to live unto ourselves, but to Him. AMEN.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">I LOVE YOU</span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">This word is submitted by Vanessa Whittaker</span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">I created you all for a reason</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"> and I embrace you as My child. Stand<br />
strong in what I have given you, for I chose you from eternity. My<br />
hand is overcoming your enemies. Let Me work, and you will see wonders,<br />
for My hand is on you, and I am looking after you.<br />
<br />
I love you, My child, and you have been bought by the blood of the<br />
Lamb. You don't realize how precious you are to Me. I am your Loving<br />
Father, and I wish to guide you all though Life. Just take My hand.<br />
The adventure is about to begin...</span></span></div>Karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06288368402342923576noreply@blogger.com0