"I do not have a right to pray because I do not have a truly prayerful heart. Much less do I have any right to receive what I ask for. Everything which Thou seest in my heart, O Lord, is of such a nature that it must close Thy heart to me and all my supplications. But hear me, not for my sake, nor for the sake of my prayer, and not even because of my distress, for it is a result of my own sinfulness. But hear me for Jesus' sake."
-- O. Hallesby from "Manna in the Morning"
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
What's My Motivation?
4Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,
5"Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted?
6'When you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves?
Zechariah 7:4-6
When I happened upon this Scripture I had to ask myself, "What's my motivation for ministry, singing, prayer...? Am I involved in ministry for the personal satisfaction, or to honor my Creator? Am I really singing to the Lord, or do I like the sound of the music? Am I praying to seek His face, or just His hand?
By His grace, may I be among the blessed pure in heart, and not self-seeking.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8
5"Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted?
6'When you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves?
Zechariah 7:4-6
When I happened upon this Scripture I had to ask myself, "What's my motivation for ministry, singing, prayer...? Am I involved in ministry for the personal satisfaction, or to honor my Creator? Am I really singing to the Lord, or do I like the sound of the music? Am I praying to seek His face, or just His hand?
By His grace, may I be among the blessed pure in heart, and not self-seeking.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Power Corrupts (and absolute power corrupts absolutely)!
I just finished watching a documentary about Jonestown -- the commune established by false prophet Jim Jones who along with over 900 of his followers committed mass suicide in November of 1978.
The whole mess was yet another failed attempt at socialism/communism, which is really nothing more than man thinking that he can be God and decide how to direct and govern his fellow man without answering to the true God.
It is sad that to this day there are those who think that man has the capacity to govern himself apart from God and His word. We simply were not designed for that. There has been no lasting peace on the earth since the fall in the Garden of Eden. We naturally want to believe that we are good and able to handle it, but God's word clearly speaks to the opposite of what we want to believe...we are naturally evil and self gratifying!
The bottom line is this: Don't be decieved by empty rhetoric that says we are going to accomplish world peace. Someday the antichrist will appear and deceive many with the promise of peace -- but his "peace" will be short lived. The only one who can rightly handle that kind of power and not become corrupt is Jesus. There will be no real, lasting peace on the earth until the Prince of Peace returns to establish His kingdom! As Christians, let us look forward to that day, and not put our trust in man.
1And it will come about in the last days
That the mountain of the house of the LORD
Will be established as the chief of the mountains
It will be raised above the hills,
And the peoples will stream to it.
2Many nations will come and say,
"Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD
And to the house of the God of Jacob,
That He may teach us about His ways
And that we may walk in His paths "
For from Zion will go forth the law,
Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
3And He will judge between many peoples
And render decisions for mighty, distant nations
Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they train for war.
4Each of them will sit under his vine
And under his fig tree,
With no one to make them afraid,
For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.
5Though all the peoples walk
Each in the name of his god,
As for us, we will walk
In the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.
Micah 4:1-5
The whole mess was yet another failed attempt at socialism/communism, which is really nothing more than man thinking that he can be God and decide how to direct and govern his fellow man without answering to the true God.
It is sad that to this day there are those who think that man has the capacity to govern himself apart from God and His word. We simply were not designed for that. There has been no lasting peace on the earth since the fall in the Garden of Eden. We naturally want to believe that we are good and able to handle it, but God's word clearly speaks to the opposite of what we want to believe...we are naturally evil and self gratifying!
The bottom line is this: Don't be decieved by empty rhetoric that says we are going to accomplish world peace. Someday the antichrist will appear and deceive many with the promise of peace -- but his "peace" will be short lived. The only one who can rightly handle that kind of power and not become corrupt is Jesus. There will be no real, lasting peace on the earth until the Prince of Peace returns to establish His kingdom! As Christians, let us look forward to that day, and not put our trust in man.
1And it will come about in the last days
That the mountain of the house of the LORD
Will be established as the chief of the mountains
It will be raised above the hills,
And the peoples will stream to it.
2Many nations will come and say,
"Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD
And to the house of the God of Jacob,
That He may teach us about His ways
And that we may walk in His paths "
For from Zion will go forth the law,
Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
3And He will judge between many peoples
And render decisions for mighty, distant nations
Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they train for war.
4Each of them will sit under his vine
And under his fig tree,
With no one to make them afraid,
For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.
5Though all the peoples walk
Each in the name of his god,
As for us, we will walk
In the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.
Micah 4:1-5
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Janitors and CEOs
At my work, I have often noticed a tendency in myself that I despise -- the tendency to put more effort into friendliness and helpfulness toward a member of management or other person who has power to affect my employment than toward less notable employees. I have to consciously fight this hypocrisy in my daily routine. I recently came across a quote from Ann Landers:
"The true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good."
I want to treat the janitor with the same respect and courtesy as I would the CEO should he arrive on site. All this makes me think of the words of our Lord Jesus:
12 And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. 13 "But when you give a reception , invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Luke 14:12-14
"The true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good."
I want to treat the janitor with the same respect and courtesy as I would the CEO should he arrive on site. All this makes me think of the words of our Lord Jesus:
12 And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. 13 "But when you give a reception , invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Luke 14:12-14
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Unlocking the Mystery of Life
I am currently watching Focus on the Family's "The Truth Project" with a friend. So far lesson five has been the most informative and interesting. In part of lesson five the professor uses a couple of clips from a video entitled "Unlocking the Mystery of Life". The clips I saw were an awe-inspiring glimse into the intricate and complex inner workings of the human body -- the cell in particular. I hope to view the video in its entirety soon. Those who believe in evolution and the idea of life spontaneously generating itself are really deceiving themselves just like God's word says.
Our God truly is amazing and beyond comprehension! His genius is incomparable and unfathomable!
http://www.unlockingthemysteryoflife.com/
Our God truly is amazing and beyond comprehension! His genius is incomparable and unfathomable!
http://www.unlockingthemysteryoflife.com/
Monday, January 24, 2011
Death and Life
Who will remember you when you are dead? Who will pray for you? Do now, beloved, what you can, because you do not know when you will die, nor what your fate will be after death. Gather for yourself the riches of immortality while you have time. Think of nothing but your salvation. Care only for the things of God...
Keep yourself as a stranger here on earth, a pilgrim whom its affairs do not concern at all. Keep your heart free and raise it up to God, for you have not here a lasting home. To Him direct your daily prayers, your sighs and tears, that your soul may merit after death to pass in happiness to the Lord.
-- From "The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas A Kempis 1418
Keep yourself as a stranger here on earth, a pilgrim whom its affairs do not concern at all. Keep your heart free and raise it up to God, for you have not here a lasting home. To Him direct your daily prayers, your sighs and tears, that your soul may merit after death to pass in happiness to the Lord.
-- From "The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas A Kempis 1418
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
My First Blog Post
For my first post, I would like to simply share a Scripture that the Lord used to greatly encourage me when I needed it...
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity
And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession?
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us;
He will tread our iniquities under foot.
Yes, You will cast all their sins
Into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob
And unchanging love to Abraham,
Which You swore to our forefathers
From the days of old.
Micah 7:18-20
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity
And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession?
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us;
He will tread our iniquities under foot.
Yes, You will cast all their sins
Into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob
And unchanging love to Abraham,
Which You swore to our forefathers
From the days of old.
Micah 7:18-20
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