quest4god's Revelife

Thanks, Lord, from the Bottom of My Heart!

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:47:37 GMT

How can I keep from singing Your praise?

(A little introduction here: I have been given an invitation to write a blog on praise and thanksgiving by Naphtali_deer@Xanga. I should be writing this of my own volition, and probably would have, but I couldn't pass up this opportunity to praise and thank my Lord Jesus Christ, and I am glad to have you "listen in". Please do. Please share my joy!)

Thank you, Lord, first of all for redeeming me. Your wonderful gift of Life which you purchased for me with Your blood at Calvary makes all my other thanks possible. Without You, I would be nothing. I wouldn't even know You. I am so grateful to know that I am Your son...Your beloved. *whisper of thanks here*

Thank you for my beautiful wife, another one You call beloved. I have tried to show my thanks for her by showing her unselfish love, but my love can never come close to the love You have for her. And my kids. I recognized them as gifts from you from the first day I held each of them in the hospital. Thank You, thank You, Lord. You have multiplied my life on earth by many times through them.

Thank you Jesus for Your friends, my brothers and sisters in You. You have taught me through them, You have loved me through them, You have encouraged me through them, and You have given them to me as gifts to cherish for all eternity.

Thank you Lord for the songs You have inspired...for the heights of joy and the depths of devotion expressed in the hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs given to me by Your children. Thanks for the stories, movies, poems, and art that You have inspired your children to create out of love for You and to communicate that love to the watching, listening world.

Thank you Lord for your written Word. The Word that Your Holy Spirit moved on holy men of old to write so that we could come to know You and Your purpose for each of us. Thank you for plainly dealing with our sins and lack of wisdom, teaching us, admonishing us, encouraging us. Your Word is so beautiful! Who is like You O Lord? There is none like You!

Thank you for the breath-taking beauty of Your creation! I have seen a glimpse of Your glory in the depths of space - the mysterious stellar "clouds," the nebulae, the binary stars, the globular clusters, the comets, asteroids, planets...all I can do is stare in awe and wonder that You have made all this. All creation comes from You and is for You! Lest I forget, thank you Lord for the tiniest things: snow flakes, flowers, and animals...everything that you have created you have also given us the capacity to delight in them.

Thank you God for eternity. Thank you for the place You have prepared for those of us who are your children. Thank you in advance for the work you have prepared for me for all eternity. Though I shall enter Your final rest, I shall not have to be idle...You will continue to teach me, to use me, and to love me forever and ever....what small, inadequate words, but thank You my Sovereign Lord, Lover of my soul, God of my heart * whisper, again, thanks*

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

I'm Forever Grateful

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:26:33 GMT

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever!

You did not wait for me
to draw near to You
But You clothed Yourself
with frail humanity
You did not wait for me
to cry out to You
But You let me hear Your Voice
calling me
And I'm Forever Grateful to You
I'm Forever Grateful for The Cross
I'm Forever Grateful to You
That You came to seek and save the lost

(repeat all)

That You came to seek and save the lost

That lost one was me. I want to give Him thanks and praise for His mercy and grace!

As some of you may know, I am continually exhorting myself and others to be thankful.

Thankfulness heals. When we are hurt because of some slight or an insult from someone, be thankful that your worth is in God's love and acceptance of you when he made you His son. The other person may not see you as God sees you...but whose estimation do you value most? When He calls you His beloved son in whom He is pleased, is that not greater than the acclamation of any man?

Thankfulness restores. When we've made a mess of our lives and ruined our relationships with others, God will forgive and not turn us away in our repentant pleas. We can get up from our knees rejoicing that no longer are we to feel distant from Him. Being forgiven means that we can risk the disbelief of others as we ask their forgiveness. Whether or not they can forgive and forget, we know that our Father does.

Thankfulness brings peace. Looking at what others have whether it is more than we have or less, will not bring peace. Maybe we don't feel like rejoicing when others rejoice. If we are angry because of their good fortune and believe that they don't deserve it, aren't we jeopardizing our own lot? What of those who have less than we do? Do we want them to have no peace or joy because we have more? If so, we would be better off to become the poorest of the poor.

Thankfulness brings joy! Look at the song above. God does not wait until we are worthy before He makes His move to save us. God does not withhold any good thing from us. He knows us intimately. His desire is for us. He loves us.

Isn't ingratitude a beggarly thing?

Hired Servant or Beloved Son?

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:33:26 GMT

" O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

This is the end of the recorded conversation Jesus had with His Father just before the betrayal of Judas. He and the Father had brought events to the climax. The plan of God to make His family one - those who believe becoming the sons of God, though already settled in heaven was about to be enacted on earth.

Earlier, Jesus had told the story that we all know as the "Parable of the Lost Son:"

“There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him....

The son's plan to forfeit his sonship and become as a hired servant to his father was futile. The father could no more listen to that speech than cut off his own arm. Though his son had sinned (as the son admitted to himself) the father knows that this is his son and still an heir and still very much loved... he "kissed him."

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God." (Galatians 4: 4-7)

Henri Nouwen, in his book "The Return of the Prodigal Son," (Doubleday, 1992, p.53) says:

"One of the greatest challenges of the spiritual life is to receive God's forgiveness. There is something in us humans that keeps us clinging to our sins and prevents us from letting God erase our past and offer us a completely new beginning. Sometimes it even seems as though I want to prove to God that my darkness is too great to overcome. While God wants to restore me to the full dignity of sonship, I keep insisting that I will settle for being a hired servant. But do I truly want to be restored to the full responsibility of the son? Do I truly want to be so totally forgiven that a completely new way of living becomes possible? Do I trust myself and such a radical reclamation? Do I want to break away from my deep-rooted rebellion against God and surrender myself so absolutely to God's love that a new person can emerge? Receiving forgiveness requires a total willingness to let God be God and do all the healing, restoring, and renewing. As long as I want to do even a part of that myself, I end up with partial solutions, such as becoming a hired servant. As a hired servant, I can still keep my distance, still revolt, reject, strike, run away, or complain about my pay. As the beloved son, I have to claim my full dignity..."

There is an insight in this paragraph as to why the legalists - in fact all of us find some comfort in retaining some "control" over the process of our salvation, sanctification, and glorification. It is not about gratitude to God for saving us that is the underlying motive. It's about MY sovereignty, MY free will, MY autonomy. It's plain UGLY!! What we are willing to settle for is "filthy rags" instead of the robe of His righteousness, a cheap paste imitation jewel instead of the ring of Sonship, a mess of pottage instead of the rich food of the wedding feast!

Is God having that? Is he leaving it all up to us to determine what shall be the result of His work? No! Read on:

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

The Older Son

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:21:54 GMT

Recently I wrote about how our Father is a prodigal Father...that is He gives lavishly and does not withhold any good thing from us. So much has been written about that particular family, that I almost hesitate to write more...almost. The younger son has been the target of many a sermon on repentance and on the Father's joy at the son's return. This time, I had a thought about the older son that I wanted to share.

The older son sounds to us like a sourpuss. We scarcely give him any notice. We watch him go off to himself while the festivities are going on, refusing to rejoice over his brother's return. He is still muttering to himself - maybe even throwing things around in his anger over the unfairness of it all. The father listens, sympathetic and caring. He reassures this angry young man that he loves him and hasn't forgotten his faithful service to the family. The father even reaffirms the older son's inheritance - (all that I have is yours).

The thought that I wanted to share in regard to this story is about joy. I don't mean just the joy he should have had because the father was SO overjoyed and shedding tears (maybe even dancing for joy). It is obvious from his remarks that SURELY isn't joyful that the younger brother is having gifts lavished on him. "Look how dirty he is. I wouldn't put a fine robe like that on a filthy beggar like him." (I'm reading his thoughts here) The joy I am thinking of is that joy he should have been having all of his life.

Even though we have probably not thought much about that older son except for what I have noted above, if we stop to think about it, this son had a pretty good life. It may not seem that way because he tries to make a case about how hard he had worked (and never got a party). The family seems to be well off. They have hired servants, and even they have a pretty good life. The father is a loving, caring father. All day every day this son worked for the family, building a rich inheritance for himself (sort of storing up treasures in heaven). He sat at the table with his dad and probably ate heartily - all he could hold. He had a nice bed to sleep in each night. And there probably were some parties and fun, I mean, really was it such a dull and lifeless existence? I doubt it.

Which brings me to my little point. I suggest that he probably forgot to be thankful...the family farm was coming to him without payment. How this applies to us, is pretty obvious. We may not live as luxurious a life as this son did, but we have a loving Father who freely gives us forgiveness for our indiscretions (sins, plainly). God also has promised us the richest inheritance - beyond our imagination. He is with us "whithersoever" we go. He protects us from our Enemy. He gives us strength as the day requires. And most of all He loves us with an unfathomable love always. Are we like the older brother? Do we take all these things for granted? When another brother or sister is blessed or given recognition or succeeds where we have failed, do we still rejoice with them. Do we breathe a prayer of thanks just because? Do we have that joy that a child of the Most High God, Sovereign King of all creation should have.... Even more, do we express our joy? If we were to get what we deserve....well, I'm sure we don't want that!

It All Starts With a Dream

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:09:53 GMT

This is my dream. I've been told that it is the place to start - a dream. It would be more dramatic if I could honestly say that this dream came to me while I was sleeping. Actually, it has been coming to me in bits and pieces, over time, taking a shape that I could not even visualize until just now.

In my dream, the scenery is very much like what I have been seeing in my "real" life. The people - many of them - look very familiar. I want to call out their names, but I'm not sure that they would respond. I mean - could these be the people that they look like to me? This looks like the world I am accustomed to living in, but there is one notable exception: There is a sweetness in the air...a gladness...a quietness...a confidence. God is present here. But, I thought that God has always been here - everywhere, all of the time. At this time, it is special. God is here, and we are rejoicing - some more inwardly, quietly smiling to themselves - some dancing and singing gleefully. This is the day that the Lord has made, and we are rejoicing and glad.

The reason that everything is so much different from the "normal" is the Joy of the Lord. The ECONOMY is no longer "tough." The PLANET is no longer in danger from the excesses of man. The DROUGHT is over. But wait, this is not heaven -yet. This is the same world that it was before I began dreaming this dream. Now, though (in my dream) God is regarded as sovereign. His Word is regarded as true. The Holy Spirit holds sway in the hearts of believers....That's it. Believers are truly believers. They trust in the power of God to save and keep them forever. They no longer have to toil under the disapproving eye of a God who will reject them at the slightest provocation. God's children serve their Lord with gladness. They come before His presence with singing. They trust in the Lord and do not depend on their own understanding. In everything, they glorify God and give thanks to Him.

How did all of this come about? Well in the first place, the circumstances of life: the economy, the environment, the weather, etc. have not changed one iota....What has happened is that believers have become BELIEVERS. They no longer work to gain favor with the Lord. They want to bear one another's burdens. While it is true that they are the same people in my dream...born again, but not yet in their glorified immortal bodies, the difference is that they are led by the Spirit AND filled with the Spirit afresh every day. They are coming to the well for the Living Water to be refreshed. They are being washed daily with the water of the Word. They are living in the Joy of the Lord and that is their strength and stability.

This dream is only a shadow of the joys of living in Heaven with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Because there will be no sin there. God will walk about among us and we with Him. I believe that God has given some of us this dream because it is possible for the brethren to live in peace, worshiping the One who is worthy to be praised. It is impossible for US to live the Christian life. Christ is our life. Our security, our assurance, our ability, our joy is in knowing that!

Come let us bow down and worship Him. Let us adore Him and praise Him, and yes, let us enjoy Him! There is no need to "wake up" from this dream. The world needs to know that Christ is real and that KNOWING and serving Him is wonderful and joyful!

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:06:29 GMT

Dear Daughter,

My Love, do you remember how I used to sing "You Are My Special Angel" to you? You know now that I am in heaven among the angels and saints of time past. I'm sure you miss me and are thinking about the days we spent together as you were growing up. You and I never tired of boring the others with our funny stories about each other. It seems that those old stories are so precious - ridiculous, though they may be.

As I write this letter, I am both happy and sad. I am happy thinking about being with Jesus as you read this , and I am sad that I can no longer be there in person for you.

You know that I love you with all my heart, but you also know how my heart was broken over the breakup of your marriage and the events following. Your rebellion against the authority of God and his will for you led to your having made choices that thoroughly shocked and deeply saddened me. Although I could never accept the choices you made, I still have hope that you will return to God.

When you were only six years old, you told me that you wanted to be a Christian like me...How I rejoiced in your little prayer of faith! The next Sunday in church you handed me the little note that said:

Honey, you became His child back then, and you still are His child today.

Do you know how it grieves the Holy Spirit for you to deny your faith and your identity? God did not make you what you pretend to be now. (You know what I mean.) No matter how many people you surround yourself with who "comfort" you and support you and assure you that you are "just being who you are," will not change God's plan and design for you. God made you His little girl (now a woman) and He made you a gift to me, my little girl.

I am afraid for you. Not afraid I won't see you here with me, but that you will deeply regret those whom you have led to follow you in this folly. In addition to that. you are forfeiting a beautiful, holy relationship with your Lord who loves you far more than any other person ever could.

Your sin, though extremely grievous, is not greater than mine, nor is it greater than the blood of Christ which was shed for you. Jesus was made to be sin for you so that you could become the righteousness of God in Him. Don't you see how much He loves you?

My passing changes your life. You no longer have your earthly Dad to turn to. But you can still be Jesus' (is) child. It's time to face reality. The life you are living is a lie. The life Jesus gives is true Life. Honey, turn back now and forsake your waywardness. God is waiting to hear you call. He says:

"Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3)

My love, always,

Dad

A New Heart

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:05:10 GMT

Recently, I had a heart catheterization because of some symptoms I was having. The procedure showed that there was blockage in the arteries of my heart, but that it was not sufficient to require surgery. So my heart is still doing its job.

However, there was another examination done years previous to this on my old heart - the heart that is the core of my being. This heart was tried and found to be full of sin and was hardened against God . I had to receive a new heart if I was ever going to please Him and fulfill the purpose for which I was made. Just the other day, someone asked me about the new heart God had given me, and what I had to do in order to get it. The following is from the answer that I gave:

This question you asked is central to all that I am now and how I can know God personally. And by the way, it is the reason I seek to know Him even better.

In the Bible in Jeremiah chapter 17 vs. 9 God says: "The heart (of man) is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" [Of course it is God who knows how wicked we are - how much we rebel against our God and how selfish and sinful our desires are.]

When God speaks of the "heart," he is referring to the innermost being of man. The heart is not just the organ that pumps blood, but it is who and what we are inside. All that we are is centered in the heart. God says that inside we are wicked. We want what we want and nobody is going to stop us from getting it. This is what sin is: going against God and all He has made us to be. No matter how much "good" we do, it is not enough to measure up to the goodness that God made us to have. Doing some "good" does not take away that wickedness in our heart.

There is only one remedy for the tendency toward wickedness and that has to come from God Himself. On the cross Christ suffered for the ungodly (us). Even though He never sinned, He willingly paid the penalty for our sin, [and that penalty is death] so that we could have a new heart - a new nature. Since our sin is forgiven, God is able to make us new creatures when we accept (believe) that Christ died for our sin and was raised from the dead.

In Ezekiel chapter 11 vs. 19, God says: "...I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony (wicked) heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh."

In Ezekiel chapter 18 vs. 33&32 He says: "Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit, For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies, says the Lord God Therefore turn and live."

So when we acknowledge that we are sinners (and we all are) and turn from our sins and turn to Christ, accepting that He had to die in order to change us and cleanse us from sin, God gives us that new heart and new spirit. We then become God's child.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 5 vs.17: Therefore if anyone is in Christ (believing, trusting)he is a new creation: old things have passed away; behold all things have become new. (including our heart)

This is what happened to me. It was how God gave me a new heart. No amount of trying or doing "good" things would ever have been enough for God to have given me this new heart. This new heart is a gift (known as grace - something that we don't deserve and cannot earn) This new heart is mine forever. I am now a son of God by faith in His Son.

Even though I am not perfect in the flesh, the new me, the reborn son of God is perfect. In 2 Corinthians chapter 5 vs. 21, God sums it all up: "For He made Him (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him."

My physical heart is getting old. I will not live after my physical heart dies, but I will go to be with my Father God forever because of what Jesus Christ did in my behalf. The reason I took so much pains to explain this is because I want anyone reading this to know that nothing I have done (or kept from doing) is responsible for the right standing I have with God. It is all of Him for His glory - I am now and forever will be grateful for His love for me.

I hope that this answers your question. If you haven't received a new heart from God, you can, in the same way I did: by faith in Christ plus nothing. I hope you are a new creation in Christ or will very soon become one.

Letter to My Son

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:10:11 GMT

Son

I have written this letter to you so that I could speak to you one more time. All the things we should have said to each other we can no longer say. I know you love me and I love you too. Right now, I am present with the Lord since I am absent from my body. Since I have written this before leaving, I am not sure how much I can see of your life now. One thing you can be sure of and that is that nothing I have ever done – no matter how well or how poorly I have lived – has given me the right to be with the Lord . It has all been because of Him, His sacrifice for me paying the debt I owed. When I first trusted Him as my Savior, I thought in my heart to live only for Him. As the years went by, I found that I could not keep all my promises to Him. I was not constant and true in my love for Him. I felt ashamed and unworthy and weak in my faith. It was at that time that He assured me of His love for me and became my Lord, my Rock, and my Strength. Christ had forgiven me all my sin - past, present, and future and had given me eternal life. The more I realized that, the more I knew that my righteousness was not based on the life I had lived but on the Life that He gave for me.

You’re wondering why I am saying all this, aren’t you? Well, I know that you don’t feel that you are worthy of His salvation either. Take heart. If you feel that way, it could be His voice calling you once again to return to Him. He has never left you. That was His promise at the time you first trusted Him. It is still His promise to you.

You have adopted a life style of live and let live. You have shared with me that you want to enjoy the life you have. That is a good way of giving thanks to God for that life. But He wants you to share and enjoy the abundant life. He is your life. That’s why you sometimes feel that you have to explain to others why you don’t acknowledge Him or go to church or lead your family in faith. You know full well the consequences that others face if they ignore His gift of salvation. You can be an influence for God even after all this time. Your friends and family all need Christ. It is the most important principle of life – to obey the gospel and the great commandment to make disciples. You have been gifted in so many ways. I implore you, Son, put those gifts to use for God.

I will see you here with me some day. We will have some real good times together, you and I. Maybe there will be a bowling alley...and I think a chess board or two. Most of all our conversation will be about the Savior who walked all the way with us so that we could be with Him and with each other. Until that day, I will wait eagerly to see you.

Dad

Life With The Shepherd of My Soul

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:24:33 GMT

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

"But Lord, I can't lie around forever. There is so much to do! I mean, these still waters are beautiful, but what about the River of Life?

Yes, Lord, I know you must restore my soul...I was lost, but now I'm found. Thank you, my dear Lord.

OK. You want to do the leading? I wouldn't stray off the right path and disgrace you for anything, You know that. Oh, I see, as long as You are leading that won't happen. You could not lead me astray. Well, I DO want to honor and glorify you, Lord.

Yes, Lord, I do feel much safer because of your rod and staff. You love me, so you keep on teaching me and bringing me in line before I get into trouble. And your rod can keep the wolves at bay. It doesn't matter whether I am in the valley or on the hillside. You are there!
You are not ashamed to call me Your child. You purposely chose me and anointed me to take Your gospel to the whole world. You are my food and drink, you sustain the Life You have given me. It's been all of You! And the more I walk with You, the more I realize that this is the abundant Life you promised! It is too wonderful for words!

I am Yours for all eternity. You will NEVER leave me or forsake me. I will always be with you in Your house! How I love You, Lord Jesus

Life With The Shepherd of My Soul

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:18:19 GMT

Yes, Lord, I know you must restore my soul...I was lost, but now I'm found. Thank you, my dear Lord.