And whatever shall seem good to you and to your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God. (Ezra 7:18)
_ _ _ _ _
For the kingdom of God consists of and is based on not talk but power (moral power and excellence of soul). (1 Corinthians 4:20)
_ _ _ _ _
I WILL extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried to You and You have healed me.
O Lord, You have brought my life up from Sheol (the place of the dead); You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit (the grave).
Sing to the Lord, O you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is for a lifetime or in His favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
As for me, in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
By Your favor, O Lord, You have established me as a strong mountain; You hid Your face, and I was troubled.
I cried to You, O Lord, and to the Lord I made supplication.
What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit (the grave)? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth and faithfulness to men?
Hear, O Lord, have mercy and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!
You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
To the end that my tongue and my heart and everything glorious within me may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever. Psalm 30:1-12
Grace,
Andrew.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Proverbs 20:24
A man's steps are from the Lord;
how then can man understand his way? (Proverbs 20:24)
A person makes his own decisions and is responsible for them, but paradoxically God directs the steps of each. This paradox demonstrates the limitations of human discernment; if a person does not fully comprehend the pattern of his own life, how can he be competent to judge others? (ESV Notes on Proverbs 20:24)
Grace,
Andrew.
how then can man understand his way? (Proverbs 20:24)
A person makes his own decisions and is responsible for them, but paradoxically God directs the steps of each. This paradox demonstrates the limitations of human discernment; if a person does not fully comprehend the pattern of his own life, how can he be competent to judge others? (ESV Notes on Proverbs 20:24)
Grace,
Andrew.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Faith in the power of God
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Cor. 1:26-2:5).
Let our faith rest not in the wisdom of men,
Let our faith rest not in craft,
Let our faith rest not in our own wisdom,
Let our faith rest not even in the institutionalised church,
But let our faith rest in the power of God, demonstrated through man, through ourselves and through the body of His church.
Grace,
Andrew.
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Cor. 1:26-2:5).
Let our faith rest not in the wisdom of men,
Let our faith rest not in craft,
Let our faith rest not in our own wisdom,
Let our faith rest not even in the institutionalised church,
But let our faith rest in the power of God, demonstrated through man, through ourselves and through the body of His church.
Grace,
Andrew.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Who makes the woeful heart to sing
Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature,
O Thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
Thou, my soul's glory, joy and crown.
Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.
Fair is the sunshine,
Fairer still the moonlight,
And all the twinkling starry host;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels heaven can boast.
All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
Wondrously, Jesus, is found in Thee;
None can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
Than Thou, my Savior, art to me.
Beautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
Now and forever more be Thine
Grace,
Andrew.
O Thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
Thou, my soul's glory, joy and crown.
Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.
Fair is the sunshine,
Fairer still the moonlight,
And all the twinkling starry host;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels heaven can boast.
All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
Wondrously, Jesus, is found in Thee;
None can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
Than Thou, my Savior, art to me.
Beautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
Now and forever more be Thine
Grace,
Andrew.
Friday, August 7, 2009
I have found the book
Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up to the house of the Lord, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites, all the people both great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. Then he made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin join in it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. And Josiah took away all the abominations from all the territory that belonged to the people of Israel and made all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. All his days they did not turn away from following the Lord, the God of their fathers. (2 Chron. 34:29-33)
I love this passage, because I love the word of God. Reading this again this morning only seems to increase my excitement for not only seeking the word, but being a doer and not just a hearer of the word.
One of the most prosperous and successful times in my life occurred about 2 years ago when I began to run 2-3 times a week with a good friend. We decided to memorise scripture throughout the week and to test each other come the beginning of the next. We started with the book of Psalms; one Psalm a week. Since that time Psalm 1 has never left me. I can still recite it word for word. Within a couple of days of beginning I found my self waking up to...'Blessed is the man who does not walk in the council of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinner, or sit it the seat of mockers, but his delight is in the Law of the Lord...' I would lay in bed late a night and the only thing going through my head would be...'he is like a tree planted by streams of water who yields it's fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither...whatever he does prospers.
When I look back on that time, I don't think my marriage had been in a better place up until that point. I don't think i had experienced peace like I did then for a long time. I encountered great favor at work. I made more money in 4 months than I'd previously made in a year. I don't think I realised it then but when I look back on it now...whatever I did seemed to prosper. Perhaps because for the first time in a while, I was not walking in the council of anyone but God. My delight was in the law of the Lord.
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father (2 Chron. 34:1-3).
Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don't get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you're going. And don't for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed (Joshua 1:8 Msg).
Grace,
Andrew.
I love this passage, because I love the word of God. Reading this again this morning only seems to increase my excitement for not only seeking the word, but being a doer and not just a hearer of the word.
One of the most prosperous and successful times in my life occurred about 2 years ago when I began to run 2-3 times a week with a good friend. We decided to memorise scripture throughout the week and to test each other come the beginning of the next. We started with the book of Psalms; one Psalm a week. Since that time Psalm 1 has never left me. I can still recite it word for word. Within a couple of days of beginning I found my self waking up to...'Blessed is the man who does not walk in the council of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinner, or sit it the seat of mockers, but his delight is in the Law of the Lord...' I would lay in bed late a night and the only thing going through my head would be...'he is like a tree planted by streams of water who yields it's fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither...whatever he does prospers.
When I look back on that time, I don't think my marriage had been in a better place up until that point. I don't think i had experienced peace like I did then for a long time. I encountered great favor at work. I made more money in 4 months than I'd previously made in a year. I don't think I realised it then but when I look back on it now...whatever I did seemed to prosper. Perhaps because for the first time in a while, I was not walking in the council of anyone but God. My delight was in the law of the Lord.
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father (2 Chron. 34:1-3).
Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don't get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you're going. And don't for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed (Joshua 1:8 Msg).
Grace,
Andrew.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The Wisdom of a King (or two)
Discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you.
(Proverbs 2:11)
Behold my affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins [of thinking and doing]. (Psalm 25:18)
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for and expect You.
(Psalm 25:21)
Grace,
Andrew.
(Proverbs 2:11)
Behold my affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins [of thinking and doing]. (Psalm 25:18)
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for and expect You.
(Psalm 25:21)
Grace,
Andrew.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The Lord his God
And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered. (2 Chron. 31:21)
I love that Hezekiah was a leader that fought for the spiritual health of his people.
I love that he called all Israel and Judah, & Ephraim and Manasseh, 'that they should come to the house of the LORD' (2 Chron. 30:1).
I love that he led his people to remove the altars that were in Jerusalem (v14).
I love that in bringing leadership to his people, he influenced them to bring Godly leadership to themselves, 'the whole assembly agreed together to keep the feast for another seven days. So they kept it for another seven days with gladness (v23).
I love that he called their attention to the Glory of the Lord, he called them, 'to minister in the gates of the camp of the Lord and to give thanks and praise' (31:2).
I love that he led his people to bring abundant offerings to the Lord, again, by asking them to nothing that he wasn't prepared to do himself, (31:3).
I love that his concern was not only for the priests, but for the priests and their whole family, 'They were enrolled with all their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, the whole assembly, for they were faithful in keeping themselves holy' (31:18).
So why is it rare to read that Hezekiah, as opposed to many of the other Kings of Judah, 'did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God' (31:20)? Perhaps because the Lord was not just the Lord, but the 'Lord his God'. Leadership is not biblical leadership unless you lead from a revelation of the Lord 'your' God.
'And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered'. (2 Chron. 31:21)
Grace,
Andrew.
I love that Hezekiah was a leader that fought for the spiritual health of his people.
I love that he called all Israel and Judah, & Ephraim and Manasseh, 'that they should come to the house of the LORD' (2 Chron. 30:1).
I love that he led his people to remove the altars that were in Jerusalem (v14).
I love that in bringing leadership to his people, he influenced them to bring Godly leadership to themselves, 'the whole assembly agreed together to keep the feast for another seven days. So they kept it for another seven days with gladness (v23).
I love that he called their attention to the Glory of the Lord, he called them, 'to minister in the gates of the camp of the Lord and to give thanks and praise' (31:2).
I love that he led his people to bring abundant offerings to the Lord, again, by asking them to nothing that he wasn't prepared to do himself, (31:3).
I love that his concern was not only for the priests, but for the priests and their whole family, 'They were enrolled with all their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, the whole assembly, for they were faithful in keeping themselves holy' (31:18).
So why is it rare to read that Hezekiah, as opposed to many of the other Kings of Judah, 'did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God' (31:20)? Perhaps because the Lord was not just the Lord, but the 'Lord his God'. Leadership is not biblical leadership unless you lead from a revelation of the Lord 'your' God.
'And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered'. (2 Chron. 31:21)
Grace,
Andrew.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Clean hands, Pure heart
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah (Psalm 24:1-10)
The Hebrew for clean (Ps. 24:4) can also be translated “innocent”; clean hands are those that have acted innocently toward others (Gen. 20:5; Ps. 26:6; 73:13). Likewise the pure heart is the one cleansed of all unworthy motives toward other people. (The lxx [Gk.] for “pure heart” lies behind the sixth beatitude, Matt. 5:8.) Thus true piety is shown both in hunger for God (Ps. 24:6) and in fair and generous dealing with one another (v. 4). (ESV Study Bible, notes on Psalm 24:3-4).
Grace,
Andrew.
the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah (Psalm 24:1-10)
The Hebrew for clean (Ps. 24:4) can also be translated “innocent”; clean hands are those that have acted innocently toward others (Gen. 20:5; Ps. 26:6; 73:13). Likewise the pure heart is the one cleansed of all unworthy motives toward other people. (The lxx [Gk.] for “pure heart” lies behind the sixth beatitude, Matt. 5:8.) Thus true piety is shown both in hunger for God (Ps. 24:6) and in fair and generous dealing with one another (v. 4). (ESV Study Bible, notes on Psalm 24:3-4).
Grace,
Andrew.
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