maynd

By giving room/place for God in my life I afford myself the privilege of being able to dwell in the place I desire so greatly "His Temple" forever. Whatever the issue, time or circumstance make time for God, He will calm your troubled soul and sooth a hurting spirit. He IS the balm out of Gilead, my great healer and provider. Praise His Very Name.

A Psalm for Help I feel most of the time inadequate to express what is going on in my mind. So I use scenes from movies or words from a book I

God has a purpose for everything. We don't usually understand why, but you need to trust Him. Know that in the long run his love never leaves & his heart is always pure. Don't be discouraged when something has happened. God has provided you with everything that you need. Remember where you were when He found you. And where you will be for an eternity. His sacrifice was greater than anything we will experience. Consider: "And we know that in all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or failure, or famine, or nakedness or peril, or sword?" (Romans 8:35) 'And you shall be betrayed by parents and brethern...and some they will cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated by men for my names sake...In your patiences possess ye your souls." (Luke 21:16-19)

Consider Bruce's story: He lay there in the mud waiting for the enemy to come and put him out of his misery Night came and the sounds of the jungle became intense, waiting wounded and scared. When morning came and without sleep he crawled out of his burrow to meet his fate only to see a company of soldiers flying a very familiar flag. His friends had come to find him. Isn't that like us and how God looks for us to 'rescue the perishing' 'care for the dying'. He left the 99 to seek out and rescue the 1.

On September 11 America was attacked again. We call it 911 which is also our emergency number but a long time ago the writer of the 91st Psalms wrote verse 11. This is the Christian's 911-Psalms chapter 91 verse 11. He IS my refuge and fortress in Him will I always trust.

That section in verse 3 'lead me to the rock that is higher than I' has been my moniker since I first heard it in song form back in the mid 80's. It was written by one of them in the Gaither singing group I think and transformed me from that moment on. It has been a pray on my lips and a song in my heart. It is so difficult to express in words the joy it gives, the heights my spirit soars when I hear it. Praise God.

I read with annotations the Psalms to those patients in dialysis and they love it. Even the grouchy ones who won't talk to me eavesdrop when I read. So I read a little louder for their benefit.

My prayer is, was and will be that of Jabez in 1 Chr. 4.10 'Oh that thou would bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou would keep me from evil, that it might not grieve me! And the Lord granted him that which he requested.' My message to the ppl is get off your duffs and do likewise.

Humility w/o faith is like hydrogen w/o oxygen. Both parts are required for any thing to happen. One can't possibly think that their prayer will be answered when they don't have a faith in the one to whom they are asking. Also the Lord resists the proud.

His love and glory redeemed me setting my feet on solid ground. But this wasn't done to my glory but his. Our part is to glorify him and praise him because of who He is. We are all His creation but those who repent and turn unto Him with praise and worship become His children who are then worthy of service in His work. To many try to place themselves as the object of ???. Even the apostle Peter was told to 'feed my sheep' not find sheep to follow Peter.

Prayer doesn't inform God of our issues but rather conforms us to the thoughts and will of God. By having an open and humble heart we become useful in the work of God's plan unto a lost and dying world. This whole thing with God is not about us but about Him. When we realize that our walk becomes easier and more fruitful.

I can not imagine God not reaching out to David with forgiveness. Isn't that what all this is about? Man screws up, asks for forgiveness and God loves us so much that he grants us his grace and we're forgiven. Then the cycle repeats itself over and over and over. Ain't God great?

I've taken to following scriptural rabbits. The variations of the word 'sing' led me through half the Psalms. Many tell of singing praises and worship unto God several speak of singing songs of lament. One reference led me to Zephaniah 3.16-17 where we are told when all of God's people have come home God himself will sing with joy. How utterly amazing, the Lord of Lords will sing over me. It gave me a true message to give to the congregation last Sunday night. They were blessed and I had a double blessing.

One of the main reasons we were created was to willingly return unto God all praise and glory and honor. Our congregation's praise time is building and has been for a while now. And as we grow closer to the Lord the closer we grow together. As in Acts 2 they were in one accord and great things took place. I'm expecting the same with us very soon. Small things are already happening. People are being saved and others are coming back to church, this is a truly beautiful time for us in the Lord.

So many of God's creation worship just God's creation. Why not go directly to the creator you has done all this. His chosen people wandered for (40) yrs. because they refused to turn unto God. Let us learn from that experience and not wander for yrs. in the dry barren places. Let's raise our voices in praise and worship now. Just remember the bumper stickers that said 'Don't make come dowm there. Signed God' Because he loves you and I he'd rather not. Anyways one day 'every knee shall bow, every tounge confess' so go ahead and do it up front it's a lot moe fun, and it comes with blessings to boot.

We are all God's creation but not all can be called his child. Only those who have trusted and believed in the sacrifice his son made on the cross. These are the people who can praise him in Truth and Love. These are the ones with the power and enlightenment of the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide that praises. We are to rejoice and return his glory back to him through our praise and worship, with our lifestyle, hearts, hands and voice. God said he tried of the incense and burning flesh, it is our hearts turned toward him in every way that pleases him. And it is a sweet fragrance ascending to his throne when his people turn from their ways and repent to give honor.

This is my prayer of love unto my Lord during service: I want to thank you Lord for allowing us this privilege to worship you. Please accept this offering of praise letting it come unto your throne on the wings of your angels. I pray that as our hearts meld into the Word our spirits would be free to cry out Holy, Holy, Holy. And this would gladden your heart with the giving back to you all Honor & Glory & Love. Amen

When those who were spoken of in the upper room on the day of Pentecost got in 'one accord' God in His Spirit was able to use them to His glory and for His purpose. God doesn't work through our differences, He does work with us when we set aside our differences and come into His sameness, His way. Without our being on the same page at the same time we are just a bunch of wanna-be's. Not worth the bullet to shoot us.

The Lord has chosen to answer my prayer and 'enlarge my coast' with many new faces to love. Most in the world's eyes are not children anymore but they are in His eyes. My heart sings with joy and cries with them in their pain. Most have less than three years before they cross through the veil of life and they are frightened. As most of us would be, I was and then I wasn't when I came that close. I tell them to trust and believe, and as Acts 26.20 reads repent and turn from their old ways into the presence of a loving God. As Zephaniah 3.17 says God rejoices with singing over His children when they come home.

We are like the people who looked in the mirror then turned away only to forget what we just saw. To our embarrassment we need to be reminded every day about everything. Oh how foolish we are. This Psalms has been a staple of mine for many years. The words of verse 3 are what sustained me when I was laid-up from surgery. They were and are a cool drink of water on a hot and dry day. Refreshing the soul and soothing the spirit with His love. Verse 6 or should I say the 1st four words have become increasingly real the last couple of years 'For the Lord knows...' Oh how poignant, how wonderful my God knows all that I need all the time, any time and every time. That is so reassuring as I walk through this sin filled world.

Peoples pain is far ranging and severe at times but when the healing balm of the Psalms is applied the wounds can disapear. Those I minister to in the hospital and prison can expect me to time and again to give them the "Balm out of Gilead" for all their hurts, to them, with amazing results. I've come to trust and depend on them for the essence of life in this world. Without which this place would be intolerable.

My words in reporting back to the group seem meager at best. My spiritual training didn't come from some great organized center of learning so I do appreciate all the comments posted here by so many fellow Christians. My primary instruction was on the streets of the inner city of Detroit (a.k.a. The Murder Capital of the World). Those were interesting times. many there were earnest seekers and more open than most to the words of truth. His power and strength in any circumstance was the rock we all cling to. The rock we still cling to if we are smart. His enduring love was what sends us into places like that with His enduring love. That is what the people need to hear. By seeking His face before and during those times is how we were able to suceed in His name. Praise His Blessed Name.

To be in such erenest pain either spiritually or even physical you only need to call out His name and He is there. When all other hope is gone Jesus is there. Yes we should seek Him first but we usually don't. We look for our Lord only as a last resort. Oh how foolish we are. The scripture speaks of us not praying because we don't know how but to be in such agony that one can't even formulate the spoken words and God is still there. The Holy Spirit will pray with groanings that we don't understand on our behalf. Is this the only way we learn to praise and worship the Lord? So sad, to bad but now I'm glad. Jesus is Lord!!

To seek out the Lord's presence w/o a prior invatation and be received is so incredable, no offical in gov't would do that. Prez Obahma is a way to busy to accomadate anything like that. But God is never to busy that he will turn me away. To seek to be in His presence just to hang out there and spend time with my best friend is beyond amazing. Not to ask for stuff or for help but to lounge in the palace of the Master. Wow!!! Having move from the status of just His creation to that of His child and have that authority is great.