A ROCK SOLID REFUGE

PSALM 61

Friday, July 26, 2013

7:52 PM

"From the ends of the earth I call to You," 

No matter who it is or where they are,

God is listening to the ones who cry out and call to Him.

 

No matter how far away we may go and how weak we become, God will still hear the prayer of those who call on Him.

 

He will rescue them and lead them into

a rock solid refuge of protection and strength.

 

"Refuge" may be a rock, tower, tent, wings, a garden, or a valley, but it the place where God answers prayer and provides grace, goodness, and glory

 

"for those who fear Your Name."

v.5

"The fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure."

Is. 32.17

 

The promise awakens hope and desire to find this place of Your presence, in the glory of Your love and faithfulness. 

 

Here is found joy, singing, praise of God's Name, His love and faithfulness.

 

In our place of refuge we can obtain wisdom and power to proclaim and teach others of the love and faithfulness of the God of all glory.

 

This prayer is not only for God's help for our lives.

 

It is also our prayer for wisdom and power to proclaim and teach others about this place of grace to help in their time of hardship and difficulty.

 

In our prayer for others, we can seek the wisdom and power they need to know about for faith to believe and trust God's mercy and grace to them.

 

The great fear is that any of us

would be found to have fallen short of the promise

of entering His rest

that still stands.

Hebrews 4.1

 

 

 

HOW CAN I CHANGE?

 

 

My problems are pride, jealousy, exaltation, judgment, and over-eating.

(Over-eating is justified by sedating my guilt about pride…)  

These problems are "enemies" of my own making.

 

But, I find that I can blame others for these problems. 

 

Blame-shifting has, conveniently, been around

since Adam blamed his selfishness on Eve.

 

 

How do I solve this? 

How can I change? 

Jesus tells me , "It's simple:

'Love your enemies.'"

 

 

I am to love those I have been blaming for the beams in my own eyes. 

 

 

Speak well of them.

Do good  to them.

Pray for them.

 

 

Prayer will change my attitude.

A godly attitude will find good in others.

I will have something good to say about them.

NOTES OF KNOWLEDGE

LUKE 6.20-49

Monday, July 29, 2013

7:32 AM

Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord,"

and do not do what I say?

Luke 6.46

 

I have taken notes since October of 1956.

I am a good note-taker. 

It is much easier to take notes

than to translate notes

into understanding and wisdom.

 

I have often taken notes without considering their meaning to my life.

I have been good at listening and taking notes.

I have volumes of notes. 

I have sought knowledge and made lots of notes.

I do know a lot from all my notes. 

I have wanted to know.

Lots of things.

Especially about the Bible.

 

Knowledge produces a sense of power. 

Authority. 

And arrogance. 

Knowledge puffeth up.  (KJV) 

But while knowledge makes us feel important,

it is love that strengthens the church.  (NLT) 

Knowledge puffs up while love builds up.  NIV

1 Corinthians 8.1 

Charity envieth not…vaunteth not…is not puffed up…KJV

Love is not jealous or boastful or proud.    NLT

Love…does not envy…boast…not proud.    NIV

1 Corinthians 13.4

 

This word for "puff" occurs in seven verse; six are in 1 Corinthians.

Its primary idea is "arrogance." 

I think I know something--too much!- of being puffed up, proud, arrogant.

"Oh, wretched man that I am!

Who shall deliver me from this body of arrogant pride? 
Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus our Lord!

Romans 7.24-25
 

How will Jesus save me?

1.  By giving me directions from Scripture, like

 

 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather in humility value others above yourselves...Looking...to the interests of the others...In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.

Phil 2.3-5

 

I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances...I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation...

Phil 4.11-12

 

Be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Heb.13.5

 

2.  By wise application of these verses to my attitude.

Accept who I am instead of comparing myself with others, to their disadvantage.

Refuse to seek fame and fortune for myself.

Honor and respect the achievements of others. 

I must "love" those I make out to be my "enemies," "competitors," whom I silently criticize. 

 

It is easy to create imaginary enemies and then condemn them.

 

The second half of Luke 6 is Jesus' application for correcting my attitude toward others.

 

The simple answer is,

 

"Love your enemies,

do good to those who hate you,

bless those who curse you,

pray for those who mistreat you." 

Luke 6.27-28

Speak well of them.

Do good  to them.

Pray for them. 

Prayer will change my attitude.

Prayer about my attitude will show the good God wants for them, of which I can then speak.

Such prayer will be answered with Scripture that will direct me to do good to others as God would have me do for them.  v.31

This prayer and Scripture will let me become merciful as our Father is merciful.  v.36

It will remove the beams out of my own eyes.  v.42

 

JUDGMENTALISM

LUKE 6.1-5

Sunday, July 28, 2013

The Gospels give us opportunities to see what You said and did.

They give opportunities  to see great and good things about Who You really are. 

With the Holy Spirit opening our eyes, we will see Your grace and glory just as the disciples did.  

Luke 6.1-5 tells us of Your enjoying Your world and its abundant provision with Your beloved followers.   

You were enjoying a morning of conversation, eating bits of grain as You walked together. 

This simple act of eating grain became the focus of a major criticism from the Pharisees, as being "unlawful." 

You answered them, not with scorn or sarcasm, not with disgust and bitterness, not with superiority or anger.  Your feelings were not hurt. 

 You were not needing to be right, to be superior, to put them in their place, to tell them off, or to demand respect. 

You only wanted  humbly, kindly, gently to help them see the mistaken viewpoint they had about the rules and laws they so seriously followed. 

You only wanted them to see that You had the authority to enforce or suspend any law that You had Yourself made.

You wanted to help them see the glory, goodness, grace, greatness of Who You really are. 

James was there and saw the awful judgmentalism of the Pharisees.

 

James saw Your patience and wisdom in trying to get them to see themselves in their miserable condemnation of others, wherein they were condemning themselves. 

James would later write,

"Mercy triumphs over judgment."

James 2.12-13.

 

Faith that follows You does not use laws to condemn others.

Faith that follows You uses mercy to meet the needs of people.

Faith does not condemn.

Faith moves with compassion and mercy.

Faith sees what You see--the person behind the attitude and action. 

"The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

James 5.11

 

James saw the difference between "cursing" someone for violating a law and being "full of mercy and good fruit."  James 3.9-18

 

Seeing You here in Luke, like James did, we  can be more like You with everyone we meet.

We can look at and listen to others with patience and kindness, gentleness and humility, compassion and forgiveness, like You did here. 

This is how You treated Your enemies!

From v. 27--"Love your enemies"--You describe how You treated these Pharisees and the teachers of the Law.  No matter how angry, condemning, and malicious they became, You continued to try to help them see their mistakes. 

You gave Your newly called disciples directions to treat others as they had just seen You treating the Pharisees.  

"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful…

Do not judge…Do not condemn…Forgive…

Take the beam out of your own eye…" 

Luke 6.36-49

This is what You tell me to do. 

Why do you call me, "

Lord, Lord,"

and do not do what I say?

Luke 6.46

.

"SABBBATHS"

LUKE 6--

Sunday, July 28, 2013

5:29 AM

The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

Luke 6.5

 

Last night, with Andrew Murray, Two Covenants, I saw that the issue of salvation is Fellowship.

 

Fellowship accomplishes all the purposes of Your Spirit determined upon

before the Creation of the world for eternity to come

--in Your eternal Kingdom now and continued throughout the coming ages.

 

Mary chose this good thing.

 

Martha, Martha, only a few things are needed--

Indeed, only one.

Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.

Luke 10.41-42 

"Mary sat at the Lord's feet listening to what He said." v. 39

 

Fellowship.  Sitting, or walking, or eating and drinking with the Lord Jesus at a table or in a grain field, every day of every week we live--at a pool side, in a funeral procession, on another  shame-filled, lonely, weary afternoon--wherever, whenever, with the Lord Jesus--with a thief on an old rugged cross. 

 

FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD JESUS IS WHAT WE ARE  ALIVE FOR . 

This is what we are created for--

love, joy, and peace with the Lord Jesus every day, every place, now and forever. 

Jesus looked forward to the time when He would eat and drink with His disciples at His table  in His eternal Kingdom. Luke 22.30 

Until we are with Jesus at His eternal table, we have a banquet table with our great and good Shepherd, Who walks with us through valleys and on high mountains and sits with us in green pastures beside still waters, restoring our souls with His words of life. 

In all the different times and places of this life, Jesus walks beside us.

He walks with us and talks with us and tells us we are His very own.   

The joy we share with Him is personal and unique to each of us, known in a way known by none other. 

The love, joy, and peace we share with Jesus now is with the Creator of the Universe.

The Sabbath was only a shadow of the reality of the presence of Jesus in a grain field.

 

Any place and any time spent with Jesus is the great goal for today and eternity to come.

 

Mary chose this good thing, the best thing.

So can we.

 

 

 

 

A REMNANT REDEEMED

ISAIAH 35

Saturday, July 27, 2013

6:04 PM

(Isaiah 35 is the answer of God to the death of a nation described in Isaiah 34.)

 

 

I recently realized that if there were a greater degree of godliness, holiness and righteousness in our national culture, there would be greater restraint against evil. 

Cultural standards would disapprove of destructive behaviors, resist movements away from righteousness and holiness, goodness and decency. 

Parents, educators, media, courts, politicians would all be voices for better morals and ethics.  Neighbors would take behaviors of others seriously.  They would care for one another in every day ways.

 

 

Fighting a dying culture in "cultural wars" is too late.

The  increasing losses inflame  evil to greater excesses. 

The result is the culture's scorn and mockery and disregard for the religious complaining and blaming, criticizing and condemning. 

The culture rejects the bankrupt religion about God. 

The religions complain.

New "religions" are embraced and created. 

Leaders in high places of authority turn to the occult.

The man in the street embraces monsters, aliens, and zombies.

Oriental "mysticism" spreads rapidly.

 

In this looming disaster,

God's attention goes to an "invisible" remnant.

There is always a redeemed remnant.

Isaiah 35.9

 

The remnant comes together with pure hearts and genuine righteousness, love, truth, and faith that lets God conquer all evil with His goodness.

In the face of the horrible conditions of ch. 34, this unrecognized remnant will experience the grace and glory of God described here in Ch. 35.
 

Persecuted, the "true church," the true people of God, will thrive in secret meetings at risk of their lives.

The true faith of these truly godly people will be evident to all who know them. 

The hope, love, peace, faith, goodness, humility (a trait sadly lacking in the church of the our nation today) are the oases to which many will come to escape the increasing horrors of every day life in the culture. 

Every detail of Isaiah's vision of God's greatness, goodness, glory and grace in ch. 35 will be the experience of those hiding in caves and under rocks in secret, candlelight rooms.

The joy of this remnant will see the glory and splendor of God.

This faithful remnant will offer strength to those who come to them with fear and feebleness.

This remnant will be able to say to those with fearful hearts,

"Be strong, do not fear; your God will save you."

Isaiah 35.4 

Then God will give these converts eyes to see, ears to hear, and they, too, will leap for joy.

Living water will flow from their hearts into the wilderness and devastation of the dead culture. 

This will be the walk of the redeemed through the great shadow of the death of a nation. 

There will  be quiet but joyful singing, everlasting love, joy, and peace.

 

Sorrow and sadness will flee away as the remnant worships God in humble secrecy.

 

A remnant may be forming today in small, unidentifiable groups seeking a true faith with substances

of holiness and righteousness

that are at the heart of God's renewing us in His image.

 

THE TREASURES OF HEAVEN

ISAIAH 33.5-6

Saturday, July 27, 2013

4:17 PM

The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high;

He will fill Zion with His justice and righteousness.

He will be the sure foundation for your times,

a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;

the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.

Isaiah 33.5-6

 

Justice.  Righteousness.  Salvation.  Wisdom.  Knowledge.

Grace.  Strength.  Salvation  in distress.

Every morning. 

Imagine--every morning to meet with Jesus Christ! 

Every morning will meet and speak to you about  treasures He has for you. 

 

 

The treasures of Strength for new energy and wisdom to help carry today's burden for today's stress--stress that, perhaps, kept you awake , tossing all night.

 

The treasures of Compassion to mercifully intervene to all who call for help, any fearful sheep lost in a shadowy valley of the death of hope, despairing of help to save  breaking heart.

 

The treasures of proclamation and promise of Hope for freedom from prisons of addictions, guilt, shame, and regret, sight for blindness and confusion, lifting the overwhelming burdens of oppression, abusiveness.

 

The treasures of the Glory of God shining forth in the sunrise, the singing of birds, the opening of flowers, the soft clouds drifting across the comforting blue of the skies.

 

The treasures of the Majesty and Splendor of the Exalted Lord God Almighty. Sovereign Creator and Ruler of all the Ages and Eternity.

 

The treasures of goodness, kindness, humility, gentleness, forgiveness, comfort and encouragement.

 

The treasures of immovable foundations of Righteousness and Holiness that give us love, joy, and peace.

 

The treasures of all the things given to us in Grace that is immeasurably measured to us in the unchanging faithfulness of Him Who is the same today as He has been from before Creation and will be long after the end of this world as we know it today.

 

 

The fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.

Isaiah 33.5-6

THE KEY TO TREASURES IN HEAVEN

ISAIAH 33.5-6

Saturday, July 27, 2013

10:14 AM

THE LORD IS EXALTED, FOR HE DWELLS ON HIGH;

HE WILL FILL ZION WITH HIS JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS.

HE WILL BE THE SURE FOUNDATION FOR YOUR TIMES,

A RICH STORE OF SALVATION AND WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE;

THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE KEY TO THIS TREASURE.

ISAIAH 33.5-6

 

God is the sure foundation for our times.

 

Whatever the truth of all our lamentations about the spiritual state of our nation, God remains the sure foundation for our times.

 

God has reserved the resolution of "our times" for His own judgments.

Our focus is never to be "how awful things are."

 

Our focus is always to be building a temple in our hearts as the dwelling place in which God lives in this generation of this nation.

 

The foundation for this temple is to be the messages of the apostles and prophets, that is given to us when Christ is the Chief Cornerstone of our hearts and lives.

 

This temple is to be filled with the treasures of Father's riches in Heaven, poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, from the glory of Christ.

 

 

By wisdom a house is built,

and through understanding it is established;

through knowledge its rooms are filled with

rare and beautiful treasures.

Proverbs 24.3-4

 

How rare are these beautiful treasures!

 

Are the things that are beautiful to Jesus known, understood, and wisely used to create a temple for the glory of Christ--gold, silver, and precious stones?

 

And what are these treasures?

 

They are hidden from the eyes that are blinded by the glare of this generation's bright, glittering, lying, deceiving, false fantasies and drowned out of hearing by its noisy clamor for more and more indulgencies.

 

Even as the prophets, the apostles the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Father Himself, the heavens and the earth declare and show forth the glory of our   God, our people are not willing to look away from their ever-deteriorating shows to listen to conversations of truth.

 

But the saddest of all is that those who could know better do not seek these treasures, do not seek to let God provide wisdom, understanding, and knowledge for the building of their heart as the temple God wants to have in their hearts and lives.

 

We do not have hearts for God.

We do not have time for God.

We do not make--the apostle said, "redeem"--time for God.

 

Pastors and teachers average only a few minutes a week in any kind of personal meditations on the treasures of God.

 

We do not search for them as silver and gold, as a treasure hidden in the field, a pearl of great price, with all we have or could otherwise have.

 

We care nothing for even knowing what these treasures are.

They are as much a mystery to God's people today as they were in Isaiah's time.

 

And we don't even care!

We have no fear of God.

 

We will never know or have or make known the glories of God in this generation in which God has placed us to receive and proclaim, teach  and show as light to those we are responsible to.

 

God is

the sure foundation for our times.

He builds the foundation of the nation

Whose people build His treasures into their heart.

THE POWER OF WORDS

PROVERBS 10

Monday, June 24, 2013

7:02 AM

Who is wise and understanding among you?

Let them show it by their good life,

By (words spoken) in the humility that comes from wisdom.

James 3.13

 

James 3.2 says that the tongue is the more powerful than even the pen,

which is said to be greater than the sword.

 

Proverbs tells us of the power of the tongue, our words, our lips.

 

Here is a sampling of the many, many verses about the tongue found in Proverbs 10-30.

 

 

 

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,

But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.…v.11

 

Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,

But a rod is for the back of one who has no sense….13

 

The wise store up knowledge,

But the mouth of a fool invites ruin….v.14

 

Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool….v.18

 

Sin is not ended by multiplying words,

but the prudent hold their tongues…..v.19

 

The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,

But the heart of the wicked is of little value….v.20

 

The lips of the righteous nourish many,

but fools die for lack of sense….v.21

 

From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom,

But a perverse tongue will be silenced….v.31

 

The lips of the righteous know what finds favor,

but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse….v.32

 

 

Speak to others

 

as you would have them

 

speak to you.

 

 

The wisdom that comes from heaven is

first of all pure;

then peace-loving, considerate, submissive,

full of mercy and good fruit,

impartial and sincere.

Peacemakers who sow in peace

reap a harvest of righteousness.

 

James 3.17-18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EFFECTS OF SLANDER

PSALM 119.23

Saturday, July 27, 2013

6:00 AM

"Rulers who slander."  Who are they?

 

These are people who have influence and effect on my life.

Who influences me?

Who effects me?

Whose words influence and effect me?

People who devalue, criticize, condemn, belittle, scorn, mock, laugh at me.

People who devalue by what they don't say:

Ignor, overlook, avoid, reject, withdraw, abandon.

 

What are the effects?

I am unwanted, worthless, rejected, unloved, alone, lonely…..

 

 

How do I counteract the effects?  

 

Meditate on God's Words.

 

 

Identify what was said and its effects.

Read Scripture and find words that apply to the effects words of others have on you.

Meditate on God's words to see what validity there is in the words of others.

Meditate on God's words about you until God's Spirit confirms the value He places on you.

 

Believe the Words God gives you.

Act accordingly. 

 

Let humiliation develop humility.

 

 

Care about what you say to others.

Seek to "edify" them.

Become more and more aware of the power of the tongue to produce life and death.

Seek to give life--encouragement, hope, value.

 

Read Proverbs, looking for the power of words, lips, tongue, speech.

Anger and fear are also powerful.

 

Memorize the most appropriate.

 

Apply them diligently.

 

 

Speak to others

as you would have them speak to you!