Fwd: "Beautiful Words Stir My Heart"

"My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer."  (Psalm 45:1)
"Beautiful words stir my heart.  I will recite a lovely poem about the King...." (NLT)

"My tongue is a pen...."  So it is of our Lord Jesus Christ; He speaks and He writes His, "composition," His, "beautiful words (which) stir my heart," on/in my heart and mind.

I received a note today that 3 people "unfriended" me on Facebook.  That's okay; I've been "unfriended" before.  What about you?  Have you ever been "unfriended?"  Well, I have some great news today.  You have a Friend in Jesus, and "What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!"  No other friend could do that.  Jesus bears "all our sins and griefs," and "sins-and-grief"s just about sums up the human dilemma.  People can turn to man's religion or whatevers for relief of "sins and griefs," or they can turn to Jesus.  Making the right "turn" will determine the right outcome.  Joseph Scriven wrote the song to comfort his mother who was across the ocean from him.  Sometimes it may seem that you are "across the ocean" from most everyone, maybe even from the Lord Jesus.  But you are not.  You remember, "There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."  I encourage you-- In hours of loneliness, "....recite a lovely poem about the King...."

Let your heart join the psalmist today.  Let your tongue be your pen.  "....Recite [your] composition concerning the King," Jesus.  Read the rest of Psalm 45 and "adopt" is as a new "least on life," your, "good theme." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I say, Thank You, Holy Spirit, for such great, "Beautiful words (to) stir my heart.  I will (continue to) recite a lovely poem."  Amen.
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* I am preaching in the CCE Service this coming Sunday, November 11, at 10:00
* Read of some of the reactions in Israel to the recent US election: www.jerusalemberlinwashington.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

"The Seclusion of a Cloistered Life," Or, "In the Thick of Foes"

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves....Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves."  (Matthew 10:16; Luke 10:3)

In the Matthew text, Jesus gives us our modus operandi, "Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."  Too many times religious people have been wise as doves and harmless as serpents.  "I send you out," and, "Go your way," however, is the command of our Lord, and, I might add, the glorious privilege of the Church.  Now missionaries have often said that while some cannot go, they can invest in those who do.  There is truth in this.  What FHMP does is made possible in part by people who know what we are doing, believe in it/us, and invest in us.  Yet as thankful as we are for those who partner with us, our text is still the call to all who Follow Jesus, no matter "where" or "how" that call is fulfilled.
 
Bonhoeffer once wrote, "Jesus Christ lived in the midst of His enemies....So the Christians, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes.  There is his commission, his work."  He then quoted Martin Luther, "The kingdom is to be in the midst of our enemies.  And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people.  O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ!  If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been spared." This is no time for the Church to retreat to "the seclusion of a cloistered life," but rather continue to serve our Lord Jesus Christ "in the thick of foes."  I plan to continue to be "in the thick of foes" in Washington, DC, Berlin, Germany, and Jerusalem, Israel, and in the "routine" of daily life.  And I encourage you, my friend, right in the midst of any "foes," and "enemies," see Jesus Christ manifesting Himself powerfully in you. 

In the movie, "The Untouchables," Ness tells Capone after Capone is found guilty, "Never stop fighting 'til the fighting's done."  This is the theme of every Follower of Jesus Christ.  Please excuse the personal reference here, but I can remember one of my best football games I ever played was one in which they scored then we scored then they scored then we scored, etc., etc.  The final score? our team: 39, their team 19.  This is the "game" of life, and the outcome is total victory for those in Jesus Christ.  Another game found us behind 13-0 in the first quarter.  The offensive team was on the sideline and I said pathetically, "Come on guys, we can still win."  One of our coaches, Blackie Mahalic, (what a name, right?) looked at me with a great fighting spirit and said, "You're *&%$ right we can still win."  Score: Our team 36, their team 13.  While all of this may have been for what Isaiah calls, "....the crown of pride...whose glorious beauty is a fading flower...," it helped developed a "fighting spirit," a never give up attitude, an attitude that in the face of overwhelming odds, we press into the battle rather than flee from it.  Quitting is not an option!

You and I are not laboring/fighting for, " the crown of pride...whose glorious beauty is a fading flower."  On the contrary; we are, as Brother Charles once said, in the "battle for the hearts and minds of men."  Maybe in part we can do this from our living rooms or the cloister.  I do not deny the power of "living room-cloister" prayer.  But if the Church is to fulfill the "Great Commission"/Command, it must obey the command of Jesus, "Go your way; behold, I send you out."

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank you for all Your "lesson" of the Kingdom You have been teaching and working in me throughout my life.  I pray to be faithful to fulfill Your "life's lessons."  Amen.
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* Preaching this coming Sunday, November 11, in the CCE meeting
* Great US Election follow up commentary:    www.jerusalemberlinwashington.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

"People Get the Government They Deserve" (Derek Prince)

"I have hated the assembly of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked."  (Psalm 26:5)

People in Jesus Christ do not hate, "evildoers," or, "the wicked."  First, we are commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ to love all people.  Second, we are also evil and wicked without the Blood of Jesus Christ.  Our righteousness is "an alien righteousness."  He comes from without to within the heart of all who repent and obey Him.  The key word in our text is, "assembly."

There is a lot of talk today about the demographic change in America.  It is akin to something I wrote about in my college days.  The illegal immigrant, naturalized citizens of recent years which put Obama over the top in yesterday's election is not the same as those who came to the United States in the early 20th century and before.  Before the last 40 years, most people came to America to be a part of America.  Now people are coming to change America------- they have and will.  Furthermore, along with most baby boomers and some of the older generation, there are many people in America who just do not like what they were handed; the last two Presidential elections confirm this.  They too are doing everything they can to make the USA into something you and I do not want.  I call them, "the assembly of evildoers."  What I saw in today's text is that there is something more dangerous than, "evildoers"; it's the, "assembly of," them.  Unless we have Christ-centered, Holy Spirit empowered, Biblical revival/transformation, an America is emerging which none of the people of the early 20th century and before would recognize.     

This American election was not about the Democrat Party or Barack Obama.  It was about the ever increasing, "assembly of evildoers."  Some might think this a "stretch" of our text, but I don't.  Notice, the hatred is toward, "the assembly of evildoers," not the evildoers themselves.  Could this mean the "atmosphere" of evildoers, i.e., evil thinking and evildoing similar to the "assembly" at Babel?  Over the last 12 years I have watched this, "assembly of evildoers," in Washington, DC.  Over the last 40 years I have watched this growing, "assembly of evildoers," in the American culture at large.  It is why I have tried to obey my calling as intercessor and faithful proclaimer of Jesus Christ, His Words, His Kingdom.  Our primary call is still, "preach the Gospel to every creature," and, "disciple the nations."   

The question for you and me is, Now what?  I am going to continue to feed on Jesus Christ, " The Word of God," and His Words.  I will continue to intercede; I will continue to serve and to love in the power and grace of, "the Helper," His Blessed Majesty, the Holy Spirit.  And, I will not quit.

Father, in Jesus' Name, You have kept Your People throughout history in despotic governments and "friendly" governments.  I know You Who never change will continue to do so.  Amen.
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* Visit us on FaceBook
* Read "Our Deviant Society" @    www.jerusalemberlinwashington.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

My F ellow Americans: Of Course You Will Vote, RIGHT!

"When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell."  (Psalm 27:2)

"The wicked," have far too much power and influence in the United States of America.  They, "come against [America] to eat up [America's] flesh."  They are consuming much of America's heritage.  But I pray today for America, for you, for me, that we walk in the faith, the belief that we will be able to say, "my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell."

Later the psalmist says, "One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple."  This is the, "One thing I desire."  Yes, I desire a righteous America and the fulfillment of God's promises for me and my family, for you.  But nations do strange things to themselves, and the frightening thing is that God allows them to.  No one knows what the next 24 hours will bring.  But no matter what happens, "One thing I have desired of the Lord," Jesus Christ is to, "behold the beauty of Jesus,..and to inquire in His temple."  This, no one or nothing can take from you and me.  This, "One Thing," will be with and in us for eternity!

S0 for the rest of this day, to obeying the Words of God recorded in 1 Timothy 2:1,"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior...."

Father, in Jesus' Name, You are King; You are Lord; You reign.  "For the sake of Your sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."  Amen.
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To our friends and Brethren in other nations:  Please pray for the United States of America today.  Thanks.

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

A Prophetic Word For Election Eve America

"Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them."  (Exodus 18:11, KJV)

This is Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, speaking.  The testimony of what the Living Triune God did for the Jews and against the Egyptians was ringing throughout the region.  Not only Jethro, but also the nations surrounding him were hearing of the mighty acts of the Blessed Trinity. 

What I can gather from the Interlinear Hebrew Bible, this is one of those Biblical passages which seems to be difficult to translate into the English.  The CEV says, "Now I know that the Lord is the greatest God, because he has rescued Israel from their arrogant enemies."  I checked other translations of our text, but I like the way the KJV translates it, "....He was above them."  Our God, Who has revealed Himself solely in Jesus Christ, is above nations and gods of nations.  One of my favorite passages is 1 Corinthians 8:5, 6, "For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him."  The battle then, as now, is between the, "gods many, and lords many," and our, "One God, the Father,..and One Lord Jesus Christ,"..and One Holy Spirit; but, "no fear."  When the proud deal, "proudly He [, is] above them."  The Egyptians were just pawns in the hands of the, "gods many, and lords many."  The Jews, on the other hand, were the benefactors of The, "One God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him"---------------- so too, my friend are you and I. 

I remind my fellow Americans in this hour, then, that the coming election, the choices which Americans will make in the next 36 hours, will determine the future of this heretofore great nation.  It will determine not so much who, as what will rule this nation in the future.  Do not be misled by the religious "God-has-everything-under-control people, which is far too often just code for, "I don't need to do anything."  People who pray and do not vote might as well not pray.  "There is not a place to which the Christian can withdraw from the world, whether it be outwardly or in the sphere of the inner life.  Any attempt to escape from the world must sooner or later be paid for with a sinful surrender to the world" (Bohnoeffer, emphasis mine). 

In light of our text and the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I am praying and, if I may be so bold, declaring Deuteronomy 23:3-5 today and tomorrow, along with fasting tomorrow.  "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord forever, because they did not meet you with bread water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you (MSNBC, CNN and the like?)  Nevertheless the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam, but the Lord Your God turned the curse into a blessing, for you  because the Lord Your God loves you." I leave any further interpretation to you.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that You have always, "turned the curse into a blessing for," all who obey You in Jesus Christ.  Amen.
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If you could like to participate in a conference prayer call sometime within the next 36 hours, let me know.  If/when I hear from anyone, I will then set a time.

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