I was struck this morning as I was praying and preparing for work………….I mean Forgiveness is a huge topic of course in the Christian Journey. We know of course the sciptures say we must forgive to be forgiven Matt 6:15. Yes I do forgive people……..but not right way sometimes. If involved right in the middle of an event or drama I normally wait till all is clear and reflect a few days and then forgive. But this morning I was somewhat struck by the immediacy of forgiveness in the Bible. Namely the most famous when Christ forgives during crucifixtion and then Stephen as he is being stoned to death. But what if they were going to do more to you? Should not you wait………or is there that much love there to be able to do it as the offense was taking place. In a society when we have everything so instantaneously I wait to forgive…………..God forgive me for that!
Do you see, do you see
All the people sinking down
Don’t you care, don’t you care
Are you gonna let them drown
How can you be so numb
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes
And pretend the job’s done
“Oh bless me Lord, bless me Lord”
You know it’s all I ever hear
No one aches, no one hurts
No one even sheds one tear
But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds
And He cares for your needs
And you just lay back
And keep soaking it in,
Oh, can’t you see it’s such a sin?
Cause He brings people to your door,
And you turn them away
As you smile and say,
“God bless you, be at peace”
And all heaven just weeps
Cause Jesus came to your door
You’ve left him out on the streets
Open up open up
And give yourself away
You see the need, you hear the cries
So how can you delay
God’s calling and you’re the one
But like Jonah you run
He’s told you to speak
But you keep holding it in,
Oh can’t you see it’s such a sin?
The world is sleeping in the dark
That the church just can’t fight
Cause it’s asleep in the light
How can you be so dead
When you’ve been so well fed
Jesus rose from the grave
And you, you can’t even get out of bed
Oh, Jesus rose from the dead
Come on, get out of your bed
How can you be so numb
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes
And pretend the job’s done
You close your eyes
And pretend the job’s done
Don’t close your eyes
Don’t pretend the jobs done
Come away, come away, come away with Me my love,
Come away, from this mess, come away with Me, my love.
Keith Green
1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
A foreign soldier was brought before his commanding officer and accused of communicating with the enemy. He had been seen emerging from an area where their troops were known to patrol. The poor man summed up his defense in a few words, stating that he had slipped away to spend an hour alone in prayer. “Have you been in the habit of spending an hour in private prayer?” demanded the officer. “Yes, Sir,” he replied. “Well” said his commander, “never in your life have you been in more need of prayer than right now. Kneel down and pray aloud so that we all may hear you.”
Expecting cruel punishment, maybe even death, the soldier dropped to his knees and poured out his heart to God. His prayer revealed a deep intimacy with God. His earnest fluency, humble appeal for divine intervention, and very evident trust in one who was strong to deliver, told without a doubt that he came regularly to the throne of grace.
“You are free to go,” said the officer. “No one could have prayed that way without a long apprenticeship — soldiers who never attend drill are always ill at ease for the review.”
I heard a statistic not long ago, that the average Christian only spends about seven minutes a day in prayer. We need to practice prayer in our lives that we may be able to endure when trials come our way and stand strong against the enemy and his tactics!
My wonderful wife share this photo with me!
God this is how close I want to be……..I truly do!
God cares about how I feel. My feelings are important and with God’s help, I will learn how to properly express my feelings and humor and to learn to trust Him to help me be open and vulnerable!
Has been an interesting fast………………lots of revelation………..
God is so good!
John 15:16 (New Living Translation)
16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.
Chose and appointed……………wow!
God is huge……………really really big!
Just amazing…………..
Dear Terri,
Eleven years ago today you became my Wife!
And it was a great day!…………and the beginning of great things that God wants to do through us!
I love you,
Doug
A LOVE POEM TO A MUCH LOVED WIFE
Glorious stars that dot the night,
How wonderful you are.
But I will shout with all my might,
Theres a greater wonder by far.!
It is the wonder of my love
For the wife God gave to me.
For nothing in the heavens above
Are as awesome as is she.
She lightens up my every night.
She gives warmth to me in bed.
She feeds my soul with her beauty bright,
And she makes sure my bodies fed.
She meets my need for a best friend,
And makes me glad to know,
Her love for me will never end,
But will ever grow and grow.
Theres so much to be thankful for,
When you find the ideal wife,
For you will love her more and more
Throughout your earthly life.
And when this life is ended,
And we join the saints above,
All that sin broke will be mended,
And well know eternal love.
So the wonder of the starry night
Has nothing to compare
With this wonder, of which I write,
The glorious love we share.
Glenn Pease
I love my wife!…………….for many reasons!
