Bring All Your Needs To The Alter

Frustration....
a feeling of dissatisfaction, often accompanied by anxiety or depression, resulting from unfulfilled needs or unresolved problems.

Have you ever just been frustrated with a situation?  Of course you have, we all have.  So....how do you handle it?  Do you continue to let something bother you to the point of no return?  By that I mean, do you just sit back and complain about the issue....getting more and more anxious....until every time you are exposed to the problem all you want to do is give up on it....and eventually you do?  Or do you do what you know you should....pray about it until you get an answer?  Until you actually know that God is in control of the situation and He will do what needs to be done....with or without you.  Do you lay it all down at His feet....every time you think about it or are in the situation?  Do you pray and ask for His guidance to let you know what you should do....even if you don't like it?  You know....totally turn it all over to Him....leave it there....and rest in the fact that you know He's got it and will take care of the situation.  That can be hard to do and at times we aren't sure we even know how to do that....

That's me today.  It's not that I don't want to turn it all over to Him....I do.  But....learning how to do that is hard.  I really don't like all the frustration and anxiety that goes with some issues of life....things we can't control.  And therein lies the problem.  Things we can't control!  We have to remember that God is ultimately in control of all situations in our lives. We need to learn how to give them up!

I heard an old Dottie Rambo song that works for these types of situations....

Bring All Your Needs To The Alter

Walk boldly to stand in His presence
Lay claim to the promise He made
Your soul can be cleansed
Beneath the flow of His fountain
His blood washes guilt all away

Chorus:
Just bring all your needs to the alter
Bring all your needs to the Lord
He is so willing and able to help you
Bring all your needs to the Lord

He watches the fall of the sparrow
Concerned with the lilies so fair
How much more He cares
For the sheep of His pasture
So bring Him the burdens you bear

Chorus:
Bring all your needs to the alter
Bring all your needs to the Lord
He is so willing and able to help you
Bring all your needs to the Lord
Bring all your needs to the Lord 

Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God;


until we see Jesus....face to face

In The Stillness

Psalm 46:10 KJV
Be still and know that I am GOD. I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Peace.  The quiet....calm....stillness we all want to have on the inside.  How do we achieve it?
One way is to just be still in the presence of the Lord.  Be still and meditate....think on....drink in and absorb....His presence.  We need His love to just surround and envelop us.  We need comfort.  Sometimes the only place we can find that comfort is by being in His presence.

Psalm 94:19 NKJV
In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.

When we take the time to sit and rest in Him....we are comforted....we are loved....we are given just exactly what we need for the moment.  

In The Stillness

In the stillness
in the quiet of my soul
I long for You Lord
In the stillness
in the quiet of my soul
I ache for You
You are my refuge
You are my strength
my everything
all that I need
In the stillness
in the quiet of my soul

In the stillness
in the quiet of my soul
You come to me Lord
In the stillness
in the quiet of my soul
You comfort me
You give me hope
You give me peace
with Your love
all that I need
In the stillness
in the quiet of my soul

In the stillness
in the quiet of my soul
I worship You Lord
In the stillness
in the quiet of my soul
I come to You
You give me rest
You give me strength
In Your arms
Your all I need
In the stillness
in the quiet of my soul

Today do what you need to do to find peace in His presence.  He's waiting for you to just be still in Him.

until we see Jesus....face to face

Ah, Lord God

Ah, Lord God
Thou has made the Heavens and the earth by Thy great power.
Ah Lord God
Thou has made the Heavens and the earth by Thy outstretched arms.

Nothing is too difficult for Thee
Nothing is too difficult for Thee

Ah, Lord God
Thou has made the Heavens and the earth by Thy outstretched arms.

This is just a little chorus that came to my mind this morning while getting ready for work.  I of course was in the process of talking to the Lord and explaining to Him how tired I was of certain things in my life and things going on around me.  Asking Him to please change things that I can't seem to change myself.  I believed that He was answering by letting me know that "nothing" is too difficult for Him to change....for any of us!  Look at all He has done.  He made the whole universe. WOW!!  No one else could do that.  If God can do the things that we know He has done....He can take care of us and all of our little....insurmountable to us at times....problems that we have.  And then I read my devotional.  This is just one sentence from it....

As you open up to Me, I will put My thoughts in your mind and My song in your heart.

He's talking to me this morning....is He talking to you?

Jeremiah 32:17
 ¹⁷ ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.

until we see Jesus....face to face

Stay Connected

Sometimes we think that The Lord just isn't speaking anymore....or at least not to us.  But did you ever think that the fault was with you?  Maybe you just aren't listening!  I think most of the time that's how it is for me.  I have noticed that when I am opening myself up to Him....He still speaks!  It's not always when I want or when I think He should....but He still speaks.  It all started last night....

I picked up a devotional that I haven't really been reading very faithfully....Jesus Calling.  Now I  want you to know that I don't believe in reading devotionals over the Word but I do believe that God speaks through different things to each one of us.  This just happens to be one of the avenues He uses for me.  So....last night when I read the reading for the day I was reminded to....

Walk by faith and not by sight.  Not to close my eyes to things around me and go blindly but....to listen with a new heart and to the One I need to always listen to....the invisible Shepherd of my soul....Jesus.  To just fully experience Him and what He has for me.  Give myself freely and completely over to His Presence within and around me.  With this I went to bed....

My plan for today was to get up at 4 a.m. and start riding the bike before work like I use to do.  But....as you know....sometimes the Lord changes our plans.  I woke up before 4 and immediately thought that even though physical exercise is something I need to do....spiritual exercise is what I needed this morning.  So while in the shower all the conversations I had yesterday....with ones I care about....started running through my mind again.  But....there were two words that kept jumping to the forefront of all my thoughts....stay connected....

Stay connected....people are in your life for a reason....stay connected....stay connected....you don't do well alone.  Which brings me back to....walk by faith--not by sight.  He is leading the way.  So, I sat down to read todays devotional and my Bible.  The devo was great....

Sit quietly in My Presence, allowing My light to soak into you and drive out any darkness lodged within you.  Rejoice in this day that I have made, trusting that I am abundantly present in it.  Then I read....

Psalm 63:1

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

and....

Hosea 6:3

"Oh, that we might know the Lord!
    Let us press on to know him.
He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn
    or the coming of rains in early spring."

Those verses are perfect!  I do thirst for more and more of Him.  I do want to press on to know Him more and more!  I know that when I do press in He does respond!  He is so good that way!!

Press on to know Him more and more for yourselves.  Listen to what He is saying to you. 
And most of all....stay connected to the Lord.  Don't lose ground....even a little....when things get tough.  

until we see Jesus....face to face 

 

I Am Second....Live That Way

The paperback version of I Am Second hits the stores Sunday October 6th.  It has been updated with more stories from people who have decided that the best way to truly live is second....God first.

It is so exciting to read about the lives of those who have made the choice to live second.  In each story that I read I am reminded that it doesn't matter what walk of life we come from we all experience pain.  Some pain we cause ourselves and some pain others have caused for us.  But, whatever circumstances brought us into our pain the only way to truly live is by declaring I Am Second....by deciding to put ourselves second after God and accepting the new life that Jesus offers.

As you read the stories of peoples lives forever changed....because they have chosen to live second....
you will be blessed.  You will shed tears as you realize that a part of the stories could be you talking about your life before you found Jesus as your Savior. 

Michelle Aguilar talks of how she would always put a smile on her face to hide the way she felt.  But behind her smile "was a wounded soul".  How many of us can relate to that?  Then one night she gave up control....she turned it all over to God and said....

"God I'm yours.  I put my trust in you.   I'll do whatever You want me to do.  My last defense is gone.  I need You."

Get the book. 

Read the book.

Find out how Michelle's life changed once she truly decided to live with the I Am Second to God approach to life.

I Am Second....live that way.  Your life will never be the same!

Watch Over One Another

The day of our Lords return is getting closer and closer.  Just like you feel Fall in the air....and can visibly see the changes all around....you can also feel something different all around in the spirit realm.  Besides that....look at everything happening in our world today....things are not as they used to be.  We live in a scary world full of many hateful and hurtful things.  Everywhere you turn there is strife....turmoil.  At times it seems as if everyone has just lost it!!  This morning I awoke with the verse running through my mind about not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.  I believe in the times we are living this is so much more important than we may realize.  So I looked it up and I like how the Amplified version says it....

Hebrews 10:25 AMP

²⁴ And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities,

²⁵ Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.

Life....in general....can be hard for us.  We all have many responsibilities with much to take care of.  But....as Believers we have a responsibility to keep ourselves strong in the Lord and to help others stay strong in the Lord.  Being "Army Strong" isn't just for ourselves.  We have to help each other along in our journeys.  God didn't equip us to do life alone....

We all need encouragement at some point....for one reason or another....to keep on going.  As the verse says....we need to watch over one another....more now than ever before.  Let us all be sure to go that extra step with each other.  Make the phone call....give the hug....say the words that the Lord puts in your heart.  

Be the heart of Jesus....His hands....His arms....His eyes....His voice....show His love.  

Simply put....be there to take up the slack in each others lives. 

until we see JESUS....face to face

 

ARMY STRONG

Last night I was reminded....again....of how good the devotional Jesus Calling is.  I read it most everyday for three years.  Then this past year I have gotten "sloppy" in my devotional time.  I haven't been reading and studying....first and foremost....my Bible like I should or my devotional books.  There has been a definite reflection of this in  my attitude and every other part of my life....even in this blog I attempt to write.  I think about all of this and start digging in again....doing well for a few days....only to find myself being a slacker....again.  So this morning I determined within myself....with the Lords help....that I will fall backwards into my old habits.  Immediately this thought  came to mind....

There is an old Army slogan which was made into a recruiting commercial in 1986 that says, "Army. Be all you can be."  Then in 2006 they replaced that slogan and commercial with, "Army Strong." Those were made to convey to young people that if you join the Army you can become the best you that you can be.  In fact "Army Strong" was to convey the idea that if you join the Army you will gain physical and emotional strength, as well as strength of character and purpose.  You are just going to become an overall better person.  For some that is true but not everyone that joins turns out better.  The Army has changed some people for the better but some....not so much.  We have seen many stories in the news that reflect that. So what does this have to do with me....and you....

I am reminded of a song that we sang in Sunday School when I was a little kid....

I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the calvary
Shoot the artillery
I may never fly o'er the enemy
But I'm in the Lords Army
Yes sir
I'm in the Lords Army

The funny part is....I sang the song but never was in the Lords Army as a child.  In fact  didn't "join up" until six years ago.  What I have learned since is that....


In the Army there is no room for slackers.  You will be a detriment to yourself and the health and well being of all your fellow soldiers.  It's the same in the Lords Army.  Being a slacker is a detriment to you....your overall spiritual health and well being.  If your spiritual health is lacking....so will everything else about you.  And....you can't show His light to the world around you with much effectiveness.  When you're in the Lords Army you can be "All you can be".  Young or old....with the Lords help....you will gain emotional strength as well as strength of character and purpose for your life.  If you work at it....and let the LORD work within you....you will become an overall better person.  The Lord changes you but you do need to keep working at it.  Let the Lord build your character into what He wants you to be.  Before long you will be....

"Army Strong" in the "LORDS ARMY!" 

I Am Second....Stories About Changed Lives

I have been asked to write some posts about the new I Am Second book.  It is coming out in paperback with new I Am Second stories added.  Really, I wasn't supposed to write anything until the week of the 6th but after reading some of the stories tonight I had to share.

Psalm 66:16-20 NLT

Come and listen, all you who fear God,
   and I will tell you what He did for me.
For I cried out to Him for help,
   praising Him as I spoke.
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,
   He would not have listened.
But God did listen!
   He paid attention to my prayer.
Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer
   or withdraw His unfailing love from me.

After reading two of the "testimonies" in the book I opened my Bible and just happened to turn to the above passage in Psalm.  I feel that the book really fits with these scriptures.  When they wrote their stories they were basically saying....Come and listen, hear me.  I have a story to tell you. The story of my life before I met Jesus as my Savior.  Listen....I want to tell you what He did for me! 

Brian "Head" Welch cried out to God....and God heard his cry for help and saved him!  An amazing story of the redemption power that we can find in Jesus.  Brian cried out to God and God didn't ignore him.  As Brian puts it...."God saved me from myself." 

I have read the first two stories and they are amazing.  The stories shared are from people from all walks of life but they have one thing in common....they are all broken and battered and need a Savior.  The great part is that they all found what....Who....they were looking for.  His name is Jesus....Savior!  These testimonies are proof that God still does miracles today!  

If you know someone who has a heart that is searching one of these testimonies might just be what they need to hear.