Looking For Christ

We ought to be living as if Jesus died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back this afternoon.

[Adrian Rogers]

Proverbs 8:34 … Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

Hebrews 9:28 … So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 … For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Titus 2:13 … Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;  ❤

What is Prayer?

Prayer is the soul's sincere desire,

Uttered, or unexpressed.

The motion of a hidden fire

That trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the burden of a sigh,

The falling of a tear.

The upward glancing of the eye,

When none but God is near

Prayer is the simplest form of speech

That infants lips can try.

Prayer the sublimest strains that reach,

The Majesty on high.

Prayer is the contrite sinner's voice

Returning from his ways,

While angels in their songs rejoice,

And cry, "Behold, he prays!"

Prayer is the Christian's vital breath,

The Christian's native air.

His watchword at the gates of death,

He enters heaven with prayer.

The saints in prayer appear as one

In word, and deed, and mind,

While the Father and the Son

Sweet fellowship they find.

Nor prayer is made by man alone,

The Holy Spirit pleads.

And Jesus, on the eternal throne,

For sinners intercedes.

O Thou by whom we come to God,

The life, the truth, the way!

The path of prayer Thyself hast trod;

Lord, teach us how to pray!

[James Montgomery]

1 Thessalonians 5:17 ... Pray without ceasing. ❤

Hope ...

Jeremiah 17:7 … Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

Lamentations 3:24 ... The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

Romans 15:13 ... Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. ❤

The First Commandment

Mark 12:30 ...  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. ❤

Come to Me

For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.  Hebrews 4:10-11 ❤

Glorious Church

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;   That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.  Ephesians 5:25-27 ❤

Pure in Heart

Pure in heart may I be,
Yea, may my heart be pure;
May it be clean and radiant,
May my love endure.


I live for You, my Master,I seek You and Your will;
Purify my heart then,
With Your Spirit fill.


Your radiant face,
My Lord, I long to see;
I am Yours, my Jesus,
Now and eternally.


Surely the pure in heart
Shall see Your glorious face;
They shall taste Heaven
And feel Your embrace.


Let not a blemish then
Taint my purity;
In me Your luminous love
May all others see.


For who is pure like You?
Whose heart is as clean?
No lovelier sight than You,
My Lord, have I seen.


 Glimmering, glowing,
Far brighter than the sun,
Such is Your heart
Shining, Eternal One.


My Redeemer, my King,
Your loves does endure;
My heart is one with Yours,
Yea, my heart You make pure.

[Caroline Gavin ©August 2012]

Psalm 51:10 ... Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.


Hebrews 10:22 ... Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.


Matthew 5:8 ... Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.❤

Image: A Lighthouse.Com

The Power of God

With the power of God within us, we need never fear the powers around us.

[Woodrow Kroll]

1 Chronicles 29:12 ...  Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.

Romans 8:11  ... But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

2 Timothy 1:7 … For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Ephesians 6:10 ... Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.❤

Road to Heaven

Heaven’s road resembles a country road. It’s not smooth and it’s rough to drive.  It’s straight and narrow but full of holes. Often you wonder if you’ll even survive.


Because you’re one of God’s children, It’s a toll-road and you’ll have to pay. Not with cash but persistent endurance, Overcoming obstacles along the way.

You won’t have a lot of traffic, For there are few who travel this road. Worldly people travel the interstates, And they carry a jam-packed load.



They watch for all the billboards, Advertising pleasures that abound. They choose to take every exit, Where those pleasures can be found.
 

They always travel in the fast lane, Looking forward to sins that await. Concerned with only themselves and today, They’ve no thought of their eternal fate.



For what lies ahead in their future, Won’t be exciting and certainly no fun. They’ll stand at the White Throne Judgment, Begging for mercy, but there will be none.

They’ll be judged and deemed to be guilty, For they chose the wrong road to take. No pleasures will be in their future, Only damnation in a hot, fiery lake.

Even the redeemed don’t find the road easy, For we are tempted to take many turns. But our eyes stay focused on what lies ahead, Eternity in Heaven is our only concern.



At times we are beset by terrible storms, And it’s difficult to see the way. But after the storms, God sends a rainbow, And at its end lies Heaven’s bouquet.
 

Each pothole we hit is a problem, But we are lifted out of them all. Our Savior is there extending His hand. We are His and He won’t let us fall.



We allow Jesus to do the driving. He needs no map for He knows the road. We trust Him every mile we go, On the way to our final abode.
 

We’ll not stand before the White Throne, But will be judged at the Bema Seat. We are sinners, who were forgiven by grace, And Jesus provides our receipt.



He paid our sin debt for us, And we are covered by His veil. We traveled the road to Heaven, Rather than choosing the road to hell.

[Emily McAdams]

Deuteronomy 30:19 ... I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:


Matthew 7:13-14 ... Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 


Matthew 25:46 ... And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. ❤

Strong Faith

To learn strong faith is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm amid severe testings.

[George Mueller]

1 Peter 1:7 ... That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

James 1:2-3 ... My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Matthew 24:12-13 ... And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

1 Corinthians 16:13 ... Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. ❤

Gathered

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.  Matthew 18:20 ❤