Then There Was A War In Heaven. Michael And His Angels Fought Against The Dragon And His Angels.

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Then There Was A War In Heaven.

Michael And His Angels

Fought Against The Dragon And His Angels.

Scripture

Revelation 12

7 Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. 

8 And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. 

9 This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.

Observation

Satan is alive and well on planet Earth. He is described in Revelation 12 as a great dragon – the ancient serpent – the devil – Satan – the one deceiving the whole world!

John 8:44

44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 10:10

10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

1 Peter 5:8-9

8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 

9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

Ephesians 6:11-16

11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 

14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 

15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.

16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

Let me say this … what is happening in our country is the work of the enemy. We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

So you and I need to strap on God's armor that is described in Ephesians 6 and we need to stand strong! We need to stand our ground!

Application

I know how this story ends. Satan will be defeated. What God wants from me is for me to be faithful and stay true to what He has told me in His Word.

How about you? Are you ready for this spiritual battle?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, Jesus is the Prince of Peace and Satan is the great deceiver. Jesus came to give us eternal life and Satan wants to destroy us with lies and deception. Guide me through all that I hear and all that I see and help me to understand what is truth and what is twisted. Give me wisdom and discernment. I pray for godly leaders that will take the lead in our country. I am so glad that I know how this story ends. And I know that You are the One who is in ultimate control no matter what it looks like down here.

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 36; Jeremiah 40,41; Revelation 12

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Be Still,

And Know

That I Am God!

Scripture

Psalm 46

10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.”

Observation

If we are not careful, if we are not very careful, we will find ourselves supporting something that is contrary to everything that God says is good. There are so many voices, so many voices today are loudly saying things that are totally contrary and against what God says in His Word.

We live in a noisy, crazy, chaotic world and the prince of this world is Satan. His purpose is to kill, steal, and destroy.

God says, “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

Application

I will spend time in God's Word everyday. I will ask God to give me wisdom and discernment to know what to support and what not to support.

How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You tell me to be still and know that You are God. I know that You are a Sovereign God. You are All-Powerful. You are All Knowing. I know that nothing that is happening in our country is catching You by surprise. Don't let me follow the wrong voices. I pray that You raise up godly leaders. Leaders who clearly know the right direction for our country. I pray for peace. Division and lawlessness is the work of the evil one.

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 29,30,31,32; Revelation 11; I added: Psalm 6, Psalm 46; Proverbs 6

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Give Your Burdens To The LORD, And He Will Take Care Of You. He Will Not Permit The Godly To Slip And Fall.

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Give Your Burdens To The LORD,

And He Will Take Care Of You.

He Will Not Permit The Godly To Slip And Fall.

Scripture

Psalm 55

22 Give your burdens to the Lord,
    and he will take care of you.
    He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Observation

As I talk to people at the hospital and they share with me about the illness that brought them into the hospital they will also regularly share with me about all the stress that is going on in their lives. Stress will do it.

Maybe that describes you right now. You are not in the hospital yet, but your life, as a friend of ours always says when we ask her how she is doing says, “I am inside out and upside down!” Maybe that describes how you feel today.

Life lived out without trusting and depending on God is full of stress and turmoil and ultimately sickness. Our bodies were never made to carry all of life's burdens and problems. God designed us to live our lives dependent on Him.

All of those burdens, all of those things that we worry about, all of those fears, all of those problems, all of those things that create stress, we must roll them over on the Lord and let Him handle them. Yes, that thing or things or person(s) that you and I are always thinking about, always on the phone talking about, or that is keeping us up at night and not letting us sleep – we have to roll those over on the Lord and let Him handle them.

Why don't we do that … because we are hard-headed!

Talking to God in prayer and holding on tightly to all of God's promises are the great stress relievers!

Application

When I find that my life is “inside out and upside down” I will pray and roll over on to the Lord all of my stress and chaos.

How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, there are so many things in life that come at me and they are so big, so impossible, and yet they are nothing for You. Help me not to be so hard-headed that I stress over them before I give them to You. I know that nothing is too hard for You. Thank You for reminding me that I am just a sheep and You are the Shepherd. Nothing can touch my life without Your permission. Help me to walk by faith today.

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 25,26,27,28; Revelation 10; I added: Psalm 5, Psalm 55; Proverbs 5

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Taste And See That The LORD Is Good. Oh, The Joys Of Those Who Take Refuge In Him!

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Taste

And See That The LORD Is Good.

Oh, The Joys Of Those Who Take Refuge In Him!

Scripture

Psalm 4

8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

Psalm 34

6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
    he saved me from all my troubles.

7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
    he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
    Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
    for those who fear him will have all they need.

10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
    but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

Proverbs 4

23 Guard your heart above all else,
    for it determines the course of your life.

27 Don’t get sidetracked;
    keep your feet from following evil.

Observation

Today as I read my daily Bible reading, which was Ezekiel 22,23,24 and Revelation 9 nothing jumped out at me to write about – of course both books wrote about impending judgment and that certainly seems like something that is heading our country's way. In Ezekiel 23, God describing Jerusalem's unfaithfulness, had Ezekiel pen this in verse 20 “She lusted after lovers with genitals as large as a donkey’s and emissions like those of a horse.” Yes, God really said that check it out for yourself!

So on days like this when the reading is especially challenging I go to the Psalms and Proverbs and today I added Psalm 4, 34, and Proverbs 4!

I hope you have time to read them like I did!

Psalm 4 and Psalm 34 tells me that I do not need to be afraid. The Lord is going to take care of me. The angel of the Lord has been posted around me to protect me. He has me surrounded with protection.

Proverbs 4:23 reminds me to guard my heart and 4:27 reminds me me to not get sidetracked. Both of those are very easy to do since we have an enemy who is determined to mess up our hearts and get us sidetracked on something other than what God wants for our lives.

Application

I will not be afraid. I will stay on track. I will guard my heart.

How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You so much for speaking to me every day through Your Word. Today is no exception. Fear does creep into my life and I need to be reminded that You have an angel posted around me and is surrounding me with protection. You alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

I pray for those grieving and going through a time of loss. I pray for those who are sick or have loved ones who are sick. I pray for healing and I pray that You give them strength. Help them to trust in You today.

Psalm 56:3

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 

4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

...

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 22,23,24; Revelation 9; I added: Psalm 4, Psalm 34, Proverbs 4

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How Amazing Are The Deeds Of The LORD! All Who Delight In Him Should Ponder Them.

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How Amazing Are The Deeds Of The LORD!

All

Who Delight In Him Should Ponder Them.

Scripture

Psalm 111

1 Praise the Lord!

I will thank the Lord with all my heart
    as I meet with his godly people.

2 How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!
    All who delight in him should ponder them.

3 Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.
    His righteousness never fails.

4 He causes us to remember his wonderful works.
    How gracious and merciful is our Lord!

Observation

Because of this crazy, hectic, and unpredictable world that you and I live in we would do well if we would just stop and ponder all of the amazing things that the Lord has done and that He is still doing in our lives.

Ponder:

“to think about, give thought to, consider, review, reflect on, mull over, contemplate, study, meditate on, muse on, deliberate about, cogitate on, dwell on, brood on, brood over, ruminate about, ruminate on, chew over, puzzle over, speculate about, weigh up, turn over in one's mind”

Sometimes and maybe way too often we let our problems blind us from what God is actually doing in our lives. God is at work right in the middle of our crisis, right in the middle of the chaos, right in the middle of our problems.

Yesterday I discovered that the water pump on our car was leaking. On an old car, at least up until the 1990's, changing out a water pump was something that I could do myself without too much of a problem. Well yesterday I realized that replacing a water pump on a 2014 Ford Explorer is way more than I am able to tackle!

How does my broken water pump fit in with this passage in Psalm 111:1-4?

As I read this passage this morning and I pondered on it I was reminded that my Heavenly Father knows what is going on in my life and He is at work. He knows how to take care of me. And yes, He is even interested in a broken water pump. He is interested in every detail of my life!

Psalm 37:23

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

Application

I will pray and I will trust the Lord during times of crisis. I will ponder, meditate, and hold on tightly to all of His promises.

How about you?

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    always ready to help in times of trouble.

2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come
    and the mountains crumble into the sea.

3 Let the oceans roar and foam.
    Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 

7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You know me Lord and You know that I don't like dealing with things that I can't fix or handle myself, but that is exactly where I find myself today. Of course, there are so many things that I immediately know that I can't fix, like the health of another person, and I immediately go to You to ask You to heal. So help me trust You with the other things in my life that I tend to worry about. Give me the ability or remind me that I need to pray about everything so I can have Your peace that passes all understanding.

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 20,21; Psalms 111; Revelation 8

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And God Will Wipe Every Tear From Their Eyes.

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And

God Will Wipe

Every Tear From Their Eyes.

Scripture

Revelation 7

17 For the Lamb on the throne
    will be their Shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.
    And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Revelation 21:4

4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

Observation

Suffering is unavoidable in life. Some of it we bring on ourselves by the decisions we make. Some of it we suffer by the decisions other people make … decisions that in turn hurt us. I could give a million examples and so could you … like ... Someone getting behind the wheel of a car drunk and hitting us or even worse hitting and injuring or killing one of our loved ones or a maybe a business venture where promises were made but then those promises were not kept.

All of us have suffered like this.

And then there are other times when we suffer and it just comes out of the blue with no rhyme or reason. We just get clobbered. We find out that we have cancer … or we experience a heart attack … or we suddenly find out that we have some other life threatening illness or one of these terrible things happens to one of our loved ones.

So what do we do when this happens? And yes, it is going to happen!

For the suffering brought on ourselves by our own bad choices we need to repent and ask the Lord to forgive us.

For the suffering brought on us by others we need to forgive them quickly and we need to let God take care of getting even with them.

God has a million ways to bless us if we will only let it go and let God handle it. He is more than capable of setting things right with those who have wronged us. Plus, we need to remember that we have also wronged other people – we are not perfect either!

Romans 12:19

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

For the suffering we experience that has no rhyme or reason, like an unexpected illness or an unexpected death, or other tragedy, we just need to pray and trust in the only One who can bring healing and comfort.

Application

One day soon God will wipe every tear from my eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things will be gone forever. Revelation 21:4 Personalized!

How about you? Are you suffering right now?

Psalm 30:5

His anger lasts only a moment, but his kindness lasts for a lifetime. Crying may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me keep my sins confessed as I commit them. Help me to forgive quickly those who wrong me. Help me go to You and trust You when things happen in my life that seem to have no rhyme or reason. You are my Defender. You are my Advocate. You will take care of my enemies. You will wipe away every tear from my eyes. You are the God of all compassion and all comfort. You will take care of me.

Take care of my friends and family who are going through a difficult time right now. Encourage them, Lord.

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 17,18,19; Revelation 7

> I have made it a habit to pray for those who read this blog! I enjoy lifting you and your family up to the Lord in prayer.

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But As For Me, I Am Poor And Needy; Please Hurry To My Aid, O God.

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But As For Me,

I Am Poor And Needy;

Please Hurry To My Aid, O God.

Scripture

Psalm 70

4 But may all who search for you
    be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
    repeatedly shout, “God is great!”

5 But as for me, I am poor and needy;
    please hurry to my aid, O God.
You are my helper and my savior;
    O Lord, do not delay.

Observation

When you read Psalm 70:5 it doesn't seem like it would have been written the same person who had faced and killed a giant with only a few stones and a slingshot, but it was. King David realized that his success was only because of his relationship with his Heavenly Father.

Do you have a desire to be successful in life? Whether you own your own business or you work for someone else, either way, your goal should be the same. The goal should be to help make that business a success so that God gets the glory. And if we are retired then we should still bring glory to God by the way we live out our lives!

If we try to do life without depending on our Heavenly Father then even if we appear to be successful by the world's standards we will be miserable in the end.

If God is not first in my life and if God is not first in your life then nothing we accomplish or nothing that we can accumulate will mean anything.

Luke 16:19-28

19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 

20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 

21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, 

23 and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’

25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 

26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home.

28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’

Application

I realize that I am poor and needy and in desperate need of God's help. Just like King David!

Psalm 70:5

But as for me, I am poor and needy;
    please hurry to my aid, O God.
You are my helper and my savior;
    O Lord, do not delay.

How about you? Are you giving God the glory for what is happening in your life?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, don't let me think for a minute that I can do anything worthwhile without your help. It is too easy to let pride slip in. Thank You for everything that You are doing in my life. Thank You for the special people that You have brought into my life. You have been so good to me. Thank You for the privilege of being able to call You “Father”. I love being one of Your kids.

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 15,16; Psalms 70; Revelation 6

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“Worthy Is The Lamb Who Was Slaughtered – To Receive Power And Riches And Wisdom And Strength And Honor And Glory And Blessing.”

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“Worthy Is The Lamb Who Was Slaughtered –

To Receive Power And Riches And Wisdom And Strength

And Honor And Glory And Blessing.”

Scripture

Revelation 5

10 And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.”

11 Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders.

12 And they sang in a mighty chorus:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
    to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
    and honor and glory and blessing.”

13 And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:

“Blessing and honor and glory and power
    belong to the one sitting on the throne
    and to the Lamb forever and ever.”

14 And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.

Observation

There is more that we don't know about what it is going to be like in Heaven than what we know, but one thing for sure it will be an awesome time of worship with millions of angels joining in with us to worship Jesus!

We have glimpses of what eternal life will look like that are given to us through out God's Word. We know that believers will help reign, but it is not real clear to me who or what we will be reigning over. ... (Revelation 5:10)

But I do know that we will reign on the new Earth and we will have bodies like Jesus has now – perfect and a body that will last forever! (Romans 8:23; 2 Corinthians 5:1-2,4)

I don't know about you - but the older I get the better that new body sounds to me.

Romans 8:18-23

18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.

20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope,

21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.

22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.

2 Corinthians 5:1-9

1 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 

2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 

3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.

4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 

5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 

7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 

8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 

9 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 

Application

I will take my application from verse 9 of 2 Corinthians 5 … My goal is to please Him!

How about you? Are you living to please yourself or have you made it your goal in life to please Jesus?

Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to live for an audience of One. If I can just please You by the way I live my life then my life will have counted for something. It was why I was created. It is the reason that I am on planet Earth. Don't let me disappoint You. Help me to stay away from stupid sins that mess up my relationship with You.

I pray for my friends who are sick and for those who are recovering from surgery. Give them strength. I pray for healing. Thank You for answering my prayers.

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 12,13,14; Revelation 5

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Holy, Holy, Holy Is The Lord God, The Almighty – The One Who Always Was, Who Is, And Who Is Still To Come.

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Holy, Holy, Holy Is The Lord God,

The Almighty –

The One Who Always Was, Who Is, And Who Is Still To Come.

Scripture

Revelation 4

8 Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—
    the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”

11 “You are worthy, O Lord our God,
    to receive glory and honor and power.
For you created all things,
    and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

Observation

It is not easy reading through Ezekiel and Revelation. There is a lot of imagery that I am not able to grasp. But one thing stands out as I read these two books of the Bible and that is this – God is Holy and He demands from us that we live lives of holiness. He wants us to be different from the rest of the world – set apart.

When you hear someone say that they don't need to go to church to worship God – while in a way that is certainly true because God is everywhere and He created everything, but it is not true if the person is refusing to go to church because of a hard heart. Ezekiel and Revelation both paint a terrible picture of what happens to people when they reject God and just go through the motions of being religious.

Church and being a part of a local family of believers was God's idea not ours. It is a way of being set apart from the world. In many countries believers risk their lives every week just to meet together for worship.

And it looks like we are on warp speed here in our country to join them.

If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and you are not a part of a church family then I suggest you look around and find one to be a part of. Church participation was never meant to be optional.

If you are part of a church family and actively participate either in person or at the moment via the internet would you take a minute to write your pastor or pastors a note to encourage them. Trust me, they need to be encouraged with everything that they are having to deal with.

Application

I am glad that I am a part of the family of God and that I am able to meet this morning with my church family.

How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I am so glad that I am one of Your children. Our country is moving in the wrong direction and seems to be moving rapidly away from everything that You say in Your Word. It is what happened in Ezekiel's day and it was not pretty. I pray for revival. Help us, Lord, turn back to You.

I pray for the sick. I pray for healing. You are the Mighty God. Nothing is too hard for You.

I pray for our pastors and I pray for all of my pastor and missionary friends. Encourage them today. Help each one of them serve You with all of his or her heart. Bring people into their lives to encourage them.

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 8,9,10,11; Revelation 4

> I have made it a habit to pray for those who read this blog! I enjoy lifting you and your family up to the Lord in prayer.

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I Know All The Things You Do, That You Are Neither Hot Nor Cold. I Wish That You Were One Or The Other!

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I Know All The Things You Do,

That You Are Neither Hot Nor Cold.

I Wish That You Were One Or The Other!

Scripture

Revelation 3

15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 

16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!

Observation

Lukewarm is not a description that I want the Lord to use when I stand before Him. One day I will have to give an account for how I have lived out this life on planet Earth. What I want Him to be able to say to me is, “Well done my good and faithful servant!”

I think that there is a tendency for all of us to drift towards the place of “lukewarmness”. Anytime that Jesus doesn't have first place in our heart there will be a lukewarmness towards Him and His Kingdom.

You and I will always be passionate about the things that are most important in our lives.

I have never liked the image of verse 16 where it says, “I will spit you out of my mouth!” … Have you ever taken a drink of something that was lukewarm and all you wanted to do was spit it all out of our mouth? I sure have and I don't want the Lord to think of me like that!

Application

I will guard my heart to make sure that Jesus has His number one spot!

How about you?

Matthew 6:33

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Proverbs 4:23

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, the world wants to pull us away from a close relationship with You. You say to us, “Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him ...” 1 John 2:16 MESSAGE -

So don't let me drift. Keep me close to You. Don't let me take my eyes off of You and what You want me to do with my life.

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 4,5,6,7; Revelation 3

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The LORD Is My Strength And Shield. I Trust Him With All My Heart. He Helps Me, And My Heart Is Filled With Joy.

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The LORD Is My Strength And Shield.

I Trust Him With All My Heart.

He Helps Me, And My Heart Is Filled With Joy.

Scripture

Psalm 28

7 The Lord is my strength and shield.
    I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
    I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

Observation

Do you trust the LORD with all of your heart? During the night were you praying to Him? How about when you woke up this morning – were you talking to Him? Can you say, “I trust the LORD with all my heart? How about in a crisis ... is the LORD your strength and shield?

I sure hope so!

When you think about it you and I are so vulnerable – life is so fragile! Things can drastically change in a moment. And when they do where will we go for help?

Application

I don't know about you, but I know where I am going when trouble comes my way. I am going to the LORD because He is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He will help me!

How about you? Where will you turn when your world tumbles in?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are my strength and shield. I trust You with all my heart. You always help me, and so my heart is filled with joy. I will burst out and give you thanks. (Psalm 28:7 personalized)

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 1,2,3; Revelation 2; Psalm 28, Psalm 58, Proverbs 28

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