Wed, Aug 29th - 9:59PM

Grace & More

Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and in love.

2 Jn 3

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This verse has been in my heart the last few days...we have had a crisis here such as is common to man...but God's word...His Fatherhood just meets a need in me that no other consolation can reach.  Lord may You continue to fill us with the knowledge of Your word...opening our understanding more fully as we wait for the return of Jesus...cause us to know and receive Your love and Your truth...cause us to receive every spiritual blessing You desire to give us...in Jesus name I pray.

Wed, Aug 22nd - 12:50PM

"I Will"

I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

I will call upon the name of the Lord, who is worthy to be praised:  so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

Ps 18:1-3

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I woke up with these verses in my mind yesterday.  I had been in a flat place again emotionally and I use these verses often to build myself up in the Lord...to proclaim and excercise my will in His word and truth.

To me the verses are my warfare tools...then they become promises...then they become worship.  I have been learning not to depend upon emotions, they are very untrustworthy.  It is my will the Lord seems to be working on lately...causing me to will and do His good pleasure...I have asked Him to cause me to "delight" in doing His will and something is certainly changing in my heart, thank You Lord.

I personalize and pray His word for myself and others a lot now; more fruit is appearing in my life and faith can be certain when I pray His own word.

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Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will,

working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

He 13:20-21

Mon, Aug 20th - 12:02PM

Patience and Joy

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2-4

The end of a matter is better than its beginning; patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit.

Ec 7:8

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I have been reading, memorizing, and praying out of James this month.  I have never tried to read a book this way; thought for sure I couldn't do it...but I am doing it with His help...what a blessing.

Well, I have known for a long time that I had a big problem with pride; the Lord is now doing something in this area of my heart.  It is humbling to be left waiting...waiting a long time for a promise to be fulfilled, it has never happened to me before.

Learning how helpless and dependant upon the Lord I really am is breaking down this stronghold of pride...what a blessing.  I have always been dependant upon God,  just did not realize it and really fought hard to be th one in control.

The wonderful thing is...humility is beginning to bud...I am seeing and receiving His grace which I did not understand before...His amazing grace to me (it often makes me cry).

I just recently saw the connection between steadfastness [patience, endurance, perseverence] and joy...just did not think this was possible and it was probably rebellious of me not to obey this word from James  to "count it all joy".  Well...some how He brought me to the place where I decided to count it joy...this present trial of mine...and I got joy!!!  I would never have known it was possible to have this joy...by the power of His Spirit, right in the middle of pain, infirmities, uncertainties and seemingly no way "out".

This experience has helped to strengthen my faith and trust in the Lord and His ways.  It is also teaching me to learn to endure...to the end, not just try to get out of my problems.

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Thank you Lord for bringing me this far, thank You Lord for teaching me how safe it is to be dependant upon You...I especially thank You for Your grace...for revealing how wonderful and powerfully real Your grace is...You are mighty to save.

Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes, and I shall observe it to the end.

Psalm 119:33

He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful; by Him you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:8-9