Luke 17:5

We live in a world which has a mindset that “more is better.” But Jesus says to walk closer to Him, we need to value quality over quantity. There were none closer to the Lord than the 12 men He handpicked to walk beside Him. For three years the disciples faithfully followed Jesus as He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and raised the dead. And still they cried out to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” Yet it wasn’t actually more faith they were seeking, but rather a deep, genuine faith that empowered them to fulfill all Jesus called them to do.

The disciples understood that faith is the Word of God in action. It is meant to be lived out, not left idle and stale. Because the deeper our belief and trust, the closer we are to God. Even the tiniest bit of genuine faith in the Lord, can produce amazing results in our life and in the lives of others. And that’s the kind of faith the disciples wanted. Because of their overflowing love and gratitude for their Savior, they wanted an active, deep faith. One that not only allowed them to walk closer to Jesus, but as did Jesus. Is that the faith you want? I do! So how can we have that kind of genuine faith? 

First through spending time in God’s Word. All relationships need nurturing. By feasting on the scriptures, we get to know who Jesus is and what He teaches. Another is through obedience. When we step out in trusting faith, obeying God’s will in all things, we learn to depend on Him completely. And third, we grow closer to the Lord by living out our faith for all to see. By loving, forgiving, and caring for others as Jesus does, we become living examples of our Savior in action for the world to witness.

Faith is the very foundation of Christian life. For as Hebrews 11:6 tells us, without it, it is impossible to please God. So today I challenge you to increase your faith! Pray that God puts a fire in your heart to take that small mustard seed, bury it deep in the soil of God’s Word, and watch it bloom into a faith of the highest quality! 

 

Friday October 16^th   

I John 3

Children of God!

 

Have you ever really stopped and thought about being a child of God?  We are loved by a faithful, loving heavenly Father, Who is intimately acquainted with us and we are part of His family. 

In Psalm 139 , He knit us together in our mothers’ womb.  He is intimately acquainted with all of our ways. There is no where we can go that He is not there.  I encourage you to go and read this psalm today and let it sink in who you really are as a child of God. 

See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God!  And so we are!  For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.  :1 [Amp. Bible]

. 

We are born again.

John 3:16-For God so loved the world, that He gave His  only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

One of the primary benefits of becoming a Christian is that we also become part of God’s family.

 

Eph.4:4-6-There is one body [of believers] and one Spirit-just as you were called to one hope when called [to salvation]-one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God the Father of us all who is [sovereign] over all and  [working] through all and [living] in all.

As His children we practice righteousness in our lives. We are continually striving to live a consistently honorable life-in private as well as in public and to conform to His will.  We do not habitually practice sin.   We are set apart for His purpose and live to please Him.  As we spend time in His Word each day we get to know Him and to know who we are in Him.  We hide His word in our hearts so that we might not sin against Him. 

God does not come and go in our lives.  He carries on a permanent relationship with us because He is always there for us and in us.  We sense His presence primarily through the work of the Holy Spirit. As we abide in Christ, He nourishes us spiritually the same way a vine gives nourishment to its branches. [Amp Bible notes]

We are also warned about the schemes of the devil, who practices sin, separating himself from God. 

: 8 [Amp. Bible]

Practicing sinfulness- separating himself from God and offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion is of the devil and takes his inner character and moral values from him, not God for the devil has sinned and violated God’s law from the beginning. 

The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

Some warning signs to look for:

Disobedience

Indifference,

Rebellion,

Not seeking His will in thought, action and purpose.

The evil one is crafty and sly wanting to destroy and kill and we need to be on our guard esp. during these difficult days we are living in.  Don’t let the tactics of the devil deter you from walking with the Lord. 

Remember the Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

Are we spending time in His Word daily?  Do we run to Him for everything and I mean everything?  Does He has first place in our lives?  What do you practice day in and day out of our lives?

Fight the good fight of faith and stand firm in His armor and let us encourage one another from His Word.   

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  II Cor. 13:14

Lyn

 

1. What jumped out at me?
2. Why did it jump out at me?
3. How is it going to impact or change my life?

I’ll admit early on in my Christian walk, I tended to avoid Psalm 119, or started it, but never read to the end. It was just too long in my opinion, but once I learned more about this Psalm I grew to appreciate all that’s here; which is why I thought I’d write about it today, just in case there might be others out there like the younger me who have tended in the past to skip over it!

Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm, and is actually written as an acrostic poem. The verses of each stanza begin with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet. There are 22 stanzas, equal to 22 letters of the (Hebrew) alphabet, with 8 verses each, for a grand total of 176 verses!

The author didn’t sign his poem, but some have suggested it may have been Ezra the priest who wrote it around the time that the temple was being rebuilt, and I’ll admit, I like the idea of Ezra being the author for we already know that he had “set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10). BUT others have suggested David, or possibly Daniel. All of these men are possible candidates because each had experienced severe persecution in their lives, and persecution of those who hold fast to the Word of God is a theme throughout Psalm 119.

However, the overall message of Psalm 119 focuses on the truth of God’s Word. I believe the author wanted to encourage us to stay close and focused on His Word no matter what is swirling around us in this world. Living with the knowledge of God’s ways, is freeing! And obeying His Word above all else is the only way to truly be blessed.

For we know that His Word is powerful, living, and active. It never changes, because He never changes, and it’s sharper than any two-edged sword. His words come straight from His heart to ours, and are designed to be a love letter for our life!

The first two verses remind us, that we are "blessed" as we walk in His Truths, and seek Him with all our heart, and I thought it would be cool to list as many of the blessings and benefits I could find in Psalm 119, but I’m sure there’s more, and if you find some I’ve missed, please feel free to add them!

His Word creates a thankful heart. “I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments.”v.7
His Word breathes new life into us when discouraged. “My soul clings to the dust, give me life according to your word!” v.25
His Word exposes thoughts contrary to God. “Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law!” v.29
His Word turns our eyes to what’s important. “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things, and give me life in your ways.”v.37
His Word fills us with hope. “Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope.” v.49
His Word brings comfort. “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” V.50
His Word causes us to be thankful. “At midnight I rise to praise you because of your righteous rules.” V.62
His Word gives us wisdom. “I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.” V.100
His Word feeds a hungry soul.  “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” v.103
His Word guides us. “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”v.105
His Word brings life. “I am severely afflicted, give me life, O Lord, according to your word!” v.107
His Word keeps us from hanging around with the wrong people. “Depart from me, you evildoer, that I may keep the commandments of my God.” V.115
His Word gives us a longing for eternity. “My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.” V.123
His Word encourages us. “I rise before dawn and cry for help. I hope in your word” v.147
His Word gives us peace. “Great peace have those who love your law, nothing can make them stumble.” V.165
His Word leads us back to Christ. “I have gone astray like a lost sheep, seek your servant for I do not forget your commandments.” V.176

“I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.” – Psalm 119:45

Hold on! Does it seem to you like the author has been sold a bill of goods here? How can anyone wrap up the words, “freedom” and “commandments” in the same sentence?  Isn’t it common knowledge that following the words of the Bible is enslaving, and freedom comes when we reject it’s commands to follow after our own ways and “what seems right in our own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25)?

Haven’t we all been told our whole lives that keeping the Law of LORD is hard, tiresome and no fun at all? Someone forgot to give this author the memo! BUT, before we dismiss his words completely, perhaps we should see what others had to say on the subject of freedom!

Jesus told those who believed in Him in John 8:31-32, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus went on to say, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”(8:36-38 emphasis mine). But of course, one could argue that this was Jesus speaking, the ultimate Author of God’s Word (2Tim 3:16) and therefore, of course He’d wanted us all to think this way.

James also said, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty (freedom) and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”- Jam 1:22-25 (emphasis mine once more)

And now Paul has something to say about this in his letter to the Galatians, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
 
Hmm…What if true bondage is being driven by our passions, which enslaves because of our sins? What if learning, understanding and following God’s Word is in fact, the light and easy yoke Jesus spoke of here?

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Mat 11:28-30

Perhaps, we’ve been the ones sold a bill of goods. Because we have been freed from the penalty of death which comes to all law breakers, we can now link up to the light and easy yoke of Jesus, and learn at His feet, which is exactly the hope of this author of Psalm 119!

Paul knew it,

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Rom 8:1-4

This is a good place to insert a, Hallelujah!
 
I pray you will walk in complete freedom today, faithfully following after Him and His Word, and giving thanks always for all He has done to set you free!

Blessings,

sue

Did you know there are only two kinds of people in this world?

BUT, not so the one who depends and delight in The Word of God! This one recognizes the worthlessness of the world’s wisdom and values and chooses to follow God’s Word. This is the one who chooses a life of faith (Jeremiah 17:7–8) that leads to fruitfulness, blessings and fellowship with God; both now and for eternity.
As I’ve meditate on these verses, I believe the key to the difference between the two is found in verse 2, “but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." Did you notice the progression: delight, then meditation? Delight is a response of the heart to something or someone—in this case, to God’s Word.
Since I love your commands more than gold, even the purest gold.-Psalm 119:127
Instruction from your lips is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.-Psalm 119:72

David felt his desire for God was even more important than sleep,
When I think of you as I lie on my bed, I meditate on you during the night watches. -Psalm 63:6

Job would say that his love for God’s Word was more important to him than food.
I have not departed from the commands from his lips; I have treasured the words from his mouth more than my daily food.- Job 23:12

I found myself asking, “Is my delight for God’s Word like these men are describing?  Do I desire being in His Word more than food, sleep, or riches?

The second response the author uses is the word, meditate. Meditation involves careful thought—it takes work, which needs to involve our will. To meditate means to saturate your mind. This word “meditate” has been described as a cow chewing their cud. It is the idea of mulling over something in the mind, and giving deep thought to it.

The trouble is our lives are becoming more and more distracting. We’re becoming experts at multi-tasking, surfing, and skimming articles, but it’s getting harder to simply slow down and meditate on what we’re reading. Therefore, we’ve got to be intentional about finding a way to begin meditating on God’s Word if that’s truly our desire.

I’ve come up with a few suggestions, but it’s going to be up to you to discover what works best for you.
I’ve started trying to memorize Scriptures that jump out to me, by writing them down in several places throughout my home. First I’ll add them into my journal, then on sticky notes that are placed on the refrigerator, mirrors, etc. and finally on a decorative plate that I pass by often. I find by writing the verse(s) out several times it helps to truly break down the verse to gather it’s true meaning, and I can remember it far easier, which means I’m more apt to follow it.

One example of this was after my mother went home to heaven; I became overwhelmed with the task of settling her estate! I immediately went to work calling companies to cancel all her accounts and so forth, and I found my brain became so filled with the daunting task that I was becoming very forgetful about other important or even simple tasks, and the stress was becoming overwhelming. The Lord jumped in almost immediately with the verse in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God…” It kept popping up everywhere; even the song, which includes Psalm 46:10 was sung at my mother’s funeral, and I knew instantly it was meant for me. Since, I can’t begin to describe to you how many times the Lord has used it to speak to my heart and the instant peace that washes over me. (He is so good!)

I believe the greatest benefit that comes from delighting in and meditating on God’s Word is knowing the God of the Word more deeply and intimately, rather than simply knowing His Word. When He begins to reveal Himself to you more and more through your time spent in His Word, your heart will also be able to echo the words of Job, David and the author of Psalm 119.     

I pray all of us will lay hold of the blessings of Psalm 1 as we begin to delight in God’s Word and seek to strengthen our relationship with our Lord and Savior this year through intentionally meditating on His words to each of us.

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Through the month of May we'll be reading through The Book of Psalms and I can think of no better place to begin if you truly desire to know God better. If you'd like to join us for this adventure, I want to invite you to join a wonderful eclectic group of women from all over the world on a Facebook group we call Women in the Word! Simply click the link and there will be someone there to welcome you to our group!

We hear a lot about the need for revival among God’s people today, but do most of us truly know what revival looks like? Found in the Book of Ezra is one of the greatest revivals recorded in the Old Testament and Ezra was very instrumental in helping to bring it about.

The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah document the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. First, Ezra was sent to restore the worship among the Israelites. As worship was restored, Zerubbabel arrived to rebuild the temple, the place of worship, and finally Nehemiah arrives and rebuilds the walls and gates of Jerusalem. The wall acted as a barrier against attack and protected those living within the city, but it’s not enough to fortify the walls and build a place of worship. That’s not really “revival”? Revival begins in the hearts of each individual (you and me), before the community can be strengthened. And only God’s Spirit is able to do the work in the hearts of each person, but He does use people like Ezra along the way.

 “And now for a little while grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage. For we were slaves…” – Ezra 9:8-9

The first step to revival is recognizing that we’re in bondage.

 It isn’t hard to find others in bondage around us. There are those who are in bondage to addictions such as drugs, alcohol, sexual perversions, etc. But there are other bondages that are less recognizable, especially when it comes to ourselves, unless we begin looking within and asking, “Am I in any kind of bondage and in need of revival?”
So let me ask you:
·         Do you have a sense of incredible joy? If not, then you could very well be under the bondage of sorrow, depression, disillusionment, or even unconfessed sin?
·         Do you have indescribable peace within? If you don’t have peace then are under the bondage of dread, or anxiety?
·         Are you filled with faith? Or are you wrestling with the bondage of doubts.
·         Are you filled with incredible hope? If not, are you wrestling against despair? Is your glass suddenly half empty?
·         Do you have assurance? Or are you fearful and worried?
·         Do you possess a strong sense of self-worth? Or are you struggling with the bondage of shame?
Do you love digging into God's Word? How's your prayer life? Are you seeing God answer your prayers? Has God been speaking to you personally lately, or has He seemed distant?
Any of these symptoms may be signs that we're not free to live the way God has called us and created us to live!

Once we recognize that we are dealing with some form(s) of bondage, the next step to revival is to begin to cry out asking God to deliver us, for there has never been freedom without first a cry to be free!

We can see why God chose Ezra to rebuild Israel’s worship in Ezra 7:10, For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to practice it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” (Emphasis mine)  Ezra had set his heart to

1) Seek the Law of the Lord,
2) do it (live according to God’s Word), and
3) teach others to do the same.

Let me ask you, would you like to be used by God? Would you like to have the faith that stands firm and is commited to helping build God's Kingdom? Then, we too, must do exactly as Ezra "set his heart" to do. Anything that falls short of this simple formula would never work. Did you know that many theologians today credit Ezra with writing Psalm 119?
Here’s just a few quick verses, but I'd encourage you to prayerfully read the rest for yourself:

Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
    who walk in the law of the Lord!
 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
    who seek him with their whole heart,
With my whole heart I seek you;
    let me not wander from your commandments!
 I have stored up your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you.” – Psalm 119: 1-2, 10-11

Is this your heart's cry as well?

Also consider  the words of Jesus:
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not DO the things which I say? Whoever COMES TO ME, and HEARS My sayings and DOES them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.” Luke 6:46–48 (emphasis added)

Don’t we all want to build our faith on an unshakable foundation? The great news is that God doesn’t leave us solely with the task of seeking, doing, and teaching completely up to us. All of us, at the moment we placed our faith in Him, were given the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us, by revealing the truth of God’s Word to us, helping us to live it out, and to teach others to do the same!

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

And this amazing journey begins simply by looking within!