Psalm 19:14 ‘Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight oh Lord my strength and my redeemer.”
I've thought much about what to share with you tonight. I could share my sordid testimony, my failures and defeats of which there are many, but there are two things I’d like to leave you with. The first is the fact that God's Word is your lifeline, your greatest source of strength, your dearest friend. The second is that you never know what affect your life, your words; your attitude may have on another individual. We’ll talk about that in a few minutes.
These are very difficult days we are living in. I believe according to Scripture we face even more trying times in the near future.
As believers and Americans we are so very spoiled. What we have in our hearts may one day soon be all we have to maintain our faith and our witness. How much longer will we have the privilege of gathering like this in a public place? It may be a lot less than we think.
As I said at the start; God's Word is your lifeline, your strength, your best friend. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God" John 1:1 Jesus is the Word. Ps.119:11 " “Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee". I want to encourage you to do just that. When times get tough, what is in there will come out. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” Luke 21:4. My encouragement to you is read the Word, absorb it, and memorize it. If you’re not there, let me give you a way to get started.
My goal daily is to spend "Time Alone with God" no, it doesn't always happen. My biggest problem; distractions. I truly believe one of the strongest tools of the enemy is that 12 letter word.
No matter the circumstance there is always something to draw me away from that "Alone" time with the Lord. One of my favorite devotionals comes in my in box each morning, therein lays the problem. That is the1st distraction and it goes down hill from there. Read my e-mail, check on Face Book, check the bank account, and see if my favorite blogger has made an entry overnight!! Get a fresh cup of coffee------- on and on it goes.
I do have a plan though, to pray Ps119:167 "Let my cry come to You oh Lord, give me understanding according to Your Word”, read the devotional, open the Word, read, and pray, not necessarily in that order.
There are days it doesn't happen and I’ve come to the place of believing God does not condemn me for giving in to the distractions or just plain not opening my Bible on any given day. J just starts again. "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the World" John4:4 The power of the Holy Spirit within each believer is so much greater it’s a matter of choosing not to allow the distractions of the world keep us from that sweet fellowship. I've learned not to make a ritual out of any of this because if I do it doesn’t last; the Lord will lead you as to what is right for you and your circumstances.
Back to a little more detail on my plan, read the devotional, then start with10 verses in an OT book and 10 in the NT, 10 verses of a Psalm and the Proverb of the day. You have any idea how long that takes? I timed it one day, reading out loud to myself, max 10 minutes. Can you find 10 minutes a day to spend with your best friend, Gods Word? Then I seek to at least pray for my husband, children and grandchildren. Isaiah 54:13 is my recommended minimum. Then Col 1:9-14 "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; 13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; 14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins."
Of course I have a list, some days I get to the list other days I don't, I do try to remember those critical things like surgeries, and stuff like that.
Ps. 119:104&105 says, "Through your precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way, Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."
God has a plan for each of our lives. Phil 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” No matter how far we stray, He is always right there to bring us back to Himself.
My journey with the Lord began with my mother. She died of Polio in 1947, just before my third birthday. I’ve been told that she prayed for a child for seven years, I didn't stand a chance as far as being dedicated to the Lord from before I was born.
Jump ahead 14 years, one of my best friends and her family repeatedly invited me to attend church with them, a different church than the one my family attended. Finally after many refusals by my parents, they relented and allowed me to attend a "Revival Meeting" with her and her family. Their persistence paid off, their love for me did not stop just because my parents refused to allow me to attend their church. That was the night that the Father drew me to Himself and I made that initial step of committing my life to Jesus. He took my prayer seriously and did not let go, even though I did not follow very well. Lots of poor choices, it took a number of years to bring me to my knees in recommitment.
My point being you never know the influence you are having on the life of another human being. Don't give up, keep praying, allowing the Lord to keep doors open that maybe you would just as soon shut because it's hard. God will bring others to Himself in His time and they will remember your deeds of love, your kind words of encouragement, your friendship even if your beliefs are not in sync. The important thing is to----"Keeping your eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." Hebrews 12"2.
Do you realize that we have eternal life, whether we believe in Jesus or not?
All mankind will one day spend eternity in one of two places Heaven or Hell. It's our choice, to believe confess our sin of unbelief, choose to believe that what Jesus died on the cross, that His bodily resurrection is the truth, repent of our sins, confess them, make a conscious decision to turn around and go in the opposite direction, follow in obedience with open confession before men of our decision and being baptized, in that order. If you have made the choice to be a follower of Jesus my prayer is that you will grow in grace and truth, seek Him in his Word and Prayer and Love those around you with the Love He has given you. Jesus said “If you love me you will keep my commandments”. John 14:23.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Walking and Leaping and Praising God
This weekend a section of scripture was opened to me in a way that had never occurred to me before.
Having recently received an order from Pastor Mark Biltz of El Shaddai Ministries, Bonny Lake, WA, www.elshaddaiministries.us I discovered in the package a tri-fold pamphlet entitled The Amidah or “The Standing Prayer”. I am not going to quote all 18 sections of the prayer but I’d like to share with you Pastor Mark Biltz’s commentary on it.
“Composed around 450BC by the 120 Men of the Great Assembly including Ezra and Nehemiah at the time of the rebuilding of the Temple, it was to be said while standing, three times a day at the hours of prayer 9am 12 noon and 3pm.” The prayer is not found specifically in scripture, as I read it out loud to myself and to the Lord scripture came to mind with each section. Included are the following topics or designations:
God of History, God of Nature, Sanctification of God, Prayer for Understanding, For Repentance, For Forgiveness, For Deliverance from Affliction, For Healing, For Deliverance from Want, For Gathering of Exiles, For the Righteous Reign of God, For the Righteous and Proselytes, For the Rebuilding of Jerusalem, For the Messianic King, For the Answering of Prayer, For the Restoration of the Temple Service, Thanksgiving for God’s Unfailing Mercies and For Peace. For the full text, google Amidah text.
I give you all that to get to what the Lord opened to my heart. Once more quoting Pastor Biltz, “In the book of Acts we find Peter and John entering the Temple at the hour of “”The”” prayer referring to the saying of the Amidah. It is literally called the hour of “The Prayer” in the literal translations. Here we have a man, who according to the Scriptures was: (Acts 4:22 “For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was showed.) Do you realize that meant Yeshua probably walked passed him a minimum of 100 times in the temple and never healed him! This happened after Yeshua died at around 33 years of age and this man who was only 7 years older that Yeshus had been lame from his birth.(Acts 3:1&2 Now Peter and John went up to together in to the temple at the hour of the prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;” Every Jew would love to be “standing” during the “standing prayer” So here we have the Holy Spirit at the specific time of the Amidah strengthening the man’s ankles! (6 Then Peter said , Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk . 7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up : and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength . 8 And he leaping up stood , and walked , and entered with them into the temple, walking , and leaping , and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:”) God was waiting for all to be gathered in the Temple so at the very moment of the Amidah, perhaps at the praying of the 8th section For Healing, standing perhaps for the first time in his life for the “standing prayer.” For 40 years he had heard or said this prayer, always wondering if it was true! Do you know this was the prayer they were saying right before the Spirit fell at Pentecost! It was the 3rd hour, the time of the morning prayers! Remember this was written hundreds of years before Messiah, remembering Yeshua had also just risen from the dead!!”
Back in the 70’s we used to sing the chorus “Silver and Gold have I None”, the impact of those words and the events surrounding the saying of them has a whole new meaning. God’s timing is always perfect even when we don’t think it is.
Having recently received an order from Pastor Mark Biltz of El Shaddai Ministries, Bonny Lake, WA, www.elshaddaiministries.us I discovered in the package a tri-fold pamphlet entitled The Amidah or “The Standing Prayer”. I am not going to quote all 18 sections of the prayer but I’d like to share with you Pastor Mark Biltz’s commentary on it.
“Composed around 450BC by the 120 Men of the Great Assembly including Ezra and Nehemiah at the time of the rebuilding of the Temple, it was to be said while standing, three times a day at the hours of prayer 9am 12 noon and 3pm.” The prayer is not found specifically in scripture, as I read it out loud to myself and to the Lord scripture came to mind with each section. Included are the following topics or designations:
God of History, God of Nature, Sanctification of God, Prayer for Understanding, For Repentance, For Forgiveness, For Deliverance from Affliction, For Healing, For Deliverance from Want, For Gathering of Exiles, For the Righteous Reign of God, For the Righteous and Proselytes, For the Rebuilding of Jerusalem, For the Messianic King, For the Answering of Prayer, For the Restoration of the Temple Service, Thanksgiving for God’s Unfailing Mercies and For Peace. For the full text, google Amidah text.
I give you all that to get to what the Lord opened to my heart. Once more quoting Pastor Biltz, “In the book of Acts we find Peter and John entering the Temple at the hour of “”The”” prayer referring to the saying of the Amidah. It is literally called the hour of “The Prayer” in the literal translations. Here we have a man, who according to the Scriptures was: (Acts 4:22 “For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was showed.) Do you realize that meant Yeshua probably walked passed him a minimum of 100 times in the temple and never healed him! This happened after Yeshua died at around 33 years of age and this man who was only 7 years older that Yeshus had been lame from his birth.(Acts 3:1&2 Now Peter and John went up to together in to the temple at the hour of the prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;” Every Jew would love to be “standing” during the “standing prayer” So here we have the Holy Spirit at the specific time of the Amidah strengthening the man’s ankles! (6 Then Peter said , Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk . 7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up : and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength . 8 And he leaping up stood , and walked , and entered with them into the temple, walking , and leaping , and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:”) God was waiting for all to be gathered in the Temple so at the very moment of the Amidah, perhaps at the praying of the 8th section For Healing, standing perhaps for the first time in his life for the “standing prayer.” For 40 years he had heard or said this prayer, always wondering if it was true! Do you know this was the prayer they were saying right before the Spirit fell at Pentecost! It was the 3rd hour, the time of the morning prayers! Remember this was written hundreds of years before Messiah, remembering Yeshua had also just risen from the dead!!”
Back in the 70’s we used to sing the chorus “Silver and Gold have I None”, the impact of those words and the events surrounding the saying of them has a whole new meaning. God’s timing is always perfect even when we don’t think it is.
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