Deuteronomy 33:27
"The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; ..."
"Leaning on the everlasting arms ..."
During our trials, there are times when "leaning" may not be enough. We must give place to our complete weight IN His arms.
There are seasons when I love to have His arms wrapped around me. But there are also seasons when I rejoice that His arms are carrying me!
We pray, "Lord, please wrap Your arms of love around So-and-so and protect them!" Then we say (when trials overtake us), "Where is God? Does He even care? I don't even feel His arms of love around me!" May I suggest that it is just in such a time as this, that His arms are underneath us carrying us THROUGH the trial?!
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jfn - 10/27/2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
What Happens In Time is Relevant To Eternity
The trials, testings, pains, and sorrows experienced in time are instruments in the hand of God to prepare us for the highest service in eternity.
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Acts 16:9
" A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." "
The man, I noticed, didn't say, "Oh, and by the way, Paul, you and Silas are gonna get dragged around in the market-place, get beat up, and be thrown ----all bloodied-up---- into jail!"
Does it seem like sometimes God wants us to do something for Him, but all this stuff happens to us along the way? Then we begin to question, "Lord, I thought You wanted me to do such-and-such, but all this other stuff is happening, and I just can't seem to do what You wanted me to do. What am I missing here?"
I think that sometimes God just needs to get us moving in order for Him to accomplish all of His purposes in us, for the blessing of others, the building up of the Body of Christ, and to bring eternal glory to Himself.
It is not as much about doing the thing to which he has called us, as it is about being available for His use all along the way.
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jfn - 10/26/2011
===============
Acts 16:9
" A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." "
The man, I noticed, didn't say, "Oh, and by the way, Paul, you and Silas are gonna get dragged around in the market-place, get beat up, and be thrown ----all bloodied-up---- into jail!"
Does it seem like sometimes God wants us to do something for Him, but all this stuff happens to us along the way? Then we begin to question, "Lord, I thought You wanted me to do such-and-such, but all this other stuff is happening, and I just can't seem to do what You wanted me to do. What am I missing here?"
I think that sometimes God just needs to get us moving in order for Him to accomplish all of His purposes in us, for the blessing of others, the building up of the Body of Christ, and to bring eternal glory to Himself.
It is not as much about doing the thing to which he has called us, as it is about being available for His use all along the way.
=================
jfn - 10/26/2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Here's How It IS Possible to Live Within Our Means!
There are at least two ways to live within our means - our budget - our scope of wealth:
1. Earn more income.
2. Want less stuff.
I'm pretty sure God is more interested in the second method according to Hebrews 13:5 and 1 Timothy 6:6
" Make sure your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,' "
and
" But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. " (Both NASB)
We hear about "being positive" - well, there is such a thing as "being negative" to create a balance!
Sometimes we would be far better off if we told ourselves, "NO, I do not NEED this particular item." or "NO, I do not NEED this particular item right now." or "NO, this particular item is not good for me to have." or "I better WAIT for a little while until I have the money saved for this item." God tells us "Yes" but sometimes He tells us "No" and sometimes He tells us "Wait". We would do much better if we learned to tell ourselves these things first, before we even asked God our Father about them!
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I felt a little sadness recently when a dear friend of mine declared, "I really need THIS job!" - as she turned around and saw the bills piling up all around her. She got the job, but now confesses to discontentment. Maybe it would have been better for her to invite her Lord to guide her to the employment He wanted her to have instead of her insisting that this particular job was the one she NEEDED because she believed it impossible to wait any longer, and it appeared TO HER that there were no other "jobs" available.
Maybe we "hinder" God giving us "something better" because our thoughts fall short of His thoughts. Isaiah 55:8,9 - " 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.' "
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jfn - 10/19/2011
1. Earn more income.
2. Want less stuff.
I'm pretty sure God is more interested in the second method according to Hebrews 13:5 and 1 Timothy 6:6
" Make sure your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,' "
and
" But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. " (Both NASB)
We hear about "being positive" - well, there is such a thing as "being negative" to create a balance!
Sometimes we would be far better off if we told ourselves, "NO, I do not NEED this particular item." or "NO, I do not NEED this particular item right now." or "NO, this particular item is not good for me to have." or "I better WAIT for a little while until I have the money saved for this item." God tells us "Yes" but sometimes He tells us "No" and sometimes He tells us "Wait". We would do much better if we learned to tell ourselves these things first, before we even asked God our Father about them!
==========
I felt a little sadness recently when a dear friend of mine declared, "I really need THIS job!" - as she turned around and saw the bills piling up all around her. She got the job, but now confesses to discontentment. Maybe it would have been better for her to invite her Lord to guide her to the employment He wanted her to have instead of her insisting that this particular job was the one she NEEDED because she believed it impossible to wait any longer, and it appeared TO HER that there were no other "jobs" available.
Maybe we "hinder" God giving us "something better" because our thoughts fall short of His thoughts. Isaiah 55:8,9 - " 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.' "
==========
jfn - 10/19/2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Colossians 1:13
Colossians 1:13 (NASB)
"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son."
When people (specially teenagers) ask, "What is wrong with doing this or that or going here or there?!" There IS something wrong with it! Doing "that" or going "there" identifies us with something from which we have already been rescued. It masks, hides, or even denies our identification with the kingdom of God's beloved Son into which He has already transferred us.
The manners that we display identify us with heaven or hell. It is white and black with no "shades of gray." We're not "a little saved" or "a little lost." We are not "a little in the domain of darkness" or "a little transferred to the kingdom of His beloved Son." We either believe Christ died for our sins, or we don't. We are going to heaven, or we are going to hell. The truth of the matter is just this simple: We either ARE or we ARE NOT. Period.
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Every permanent thing in this life is temporary.
==========
The same loving God and Father who watches over me, cares for me, protects and provides for me is the exact same loving God and Father who performs in every single person that which advances His purposes and brings Him glory designed in eternity past for eternity future.
==========
Sometimes I wonder if we "prolong" God's work by our prayers. For example, we pray, "O God, please break down their stony heart with the hammer of Your Word!" What if God only needs to soften their heart. The "hammer" is not "the right tool for this job." And we "prolong" God's work in our heart until we surrender to HIM to use "the tool(s)" He chooses!!
==========
jfn - 10/5/2011
"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son."
When people (specially teenagers) ask, "What is wrong with doing this or that or going here or there?!" There IS something wrong with it! Doing "that" or going "there" identifies us with something from which we have already been rescued. It masks, hides, or even denies our identification with the kingdom of God's beloved Son into which He has already transferred us.
The manners that we display identify us with heaven or hell. It is white and black with no "shades of gray." We're not "a little saved" or "a little lost." We are not "a little in the domain of darkness" or "a little transferred to the kingdom of His beloved Son." We either believe Christ died for our sins, or we don't. We are going to heaven, or we are going to hell. The truth of the matter is just this simple: We either ARE or we ARE NOT. Period.
==========
Every permanent thing in this life is temporary.
==========
The same loving God and Father who watches over me, cares for me, protects and provides for me is the exact same loving God and Father who performs in every single person that which advances His purposes and brings Him glory designed in eternity past for eternity future.
==========
Sometimes I wonder if we "prolong" God's work by our prayers. For example, we pray, "O God, please break down their stony heart with the hammer of Your Word!" What if God only needs to soften their heart. The "hammer" is not "the right tool for this job." And we "prolong" God's work in our heart until we surrender to HIM to use "the tool(s)" He chooses!!
==========
jfn - 10/5/2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Heart Alignment!
Psalm 37:4
"Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart."
As we are in the enjoyment of the Lord, He administers and aligns the desires in our hearts with His.
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We would have fewer foiled plans if we would let God form them for us.
==========
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NASB)
"...the Word of God ... performs its work in you who believe."
When was the last time, fellow-believer, we had work performed in us? Hopefully, it was TODAY!!
jfn - 10/3/2011
"Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart."
As we are in the enjoyment of the Lord, He administers and aligns the desires in our hearts with His.
==========
We would have fewer foiled plans if we would let God form them for us.
==========
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NASB)
"...the Word of God ... performs its work in you who believe."
When was the last time, fellow-believer, we had work performed in us? Hopefully, it was TODAY!!
jfn - 10/3/2011
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