THANKSGIVING

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CHRIST’S VICTORY OVER SATAN

 Screen Shot 2016-01-28 at 12.22.50 PM…FATHER, satan began his spiritual war with mankind by deceiving Eve, but his beginning was his end. As soon as the devil revealed himself, You, FATHER, prophesied his demise.

“I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your descendants and her descendants will be enemies. One of her descendants will crush your head, and you will bite his heel” (Gen 3:15 NCV).

“Christ baffled Satan’s temptations, rescued souls out of his hands, cast him out of the bodies of people…by his death, he gave a fatal and incurable blow to the devil’s kingdom, a wound to the head of this beast, that can never be healed” Matthew Henry (ref#18, [Gen 3:14-15]).

You, FATHER, established a perpetual overthrow of the devil and will shortly cast him into the lake of fire where he will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev 20:10). Praise to You, FATHER, for overwhelmingly assuring me that You were, are, and always will be in complete control of my arch enemy.

CONFESSION

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GOD IS BOTH JUST AND JUSTIFIER

Screen Shot 2016-01-28 at 12.15.28 PMWhat do I do with my guilt? FATHER, I am to be perfect as You are perfect (Matt 5:48)! Since I was born in Your image (Gen 1:26) the deepest desire of my heart is to live with You, but I don’t do the things I know I should do (Rom 7:15). I disappoint and have no ability to clear my own name before You (Rom 3:23). I just can’t always do what I know is right—sometimes I can, but not all the time. And You demand that I be perfect… (Matt 5:48).

But, what I could not do, You did (Isa 52:10).   Since You require justice, You, Yourself, must be the justifier (Rom 3:26). And this You did, all on Your own, without any help from me. So, You are both just and the One who brings justice.

Even though I am a sinner (Rom 5:8), You confer—You reckon—You count me as righteous (Rom 4:22). You consider me righteous when I am a sinner. You pronounce sinners righteous! You don’t change me so I am righteous, but You “pronounce” me righteous.

FATHER, You give the free gift of a right standing before You because of what Your Son JESUS did. I am drawn into Your favor because You have accepted the blood of Your Son in His death to soothe Your anger for all my sins—past, present, and future (Rom 3:25).

CHRIST’s dying on the cross does not automatically defuse Your anger toward every sinner.   You confer righteousness only upon sinners who support Your way of reconciliation—who believe CHRIST provides the only way to make peace with You—in contrast to believing that any efforts on my part has any power at all for my justification (Rom 3:28).

“Sinful men and women can be changed into new creatures, not by their repentance or their belief, but by the marvelous work of God in Christ Jesus which is prior to all experience…I am not saved by believing; I realize I am saved by believing. It is not repentance that saves me, repentance is the sign that I realize what God has done in Christ Jesus. The danger is to put the emphasis on the effect instead of on the cause” (ref#7, Oct 28th).

ADORATION

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Prayer Facts:

Screen Shot 2016-01-28 at 12.08.08 PM“Conformity, to live one with God, is a far higher and more divine life than to live simply in submission to God. To pray in conformity—together with God—is a far higher and more divine way to pray than mere submission” (ref#54, p51,52).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because in CHRIST I have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of my trespasses (Eph 1:7), therefore I will wait for You.

Because in CHRIST I am set free from the law of sin and death and given the law of the Spirit of life (Rom 8:2), therefore I will wait for You.

Because in CHRIST I am a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Cor 5:17), therefore I will wait for You.

Because in CHRIST neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from His love (Rom 8:38,39), therefore I will wait for You.

VALLEYS TO MOUNTAINTOPS

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BLOGGING ON THE SABBATH

Screen Shot 2016-01-28 at 11.55.30 AMWas reading about the Sabbath on the Sabbath—particularly GOD speaking to the Israelites about manna:

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day…On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily’” (Ex 16:4-5 ESV).

“…The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days…” (Ex 16:29 ESV).

“This pattern embodies trust in the Lord’s provision for something Israel has no part in producing; later, when Israel has settled in the land and is depending more on its own labor, the regular Sabbath rest will be seen as an expression of divine mercy” ESV Study Bible (ref#125, p171, [Ex 16:22-30]).

“… the manna’s condition is controlled, as their lives should be, by the word of the Lord (see v.28)” ESV Study Bible (ref#125, p171, [Ex 16:24]).

The whole manna thing was to test them to see if they would trust GOD. It corresponds to the words we have in the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.” GOD wants no storing up and forgetting who provides daily for us.

All this reminds me again that the LORD creates my circumstances and is able and willing to walk me through every one of them. Everything everyday I need He provides and all I have to do is trust Him.

So, like the Israelites, the LORD provides for my Sabbath! He has plans for me. Therefore, honoring the Sabbath is not so much about what I do on the day but who I trust and follow as each hour goes by.

Part of my weekday work is writing a blog. But, here I am sitting at my desk writing this on Sunday. Am I keeping the Sabbath holy? Well, I feel that the SPIRIT of GOD is putting words in my head and that always prompts me to come to the computer and write them down. I feel I’m following the LORD and trusting Him in this situation. But, am I? Maybe if I would resist getting His words in print today He would bring them to my memory on a weekday. Maybe I’m writing so I can have something good to post. Yes, maybe I’m taking GOD’s goodness and giving glory to myself and not Him. I could easily persuade myself to close this computer. The logic of law tells me that I should not do weekday work on Sunday. So, do I have a catch in my spirit about what I’m doing right now?

Actually, no. First, one thing I’ve learned is that when the SPIRIT is speaking I need to write it down immediately. His thoughts are foreign to my thoughts therefore I have no affinity to remember them therefore I must write them down. And, I have never had Him repeat Himself. Obviously, for me at least, if I take His words lightly by not writing them I grieve Him. And, secondly, if I don’t act immediately on His prompts He immediately leaves.

Today He has illuminated the passage of Scripture about manna and I must follow Him as He teaches me. I have no self-gratifying motives. I simply delight to do the will of my FATHER (Ps 40:8). For me this activity is perfect. For me today this work like my weekday work is a Sabbath rest.

NOTE: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day…” (Rev 1:10 ESV). I am glad the Apostle John allowed himself to write on the Sabbath otherwise he would not have penned the book of Revelation.

 

SABBATH

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SATURDAY EVENING WORSHIP: SUNDAY EVENING WORSHIP

Let’s start with the one established in the 1520’s. “Until recent decades, the second service was an essential part of the Lord’s Day observance…” Jon D. Payne (ref#170). More meetings were established on Sunday so Christians would hear more of the Word of GOD.

“Having not one but two (and sometimes three) public services on the Lord’s Day reinforces belief in the power, efficacy, and sufficiency of the ordinary means of grace to save, sanctify, and comfort God’s elect. On the sacred day that God set apart for sacred worship and the building up of his church, why wouldn’t we want more—rather than less—preaching, singing of the psalms and hymns, prayer, participation in the sacraments, and corporate worship and fellowship” Jon D. Payne (ref#170)?

“By attending morning and evening worship…We will hear an additional fifty-two carefully prepared expository sermons,…sing hundreds more psalms and hymns, and pray myriad more prayers” Jon D. Payne (ref#170).

“Faithful attendance to both morning and evening worship bookends this special day with God-centered worship and helps us not to turn the rest of the Lord’s Day into something God never intended. Evening worship guards the Lord’s Day from becoming just like any other day of the week” Jon D. Payne (ref#170).

***

So, what about the Saturday evening service? How can we have the audacity to offer a Lord’s-Day service on Saturday? We can because JESUS CHRIST is Lord of the Sabbath.

“If Jesus were here today, he would say something like this: ‘If priests in the temple and pastors in the Christian church are permitted to work 16 hours on the usual day of rest, then the saints are permitted to worship one hour the day before. The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath. Come, learn what it means, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’

“He would send us to consult the words of his apostle in Romans 14:5, ‘One man judges one day above another, while another man judges all days alike. Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind.’ We can take this to imply that some think that all days qualify for the Sabbath. Some think that only Saturday qualifies. Others only Sunday. Do not condemn one another over these disagreements. Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind” John Piper (ref#169).

If you attend Saturday night services, are you fully convinced in your own mind that this is the service you should attend? Remember, if you think it is a sin, it is a sin (James 4:17). John Piper, the author of the last quote also says, Saturday worship is NOT a replacement for Sunday Sabbath keeping (ref#169).

SUPPLICATION

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GENERAL TRIBULATION

[We all can think of a Christian sister or brother experiencing so much affliction they may not be able to pray for themselves. Here’s an opportunity to pray for them. Fill their name in the blanks.]

REASONS FOR AFFLICTION – TO TEST FAITH

Screen Shot 2016-01-28 at 9.47.30 AM…FATHER, I know that it is necessary ____ be grieved by various trials so the genuineness of (his/her) faith may be tested (1 Pet 1:6-7). It is (his/her) faith that You will have on display as evidence of CHRIST’s victory (1 Pet 1:7).

Because of this, FATHER, may ____ understand that all Your providences to (him/her) are doors to trial.

“Even our mercies, like roses, have their thorns. Men may be drowned in seas of prosperity as well as in rivers of affliction. Our mountains are not too high and our valleys are not too low for temptations; trials lurk on all roads” Charles Spurgeon (ref#34, Sept 3rd PM).

Do not screen ____ from the trials by which faith is strengthened (ref#34, Sept 3rd PM). SOVEREIGN MASTER, allow the “beast” to wage war against (him/her) and conquer (him/her) (Rev 13:7) so (he/she) has opportunity to endure persecution patiently and remain faithful (Rev 13:10).

“…our pain and losses are always a test of how much we treasure the all-wise, all-governing God in comparison to what we have lost….God ordains the hard  times…to see if we have made a god out of our good times” John Piper (ref#124, p112).

FATHER, guide ____ through the tests of faith. May (he/she) be content “without the promise of any benefits in this life” Charles Spurgeon (ref#34, Jan 22nd PM) and, by faith, long for the eternal things (ref#34, Jan 22nd PM).

 O GOD, help (him/her) keep Your commandments and maintain (his/her) faith in JESUS (Rev 14:12). But also, when saddled with trials, remind (him/her) to expect Your blessings (James 1:12).

THANKSGIVING

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IMPERCEPTIBLE

Screen Shot 2016-01-28 at 9.39.27 AMYour throne, FATHER, is established from of old (Ps 93:2).

You are immeasurable—

“without…bounds”—illimitable (ref#110, p672).

You are not translatable (ref#110, p1453).

 

You are from everlasting (Ps 93:2)—

immutable and consistent.

You are changeless (ref#110, p234)

and no one can restrain You (ref#110, p1462).

 

You are the King of ages—immortal, invisible (1 Tim 1:17).

You are not limited or restricted (ref#110, p1162).

You are imperceptible and indiscernible (ref#110, p688)

and no one can hold You back (ref#110, p1162).

 

To You be honor and glory forever (1 Tim 1:17).

As You are impenetrable (ref#110, p676),

unfathomable and inscrutable (ref#110, p676, 698),

undecipherable and mysterious (ref#110, p1453, 698).

CONFESSION

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TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY

Screen Shot 2016-01-28 at 9.30.40 AM…FATHER, a blade of grass fulfills its created purpose—it is a praise to Your glory. You intend Your “grace and power and other perfections should…become conspicuous and illustrious” Matthew Henry (ref#18, [Eph 1:3-14]). And Your intention is that I magnify You (ref #18, [Eph 1:3-14]).

Praise is ascribed to You for the salvation You have granted to me (ref#16, [Eph 1:12]). When I let You work through me, You get the praise. All I have to do is follow You where You place me. FATHER, prevent me from placing myself (ref#83, p51).

I am tempted to ask You to help me be like CHRIST thinking others will see the goodness of You in me and praise You. But this is just a prideful request from my self-exalting nature. Another prideful request is for You to help me become more passionate for souls, but concentrating on saving souls is just religious commercialism (ref#83, p51).

Again, all I have to do is to follow You where You place me. When I am following You it will be a matter of indifference whether You put me in the spotlight or back stage. As long as I’m following You I can be unfairly accused or even be proven a failure without any irritation on my part (ref#83, p51).

CHRIST was a praise to Your glory. But, He was not obedient to His needs or the needs of men but obedient to Your will. Because of it, He was a ‘stone of stumbling’ to many people and I will be a ‘stone of stumbling’ by following Him (ref#83, p50-51).

Move me to realize that You have to be followed, I cannot clutch visions of grandeur that I become a beautiful specimen in Your showcase. I will reflect honor to You when I follow You in the mundane circumstances of life. (ref#83, p 53).

How difficult is following? FATHER, help me keep it simple. When I begin to question which way to go, sin has complicated my walk. Sin urges me to involve myself in activities that go beyond Your wishes and my abilities. The sin in me desires to do great spiritual things—things that will wear me out and make me frustrated and sad. Urge me to keep it simple and just walk behind You for the praise of Your glory.

ADORATION

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CHRIST’S PROVISIONS

Screen Shot 2016-01-28 at 9.23.26 AM “Thy throne of grace

is the pleasure ground of my soul

Here I obtain mercy in time of need,

Here see the smile of thy reconciled face,…” (ref#76, p150).

FATHER, without CHRIST, You would consume me. But, through Him I have access to You. By Him I receive the ability to fellowship with You. And the affect of that reconciliation is that I’m no longer hostile to You but now have the ability to speak and listen to You peaceably (ref#15, [Rom 5:11]). CHRIST provided this mercy to me by His death—reconciling me to You by the doctrines which He taught and by His intercession in heaven by which I can approach You through Him in His name (ref#16, [Eph 2:18]).

It is CHRIST that gives me an understanding of who You are (1 John 5:20) (ref#35, p217). CHRIST is the One who acquaints me with Your love and kindness, and patience, grace and pardoning mercy. CHRIST is the medium that supports all communication between You and me (John 14:6). Not only do I get to know You through CHRIST, but through CHRIST flows all my returns of love and delight back to You (ref#35, p218).

O LORD, constrain me from taking any steps toward You without CHRIST. For though CHRIST’s work allows me to walk with You, FATHER, I have nothing in common with You. I am darkness; You are light. Remind me again that without CHRIST I would be like dry straw and You a consuming fire. It would be disastrous to approach You without affirming an agreement with You by CHRIST’s blood (ref#35, p216).

FATHER, still me now that I may take in Your provided provisions given to me in CHRIST. Make it my delight to learn more and more of Your gifts through Him.

VALLEYS TO MOUNTAINTOPS

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GOD’S WILL IN THE MIDST OF MY PRIDE

1/16/2016

Screen Shot 2016-01-28 at 9.05.33 AM“Sometimes God closes doors because it’s time to MOVE forward. He knows you won’t move unless your circumstances force you.” Tiffany Johnson

Because I have put so much pressure on myself with this learning how to keep the Sabbath holy and through blogging have the world as my accountability partner, I have been spending more time waiting before the LORD. And because of it GOD has been speaking much to me. The SPIRIT shows up more often and I am getting a fuller sense of the magnitude of the Person of CHRIST.

However, the reality is the troughs of pride have put me where I am. I want to do good in front of the whole world, therefore I’m in His presence more.

He arranges circumstances to make me commit. He backs me into a corner and I decide to be obedient to save face. The reason I pursue His will is never noble.

Left to myself I would not pursue anything spiritual. It’s a word picture of GOD dragging me backward by the hair and me digging in my heels. Yet, in this very position I accomplish His will. Does this example leave any doubt that I can do nothing spiritually and GOD must do it all?!