Holy Foresight
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Posted:May 30, 2010 6:04 am
Last Updated:May 30, 2010 5:47 pm 5454 Views
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C.H. Spurgeon
"Nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of Heaven" (Matthew 26 verse 64).
Ah, LORD, Thou wast in Thy lowest state when before Thy persecutors Thou wast made to stand like a criminal! Yet the eyes of Thy faith could see beyond Thy present humiliation into Thy future glory. What words are these, "Nevertheless - hereafter!" I would imitate Thy holy foresight, and in the midst of poverty, or sickness, or slander, I also would say, "Nevertheless - hereafter." Instead of weakness, Thou hast all power; instead of shame, all glory; instead of derision, all worship, Thy cross has not dimmed the splendor of Thy crown, neither has the spittle marred the beauty of Thy face. Say, rather, Thou are the more exalted and honored because of Thy sufferings.
So, LORD, I also would take courage from the "hereafter." I would forget the present tribulation in the future triumph. Help thou me by directing me into Thy Father's love and into Thine own patience, so that when I am derided for Thy name I may not be staggered but think more and more of the hereafter, and, therefore, all the less of today. I shall be with Thee soon and behold Thy glory. Wherefore, I am not ashamed but say in my inmost soul, "Nevertheless - hereafter."
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God's Heart Breaks
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Posted:May 29, 2010 11:35 am
Last Updated:Jun 4, 2010 7:03 am 6629 Views
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God is a Father to us, and just as a earthly father's heart breaks when they watch their in pain, or making mistakes, I believe God's heart breaks. When we don't spend time with Him, He misses us. His heart aches for us to draw near to Him. Why would He admonish us not to grieve the Holy Spirit if He did not grieve? Ephesians 4 verse 30 "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
His heart broke over Jerusalem. John 19 verse 41 "When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it,"
Jesus' heart was broken when He saw how broken the hearts of Mary and Martha were. John 11 verses 32-35 "Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto Him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept."
Oh and let us not forget how broken His heart was at Gethsemane.
Hebrews 5 verses 7 and 8 Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though He were a , yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered;
Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me."
That just about says it all, doesn't it!
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I am........
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Posted:May 21, 2010 5:42 pm
Last Updated:May 23, 2010 7:48 pm 5722 Views
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Saved by the blood of the Lamb
Not my own
Bought and paid for with the precious blood of Jesus Christ
Saved, sanctified and delivered
A of the Living God
Betrothed to Jesus
Part of the Bride
His and He is mine
Waiting on His return
How 'bout you?
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Left Behind
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Posted:May 17, 2010 9:06 am
Last Updated:May 20, 2010 3:46 am 5973 Views
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I walked outside and looked around,so many
were missing from this town. I cried oh God
where have they gone? Have You come and have
I been left alone? Left behind, I've been
left behind. God, I was blind and did not
see the price you paid at Calvary. God, I
was deaf and did not hear You whisper those
love words in my ear. Left behind, I've been
left behind. Now, I know what they said was true,
how could I have turned my back on You. Oh,
God I love you, is it too late for me to fix
my mistakes? I fell to my knees, tears
filled my eyes, Father, forgive me, too late
I cried. Left behind, I've been left behind.
Then I awoke, it was only a dream, but oh,
how real it all seemed. Thank you, God, I
still have time and I will not be left behind.
Copyright © 2009
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The Rock That Bleeds
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Posted:May 16, 2010 8:04 pm
Last Updated:May 18, 2010 4:05 am 5513 Views
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Here's a poem the Lord gave me some years back.
The Rock That Bleeds
There was a Rock, a Cornerstone
That was rejected, scorned, and left alone.
On His head was placed a crown of thorns
And as they beat Him, His clothes were ripped
and torn.
The blood from His head fell into His eyes
And washed away the tears He cried.
Not for Himself, but for you and I, He prayed
As they nailed Him to the cross that day.
He heard the crowd cry CRUCIFY
As Jesus, the Rock bowed His head and died.
Just bow your heart and you can know
Of the blood that washes white as snow,
Just ask and believe and you will recieve
From Jesus, the Cornerstone,
The Rock that bleeds.
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Music for the Dance
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Posted:May 16, 2010 9:18 am
Last Updated:May 16, 2010 9:24 am 5136 Views
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by Max Lucado
Let's imagine that you want to learn to dance. Being the rational, cerebral person you are, you go to a bookstore and buy a book on dancing.
You take the book home and get to work. You do everything it says. The book says sway; you sway. The book says shuffle; you shuffle. The book says spin; you spin.
Finally, you think you’ve got it, and you invite your wife to come in and watch. You hold the book open and follow the instructions step by step.
You continue to read, then dance, read, then dance, until the dance is completed. You plop exhausted on the couch, look at your wife, and proclaim, “I executed it perfectly.”
“You executed it, all right,” she sighs. “You killed it.”
“What?”
“You forgot the most important part. Where is the music?”
Music?
We Christians are prone to follow the book while ignoring the music. We master the doctrine, outline the chapters, memorize the dispensations, debate the rules, and stiffly step down the dance floor of life with no music in our hearts. We measure each step, calibrate each turn, and flop into bed each night exhausted from another day of dancing by the book.
Dancing with no music is tough stuff.
Jesus knew that. For that reason, on the night before his death he introduced the disciples to the song maker of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. (John 16 verses 7‒9).
Of the three persons of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is the one we understand the least. Perhaps the most common mistake made regarding the Spirit is perceiving him as a power but not a person, a force with no identity. Such is not true.
The Holy Spirit is not an “it.” He is a person. He has knowledge (1 Cor. 2 verse 11). He has a will (1 Cor. 12 verse 11). He has a mind (Rom. 8 verse 27). He has affections (Rom. 15 verse 30). You can lie to him (Acts 5 verses 3‒4). You can insult him (Heb. 10 verse 29). You can grieve him (Eph. 4 verse 30).
The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force. He is not Popeye’s spinach or the surfer’s wave. He is God within you to help you. In fact John calls him the Helper.
Envision a father helping his learn to ride a bicycle, and you will have a partial picture of the Holy Spirit. The father stays at the ’s side. He pushes the bike and steadies it if the boy starts to tumble. The Spirit does that for us; he stays our step and strengthens our stride. Unlike the father, however, he never leaves. He is with us to the end of the age.
What does the Spirit do?
He comforts the saved. (John 16 verse 7).
He convicts the lost. (John 16 verse 8 ).
He conveys the truth. (John 16 verse 12).
Is John saying we don’t need the book in order to dance? Of course not; he helped write it. Emotion without knowledge is as dangerous as knowledge without emotion. God seeks a balance. “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4 verse 24).
What is essential is that you know the music is in you. “If Christ is in you, then the Spirit gives you life” (Rom. 8 verse 10). You don’t need a formula to hear it. I don’t have a four-step plan to help you know it. What I do have is his promise that the helper would come to comfort, convict, and convey.
So think about it; have you ever been comforted? Has God ever brought you peace when the world brought you pain? Then you heard the music.
Have you ever been convicted? Have you ever sensed a stab of sorrow for your actions? Then you’ve been touched by the Holy Spirit.
Or have you ever understood a new truth? Or seen an old principle in a new way? The light comes on. Your eyes pop open. “Aha, now I understand.” Ever happen to you? If so, that was the Holy Spirit conveying to you a new truth.
What do you know? He’s been working in your life already.
By the way, for those of us who spent years trying to do God’s job, that is great news. It’s much easier to raise the sail than row the boat. And it’s a lot easier getting people to join the dance when God is playing the music.
That’s what makes God, God.
From "A Gentle Thunder" ~I have got to read this book!
Be blessed! 
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The Parable of the Sandwich Sign
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Posted:May 15, 2010 10:53 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2010 5:50 am 5704 Views
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by Max Lucado
I am the voice of the one calling out in the desert: "Make the road straight for the Lord."
John 1 verse 23
The faces of the three men were solemn as the mayor informed them of the catastrophe. "The rains have washed away the bridge. During the night many cars drove over the edge and into the river."
"What can we do?" asked one.
"You must stand on the side of the road and warn the drivers not to make the left turn. Tell them to take the one-lane road that follows the side of the river."
"But they drive so fast! How can we warn them?"
"By wearing these sandwich signs," the mayor explained, producing three wooden double-signs, hinged together to hang from one's shoulders. "Stand at the crossroads so drivers can see these signs until I can get someone out there to fix the bridge."
And so the men hurried out to the dangerous curve and put the signs over their shoulders.
"The drivers should see me first," spoke one. The others agreed. His sign warned, "Bridge Out!" He walked several hundred yards before the turn and took his post.
"Perhaps I should be second, so the drivers will slow down," spoke the one whose sign declared, "Reduce Speed."
"Good idea," agreed the third. "I'll stand here at the curve so people will get off the wide road and onto the narrow." His sign read simply "Take Right Road" and had a finger pointing toward the safe route.
And so the three men stood with their three signs ready to warn the travelers of the washed-out bridge. As the cars approached, the first man would stand up straight so the drivers could read, "Bridge Out."
Then the next would gesture to his sign, telling the cars to "Reduce Speed."
And as the motorists complied, they would then see the third sign, "Right Road Only." And though the road was narrow, the cars complied and were safe. Hundreds of lives were saved by the three sign holders. Because they did their job, many people were kept from peril.
But after a few hours they grew lax in their task.
The first man got sleepy. "I'll sit where people can read my sign as I sleep," he decided. So he took his sign off his shoulders and propped it up against a boulder. He leaned against it and fell asleep. As he slept his arm slid over the sign, blocking one of the two words. So rather than read "Bridge Out," his sign simply stated "Bridge."
The second didn't grow tired, but he did grow conceited. The longer he stood warning the people the more important he felt. A few even pulled off to the side of the road to thank him for the job well done.
"We might have died had you not told us to slow down," they applauded.
"You're so right," he thought to himself. "How many people would be lost were it not for me?"
Presently he came to think that he was just as important as his sign. So he took it off, set it up on the ground, and stood beside it. As he did, he was unaware that he, too, was blocking one word of his warning. He was standing in front of the word "Speed." All the drivers could read was the word "Reduce." Most thought he was advertising a diet plan.
The third man was not tired like the first, nor self-consumed like the second. But he was concerned about the message of his sign. "Right Road Only," it read.
It troubled him that his message was so narrow, so dogmatic. "People should be given a choice in the matter. Who am I to tell them which is the right road and which is the wrong road?"
So he decided to alter the wording of the sign. He marked out the word "Only" and changed it to "Preferred."
"Hmm," he thought, "that's still too strident. One is best not to moralize. So he marked out the word "Preferred" and wrote "Suggested."
That still didn't seem right, "Might offend people if they think I'm suggesting I know something they don't."
So he thought and thought and finally marked through the word "Suggested" and replaced it with a more neutral phrase.
"Ahh, just right," he said to himself as he backed off and read the words:
"Right Road–One of Two Equally Valid Alternatives."
And so as the first man slept and the second stood and the third altered the message, one car after another plunged into the river.
From "A Gentle Thunder" Be blessed
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My Heart Is Bleeding
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Posted:May 14, 2010 8:03 am
Last Updated:May 15, 2010 5:24 pm 5726 Views
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My heart is bleeding and I know the Father's is too. How can people who profess to be His and love Him hurt Him like this? And I'm not excluding myself! I allowed myself to be caught up in all this childish bickering and back biting and I pray with all my heart He forgives me. That is not what He sent me back here for. When I was considering coming back here the Lord spoke to my spirit these words, "If the light leaves or you remove the light then only darkness is left." So I came back here to maybe let my light shine and/or add my candle to the few that are still shining here. You know folks time for playing these silly little childhood games is over! I'm reminded of a scripture: In 1 Corinthians 13 verse 11, Apostle Paul said, "When I was a , I spoke as a , I understood as a , I thought as a ; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” It is time to grow up! I believe with all my heart the Lord will be coming for His Bride any day. I want Him to find me in the fields working and not laying in the shade unconcerned about the harvest out there ready to be harvested. "The harvest is ripe, but the laborers are few, PRAY ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest." (Matthew 9 verse 37) I know I'm going to Heaven and I want to take as many as I can with me. How 'bout you?
Luke 12:35-40 (New International Version)
35"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when He comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for Him. 37It will be good for those servants whose Master finds them watching when He comes. I tell you the truth, He will dress Himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if He comes in the second or third watch of the night. 39But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40You also must be ready, because the of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
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The Power of the Good News
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Posted:May 12, 2010 11:39 am
Last Updated:May 13, 2010 5:27 am 5603 Views
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By Max Lucado
“Do the work of telling the Good News.” 2 Timothy 4:5
For every hero in the spotlight, there are dozens in the shadows. They don’t get press. They don’t draw crowds. They don’t even write books! . . .
Behind a rock slide is a pebble. And a revival can begin with one sermon . . .
Tomorrow’s Spurgeon might be mowing your lawn. And the hero who inspires him might be nearer than you think. He might be in your mirror.
footnote:
And you might be the only Bible your neighbor reads....what are they seeing/reading? Are you showing them Jesus? When a non Christian comes here what are we showing them? Love? Discord? Peace? Turmoil? Light? Darkness? God has chosen us to be a light. Is your light shining in this dark world or are you adding to their darkness. Think about it darlin'
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Hey you guys if you are doing this.... listen up!
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Posted:May 12, 2010 6:35 am
Last Updated:May 13, 2010 7:01 pm 5779 Views
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While you SCREAM at your woman, there's a man wishing he could whisper softly in her ear... While you HUMILIATE,OFFEND and INSULT her, there's a man flirting with her and reminding her how wonderful she is. While you HURT your woman, there's a man wishing he could love and protect her. While you make your woman CRY there's a man stealing smiles from her.
“Woman was taken out of man; not out of his head to top him, nor out of his feet to be trampled underfoot; but out of his side to be equal to him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved”
I am a survivor! And sister if you're being abused you can be one too! Get out, run like all Hades is after you AND don't look back, don't go back! An abuser is an abuser is an abuser and they don't change on their own. Only God can change a heart!
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