Today, I just want quote something from Jonathan Edwards again.  I want to do this because it describes the greatest purpose for why we are placed here on earth as Christians.  Please read the quote very carefully and make some changes in your heart as I will in my heart.  I want to enlarge my heart or humble my heart so that I may fully praise and worship my Lord and Savior.  Here's the quote:

"Now the saints in heave have this grace of humility perfected in them.  They do as much excel the saints on earth in humility as in other graces.  Though they are so much above the saints on earth in holiness and in their exalted state, yet they are vastly more humble than the saints on earth be.  They are as much lower in humility as they are higher in honor and happiness.  And the reason of it is that they know more of God.  They see more of His greatness and infinite kindness, and therefore are more sensible how wonderful it is that God should take so much notice of them, to have such communion with them, and give them such a full enjoyment of Him."

"They are so far more sensible what unworthy creatures they have been, that God should bestow such mercies upon them, than the saints on earth.  They have a greater sight of the evil of sin.  They see more what filthy, vile creatures they were by nature, and how dreadfully they provoked God by actual sin, and how they have deserved God's hatred and wrath.  The saints in heaven have as much greater a sense of their unworthiness in their natural state than the saints on earth as they have a greater sense of God's glorious excellency.  For it is the sight of God's excellency which gives them a sight of their own unworthiness.  And therefore they do proportionally admire the love of God to them in giving Christ to die for them, and the love of Christ in being willing to offer himself for their sins, and of the wonderful mercy of God in their conversion, and bestowing eternal life upon them.  The humble sense the saints have of their own unworthiness, doth greatly engage and enlarge their hearts in praise to Him for His infinite mercy and grace."  (Jonathan Edwards, Sermons of Jonathan Edwards, p. 113, 114)

HAVE A HUMBLE SO THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO WORSHIP AND PRAISE GOD MORE ACCURATELY!

Isaiah 41:10 says, "I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:13 says, "...Do not fear, I will help you..."

Isaiah 41:14 says, "...I will help you, declares the LORD..."

Isaiah 42:5-7 says, "Thus says God the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it, 'I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, and I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison."

These passages have been very special to me, I urge you to please read all of chapter 41 and 42 it will give you a better context by which it is written.  But, I just want to highlight that God says He will help us in our need; He will protect us and give us guidance.  Praise the Lord that He doesn't leave us hanging to fend for ourselves!  If we had to fend for ourselves, we would be living in misery and chaos.  I know that the last passage I've quoted is specifically referring to Jesus Christ but I think we can say that it is written to all of us as believers because everything that is being spoken of for Christ is spoken for us too in the New Testament.  If you want to know more about this, please ask questions and I will direct you to the passages that prove that we are to act as Christ acts in reference to the last verse of the passage.

But, rejoice in the fact that we have an awesome God who helps us through life's difficulties; that in all reality we have already succeeded in life because we have Christ's righteousness.  We have nothing to fear in this world; so already we have a leg up on the rest of the world.  Let us not keep what we have gained to ourselves; let us boldly share with others the wonderful news of our great God!

TRUST IN GOD FOR YOUR EVERY NEED FOR HE WILL HELP YOU!

For those of you who know more about what is going on in my life for the past year, these people will understand the power that this song has for me.  It speaks of trusting in God no matter how dim the future seems; completely realizing that He is in control.

Rest in You

Grace

This world's sweetest fragrance

Poured out at the highest cost

And life

Heaven's holy offer

Draws each weary soul unto a cross

I will rest in You

I will rest in You

Not just when this race is over

In these earthly moments too

I will rest in You

You give hope

Shining every moment

Like Eden's dawn upon the scene

You give me peace

Like the gentle breezes

Brush the snowy flocks on hills of green

I will rest in You

I will rest in You

Not just when this race is over

In these earthly moments too

I will rest in You

Oh, great and gracious One

For all my days

For all You've done

I will rest in You

I will rest in You

Not just when this race is over

In these earthly moments too

I will rest in You  (sung by Shannon Wexelberg and written by Scott Krippayne)

I hope this encourages you to trust in the Lord for all things.  Hope you know that He has your best in mind and He is in control of every situation.  Also, this should provide hope for the future because one day this race will be over and we'll be resting in the arms of the Almighty.  God Bless!

REST IN GOD!

I just want to tell you that my Bible reading for the past several days have been absolutely exhilerating.  Exhilerating not because of how great humans are but how great our God is!  It amazes me how large and awesome our God is and how small and insignificant we are as humans; and yet we are the most treasured creature in this universe.  I want to quote several passages that I think will blow your mind away as to how great and gracious our God is and how wonderfully small and humbling we are in these passages.

Isaiah 40:12-17 says, "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked all the heavens by the span, and calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in a pair of scales?  Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or as His counselor has informed Him?  With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding?  And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge and informed Him of the way of understanding?  Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust in the scales; behold, He lifts up the islands (or coastlands) like fine dust.  Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering.  All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless."  (NASB)

Isaiah 40:26 says, "Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing." (NASB)

Isaiah 40:28, 29 says, "Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired, His understanding is inscrutable.  He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power." (NASB)

Jeremiah 23:28, 29 says, "The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth.  'What does straw have in common with grain?' declares the LORD.  'Is not My word like fire?' declares the LORD, 'and like a hammer which shatters a rock?'"  (NASB)

Psalm 8:3, 4 says, "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" (NASB)

Please, let these passages sink in realizing that we are small and insignificant and God is all-powerful and gracious.  We need to bask in the glory of the LORD and yearn to share with others because it is by His grace that we still have life and breath.  It is God who sees us more than nothing and more than meaningless; even though that is how we are in His sight.  We are small and nothing, but God has made us into something and into "greatness" because of His gift through His son Jesus.  Please, know that this is the only way we are found in favor with God.  We serve an awesome God; please feel free to ask questions about understanding how you can come in favor with God.  I look forward to receiving these questions and answering them.

REJOICE IN THE GREATNESS OF GOD!

Isaiah 40:6-8 says, "A voice says, 'call out.'  Then he answered, 'What shall I call out?'  All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.  The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass.  The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." (NASB)

This passage is so powerful.  I hope we look at this passage with humility because it tells us that we are nothing and God is everything.  We last for a moment and God lasts forever.  The word of the Lord stands forever!  Our flesh or humanity is like the grass and the flower that fades and blows away in the wind.  We are weak and God is strong.  These are very simple truths but they pack a powerful punch.  I hope you consider who you are dealing with in Jehovah God.  You're not messing with some measley genie; but a Almighty, Sovereign God who loves us so much that He has given us His Word to help us in walking with Him.  His word is given so that we may know what God expects out of us as humans.  Please consider the Word of the Lord for it endures; it gives answers to our struggles and leads the way to salvation.  If you are searching for God, you are probably being prompted by the Holy Spirit to search the Scriptures to find what salvation is all about.  Trust in God and not in yourselves; for yourselves will let you down.  Flesh is weak, God is strong and His Word lasts forever!  Praise God!

I just want to extend my reasonings for why we should be willing to give our all, physically, mentally, and especially materially, for the service of the Lord.  God wants to see us help facilitate the ministry and the way we do that is to give our money, our time, our material so that others may benefit.  I want to direct your attention to 2 Cor. chapters 8 and 9.  Please read through these chapters very carefully, they are important for this discussion.  Then read Psalm 112:9.  These passages will help with our perspective of giving to the ministry.

Psalm 112:9 says, "He has given freely to the poor, His righteousness endures forever; his horn (or strength) will be exalted in honor." (NASB)

Please feel free to look through various ministries that you can help out with.  I would suggest you start with this website:  www.mnnonline.org.  This is a good place to start because it is an embrella ministry; meaning that it helps out other ministry organizations by broadcasting news about them and giving us the lay-people opportunities to step in and help.

I hope this helps you to consider what you can do for the Lord and in this case with your finances and material possessions.  God Bless!

GIVE TO THE LORD FROM THE HEART!

Today, I would like to use a quote from John Piper's "Don't Waste Your Life."  This had such an impact on my perspective of life and how I live it.  Personally, I don't want to waste my life.  We should never want to waste our lives as human beings.  But, how much more as Christians should we be living to the fullest for Christ?  We should squeeze everything we can get out of our lives for Christ.  This quote is an example of a life that was delivered from sin later in life and a regret that this soul had wasted his life in rebellion against God.  Here's the quote,

"For me as a boy, one of the most gripping illustrations of my fiery father used was the story of a man converted in old age.  The church had prayed for this man for decades.  He was hard and resistant.  But this time, for some reason, he showed up when my father was preaching.  At the end of the service, during a hymn, to everyone's amazement he came and took my father's hand.  They sat down together on the front pew of the church as the people were dismissed.  God opened his heart to the Gospel of Christ, and he was saved from his sins and given eternal life.  But that did not stop him from sobbing and saying, as the tears ran down his wrinkled face--and what an impact it made on me to hear my father say this through his own tears--'I've wasted it!  I've wasted it!'  This was the story that gripped me more than all the stories of young people who died in car wrecks before they were converted--the story of an old man weeping that he had wasted his life.  In those early years God awakened in me a fear and a passion not to waste my life.  The thought of coming to my old age and saying through tears, 'I've wasted it!  I've wasted it!' was a fearful and horrible thought to me."  (John Piper, "Don't Waste Your Life", p. 12)

I hope we all feel the same way as John Piper because we don't want to look back on our lives and say we have wasted our life for Christ.  If you are not a believer, please know that right now you are wasting your life in this world.  Please ask questions how you can stop wasting your life; please know that there is a solution.  Christ is that solution; if you continually reject Him you will soon find out you have wasted your life.  Brothers and Sisters in Christ, rest assure that you are secure in Christ but please don't waste your life for Christ.  Christ wants your all; He wants you to serve Him completely, to live for Him.  Be careful with the choices you make, choose wisely!

DON'T WASTE YOUR LIFE!

Isaiah 37:33-35 says, "Therefore, thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, 'He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield, or throw up a siege ramp against it.  By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he will not come to this city,' declares the LORD.  'For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David's sake.'" (NASB)

This passage is talking about the time when the Assyrians were at Jerusalem ready to seize and conquer the city, they were tempting the Israelites to give up and betray their God.  They were mocking the people and LORD God Himself.  God Himself gives His response to the Assyrians foolish words and actions.  God promised the Israelites that He will protect them and save them from their enemies; this was not a chore that God had to do, He wanted to do it.  He desires to save them for His own sake.

I think we can carry this over to our own personal lives.  As Christians, we can rest assure in the fact that God will protect His children from the enemy; it may not be immediate deliverance but one day He will take us all home ot be with Him and that alone is deliverance from all enemies that we face here on earth.  Again, God desires to save us; it is never a hassle or a chore for Him to do.  He wants to do it.  What an amazing God we have that He wants us to be with Him in heaven; He wants us to be free from all the enemies that we face in this world.  Satan, the flesh, and worldly temptations are all the enemies we face today and God one day will wipe them out of our lives and we will be free to really live life to the fullest.  Hope this encourages to love God and that it would encourage you to walk with Him more faithfully everyday.  God Bless!

This passage I'm going to quote is one found in the New Testament quoting the Old Testament.  I think that it is simply amazing to think about what it means to be a Temple of the Living God.  It should be a great encouragement to all those who believe in Jesus Christ.  Please if you don't know Jesus Christ in a personal relationship and would like to know more about it, don't hesitate to ask questions or make comments.  Thanks!

2 Corinthians 6:16-18 says, "....For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, 'I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'  'Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,' says the Lord.  'And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you.'  'And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,' says the Lord Almighty." (NASB)

Isaiah 35:8-10 says, "A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness.  The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks that way, and fools will not wander on it.  No lion will be there, nor will any vicious beast go up on it; these will not be found there.  But the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return and come with joyful shouting in Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads.  They will find gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away." (NASB)

What is this "Highway of Holiness"?  I believe it to be a highway for those who are in Christ and Jews who have recognized Christ as their messiah.  It is a highway to get to Jerusalem; it is only reserved for those who love God and walk in the way of holiness.  Nobody and nothing that is adverse to holiness will be able to get there; they will be shielded from this road.  Now, I believe also that this road will become available during the Milennium reign of Christ because of how things are described in the passage.  The world in this passage seems to be at perfect harmony except for a small remnant of those who reject Christ as their King; the reason I think this is because  verse 8 talks about the unclean and fools not being able to wander to this road.  Even though there are those who still reject Christ during the Milennium the vast majority of the people will be followers of their King Jesus.  I just love what verse 10 describes as the lifestyle and attitude of the redeemed and the ransomed.  Forever sorrow and sighing are erased and joy is replaced.  Isn't it amazing that God preserves His children in this life so that one day we will enjoy the fulness of life with Christ; there will be nothing that takes away from our joy.  We will be spending our lives in worship and praise to the Lord for all that He is and has done for us in our lives; that is one of the purposes for the redeemed to go to Zion.  Also, we will be co-reigning with Christ in this world in the Milennium and eternal state.  Those who are in Christ will have responsibilities in managing the new world.

If you have any questions, please ask through commenting.  I will be happy to answer them because it is important to know what the Highway of Holiness will be for those who are in Christ will be walking on it.  Please consider your state of being in Christ.  Are you in Christ?  Do you know Him?  Please ask for information about how you can come to know Christ.  God Bless!

REJOICE FOR WE HAVE A GREAT HOPE IN GOD.  LET'S LOOK FORWARD TO WALKING THE HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS