"S: Psalms 77:8-12 (AMP) 8 Have His mercy and loving-kindness ceased forever? Have His promises ended for all time? 9 Has God [deliberately] abandoned or forgotten His graciousness? Has He in anger shut up His compassion? Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 11 I will [earnestly] recall the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will [earnestly] remember the wonders [You performed for our fathers] of old. 12 I will meditate also upon all Your works and consider all Your [mighty] deeds. "
O: The Psalmist verbalizes how he feels about all his problems. His perception is that there is distance between him and God. But he earnestly , seriously, intentionally recalls God's deeds.
A: I need to seriously, intentionally recall God's deeds on a daily basis. Not only what he has done as recorded in the Bible, but what he has done in my life already, and what he has promised he will do. (Conform me to Christ's image)
P: Lord, I praise you for all that you have done. When I saw all the details of the Easter story yesterday I marveled. You made sure that every prophecy was fulfilled in you. You made sure that the stone was removed. You made sure that many people saw you after you arose. You made sure that women too were seen by you. You made sure that these eyewitness accounts were written in our Bible. You made sure that your church would continue for 2000 years, so that I could hear the Gospel and come to faith in you. Lord, I praise you as the blessed controller of all things. You're plan of salvation is flawless, simple, and yet completely profound. It doesn't violate any part of your character. Lord, thank you for coming to earth, dying on the cross, sending your spirit to convict me of sin, and drawing me to yourself.
Title: "Reestablish a Close Relationship" Mentor: Paul
S: 2 Corinthians 5:18 "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."
O: Paul was talking about Heaven and our earthly bodies being swallowed up by life and new bodies, not just a spirit in heaven. He then moves into how we get these bodies is through being reconciled to God through Christ. To be reconciled means to "reestablish a close relationship between". Paul uses reconciled or reconciliation four times in this short passage. God wants to reestablish a CLOSE relationship, not just a relationship. Once enemies, now CLOSE friends.
A: God wants an intimate relationship with me. Closer than any human relationship can be. I have offended him in every way, spit in his face and through Jesus he says, "I want you to be very close to me". I need to be an ambassador for Christ, spreading this wonderful news. I need to be about reconciliation with man as well, not counting peoples offenses against me.
P: Jesus, you took the nails so that we could be friends of God. Reconciliation wasn't free, it came at a great expense. May I be about spreading this beautiful message of reconciliation "to reestablish a close relationship between". Help me to be reconciled to those around me whom I feel have offended me. IJN, Amen
Times of Trouble
ReplyDelete"S: Psalms 77:8-12 (AMP)
8 Have His mercy and loving-kindness ceased forever? Have His promises ended for all time?
9 Has God [deliberately] abandoned or forgotten His graciousness? Has He in anger shut up His compassion? Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
11 I will [earnestly] recall the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will [earnestly] remember the wonders [You performed for our fathers] of old.
12 I will meditate also upon all Your works and consider all Your [mighty] deeds. "
O: The Psalmist verbalizes how he feels about all his problems. His perception is that there is distance between him and God. But he earnestly , seriously, intentionally recalls God's deeds.
A: I need to seriously, intentionally recall God's deeds on a daily basis. Not only what he has done as recorded in the Bible, but what he has done in my life already, and what he has promised he will do. (Conform me to Christ's image)
P: Lord, I praise you for all that you have done. When I saw all the details of the Easter story yesterday I marveled. You made sure that every prophecy was fulfilled in you. You made sure that the stone was removed. You made sure that many people saw you after you arose. You made sure that women too were seen by you. You made sure that these eyewitness accounts were written in our Bible. You made sure that your church would continue for 2000 years, so that I could hear the Gospel and come to faith in you. Lord, I praise you as the blessed controller of all things. You're plan of salvation is flawless, simple, and yet completely profound. It doesn't violate any part of your character. Lord, thank you for coming to earth, dying on the cross, sending your spirit to convict me of sin, and drawing me to yourself.
Title: "Reestablish a Close Relationship"
ReplyDeleteMentor: Paul
S: 2 Corinthians 5:18 "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."
O: Paul was talking about Heaven and our earthly bodies being swallowed up by life and new bodies, not just a spirit in heaven. He then moves into how we get these bodies is through being reconciled to God through Christ. To be reconciled means to "reestablish a close relationship between". Paul uses reconciled or reconciliation four times in this short passage. God wants to reestablish a CLOSE relationship, not just a relationship. Once enemies, now CLOSE friends.
A: God wants an intimate relationship with me. Closer than any human relationship can be. I have offended him in every way, spit in his face and through Jesus he says, "I want you to be very close to me". I need to be an ambassador for Christ, spreading this wonderful news. I need to be about reconciliation with man as well, not counting peoples offenses against me.
P: Jesus, you took the nails so that we could be friends of God. Reconciliation wasn't free, it came at a great expense. May I be about spreading this beautiful message of reconciliation "to reestablish a close relationship between". Help me to be reconciled to those around me whom I feel have offended me. IJN, Amen
Title: "Live to Please Jesus"
ReplyDeleteMentor: Paul
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:9 "Our only goal is to please God. We want to please Him whether we live here or there"
Observe: Paul is saying no matter where we are or what we are doing we should live to please God.
Apply: When I do Taekwondo, swimming or piano I should be trying to please God.
Prayer: Dear God, help me to please you in whatever I do or wherever I go.