Passage of the Day: Romans 6:23 [see in bold] … 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
My Journal for Today: Wow; if there was ever a passage that hits the heart of yours truly as a believer, it is the verse highlighted for today above from the Apostle Paul. However, every now and then it’s wise, and spiritually healthy, to reflect deeply on the wondrous truth of God’s gift-wrapped grace of eternal life in the light of what I (we) deserve as sinners. And the wage for our sin condition is death, as Paul reminds his readers in today’s highlight verse (i.e., Rom. 6: 23); and nothing we can say, or nothing we can do, will ever pay off that debt. And I’m remembering Paul also declared in Phil. 3: 7 … that all of Paul’s works were a loss for the sake of Christ. But then, balancing this truth with joy and exuberance, the Apostle declared with conviction to the Corinthians, and all of us as believers, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift.” [2nd Cor. 9: 15]
And as I sit and type this, I’m meditating and remembering that Christ did it ALL – EVERYTHING – when He died for me (and all born-again believers); and when He was raised again and ascended into Heaven to be re-glorified by His Father, … He now sits on His throne, interceding for me (us), having given me (us) His Spirit to be my (our) Holy Advocate forever. And it’s all a gift – a marvelous, mysterious, and wondrous gift. And if you’re reading this, I would hope, as I am, that you are thinking and maybe singing or declaring, something along the lines of the old Doxology you may have sung in church [see below]… “Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.”
Christ is the only One Who could – and has – paid my (our) sin debt (see Acts 4: 12); and He paid it in full, declaring from the cross, “It is finished!” He was my only hope for redemption when I was locked into my past chains of sinfulness (see John 14: 6); and He’s the only hope I have now as a saved sinner to be cleansed from my sin (see 1st John 1: 9). Only my faith saved me; and only my faith in repentance can continue to shape me into the person I’m now predestined to be … and that is the image of my Lord and Savior, Jesus. [see Phil. 1: 6]
Are you singing yet? … If not, join me. I think you know the tune …; but even if you don’t, just say the words and reflect on the truths of today’s devotional as you say or sing these words aloud from the classic Doxology … or if you want to go to a lovely You Tube version with the Maranatha Singers rendering this old, great praise song … GO TO THIS LINK …
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above the heavenly hosts.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
My Prayer Today: Amen and amen!
Showing posts with label singing praise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label singing praise. Show all posts
Friday, October 21, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
September 17, 2011 … Spirit-filled Song
Passage of the Day: Ephesians 5: 19 [see in bold below] … 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, …
My Journal for Today: What’s your song? If you are a Christian and reading this, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling eternally in your heart. So, do you find yourself, as Paul declares in today’s verse, “making music in your heart,” or [speaking] “to one another with … spiritual songs?”
If not, and you are truly a Christian, what does Paul mean by this verse? Is he saying that Spirit-filled Christians will always be walking around singing “songs” as we normally think of “singing.” Well, I suppose there are believers and followers of Christ who might do that some that, some of the time. However, I think Paul, here, is reflecting on the attitude of the Christian’s heart, as he was in 1st Thes. 5: 17 when he exhorted believers to be “praying continually [NIV].”
In our church culture, we often equate “worship” in a church service with the singing of hymns or praise songs. And today’s passage may be one reason why that equation has developed. As I’ve said earlier this month, when it comes to Spirit-filled living, “worship” is the 24/7 expression of our lives in surrender to our Lord. It is the life of “living sacrifice” expressed by Paul in Rom. 12: 1. Yes, it can be an expression of our love and/or praise for God in song; but it more often is the way our heart sings for God in the way we think, say, and do things. And that is what I think Paul was expressing in today’s verse.
I believe he’s saying that the born-again, transformed heart of a sold-out follower of Christ will openly share an attitude of “song,” praising God with an enthusiastic praise-born life, where God is worshipped and praised by what the Christian thinks, says, and does.
Yes, sometimes that life of worship might involve actual melodic singing; but I’m sure you’ve encountered brothers and/or sisters in Christ whose very presence sings a song of joy and praise and is evidence of God’s Spirit in that one’s heart. Our Pastor is that way. His life is an open song of praise wherever he goes; but thankfully, with his singing ability (or lack thereof as is the reality), though he might like to sing his praises, he doesn’t do his “singing” with traditional song [though he does love to sing the refrain to the old hymn, God Is So Good, anytime he is leads the men of our church in any type of teaching]. And when Pastor Ernie sings in public, I hope that he’s in tune with God’s chorus of angels; because he certainly can’t carry a tune in a bucket here on this earth. But my point is that my dear Pastor and brother in Christ exhibits the “singing” referred to by the Apostle in Eph. 5: 19 by the way he lives his life, which is a soulful witness to His love of Jesus in all he says and does. Ernie Frey’s life is a song of joy for Jesus; and his life song certainly has to be a praise chorus of delight in the mind of God.
I pray that we all could be so filled with God’s Spirit that our witness is a song-filled life of worship. I certainly aspire to be a “soul-singer” of Christ’s song in the way I live, hopefully not being off-tune with selfishness in my life song; and prayerfully I can let my life be tuned to the Christlikeness God’s Spirit wants to sing through me.
My Prayer Today: Lord, may my life be Your song. Amen
My Journal for Today: What’s your song? If you are a Christian and reading this, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling eternally in your heart. So, do you find yourself, as Paul declares in today’s verse, “making music in your heart,” or [speaking] “to one another with … spiritual songs?”
If not, and you are truly a Christian, what does Paul mean by this verse? Is he saying that Spirit-filled Christians will always be walking around singing “songs” as we normally think of “singing.” Well, I suppose there are believers and followers of Christ who might do that some that, some of the time. However, I think Paul, here, is reflecting on the attitude of the Christian’s heart, as he was in 1st Thes. 5: 17 when he exhorted believers to be “praying continually [NIV].”
In our church culture, we often equate “worship” in a church service with the singing of hymns or praise songs. And today’s passage may be one reason why that equation has developed. As I’ve said earlier this month, when it comes to Spirit-filled living, “worship” is the 24/7 expression of our lives in surrender to our Lord. It is the life of “living sacrifice” expressed by Paul in Rom. 12: 1. Yes, it can be an expression of our love and/or praise for God in song; but it more often is the way our heart sings for God in the way we think, say, and do things. And that is what I think Paul was expressing in today’s verse.
I believe he’s saying that the born-again, transformed heart of a sold-out follower of Christ will openly share an attitude of “song,” praising God with an enthusiastic praise-born life, where God is worshipped and praised by what the Christian thinks, says, and does.
Yes, sometimes that life of worship might involve actual melodic singing; but I’m sure you’ve encountered brothers and/or sisters in Christ whose very presence sings a song of joy and praise and is evidence of God’s Spirit in that one’s heart. Our Pastor is that way. His life is an open song of praise wherever he goes; but thankfully, with his singing ability (or lack thereof as is the reality), though he might like to sing his praises, he doesn’t do his “singing” with traditional song [though he does love to sing the refrain to the old hymn, God Is So Good, anytime he is leads the men of our church in any type of teaching]. And when Pastor Ernie sings in public, I hope that he’s in tune with God’s chorus of angels; because he certainly can’t carry a tune in a bucket here on this earth. But my point is that my dear Pastor and brother in Christ exhibits the “singing” referred to by the Apostle in Eph. 5: 19 by the way he lives his life, which is a soulful witness to His love of Jesus in all he says and does. Ernie Frey’s life is a song of joy for Jesus; and his life song certainly has to be a praise chorus of delight in the mind of God.
I pray that we all could be so filled with God’s Spirit that our witness is a song-filled life of worship. I certainly aspire to be a “soul-singer” of Christ’s song in the way I live, hopefully not being off-tune with selfishness in my life song; and prayerfully I can let my life be tuned to the Christlikeness God’s Spirit wants to sing through me.
My Prayer Today: Lord, may my life be Your song. Amen
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
2010 – June 08 – Music to Soothe the Soul
Study from God’s Word… 2nd Kings 8: 16-17 [2nd Chron. 21: 5]; 2nd Chron. 21: 2-4; 2nd Kings 3: 6-27; 1st Kings 22: 45, 50a [2nd Chron. 20: 34, 21: 1a]; 1st Kings 22: 50b [2nd Chron. 21: 1b, 20a]; 2nd Kings 8: 18-19 [2nd Chron. 21: 6-7, 11]; 2nd Chron. 21: 12-17; 2nd Kings 8: 20-22 [2nd Chron. 21: 8-10] … Passage for Reflection: 2nd Kings 3: 15… NIV 14 Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you. 15 But now bring me a harpist." While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha 16 and he said, "This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches. 17 For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.
My Journal for Today: Note the passage highlighted by Dr. Smith’s devotional today. It is typed in bold above for your reference/study. And my devotional shepherd uses this verse to raise an interesting and very salient point about our use of our time devoted to our worship of the Lord.
Does music play an important point in your (our) worship? It certainly does for me; but music, as we choose to use it can definitely have an effect on our emotions. The context of today’s passage has the Prophet Elisha really upset over the decisions/actions of King Joram in Israel; and so, what does he do? He calls for a harpist to play soothing music in his presence. Does that remind you of another person in the Old Testament who needed soothing music? Yeah; … King Saul called for David to play for him when God’s Spirit had departed from him and his soul was very disquieted [see 1st Samuel 16: 14-23].
Dr. Smith rightly points out that if you play lilting classical music in the presence of a baby, then if you play hard rock music, you’ll see a vastly different behavioral reaction in the child. Which of those two do you think will promote sleep and which will prevent slumber? Duh?!! We know the answer, don’t we?
Have you noticed how important music is in the worship services of most churches; and we hire “worship leaders” for churches because they have God-given talents to shape music which enhances the message the preacher is going to bring in the worship service. Perhaps you, as do I, use certain Christian praise/worship music to enhance your daily devotional quiet times, especially if you need to have your heart quieted or your attitude set into a more receptive tone of mind (and note how I just used the phrase “tone of mind” to describe having an attitude of worship during my “quiet time” [where I also use another term which describes solitude as opposed to noisiness]). Our minds/hearts are definitely affected by , silence, music, or noisiness; and I maintain that we can worship our God more effectively and purposely if we use music judiciously in our disciplined daily devotional times.
Right now, I’m choosing to go to my I-tunes listing of Christian favorites, which I’ve stored on my I-pod, and I’m bringing up a tune to which I’ve made reference on more than one occasion in my devotionals. It is the old hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, rendered and sung by Alisha Dishong, who does such a beautiful job singing this old Christian classic. I often go back to this one song, sung so liltingly and beautifully by this singer, with such a soothing arrangement, because this song quiets my heart and brings me into an attitude of worship where I’m doing exactly what the lyrics say in the song >>>
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of this earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
Do you have trouble getting into a proper mood to worship God? Perhaps you have rancid dreams at night and you need to quiet your heart or redirect your mind in order to sleep. Maybe you have trouble getting your baby to sleep at night. Well, if you need some quieting of your heart or you desire to go deeper in your morning devotional, perhaps choosing to use selectively soothing Christian or classical music would be a good strategy to quiet your heart so that you can go more fruitfully before the Throne of Grace.
We know that Saul used David’s harp music to quiet his soul; and in today passage we read that Elisha needed to use the contemporary worship music of his day to soothe his disquieted nature.
So, as I sit here listening to the lovely strains of Alisha Dishong singing about Jesus, maybe it would be good for you to turn on some heart-quieting music, as did Elisha, to calm your continence and bring you closer to your Savior and into a deeper relationship with Him.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, thank You for the music You have given us to help us come to You to worship You in Spirit and in truth. Amen
My Journal for Today: Note the passage highlighted by Dr. Smith’s devotional today. It is typed in bold above for your reference/study. And my devotional shepherd uses this verse to raise an interesting and very salient point about our use of our time devoted to our worship of the Lord.
Does music play an important point in your (our) worship? It certainly does for me; but music, as we choose to use it can definitely have an effect on our emotions. The context of today’s passage has the Prophet Elisha really upset over the decisions/actions of King Joram in Israel; and so, what does he do? He calls for a harpist to play soothing music in his presence. Does that remind you of another person in the Old Testament who needed soothing music? Yeah; … King Saul called for David to play for him when God’s Spirit had departed from him and his soul was very disquieted [see 1st Samuel 16: 14-23].
Dr. Smith rightly points out that if you play lilting classical music in the presence of a baby, then if you play hard rock music, you’ll see a vastly different behavioral reaction in the child. Which of those two do you think will promote sleep and which will prevent slumber? Duh?!! We know the answer, don’t we?
Have you noticed how important music is in the worship services of most churches; and we hire “worship leaders” for churches because they have God-given talents to shape music which enhances the message the preacher is going to bring in the worship service. Perhaps you, as do I, use certain Christian praise/worship music to enhance your daily devotional quiet times, especially if you need to have your heart quieted or your attitude set into a more receptive tone of mind (and note how I just used the phrase “tone of mind” to describe having an attitude of worship during my “quiet time” [where I also use another term which describes solitude as opposed to noisiness]). Our minds/hearts are definitely affected by , silence, music, or noisiness; and I maintain that we can worship our God more effectively and purposely if we use music judiciously in our disciplined daily devotional times.
Right now, I’m choosing to go to my I-tunes listing of Christian favorites, which I’ve stored on my I-pod, and I’m bringing up a tune to which I’ve made reference on more than one occasion in my devotionals. It is the old hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, rendered and sung by Alisha Dishong, who does such a beautiful job singing this old Christian classic. I often go back to this one song, sung so liltingly and beautifully by this singer, with such a soothing arrangement, because this song quiets my heart and brings me into an attitude of worship where I’m doing exactly what the lyrics say in the song >>>
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of this earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
Do you have trouble getting into a proper mood to worship God? Perhaps you have rancid dreams at night and you need to quiet your heart or redirect your mind in order to sleep. Maybe you have trouble getting your baby to sleep at night. Well, if you need some quieting of your heart or you desire to go deeper in your morning devotional, perhaps choosing to use selectively soothing Christian or classical music would be a good strategy to quiet your heart so that you can go more fruitfully before the Throne of Grace.
We know that Saul used David’s harp music to quiet his soul; and in today passage we read that Elisha needed to use the contemporary worship music of his day to soothe his disquieted nature.
So, as I sit here listening to the lovely strains of Alisha Dishong singing about Jesus, maybe it would be good for you to turn on some heart-quieting music, as did Elisha, to calm your continence and bring you closer to your Savior and into a deeper relationship with Him.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, thank You for the music You have given us to help us come to You to worship You in Spirit and in truth. Amen
Thursday, April 08, 2010
2010 – April 8 – The Joy of Singing
Study from God’s Word…2nd Samuel 6: 12a; 1st Chron. 15: 1 – 10; 1st Chron. 15: 11 – 24; 2nd Sam. 6: 12b – 15 [1st Chron. 15: 25 – 28]; 2nd Sam. 6: 16 [1st Chron. 15: 29]; 2nd Sam. 6: 17 – 19 [1st Chron. 16: 1 – 3]; 1st Chron. 16: 4 – 6; 1st Chron. 16: 7 – 36 [Psalms 105 and 96] … Passage for Reflection: 1st Chronicles 15: 16 … NIV 16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.
My Journal for Today: Today’s devotional message, led by Dr. F. LaGard Smith, from his book The Daily Bible Devotional rings with great truth, for me personally, but actually for all mankind I believe. Dr. Smith, by highlighting the passage about David’s command to the Levites in 1st Chronicles 15: 16 to sing joyful songs honoring the return of the Ark of the Covenant to the City of David, highlights an important gift God has given to mankind which needs to be used to glorify and to worship our God. And most certainly David did that, using his lyrical and musical gifts to create and write what we know of as most of the Psalms. And other of David’s songs are also chronicled in books like the books of the Chronicles and the books of Samuel.
I don’t know about you; but my life, especially my life as a Christian, would be sorely lacking if I could not sing or be sung to. Oh so often, when I come to this place – my quiet place in the morning – I listen to, or even sing along with, some wonderfully crafted praise/worship songs; and I’m especially touched or led into God’s presence by the melodies and the lyrics of these songs. When I feel down-and-out or exhausted to the point of being frayed, hearing or singing beautiful Christian music brings me peace or healing. Has that been the case for you?
Dr. Smith wrote something in today’s devotional that I hadn’t pondered or thought about all that much. He wrote, ”… have you ever considered that singing does not play a central role in some religions? Perhaps there is an inward-focused chanting, but not joyous, exuberant singing [like that found in today’s Christian churches and culture]. Why should that be unless these religions have not a story to tell [in music]?” And the creation of great music, with poignant/powerful lyrics, is greatly illustrated as integral to the worship of God by David, who wrote, sang, and performed a myriad of songs to and for God’s people so that they (and he) might have glorious and joyful times of worship for and with God.
God gave mankind a soul and the ability to sing; and we know, from God’s word, that God constantly has His angels singing in heaven before His throne. Now, we may have been created a little lower than the angels; but, as Dr. Smith points out, we were not created lower than the angels in the gift of singing or creating music. Oh, you may not be able to carry a tune in a bucket. The Pastor of our church is like that; but nobody I know of makes a more “joyful noise” and sings with more heart on Sunday mornings in our church than does my brother in Christ and my Pastor.
Singing can and does touch our soul; and when great Christian music is joined with poignant and truthful lyrics, as has been done over the century in some of the great hymns and more recently with contemporary praise/worship songs, we all can be lifted before God’s throne of grace by such music. And when we listen to or sing a great song of the faith, as I am doing as I type this on my computer here this morning, our hearts can worship God, especially when we surrender ourselves in the music and lyrics with God’s Spirit in our hearts. And here are the words of the chorus I’m hearing this morning … one of by favorites, and one which helps me go deep into my relationship with Christ >>>
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. [Selah]
I hope that music, which glorifies our God, helps you to go deeper and deeper in your relationship with our Savior and Lord as it does with me. He gave us the ability to sing – some better than others – so that this gift would bring us joy and a closer relationship with Him. Let’s sing it out for His glory!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, the songs of my love for You break forth from my heart so that I can know You more intimately and serve You with more joy. Amen
My Journal for Today: Today’s devotional message, led by Dr. F. LaGard Smith, from his book The Daily Bible Devotional rings with great truth, for me personally, but actually for all mankind I believe. Dr. Smith, by highlighting the passage about David’s command to the Levites in 1st Chronicles 15: 16 to sing joyful songs honoring the return of the Ark of the Covenant to the City of David, highlights an important gift God has given to mankind which needs to be used to glorify and to worship our God. And most certainly David did that, using his lyrical and musical gifts to create and write what we know of as most of the Psalms. And other of David’s songs are also chronicled in books like the books of the Chronicles and the books of Samuel.
I don’t know about you; but my life, especially my life as a Christian, would be sorely lacking if I could not sing or be sung to. Oh so often, when I come to this place – my quiet place in the morning – I listen to, or even sing along with, some wonderfully crafted praise/worship songs; and I’m especially touched or led into God’s presence by the melodies and the lyrics of these songs. When I feel down-and-out or exhausted to the point of being frayed, hearing or singing beautiful Christian music brings me peace or healing. Has that been the case for you?
Dr. Smith wrote something in today’s devotional that I hadn’t pondered or thought about all that much. He wrote, ”… have you ever considered that singing does not play a central role in some religions? Perhaps there is an inward-focused chanting, but not joyous, exuberant singing [like that found in today’s Christian churches and culture]. Why should that be unless these religions have not a story to tell [in music]?” And the creation of great music, with poignant/powerful lyrics, is greatly illustrated as integral to the worship of God by David, who wrote, sang, and performed a myriad of songs to and for God’s people so that they (and he) might have glorious and joyful times of worship for and with God.
God gave mankind a soul and the ability to sing; and we know, from God’s word, that God constantly has His angels singing in heaven before His throne. Now, we may have been created a little lower than the angels; but, as Dr. Smith points out, we were not created lower than the angels in the gift of singing or creating music. Oh, you may not be able to carry a tune in a bucket. The Pastor of our church is like that; but nobody I know of makes a more “joyful noise” and sings with more heart on Sunday mornings in our church than does my brother in Christ and my Pastor.
Singing can and does touch our soul; and when great Christian music is joined with poignant and truthful lyrics, as has been done over the century in some of the great hymns and more recently with contemporary praise/worship songs, we all can be lifted before God’s throne of grace by such music. And when we listen to or sing a great song of the faith, as I am doing as I type this on my computer here this morning, our hearts can worship God, especially when we surrender ourselves in the music and lyrics with God’s Spirit in our hearts. And here are the words of the chorus I’m hearing this morning … one of by favorites, and one which helps me go deep into my relationship with Christ >>>
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. [Selah]
I hope that music, which glorifies our God, helps you to go deeper and deeper in your relationship with our Savior and Lord as it does with me. He gave us the ability to sing – some better than others – so that this gift would bring us joy and a closer relationship with Him. Let’s sing it out for His glory!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, the songs of my love for You break forth from my heart so that I can know You more intimately and serve You with more joy. 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
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
2009 – Day 82.Mar. 24 – Sing It Out!
2009 – Day 82.Mar. 24 – Sing It Out!
Passage of the Day: Exodus 14: 23 – 15: 22 … Link to Exod. 14 – 15 for study …
My Journal for Today: Interesting to read about this wondrous deliverance experience in the history of the Jewish nation as they were delivered from the Egyptian army and they launched into their journey to Canaan through the desert. First there is the elation of their freedom, even stopping to record the songs they sung in Scripture, praising God for their deliverance. And then right after the joy and exuberance of this freedom experience, they begin to encounter the realities of life as they traveled through the wilderness of the desert, …hot and dry and dangerous … but free.
Isn’t that what many Christians experience in coming to Christ? We finally come to recognize that we’re in bondage to self and sin; and we repent of that life and receive Christ as our Savior and Lord. And He frees us to be able to walk free. Perhaps we feel the elation; and Chuck Swindoll in the devotional I’m using daily even encourages his devotional readers to do what the Hebrews did, … to write songs of praise. Many would say, however, that they don’t have the ability to write a poem or a praise song to honor God for saving us. But Swindoll exhorts us to try; … or at least perhaps, we can, as I do here, refer to a song or songs which express your feelings about your salvation experience. Right now I’m thinking of some wonderful songs I hear on my Ipod as I’m doing my morning devotional, … songs like …
I Will Choose Christ … sung by Kathy Triccoli;
Jesus, You Are My Life … sung by the Maranatha Singers;
Finally Free … sung by Nichole Nordeman; … or
He’ll Do Whatever It Takes … sung by Phillips, Craig, and Dean
In fact, as I do often when I’m drafting my journal entries early in the morning, as now, I have my earphones on, listening to songs like these, … songs which remind me of what God did to save me and just how much God’s amazing grace means to me. Maybe you have wonderful praise songs which are your favorites and express your love for the God Who reached down and saved you on that Cross from your enslavement to sin and set you free to walk in freedom. Right now I’m listening to the old hymn, Fairest Lord Jesus, sung by Scott Underwood. As I listen, I’m uplifted and filled with the joy of my salvation.
But after we’re uplifted by these songs and we turn off the music, we’re stricken by the realization of our salvation in Christ. Like the Hebrews in the Exodus story, we recognize that our sanctification and walk of freedom sometimes finds us walking in the desert, alone and seeing that we’re still enslaved. However, this time we come to see that we now must choose to realize we are bond slaves to Christ. He saved us so that we can realize how dependent we are on the God who graces us to walk in freedom. Right now as I’m sitting here I’m listening to another song by Phillips, Craig, and Dean entitled, Your Grace Still Amazes Me, which sings for me my wonder at the enabling grace of God which allows me, each day, as I fall on my knees, to recognize just how amazing is God’s grace, allowing me to live in and for my Lord and Savior, Jesus.
If you’re no poet or song writer, I hope you have songs in your life, as do I, which remind us of our wondrous love relationship with the God Who saved us and the God Who sustains us. If you don’t, write some or find some. They will help you in your freedom walk, especially when you find yourself in the deserts of life, needing to remind you to sing for joy in spite of your circumstances.
My Prayer for Today: Oh, Lord, Your Grace Still Amazes Me. Amen
Passage of the Day: Exodus 14: 23 – 15: 22 … Link to Exod. 14 – 15 for study …
My Journal for Today: Interesting to read about this wondrous deliverance experience in the history of the Jewish nation as they were delivered from the Egyptian army and they launched into their journey to Canaan through the desert. First there is the elation of their freedom, even stopping to record the songs they sung in Scripture, praising God for their deliverance. And then right after the joy and exuberance of this freedom experience, they begin to encounter the realities of life as they traveled through the wilderness of the desert, …hot and dry and dangerous … but free.
Isn’t that what many Christians experience in coming to Christ? We finally come to recognize that we’re in bondage to self and sin; and we repent of that life and receive Christ as our Savior and Lord. And He frees us to be able to walk free. Perhaps we feel the elation; and Chuck Swindoll in the devotional I’m using daily even encourages his devotional readers to do what the Hebrews did, … to write songs of praise. Many would say, however, that they don’t have the ability to write a poem or a praise song to honor God for saving us. But Swindoll exhorts us to try; … or at least perhaps, we can, as I do here, refer to a song or songs which express your feelings about your salvation experience. Right now I’m thinking of some wonderful songs I hear on my Ipod as I’m doing my morning devotional, … songs like …
I Will Choose Christ … sung by Kathy Triccoli;
Jesus, You Are My Life … sung by the Maranatha Singers;
Finally Free … sung by Nichole Nordeman; … or
He’ll Do Whatever It Takes … sung by Phillips, Craig, and Dean
In fact, as I do often when I’m drafting my journal entries early in the morning, as now, I have my earphones on, listening to songs like these, … songs which remind me of what God did to save me and just how much God’s amazing grace means to me. Maybe you have wonderful praise songs which are your favorites and express your love for the God Who reached down and saved you on that Cross from your enslavement to sin and set you free to walk in freedom. Right now I’m listening to the old hymn, Fairest Lord Jesus, sung by Scott Underwood. As I listen, I’m uplifted and filled with the joy of my salvation.
But after we’re uplifted by these songs and we turn off the music, we’re stricken by the realization of our salvation in Christ. Like the Hebrews in the Exodus story, we recognize that our sanctification and walk of freedom sometimes finds us walking in the desert, alone and seeing that we’re still enslaved. However, this time we come to see that we now must choose to realize we are bond slaves to Christ. He saved us so that we can realize how dependent we are on the God who graces us to walk in freedom. Right now as I’m sitting here I’m listening to another song by Phillips, Craig, and Dean entitled, Your Grace Still Amazes Me, which sings for me my wonder at the enabling grace of God which allows me, each day, as I fall on my knees, to recognize just how amazing is God’s grace, allowing me to live in and for my Lord and Savior, Jesus.
If you’re no poet or song writer, I hope you have songs in your life, as do I, which remind us of our wondrous love relationship with the God Who saved us and the God Who sustains us. If you don’t, write some or find some. They will help you in your freedom walk, especially when you find yourself in the deserts of life, needing to remind you to sing for joy in spite of your circumstances.
My Prayer for Today: Oh, Lord, Your Grace Still Amazes Me. Amen
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