1THE LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;... 12Rejoice in the Lord, you [consistently] righteous (upright and in right standing with God), and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.
The earth is to rejoice because the LORD is King of All. The Righteous are to rejoice in Him, too. Just because He is, we are to rejoice and because He has declared us righteous, we are to rejoice, (I feel a bit louder). Not that He is answering any prayer or giving us anything at all. Just because He Is King, Sovereign, Master, Creator, Saviour and Judge. The first use of the word 'rejoice' is the word 'giyl' which means to rejoice, exult, be glad. It is pronounced with a hard g-sound...GEEL. Doesn't that sound glad? GEEL. What a happy word! It would be hard to GEEL without some joy slipping through. Try it.
We are to be grateful and offer praise when thinking about His holiness. Not that He's doing anything for us; but just to be thankful because we have thought of His sacredness. His characteristic holiness is sufficient reason to usher me into a greater awareness and appreciation of that same holiness. Express that response.
So, my challenge is that the rejoicing and the gratitude are to be natural responses to Yahweh... just because He is. He is God, LORD, Sovereign King of the Universe, etc. and He is all of that without me. Because I am His creation, I am to respond with gladness. This is before anything to do with me. Then, more rejoicing as I am righteous, by His great favor and an expression of gracious appreciation to Him for His holiness. Where is my rejoice-setting? Why don't I get all GEEL-y over that fact that He reigns? What is my real response to His sacredness? Why am I more convicted (as a righteous person!) than grateful and GEEL-y?
God, You are worthy of utter GEEL-iness from me just because You are God and You rule. YOU RULE!!! I desire to be increasingly grateful for Your sacredness. Please cultivate in me the supernatural responses that You made me for...that I might honor You as You deserve. Let my reaction to You and to thoughts of You be consistent with Your Majesty and holy character. Teach me in the ways of worship and wisdom for the praise and fame Your Great Name.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Psalm 136
Thank You Transcendent God, You are good and Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal
Praise you God of all gods and Lord of all lords...Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
The amazing and wondrous acts You alone perform in my life display that Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
Your wisdom and understanding made the heavens and the earth with light and seasons witness to me that Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have intervened on my behalf against my enemies for Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have brought me from my self-imposed-exile and bondage which screams Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
Your mighty hand and outstretched arm have broken the chains which held me fast because Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have divided the world from me for Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have allowed me clear passage through the harshness of this devouring world as Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have shaken off the would-be addictions and dethroned me from the throne of my life because Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have led me safely through the prolonged seasons of wilderness-wandering for Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have defeated those who would rule over me in unhealthy ways to display that Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have awarded me booty from the battles You have won because Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have allowed me to be Your servant and that shows Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
To Him Who earnestly remembers me in my low estate and imprinted me on Your heart for Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have rescued and continue rescuing me from my enemies because You are my Knight on a White Horse and Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
I thank God of Heaven for Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
Praise you God of all gods and Lord of all lords...Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
The amazing and wondrous acts You alone perform in my life display that Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
Your wisdom and understanding made the heavens and the earth with light and seasons witness to me that Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have intervened on my behalf against my enemies for Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have brought me from my self-imposed-exile and bondage which screams Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
Your mighty hand and outstretched arm have broken the chains which held me fast because Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have divided the world from me for Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have allowed me clear passage through the harshness of this devouring world as Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have shaken off the would-be addictions and dethroned me from the throne of my life because Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have led me safely through the prolonged seasons of wilderness-wandering for Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have defeated those who would rule over me in unhealthy ways to display that Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have awarded me booty from the battles You have won because Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have allowed me to be Your servant and that shows Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
To Him Who earnestly remembers me in my low estate and imprinted me on Your heart for Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
You have rescued and continue rescuing me from my enemies because You are my Knight on a White Horse and Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
I thank God of Heaven for Your mercy and loving-kindness are eternal.
2 Thessalonians 3
v. 2 ... for not everybody has faith and is held by it.
... I'm finding that not all "believers" are believers.
Oh, to be held by faith in all things and all ways. To be a believer that truly believes God and believes in God. One who is held by faith, naked of all things worldly and safe; but for that one, strong tie. Unfettered to anything but the faith-anchor.
v. 5 May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.
May the Master take you by the hand and lead you along the path of God's love and Christ's endurance.
May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
May the Lord direct your hearts into [realizing and showing] the love of God and into the steadfastness and patience of Christ and [g]in waiting for His return.
and the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God, and to the endurance of the Christ.
My heart needs to be led into a full understanding and expression of God's love...it is not a path I can take alone, nor is it within me to accomplish by myself. The Lord must lead my heart to His Love. And, Christ as the Servant God-Man is my example of perseverance and steadfastness. He triumphed in patience and the Lord must direct my heart and take me by my hand in order to gain that full expression of His endurance. I think I must be led to God's love and Christ's steadfastness because I would not be able to to choose those directions on my own. Odd that I will willingly receive His love and the fruit of His enduring; but I do not easily care to redistribute the wealth of their attentions to me. I note that this is preceding an exhortation on slackers & disruptors and how to deal with them. To be led in God's love and Christ's perseverance as we interact with and set appropriate boundaries others folks is the standard method of operating. Father help me to be willingly led to your Love and Patience.
... I'm finding that not all "believers" are believers.
Oh, to be held by faith in all things and all ways. To be a believer that truly believes God and believes in God. One who is held by faith, naked of all things worldly and safe; but for that one, strong tie. Unfettered to anything but the faith-anchor.
v. 5 May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.
May the Master take you by the hand and lead you along the path of God's love and Christ's endurance.
May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
May the Lord direct your hearts into [realizing and showing] the love of God and into the steadfastness and patience of Christ and [g]in waiting for His return.
and the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God, and to the endurance of the Christ.
My heart needs to be led into a full understanding and expression of God's love...it is not a path I can take alone, nor is it within me to accomplish by myself. The Lord must lead my heart to His Love. And, Christ as the Servant God-Man is my example of perseverance and steadfastness. He triumphed in patience and the Lord must direct my heart and take me by my hand in order to gain that full expression of His endurance. I think I must be led to God's love and Christ's steadfastness because I would not be able to to choose those directions on my own. Odd that I will willingly receive His love and the fruit of His enduring; but I do not easily care to redistribute the wealth of their attentions to me. I note that this is preceding an exhortation on slackers & disruptors and how to deal with them. To be led in God's love and Christ's perseverance as we interact with and set appropriate boundaries others folks is the standard method of operating. Father help me to be willingly led to your Love and Patience.
2 Thessalonians 2
the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to an end by His appearing at His coming.
the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the manifestation of his presence,
the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.
Genesis 2:7Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being
The Lord God came and formed man, breathed and yielded life. The Lord Jesus will come, breathe and that will yield death. He holds the keys to life and death with His breath. One sigh we live, another sigh and the Antichrist is consumed. We are vessels of His breath or Spirit. What He breathes out is for our good and our life. His mere presence destroys the Antichrist. This is our God. This is the One who went to the cross to pay the deadliest and most costly penalty for our sins. He could do it any way He wanted...and He did. He died that we might be free to live and worship Him and live with Him. What gratitude should mark our lives to this God Who lets us call Him ours. What confidence should we have in our Heavenly Creator and Warrior Who favors us with His breath. THANK YOU GOD FOR YOUR UNBELIEVABLE GRACE TO ME. Please show me who I can breathe life into today in Your Name.
the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the manifestation of his presence,
the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.
Genesis 2:7Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being
The Lord God came and formed man, breathed and yielded life. The Lord Jesus will come, breathe and that will yield death. He holds the keys to life and death with His breath. One sigh we live, another sigh and the Antichrist is consumed. We are vessels of His breath or Spirit. What He breathes out is for our good and our life. His mere presence destroys the Antichrist. This is our God. This is the One who went to the cross to pay the deadliest and most costly penalty for our sins. He could do it any way He wanted...and He did. He died that we might be free to live and worship Him and live with Him. What gratitude should mark our lives to this God Who lets us call Him ours. What confidence should we have in our Heavenly Creator and Warrior Who favors us with His breath. THANK YOU GOD FOR YOUR UNBELIEVABLE GRACE TO ME. Please show me who I can breathe life into today in Your Name.
2 Thessalonians 1
verse 11 in Amplified: With this in view we constantly pray for you, that our God may deem and count you worthy of [your] calling and [His] every gracious purpose of goodness, and with power may complete in [your] every particular work of faith (faith which is that leaning of the whole human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness).
Message: we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he's called you to be, pray that he'll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something.
HCSB: And in view of this, we always pray for you that our God will consider you worthy of His calling, and will, by His power, fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith,
NLT: So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.
YLT: for which also we do pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of the calling, and may fulfill all the good pleasure of goodness, and the work of the faith in power,
My faith is going to prompt me to do things...good things which are God's gracious purpose of goodness, (I love the freedom from reading that faith directs by prompting and not an info-mercial as I get far more promptings than billboards). God must supply the power/energy to complete every particular work that follows faith . But the creative ideas and the fuel for the tasks are in the framework of living up to the responsibility I have in Him. He's called me worthy through salvation and to a worthy work - His Kingdom purpose. In order for the work to amount to something and fulfill all the good pleasure of goodness, it must stem from faith which is from God.
So, the righteous will live by faith and our work is produced by faith. Faith and actions work together and faith is made complete by the work and faith is the victory. So, from a little neural-nudging to a triumphant procession, it all originates and is empowered from God. Full-Sponsor. Dear Heavenly Prompter, I receive Your gift of faith, work and promptings for Your glory-sake. Help me be still so that I may be inspired by faith to do that which You have prepared for me and to receive Your enabling power to complete my day's assignment. Help me to live by faith - graciously, joyfully, lovingly and powerfully. To the praise of Your Great Name.
Galatians 3:11... because “the righteous will live by faith.”
1 Thessalonians 1:3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith,
James 2: 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did
1John 5: 4For all that has been begotten of God gets the victory over the world; and this is the victory which has gotten the victory over the world, our faith.
I love Lori's remark that "By (His) power, I sit down..." Sometimes that is the greatest act of faith in my day, that I can "sit down at His feet" and receive. And this is certainly one of those days. Please pray for me.
Message: we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he's called you to be, pray that he'll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something.
HCSB: And in view of this, we always pray for you that our God will consider you worthy of His calling, and will, by His power, fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith,
NLT: So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.
YLT: for which also we do pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of the calling, and may fulfill all the good pleasure of goodness, and the work of the faith in power,
My faith is going to prompt me to do things...good things which are God's gracious purpose of goodness, (I love the freedom from reading that faith directs by prompting and not an info-mercial as I get far more promptings than billboards). God must supply the power/energy to complete every particular work that follows faith . But the creative ideas and the fuel for the tasks are in the framework of living up to the responsibility I have in Him. He's called me worthy through salvation and to a worthy work - His Kingdom purpose. In order for the work to amount to something and fulfill all the good pleasure of goodness, it must stem from faith which is from God.
So, the righteous will live by faith and our work is produced by faith. Faith and actions work together and faith is made complete by the work and faith is the victory. So, from a little neural-nudging to a triumphant procession, it all originates and is empowered from God. Full-Sponsor. Dear Heavenly Prompter, I receive Your gift of faith, work and promptings for Your glory-sake. Help me be still so that I may be inspired by faith to do that which You have prepared for me and to receive Your enabling power to complete my day's assignment. Help me to live by faith - graciously, joyfully, lovingly and powerfully. To the praise of Your Great Name.
Galatians 3:11... because “the righteous will live by faith.”
1 Thessalonians 1:3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith,
James 2: 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did
1John 5: 4For all that has been begotten of God gets the victory over the world; and this is the victory which has gotten the victory over the world, our faith.
I love Lori's remark that "By (His) power, I sit down..." Sometimes that is the greatest act of faith in my day, that I can "sit down at His feet" and receive. And this is certainly one of those days. Please pray for me.
1 Thessalonians 5
1 Thessalonians 1: 1 This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.
1 Thessalonians 5: 25 Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us.
What struck me in this chapter was that it reminded me of the first chapter. Paul ends as he began praying grace and peace on the dear brother and sisters. What started with prayers breathed out for the church in Thessalonica, concludes by seeking their prayers breathed out for him (and his group). Grace, peace and prayers.
He does not wish them 'good luck' or 'have a nice day'; he speaks grace and peace to them.
He does not ask for sponsorship, sailboats or extra-help. He asks but prayer be offered for him (and his group). This underscores the value of that Heavenward conversation to me in that he could have asked for anything or nothing at all...he asked for prayer. And prayer was what he gave them...the folks he adored...he prayed for them...constantly. When they were on his mind, they were in his prayers.
I am challenged to pursue relationships, to strike up conversations, to raise my family, to answer the phone with the same priorities...grace, peace and prayers. Father God, help me to grace-peace-and-pray for those You bring my way...for my dear brothers and sisters, especially.
We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
May God give you grace and peace.
2 We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. 3 As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. 1 Thessalonians 5: 25 Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with Christian love.
27 I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters.
28 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
What struck me in this chapter was that it reminded me of the first chapter. Paul ends as he began praying grace and peace on the dear brother and sisters. What started with prayers breathed out for the church in Thessalonica, concludes by seeking their prayers breathed out for him (and his group). Grace, peace and prayers.
He does not wish them 'good luck' or 'have a nice day'; he speaks grace and peace to them.
He does not ask for sponsorship, sailboats or extra-help. He asks but prayer be offered for him (and his group). This underscores the value of that Heavenward conversation to me in that he could have asked for anything or nothing at all...he asked for prayer. And prayer was what he gave them...the folks he adored...he prayed for them...constantly. When they were on his mind, they were in his prayers.
I am challenged to pursue relationships, to strike up conversations, to raise my family, to answer the phone with the same priorities...grace, peace and prayers. Father God, help me to grace-peace-and-pray for those You bring my way...for my dear brothers and sisters, especially.
1 Thessalonians 4
We urge you ... to live in a way that pleases God.You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. God’s will is for you to be holy...live in holiness and honor— God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. ...we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. ...Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers...Even so...we urge you to love them even more. And may the Lord make you to increase and excel and overflow in love for one another and for all people, just as we also do for you So that He may strengthen and confirm and establish your hearts faultlessly pure and un-blamable in holiness in the sight of our God and Father. 1 Thessalonians 4: 1,3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 3:10-11
Holiness and love are our job descriptions in this life. To live in holiness and love and to do so even more and more abundantly [attaining yet greater perfection in living this life] and to excel [in this matter of extending and displaying your love] more and more. He has called us to holiness and taught us love.
Holiness and love are our job descriptions in this life. To live in holiness and love and to do so even more and more abundantly [attaining yet greater perfection in living this life] and to excel [in this matter of extending and displaying your love] more and more. He has called us to holiness and taught us love.
- I guess my challenge is how am I responding to His call to holiness...do I listen for His Word ready to obey and prepared to move or do I lessen His Word with compromise, laxness and overuse of grace?
- Where am I specifically setting myself apart in this world?
- Am I zealous to be holy ... trying to get as far from unholiness as I can and bear myself becomingly and be correct and honorable and command the respect of the outside world? (Job 27:4 ...my lips will not say anything wicked,and my tongue will not utter lies. Job 31 talks about making a covenant with ones eyes...James 1:27 ... to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.)
- Do I seek to be better today than I was yesterday in regard to holiness and loving? Am I submitting to the Holy Spirit and God's Word in order to grow in these ways?
- Can anyone tell I am more holy or more loving than I was a year ago?
- Am I freer today than I was last week?
- These two qualities are hugely emphasized by Paul and completely lived out by Jesus, am I tending to them with the same energy?
- If my screen time (tv and movie), conversations, reading, browsing (Internet) and people watching were judged against a holiness indicator (say, ... Jesus) and a love measuring stick (again, Jesus), how well would I score on that standard (The Standard)?
- What changes will I make this week to grow in holiness and love?
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