My refuge and my fortresss

Psalm 91 v2
"I will say to the Lord my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust."

In verse 2 of Psalm 91 the writer is telling us how much he trusts the Lord God.  He is saying that the Lord is the place where he hides in safety and that God is his strength.  Finally in verse 2 he says that it is God in whom he trusts.  Here he is saying that he trusts the Lord God to keep him safe when everything around him is dangerous and everyone around him is untrustworthy.

If we can learn to trust in the Lord the way we trust our best friend or our parents, we will find a friend like no other.  We will find a refuge even as the psalmist did.  When we begin to praise and worship God, the atmosphere around us changes.  Something inside us rises up and we find strength and faith.  Remember that "without faith it is impossible to please God."  With faith we can trust the Lord enough to follow Him and to pay attention to his instructions.  We must make a decision to follow the still small voice deep inside us.  We must learn to open our bible and believe the message that is written there for us.  When we trust the Lord things turn out better.  We may think that what we feel we are being led to do is the opposite of what we want to do.  We may feel that it is not logical.  Well, the foolishness of God can't be matched by the wisest of men, therefore we know that our wisdom is no match for His.  Rest assured that you may look foolish to others at first for following God, but soon the very people who were laughing will be asking you for prayer and for help.  Make God your fortress, you won't be sorry.  You don't have to be afraid.

If you are ready to ask Christ into your life so that He can be your refuge, you can say this prayer with me.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I confess that I am a sinner.  I have lost my way and I want a fortress in you.   Please forgive me of my sins and wash them away from me.  Come into my heart and be my father and my God.  Lord, I  believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.  I believe that he died on the cross for me and that he rose again to eternal life with you.  I know that he conquered hell and has the keys to sin and death.  Please come and walk with me.  Lead me and guide me into your righteousness.  Help me to be the person you created me to be.  Help me to always turn to you both in prayer and in praise.  In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Happy Re-birthday!! Get into a bible believing, bible teaching church.  Join a bible study where the teacher will answer your questions.  Walk with God!

He who dwells in the secret place of the most high

Psalm 91
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the almighty.

Psalm 91 is about trusting God for protection.  It tells us who He is and why we should feel safe in Him.  In verse 14-16 the psalm changes from the psalmist to God speaking up.  This happens occasionally when a prophet is speaking and suddenly the Holy spirit steps in and God begins to speak through the prophet.

We are going to look at the first verse.
He who dwells in the secret place.  To dwell means to live.  When we live in with God in a secret place, we are safe and secure.  A secret place is a place that no one knows about.  If it is unknown to others, you can go there and be sure that you will be alone and not be disturbed.  The secret place of the Most High has to be one of the most precious and Holy places you could be.  Not only is it secret, but it's secret and includes the presence of God.  The next part of this sentence tells us that the secret place is in the shadow of God.  What is a shadow?  It's an image that appears when there is light and something standing in the light.  To stand in the image cast by the Him standing in the brightest light is something that words cannot describe.  If you are living in the shadow of the Almighty, it means that He is present.  His shadow can't be there if He isn't.
     So rejoice and be glad if you stand in the secret place of the Most High because He will always be with you and you with Him.  It is the safest place that you can be.  He is your hope and your salvation,  your God and he whom you trust.  Live with God's word.  Obey Him.  Pray to him.  Listen to Him.  Trust in His word.  Remember that He knows everything from the beginning of your days to the end.  Walk with Him and He will be your God.
Be Blessed in Jesus name.  Amen.

If you want to walk with God and you want to give your life to Him, you can say the sinner's prayer with me.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I confess that i am a sinner. I'm asking you to please forgive me of my sins and wash me clean as snow.  I thank you for loving me even in my sins.  Thank you for sending you son Jesus to die for me.  I believe that Jesus is the son of God.  I believe that He died for me on the cross and that He rose again to sit at your right hand having conquered sin an death, so that I can be in heaven with you when it's my time.  Help me to follow your word and to live in your will.  Help me to stay away from traps that would lead me away from you.  I thank you for your love and blessing in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

tye tribbett - victory

Have you ever?...

Have you ever been walking around wondering what you should do?  You feel that you've asked God what to do and you're still waiting.  You've considered all the possibilities, or at least you think you have.  You've done logical reasoning, you've asked your friends what they would do.  You've even asked your friends what they think YOU should do.  You're s9till confused.  It's an enigma, a conundrum.  (Hah, a challenge in the middle of a discussion.  If you aren't sure what conundrum means be sure to look it up.  ;)
     Now you're asking God why you're still confused.  You want to know why He's taking his sweet time getting back to you with an answer.  Is He busy? Pondering the conundrum?  Is He confused, too or is He just ignoring you?  Actually, none of those things is true.  He heard you.  He may have already answered you, but you didn't like the answer that He gave.  It may have been just a gentle sign, one you ignored, or it could have been that you thought it was just you, so you ignored it.  It could truly be that the sign isn't clear yet, but what in the world can be done?  You need an answer and you want it now.
      Then you get a moment of clarity.  A brief moment of joy and relief.  It's as though a bright light is in the room with you.  An aha moment.  You rejoice and give thanks to God.  You run to tell someone and then just as quickly, it's gone.  Doubt creeps in so quickly that you didn't have time to get ready for it.  You don't know what just happened.  Now, the joy, hope and faith has been snatched away.  You're no longer sure that you even had the Aha.  There is a parable about a sewer and a seed in the book of Matthew chapter 13.  It tells us that a seed can be sown, but depending on the type of ground it's sewn in, it will grow, die, or be lost.  If you are walking with God, and by that I mean reading His word, finding bible studies on line or attending one at a good church where the teacher can answer your questions, the seed that God sends will be planted on good ground.  Your faith is strong enough to receive the life that has been planted in you.  If your walk with God is hit or miss, then your seed is being planted in hit or miss ground.  It may stick, and then again it probably won't.  There's no fertilizer.  Faith comes by hearing the Word of God.  Faith is fertile ground.  Seeds grow in ground that is full of fertilizer (faith).  You did get a Word from the Lord, but the enemy of the people of God snatched it away before it could settle in, get comfortable, and become a reality in your life.
      Now you are having a difficult time holding on to the Word from the Lord.  You question yourself, you question God, and in the end, you go back to the state of weariness, confusion, and uncertainty.  In fact, when you think about it, as uncomfortable as that place is, that is where you are most comfortable.  You don't have to choose and risk making a mistake.  You aren't moving forward or back.  The fact is, if you move forward and ask God for his direction, He will put up road blocks to stop you from going in the wrong direction.  Don't allow Satan to steal your blessing.  Don't allow fear to stop or immobilize you.  Go with the most positive enlightened moment.  Trust that God can reach you.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, please help me to get to know you better.  Help me to grow in faith.  Help me to be as good a listener as I am a talker.  I would rather trust in you than to trust in man.  I would rather trust in you than to trust in myself.  Please work with me until my friendship with you is better than that of my best friends.  Work with me until my relationship with you is stronger than any other that I have.  I want to trust you more.  My hope is in you.  You are my salvation.
I want to thank you in advance for our growing relationship and for my walk of faith.  I'm excited about it.  Thank you Father, in Jesus name I pray.  Amen.

Pray without ceasing

The scripture tells us to pray without ceasing.  We all look at each other and say how do we do that?  Well you can always be in a spirit of prayer.  Even when you're asleep, praying can keep your sleep peaceful.  You pray before you close your eyes.  I have often suggested to people who are stressed and find that sleep eludes them, to leave praise music on playing very softly while they sleep.  During the day, prayer is easy if you're at home, or if you're alone, but if your family or friends are around you, or if you're at work, praying out loud or studying the word can be difficult.  Stay in a spirit of prayer.  Keep yourself open to hearing from God as you are walking into an office or a meeting.  Pray that He would be a part of your every minute.  If we stay in prayer, or conversation with God, or even just in a spirit of prayer which means silent meditation and maintaining thoughts that are pure and are a part of God's word, then we will be much less likely to be caught off guard or to get into trouble.   You can't get into trouble at home or at work or even in the street or the gym if you remain in a spirit of prayer.   The more of His Word we put into ourselves, the more we are likely to be able to move in His protection, comfort, and power.  The more of His word that abides in us, the more likely we are to be at peace and to have ideas that are much higher than those of anyone else at the table.  Just asking the Lord to be a part of your day, your test, your job, your job search, etc is the beginning of praying without ceasing.  All through your day invite God into whatever you are doing, and whatever choices you are making.  "If God is for you, who can be against you?"
     Payer isn't always asking, though the scripture clearly tells us to ask Him.  Philippians 4:6-8 "Be careful for nothing, but with prayer,supplication,.... and I John 5:14 "...if we ask anything according to His will...";John 16:24 "Until now you have asked nothing in my name, ask and you shall receive that your joy may be made full"; Matthew 7:7 "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you."; Matthew 21:22 "...what ever you ask in prayer believing, it shall be given unto you.   I could go on and on.  Go through the bible yourself, you'll like what you read.  Now back to the original statement.  Prayer can be thanking God for anything or praising Him for a specific reason or just because.  Think about the goodness of God and you are in a spirit of prayer.  Whisper His name and you are in a spirit of prayer.  Just go before him and have a talk.  He's listening.  It's a spirit of prayer.  Then stand in faith all day, stay away from maliciousness and gossip.
Stay in a spirit of prayer.

If you would like to accept Christ as your personal savior invite him into your life today.
PRAYER
  Heavenly father, I acknowledge that I am a sinner.  Please wash my sins as white as snow.  Help me to stay away from traps of the enemy.  Lord, I believe Jesus died for my sins and that He rose again on the third day having conquered sin and death.  Help me to walk with You and to do your will.  I thank you for my eternal life with you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
**HAPPY RE-BIRTHDAY!!  Now go and find a bible believing, bible teaching church.  Join a bible study so that you can get to know Him better.  Be healed, and be blessed in Jesus name!!

Part 5 - Surely goodness and mercy will follow me

The last verse of the 23rd Psalm says "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever".  This last verse is pretty self explanatory.  The psalmist is saying that because of the experiences in his life with God, he believes.  The psalmist (David) knows that his life will be filled with goodness an mercy because he serves a good and merciful God.
     Our God shows us goodness and mercy in so many ways.  We aren't always even aware of it.  We sometimes attribute the goodness of God to luck, or to our self made reputation, or to a favor that another person did for us.  It doesn't always occur to us that God who knows all has been working behind the scenes and sometimes in plain sight to make sure that things work out for our good.  Sometimes things that we think we want so badly don't work out at all.  It isn't that God isn't listening, it's that we didn't make good choices and we can't see to the end of our days, so we don't know what would hurt us if that particular desire came to pass.  Goodness and Mercy.  We need it.  If you look for it, you will find it.  To be given the gift of goodness and mercy every day of your life is an incredible thing.  Jesus died on the cross for us to take away our sins so that we could be in the presence of God one day and so that we can commune with Him today.  Goodness and Mercy..... "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that who ever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.
     David's final thought on this matter was that he would live serving and acknowledging  God every day of his life.

If you would like to know that you will be spending eternity with the God of love, say this sinners prayer with me.  Jesus tells us in John 3:7, " You should not be surprised at this saying, You Must Be Born Again."

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I confess that I am a sinner.  Please forgive me for my sins and wash them away.  Make me clean, Lord.  I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and that he was raised again on the 3rd day.  I believe that he sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.  Well, that's what Romans 10:9-10 tells us to do.  You are now born again if you meant what you said.  Find a bible believing bible preaching church and join the bible study.  It's the quickest way to see what a church is all about.  Stay as close to the Word as you can.  Happy Re-birth Day!!

PART 3 - THE GOD OF MORE THAN ENOUGH

Part 3 of the 23rd Psalm   He prepares a table before me...

verse 5 of the 23rd Psalm says, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;  You anoint my head with oil;  My cup runs over."

While in verse 4 we see God as our protector, in verse 5 we see God as the God of more than enough.  
King David wrote the psalm and he wrote this verse in thanksgiving of his deliverance from his enemies which he had discussed in the previous verse.
     Here he speaks of the feast of celebration that he received that his enemies couldn't prevent.  The joy of victory that he expressed with the anointing of oil.  Leaders are anointed as victors when they have won an important and decided victory and thereby triumphed over their enemies.  Finally, in verse 5 David declares that His God has given him more than enough.  His joy is overflowing, at the victory God has given him over his enemies and he knows that God has anointed him because he has a calling to be a great leader.

We can use this same verse in our time.  God is great and God is merciful!  He carries us through our darkest times and he never lets us go.  We begin to realize that we can celebrate even though we have enemies and even though they are looking and plotting against us because "if God is for us, no one can stand against us."  We can sing and dance because "No weapon formed against us shall prosper". He prepares a table means he creates an atmosphere of celebration and feasting for our victory over our enemies.
     Our anointing is from the Holy Spirit.  It is an anointing of blessing and safety.  It is a way that God declares that we are his.  We can walk in security and not in fear because we are anointed to serve the one true God.  We are His and He is ours.
     When someone pours a liquid in a cup and it runs over, its because the cup has more than enough. This means that God is reading and willing to give us not just what we need, but also what we desire. He is the God of more than enough.  He owns a thousand cattle on a thousand hills.  "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and all that's in it."  He has whatever you need and more than you'll ever need.  He is the God of more than enough.

Thy Rod and Thy Staff,They Comfort Me - (Psalm 23 part 2)

The first third of the 23 psalm talks about how our God, our Holy shepherd, provides for us.  He takes care of our needs.  The second third of the 23rd psalm focuses a little more on how our God protects us.
Verse 4  "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil".
Lets take this verse apart for a minute.
The first thing that we understand is that we will, at some point in our lives, walk, live, or stand in a situation that isn't good.  That's life.  It will happen if we live long enough, and it is God's will that we have a long life and prosper.  We know that King David was probably writing about one of the times that he was in danger because of his enemies when he wrote this psalm, but we don't have to be in that kind of danger in order to feel as though we are in the midst of trouble.  For us, a dark valley can mean losing someone whom we dearly love, or losing a job, or home, or finding out that you have a very serious illness.  The good news comes at the end of that sentence.  It can make you stand strong in the midst of your own personal storm.
"I will fear no evil"
This part of the sentence is a reminder that hurtful, frightening things do happen, BUT we don't have to be afraid.  That is so reassuring.  For a believer it means that someone else is going to do the heavy lifting for us.  Someone else is going to solve our problem, calm our fear, heal our body, and wipe away our tears.
The next line is "For you are with me".
It is a natural reaction to be sad when we are in sorrowful situations, to be angry when we see or experience wrong doing, or to be afraid when we are in dangerous situations.  The good news is that we can face our struggles and walk right through them. We don't have to be afraid because we serve a mighty God who is always with us.  He is our guard and our guide. His word says that He will neither leave us, nor forsake us.  He tells us through scripture that He is with us even to the ends of the world.

"Your Rod and your staff, they comfort me."
Every shepherd had a staff and rod in those days.  The staff had a hook shape on the end that the shepherd would use to put around the neck of a sheep and pull them back if they were to travel too far in the wrong direction.  It was long enough to be used to help a sheep who was in distress, or separate two sheep or rams who were having trouble with each other.  Today His staff is represented by His Word.
     The rod of a shepherd was used to fend off an enemy.  A shepherd could use it to beat back a predator and to keep it away from the sheep.   He will still keep our predators away.  People may form weapons against us, but they won't be successful in coming against us.
The "rod and the staff" are today, an example that shows us that God can and will bring us back from straying too far in the wrong direction and that he will protect us from our enemies if we stay in his 'flock'..   If you notice small children who are out with their parents, they are snuggling in their father’s arms or hugging their mother’s necks.   It’s because the “rod and staff” of their parents (their words, rules, arms, voice, proximity to the children) comforts them.  That’s how we can feel with our “Father” in heaven.  We can feel safe because his rod and his staff comfort us.  Today it is His word that protects us and His promise  and His Holy Spirit which comfort us.  Those are his "rod and his staff".

The Lord is my shepherd

23rd Psalm

The 23^rd psalm

The 23^rd psalm is a very well known and much quoted psalm about following God.  It talks about the way the Lord takes care of His people.  It also talks about the trust His people have for Him.  The author uses the symbolism of sheep and a shepherd so that the people of the day could understand what a relationship with God would and should look like.

We can use this model today by applying what we know about sheep to ourselves.  That is, of course, what the writer was doing anyway.

The first stanza tells us that our God is Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides.  It says,

“The Lord is my shepherd” 

We need to understand what a shepherd is to his or her sheep and what the importance of a shepherd is.  I’m going to use the example of Moses.  He lived 40 years in a palace, and then met and married a woman whose father had sheep.  Moses became a shepherd.  His job was to lead a great flock of people.  God’s chosen sheep.  Moses had to learn how to watch carefully over them the way a mother watches over her new baby.  He had to understand feeding times and he needed to know what they could eat that would provide proper nourishment.  He had to become aware of what signs a people show when they are tired and need rest.  He needed to have a keen sense of where a safe and comfortable place would be for them to rest.  He had to know how long they could travel each day without becoming too tired, or being injured, or getting sick.  He had to know not only when a person was getting sick, but he had to know what to do about it.  He would need to be very organized and very attentive to others.  Up to this point, he had other people tending to his every need.  Now the tables were turned and this was something he needed to learn in  order to lead. 

“I SHALL NOT WANT”

This verse means exactly what we just talked about.  It means that because Jesus has chosen to be our shepherd, we won’t lack any good thing.  He will provide all of our needs.  It means that God promises us that we will have food, clothing, water, and shelter.  

Consider Moses and how he would make sure that his flock of sheep was in the pasture with the greenest thickest grass and that there was clean water to drink nearby.  This he learned to do for his sheep, but more importantly, he was learning how to do this for his people.

     In the same way, God takes care of us.  As we trust and believe in Him we will find that our needs are being met.  Sometimes we don’t know how it happens, but it just does.  I’ll give you an example.  When I was a young wife learning to balance a budget that involved other people, I would sometimes go too far in one direction or another.  By that I mean that I might pay so much on all the bills that I would find that we had very little left for food, or to buy gas for the car.  Sometimes, though not often, it went the other way, so we had money left over for things we needed, but then I’d get the phone calls about how I had paid the bill, but not the entire amount required.  Well, you know what I mean.  ANYway,  one month I paid everything in full and on time.  I was just beaming!  My husband walked in the door and opened the refrigerator and said, “Honey, what’s for dinner?”   My eyes suddenly got very big .  OOOPS!  I had forgotten about the groceries!  I didn’t remember that this would have been our week to shop!  Well, I started scrounging around and I was able to come up with something for that day.  It was Friday. 

     On Saturday after we finished our chores around the house and yard we sat down to rest.  I began to pray.  Worry was creeping up in my spirit.  Suddenly at 6:30pm our doorbell rang.  I opened the door and there stood some of our friends from church with trays of food!  My mouth dropped open!  I started to smile and hug them and then I asked them what was going on.  They told me that their group had an event and had made too much food.  It wasn’t enough to share with the 400 member church and they couldn’t figure out what to do with it.  Then one of them said, “Hey, how about our friends?  They live just down the street and they have two small children.  They could eat off of these trays for almost a week!  They had covered the trays of food and come right down the street to our house with them.  GLORY!! God is faithful.  He knew I was going to make that mistake before I made it.  He had created an over abundance of food, and then had put us on the minds of our friends from church.  We ate happily every day for a week and we had left-overs.  There was even something different to eat everyday.  Hallelujah!  The Lord is My Shepherd!  I shall not want.

       God knows what we need.  Matthew 6:31-33

 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

The next verse, verse 2 of Psalm 23 says, ”He makes me to lie down in green pastures.”

There are two things happening here.

#1 – The shepherd knows when it is time to rest and he stops the flock and causes them to rest.  Parents and preschool teachers must ‘cause’, or ‘strongly encourage’ their little ones to rest.  Otherwise we end up with very cranky little people who aren’t functioning at peak capacity.  God instituted a day of rest and called it the Sabbath.  The word Sabbath, which is Shabbat in Hebrew, means Holy day of rest.  It is Saturday and the 7^th day of the week for the Jewish people.  On this day the religious Jews rest and reflect on the wonders of God.

For Christians, the Holy day is Sunday because that is the day of the week when Jesus rose from the dead. 

Anyway, back to the psalm.  Rest is important.  It’s so important that God made our bodies to need and use rest at least once in a twenty-four hour period.  Then He commanded us to rest on the Sabbath.  The shepherd knows when that time is and he or she, strongly encourages rest. 

#2 “In Green Pastures”

green pastures are relaxing.  They have an aroma that is soothing and a thick, lush carpet of grass is very soothing to lie down on.  Thank heaven that He didn’t say that he makes us to lie down on the rocky shoals.  That would be miserable, and for some, I’ll include myself in that one, it would be impossible.  Once the sheep have had enough rest, or maybe even during the time of rest, there is lunch freshly laid out in front of you - lush green grass.

Once we are rested and our stomachs are happy, we can move on and we are much more likely to be cooperative about it.  A good shepherd knows those things about a flock.  Good parents and other awesome adults do, too.

#3  “He leads me beside the still waters.”  Water is a necessary component of life.  We need it to survive.  It is much easier to drink from a slowly moving stream than from a rushing river.  If  you get caught in a swiftly moving current, you are likely to be swept away.  We’ve all seen white water rafting competitions, (and if you haven’t, check one out on the internet so you’ll have a visual reference).  The people barely have control of those rafts.  If someone or some creature was trying to cross rough white water, or even to stand in it, chaos would ensue.  It’s a dangerous thing to do.  Let me put it in terms of today.  When life is going along smoothly, with only minor bumps or hiccups, like catching a cold, getting a flat tire, etc, it’s easy to fix them and keep it moving.  That’s like drinking from a bubbling brook, or a shallow , slow moving, peaceful creek.  When chaos breaks down the door, ie… A major car wreck which totals your car, or a job lay off with a pink slip, or the foreclosure of your home, that’s when you’re in white waters.  Which kind of water would you rather walk in?  Slowly eating and enjoying my meal, while I slowly consume a beverage is more my speed.  I like “still waters”.

VERSE 3

“He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

While we all say that verse, we hardly ever stop to think about what it really means.

Jehovah Shalom means the God who s our peace.  He restores or refreshes my soul.  He made us and therefore He is the only one who can restore us fully or refresh us fully.  His presence brings us peace.  His promises bring us peace.  That peace can release joy and refreshing.  When we are at peace, we aren’t worried, or bothered, or angry, or frustrated.  Being refreshed is like being made new.  How many of us rush in our homes after a long day outside, or after a game of tennis, or after a long trip in some vehicle and jump into the shower?  How about when we run to a pool or the ocean on a 98 degree day and jump into the water?  What about running into the shower as soon as we get out of the sand and salty ocean water?  Why  do we do that?  It’s refreshing.  It restores our sense of balance.  It washes away much of the sand, silt, salt, chlorine, dirt, sweat,  anger, frustration, weariness, and regret and it leaves us restored.  Well, we can restore and refresh our skin and hair, our outer shell, but only God can refresh and restore our soul.   He washes it clean with his word and with His presence.   Once we have been with the Lord in study, praise, prayer and worship, we are renewed.  Usually after church on Sunday I feel different.  I fell lighter and happier.  Sometimes people tell me that they would go into church with a weight and by the time they left, it felt as though someone had removed a backpack full of bricks from their backs.  He restores my soul.

 

Line 3 & 4 of verse 3.  “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake.” 

Jehovah M’Kaddesh –  God who makes us clean, righteous, sanctifies us, makes us holy.

A shepherd leads us in the path that will refresh us and keep us safe and in line with what is right because it’s for our own good.  When a shepherd takes good care of his flock, people look and say what a good shepherd he is.  They know that he can be trusted with sheep.  People will admire the condition of his sheep.  Likewise, when outsiders look at the condition of God’s people, they should be able to say, look at how their God watches over them and provides for them.  That is his name’s sake.  His reputation is being built on the condition of his people.  His name is at stake.  No one would want to join people who are following a God who allows them to starve, be impoverished, or be brutalized.  He is a God who delivers us from evil, feeds us when we are hungry, clothes us even as he does the flowers of the field, and gives us inner peace and rest as he refreshes our souls.

BEAUTY FOR ASHES

I hear you calling out to me as I sit lost in sin.
I saw your hands of love stretched out to me and I looked up and said, "I'm so dirty Lord, I'm sitting here in the mud,
You said,"  Take my hand, I'll wash you clean and give you new clothes."
I looked into your hands and I saw a hole.  I asked you about the hole in the palm of your hand and you told me that there were holes in your feet also.
I wondered why you were reaching to help me when you seemed to need so much help yourself.
You looked me in the eyes and told me that you did it all for me.
I looked at your hands, and your head, and your feet, and I burst into tears.
suddenly I began to feel relief like I had never felt before
I felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted from me
All the guilt was melting away
All the sorrow was disappearing
All the anger was gone
everything inside me felt new.
It felt as though I was being given another chance.  I felt as though I was going to have a new start with nothing holding me back.
I reached out for Your hands and You lifted me up.
My soul began to shout within me and my feet began to dance.
I was free!  I was free!
I felt forgiven in a way that I had never felt before.  I really WAS forgiven.  I had been forgiven by someone with the power to forgive and take all the pain and dirt away.  It was like being born again.
I fell on my knees and began to weep and to worship and to praise the one who had the power to forgive like that.  You told me that your name IS Jesus, and that You are the Christ.  You had come for me.  You had died for me. You rose again to sit on the right hand of God so that one day I could join you, no longer condemned to sin and death and eternal flame and torture.
I AM FREE!

Thank you Holy Father for sending your only son to save me from my sins.  I believe that He is your son and that He died on the cross for me.  I believe Jesus, that you rose again.  Please never leave me.  Please lead me, guide me, teach me and help me to be the person that you created me to be.  In Jesus name.  Amen

Summary for Jonah - So is it just about a whale?

Well, what have we learned about the book of Jonah, is it really about a whale?
No, we have learned about many things

1.   God loves everyone no matter what you have or have not done.
2.   When God gives gives instruction we need to follow it
3.   The plans of God can not be thwarted by man
4.   God is forgiving
5.   God is patient
6.   God is willing to teach us important lessons
7.   When God sends us to do a task, he has prepared the way for us in advance
8.   God always works for the good of all his children
9.   God was teaching Jonah about forgiveness and the importance of trusting God
10.  God keeps His word.

In a nutshell, when God calls you to do something for him it's just best to do it exactly what you are directed to do, when you are directed to do it.  

If you have fallen short and find yourself in trouble, God is willing to rescue you.  He's willing to forgive you.  He's willing to help you.  He will send someone to help you hear him.  He will give you a choice and tell you the consequences.  God is fair.

                                               Rebellion - repentance - restoration

If you feel as though you have failed God and you want to make it right, you can say the sinners prayer and be born again.  Jesus said, "Unless a man is born again, he can't see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)  Here is the sinners prayer, say it with me and you will be born again into the kingdom of God.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I confess that I am a sinner.  Please forgive my sins and wash them away.  I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that you died on the cross for my sins.  I believe that you rose again on the third day and that you now hold the keys to the kingdom of sin and death.  I believe that I will now have eternal life with you.  Please lead me and guide me.  Help me to understand your word, and help me to become the person you created me to be.  in Jesus name.  Amen.

**Now join a bible believing, bible preaching church and attend their bible study.  God will guide you.   Happy Re-Birthday!  You are now born-again into the kingdom of God.  Welcome !

Jonah learns about forgiveness

PART 4 - GOD LOVES SINNERS

So far in this saga we have seen danger, intrigue, escape, storm and miscommunication.  We've seen rebellion and repentance by man and restoration by God.  Now comes the turning point.  Jonah has repented and God has restored him.  Now Jonah has learned that it's just best to do what God says to do.  He has also learned that God's plans will not be cancelled by man.  You see, if God sends you to do something, He has already made a way.  He already knows what will happen.  
     So God gave Jonah a second chance.  Again God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh and proclaim His word to them.  It took him three days walking to get there.  Jonah completes his task and the entire city repents.  This is great! right?  Jonah disagrees.  He is furious.

In chapter 4 We find Jonah looking for a front row seat so that he can cheer the destruction of Nineveh.  He's sure that God is going to lay it on them pretty soon.  Well, pretty soon being in 40 days.  Symbolic, you say?  Hmmm, I think you're catching on.  Jonah is still waiting for the Lord's vengeance.  He can't imagine that the ENTIRE city would repent.  After all, they were like barbarians.  Jonah knew the nature of God, and so he knew that if God sent him to warn the people, then He was giving them a chance and He would forgive the people of Nineveh if they repented because He is a forgiving kind of God.  After Jonah made the call for repentance, he asked God to let him die.  We are guessing that it was because he felt like a traitor to his own people.  He didn't realize that we are ALL God's people.
     The number 40, which is used in the call for Nineveh to repent, is pretty significant if you remember.  There were big changes associated with that number.  40 days of fasting for Jesus, 40 years in the desert for Moses, 40 days and nights of rain for Noah.  It looks like a representation of change from an ending of one thing to a beginning of another.  (I'm just saying)  40 days is more than a month, so God had a plant to grow by Jonah, which gave him shade. Soon God allowed a worm to eat the plant which caused the plant to die, and Jonah became angrier.  A strong scorching wind came up to top it off, and it became unbearably hot.  Once again Jonah asks for death, but he did not die.  God used the plant both to get Jonah's attention and to teach him a lesson.   God pointed out to Jonah that he had no concern for a great number of people, but he cared about one little plant that he had nothing to do with.  God was teaching Jonah that He cares so much more for people, including gentiles than Jonah cared about the plant and the sadness that Jonah felt over the death of the plant could not compare to the feeling that God has at losing one person. He does not desire that any should perish. (2 Peter 3:9)

So what have we learned?
1.  God loves sinners.  He loves us unconditionally.  He may not like our behavior, but he loves us.
2.  God loves Jews and Gentiles.
3.  He considers all of us to be HIS people.
4.  God doesn't want us to perish without knowing Him.
5.  God was so pleased that everyone repented that he withdrew the punishment

God will forgive us, no matter what we have done.  "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) and don't forget, "For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but will have eternal life."  (John 3:16)

If you would like to have Jesus as your personal savior and if you would like to know a God who will forgive you and who will love you through your wretchedness and pain, say the sinners prayer with me.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I confess that I am a sinner.  I ask that you would please wash my sins away and come to live in my heart.  Dear Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God and that you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins.  I believe that  you rose again on the third day and that you now sit on the right hand of God the Father almighty.  Thank you that my eternity is in your hands.  Please walk with me, lead me, help me.  Teach me how to be the person you created me to be, in Jesus name.  Amen.

Jonah trusts God, or Jonah Sees The Light

In chapter 3 of the Book of Jonah, we see that the prophet has come to his senses and has decided to do what God sent him to do.

PART 3 – JONAH SEES THE LIGHT

Well, here we go with the third lesson in the book of Jonah, and yes, he does see the light both literally and figuratively.  When we last left Jonah, he had repented and had been vomited onto the shore by a great fish.  Nineveh was about 500 miles from where he had been so it was no quick trip.  He had plenty of time to pray and get right with God.  

     Historians say that Nineveh was about 60 miles in circumference.  If someone was walking at a brisk pace with few stops it would have taken 3 days.  That’s about twenty miles a day to get to almost every point in the city.  That person had to be in good shape in order to do that.  We’d have to train for a marathon or something to do that, but in ancient times the only way to get around on certain terrain was to walk.  Well, if Jonah had to preach along the way, it was gong to take a longer time to get around the city.  

     Scripture tells us that Jonah warned the people of Nineveh that in 40 days they would be overthrown.  Well, when the king heard this he commanded every citizen to repent and sit in sack cloth and ashes.  The king also sat in sack cloth and ashes and repented.  Finally, he even commanded that all people and even their animals fast from food and water and wear sack cloth in repentance.   Scripture tells us that the people were told to earnestly seek God and to repent of their sins and of any violence that had been committed.   The king believed the word of the Hebrew's God and he believed that God’s anger could be turned if they earnestly repented.  True to His nature, God did hold back the judgment.   God knows the thoughts and intents of the heart (Jeremiah 13:10), so he was aware that the repentance in Nineveh was genuine.  

What have we learned in chapter 3? 

1.     God means what he says

2.      God’s will cannot be changed by man.  Jonah had to go to Nineveh to give them a second chance.

3.      God gives us chances and choices to get our lives right.  Nineveh received the call to repent, but was not forced to do it, they chose to do it.

4.      God warns us that we are in trouble of facing His wrath before he does anything. 

5.      God can withhold punishment if we earnestly repent.  

So, What's the Deal With Jonah? Part 2

Part 2 of Jonah's decision which I have titled "Living in Darkness"

After the sailors threw Jonah overboard and repented and worshipped our God, the event takes a different turn.  Jonah went from living in the light, to living in total darkness.  Here's where the symbolism gets heavy.  The symbolism is in God's movement and works with man, not necessarily Jonah's behavior.  Jonah was in the daylight with men and because of God's miracles, these men repented and began to worship God.  Now Jonah goes down to the depths and spends 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of what we call a whale, but what scriptures simply call "a great fish".  Let's look in on Jonah.  He finds himself in the belly of a fish and seeing no way out, he once again turns toward the God of his fathers.  Here he speaks to him the only way he knows how.  He goes to God in prayer.
Jonah recognizes that there is no escape from God.  (King David had that same feeling and he expresses it in Psalm 138:7-8. I know, it's an aside.  We weren't talking about King David.)
Anyway, Jonah first cries out to God about his plight.  He told the story of his frightening descent into the water.  He says that he felt as though he were in hell.  (sheol).  "I cried for help from the depths of sheol." Jonah 2:2.  How often do we get ourselves into messes and then cry out for help.  We start getting into trouble from the time we are babies.  You'd think we'd know better than to get ourselves into tight spots when we're grown, ...but, ...no.
Crawling and toddling babies get into things they can't get out of, teenagers get into things and then they find they need help.  Even we as adults get into trouble and discover that there is no help except for God.  So Jonah has found himself in "sheol".  It's from here that he says oops and turns back to God.  It's from here that he realizes he's not smarter than God.  It's from this tight spot that he realizes that when God tells you to do something, he means it.
Sound familiar? We've all found ourselves in a predicament like his at one time or another in our lives.  (No, I don't mean in the belly of a whale)...  symbolism, remember?   When God, or someone in authority, tells you to do something, they mean it and there's no escape.  Tax time is a particularly good example in the U.S. we don't want to do it, but when Uncle Sam says pay up, he means it.  There is no escaping it and sooner or later, "The tax man cometh."
Alright, enough examples, now back to Jonah.  He is crying out to God, telling him of his troubles and of his fears, and he says, "You heard my voice".  His description in verses 3 and 4 of chapter 2 sound almost like a time out in today's vernacular.  His feelings about it sound like those of a little person in time out.  From Jonah's description of his despair you become keenly aware of  his feeling of desperation as he realizes he has been removed from the presence of God.
     In verse 6 of chapter 2 we see the ray of light and of hope as Jonah says, "but you have brought up my life from the pit oh Lord my God".  He had to repent acknowledging that "salvation is from the Lord"v9, and he made a vow to God just like the sailors had done in the boat.  Restoration with God came as he was vomited up onto the shore.
*Recognize your sin, repent of your sin, God will forgive and restore you to a place of communion with Him.
               Repentance from us......restoration from God.

Ok.  Let's look at the symbolism
1.   A great number of people were living in sin and violence and God hates sin and violence.
      BUT.....God loves people and we are all sinners, so....God loves sinners.  He doesn't hate us at all.
     He loves us, he just hates our sinful behavior.  They are two different things.
2.   Here are 3 scriptures to remember;
                                       1. "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
                                        2. " The word of God is quick and alive and able to separate the soul and
                                            spirit"  Hebrews 4:12.  Our behavior is governed by our sourish realm
                                           but our spirit is the life breathed into us by God.  In other words, it's
                                           who we are.  See?  Two different things.
                                        3. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten  son that
                                             who so ever believes in him will not perish, but will have everlasting
                                             life. John 3:16
3.  Jonah was in "sheol" for 3 days and 3 nights.  Who else was in hell for 3 days and 3 nights?  Who
     else rose again?  Jesus, that's right.  God planted seeds of familiarity throughout the ages so that
    the people would recognize him when he came.
4.  Jonah declares that "Salvation is from the Lord!" (Jonah 2:9)  Another memory jogger for the
    people.  A word of truth.  Jesus died and rose again.  He is our salvation .  We don't have to go
    to hell if we accept him as our savior.  We will have "everlasting life" (see above)

If you would like to accept Jesus into your heart and accept him as your personal savior, say this prayer with me.  You're one step closer to the promise of eternal life with Christ.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father I confess that I am a sinner.  Please wash my sins away.  I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he died on the cross for the removal of my sins.  I believe that he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.  I thank you for the gift of eternal life.  I thank you that I now have an intercessor in heaven.  Please lead me and guide me in the path you want me to take.  Help me to become the person that you created me to be.  This I ask in Jesus name.  Amen.

**Now find a bible believing church.  Ask a person who knows Christ and you can see it in their behavior.  Go to bible study. "Study to show yourself a workman approved to God, who doesn't need to be afraid and who can rightly divide the word of truth.
HAPPY RE-BIRTH DAY.! Jesus said, " Unless you are born again, you will not see the kingdom of heaven." John 3:3  and also, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No man comes to the Father but by me." John 14:6