TSMSS - Knowing You...

^{Philippians 3:8, 10 (The Amplified Bible)
8}Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One),
¹⁰[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death,...

I know many people who feel ashamed when they are going through bad times. This could be that they come from cultures based in shame, or perhaps if they believe in the idea of 'karma', then there would be shame that people would see them as being punished for their sins. There are many other reasons 'shame' is added on to our suffering.

Not so for Christians who freely claim suffering as part of their maturing in their faith. In fact, Jesus suffered freely for all mankind. It is in suffering that we are stripped of the unimportant and at the end we know that what was, is, and will be important, is knowing Him, and being known by Him.
Listen to this song I chose for TSMSS, hosted by Amy, and be blessed.

All I once held dear, built my life upon
All this world reveres, and wars to own
All I once thought gain I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now, compared to this

Knowing you, Jesus
Knowing you, there is no greater thing
You're my all, you're the best
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love you, Lord

Now my heart's desire is to know you more
To be found in you and known as yours
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All-surpassing gift of righteousness

Oh, to know the power of your risen life
And to know You in Your sufferings
To become like you in your death, my Lord
So with you to live and never die

Graham Kendrick
Copyright © 1993 Make Way Music,
www.grahamkendrick.co.uk

Praying along with David...

Psalm 119:17-32 (The Message)

^17-24 Be generous with me and I'll live a full life;
not for a minute will I take my eyes off your road.
Open my eyes so I can see
what you show me of your miracle-wonders.
I'm a stranger in these parts;
give me clear directions.
My soul is starved and hungry, ravenous!—
insatiable for your nourishing commands.
And those who think they know so much,
ignoring everything you tell them—let them have it!
Don't let them mock and humiliate me;
I've been careful to do just what you said.
While bad neighbors maliciously gossip about me,
I'm absorbed in pondering your wise counsel.
Yes, your sayings on life are what give me delight;
I listen to them as to good neighbors!

^25-32 I'm feeling terrible—I couldn't feel worse! Get me on my feet again. You promised, remember? When I told my story, you responded; train me well in your deep wisdom. Help me understand these things inside and out so I can ponder your miracle-wonders. My sad life's dilapidated, a falling-down barn; build me up again by your Word. Barricade the road that goes Nowhere; grace me with your clear revelation. I choose the true road to Somewhere, I post your road signs at every curve and corner. I grasp and cling to whatever you tell me; God, don't let me down! I'll run the course you lay out for me if you'll just show me how.

=========================

Psalm 119:17-32 (Amplified Bible)

¹⁷Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live; and I will observe Your word [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it].

¹⁸Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law.

¹⁹I am a stranger and a temporary resident on the earth; hide not Your commandments from me.

²⁰My heart is breaking with the longing that it has for Your ordinances and judgments at all times.

²¹You rebuke the proud and arrogant, the accursed ones, who err and wander from Your commandments.

²²Take away from me reproach and contempt, for I keep Your testimonies.

²³Princes also sat and talked against me, but Your servant meditated on Your statutes.

²⁴Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.

²⁵My earthly life cleaves to the dust; revive and stimulate me according to Your word!

²⁶I have declared my ways and opened my griefs to You, and You listened to me; teach me Your statutes.

²⁷Make me understand the way of Your precepts; so shall I meditate on and talk of Your wondrous works.

²⁸My life dissolves and weeps itself away for heaviness; raise me up and strengthen me according to [the promises of] Your word.

²⁹Remove from me the way of falsehood and unfaithfulness [to You], and graciously impart Your law to me.

³⁰I have chosen the way of truth and faithfulness; Your ordinances have I set before me.

³¹I cleave to Your testimonies; O Lord, put me not to shame!

³²I will [not merely walk, but] run the way of Your commandments, when You give me a heart that is willing.

A Sunday message...

Today, I am home sick with my younger son. We decided to worship with the Peoples Church this morning via their TV telecast Living Truth. Their pastor, Charles Price gave a wonderful exhortation to us, "Be still, and wait for the deliverance of God." Please go to their site to download the full sermon if you wish.

Here are some of the main principles he outlined using the Israelites deliverance from Egypt and journey to Canaan, the Promised Land, as a parallel of our walk with Him:

“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The LORD will fight for you. You need only to be still.”
Exodus 14:13-14
  The Israelites have marched boldly out of Egypt. Led by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, they followed the route God had marked for them. Three times, God had affirmed He would bring them out of Egypt to bring them into Canaan and naturally, they expected a smooth, straightforward journey.

BUT the route God had mapped out was not as the crow flies.
In fact, it was a route that had confused, frustrated and even angered them.

From this story, Author and Bible teacher, Charles Price, focused on three things we can learn about God that are immensely relevant to our lives today.

1. God will lead by unpredictable roads.

2. God will lead us into unexpected battles.

3. God will lead with unpredictable resources.



God had led them by unpredictable roads.
  Pharaoh had, once again, changed his mind. He went in pursuit of the Israelites. The pillar of cloud led the Israelites right onto the bank of the Red Sea. Too deep to wade through, too wide to bridge over and too long to go around, they were stuck. Here, they face their first big crisis which quickly grows by the hour. They cannot cross the Red Sea and while grumbling to Moses about it, they face their second crisis. In the distance, they see the silhouette of the Egyptian army hot on their trail and that precipitated their third crisis. The people were terrified and they panicked.

The moment we face a crisis in life we are usually inclined to think, “Oh, man. We were better off before,” and this is exactly what the Hebrews thought. They grumbled bitterly to Moses, blaming him and Moses replied, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only be still.”

God will lead us on unpredictable roads but they are also reliable roads because God always knows what He’s doing. “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways, my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9.

Secondly, God will not only lead us on unpredictable roads but into unexpected battles. Being in the will of God, allowing Him to direct our paths, does not exempt us from problems. Problems never frighten God. They frighten us but we are to stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will bring. We need only stand still and trust Him.

Many people get frustrated and irritated, hearing that we’re leaving our problems to God. “Do something,” they say but God has promised, ‘I AM WHO I AM’, present tense, totally sufficient in any situation and I will do it. If we are going to live effectively with God, there are two essential things we need to stand firm in. We obey what He says and trust who He is. God used the first problem of the Red Sea holding back the Israelites to destroy the second problem of the Egyptian army in pursuit, which resolved the third problem of their panic and fear.

God will lead us onto unpredictable roads, into unexpected battles and the third point God will lead with unlimited resources. The LORD said to Moses, “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.” Exodus 14:16.


The pillar of cloud that had been leading the Israelites moved behind them, blocking the Egyptian army from further approach. All night long, Moses held the ‘Staff of God’ over the Red Sea and with a strong east wind, God drove the sea back. When the sun broke on the eastern sky, the waters were divided and the Israelites went through on dry ground. The Egyptians followed but God threw their army into confusion and made the wheels of chariots fall off. He told Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea again and at daybreak, the water flowed back, swallowing the Egyptian army, chariots, horses and all. Not one survived.

It wasn’t Moses who freed the Hebrews, but God in Moses’ shoes. This was God’s business, God’s agenda, God’s battle and so it is in our own lives when we turn our problems over to God. We may not be relieved from tensions but we do experience an underlying peace as we rest in God’s sufficiency as Moses did. There are good reasons for every route God takes us on. Proverbs 16:9 says:

“In his heart man plans his course, but the LORD directs his steps.”

Let us trust Him together today.

Our God reigns.

Inside Investigation of Alleged Sex Predators in Cambodia - ABC News

Inside Investigation of Alleged Sex Predators in Cambodia - ABC News

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TSMSS - His Eye Is On The Sparrow

**edited to change the video as the Jennifer Holliday clips were removed by YouTube. Instead I have used Lauryn and Tanya Blout's version:

Let Jesus be your portion this day...His eye is on you and me.
...then pop by Amy's to hear more songs that minister.



His eye is on the sparrow
(Artist(Band):Lauryn Hill)

Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart feel lonely?
And long for heaven and home

When Jesus is my portion
A constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches over me
His eye is on the sparrow
and I know He over watches me
His eye is on the sparrow
and I know He watches me

I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me (He watches me)
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches (I know He watches)
I know He watches me

(I) I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me (He watches me)
His eye is on the sparrow
I know, He watches me
He watches me
He watches me
I know
He watches me.

Not you, nor friend...only God...

Sharing Spurgeon's devotional with you this Sunday morning:

A Strong Heart

 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage,
 and he shall strengthen thine heart:
 wait, I say, on the Lord. (Psalm 27:14) 

Wait! Wait! Let your waiting be on the Lord!
He is worth waiting for. He never disappoints the waiting soul.
While waiting keep up your spirits.
Expect a great deliverance, and be ready to praise God for it.

The promise which should cheer you
 is in the middle of the verse--
"He shall strengthen thine heart."
This goes at once to the place where you need help.
 If the heart be sound,
 all the rest of the system will work well.
 The heart wants calming and cheering,
 and both of these will come if it be strengthened.
 A forceful heart rests and rejoices
 and throbs force into the whole man.

No one else can get at that secret urn of life, the heart,
so as to pour strength into it.
He alone who made it can make it strong.
God is full of strength, and, therefore,
He can impart it to those who need it.
Oh, be brave; for the Lord will impart His strength to you,
and you shall be calm in tempest and glad in sorrow.

He who penned these lines can write as David did--
"Wait, I say, on the Lord."
 I do, indeed, say it.
 I know by long and deep experience
 that it is good for me to wait upon the Lord.

TSMSS - My Redeemer Lives!

Today, I am so aware of people I know and love who are going through circumstances that leave them without words, bereft of spirit. I know, I have been there, will probably be there again. But one fact covers the whole journey, the fact that My Redeemer Lives. Because of this, I can face tomorrow. Listen and be ministered to.
Then pop by Amy's to hear more songs that minister in Then Sings My Soul Saturday (TSMSS).

My Redeemer Lives

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning?
And who told the ocean you can only come this far?
And who showed the moon where to hide till evening?
Whose words alone can catch a falling star?

Chorus:
Well I know my Redeemer lives
I know my Redeemer lives
All of creation testifies
This life within me cries
I know my Redeemer lives

Ye-e-eah
The very same God
That spins things in orbit
Runs to the weary, the worn and the weak
And the same gentle hands that hold me when I'm broken
They conquered death to bring me victory

Now I know, my Redeemer lives
I know my Redeemer lives
Let all creation testify
Let this life within me cry
I-I-I know
My Redeemer

He lives
To take away my shame
And He lives
Forever I'll proclaim
That the payment for my sins
Was the precious life He gave
And now He's alive and
There's an empty
Grave!

And I know
My Redeemer lives
He lives
I know
My Redeemer lives
Let all creation testify
Let this life within me cry
I-I-I know my Redeemer

I know
My Redeemer lives
*I know my Redeemer lives*

*I know, That I know, that I know, that I know, that I know
He lives
*my redeemer lives*
*Because He lives I can face tomorrow
He lives
*I know, I know*
He lives
*I spoke with Him this morning!*
He lives
*The tomb is empty*
He lives
*He Lives! I'm going to tell everybody!!*

Not all at once, but by degrees...

Today my Spurgeon devotional spoke to my heart.
At times, I despair of how long it takes me to grasp God's instruction, or why a particular trial keeps coming back and going on and on...
Then I realize how very much the culture of this age that expects quick and easy results has affected me.

God's way, God's timing is not mine...and it is always...perfect.

Follow to Know 

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord. (Hosea 6:3)

Not all at once, but by degrees shall we attain to holy knowledge,
 and our business is to persevere and learn by little and little.
 We need not despair, though our progress may be slow,
 for we shall yet know.
 The Lord, who has become our Teacher, will not give us up,
(Yay!..how comforting is this!)
 however slow of understanding we may be;
 for it is not for His honor
 that any degree of human folly should baffle His skill.
 The Lord delights to make the simple wise.

Our duty is to keep to our main topic and follow on to know,
 not this peculiar doctrine nor that,
 but Jehovah Himself.
 To know Father, Son, and Spirit, the Triune God,
 this is life eternal.
 Let us keep to this,
 for in this way we shall gain complete instruction.
 By following on to know the Lord,
 we learn healing after being torn,
 binding up after smiting, and life after death.
 Experience has its perfect work 
 when the heart follows the trackway of the almighty Lord.