12 But there's also this, it's not too late— God's personal Message!— "Come back to me and really mean it! Come fasting and weeping, sorry for your sins!" 13-14Change your life, not just your clothes. Come back to God, your God. And here's why: God is kind and merciful. He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot, This most patient God, extravagant in love, always ready to cancel catastrophe. Who knows? Maybe he'll do it now, maybe he'll turn around and show pity. Maybe, when all's said and done, there'll be blessings full and robust for your God!
1Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. 2-3I am emphatic about this. The moment any one of you submits to circumcision or any other rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ's hard-won gift of freedom is squandered. I repeat my warning: The person who accepts the ways of circumcision trades all the advantages of the free life in Christ for the obligations of the slave life of the law. 4-6I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love. 7-10You were running superbly! Who cut in on you, deflecting you from the true course of obedience? This detour doesn't come from the One who called you into the race in the first place. And please don't toss this off as insignificant. It only takes a minute amount of yeast, you know, to permeate an entire loaf of bread. Deep down, the Master has given me confidence that you will not defect. But the one who is upsetting you, whoever he is, will bear the divine judgment. 11-12As for the rumor that I continue to preach the ways of circumcision (as I did in those pre-Damascus Road days), that is absurd. Why would I still be persecuted, then? If I were preaching that old message, no one would be offended if I mentioned the Cross now and then—it would be so watered-down it wouldn't matter one way or the other. Why don't these agitators, obsessive as they are about circumcision, go all the way and castrate themselves! 13-15It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then? 16-18My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence? 19-21It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom. 22-23But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. 23-24Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified. 25-26Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.
Today we set aside to pray with eachother over at "FreeSpiritHaven Your prayer request can be posted overhere in the comments or over at our host Angela...We feel so honoured to pray for and with you.
Was thinking what to blog about on this day and stumble on an blog "PRAYERGUIDE" about praying so love to post parts of it here and pray today those prayers with you
"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us, we are sinners".
The Jesus Prayer
The Jesus prayer is a very short, very simple prayer. Yet it can be a key to unlocking a spiritual doorway that leads us to pray from the heart, rather than from the mind.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
The words of the Jesus prayer fall into two halves. The first half expresses the core truth of our faith in Jesus Christ, that he is the incarnate Son of the Creator God, and that we ascribe to Him Lordship of ourselves. The second half sums up the wonder of God's love, that though we are sinners, yet He has mercy upon us and forgives us. The twelve words the prayer leads us into a balanced expression of both praise and thanksgiving to our Lord, yet also into penitence and confession, seeking his forgiveness and mercy.
Pointers for Prayer :
As you pray the prayer, simply recite it over and over again, and you will discover three levels of prayer, first described by the 19th C. Russian spiritual teacher, Theophan. The prayer begins as words, then as we recite it further, we move onto pray the prayer as our own, owning the thoughts and expression of the prayer. Finally, our hearts take over the prayer, where the prayer is no longer a series of words and concepts, but gives way to a touching of our Spirit with God's Spirit.
The Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is the model of prayer that Jesus taught us, as recorded in the gospels of Matthew and Luke It is presented here in traditional and modern language:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. for ever and ever. Amen
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours.
Now and for ever. Amen
Sometimes it can be difficult to know how to pray about our concerns. But our Father God wants to hear about them - Paul writes to the Ephesians "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." In this section, we offer some thoughts on how to pray for various different topics :
Pointers for Prayer : If you have particular needs for prayer, you might like to ask others to pray for you in these concerns. Whilst it's good to be able to ask God for these needs, it's also good to be able to share them with other Christians who can pray for you. There are several good online opportunities to put forward such needs, and we have links to four of them.
Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
Psalm 62 (MSG)
1-2 God, the one and only— I'll wait( remember my "year word)as long as he says. Everything I need comes from him,
so why not? He's solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul,
An impregnable castle:
I'm set for life.
16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them.
This week i made those two pictures sunday midnight and early monday morning God spoke to me to think about "HIS LIGHT" who is leading and how........
Come join me and everyone else for“Word Filled Wednesday“
Watchword for the Week - For no one can lay any foundation other than
the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1
Corinthians 3:11
Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18; Psalm 119:33-40
1 Corinthians 3:10-11,16-23; Matthew 5:38-48
The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom
rules over all. Psalm 103:19
Jesus said, "All things have been handed over to me by my Father."
Matthew 11:27
Jesus, you are the King of glory and the ruler of our lives. Remove the
scales from every eye so all may see and know that you are Lord and King
supreme. Amen.
(http://www.moravian.org/daily_texts/)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T664Z3dkudo
This song in fact the 4 words "HOW GREAT THOU ART"( i always sing "ARE"
stirrs-up
my soul
flashes pictures of my youth
pictures of "marking points"
made me remember
persons who where Jesus His hands and feet
I remember wise words who brought
Love
Joy
Peace
healing to my soul
And all was and is God
I can only say
"How Great Thou ARE"
Because the song stayed in my mind after fridays up-load an rendition of this song by "NEWSONG" from there album RESCUE.
I googled this morning about this song and found this site also
My memories went especially this time to my youth and birthcountry and was looking for an rendition of this song in the language "Surinamees or Sranang Tongo" couldn't find it but love this rendition of praise to JESUS in the language and in the video you see an mix of english and french words of praise.......( Surinam also called "Dutch -Guyana " is situated between english- and French Guyana)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENQ6y221R1c
I am lifting my hands up today on this Super SON(sun)DAY and praising Him!
They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.” ~ Psalm 112:7-8NLT
Head over to my friend Angela at "Free Spirit Haven" to get some great encouragement to "STAND" and look-up instead of down and get filled with ALL the good "spiritual-gifts" from our Lord and Savior jesus Christ
Join in prayer today a leave your own prayer request here or at her place.
Have an great weekend!!
And don't forget tomorrow we can join also with songs in praising our Lord
O Lord my God! when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul! my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul! my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul! my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul! my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
And come back here for my "Super/Simple Sunday" post!
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:3
Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, "Everyone who drinks of this water
will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give
them will never be thirsty." John 4:13-14
Jesus, you are the source of living water. Help us to drink of that water today and never thirst again. Amen.
I have a Maker He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
and He hears me when I call
I have a Father
He calls me His own
He?ll never leave me
No matter where I go
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
and He hears me when I call
1 What's God going to say to my questions? I'm braced for the worst. I'll climb to the lookout tower and scan the horizon. I'll wait to see what God says, how he'll answer my complaint.
2-3And then God answered: "Write this.
Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7zRcMpmuGY1 Samuel 3 10 Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Speak. I'm your servant, ready to listen." 11-14God said to Samuel, "Listen carefully. I'm getting ready to do something in Israel that is going to shake everyone up and get their attention. The time has come for me to bring down on Eli's family everything I warned him of, every last word of it. I'm letting him know that the time's up. I'm bringing judgment on his family for good.
Timothy 4:7 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
An beautiful song expresses what my desire is that God leads me through life that His Spirit forms my goals and visions....That all will bring Him and Him alone honour and Glory
Lead Me Lord by Gary Valenciano
Beautiful words to sing and pray...
Lead me Lord, lead me by the hand And make me face the rising sun Comfort me through all the pain That life may bring There's no other hope That I can lean upon Lead me Lord Lead me all my life Walk by me, walk by me across The lonely road that I may face Take my arms and let your hand Show me the way Show the way to live inside your heart All my days, all my life
Refrain: You are my light You're the lamb upon my feet All the time my Lord I need You there You are my light I (just) cannot live alone Let me stay By Your guiding love All through my life Lead me Lord Lead me Lord Even though at times I'd rather go alone my way Help me take the right direction Take Your road Lead me Lord And never leave my side All my days All my life You are my light You're the lamb upon my feet All the time my Lord I need You there You are my light I (just) cannot live alone Let me stay By Your guiding love All through my life All through my days Lead me, O Lord Lead me Lord http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK-UFtTRJFo
Today i kept it very "low-key"but had an SUPER SUNDAY
Went to church and spending time with family.And the rest of the day was catching up with an 4 week bible study
href="http://www.madabella.typepad.com/" _mce_href="http://www.madabella.typepad.com/">
It is the 1st week and i love the weekvers we got
PLANTED takes place online from February 1st - 25th. No sign ups necessary, simply subscribe here to receive posts via email.
Week 1: SOWING SEEDS
God likens our hearts to a spiritual garden. When He plants the seed of His word in our hearts, He must first prepare soil. We’ll explore how God readies us to receive His seed and begins to cultivate us for harvest.
Week 2: FIRMLY ROOTED
Trees that grow roots extending deep beneath the surface are ones that stand tall and firm, ready to withstand harsh winter climates and raging winds. We’ll see how we must likewise be firmly rooted in Christ to withstand trials, deception and doubt.
Week 3: PRUNING VINES
Pruning is essential to healthy growth. Just as rotting or diseased branches are pruned to produce fruit, we too are stripped so that God may increase in our lives. The Vinedresser, however, doesn’t always prune to cut away branches that are dead. We’ll discover why God trims good branches and prepare for these times of pruning.
Week 4: REAPING THE HARVEST
Spring comes and new growth begins to emerge. What bountiful harvest does God have for those rooted in Him? What if the harvest doesn’t yield crops? We’ll explore what to do about last year’s harvest and discover what it takes to produce a good harvest.
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth. 2 LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. 3God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran.[b] His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. 4His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden........
............... Interesting POWERFUL PRAYER to read and the last 3 verses "sticked to my head"!
17Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.
This is an BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE just in my neighbourhood
They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.” ~ Psalm 112:7-8NLT
To know more of this special "meme" on friday's click on the picture....Free Spirit Haven is the home where you can post in comments prayer request or link-up your own "FF" post...
It's a while i joined i must confess..Nowadays i spend lesser time blogging and when i do i am more on "My Journey Diamonds"That is for now the combination of spending time on the internet and putting my mind and toughts on God's word.
But we need to pray together and stand in the gap with and for eachother.......
The words ( esp in the 2nd song "My yearword" WAIT!!) in two songs draw me closer to the Lord and in prayer and strenghtend and encouraged me this week and wanted to share it with you all....... Day by Day
Lina Sandell Berg
Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Ev'ry day the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He whose Name is Counselor and Pow'r;
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
"As your days, your strength shall be in measure,"
This the pledge to me He made.
Help me then in ev'ry tribulation
So to trust Your promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation
Offered me within Your holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a father's hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.
Hungry I come to You
For I know you satisfy
I am empty
But I know Your love
Does not run dry
So I wait for You
So I wait for You
I'm failing on my knees Offering all of me Jesus You're all This heart is living for
Broken I run to You
For Your arms are open wide
I am weary
But I know Your touch
Restores my life
So I wait for You
So I wait for You
Weekly i linked-up before for this "meme" but i missed some weeks and it could have been a month(s) also....
So here i am today and asking the question...."Do you have nothing to post or being THANKFULL for"????
That is NOT TRUE AT ALL.....!!It is only to TAKE THE TIME CONSCIOUSELY....to STOP...and put my mind where it belongs and take TIME to GIVE THANKS and PRAISE to whome it needs to go to and belongs to and from who ALL comes!!.......GOD....The beginning and the end of my Life......and all "in-between"!
He is there....He gives LIFE....PEACE....JOY......STRENGHT.....GRACE...MERCY......
I wake-up and i can start thanking Him that i got another day.....
I am healthy......I am surrounded by my "loved-ones",
I have an job...i have every month an pay-check......
I know where to go to in "times of trouble", in times of happyness...in times of sorrow because HE MADE Himself known and is there just "an prayer away"
Isn't this awesome to know this and to have this...and to take time to Praise OUR LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!!
This picture i posted before also for "WFW" here. It facinates me.......To hear GOD'S VOICE and to see HIM in nature and in OUR LIVES at work!
For more bible verse and amazing read in Msg transl. over at my bi-lingualblog "My Journey Diamonds"
Feel free to leave an message that you came over !
QUOTE from LYSA TERKEUST!!(from " A MESS") I'm convinced there's a reason the first four letters of Messiah spell mess. We need Him. Only the Messiah can take our mess and turn it into a untangled message of hope, forgiveness, and ultimately love.
ALOT OF PRAISE @ WORSHIP SONGS FROM MY BIRTHCOUNTRY
Romans 12!