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AGAPE LOVE PRAYER..
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Feb 13, 2009 11:29 pm
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"LOVE is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
-I CORINTHIANS 13:4-7 NIV
LORD, BECAUSE LOVE IS PATIENT...
Help me to be slow to judge, but quick to listen.
Hesitant to criticize, but eager to encourage, remembering your endless patience with me.
LORD, BECAUSE LOVE IS KIND...
Help my words to be gentle and my actions to be
thoughtful. Remind me to smile and to say "Please" and "Thank You" because those little things still mean so much.
LORD, BECAUSE LOVE DOES NOT ENVY OR BOAST, AND IT IS NOT PROUD...
Help me to have a heart that is humble and sees the good in others. May I celebrate and appreciate all that I have and all that I am, as well as doing the same for those around me.
LORD, BECAUSE LOVE IS NOT RUDE OR SELF SEEKING...
Help me to speak words that are easy on the ear and on the heart. When I'm tempted to get wrapped up in my own little world, remind me there's a great big world out there full of needs and hurts.
LORD, BECAUSE LOVE IS NOT EASILY ANGERED AND KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS...
Help me to forgive others as you have forgiven me. When I want to hold onto a grudge, gently help me release it so I can reach out with a hand of love instead.
LORD, BECAUSE LOVE DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL BUT REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH...
Help me stand up for what is right and good. May I defend the defenseless, and help the helpless. Show me how I can make a difference.
LORD, BECAUSE LOVE ALWAYS PROTECTS AND ALWAYS TRUSTS...
Help me to be a refuge for those around me. When the world outside is harsh and cold, may my heart be a place of acceptance and warmth.
FINALLY, BECAUSE LOVE ALWAYS PERSEVERES...
Help my heart continually beat with love for You and others. Thank you for this day when we celebrate love, and for showing us what that word really means. Amen.
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ASPECTS OF LOVE...
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Feb 13, 2009 11:20 pm
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In his magnificent hymn of love in I Corinthians 13 Paul tells us that love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. It has no room for the 'ME FIRST' philosophy which ravages life today. For true love is unselfish; it has a deep concern for others. It has the power to carry burdens, suffer hardships and make sacrifices for the good of others. We see it supremely at the cross of calvary. THERE IS NO POWER IN ALL OF THE WORLD LIKE THE POWER OF LOVE.
LOVE'S STRENGTH
IT BEARS ALL THINGS.
It has a stamina all its own. During the first Great War an old woman lived in a town in the south west of Scotland. She had a son working in an armament factory, seven miles away, and one day a terrible accident occurred. An explosion shook the whole building and the noise of it echoed and re-echoed over a wide area. The old woman heard it and she feared lest her son should be involved in the disaster. So she gathered up her skirts and ran the whole seven miles without stopping; a feat that would have taxed the stamina and endurance of even a strong man! But the old woman did it and it was her mother's love that gave her the strength. Fearing that her son was in danger, she fled to his side.
LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS.
It has the strength to suffer without retaliation. It is not embittered by reproach, or shaken by ingratitude, or provoked by rudeness. It does not pay others back in their own coin. It makes no attempt to get even. It does not harbor a spirit of revenge. We see this aspect of love so clearly in the life of the Lord Jesus: WHEN HE WAS REVILED, HE DID NOT REVILE IN RETURN; WHEN HE SUFFERED, HE DID NOT THREATEN (I Peter 2:23).
LOVE NEVER HITS BACK.
It turns the other cheek, it goes the second mile, it returns good for evil. It suffers scorn and ridicule, hurt and injury, without retaliation. What a difference this aspect of love will make in all our relationships.
AND LOVE SERVES WITHOUT RESERVATION.
Here again we see its strength. It is love's nature to serve, to help, to minister, to share the burdens of others. It gives without counting the cost and serves without heeding the sacrifice. The Lord Jesus who was incarnate love could say to his disciples: I AM AMONG YOU AS ONE WHO SERVES (Luke 22:27). He gave of Himself unstintingly in the service of others.
We have a telling illustration of this aspect of love in John 13. When the disciples gathered with Jesus in the upper room to celebrate the Passover, there was no slave present to wash their feet. So after supper Jesus set aside His robe, took a towel and a basin, and washed and wiped the disciple's feet Himself. Love serves without reservation. It does not say: 'that is not my job.' It was certainly not Jesus' job to wash His disciples feet. And love does not say: 'I am not going to serve him!" Jesus washed even the feet of Judas! How great is love's strength.
LOVE'S CONFIDENCE
IT BELIEVES ALL THINGS.
This does not mean that love is credulous or that it is easily deceived. I know we say 'love is blind but that is just not true! Love has an insight and a discernment all its own. It always sees further than others see.
Here is a young couple deeply in love. We say, 'I wonder what they see in each other?' They see a good deal more than we can see! Here is a mother with her child. She can often discern a need without a word being spoken. Love is not blind.
As one writer puts it, 'it is always ready to think the best, to put the most favorable construction on anything; is glad to make all the allowance for human weakness which can be made without betraying the truth of God.' What a delightful aspect of love this is. What a difference it would make if it stamped all our relationships. It would prevent many an harsh word of criticism and save us from many a misunderstanding.
LOVE SEES HIDDEN SPLENDORS AND UNREALIZED POSSIBILITIES IN MEN.
That was true of the Lord Jesus. He could say to people as He said to Simon Peter, 'You are...you shall be' (John 1:42). A writer from the past says, 'Through the tiered ranks of the vanquished, through the throngs of the disheartened, across the trampled fields of life strewn with wasted efforts and battered dreams, love passes, still believing all things; and in the light of that brave faith many a man stretched out his hand for his sword, and finds it worth gripping, even though it be a broken one.' How splendid is love's confidence.
LOVE'S OPTIMISM
IT HOPES ALL THINGS
When love has no firm ground for faith it hopes for the best. This means that love is not soured by disappointment. Shakespeare expressed this thought when he said, 'Love is not love that alters when it alteration finds.' Love has a constancy and a resilience all its own. It will have its disappointments but it will not be soured by them. Even when its confidence is shaken love still hopes for better things.
Think of the Lord Jesus and His wayward disciples. How often He had cause to be disappointed with them. One day they vied with one another as to who was the greatest. Again and again they failed in faith and understanding. And when the crunch came they all forsook Him and fled. But Jesus loved them through it all. John 13:1, says 'He continued to love them right to the end.' He never ceased to hope for better things. Before Judas betrayed Him, Jesus made one last appeal to him. He gave him the special piece of bread that a host reserved for one of his favorite guests. Judas took it and perhaps he carried it into the night and every step he took he was trampling on the Saviour's love. It was Judas who failed, not Jesus.
We have all had disappointments in our relationships and sometimes they have been soaked with our tears. Love alone can stand the test. It is not soured by disappointment because it is strong in hope. One writer paints a lovely picture of it. He says, 'Where it cannot find room for its faith amid the narrow and sad realities of the hour, love slips its hand into the hand of hope and carries its faith onward into the ampler air of good and holy possibility.'
This delightful aspect of love would save many a threatened relationship and salvage many a broken relationship. We despair of others too quickly because we fail in love. How rare is love's optimism.
LOVE'S PATIENCE
IT ENDURES ALL THINGS.
Here is love under strain and standing up to the strain. It has a fortitude and an endurance all its own. Love is patient amidst people, even the most difficult people. Some folk can be very trying and maybe they get on our nerves. Perhaps we find them too slow, or too quick, or too talkative, or too morose, or too irritating. But maybe they find us a trial too! We must never forget that.
LOVE ALONE CAN KEEP US PATIENT amidst different and difficult people. How patient Jesus was with His wayward disciples, with the fickle multitude and with His scheming enemies. He is our pattern, and what a pattern!
AND LOVE IS PATIENT AMIDST PRESSURE, when the pace of life begins to squeeze us hard. It is so easy to become impatient and irritable when things go wrong, when life is difficult at home or at work, or when we have one of those days when everything seems to fall apart. It is not easy to stay patient in such circumstances. We feel like lashing out at those around us. Love alone can stand the strain and tension of such days. It does not fly off the handle. It has a very long fuse.
THE LOVE MASTERED LIFE IS THE CHRIST MASTERED LIFE.
It is when the Lord Jesus controls us by His Spirit that the fruit of love begins to appear. Let us yield to the Saviour, then. Let us yield to Him daily. The Lord will teach us how to love and love alone will make us victorious in all our relationships.
-ALEC JUDD
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THE FACET OF LOVE!
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Feb 13, 2009 10:51 pm
559 Views
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Love is not a warm, fuzzy feeling. It is an attitude and a decision of the heart to put another person's interests above our own. GOD'S LOVE IS FAR ABOVE MERE HUMAN LOVE-IT NEVER FAILS!
The greatest thing in the world is love. Nothing rivals its power to heal, restore, mend, and make all things new. Love surpasses all other virtues. Set into Scripture like a crown jewel, the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians shimmers with practical purity of love.
LOVE IS "PATIENT." It is never in a rush, never forceful, never demanding. It waits for God's best, whenever and whatever that may be. It refuses to yield to panic or grasp at temporal solutions.
LOVE IS "KIND." It acts in the best interest of others. It overlooks offenses. It is extravagant, giving more than what is asked or needed.
LOVE "DOES NOT ENVY, IT DOES NOT BOAST, IT IS NOT PROUD." It waits for God to promote and exalt. It credits him for the success and acknowledges the contributions of others. It applauds the gain of another. It does not flaunt or taunt, but bends its knee in humility.
LOVE IS NOT "RUDE." It is polite and courteous to all, even to those who are ill-mannered and ill-tempered. Love is not SELF-SEEKING." It does not relentlessly pursue personal perfection, but gives priority to the kingdom of God.
LOVE "IS NOT EASILY ANGERED AND KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS." It is not irritated by the behavior of others. It refuses to judge, leaving that to God. It does not keep a mental record of offenses. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It meets each day with cheer and a smile. It thinks upon good things and is happy, in simple obedience to God.
LOVE "NEVER FAILS." It lasts. It works for anyone in any circumstance. It sets you free. It is always the right thing to do. When you choose to love, you have chosen God's way.
Measure your love by these attributes. When provoked or tempted, review this chapter and think on its brilliance. Let its truth light your path. If you are overwhelmed by the enormity of love, choose one of its features and commit yourself to its obedience. Continually turn it over in your mind and heart until it is woven into your spirit.
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MY JESUS I LOVE THEE...
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Feb 13, 2009 10:43 pm
660 Views
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Make me strong and firm, burning with love, burning with dedication for You and hard as granite, with the one aim only:
I want Jesus, nothing but Jesus-
I want no relief of any hardship; I do not want the comfort of seeing and feeling-
I want only to embrace You in faith and love You, Jesus-in darkness and temptation.
May nothing be dearer to me than You,
May nothing concern me more than You,
May nothing but Your sufferings cause me to mourn,
May nothing but You elate my heart,
May nothing make me sad but Your sufferings for my sins.
You alone are the One upon whom are centered my thoughts, feelings, wishes and desires
JESUS, JESUS, JESUS- ONLY YOU!
Psalms 73:25-26,28- Whom I have in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.
My Jesus, if ever I LOVE YOU...IT IS NOW!
Thank You Lord for Who You Are....I am Yours and You Are Mine!
TO GOD BE THE GLORY! AMEN and AMEN and AMEN!
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SELF SACRIFICING LOVE...
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Feb 13, 2009 10:32 pm
500 Views
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I CORINTHIANS 13:4-8
SELF-SACRIFICING LOVE... NEGATIVE
NEVER gets impatient. (V.4)
NEVER gets jealous. (v.4)
NEVER boasts. (v.4)
NEVER gets conceited. (v.4)
NEVER gets rude, discourteous, or
unmannerly. (v.5)
NEVER gets selfish. (v.5);
NEVER gets irritated, touchy, or
resentful. (v.5)
NEVER thinks an unkind thought or pays
attention to a suffered wrong. (v.5);
NEVER is happy with sin or injustice.(v.6);
SELF-SACRIFICING LOVE...POSITIVE
IS ALWAYS kind. (v.4)
ALWAYS happy in the truth. (v.6)
ALWAYS gracious, overlooking faults in
others. (v.7);
ALWAYS confident in the Word, believing
the best in others. (v.7)
ALWAYS strong in faith. (v.7)
ALWAYS long suffering. (v.7)
ALWAYS victorious. (v.
EXTRAS......
SELF-SACRIFICING LOVE
NEVER Worries;
NEVER criticizes, murmurs or complains;
NEVER gets discouraged;
SELF-SACRIFICING LOVE ALWAYS COVERS WITH SILENCE...
SUGGESTION: read this in the morning and evening using I NEVER for the negatives and I AM for the positives and pray that the Lord will make it become a reality in your daily living.
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PERFECT LOVE....
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Feb 13, 2009 10:18 pm
509 Views
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Slow to RESENT...........Quick to FORGIVE
Slow to OFFEND...........Quick to DEFEND
Slow to PROVOKE...........Quick to CONCILIATE
Slow to BELITTLE.........Quick to APPRECIATE
Slow to REPRIMAND........Quick to FORBEAR
Slow to CONDEMN..........Quick to JUSTIFY
Slow to EXPOSE...........Quick to SHIELD
Slow to SUSPECT..........Quick to TRUST
Slow to DEMAND...........Quick to GIVE
Slow to HINDER...........Quick to AID
-I CORINTHIANS 13-
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"HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT YOUR SOUL?"
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Feb 13, 2009 10:04 pm
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Have you ever stopped to wonder
What this life is all about?
Why you're here and where you're going
When your lease on time runs out?
Maybe you've been far too busy,
Trying hard to reach your goal.
Would you let me ask you kindly,
Have you thought about your soul?
You may reach the highest portals.
And your dreams may all come true;
Wealth and fame may be your portion,
And success may shine on you.
All your friends may sing your praises,
Not a care on you may roll.
What about the great tomorrow-
Have you thought about your soul?
Don't forget your days are numbered,
Though you may be ridin' high,
But like all of us poor mortals,
Someday you'll just up and die.
Your success and fame and glory
Won't be worth the bell they toll.
Let me ask you just one question:
Have you thought about your soul?
If you've never thought it over,
Spend a little time today;
There is nothin' more important
That will ever come your way
Than the joy of sins forgiven,
And to know you've been made whole.
In the name of Christ the Saviour,
Have you thought about your soul?
~~Walt Huntley~~
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What is the ONE THING to which you would like to DEVOTE your TIME and THOUGHTS?
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Feb 8, 2009 6:37 pm
551 Views
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If you were given the opportunity to do anything in the world you wanted, what would you choose to do?
What do you want to look forward to doing every day?
Had the psalmist David been at our table he would not have hesitated in his answer. HE WAS CONFIDENT IN THE ONE THING HE WANTED TO DO WITH HIS LIFE; IT WAS A SETTLED MATTTER. There was only one pursuit that mattered to him, and that was TO DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. He was a man after God's own heart.
David's overriding desire was TO HAVE CONSTANT COMMUNION WITH THE LORD as stated in PSALM 27 :4-5 -
"ONE THING I HAVE ASKED FROM THE LORD,
THAT I SHALL SEEK:
THAT I MAY DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD
ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE,
TO BEHOLD THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD,
AND TO MEDITATE IN HIS TEMPLE.
FOR IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE HE WILL CONCEAL ME
IN HIS TABERNACLE;
IN THE SECRET PLACE OF HIS TENT
HE WILL HIDE ME;
HE WILL LIFT ME UP ON A ROCK."
That was the MAINSPRING and MOTIVATION of David's life. He had other desires, but the only important one was HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!
David's decision to DWELL WITH THE LORD involved COMMITMENT, for he stated that he would SEEK to accomplish his desire.
Jesus calls us to a LIFE OF COMMITMENT TO SEEK HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IN MATTHEW 6:33.
JAMES 4: 8 assured us that our longing for CLOSENESS will be fulfilled. "DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU." If you desire intimacy with God, then you must SEEK IT! God is always ready to be close to you. He waits only for you to come to Him.
DAVID'S SEEKING WAS NOT SPORADIC, BUT CONSTANT AND LONG TERM -"ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE." He would seek the Lord not just when he needed help, but IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, ALL OF HIS LIFE. He would NEVER CEASE PURSUING HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS GOD.
TO dwell in the house of the Lord is to experience CONTINUAL COMMUNION. His dwelling will become the place where you want to spend time, where you want to visit often, as His guest who experiences His PROTECTION and FELLOWSHIP. You will approach His throne with great desire and receive blessing and encouragement with every minute in His presence.
This is what it means TO ABIDE IN THE VINE. TO WALK CLOSELY WITH YOUR FATHER, YOU NEED NOT WITHDRAW FROM THE WORLD, BUT YOU DO NEED TO CHOOSE TO PLACE YOUR HAND IN HIS SO THAT HE IS YOUR CONSTANT COMPANION ON YOUR JOURNEY. As you are refreshed by His fellowship, you will be able TO LIVE IN THE WORLD AS HIS CHILD. DWELLING IN HIS PRESENCE WILL STRENGTHEN YOUR SPIRIT, enabling you to say with David, "THE LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION; WHOM SHALL I FEAR?" (Psalm 27 :1) He declared that he didn't need to fear man because THE LORD WAS THE STRENGTH OF HIS LIFE. In fact, because of God's presence in his life, he saw his enemies STUMBLE and FALL. He was truly grateful for God's deliverance, and he yearned TO CENTER HIS WHOLE LIFE ON WORSHIPING THE LORD. In the midst of his turmoil, David could have been craving many other things at that time in his life - permanent deliverance from enemies, some rest and peace - bu he realized that there is only ONE ESSENTIAL: BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD!
IF YOU COULD DO ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO DO, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
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My CHILD, My answer is still, "WAIT!"
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Feb 8, 2009 11:27 am
420 Views
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"Desperate and helpless and longing, I cried.
Patiently, lovingly my Lord replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate;
And the Master so gently said,
'Child, you must wait!"
"'Wait? You said wait?' my indignant reply.
'Lord, I need answers. I need to know why?'
Is Your hand shortened or have You not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming Your Word."
"'My future' and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and You tell me wait.
I'm needing a yes, a go-ahead sign,
Or even a no to which I can resign."
"'And Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry,
I'm weary of asking, I need a reply.'"
"Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, 'You must wait.'
So I slumped in my chair defeated and thought,
And grumbled to God, 'so I'm waiting for what?'"
"He seem then to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said, 'I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun;
I could raise the dead, cause the mountains to run.'"
"'All you seek I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depths of My love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.'"
"'You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair,
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.'"
"'You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of my Spirit descends like a dove.
You'd know that I give and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.'"
"'The glow of My comfort late in the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask,
Who makes what you have last."
"'And you'd never know, should your pain quickly free,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dreams for that loved one overnight may come true,
But on the loss if I lost what I'm doing in you.'"
"So be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though off may My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious of all is still, WAIT!'"
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THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD....Please help me to EMBRACE these POWERFUL TRUTHS in my life!!!
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Feb 7, 2009 6:25 pm
409 Views
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I read this passage before but had not seen it written so beautifully and so meaningful... Thought to share this very touching passage...
PSALM 23 -
The Lord is my Shepherd - That's RELATIONSHIP!
I shall not want - That's SUPPLY!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures - That's REST!
He leadeth me beside the still waters - That's REFRESHMENT!
He restoreth my soul - That's HEALING!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness- That's GUIDANCE!
For His name sake - That's PURPOSE!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death- That's TESTING!
I will fear no evil - That's PROTECTION!
For Thou art with me - That's FAITHFULNESS!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me - That's DISCIPLINE!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies - That's HOPE!
Thou anointest my head with oil - That's CONSECRATION!
My cup runneth over - That's ABUNDANCE!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life - That's BLESSING!
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD - That's SECURITY!
Forever - That's ETERNITY!
FACE IT, THE LORD IS CRAZY ABOUT YOU! Even though you can't see Him, God is there for you. When JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS, HE WAS THINKING OF YOU!
Share this to people you are crazy about. I thought this was pretty special, just like YOU!!!
What is most valuable is not what we have in our lives but WHO we have in our lives!
"DO NOT ASK THE LORD TO GUIDE YOUR FOOTSTEPS IF YOUR ARE NOT WILLING TO MOVE YOUR FEET!"
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To link to this blog (GODRULESGLO) use [blog GODRULESGLO] in your messages.
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