It' been awhile since I've been here. But something caught my eye on my reading this morning. I'm reading 1 Chronicles. Verse 7 really stuck out to me. The Levites were commandesd to station themselves around the king with their weapons. But it it was the last sentence of the verse that hit me, "Stay close to the king wherever he goes."

It's as if my eyes were opened. When I started meeting with the LORD this morning, I told Him, "Good morning, Father!" And before I knew it out popped what I would normally ask anyone, "How are You?"

I kind of laughed at myself for asking that. I mean God is fine. But it did make me stop and querie: what is on Your heart today?

So with that in mind, "Stay close to the king wherever he goes," got my attention. That's what's on His heart for me - just to stay close to the King. Everything else will fall into place but my objective is to stay close to the LORD Jesus.

Yesterday the remembrance meeting was great. One man spoke of how in the Scriptures the Lord is recordes 9 tines saying, "This is My Son, Whom I love..." God the Father wants us to see that. The Father's attention, focus, love is all on His Son.

But then it reminded me of 2 vereses: John 15:9, "As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved You," and John 17, the last part of 23 "...have loved them as You have loved Me."

His love is unending and so rich and so full... How can I not want to stay close to the King.

Father, help me as the Levites of old, to stay near the King.

Me and the World

This morning I was up early - 4:30. Just couldn't sleep. So I thought I would try to work on a project M would like me to do. Well, in doing research on that I came across items for my blog. Well, it's been awhile.But lately the LORD has really been emphasizing something in my heart and saying, "Write about it." So I'm taking the time to be obedient.

I've really been under the conviction of Romans 13:1:

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

So, I'm trying to obey the speed limits. I am finding it's not as easy as I thought it would be. Here in Canada the speed limits are in kilometres. Thirty kilometres/hour is soooooo slow! Sometimes I really wonder who came up with the limits, but they are part of the laws of the land.

The interesting thing though is the people behind me who get so upset. Doing 80 km/hour is still not fast enough or even 100 km/hour on the QEW! So I began to think maybe I should just do what everyone else is doing. I mean they are going a few km's over. The police aren't pulling them over.

And then it hit me. This is for me a way I can "conform to the world". What? It's just the speed limit! Not a big deal. But for me the LORD is calling me to be subject to the governing authorities, and that includes the speed limit. It would be so much easier just to go as fast others. Not get the angry looks or get people driving so close.

But He is showing me the differences between me and them. I need to start somewhere. I'm not telling you that you have to do this, but for me, it's a place where I can start being different. I want to be different only if it pleases Him. And not so I can boast about it. Because I still blow it and speed when I need to get somewhere fast. But He is teaching me, that I can trust Him even in obeying the speed limit.

Not a big thing, but it is in my heart.

For he is the minister of God to thee for good. Romans 13:4a

I am reading through the Authorized King James Version this year for my daily devotional. In many ways it is making me think through what I am reading more because there are some words I with which I am not familiar, but also just the way the verses are worded.

Take for example a portion of this morning's reading, Romans 13. I am familiar that this chapter talks about submitting to those who are in authority (i.e. government officials, etc). I have read this chapter many times and agree with it. It's Scripture; I need to agree with it.

But this morning as I read verse 4, something really hit me. "For he is the minister of Go to thee (me) for good." Thought I am living in Canada, I am still an American citizen. President Obama is the leader of my country. There is no way in the 8 years that he has been in office that I have looked at him as a minister of God, much less a minister of God to me for good. Yet that is exactly what Scripture is saying. President Obama is a minister of God. How can that be? I disagree with so much of what the man has done and I would have to truly confess that I have no respect for him. How can he be God's minister?

Because I am looking at the man and not at the One Who has allowed him to be in the office of US President. Does President Obama do things that the Lord would approve of? Maybe a little, but overall no. So how can he be that minister of God? And then it hit me. He is a minister who should drive me to my knees and NOT to use my mouth against him.

We all have politicians we don't like for one reason or another. And because we live in the US or are citizens of the US, we feel we have the freedom to complain and gripe. We DO have that freedom, BUT that is not what Scripture calls us to do. God has allowed this person to be in control of our country. He, the LORD, has a purpose in him ruling our country. Do I believe that? Do I pray for President Obama? Not as much as I should.

And what about this upcoming election? The two main candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, are not people that are especially poplular with any of the mainstream nor me. Yet it is very likely one of them will be our next president. Have I started praying now for them believing that they could by the next "minister of God to me for good"? No, because until now I have not really believed that.

It never ceases to amaze me how all of my life gets back to faith. Do I believe God? Do I believe His Word? Last fall a friend of mine and I did the Bible study Believing God by Beth Moore. It was a great study and I would highly recommend it. Each day she encouraged us to say 5 things out loud. Though I don't say them every day since we've finished the study, I still quote them quite often. They are:

• God is Who He says He is.
• God can do what He says He can do.
• I am who God says I am.
• I can do all things through Christ (who strengthens me) (parenthesis my addition from Scripture)
• God's Word is alive and active in me.

I have to believe God. President Obama is my minister. Oh, Father, please forgive me for not praying for my minister whom You have provided. And help me to pray for the upcoming minister for that person will be the One whom You have chosen for me for good. Help me to believe you.

The Fear of the Lord and My Own Affections

This morning my daily reading took me to 2 Corinthians 5 and 6. Two lines caught my attention:

    Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.

      You are restricted in your own affections.

Knowing the fear of the Lord...  I question myself again as to whether I really know the fear of the Lord. I think I believe many things about the Lord. The problem is that my life does not necessarily reflect those beliefs. Thus the second part, "you are restricted in your own affections."

I am tied up in my own affections. Not that they are necessarily bad - caring for my family and friends, wanting to get healthy and stay that way. No, these are good things. The problem is they take priority over the true necessity, knowing the fear of the Lord.

How can I know the fear of the Lord? It's taking that time to be silent before Him; not chasing after the multitude of thoughts that are running around in my head. It is not starting to fret over all that has to be done in the next few weeks before routine settles in again. It is not being distracted by the many different sounds. But being quiet and listening to Him. Seeing Him in all His grandeur. Looking to see if He's coming in those clouds over the lake...

If I truly feared Him, I could persuade others because then I would see Him for Who He really is. I would see to the deep need that people really have of Him. That they are lost souls going to an eternity completely without Him.The idea of them not having Him would be tearing me apart.

But it doesn't, at least not yet. I am still to wrapped up in my own affections. And it brings me shame to admit it. But then... He gently reminds me He loves me and that He is patient with me. Suddenly the sun is a little brighter. He has taken me to a new place - a little bit more fear of Him and a little bit less of me. I'm not where I want to be. I have a long way to go. But He is drawing me closer to Himself. It is and it is not a work that I do... He draws me closer to see Him as He is, but I have to be willing to look, to truly see.

Open my eyes, Lord.

The Work of the Lord

Yesterday I heard a message on a portion of 1 Corinthians 15:58. The verse is:

      Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 

I had to memorize it years ago and fortunately it has always stuck with me. The man spoke on always abounding in the work of the Lord. And one of the other references he used was Ephesians 2:10:

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

He defined workmanship as poiēma , a thing that is made by a creator, a masterpiece. It's where we get our word poem. As he spoke, I really began to think upon these 2 verses. Now I may be going way offline here, but it started to click with me.

I am a masterpiece of the Lord's, created in Christ Jesus for good works which He has prepared in advance for me to do. AND I am to be abounding in the work of the Lord. The work of the Lord is me. I am trying to work my way through this whole idea. What if the thing that I am to concentrate on is me?

Now I know this sounds totally self-centered, but hear me out. I am to concentrate on me and my relationship with the Lord. I NEED to be completely all about Him and that has to be my focus. When I am focused on Him and Who He is, He can lead me to do those good works that He has prepared for me to do. I can be the servant He wants me to be. My heart will be sensitive to those who need prayer or need help or whatever. My heart will be ready to share the Gospel with the clerk at the store or the girl who is my waitress at the restaurant.

The first part of 1 Cor 15:58 talks about being steadfast and immovable. I can only be those things if I am standing on Christ as my foundation. But it has to go deeper. I really have to let Him be the Vine and me the branch - no life without Him. He has to be my All in All.

So it's not only focusing on Him, but letting Him have His way in me, letting Him change me, mold me. I have to let Him continue to work on this poem, this piece of artwork, this piece of clay.

Last night the other speaker spoke on "the Joy that was set before Him" and how we are that joy. By letting God have His way in me, I give Him great joy.

Oh, Father, change me and mold me into what You want me to be so that I might bring You more and more joy.

Sad Day? or Sad Times?

Yesterday the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that gay marriage is legal in all 50 states which overturns 14 states' ruling that marriage is only between a man and a woman. Many of my friends and family on Facebook are taking their stand; some definitely for the gay marriage and some definitely against. To me it was a sad day but it has been leading up to it for a long time and though I do not agree with the Supreme Court, it was very obvious that this was the decision they would make. But why?

I think it goes back to the Church of Jesus Christ. No, I am not talking about the Mormons. I am talking about the born-again, believing that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for my sins and was raised on the third day, trusting Him and repenting of our sins Church. Slowly but surely we have allowed what is evil to be called good. And now we are just seeing the end result of it.

We as Christians have not truly pursued the Word of God. We really do not believe it. If we did, would we allow the orphans and widows to suffer? Would we be pursuing our own agenda of making my life here as comfortable as possible? Would we still cheer for our favourite team, yelling and screaming and getting so excited, but come on Sunday morning and keep watching our watch wondering, "When will he stop talking?"

We have allowed sin to rule in our own lives. We don't believe God when He says:

          For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the Lord of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”  (Malachi 2:16 NASB)

We've justified the things we want in our own lives. We are okay with divorce because, "There is no love between us." Love is a choice not an emotion. I think if we were to test our love to the following standard we would see that WE do not measure up:

          Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)


Or what about when He says:

          Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18)


More often than not it is okay for a man to live with a woman because they love each other. I am not questioning their love here, but God says to flee from sexual immorality. If you truly love each other, get married! God's design is for a man and a woman to be married. But we don't really want to believe that part.

Just one more:

        You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5 and again in Mark 12:30)

You see, I put this one in because it is too easy for me to be judgmental. I know I fall so short here though. I do not always love the Lord my God with all my heart and all my soul and all my might. I cannot do it my own. I need His Spirit to move in me, to work in me. When I don't put the Lord first in my life, it is easy to ignore the widows and orphans around the world that so desperately need our help. It's easy to focus on my goals for my life and what I want to achieve and what I want and think I deserve to have in this life. It's easy for me to focus on my team and just do my duty by going on Sunday mornings.

This morning in My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers said this,  We put our common sense on the throne and then attach God’s name to it. We do lean to our own understanding, instead of trusting God with all our hearts.    For too long the Church has just come to accept the evil and allowed it in our lives. We need to be living for Christ with Him fully ruling in our lives. I need to. I need to believe Him. I need to take Him at His Word. What about you?

The Fear of the Lord and the Comfort of the Holy Spirit

This morning my reading took me to Acts 9 where I came across this phrase:

And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

I had to stop. In some ways this sentence seems like a contradiction. "The fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit." But this is the way they were walking. They feared the Lord. The believers had seen what happened with Ananias and Sapphira when they had lied to the Holy Spirit. They KNEW the fear of the Lord. Yet they had seen how Stephen was able to stand up to all the Jews and proclaim the name of Jesus and even while they were stoning him. He was able to forgive them AND ask the Father not to hold this sin against them. That is comfort in knowing that God is holding him right where he wants him.

The question arises do I know, believe and act on these two thoughts: the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit? If I were to be truly honest the answer is no. I take the Lord so casually that I go through most of my day without Him. I forget that He is living inside of me; going through everything I go through. He watches as I go about in my own strength not even checking in very often. Fearing Him? I don't think so.

And what about His comfort? In a crisis situation is my first response to cry out to the Lord? More often than not, no. I look for solutions and if none of those work, then it's time to pray. Even then it is wanting an answer my way, not trusting His comfort and realizing that He has allowed this special situation so that it might draw me closer to Him.

Yet these believers walked in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. That tells me it is possible. And not only is it possible but it yields fruit. "They were multiplied." When I am walking in the fear of the Lord and resting in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, I become the witness He wants me to be. People will see a difference.

I was at a women's Bible study this past week and the emphasis was on the cross of Christ. One of the main things emphasized was God pouring His wrath upon His Son for our sins. We have no idea how great and offensive our sins are to a Holy God. If we truly saw ourselves in all of our wickedness, we would fear Him and fall at His feet, crying for mercy. But He has done that! The Lord Jesus took it all! How dare I think I know what's best! How dare I? I dare because I don't always see me for who I am.

Yet the Spirit gives comfort, reminding me I am forgiven in Christ. I have been made new in Christ. I am now seated in the heavenlies in Christ. All of this should cause us to love Him and worship Him more!

Oh, Father, open my eyes! Let me see more of You that I may fear You and worship You! Let me rest in the comfort of Your Spirit that I may bring You the honour and glory of which You are so worthy!