What God Has Been Teaching Me Lately LVI (56)…
Greetings My Friends~
As a simple pilgrim following the Lord Jesus through the rainforests and deserts of this earthly life, I would like to humbly share some of what God has been bubbling up in my mind/heart lately.
I pray that these thoughts are cushions in your shoes, balm to your burns, umbrellas for the rain, and shade to the scorching heat as you too follow the Lord Jesus each day.
(please click on the Bible books/chapters/verses below to read the actual Scripture passages)
(July 2016)
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Real Prayer, Real Courage
Acts 4:29–the 1st century Christians didnt ask God to keep them safe or stop the threats of others;
they asked Him for strength to boldly tell others about the Lord Jesus!
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God’s Word Is Perfect & True & Without Error
A. Of the many powerful lessons in Genesis 1, the following phrase occurs six times:
“God said…and it was so.”
Oh Lord, help us trust all that You have said in the Bible!
B. Through artificial chemicals, “fresh” fruit can be months old.
God help us turn away from the newest fads
and turn toward Your old Word, forever & truly fresh because it is Your very breath.
C. LORD, help us turn off the t.v. as You put Your Word’s i.v. directly in our souls’ veins.
Help us sit quietly as You nourish us drop by drip.
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Our Money Isn’t Ours!
Almighty God–help us to be cheerful givers (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Help us not to think about what we cant do with that money (if we give)
but to think about what You will do with it (when we give)!
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Grace Leads To More Obedience, Not Less
Grace isnt freedom from obedience, but freedom to obey.
“I’ll give you a new heart…and move you to follow my decrees.” Ezekiel 36:26-27
“Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves” (1 Peter 2:16).
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Seeking Spiritual Rushes/Feelings/Experiences
May the LORD help us not make an idol out of feelings or goosebump experiences.
Even the Lord Jesus led the three disciples down from the mount of transfiguration.
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Growing/Maturing In Christ
Our sinfulness sometimes just wants the Lord Jesus to save us
& leave us alone until heaven so we can live our own way on earth.
But if we’re honest, don’t we want more than that?
Though scary, dangerous, difficult,
dont we want to be with our Father out of our comfort & into our co-mission?
Many of us want God to let us stay in the basement within His family,
sleeping in & hanging out all day in the rec room-chilling.
But if we’re honest, deep down don’t we want more that that?
We don’t want to hang out alone in the basement
but labor with Him out in His harvest field–not chilling but being refined in His fire…
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The Sovereignty of God–His In Control-ness!
Humbled & amazed by God’s total control as shown in Ephesians 1:12–
“…the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will…”
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What Sinfulness Looks Like On A Wednesday
Three characteristics of the wicked in Psalm 36:1-2:
they dont fear God,
they dont detect their sin
& they dont hate their sin.
Help me, LORD!
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Focusing On God Thru The Windshield & Rear-View Mirror
A. Psalm 42:5-6: What do we do when our souls are downcast/discouraged?
“For I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God” (verse 5) and
“Therefore I will remember You” LORD (verse 6)–what He has done & promises to do!
B. Isaiah 46:9–“Remember the former things…of long ago.”
2 Timothy 3:16–“All Scripture is God-breathed.”
Hebrews 13:8–“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
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Wanting What God Wants
A. Psalm 40:8: How can we desire to do the will of God?
By constantly putting His law, His Word, into our heart (will, desires).
B. Father, help us desire perseverance, not prominence; faithfulness not fame.
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Fearing God Is The Kindergarten Of Life
Interesting order in Psalm 40:3:
1. “Many will see” [the LORD], then
2. “fear the LORD” & then
3. “put their trust in him.”
We skip 2 & go to 3.
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The Holy Spirit AND The Bible, Not Vs.
Grounded electricity warms a house up; ungrounded burns a house down.
Similarly, teaching about the Holy Spirit must be grounded in the Bible.
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Carry The Cross Today, Raise The Trophy Tomorrow
One day we will raise the trophy with Christ in heaven;
on earth we will raise our cross & carry it, following the Lord Jesus on the way to heaven.
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Not Enough Time For Both
We dont have time to pursue God’s dreams AND our own dreams;
some activities must be thrown overboard
to have all hands on-deck of the Lord Jesus’ aircraft carrier (not cruise ship!).
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Huge Difference
cultural love: “I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”
Christ’s love: “I died to change everything about you.”
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Must Have Both
Holy Father, mercifully put on us the rough burlap of conviction & repentance of sin…
then mercifully clothe us with the soothing cashmere of grace.
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Back To Normal Or Forward To Abnormal?
Power went out at a local coffee shop–
all focus was on getting back to normal.
When You humble us, LORD, help us wait in the dark as You do Your abnormal work in us.
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Prayer
A. Importance of prayer:
When satan asked the Lord Jesus to let satan separate & grind up Peter,
the Lord Jesus didnt firebolt the devil but prayed for Peter & his faith. Wow.
B. Trouble praying, dear Christian? Don’t quit!
Even the Lord Jesus on the Cross, when He asked the Father why He’d forsaken Him, got no reply.
He IS with you!
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Original Or The Copies?
Paul said “follow my example” (1 Corinthians 11:1), not create conferences around it.
Do we follow followers or Christ? Do we know them more than Him?
God, help us study the Potter, not the pot;
shine Your light on Yourself, not Your people.
Help us be simple–remember our 1st love & do what we did at first (Revelation 2:4-5).
Help us remember that only the original Mona Lisa is priceless, not the replicas.
Help us praise You–not the clay–for working thru jars like us.
Father, when by Your grace You do great things thru people,
help us not to “photocopy” them & their methods to try to get the same results.
Father, if by Your grace You do great things thru us,
help us not offer ourselves & methods to be copied!
Help us just point to You & Your Word.