When you have a chance, please read a devotional I have written entitled For Freedom. It is published today online at christiandevotions.us. I hope it is a blessing to you. Have a great day.
Tom
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Praise and Adoration
Praise and adoration
To the King of every nation
To the Holy One upon the throne
We worship You alone
You rule and reign over every adversary
You stand triumphant inside of me
You help me see Your glory in the mundane
Give me grace when it’s hard to obey
You calm the storm within me
When I am sinking at sea
Thank you for your mercy
Your love sets me free
Worship the Sovereign Lord
Worthy of all fame
Praise Him in one accord
Give Him your every day
Praise and adoration
To the King of every nation
To the One upon the throne
We worship You alone
To the King of every nation
To the Holy One upon the throne
We worship You alone
You rule and reign over every adversary
You stand triumphant inside of me
You help me see Your glory in the mundane
Give me grace when it’s hard to obey
You calm the storm within me
When I am sinking at sea
Thank you for your mercy
Your love sets me free
Worship the Sovereign Lord
Worthy of all fame
Praise Him in one accord
Give Him your every day
Praise and adoration
To the King of every nation
To the One upon the throne
We worship You alone
Sunday, June 5, 2011
All Things are New
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17
For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. Romans 2:28-29
We are new creations in Christ. All things within us are new. The old has passed away. When we accepted Christ as our Savior, we experienced a new beginning. Our spirits were made alive. That inward part of us was made completely holy (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). At the new birth, we became circumcised of heart. The fleshly elements of our inward nature were cut away. We are now vessels that carry the presence of the Lord. We are mobile tabernacles of His glory. We have been made sensitive to His leading – to His voice. We are dead to sin and alive unto God.
You may ask, “But why do we still sin?” The answer is simple... when we became born again, our spirits were made perfect, but our souls and bodies were not. We are a three-part being – spirit, soul, and body
(1 Thessalonians 5:23). Our souls consist of our mind, will, and emotions. That part of us needs to be renewed through the washing of the word of God. As we meditate on God's word, with the intention to obey its truth, we allow what's in our spirit or heart to control our actions. This process is called renewing our minds (Romans 12:2). Romans 12:1 says that we are to offer our bodies to God as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing unto Him. But maturing in the Lord is a process and not the direct result of the one time event of salvation. This is why we can stand before God as righteous, but still fall at times because of a tendency to sin.
We are to rest in the fact that we are accepted by God, but we are also to move toward maturity. Let's set aside some time each day to fellowship with the Lord and to read and meditate on His word. We are on a journey where we are growing to look a little more like Him each day. We can be confident that He that has begun a good work in us will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6).
2 Corinthians 5:17
For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. Romans 2:28-29
We are new creations in Christ. All things within us are new. The old has passed away. When we accepted Christ as our Savior, we experienced a new beginning. Our spirits were made alive. That inward part of us was made completely holy (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). At the new birth, we became circumcised of heart. The fleshly elements of our inward nature were cut away. We are now vessels that carry the presence of the Lord. We are mobile tabernacles of His glory. We have been made sensitive to His leading – to His voice. We are dead to sin and alive unto God.
You may ask, “But why do we still sin?” The answer is simple... when we became born again, our spirits were made perfect, but our souls and bodies were not. We are a three-part being – spirit, soul, and body
(1 Thessalonians 5:23). Our souls consist of our mind, will, and emotions. That part of us needs to be renewed through the washing of the word of God. As we meditate on God's word, with the intention to obey its truth, we allow what's in our spirit or heart to control our actions. This process is called renewing our minds (Romans 12:2). Romans 12:1 says that we are to offer our bodies to God as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing unto Him. But maturing in the Lord is a process and not the direct result of the one time event of salvation. This is why we can stand before God as righteous, but still fall at times because of a tendency to sin.
We are to rest in the fact that we are accepted by God, but we are also to move toward maturity. Let's set aside some time each day to fellowship with the Lord and to read and meditate on His word. We are on a journey where we are growing to look a little more like Him each day. We can be confident that He that has begun a good work in us will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6).
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Creation Celebrates
Wind-whipped waves beat against the rocky shore
Seagulls sail through the open sky
The evening sun radiates deep orange across the waters
Creation celebrates the majesty of God
Sing praise, sing praise
Glorify the Lord with me
All creation sings and glorifies His name
Rushing waters cascade from the mountain opening
Crystal clear waters flow
Refreshing pools churn at the foot of the cataract
Creation celebrates the majesty of God
Sing praise, raise the banner high
Glorify the Lord with me
All creation sings and glorifies His name
Seagulls sail through the open sky
The evening sun radiates deep orange across the waters
Creation celebrates the majesty of God
Sing praise, sing praise
Glorify the Lord with me
All creation sings and glorifies His name
Rushing waters cascade from the mountain opening
Crystal clear waters flow
Refreshing pools churn at the foot of the cataract
Creation celebrates the majesty of God
Sing praise, raise the banner high
Glorify the Lord with me
All creation sings and glorifies His name
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Handling Anger
Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city. Proverbs 16:32
The old fashioned tea kettle came to a boil and whistled as steam streamed out of its opening. We are sometimes like that tea kettle. We are all guilty of allowing ourselves to react to negative circumstances or people’s unfavorable actions by allowing our emotions to boil over. Ecclesiastes 7:9 says that anger rests (stays for a prolonged time) in the bosom of fools. It also says in Ephesians that we are to be angry without committing sin. This means that anger in and of itself is not sinful. It is how we handle our anger that counts.
The Lord wants us to give our anger to Him. When we surrender our negative emotions to our Heavenly Father, we open our hearts to receive His wisdom. He will help us to address the issue at hand calmly and with a spirit of kindness. We can speak the truth in love to that person who has wronged us. We can forgive our enemies. We can stay calm when that crazy driver cuts us off.
God is working His character in each of us. He is smoothing out our rough edges like a rock in river bed. The Holy Spirit’s current flows over us and removes our sharp edges. Let’s submit our hearts and lives to Jesus. Let’s allow Him to correct us. Let’s learn to be slow to anger. And when we are angry, let’s draw near to the Lord so we know how to handle every situation.
Dear Father God,
I ask you to help me to handle my anger wisely. Teach me to love others. I choose to forgive anyone who has wronged me, and I ask for you to mold me and make me into the person you desire me to be. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
The old fashioned tea kettle came to a boil and whistled as steam streamed out of its opening. We are sometimes like that tea kettle. We are all guilty of allowing ourselves to react to negative circumstances or people’s unfavorable actions by allowing our emotions to boil over. Ecclesiastes 7:9 says that anger rests (stays for a prolonged time) in the bosom of fools. It also says in Ephesians that we are to be angry without committing sin. This means that anger in and of itself is not sinful. It is how we handle our anger that counts.
The Lord wants us to give our anger to Him. When we surrender our negative emotions to our Heavenly Father, we open our hearts to receive His wisdom. He will help us to address the issue at hand calmly and with a spirit of kindness. We can speak the truth in love to that person who has wronged us. We can forgive our enemies. We can stay calm when that crazy driver cuts us off.
God is working His character in each of us. He is smoothing out our rough edges like a rock in river bed. The Holy Spirit’s current flows over us and removes our sharp edges. Let’s submit our hearts and lives to Jesus. Let’s allow Him to correct us. Let’s learn to be slow to anger. And when we are angry, let’s draw near to the Lord so we know how to handle every situation.
Dear Father God,
I ask you to help me to handle my anger wisely. Teach me to love others. I choose to forgive anyone who has wronged me, and I ask for you to mold me and make me into the person you desire me to be. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
I Delight in You
I delight myself in You
You will give me the desires of my heart
Your purposes for me shall prevail
I will trust in You
And stand upon Your promises
Sure as cat's feet is Your word to me
Strong as carbon steel are your precepts
I delight in You
Your name is a mighty tower
The righteous run to it and are safe
Lord I put my hope in You
I will not be ashamed
No, I will not be ashamed
I delight myself in You
And You will give me the desires of my heart
In Your perfect time
You will give me the desires of my heart
Your purposes for me shall prevail
I will trust in You
And stand upon Your promises
Sure as cat's feet is Your word to me
Strong as carbon steel are your precepts
I delight in You
Your name is a mighty tower
The righteous run to it and are safe
Lord I put my hope in You
I will not be ashamed
No, I will not be ashamed
I delight myself in You
And You will give me the desires of my heart
In Your perfect time
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Banquet for the Soul
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, He told them to ask the Father for their daily bread. While this definitely refers to physical provision, I believe it is also a request for God to provide for spiritual nourishment. There was a time in Israel's history when the Lord supplied the Israelites with manna that rained down from heaven. They found this special bread sprinkled on the ground each day. They were told gather 1 omer (about 4 pints) per person and were commanded not to store extra for the future except for the Sabbath. Some of them did not heed God's instruction and the manna became infested with worms and stank on the following day. The Israelites found that, when they followed the Lord's command, their needs were fully met by the Lord each day.
God wants to meet our physical needs, and He promises to do so; He also desires to provide spiritual nourishment to His children. It is important for each of us to establish a quiet time each day. During this time we are to feast on God's word and pray to the Lord. The Lord wants to speak to us. He desires to build us up spiritually so we can face each day filled with the encouragement that comes from the Lord. During our quiet time, the Holy Spirit will strengthen us; He will show us things to come. The Lord will rain down His word and His presence so that we will be satisfied spiritually.
Won't you take time each day – perhaps ten to fifteen minutes to start with – to spend with the Lord. He is waiting for you and He will bless you as you give yourself to Him. You will find that your whole day takes on a new light of joy and expectancy. Let us draw near to Jesus the bread of life. He is a banquet for the soul.
Dear Father God,
I thank you for sending Jesus the bread of life. I ask You to give me my daily bread. I choose to find nourishment in You by setting aside some time each day to get to know you. Thank you for satisfying my spiritual needs. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, He told them to ask the Father for their daily bread. While this definitely refers to physical provision, I believe it is also a request for God to provide for spiritual nourishment. There was a time in Israel's history when the Lord supplied the Israelites with manna that rained down from heaven. They found this special bread sprinkled on the ground each day. They were told gather 1 omer (about 4 pints) per person and were commanded not to store extra for the future except for the Sabbath. Some of them did not heed God's instruction and the manna became infested with worms and stank on the following day. The Israelites found that, when they followed the Lord's command, their needs were fully met by the Lord each day.
God wants to meet our physical needs, and He promises to do so; He also desires to provide spiritual nourishment to His children. It is important for each of us to establish a quiet time each day. During this time we are to feast on God's word and pray to the Lord. The Lord wants to speak to us. He desires to build us up spiritually so we can face each day filled with the encouragement that comes from the Lord. During our quiet time, the Holy Spirit will strengthen us; He will show us things to come. The Lord will rain down His word and His presence so that we will be satisfied spiritually.
Won't you take time each day – perhaps ten to fifteen minutes to start with – to spend with the Lord. He is waiting for you and He will bless you as you give yourself to Him. You will find that your whole day takes on a new light of joy and expectancy. Let us draw near to Jesus the bread of life. He is a banquet for the soul.
Dear Father God,
I thank you for sending Jesus the bread of life. I ask You to give me my daily bread. I choose to find nourishment in You by setting aside some time each day to get to know you. Thank you for satisfying my spiritual needs. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
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