Archive for August 2018

Beyond All Imagining

2018-08-31 Devotional Companion to Revelation, Devotional with Hymn No comments

A prayer response to Revelation 12:7-17,
war with the dragon

We are caught up in conflicts beyond our
perception and
control,
struggles that extend far beyond our
brief lifetimes and
limited experience.
Our shadow world is a tiny part of
greater realities
where we are opposed by powers we cannot
sense,
understand, or
address.

But Father, You are the
Creator and
Sovereign Ruler
over all powers,
all worlds,
all realities.
In ways and realms far beyond our meager imaginings,
You are
blessing us,
covering us,
mightily delivering us
in fierce, unrelenting love.
You are
raising us,
glorifying us, and
eternally enriching us
in Your holy and glorious Son,
Jesus Christ.

We are secure
in Him.
We are conquerors
in Him.
We are fully and forever one with You
in Him.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Our Destiny Is Jesus Christ
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Jesus

2018-08-29 Hymns No comments

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Jesus, Jesus, High and Holy,
You whom worlds cannot contain,
Boundless life no mind can fathom,
Boundless love no word can name;
Yet You share Your life and glory,
Make Your love a simple story,
Glad to share our time and space,
Glad to bathe our sin in grace.

Holy Lord and humble servant,
Mighty God and helpless Child.
Shepherd, lamb, and timeless sovereign
Sin and death could not defile.
Lord, I reach to see and know You,
Lifting love I long to show You,
But You fill my needy heart
As I rest in all You are.

Great Creator, God and Savior,
Light of that eternal day,
All creation stands to worship,
Fills the sky with endless praise.
We Your people bow, confessing,
Lifting honor, praise, and blessing;
This the goal of all we do:
Now, forever only You.

Do What Pleases You

2018-08-27 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Father,
sovereign Creator,
Source,
Sustainer, and
Ruler of all that is,
Your power is unlimited.
You are in command of all reality.
You do whatever pleases You.

And since You are
perfect wisdom and
perfect love,
all You do is
perfect,
right, and
good.

O Father, what a comfort!
In all my weakness and
all my ignorance,
with all my wavering motives,
I dare not trust myself.
But I know that You will always act in
perfect wisdom and
perfect love.

Father, I praise You!
I trust You!
Be Lord of All in every aspect of my life!
Do whatever pleases You!

Listen and sing:
Hymn: My Father, Do What Pleases You
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Whose Child Are You?

2018-08-24 Devotional Companion to Revelation, Devotional with Hymn No comments

A reflection on Revelation 12:1-6

Notice how God’s people are envisioned
in Revelation 12:1 (NASB):
a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet and
a crown of twelve stars on her head.

To human eyes,
we all appear to be some similar mixture of
good and bad,
wisdom and ignorance,
love and selfishness,
beauty and ugliness.

But God sees much more.
The Eternal One is not locked into
the narrow now, and
He sees beneath our carefully crafted shell.
He already sees who we believers are becoming in
His holy Son,
Jesus.
He sees us in
the holiness,
the glory, and
the authority of the Living Christ.
He sees us through the eyes of a
proud and loving Father.
He sees Himself growing within us.

He also sees within unbelievers.
The Jews of Jesus’ day were considered
the holiest people of their day.
But Jesus called them children of Satan.
He said their hearts and lives already reflected
the lying, murderous ways of
their father, the Devil.

Our identities are rooted in worlds
high above our knowing,
in beings
more holy or
more wicked than we can imagine.
To eternal, all-seeing eyes,
we are who we are following.
We are who we are trusting.
We are already more than
simple physical creatures of this earth.
We are in Jesus Christ, or
we are children of the Devil.
We are more glorious than we could ever dream,
or more evil.
There is no middle ground.

Choose your daily relationship with Jesus Christ
very thoughtfully,
very carefully and intentionally.
You are choosing your eternal character.
You are choosing your eternal destiny.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: All in Christ
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In the Father, Son, and Spirit

2018-08-22 Hymns No comments

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See how small His life began.
The need was so vast,
And Christ was a man.
See the Spirit flowing
Through flesh and bone.
He lived and moved in His Father alone.

See our lives so weak and small.
How little we know!
How easy we fall!
See the Spirit flowing
Through flesh and bone.
Come live and love in our Father alone.

In our weakness we can know
The fullness of life
In life here below.
See the Spirit flowing
Through flesh and bone.
Come live in Christ for the Father alone.

Reciting What I Know

2018-08-20 Devotional with Hymn No comments

I need reassurance today, my Lord God,
so I recite what I know.

I know You are with me, Father.
I know You love me.
I know You are working all things for my good.

More importantly, I know You are working Your will through my life and
through all that is happening to me.
I know You love my loved ones and
are working for the best of each and every one of them.
Thank You, Father!

I know You are never surprised,
never caught off guard,
never threatened,
never defeated.

I know that very soon I will see You face-to-face.
I will see You as You are, and
I will be like You.
I will be with You forever.

In You, Lord God, the truth, the reality of my life is wonderful.
I choose to live in that reality today.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Blind Faith
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The Full Assurance of Faith

2018-08-17 Devotional Companion to Revelation, Devotional with Hymn No comments

A prayer response to Revelation 11:14-19,
the seventh trumpet

Lord God, help us live in the certainty of
who You are,
in the full assurance of Your
perfect power,
perfect wisdom, and
perfect love.
Help us live on earth
as if standing before Your throne in heaven.

Help us
love,
worship,
suffer, and
die
in the blazing light of
Your unchallenged authority,
Your unchanging goodness, and
Your unfailing faithfulness to
every detail of
every promise You have
ever made.

For such a sovereign God,
Your victory is now!
Our joy is now!
Your crowning as King of Kings and Lord of Lords is now!
Praise to You, Almighty God!

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Hallelujah Hymn
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I Rejoice in Your Purpose Today

2018-08-15 Hymns No comments

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I rejoice in Your purpose today
Though the end may feel so far away.
I find peace in the love on Your face
And rejoice in Your purpose today.

I remember that You are the Lord,
And I feast on each promise I’ve heard.
What a strength when I stand on Your Word
And remember that You are the Lord.

Though confusion and struggle are all I can see
And I wrestle alone with my pain,
Lord, I know You are working this all for the best,
And my suffering is never in vain.

I rejoice in Your purpose today
Though the end may feel so far away.
I find peace in the love on Your face
And rejoice in Your purpose today.

Biscuits and Fish

2018-08-13 Devotional with Hymn No comments

When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 

But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!” 

They said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 

And He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. (Matthew 14:15-19, NASB)

Father, You have shown me needy people.
There they are, spread out before me.
I see the need.
I feel the need.
It is very real.

I hold something that I believe could help.
But it is so small,
and I am so small.
I don’t know how to get this to them.
I don’t know how to begin to use it in any meaningful way.

So I bring it to You, Father –
just biscuits and fish.
Use it.
Use me.
I am small,
but You encompass all that is.
I am ignorant,
but Your knowing is perfect.
Your loving is perfect.

Father, I am available.
Show me where to start.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Your Kingdom Come!
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We Follow Jesus

2018-08-10 Devotional Companion to Revelation, Devotional with Hymn No comments

A reflection on Revelation 11:7-13,
the triumph of the two witnesses

We are the followers of Jesus Christ,
His disciples,
His friends,
His brothers and sisters,
His body,
His bride.
As we are true to Him,
we will be treated like Him
by the world and
by You, Father.

In this world we will share His rejection,
His scorn,
His humiliation.
We will be disbelieved,
misunderstood,
mocked,
falsely accused, and
unfairly treated.
We will walk with Him
through suffering
to the cross,
to the tomb.

But as You raised Him,
You will raise us to eternal life.
Death can never touch us again.
In Him we will share
His triumph,
His glory,
His authority,
His constant and complete oneness with You, our Father.

Looking to Him,
seeing Him,
we leave everything else behind,
eagerly and completely.
We only want to
know Christ,
gain Christ, and
be found forever in Christ.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: We Are in Christ Jesus
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