Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.  So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.  Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.  And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts.  After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.”  They said, “Do as you have said.” 
So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.”  And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it.  So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.  Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”  So he said, “Here, in the tent.”  And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.)  Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.  Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”  And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’  Is anything too hard for the LORD?  At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”  But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.  And He said, “No, but you did laugh!” (Genesis 18:1-15 NKJV)

Is there anything that is too hard for the LORD to do?  I want to say with all fervency that there is nothing to hard for the LORD.  The LORD is capable to do anything that He wants to do.  Do you know how comforting that is to know that God can do anything?  You know what, all that God does is for our own good.  So, we can put our whole dependence upon God for everything no matter what state of life we are in; no matter how difficult a situation God has put us here for our own good.  Maybe He has put us here to teach us something; to get our attention so that we remember who we are and who God is.  I am so grateful that we can put our trust in Him because it relieves all stresses of life; a lot of sin can be conquered with this knowledge.  Sin can be defeated because when we have our trust in Him we know that He is going to provide for what we need and what more do we need.  Sin is usually something we desire for oursleves and we want it now.  So, when we know that God is the provider for all that we need; it diverts our attention from sin to our amazing, trustworthy God!

Leave comments if you have questions about anything written here.  Please I would love to hear from you!  God Bless!

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.  (Psalm 30:11, 12 NKJV)

I pray that both this passage and the passage quoted above will inspire His saints to sing praises to the LORD.  For He alone is worthy; He is the only one who has taken enemies and transformed them into His children.  He is the only one who gives us the grace that we need for each day to sustain us through the tough times.  We can rest assured that He will not leave us in the dust but will always be there to provide the grace that we need to carry us through the day.  He alone can bring our mourning in one moment and in the next bring joy and gladness; so much joy that the psalmist talks about dancing before the LORD.  What an amazing God that we have, to experience this wonderful relationship with Him.  I pray that each one of His saints, each one of His children, will be awed and give thanks to Him forever.  God Bless!

Today, I was reading some more in a sermon book called The Sermons of Jonathan Edwards and was struck with the words Jonathan Edwards had to say about the apostle Paul in "The Character of Paul an Example to Christians."  I think that this quote is for all of the believers in Jesus Christ because it requires a response to act in the privilege of serving our Lord and Savior.

"All Christians should follow his example in this also.  They should not content themselves with the thought that they have goodness enough to carry them to heaven, but should earnestly seek high degrees of glory.  For the higher degrees of glory are promised to extraordinary labors for God, for no other reason, but that we should seek them." (Jonathan Edwards, "The Character of Paul an Example to Christians", The Sermons of Jonathan Edwards, p. 327)

It is very easy for Christians to just coast through life and think that we are okay and on our way to heaven.  I just want to say that while we are secure in Christ, this security should not give us an excuse to not do all we can in service to the Lord.  In another portion of the sermon we read that when we sow sparingly we will reap sparingly, but when we sow abundantly we will also reap abundantly.  So, I hope that this quote and these thoughts will help you to find ways that you can use your gifts in service to the King.  I hope that this blog will help all of us to stop, think, and do something about.  I would love to hear responses about the quote; what do you think about?  How will you change your perspective on life?  Let me know; I would love to hear from you.  Thanks!

I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.

The pains of death surround me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the LORD;
"O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!"

Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
Yes our God is merciful.
The LORD preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

For you have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.
I will walk before the LORD
In the land of the living.
I believed, therefore I spoke,
"I am greatly afflicted."
I said in my haste,
"All men are liars."

What shall I render to the LORD
For all His benefits towards me?
I will take up the cup of salvation,
And call upon the name of the LORD.
I will pay my vows to the LORD
Now in the presence of all His people.

Precious in the sight of the LORD
Is the death of His saints.

O LORD, truly I am Your servant;
I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant;
You have loosed my bonds.
I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And will call upon the name of the LORD.

I will pay my vows to the LORD
Now in the presence of all His people,
In the courts of the LORD's house,
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.

Praise the LORD!
(Psalm 116 NKJV)

I find it interesting that whenever the writer is in a tough situation, he calls upon the name of the Lord.  Also, I find it interesting that whenever he notices what has happened in his life whether good or bad he calls upon the name of the Lord.  It is amazing the trust and the reliance that this writer has in God; whenever he sees good in his life he calls upon the Lord in praise and whenever he sees trial or struggle in his life he calls upon God in prayer for strength and help.  This is what our response should be in all life's circumstances.  I hope that we learn that no matter what we go through in life we can trust and rely upon the Lord for what we need and we can recognize the wonders and blessings that God gives to us in our lives.  Call upon the name of the LORD and He will help you; Call upon the name of the LORD in praise and recognition of all that He has done.  God Bless!

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust."

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.    (Psalm 91:1-6 NKJV)

Since the beginning of the year, I have been following a Bible reading plan and this month is focused primarily on learning how to call out to the Lord and what things we bring before the Lord.  But, I think that the beginning of this Psalm is about trusting in God and putting all of our reliance upon Him.  Can you imagine how much dependence we can have upon our Heavenly Father?  How about the second paragraph in this passage?  Read it carefully and learn to trust Him wholeheartedly.  He is so worthy of trust because He will deliver us from the snare of the fowler, He will protect us with His feathers, His wings will provide refuge for our weary souls, and His truth His Word will be the weapons we use for defeating all sin and all struggles of life.  I hope that we all learn that God is worthy of our whole dependence; we need to break away from the independent spirit because it is only there that we find bondage.  In dependence upon Christ, we find peace and freedom to live our lives to the glory of God.  Put your trust in God!

Today, I was reading another Jonathan Edwards sermon and came across this quote from Christ Exalted.  This left me in awe and wonder of our Great Savior.  Rejoice and praise Him for His deity and His power over all evil.

"Christ will appear glouriously above all evil in the consummation of the redemption of His elect church at the end of the world.  Then will be completed the whole work of redemption with respect to all that Christ died for, both in its interpretation and application; and not till then.  And then will Christ's exaltation above all evil be most perfectly and fully manifest.  Then shall the conquest and triumph be completed with respect to all of them.  Then shall all the devils, and all their instruments, be brought before Christ, to be judged and condemned.  And then shall be completed their destruction in their consummate and everlasting misery; when they shall be all cast into the lake of fire, no more to range, and usurp dominion in the world, or have liberty to make opposition against God and Christ.  They shall forever be shut up, thence forward only to suffer.  Then shall death be totally destroyed.  All the saints shall be delivered everlastingly from it.  Even their bodies shall be taken from the power of death by a glorious resurrection."

"Then shall all guilt, and all sin and corruption, and all affliction, all sighs and tears, be utterly and eternally abolished, concerning every one of the elect, they being all brought to one complete body, to their consummate and immutable glory.  And all this as the fruit of Christ's blood, and as an accomplishment of His redemption."

"Then all that evil, which has so prevailed, and so exalted itself, and usurped and raged, and reigned, shall be perfectly and forever thrust down and destroyed, with respect to all the elect.  And all will be exalted to a state wherein they will be forever immensely above all these things.
      And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:  for the former things are passed away. (Rev. 21:4)" (Jonathan Edwards, Sermons of Jonathan Edwards, Christ Exalted, p. 260)

Bless the Lord for all that He is and all that He has done for His elect; the Church!  Praise Him alone for He is Worthy!

Matthew 17:24-27 says, "When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, 'Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?'  He said, 'Yes.'  And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, 'What do you think, Simon?  From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?'  Peter said to Him, 'From strangers."  Jesus said to him, 'Then the sons are free.  Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first.  And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money, take that and give it to them for Me and for you.'" (NKJV)

For this year, I have started a reading plan that was given to me and today I was in Matthew chapter 17 finding the above portion very fascinating.  It hit me once again about the truth of our freedom as Children of God.  I hope that each one of us who is reading this entry is a believer in Jesus Christ, for it is only in Him that we find true freedom.  In this passage, we have the temple authorities approach Peter and asking whether Jesus pays the temple tax.  Peter responds that He does pay the tax; then Jesus confronts Peter and teaches Him about the freedom Christ has and, in the future, that Peter has.  This freedom is freedom from all things that is in this world; this does not mean we don't respect authorities or we don't respect the boundaries that are found in God's Word.  It means that we are no longer in bondage to sin and we are no longer bound to the traditions and 'good' things that we do in the Christian setting.  We are free to decide whether the advice on a topic is to be followed or not; we have the freedom to discern that the authorities that are placed over us are making the right decisions or not and whether those decisions should be obeyed.  God, in Jesus Christ, has given us the freedom of abundant life; the life that is lived for the glory of God.  I pray that we use this freedom wisely and we treat freedom with care.  It is not to be taken lightly; it does not give us the license to sin but the license to find our passion in Christ alone!  Live in Freedom!

For a while now, I have been doing a new Bible Study with John Piper's Battling Unbelief.  It is a expansion on his book Future Grace, trying to flesh it out and put in some practicality that we can follow.  I came across a quote that is perfect for us to think about today.  In the title, I asked, 'How can we stand before a great and holy God?' and I would like to say wholeheartedly that it is through Jesus Christ that we are able to stand before God.

Here's the quote:

Romans 8:32 contains a foundation and guarantee that is so strong and so solid and so secure that there is absolutely no possibility that the promise could ever be broken.  This verse is the most precious verse in the Bible to me because the foundation of the all-encompassing promise of future grace is that the Son of God bore in His body all my punishment and all my guilt and all my condemnation and all my blame and all my fault and all my corruption, so that I might stand before a great and holy God, forgiven, reconciled, justified, accepted, and the beneficiary of unspeakable promises of pleasure forever and ever at His right hand. (Battling Unbelief, John Piper, p. 48)

Know that it is only Christ that you are able to stand before such an awesome and holy God.  Rejoice that Christ gave His all so that we may enjoy eternal pleasures; so that we may have joy and happiness forever.  God Bless!

Today, I finished my study in the book of Hebrews and came across a verse that I think is very important for the Xanga community to think about.  We not only need to consider what this verse says we need to see if we are living as we ought to; to be reflective upon what we have done and what we will do with our lives.

Hebrews 13:18 says, "Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably." (NKJV)

How do we live honorably?  This is a good question because it is what we all should want and it is exactly what God wants.  I think partially the question is answered in the verse; the author of Hebrews says that his company is confident that they have a good conscience.  If we have a good conscience, then I believe that our lives will demonstrate honorable characteristics.  What are honorable characteristics?  Well, I think that the fruit of the Spirit are excellent examples.  Galatians 5:22, 23 tells us what the fruit of the Spirit is; it says, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, mercy, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."  I pray that each one of us may demonstrate these characteristics in our lives so that those who are ouside of the Family of God may know who God is.  Desire to live honorably!

Hebrews 10:19-25 says, "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (ESV)

What a great message to have to start off the new year!  I think there is a very important message for all of God's children to hear; that message is that we ought to stir up one another to do what is right and good in the sight of God.  As believers, we need to demonstrate our faith in God by the works we do for others; by the love we show others in caring for their needs and helping them through tough spiritual times.  As individuals, we need to learn to cooperate with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ; what I mean by cooperating is to help each other when we have needs both physical and spiritual.  I hope that we can be humble enough to drop the American Individualistic thinking and learn that this life was never meant to be lived like islands.  As the body of Christ, we need to live like a body, working together as a unit.

My prayer for all of us is that we would mirror Christ in all that we do; that we would stir up one anorther to live like a unit or the Body of Christ.  We need to stir up one another to love and to do good works so that they may see the Lord and glorify Him!  God Bless!