"Kingdom" means reign and infers a territory which is the heart. Christ comes to create the reign of God in the hearts and lives of those who will repent and believe. Luke 17:21 says "...the kingdom of God is within you..." And this is my prayer that God will widen the influence of His Spirit in my life. That I will become more like Jesus in the way I live with others. Help me Lord not to strike back with fists or words. Give me the patience I need with others as they like me struggle with the flesh. May your reign in me create a humble spirit open to the guidance of your word. I ask that my religious observance be focused on honoring and bringing glory to you and not myself.
Help me to be the husband who sacrifices himself for his wife. Give me the grace not to exasperate my children. May the words of my mouth bring glory to you. May your reign in me always remind me of the cross of self denial I am called to carry.
The "kingdom of God" is about Christ transforming me. My job is to allow it. Foree
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Holy Is Your Name
The intimate relationship between child and parent calls for a familiar term, hence "father" or "abba." This is no meeting between strangers. This is family, a child speaking to his dad but remembering the holy Father. "Let you name be dedicated, separate and pure."
In the earliest of God's written communications He demanded His name not be spoken in plain, ordinary, vulgar and common terms. This is the Father who spoke the worlds into existence and will one day speak their destruction. He sits in the Heavenlies and those in His presence offer glory and honor to His name.
He us holy. There is none like Him. He cannot be tempted and tempts no one. He dwells in light unapproachable. He is the respondent to prayer and the deliverer of grace and mercy. He reaches down from his throne and saves us from our enemies because he delights in us.
There is no comparison to our Father in heaven. He is holy. He is unique. He is above us and in Him there is no disappointment. The Father is faithful and true. He is worthy of double honor.
And this Father of mine has forgiven me by sacrificing his own...HOLY IS YOUR NAME.
Psalm 18:1-19 - The Father who rescues...praise be to his NAME!
In the earliest of God's written communications He demanded His name not be spoken in plain, ordinary, vulgar and common terms. This is the Father who spoke the worlds into existence and will one day speak their destruction. He sits in the Heavenlies and those in His presence offer glory and honor to His name.
He us holy. There is none like Him. He cannot be tempted and tempts no one. He dwells in light unapproachable. He is the respondent to prayer and the deliverer of grace and mercy. He reaches down from his throne and saves us from our enemies because he delights in us.
There is no comparison to our Father in heaven. He is holy. He is unique. He is above us and in Him there is no disappointment. The Father is faithful and true. He is worthy of double honor.
And this Father of mine has forgiven me by sacrificing his own...HOLY IS YOUR NAME.
Psalm 18:1-19 - The Father who rescues...praise be to his NAME!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Lord's Prayer- "My Father"
Now this note may take a couple of blogs to get it in but I am going to try. First a little personal history. I was raised to believe that Christians should not say the Lord's prayer since the kingdom has already come...one of many things I believed which later learned to be untrue. The kingdom of God is within us (Luke 17:21). "Kingdom" is about the REIGN of God in our hearts. People who are under the Lordship of Jesus who have God as their King are kingdom people, they are people who acknowledge God in their lives.
Second - I preached a sermon on the Lord's Prayer a few weeks ago and realized that Jesus is telling is how to pray, "This then is how you should pray" (Matthew 6:9). So I have begun to pray the Prayer and it has revived my prayer life. I follow the words of the Prayer but in a developed and expanded manner. Make it personal!
For example: I begin with "My Father who is in heaven..." focusing on "my." The God of this world is MY father. I then think about my relationship to him as an adopted son, elected by him in Jesus to whom I can cry "abba" (Aramaic for daddy). I think about him waiting for me like the "Prodigal's" father - how patient he is with me and how he disciplines me and waits on me to return when I wander. Speaking to him as MY father opens a door of intimacy for me as I approach his throne. "MY FATHER."
The key for me is to personalise the prayer as I say the words and take time to expand the concepts in my heart and mind. Rather than just saying the words of the prayer, to think of the words as I ponder my relationship with him. Sometimes my whole prayer for that moment is about Him being my father.
In this part I also think of the wonderful aspects of my relationship to my earthly Father and consider how God has been that same way with me. For example - my dad shared his work and relaxation with me. He took me fishing and hunting and camping and also taught me how to wood work and work in the yard and pour concrete. We laughed and cried together and shared life. When I consider all God has done for me he too has been sharing His life with me. "My Father," what an awesome way to open conversation with God. I will share more ...but first are you getting my drift? Foree
Second - I preached a sermon on the Lord's Prayer a few weeks ago and realized that Jesus is telling is how to pray, "This then is how you should pray" (Matthew 6:9). So I have begun to pray the Prayer and it has revived my prayer life. I follow the words of the Prayer but in a developed and expanded manner. Make it personal!
For example: I begin with "My Father who is in heaven..." focusing on "my." The God of this world is MY father. I then think about my relationship to him as an adopted son, elected by him in Jesus to whom I can cry "abba" (Aramaic for daddy). I think about him waiting for me like the "Prodigal's" father - how patient he is with me and how he disciplines me and waits on me to return when I wander. Speaking to him as MY father opens a door of intimacy for me as I approach his throne. "MY FATHER."
The key for me is to personalise the prayer as I say the words and take time to expand the concepts in my heart and mind. Rather than just saying the words of the prayer, to think of the words as I ponder my relationship with him. Sometimes my whole prayer for that moment is about Him being my father.
In this part I also think of the wonderful aspects of my relationship to my earthly Father and consider how God has been that same way with me. For example - my dad shared his work and relaxation with me. He took me fishing and hunting and camping and also taught me how to wood work and work in the yard and pour concrete. We laughed and cried together and shared life. When I consider all God has done for me he too has been sharing His life with me. "My Father," what an awesome way to open conversation with God. I will share more ...but first are you getting my drift? Foree
Thursday, February 11, 2010
LLC
LLC anonymously wrote on my blog page and asked if I wanted to download, among other things pictures of "beautiful ladies." Makes you wonder what people are looking for in life. IS life about one sexual experience after another? I sure would like for LLC to write me back and let me know what he/she has in mind sharing things like that. I wonder of that is the sum total of their life and where they expect to go when they keep traveling down that road??? Foree
TIME
Whew - time flies right on by and I looked at my blog and it has been since December since I posted...I suppose that is not necessarily a bad thing since people are not beating down the door to read it...things are going really well here at A&M...the family is doing very well and Dana and I are still married - 37 years..
Time sure does roll by -- one of these days it is going to stop - what a day that will be...We have to be ready in our relationship with our Lord....what is going on there?
Next blog is going to be me sharing my experience with the Lord's Prayer...after some introductory comments I want to share a little journey I have been on with my prayer life...Foree
Time sure does roll by -- one of these days it is going to stop - what a day that will be...We have to be ready in our relationship with our Lord....what is going on there?
Next blog is going to be me sharing my experience with the Lord's Prayer...after some introductory comments I want to share a little journey I have been on with my prayer life...Foree
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