Saturday Song- Bound to Come Some Trouble- Rich Mullins

"There's bound to come some trouble to your life
But that ain't nothing to be afraid of
There's bound to come some trouble to your life
But that ain't no reason to fear
I know there's bound to come some trouble to your life
But reach out to Jesus hold on tight
He's been there before and He knows what it's like
You'll find He's there

There's bound to come some tears up in your eyes
That ain't nothing to be ashamed of
I know there's bound to come some tears up in your eyes
That ain't no reason to fear
I know there's bound to come some tears up in your eyes
Reach out to Jesus hold on tight
He's been there before and He knows what it's like
You'll find He's there

Now People say maybe things will get better
People say maybe it won't be long
And people say maybe you'll wake up tomorrow
And it'll all be gone
Well I only know that maybes just ain't enough
When you need something to hold on
There's only one thing that's clear

I know there's bound to come some trouble to your life
But that ain't nothing to be afraid of
I know there's bound to come some tears up in your eyes
That ain't no reason to fear
I know there's bound to come some trouble to your life
Reach out to Jesus hold on tight
He's been there before and He knows what it's like
You'll find He's there"

Wilderness

Sometimes we have to walk through the wilderness.

It might be physical, a health issue................................................ It might be financial, loss of a job, loss of stability...................................................................It might be mental, a loss of relationship, or unbearable stress.................................................... It might be spiritual, a question of faith, a question of love..................................

Many wildernesses, only one reason. To mature us, to complete us. To see things from His perspective. Read the Book of James.

Even Jesus had His wilderness.

Just know that He knows you are there. And know that He is with you there. Know that you will persevere, and come out on the other side.

Oh, yeah, and remember He loves you.

Ye of Little Faith

"O Ye of Little Faith". Jesus used this phrase several times, for the Pharisees, for the people, even for the disciples. It was a rebuke for what He saw was lacking. Did 'little faith" mean at least they had some? Interesting thought.

George Muller was a man who had much faith. Muller had five orphanages in Bristol in the UK in the 1800s. The number of children under the care of him and his wife grew from 30 to over 2,000. Muller built these five homes, costing over L100,000 even back then(5.8 million British pounds today), without ever asking for financial support or going into debt. Many times he received unsolicited food just hours or minutes before they needed to feed the children. Muller prayed, faith believing, that God would provide.

Just think, building a church, or an orphanage, or going on a missions trip, without asking for money or going into debt. Where are the men and women of Muller's faith today? Imagine a principle of seeking money and provision through prayer instead of fund-raising. Do we have that kind of faith?

Mullers's diaries show that life was hard at times, and he had to learn to be persistent, and felt that God had given him a task to demonstrate the faithfulness of God in prayer. His diaries stated he had documented proof of 50,000 answered prayers, many answered within 24 hours.

Don't we look like those of "little faith" compared to Muller? We need persistence, we need to ask boldly and believe. But we need to keep knocking.

Muller's diaries stated that "without the trust in God through Jesus Christ and in His provision in answer to prayer, our activity will be ill founded. The ways in which we do things may change but this godly pattern remains unchanged. "

Saturday Song- He Reigns, Newsboys

He Reigns- Newsboys

It’s the song of the redeemed
Rising from the African plain
It’s the song of the forgiven
Drowning out the Amazon rain
The song of Asian believers
Filled with God’s holy fire
It’s every tribe, every tongue, every nation
A love song born of a grateful choir

It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

Let it rise above the four winds
Caught up in the heavenly sound
Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals
To the faithful gathered underground
Of all the songs sung from the dawn of creation
Some were meant to persist
Of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples
None rings truer than this

It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

And all the powers of darkness
Tremble at what they’ve just heard
‘Cause all the powers of darkness
Can’t drown out a single word

When all God’s children sing out
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
All God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

Joy of Meeting

God at Eventide- January 18

Joy of Meeting

So many think of prayer as petition only. It is petition. "In everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be known unto Me."

But prayer is also a glad turning to meet Me for the joy of meeting, for the rapture of My presence.

Prayer, too, is preparation for tomorrow's return to those who need you, those to whom My love goes out from you.

www.twolisteners.org

Dig Deep

I watched last night from my living room window as nine deer foraged through the snow for food in sub-zero temperatures. They were only about 40 yards away, in the field in front of my house. They were digging deep into the snow, looking for clumps of grass or corn or beans that could sustain them. If they would have just looked at the top of the snow, or what was sticking out high, they wouldn't have had enough.

As I went back to my Bible study, I thought about how they related. There is so much in the scriptures that we might not see, unless we dig deep. There is usually a story behind the story. There are obviously diamonds and nuggets of truth for all to see, but there is much that we need to study and have God open our eyes when we read.

Did you realize that when Moses came down the mount with the Ten Commandments, the people had the golden calf, and the Levites killed 3,000 in the camp, was at the time the Jews held was during the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of Weeks was at the same time that Pentecost happened in the New Testament. How many were saved during Pentecost? 3,000.

Jesus told Peter that He would be His church on a rock at Caesarea Phillipi, and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Caesarea Phillipi was a pagan site for Pan, and there was a rock bluff and cave there that the worshipers of Pan felt was the gateway between this world and the demon world. Obviously Jesus was talking about the rock being both the truth that Jesus was Lord and Peter himself, but wasn't it an interesting comment based on where they were?

These are two quick references that show we need to go beyond the surface. The scriptures are full of these.

Many people are trying to start to read through the Bible at this time of year. That's a great goal, and commendable. But don't forget to look deeper and really study what it says and why. Be accountable for what you read.

Dig deep.

Saturday Song- Wait for Your Rain(Todd Agnew)

Wait for Your Rain

I cannot believe I'm this dirty
I'm ashamed to even ask to be clean
'Cause I can't think of anyone less worthy
I have nothing to offer or to bring

I throw myself on Your mercy
I throw myself at Your feet
I throw my filth on the grace of One who's beauty is beyond me
And I wait
And I wait

I'm not even sure how I got here
Wondered to this darkness from Your light
I still remember walking in the garden with You
Now I'm just stumbling through this night

I throw myself on Your mercy
I throw myself at Your feet
I throw my filth on the grace of One who's beauty is beyond me
And I wait
And I wait

I wait for Your rain to fall
The waves of Your grace wash over me
I wait for Your rain to fall
Strange how forgiveness comes so easily
When I call Your name
And wait for Your rain

Lord, this desert is killing me
My throat's dry from screaming Your name
I want to come home but the sands of time surround me
The dirt's finally covered my shame

So I throw myself on Your mercy
I throw myself at Your feet
I throw my filth on the grace of One who's beauty is beyond me
And I wait

I wait for Your rain to fall
The waves of Your grace wash over me
I wait for Your rain to fall
Strange how forgiveness comes so easily
When I call Your name
And wait for Your rain

Do Good

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing".

This quote has often been attributed to Edmund Burke, although I have read that it cannot be found in any of his writings or speeches. It has been used and applied, in and out of context, from wars and politics to life on the street.

It can also be applied to the Christian realm, although Jesus said only God was good. It can be said that when Christians do, their works can triumph over evil. It is not because of them or their works, but because of the Spirit of God doing work through them.

We cannot just be Christians, we must act as Christ in the world, being His hands and feet. We must do. Pray today that God will be alive in you, working through you. Pray that He will lead you what to do.

Go, do.

What We Don't See

I know of an associate pastor at a church who is painfully shy. He's not much of a public speaker. Most would wonder how and why he was called to ministry.

But he has a heart for God. He is willing- willing to do whatever it takes to bring people to the Kingdom. He will serve any way he can. This man might not ever be a head pastor, but he has God and His church to serve. And his reward will be in heaven.

Isn't that like God? He uses people or things we would never think of to further His kingdom. Moses was slow of speech, but he talked for a nation. David was a lowly shepherd boy-Jesse was sure Samuel would pick one of the older, stronger sons to be king.

So when someone you think isn't presentable enough or isn't a great communicator wants to serve the Lord, don't dismiss them as not being good enough. Like the song says, when others saw a shepherd boy, God saw a king.

Saturday Song- He Reigns

Lyrics of He Reigns, by the Newsboys -

It’s the song of the redeemed
Rising from the African plain
It’s the song of the forgiven
Drowning out the Amazon rain
The song of Asian believers
Filled with God’s holy fire
It’s every tribe, every tongue, every nation
A love song born of a grateful choir

It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

Let it rise above the four winds
Caught up in the heavenly sound
Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals
To the faithful gathered underground
Of all the songs sung from the dawn of creation
Some were meant to persist
Of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples
None rings truer than this

It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

And all the powers of darkness
Tremble at what they’ve just heard
‘Cause all the powers of darkness
Can’t drown out a single word

When all God’s children sing out
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
All God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

Everything

Most of you may have seen this video, it's been viewed almost 8,000,000 times on Godtube. If you've seen it, it's worth watching it again. If you've never seen it, you may need tissues.

My prayer is that maybe you know someone that could be that girl- someone who has walked away from God because of a relationship, the wrong people, drugs, or other things in their life. Somehow have them watch the video, and know that they can come back to His love and grace,


http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ee73e63418003b47d7d5

Pure Joy again

repost- but a great way to start the year-

In my old NIV Study Bible there are 218 references to the word joy. The word is used throughout both Testaments. David talks about singing and shouting with joy throughout the Psalms, and the joy of being in God’s presence. Joy is listed in Gal 5:22 as one of the fruits of the Spirit. 218 times throughout the Bible! We are told about joy, great joy, and greater joy. In one verse, we are told about pure joy. What a verse that must be!

James writes in James 1:5 , “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds…”. What?! Pure joy, that’s what the Word says. How many of us pout or cry when we face trials, or pray that a burden is lifted immediately? Pure joy.

Why? The testing of our faith develops perseverance, which must be finished so we can be complete and mature. So it’s a matter of knowing that if we stay strong , we will be complete. Many Christians like microwave testing, a short blast. Others look for alternative routes. Still others give up after a while, not wanting to stick it out. It’s part of the plan God has to complete us.

I am no way trivializing the weight and devastation that some trials can have on people. Many are crushing in magnitude. I have has trials that I have felt anything but joy. But it’s relying on God and His grace for His strength and an eternal, not temporal, outlook.

Paul was an example for this kind of pure joy. Thrown in jail, what does he do? He sings. Back in jail, waiting for execution. What does he do? He sleeps. He wrote in Romans 5:3 ..”we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Remember, not matter what, God loves us unconditionally, and wants us to be mature in Him. He cares for what we go through. He is there to carry us when we need it, and to let us walk through fire when we need to.

Many trials? We’re being completed. Pure joy.

Purpose- reviewed

This is a repost of my very first post- a review of why I started this blog-



I have always resisted the temptation to start a blog, although I may be the only person on the planet who hasn't started one. I have always felt that many bloggers just want to hear themselves talk, to have their own soapbox. You can get lost amidst the din and confusion of all the opinions on blogs and forums on the net. So, why?

I wanted a soapbox! No, just kidding. I finally felt that this might be a good medium to plant some seeds as it were, to encourage and water those seeds. The purpose is to shed some light in what can be a dark world, to act a devotional for someone. It is not my light I shed, only a hope to reflect the true Light. I believe we are in this world to glorify and love God, and to serve Him and others. Everything else is just weeds(I'll save that for another post).

My hope is that these words can be a reflection of God's love. I don't know everything, and am better than no one. I want to share and learn, to encourage and build up, and to help others point their face towards Him. It may be a story , a devotion, or thoughts on Scriptures or current events. My prayer is that it touches lives and glorifies Him.

Saturday Song- Give Me Your Eyes

Lyrics from Give Me Your Eyes, by Brandon Heath. A prayer we each should pray-

Give Me Your Eyes lyrics

Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?

Chorus:
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones who are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see


Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what's underneath
Theres a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work
He's buying time
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?

Chorus
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones who are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

I've Been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all alone

Chorus (x2)

My Prayer for the New Year

These are my prayers for the New Year.

That we each find God's calling on our life, and if we know God's calling, that we do God's calling. Many don't know and don't look or ask; many know but don't do.

A pray for a year of abundance for my family and yours. Not an abundance of things, but an abundance of faith, of courage, of grace, and of deeds because of your/our faith.

I pray that Jesus will come back. We all want it(or say we do), but how many pray each day for it to happen?

I pray for strength and perseverance through trials and tribulations, for me and for you.

I pray for a spiritual renewal, in our nation, and in other nations, that God will be lifted up by each. So the rocks can rest.

I pray that God will call new lives to Him. I pray that old lives will be renewed, that fallow ground will be plowed and planted anew.

I pray the Peace of Christ to you!