We all have the same goal as Paul…to complete the calling God has charged us with. Whether that be small or large, in the public eye or in the background – everyone has a ministry to fulfill. And even when forewarned by the Holy Spirit of what was to come, Paul resolutely set his eyes on Jerusalem and the finish line…knowing he had accomplished everything the Lord had mandated for him.
Month: March 2016
Psalm 95: 1-2 “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our Salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.”
We tend to go to the Lord in bad times only…when life is treating us unfairly and we’re filled with sadness. But the Psalmist is telling us – Go to God when your happy and content…Go to Him when life is good and you feel truly blessed of Him. For He desires to hear you during the hard times…but He delights in hearing your praises.
I Samuel 1:10 ” In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord.”
Hannah wasn’t just upset…she wasn’t just sad. Hannah was totally heartbroken and in anguish for what she saw as insurmountable odds. From deep within her being she poured out her soul…pleading for God’s mercy. And the Lord heard her and moved. You may be feeling as hopeless as Hannah today, but remember, God is listening to your prayer and He will move.
I Corinthians 13:12 ” Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
Who can understand God? Who can comprehend His ways or grasp His greatness? What we perceive now falls so pathetically far from what we’ll then realize…when we’re face to face.
Isaiah 61:11 ” For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden cause seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.”
Just as the warming soil causes things to germinate and bud, so the Lord causes His power to be shown before all the earth…His honor and glory on grand display for all to see. For as the mystery of life is unveiled each Spring…God’s goodness and majesty is made evident the world over.
Isaiah 61:1 ” The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…”
In the fourth Chapter of Luke, Jesus has come home to Nazareth for a visit and on the Sabbath goes to the Synagogue. There the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah is handed to Him and He reads this passage out loud. In doing so, He announces His mission and purpose here on earth. For as everyone waited for Him to speak, He said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” He honored not only His family, but His home town by officially starting His ministry in Nazareth.
Matthew 16:26 ” What good will it be for man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? “
In this passage Jesus is being very blunt…we can’t work our way into heaven. No amount of riches we’ve amassed will do…no worldly commodity, can be exchanged for the gift of salvation.
Proverbs 25:28 ” Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control. “
When a city has no defenses…the enemy can come in – invading and conquering without opposition. When we allow our inner self to act out without restraint…the enemy comes in also. He comes in to overpower our dignity and flaunt our volatility. He holds captive our discretion and boasts of our instability.
Safetypinlove 