LORD, What Do You Want Me To Do?

Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He has brought us by faith into this experience of God's grace, in which we now live. And so we boast of the hope we have of sharing God's glory!  We also boast of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance brings God's approval, and His approval creates hope. Romans 5:1-4

Brothers, Sisters, you who endure….

A minute, an hour, a day, a year, even 50 years… I am to endure! Yes, I am to endure even that which I feel I have endured too long already! One of the most difficult aspects of enduring makes it self known, when my taxing circumstances, remain endlessly the same. Despite all my prayer and fasting, and my desire to please God, how easily I find myself pouring out the words, “LORD, help, I don’t know what to do!” Is it possible His answer is, “My precious daughter (son) I do not want you to do anything. I want you to ‘BE’.

Delayed answers to prayer are not only trials of faith, but confidence in Him under apparent repulses.---“ Charles H. Spurgeon

Are my emotions mucking up my desires? Have I convinced myself I want God’s will, when the sad truth is I actually want my own way? For months now and not infrequently, I have heard Him whisper two words in response to my plea: ‘TRUST ME.’

“Trust Me” and BE filled with faith.

“Trust Me” and BE filled with peace.

“Trust Me” and BE filled with rest.

“Trust Me” and BE filled with My Holy Spirit.

“Trust Me” and BE fruitful for my glory.

You have probably heard said, “We are human beings not human doings. Would anyone define us as such if they were taking account of our daily living? Far more often we are so busy ‘doing’ we are not being. What ever is done in our own strength and wisdom is not eternal- because it is all about us.

God understands our struggles!  Our Father allows us to be independent until by that means we cone to know our own weakness and need. The very essence of the condition of a soul in a right state is conscious dependence. Two things must be realized to be in right relationship with God. The first being a deep awareness that self-confidence is the height of presumption and we must acknowledge our absolute need for God ‘s cleansing and of His filling of our being, by His Holy Spirit.  For we know we cannot do one thing, for one second without Him. Secondly we must believe the love and acceptance God has for us, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is for us!

What a glorious God we serve. Troubles are not eternal and will pass and we will be with the LORD forever, in His glorious forever.

Father, You who understands every struggle and catches every tear... You give hope and life and by Your strength I stand and endure. Nothing is wasted that I entrust to You. Thank You. It is You I long for and desire to be with. I ask You to keep me faithful for Your glory. I pray in the Name that will cause every knee to bow and every tongue confess that You are LORD to the glory of God. amen

You are prayed for dear ones,

az

Persevere:  continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success  

Endure:  suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently

 http://www.gramzkidz.com

Evangecube

http://youtu.be/GhVldzsGEck

LORD,

Riches of His Word... immeasurable!

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11

Brothers and Sisters blessed in the LORD,

We serve a God who is good, period. Always. There is no unrighteousness in Him. Everything He does springs forth from His goodness. He cannot be anything other than good. God’s goodness alone should cause us to bless the LORD. Many testimonies are spoken about God’s goodness in relation to how He answered their prayers. Often His goodness is related to timing of something requested.

A person who receives a ‘no’ from God often makes a personal journey that takes him through doubt, as he questions God’s goodness and wrestles with fear, while learning to walk by faith and not live by feelings. If in earnest he continues to choose to trust God, even when it doesn‘t make sense to him, he will again arrive, stronger than ever, at the assurance that God is good. Just as David reveals his faith struggles in the Psalms, so will all with authentic faith make their own journey, arriving at truth of God’s goodness unrelated to what they previously decided defined that goodness.

Faith is not the direct result of answered prayer it is the fruit of the power of God’s word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

I remember many years ago the verse in Psalm 84 being applied in my life to hopefully attain what I decided was good. Some pray for a husband and have decided this alone is good. But God may have called them to singleness and all that is a precious part of being ‘wed’ to the heavenly Father, in a holiness others cannot understand. Why do we think we should tell God how and when to answer our prayers?

 In Psalm 103 David starts with a heart overflowing with praise. He reminds himself of God’s goodness to him.

 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;

I have questions LORD,

Am I faithful to praise You with all my heart, all that is in me? You are worthy!

Have I thanked You for all You do every day in my life? You are faithful.

You alone have cleansed me from sin! You are my Sin-bearer.

You have given me a wonderful body that is able to heal itself. My Creator.

You lift me from the pit of my own bad choices. You rescue me.

You pour out your undeserved love and compassion on me. You are merciful.

You satisfy my years with good things and because of all this, my youth is renewed like the eagles. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is Your lovingkindness toward those who reverence You. And the most amazing thing is Your lovingkindness is from everlasting to everlasting for us who fear You! 

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all. Psalm 103:19

Do I just read these truths or do I believe them?  Psalm 103 is rich with Truth that is worth meditating on, verse after verse.

We may question ‘why’ God allows things in our life we would never choose, but we are not ask to understand, we are ask to trust Him. He has reminded me to trust Him again and again this past week; especially when I think I cannot take another step. Life is unfair. Life hurts. Or it may be life never changes… and the sameness is choking the life out of you… faith is always a choice. Look how David begins Psalm 103 and how he ends it!

Part of not forgetting God’s benefits is recognizing His kindness and wisdom in what He sovereignly permits and what He does not. RA

After reading this we each face a choice. Trust God or focus on self and demand God explain Himself to us. Is Psalm 84:11 a contradiction to Psalm 103:5?

‘Who satisfies your years with good things.’

What if God in His sovereignty withholds your hearts desire (good things), when it says He will not withhold any good thing in Psalm 86? I remember when the meaning became clear to me; If God is withholding something from my life, it may be ‘good’ in itself, but it is NOT good, for it to be in my life right now. We can find ourselves alone again, to be crowded to Christ. Is there really any other place you would rather be? He is life and breath, love and purpose.

Father-God, You who look on us with love so powerful it cannot be measured. You who spoke the universe into being, know the number of hairs on our head. You know the depths of foolishness and selfishness in our hearts and are in our life to be ‘living hope’. You are never halted in Your purpose of creating the likeness of Christ in us! You who cannot be explained or dissected or defined, Holy is Your name. Your purposes are great. You alone are worthy to be praised. I pray in the Name above all names, Jesus. amen

With all that is in me….. I bless His holy name,

You are loved and prayed for precious ones,

az

 email devotional: http://az-doveseye.blogspot.com/
http://www.gramzkidz.com

Evangecube

http://youtu.be/GhVldzsGEck

Why are we Surprised?

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. I Peter 4:12-13

Dear Ones who are in the heart of Creator God,

“You are so loved!

We see so many Christians in spiritual warfare unlike anything in my lifetime. The enemy comes in like a flood, not for a short time but often year after year! God will use every spiritual attack and all we go through, to strengthen and prepare us for what He knows is coming.

 He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.”

 Hebrews 13:5b

“Don’t be surprised if there is attack on your work, on you who are called to do it, on your innermost nature- the hidden man of the heart. It must be so. The great thing is not to be surprised, not to count it strange- for that plays into the hand of the enemy.

Is it possible that anyone should set himself to exalt our beloved Lord and not become instantly a target for many arrows? The very fact that your work depends utterly on Him and can’t be done for a moment without Him calls for a very close walk and a constant communion of spirit. This alone is enough to account for anything the enemy can do. It costs to have a pure work. Not for nothing is our God called a Consuming Fire. ac

Have you truly opened yourself to “I will never desert you…” When the battle rages and it seems He is not listening or is so far away that you “feel” forsaken, it does not change the Truth of His words. By faith I am learning to run to Him. Praising Him for what I know is true no matter what arrows of the enemy are being hurled my way. “Thank You Lord, you are right here with me. You are my Victory and You are all I need. Greater are You, O Lord, now and forever” It is a matter of receiving from the Holy Spirit strength and truth for each step. Walking by faith is not something we do by trying hard in our strength; nor is it fueled by emotional thinking such as: ‘Jesus gave His life for me, now I am to give my all for Him.’

How many messages exhort and pressure us to consecrate, surrender and commit our life, out of gratitude for His sacrifice at Calvary? Altar calls are often a manipulation of your earnest desire to live for Christ! And a believer who is hungry to live for Him and has the ‘will’ to obey thinks he should attempt to carry it out through his own effort. He thinks that because he has the will, he has the power. He soon finds out how little his gratitude supplies the power! But it is God who works in you to will AND to obey. Then he may think what is needed is more prayer… but all this may end in frustration.

All is not lost. Listen to this: “as growing Christians, it is time for us to see the necessity of going beyond the love motive to the life motive. “For me to live is Christ” Philippians 1:21a Our consecration, surrender, or commitment will never hold up if we our responding to Him from any other motive than the response to His life in us. Yielding to Him on any other basis will simply amount to our trying to live for Him in the flesh. And God can accept absolutely nothing from the old. jcm

Consecrating our old man to the Lord, and then working hard to live for Him, in the strength of that flesh, will end in disappointment deep within. Well meaning believers struggle hopelessly for many years until they begin to receive truth from the Holy Spirit. The believer must identify Galatians 2:20 ‘I am Crucified with Christ’ before he can apply being risen with Christ.

 It is important to realize we cannot go from the substitution truths of Romans 3 & 5 to the deeper truths of Romans 8 & 9, skipping over the identification truths of Romans 6 & 7. God has arranged the book of Romans in His divine order.

The power ‘to will’ is a permanent gift, an attribute of the new nature. The power ‘to do’ is not a permanent gift, but must be each moment received from the Holy Spirit. The man who recognizes his own impotence as a believer, who will learn that only by the Holy Spirit can he lead a life of holiness.

God has provided abundant grace… if that doesn’t set you to worship. Read it again and hear what the Spirit is saying, Those who receive the abundance of grace….will reign in life through One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 I read that this was written to slaves in Nero’s wicked palace. Wow! What faith was given to Paul.

Us Too!
 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  II Corinthians 12:9

Abundant grace, all we need, when we need it! Divinely powerful strength and mercy and love and wisdom and hope that we might take another step and grace to sing His praise and grace to bow and worship.

Father of our abundance, You who over flow Your abundance of grace on us and give us faith to believe You, we cannot live the Christian life out of gratitude! Teach us to receive from Your Holy Spirit, moment by moment, the power that enables us to bring You glory. We want all our acts of service and love to be the produce of Your Spirit . Thank You for abundant grace to meet whatever comes our way. We have You, our ever- present, ever-faithful Father, now and eternally. O God of abundant grace humble us that we might bring You glory, I pray in Jesus name.

All is abundant grace,

az

 
http://www.gramzkidz.com

Evangecube

http://youtu.be/GhVldzsGEck

God's Approval

And without faith it is impossible to please God… Hebrews 11:6a

My Brothers and Sisters who walk by faith in the Lord Jesus,

Favorites. Something you give time and special attention. It may be a favorite old shirt, ragged and well worn; reserved for wearing at home. Or a favorite dessert you would choose above any other. One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Hebrews 11and is often referred to as the ‘faith chapter’.

I see it as God’s “well done good and faithful servant” chapter.  We read that men of old, from Abel to Samuel and many unnamed hero’s, gained God’s approval by faith. We most often dwell on the ones we are familiar with, such as Abraham and Moses, David and Gideon to name a few.

It tells us in verse 27 ‘Moses endured’. Do you ever get weary of ‘enduring’? I do. I wish I were a ‘Moses’! But I am just ordinary me. I am challenged that because endurance is by faith, even I can endure. My name will not be listed in Chapter 11, but I can please Him, who is Sovereign over my life, by choosing faith daily. We are what we are, when no one is looking!

One of the most interesting things in Hebrews 11 is the change that comes as verse 33 is interrupted with a powerful list of troubles and actions that are so far from my daily reality. When is the last time you quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, and received back your dead or conquered kingdoms? They are not checked off on my ’to do’ list; in fact, they are not on my list.

A poignant change moves us from ‘delivered’ and ‘miraculously victorious’, to the undelivered: those who die and suffer when tortured, mocked, scourged, chained and imprisoned, stoned, and sawn in two. None of these are on my list of troubles either. I have lost no one who has been tortured to death. But notice right there in the middle of the list is a word we can all relate to: “tempted”. The list goes on and I am reminded with every reading, these are my brothers and sisters in the faith. Many of my brothers and sisters whom I have never met in this world, have suffered terribly and ‘endured’ by faith. 

We have trouble enduring without complaint, our rather small troubles. Yet, we can embrace verse 39, knowing it includes us!! For we too can please our Lord by enduring whatever we are facing with faith. They endured and trusted God even when they did not receive what was promised, because God had a better plan, better timing. We will make them complete!? All that was promised and more will be theirs. I do not understand this, but it is none the less true.

And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised… Hebrews 11:39-40

They gained approval by faith. So can we!

Endurance: to persevere, remain under, endure as to things or circumstance especially enduring in reference to suffering in faith and duty.

The faith chapter doesn’t really stop at verse 40, but moves right into the first three verses of Chapter 12. This is so cool. I am dancing… We are to run ‘our’ race ( the race marked out for us) ; and we are to run it with endurance not looking around at others and their races, but we are to have our eyes fixed on Jesus, who Himself set the standard by enduring the Cross. He endured the hostility of sinners against Himself, so that we will not grow weary and lose heart. Amazing Grace….

All His suffering was for more than our salvation!! It was to enable us to endure and not lose heart and not grow weary. Doesn’t it make you want to kneel down and weep with joy?

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:32

We have seen God purifying His church in the past few years. Suffering that has brought many to their knees. He is preparing us for what He knows is coming. Revival or Destruction? Much of the church is locked in an apathetic, materialistic, stupor. May God have mercy on us and quicken us to truly know what it is to walk by faith. We are to “Consider Him….” So we will not grow weary and lose heart.” This is my prayer for each one of you this week.

LORD, establish Your word to us as that which produces reverence for You. And for this we thank You. Quicken every cell of our being and dig deep into our hearts to break up the fallow ground and revive us for Your glory. Thank You for your death on the Cross that provides for our daily living; for You knew how easily we would be discouraged and grow weary. What an amazing and great God You are Jesus. I bow and give you thanks in the name of Your Son, Jesus.

Consider Him and endure,

az

Do I truly Believe God Loves Me?

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Brothers, Sisters… you are His beloveds, His precious ones,

LORD,

 I want to enjoy You today.

 I want to believe Your love for me, but I am struggling….

 I know You love me, I know it is true that You love others,

But deep down, do I truly believe it for me?

When I consider whether I believe Your love, active and real, every day in me,

Do I say ‘Yes’ … because it is the answer I am supposed to give?

Or do I truly believe You love me!? I have only to look at the Cross,

 to know I am precious and loved. Believing this

 I would live differently, be different, if I truly believed.

The ramifications would send me to my knees!

The things of this life would have no hold on me…

No trial would overwhelm me,

Nothing would be too great for You to ask of me.

I would trust You know matter what you allow to come my way!

How can I so easily believe You are love and that You love others,

But be slow to believe You truly love me?

Though I am so unworthy, I hunger for You, LORD,

I want to enjoy the bread of Your Presence.

Feed on the bread of Your love, Your wisdom, Your will,

Lord I long for Your tender watch-care over me;

Feed me with the bread of You!

I get in the way and am fragile, my focus is ‘me’ and I

Stumbling over my failure and unbelief.

Rescue me from myself and let me be lost in You… my Abba.

The only proper goal of life is that we manifest the Son of God; and when this occurs, all of our dictating of our demands to God disappears. We are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what He wants. Once we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine with which to feed and nourish others. o.c.

And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ Matt 22:37

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. Jeremiah 17:7 (not just ‘saved’ but a faith walk. There is a big difference.)

I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. John 17:23

Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. John 17:24

 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

My prayer for You today Brothers and sisters:

That you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:18-19

Father, as You prepare me to be broken bread and poured out wine, let me rest in Your love instead of wrestling with being worthy or acceptable. I never will be. It is not about me but about who Jesus is and I am in Him. Thank You for teaching me about ‘grace’. For it is really beyond my understanding. Your love is grace. Carry me for You are my strength and living hope. Take my brothers and sisters by the hand and lead them to Grace over and again this week. Remind them how precious they are to You. I love you. And pray in Jesus name amen.

I do not have to 'feel' His love to believe He loves me! I believe it because it is Truth.

 Hugs and prayers,

az

 http://www.gramzkidz.com

 http://youtu.be/J9JY6np_hBc

See in it a Chance to Die.....

 God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. I John 1:6-7

Brothers and Sisters,

God has used the words of Amy Carmichael, to challenge me at my most difficult times. In every circumstance, no matter how painful, or humbling, or frustrating, "see in it a chance to die."

What is in you that cries out for the Holy God to touch with death, the “I” in you and henceforth it will  truly be ‘not I but Christ’?  I know this is your desire as it is mine! ac   

This week God has revealed a not so pretty picture of what was in my heart. The deep, but tender, conviction of the Holy Spirit brought me to tears over my sin. I so want to love Him perfectly and please Him un-endingly! And I know that is also your heart’s desire that you might know Him intimately.

“Search me and know me…” is a good request to oft repeat, with a listening ear of course! (Psalm 139:23)

God will go to any extreme to accomplish the likeness of Jesus in us. When you look in the mirror the next time, stop and see what you are looking at! Are you measuring what you see by the world’s standards? Remember, you are looking at one whom God knows intimately and loves immeasurably; the Cross reveals just how much!  Not the kind of vacillating love  that over-looks or minimizes our sin. Our sin is no more acceptable to the LORD today, than it was when we were still unsaved sinners.  Chapter 8 of Romans tells me that when I walk in the flesh I cannot please God. (verse 8)

“The only ground on which God can forgive our sin and reinstate us to His favor is through the Cross of Christ. There is no other way. Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony at Calvary.  We should never take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and our sanctification in simple faith and then forget the enormous cost to God that made all of this ours.” o.c.

I am so thankful God sees my heart, my desire to please Him, for He knows what I meant to do, though I falter and fail in my attempt, He knows I want to bring Him glory. He is my faithful Father, who all the while is answering my hearts desire to become like my Savior. Though what I do best is fail; what He does best is save and rescue and revive and carry, keep and heal and love. I refuse the enemies lies that I am worthless, incapable, unusable, hopeless, and continually disappointing. Not true. I am precious and loved more than words can convince. My Savior has never broken His word to me. No not once! His plan and purposes are for our good. Refuse the whispers from the enemy, why believe a Liar?

Trust Yeshua for all that escapes your understanding. Trust Him today for whatever He allows to come your way. Sing His praise because you have learned to take everything as from His hand and you are choosing to see in every situation a chance to die, believing the ‘everything’ is filled with His great purpose for you. Believe that whatever He allows in your life, that brings you to disappointment, is often an idol on which He is putting the sentence of death, for it is of the flesh.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:5-7

We weary ourselves living an outwardly good life which is empowered by our flesh. God truly understands and calls us to rest when we are weary spiritually or physically. Dawson McAllister said “God wants us to rest our soul when we get soul-tired. Because of our rebellion against God, our innermost being becomes fatigued.

Recognize when you need to rest. It was God who said "Be still and know that I am God."  Psalm 46:10 Is your soul tired? Sometimes a nap is the most spiritual thing you can do. Stop the running and let God renew you and help you rest.

Strongs concordance defines the word ‘still’ with these words: be still, abate, cease, wax feeble, be slothful.

I know myself…. I always need to be doing something. I wouldn’t think of ‘waxing feeble’!  But God is telling me to wax weak toward all that hinders and put aside all that steals my affections that I might draw near to know Him. He wants me to know His peace and rest, know His faithfulness and love… and it comes with a price. I need to STOP and be still that I may know You, the great “I AM”. This is Your beautiful, all encompassing name. I can take this name and put it in a sentence that will direct my heart to ‘be still’. This makes my feet dance!

“Be still and know I am God. Be still and know that I Am _________________.

Which word draws you the One who delights in you?

Peace? Truth? Hope? Love? Savior? HOLY? Eternal? He is calling us to be still, with great purpose, to know Him. He wants to spend time with us.

Father, You who numbers the stars and call them each by name, I want to know You. For You are the great “I Am” and You are calling me to know You. You, the God who holds my every breath, want me to know You. I am in awe. Stop my feet from the fruitless race of business that wears me down, leaves me weary. Quiet my heart and fill me with the desire to be so near, I hear the heartbeat of Your love for me. Let Your healing love blanket me with Your sweet Presence. I pray this in the Holy Name of the great I Am.

Read Psalm 46 and be blessed, for He is our Refuge and Strength, “our ever present help in trouble.”

az

http://www.gramzkidz.com  An uncommon, common loon! God's Design. check it out on "By Design" at Gramz Kidz!!!!

The Simple Gospel (Good News) Message

The Gospel (or Good News) message of Jesus Christ is so simple that it almost defies understanding. By evidenceofdesign| 1 video

1. 
   

Watch

Where does Victory Tend to Turn You?

They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. Mark 9:30-31

Beloved Brothers and Sisters,

I heard something this week that caused me to stop and ponder and seek it’s truth.

“When victory does not tend to turn our hearts to worship…. we part company with God, so to speak, as soon as the victory is achieved. As I pushed and pulled on this truth, I received another perspective! This is also true of miracles! When a miracle does not tend to turn our hearts to worship, and is quickly drowned out by life’s new struggles, we tend to part company with God. And on the other end of the spectrum, it can also be said of suffering. If our trials do not tend to drive us to our knees in worship, we miss the purpose, the encounter, a locking eyes with the Savior, and the opportunity to trust Him. We make life about us; not about Him. We do not see our trials from a heavenly perspective.

In Mark 9 Jesus again foretells His death to ears too dull to receive this truth. Instead they were arguing which of them was the greatest. A source of embarrassment when Jesus ask, “ What were you arguing about on the road?” vs 33

They didn’t answer. He shared his heart and not one disciple would hear this precious truth that would change their lives forever. This intimate teaching time was one of the last they would have with Him and He was promising a miracle! Fearful and self-absorbed, they made this about themselves and who was the greatest.

Jesus answered their argument with a powerfully, foreign perspective. Mark 9:35

 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

HUH? Say what? In chapter 10:24 it states the truth about the reaction of disciples to His teaching.  The disciples were amazed at his words. Also verse 26 enlarges on this: The disciples were even more astonished”, but did it lead to worship? Look at Peter’s question in verse 28…” Peter began to say to Him, ‘Behold, we have left everything and followed You.” Did you hear that? He was saying ‘What’s in it for me?’ Jesus then says again:

“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” Mark 10:33-34

This was Jesus third try to ‘teach and prepare’ His disciples. He barely finished speaking when James and John ask to have the honored seats at His side! All about them. Hadn’t they heard anything he just said? As I read this wondering at their callous, self-centeredness, I felt a prick of conviction and knew I was just as self-centered and too often make life about how I feel, or what I want and my desires.

I thought of Jesus healing the lepers in Luke 17:15-16. He cleansed 10 men of an incurable disease. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks. A miracle, which tended to lead only one of ten to worship.

           

However, for the Lord Jesus to be fully manifested, it is going to involve a lifetime of the Holy Spirit’s deep dealing with the more subtle and deadly characteristics of the self-life “always delivered unto death (2 Corinthians 4: 11) MJS

All of us are going to experience sorrow and suffering and I do not want to miss any spiritual benefits. How sad if victories, trials or miracles lead only to deliverance and joy, instead of sweet, eternal intimacy, where we are crowded to Christ, in dependence as we learn to enjoy Him! It sets my feet to dancing.

One more example is in Job 5:11. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

God gave satan the permission to afflict job with suffering so terrible it hurts to read it! He is set forth as an example of suffering and endurance. In a short period of time, Job lost multiple flocks, which were stolen in raids  and burned up with fire from heaven. Many servants were killed and all of this was valued at a great price. What is Job’s response to multiple tragedies?  His response touched my heart deeply this week. Read and receive the truth of Job 1:20-22

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Through all of this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

Suffering drew Job to worship! Let us not just endure, but humbly endure with joy and surrender; as we let God’s grace strengthen us with courage to worship the King!

God of grace, God of mercy, worthy of our worship, we too want to live and bring You glory. Let our response to suffering be, to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! I pray especially for my brothers and sisters, in countries where they suffer for their faith. Pour out Your grace that they would endure, even endure with joy. Make them strong in faith. Strengthen us that we would endure with a humble, unspeakable joy, so worship of You will flow out of us, even when no one is looking. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty! We bow in worship of You, now and forever, You who love us unconditionally, amen.

Not to endure is greater pain,

az

 http://www.gramzkidz.com

Be amazed at God's design in the tallest land animal. 

Go to Gramz Kidz and click on 'By design'.

 http://hopeshining.blogspot.com/

The Simple Gospel (Good News) Message

The Gospel (or Good News) message of Jesus Christ is so simple that it almost defies understanding. By evidenceofdesign|