Who I know God is

I know I don’t know all or even most of the answers but I know the One who is the Answer (John 14:6)
I know that all He does is good and loving no matter what (Psalm 119:68)
I know that He is always with me through the fellowship of His Holy Spirit (Hebrews 13:5)
I know that He acts on behalf of those who wait on Him (Isaiah 64:4)
I know that He longs to be gracious to me (Isaiah 30:18).
I know that I am engraved on the palm of His hand and He will not forget me (Isaiah 49:16).
I know that His grace is sufficient for me (2 Corinthians 12:9).
I know that His Word is a light for my path when it seems so dark (Psalm 119:105).
I know He can be trusted and that nothing is too big or difficult for Him (Jeremiah 32:17).
I know of His peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
I know that He who began a good work in me will complete it (Philippians 1:6).
I know that He is the Rock, the One who never changes, and that He is a sure foundation (Psalm 18:2; Malachi 3:6; Isaiah 28:16).
I know that He will not abandon the work of His hands but that He will fulfill His purpose (Psalm 138:8).
I know that as a loving Father He has compassion on His children and knows how we are formed and remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:13-14).
I know that I have been bought with a great price and my life is not my own (1 Corinthians 6:20).
I know that by giving my life away I find my life (Matthew 16:25).
I know that He has given me everything I need to live this life of faith and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
I know that only He can satisfy me (Psalm 145:6).
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(from the One Year Bible online)

blessings all :)

Psalm 34

I will bless the Lordat all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,and let us exalt his name together!
I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenheartedand saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
Affliction will slay the wicked,and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Real Worship

(by Greg Laurie)

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
—Revelation 5:12

A number of words in the Bible are translated “worship.” The one used the most often means “to bow down and do homage.” Another biblical word for worship means “to kiss toward.” Put the two words together, and you will have a good idea of what real worship is. We worship God because He is worthy. In doing so, we bow down and pay homage to Him. That speaks of reverence and respect for God. But we also “kiss toward” Him, which speaks of tenderness and intimacy.

We ought to be learning all we can about worship, because it will be one of the primary activities of heaven. And Jesus made it clear that there is a right way and a wrong way to worship. There is true and false worship.

The Pharisees, who thought they were experts at worship, were by and large not even close. Jesus said of them, “ ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men’ ” (Matthew 15:8–9).

Some people are too flippant and casual with God. They seem to think of Him as their celestial Big Buddy and approach Him that way in prayer: “Hey, Lord, how are you doing?” Others recognize God as holy and all-powerful and may even tremble before Him, but they don’t realize that God wants to be known in an intimate and personal way.

We are to revere God. We are to honor Him. But we are also to embrace Him in closeness. We are to engage our hearts, with no hypocrisy. That encompasses true worship.

Suggestions on How to Have a Meaningful Quiet Time

Hey blogettes -
I thought this was a good article with several good suggestions for a having meaningful devotional time:

(by Adrian Rogers)

“Oh how love I Thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” Psalm 119:97
Christianity is not a legal relationship, it is a love relationship. Ten thousand “don'ts” will never make you one iota more like the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Himself Who makes you like Him. But you need to spend time with Him. I want to give you five factors for spending some quiet time with Him each day.

The Proper Period
You must find the right time. Your quiet time should last at least half an hour. But some time is better than no time, so if you can't start at thirty minutes, begin with ten. It should be your very best time. Don't give the Lord your leftovers. And don't try to find time - make time, and make it a priority. Also find time early in the day. Psalm 5:3 says, “… in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.” You don't take the trip and then read the map, do you? Spend time alone with God to begin your day.

The Proper Preparation
A quiet time is fellowship with a holy God. There are a few things you can do to be prepared for this time. First, be physically alert. Find a time when the cobwebs are out of your mind and you can think clearly. Second, be mentally aware. Be focused, and know He's there. Emotion doesn't really have all that much to do with it. And third, be morally pure and clean. Some people don't have a quiet time because they feel uncomfortable looking God in the face with sin in their lives.

The Proper Place
Find a place where you can focus. Jesus said enter into your closet and pray (see Matthew 6:6). That simply means find a place of isolation where you can shut the door on the world and open the windows to heaven. Jesus sought out places where He could be alone, and so should you.

The Proper Provisions
In order to have an effective quiet time, you need the right tools. Here are some tools I use:
a readable Bible - Invest in one with plenty of room to jot notes in the margins.
a prayer journal - Expect God to give you something and write it down. Also use it to record things you're praying about.
a notepad - Write down your daily assignments.
The Proper Procedure

Finally, may I recommend some procedures to follow in your quiet time?
Get still and quiet. The Bible says in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Focus your mind on Him. Calm down, relax, and recognize His presence. Take a deep breath and focus your thoughts on the Lord.
Get into the Word of God. It's better to start by reading the Bible than it is to start in prayer. It is more important for you to hear from God, even than for God to hear from you. God already knows all about you, but you need to know a lot more about Him.

Read the Bible for quality and not quantity. It's good to have a goal to read the Bible through in a year, or a similar goal; but that's not the purpose of your quiet time. Also, devotional books are wonderful. But again, this is not the place for them. This is the time when you simply read the Bible with an open mind.
Meditate. As you focus on the Word of God and meditate, let it permeate you. Ask:
Is there a command to obey?
Is there a promise to claim?
Is there a sin to avoid?
Is there a lesson to learn?
Is there a new truth to carry with me?

Record what God has given you.
Write down what God says to you and what He tells you to do. It doesn't have to be flowery. You're not writing it for publication or to impress other people.
Now you're ready to pray. When you pray, pour out your soul. Be natural and honest with God. Tell Him how you feel. Pray out loud. It keeps your mind on track and enables you to stay focused.

Begin to share out of your quiet time.
God did not make us to be reservoirs; He made us to be conduits. Tell others what is God is showing you.
Finally, obey what God tells you.
Your spiritual train is running on two rails. One is revelation and the other is obedience. And if either rail stops, your train stops. Learn to obey the Word of God.
I pray these simple suggestions will help you have a daily quiet time in the presence of our loving, almighty, powerful God.
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blessings :)

Prayer

Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

James 5:16 B The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 5:17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 5:18Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

Resurrection Day!

(by Max Lucado)
Christ rose first; then when Christ comes back, all his people will become alive again. I Cor 15:23
Let’s go to the tomb, for Jesus lies in the tomb.
Still. Cold. Stiff. Death has claimed its greatest trophy. He is not asleep in the tomb or resting in the tomb or comatose in the tomb; he is dead in the tomb. No air in his lungs. No thoughts in his brain. No feeling in his limbs. His body is as lifeless as the stone slab upon which he has been laid.
The executioners made sure of it. When Pilate learned that Jesus was dead, he asked the soldiers if they were certain. They were. Had they seen the Nazarene twitch, had they heard even one moan, they would have broken his legs to speed his end. But there was no need. The thrust of a spear removed all doubt. The Romans knew their job. And their job was finished. They pried loose the nails, lowered his body, and gave it to Joseph and Nicodemus.
Joseph of Arimathea. Nicodemus the Pharisee. Jesus had answered the prayer of their hearts, the prayer for the Messiah. As much as the soldiers wanted him dead, even more these men wanted him alive.
As they sponged the blood from his beard, don’t you know they listened for his breath? As they wrapped the cloth around his hands, don’t you know they hoped for a pulse? Don’t you know they searched for life?
But they didn’t find it.
So they do with him what they were expected to do with a dead man. They wrap his body in clean linen and place it in a tomb. Joseph’s tomb. Roman guards are stationed to guard the corpse. And a Roman seal is set on the rock of the tomb. For three days, no one gets close to the grave.
But then, Sunday arrives.
And with Sunday comes light — a light within the tomb.
A bright light? A soft light? Flashing? Hovering?
We don’t know. But there was a light.
For he is the light. And with the light came life.
Just as the darkness was banished, now the decay is reversed.
Heaven blows and Jesus breathes.
His chest expands. Waxy lips open.
Wooden fingers lift. Heart valves swish and hinged joints bend.
And, as we envision the moment, we stand in awe.
"We stand in awe not just because of what we see, but because of what we know. We know that we, too, will die. We know that we, too, will be buried. Our lungs, like his, will empty. Our hands, like his, will stiffen. But the rising of his body and the rolling of the stone give birth to a mighty belief: “What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us” (Rom6:5-9 Msg) (Max Lucado)

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Matthew 28:1 After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. 2 Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God's angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. 3 Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. 4 The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn't move. 5 The angel spoke to the women: "There is nothing to fear here. I know you're looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. 6 He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed. 7 "Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, 'He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.' That's the message." 8 The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the disciples. 9 Then Jesus met them, stopping them in their tracks. "Good morning!" he said. They fell to their knees, embraced his feet, and worshiped him. (Msg)

Joyful, Bountiful, Blessed Easter All!! :)

Good Friday

(These are excerpts from last year's 268 Easter blogs by Louie Giglio....)

It's the week in which the Son of Man did the unthinkable.
Jesus wore the sinner's crown.
And He suffered and died alone.

What Christ has done is unique in time and history.
His surrender gained for us eternal freedom.
His goal was to glorify God by showing Him to be the God of justice and mercy, the One who could be both just in regard to our rebellion and the justifier of those who put their trust in Him.
But the price would be steep.
Beyond compare.
Jesus had already voiced willing participation.
A babe had been born.
33 years of footsteps now led to this Passover meal.
To this upper room.
To this moment.
He looked them all squarely in the eyes.
This time, He declared as crumbs fell, I am the bread broken for you.
The cup from now on, He affirmed, is my blood shed for your sins.
The time had come.
Nothing would deter Jesus now.
No disciple's desertion.
No weary flesh.
No soldiers commotion.
No false arrest.
No late night rail road in the court of the High Priest.
No lonely dungeon.
No dark night of the soul.
The goal of glorifying His Father was fixed in His gaze.
And a lonely journey had begun.
The mission would be accomplished.
A day we now call good seemed anything but that in the midnight hour.
A night of waiting none can fathom.

Jesus affirmed...
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
John 10:11-18

The nails were real
Crucifying.
Rusted.
Penetrating.
Roman.
Hard.
Metal.
Used.
Filthy.
Bloodstained.
Driven.
Piercing.
Germ-infested.
Flesh-tearing.
Fastening.
Holding.
Searing.
Wounding.
Nails.
But something greater held Jesus to the cross.
Until he could not gasp for one more breath.
And the struggle thankfully ended.
He had done it.
Become sin.
Crushed under judgement.
Price paid.
Given all.
Finished.
Now dead.
And rushed before sundown into a nearby tomb.
No one on earth was calling this good.
Yet.....


(These are excerpts from last year's 268 Easter blogs by Louie Giglio....)

The Resurrection

(by Charles Stanley)

Matthew 28:1-10
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

The apostles’ dreams were shattered. The man they had loved and followed for three years, the one they believed was the Son of God, was dead. But then the two Marys disrupted their hopelessness with incredible news: Christ had risen from the dead, just as He’d promised!
As believers, we can certainly imagine the excitement Jesus’ disciples must have felt. For them, the resurrection’s message was encouraging. The empty tomb proved that everything Jesus said was true. In Matthew 17:22-23, the Lord told His disciples, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” If Jesus could make and live out this claim, then He’s clearly sufficient to keep all of His promises.
In John 3:17, Christ said He had not come to condemn the world. He came to save all who believed in Him (Mark 16:16; Romans 8:1). Through His death on the cross, Jesus purchased our salvation. The empty tomb is our guarantee that we’re eternally secure in Him. Jesus rose from the dead, ascended to Heaven, and is seated at God’s right hand. The Father accepted His payment on our behalf.
Christ’s death bought our freedom from sin and secured us a place with Him in Paradise. In John 14:2, He says, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places ... I go to prepare a place for you.”
That’s a promise to celebrate.
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Amen!
blessings :)