tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25714212065213147522024-03-05T00:26:28.637-08:00Westbrook Windowscwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.comBlogger711125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-4232587525664980652013-04-27T11:19:00.000-07:002013-04-27T11:22:30.450-07:00<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">April 27, 2013<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Lord Will Hear</b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Know that the
Lord has set apart the faithful for Himself.” (Psalm 4:3a)</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Let’s drill down into this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The concept of being “set apart” is described
by another word we use often:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“holy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be holy is to be set apart to God for God’s
special’s use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our minds conjure up
numerous images when hear the word “holy,” many of them off target from the
real concept, but someone who is holy is simply set apart for God’s use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When we hear the word “faithful” we
generally see a different slide show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
see someone working steadily on a task, working systematically to achieve a
goal:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a missionary taking the gospel to
village after village to plant churches, an accountant painstakingly dealing
with numerical details until an audit is done, a football player returning to
the field even after an injury, a judge hearing all the evidence in a trial,
and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We tend NOT to connect the words “holy”
and “faithful,” but when we consider that the concept of holy is to be “set
apart” for God’s special use, the connection makes sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone set apart for God’s use is called to
be faithful, and when someone lives out faithfulness, he or she is acting out
holiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s holy ones exhibit
faithfulness, and through their faithfulness they demonstrate holiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two concepts are thus fused.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The advantage such a person has is
then found in the last half of verse 4:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The
Lord will hear when I call to Him.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God
hears those who demonstrate holiness through faithfulness and faithfulness
through holiness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lord, We thank
You that You hear us when we call to You.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Amen.</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-74902785356350678802012-05-16T04:58:00.000-07:002013-04-22T18:32:44.665-07:00Deception<br />
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“You live in a
world of deception.” (Jeremiah 9:6)</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The days of Jeremiah were low
times for Judah. Pervasive idolatry and
gross immorality rampaged through society.
The Lord said of them, “They proceed from one evil to another, and they
do not take Me into account.” (Jeremiah 9:3)
One of these evils was that they had become experts at lying. The practice of deception was as common as
desert sand. Their world was characterized by deception. While deceiving one another continually
unraveled their social and spiritual fabric, the greatest deception of all in
their repertoire was their self-deception.
They believed their own lies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> A world that practices a lifestyle
built on a foundation of humanism and self-centeredness, so that its values are
the fruit of humanism, is a world of deception and especially of
self-deception. God gets sent to a
corner as irrelevant in such an environment. For these folks,
the only thing that matters is having fun and enjoying life. Work is important when it takes place, but
otherwise work is simply a means to the fun life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> In their self deception, these folks
miss the meaning of life altogether.
They are deceiving themselves into believing they are living a great
life, while in reality they are squandering their opportunity to experience truth
and real life, one that comes when we acknowledge, recognize, and embrace the
sovereignty of God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The superficiality of self-deception
will cost them everything. And that is
sad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> It’s not as though there are no
options, however. The good news is that anyone
who has followed a lifestyle of deception or self-deception can turn around and
join those who walk the path of peace, significance, and truth. Jesus provided us with this option through
His death on the cross and through His resurrection from the dead. Going this direction takes only a decision. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, Please help
anyone who has not yet made that decision to decide today that he or she will
follow You in faith. Amen.</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-88828454392769521052012-05-09T05:12:00.002-07:002012-05-09T05:12:39.707-07:00The Idiocy of Idolatry<br />
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“The idols of the
nations are of silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes, but
cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear; indeed, there is no breath in their
mouths. Those who make them are just
like them, as are all who trust in them.” (Psalm 135:15-18)</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> What a great description of idols
and of the idiocy of idolatry! And how
prophetic. The psalmist obviously witnessed
the resurgence of idolatry in his day, and, by the time of Jeremiah the
prophet, the last prophet of the Lord before His destruction judgment on Judah
and Jerusalem, idolatry was full blown.
Idols were even placed in the Temple.
Listen to Jeremiah: “Hear this you foolish and senseless people. They have eyes, but they don’t see. They have ears, but they don’t hear.”
(Jeremiah 5:21) Jeremiah was NOT,
however, talking about the idols.
Instead, he was talking about the people! They had, in fact, become like what they had
worshiped. They had eyes but couldn’t
see and ears but couldn’t hear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Fast-forward past the exile, the
return, and the intertestamental period and see Jesus in the synagogue of
Capernaum. Standing before Him was a man
with a paralyzed hand. In Jesus’ eyes,
this was a need. In the eyes of the
Pharisees and other religious rulers, it was a test. Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath. Need met.
Test failed, in the eyes of the Pharisees, so they committed to destroy
Jesus. How interesting that the
Pharisees and others like them had eyes but could not see, and ears but could
not hear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Idolatry is not just the worship of
metal or wood images. It is the worship
of anything that is lifeless, anything other than God. And the worship of anything or anyone other than
God is sheer futility and foolishness. We
become like what we worship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, We worship You, and
we trust You to shape us according to Your will. Amen.</span></span></i>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-91905799988301212132012-04-25T06:09:00.000-07:002012-04-25T06:09:04.072-07:00Help That Has Substance<br />
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Men are only a vapor;
exalted men an illusion. Weighed in the scales, they go up; together they are less
than a vapor.” (Psalm 62:9)</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> David’s question in Psalm 62 is: Who can be trusted when you need real help (salvation)?
Who has sufficient strength and power to
provide salvation? To whom or to what should
we direct our trust?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> He mentions how some place their trust
in those who have high position, others in deception, oppression, robbery, or wealth.
Then, there are those who believe they can
find their salvation or help through alliances with people. To them, David suggests a piece of news: men are
only a vapor, and exalted men an illusion. If you take both and place them on a scale, the
side of the scale they are on will go upward, because they and their help have no
substance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> So, David repeatedly hammers away at
the truth he has discovered through experience when he needed help: “I am at rest
in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and salvation, my stronghold;
I will never be shaken… Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts
before Him. God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62:1,8)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Whatever help you may be in need of today,
you may see before you a myriad of options, but the only “option” is the one that
isn’t. The only help or salvation before
you that has any substance, that has the power to help you is Jesus Christ. If you need help, the kind that has eternal results,
then there is no other option. Only in Him
will you find the rest you need.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, You and You alone are
worthy of our trust. We thus commit our trust
to You for the help we need each day, and for our eternal salvation as well. Amen</span></span></i>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-88428720465343606642012-04-24T06:08:00.000-07:002012-04-24T06:08:22.697-07:00The Spirit’s Blessing<br />
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Since we live by
the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> How do we “follow” the Spirit? How can we follow Someone we cannot see? We follow Him the same way we follow anyone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Following begins with commitment. There must first be a commitment to follow, a decision
of the heart that says, “No turning back.” We keep nothing in reserve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Along with commitment comes alertness.
One who is committed to following another
must keep alert, so that when the one we follow moves or changes direction, we know
it, so we can make our adjustment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Alertness then produces observance. When we follow someone, we observe their actions
and movements, so that when they move out, so do we. Their action prompts action on our part.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> God sent Elijah to anoint Elisha as his
successor. Elisha was to follow until Elijah
was gone. Elisha requested a double portion
of Elijah’s “spirit,” and Elijah told him this would happen only if he witnessed
his departure. For Elisha to follow Elijah,
there had to first be a commitment to follow. He had to remain alert, and he had to stay observant,
so that anytime Elijah moved out, Elisha went with him. This was the only way he could receive the blessing
he sought.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The blessing of the Spirit of God is
received when we follow Him in the same way: commitment, alertness, observance, and action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, May each of
these qualities be at the forefront of our lives this day. Amen.</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-34470811996759330472012-04-10T05:16:00.001-07:002012-04-10T05:16:26.760-07:00Twins<br />
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Send Your light
and Your truth; let them lead me.” (Psalm 43:3)</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Darkness and uncertainty are the
twin enemies of the wholeness God wants us to have. Darkness can lead to uncertainty, and
uncertainty can feed the darkness. These
two enemies are like a spiritual cancer that eats away at peace, wholeness, and
wellness. The darkness of depression and
the uncertainty produced by sorrow can devastate the human spirit and cause us
to feel abandoned and alone, wondering where God is and why He does not seem to
respond. They create an inner turmoil
that deprives us of peace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Twin antidotes are needed to combat
these. One is light, but not just light
in general, and not light that is human in origin. God’s light is what we need. In his darker moments, David realized this
and asked God not to send light but to send HIS light. The only antidote for the spiritual darkness
of depression (not to be confused with clinical depression, which is physical in
nature) is God’s light, and God sends us His light through His word, which is
one of the reasons we must stay in His word.
We pray and ask God to send us His light.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The twin antidote of God’s light is
God’s truth. Again, the truth we are
interested in and desperately need is not human in origin, but truth that comes
from God. The truth, like His light,
comes through God’s word, and it is what sets us free. This is the truth that He loves us, and that
in Him there is hope. His hope comes to
us smiling and unlocks the door, so we may enter His light and His truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Put your hope in God. Praise Him as Your Savior and Lord. Let His light dispel the darkness. Let His truth settle your sorrow. Then the turmoil will subside, so that peace
may return and again reside within.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Father, On those days when
darkness and uncertainty are strong in attendance, help us to remember that our
hope is in You, and help us to turn especially to Your word where we will find the
light and the truth we need. Amen.</span></span></i>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-11603559013949579872012-04-03T04:55:00.000-07:002012-04-03T04:55:07.917-07:00All or Not<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>“The person who
loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the person who loves
son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and
follow Me is not worthy of Me. Anyone
finding his life will lose it, and anyone losing his life because of Me will
find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39)</i></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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One of the most fruitful discussions
you can have with yourself occurs when you answer the question: What does it
mean to be a Christian? How is a
Christian defined? That question, by
necessity, leads to a lateral question: How did Jesus define a Christian since
He is the Author and Finisher of our faith?
After all, it’s His definition that counts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jesus defined a Christian
essentially in the verse above along with its preceding paragraph. A Christian is a believer, follower, and
disciple of Jesus, one who loves Him and follows Him regardless of anything or
anyone else, one who does not seek his or her own life, but seeks the
Lord. A Christian is one who is
committed to a faith relationship with Jesus that impacts every aspect of his
or her life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This concept may challenge some of
the thinking in our society. For
example, one popular idea today suggests that people “make Jesus a part of your
life.” The idea behind this is that we
each have a life segmented into various facets – family, work, social activity,
education, religion, and so on – and thus we are to invite Jesus into our
hearts to make Him “a part” of our lives.
We give Him a room in the house, so to speak. When you hold this idea up to the light in
one hand, and then hold the previous idea up to the light and compare the two,
you discover that they do not, in fact, match.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This being the case, maybe we need to
consider what we can do to help others see the reality of the true teaching of Jesus
so they can make some adjustments in their message. Jesus does not want to be “part” of your life;
He wants to be “central” to your life. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Lord, You are our life. Apart from You we have no life. Our desire is that
You be central in our lives, and that every aspect of our lives revolve around our
relationship with You. Amen.</span></i>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-31585193690822613862012-03-21T12:33:00.000-07:002012-03-21T12:33:34.265-07:00Floods<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“The Lord sat enthroned at the flood; the Lord sat
enthroned, King forever. The Lord gives
His people strength; the Lord blesses His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:10-11)</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Life has
its truly wonderful and magnificent moments, but if you live long enough you
discover that it can also have its overwhelming and debilitating moments. When those moments come, it feels like a
flood.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> In a flood,
nearly every aspect of daily life stops.
Work stops. Education stops. Shopping stops. Travel stops (unless you have a boat). Shelter is dubious. Heating and cooking and even sleeping may be
suspended. A flood essentially brings
daily life to a halt, and all you can do is just sit there, watch the waters
slowly recede, and focus on surviving.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> When the
events of life become overwhelming like a flood, it is very much like
everything stops until some sense of normalcy returns. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> David
wanted us to see the overwhelming events of life as a flood, but what he
especially wanted us to understand is that the Lord sat enthroned at the flood,
King forever over the flood. That means
that He is sovereign over the flood, which then suggests by implication that
either the Lord sent the flood, or the Lord allowed the flood to come. Either way, He is sovereign over the flood, and
whatever the reason, the Lord has a purpose. We may not see it immediately, and quite possibly
we may not see it ever; but He does have a purpose.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> And here is
what David pointedly wants us to know: the
Lord gives strength to His people, and He blesses His people with peace in the midst
of the floods that come. We simply need to
seek Him when the floods come, and ask Him for His strength to endure and for His
peace to maintain an even keel, so that we can see beyond the flood.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, We have difficulty understanding Your purposes
at times, especially when the floods come, but we trust in You in the midst of the
flood. Give us Your strength and Your peace,
that we may see You beyond the flood and move that direction. Amen.</span></span></i><br />cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-62225189597660395452012-03-16T06:16:00.000-07:002012-03-16T06:16:26.456-07:00Heart Prayer<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord God, Creator of the universe, Almighty God and Father of us all, my heart is filled with praise prompted by the presence of Your Holy Spirit! I turn to You in my searchings and longings because You and You alone are God. There is none like You, and there is no one else to turn to. You are sovereign God over all things and all life in your universe, seen or unseen. You give life, and You recall life to Yourself, and while there is much I cannot comprehend, my heart rejoices before You with the angels and saints of heaven, and I join them in saying, "Blessed be the name of the Lord." You and You alone are God. Only You are worthy to receive praise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Your creation speaks to me of You. The heavens declare Your glory, and the earth expresses Your creative hand. The stars pour forth knowledge night after night. Some among us considered humanly intelligent look into the heavens and see only stars and planets and matter, and in their arrogance they say they see no evidence of You. I see nothing but evidence of You. Their thinking is one-dimensional and has blinded them to the truth. They have turned themselves into spiritual anorexics. They are starving spiritually while thinking they stand for the truth. I am saddened by the spiritual poverty they inflict on themselves, and I pray they may open their eyes and minds to true Intelligence, because they, too, are loved by You.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">May my mind and heart be drawn to You this day and riveted to your grace and goodness and compassion. May I walk with You today in ways that cause others to honor You. Amen.</span>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-78325378959338321932012-03-07T05:18:00.000-08:002012-03-07T05:18:48.679-08:00Bird Feathers<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground
without your Father’s consent.” (Matthew 10:29)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> What
encouragement! Even when a tiny sparrow,
practically worthless in the eyes of many, falls to the ground, our heavenly
Father knows it, and it never happens without His consent (literally, “apart
from your Father” [HCSB footnote]). How
many of us have been encouraged by this thought, especially when the problems
mount?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The context
of the verse adds to its encouragement.
Jesus spoke these words as part of His challenge to His disciples, as He
was sending them out to minister. He
warned that persecutions would dog them.
He knew this would produce fear, so He told them not to be afraid. That would seem to be a little like a doctor
saying, “Don’t worry, this won’t hurt much.”
Still, He told them not to be afraid.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Our
heavenly Father knows everything we go through.
No detail escapes His notice.
Nothing will happen to us apart from Him, that is, apart from His
knowledge and consent, and although we may not comprehend that thought very
well, it says to us that whatever happens to us has no relevance to our value
to the Lord. It happens only according
to His purposes, which, like a sparrow, we simply cannot fathom. We only need to know that Jesus is thus
challenging us to trust God and His purposes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Such trust
serves to free us from our fears. It
helps us to relax. It further frees us
to move forward in serving Him, whether the issues we face are small or great. So, keep moving toward trust.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, How grateful we are to know that Your purposes
will be fulfilled in us, even if we are unable to understand them. We thank You for the encouragement of Your care.
Amen.</span></span></i>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-1067826009650288312012-03-01T05:23:00.001-08:002012-03-01T05:23:59.066-08:00Help Needed<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“I will lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my
help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.”
(Psalm 121:1)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Drill down
into this word “help.” Help is something
everybody needs at one time or another.
Help is that which is needed when something vital needs to be accomplished,
and when the one who sees the need lacks the capability to accomplish it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Two blind
men heard that Jesus was coming their way.
They had heard of His miracles, so when Jesus arrived at His home in
Capernaum, these men went to Him and asked to be healed. Their going to Jesus was an act of
faith. Jesus helped them by healing
them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> A man
possessed by a demon and unable to speak needed Jesus’ help, so some friends
took him to Jesus. Again, this was an
act of faith on the part of these friends.
Jesus evicted the demon, and the man spoke. The people all said they had never seen
anything like this before.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Crowds
gathered around Jesus. Some may have
just been curious on-lookers, but many of these folks needed some help. Many were discouraged and needed hope. Jesus spoke words of encouragement to them that
gave them the hope they needed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> So, what
help do you need today? You can “look to
the mountains,” but you are not likely to find any help coming over the
horizon. Or, you can look to the Lord
and realize that your help comes from Him. Act in faith. Go to Jesus, and ask Him for His help.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, You are our help and our strength, and to You we go.
Amen.</span></i></div>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-33557566693996413402012-02-29T05:09:00.004-08:002012-02-29T05:09:41.331-08:00Strong and Weak<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10b)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> That doesn’t
make much sense, humanly speaking, does it? Any athlete will tell you that strength comes from
conditioning, and the goal is to get stronger and stronger so you can defeat your
competitors and win. Seeing strength in weakness
is not on the radar screen of one whose goal is to be strong.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> So, what did
Paul mean by this? After all, he was himself
an athlete, so it’s not as if he didn’t get it. Actually, strength was his goal. He wanted strength in his life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Think this through.
A newborn baby is totally weak and helpless.
It is only as strong as its parents. One lone soldier is weak when facing a platoon
of enemy soldiers, until the rest of his own platoon shows up accompanied with a
couple of tanks. A child being bullied by
several other kids is weak until his brother, who is 10 years older, shows up; then,
he’s strong.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Paul had some
sort of debilitating physical problem he called his “thorn in the flesh.” He asked God to remove it, but God’s response was,
“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Weakness thus gives opportunity for strength to
rise to the surface so that its source can be revealed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> So then, strength
is as good as its source and is derived from its source. If God, then, is that Source, then that is when
we are actually at our strongest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Father, We thank You that Your strength is now ours
through our faith in Christ. Amen</span></span></i>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-59860517686392649152012-02-22T05:38:00.000-08:002012-02-22T05:38:38.781-08:00Live Out Your Worship<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Let the name of the Lord be praised both now and forever.
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
let the name of the Lord be praised.” (Psalm 113:2-3)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Worship is to
be lived. That is God’s intention. He never intended that worship be confined to a
building, or to a place, or to a time. We
gather for worship at a place, at a building, and at a time, but if there is where
it ends, we are off target. We gather for
worship in order to then scatter for worship. We take it with us into the world, so that daily
we may live out our worship of the Almighty, allowing His light in us to shine onto
and into the lives of others.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Worship is walking
with God in the awareness of His constant presence. This is to be experienced at the personal level
first and foremost, and then it is to be expressed, demonstrated, and lived out
before the world, so that others may come to glorify God with us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, As we experience worship in this day, help us
also to live it out for Your glory. Amen.</span></span></i>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-50934674055286569032012-02-21T04:51:00.000-08:002012-02-21T04:51:22.123-08:00Because He Loves Us<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”
(Matthew 7:7)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Psalm 107 recounts
the loving and faithful works of God. The
psalmist spoke there of those who wandered in desolation and destitution. God rescued them and let them to a place where
they could then live a full life. The psalmist
spoke of those who sat in darkness and gloom, prisoners and exiles because of their
rebellion against God. They cried to the
Lord in their trouble, and God brought them out of the darkness and into the light.
The psalmist spoke of those whose sins were
deep, but when they turned to the Lord, God sent His healing word. The psalmist then spoke of those who traveled to
distant places and faced great danger and lost their courage. They were helpless, but God stilled the storm when
they cried to Him in their distress.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Jesus may not
have had Psalm 107 in mind in the verse above, but His application certainly fits.
Keep on asking, seeking, and knocking, because
you know the Lord is a loving and faithful heavenly Father. Our Father loves His children, and when we keep
turning to Him, He will give us good gifts – the ones we need. Just because He loves us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, Apart from Your love we would dwell in darkness, but
by Your love we are made alive like water on a desert flower. Thank You for loving us. Amen.</span></i></div>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-79394243177247003582012-02-15T04:53:00.003-08:002012-02-15T04:53:27.995-08:00The Blindness of Self-Deception<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“So if the light within you is darkness - how
deep is that darkness.” (Matthew 6:23b)</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Interesting. Jesus spoke of darkness in the context of materialism
in Matthew 6. He began this part of the Sermon
on the Mount by admonishing people to lay up treasures in heaven rather than on
earth, because focusing life on possessions is the equivalent of making them your
master. Materialism can morph us into slaves,
and in reality we may not even be aware that it is happening. In that context comes His almost cryptic discussion
or illustration using the eye.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Jesus said that the eye is the lamp of
the body. If the eye is good, it is like
the body is full of light. If the eye is
bad, it is like the whole body is full of darkness. And if the only light you have in you is darkness,
then that darkness runs deep and is, in fact, pitch black. So, how does what we perceive as light become darkness?
Through self-deception.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> When we believe that our earthly possessions
are the real fabric of life, we have succumbed to self-deception. While it may feel like we are in the light, free
and comfortable, and feeling good, we are unknowingly in the dark. Self-deception has mastered us, and we never saw
it coming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> So, how is the blindness of this self-deception
overcome? It takes three conditions: a realization, a decision, and an action. In our hearts we first must recognize the truth
of the temporal nature of possessions. Then
we decide that we would prefer to live in the light of God’s perspectives. Third, we begin to live out our lives in relation
to Him, serving Him as our life priority with all we have, including our possessions.
When we reach this point in faith, that is
when the lights come on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Father, Open our eyes to see the realities today You want us to see. And help us then to respond in ways that glorify
You. Amen.</span></span></i>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-21894534971077870152012-02-14T05:39:00.001-08:002012-02-14T05:39:52.851-08:00The Impact of God’s Love<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“As far as the east is from the west, so far
has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> How far is “the east” from “the
west?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Well, pretty far. We all know that if you start walking due
east and keep going, eventually you come full circle to your point of origin,
because the earth is a globe. The
psalmist did not know this, though. It’s
not that he was not as smart as we are; he just did not have as much
information as we have today. He had
never heard of “earth science.” In his
understanding, you could walk east and never find the end. To him “the east” was infinite, and so was
the west. He did not think circular but
linear. So in his view, if you walk east
and keep going, you just keep going infinitely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The psalmist helps us see that with
God forgiveness is total and absolute.
When God forgives, it never comes back.
This is true because, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His faithful love toward those who fear Him.” (v11)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> May we be reminded today that our
heavenly Father is compassionate toward us as His children, that He know we are
“dust,” and that when He forgives us it is total. His forgiveness is linear, not circular.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The proper response to this is
gratitude and praise. And there is one
more response that is equally appropriate:
just as He forgives us, we must forgive one another, compelled by
love. Forgive linear, not circular.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, Help us today to practice linear
forgiveness and unending compassion toward others because of the example we see
in You. Amen.</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-88767280009464816912012-02-08T04:52:00.000-08:002012-02-08T04:52:30.193-08:00Effective Praying<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Whenever you pray…” (Matthew 6:5)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Not IF you pray,
but WHEN you pray, says Jesus. Note the assumption
and expectation of Jesus that His people would pray. That understood, He gives us several basics that
can help us pray effectively.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> First, we are
to privatize and personalize our prayers. He cautions us not to be like hypocrites who love
to make their prayers public and long so people would be impressed. All of us have heard people pray and wondered if
they would ever finish! Some of those “people”
could even be us. We should remember that
it is God we seek to impress, not people, and He is impressed by prayer that is
personal and private. Alone, before God we
pray.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Second, we are
to simplify our prayers. God, who sees and
knows the heart, is more concerned with the content of our hearts than with the
multiplicity and complexity of our words. Babbling before God is a useless waste of time
and effort. Simplify.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Third, we are
to contextualize our prayers. We need to
come to the realization that God already knows what we need before we ask. Nothing catches Him by surprise. We need to keep our prayers in the context of God’s
constant awareness and His constant care for us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Effective praying
is characterized by privatization, personalization, simplification, and contextualization.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Help us, Lord, to pray thus effectively. Amen.</span></i></div>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-67782153671631786652012-02-01T05:04:00.000-08:002012-02-01T05:04:01.742-08:00The Long View<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b><o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the Lord that
you have spoken is good,’ for he thought: There will be peace and security in my
lifetime.” (Isaiah 39:8)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The “word of
the Lord” Hezekiah referred to was the prophecy of Isaiah: “The time will certainly
come when everything in your place and everything your fathers have stored up until
this day will be carried off to Babylon; nothing will be left.” (Isaiah 39:6) Isaiah prophesied this because King Hezekiah had
shown Babylonian envoys everything in his palace, including his treasuries and his
armory. His action was a foolish expression
of pride that would cost Judah.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The only thing
more foolish than Hezekiah’s action was his response to Isaiah’s prophecy. Generally he said: “Well, that’s ok. At least there will be peace and security in my
lifetime.” His response was self-centered
and short-sighted. Most self-centeredness
normally turns out to be short-sighted. Short-sightedness
wastes future opportunities, and it impacts others beyond our view.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Go for the long
view. Follow the God of the long view, who
loved us before the foundations of the world were laid, and who brought millennia-long
plans to fruition in sending His Son, so that we might have eternal life. He is the One we need to follow, for it is in following
Him that we break through our self-centeredness and our short-sightedness. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, We choose the long view, and we trust You to lead
us in Your sovereignty to use us as You will in carrying out Your plans. Amen.</span></span></i>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-61427806701222664442012-01-31T05:07:00.000-08:002012-01-31T05:07:37.574-08:00Return from the Wilderness<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“And the redeemed of the Lord will return and come to
Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy.
Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sadness will flee.”
(Isaiah 35:19)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> God
revealed a prophetic vision to Isaiah beyond Jerusalem’s destruction and beyond
they the exile. He showed him a
wilderness, a dry land, a desert that would be restored. This wilderness would bloom with joy by the
glory of the Lord when the Lord would redeem His people. The Lord promised healing and restoration,
and a road, a way to get there, a highway that would be safe to travel. Only those redeemed would have access to this
road, and they would return to Zion with singing, gladness, and unending
joy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No doubt
those who first heard these prophetic words discounted them. They found the message incredulous. Consider why.
Jerusalem was not under siege.
There was no threat to fortress Jerusalem. So Isaiah’s message would not have resonated
with them at all. Their spiritual myopia
would be their undoing, but the day would come when these prophetic words would
become more of an encouraging message of hope.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> This side
of history we know of Jerusalem’s destruction, the Babylonian exile, the
suffering, but also the joyful return to Jerusalem as God redeemed His people
as promised. But we cannot stop there. We must go deeper into this prophecy, because it
is a messianic prophecy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Isaiah’s
description of an arid wasteland speaks of the spiritual condition of those who
do not walk with God, who have turned to follow their own path. God would provide a way whereby people might
turn to Him and “return” to enter into an eternal joy. This joyous return describes what takes place spiritually
when we turn from sin, enter faith, and walk with the Lord on the basis of the way
Jesus provided on the cross, thus bringing this prophecy to its full completion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, How we thank You for the power of Your redemption!
Amen.</span></span></i>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-89611739836715929872012-01-24T05:03:00.000-08:002012-01-24T05:03:55.144-08:00Rejoice<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“For You have made me rejoice, Lord, by what You have done.”
(Psalm 92:4)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> So, what has
the Lord done that makes us rejoice?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> He created all
things.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> He put a plan
in place that took millennia to bring to completion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> At the right
time He sent His Son, born miraculously of a virgin.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> His Son lived
a perfect, sinless life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> His Son took
the penalty of our sins upon Himself by giving His life on the cross.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> His Son was
raised from the dead and ascended into heaven forty days later.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> His Son promised
to return.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> He sent His
Spirit to fill His disciples so they could proclaim the good news with power.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Through faithful
witnesses over 2,000 years He sent someone to lead me to faith.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> He put His Spirit
in us, just as He did with His disciples.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> He speaks to us through His word.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> He has multiplied
manifold blessings in our lives and through our lives.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> He blesses us
daily.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> What is there
NOT to rejoice about?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> This is what
He has done for us. Rejoice we must. Joy is like a fire in our bones, like an explosion
that demands release. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We rejoice, Lord, because of what You have done. Amen.</span></i></div>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-81979847240016115852012-01-18T05:03:00.000-08:002012-01-18T05:03:02.026-08:00Fasting<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Isn’t the fast I chose: To break the chains of wickedness,
to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every
yoke?” (Isaiah 58:4-7)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Fasting is ancient.
It is not limited to Christian faith practices
but has long been used in various cultures, sometimes for religious ritual, and
sometimes as a body-cleansing technique. It can be used as a weight loss technique. And, as we see in the bible, fasting has been intended
as a means of drawing closer to God, to deepen our spirituality and our faith. Christians may fast when they carry a heavy burden,
seeking resolution from the Lord. In Isaiah’s
day, people practiced a self-denying type of fasting, the “sackcloth and ashes”
sort. Their practice devolved into mere ritual,
however, and its effect, says Isaiah, was that people just ended up angry and irritable.
Somehow, they lost the vision of what it
was supposed to accomplish.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> So, God challenged
the Israelis on their fasting practices in the verse quoted above and in the verses
that followed. He said that the fast He chose
for them had two fundamental intentions: 1) breaking the bondage people have to
wickedness, and 2) providing for those in dire need. In other words, this was to be a fast in which
people were to deny themselves their self-centeredness rather than food. And that gives totally new definition to the concept
of fasting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Maybe the kind
of fasting that most honors God is the kind where we deny ourselves from engaging
in self-centeredness, and by focusing instead on the needs of others. Come to think of it, maybe this kind of fasting
should be a daily practice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, Help us to turn away from self-centeredness and turn
instead toward You and the life You have called us to. Amen.</span></i></div>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-27677271264857399322012-01-17T05:04:00.001-08:002012-01-17T05:04:54.728-08:00Trust Is Learned<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“For we don’t want you to be unaware, brothers, of our
affliction that took place in Asia: we
were completely overwhelmed – beyond our strength – so that we even despaired
of life.” (2 Corinthians 1:8)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Whatever
the event Paul was describing above, it was not recorded in the Book of
Acts. The riot in Ephesus could possibly
be the event, but Paul’s behavior and attitude in that event was not consistent
with someone who despaired of life itself.
This event, whatever it was, totally overwhelmed him and his team. They thought they were going to die. This felt like a death sentence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Paul
explained what he felt was God’s purpose in allowing this to happen to
them: “so that we would not trust in
ourselves but in God who raises the dead.” (verse 9)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> How many
times have you wondered why God allows us to experience events that are
uncomfortable, hurtful, distressing, or even life-threatening? While we may not have a good grip on
understanding this, we can at least come to the same conclusion Paul
reached: God wants us to learn to trust
in Him and in His purposes, and not in ourselves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Our
abilities have built-in limitations. Our
ingenuities also have limits. Our
resources as well. We prefer to think of
ourselves as having no real limitations.
We even teach our children: “You
can do anything, if you just put your mind to it.” We are taught to think that
we can be anything and do anything, and we like that thinking until those overwhelming
events rise up and show us our limitations. Maybe that is the point where we are then teachable.
That is when we learn that God and His power
is the only real resource we have when the floods sweep over us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, Help us today to recognize that You are the One
true Source of strength and power for enduring those events in life that are beyond
our capabilities. Amen.</span></span></i>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-29420969371221291582012-01-12T05:34:00.000-08:002012-01-12T05:34:13.756-08:00Real Strength<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>“For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, ‘You will be delivered by returning and resting: your strength will lie in quiet confidence.’ But you were not willing.” (Isaiah 30:15)</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Picture a man staggering in a desert, days without water, his clothes ripped and ragged. He is sweaty and gritty with sand. He sits down by a lush oasis, but he does not drink the water because he thinks he can find something better. So, he moves on. How messed up is that? It borders on insanity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Essentially, that is what Judah did. In the Lord, they had access to all the power they needed to stand up to the Assyrians and others, but they decided that an alliance with Egypt would be more effective. That was a lame decision. Thus, the Lord sent Isaiah to voice His displeasure and to call them to return. The message was clear: “You will be delivered by returning and resting.” Interesting. Returning is the same is repentance. Resting essentially means trusting. Then Isaiah completed the message: “Your strength will lie in quiet confidence.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Real strength does not have to be brash or boisterous to be genuine. Our human mindset tends to see those who are strong as being like that. The appearance of strength through bravado and posturing is little more than “smoke and mirrors.” The person who can be faced with overwhelming life circumstances and yet approach them in quietness and confidence in the Lord is someone who is truly strong. This quietness and confidence is found when we turn to the Lord and rest in Him. This is both a constant attitude we should have as well as a daily action. Resting in the Lord is a continual decision. The extent of our turning to the Lord and resting in Him determines the degree of our quietness and confidence in the Lord in the face of overwhelming circumstances. Today, turn to Him and rest in Him, and let His quietness and confidence bless you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Thank You, Lord, for</em> <em>Your abiding presence. We turn to You, and we rest in You. Amen.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-15854075143563760892012-01-11T05:49:00.000-08:002012-01-11T05:49:50.549-08:00Perfect Peace<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect
peace, for it is trusting in You.” (Isaiah 26:3 HCSB) “Thou wilt keep Him in perfect peace whose mind
is stayed on Thee, for he trusteth in Thee.” (KJV)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Perfect peace.
Who wouldn’t want that as a characteristic
of his or her life? It sounds wonderful.
To be a “Rock of Gibraltar” in a world of
turbulence has genuine appeal. But is it
attainable in a real world? Perfect peace
is an absolute concept, and absolutes are not all that common.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Peter had a
moment of perfect peace. He climbed out of
a boat onto a rolling sea and walked on the water toward Jesus, but that moment
left quickly when he took his eyes off of Jesus and saw the wind and the waves.
It was more than just a sinking feeling.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Isaiah says
that perfect peace is a mind dependent on the Lord, one that is stayed or fixed
unwaveringly on the Lord. A mind that depends
on the Lord is one that trusts continually in Him. Perfect peace is thus a product of perfect trust.
Such trust is not hot and cold, or hit and
miss. It is constant and consistent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> But is it attainable?
Well, it wasn’t for Peter, other than for
a moment, and it may not be 100% attainable for us, but it is approachable. Like many of our goals, we work toward them. With some goals the best we can do is to get close
to achieving them. Maybe perfect peace through
trust should be our goal, and the strength of our trust in God will thus determine
how close we will get to it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Father, You are the Author of peace, and with You it
is a perfect peace. Help us today to find
the strength for trust fully in You. Guide us as we move toward this goal daily.
Amen</span></span></i>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571421206521314752.post-56909122775047535942012-01-10T05:16:00.001-08:002012-01-10T05:16:48.148-08:00A Psalm<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, You are worthy of all praise!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hope jumps onto the wind</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and soars into
the heights</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> at the mention
of Your name.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My heart is filled with gratitude</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> that You would
call me Your child,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> that You would
place Your Spirit in me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am overwhelmed by Your love and faithfulness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> They lead me
to the place of peace and serenity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The universe is Your dominion,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and it cannot
contain You.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> It is too small,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and it creates
small thinking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Heaven is Your domain,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and yet, neither
can heaven itself limit You.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Nothing in existence
can limit You,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> or contain You,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> or define You.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yet, we can know You.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> And you care
for us </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> who are the
dust of the earth?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, You are worthy of all praise!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am overwhelmed by Your love and faithfulness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> They lead me
to the place of peace and serenity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amen.</span></span>cwestbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18038122797149504150noreply@blogger.com0