Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth!
Worship the LORD with gladness.
Come before Him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the LORD is God!
He made us, and we are His.
We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving;
Go into His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the LORD is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
And His faithfulness continues to each generation.
Psalm 100 NLT
Make a joyful shout unto Hashem, all ye lands.
Serve Hashem with simchah;
Come before His presence with joyful singing.
Know ye that Hashem He is Elohim;
It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves,
His people, the tzon of His pasture.
Enter into His she'arim (gates) with todah,
And into His khatzerot (courts) with tehillah;
Be thankful unto Him, and bless Shmo.
For Hashem is good; His chesed is I'olam;
And His emunah (faithfulness) endureth dor vador.
Psalm 100 OJB
Aclamen alegres al Senor, habitantes de toda la tierra;
adoren al Senor con regocijo.
Presentense ante el con canticos de jubilo.
Reconozcan que el Senor es Dios;
el nos hizo, y somos suyos.
Somos su pueblo, ovejas de su prado.
Entren por sus puertas con accion de gracias;
Vengan a sus atrios con himnos de alabanza; denle gracias;
alaben su nombre.
Porque el Senor es bueno y su gran amor es eterno;
su fidelidad permanece para siempre.
Salmos 100 NVI
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father..." James 1:17 ESV
Today's title verse has been running through my head all day. It got me to thinking about everything that is good in my life, every perfect gift I have been given and wow they did indeed come from the Lord!
Have you ever received a perfect miracle? I have, two of them, sons, gifts from my heavenly Father when the doctor told me I only had a 50/50 chance of even conceiving! My sons are gifts that keep on giving and I thank You Lord with all of my heart for both of them!! Thank You Lord for six additional miracles, my grandchildren that You blessed my sons and their wives with!! Children truly are gifts from God! "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward." Psalm 127:3
Have you ever been in awe of a sunset or sunrise? How about the oceans or the mountains? Perhaps the stars and the planets are what thrills you. Consider the hummingbird and the Blue Whale, the four seasons, the ant and the elephant, rain, ice, snowflakes, mist, dew, thunder, lightening, gentle breezes and typhoons, dinosaurs and butterflies. "Who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, "Thus far shall you come,and no father and here shall your proud waves be stayed." Job 38:8-11. When creation brings tears to your eyes or takes your breath away, thank the Creator!
I thank God for the freedom I have to worship my God, Jesus Christ! I thank Him that I can choose to go to any church I please without fear of reprisal. I thank Him that I can openly have a Bible study anywhere I please, I thank Him with all of my heart for His Word, the Bible and that I can own one or twenty and not have to hide them.
I thank God for my brothers and sisters in Christ, the family of God, what a blessing they are!
I thank God that in Christ I have total peace, fulness of joy and love that is everlasting!! I have forgiveness of sin and eternal life through Jesus Christ!! No I'm not living in some parallel universe, I'm aware of the situation in our country and around the world, painfully aware but to be in Christ is to be in the Eye of the Hurricane, absolute peace in the midst of the most destructive winds swirling all around you! Thank You Lord!!!
I thank God every morning for giving me another today! I'm so thankful for a roof over my head, food on my table, clothes to wear and the freedom to write this blog.
Thank You God for every good and perfect gift in my life. "You open Your hand; You satisfy the desire of every living thing." Psalm 145:16
Have you ever received a perfect miracle? I have, two of them, sons, gifts from my heavenly Father when the doctor told me I only had a 50/50 chance of even conceiving! My sons are gifts that keep on giving and I thank You Lord with all of my heart for both of them!! Thank You Lord for six additional miracles, my grandchildren that You blessed my sons and their wives with!! Children truly are gifts from God! "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward." Psalm 127:3
Have you ever been in awe of a sunset or sunrise? How about the oceans or the mountains? Perhaps the stars and the planets are what thrills you. Consider the hummingbird and the Blue Whale, the four seasons, the ant and the elephant, rain, ice, snowflakes, mist, dew, thunder, lightening, gentle breezes and typhoons, dinosaurs and butterflies. "Who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, "Thus far shall you come,and no father and here shall your proud waves be stayed." Job 38:8-11. When creation brings tears to your eyes or takes your breath away, thank the Creator!
I thank God for the freedom I have to worship my God, Jesus Christ! I thank Him that I can choose to go to any church I please without fear of reprisal. I thank Him that I can openly have a Bible study anywhere I please, I thank Him with all of my heart for His Word, the Bible and that I can own one or twenty and not have to hide them.
I thank God for my brothers and sisters in Christ, the family of God, what a blessing they are!
I thank God that in Christ I have total peace, fulness of joy and love that is everlasting!! I have forgiveness of sin and eternal life through Jesus Christ!! No I'm not living in some parallel universe, I'm aware of the situation in our country and around the world, painfully aware but to be in Christ is to be in the Eye of the Hurricane, absolute peace in the midst of the most destructive winds swirling all around you! Thank You Lord!!!
I thank God every morning for giving me another today! I'm so thankful for a roof over my head, food on my table, clothes to wear and the freedom to write this blog.
Thank You God for every good and perfect gift in my life. "You open Your hand; You satisfy the desire of every living thing." Psalm 145:16
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2 NASB
The apparently random encounters in a believers life are not random at all but preordained, orchestrated by your Sovereign God! Therefore, we must open our eyes to the needs of those around us everyday; family members, friends, co-workers, fellow believers, casual acquaintances and yes, total strangers!
We tend to be naturally drawn to people who look and sound just like us, but Jesus' life on earth teaches differently. Consider the woman at the well, (John chapter four) Jesus a Rabbi should not even have talked with her alone, especially a sinful Samaritan woman! Yet their seemingly random encounter was ordained by the Father and Jesus knew that. Jesus will open our eyes to those around us every day that He divinely places in our lives for a purpose. Ask Him and He will open your eyes and give you discernment.
We can always know that we are to make intercession on their behalf to our Lord for that is pleasing in His sight! We are to pray for the one standing in front of us, they are not there by accident. Do we know what to pray? No, but the Holy Spirit within us knows and He will intercede for us on behalf of them with sighs too deep for words. Romans 8:26-27.
Maybe the person standing in front of you simply needs a word of encouragement, or a kind touch, or a listening ear, listening to one another is almost a lost art. Maybe they need someone to say "may I pray with you right now, right here?" You would be shocked at how many people will take you up on your offer. Don't say "I'll pray for you and walk away, pray right then, with them.
Perhaps their need is material; food, clothing, a place to stay; "If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled." without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?" James 2:15-16.
Father God, open my eyes to the needs of people all around me, everyday. Help me to see every one that you bring into my life even briefly as a gift from You, an opportunity for me to be obedient and to love them with Your love, to meet their needs that You reveal to me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
We tend to be naturally drawn to people who look and sound just like us, but Jesus' life on earth teaches differently. Consider the woman at the well, (John chapter four) Jesus a Rabbi should not even have talked with her alone, especially a sinful Samaritan woman! Yet their seemingly random encounter was ordained by the Father and Jesus knew that. Jesus will open our eyes to those around us every day that He divinely places in our lives for a purpose. Ask Him and He will open your eyes and give you discernment.
We can always know that we are to make intercession on their behalf to our Lord for that is pleasing in His sight! We are to pray for the one standing in front of us, they are not there by accident. Do we know what to pray? No, but the Holy Spirit within us knows and He will intercede for us on behalf of them with sighs too deep for words. Romans 8:26-27.
Maybe the person standing in front of you simply needs a word of encouragement, or a kind touch, or a listening ear, listening to one another is almost a lost art. Maybe they need someone to say "may I pray with you right now, right here?" You would be shocked at how many people will take you up on your offer. Don't say "I'll pray for you and walk away, pray right then, with them.
Perhaps their need is material; food, clothing, a place to stay; "If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled." without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?" James 2:15-16.
Father God, open my eyes to the needs of people all around me, everyday. Help me to see every one that you bring into my life even briefly as a gift from You, an opportunity for me to be obedient and to love them with Your love, to meet their needs that You reveal to me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Monday, November 21, 2011
"...For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45 ESV
Obsessed; a persistent, idea, desire, or emotion that cannot be gotten rid of by reasoning.
It is easy to recognize obsession, just observe and listen to someone for any length of time and you can recognize their obsession, their passion. Because the Bible says that from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. What is in our hearts will come out of our mouths.
Listen carefully, what is coming out of your mouth? Preoccupation with self? Or work, children, your mate, possessions, money? Is the talk about acquiring more or satisfaction with what we have?
We can also hear heart attitude; murmuring, complaining, nothing is ever good enough or thankfulness, kindness, encouragement. Our mouths can minister life or death to another, our mate, our children, our friends, our co-workers. We can build up or tear down, that is the power of our tongues. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it (for death or life)." Proverbs 18:21 Amplified
God can and does look on the heart of a man, but we, if we listen carefully can hear the heart of man.
I have a very dear friend and no matter where we are or what we are doing it doesn't take long before her obsession flows from her heart and out of her mouth. The obsession? Jesus Christ! Her love for Him and for His word is passionate and it is infectious.
If we call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ that is exactly the way we are to be, light and salt in this world. Salt can most definitely be an irritant to some but to others it makes them thirsty for what we have. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16 NASB.
In the coming week may we all be alert as to what is coming out of our mouths. Is it life or death, kindness or complaining?
It is easy to recognize obsession, just observe and listen to someone for any length of time and you can recognize their obsession, their passion. Because the Bible says that from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. What is in our hearts will come out of our mouths.
Listen carefully, what is coming out of your mouth? Preoccupation with self? Or work, children, your mate, possessions, money? Is the talk about acquiring more or satisfaction with what we have?
We can also hear heart attitude; murmuring, complaining, nothing is ever good enough or thankfulness, kindness, encouragement. Our mouths can minister life or death to another, our mate, our children, our friends, our co-workers. We can build up or tear down, that is the power of our tongues. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it (for death or life)." Proverbs 18:21 Amplified
God can and does look on the heart of a man, but we, if we listen carefully can hear the heart of man.
I have a very dear friend and no matter where we are or what we are doing it doesn't take long before her obsession flows from her heart and out of her mouth. The obsession? Jesus Christ! Her love for Him and for His word is passionate and it is infectious.
If we call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ that is exactly the way we are to be, light and salt in this world. Salt can most definitely be an irritant to some but to others it makes them thirsty for what we have. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16 NASB.
In the coming week may we all be alert as to what is coming out of our mouths. Is it life or death, kindness or complaining?
Saturday, November 19, 2011
"And He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" Mark 5:39,41.
Sometimes it does indeed feel as though the cares, concerns, trials and worries of life come in like the breakers at high tide.
Wave after wave hits you; some just cause you to sway a little, still others make you weak in the knees, then comes the rogue wave out of nowhere and when it hits you loose your balance. You never even saw it coming, no way to prepare for it. Jesus knows how to rescue His own when they get knocked down, when they start sinking, He immediately stretches out His hand and pulls us up! The storm may not be over but He is with us and we won't drown, He has us by the hand! (Matthew 14:30-31)
Still the waves keep coming and then this creepy, slimy feeling on your legs gets your attention, seaweed! Some waves or trials leave debris behind that we must deal with even when the waters are calm again. We need to cleanse ourselves from that which clings to and defiles us. Maybe the storm is past, but you are left with, depression, self-pity, resentment toward another or even God, unforgiveness may be the slime left over. Wash yourself in the Word and be cleansed! Bet you never thought of the Word of God as soap! Ephesians 5:25-26; "Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word."
In every life there is generally one wave that comes at you that is so powerful that you are literally swept off your feet, powerless to right yourself and you are swept away by the shear force of the current. Those times are the ones where other believers gather round you and literally lift you to safety, by lifting you continually up in prayer before the Father figuratively laying you at the feet of the Father in His throne of grace. Romans 15:30; "Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me."
On one occasion, friends of a paralytic man carried their friend to Jesus house and when they couldn't get close because of the crowds, they didn't give up, they climbed up on the roof with their friend and his pallet! They removed the roof tiles and lowered their friend, pallet and all right into the presence of Jesus! And Jesus seeing the friend's faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." First things first and then He said, "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home." (Mark 2:2-12)
Are you striving on behalf of someone, please don't give up, don't quit praying for in due time you will see your prayers answered. I thank God for the prayers of believers, many a time I was carried in prayer, when I was too sick or rebellious to pray for myself.
Are you struggling right now to keep your self upright and wave after wave keeps battering you? Cry out to Jesus and say, Lord!! Save me!! And the same voice Who spoke peace to the storm will take you by the hand and speak peace to your heart and mind.
"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer (take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted)! For I have overcome the world! ( I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.) John 16:33 Amplified.
Wave after wave hits you; some just cause you to sway a little, still others make you weak in the knees, then comes the rogue wave out of nowhere and when it hits you loose your balance. You never even saw it coming, no way to prepare for it. Jesus knows how to rescue His own when they get knocked down, when they start sinking, He immediately stretches out His hand and pulls us up! The storm may not be over but He is with us and we won't drown, He has us by the hand! (Matthew 14:30-31)
Still the waves keep coming and then this creepy, slimy feeling on your legs gets your attention, seaweed! Some waves or trials leave debris behind that we must deal with even when the waters are calm again. We need to cleanse ourselves from that which clings to and defiles us. Maybe the storm is past, but you are left with, depression, self-pity, resentment toward another or even God, unforgiveness may be the slime left over. Wash yourself in the Word and be cleansed! Bet you never thought of the Word of God as soap! Ephesians 5:25-26; "Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word."
In every life there is generally one wave that comes at you that is so powerful that you are literally swept off your feet, powerless to right yourself and you are swept away by the shear force of the current. Those times are the ones where other believers gather round you and literally lift you to safety, by lifting you continually up in prayer before the Father figuratively laying you at the feet of the Father in His throne of grace. Romans 15:30; "Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me."
On one occasion, friends of a paralytic man carried their friend to Jesus house and when they couldn't get close because of the crowds, they didn't give up, they climbed up on the roof with their friend and his pallet! They removed the roof tiles and lowered their friend, pallet and all right into the presence of Jesus! And Jesus seeing the friend's faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." First things first and then He said, "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home." (Mark 2:2-12)
Are you striving on behalf of someone, please don't give up, don't quit praying for in due time you will see your prayers answered. I thank God for the prayers of believers, many a time I was carried in prayer, when I was too sick or rebellious to pray for myself.
Are you struggling right now to keep your self upright and wave after wave keeps battering you? Cry out to Jesus and say, Lord!! Save me!! And the same voice Who spoke peace to the storm will take you by the hand and speak peace to your heart and mind.
"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer (take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted)! For I have overcome the world! ( I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.) John 16:33 Amplified.
Friday, November 18, 2011
"Don't just listen to God's Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves." James 1:22 NLT
John 14:21 is one of the most beautifully profound scriptures in all of scripture; "Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, My Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal Myself to each of them."
He who has or accepts Jesus commandments, is clearly speaking of believers. We begin with regeneration, the being born again that Jesus talked about in John 3:3-8. We put our faith and trust for salvation not in our works but in and through Jesus Christ alone!
Then we hear the Word on Sundays in church or on TV but we can't stop at just hearing. We have to get into the Bible, the Word of God and read it for ourselves! If you skip this step after being born again, then you will forever remain a baby believer. Your life doesn't change.
Never growing, never living the abundant life! Never knowing who Jesus Christ is in an intimate relationship with Him, never knowing who you are as a believer, ignorant of the promises and commandments of God. Your mind remains the same because it is transformed (Romans 12:2) only through the Word of God and prayer!
The next step after reading and studying the Word is to become doers of the Word. Referring to the obediently keeping His commandments part. We also learn from John 14:21 that Jesus defines love for Him as obedience, not lip service, not just hearing the Word, but applying the Word to our lives by walking in obedience to it.
That is exactly what Jesus did when He walked this earth, thousands of years ago. John 14:31; "I will do what the Father requires of Me, so that the world will know that I love the Father." Our obedience to what Jesus requires of us will show the world that we love Jesus Christ.
Obedience brings the greatest blessing of all, the revelation of Jesus Christ to us, personally! You are introduced to Christ through the gospel or good news, you believe in Him for salvation and you grow in your knowledge of Him as Lord with every act of obedience!
Remember the words of our title scripture? James 1:22, to hear the Word and never do it, is to fool only yourself! The Word of God is His gift to us, to ignore it is foolish, never to know and do it, is to miss out on the most wonderful thing you can experience on this earth, namely a personal, real relationship with your Creator, Savior and Lord.
To know Jesus is to experience and receive His love for you, personally, to know Jesus through His Word is to know peace of heart and mind, to know Jesus is to filled with joy, deep, abiding joy that no darkness, or loss, or trial, or tribulation can ever touch.
He who has or accepts Jesus commandments, is clearly speaking of believers. We begin with regeneration, the being born again that Jesus talked about in John 3:3-8. We put our faith and trust for salvation not in our works but in and through Jesus Christ alone!
Then we hear the Word on Sundays in church or on TV but we can't stop at just hearing. We have to get into the Bible, the Word of God and read it for ourselves! If you skip this step after being born again, then you will forever remain a baby believer. Your life doesn't change.
Never growing, never living the abundant life! Never knowing who Jesus Christ is in an intimate relationship with Him, never knowing who you are as a believer, ignorant of the promises and commandments of God. Your mind remains the same because it is transformed (Romans 12:2) only through the Word of God and prayer!
The next step after reading and studying the Word is to become doers of the Word. Referring to the obediently keeping His commandments part. We also learn from John 14:21 that Jesus defines love for Him as obedience, not lip service, not just hearing the Word, but applying the Word to our lives by walking in obedience to it.
That is exactly what Jesus did when He walked this earth, thousands of years ago. John 14:31; "I will do what the Father requires of Me, so that the world will know that I love the Father." Our obedience to what Jesus requires of us will show the world that we love Jesus Christ.
Obedience brings the greatest blessing of all, the revelation of Jesus Christ to us, personally! You are introduced to Christ through the gospel or good news, you believe in Him for salvation and you grow in your knowledge of Him as Lord with every act of obedience!
Remember the words of our title scripture? James 1:22, to hear the Word and never do it, is to fool only yourself! The Word of God is His gift to us, to ignore it is foolish, never to know and do it, is to miss out on the most wonderful thing you can experience on this earth, namely a personal, real relationship with your Creator, Savior and Lord.
To know Jesus is to experience and receive His love for you, personally, to know Jesus through His Word is to know peace of heart and mind, to know Jesus is to filled with joy, deep, abiding joy that no darkness, or loss, or trial, or tribulation can ever touch.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
"See that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject Him who warns from heaven." Hebrews 12:25 ESV.
The human race has so perfected selective hearing that it is now an art form! Husbands and wives not listening to one another, parents and children hear words being said but refuse to listen and respond.
This selective hearing is not confined to the home, it is everywhere; the work place, schools, churches, and at every level in government, city, county, state and federal levels. And this isn't confined to the U.S., look at the uprisings against governments all around the middle east. Everyone is talking, but no one seems to be listening.
I think the rise in email, text, twitter, Facebook, and blogs is flourishing in part because we don't even know how to communicate face to face anymore. Or maybe we just have given up on traditional communication. Or are we are so desperate to be heard that we just want to put it out there and see if anyone in the world is listening? Does anybody truly care?
Failure to listen and respond is culminating in death and destruction. Why does man refuse to listen? Are we so intent in doing things our way, taking control of our own lives that we just tune everyone else out with other views than ours?
What is the cause of wars but wanting and refusing to yield, demanding and refusing to listen. As horrendous as the outcome of wars are they pale in comparison to mankind's refusal to listen to God!
Failure to listen to one another can and does destroy many homes and families and even countries. All of which effect us for the relatively short time that we have on planet earth. Failure to listen to God effects us for all of eternity!
God is speaking all the time; through His Word the Bible, and through His creation. God is calling out to us; sometimes through a gentle whisper and other times through a clap of thunder so loud it vibrates in your heart! Will we respond to His call?
God is speaking is anybody listening? Life is short, eternity is forever...
This selective hearing is not confined to the home, it is everywhere; the work place, schools, churches, and at every level in government, city, county, state and federal levels. And this isn't confined to the U.S., look at the uprisings against governments all around the middle east. Everyone is talking, but no one seems to be listening.
I think the rise in email, text, twitter, Facebook, and blogs is flourishing in part because we don't even know how to communicate face to face anymore. Or maybe we just have given up on traditional communication. Or are we are so desperate to be heard that we just want to put it out there and see if anyone in the world is listening? Does anybody truly care?
Failure to listen and respond is culminating in death and destruction. Why does man refuse to listen? Are we so intent in doing things our way, taking control of our own lives that we just tune everyone else out with other views than ours?
What is the cause of wars but wanting and refusing to yield, demanding and refusing to listen. As horrendous as the outcome of wars are they pale in comparison to mankind's refusal to listen to God!
Failure to listen to one another can and does destroy many homes and families and even countries. All of which effect us for the relatively short time that we have on planet earth. Failure to listen to God effects us for all of eternity!
God is speaking all the time; through His Word the Bible, and through His creation. God is calling out to us; sometimes through a gentle whisper and other times through a clap of thunder so loud it vibrates in your heart! Will we respond to His call?
God is speaking is anybody listening? Life is short, eternity is forever...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)