Let not yours be the [merely] external adorning with [elaborate] interweaving and knotting of the hair, the wearing of jewelry, or changes of cloths;but let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God. 1 Peter 3:2-3

Planted in the House of the Lord, they shall Flourish!

Psalm 92:12-15

¹²The [uncompromisingly] righteous

shall flourish

like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful];

they shall grow

like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible].

¹³Planted in the house of the Lord,

they shall flourish in the courts of our God.

¹⁴[Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age;

they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality]

and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment].

¹⁵[They are living memorials] to show

that the Lord is upright

and faithful to His promises;

He is my Rock,

and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Saint Patrick's Faith

Saint Patrick's statement of faith from about 450 AD

For there is no other God, nor ever was before, nor shall be hereafter, but God the Father, unbegotten and without beginning, in whom all things began, whose are all things, as we have been taught; and his son Jesus Christ, who manifestly always existed with the Father, before the beginning of time in the spirit with the Father, indescribably begotten before all things, and all things visible and invisible were made by him. He was made man, conquered death and was received into Heaven, to the Father who gave him all power over every name in Heaven and on Earth and in Hell, so that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and God, in whom we believe. And we look to his imminent coming again, the judge of the living and the dead, who will render to each according to his deeds. And he poured out his Holy Spirit on us in abundance, the gift and pledge of immortality, which makes the believers and the obedient into sons of God and co-heirs of Christ who is revealed, and we worship one God in the Trinity of holy name.

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This Cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My Comforter, my All in All

Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless babe

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save

‘Til on that cross as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth in glorious Day

Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory

Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me

For I am His and He is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From life’s first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

‘til He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

Written by the Newsboys

Our Divine Romance

Divine Romance

Song Written by Phil Wickham

The fullness of Your grace is here with me

The richness of Your beauty’s all I see

The brightness of Your glory has arrived

In Your presence God, I’m completely satisfied

For You I sing I dance

Rejoice in this divine romance

Lift my heart and my hands

To show my love, to show my love

A deep deep flood, an Ocean flows from You

Of deep deep love, yeah it’s filling up the room

Your innocent blood, has washed my guilty life

In Your presence God I’m completely satisfied

Enter His Presence

Enter His Presence

by Anne Graham Lotz

In olden days, entering into the presence of God would have been an unattainable privilege for a Gentile woman like myself. If I had stood on a desert sand dune that overlooked the Israelite camp in the wilderness following the exodus from Egypt, I would have seen a sea of tents that stretched out to the horizon of my vision. In the midst of the encampment, I would have noticed a much larger tent surrounded by a dazzling "wall" of linen that shimmered white in the scorching desert sun. If I had left my vantage point on the sand dune and slipped closer, I might have found a bystander who would have been willing to answer my questions.

"What is that big tent?"

"Don't you know? We are God's children, and that tent is the Tabernacle where God is said to dwell in our midst. "

"Can I go in?" I would have naively asked.

"Go in? Go inside the Tabernacle? You must be out of your mind! It's obvious you are not an Israelite and you're a woman. You could never go inside."

"Surely there must be some way I could enter. I would like to draw near to God, too. I long to be in His presence."

"Well, let me tell you something, lady. The only way you could ever enter into the presence of God is if you were totally born again!"

"What's inside those linen walls?"

"On the other side of the walls are the altar, the laver, and the Tabernacle itself."

"And what is in the Tabernacle?"

"The Tabernacle is divided into two rooms that are separated by a heavy curtain, or veil. I'm told that in the first room there is a lamp, a table with a loaf of bread on it, and an altar of incense. Beyond the veil in the second room is the Most Holy Place of God's presence where the Ark of the covenant rests."

"If only I had been born a man, if only I had been born an Israelite, then I would go into the Most Holy Place of God's presence five times a day!"

"Lady, you still don't get it, Israelite men cannot go inside the Tabernacle, either--only the priests are allowed inside. And even the priests can't go inside the Most Holy Place of God's presence. Only the high priest can go beyond the veil."

"Oh, how I wish I was an Israelite man who was also a high priest. Then I would go into God's presence every day. In fact, I would just stay there--I would live in God's presence!"

Perhaps with sympathetic softening to his eyes, this bystander would reply gently but with finality, "But the high priest himself can only enter within the veil once a year."

And I would be turned away, with no hope of ever entering into the Most Holy Place of God's presence.

Until Jesus came! Through His death the veil separating us from the presence of God was torn in two from top to bottom! God Himself opened up the way for us to enter into His holy presence---through prayer.

"Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith."

Through prayer, we are invited to come into His presence as children come to their father.

A Prayer for my Heart

O LORD, I thank You that you care so much about my wayward heart. Thank you for Your grace and mercy towards me.

I pray that I remember all of the amazing things You have done for me; that more and more, I will learn to trust in You with all my heart and not lean on my own understanding.

Help me to love You with all of my heart, my soul, my strength, and my mind.

Teach me in Your way, O LORD, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.

Help me, LORD, to guard my heart and understand that it is the wellspring of life.

Please give me a singleness of heart and action, so that I will always fear You for my own good and the good of my children after me.

I need You LORD. Thank You for being my very precious treasure and making a way for my heart to dwell with You.

Proverbs 3:15, Psalm 119:10, Psalm 86:11, Proverbs, 4:23, Jeremiah 32:39, Matthew 6:21

Psalm 139:1-12

Oh LORD,

you have examined my heart

and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my every thought when far away.

You chart the path ahead of me

and tell me where to stop and rest.

Every moment you know where I am.

You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, LORD.

You procede

and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to know!

I can never escape from your Spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

If I go up to heaven,

you are there;

if I go down to the place of the dead,

you are there.

If I ride the wings of the morning,

if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

even there

your hand will guide me,

and your strength will support me.

I could ask the darkness to hid me

and the light to become night-

but even in darkness

I cannot hide from you.

Grandma's Prayers

Yesterday at Women's Bible Study,most of us shared a song that exalted our Lord declaring as David, God's awesome love, majesty and power. God had placed a different type of song on my heart, it reflected my burden and new found commitment to God's plan of:

"A new revival even as we pray and sing,

we're on our knees,

we're on our knees,

I see a generation raising up to take it's place,

the whole world sings,

the whole world sings,

Hosanna, Hosanna,

glory in the highest."

Last night only hours after I'd declared my faith in what I expected God was going to do, our phone rang...

"Hello! Hi grandma? High doll what's up?

Do you remember when I was really little, you and grandpa gave mom some Savings Bonds to hold for me until I was an adult? Yes of course. Well mom said I should call and tell you how I will be using them, that it would mean a lot to you.

The church is putting together a group for a missions trip to Africa in two months. Because they know how much I love children and how outgoing I am, they asked me to be part of the team and I am going to use the bonds to help fund the trip.

I really feel God has been calling me to maturity. There are some things I have really been wanting to buy for our home, but I distinctly knew the Lord was saying, remember those children in Africa who don't even have food? And you have so much! Do you really think you need that? I felt like it was a little spanking to help Him get through to me."

I said, "Sweetheart, He wasn't spanking you. He is only beginning what will turn into a life long class of lovingly teaching you."

She is 25 and the oldest grandchild. She uses FaceBook to display hundreds of photos taken of her, she has been desperate to be a photo model! Before that the photos were all of her partying with her friends, as though she was defying all the righteous truths she had ever been taught to embrace. The worst thing seemed to be her influence on our younger grandchildren, who were following her as if she were the Pied Piper and I thought my heart would break.

BUT THEN GOD BROKE THROUGH WITH HIS PLANS!

Of course she has NO idea what he is really doing, or how many ways He will use this trip. But I know Him! And I know He's up to something BIG, that's going to impact lives for eternity.

I can only sing, "Hosanna, hosanna, glory in the highest, glory in the highest!" I know He is mightily at work answering prayers!!!

Of course her mom is right, Grandpa and I could never have imagined that God would use the Savings Bonds for this!!

Lent and Contemplating the Cross

Today and every day, God the Father extends an invitation- to actors and mechanics, schoolteachers and bright-eyed children, preachers and bartenders, accountants and garbage collectors, gamblers and homemakers. It is an eternal and unchanging summons to kneel in the shadow of that cross, where He sacrificed His only Son, and make it our soul's home.

From Contemplating the Cross

By Tricia McCary Rhodes

One Thing

ONE THING....

One thing I ask of the Lord....

this is what I seek...

Oh God, give me an undivided heart.

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;

give me an undivided heart,

that I may fear your name.

I will praise You, O Lord my God,

with all my heart;

I will glorify your Name forever,

For great is your love toward me;

you have delivered my soul

from the depths of the grave.

Psalm 86:11-13

My heart says of you,

"Seek His face!"

Your face will I seek.

Teach me your way, O Lord;

lead me in a straight path.

One thing.

"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth

to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

2 Chronicles 16:9

O Lord, help me to have one thing in mind.

You!

Step by Step

In God have I put my trust and confident reliance; I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me? Your vows are upon me, O God;

I will render praise to You and give You thank offerings.

For You have delivered my life from death,

yes and my feet from falling

that I may walk before God in the light of life and of the living.

Psalm 56:11-13

Jesus is the One God sent to banish the darkness. His light leads us from death to life. He is the One Who keeps our feet from falling that we may walk before God. He has made a way for us that is so complete and so good.

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:105

He gives us just enough light for us to see...the next step. Sometimes maybe a glimpse of a bit more, but for sure enough for us to see the path before us. This is how we walk with Him, step by step, following the light on the path. We do not have to fumble around in the darkness. He is the Word and He is the Light. He shows us the way to go.

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

John 12:46

Take a Pen and Paper

Take a Pen and Paper

By Jill Briscoe

Taken from Jill's book

The Deep Place Where Nobody Goes

Try taking a pen and paper to the Deep Place where nobody goes. Then you can read His letters in the Golden Book and write a reply.

I write it out on paper and I think my thoughts out loud

I speak my heart's foreboding and I pray about the cloud

Of deep and dark depression and a sense of dread and doubt

So I write it out on paper and I get my feelings out.

Then I take it to the Throne Room and leave it there above

And I know that I am understood with sympathy and love

I wait a while in silence till the Spirit meets me there

And He takes my piece of paper and He turns it into a prayer.

I bring my tired believing and my faith that pants for power

And I lay it at the altar in this quiet, scared hour

And I ask for fire igniting weary faith and dying hope

And I cry for stern believing and I seek for power to cope.

Then I read the treasured Scripture that will lift my spirits high

Turn tears to precious laughter and kiss my fears goodbye

I wait until He clams me down and nerves me for the fight

And then He leads me upwards and onwards in the night.

So I revel in these moments in the shadow of the Throne

Where I hear the Father's voice like many waters falling down

There's freedom and forgiveness and unremitting love

So I hate to leave the Throne Room for the shallow place above!

Sleeping forgiven, waking to grace

Nightmares forgotten, things back in place

Coming close to His footstool in the Throne Room above

He settles my soul, and I listen to love.

Faithful High Priest

Hebrews 2:17-18

So it is evident that it was essential that He be made like His brethren in every respect, in order that He might become a merciful (sympathetic) and faithful High Priest in the things related to God, to make atonement and propitiation for the people's sins. For because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted (tested and tried), He is able [immediately] to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those who are being tempted and tested and tried [and who therefore are being exposed to suffering].

I don't know why, but it is of such great comfort that Jesus knows what I go through. Not only that, but He comes to my rescue and makes a way for me to move past the trials and temptations of life. This version (amp) states that it was essential for Him to be like us in every respect (except without sin). I am so thankful that He really really knows and understands what it is like for us as we struggle. I am so thankful that I can cry out to One who can relate, One who hears and One who rescues. You and You alone, O LORD, are worthy of any and all worship and praise.

Things Not Seen

From Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening:

"The things which are not seen."
— 2 Corinthians 4:18

In our Christian pilgrimage it is well, for the most part, to be looking forward. Forward lies the crown, and onward is the goal. Whether it be for hope, for joy, for consolation, or for the inspiring of our love, the future must, after all, be the grand object of the eye of faith. Looking into the future we see sin cast out, the body of sin and death destroyed, the soul made perfect, and fit to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. Looking further yet, the believer's enlightened eye can see death's river passed, the gloomy stream forded, and the hills of light attained on which standeth the celestial city; he seeth himself enter within the pearly gates, hailed as more than conqueror, crowned by the hand of Christ, embraced in the arms of Jesus, glorified with Him, and made to sit together with Him on His throne, even as He has overcome and has sat down with the Father on His throne. The thought of this future may well relieve the darkness of the past and the gloom of the present. The joys of heaven will surely compensate for the sorrows of earth. Hush, hush, my doubts! death is but a narrow stream, and thou shalt soon have forded it. Time, how short—eternity, how long! Death, how brief—immortality, how endless! Methinks I even now eat of Eshcol's clusters, and sip of the well which is within the gate. The road is so, so short! I shall soon be there.

"When the world my heart is rending

With its heaviest storm of care,

My glad thoughts to heaven ascending,

Find a refuge from despair.

Faith's bright vision shall sustain me

Till life's pilgrimage is past;

Fears may vex and troubles pain me,

I shall reach my home at last."

The Unseen Eternal

I wrote earlier about our inability to dwell fully with God until we go to be with Him. Today God has shown me, reminded me that He dwells in me--that I AM home because He is with me. I know that I exist with Him in the spritiual realm--now, as I live here in this body. It seems so unreal, while the struggles of this body seem so immediate. Strangely, the opposite is true. The Bible says that which we see is temporal and fleeting, while it is the unseen that is eternal...

Psalm 51:10-13

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Then will I teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted and return to You.

Psalm 51:10-13

Transformed by Beholding

"We all, with unveiled face, behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image..." 2 Corinthians 3:18

The greatest characteristic a Christian can exhibit is this completely unveiled openness before God, which allows that person's life to become a mirror for others. When the Spirit fills us, we are transformed, and by beholding God we become mirrors. You can always tell when someone has been beholding the glory of the Lord, because your inner spirit senses that he mirrors the Lord's own character. Beware of anything that would spot or tarnish that mirror in you. It is almost always something good that will stain it-something good, but not what is best.

the most important rule for us is to concentrate on keeping our lives open to God.........

From My Utmost for His Highest

By Oswald Chambers

January 23

In Honor of a Life Well Lived

"Droop half-mast colours; bow, bareheaded crowds,
As this plain coffin o'er the side is slung,
To pass by woods of masts and ratlined shrouds,
As erst by Afric's trunks, liana-hung.

"'Tis the last mile of many thousands trod
With failing strength, but never-failing will,
By the worn frame, now at its rest with God,
That never rested from its fight with ill.

"Or if the ache of travel and of toil
Would sometimes wring a short, sharp cry of pain
From agony of fever, blain, and boil,
'Twas but to crush it down, and on again!

"He knew not that the trumpet he had blown
Out of the darkness of that dismal land,
Had reached and roused an army of its own
To strike the chains from the slave's fettered hand.

"Now we believe he knows, sees all is well;
How God had stayed his will and shaped his way,
To bring the light to those that darkling dwell
With gains that life's devotion well repay.

"Open the Abbey doors, and bear him in
To sleep with king and statesman, chief and sage,
The Missionary come of weaver-kin,
But great by work that brooks no lower wage.

"He needs no epitaph to guard a name
Which men shall prize while worthy work is known;
He lived and died for good — be this his fame:
Let marble crumble: this is Living-stone.

This was written in honor of the great missionary to Africa, David Livingston, upon the occasion of his death.

There is an entry in his journal, written upon the last birthday but one of his eventful life, and it reveals at once the motive and the earnestness of his whole career: "My Jesus, my King, my Life, my All, I again dedicate my whole self to Thee."

This speaks of the motive behind this great pilgrim's life! From strength to strength indeed!

From Strength to Strength

God, your faithfulness and your strength have carried me through the Valley of Baca.

When the heat threatened and I thought I would die of thirst, living water from your streams of love sustained me.

When the journey sapped what little strength I had and I thought I couldn't take another step, you carried me in your arms.

When my hope was gone and I couldn't see anything but darkness, you brought a glimmer of light to keep me going.

You have lifted this weary pilgrim from strength to strength and there is no doubt that you, O Lord, are the living Christ!

Your have renewed my heart day after day and year after year and I have confidence that when my journey ends I will stand before you in Zion, radiant and unashamed.

Ps. 34:4-5 I sought the LORD and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

The Dance

It was hard to not notice the tie in between Mark Foreman’s message this weekend and our lesson. He spoke about the gem, the treasure, the crown jewel of our faith as believers. We become part of God’s beloved family! And He becomes our dearly loved Father, Daddy. This is so amazing isn’t it? We can hardly get our minds around it! This is what all of mankind is looking for, whether they know it or not. It really and truly is the treasure that we seek.

So in our study we are learning of this too! God Almighty, our Creator loves us and wants deep intimate relationship with us. He wants us to dwell with Him and find our refuge in Him.

Mark read about this intimacy from John 14:23. Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

Our heart’s desire is to be home with the Father. Dwelling with Him, living fully and intentionally in Him, in the shelter of His wings.

And so the dance. We join Him in the dance. It is all family so we can let loose and dance with abandoned joy! The dance of transformation. He leads we follow. As we begin to follow, we learn to dance better than we ever thought, or even imagined, we could! Our hearts become of one mind. His. We dance to the tune of His song. And what a beautiful song it is.

So did you do your homework this week? Did you crank up the music and dance with joy?

My Prayer to the Lord

My Prayer to the Lord

Please forgive me for my unspoken sin and judgment of myself and others, your precious creation. Take my suitcases; I lay them at the foot of the cross and humbly ask for the ability to hear and accept your will for my life. I trust you know what is in store for me and only have plans to give me hope. I don’t deserve it, as an imperfect human being, but I know you want to bless me anyway. I am so grateful to have you as my Heavenly Father and am in awe of your desire to be my best friend and my “Daddy.” Thank you for your eternal presence and convicting my spirit by knocking at the door to my heart. I love you with all that I am. Amen.

Thoughts on Psalm 42:1-2

As I have been reading and meditating for our study this week, I have been greatly moved with the idea that, in God, our souls find their home. In Psalms 42, the psalmist tells us, "As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." I remember a few times I've been pretty thirsty and how that first sip of a cool glass of water brought me great pleasure. Why don't I have that kind of zeal in my spiritual life? Today when I read that psalm, I prayed, "God, why is it that I lack that passion to chase you?" The Lord replied, "It's in there." I felt that what He was saying is that we all have a passion to dwell with the Lord, but we perceive the sensation of the lack of an intimate relationship in different ways. I think it's the emptiness that we try to fill with food, drink, love, money, shopping....that is actually our desire to dwell with God in a meaningful and intimate way. Our daily devotion to Him, time spent in prayer and meditation can bring us closer, but I'm not sure we will ever fully achieve that wholeness until we enter in with Him into the place He has prepared for us. In John 14, Jesus said that he was going to prepare a place for us, that he would come again and receive us unto himself so that where he is, we may be also. He said we know where he's going and how to get there, and we do, don't we?

From C.S. Lewis

Quote from C. S. Lewis

"These poets (the psalmists) knew far less reason than we for loving God. They did not now that He offered them eternal joy; still less that He would die to win it for them. Yet they express a longing for Him, for His mere presence... They long to live all their days in the Temple...Only there can they be at ease, like a bird in the nest (84:3). One day of these ' pleasures' is better than a lifetime spent elsewhere (84:10)"

Outwitted

Just is case you wanted to read the poem Wendy shared on Tuesday...here it tis!

Outwitted

By Edwin Markham

He drew a circle that shut me out--

Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.

But love and I had the wit to win:

We drew a circle that took him in!

Dwelling under His Canopy

I had a dream … I was in the desert, and yet there was a beautiful garden blooming all about me. I smelled a soft fragrance of flowers on the cool breeze which stirred the green, lush leaves. Then I realized I was being lifted up in a swing. I looked down and all about me was a beautiful garden of flourishing plants and trees and flowers. To my right was another swing which had my sister on the seat, she was a bit closer to the ground than me. I yelled at her, “This is so beautiful and we are in a hot, dry desert, but here in the midst is this beautiful garden”. She replied, “Yes, under the canopy, even in a desert, the plants can grow and flourish.” I looked up and saw a green soft canopy covering the place we were in and I woke up. God spoke to my heart, “Yes, even in the desert, if you are under the canopy, a lush garden can grow.”
I shall never forget this dream.

Deuteronomy 32:10 “In a desert land He found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him, he guarded him as the apple of His eye.”

Keep me Jesus as the apple of thine eye…hide me under the shadow of Your wings!