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PERIODIC DEVOTIONALS &
SPIRITUAL
MUSINGS
October 16, 2011 What Is the Gospel?
According
to R. C. Sproal, a recent survey taken among several hundred participants who claimed to be “Born Again” Christians,
only one gave what he considered to be an adequate answer to the question “What is the Gospel” of Jesus
Christ?
Because
of the extremely low number of insufficient responses, I thus feel compelled to make an attempt to answer this question such
that it would have been acceptable to Sproal. Summarized Because of the fallen nature of man, which was
a result of Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God, man was cast into conflict becoming enemies with God. The prefect standard
via the law given by God to man is the only acceptable standard by which man must be measured. God gave us the Law and demands
that we keep it perfectly. Because this perfect standard
given by God to his creation had been violated, God’s wrath could be satisfied only by the shedding of blood.
However, because of God’s great compassion and mercy, desiring that man should have a relationship with Him,
He provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him. In His infinite knowledge, knowing that man would fall, He thus put into
effect His redemptive plan that all [of his choosing] would be able to live for eternity, rather than the death that Adam
and Eve’s fall demanded. God’s redemptive plan
was a demonstration of His great love for us in that He sent His One and Only Begotten Son Jesus, to pay the penalty for man’s
disobedience. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born of a virgin, perfect in every way, willingly gave up His own life that we
would be reconciled to The Father. Thus he was crucified as payment to satisfy the wrath of God, that we would be “imputed”
with Jesus’ righteousness and have eternal life in the presence of God. Therefore our standing before God is not by
anything of ourselves, but all of Christ alone. The only part that we have is to “believe” in Jesus and the claims’
of what he has done for us, and even that “belief” is not of us but has been granted to us by God. “For
it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, so no
one can boast about his own salvation. For even the ability to believe is not ours but belongs to God who chose us from the
foundation of the world to be among His “Elect.” 1) Perseverance to the end is essential 2) Man is a sinner 3) Jesus is the Savior 4) He
died on the cross as a payment for our disobedience to God 5) He took on the sins of the
world to satisfy God’s wrath 6) He rose again on the third day 7) He reconciled us with God via our “new life” in Christ 8) What
He has begun in us, he will continue unto the end. August 9, 2009
As long as there’s a breath of air in our lungs there’s the potential for us
to be worthy. Not worthy as the world may view worthiness, but rather worthiness that is ours by virtue of our relationship
with the Lord Jesus Christ. Having now been adopted into the family of God and heirs to His righteousness are we truly worthy
[Gal. 4:7]. So often, and for an unlimited number of reasons, deep within ourselves we recognize the
fact that from a human standpoint, we consistently fall short not only of our own expectations, but also the expectations
of others. To one degree or another, we all experience these feelings. We believe that some how or some way, if we
would just stop doing this or start doing that, we would be worthy not only of God’s love, but the love of others as
well. We often spend our lives giving incredible power to others in regard to how we feel. Based
on how others see us [or how we think they see us] is how we see ourselves. When someone sees us in a negative light, our
joy and happiness is reflected by our negative attitudes and harsh temperaments - our own self-image will always be distorted
and inaccurate if it’s not seen as God sees it. Conversely, when we recognize how God views us is ultimately
what matters, are we free to live joyful lives. We are now able to experience the joy that comes from our relationship
with God rather than someone’s perception of us. In addition to this joy comes the “power”
to offer grace and forgiveness to others and is essential in the life of a believer. A proper and Godly view of our selves
is the key for purposeful living which will draw others to the Lord and make our lives worthy of His calling. June 15, 2008
Looking at Psalm 32
Of David. A maskil
[This Hebrew word means to be skillful or wise.] This is in an incredible confirmation of the peace that is found when we
know that our sins are forgiven. The Lord says that not only are our sins covered, but even better, the fact that they will
not be counted against us. Now that’s freedom. In contrast, when we keep hidden our sins [if it were possible] from
God, it does us not only spiritual damage, but physical damage as well. “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through
my groaning all day long.” [vs. 3] I have often wondered if to some extent the hidden sin in
my life, in some way, had a connection to my Leukemia. I know that at times in my life that I have tried to keep sin hidden from
the Lord, I have lost good health, peace of mind, happiness and favor with God. In its place, I experienced guilt and inner
torment as God’s punishment or chasening.
The only truly happy people are those who have received forgiveness
of their sins from God, so that the guilt of their transgressions does not weigh upon their hearts and minds and their consciences
are no longer troubled. When we are willing to sincerely go before the Lord our God, and truly confess openly all of our sinfulness
[which is exposed to our hearts through conviction of the Holy Spirit] the result is God’s gracious pardon, the removal
of guilt, and gift of his abiding presence. The Lord wants us to have a “teachable” spirit and for those
who do, He will instruct and guide them in His promises keeping them upright in heart.
The metaphor that David uses
here is for us to not be like the mule or the horse which has no understanding and requires guidance by the
bit and bridle to go the right direction. "Many are the woes of the wicked who ignore conviction and hide their sin."
[vs 10] Conversely, if we remain open to be led by the Spirit, God promise to surround us if we will but trust in Him.
Thus is the way to be glad, righteous, and able to sing with an upright heart.
February 4 2008
Why The Holy Spirit?
The presence of the Holy Spirit in the Christians life is essential in the redemptive
plan of the Lord. Having the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, is our only hope for victory as we live our lives confined
to the fleshy bodies of which we are born.
The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is the mark or seal that we are owned
by God. It is no longer our life we live, but the life of Jesus Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ
and I no longer live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me. [Gal 2:20] The Holy Spirit is the first installment of our inheritance as His children; adopted
by God to His glorious kingdom. Having been chosen by His mercy and pleasure, rather than by right, our heavenly home
awaits us. “He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with His pleasure and
will.” [Eph 1:5]
The Holy Spirit
that lives within us gives us admittance to come into the presence of God. “In him [Jesus Christ] and through him
we may approach God with freedom and confidence. [Eph 3:13] To be in the Holy presence of the One who spoke and the universe
leapt into existence, is an awesome thing, but to have the infinite revelation of God available to us is beyond human comprehension.
And by this revelation we as believers are brought into a “Holy Temple” of which we will, for all eternity, learn
of the mysteries of God. “The mystery that has been kept hidden
for ages and generations, but now is disclosed to the saints.” [Col 1:26]
Apart from the Holy Spirit we are incapable of having victory over the sin[s] in our lives. The Holy Spirit
strengthens us with his power and motivates our inner being with the ability to be Christ-like. He grieves when we sin and
thus reveals our weakness in the flesh causing us to be more dependent on God than ourselves. The Holy Spirit makes intercession
to God on our behalf searching all things that we may know the will of God; living our lives in obedience to His Word. “But
God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God”. [1 Cor 2;10]
And through his power, are we able to put on the full armor of God, giving us protection against the enemy of man’s
soul, even Satan. Our battle is not against the flesh but against the spirit of those taken captive by evil forces. “For
our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark
world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” [Eph 6: 12]
So, I urge you brothers and sisters, confirm the presence of the Holy Spirit within your lives. Trust in
[Jesus Christ] the One who sent His power and made way for us to be reconciled to God. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one
comes to the Father apart from me.” [John 14:6] Lord, let it be so! Through your Spirit may we live
lives worthy of our election and be thankful for the blessed hope that lives within us? May we be found faithful with
our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” and be assured of our eternity in your Holy Presence?
Amen
Feburary
2, 2008
The Fire Within Me
How do I begin to even describe the thoughts of spiritual
awakening within my own heart? How can anyone understand the deep and internal struggles of another? My soul within me cries
out; no longer able to resist dealing with this matter. As a young man I perceived I had so much time available
to me, it was easy to disregard the truth that was upon my own heart. I exchanged my personal convictions for the, present
and the now, creature comforts, easy living, and self seeking satisfaction, which blinded me to the sufferings
of others.
If indeed God has taken me, this wretched man and conformed me to a“New-Life
Within,” how can I sit idly by while so much incredible suffering goes on around me? Surly now, more than ever, I see
that I am hopeless in my own ability to truly believe [aside from God’s Spirit] that there is real suffering,
or else how could I exist day by day, moment by moment, knowing that I live such that I do, and do nothing to help those who
have not? Even greater is my unbelief revealed that men and woman are truly dying "apart from Christ" every
moment, and I take not every opportunity to tell them of the blessed “Good News” that is theirs for the asking
if they would but put their faith in Jesus Christ. And how shall they know unless someone tells them? For faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. [Rom 10:17]
What of One, who by his own willful ignorance, through compromise, and a thousand
other excuses, find himself in a situation of a great internal calling, stifled by his circumstances of life? And that he
knows full well, even now he should forsake not only his own life, but also the lives of those around him, for that which
God demands within his soul. "Take up your cross and come follow me" is what our Lord has commanded us
to do.[Mat 16:24] O those famous words of Jim Elliott; "He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep to gain
that which he cannot lose"
Weakness and shame lie within
my heart and I would not dare share the conflict with anyone but you My God. Others would be tempted to say that I have been
afflicted with false guilt, Christian over-zealousness, or radical fundamentalism, should I even try to explain. They would
instead be willing to, for the sake of their own self-justification, offer up encouraging words such as these. "Relax
brother, after all, are we are not all sinners and weak in the flesh and do we not all have responsibility to our
own lives, the lives or our families, and to our ministry?" “Just meditate on these things for a while
and you will feel differently.” “With a little personal reflection and self-awareness, you will realize that
God is gracious, kind, forgiving and He wants you to be happy.”
This, the lie from the
pit of hell will be my undoing should I deny the conviction of truth that I must obey and do what God has called me to do
regardless of my state of happiness. The awareness of my own Christian mediocrity has become more
and more evident as the Power of God’s Spirit purges the debts of my heart, revealing my own utter sinfulness and lack
of Godly action. I can no longer accept my own indifference to the suffering which goes on around me and do nothing to change
it.
O Lord, to what level of shame must I experience before I should have a heart as those of which Christian History's
describe? When I read the accounts of William Wilberforces' unrelenting work to abolish slave trade, Jim Elliott’s quest
to take the gospel to the Aucas Indians’ or William Tyndale’s diligent effort in the translation of the Holy Bible,
I am brought humbly to my knees painfully aware of my incredible lack of godly contribution. The words of Amy Carmichael
“Hast thou no scars?” convicts my heart and urges me on, that I may someday stand before you, found faithful and
“used up” having been poured out as a drink offering, by obedience to the call for loving and serving
others. [Phil 2:17] Has not Jesus our Lord said, " In as much as you did [it] to one of the least of
these, you did [it] unto me?" [Mat 25:40]
Bill
Many Christians struggle to live lives
of obedience and yet don't embrace the Lord’s incredible gift of grace and forgiveness. Jesus was very clear when he
said that we are to Be Holy even as God is Holy (1 Peter1:16). How is thatpossible in the light and the depth of
our own sinfulness? We should be glad that God made some rules that we can understand and that he has given us a conscience
that reacts when we break those rules, or we would be on our way to eternal damnation and never even know it. What’s
sometimes is even more difficult, is to follow the biblical command to confront sin not only in ourselves but also in those
who call themselves followers of Christ. For the unbeliever, sinning is natural and aside from the Spirit of God they are
helpless to overcome the powers of the “Enemy Satan.” Moreover, non-believers, regardless of their lifestyles,
are operating perfectly consistent with whom they are, apart from Christ; having no power to “not sin” and thus
should be treated with kindness and mercy. However for the believer, who is not his own, but has been bought with a price (1 Corinthians. 6:20); there
is a much higher standard. Not a standard of perfection in the flesh, but one of perfection in the spirit. When we claim to
be Christians [Followers of Christ] and become part of the family, then likewise there is an expectation of how our actions
should be toward the overall benefit of the family. Paul the apostle goes to great lengths to point out our responsibility
to hold one another accountable in the light of our ambassadorship to the Lord. When someone says “I am a Christian”
they are saying they ascribe to the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ and ultimately will seek a righteous lifestyle.
If the seeking of this righteousness is not evident by the way we live as Christians, how are we any different from the world?
It was the religious people who Christ was constantly exposing for their wicked and deceitful lifestyles. But for the sinner,
the Lord was merciful and kind and offered hope beyond their circumstances. Paul made it quite clear that we as Christians
are to “judge” other Christians, not as to their salvation, but for the purpose of restoring them to fellowship
within the Body of Christ which is the Church.
Unfortunately many of us have compromised in our willingness to expose the sinful behavior
of other Christians for fear of being called “judgmental or hypocritical.” Mathew 7:1 “Judge not, or you
be judged” is one of the most misinterpreted passage of the New Testament. Indeed we are not to judge “self-righteously”
as to another’s salvation, but we are to judge [within the body] as to the way we live as Christians. Paul is very straight-forward
in the necessity for not allowing sin within the body to remain and cause internal damage (1 Corinthians. 5: 10 -13). For
the “Seeker Friendly Church", sin within the body of Christ has become common. Sexual immorality is at a
high, situational ethics is applied to every difficult circumstance, and a variety of entertainment methods are used to draw
the people in. Conversely, Jesus in his ministry did everything he could do to run off the so called seeker. No trite phrases
as “Give your life to Jesus and he will make everything okay,” Or “Jesus loves you and wants you to be healthy,
wealthy, and wise.” There were no encouraging words saying that you deserve to “be happy”. Instead he told
them that following Him would cost them their very lives; that they may need to give up everything, even their families if
they wanted to follow Him (Luke 12:53) and what really awaited them were lives filled with abuse, sacrifice and persecution
and ultimately death; a far different message from that given from the modern pulpit of today. Paul said we are to examine
ourselves to see if we be in the faith (2 Corinthians: 13:5) that we may not find ourselves on the broad road to
destruction but rather on the narrow road which leads to “Eternal Life!” of which only a few find (Matthew 7:14). Then
Jesus said tho them all: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me."
Luke 9:23
Bill Kramer
Blog Nov. 2007 All Scripture NIV
August 30
2007
The man of integrity walks securely,
but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.
As nearly as I can recall, there was never a time when my father was not encouraging
me to “take the high road” when it came to issues of honesty and integrity. “Are you telling me the whole
truth?” He would ask me after I had been busted in some particular devious activity. “Are you omitting any facts
that will come back to haunt you later?” was another one of his favorite probing questions. My father taught me that
telling a “half-truth” wasn’t much different than telling a “whole lie” and that by leaving
out certain facts amounted to deception and that it was far better to “come clean” now rather than later.
He was absolutely right because in the end, justice is always served. Not only are others harmed when we lie but
there is also real damage done within ourselves. Like cancer eats away bone and flesh, lying rots away the substance of our
soul. And in the end, it separates from our union with the Lord.
Oh
how I wished that I had heeded my father’s advice for always being straight when dealing with others; that I had indeed
chosen to be upright and tell the truth in every situation. However, like a spoiled child I thought that I could somehow cheat
justice and cover my own rear-end by lying or being deceptive. Unfortunately the more lies I told the easier it became to
tell more. The pain that I inflicted on others was horrendous and so was the way it eroded my inner being
causing me to suffer great amounts of grief and sorrow.
Now, years later as I have matured and been the recipient of other’s lies and the pain they’ve
caused; I now realize that lying is the “epitome” of self-centeredness. In almost every case,
it’s done to achieve or accomplish our own selfish agendas. We are masters of deception and prone to lie at any given
moment. Therefore we need to lean on the one who is “The Truth.” The Lord Jesus Christ came to set us
free from the bondage of deception and in doing so set our spirits free. If we truly desire a life of internal peace there
is only way to have it. Come to know the Lord Jesus, intimately and personally, and find true liberty in His words. “And
you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. John. 8:32 NIV
August 15,
2007
Peaks & Valleys – Two
Different Perspectives
Riding
along a hilltop ridge it’s easy to look around and see everything so clearly. The smell of pine trees, sagebrush, and
the subtle scents of wilderness flowers are almost overwhelming. Far ahead in the distance are majestic mountains waiting
to be scaled by some courageous soul. Being able to look at the “Big Picture” from above and seeing what lay’s
ahead has a way of building up our self-confidence, our self-reliance. When we are able to see the potential problems that
lay ahead, we just take the appropriate action to go around or over them; no worries! Most of the time there is little or
no risk when we stay on the trail where it’s safe, especially when it’s wide and smooth, and clear as far as the
eye can see. Although ridge riding has its place in the world of dirt bike riding, it does little to really challenge us and
may even give us a sense of security that isn’t beneficial. An easy path for riding is just not
sufficient for building the kind of muscles required for endurance, coordination, and technical maneuvering.
By contrast however, riding down in the valley where the trails are narrow, there
are lots of curves, and fraught with obstacles, accidents can way-lay the most experienced riders. As we work our way through
muddy and rocky trails with shrubs and brush so thick it sometimes seems impassible, we are forced to slow down, reconsider
our direction, and apply sound principles of dirt bike riding. It’s at these times we need to be vigilant of what dangers
may lay around the next corner and realize that our vision is limited and when we ride outside of what the conditions allow,
disaster is inevitable.
What
kind of riding do you prefer? When it comes to your own life do you choose to ride up above the clouds, depending on yourself
and deciding what direction in life you are going to go? Or do you choose to ride down in the valleys where life’s struggle’s
test and challenge you to see what you are made of; seeking and depending on God for his wisdom to show you what he would
have you do? Real growth comes in the midst of life’s trials and struggles. Only when we are willing
to humble ourselves before the Lord, will He sufficiently build the necessary “spiritual muscles” that will sustain
us in the worst “gnarly crash” that we can imagine. †
August
10
As nearly as I can recall, there
was never a time when my father wasn’t encouraging me to “take the high road” when it came to issues of
honesty and integrity. “Are you telling me the truth?” He would ask me after I had been busted in some particular
devious activity. “Are you omitting any facts that will come back to haunt you later?” was another one of his
favorite probing questions. My father taught me that telling a “half-truth” wasn’t much different than telling
a “whole lie” and that by leaving out some of the facts amounted to deception and that it was far better
to “come clean” now rather than later. He was absolutely right because in the end, justice is always
served. When we lie not only does it harm others but even worse is the resulting damage that’s done
within ourselves; like cancer eats bone and flesh, lying rots away the substance of our soul. And in the end, it separates
from our relationship with the Lord.
Oh how I wished that I had heeded my father’s warnings for always being straight when dealing with others;
that I had indeed chosen to be upright and tell the truth in every situation. However, like the wayward child I thought that
I could somehow cheat justice and cover my own rear-end by lying or being deceptive. However and unfortunately the more lies
I told the easier it became to tell more. The pain that I inflicted on others was horrendous, but so was
the way it eroded my inner being causing me to suffer great amounts of grief and sorrow.
Now, years later as I have
matured and been the recipient of other's lies and the pain they've caused; I now realize that lying is the "epitome"
of self-centeredness and in almost every case it's done to achieve or accomplish our own selfish agendas. We are masters of
self-deception and willing to lie at any given moment. Therefore, we need to lean on the one who is "the truth."
The Lord Jesus Christ came to set us free from the bondage that lying keeps us in. If we truly desire a life of internal peace
there is only one way to have it. By coming to to know the Lord Jesus Christ intimately and personally, can we find truth
and freedom in His words. "And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you
free. John 8:32
August
9
Let your gentleness be evident to
all. - Philippians 4:5
Many around us are observing our responses. We are like walking, talking, road signs.
And when we are staked deep in the soil of faith, we can help point others toward joy. - Patsy Clairmont
As we live out our lives daily, it's easy to forget that others are always watching us
to see if the faith that we profess is genuine. Our family, friends and and even strangers want to know if
the lives we are living are consistent with the words that we are speaking. Indeed there are times when we do get to tell
others about the "Good News" of God's Word, but more often than not, its our actions that speak of
our faith. We should take every opportunity to demonstrate, in a gentle and humble manner, the fruit of the Spirit
that others may see and desire to know the source of it. Therefore, walk as our Lord Jesus; showing always, love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Gal 5:22 NIV
August 8
Life's Trials and Motorcycle Maintenance
The idea of preventive maintenance has been around a long time. Many dirt bike riders faithfully change their engine
oil every so many hours, clean their filter boxes, and regularly tighten nuts, bolts, spokes, etc. as well as keep their eye
on all the other basic operational components. Such riders would perfer to invest small amounts of money at regular intervals
to keep their bikes well maintained, rather than to risk an inconvenient breakdown or expensive major repair later.
We can apply that same prevention analogy to our Christian lives and particularly to our experiences with suffering. Preventative
spiritual maintenance is essential in being prepared for the unexpected and having a mind-set that accepts the basics of descipleship
before suffering and hardships happen. This kind of spiritual discipline allow us to react scripturally to trials and difficulties
and appreciate their refining effects on and off the trail of life. - Bill Kramer
August 8
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death
- Luke 1:79
When I refuse to
yield, I am refusing the light; I am sitting in darkness, and there is not rest. - Marilyn Meberg
As nearly
as I can recall, there was never a time when my father wasn't encouraging me to always "take the high road"
when it came to issues of honesty and integrity. "Are you telling me the truth?" He would ask me after I had been
busted in some particular devious activity. "Are you ommitting any facts that will come back to haunt you later?"
was another one of his favorite probing questions. My father taught me that telling a half-truth wasn't much different than
telling a whole-lie and that leaving out some of the facts amounted to deception and that it's far better to
"come clean" now rather than later. He was absolutely right because in the end, justice is always served.
No doubt that lying harms others but the real damage that's done is that it destroys us from within. Like cancer eats
bone and flesh, lying rots away the substance of our souls and separates us from our union with the Lord.
There's only one cure for this condition and that's repentents; when we call upon the gracious forgivenss of Jesus He
promises to restore us in fellowship with Him.
August 7
Turn from your evil ways - 2 Kings 17:3
If we want to see new sights, hear
different sounds, speak refreshing words, there has to come a time when we leave our baggage of fear, regret, guilt, and disappointment
behind us and say, I'm outta here - Luci Swindoll
If it's true that the Lord has a "plan"
for our lives, then it would seem reasonable that He would sufficiently equip us to carry out that plan and indeed He does.
However, because so many of us choose to live much of our lives in the "back then" rather than the "here now"
we often find ourselves paralyzed by memories of past hurts and pains we've experienced. Paul the Apostle encourages us to look
to things ahead and leave the past behind us. When we allow our minds to dwell in the past, it hinders us from being used
of God. Instead, we should concentrate on one day at a time and see how closely our Lord walks beside us when we focus on
Him. He promises to give us direction and when we walk daily by faith, He is faithful to guide our footsteps. - Bill
Kramer
| Pro 3:6 | in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight |
August 6
They
forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them - Psalm 78:11
...."Concentration deficit" is even worse in spiritual matters. You can
read a verse that plainly resolves a concern. Yet the next day you go through the same stress unable to remember the solution.
-Barbara Johnson
The Isrealite's wandered in the desert year after year because of their disobedience
to God. More often than not they chose to walk by their own strength rather than to rely upon God's provision. Scripture
reading was a daily event so they were very clear on what God's promises were. However, because of their "hardheadedness"
they were prohibited from entering into the "Promised Land."
How much are we like the Israelites; stubborn,
arrogant, self-reliant, and unwilling to trust in the Lord? God has given His divine instruction (The Bible) so we will
know how he wants us to live. Yet so often, we either don't know what it says or we refuse to obey it when we do. The answers
to dealing with the stresses of life are in God's words and evident when we are willing to abide by their principals.
Why is it so hard for us to understand that God loves us with an everlasting love and desires the best for us? After-all,
He promises that he will take care of all of our needs. And when we do trust Him, we can and will find that illusive peace
that we so desire. -Bill Kramer
| Phl 4:6 | Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present
your requests to God. | | Phl 4:7 | And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus.
|
August
5
Then they forgot me. - Hosea
13:6
The impairment most folks have is not with vision or even with hearing but with a disciplined
focus. [Someone] speaks clearly to you, and yet later you can't remember what the person said. This is a "concentration
deficit"..... - Barbara Johnson
It's not that we don't want to
listen to what the Lord is telling us, it's more a matter of not really "hearing" what He has to say, when
He does speak to us. How can we be used by God if we are not clear on what His instructions are? Try taking some
time to "be still" and really open yourself up to receiving clear and definate direction from God. All of the
clutter of life has a way of distracting us from hearing that small quiet voice that our Lord
so often speaks through. He is more than willing to clarify what He wants of us, and just by our listening, we will
know what to do. - Bill Kramer
Come Quickly O Lord Devotional
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