"Make Haste, O God!"

"Make haste, O God, to deliver me!  Make haste to help me, O LORD!" (Psalm 70:1)

Have you ever noticed how our urgencies seem to contradict God's?  Yet how often in retrospect we discover that maybe a little "waiting" was not so bad.

You may be living in pain, sorrow, financial difficulty, or just a prolonged season of the doldrums.  You are crying, "Make haste, O God....Make haste to help me...!"-- and it seems as though He is indifferent.  Now the "belief" battle rages.  All around you there are those who give you many reasons to doubt the Faithfulness of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  Yet there is absolutely nothing in the,  "God-Breathed," Word which indicates He will not, "deliver," or, "help," the Faithful.  He declares no such indifference, no such "doesn't-hear-me" anywhere in the Bible to those who are His Children; so, who are you going to believe?

"Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever."  These are the, "Words of God," speaking of, "The Word of God."  Now, the only "free will" I have is whom I'm going to believe.

Father, in Jesus' Name, Your, "Haste," is always better than mine. Amen.
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News, Commentary at: www.apf327.blogspot.com


When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

Easy Fishing

"Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul." (Acts 13:1)

There he is; tucked away in the midst of these names is a guy who grew up with Herod, a king.  He no doubt still had "connections" with the leaders of that court, possibly even some of the Romans officials who oversaw the protectorate.  There are many such leaders tucked away in Holy Writ.  Most tend to ignore them, but they are there, a constant reminder that Jesus Christ has men and women in key positions of our societies------ if we will just look for them.

Charles Simpson once said that the reason we don't have more leaders in our churches is that we do not go after leaders---- real leaders.  Many churches spend a lot of time at homeless shelters, prisons, Haiti, etc., but very little, if any, at the universities, office complexes, or government centers.  One of the reasons could be that men who are leaders are too much of a threat to the "leaders" already in those churches.  Personally, I believe this is why we don't have more doctors, lawyers, professors, CEOs, senators, house members, and, horror of horrors, rich people in our congregations.  They just may outshine the pastor and members of the board.  

Do you ever notice how we tend to "reach out" to the people who are poorer than us, less educated, of a "lower" societal status?  Jesus exempted no one.  He stopped a procession to serve the blind man, then went on to be a guest in the home of a very wealthy leader in the community.  There were the fisherman, the poor, the lame, and there were Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, Lydia, "seller of purple," and, "they of Caesar's household," and the man of our text, Manaen.  Who knows who led Manaen to Jesus Christ.  It must have taken courage to even befriend him; but someone did.  As a result, the Church in Antioch, and who knows where else, received a prophet, a prophetic leader who rubbed shoulders with such prophets as Barnabas and Saul---------- Paul.

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to not just fish for "easy" fish.  Amen.
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Conference Call Bible Reading and Prayer will be from Psalm 61 and Matthew 1

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

"The Great Prince Who Stands Watch Over the Sons of Your People"

"At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time.  And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book.  And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.  Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever." (Daniel 12:1-3)

Proverbs 12:25 says, "Anxiety (fear, dread, heaviness) in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad."  The above, "word," made me, "glad," this morning.  This is the affect of the Words of God.

This text is for all of us Gentile Believers in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:14).  Notice some things from this, "good word."  First, "Michael...stands watch over the sons of your people."  If you check the record of Michael, he's pretty good at what he does.  Second, there will be, "a time of trouble," which the world had never seen, but don't worry.  If we are, "alive and remain," when that happens, "At that time your people (you and me) shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book."  Third, in That Day, I, "shall awake...to everlasting life," and join those, "who are wise," and, "shine like the brightness of the firmament."

Well, this should keep you going----- at least for today.  There is always, "a good word," awaiting the hungry in Jesus Christ.  He is very good at providing a continual feast of, "a good word."

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for including me in, "the sons of your people."  Amen.
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Timely Articles @:   www.apf327.blogspot.com
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

"Change"-- Kingdom Life Style

"God will hear, and afflict them, even He who abides from of old.  Because they do not change, therefore they do not fear God." (Psalm 55:19)

 

The KJV says, "Because they have no changes."  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Gospel of, "change."  No change, no Gospel.  Now there may be a "religious experience," a lot of good feelings, dancing around, and "born again" talk, but without, "change," I am not saved, not a child of God, not going to Heaven.

 

None of us has a natural inclination for the things of God, to walk in, "the fear of the Lord."  We don't come to Jesus Christ because we were such wonderfully, religiously inclined people.  Anyone who thinks they brought something worthy with them into the Family of God does not understand Biblical Theology.  We came because we were drawn by Father to the Precious Bleeding Side of Jesus, only by His grace and mercy, "none righteous, no not one."   We came to Jesus with sin, a confused, anti-Kingdom world view, and a spoiled brat view of ourselves, others, and life in general; therefore, "change," was the only medicine for such a specie.

 

Repentance is another reality which expresses, "change."  The root meaning of repentance is "a reversal of a decision."  This "reversal of decision" does not stop at the New Birth, the waters of Baptism, and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.  This will only "stop" in, "the age to come."  No matter how old one grows, or one's view of their "maturity," the life style of, "change," is ever before us.  Colossians 2 says, "And you are complete in Him," and only, "in Him."  The only way I will stay in Jesus Christ for my "completion" is in a constant state of, "change," a continual "reversal of decision," a life style of, "I Need Thee, Oh, I need Thee, Every hour I need Thee."

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I embrace Your "change."  Amen.

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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"I...Asked Him the Truth of All This"

"I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this." (Daniel 7:16a)

The issue here is, "the truth."  One needs to be extremely careful as to whom he goes for, "the truth of all this."  The translation of the word, "truth," varies, but as far as I can determine, it is, "the truth of all this," the "certainty," the "reliability," of what Daniel heard and saw which is the issue here.  Daniel was faced with prophetic revelations which were beyond human discernment, but he knew, "the Truth," Himself, "The Word of God," Jesus Christ, was speaking to him of things to come.  I was in continual battle with those who opposed, "the truth of all this," all through the university and graduate school.  It was the truth which was the issue then .......................... and still is right to this day. 

The recent shooting of people in the American State of Arizona has been analyzed continuously.  The main concentration has been on the mental stability of the shooter.  Oh, how Christ-deniers would love this to be the case.  But it is not!  It is the sin nature in man, mankind without the cleansing of the Blood of Jesus Christ.  America is becoming more and more a violent society.  Films and video games are glorifying violence in an unprecedented way.  I could never have dreamed of such violence when I was a young person, neither could the framers of the US Constitution when they guaranteed Americans the right to own firearms. 

The Bible declares, "For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth."  Every attempt to go, "against the truth," will fail, and take that culture down with it.  But, "If My People who are called by My Name," would stop quoting this verse and do it, "then I will hear.., and forgive.., and heal...."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I don't want to just call others to, "humble themselves, and pray and seek [Your] face, and turn from their wicked ways;"  As the hymn writer said, "Jesus, I come."   Amen.
(Bible Reading @ 12:45 EST)
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2 New Articles, one on Prayers in Israel for the water level of Lake Kinneret  (Galilee)---------- www.apf327.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2