Infinite Love

Psalm 139:1-5: O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and You are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.

Psalm 139 is our irrefutable proof that God is inescapably in love with us….that intimate instruction always has and always will be His desire in our relationship.

Intricate Involvement: Every single detail matters to the Lord. Jesus has intimate, intelligent, information about you all the time! For example:

He counts the number of hairs on your head;

He catches your tears in a bottle;

He knows every thought - no matter how fleeting - that enters your mind;

He knows what you will ask BEFORE you even forms the words on your tongue….

His love makes Jesus utterly consumed in His thoughts towards you! You make His heart skip a beat, He calls you His One and Only First Love….

 Need a little proof?

·         Jonathon and his armor bearer: (1 Samuel 14) Jonathan goes against a huge enemy in faith, to defend the name of His God. He is so sure God can defeat them even with just two of them he says, “Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.” Moments later the enemies fall before Jonathan and a great victory is won…..

·         Deuteronomy 2:7: For the LORD your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the LORD your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing.

·         Matthew 6:25-34: …Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on… Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you….

·         A few loaves and fish feeds a thousand when Jesus is allowed to bless and break it.

He knows what you are facing this moment….

       Yield to Him and

               Rest in His love!

~ Lead me...

Psalm 25:4-5: Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.
 

·         Lead me in Your truth: Never stop short….this is where we heed His call to “radical obedience.” This is the IBS application step. Taking what He has shown us and using it for His glory!

o   Matthew 7:13-14: Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

o   Key is to enter and to keep pressing onward, no matter how difficult the path gets. There ia ALWAYS more to learn....

o   2 Thessalonians 3:3: But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you.

o   John 3:34: …God does not give the Spirit with limitations. (Weymouth)

o   2 Peter 1:3-11: …as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…

o   Isaiah 48:17: Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.

~ Teach me...

Psalm 25:4-5: Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. 

·         Teach me Your paths: Seeing is not believing, we have to go the next step. Take what you see and ask, “What does this mean? Teach me Lord, for I am listening!” This is the interpretation step in IBS.

o   I can look at a sign written in Arabic Script, but to understand what it says I must be taught

o   In the same way, you can look into the Word and see Jesus, see His directions…but you must be taught by the Holy Spirit to understand what that means for you personally.

o   Psalm 86:11-15: Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore.  For great is Your mercy toward me, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.  O God, the proud have risen against me, And a mob of violent men have sought my life, And have not set You before them. But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth. 

o   Jeremiah 6:16: Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.’”

From Africa....

In case you ever wonder what I do over here in Africa....

My fellow missionary snapped this picture while I was sharing at Calvary Chapel Nairobi. I am here for a few days waiting to meet Wes. We will be traveling from here to Uganda then into Sudan. I am eager to get back to the ladies in Sudan but have enjoyed every minute with the saints here in Nairobi. God is moving in the church and the sisters from Rabuna Fi Nairobi are precious!

Far Reaching Ministries: Calling Prayer Warriors... by Natasha Chilikina: Last Sunday Vicky challengeed us at CC Nairobi to get into the battle through PRAYER against human trafficking...Are you in?    

Swallowed up in Him...

My soul rejoiced with joy unspeakable to see such a God, such a Glorious Divine Being; and I was inwardly pleased and satisfied that He should be God over all for ever and ever. My soul was so delighted and captivated with the Excellency, Loveliness, Greatness, and other Perfections of God, that I was even swallowed up with Him. At least to that degree that I had no thought…and scare a reflection there was such a creature as I. ~David Brainerd (1718-1747), missionary to the American Indians, writes of his conversion.

Death to self is the doorway to being swallowed up with Jesus. Imagine a life with “no thought and scare a reflection there is such a creature as I?” You can start living that way today….

 That is the life Jesus offered in John 12:24: Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain …

The Apostle Paul described his experience as being “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

John said, “I must decrease, so He may increase.” (John 3:30)

It starts with reckoning yourself dead to your sin nature and alive to God (Romans 6)…What are you waiting for? All you have to lose is your flesh…

Once Christ consumes you, and the realization that you are living in His Spirit comes alive you will never want to go back…He is so glorious, so incredible, so indescribable you will never again be satisfied to live carnally…

I challenge and encourage you to try it for yourself….

Intimate Instruction ~ Show me....

Psalm 25:4-5: Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.

·         Show me Your ways:  Revelation, each time we open the scripture we need to be looking for Jesus. All inductive type Bible study programs (IBS) call this the observation stage

·         In the Word: daily, systematically, and come hungry, not doubting.

·         Earnest seeking Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

o   What did God show you today?

o   Word is like manna, you cannot live off yesterday’s manna.

§  Remember in the desert the extra collected quickly rotted and grew worms.

§  You have to collect it fresh every day.

o   Psalm 143:8: Cause me to hear Your loving kindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.

o   Deuteronomy 29:29: The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law

§  Psalm 25:14: The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.

§  Proverbs 3:32: … His secret counsel is with the upright

§  Proverbs 25:2: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

§  Lest you think this doesn’t apply to you, the scripture declares we are kings and priests for our God. We are his Royal priesthood and will rule and reign with Him.

Are you coming?

 

.....You can join the remnant who are seeking God with passionate, reckless, abandon…We have been crucified to the world ~ its treasures are alarmingly vile compared with Christ and His eternal rewards. We want JESUS, His FULLNESS, His POWER and nothing else will satisfy.

We don’t care if you kill us. We are DETERMINED to SEEK with our entire being until He consumes us completely with His Holy fire. We won’t go back and we won’t let go. We will STAND & BE COUNTED or DIE ... To us, life without Jesus is not an option….

You can have an ETERNAL impact on this world ONLY by bowing your heart, surrendering your will, and reckoning your ALL on the One by Whom ALL things consist… Let’s make today a lethal blow to the devil’s hold on humanity…the way to THAT kind of victory is death to self….ARE YOU COMING?

Read the entire post here: Far Reaching Ministries: Are you coming? ~ by Vicky Bentley: Leonard Ravenhill rocked my world again this week…I hope he will also grip your souls and that you will yield to the beckoning of the H...

Kept & Rewarded

Psalm 19:10-13: Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me….

·         Keeps me from sin (Proverbs 2)

o   Psalm 119:9-11: How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

o   Agape love protects….the dominion of sin was abolished and Agape gives us grace to WALK in that newness moment by moment!

o   What does your walk look like?

o   Don’t settle for less than a holy walk….

·         Brings great reward

o   Proverbs 3:13-15: Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

o   In keeping them: The reward comes as we are DOERS of the Word NOT because we have done or will do His Word but because we choose to obey unquestioningly NOW!

o   James 1:25: But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

o   John 13:17: You know these things-now do them! That is the path of blessing. (NLT)

o   Holiness and joy go hand in hand….just ask Jesus(Hebrews 1:9)

True & Righteous Altogether

Psalm 19:7-14: …the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether….The Word  leads us to do righteously ~ which simply means we will “do the right things towards one another.”

The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. ~ Titus 2:3-5

Jesus is the One qualified to judge…Jesus exhorted us to love ~ agape love,

          Agape will correct when necessary, 

            Agape will not compromise,

Agape is centered in Jesus not in us…

Open your Bible now and

Expect to meet Him.

Expect revival, direction, comfort, renewal, hope, strength, etc. AND

Expect His intimate instructions to be very specific and intensely personal!

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword,

piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow,

and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

And there is no creature hidden from His sight,

but all things are naked and open

to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 4:12-13

Come and die....

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a shining example to me of a man who was crucified to this world and the world was crucified to him (Galatians 6:14). In his book, The Crucified Life, AW Tozer says this: 

In my mind, one man epitomizes what one must pay, or give up, for the crucified life. That man was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who lived under the shadow of the mad nihilist Adolf Hitler. 

As war clouds formed over Europe, Bonhoeffer left Germany and carried out his work in England. It was not long before his Christian conscience would not allow him to be in a place of safety when his country was experiencing turmoil… 

After returning to Germany…he was soon arrested by the infamous Gestapo and clapped into jail…During this time he served his fellow prisoners…He was, fellow prisoners said, “a giant before men…but a child before God.” 

Bonhoeffer was…a man of remarkable spiritual insight…He said, “…the grace of God would cost us everything we have…maybe even our lives.” 

The Nazi’s pulled the old totalitarian trick: “You better buckle down and shut up, because we’ve got your family as hostages. And if you don’t do what we ask you… we will kill your family.” 

These sorts of threats usually worked, but the Nazi’s had never come up against a man like Dietrich Bonhoeffer. With a calmness and serenity only Christ can give, he replied, “My family belongs to God, and you’ll never get me to surrender by threatening tkill my family.”

Years before Bonhoeffer wrote, “When God calls a man, He bids him come and die.” On April 9, 1945at the concentration camp Bonhoeffer was called on to do just that. He refused to allow himself to be rescued, lest he endanger certain others, so, “he went steadfastly on his way to be hanged, and died with admirable calmness and dignity.”

Too many people  in WWII Germany and too many people today are consumed with pursuing intellectualism, pride, success, money, lust, and other lethal worldly pursuits. God Sent Bonhoeffer as a seeing man to warn a blind nation. I wonder if He is not asking some of us to, “Come and die, so that I might be revealed to a rebellious and stiff-necked people.”

If we don’t fight for costly grace who will?

The Fear of the Lord…

Psalm 19:9: …. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: to fear God is sanctification. When we recognize His perfection we are instantly aware of our own imperfections, sins, failures (remember the Prophet Isaiah asking for the live coal to purify him (Isaiah 6)). That reverent awe compels us to purge away all the filth of this world. Enthroning Jesus in our hearts, giving Him preeminence, enables us to see sin the way He sees sin….

·         The fear of the Lord means to stand in awe of God, to reverence and respect Him:

o   The beginning of wisdom Psalm 11:110

o   The beginning of knowledge Proverbs 1:7

o   To hate all evil, pride, arrogance and the evil way Proverbs 8:13

o   Prolongs days Proverbs 10:27

o   Is strong confidence Proverbs 14:26

o   Is a fountain of life Proverbs 14:27

o   Is the instruction of wisdom Proverbs 15:33

o   By it men depart from evil Proverbs 16:6

o   Tends to life Proverbs 19:23

o   True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life. Proverbs 22:4

·         Spurgeon: “Filth brings decay, but cleanliness is the great foe of corruption.”

·         1 Peter 1:23-25: Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

One of the first things people ask about Sudan, Christian or not, is, “What exactly do you do as a missionary?” They want to know if we clothe, and feed, and bring medicine. When I tell them FRM concentrates on bringing them God’s Word and discipleship. The next question is always, “Do they receive that kind of message?” I can say with great confidence, “YES!” The Word breaks through worldviews, culture, tradition, language barriers, and ideals because it is absolutely true and its timeless.

Africa is a giant black hole because the need is so great no effort of man can ever fill it.

·         There were 160 metric tons of food dropped into Sudan daily, yet people are still starved to death.

·         Celebrities organized a campaign and called upon us to “do the red thing,” so that medical help can be provided to the 31 million people dying of AIDS in Sub Saharan Africa.

·         But what about the 14 million AIDS orphans, who will help them?

·         On top of that, malaria kills over 3,000 kids every day, even though it is a treatable disease.

What eternal good are we doing for Africa if we feed, clothe and cure them only to send them to hell?
     What Africa needs is Jesus….

What America needs is Jesus…

What your family needs is Jesus…

Jesus is ALL I need …. 

The power to bring Jesus to this dying world is in the Word.

The ONLY hope for this world is Jesus.

Precious sisters, give away His word to anyone who will listen.

IT IS WHAT THEY NEED TODAY AND

WHAT THEY WILL NEED FOR ALL THEIR TOMORROWS TOO!

Go play in His fields today….
         Sow, Water, & Reap…

Be about the business of Jesus…because…

Jesus desires to bring forth a great harvest of souls in this day! (John 9:4)

Pure Enlightenment

Psalm 19:8-9: …. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever…

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes: This pure Word is our pathway to revelation. Follow the path, as He opens the door of His word, your understanding can grow and you will be changed.

The Word cures the blindness of our soul. How many times have you been reading the Word when all of a sudden you recognize sin in your own heart. You never saw it before but there it is as plain as day, unforgiveness, covetousness, unbelief, bitterness…the list could go on forever       

·         Proverbs 30:5: Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

·         Proverbs 29:18: Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law.

·         Psalm 119:130: The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

·         We need the Word to give us discernment. Hebrews 5:13-14: For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.  But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil

Right & Rejoicing

Psalm 19:8: …. the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: Statutes are the precepts, the rules for daily living.
     As you study the Word you see Jesus.
          He shows us the path of life because He is the Life!
              You see His perfection.
                      You see His holiness
                          You see His Majesty!
He is worthy and the natural response is to worship. (John 14:6)
     Worship and the Word are divinely knitted together.
           If you feel empty and unable to praise, take time in Word.
               Feed on it… behold Him high and lifted up.

Communion compels you to praise!

Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts. ~ Jeremiah 15:16

But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabits the praises of Israel. ~ Psalm 22:3

When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. ~ Psalm 94:19

Let my lips burst forth with praise, for you have taught me your principles. ~ Psalm 119:171

The “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Haddon Spurgeon said this, “Mark the progress; he who was converted, was next made wise, and is now made happy; that truth which makes the heart right then gives joy to the right heart. Free grace brings heart joy.”

Go on a treasure hunt today….
            I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure. ~ Psalm 119:162

FRM: STAND & BE BRAVE....

“By one man standing an entire city can be spared… You are that one man….STAND… and watch how you plus God is a majority that makes an eternal impact. God expects His people to be brave!” ~ Wes Bentley  
Read the whole story.... http://frmusa.blogspot.com/2012/03/stand-and-be-brave.html

Simple Wisdom…

Psalm 19:7-14: …. making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Making wise the simple: in Sudan education is the hope. The nation is not founded on Christian principles so people put all their hope into overcoming poverty but getting an education and then a good job. We know better…

Jesus just wants a surrendered heart and ANY of us can do that! As you study the scriptures you see the men and women God chose:
o   Gideon  - coward
o   Elisha - farmer
o   David – Shepard
o   Nehemiah - cupbearer
o   Peter, James & John – fishermen
o   Esther – orphaned girl
o   Mary Magdalene – demon-possessed woman
o   Priscilla & Aquilla – tent makers

Remember 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, mark it down and read it over later. God is not looking for the woman with the best resume and qualifications to fulfill His will.

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. ~ 2 Chronicles 16:9

To God:
     Availability is worth more than aptitude
            Smarts and skills are surpassed by true surrender
Jesus wants your love and loyalty more than your quickness and qualifications.

You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep your precepts. ~ Psalm 119:98-100

What do you need wisdom or understanding for today?

·         James 1:5: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (ESV)

·         I have learned to pray for everything (Philippians 4:6-7), my keys, passwords I have forgotten, wisdom as I counsel, word pictures as I teach, and even protection from corrupt leaders.

·          Be teachable, expect God to speak, go to the Word with confidence and watch what He does

For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done. ~ Hebrews 4:12-13

Please Read Proverbs 2-4 also…