W A I T !!

This little word of only four letters is such a difficult word!  We seem to much prefer the little word of only three letters -- NOW!  However, this difficult job of waiting begins at birth and continues on throughout our lives if we do not practice discipline and learn to wait on the Lord!  In the second chapter of Habakkuk, we read --
     "The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."

In the little booklet, "Expectation Corner", Adam Slowman was led into the Lord's treasure houses, and there revealed to him was the "Delayed Blessings Office", where God kept certain things that had been prayed for until the wise time came to send them.
It seems to take a long time for most of us to learn that delays are not denials.  Our Lord has secrets of love and wisdom in the "Delayed Blessings Department" which we cannot see.  We would, no doubt, be tempted to pluck our mercies while they are still green, when the Lord wants us to wait until they are ripe!
In Isaiah 30:18, we read -- "And therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for Him."  We can rest assured that He is watching us in the difficult places, and will not allow one trial too many!  Praise the Lord!

     "O thou of little faith, God hath not failed thee yet!
When all looks dark and gloomy, thou dost so soon forget ---
      Forget that He has led thee, and gently cleared thy way;
On clouds has poured His sunshine, and turned thy night to day.

      And if He's helped thee hitherto, He will not fail thee now;
How it must wound His loving heart to see thy anxious brow!
      Oh! doubt not any longer; to Him commit thy way,
Whom in the past thou trusted, and is 'just the same today.'"

     "He stilled the storms, and calmed my fears --
Forgave my sins, and dried my tears --
      He is the same through endless years --
He will not fail you now!"      

God's Holy Day!

In Exodus 20:8, we read -- "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."  The scripture says God "made" for six days, and rested and ended His work on the seventh day.  "Wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."  And the Lord Jesus clearly told us in Mark 2:27 that He made the sabbath for man -- "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath."

It is very interesting to note, when we analyze the commands of God, they are all for our benefit and well-being.  In the beginning, Jesus showed us by example the importance of the Sabbath Day.  God's Word tells us that after the Lord had worked diligently for six days to create our magnificent world, He rested on the seventh day and blessed it and sanctified it!  It is a special day and a holy day!
Our Lord knew that both physically and spiritually we would need one day out of seven to rest -- to worship -- to be refreshed in body, mind and soul.

I think the great heart of God must be very sad today when He sees so much desecration of His Holy Day.  And I'm afraid He weeps when He sees those who profess His name treating His holy day lightly and carelessly!  In these very troubled times in our nation, and all over the world, faithful attendance in the house of God every time the doors are open should be a top priority for us!    
In the 10th chapter of Hebrews, we read --

     "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering: (for He is faithful that promised);
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."
Remember ---
                          God made the Sabbath for us --- let's keep it holy for Him!    

More About Jesus!

Good morning to each of you on this lovely Wednesday morning!  I trust you are looking forward to the mid-week service at your church tonight.  I am very thankful for this time when we can gather together with the family of God and be encouraged by the devotional from our pastor, lift our voices in praise and thanksgiving to God, pray together, and testify to victories won as we have walked in the beautiful light of God!  Don't allow other things to rob you of this special service -- God's Word has commanded us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together and "so much the more, as we see the day approaching" for Christ's return!
This wonderful old song is my prayer and desire this morning, and I trust the words will be a challenge and encouragement to your heart today.

     "More about Jesus would I know, more of His grace to others show;
More of His saving fullness see, more of His love who died for me.
      More about Jesus let me learn, more of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my Teacher be, showing the things of Christ to me.

      More about Jesus; in His Word, holding communion with my Lord,
Hearing His voice in every line, making each faithful saying mine.
      More about Jesus on His throne, riches in glory all His own;
More of His Kingdom's sure increase; more of His coming, Prince of Peace.

      More, more about Jesus; More, more about Jesus;
More of His saving fullness see, more of His love who died for me."

The beautiful phrase in the second verse -- "Spirit of God, my Teacher be"  is very often the cry of my heart.  In the Apostle Paul's second epistle to Timothy, he warns us that "in the last days, perilous times shall come -- evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse -- for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
So let us be careful about listening or heeding to the many voices calling today.  Rather, let us turn our eyes upon Jesus, walk with Him, and often pray from the depths of our soul --  "Spirit of God, my Teacher be"!      
                                

The Shelter!

Yesterday was a blessed day in the house of the Lord -- a holy day when we laid aside the cares and burdens of life and worshiped the Lord in the beauty of holiness!  But today is Monday, and we must again pick up the cares and burdens of life.  However, I am so thankful we do not need to carry them or bear them alone!  Jesus wants to walk with us and be to us all we need Him to be!  Praise the Lord for the glory of His presence!

In the past few days, I have found myself humming or singing the words of this song, and they have been a blessing to me.  I trust that they will be a blessing to you as you face the storms that you may be facing today!

     "I feel the touch of hands so kind and tender.
They're leading me in paths that I must trod.
      I'll have no fear when Jesus walks beside me,
For I'm sheltered in the arms of God.

      Soon I shall hear the call from heaven's portals.
Come home my child, it's the last mile you must trod.
      I'll fall asleep, and wake in God's new heaven,
Sheltered safe within the arms of God.

      So let the storms rage high -- the dark clouds rise --
They won't worry me --
      For I'm sheltered safe within the arms of God.
He walks with me, and naught of earth shall harm me,
      For I'm sheltered in the arms of God."

Praise the Lord -- and remember as you walk with Jesus this week, this wonderful assurance from the book of Deuteronomy:
     "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."

God's Blessed Assurance!

Today is Friday, and as we look to the coming Lord's Day, what a blessed comfort it is to be able to say with Fanny Crosby -- "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine"!!  Or maybe you would like to sing with Haldor Lillenas this morning --
     "Faith is resting on the promise strong and sure;
Hope is anchored safe and cannot falter;
      Peace has found a haven from the storms, secure---
In the Word of God that cannot alter!"  Praise the Lord today for His inspired, unchanging, steadfast Word of God that changeth never!!!

In the 13th chapter of the wonderful book of Hebrews, we read these words --
     "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
      So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."
And I love the beautiful benediction in the concluding verses of that chapter --

     "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen."

As we look to the coming Lord's Day, if Jesus tarries, may we be challenged by this quote from Oswald Chambers --
     "My assurance is to be built upon God's assurance to me.  Take a deep spiritual breath.  Take hold of the Father's assurance, and then say with strong courage, 'I will not fear."'  Amen!  God bless you!  

Are We Hearing?

In Revelation 3:22, we read these words -- "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."  When we think about this verse, we realize that it actually makes an eternal difference whether a person hears---yet doesn't hear --- or really, truly hears what he hears, especially if it is God speaking!  In Christ's seven letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2 and 3), which represents all churches, each letter concludes with His words from the above text!  How very important it is to "Really" hear when God speaks!

If we are one of God's sheep, we will hear His voice and follow Him as He leads!  In John 10:27, we read -- "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."  In John 10:3, we see -- "He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out."  How blessed it is to be one of God's sheep, pasture where He feeds, and follow where He leads!  And if we "really hear" when God speaks through His Word, we will do what He says! 
Matthew 7:24 says -- Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock!

I am thankful that still today, in these wicked and perilous times, God is calling, for we read in the book of Hebrews -- "To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." 
May we be like the child, Samuel, who opened his heart, and when he heard God's voice, he answered -- "Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth."     

Pentecost Sunday!

Pentecost is celebrated the 49th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the book of Acts (Acts 2:1-31).  The Monday after Pentecost is a legal holiday in many European countries.  (Wikipedia)

It was a great privilege and blessing to be in the house of the Lord yesterday on Pentecost Sunday!  It is thrilling to read in the first chapter of Acts that Jesus commanded his disciples "that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of Me.  For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence.  Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Praise the Lord for this wonderful promise!  Our pastor preached two wonderful messages that challenged our hearts yesterday, and I like this song -- "Bring Your Vessels, Not a Few" -- based on the thrilling story in the 4th chapter of II Kings!

     "Are you longing for the fullness of the blessing of the Lord --
In your heart and life today?
      Claim the Promise of Your Father; come according to His Word,
In the blessed old-time way!

      Bring your empty earthen vessels, clean through Jesus' precious blood.
Come, ye needy, one and all;
      And in human consecration wait before the throne of God
Till the Holy Ghost shall fall!

      Like the cruse of oil unfailing is His grace forevermore --
And His love is unchanging still;
      And according to His promise -- with the Holy Ghost and power --
He will every vessel fill!

      He will fill your heart today to over-flowing!
As the Lord commandeth you, 'Bring your vessels--not a few'!
      He will fill your heart today to over-flowing,
With the Holy Ghost and power!"


And today, as we see our world all around us raging and out of control, what a sweet comfort it is to have this blessed peace -- a deep settled peace in our soul-- a calm in the midst of the storm -- testifying with the Apostle Paul --
     "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me."
Do you have this blessed experience this morning?  It is still for us all today!  Praise the Lord!