People....People Who Need People...
2010-06-30

I'm a little late today. Stayed up late last night watching the Rangers lose to the Angels. Boo.

I noticed one day last week that I haven't missed a day of devotions since my last day of work. Hmmm...



From The Valley of Vision

THE TRINITY

Three in one, One in three, God of my salvation,

Heavenly Father, blessed Son, eternal Spirit, I adore thee as one Being, one Essence, one God in three distinct Persons,
for bringing sinners to thy knowledge and to thy kingdom.
O Father, thou has loved me and sent Jesus to redeem me;
O Jesus, thou hast loved me and assumed my nature,
shed thine own blood to wash away my sins,
wrought righteousness to cover my unworthiness;
O Holy Spirit, thou hast loved me and entered my heart, implanted there eternal life,
revealed to me the glories of Jesus.
Three Persons and one God, I bless and praise thee,
for love so unmerited, so unspeakable,
so wondrous, so mighty to save the lost
and raise them to glory.
O Father, I thank thee that in fullness of grace thou hast given me to Jesus, to be his sheep, jewel, portion;
O Jesus, I thank thee that in fullness of grace thou hast accepted, espoused, bound me;
O Holy Spirit, I thank thee that in fullness of grace thou hast
exhibited Jesus as my salvation,
implanted faith within me,
subdued my stubborn heart,
made me one with him for ever.
O Father, thou art enthroned to hear my prayers,
O Jesus, thy hand is outstretched to take my petitions,
O Holy Spirit, thou art willing to help my infirmities, to show me my need,
to supply words, to pray within me,
to strengthen me that I faint not in supplication.
O Triune God, who commandeth the universe,
thou hast commanded me to ask for those things that concern thy kingdom and my soul.
Let me live and pray as one baptized into the threefold Name.

There's some deep theology in that prayer!



Psalm 74:18-23

8 Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name. 19 Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts; do not forget the life of your poor forever. 20 Have regard for the covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. 21 Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame; let the poor and needy praise your name. 22 Arise, O God, defend your cause; remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day! 23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!

Asaph's lament is moving toward a big finish, a "grand finale," if you will. He is pouring out his soul before God. Today, he is asking God to remember the covenant between himself and Israel. There is confidence in his prayer. Asaph has faith that God will hear his prayer and rescue his people.
(From A Musician Looks At the Psalms, by Don Wyrtzen)



Good reading in Tabletalk today, called "The Source of Joy." Using John 15:11, the writer focuses on the importance of being in fellowship with other believers. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full, said Jesus. That are "these things?" John 15 is a discourse about the vine and the branches. It's true...we don't have to be a "church member" to be a Christian, although, if one has a proper understanding of what the "Church" is, one would know that being a Christian automatically makes one a "Church member."

But if we separate ourselves from other believers, our love for Christ will grow cold. The example given in the reading is that of a grill, using coals for heat. If one coal is taken away from the pile and left to burn alone, it will soon burn out and grow cold.

If we separate ourselves from Jesus, we grow even colder and cease to produce any kind of fruit. "The Lord is not giving a discourse on whether salvation can be lost (it cannot, John 6:37-39); rather, he is encouraging us to live our lives in Him so that we will continue to receive His nurture. Those who abide in Him will bear fruit abundantly, including the spiritual fruit of joy (15:5-8; Gal. 5:22)."

We can't abide in Christ without keeping his commandments. We must love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; we must love our neighbor as ourselves; we must love the Family as Christ loved us (this is an even deeper love than described in the previous command...remember the "new command" Jesus gave his disciples?).

All of this requires regular fellowship with other believers. This is how the Lord works to admonish and encourage us. "Iron sharpens iron," as another Scripture says.

"In our own strength we cannot make ourselves joyful, so we must abide in Christ and rely on His power. When we do this, Jesus' joy will increasingly well up within us, and we will find ourselves more readily rejoicing in all circumstances.

"Are you finding it difficult to rejoice even in the midst of difficult circumstances? Perhaps it is because you are not forming deep relationships with other believers." It would be advantageous to us all to resolve to become more active in our local fellowships.

We need each other.



Lord Jesus, I thank you for making me a part of your Family. I also thank you for making me so aware, lately, of our need for each other in this Family. I pray that everyone within my local fellowship will see this need as we grow together in the bonds of your love, grace, and mercy. Help us all to follow your commands, and help us to love each other in the same way that you have loved us.

I pray that I will never make the mistake of trying to sustain this joy without your presence. I know that it is impossible.

I pray that my life is moving toward some kind of "grand finale." Not that I want any kind of notoriety or anything like that. I just want to finish strong; finish well. I want my life to be a testimony to the power of your grace and mercy. Let me pray with the confidence that you will answer; that you are victorious; that you are in control, and you've got it all worked out.

I pray that something good will come from one of these interviews this week. I think I know which one I want. I just hope it's the one you want, too.

I pray for our youth who are at youth camp, and I pray for those who are going to the children's camp, as well. May they be safe, and may your Spirit touch them during their time at camp.



From the Presidential Prayer Team Site:

TERRORISM

Israel says it has launched a new spy satellite from its southern military base which will reportedly enable Tel Aviv to
receive faster high-resolution images of Iran�s nuclear facilities.

U.S. officials recently praised Pakistan for its efforts against extremist groups in its midst, but a new report says some
official elements in Pakistan are still thwarting counterterrorism efforts � and the U.S. should withhold some aid.

Pray for more cooperation between allies in the region in the ongoing battle against terrorism.



Once again, I stress the fact that we need each other. Even if someone reading this is not a believer in Jesus...everyone needs someone else in their lives. It's how we're wired. And as believers, it's even more that way. The common bond of Christ should hold us together and make us stronger.

Grace and peace, friends.



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