Released from Dark Thoughts!

Phl 4:1, 8-9  "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work. ...  And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me--everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you."

My Dearest Savior and Lord,

I long to put this into practice all day every day of the rest of my life.  There is so much nagativity thrown at us everyday no matter where we are or what we are doing, it is hard to maintain a positive and pure thought life.  The news is very disturbing, and one cannot turn on the TV without being sucked into sexy commercials even in a family type show. 
Personally, Lord, You have convicted me to stay off the Social Media for this purpose.  It is not only the unwanted ads but some pists are very disturbing from others than family.  But also the fact that so much of my time is spent on things that do not have Kingdom importance.  I need to fill my waking moments with Your Word, worthy music, literature that feeds the soul, and being with others who share Your passion face to face; sharing You with those around me.  I cannot do that on a computer.
Precious Lord, I never want to go backwards in my walk with you, but always be advancing.  I cannot allow myself to be distracted or I will never have Your peace.
I've Changed

Free Will or Not? That is My Question

Romans 8:28b-30 NLT "those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.  And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory."

Infinite, all-knowing Lord, 
There are parts of the rest of Romans 8 and 9 that are hard for me to understand.  Obviously the parts that are positive for me now that I am a true believer are wonderful and I thank You for Your grace and mercy.  However; the parts that tell of how You choose some for damnation (Pharaoh, and Esau) and some for salvation butts heads with John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will have everlasting life.", and other passages where You tell me that because I am made in Your image, I have the free will to chose You or not.

I know that this book was written to the Gentile believers in Rome. 
Romans 1:6-7 NLT "And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.  I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace."  Since I am a Gentile, this is exciting that Your salvation is not for Jews only.

My question is, did I have free will or not?  Is Your blood sufficient for all and only efficient for others?  If so; it would seem that not only should I be eternally grateful, but also smug to be a "chosen one".  If only the chosen will come to You, why do You give us the Great Commission?

Dearest Lord, I know You do not mind me asking these questions for You know I have a finite mind and I am glad for that.  I also know that ALL of Your Word is true and I must never just take out the parts I like and ignore the parts I do not like or understand.  Help me, Holy Spirit, my comforter and teacher, to understand.

In Harmony with God's Own Will

Romans 8:27-28  "And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will.  And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

Sweet Lord,

You showed me today that these two verses should never be separated.  Verse 28 is always quoted alone, especially when someone is going through a rough path in the journey or has suffered a tragedy.
The fact that, "Father who knows all hearts" is not brought up.  Lord, at any given time, what is in our hearts may not be the best.  We forget the part that, "the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will." not ours. You may allow something in my life or the life of my family to bring good to others, not necessarily to me.    For instance, if a believer is killed or seriously injured as Jennifer Barak was by a drunk driver, good things came of it as the "Family" came together and her family started a ministry that creates awareness, shows unmerited forgiveness, and blessings to others.   You allowed things to happen to Lance and Dick to teach Your body how to lovingly minister to others in the body.
Lord, I want to be wholly Yours in everything, every day so as You know my heart, the Spirit may pray and plead for me according to Your perfect will!

Search me

An Amazing God!

Romans 8:26-27 NLT  "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.  And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will."

Oh, Lord! 

I sit here this morning thoroughly amazed and in true awe! I have "known"  that Your Spirit Spirit intercedes for me; today but today it finally sunk in deeply! ( I guess I have been a little slow on the uptake...about 40 years late!)

Oh, God!  Not only have You saved my miserable soul and forgiven me of all my sins, but You  live within me all day everyday...Your very Spirit part of the Godhead, triune, unchanging, perfectly holy, everlasting,  just, creator and sustainer of all is, was, or ever shall be is within me, and is with me all day every day.

Today, however, for the very first time, really came to understand that not only are You with me all day every day, but You Spirit-God are praying to Father-God for me!  God praying to God for ME in groanings that cannot be expressed in words  and You plead for ME when I don't even know what to pray!

  That is almost too much for the human brain to wrap itself around to understand, and I will never be able to earn or deserve that kind of love, grace, or mercy.  But I can thank You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and make myself available to do Your perfect will whatever that is. 
10000 Reasons

Real Hope!

Romans 8:22-25 NLT "For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it.  But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)"

Sweet Lord!
Hope!  You have created us so we cannot really live without hope.  If I am in the very worst situation and have hope, I will survive, and may even thrive, because of what You have promised.  I must admit, waiting for the promise to be fulfilled can be hard sometimes, but as I come back to Your promise, my HOPE is re-kindled.
Thank You So very much, Lord.

Amazing Grace

A Foretaste of Future Glory

Romans 8:19-23  "For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.  Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope,  the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay.  For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us."

Lord, You tell us that there will come a day, and this is our blessed hope, that we will have a resurrection body and will live in a new heaven and new earth, created as it was before the fall of man.
Hallelujah! 
No More:

• dead limbs and leaves to remove from the yard
• no more painting and updating plumbing or electrical in our deteriating houses built by man, asYou are preparing a place for us.
• having to make car repairs
• having to replace garments as ours will be a robe of white
• stock market crashes or inflation as there will be no money to worry about
• corrupt leaders and governments as You will rule and reign
• need for hospitals, addition centers, surgery centers, rehab facilities or nursing homes
• need for doctors, nurses, chiropractors, psychiatrists or psychologists, EMTs, CPA, or lifeguards
• birth defects, down syndrome, SP, MD, CF,MS or any other acronyms
• Ebola, Aids, Bird Flu, West Nile Virus, Lyme's Disease, Swine flu, Asian flu, COPD, heart disease, cancer,  pneumonia, ear infections or infections and viruses of any kind, no deformities or retardation because You are the Great Physician.
• need for armies, police, State Troopers, judges or juries and prisons, traffic tickets and towing of any kind
• aging process that robs us of our ability to serve You and one another
• terrorists, wild fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, derechos, cyclones, typhoons, and no more Tsunamis.
• no more mauling of humans by animals, and no more need to hunt or fish (thins might make some unhappy) :o)
• guns, bombs, or munitions of any kind

We will live in perfect peace and health for evermore in a perfect place worshiping a perfect Father, Savior, and Holy Spirit with the holy angels!  Even so, Lord Jesus quickly come!

Stay Out of the "But What If" Closet!

Luke 12:22, 25-26, 30-32 "Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. ... Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things? ... These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. "So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

Ephesians 3:20-21  "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen."

Luke 12:28  "And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?"

"Anxiety is a result of envisioning the future without Me"  Jesus Calling.
Panic attacks, anxiety disorders, fears, phobias, inordinate fear fueled by sensationalism media and the performance driven mentality along with constant worry have become Your church's acceptable sins.  As Sarah Young writes, "you have become accustomed to being god of your fantasies."
These things have become like unwanted but welcomes stalkers going everywhere with us clinging like static to our very being.
You say, 'Why do you have so little faith?" and tell us of the futility of this thinking and liken it to being pagan.
Satan our enemy has again deceived many just like he did Eve making us doubt You and Your Word!

Sweet Lord, keep me from going to the "But What If" closet as I clothe myself for the day, but to put on Your cloak of trust, undergarments of contentment, and the Armour of God!

My Hiding Place

Look to Jesus Continually for Help

Psalm 34:4-7  "I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.  Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.  In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles.  For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him."
Psalm 105:4-5  "Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him.  Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given,"
1Corinthians 1:3-4 "May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.  I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus."

Lord, the first thing I read this morning said, "Look to Me continually for help, comfort, and companionship." Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.
Lord, we are a hurting and sometimes very lonely people even in the midst of a crowd.  One "may" feel all alone when there are over 18,000 here on campus and there are many in churches all over the United States.  They may have been deeply wounded, and feel they cannot go on.  They are horribly injured, dealing with dibilitating illnesses and ship wrecked relationships, abuse, and the list goes on and on.

Lord, we tend to go to others for our comfort, help, and campanionship.  Others fail us or do not have the time or wisdom for us.  They may be just too busy drealing with their own issues.  BUT YOU, Lord, are always with us.  You are always accessible, always patient, always tenderhearted, and understanding.  You are the all wise counselor.  You have granted some with the gift of mercy and have provided good trainng in a limited way so we might seek help from one another.  But YOU, YOU, Lord. our SAVIOR:all knowing, all powerful, all wise, and full of lovingkindness and mercy are with us ALWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, Lord, help us ...help ME to always come to You!
He'll Hold You

Our Suffering is Not for Nothing

Romans 8:17-18  "And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.  Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later."

Oh, Lord!  What a great an wonderful promise!  You help me to understand that the suffering I endure will actually accomplish something.  When I was pregnant and then delivered my babies, it was not without pain and suffering.  The months of morning sickness, the backaches and the labors were intense, but when those new babies came into the world and drew their first breaths, it was well worth it and all of the suffering was forgotten.

So, I need to keep reminding myself daily that what I suffer is not for no good purpose.  Lord the whole creation groans under the curse.  BUT at sometime known only to the Father; You will come back to get us children and take us home.  Then after You dispose of our enemies; You will give us a new heaven and a new earth to live in forever!  Hallelujah, AMEN!  Now THAT"S something to look forward to.

To think that our suffering, which has been great and if things go on as they look like it will increase, will not even compare to the glory You will reveal to us is far above my ability to grasp...but I believe it because You say it!
THANK YOU, LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Late addition:
Lord, I had no idea in the morning what You were going to do with this verse!  I will not list them all here.  Suffice it to say You blessed 10 people through that verse: students, parents, co-workers, and mu dear husband.
Lord, I am still trying to understand the last part of this verse and what it really means.  The glory revealed In us...not To  us...that I could understand as you are Glory personified and I know I will seeyou face to face someday.

Who Am I

Don't Lose or Harden Your Heart!

Romans 8:9-11  "You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.  But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you."
Hebrews 3:12-14  "See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.  We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end."

Sweet Savior and Lord,  I praise You for who You are, not just what You have done.   You are the One God above all gods, holy, righteous, living, infinite, truth, just, merciful and gracious all rolled into one.  Only You could save us from Hell, death, and the grave and break the power of sin in our lives!
The Evil One tries daily to make us blame You for the evil in the world and for the bad things that happen to us.  We are asked by unbelievers,"How can a God be all of those wonderful things and yet still allow cancer, wars, Ebola, plagues of every kind, pestilence, and horrid atrocities, and natural disasters to happen?"  Their hearts are so hard against the truth that because of the sin of Adam, we are all under the curse.  You did not leave us without warning that the longer the earth exists the stronger sin's curse will become.  All creation groans under its weight because of the sin of rebellion against You.  In the beginning, You did not create the world as it exists today.  It was peaceful, beautiful, and perfect in every way.
Lord, there is a huge storm coming north and south across our whole nation that is causing high winds, tornadoes, torrential rain, death and disaster in its wake.  Last night we were warned there may be another Derecho here in VA tonight and tomorrow.
I need to be encouraging others within the family to not lose heart when calamity strikes, but to remember your great salvation and encourage them with the Truth that You are still on the Throne and are in complete control...and We win in the end!  I need to live with an attitude of gratitude no matter what comes my way because I do not even deserve my next breath, let alone all You provide for me daily.
Lord, I got out the piece of wood with 140 blessings written on it from the first Derecho we had and put it again in a place of prominence as a reminder...an "altar pile of stones" as it were, to Your protection and provision You provided us.  Thank You again and again for all Your wondrous works!

Free Those Who All Their Lives Were Held in Slavery By Their Fear of Death

Romans 8:14-15  "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
Hebrews 2:14-15  "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death."

Oh, Lord,  Thank You for relieving me from my fear of death.  As a child I heard a horrible song about what happens to the body after death and was terrified for most of my formative years.
The day I trusted You as Savior and Lored, You took that away.  You made me realize that My soul will never die and will leave this body behind and will be, "absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." 2Co 5:8

AS a bleiever, I need not fear death as it is my transport from this foriegn land of death , sin, and destruction into my heavenly home to be face to face with You.  However; I would be lying if I said I was not somewhat afraid of the dying process.  Most of us want to die suddenly in our sleep.  However; reading the stories of the martyrs past and present, and with the unrest in our world, and now in our own country with ISIS beheading anf torture of Christians, dibilitating illnesses on the rise, and Ebola Virus, just to name a couple of things, the prospect of a long slow painful death is not at all appealing and can be terrifying if I let the devil get the foothold.

I praise You, Lord, that in that time, I KNOW You will give grace in abundance, and I pray with all that is within me that You will be glorified in it all.  If need be, I want to be like Stephen before he was stoned.  I KNOW I can cry out to You, my "Daddy" to remind me that they can do what they want to this body, but they cannot touch the soul within that belongs to You.  You know suffereing more than I do as You went through ultimate suffereing to pay the wages for my sin.
May this be my song:
10000 Reasons

Romans 8:1-2 Q&A

Romans 8:1-2 
 "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." (NIV emphasis is mine)

Hallelujah, Lord!  I praise You today and always for your loving-kindness to me a wretched sinner.
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 8:34  "Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."

Lord, this world is not my home as now I am a citizen of Heaven even though I am still on this earth.
Philippians 3:20  "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,"

Will I still sin in the foreign land?  Unfortunately, yes. 
We just dealt with that yesterday.

Am I forgiven?  YES! 
You paid the price for all sin:
John 3:16-17 " For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." 

Will all people  accept Your forgiveness and great salvation?  No.
Some may choose to trample Your precious live giving blood under their feet and ignore so great a salvation.
John 8:18 "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

Will I sin in heaven? NO!  THANK YOU, LORD! 
God and sin cannot abide together anywhere as He is holy, and when this earthly body dies, the sin nature will die with it. I will be given a new resurrection body!
1Corinthians 15:42  "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;"

Do I need to daily confess and repent of the sins I commit or the good I do not do?  ABSOLUTELY!
1John 1:9-10 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."
This restores our fellowship and enables me to be empowered by Your Holy Spirit to accomplish Your will.  Like a rebellious child who comes to the parent in true contrition and asks for forgiveness the fellowship is restored.

Oh, Lord, that we, Your children would understand the truth of these verses.  So many of Your blood bought children live in self condemnation, and some even after they have come to You for forgiveness.  This is very sad, and in itself is sin because it is a sin of mistrust and unbelief.

Holy Father keep me from this sin!

The War Within

Romans 7:14-25  "So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.  I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate.  But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.  So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.  And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can't.  I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.  But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.  I have discovered this principle of life--that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.  I love God's law with all my heart.  But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.  Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?  Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin." NLT

Oh Lord,
How I wish this was no longer true of me...but alas, it is.  Although You have freed me from the penalty of sin, I am a new creation filled with the Holy Spirit,  old things are passed away and all things have become new; I must still die daily to myself and my own sinful nature to be a blessing to You and to others.  If Paul still struggled with this, I cannot expect that I can escape the war within.

There is a story about someone asking an old Indian about this.  He allegedly said, "I have two dogs, a white one and a black one, within me and they are fighting.  The one who wins is the one I feed the most." 

Lord, I have come to almost hate the month of October because of all the darkness that descends on us from all corners.  In the media " The Walking Dead", all manner of horror movies, even commercials with death and horror as their avenue to sell products.  Halloween decorations with witches, skulls, zombies etc. litter lawns and most retail stores.

This should be a month of celebration of Your bountiful harvests to provide for us in the winter.  Lord, I must feed the "good dog" daily and pray without ceasing to be able to get through.  Evil temptations are on every side to do the wrong thing, to think the wrong thing so I might act, think, or speak the wrong things!

 Lord, what is in my heart?  Is it love, mercy and grace?  Is it Your light, peace that passes all understanding, compassion for others, and a real love for Your people, Your Word, and a love for the lost?
I must confess that  at any given time if I am not watchful, the temptation for self-pity, self-righteousness, annoyance with another's behavior, fear, discouragement, and a judgmental attitude can sneak in and take over.  I like Paul say, "Oh, what a miserable person I am!"  

But then have to agree with him when he says, "Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord."  Lord, please control my every thought, word, and deed!

Lay Aside Every Weight

Hebrews 12:1-4
  "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.  In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood."


Dearest Lord,

We are a fitness crazed society now days.  Clothing, shoes and boots are lighter in weight but more effective for the purpose for which they are made. There are 5K, 10K, and even kids races being hosted all the time. Folks are striving to lose pounds and lay aside the weight.  No one in their right mind would take a sled of large boulders and strap it to their back and pull another chained to both legs, and carry another 100 pounder in their arms to run a race.
Liberty's own Bubba Wade is a wonderful example.  Bubba weighed over 500 pounds.  Then he decided that with God's help, he would lose 300.  It has taken him awhile, but surprisingly not that long, and he is almost at his goal.  He moves more easily, can engage in more activities, and is much happier than he had been, and even walked his first long race and finished in less time than he had supposed possible!

Lord, there seem to be more young people than ever now that struggle with depression and anxiety that in some cases can be crippling.  In my own life, when I lay aside my "weights": disappointments, discouragements, discontentment, regrets, resentments, bitterness, unforgiveness, selfishness, idols of every kind I can run this Spiritual race with ease as I am free of those burdens.  Your race, Lord, was not a walk in the park.  You suffered greatly here, but this says, "who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

All kinds of people are watching me, Lord.  My family, students, faculty and staff at school, folks at church, neighbors.  Yes, I have "so great a cloud of witnesses".  Lord I want to run this race with joy as a good witness.  I know there are rocky roads and steep inclines, briar bushes and predators along the trails who would love nothing else than to see me defeated and having not finished.  It up to me to "shed the weight" of all of the things I hold onto and release them to You...all the burdens, sins seen and unseen so many will be drawn to You that they see in me.  Lord, Help ME!

Adrift

Hebrews 2:1
"We must pay careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard (from the Lord through David, Samuel, and Moses) so that we do not drift away."

Oh, Lord!
Thank You for having Paul (or whomever wrote the book of Hebrews) for putting this in printed form so long ago for us to read today! I know he was writing about how You, Sweet Savior, are higher than the angels, but this can apply to anything in Your Word.
When I got the newspaper today there was a huge font headline that read, " Gay Marriage Barrier Falls" and beneath was a photo a "reverend" marrying a lesbian couple in Richmond!
The caption read "Clergy Reaction Mixed; Opponents Vow Fight". Our Supreme Court refuses to make a decision as to whether gay marriage is legal or not.  So it is back to the stares.  Right now  almost half of the country's states allow it, and because of the decision made may grow to 30 states.
Lord, how can You bless America anymore? Lord, I thank You that our Pastors will fight this fight and refuse to marry same sex "partners" as this goes against everything in Your Word; they are the clergy who won't drift away from Your Word.

When we had a boat, we used to drift fish on the lakes or bay.  We would flow with the current because we knew that our boat motors worked and we could start them and navigate back to where we started or back on course.  However; it is a very fearful thing when the motor does not have power and one is at the mercy of the current that will take your craft far from where you want to be and may send you into rocks or obstacles that will crash and possibly sink your vessel, or can take you out into the open sea.

Lord, our culture is like a giant vessel without Your power,  rudder or anchor so it is drifting with every wind of doctrine in any and all currents.  Your Spirit no longer fills our sails so we are adrift and are not staying on course.  Our sextant, Your Word, has been washed overboard and we are becoming like the Jews in the book of Judges; everyone does what is right in their own eyes.  Our judges are making the rules now, not You.
Oh Lord, how we need revival!

We Cry Out Your Name

Philippians 4:4  "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" 
Psalm 40:16 " But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, "The LORD is great!"
James 1:2-4  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Lord, in Sarah Young's "Jesus Calling" this morning, You spoke!
"If you do what comes naturally in the face of difficulties, you fall prey to negativism.  Even a few complaints can set you on a path that is a downward spiral, by darkening your perspective and mindset.  Each one moves you steadily down the slippery spiral,  the lower you go, the faster you slide: but it is still possible to apply the brakes.  Cry out to Me in My Name!"
Lord, You knew we would be singing the song, "We Cry Out Your Name" in choir!

We can find so many things in our lives in this fallen world to complain about everyday:
Things are not going as we had planned
Someone treated us badly
Things break or do not work right
Our health may keep us from doing things we would like to do or should do
You, Lord, are RADICAL!  You tell us to count it all joy and to rejoice ALWAYS!  WE CANNOT DO THIS ON OUR OWN, LORD.  We must be continually walking in Your Spirit to accomplish this.
Lord, help me today not to issue one complaint, but to rejoice in ALL things, no matter what they are!

The Lord Has Set Us FREE

Rom 7:1-3  1 "Now, dear brothers and sisters--you who are familiar with the law--don't you know that the law applies only while a person is living? 2 For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. 3 So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries."

Dear Lord,
For some reason most of Christians, at least in the US, do not see themselves to be free from the Law because they have died to sin and are fee from being a slave to sin.  Lord, we need revival!  Here Paul likens our relationship with You with a wife whose husband dies.  She then is free from the law of marriage.

We seem to have two extremes in Your church:  there is no order or "law", or there is Phariseeism with all kinds of rules, regulations, and restrictions.
 Lord, You teach balance:
Do all things to the glory of God
Glorify the Lord in our bodies, minds, hearts,and souls
Avoid ALL appearances of evil, so the world around us will see us a different in a good way, not as holier than thou so we draw people to us.
Philippians 2:14-15  "14 "Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
Philippians 4:5-8 "5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

So why do we in our churches find it so very hard if we have truly DIED to the old man and are new creatures in Christ Jesus to really FOLLOW You daily?   Holy Lord, You know that Your church needs purging of the wolves in sheep's clothing who are leading Your people astray, and Your children need to become vigilant in their own lives...me in my own life...against false teaching and follow hard after You no matter the cost!
PLEASE BRING REVIVAL TO MY BELOVED COUNTRY AND THE WORLD!
 

What Wages Do I Want to Earn?

Romans 6:20-23 "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom.  23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

Sweet  Savior, Thank YOU for lifting me out of the pit I was in and changing my wages from death to Your GIFT of forgiveness, grace, and eternal life! I was, and still am so unworthy.  Without You I can do nothing, and when the Father looks at me He sees YOU!  Anything I am or do for Your glory comes from You for within myself there is no good thing.