Our Unchanging and Unmovable God - DN

Our Unchanging and Unmovable God
Psalms 46:5
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved:
One of my favorite hymns we sing is
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord.
It is a hymn that for over two centuries has assured believers of the faithfulness of Christ and the certainty of hope. The first verse states,
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent word! What more can He say than to you He hath said— To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
I have discovered, Gods actions and our actions are as different as the sky is from the earth.
We are easily moved!
1. People move us:
2. Problems move us:
3. Principalities move us:
4. Places move us:
In the midst of our unstable Life that's constantly changing and moving, we have a hope to cling to.
The truth being taught is that while we are so easily moved, God is not.
He is our stability.
To experience this stability, he must be the center of our life and attention.
Psalms 125:1 reveals a wonderful truth,
They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever.

The Scottish writer said it this way,
Who clings to God in constant trust; As Zion's mount he stands full just,
And who moves not, nor yet does reel; But stands forever strong as steel!!

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Walking or Waiting - DN

Walking or Waiting

And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land. Deut.2:31

Two things I find here at hand.
1. God's Role: Deliverer and giver - I have began to deliver. (He's a deliverer)
2. Our Responsibility: begin to possess
Our responsibility is advancing and as we advance he is with us, making a way. 
They were not to wait until God had delivered and shouted come on over its done.
They were to hear, because he was near. They were to step forward to discover one mightier than them and their task was with them to conquer and deliver.

Speaking for myself, Waiting and patience sometimes is not my greatest virtue. We live in a time that is spent in HASTE! Been said our motto is, ( Hurry, Worry and Burry ) 
1.We are to wait on His Word:
He guides and directs us with a word. 
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and so are his Stops.
2.We are to wait on him to Walk: Sometimes He walks slow.

3. Sometimes God is waiting on us.
We hear him, and tarry while waiting on him to make a way, clear a path.
A. When the Children of Israel were at Jordan, the waters did not part until they stepped into it's stream. 
B. The 10 lepers were not cleansed until they went in obedience. ( had they waited to see their cleansing, they would have remained leprous )

Reckon what we are missing out on by tarring and waiting on him to show up, when he is already near and waiting on us?

 

REV DN

 

Give us this day - revDB

Give us this day our daily bread. Matt:6:11

Jesus taught His disciples to pray. In His prayer, he taught them to ask God for their daily bread. Jesus was teaching them, and us, not to pray for the needs of tomorrow, but for the needs of today.

When we focus on tomorrow we invite worry into our lives. Let us live today and trust God to provide for our daily needs.

 

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The Law of the Old Testament - DB

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. Matt. 5:17

The first five book of the Bible or known as the Books of the Law. In Hebrew, they are known as the Torah. Jesus did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. In His life and in His death He fulfilled every requirement of the Law.

He also filled the law with meaning and purpose. He did not focus on outward shows of piety, but on the condition of the heart. He showed us that the law was not a cold tablet of stone, but a warm heart of love.

 

REV DB

 

The Change - Rev AS

The change that was made in Paul's life after his salvation was evident to those around him. I am thankful for the change that God has made in my life!

"And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?" (Acts 9:19-21 KJV)

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." ( II Corinthians 5:17)

Has there been a change in your life? A changed life is evidence of true salvation. If there is no change, there is no salvation.

 

Rev AS

 

The extra mile REVDB

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Matt 5:41

In Jesus’ day, a Roman soldier could force a Jewish citizen to carry his load for a mile. Such policies, no doubt, left the Jewish people resentful and hostile toward their Roman masters. Yet, Jesus instructed the people to go the extra mile.

By acting with a willing heart, resentfulness could be turned to joy so that even their masters might see their love. When we go the extra mile, we not only change our heart but the heart of those with whom we walk.

 

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Finishing with Joy - REVDN

Finishing with Joy

Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

I love the Apostle Paul.
He's responsible for much of the New Testament.
Paul's life was marked by Great Success. Yet, it was also overshadowed with great Suffering.
This is true for every great soldier and servant of God.
Ask Joseph
Ask Job
Ask Jesus
In fact Jesus said, if we are going to follow him, we must deny ourselves and take up the cross.

Here in this passage, several things seem to capture my mind. It helps us to look into the endeavors of God's great apostle.

I. A Goal: so that I might finish my course with joy. It wasn't just finishing, but doing it with joy!
The sad commentary of many, is that they act as if the don't want to finish.

2. A Gift: He said he had received this ministry from the Lord. He embraced it as a gift. You think our days and steps in service to the Lord would better if we looked at it as a gift instead of a burden or battle? And It is a burden and battle at times )

3. A Game Plan:
Borrowing an analogy from the sport's world, it's not being in the game that takes home the prize, it's how you play the game that enables you finish with joy.
In the opening part of this passage, he gave us the key to his finishing with joy.
He said, none of these things moved me,
neither counted he his life dear unto hisself.
( looking in the preceding verses)
He list humility of mind, many tears and temptations, the lying in wait of the Jews ....
Many will never complete our goal with joy, because we think too much of ourselves.

How dear is your life to yourself?
How are you finishing up?

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Shall we sin REVDB

What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Rom. 6:15

The heart of the gospel is that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. For some in Paul’s day, this suggested that a believer could live however he chose. When faced with this question, Paul responded in the strongest terms: “God forbid.”

A Christian should obey the moral laws of God not to be saved, but because he is saved; not because he has to, but because he wants to. As a Christian, our desire should be to glorify God by living a life pleasing unto Him.

 

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You Can Have It Your Way REVTG

Musing Through Matthew- You Can Have It Your Way

Let us muse again today from Matthew 15:28 and the theme of Jesus the king. when this dear lady cried truth Lord to his title of dog for her He saw in her great faith. It only takes little faith to go to heaven but great faith brings heaven to you. His response to her great faith was you can have it your way. When great faith is operating in our life you want His will to be your will and that's when you can have it your way. If we practice great faith let it be in the area of our children and grandchildren that they may be made spiritually whole. 

Let this be our prayer Lord I believe help my unbelief and give me great faith.

REVTG

ITS THE HIGH GROUND REVDN

ITS THE HIGH GROUND

Been said about valleys,
Either in a Valley,
Coming out of a Valley,
Headed for a Valley.

Truth is, that sure don't leave much time for anything else does it?

I'll admit, it seems like there is sure a bunch of them, yet we are not to take up residency in them.

The valleys are not meant to live in forever. 

David alluded to this when he said, yea though I walk THROUGH the valley. He didn't deny them, yet he would not be consumed with them.

It's the higher ground that should be our goal. It's the summits where God dwells.
Paul challenge the Colossians to value the high ground.

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

It's the Higher Ground I want:

1. We are Instructed to pursue the high Ground:

2. God dwells there on the sides of the North :

3. It has an Advantage:
At the Battle of Gettysburg, victory was decided much by the ones who possess the higher ground. Both had the opportunity of obtaining it, but one side wanted it more.

4. Some will never climb, because they are afraid of Heights.

I remember, a mentor and hero of mine, Bro Roy Goodson saying to me, "Son keep your sights high."

May our prayer be today the words of the old song I use to sing in church as a boy, I'm pressing on the upward way, new heights I'm gaining everyday, Still praying as I onward bound, "Lord plant my feet on higher ground."

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Old rose bush REVDN

When I was younger I use to frown on songs and messages that pulled upon our heart strings.
I heard preachers criticize it and would call it being too sentimental. I would do the same wanting and trying to be like and accepted by them. 

But the older I get, the more that I have going on in my life that only heaven is going to take care of, and the more I realize the criticizers did not know everything, The greater I enjoy, thoughts about my eternal home. So excuse me for being so sentimental this morning. But to you with love ones waiting us in Heaven, I share with you what the Lord gave to me. I pray it's a blessing.

There's an old rose bush that continues to Grow
Planted by Momma many years ago
It didn't mean much when she put it in that hole
Just an old rose bush she wanted to grow

Momma went to heaven, and how I miss her so
She loved her flowers and could make them grow
All I have left of hers is this Old Rose
Lord would you spare it and help it to grow

And One day soon I too will go, to this place called Heaven
With its streets of Gold
With Jesus and friends and love ones I love so
Where roses never fade and Mommas never grow old.

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