Bear with me as I expound from my Spirit, my thoughts on this Psalm;
Psalm 116
1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.
Even when I wasn't asking, the Lord heard my cry from my spirit.
2 Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.
I appreciate His love and care for me so much, I will serve Him until I die, then serve Him forever
3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
I remember crying; "Why am I here? Why am I so dissatisfied with life? What is the answer?"
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD : "O LORD, save me!"
I remember this. I clearly remember asking for His presence in my life... 1979...
5 The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
How could He hear me? I was not worthy? Really not worthy!!
6 The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
He protected me, continues to protect me. I was meant to be in Him for eternity.
7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
Never have I been more at rest and peace. I am free on this earth to serve Him and will for eternity.
8 For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, 9 that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
Many times! I do weep now, for joy. I have given up stumbling. He guides and strengthens me to walk.
10 I believed; therefore I said, "I am greatly afflicted."
It was so evident that I was far from Him and I was a mess when I discovered His majesty.
11 And in my dismay I said, "All men are liars."
This is so true and I was the worst. Still; all men and women are liars.
12 How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?
I can't, but His call is to "Follow me."
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
Salvation.... the answer to life. Thank you, Father, God!!!!
14 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
My vows are to love Him and my neighbor as myself and believe in Jesus Christ His Son.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
Death to myself. Life in Him.
16 O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains.
The chains of eternal death. The chains of slavery to the world of lies here on earth. Free indeed!!
17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.
Everyday. You are real, Father. Your Spirit is guiding, counseling, protecting, reminding. Thanks!
18 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, 19 in the courts of the house of the LORD— in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.
I will believe. I will profess. I will testify. I will encourage others. I will speak of God's reign as King of the universe.
Find Him!!
I love you;
Bill/Dad
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
REAL FREEDOM.. Indeed
We hear so much about Freedom these days and have for a number of years. The definition is presented something like this; "I am free to do anything that I want to do and no one can judge me for that." Well, freedom as understood by our Founding Fathers was based upon the following;
Galatians 5
13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Life by the Spirit
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
So, according to God, we are free to obey Him by living in the Spirit and practicing self-control or we are free not to obey Him and live anyway we want to. Hmmm, what are the consequences?
Slavery to the World.... ask me, I'll tell ya!
Love you...
Bill/Dad
Galatians 5
13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Life by the Spirit
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
So, according to God, we are free to obey Him by living in the Spirit and practicing self-control or we are free not to obey Him and live anyway we want to. Hmmm, what are the consequences?
Slavery to the World.... ask me, I'll tell ya!
Love you...
Bill/Dad
Monday, August 2, 2010
When Others Disappoint You
When Others Disappoint You
By Os Hillman
August 2
"Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica" (2 Tim 4:9-10).
Adversity molded the apostle Paul into the greatest warrior for Christ the world has ever known. But there were times when adversity and disappointment took its toll on this rugged warrior. We can sense Paul's hurt and discouragement near the end of his second letter to Timothy:
Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica... At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me... Do your best to get here before winter (4:9-11,14,16,21).
Do you hear the pain in those words? Twice he urges Timothy to come to him. Do you feel his anguish when he twice speaks of being deserted by his friends?
In most of his letters, Paul seems to have an invincible spirit. Yet he was a man who suffered, felt betrayed, and was at times very lonely.
However, Paul chose to look at life from a heavenly perspective. That's why he could write:
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body (2 Cor. 4:8-10).
Paul had experienced a level of opposition and suffering that you and I can scarcely imagine. People said they would do things but did not follow through. He could not depend on certain people. Yet he was not crushed, and he refused to give in to despair. He viewed his life as a continual process of dying. His goal was to live in such a way that the life of Jesus would be revealed in his response to adversity.
Beware of placing too much expectation on others. Realize that people will let you down from time to time, but do not let that impact your faith. Trust God to work even through these disappointments.
Contact Os Hillman at http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/
By Os Hillman
August 2
"Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica" (2 Tim 4:9-10).
Adversity molded the apostle Paul into the greatest warrior for Christ the world has ever known. But there were times when adversity and disappointment took its toll on this rugged warrior. We can sense Paul's hurt and discouragement near the end of his second letter to Timothy:
Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica... At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me... Do your best to get here before winter (4:9-11,14,16,21).
Do you hear the pain in those words? Twice he urges Timothy to come to him. Do you feel his anguish when he twice speaks of being deserted by his friends?
In most of his letters, Paul seems to have an invincible spirit. Yet he was a man who suffered, felt betrayed, and was at times very lonely.
However, Paul chose to look at life from a heavenly perspective. That's why he could write:
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body (2 Cor. 4:8-10).
Paul had experienced a level of opposition and suffering that you and I can scarcely imagine. People said they would do things but did not follow through. He could not depend on certain people. Yet he was not crushed, and he refused to give in to despair. He viewed his life as a continual process of dying. His goal was to live in such a way that the life of Jesus would be revealed in his response to adversity.
Beware of placing too much expectation on others. Realize that people will let you down from time to time, but do not let that impact your faith. Trust God to work even through these disappointments.
Contact Os Hillman at http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/
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