Communion With God

"Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father." It was the habit
and life of Jesus to talk with God. May we likewise have silent
fellowship with the Father, so that often we may answer Him, and
though the world wotteth not to whom we speak, may we be responding to
that secret voice unheard of any other ear, which our own ear, opened
by the Spirit of God, recognizes with joy. What a privilege is
intimate communion with the Father of our spirits! It is a secret
hidden from the world, a joy with which even the nearest friend
intermeddleth not. This very day may our hearts be in such a state,
that when God speaks to us, we, like Jesus, may be prepared at once to
answer Him." (Charles Spurgeon)

The Greatest Commandments

This is a journal entry I made on January 13, 2010.

"Today is the date when multiple recovery efforts were mobilized for a devastating series of earthquakes that ravaged portions of Haiti. As I sit here in my recliner with a roof over my head, my stomach full, and the warm sunshine pouring in it feels like paradise. However, not very far away, one of the poorest countries in the world experienced one of the worst earthquakes ever. The death toll is at 100,000 and rising.

"The most important commandment is this.....And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these." (Mark 12:29-31)

How deep and all encompassing are these commands! These commands are big enough to guide and direct your entire life. Jesus help me! Help me fully and completely keep these commandments. I need Your help, Jesus, to do it for sin pulls at my desires daily. Let my desire be to love You and to love others with Your love."

Today, as Haiti contiues to recover, what have you done to love God with all of your being? In turn, what have you done to love your neighbor as you so generously love yourself. I'm talking to myself as well for I struggle with this all the time. We, as Christians, must be melted and moved by the love of the Father. We must see each individual we come across as Christ Himself. How different we would act if that was our viewpoint! Don't just imagine what could be. Act! Act on the love that the Father has shown to you. Then people will see that it is God loving on them and not you. All glory goes to God alone for what He has done through Jesus Christ! His death is our death, and His life is our life.

The Holy Spirit

The great King, immortal, invisible, the Divine person, called the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit: it is he that quickens the soul, or else it would lie dead for ever; it is he that makes it tender, or else it would never feel; it is he that imparts efficacy to the Word preached, or else it could never reach further than the ear; it is he who breaks the heart, it is he who makes it whole. There dwells upon this earth a mysterious Being, whose office is to renew the fallen and restore the wandering. We cannot see Him, or hear Him, yet He dwells in some of us as Lord of our nature. His chosen residence is a broken heart and a contrite spirit. (Charles Spurgeon)

Let Justice Roll Down

Starting to read the book "Let Justice Roll Down" by John Perkins.
It's a book about John Perkins' life and how he dealt with the violent
racism in Mississippi from the 1940's and on. He found that God's love
was the answer. Not an easy answer, but the right answer. The first
chapter was pretty intense. Life back then was totally different than
now. We have come a long way, but there is still work to be done.
There is still love to give, and lives to save. I pray that we may
look to the past and not forget where we came from so the we may not
make the same mistakes again. Walk in the love of Christ today.

Love God. Love others.

Brit Hume

This is a great video of a man standing in the faith and genuinely concerned about Tiger Woods and the problem he is facing. Thought it was a good mainstream testament about Christianity.

Love

I am actually looking forward to the new year. I'm starting a new Bible reading plan that will hopefully keep me on track with reading and staying plugged in to God's Word. I need that. This past year has been a good and fulfilling year, but not without it's hard times. Thankfully God has used the tough times to bring me closer to Him, and the significant steps of maturity in faith that God has allowed me to take has far outweighed the sorrow.

One of the biggest things that Jesus has shown me is patience in love. John M. Perkins has said, "Love is the final fight." and I believe it. To love my enemies is a fight. To love those that annoy me, that don't fit in, that don't like me, that lie about me, and that frustrate me is a fight. I don't want to love those kind of people, and it's a constant battle to do so. That is a wonderful and hard earned truth. Though it's not an easy fight it is satisfying, because we are fighting for something pure. Tolerance just allows evil to do its deeds, and you can't use evil to conquer evil. That doesn't even make sense. Love indeed is the final fight, for if we fight for love then evil has been defeated.

Love in the midst of evil is the only thing that will make a difference. Active love.

I pray that everyone has a wonderful New Year's Eve, and that we will continue to press the fight for the love of Jesus into 2010 and though eternity.

Love God. Love others.
Clint

This Grace is Yours

Scripture Reading: John 1:19-29

Key Verse: John 1:29 - The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

One of the most encouraging things you can receive from God is the hope that comes from being given a second chance. This is especially important when you have yielded to temptation or feel that you have fallen short of His plan and purpose for your life. The truth is that God never limit’s the opportunity for forgiveness. Second chances encourage us to go on and not give up even when the whispers of the world around us seem to say the opposite. After his denial of Christ, Peter was in need of a second chance, and Jesus, through His grace, provided this (John 21:15-17). How many of us have longed for God’s cleansing touch when we become trapped by our wrongful actions? The only cure for sin or failure of any kind is God’s grace applied to our lives. This is what changes the stumbling sinner into a person living victoriously for Jesus Christ.Even before you knew Him, Jesus knew and loved you. It was His love that saved you, and it is His love that will keep you throughout eternity. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Are you struggling with the idea of grace and how it applies to your life? Realize that God loves you. He stands beside you and is pleased to call you His own. This grace is yours.

Lord, thank You for Your grace - Your love and kindness toward me even though I don’t deserve it. I accept Your extended grace.