Sacrifice of Praise Pleases Him

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15 My Precious Sisters in faith, I have been called back to Psalm 119 over and over this week. It is a dwelling place for a hungry heart! Provoking praise and wooing me to pray God's word back to Him. This Psalm is so personal and in your face, it calls you to go deep. Do not stop at wetting your toes and then turn away! Take a plunge. Read until a verse speaks to you and then own it. Paraphrase it and work to put it in your head. Focus on the meaning of the words and pray it daily for your and yours for a month. There is no more perfect prayer than to give God's word back to Him. He provided lavishly by giving us His written word and as this word is established in us it will produce reverence for Him (see 119:38) and indescribably more. Job considered the Word more important than his necessary food. Job 23:12 Fact: We are His delight. Talk about miraculous... the word says:  As for the saints (us) who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. Psalm 16:3 "The Lord's portion is His people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance." Deut 32:9  If you know anything about Jacob, you may think God definitely got the short end of the stick for His inheritance. We are talking heal-grabbing, deceitful, manipulative Jacob, who cheated his brother Esau out of his inheritance. God knew before hand that Jacob was a rascal and yet chose him to be His portion. Let this bathe you in Truth. God has chosen us! psalm 33:12  Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance. In the Old Testament Israel was chosen. In the New Testament, we who believe are chosen. (Eph 1:4) Heal grabbing, complaining, manipulating, pride-filled, sorry for ourself, disobedient believers. Unbelieving-believers. (Isn't that an oxymoron?) Yet we are God's portion! His alloted inheritance. The short end of the stick. These words go deep into my heart, over whelmed by the love of One who is good and compassionate. Even when life hurts I am rich in the faithful love of the One who is perfect. "As for God, His way is perfect." Psalm 18:30  Try replacing the words 'His way' in this verse and read it aloud with: 'His will', 'His plan', 'His timing', 'His peace', 'His purpose' etc.  Form the habit of using everything that  speaks of His presence to remind you of Him, and as you are so reminded, lift up your heart in loving adoration. 'Lord, I love Thee; I who am dust of Thy dust, I love Thee; I worship Thee; I adore Thee.' ac Oh that through out a day I would offer to Him the sacrifice of praise. What is the sacrifice of praise? God goes on to define it: 'the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.'  I think this relates back to verses 5-6 of this chapter. We can continually give thanks because He will never leave or forsake us. He is our Helper we do not have to be afraid. We choose with our 'will' to trust Him. A thankful spirit glorifies Him. If we are trusting Him we will have a grateful spirit! And for those who can sing like David, all the better! "The LORD is my strength and my shield;  My heart trusts in Him and I am helped;  Therefore my heart exults,  And with my song I shall thank Him."  Psalm 28:7 O, Exalted One, I come with praise to You, I am praying again Compassionate One, I want to honor You by a grateful life. Establish Your Word to me as that which produces reverence for You! May Your word have free course in my mind and heart that I might reflect the image of Your Son. I do not understand how I could be chosen to be your portion! Remind me that if I focus on the 'me' of this truth that it isn't about me, it is the truth of how great and unsearchable Your love truly is. I will never understand such Love as this, but I humbly thank you, Forgiving One. I pray Your gentle whisper of Love would accompany this email for each of my sisters. Lift them head and shoulders above all that would pull them down. Let encouragement surge through them as they seek You and they would take heart. As they look in the mirror remind them they are Your portion! Let it wow their heart... I pray in the name of the Holy Choosing One, who chose me. amen His portion, az

O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing

 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Heb 4:17

My precious Sisters who are called to die, 
Often, I am drawn to memorize a verse and do not realize at the time it is to strengthen me for a trial. At other times a trial draws me to a verse. In the first instance I am brought into an exercise of situation that I might learn Him. He uses circumstances to reveal who He is and who I am. Just as it occurred this week with Job 5:8-9 which I had been studying.

"But as for me, I would seek God,

 And I would place my cause before God; 

 Who does great and unsearchable things,

 Wonders without number.

I fought tears with each step I walked. Life hurts. I didn't deserve to be rejected or devalued. I grasped my 'sanity pack' of 3x5 cards in my hand. The card on top being the Job verses. As I read the words breathed life. I determined I would seek God and place my cause before Him. To 'place' was to "commit, give, lay down, heap up, bring." I heaped up my hurt before the throne of the compassionate One embracing grace and the opportunity to know more of Him.  I would not 'seek' to blame, or be understood or defend myself, instead I would 'seek' God.

The word 'seek' was to "tread, to worship: ask, care for diligently." Doesn't that just move your heart? We do not bring our cause before just any god. But in a spirit of worship we come to the living God who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number!! Just then a song was given to this non-singer! "O for a 1000 tongues to sing my ''great' Redeemers praise"... I sang and His Love lifted me. 

A critical remark was made in the hearing of a woman working at a hospital. An angry response flew to her lips in her own defense, but at that moment, she heard a word inwardly: "See in this, a chance to die." paraphrase from AC

This has practically impacted my understanding of dying to self, the flesh. See in this a chance to die...  to self, and the pride of defending myself,die to rejection or insult or misunderstanding. "See in anything"--  anything that arouses you to claim your rights or even consider them at all... a chance to die. A dead woman is a 'dead' woman.

But as for me, I would seek God.....

A crucified life cannot be self-assertive. It cannot protect itself, It cannot be startled into resentful words. The cup that is full of sweet water cannot spill bitter-tasting drops, however sharply it is knocked. AC

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20

That I may 'know' Him. Phil 3:10 intimately

Unsearchable One, I am in awe of You. I bow before You, Doer of Wonders without number. Carry me and enfold me near Your heart of Love. It is more than difficult to reconnoiter Your Holiness and power to speak billions of galaxies into being with the fact You indwell me!? Even more so, that You arrived through the birth canal and walked sorrow's sod and died in my place, all so I could be washed clean in Your blood and live.... forever!? Who are You Mighty One? I do not understand about Your Holiness or the relentless Love You lavish on me! You blow me away Breath of God. And to know that You pray for me and comfort me and cherish me... unexplainable, undeniable, unchangeable.... I am on my face before You precious, Holy One.

O for a 1000 tongues...

az

Glory!

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. II cor 4:17-18

Dear Sisters, who live in in the promise of His glory,                Sept 1, 2010

Faith stands on the Word of God apart from everyone and everything. When I am Spirit filled and walking by faith, my life is centered on the Lord Jesus as the Holy Spirit always draws the focus to Christ Jesus. 


when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth; "He will glorify Me,"
John 16:13-14


In an instant my heart can be detained by something here and my faith has an object to conquer. Is not the visible antagonistic to the invisible? I Thought of Eve in the garden... detained by food.... and she lost faith. I found how easily I am distracted as I 'defend myself' instead of trusting the LORD to be my defense or I allow the attitude or actions of another, determine my response. He has promised me strength to bring Him glory; instead I react in the flesh and occupied with the visible. Yet, He is the glory of my strength! Psalm 89:17 nas


Glory: sum total of all God is and does. Glory is not a separate attribute or characteristic such as holiness, wisdom or mercy.  Everything God is and does is characterized by glory. God's glory is eternal and without measure and He reveals His glory through creation.  


I was told to put the words "character and likeness of God" in place of the word "glory" in a verse, to better understand the meaning. I tried it in Romans 8:18 and have never forgotten the blessing of it.  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the character and likeness of God which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18


Wow! and there is more!  Also wondrous is the meaning of the word 'foreknow'! Listen to what set my heart dancing my sisters! 


Foreknow, foreknew, known, know: To set one's love on a person or persons in a personal way. 

For those whom He foreknew, (us) He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; Roman 8:29

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:14-15

I AM the good Shepherd; I have set My love on My own Arlene and she knows Me! I am always near protecting and providing for her.


The eternal God, the great 'I AM', the God of all glory and power has set His own personal love on me, a dumb sheep!! I am dancing! I walk in the Spirit and know His glory in and through me, that others may be drawn to my Savior. As I surrender, the Holy Spirit conforms me to the image of Christ. How can we not bring Him glory as we are transformed into His likeness? I need to remember I bring Christ with me everywhere I go and the look on my face expresses attitude even before I speak 


My Sisters, to know about Truth is a blessing. But there is much more... I want to challenge you to take it a step farther, study and memorize God's word. He will infuse Truth anew, warming your heart and fueling your soul with His strength and wisdom. Paraphrase His word by putting your name it and let it fill you for His word lives.


Abba, Daddy... I pray to You glorious One, holder of all hearts. You see our desire to please You. You share our tears and laughter and understand our disappointments.  It is You, the shepherding One, who calls us by name. You, our Need-meeter, satisfy the hunger we have to be loved and counted precious. You alone complete us, Completer of our hearts.  It is so easy to slide into the ways of the world and away from faith. Let me act, obey, speak out or be silent, help or refrain from helping, as Love would dictate. Our deepest desire is to believe Your word, embracing the truth, of our absolute acceptance in Christ, before you holy Father. Thank You for knowing us intimately and allowing us to know You the glorious One and thank You for faithfully transforming us into the likeness of Your Son, Jesus, in whose name I pray. amen.

Glory!

 

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. II cor 4:17

Dear Sisters, who live in in the promise of His glory,                                        Sept 1, 2010

Faith stands on the Word of God apart from everyone and everything. When I am Spirit filled and walking by faith, my life is centered on the Lord Jesus as the Holy Spirit always draws the focus to Christ Jesus. 


when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth; "He will glorify Me,"
John 16:13-14


In an instant my heart can be detained by something here and my faith has an object to conquer. Is not the visible antagonistic to the invisible? I Thought of Eve in the garden... detained by food.... and she lost faith. I found how easily I am distracted as I 'defend myself' instead of trusting the LORD to be my defense or I allow the attitude or actions of another, determine my response. He has promised me strength to bring Him glory; instead I react in the flesh and occupied with the visible. Yet, He is the glory of my strength! Psalm 89:17 nas


Glory: sum total of all God is and does. Glory is not a separate attribute or characteristic such as holiness, wisdom or mercy.  Everything God is and does is characterized by glory. God's glory is eternal and without measure and He reveals His glory through creation.  


I was told to put the words "character and likeness of God" in place of the word "glory" in a verse, to better understand the meaning. I tried it in Romans 8:18 and have never forgotten the blessing of it.  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the character and likeness of God which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18


Wow! and there is more!  Also wondrous is the meaning of the word 'foreknow'! Listen to what set my heart dancing my sisters! 


Foreknow, foreknew, known, know: To set one's love on a person or persons in a personal way. 

For those whom He foreknew, (us) He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; Roman 8:29

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:14-15

I AM the good Shepherd; I have set My love on My own Arlene and she knows Me! I am always near protecting and providing for her.


The eternal God, the great 'I AM', the God of all glory and power has set His own personal love on me, a dumb sheep!! I am dancing! I walk in the Spirit and know His glory in and through me, that others may be drawn to my Savior. As I surrender, the Holy Spirit conforms me to the image of Christ. How can we not bring Him glory as we are transformed into His likeness? I need to remember I bring Christ with me everywhere I go and the look on my face expresses attitude even before I speak 


My Sisters, to know about Truth is a blessing. But there is much more... I want to challenge you to take it a step farther, study and memorize God's word. He will infuse Truth anew, warming your heart and fueling your soul with His strength and wisdom. Paraphrase His word by putting your name it and let it fill you for His word lives.


Abba, Daddy... I pray to You glorious One, holder of all hearts. You see our desire to please You. You share our tears and laughter and understand our disappointments.  It is You, the shepherding One, who calls us by name. You, our Need-meeter, satisfy the hunger we have to be loved and counted precious. You alone complete us, Completer of our hearts.  It is so easy to slide into the ways of the world and away from faith. Let me act, obey, speak out or be silent, help or refrain from helping, as Love would dictate. Our deepest desire is to believe Your word, embracing the truth, of our absolute acceptance in Christ, before you holy Father. Thank You for knowing us intimately and allowing us to know You the glorious One and thank You for faithfully transforming us into the likeness of Your Son, Jesus, in whose name I pray. amen.

Besetting Sins

Criticize:  judge with severity; find fault with. -To act as a critic.


critic: one who forms and expresses judgments of the merits, faults, value or truth of a matter. A person who finds fault; a severe judge (of others). From Greek: 'able to discern'


... if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. I Cor 13:2

My dearest Sisters who love our Lord,
Is there a certain struggle in your life that you continue to trip over? One thing you would like to boot out of your life 'never to return' ? A besetting sin? Then you can relate to my struggle.


Besetting: Surrounding; besieging; waylaying. Habitually attending, or pressing; as a besetting sin.

I want to love Him so perfectly! The difficulty is loving others. The enemy is very successful in tripping me up through my pride which is readily revealed in a critical spirit. Instead, I should be growing in an ability to judge my heart- weighing my motives warily, as I allow God to search and know me. A critical spirit is birthed in insecurity. Spurred on by a desire to look better than I am.  

This is a relentless and flagrant battle with the flesh. Truthfully I wonder... "Who do I think I am?" 

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor? James 4:12

My critical spirit was revealed recently where I teach. There is a student who claims Christ as Savior. I discern a spirit of sensuality in her (dress and attitude) a subtle manner of manipulation in her need to get attention of male students. I have prayed much about this. It really bothers me that she, a Christian, pursues a godly, married man, as she goes through divorce.  It also affects others I love, whom I have prayed for many years. My co-teacher (not a believer) has seen her behavior and mentioned it to me. Biting my tongue to keep from gossiping isn't always effective and it doesn't quench a critical spirit. I began resenting this woman who was in my opinion, a blatantly poor testimony to a friend I want to see come to Christ. I was frustrated! A critical spirit crouched, at the door of my heart, ready to spring. God spoke specifically to my heart revealing a sinful attitude and pride. Ouch!

'When we judge other, our efforts are totally in vain. Why? Because we are not God, and so we cannot really know the heart of another. Nor do we know how God plans to work in that person's life, possibly even using their weakness or sin to break them and turn them to Himself. We judge foolishly, because we do not see the end of God's dealings yet."  TaK

These words hit the mark. Weeping, I saw the ugliness of 'judging' in the Light of Him. Judging others closes me off from being 'fit for the Master's use' and from being His vessel of grace to the one I am judging. God's judgement will not fail to come in His time. I have heard it said "Our judgment is full of the worm holes of self love! His is pure. We judge by ourselves. He judges by love."            

Often I think we judge because we didn't get our own way, some one has crossed our will or violated our standards! Judgment belongs to God. Whatever my reason 'I have circled this mountain (of a critical spirit) long enough and need to move on.'

You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north, Deut 2:3

High and lifted up One,

You, who are holy and pure, You, who judge righteously, change me, enable me to live the crucified life. Free of judging others. You have given me a discerning spirit that I might pray, not criticize. The next time I begin to criticize drive me to my knees instead. Purge me that I might be fruitful. The fruit of your Holy Spirit, not my effort to live to please You. Thank You for allowing me to feel my need, keep me from trying to supply it by my own means. Thank You that Your love for me is unaffected by what I find in my flesh. This prideful self-discovery causes Your sweet Person to be more necessary to my heart. And I rejoice in You, your perfection and beauty and power and love. Oh, how I praise You for grace that is sufficient. Not 'was' or 'will be someday', but 'is' sufficient. Ever present grace for every second. May this grace touch each sister that she will know Your love and awesome Presence today.

Prayerfully lifting you up my Sister, 

AZ

History

 Your loving-kindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
         Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Psalm 36:5


To all my Sisters in our Lord Jesus,


History never had an attraction for me and remained a weak subject until it came to my personal history. Raised religious, I was haunted with guilt over everything I did wrong, every sin, every failure scraped my conscience raw and corroded my hope of heaven. I had my self-righteous list of things I didn't do. In review, I wonder what I planned to do with my list!? Hand it to the Holy God and explain how I felt it qualified me for entrance to a sinless heaven? 


It is no wonder I am still sensible today of the sweet freedom that buoyed me from the dung pile of my existence. Jesus plucked me from my self-righteous path to hell. That very day my history died. My past life in Adam ended on the Cross. I was free! Free from corroding remorse. In Christ my sinful past no longer exists! No wonder I dance in jubilation for I am safely hidden in Jesus. Regrets over a sinful past will remain until we truly believe that: in the LORD, our sinful past does not exist. We have only Christ's past MJS and it is perfectly acceptable to a Holy God. The knowledge of our union with the Lord delivers us from all that relentlessly pulls us down into self-occupation. This Truth embraced results in joy and peace.


I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. 
Gal 2:20 


We share our Lord's Cross (Rom 6:6), we share His death (Col 3:3) and burial (Rom 6:4), we share His resurrection (Rom 6:4) and ascension (Eph 2:6). We share freedom from condemnation. (Rom 8:1)  (read this list again! doesn't it make you smile? shout? dance? fall on your knees in awe?)


 We need no self imposed guilt-burden plaguing us. This life is no longer about us. Instead of being occupied with our Lord and beholding Him, our enemy would cripple us with self-occupation, just another word for self pity. 


"You may know the Lord Jesus as your relief–for what He has done; but it is quite another thing to know Him as your resource–for what He is. It is one thing to know Him as the One who has relieved you from every pressure, it is another thing to know Him as the One attraction of your heart." -J.B.S.


My great lack is not having a sufficiently self-less walk (because it requires dying). In 2 Cor 4 it speaks of life for others coming out of our dying. When I hear these words, I believe it is saying I would not regard self at all! Embrace the freedom with me! Doesn't God want us to utterly drop occupation with self (our comfort? our timing? our desires? our contentment? our full bellies? our plans and dreams? our schedule?) and surrender to Him to be poured out for the sake of His body? Our heavenly Father loves us immeasurably and is leading us in His patient grace and gentleness away from the world and nearer to Himself. Oh to love Him so dearly is my hearts desire.


Father God,
If facing sin drives me to You, make me mindful of Your mercy and faithfulness that I may know Your incredible strength- reveal when 'self' is on the throne controlling. May I quickly respond in repentance; counting myself dead to sin and alive to You. I know You love me and are always working to reveal 'self' so I will be more sensitive to You, as You reveal Your grace and love to me. Hold each sister close and bring her just what she needs today. Encourage her by Your Holy Spirit that she might walk in faith and see herself hidden with Christ, free from past sins. Free to walk in a way pleasing to You. You love her so much. I lift her up.... praying in the wonderful name of Jesus.


In Christ,
az

Well Pleasing

Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight--  we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.  Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. II Cor 5:7-9 Dear Sisters who are precious in Christ, Do you ever get tired of being in this world and long for the next? Do you find yourself longing for the pain to end, the trial to climax setting you free from all that has been thronged for too long? One afternoon while pouring out my heart to God and pining to be with Him, God reminded me I did not have a heavenly perspective! I heard Him say, "Arlene, it is enough that I indwell you". Trusting Him means trusting Him. Believing Him for  each situation and His timing in it, whether I understand or not.  It is never well with us until we are held by the Spirit at the disposal of the One we love. E.D. The truth of this statement required my "Amen!" The most miserable man on earth is the Christian who is trying to enjoy both worlds!  What a difference between giving up the world and the world giving us up! We may do one with comparative ease, but when we feel the world despises us as Christ was despised, we shall discover, unless He fills and satisfies the heart, that we had a value for its esteem that we were not aware of. J.N.D. The world is now nothing to us but the empty tomb of our Lord Jesus. Christ Himself is our only true blessedness! So we never truly live to please Him until He is everything to us. What an amazing journey.   we walk by faith, not by sight-- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition... to be pleasing to Him.  II cor 5:7-9 Ceasing from self-effort and surrendering by faith, I enter God's rest. Precious, priceless rest. My safeguard is a single eye. (God search my heart!) If I seek only the glory of God, all that presents other motives tainted by self aggrandisement or personal gratification... will have no grasp of me, but will be revealed as contrary to God's will and purposes. If I seek to please God only, even subtle snares are exposed. The path of rest is in seeking Him, pleasing Him, beholding Him.  The secret of blessing is in giving the Lord His supreme place.  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. Matt 6:22 Oh, the lessons I am learning, with such difficulty... bear the sweetest of fruit. For it is He, Himself, revealing Himself to me. Allowing me to draw near. Giving me the desire and ability to please Him, hunger for Him, long to know Him. I pray you, my sisters also long to draw near and taste of His goodness and tender love. He longs to lavish love on you. You are so loved and treasured by the Lamb. Abba, Daddy,  I am so thankful for who Your unrelenting love for me. Teach me to do the next thing that pleases You. For You are life and breath and peace and rest. You are the source of immense joy. Only You satisfy my heart and lift me above that which comes to kill, steal and destroy. You deliver me from distraction and self-pity and with Your precious blood cleanse me to draw near. There is no God but You. You alone sustain billions of galaxies and keep the earth turning on its axis. Blessed be Your holy name, now and forever. Keep my sisters, draw their hearts near. Only You can create in them hunger for You. Work that we may stand amazed in the Light of who You are. I love you Abba. In Yeshua's name I pray. amen Grace to please Him,   az See devotional on my blog: http://az-doveseye.blogspot.com/2010/08/well-pleasing.html