Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy Graham has a sense of urgency, (as so many of us do!) “Mayday! “Mayday!” is a call for distress – and the call is being made, right now, at this time. For 9 days, Anne is calling Christians to take time and pray! “Mayday! Mayday!” is the call. It is time to seek the Savior. Do you have that same sense of urgency? We must have that urgency, and I will write why. (The prayer that Anne Graham Lotz would have us to pray is included at the bottom of my post today).
Just as in the days of Noah, he was given a warning from God. God sees it all, [past tense, present, and future as well(!)]. Way back when, in Noah’s day God reminded Noah that “the earth was corrupt before Him, and the earth was filled with violence.” (Gen. 6:11). God sees. “So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.”
This is only the 11th page in the whole of the Bible, Genesis 6:12! But this is today as well, just as the Bible said it would be: “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. “For as the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, “and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:37,38,39).
Violence, corruption… “They’ve been around since the fall,” you might say.
But today, ‘today’ is as the days of Noah! It is time to turn our heads to heed the warning signs, “Knowing this…,that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3).
We cannot forget, God’s word is true. Jesus spoke sitting on a hill, speaking to multitudes of people the ‘attitudes to be’, and He also said,” For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
Jesus came, Jesus died, Jesus rose from the dead – but this is not the end…Jesus is coming again! Yes, in the Revelation of Jesus Christ chapter 22, He Himself says, “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Revelation 22:7). And not only once, but twice, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” (Rev. 22:12).
The word ‘Behold’ according to Webster’s is: to hold in view; look at; see; regard.
The time is soon. Noah had the warning to all that the flood was coming! One hundred and twenty years of warning as he faithfully obeyed God and built the ark according to God’s instructions with his wife, boys and their wives. How could it be that NO ONE ELSE listened! How could it be that after ONE HUNDRED TWENTY YEARS, Noah was… only laughed at? We know now, that their laughter was turned to eternal death. “Knowing this…, that scoffers will come in the last days…”, ‘So, as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
These words are written to increase awareness! Wake up! that ‘day’ is soon!
Just as the days of Noah, do we recognize what’s going on today: “men leaving their natural use of the woman, burned with lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with…” (Romans 1:27,28).
“It’s never fun to be around people like you, always filled with doomsday thoughts. We really don’t have time for this now,” these might be your thoughts. Jeremiah the prophet knew all about this. He was given the word of the Lord, and the earthly powers threw him in a pit to die! (But God protected him, saved him, and delivered him). There is a time to heed the warnings!
OK, this is hard, but God’s word is written for our instruction and we must not run every time things get uncomfortable! The Bible is called the Good News! It’s the message that will clean up the mess! Before the rainbow, we have to endure the storm…
So, ‘as the days of Noah’, let us finish the hard stuff, (in the International Children’s version, being a bit gentler), “They traded the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served things that were made by man. But they did not worship and serve the God who made those things…Because people did those things, God left them and let them do the shameful things they wanted to do…(Romans 1:25,26).
Does this look like our present day? This is not pretty or fun, but it’s important medicine to help remedy our dark hearts.
“People did not think it was important to have a true knowledge of God. So God left them and allowed them to have their own worthless thinking. And so those people do the things that they should not do. They are filled with every kind of sin, evil, selfishness and hatred. They are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, lying, and thinking the worst about each other. they gossip and say evil things about each other. They hate God.” (Romans 1:28-30).
“Why heed the warnings now? What’s the urgent rush today?”
People, can’t you see the signs? Each and every day, ‘as the days of Noah’! “(People) They are rude and conceited and brag about themselves. They invent ways of doing evil. They do not obey their parents. They are foolish, they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or mercy to other people. They know God’s law says that those who live like this should die. But they continue to do these evil things. And they also feel that those who do these things are doing right.”(Romans 1:30-32, International Children’s Version, written for young children!) Little children, (young and old), who are we kidding? This is today.
“Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.” (Is. 55:6).Remember, the capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D, is the YHWH, the Yawhey, the unpronounceable One, the One who is your ‘all sufficiency’! That’s the all- caps LORD!
Are you thirsty? That is good! Are you hungry? That is good! On that mountain that Jesus sat and taught, He said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”(Matthew 5:6).
That is the truth about God! Hear the Messiah’s invitation to you and to me: “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.
“Incline your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your should shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you – “Is. 55:1-3).
“Why must this go on and on?!” you might be asking?
Because, ‘as the days of Noah, so also shall be the coming of the Son of Man be.’
If your heart is anxious and stirred up, ‘fret not’, simply turn to the One who calms the waters. He is God, He is able, He is alive, and that cross that He so horribly died on, He took on His flesh, the sins of the world. Your sins and mine, all of them. So, as easy as a child’s alphabet, if we ‘A’, Admit we are sinners and ‘B’ Believe in the provision of forgiveness given on the cross by the shed blood of Jesus, and ‘C’, call out to Him, He grants forgiveness and new life, once and for all. And for each day after that? “Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 peter 3:18). And pray!
We are called to pray. If you don’t have the words, or this is all too foreign and new, here are wonderful words to pray, especially for TODAY:
Anne Graham Lotz has given us urgent words to pray” “1 ELOHIM: THE STRONG ONE In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…2 We worship You, great God of Creation, as Elohim, the Strong One. You were in the beginning. You will be at The End. You always have been and You always will be. You are the Creator who brings forth something out of nothing, who formed man from dust, who turns darkness into light, who makes the world turn, who sustains all things by Your powerful word.”
“3 When the nations rage and the people imagine a vain thing… When the rulers take a stand and gather together against the Lord…4 When the earth gives way… When the mountains fall into the midst of the sea… When the waters roar and foam… When nations are in uproar and kingdoms fall…5 When everything that is familiar unravels, You are the Rock on which we stand! You are our Stronghold. We take refuge in You.6 We worship You alone.”
“As we plunge into spiritual and moral darkness, You are our Light. As political, social, racial, financial, and environmental storms break out all around us, You are our Anchor. 1 John 17:11 2 Genesis 1:1 3 Hebrews 1:1-3 4 Psalm 2 5 Psalm 46 6 Psalm 18:1-3 2 As we face terrorism’s threat and vows of annihilation from our enemies, You are our Shield. When there are wars and rumors of wars—when nations rise against nations and there is rioting in our streets, You are our Peace. In our weakness, You are our Strength. As we grieve over lost freedoms and lost futures and lost values and lost loved ones, You are our Comfort.”
“In our despair over our lack of moral leadership, You are our Hope. In our confusion when truth is spun and exchanged for a lie, You are our Wisdom. In these days of desperation and confusion, we look to You, and You alone. I look to You as _________________ O God our Help in ages past, This is not just a distress call for prayer. This is a distress call to You! For one hour each day for nine days we choose to turn away from everything else and seek Your face. We turn to You—run to You—cling to You—hide in You. We believe You will hear and answer our distress call because… …We come to You in the name of the One by whom “all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
“7 …We come to You in the name of the Creator who became our Savior and who has ascended into Heaven to sit at Your right hand, with all authority placed under His feet.8 …We come to You humbly, yet boldly, because we have been invited to come.9 …We come to You with confidence because the way has been opened for us by the blood of Your Son who sits at Your right hand, who is in authority over all.10 …We come to You with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith that You will receive us, You will listen to us, and You will answer us.11 I come to You_________ Hear our prayers as we come to You in the name of Jesus. For the glory of Your name. Amen. 7 Colossians 1:16-17 8 Ephesians 1:20-23 9 Matthew 11:28-29; John 14:13-15).
If there is any reader that was urged by the Spirit of God to ‘admit and believe and call’ out to Jesus, the Lord and Savior of the world, please let someone know,(today!) and begin to enjoy the hunger and the thirst that you feel in each new day for God. He is the living bread, and you will taste and see that the Lord is good as you ‘eat’ of his word daily! No longer a scoffer, but now a ‘delighter’ in God’s word. The promise or the ‘rainbow’ that you are given is: “…He (you) shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.” (Ps. 1:3).
Hey, and the best news of all, is unlike Noah, where there were NO other believers saved except his family, we will see that we ARE the FAMILY walking through the Door! Safe and sound. (Well, perhaps a little smelly, difficult, and uncomfortable at times, but safe and protected and covered in HIs gracious love!
Tag: Jesus
"I have a prayer…"
“God, I have a prayer, for the little ones and the old, that the children wake up surrounded, not by evil thoughts that are cold, but that the Spirit breathes on them a new ‘old’ song. God I have a prayer for the children of the world, red, brown, yellow, black and white, race, rank, and ages of every kind: “Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick and lead the blind,…”
“God, I have a prayer, that the children hear Your voice, and no longer the lies that are so loud through the night. God, I have a prayer, that the children unaware, would begin to see that the things that are REAL are really the things that are out of their sight.” “God may the children with sight of a whole new kind begin to repeat: “More than all, in Thee I find!”
“God, I have a prayer, that the ol’ words in the Wesley hymn would be read and repeated :“Just and holy is Thy name; I am all unrighteousness. False and full of sin I am; Thou art full of truth and grace.” That children young and old would know, the words to the hymn, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul!”
As easy as ABC, yet harder than any Chemistry – there is no need for ‘outside clean-up’ jobs, the main event’s gotta happen INSIDE, where the heart of the child sees their own mess, and finally cries: “Just and holy is His name, and I am all unrighteousness.”
“ALL the children of the world must admit these words, “I am all unrighteousness!” But God, Oh God, may the children of the world see the color of Your face! May the children of the world see that the Your color is… GRACE!”
” For ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit,’ are Your very own words, dear Lord God, You, Yourself had said, when You sat on the hill with the crowds all around. “The Kingdom of heaven is yours today, be poor in spirit and blessed you’ll be.” But not one man likes to hear that sound! ‘Poor in Spirit?’ that means ‘I have -need’!
“God, I have a prayer that the children can say, “Other refuge have I none; hangs my helpless soul on Thee. Leave, ah, leave me not alone; Still support and comfort me!” Dear Lord, that the children would sing, “All my trust on Thee is stayed; All my help from Thee I bring. Cover my defenseless head, With the shadow of Thy wing.”
” Yes, God, I have a prayer that the children of the world that You love so much would change their tune and sing a new song: “Jesus, lover of my soul, Let me to Thy bosom fly, While the nearer waters roll, While the tempest still is high! Hide me O my Savior hide, Till the storm of life is past. Safe into the haven guide. Oh, receive my soul at last!”
” But God I have a prayer, that the children don’t sing this song as an escape, but they sing it as they place their lives in Your hand. In the hand of God to live today in this hard, cold world, on the rough and stormy seas, in Your stay, Lord God and in Your way.” “That the children wold trust as they rest in Your hand, and sing and sing, “Jesus, lover of my soul, Let me to Thy bosom fly, while the rearer waters roll, While the tempest still is high!” “God I have a prayer, that the children of the world to YOU would direct their cry!”
“God, I have a prayer, that the children would admit all the sin that they have, and believe in Your Son and call out His name, “Thou, O Christ, art all I want; More than all, in Thee I find.” That revival would spread like a fire in the forest, the children would pray, “Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, Heal the sick and lead the blind. Just and Holy is Thy name, I am all unrighteousness. False and full of sin I am; Thou art full of truth and grace.” Yes, this is my prayer for me and for them!”
“Faith is believing in what is not seen, so God I have a prayer and its answer I believe! I pray that the children find the answer in YOU. I have a prayer, yes, I have a prayer! That the children of all colors and ages and rank, speak with one voice:“Plenteous grace with Thee is found, Grace to cover all my sin. Let the healing streams abound…” I pray for the children, the children of the world, that they would turn around and speak this new ‘old’ song, “Make and keep me pure within. Thou of life the Fountain art, Freely let me take of Thee. Spring Thou up within my heart; Rise to all eternity.”
May the children of the world soon sing, “Spring Thou up within my heart;” May revival around us speak louder than the lies, “Plenteous grace with Thee is found, Grace to cover all my sin… “Thou of life the Fountain art, Freely let me take of Thee. Spring Thou up within my heart; Rise to all eternity!”
I have a prayer dear Lord, ‘Let it be! Let it be! Amen and Amen, that all the children of the world would sing, “Thou, O Christ, art all I want; More than all, in Thee I find.” My prayer dear Lord is for the children, You see, I know You are working,…ever working in me!
It's gotta be more than 'Sunday-school answers'…
The Sunday school-teacher prays in the back before the colorful, playful children come in, “Oh Lord, help me make it real, the truth about You, so it’s more than fancy dress and what we do on this day, and later a family meal.”
“Yes, Jesus Loves me, the Bible tells me so…”
“I know all the stories!” the 6 year old proclaimed as she skipped in the room with ‘cute as a bug’ delight! “Yes, we know all the answers, we’ve got this one down. Jesus died on the cross and today He couldn’t be found. The tomb was empty, we know the whole thing- so what are we doing today during Sunday School – sing?”
“Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”
“I think I have a story or two, you might not know,” the teacher shared to the class, praying that the Lord would send His Holy Spirit, and FAST!” “Without Me you can do nothing,” was the teacher’s very next thought, “Lord, that’s so true, so don’t leave me hanging, empower me now with a supernatural kind, “Hosanna, Hosanna! Save NOW, my dear Lord, I pray these kids SEE and HEAR, that they see and hear from their hearts – not just their minds!
“Jesus was in agony on that tree, on that cross. Did you know that others scoffed at Him then, even then in His pain?” “Oh yes, we know that,” but their faces looked lost. “Did you know it was yelled,’Save Yourself now,You saved others in the past, Can’t You do it again? Aren’t You the Son of God, at last?'”
“Why didn’t Jesus save Himself from the cross? Why didn’t He call down the angels from heaven, the whole heavenly host? Why didn’t He stop this whole dreadful thing? Why did He suffer such pain and such loss?”Why did Jesus stay nailed and pierced that horrible day?” Children, can you tell me, “What held Jesus there, can any of you say?”
“It was our sin!” “It was our sin,” they answered again. “It was our sin,” they all thought in their minds, that’s the answer. It’s a ‘Sunday School answer’, it’s quick and it’s right, but it was lacking 17 inches, 17 inches of insight…
“Children why did Jesus stay hanging on that cross on that day?” “It was our sin.” “Yes, our sin,” ALL the children said.
“Jesus could have called down a whole heavenly host to save Him, but He didn’t, He didn’t! Children,” (the teacher stopped to catch a breath and some Help), “Jesus stayed on that horrible cross on that day because…of His love. His love, that is all. He stayed nailed to that cross on that day for only one reason, because Jesus loves you and He loves me too, not just today, but throughout every season.
There was silence for a mere moment. The children didn’t know. It’s as if they’d never heard it, never heard it before. 17 inches from their mind, straight to their hearts…”It was His love that held Him there. It was for me, He didn’t part.
“Jesus loves me this I know…“,but can we really ‘know?’ We just just can’t understand it. Our sin didn’t keep Him on the cross on that day … Time went slowly, the agony and pain, were endured because Jesus was thinking our names.
He didn’t save Himself, even though He could. He chose to suffer, so we would never be alone.“Jesus loves me, He who died. Heaven’s gate to open wide. He will wash away my sin, let His little child come in…”
It’s gotta be more than the dress and the show. It’s gotta be more than ‘Sunday School answers’ you know. If they could just hear His heart… “If they could only understand it all, Father.” “My Son, My Son, We witness them growing. They SEE, they HEAR, and they will one day KNOW, and they will be like a seed, planted by flowing waters, We will watch them, as the years come, as the years go… yes, they will grow.”
“Father, they are so beautiful, so beautiful to Me. I love each one, each and every child. Right now they have all the right answers, but oh, how I long, how I long for their hearts. Do You think they can see Me in that seed that they planted, in that little pot of soil? Bless all teacher’s toil! They didn’t know that the seed had to die, but that’s what I did, so that they could have life!
“Jesus take this heart of mine, Make it pure and wholly Thine; Thou has bled and died for me, I will hense-forth live for Thee.”
“Yes, Father, as I’m the seed placed in the good soil. I came to die, but that’s not the end of the story! The seed then explodes with life and great beauty. I in them, and they in Me – the planting, the death yes, has to occur, but the promise of beauty and life is secure – forever, forever, forever-more!”
Jesus loves me! He will stay, close beside me all the way… It’s true, even if it takes years to ‘get it!’ ‘Jesus will stay’ and never give up, never, never a day! Because He showed us His love by staying on that cross. He died, but He shook up the earth in the process, and life everlasting is now the believer’s promise!
It’s gotta be more than a ‘Sunday-school answer’, it’s gotta be a Seed of love pressed in the soft soil! But oh when that happens, there is Joy evermore in the Father, the Son, and the Spirit and more – the angels rejoice and the earth quakes and the flower springs up with beauty and grace!
“Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me, The Bible tells me so!”
"There is a river…", "Shall We Gather at the River?"
There are times when I wake, that I wake up feeling very ‘little’, very ‘small’. There are mornings when I wake up feeling, even in those first moments of the day, like I dwell in the energy and the franetic-ness of Times Square in NYC.
And each morning I need to have God ‘make me lie down’ and He brings me to ‘green pastures’, but today to a river… He illuminated a verse I have always loved, Ps. 46:4. “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God…”
Do you ever wake up feeling that your life is like a bustling city? “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High God is in the midst of her;”
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High God was in the midst of the children of Israel, and THAT is where God dwelt THEN, and today the Bible says that those who believe on Him that the Father has sent, (yes, that ‘Him’ is Jesus), that WE are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in us. (1Cor. 3:16.)
Jesus declared,”If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink and out of his innermost being shall gush forth torrents of living water.” (John 7:37,38) But wait, why are we so thirsty Lord? Fill me Lord, Fill us Lord with Your Holy Spirit! How we need a filling of the ‘river whose streams make glad the city of God. ”God is in the midst of her; She shall not be moved.” There is a hymn that moves my feet right to the river:
“Shall we gather at the river, where bright angel feet have trod; With its crystal tide forever Flowing by the throne of God?”“Yes, we’ll gather at the river.The beautiful, the beautiful river. Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God.” (Shall We Gather at the River? Hymn by Robert Lowry, 1864).
Shall we gather at the river, even though we just got out of bed? Yes, in our minds, let Him take us, Oh Lord, transport us from the chaos of our thoughts and cause us to hear Your lovingkindness , to hear You speak, “Come to the waters and drink, for there is a river…God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.”
“On the margin of the river, Washing up its silver spray, We will walk and worship ever, All the happy golden day, “ (well, I think there are times when I would like to change the wording, so the verse actually reads, “We will walk and worship ever, even in the ‘hectic’ frantic day!)
Can you hear the voice of Jesus speaking to you personally, even today, calling out your name, calling out my name, “Come to the rivers of water and drink… ‘there is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, (and that) God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.”
Yes, we’ll gather at the river – sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, sinners young and sinners old-“Ere we reach the sining river, Lay we every burden down. Grace our spirits will deliver, And provide a robe and crown. Yes, we’ll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river. Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God.”
“Soon we’ll reach the shining river, Soon our pilgrimage will cease, Soon our happy heart will quiver With the melody of peace. Yes, we’ll gather at the river…”“There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, just at the break of dawn. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.” (Ps. 46:4-6).
“The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah, (pause and think calmly of that!)“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah”(Ps. 46:10,11). (pause and think calmly of that).
Shall we gather at the river? Oh, yes, Oh yes, we find our peace in the midst of ‘hectic’ there – because ‘God is in the midst of her’,“Yes, we’ll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river, Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God.” (Robert Lowry, 1864).
Do you ever wake up feeling that your life is like a bustling city? “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High God is in the midst of her;”
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High God was in the midst of the children of Israel, and THAT is where God dwelt THEN, and today the Bible says that those who believe on Him that the Father has sent, (yes, that ‘Him’ is Jesus), that WE are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in us. (1Cor. 3:16.)
Jesus declared,”If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink and out of his innermost being shall gush forth torrents of living water.” (John 7:37,38) But wait, why are we so thirsty Lord? Fill me Lord, Fill us Lord with Your Holy Spirit! How we need a filling of the ‘river whose streams make glad the city of God. ”God is in the midst of her; She shall not be moved.” There is a hymn that moves my feet right to the river:
“Shall we gather at the river, where bright angel feet have trod; With its crystal tide forever Flowing by the throne of God?”“Yes, we’ll gather at the river.The beautiful, the beautiful river. Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God.” (Shall We Gather at the River? Hymn by Robert Lowry, 1864).
Shall we gather at the river, even though we just got out of bed? Yes, in our minds, let Him take us, Oh Lord, transport us from the chaos of our thoughts and cause us to hear Your lovingkindness , to hear You speak, “Come to the waters and drink, for there is a river…God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.”
“On the margin of the river, Washing up its silver spray, We will walk and worship ever, All the happy golden day, “ (well, I think there are times when I would like to change the wording, so the verse actually reads, “We will walk and worship ever, even in the ‘hectic’ frantic day!)
Can you hear the voice of Jesus speaking to you personally, even today, calling out your name, calling out my name, “Come to the rivers of water and drink… ‘there is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, (and that) God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.”
Yes, we’ll gather at the river – sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, sinners young and sinners old-“Ere we reach the sining river, Lay we every burden down. Grace our spirits will deliver, And provide a robe and crown. Yes, we’ll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river. Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God.”
“Soon we’ll reach the shining river, Soon our pilgrimage will cease, Soon our happy heart will quiver With the melody of peace. Yes, we’ll gather at the river…”“There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, just at the break of dawn. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.” (Ps. 46:4-6).
“The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah, (pause and think calmly of that!)“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah”(Ps. 46:10,11). (pause and think calmly of that).
Shall we gather at the river? Oh, yes, Oh yes, we find our peace in the midst of ‘hectic’ there – because ‘God is in the midst of her’,“Yes, we’ll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river, Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God.” (Robert Lowry, 1864).
He paints His presence daily…
Holy Father of Heaven and of Earth, draw me nearer, so much nearer to you, and the children, dear Lord, yes, draw the children too. Nearer to Thee, oh how we busy ourselves. We get moving so fast that we don’t take time to give You our ear. We don’t give You our eyes either, and notice the faithfulness in each rising sun and we forget it’s You… that painted the sunset as we run, here and there everywhere. Oh Father, draw us near!
Remind me again of the story that’s told of Pilgrim’s journey, written so long ago. How he ever so slightly, ever so slight began to keep walking a bit off the path. But in turn it lead him in chains and dismay as he found himself hopeless in ‘Giant Despair’s’ wrath! But in the scroll it is written, that there’s a Way of escape, a Table has been prepared in the presence of our enemies – yes, it’s a ‘cup of blessing’ and ‘bread that’s been broken’ – our Rescuer, our hope… may we see Him who’s been smitten.
But it’s a mystery so deep at times, we feel You’r so distant, so we journey along as time is insistent! Seasons come; the joys and sorrows of Christmas pass, New Year’s promises and the winter’s blast…grace is needed, ‘Want’ and need are the cries of Your sheep – there are no flowers, no songs and mountains seem so, so steep!
“Increase my faith! Help me believe! My unbelief overshadows and brings me down deep!” So ‘deep cries to deep’ my Father of earth,where are You now? “Your kingdom come, Your will be done! I have trouble trusting! Trusting in and waiting on the Faithful One!”
How can that be? I just don’t know, but it’s true and it’s evident in my worry and fret. Winter comes, and sometimes winter stays, and a rut becomes comfort, but a rut brings regret! So, help me ‘do hard things’ , even to lift my eyes…give me courage to pray and to lay down ‘my rights’, that I might not be believing in things that are lies!
It’s hard to humble myself before You dear Lord, and sometimes Your words are ‘just words’. I, like a sheep hear… but don’t understand:’flee from idolatry’, and ‘resist satan’s roar’- Suddenly I find myself instead of ‘fleeing’ just standing there. Just like dear Pilgrim in ‘Giant Despairs’ grasp, now what? what do I do to stay on the path?
“Oh, search me O God, and know me through. Test me and know even my thoughts, I ask You. Is my heart hard as a stone, give me courage to face it, and God in Your great mercy, with ‘flesh’ will You replace it? Not a stone, but a heart soft as flesh, in Your mercy – grant me Your grace and forgiveness.”
“You are the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me, I humbly pray, into a vessel of honor, but can I be twice baked? You see I’ve been broken and set aside, can You use me again? Lead me and guide me in Your Self-Less Way, and when I wake each morrow-morn, may I be able to receive with humility, just what You say.”
Winter – cold and hard, turns into spring. And in the sun and all the new color – we can see with our eyes that Your mercy never ceases and Your love, steadfast and true, is abounding in grace and kindness besides! This is your plan that leads our dark hearts, to see once again, what is True, what is True! It’s true that You love me, it’s true that You care, it’s true that You are always, You are always there!
Summer comes, summer fun and warmth, but the enemy is lurking in our rest and recreation to ‘put off’ the narrow road, ‘oh, it’s just for a season’. But we believe him, we do – and often forget, what God has to say: “Seek Me first, I’m loyal and faithful and love at all times, come to Me you who are weary, I am the Way…”
satan’s a liar, (I can’t capitalize his name), he wants us all to believe that You are hard and demanding with a scowl on Your face, with You, nothing fun is thought to be OK. But You took all my garbage and all of my shame, so I could be free and have real life in me again! You say, “Do you love Me?” And it doesn’t really matter the words that I say, because dear Lord, You’re watching to see if I…simply obey.
But God, there is nothing ‘simple’ in obeying You Lord. But You led by example by walking that Via Delarosa. It reminds me of the cold fall winds that blow hard and strong… but they are needful, yes needful to bring us to our knees. When those cold winds blow, You know their purpose, it’s all good, even though they seem OH SO WRONG!
Winter to spring, and spring into summer, and the fall winds blow all the old leaves away, but the winds make us dig deeper to survive the cold…This is Your plan full of surprises, this is how You paint Your picture for us. New months, new weeks, and with each new day, Your faithful and early sun… rises.
“Can you see Me?” “Can you see Me?” your still small voice speaks and even sings in a song. Many don’t notice, but today I say, “I do!” Your Bride is preparing, your Bride is getting ready. “Help me in my weakness, help me stay on the path even when it’s seems so terribly long.”
Your face! Your face! As we ‘run this race! Through the journey we go in the beauty of Your presence! That’s how it is that the joy of the Lord is my strength, Because You are there, even in the valley of the shadows of darkness. You shine in the sky and the Evergreens, even the rocks, You are speaking, and You are Our Ever -present Fortress!
“I will never leave you nor forsake you,” You say. “I will direct your paths for the day.” “I love you with an everlasting love,” You whisper, but, sometimes I make some rough choices, and choose not to listen. I don’t run to the Strong tower that is there, instead like Pilgrim, I think I’ve got it right, but the next moment I find I’m in Giant Despair’s prison!
Oh my! I still walk in circles it seems, forgive me again, my Father of the earth as well as the heavens! And You do, You do, You never give up on Your child. Your love is complete, it’s faithful as the winter that turns into spring, You make all things work together for good, even when I make a mess of things, when I’m head-strong and sometimes wild!
“I want to see You!” I cry. And You answer Me. “Can you see me in the sky I’ve painted for you? Can you see me when it’s dark or shining bright and blue? I am here, when you choose to humble yourself and surrender…I am with you now, abide in Me, FOREVER!”
“Teach me to abide, to You the Vine. I am the branches! Help me not forget! Teach me to abide in You my dear Jesus. Flow through my veins, may Your Spirit guide me yet! Help me from going off the path again, when winter comes, and I’m caught by ‘Giant Despair’, help me see that there is no death in Christ. That hidden inside those ‘dead’ looking trees, is life; Life that is greater than any enemy! Life for today, life for tomorrow. Life for all of eternity!
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“Today you can see Me and feel that I’m near, but tomorrow when You can’t, please remember, I AM here.”
My response is the very first verse I learned when I was three: “I love You Jesus, because You first loved me. I love You Jesus…Because You first…loved me!”
perhaps I play a 1 stringed guitar
A little poem, and a hymn, and one message – again:
“Speak to yourselves, children young and old. Speak to yourselves in the hymns that are told. Over ages and ages, time after time, God’s word implores us to speak and hear truth, so through the trials of life, God Himself clears our minds. Through clouds and rain, His presence restores strength. The dark clouds will come, but the Holy Spirit comforts and directs our fearful steps. In the name of Jesus, a forward march we make. His name is power and precious and salvation the same.”
Call unto Him. Call on Jesus by name. Discover yourself His Nature, His frame. He is gracious, and compassionate. He suffers long.
He waits for each of us, to again, sing His Song. He loves. Not like man. He loves unconditionally, in any state that we’re in.
Tired and grumpy, even messed up in sin. He loves us completely. He waits for us to turn our face towards Him.
Remedy in a hymnal read out loud. Even though the melody may not be present, the words speak truth’s sound:
“I heard the voice of Jesus Say,
- I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place,
And He has made me glad. - I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him. - I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk,
Till trav’ling days are done. - I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“My Father’s house above
Has many mansions; I’ve a place
Prepared for you in love.”
I trust in Jesus—in that house,
According to His word,
Redeemed by grace, my soul shall live
Forever with the Lord.
His work is complete. He waits to offer His forgiveness, His grace. He’s paid our debt on the cross. The Story is the same, yesterday, today, forever. Year after year, we have opportunity to come to Him. Jesus is calling, even our very name, to draw near.
But 'weep no more' the Lord says…
Just as there are two sides to every coin, there are two sides to every story – especially, the Christmas Story! The angels sang in the heavens above: “Peace on earth, good will to men.”(Luke 2:14). Yet out of the mouth of the ‘Prince of Peace’ Himself years later were the words: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth…” (Matthew 10:34).
In all honesty, every human being deep down can agree with the Lord’s words: “I did not come to bring peace but a sword. “For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.’ And a man’s foes will be those of his own household.”(Matthew 10: 34-36).
Many a parent understands these words, and many a daughter, and many a son who has made room in their lives and their heart for Him. When one finally can see that He is who He says He is, and makes the choice to ‘follow after Him’ – oh yes, they know all about the sword.
And we can all agree that even our ‘flesh’ cries out and screams when the choice is made to be ‘lead in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake’. It’s hard to ‘die to self’! There’s a lot of screaming that goes on inside when we finally decide to control our tongue, or control our appetites, to make the choice to be merciful, to choose to give someone ‘grace’ even though they don’t deserve it! Don’t we all understand the ‘sword’ that Jesus is talking about? “I did not come to bring peace but a sword…”
Crazy – but this is consistent even with the Christmas Story! Yes, the angels sang their song of peace, but King Herod was ‘exceedingly wroth’ (KJV) about a new King of the Jews, and the death of Him was his plan! The Prince of peace was born and now comes a sword: “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according tot he time which he had determined from the wise men. (Matthew 2:16, NKJV).
There was much weeping: “Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, because they were no more.” (Jer. 31:15).
And for this reason, the lack of peace, many don’t believe in the Prince of Peace. Christmas comes, and Christmas goes, but for many…life brings a sword. What can be said of all of this?
The Prince of Peace has spoken. He brings words of comfort. You’ve got to look at both sides of the coin! You’ve got to see both sides of the story! Jesus Himself has told us: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).
We suffer the sword, we suffer trouble- yes, even after receiving the Prince of Peace in our hearts and in our lives – But there is a big difference ‘in Him!’ He doesn’t leave us ‘orphans’, He doesn’t leave us at all! In fact He draws ever near as we draw near to Him. We don’t have a monologue with God, no, He speaks plain and simple, (OK, not always easy to take, but plain and simple nonetheless,) in a dialogue: “Remember the word that I said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you…” (John 15:20). But weep no more…
“Why shouldn’t I weep? This is not good news like I thought? What else do we do with a theme like: “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children…”etc, etc? That’s why I don’t read the Bible. There is no peace on earth!” These might be your very thoughts – BUT THUS SAITH THE LORD! Hear this, don’t grow weary, don’t rely on your own understanding, hear the word of the LORD:
“Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope in your future, says the LORD, That your children shall come back to their own border.” (Jer. 31:16,17).
Thus saith the LORD: “Stop your crying! Don’t let the tears fall anymore. Yes, I say with My own voice, “Your work will be rewarded.” Can you hear Me speak words of peace to you? Be of good cheer, I have overcome.” (The words of God in my paraphrase).“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” Thus saith the Lord, Jesus, no paraphrase, clear and simple, John 14:1.
The other side of the coin, the other side of the story, bears repeating: “Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD…”(Jer. 31:16). “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me!” (John 14:1), exclamation point, mine!) With each new day, may we make the choice to ‘believe also in Him!’
Do I hear an “AMEN?”
Today, Jesus is King
Happy Birthday to the King. Happy Birthday to the One who reigns. You are King of my heart, O Lord. You are King of my heart!
Today You are King, on Your special day that the angels did say to all of mankind, blessing and goodwill and peace You give…
I choose to receive Your love, Your great love. I choose today, a-new in my heart to receive all that You have for me- right now My God, a-new THIS day.
Jesus, You reign, You are King over all. And blessings abound to those who acknowledge this truth that’s been given from time and again, prisoners are set free from the chains of great sin, and the weary find rest for their fretful souls when they call out Your Name which is higher than all!
You are King today, today I will choose, even in want and in great pain and great loss, even in all that – I choose to trust You.
I love You my King, keep me close by Your side. Help me to trust. Help me abide. I will rejoice today with many others, and I pray that as the sun rises tomorrow, I’m in this same place- singing Your praises and exalting Your name.
I love You Lord Jesus. To You I do bring, the gift of my heart, please keep it my King, because it’s prone to wander so far . Please keep it and help me to follow You true.
strong>”For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11).