Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Prayer

LUKE 5:6 “And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.”

CHRIST is able to help us in our business affairs as well as in our spiritual matters. The disciples had been fishing. They had toiled all night, and their nets were empty in the morning. Jesus told them that if they would push out farther and drop their nets in a certain place, they would find plenty of fish. They did as He asked them to do, and were rewarded.Some people seem never to learn that they can have God’s guidance in their secular affairs. A young woman was trying to find something to do. A friend, after advising her, asked her if she had taken the matter to God. “Why, you would not pray about a matter of this kind, would you?”That is precisely what we should do. God is interested in everything in our lives, in our smallest daily affairs, as well as in our largest spiritual interests. Jesus tells us that the very hairs of our heads are all numbered. This means that nothing in our lives is too small for God’s notice.

“ORDER my steps” is a prayer which should ever be on our lips. We should get our orders from God, not once in our life only, when we first give ourselves to Him; not at the opening of each day only, as we go forth to the day’s task; not merely at the beginning of each new piece of work or of each fresh task—but every moment, for each step. That is what walking with God means. We may make this so real that we shall look up into God’s face continually, asking, “What next, dear Lord? What shall I do now? Which course shall I take today? How shall I do this duty?” If we can but have God’s guidance and help for the little short steps, we need not fear for the long miles, the great stretches of road. If each step is of His ordering, the long miles will be paths of His choosing.

From Devotional Readings for Every Day of the Year-By J.R. Miller, D.D.

When I See The Blood....


One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of God at her heart. She responded to God's call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. But, the change in her was evident.

As time went on she became a faithful member of the church. She eventually became involved in the ministry, teaching young children. It was not very long until this faithful young woman had caught the eye and heart of the pastor's son. The relationship grew and they began to make wedding plans. This is when the problems began. You see, about one half of the church did not think that a woman with a past such as hers was suitable for a pastor's son.

The church began to argue and fight about the matter. So they decided to have a meeting. As the people made their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting was getting completely out of hand. The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up about her past. As she began to cry the pastor's son stood. He could not bear the pain it was causing his wife to be. He began to speak and his statement was this:

"My fiancee's past is not what is on trial here. What you are questioning is the ability of the Blood of Jesus to wash away sin. Today you have put the blood of Jesus on trial. So, does it wash away sin or not?"

The whole church began to weep as they realized that they had been slandering the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Too often, even as Christians, we bring up the past and use it as a weapon against our brothers and sisters. Forgiveness is a very foundational part of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse the other person completely then it cannot cleanse us completely. If that is the case, then we are all in a lot of trouble.

"What can wash away my sins,
nothing but the blood of Jesus...
"

Author Unknown

Sunday, September 24, 2006

He Gathers The Lambs



“He shall gather the lambs with His arm.” -Isaiah 40:11


Our good Shepherd has in His flock a variety of experiences, some are strong in the Lord, and others are weak in faith, but He is impartial in His care for all His sheep, and the weakest lamb is as dear to Him as the most advanced of the flock.

Lambs are wont to lag behind, prone to wander, and apt to grow weary, but from all the danger of these infirmities the Shepherd protects them with His arm of power. He finds newborn souls, like young lambs, ready to perish - He nourishes them till life becomes vigorous; He finds weak minds ready to faint and die - He consoles them and renews their strength.

All the little ones He gathers, for it is not the will of our heavenly Father that one of them should perish. What a quick eye He must have to see them all! What a tender heart to care for them all! What a far reaching and potent arm, to gather them all!

In His lifetime on earth He was a great gatherer of the weaker sort, and now that He dwells in heaven, His loving heart yearns towards the meek and contrite, the timid and feeble, the fearful and fainting here below. How gently did He gather me to Himself, to His truth, to His blood, to His love, to His church!

With what effectual grace did He compel me to come to Himself! Since my first conversion, how frequently has He restored me from my wanderings, and once again folded me within the circle of His everlasting arm!

The best of all is, that He does it all Himself personally, not delegating the task of love, but condescending Himself to rescue and preserve His most unworthy servant. How shall I love Him enough or serve Him worthily?

I would love to make His name great unto the ends of the earth, but what can my feebleness do for Him?

Great Shepherd, add to Your mercies this one other, a heart to love you more as I should.

- C.H. Spurgeon

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

The Angel in the Cell


Love this true story and wanted to post it as an encouragement.


"...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me"-Hebrews 13


My brother Dave Howard does a lot of traveling and comes back with wonderful stories. One summer when the six of us Howards with our spouses got together for a reunion, Dave told us this one, heard from the son of the man in the story.

A man whom we'll call Ivan, prisoner in an unnamed country, was taken from his cell, interrogated, tortured, and beaten nearly to a pulp. The one comfort in his life was a blanket. As he staggered back to his cell, ready to collapse into that meager comfort, he saw to his dismay that someone was wrapped up in it--an informer, he supposed. He fell on the filthy floor, crying out, "I can't take any more! whereupon a voice came from the blanket: "Ivan, what do you mean, you can't take any more?" Thinking the man was trying to get information to be used against him, Ivan didn't explain. He merely repeated what he had said.

"Ivan," came the voice, "Have you forgotten that Jesus is with you?"

Then the figure in the blanket was gone.

Ivan, unable to walk a minute before, now leaped to his feet and danced round the cell praising the Lord. In the morning the guard who had starved and beaten him asked who had given him food. No one, said Ivan.

"But why do you look so different?"

"Because my Lord was with me last night."

"Oh, is that so? And where is your Lord now?"

Ivan opened his shirt, pointed to his heart--"Here."

"OK. I'm going to shoot you and your Lord right now," said the guard, pointing a pistol at Ivan's chest.

"Shoot me if you wish. I'll go to be with my Lord."

The guard returned his pistol to its holster, shaking his head in bewilderment.

Later Ivan learned that his wife and children had been praying for him on that same night as they read Isaiah 51:14: "The cowering prisoners will soon be set free; they will not die in their dungeon, nor will they lack bread" (NIV)

Ivan was released shortly thereafter and continued faithfully to preach the gospel until he died in his eighties.

By Elisabeth Elliot Taken from: Keep a Quiet Heart

Friday, September 15, 2006

Admitting our mistakes

In my working life, I have seen my colleagues and myself making mistakes. I am sure you will agree that it is impossible for a person not to make any mistake in his or her life.
There are five possible reactions when people make mistakes.

Deny it

Blame on someone else

Cover it up

twist the facts

Admit our mistake

It goes against our self-pride to admit our mistakes. Even among Christians, we struggle with that. We may have know of a Christian who is very dogmatic in his/her view, but when shown that his/her view is inconsistent, often he or she will not acknowledge his mistakes. A Christian that has not learned to admit mistakes has not learned self-denial.
Recently I too struggled with covering up a mistake in my work, but the Holy Spirit tells me to admit it and swallow my pride.

Maybe you are not a Christian, a few questions for you to ponder:

Do you deny you are a sinner?

Do you cover up your sins?

Do you blame your sins on someone else?

Do you twist the facts so that sin is no longer called sin?

Sins are worse than mistakes. While mistakes can be due to an oversight sin involves a moral choice with eternal consequence. If we made a mistake, we may lose our job, but if we sin, we lose our soul.

My friend, the willingness to admit our sins is the first pre-condition for eternal life, we need to mourn for our sins. If you don’t acknowledge that you are a sinner, you are denying reality and deceiving yourself. Check what the bible says about the conditions of our heart:

Mark 7:15-23 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Ponder on these verses, it is beneficial to your soul. Then read the other articles on this blog to find out how you can have eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Self Imposed Famine


Was reading an article in the recent Time Magazine, titled 'Does God Want Me Rich?' when the words of Amos 8 came to me. I know it refers to Israel, but the Holy Spirit brought it to my mind for a reason, so I pondered on it.

Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit. And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more. And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord GOD: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence. Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat? The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works. Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned, as by the flood of Egypt. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day: And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.

The bolded verses were what actually what came to me.....

Thought about those verses where God shows Amos the basket of summer fruit, asking him 'what do you see'..

All types of fruit grow in the summer only...early, mid, etc. but there is a season in late summer when the fruit, if not picked rots on the vine. Late summer. I think this was the season God was showing Amos--that this 'late summer fruit' was 'spoiled'...

Are we experiencing a famine of hearing the Word of God today, like is spoken of above?

I think we are.

God is giving no new words because He's already spoken but people have refused to hear.

I had a preacher tell me long ago when I was seeking advice on what to do in a matter, telling him I couldn't seem to get any direction from God in prayer, that I needed to go back to the last time God DID speak to me and reflect on if I had obeyed. For when God does speak, if we don't obey, we'll hear 'no new word' until we do.

Makes sense, doesn't it.

Today we get 'words'...in fact anyone with a computer can sign up on any number of 'prophetic' web sites and receive one in their mail box every day. But are they truly a 'Word from God'? I seriously doubt it. For one thing, what Prophet [real, truly called of God] can produce a 'word' on command, daily at that! None that I've ever read about in the bible.

So what are we hearing? Fluff. Chaff.

Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney. Hosea 13

Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble:.. Is.33

......clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Jude 12

Can't survive on chaff...

Chaff- The seed casings and other parts inedible to humans of plant matter harvested with cereal grains such as wheat. The chaff must be separated from the grain before use, by such techniques as threshing and wind winnowing. The word "Chaff" is also used to refer to something worthless, such as in the ex-pression "separating the wheat from the chaff" meaning to find things of value and separate them from things of no value.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked perish. Psalm 1

Is the famine we're in today self imposed? I kinda think it is.

Today we have the Word of God available like no other time in history...almost any Christian has access to a bible. Just a few years ago, this wasn't true in all Nations. Granted there are still areas/pockets of the world in which a group of believers may gather with only 1-2 per group...but for the most part all believers today do have access to reading/hearing the Word.

But like the scripture in Amos says, the famine is in the 'hearing', not in the giving forth.

Anyway was just thinking outloud. God has been speaking, but I just wonder if any of us really have heard. And that because we haven't taken to heart what we HAVE heard about 'repent, prepare, I'm coming soon, Be watching,' that we may not get anything more until we heed and obey what we have been given. Not the 'chaff messages' but the words of the true Prophets.

The words of that article title really hit me today; 'does God want me rich'...

Does God want us rich, sure He does. Rich is all mercy, grace, and love, through Christ.
We are truly living in the Laodicean age when we've forgotten that truth, and the world, thru a secular magazine has to remind us.

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Revelation 3

Thanks for bearing with my ponderings...

Sunday, September 10, 2006

THERE IS A FOUNTAIN FILLED WITH BLOOD


There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

E'er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I'll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.

Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be,
For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me!
'Tis strung and tuned for endless years, and formed by power divine,
To sound in God the Father's ears no other name but Thine.


cyber hymnal- http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/t/f/tfountfb.htm

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it,
and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,

Drink ye all of it. For this is my blood of the new testament, which is
shed for many for the remission of sins.

But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine,
until that day when I drink it
new with you in my Father's kingdom.

And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

Matthew 26

Monday, September 04, 2006

Born Again


"When a man is converted to God, it is done in a moment.

Regeneration is an instantaneous work.


Conversion to God, the fruit of regeneration, occupies all our life, but regeneration itself is effected in an instant.

A man hates God-- the Holy Spirit causes him to love God.

A man is opposed to Christ, he hates his gospel, does not understand it and will not receive it: the Holy Spirit comes,  puts light into his darkened understanding, takes the chain from his bondaged will, gives liberty to his conscience, gives life to his dead soul, so that the voice of conscience is heard, and the man becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus.

And all this is done, mark you, by the instantaneous supernatural influence of God the Holy Spirit working as he wills among the sons of men."

- C.H. Spurgeon's, "THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT"

Saturday, September 02, 2006

The Holy of Holies & The Rent Veil

Happy Saturday to you!


While browsing through my old bookmake page folders last evening
I came upon this wonderful interactive link and wanted to share it.

It had been awhile since doing any bookmark cleaning, so I'd forgotten
about having it.

Was glad I rediscovered it! What a blessing it was to come across it again.

Its an Interactive Journey through the old Temple in Jerusalem.


http://messiah.heartofisrael.org/

If you have problems getting into it, go here instead and click on the
banner at the bottom.


http://radio.heartofisrael.org/

After entering into the Outer Court be sure to stop long enough to
enjoy the anointed worship music at the bottom by Marty Goetz,
among others.

I can guarentee, you will be blessed!

Just a little background on the Holy of Holies


THE HOLY OF HOLIES

The Holy of Holies, a small room 10 cubits x 10 cubits (15' x 15') separated from the Holy Place by the veil. It housed one piece of redemptive furniture, the ark of the Covenant, with its mercy seat. There was no created light like the sun and no artificial light but Gods own "Shekinah" glory that lit up the Holiest Place.

There was no seat for man but here Jehovah sat alone on the throne of glory and righteousness. As the high priest entered once a year, he entered with bowed head, unsandalled feet, and bells. No human voice was heard, only the voice of God.

The Veil

Exod 26:31-34 "You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim."

- The veil could never be touched except by the high priest, and then only once a year to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat on the day of atonement:

Lev 16:2 and the LORD said to Moses: "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat."


What Was the Significance of the Temple Veil being Torn in Two when Jesus Died?

During the lifetime time of Jesus, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religious life. Here was the place that animal sacrifices were carried out, and worship according to the Law of Moses was commanded, and followed faithfully.

Hebrews 9:1-9 tells us that in the Temple a veil separated the Holy of Holies where God dwelt from the rest of the Temple where men dwelt. This signified that man was separated from God by sin (Isaiah 59:1-2). Only the High Priest was permitted to pass beyond this veil once each year (Exodus 30:10; Hebrews 9:7), enter into God's presence for all of Israel, and make atonement for their sins (Leviticus 16).

Solomon's Temple was 30 cubits high (1 Kings 6:2) but Herod had increased the height to 40 cubits according to the writings of Josephus, a first century Jewish historian. There is uncertainty as to exactly what a cubit equaled in our feet and inches but it is safe to assume that this veil was somewhere near 60 feet high. Josephus also tells us that the veil was four inches thick, and that horses tied to each side could not pull the veil apart. And the account in the Book of Exodus teaches that this thick veil was fashioned from blue, purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.

The size and thickness of the veil makes so much more momentous the events described as occurring at the exact moment of Jesus' death upon a cross nearly 2000 years ago.

"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom..." (Matthew 27:50-51a)

So what do we make of this? What significance does this rent-torn veil have for us today? Above all, the tearing of the veil at the moment of Jesus' death dramatically symbolized that His sacrifice, the shedding of His own blood, was a sufficient atonement for sins forever. It now signified that the way into the Holy of Holies was open for all people, for all time, both Jew and gentile.

When Jesus died, the veil was torn, and God moved out of that place never again to dwell in a Temple made with hands (Acts 17:24). God was through with that Temple and its religious system and worship forever, and the Temple and Jerusalem was left "desolate" (destroyed by the Romans) in 70 A.D. just as Jesus prophesied it would in Luke 13:35.

As long as the Temple stood, it signified the continuation of the Old Covenant. Hebrews 9:8-9 indicates that the way to the sanctuary was not yet open "as long as the outer tent" still stood, being symbolic of "the present age." The "present age" refers to the age that was passing away even as the New Covenant was being established (Hebrews 8:13).

In a sense, the veil was symbolic of Christ, Himself.

Christ is the only way to the Father. (John 14:6) This is symbolized in the fact that the High Priest had to enter the Holy of Holies through the veil. Now Christ is our more superior High Priest, and as believers in the finished work of Jesus we partake of His better priesthood. We can now enter the Holy of Holies by Him. Hebrews 10:19-20 says that the faithful enter into the sanctuary by the "blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which he opened for us through the veil, that is, through his flesh."

The veil being rent from top to bottom is a fact of history. The profound significance of this event is explained in glorious detail in the Letter to the Hebrews. These things were shadows of things to come, and they all ultimately point us to Jesus Christ. He was the veil to the Holy of Holies, and through His death, the faithful now have free access to God.

The veil in the Temple was a constant reminder that sin renders humanity unfit for the presence of God. The fact that the sin offering was offered annually and countless other sacrifices repeated daily was meant to show graphically that sin could not truly and permanently be atoned for or erased by mere animal sacrifices. Jesus Christ, through His death, has removed the barriers between God and man, and now we may approach Him with confidence and boldness.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
(Hebrews 4:14-16)


Pray the link provided brings to you a portion of the awe it has to me.

God Bless...

Matthew