A Good Word on Prayer

Prayer is the struggling speech of the believer infant, the war cry of the fighting believer, and the requiem of the dying saint falling asleep in the arms of Jesus.  It is the breath, the password, the comfort, the strength, and the privilege of a Christian.  So if you are a child of God, you will seek your Father’s face and live in your Father’s love.

Charles H. Spurgeon

Sin’s Dark Shadow Cast Upon the New Year

I awaken to see the sun rise

On the dawning of a new year

Instead of celebrating

My heart is grieved

For sin will be politicized

Celebrated and glorified today

That which God has declared sinful

Will be paraded as something acceptable and good

That which You foretold in Your Word

Will be on display

For today I am living in

A Romans 1 kind of world

That which You have declared evil

Man has declared good

That which is good in Your sight

Has been perverted and called evil

Lord, even some in Your church

May not speak up and stand for the truth

For they fear being branded

As narrow minded, intolerant or bigoted

May I not mistake Your patience

And desire for all to come to repentance

As approval of sin

Or believe that You will not punish un-repented sin

God, You are still upon Your throne

Sovereign, Holy and Righteous

I don’t get to decide for myself what is sin

For You have clearly spoken in Your Word

When I look back and see Christ on the cross

I know what You think of sin

The sinless Son of God was crucified

As He bore my sin and the sin of all mankind

May I remember the punishment and wrath

You poured out upon Your only begotten Son

Because of His sacrifice

I have been forgiven

I have been fitted for heaven

Clothed in the righteousness of Christ

Christ paid my ransom and I have been bought back

From the slave master called sin

Lord give me a heart of compassion

For those still held captive by sin

May I warn the sinner on the broad path

That leads to destruction

Salvation is found in no other name under heaven or earth

By which man can be saved

May I remember that You stand ready to forgive

A repentant sinner who proclaims Christ as Lord

By Susan Wachtel

January 1, 2014

Romans 1:16-32

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

²⁴ Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷ Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

²⁸ And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; ³² who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

Just Thinking

What does the victorious life in Christ look like?

How does that effect

What I do

                                Say

                                        Think

                                                Feel

                                                        Respond

When dealing with challenging people and circumstances how does the Lord want me to respond?  I’m not sure I know the answer…but I do know that I sure don’t feel like I’m handling it like I should. 

Lord…I need Your wisdom to guide me.  Your Holy Spirit to put a guard over my mouth.  Draw me to You, to bring everything to you in prayer so I can receive wise counsel, comfort, strengthening, encouragement or woodshed time when needed.

Help me to keep my eyes and focus on You and Your Word.  May I be sensitive to Your Holy Spirit.  Thank You Lord for always hearing me and being my ever present help in times of trouble. 

Sunday Morn Take Away 12/29/13

When going to church on Sunday morning, I bring my Bible and a notebook to jot down things that our Pastor Philip De Courcy says during his sermon.  When the notebook is filled it goes on the shelf, seldom to be opened again. 

For a while now…I’ve been thinking that perhaps I need to have a more record of what I’m taking away from our Sunday morning service.  This won’t be a recap…more likely bullet points.  A place for me to record what the Lord is saying through the study of His Word. 

Today we studied Psalm 46.

God the Refuge of His People and Conqueror of the Nations

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song for Alamoth.

46 God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
³ Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

⁴ There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
⁵ God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
⁶ The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

⁷ The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

⁸ Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.

¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

¹¹ The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Noah Webster Quote…God can save by many or by few…  Their greatest weapon was their faith in God.

Psalm 46 is a celebration for what God does for those who trust Him.

Even in the face of monumental trouble. 

Will we continue to trust Him?

God is our help in the midst of trouble

Not a bubble or protected from all trouble

God does promise to meet us in the midst of the trouble.

Sometimes God calms the storm.

Sometimes He calms us in the midst of the storm.

Our trust is in God Who is sure in the midst of trouble.

Martin Luther Quote…my conscience is bound by the Word of God.

Faith in God delivers security

A sense of well-being

Not an absence of trouble.

Security is the ever present presence of God

From Vs 1 – Trouble = a tight spot…painted into a corner

This was a time of great shaking for Israel...a time of upheaval. 

No sense of security…nothing firm beneath your feet.

What are we going to do?

Trust in God

Deuteronomy 33:27

God was their greatest stronghold

Tucked under the shelter of God Himself

Our Shelter, our Safe Tower

Where will my shelter be this coming year?

Quote – Frederick Nolan…where God is, a spider’s web is like a wall.  Where God is not, a wall is like a spider’s web.

Our God is inexhaustible...an able supply of resources. 

A Strong Refuge

Invincible, inexhaustible

He will supply the necessary strength equal to the trial.

God’s help is timely…in the nick of time…2 Kings 19:35

The strength of God that is our help when we need it.

There will be grace when we need it and for what we need it for.

God’s strength is timeless

He is our Help from of old.

His strength has always been present

Psalm 90:1-2 – our Refuge in every generation.

God is immutable…He does not change.

There is help from of old.

God has unlimited resources.  Faith in God provides sufficiency…waters that refresh. 

2 Chronicles 32:30Hezakah redirected the waters to come into the city of Jerusalem.

Rivers of Living Water

Peace, joy, comfort, righteousness

A living well and living water within you…the Holy Spirit

A fount of every blessing…calls for songs of loudest praise.

Story…Amazon River…pushes itself out to sea 90 miles.  Surrounded by salt water, underneath the boat was fresh water…but they didn’t know it.  They were asking for fresh water, but they already had an abundant supply. 

Judgment is the process…peace is the outcome. 

God of the armies of heaven

God will trouble those who are troubling you.

Always Abounding in the Work of the Lord