I want to share something from a book that I am reading right now by J.I. Packer called "Knowing God."
What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we set for ourselves in life? To know God. What is the "eternal life" that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God. "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:3) What is the best thing in life, bringing more joy, delight and contentment than anything else? Knowledge of God.
"Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD."(Jeremiah 9:23.24)
And Paul says in Philippians,
"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death."
Philippians 3:7-10
"Lord take my eyes off this world so I see You. It is my desire to truly know You and to count all else as loss that I may gain Christ!"
ONE PURE AND HOLY PASSION
Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me one magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after you
To know and follow hard after you
To grow as your disciple in the truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you
"O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" (Psalm 34:8)
I realize that knowing Him can only happen by spending time with Him and reading His Word and praying for help from the Holy Spirit to interpret His holy Word and draw me to Himself.
We need Him to help us know Him!
There is nothing better in this life than to know Him!
"Oh Lord, that I may know YOU..."
Friday, November 27, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Blessed because He was cursed!
Numbers 6:24-26
"The LORD bless you, and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace."
This is a blessing that my father uses to bless us as his children before we go to sleep each night(when we are home). It is a privilege to receive this blessing from my dad and also a joy to think that God has and WILL continue to bless me as He has promised in His Word. Tonight I have been reflecting upon the cross of Christ Jesus and the reason that we as His children can even be blessed at all.
Think about this:
(taken from a sermon by Paul Washer on the cross of Christ)
The Lord blessed you because the Lord cursed Him.
The Lord keeps you because the Lord let Him go.
The Lord makes His face shine upon you because the Lord took His presence away from Him.
The Lord is gracious to you because He was just to the one who bore your sin and He crushed Him.
The Lord lifts up His countenance on you because the Lord took His countenance away from Him.
"Every good and perfect gift that we have is a result of a deadly horrid cross that killed Him!"
Wow...I am not sure that I will be able to look at this blessing in the same way anymore. How we need to remember every day what Christ did for us on the cross and how we can only be and we certainly ARE blessed because of Him.
Let us fill our affections with the cross of Christ.
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21
"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered." Psalm 32:1
"The LORD bless you, and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace."
This is a blessing that my father uses to bless us as his children before we go to sleep each night(when we are home). It is a privilege to receive this blessing from my dad and also a joy to think that God has and WILL continue to bless me as He has promised in His Word. Tonight I have been reflecting upon the cross of Christ Jesus and the reason that we as His children can even be blessed at all.
Think about this:
(taken from a sermon by Paul Washer on the cross of Christ)
The Lord blessed you because the Lord cursed Him.
The Lord keeps you because the Lord let Him go.
The Lord makes His face shine upon you because the Lord took His presence away from Him.
The Lord is gracious to you because He was just to the one who bore your sin and He crushed Him.
The Lord lifts up His countenance on you because the Lord took His countenance away from Him.
"Every good and perfect gift that we have is a result of a deadly horrid cross that killed Him!"
Wow...I am not sure that I will be able to look at this blessing in the same way anymore. How we need to remember every day what Christ did for us on the cross and how we can only be and we certainly ARE blessed because of Him.
Let us fill our affections with the cross of Christ.
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21
"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered." Psalm 32:1
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
He spared not His own Son for me
I have been working on memorizing Romans chapter 8 at work for some time now. It is a slow process, but I have the first half of the chapter down really well. Today at work I was copying the last part of the chapter from my Bible to an index card to make it easier to look at and review while I am working. Verse 32 especially stood out to me as such an amazing verse. I just love this whole chapter and the whole book of Romans and the whole Bible for that matter :-), but listen to this verse.
Romans 8:32
"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"
Wow. To think about this is so precious to me. If God was able to give up His only Son whom He loved so much for me, then He must really love me. And if He gave up His only Son that I might live, He certainly isn't going to withhold anything else from me. He gives grace and more grace each and every day! If He gave up His Son, how much more has He given and will continue to give! What a promise full of hope for us in so many ways. Salvation is the greatest gift of all, but He doesn't stop there. He continues to offer forgiveness and blessings time and time again.
Thank you dear God for NOT sparing your own Son that I might be spared and that anyone who repents of their sins and believes in Jesus Christ may also have eternal life with You.
Something from Puritan pastor John Flavel:
"'He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all; how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?' (Romans 8:32). How is it imaginable that God should withhold, after this, spirituals or temporals, from His people? How shall He not call them effectually, justify them freely, sanctify them thoroughly, and glorify them eternally? How shall He not clothe them, feed them, protect and deliver them? Surely if He would not spare His own Son one stroke, one tear, one groan, one sigh, one circumstance of misery, it can never be imagined that ever He should, after this, deny or withhold from His people, for whose sakes all this was suffered, any mercies, any comforts, any privilege, spirtual or temporal, which is good for them.
Also Psalm 84:11 tells us this,
"For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly."
Romans 8:32
"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"
Wow. To think about this is so precious to me. If God was able to give up His only Son whom He loved so much for me, then He must really love me. And if He gave up His only Son that I might live, He certainly isn't going to withhold anything else from me. He gives grace and more grace each and every day! If He gave up His Son, how much more has He given and will continue to give! What a promise full of hope for us in so many ways. Salvation is the greatest gift of all, but He doesn't stop there. He continues to offer forgiveness and blessings time and time again.
Thank you dear God for NOT sparing your own Son that I might be spared and that anyone who repents of their sins and believes in Jesus Christ may also have eternal life with You.
Something from Puritan pastor John Flavel:
"'He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all; how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?' (Romans 8:32). How is it imaginable that God should withhold, after this, spirituals or temporals, from His people? How shall He not call them effectually, justify them freely, sanctify them thoroughly, and glorify them eternally? How shall He not clothe them, feed them, protect and deliver them? Surely if He would not spare His own Son one stroke, one tear, one groan, one sigh, one circumstance of misery, it can never be imagined that ever He should, after this, deny or withhold from His people, for whose sakes all this was suffered, any mercies, any comforts, any privilege, spirtual or temporal, which is good for them.
Also Psalm 84:11 tells us this,
"For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly."
Thursday, November 5, 2009
When You're In Love
When you are truly in love, you go to great lengths to be with the one you love. You'll drive for hours to be together, even if it's only for a short while. You don't mind staying up late to talk. Walking in the rain is romantic, not annoying. You'll willingly spend a small fortune on the one you're crazy about. When you are apart from each other, it's painful, even miserable. He or she is all you think about; you jump at any chance to be together.
In his book "God is the Gospel" John Piper essentially asks whether we are in love with God:
The critical question for our generation- and for every generation- is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied in heaven, if Christ was not there?
How many of you will read those words and say, "You know, I just might be okay with that"? If you are deeply in love with God, you know you could never be satisfied in heaven without Christ.
(Taken from "Crazy Love- Overwhelmed by a Relentless God" by Francis Chan)
"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands." Psalm 63:1-4
HIS LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE!
In his book "God is the Gospel" John Piper essentially asks whether we are in love with God:
The critical question for our generation- and for every generation- is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied in heaven, if Christ was not there?
How many of you will read those words and say, "You know, I just might be okay with that"? If you are deeply in love with God, you know you could never be satisfied in heaven without Christ.
(Taken from "Crazy Love- Overwhelmed by a Relentless God" by Francis Chan)
"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands." Psalm 63:1-4
HIS LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
"Jesus is Alive" by Shai Linne
I am not usually into rap music, but Shai Linne has truth-filled and very clearly spoken and such Gospel-presented lyrics. You may not enjoy rap music either, but his lyrics really do make him worth listening to. Check it out!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
A stranger in this world desiring a heavenly homeland!
As I walked from my car across the deserted parking lot toward the bank where I work, I had many thoughts running through my mind. There was a cool breeze blowing on this lovely fall morning. I glanced up at the beautiful blue sky full of fluffy white clouds. Cars zipped by me on the nearby highway...But my mind was elsewhere. I thought about how my time on this earth is so short, and how I am just passing through. I thanked God for my life and how many blessings He has given me and continues to give. God has lately been giving me this inexpressible joy that reaches far beyond the worries and cares that I face each day at Artisans' Bank or elsewhere. A passage from Hebrews crossed my thoughts about halfway to the front door.
"These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." Hebrews 11:13-16
If only I could fully explain the joy that filled my soul as I considered the fact that this world is not my home. I am a stranger on this earth. It's actually quite encouraging to think about that when I realize all of the sin and disgusting things that are going on in this world. To be able to remember that God has prepared something better is something so awesome to rest my hope in when things around me or in the news or whatever can be so disturbing and evil.
I also remembered that the world does not know me because it does not know Him and therefore they can't truly understand why I can be so joyful in the midst of trouble...or how I can be so "nice" even when I am sick and tired. It brought such thankfulness into my heart to think that God has brought me so far along from where I used to be. All to the praise and glory of Himself! It is only by His grace that I am who He has made me to be today. And I hope and pray that He continues to do so each and every day! ("And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Phil 1:6)
These are a few of the verses that are encouraging to believers as we think of who we are in this world and how we don't belong to this world. One day we shall be with our Lord in Heaven. Oh how I long for that day!
"Who gave himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." Galatians 1:14
(through Jesus Christ we are delivered from this evil world...though we may be in the world now, we are not of it nor do we belong to it...encouraging to think about even seeing the evil all around us)
"For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" 1 John 5:4,5
(In believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, we overcome the world by our faith. His power is so awesome! And He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think!! (Eph 3:20))
“If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." John 15:19
(Considering what this verse says, I almost hope that the world shows it's hatred toward me because that means that they see Him in me. If the world doesn't hate us or dislike us, then we must be doing too much to fit in with them as if we need their approval or acceptance.)
"I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." John 17:14-16
(We are NOT of the world. How encouraging to think that Jesus asks for the Father to keep us from the evil one! Though we long for Heaven, we shouldn't forget our purposes that God has given to us while we are here on this earth.)
"Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." James 4:4
(Am I a "friend" of the world?)
"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him." 1 John 3:1
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John 14:27
(I actually have this very verse posted right in front of my face at my desk at work! I love it because we are guaranteed to have trials and troubles and tribulations here on earth. But we need not be troubled in our souls because Jesus gives us a peace to get us through these worldly struggles and we need not be afraid of anything this world dumps on our shoulders. The power that God used to raise Christ Jesus from the dead is available today to us as believers. The God of the Bible is still the God of today and He desires to show us that power if we would only trust Him and believe!)
"These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." Hebrews 11:13-16
If only I could fully explain the joy that filled my soul as I considered the fact that this world is not my home. I am a stranger on this earth. It's actually quite encouraging to think about that when I realize all of the sin and disgusting things that are going on in this world. To be able to remember that God has prepared something better is something so awesome to rest my hope in when things around me or in the news or whatever can be so disturbing and evil.
I also remembered that the world does not know me because it does not know Him and therefore they can't truly understand why I can be so joyful in the midst of trouble...or how I can be so "nice" even when I am sick and tired. It brought such thankfulness into my heart to think that God has brought me so far along from where I used to be. All to the praise and glory of Himself! It is only by His grace that I am who He has made me to be today. And I hope and pray that He continues to do so each and every day! ("And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Phil 1:6)
These are a few of the verses that are encouraging to believers as we think of who we are in this world and how we don't belong to this world. One day we shall be with our Lord in Heaven. Oh how I long for that day!
"Who gave himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." Galatians 1:14
(through Jesus Christ we are delivered from this evil world...though we may be in the world now, we are not of it nor do we belong to it...encouraging to think about even seeing the evil all around us)
"For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" 1 John 5:4,5
(In believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, we overcome the world by our faith. His power is so awesome! And He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think!! (Eph 3:20))
“If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." John 15:19
(Considering what this verse says, I almost hope that the world shows it's hatred toward me because that means that they see Him in me. If the world doesn't hate us or dislike us, then we must be doing too much to fit in with them as if we need their approval or acceptance.)
"I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." John 17:14-16
(We are NOT of the world. How encouraging to think that Jesus asks for the Father to keep us from the evil one! Though we long for Heaven, we shouldn't forget our purposes that God has given to us while we are here on this earth.)
"Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." James 4:4
(Am I a "friend" of the world?)
"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him." 1 John 3:1
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John 14:27
(I actually have this very verse posted right in front of my face at my desk at work! I love it because we are guaranteed to have trials and troubles and tribulations here on earth. But we need not be troubled in our souls because Jesus gives us a peace to get us through these worldly struggles and we need not be afraid of anything this world dumps on our shoulders. The power that God used to raise Christ Jesus from the dead is available today to us as believers. The God of the Bible is still the God of today and He desires to show us that power if we would only trust Him and believe!)
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Praying for God's will
(Taken from Pastor Rick's blog)
Our prayer should seek the will of God (1 John 5:13-15). Powerful prayers are prayers for God’s will. God’s will is found in His Word. God’s will is found by knowing Him richly. How exciting to pray knowing that God is going to grant these requests. When we don’t know what God’s will is, we should acknowledge that (James 4:13-15). This is not a lack of faith, this is humility. Let us pray according to the will of God.
Our prayer should seek the will of God (1 John 5:13-15). Powerful prayers are prayers for God’s will. God’s will is found in His Word. God’s will is found by knowing Him richly. How exciting to pray knowing that God is going to grant these requests. When we don’t know what God’s will is, we should acknowledge that (James 4:13-15). This is not a lack of faith, this is humility. Let us pray according to the will of God.
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