Month: March 2012

Psalms one Review

Psalm 1

1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

4The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

IN THIS PSALM WE SEE A COMPARISON OF LIFE WITH GOD AND ONE WITHOUT GOD.

VERSES 1-3 TELL US THE BLESSINGS OF WALKING WITH GOD. 1/ WE DELIGHT IN GOD’S WORD. 2/  WE SHALL PRODUCE SPIRITUAL FRUIT . 3/ WE SHALL NEVER DIE IN SPIRIT AND OUR SPIRITUAL ENDEAVORS WILL PROSPER.

VERSES 4-6 WE SEE THE STATE OF THE MAN THAT WALKS WITHOUT GOD. 1/ THEY ARE NOT ROOTED IN SPIRITUAL THINGS. 2/ THEY WILL NOT STAND WITH THE RIGHTEOUS, GOD’S JUDGEMENT WILL BE UPON THEM. 3/THEY SHALL PERISH.

The Giver!

The Giver: The Bible says, it is more blessed to give than receive! Down through the ages, there have been many great givers, the greatest of them is God Himself. He gave mankind all the wonderous gifts found in creation: the sun, the moon, the stars, the seas and all creatures great and small. In the beginning all was at peace in the garden; then came the devil, then came sin; then came death to all.But the love of God still was there! Because of sin, man was separated from his perfect fellowship with God. God still loved His creation so in order to save it, God, through His wonderful grace sent His Son Jesus, to live on earth, to die on earth and to resurrect from earth returning to God the Father, there interceding for man at this very moment. So from the start of time to the finish of time, God is and forever will be the greatest giver with the greatest gift! Dear soul why not except His greatest Gift of all? Eternal life through Jesus, His Son.

” Stay” is a charming word in a friends vocabulary. –Amos Brownson Alcott–

I have learned that to have a good friend is the purest of all God’s gifts, for it is a love that has no exchange of payment. —Farmer—

These a two of my favorite quotes,; I trust they become yours also my friends!

T’was the last of March,

the cloudy skies,

were beginning to clear,

My dog Snoopy,

who likes his walks,

took me by his leash,

to go look for deer.

We went on a trail,

I travelled,

when I was a lad,

picking blue berries,

with mum and dad.

There were more in my mouth,

than in the pail I had!

We walked up a hill,

and down over a knoll;

I was remembering ,

a lot about my childhood,

on this little stroll.

Refuge in our storms!

Mark 4: 35-41 we see 4 things we can do to help us survive the waves of our  storms

Mark 4:38-41

Amplified Bible (AMP)

38But He [Himself] was in the stern [of the boat], asleep on the [leather] cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing?    39And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased ([a]sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm ([b]a perfect peacefulness).

40He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no [c]firmly relying trust)?

41And they were filled with great awe and [d]feared exceedingly and said one to another, Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?

1/ Believe that God cares about you in your storm [v.38 ].

2/ Be not afraid of our storm [ v.v.38, 40 ]

3/ Have a growing faith in God and rely on His presence [ v.40 ]

4/ Totally depend upon God’s presence and protection in our storms [v.v. 39, 41b ]

Yes, God cares!

Sometimes in all our trials and storms of life, we forget that God is still near and wants to hear about our hurts and bruises of our spirit and wants us to ask Him to help guide us  to the haven of rest. Yes, God still cares! Let’s open our Bibles to Isaiah 40:27-31. Note in verse 27 that He see our every need.  27Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? NOTHING IS HID FROM GOD! [ Psalm 139 ]

I know He cares because he sends trials my way to mold me and allow me to grow in Christian character. [ To be more like Jesus each day until we see Him and we will be like Him ]

1Peter 1:

6Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

7That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: [ Romans 5:2-5; James 1:2-4 ].

I know He cares because He made me!  Isa.40:28Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.  Psalm 139:

13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Yes, God made me,He loves me and will take care of me and He does the same for you if we ask Him too! This reminds me of the great hymn, God will take care of you, through all the day,  o’re all the way, God will take care of you. This is stated in Isaiah 40:

28Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

29He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

[ prepared by Winston Staples ]

Today is Saint Patrick’s day,

the moon is now setting,

and the sun is peaking over the eastern hill.

The landscape is now visible,

it is lying quiet and still,

the little birds are hungry,

their feeder I must fill.

This is the day,

I go to the city,

I must be nice and clean,

walking with my cane,

very slowly,

and wearing my green.

Aside

It is early in the evening,

the sky is still blue,

I jump on my old four wheeler,

and drive out,

to that old beaver dam,

to see a beaver or two.

I drive very slow,

trying not to scare,

the wild life you know.

I like to see and hear,

the birds,

and the white tailed deer.

Oh, what a blessing,

God has given me,

all of nature’s beauty,

He allows me to see.

Praise His name,

for His precious Son,

Who saved us from sin,

and on that old cross,

a great victory was won!

Sanctification

As we walk the Christian road, it is good to know as we read and study and live by God’s word we are being sanctified [ walking a little closer to God and a little further away from the world] . What are some things the Bible tell us about sanctification? Let us look at the following verses.

1 Thessalonians 5:23
King James Version (KJV)
23And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 2:11
King James Version (KJV)
11For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Sanctification is produced by God and Christ.

1 Peter 1

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, We are being sanctified by the Holy Spirit as He lives in an teaches us the paths of righteousness.

John 17:17-19
King James Version (KJV)
17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

18As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

19And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. We are being set apart by the truth of God’s word as we read and study it.

Hebrews 9:14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? We are sanctified by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB!

1 Timothy 4:4For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

5For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. We are sanctified as we read and pray!