I Give You A Great Recommendation

"I told you my plans, and you answered.  Now teach me your decrees."  (Psalm 119:26, NLT)

So much of our prayers are telling God our plans.  It is sort of a shopping list of our wants and desires.  Of course if or when we pray the Lord's Prayer, we do pray for, "Thy will be done"--- But really?  Do I really want His will?  Of course our "spiritual" self will answer a resounding, "Yes!"  But so many times, deep down in the recesses of our self there is, "'I told you my plans,' now why don't You approve them?"  Notice, however, the "balance," the "correction" in our text to, "my plans...."  It is, "Now teach me your decrees," i.e., Your plans.  In our right minds we know His plans are the only fail-safe plans. 

I would like to recommend something to you because of the great blessing I had this morning reading Psalm 119 in the New Living Translation.  You may know that you can obtain a copy by online sources such as "BibleGateway.com"  Along with our text, let me give you some more examples of the prayers I prayed: 
    "Your laws please me; they give me wise advice.
    The path of your commands,..that is where my happiness is found.
    My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.
    If your instructions hadn't sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery.
    Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.

"Lying to myself," is a human malady.  He, Who is, "The Word of God," King Jesus, tells us here that, "knowing Your instructions," keeps me from such deception.

And one last great Truth for today:  "As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You so much for Your words which help me to commune with You.  Amen.

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*    So far we have three people who have committed to the 24/7 prayer for the Far East Mission.
*    A special thanks to those who have contributed finances so far.

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

This Is One Completed Gentile Who Prays This Prayer

"That I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance." (Psalm 106:5, NASB)

British Novelist, Martin Amis, recently wrote, "I live in a mildly anti-Semitic country, and Europe is mildly anti-Semitic, and they hold Israel to a higher moral standard than its neighbors. If you bring up Israel in a public meeting in England, the whole atmosphere changes. The standard left-wing person never feels more comfortable than when attacking Israel. Because they are the only foreigners you can attack. Everyone else is protected by having dark skin, or colonial history, or something. But you can attack Israel. And the atmosphere becomes very unpleasant. It is traditional, snobbish, British anti-Semitism combined with present-day circumstances."  What is going on in England is going on globally.  I would take issue with the "mildly" appraisal, but I can say that the political correctness of sympathizing with "victims" of white, colonial Europeans is at the core of modern American political science and culture; it will only get worse.  America has officially joined the fraternity of "bad English Colonialists."  The American President now wants to declare 11,000,000 illegal immigrants legal.  Yet the vast majority of people from Italy, Poland, Germany, Ireland did not have this; they came legally through Ellis Island.  More and more, the white European is the 'root of all evil.'"  Everyone else can do no evil.  This is at the core of modern America and Israel-Bashing.  The prevailing global opinion is that it is the white Jews from Europe who invaded Arab Land to set up a colonial-style empire.  They are occupiers, very, very bad people.

Well, too bad, world.  The Word of the Living Triune God, "is forever settled in the heavens," and does not respond to your silly reasoning.  Our text pushes back at the prejudicial hatred of the Covenantal People of Jesus Christ.  It is rather a prayer to participate in the "Divine Family, "Your chosen ones,..Your nation,..Your inheritance"  I prayed today's Psalms yesterday; so, I prayed yesterday's today; and I what a great prayer!  Jesus teaches us that, "Salvation is of the Jews."  The world and all too much of historic Christianity has bemoaned this reality; I embrace it.  Jesus was born, "King of the Jews."  Jerusalem is, "the city of the Great King," Jesus.  Jesus said that The Twelve Apostles will sit on thrones, "judging the twelve tribes of Israel."  The city which John, "saw...coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband," was not called Mecca, Berlin, or Washington.  It is called, "new Jerusalem."

So, today I pray continually and thank the Lord God continually that he took this gentile pilgrim, roaming the streets and hills of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and brought him to His Banqueting Table.  I am now a completed Gentile, adopted, as Strong's says, "a son into the Divine Family."  What happens to "unsaved" Jews, the full understanding of Israel and their future, etc., people may argue, but for me it is enough that I can pray and participate in our text.

Father, in Jesus' Name, and so I do.  I ask, "That I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance."  Amen.
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* The quote of Amis above is from an article by Carolyn Glick, my favorite political commentator.  You can       read the complete article at:    www.jerusalemberlinwashington.blogspot.com
* Please consider participating in the 24/7 prayer chain for my March/April Mission.  If you are interested     in details about the prayer chain and the mission in general, please contact me.
   

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

"What's Your Story?"

"Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.  And I...heard a voice....?'" (From Acts 22:6 & 7)

Now really, think about this.  What if someone came up to you and said something like this?  Or what if you heard someone in a meeting, or write such a story, "I saw, 'a great light from heaven....And I heard a voice....'"  I have not heard an audible voice of God speaking to me, nor have I ever seen, "a great light from heaven...."  But it can happen.  So much can happen to a person who is walking by trusting faith in Jesus Christ.  I had a great friend whom I met during my seminary days who would regularly see, yes, literally see Jesus from time to time.  Others have told me they have "heard His voice."  Okay.

When our oldest child died, I was in a very bad state.  One day I was not on my way anywhere as was Saul in our text; I was just sitting in an old dark maroon chair, starring into space, no words, not much thought, hurting very much.  What happened in that moment could not have been more real to me.  No, there was no, "suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me," as with Saul.  No, I did not hear, "a voice saying to me," as with Saul, and no, I did not have a "photostatic" vision.  But the "experience" was as clear as if all the aforementioned would have occurred.  Our Lord Jesus, standing in front of me with a look of deep feeling, compassion, and love, yet concern for "where" I was, said to me, "You can sit here the rest of your life and pity yourself; or you can get up and follow me."  In that very moment, Jesus' strength, power, was released in me.  The Lord Jesus Whom I "saw" standing before me was of course actually in me, yet for my hurting time/space struggle, He "appeared."
 

You have heard some of my "story" before.  A "story," however, a testimony which is yours and mine no one can dispute.  They may psychoanalyze it, rail on it and you, make fun of your story; but they cannot take it from you.  Do not let this day pass without a conscience decision to allow our Lord Jesus Christ to serve (minister to) you in your hurt.  Most of the time for me He does this through His "Breathed" Words (the Scriptures), sometimes in prayer, sometimes through other Followers of Him, His Church, and sometimes through life's daily encounters.  But never make the mistake of thinking He will not be as He once said, "Yet I am among you as One Who serves."  Jesus did this at His last Passover Meal with some of His Followers-------- He took a towel and washed their feet.  This is Who Jesus Is, "I Am among you as One Who serves."
    Jesus, Name above all names,
    Beautiful Savior, Glorious Lord,
    Emanuel, God is with us,
    Blessed Redeemer, Living Word."

Father, in Jesus' Name, You are Ever Faithful.  Thank You.
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If you would like to participate in the 24/7 prayer watch, March 26-April 6, please let us know.   

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