God First. A Commitment to Daily Worship

God First. A Commitment to Daily Worship

Our pastor asked us to start each day with four things.
Amen… agreeing with God for what He has planned for our day
Hallelijah, praising God just for who He is in our lives.
Thank You, Lord, for all he has done is doing and will do in our lives.
Bless the Lord Another praise to God for His eternal mercies.

Joshua 1:8 (New International Version)
8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Every once in a while we are asked to do something that is just easy. We don’t mind at all complying with these easy requests, at least not in the beginning. But, after a while, we just slide back into old habits.

Now, what gets in the way?

There a program called The Renewing of Your Mind. It speaks the truth. Until you renew your mind, you won’t change. How do we make the changes that guarantee that we will give God at least these simple acts of worship. One way is to make a determination to give God the first fruits of our day.

Are we truly in agreement with the plans that God has for our day? Do we trust that He has our best interests?

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Can we say “Amen”?

Hallelujah is a Hebrew word meaning "Praise Yahweh".

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (New International Version)
16Be joyful always;
17pray continually;
18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

We are guaranteed daily worship if the first thing we do on rising is worship God. We are guaranteed to give thanks if we remember to thank God for the gift of a new day. We are guaranteed to give our lives to God in agreement with His will if we acknowledge, Amen to the will of God, before we start to make our own decisions about the rest of our day.

Psalm 34 (New King James Version)
A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.
1 I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

The last five chapters in the book of Psalms (146-150) comprise what might be considered a great "Hallalujah Chorus" to this "Hallel" book -- the "book of Israel's praises," as the book of Psalms was called by the Israelites.
http://www.icr.org/article/hallelujah-psalms/

Thank You, Lord, for life. Thank You, Lord, for the gift of the Comforter. Thank You, Lord, for your mercy which is renewed every morning. Thank You, Lord, I just want to thank You, Lord.

Psalm 118 (New International Version)
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

I start my day in agreement with what You have in store for my life, Amen. I start my day singing praises for all You are in my life, Hallelujah! I start my day in appreciation for Your love, Thank You, Lord. I start my day with praise for your eternal mercies, Bless The Lord. I make a commitment to daily worship, a commitment to make God First.

Psalm 103 (New American Standard)
Praise for the LORD'S Mercies.
A Psalm of David.
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits ;

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

A Day of Praise

A Day of Praise

Today is just a day of praise. There are so many ways to praise our God. His presence can be felt everywhere by those who seek His face.

Psalm 106:1-5 (New International Version)
1 Praise the LORD.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are they who maintain justice,
who constantly do what is right.
4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.

I thank God for the gift of another day. I thank God for another opportunity to praise His name. I thank God.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword,
His truth is marching on.

CHORUS: Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watchfires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps,
His day is marching on.--CHORUS

I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:
"As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My Grace shall deal;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,
Since God is marching on."--CHORUS

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His Judgement Seat.
Oh! Be swift, my soul, to answer Him, be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.--CHORUS

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me;
As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.--CHORUS

There are a few songs that just are meant to be shared. They sound wonderful when song by a soloist or a grand choir. They sound wonderful in country, jazz, or classical. They uplift the spirit and soothe the soul.

Psalm 111 (King James Version)
1Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.
2The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
3His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
4He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.

The amazing thing is that praising God has the effect of bringing joy into the spirit of the one who is lifting His name in praise.

Try making God first in your life and see how wonderful the rest of your day can be. Give God the first fruits of your time and reap the benefit of the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Order my Steps

Jeremiah 10:23-24 (New International Version)
Jeremiah's Prayer
23 I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own;
it is not for man to direct his steps.
24 Correct me, LORD, but only with justice—
not in your anger,
lest you reduce me to nothing.

There is so much wisdom in this short prayer. There is acknowledgement of the greatness of God and acceptance of Him as our creator. There is acceptance of our need for divine intervention and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. There is admitting our need for correction and a request for mercy . There is humility in the presence of Almighty God.

Order My Steps
1. Order my steps in Your word dear Lord
Lead me, guide me, everyday
Send Your anointing, Father, I pray
Order my steps in Your word.
Please order my steps in Your word.

2. Humbly I ask Thee, teach me Your will
While You are working, help me be still
Though Satan is busy, God is real
Order my steps in Your word.
Please order my steps in Your word.

3. Bridle my tongue, let my words edify
Let the words of my mouth be acceptable in Thy sight
Take charge of my thoughts, both day and night
Order my steps in Your word.
Please order my steps in Your word.

(refrain) I want to walk worthy, my calling to fulfill
Please order my steps, Lord, and I'll do Your blessed will
The world is ever changing, but You are still the same
If You order my steps, I'll praise Your name.

Order my steps, in Your word
Order my tongue, in Your word
Guide my feet, in Your word
Wash my heart, in Your word
Show me how to walk, in Your word
Show me how to talk, in Your word.

When I need a brand new song to sing,
Show me how to let Your praises ring, in Your word
In Your word

Please order my steps in Your word.
Please order my steps in Your word.

As I explored the words of this song I realized they held just the prayer I need at this time. I truly need God to Order My Steps. I need to be still and “Let God.”

I have gotten better at bridling my tongue, but, oh my goodness, the mess that goes through my mind sometimes is a constant reminder of my need to pray that God will take charge of my thoughts.

I want to walk worthy, my calling to fulfill. I am serious about this Walk. I know I need God to show me how to walk in this Way. I am grateful for His Holy Word that provides guidance when I need a way to sing praises to God. I am grateful for the guidance of the Holy Spirit when I seek the words I need to pray. “Thank You, Lord“, is my prayer throughout the day, for Your goodness, grace and mercy.

Proverbs 16 (Holman Christian Standard)
1 The reflections of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All a man's ways seem right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the motives.
3 Commit your activities to the Lord and your plans will be achieved

I thank you, Lord for Your Presence in my life. I thank You for the comfort, guidance and support of a church family. My prayer is that You order our steps in Your Way.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Faith based decision making

Faith based decision making

There are lots of times when it would be so much easier if the Holy Spirit just made our decisions for us. Then we wouldn’t get ourselves into trouble. Sometimes I say “I could do without this free will, thank you.” Those are the times when we know the way, but feel that it would be easier to go in another direction.

Many times these are relationship decisions; times when we know we should behave in a certain way towards someone and we just don’t want to do this. We know we should forgive, we know we should not judge we know, we know, we know. But the reality is that when someone gets on our third nerve we want to just walk away at best, or “give them a piece of our mind” at worst.

We give ourselves lots of excuses for making poor decisions. Sometimes we cop out by not making any decision, denying the fact that not making a decision is a decision made.

We serve a God who has provided guidelines for us if we choose to follow them. When we have tough decisions to make we can follow a simple plan like the one laid out in the practical tools below.

http://christianity.about.com/od/practicaltools/a/decisionmaking.htm
Make the decision to let God be God.
Proverbs 16
We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer. (NLT)

Study the Word of God.
2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (NKJV)

Surround yourself with people who are further along in the journey.
Corinthians 11:1
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. (NIV)
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. (NLT)

Never give up.
Hebrews 12:1-3
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. (NLT)

My friend likes to say that she is a work in progress. We all are works in progress as we walk in the Way. The trick is to be “in progress”, not standing still.

We must use the tools the Father has given us, The Word and the Comforter, and to continue to progress in our decisions and our relationships.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Joy in the Word.

Joy in the Word.

"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." Psalm 126:2

I drove home from church last night with such joy in my heart. I felt such an appreciation of the love of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit and found myself singing songs of praise all the way home. .

At our church we have wonderful Monday nights starting with community prayer, moving to bible study and finishing with Sunday School Prep. It is a night filled with fellowship and learning. Last night was one of those wonderful nights that passed so quickly I found myself unable to believe that it was over.

Monday nights are our opportunities to refill. We spend the rest of the week in our various missions. We have a community food bank, do mission work with travelers from around the world in our Marine Mission, visit hospitals and nursing homes, and provide a prison ministry. But on Mondays we fuel up on the Word. We learn background and history. We look at practical applications to our daily lives. We find a connectedness, inspiration, comfort and joy in God’s word.

Isaiah 55:12 - "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." (NIV)

Please imagine this. See the glory of God in everything aroind us. How awesome it is to experience the greatness of God in all the wonders that He provides every day.
Join the mountains and hill in songs to our God.

I thank you, Lord, for the fellowship of believers. I thank you for blessings. I thank you for the gift of the Comforter. I pray your continued blessings on my life. I come to you with praises and joy.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Free Offers

Free Offers

Few things seem to annoy my granddaughter more than “free” offers. Perhaps this is true because seldom is anything “free”.

They must teach the concept of the “free” come-on in marketing school, because it is one of the most common ploys to get us to buy everything from food to furniture and every gadget in between.

We check the supermarket adds weekly for the best deals. Many advertise “buy one get one (and sometimes 2) free. We then note the price for the one to buy and find it is often double the price it was in the same market a few weeks past so that you end up with, at best, a 5-10 percent reduction in price. (There are exceptions so careful examination is important)

I don’t think a 10 percent discount is shabby. If I can save ten percent on all of my needed purchases I might have something left over for the wanted things, but free, now free is good.

Perhaps years of exposure to this kind of marketing has made us jaded so that we have trouble accepting a true “free” offer.

Romans 6:23 (King James Version)
23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Most of us have given gifts to those we love. Most of us give these gifts freely with no expectation of return, except perhaps the pleasure of seeing the joy the gift brings. So, most of us do have the concept of a gift as something freely given.

Matthew 7:9-11 (New International Version)
9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

The greatest gift of all, the gift of salvation is one of those genuine free gifts, a gift received simply by asking.

Romans 10:9
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Try Him.

Ephesians 3 (King James Version)
20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Toothpicks Into Baseball Bats.

Toothpicks into baseball bats.
It is difficult sometimes for young people who are trying to walk in The Way. Satan delights in putting stumbling blocks in their way and we must be mindful to encourage and support them.

Psalm 91 (New International Version)
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

Sometimes when we are feeling stressed everything is magnified. We imagine everyone is upset with us. Everyone is talking about us. Nothing we do is pleasing to others.

In our minds we talk ourselves right out of the shelter of the Most High.

The interesting thing is that we tend to get very annoyed when others feel the same way about us. We frown and shake our heads when someone accuses us of “looking at them as if…..”, talking about them or whatever other ill wind they imagine that we feel towards them. We get annoyed because we truly haven’t given them such an exalted place in our lives that they consume our every thought; yet we believe that we occupy prominence in their thoughts.

As I surfed this morning trying to find a favorite TV ministry I paused at one that I never watch. At that moment the minister said “sometimes Satan puts a toothpick in the hands of our enemies and we grow it into a baseball bat for them to beat us over the head with.”
This is what we do when we magnify imagined slights.

Now, what if they really are talking about us or plotting against us. Will our fretting provide a solution?

There is a very easy remedy for this. Joyce Meyer reminded me of the fact that we believe more strongly what comes out of our own mouths than anything we read or hear from others.

When we need a word of encouragement and support, we have an unfailing source, our bible.

Now, do we truly trust God to be our refuge and our fortress or do we leave ourselves open to the slings and arrows of the world?

Do we truly rest in the shelter of God? Do we truly trust in Him?

2 Timothy 2
23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
24And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

Do not take the toothpicks of dissention that Satan puts into the hands of our enemies and turn them into baseball bats. Instead, be kind to everyone and teach them by the life you lead.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

It’s (not) complicated!!!

It’s (not) complicated!!!

A Christian (pronounced /ˈkrɪstʃən/ is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion ( Belief in a Single, All-Powerful God ) based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe is the Messiah (the Christ in Greek-derived terminology) prophesied in the Hebrew Bible, and the son of God.
Most Christians believe in the doctrine of the Trinity ("tri-unity"), a description of God as Father, as Son, and as Holy Spirit. This includes Roman Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, and the vast majority of Protestantism. A minority are Nontrinitarians.

The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to describe anything associated with Christianity, or in a proverbial sense "all that is noble, and good, and Christ-like." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian

Sometimes we tangle ourselves up in complicated theories, scripted prayers and sayings and lose the ability to just follow the teachings of the one in whom we profess to believe.

Romans 10:8-10
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(that is, the word of faith which we preach):
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

We can’t buy ourselves into salvation. We can’t work our way into salvation. It's paid for and free to us. It’s just not complicated!!!

What is a Christian? A Christian is a disciple, a follower of Christ, a spiritual brother or sister to others - one who strives to be like Jesus, regardless of denominational background or creedal preference. http://christianity.about.com/od/glossary/g/christian.htm

Matthew 28:18-20 (New King James Version)
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Thank you, Lord, for being in my life. Thank you for your Holy Word and the guidance of wonderful teachers. Thank you for all opportunities to share your word and reach out to others. I pray guidance of the Holy Spirit that I never lead anyone astray.

1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:
2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:
I am a Christian.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary

Romans 12 (New International Version)
Living Sacrifices
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship
2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Chorus
Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You

It is you, Lord
Who came to save
The heart and soul
Of every man
It is you Lord
who knows my weakness
Who gives me strength,
With Thine own hand.

Chorus

Lead Me on Lord
From temptation
Purify me
From within
Fill my heart with
You holy spirit
Take away all my sin

Chorus

A friend commented on the differences she feels now when she hears “the same old songs” She noticed that she really hears the words now and that the words have so much meaning in her life. She was amazed at the difference that this transformation has had on her abilities as a member of the church praise team.

She stated that she sings with confidence now because her songs are songs of prayer and praise with no time to be concerned about what’s going on in the audience.
The difference is magnificent.

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
What a wonderful song of prayer and praise. A prayer that seeks preparation to do the work of God. A prayer that acknowledges our need for God’s intervention to be worthy to do His work.

This wonderful praise is offered to our God who came to save us from our sins and to prepare us to enter His kingdom. What an awesome way to say thank you, Lord, for the renewing of my mind and for keeping me in your perfect will.

Lord, I thank You for all you are in my life I thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I thank you for your peace and comfort. I offer today the Prayer of Jabez that You may grant my request. Amen.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!