Habakkuk 2

Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Communion with God

Thursday, December 18, 2014, 6:47 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “For Our Nation.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 17 (NASB).

Testing Our Hearts

A Prayer of David.

Hear a just cause, O Lord, give heed to my cry;
Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips.
Let my judgment come forth from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look with equity.
You have tried my heart;
You have visited me by night;
You have tested me and You find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
As for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips
I have kept from the paths of the violent.
My steps have held fast to Your paths.
My feet have not slipped.

As we enter into our times of fellowship with our Lord each day, in his word and in prayer, we should examine our own hearts before God, confessing any wrongs we have committed. Then we can enter into our times of communion with him with clear consciences and with purity of mind and heart, eager to hear from him, and ready to obey him fully.

Yet, if we are doing wrong, and we are holding on to that wrong, and we are running after other gods, and yet we think that God is still pleased with us and that he will hear us, and that he will join in communion with us, then we should think again. “For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves” (1 Co. 11:29).

Now, I know this verse is in reference to the literal taking of symbols in communion, and yet I believe there are spiritual parallels between this symbolic remembrance of our Lord in the taking of the bread and the juice to our daily times of communion with him in prayer and in his word.

What I mean is, the mere taking of symbols is not what constitutes genuine communion (fellowship; intimacy) with our Lord Jesus. When Jesus had his last supper with his disciples, he was not so concerned about the proper etiquette of the physical taking of these symbols, but rather he was concerned about what was in people’s hearts and how what was intended behind these symbols was to be applied to their lives. For instance, drinking the cup he drank is about us dying with him to sin and to self, and eating the bread, his body, is about us taking in his word and applying it to our lives and about our participation within the body of Christ in doing the parts God has assigned us to do and be.

Yet, we cannot enter into that time of fellowship with him if we are following after false gods and if we are ignoring his commands. When we participate in our times of communion (fellowship) with him each day we are participating with him in his life and in his death. Yet, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?” (1 Co. 10:21-22). So, we must examine our hearts.

The Apple of Your Eye

I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.
Wondrously show Your lovingkindness,
O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand
From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of the eye;
Hide me in the shadow of Your wings
From the wicked who despoil me,
My deadly enemies who surround me.

They have closed their unfeeling heart,
With their mouth they speak proudly.
They have now surrounded us in our steps;
They set their eyes to cast us down to the ground.
He is like a lion that is eager to tear,
And as a young lion lurking in hiding places.

When we have clear consciences, and purity of heart and mind, we will also have confidence to come before the throne of grace to bring our requests before God and to find help in our time of need.

We all have enemies – not people we should regard as enemies, i.e. we should not act as enemies to others, but those who act as enemies to us. They may just dislike us because of where we live, how much in the way of wealth or possessions we have, our status in the world, the color of skin we wear, and/or how fortunate we may seem in talent, intelligence or whatever. They may just dislike our personalities, too. Not everyone will like us no matter who we are.

And, yet, if we are truly following Jesus Christ in obedience and surrender to his will for our lives, many will hate us for our stand for Christ and for his word, even many who call themselves Christians. And, they should hate us for many of the same reasons that they hated Jesus. Jesus was hated because he told the world the truth about their sin. He preached the true unadulterated gospel. Many who had been following him deserted him, never to return, because they found his teachings to be harder than what they wanted to obey. And, many will desert us, too, because what we stand on will make them uncomfortable, probably because they have bought into the lie that says that Christianity is to be fun and entertaining and that we should not say what makes people uncomfortable.

And, yet, though friend and foe alike desert us, reject us, persecute us and cast us aside, we can find comfort in knowing that we are precious and valuable to God, honored in his sight, and that he will watch over us, keep us safe from the enemy of our souls, who is out to destroy us, and that he will bring us all the comfort, healing, encouragement, hope, strength, power and endurance we need to keep moving forward and to keep fighting off these evil attacks of our true enemy, Satan. All glory to God!

Arise, O Lord

Arise, O Lord, confront him, bring him low;
Deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword,
From men with Your hand, O Lord,
From men of the world, whose portion is in this life,
And whose belly You fill with Your treasure;
They are satisfied with children,
And leave their abundance to their babes.
As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness;
I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.

God has a day in mind when he will judge the people of this earth and all those who live as enemies of the cross of Christ. It is hard to stand back and watch all the evil that is going on in the world, and to see how it is growing more and more evil as the days go by. We cry out to God to intervene on the behalf of the innocent who are being maligned by those more powerful than them. We cry out to God for our unsaved family members and for the revival of his church, and for him to rescue his church out of the grasp of the evil one who has deceived them with lie upon lie. It is hard to watch as things go from bad to worse with seemingly no end in sight. We may even grow impatient with God, at times, and wonder why he is allowing all this to take place and why he doesn’t intervene.

Yet, he is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. His slowness means the salvation of human souls. Praise God! His timing is perfect! One day he will judge and then maybe we will wish we had not been so anxious for him to do so. But, when he brings judgment, I believe his adulterous church will be revived and that many will be saved, and in that hope I rest, believing that God has all things under his control and that he will work all things out for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose.

For Our Nation / An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: we’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.




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