Exodus 2: 15: … [God Reveals Himself] ... 1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?" 2 Then the Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?"
"A staff," he replied. 3 The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.4 Then the Lord said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.5 "This," said the Lord, "is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you."
My Journal for Today: Sometimes God just flat shows off! Have you ever had that happen, … God giving us what I call “a glimpse of His glory?” Well, as I read through Exodus in my chronological reading plan this morning, right at the outset of the three chapters I was led to read today (Exodus, Chapters 4-6), I was taken to Moses’ burning bush encounter with God, where the Lord just flat showed off for poor Moses, who was feeling pretty small in God’s presence.
I can recall one of my own “burning bush” experiences with God when I, like Moses, came to the end of myself and the realization that God cared enough for me to reveal His glory and grace … just for little-ole me. It was a wild set of circumstances for me on April 13th, 1983. And, by using the testimony of a young quadriplegic on an audio-cassette, recorded some years earlier, as well as a wild – truly unbelievable re occurrence of the number 13 in the context of that moment, I realized that all that was transpiring that morning could not have occurred by chance. On that morning in my office, it may not have been a burning bush, but God called me out very much like He did Moses. And also like Moses in the presence of God at the bush that day, I felt totally inadequate to the glimpse of God’s glory which was being revealed to me. But also like Moses, that’s what it took to get my attention and for me to come to the realization that God was calling one Bill Berry to something far greater than I could imagine in that moment.
I really hope you can look back on your life at times when God showed you a bit of His greatness and glory so that you can carry around an awestruck feeling of our God with you. And I pray that we never lose our realization of just how great God is. Moses, as we know, got over his burning bush calling; and he marched forward to follow and serve his Lord with humility and meekness; but it took God flat showing off to get his attention and to call him out for service.
I pray – for you – that if God hasn’t done so … that He will be a show-off for you soon and give you an indication of the truth of what Paul wrote about to believers in 2nd Cor. 12: 9, where Christ was quoted by Paul, … “My grace is sufficient for you; … for my strength is made perfect in [your] weakness.” Paul was another one whom God had to do a big show-n-tell to get his attention; and the NT Apostle came to realize that God’s greatness is sometimes revealed in our humility. So, when we’re being humbled by life’s circumstances and God’s bigness, my friend, let us take a look around us. God’s probably just showing off His glory in the grace He’s providing us through our humble circumstances.
My Prayer Today: … My Lord, thank You so, so much for showing off in my presence. May I never lose the awe You’ve given me in those glimpses of glory. Amen
Showing posts with label God's glory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's glory. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
December 31, 2011 … The Preeminence of Christ
Passage of the Day: Colossians 1: 18 - 19 [see highlight verse in bold/underlined in the context of the entire passage] … 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, …
My Journal for Today: This is the final devotional study focusing on Christology on the final day of this year. Note that John MacArthur has chosen to focus his teaching to believers about Christ by using Col. 1: 15 – 19 in these last days of the year; and we read MacArthur in his Strength For Today entry, charging his readers to “… be encouraged to meditate on the glory of Christ as revealed in this passage.” He goes on to write “… doing so will help you be transformed into Christ’s image and will prepare you to behold His glory in Heaven.”
And as we enter into a new year, meditating on the glory of Christ is a wonderful and most practical resolution for next year. For, as we read in Col. 1: 18 above, Christ is the Head of His Body; and we, the Church, make up that Body. Christ is our source and/or our beginning. He is the first and preeminent One from all who have been or ever will be raised from the dead for God’s glory.
Therefore, as we close out one year and enter into another, God’s Spirit leads me in this moment to return to a 19th century hymn, … the chorus which I have quoted several times in my devotionals this past year and one which penetrates my heart as I listen to it as I write this, … [And if you’d like to hear/sing along with this old hymn as you meditate here – go to this link]
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Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
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As I’ve said, and hopefully practiced in my devotional life, … given the preeminence of Christ in the heart of any believer, … there can be no more powerful or practical meditation than can be found in the words of that hymn and the hope we have in Christ especially for the New Year.
Everyday this month, I’ve exhorted any who are reading these devotional entries to “stay tuned.” And the only way that I would do this for the New Year would be to say “STAY TUNED to Christ” in your life as you surrender to God’s Spirit and allow The Lord to rule and reign in your heart.
My Prayer Today: I look longingly, Lord, on You for all things in this upcoming new year. Amen
My Journal for Today: This is the final devotional study focusing on Christology on the final day of this year. Note that John MacArthur has chosen to focus his teaching to believers about Christ by using Col. 1: 15 – 19 in these last days of the year; and we read MacArthur in his Strength For Today entry, charging his readers to “… be encouraged to meditate on the glory of Christ as revealed in this passage.” He goes on to write “… doing so will help you be transformed into Christ’s image and will prepare you to behold His glory in Heaven.”
And as we enter into a new year, meditating on the glory of Christ is a wonderful and most practical resolution for next year. For, as we read in Col. 1: 18 above, Christ is the Head of His Body; and we, the Church, make up that Body. Christ is our source and/or our beginning. He is the first and preeminent One from all who have been or ever will be raised from the dead for God’s glory.
Therefore, as we close out one year and enter into another, God’s Spirit leads me in this moment to return to a 19th century hymn, … the chorus which I have quoted several times in my devotionals this past year and one which penetrates my heart as I listen to it as I write this, … [And if you’d like to hear/sing along with this old hymn as you meditate here – go to this link]
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Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
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As I’ve said, and hopefully practiced in my devotional life, … given the preeminence of Christ in the heart of any believer, … there can be no more powerful or practical meditation than can be found in the words of that hymn and the hope we have in Christ especially for the New Year.
Everyday this month, I’ve exhorted any who are reading these devotional entries to “stay tuned.” And the only way that I would do this for the New Year would be to say “STAY TUNED to Christ” in your life as you surrender to God’s Spirit and allow The Lord to rule and reign in your heart.
My Prayer Today: I look longingly, Lord, on You for all things in this upcoming new year. Amen
Sunday, December 25, 2011
December 25, 2011 … The Purpose of Christ’s Exaltation
Blogger's Note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!!!
Passage of the Day: Philippians 2: 9, 11 [see highlight passage in bold/underlined] … 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
My Journal for Today: Everything Jesus did, through His incarnation, which we celebrate on this date, and through His life, death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation, was/is for the glory of God, The Father (see Phil. 2: 11). It is true that God, The Father, declares Himself to be the One and only God (see Exodus 20: 2 – 3 and Isaiah 45: 5a). However, as MacArthur relates in today’s Strength for Today entry, both Matt. 17: 5 and John 5: 23 declare, from the majesty of the Trinity, that all who honor God, The Son, give glory to God, The Father. They are One; and our lives are lived to glorify our TRINITARIAN God.
Therefore, as I meditate here on Christmas morning, I’m drawn, with conviction, to the realization that when I confess Christ as my Lord and I live in obedience to His word, doing all I can to reflect His Light into the world, I give honor and glory to The Father just as did His Son, Jesus (see Matt. 5: 16). And when the fruit of God [see Gal. 5: 22 – 23], the Spirit, are manifest in my life, again God, The Father, is glorified (see John 15: 8).
So, in this time of Advent reflection and celebration of Christ’s birth, we see that Christ’s exaltation by God, The Father, was to affirm that Christ would be glorified by His Church; and in so doing, God, The Father becomes greatly glorified. And likewise, when we worship Christ as our Lord with lives being directed by the Holy Spirit, we become the “living sacrifices” described by Paul in Rom. 12: 1; and in so doing we bring glory to our Father in Heaven. It is perfect circular redundancy; and the more it becomes our life of worship, we live to be God’s glory.
That is what all of this Christology has been about this month. I pray that it has touched you the way it has me; and tomorrow we switch to another passage from Paul in Colossians to round out these last few days in December; so, stay tuned!
My Prayer Today: On this special day to honor my Lord’s birth, may my life be lived to honor You, my Father in Heaven. Amen
Passage of the Day: Philippians 2: 9, 11 [see highlight passage in bold/underlined] … 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
My Journal for Today: Everything Jesus did, through His incarnation, which we celebrate on this date, and through His life, death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation, was/is for the glory of God, The Father (see Phil. 2: 11). It is true that God, The Father, declares Himself to be the One and only God (see Exodus 20: 2 – 3 and Isaiah 45: 5a). However, as MacArthur relates in today’s Strength for Today entry, both Matt. 17: 5 and John 5: 23 declare, from the majesty of the Trinity, that all who honor God, The Son, give glory to God, The Father. They are One; and our lives are lived to glorify our TRINITARIAN God.
Therefore, as I meditate here on Christmas morning, I’m drawn, with conviction, to the realization that when I confess Christ as my Lord and I live in obedience to His word, doing all I can to reflect His Light into the world, I give honor and glory to The Father just as did His Son, Jesus (see Matt. 5: 16). And when the fruit of God [see Gal. 5: 22 – 23], the Spirit, are manifest in my life, again God, The Father, is glorified (see John 15: 8).
So, in this time of Advent reflection and celebration of Christ’s birth, we see that Christ’s exaltation by God, The Father, was to affirm that Christ would be glorified by His Church; and in so doing, God, The Father becomes greatly glorified. And likewise, when we worship Christ as our Lord with lives being directed by the Holy Spirit, we become the “living sacrifices” described by Paul in Rom. 12: 1; and in so doing we bring glory to our Father in Heaven. It is perfect circular redundancy; and the more it becomes our life of worship, we live to be God’s glory.
That is what all of this Christology has been about this month. I pray that it has touched you the way it has me; and tomorrow we switch to another passage from Paul in Colossians to round out these last few days in December; so, stay tuned!
My Prayer Today: On this special day to honor my Lord’s birth, may my life be lived to honor You, my Father in Heaven. Amen
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
December 14, 2011 … Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension
Passage of the Day: Philippians 2: 9 [see highlight passage in bold/underlined] …
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
My Journal for Today: If you’ve been following this month as I dwell with John MacArthur on the subject of Christology, and even more specifically on Christ’s character of humility, it may seem like MacArthur and I are lingering with redundancy on certain elements of the Apostle Paul’s passage in Phil. 2: 5-11. Well, this may be so; but I can see that MacArthur is doing so because of the importance of the subject matter – and that is CHRIST. If we are to live up to the exhortation [in Phil. 2: 5] to be like Christ, then it’s vastly important that we understand EXACTLY Whom we’re emulating – and that’s our Lord and Savior. Hence MacArthur is dwelling [and I’m joining him] on the important aspects of Christ’s character this month. As I’ve said along the way, ”Stay tuned!”
Here we are again, looking at Christ’s exaltation after His death, resurrection, and ascension into Heaven; and I must admit that if Strength for Today had not lingered on this subject, I would not likely have seen how important and wonderful this matter of Christ being exalted is to our knowing our Lord. Yesterday MacArthur mentioned – in passing – four components of Christ’s exaltation that we need to understand: resurrection, ascension, coronation, and intercession. Today our author/shepherd elaborates on the first two of these; and the first is RESURRECTION.
In Acts 13: 32 – 39 [PLEASE be sure to read this – linked for you here in NASB!], we read Dr. Luke’s account of Paul preaching to the Jews (and some Gentiles present) in a Synagogue in Antioch. There Paul gave the people a history lesson, preaching the good news of Christ being the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesies [several are referenced in this passage], Christ having been raised from the dead to save God’s people from their sin. In this passage in Acts, Paul’s preaching quoted from Ps. 2: 7, Is. 55: 3, and especially from Ps. 16: 10 where David had prophesied that The Messiah would never decay in the ground [a prophesy of Christ’s resurrection]. And MacArthur emphasizes this wondrous lesson where he writes, “Christ’s death and resurrection provided forgiveness and freedom from sin, the law, and death.” And we Christians, especially in these days of commercialized Christmases, need to take time to dwell on this gift of amazing grace to all mankind. And we need to recognize that without the truth of the resurrection, Christianity falls into nothingness.
Next we read from Acts 1: 9 – 11 and 2: 33 an exposition of the second component of Christ’s exaltation, … His ASCENSION, where our Messiah and Savior was lifted up to sit at the Right Hand of God, The Father, on His Throne of Glory in Heaven. And my beloved, we need to dwell on this! We will be exalted as well; but not until we live out this Spirit-enabled life as Christ’s witnesses (see Act. 1: 8); and we are either resurrected after our death or we are transported to Glory when Christ comes again. And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to wrap my finite mind around this latter truth … that God would think so much of ME that He would humble Himself as a man, walk on earth displaying His deity, die in humiliation on a cross, be resurrected by God’s Spirit, ascend to Heaven, be re-coronated by God, the Father, into His former Glory, and now to intercede for ME in Heaven. No, I may not completely grasp these truths; but I believe them as THE GOSPEL truth!
And tomorrow we’ll go into more of Christ’s exaltation … so, (yes), stay tuned!
My Prayer Today: And with Your charge, Lord, to witness in Your name, I go forth. Amen
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
My Journal for Today: If you’ve been following this month as I dwell with John MacArthur on the subject of Christology, and even more specifically on Christ’s character of humility, it may seem like MacArthur and I are lingering with redundancy on certain elements of the Apostle Paul’s passage in Phil. 2: 5-11. Well, this may be so; but I can see that MacArthur is doing so because of the importance of the subject matter – and that is CHRIST. If we are to live up to the exhortation [in Phil. 2: 5] to be like Christ, then it’s vastly important that we understand EXACTLY Whom we’re emulating – and that’s our Lord and Savior. Hence MacArthur is dwelling [and I’m joining him] on the important aspects of Christ’s character this month. As I’ve said along the way, ”Stay tuned!”
Here we are again, looking at Christ’s exaltation after His death, resurrection, and ascension into Heaven; and I must admit that if Strength for Today had not lingered on this subject, I would not likely have seen how important and wonderful this matter of Christ being exalted is to our knowing our Lord. Yesterday MacArthur mentioned – in passing – four components of Christ’s exaltation that we need to understand: resurrection, ascension, coronation, and intercession. Today our author/shepherd elaborates on the first two of these; and the first is RESURRECTION.
In Acts 13: 32 – 39 [PLEASE be sure to read this – linked for you here in NASB!], we read Dr. Luke’s account of Paul preaching to the Jews (and some Gentiles present) in a Synagogue in Antioch. There Paul gave the people a history lesson, preaching the good news of Christ being the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesies [several are referenced in this passage], Christ having been raised from the dead to save God’s people from their sin. In this passage in Acts, Paul’s preaching quoted from Ps. 2: 7, Is. 55: 3, and especially from Ps. 16: 10 where David had prophesied that The Messiah would never decay in the ground [a prophesy of Christ’s resurrection]. And MacArthur emphasizes this wondrous lesson where he writes, “Christ’s death and resurrection provided forgiveness and freedom from sin, the law, and death.” And we Christians, especially in these days of commercialized Christmases, need to take time to dwell on this gift of amazing grace to all mankind. And we need to recognize that without the truth of the resurrection, Christianity falls into nothingness.
Next we read from Acts 1: 9 – 11 and 2: 33 an exposition of the second component of Christ’s exaltation, … His ASCENSION, where our Messiah and Savior was lifted up to sit at the Right Hand of God, The Father, on His Throne of Glory in Heaven. And my beloved, we need to dwell on this! We will be exalted as well; but not until we live out this Spirit-enabled life as Christ’s witnesses (see Act. 1: 8); and we are either resurrected after our death or we are transported to Glory when Christ comes again. And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to wrap my finite mind around this latter truth … that God would think so much of ME that He would humble Himself as a man, walk on earth displaying His deity, die in humiliation on a cross, be resurrected by God’s Spirit, ascend to Heaven, be re-coronated by God, the Father, into His former Glory, and now to intercede for ME in Heaven. No, I may not completely grasp these truths; but I believe them as THE GOSPEL truth!
And tomorrow we’ll go into more of Christ’s exaltation … so, (yes), stay tuned!
My Prayer Today: And with Your charge, Lord, to witness in Your name, I go forth. Amen
Sunday, November 15, 2009
2009 – Day 318.Nov 15 – Mission Accomplished
Blogger's Note: My posting today is a bit tardy. Forgive me but I'm fighting off some bug, possibly the flu. Temperature yesterday, PTL under control today. Would covet any prayers for healing. Thanks ... <'BB><
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Passage for Study: Acts 14: 21 – 28 … Acts 14 linked for your study …
My Journal for Today: When one reads and examines the passage for today, you have to be impressed with what Paul and Barnabas accomplished for the glory of God; and, as Swindoll points out today, we should take note of how Luke writes about these accomplishments in this passage.
Paul and Barnabas, after traveling with the Gospel message throughout much of that region in Asia Minor; and then, retraced their missionary steps, they went back to their home base in Antioch, stopping at the various places along the way where they had converts and had planted churches. They stopped long enough, even in places like Lystra, where Paul had been stoned, to solidify the churches which had been established by raising up Elders in each place to carry on the work of the Lord in those places. But in the final accounting, when they returned to Antioch, Luke writes, in Acts 14: 27, that it was God Who had opened the door of faith for the Gentiles who became Christians; and all was done for the glory of God.
And as Swindoll points out, that should be our mission in life as well. As Pastor Chuck writes, ”The work may be ours to do, but the glory belongs to God. The responsibility is ours to embrace, but the credit is the Lord’s alone.” And that was what Paul and Barnabas celebrated when they had come full circle back to Antioch. As Swindoll points out for our edification, “There is to be no embezzling of glory. It all belongs to Him. [And] That attitude never fails to put everything in proper perspective.”
When God convicts us, calls us, and commissions us, we are to move forth, following Him, and not looking back. That was Paul’s message later in Phil. 3: 13 – 14, wasn’t it? Paul (and Barnabas) had received that calling, the one we have received from Acts 1: 8 and Matt. 28: 19-20; and they went forth, as we’re instructed in Luke 9: 23, following the lead of The Lord, and doing whatever it took to WITNESS their FAITH and MAKE DISCIPLES, just as we are charged and commissioned by the passages above.
Paul didn’t think about risk versus reward. He just did what God led him to do; and in the end, as it will be if we follow God’s lead, HE will get all the glory.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I am called, convicted, and charged to go and make disciples; but when I do anything for You, YOU will get all the glory. Amen
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Passage for Study: Acts 14: 21 – 28 … Acts 14 linked for your study …
My Journal for Today: When one reads and examines the passage for today, you have to be impressed with what Paul and Barnabas accomplished for the glory of God; and, as Swindoll points out today, we should take note of how Luke writes about these accomplishments in this passage.
Paul and Barnabas, after traveling with the Gospel message throughout much of that region in Asia Minor; and then, retraced their missionary steps, they went back to their home base in Antioch, stopping at the various places along the way where they had converts and had planted churches. They stopped long enough, even in places like Lystra, where Paul had been stoned, to solidify the churches which had been established by raising up Elders in each place to carry on the work of the Lord in those places. But in the final accounting, when they returned to Antioch, Luke writes, in Acts 14: 27, that it was God Who had opened the door of faith for the Gentiles who became Christians; and all was done for the glory of God.
And as Swindoll points out, that should be our mission in life as well. As Pastor Chuck writes, ”The work may be ours to do, but the glory belongs to God. The responsibility is ours to embrace, but the credit is the Lord’s alone.” And that was what Paul and Barnabas celebrated when they had come full circle back to Antioch. As Swindoll points out for our edification, “There is to be no embezzling of glory. It all belongs to Him. [And] That attitude never fails to put everything in proper perspective.”
When God convicts us, calls us, and commissions us, we are to move forth, following Him, and not looking back. That was Paul’s message later in Phil. 3: 13 – 14, wasn’t it? Paul (and Barnabas) had received that calling, the one we have received from Acts 1: 8 and Matt. 28: 19-20; and they went forth, as we’re instructed in Luke 9: 23, following the lead of The Lord, and doing whatever it took to WITNESS their FAITH and MAKE DISCIPLES, just as we are charged and commissioned by the passages above.
Paul didn’t think about risk versus reward. He just did what God led him to do; and in the end, as it will be if we follow God’s lead, HE will get all the glory.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I am called, convicted, and charged to go and make disciples; but when I do anything for You, YOU will get all the glory. Amen
Sunday, May 24, 2009
2009 – Day 143.May 24 – The Best I Can
2009 – Day 143.May 24 – The Best I Can
Passage of the Day: 1St Chronicles 28: 1 – 11 … Passage linked for study …
My Journal for Today: Today’s passage is a great illustration of a dedicated servant of the Lord who could have expressed regrets and wallowed in self pity, but rather chose to acknowledge God for what he was allowed to do in his life and praise His Lord for what God will do through others to see His kingdom glorified. And I totally identify with David in this scenario as he passes the mantle of God’s will on to his son Solomon.
Perhaps you’ve lived with a big dream which, at this stage in your life, you realize God has put on hold for someone else to accomplish. Perhaps you’ve had to endure some personal challenge in life; and you realize that only in heaven will you be free of some thorn or handicap. Perhaps God had said “No” to your dream of romance or marriage; and you will only find fulfillment in your eternal relationship with our Savior now or in Glory. And you must, as did David in today’s passage, move onward without realizing the fulfillment of your dream.
I’m there, my dear one. For years I’ve dreamed of seeing big numbers of Christians walk out of the self-induced prisons of habitual sexual sin and into the freedom they can find by surrendering to follow Christ. And in my later days, I’ve come to recognize that God has entrusted me with a much smaller effort in this regard than I would have liked to see for His glory so that someone else, one day, can be blessed to see great numbers walk free in Christ. Battle Plan Ministries [website link provided], the calling which God has ordained me to lead, has been blessed to lead many, mostly men of God, to become more Godly Christians and to find the freedom path which can only come by following Christ (see Luke 9: 23, which, by now, I hope you have memorized). And I have yet to identify, as David did, a successor who could lead big numbers of Christians to freedom and to move away from self imposed prisons of sin.
But I praise God that He has allowed me, as He did David, to acknowledge and confess my own sin; and to sing praise to my God in my lifetime for finding and taking the path of honesty and vulnerability so that I might show others that God way is the only way to follow in this life and on into the next. And I praise God that He has allowed me to build the plans for God’s dream, as did David, where others can see what lies ahead for God’s glory. And I praise God that, as David did, I’ve been given the charge to pass this dream on to someone else, one who can move God’s kingdom plan and will to another level.
And if such a place is where you are in life, I pray that you can praise God and revel in what you’ve been allowed to do and what lies ahead for the glory of God. … David did; and so can we.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, thank you for allowing me to see Your dream and to get it started. Amen
Passage of the Day: 1St Chronicles 28: 1 – 11 … Passage linked for study …
My Journal for Today: Today’s passage is a great illustration of a dedicated servant of the Lord who could have expressed regrets and wallowed in self pity, but rather chose to acknowledge God for what he was allowed to do in his life and praise His Lord for what God will do through others to see His kingdom glorified. And I totally identify with David in this scenario as he passes the mantle of God’s will on to his son Solomon.
Perhaps you’ve lived with a big dream which, at this stage in your life, you realize God has put on hold for someone else to accomplish. Perhaps you’ve had to endure some personal challenge in life; and you realize that only in heaven will you be free of some thorn or handicap. Perhaps God had said “No” to your dream of romance or marriage; and you will only find fulfillment in your eternal relationship with our Savior now or in Glory. And you must, as did David in today’s passage, move onward without realizing the fulfillment of your dream.
I’m there, my dear one. For years I’ve dreamed of seeing big numbers of Christians walk out of the self-induced prisons of habitual sexual sin and into the freedom they can find by surrendering to follow Christ. And in my later days, I’ve come to recognize that God has entrusted me with a much smaller effort in this regard than I would have liked to see for His glory so that someone else, one day, can be blessed to see great numbers walk free in Christ. Battle Plan Ministries [website link provided], the calling which God has ordained me to lead, has been blessed to lead many, mostly men of God, to become more Godly Christians and to find the freedom path which can only come by following Christ (see Luke 9: 23, which, by now, I hope you have memorized). And I have yet to identify, as David did, a successor who could lead big numbers of Christians to freedom and to move away from self imposed prisons of sin.
But I praise God that He has allowed me, as He did David, to acknowledge and confess my own sin; and to sing praise to my God in my lifetime for finding and taking the path of honesty and vulnerability so that I might show others that God way is the only way to follow in this life and on into the next. And I praise God that He has allowed me to build the plans for God’s dream, as did David, where others can see what lies ahead for God’s glory. And I praise God that, as David did, I’ve been given the charge to pass this dream on to someone else, one who can move God’s kingdom plan and will to another level.
And if such a place is where you are in life, I pray that you can praise God and revel in what you’ve been allowed to do and what lies ahead for the glory of God. … David did; and so can we.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, thank you for allowing me to see Your dream and to get it started. Amen
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