Panting for Your Commands

Psalm 119

131 I open my mouth and pant,
longing for your commands.

I absolutely LOVE the sentiments of this verse. To open my mouth and pant in longing for the commands of God is how I want to live my life! I just finished reading Max Lucado’s “Outlive Your Life,” and have started Kyle Idleman’s “Not A Fan.“ Such challenging ideas that God is showing me these days. May I be a man of prayer, who puts feet on those prayers AFTER praying. May I be a man who sees the world through the eyes of Christ, looking for the beauty in the “hidden” things, and never looking past those who are often overlooked or even shunned. May I not just be a fan of Christ, but truly be a follower, an imitator. How could I possibly dare to tell others to follow me as I follow Christ otherwise? I open my mouth and pant, longing for Your commands, O Lord.

Truth

John 18

37"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

38a"What is truth?" Pilate asked.

The answer to Pilate’s question is so simple, yet so many people find it inconceivable. Jesus IS Truth. Period. Not until we are convinced of this fact can we even being to try to make sense out of anything in this life. I praise God for opening my eyes, opening my mind, and opening my heart to the Truth that is Jesus. Everything else is foolishness and rubbish!

Filled With Praises

Psalm 119

108 Accept, O LORD, the willing praise of my mouth,
and teach me your laws.

May my mouth always be filled with the praises of my Lord and my God. May my life always be filled with those praises as well. May all who spend time around me realize that we are indeed created to give all praise, glory and honor to the Lord God Almighty. Teach me Your Ways, O Lord, through the daily study of Your Word, the Bible. Thank You for loving me in spite of my sins. Thank You for allowing me the privilege of sharing from Your Word in preaching, and in the leading of corporate worship services. May those aspects of my “professional life” always bring You joy, and may You always be honored by my service in Your Name.

Including Me

John 17

13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. 20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”

When Jesus prayed this in the Garden of Gethsemane, He had me on His mind. Now THAT boggles my mind! Jesus says that His prayer is for all who will ever believe in me through the message of His followers. That includes me! How humbling it is to re-read John 17, realizing that this prayer Jesus prayed includes me. May I live a life worthy of the prayers of Jesus.

Give Me Sense

Psalm 119

73 You made me; you created me.

Now give me the sense to follow your commands.

74 May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy,

for I have put my hope in your word.

Father, God. You have created me, and my only desire is to bring You glory, honor, and praise. Give me the sense to live a life of obedience to Your Word. Use me to attract other to Your Son Jesus. May my life point them to the One Who can save them from their sins. I have put my hope in Jesus, and gladly will live my life in praise of Him. Thank You for the new attitude I have because of Your Holy Spirit indwelling me. Thank You for allowing me to be Your servant and Your child! I am blessed beyond measure. I love You, Lord.

Obedience and Love

John 15

9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.”

Jesus continues teaching His closest followers the most important stuff just before He is to be taken from this earth. Obedience and Love go hand in hand. One without the other is futile, and worthless. May my obedience be lived out in love, and may my love be lived out in obedience to my Lord and my God always!

In God's Hands

John 14

23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.

I love Jesus. Period. I will do what Jesus says to do, I will follow His lead, and I will do so willingly, lovingly, and eagerly. Period. I am so blessed to have the peace that passes understanding and the presence of the Holy Spirit to get me through these very stressful times in my life right now. Being close to Jesus makes the stuff I am going through much less of a big deal. Yes, I am begging the Lord to help us figure out what is going on with Peggy and to enable that to be remedied. No, I am not worried. All is in God’s hands, and He has it all under control. I will simply draw closer to Him and submit my will to His always.

Trust in Jesus

John 14

1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me."

Jesus is saying this to His closest followers just before He is going to be betrayed and handed over for crucifixion. These words are a great comfort to me right now. With all that is going on around me regarding my Dad and my Bride and their health, I just have to trust in my Lord. That is the ONLY way I can survive this crazy thing called life. My heart is not troubled, and I trust in God because I trust in Jesus. I know that He will see me through whatever is coming my way. Because of that, I can face whatever that may be. Thank You, Lord, for Your presence in my life always.

Please don't give up on me

Psalms 119

5 Oh, that my actions would consistently

reflect your decrees!

6 Then I will not be ashamed

when I compare my life with your commands.

7 As I learn your righteous regulations,

I will thank you by living as I should!

8 I will obey your decrees.

Please don’t give up on me!

This section of Psalm 119 often gets overlooked for the verse the immediately follow it. But, this is the cry of my heart these days: I pray that my actions would consistently reflect Jesus and His Word. I pray that as I learn my from my daily study of the Bible, my life is lived as a Christ Follower. I beg of my LORD, please do not give up on me. I am so grateful for the ability to read and comprehend God’s Word. May my life reflect that comprehension, and may my actions speak favorably of my relationship with Jesus always.

I have a reason to worship

Psalm 118

19 Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
and I will go in and thank the Lord.
20 These gates lead to the presence of the Lord,
and the godly enter there.
21 I thank you for answering my prayer
and giving me victory!

Thank You, Lord for opening the gates where the righteous enter. You sent Jesus to be that gate, and I have been privileged to enter it. Even in the midst of a terribly stressful past few days, You have been right there with me every step of the way. How appropriate it was to sing “The Desert Song” in Celebration services today. The bridge says, “all of my life, in every season, You are still God, I have a reason to sing. I have a reason to worship.” That is exactly how I feel this evening. I will bring praise to my Lord, because He is worthy. The victory He has granted me through Jesus just got an exclamation point on it this weekend by His watch care over my Bride. Thank You, God for Your mercy not only towards Peggy, but towards me this weekend. She is worthy, I am not. I am glad that You have extended that mercy regardless.

Set Free In Distress

Psalms 118

5 In my distress I prayed to the Lord,
and the Lord answered me and set me free.

Yesterday was a distressing day for me to say the least. To hear the news that my Bride was experiencing tightness in her chest, tingling in her arms, and that her blood pressure was sky high, took the wind right out of me. Bathing it prayer not only gave me my 2nd breath, but enabled me to take care of the business that had to be taken care of in a calm, cool, collected manner. It was not me, but Christ who had that taken care of! As I told my sister today, my burden is easy and my yoke is light when I am hitched up to the same plow as Jesus. I know that Jesus is right here beside me, and I know that whatever happens, He will be here. I also know that my church family is literally close enough to reach out and touch. Praise God that Peggy is doing fine. She is home and I am so grateful. Praise God that even in the midst of a most distressing time, He has set me free.

Do You Believe?

John 11

25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

Today has been one of those “do you believe?” days. Peggy present symptoms of a heart attack and was rushed from school to the hospital. Dad is in the rehab facility here in Vero. Yeah, I feel like a ping pong ball in a serious game of table tennis. Peggy is fine, and indications are that it was NOT a heart attack after all. Hopefully, she will come home tomorrow, and is scheduled for a stress test on Monday. Even in the midst of all of this today, I have been filled with a peace that passes understanding. I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and so does Peggy. With that in mind, we have been able to face a seriously frightening day with a calm that comes only from Christ. I praise God for the prayers lifted up on Peggy’s behalf today. I praise God for the Hope we have in Jesus. I praise God that from all indications Peggy has not had a heart attack. I praise God for His great love and watch care over us this day and every day. I will praise Him always, no matter what, because I DO believe!

Thank God For Peggy

1 Samuel 25

32 David replied to Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! 33 Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands. 34 For I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept me from hurting you, that if you had not hurried out to meet me, not one of Nabal’s men would still be alive tomorrow morning.” 35 Then David accepted her present and told her, “Return home in peace. I have heard what you said. We will not kill your husband.”

David was on his way to seek vengeance against Nabal and his household. Thanks to Abigail, cooler heads prevailed, and David realized that vengeance was not his business. When I read verse 32 and the first part of 33, I cannot help but think of my Beautiful Bride, Peggy. (David ends up marrying Abigail later on, so the analogy is pretty solid here, I think). I thank God for Peggy’s good sense every day. I am so grateful that God sent Peggy into my life. She has saved me from a multitude of mistakes, and sin. She is the best part of me. She is my help mate, and outside of Christ, she is the one who loves me most in spite of myself. I am indeed a most blessed man!

Good Shepherd

John 10

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”

Jesus makes it quite clear here: He is the Good Shepherd. He sacrifices His life for His sheep, His cares for His sheep, His sheep know Him and He knows His sheep, He knows the Father and serves as the bridge between the Father and the sheep, and His sheep come from every tribe, tongue, and nation. I am one of His sheep, and glad that He is my Good Shepherd. I am too sheep-like (and that is NOT a compliment) to survive this life on my own. I am too sheep-like to attain eternal life without Him. I don’t have to do either, because Jesus IS my Good Shepherd.

True Sight

John 9

39 Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”

Jesus Himself makes it all perfectly clear here, doesn’t He? Jesus renders judgment. Jesus gives sight to the blind...not just the physically blind, but the spiritually blind as well. And Jesus can spot a blind person who thinks he can see from a mile away. I praise God for my sight, knowing it is a gift from my heavenly Father. I know that without the Word of God living in my life, I would still be blinded by my own selfish desires and ambitions. May my eyes be focused on the Christ. May my sight be clear in Jesus. May I never again be blinded by me. Lord, let me see what YOU want me to see today, and to act accordingly.

Remain Faithful

John 8

31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Everyone likes to focus on verse 32, but this morning, I want to focus on verse 31. Without verse 31, verse 32 is not possible. The key to knowing the truth and being set free is to remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus. May I be counted among the faithful.

Praise The Lord

Palm 111

1 Praise the Lord!

Praise him forever!

I will thank the Lord with all my heart
as I meet with his godly people.
2 How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!
All who delight in him should ponder them.
3 Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.
His righteousness never fails.
4 He causes us to remember his wonderful works.
How gracious and merciful is our Lord!
5 He gives food to those who fear him;
he always remembers his covenant.
6 He has shown his great power to his people
by giving them the lands of other nations.
7 All he does is just and good,
and all his commandments are trustworthy.
8 They are forever true,
to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.
9 He has paid a full ransom for his people.
He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever.
What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!
10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.

I have nothing to add to these sentiments today. I simply want to praise God for Who He is!

Obedience or Rejection

1 Samuel 15

22 But Samuel replied,

“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”

Saul was given very simply, yet explicit instructions. He failed to obey those instructions which came from the LORD through Samuel. Samuel delivered the “bad news” to Saul. Basically, since Saul had rejected God through his disobedience, God was now rejecting Saul. I can think of no more horrible news anyone could receive than to find out that God has rejected them. Yet, millions...no, billions of people reject God every day. When I fail to do my best to represent Jesus and help others come to a saving relationship with Him, I am guilty of rejecting the simple, yet explicit instructions of the LORD. Thank God, I can still be forgiven through Jesus so that I am not rejected. May I let the Light of Jesus shine through my life every day so that all who come into contact with me will be drawn to Him. THAT is obedience.

Living Water

John 7

37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

I am so amazed that I live on THIS side of the Cross and the Resurrection. I am so blessed to live on THIS side of the Living Water, the Holy Spirit, Who fills my life daily. I am so grateful that Jesus is the Christ Who takes away my sins. May my life point others to Jesus always so that they too may be filled with the Living Water, and have the hope of eternal life. Thank You, God for sending Jesus. Thank You, God for sending the Holy Spirit. Thank You, God for the Living Water flowing freely in my life every day!

Courage To Speak

John 7

11 The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him. 12 There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” 13 But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.

To this day, there are plenty of arguments as to Who Jesus is. To this day, there are plenty of people who are afraid to speak favorably about Him in public. I am NOT one of those people. I will publicly proclaim that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I pray that you will join me not only in this proclamation, but in following Jesus ONLY and always.

Faithful Following

John 6

60 Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”

61 Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? 63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) 65 Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”

66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”

When the going gets tough, the non committed go away. Jesus never promised an easy life for His followers. He never promised that things would always be easily understood, either. Nevertheless, those of us who will follow Christ, need to be tough and need to hang in there when the going gets tough. I believe that Jesus is the Holy One of God, and that ONLY through Him is eternal life to be had. That being said, I must be willing to go through whatever comes my way as a follower of His. May God be glorified by the way I handle adversity and good times. By the way I react when I understand and when I don’t have a clue. By my faithful following of Jesus to the very best of my ability every day of my life.

Godly Nation Vs. Sinful Disgrace

Proverbs 14

34 Godliness makes a nation great,
but sin is a disgrace to any people.

The United States of America was founded on godly principles. I would go so far as to say that this nation was founded on the principles of Jesus Christ. Documentation to that effect abounds, despite the history revisionists efforts to deny that clear fact from history. The other clear fact of the day is that this nation is no longer operating on the foundation of godly principles. As such, this verse from Proverbs serves as a warning to the United States of America. As a follower of Christ, I will pledge my allegiance to Jesus above all else. Always.

Follow His Directions

John 6

1 After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. 3 Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. 4 (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) 5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” 6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.

Jesus often may ask of His followers something that seems impossible. Yet, Jesus knows what He is going to do, even if we don’t have a clue what we are to do. It truly is as simple as following His command; or following His lead. Of course, we cannot do the impossible, but Jesus can. After all, He saved us from our sins! When we have a clear direction from the Lord, even if it seems impossible, it is our duty to follow that direction. I love the fact that even though the disciples had no clue as to how the crowd would be fed, they had enough faith in Jesus to do what He said to do. They found someone with a little bit of food, they sat the people in groups like Jesus said, and they served the food that Jesus provided. Following the directions of Jesus seems to me to ALWAYS be the way to go. Know what I mean?

Honoring the Father

Psalm 106
1 Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord?
Who can ever praise him enough?

On this day set aside to honor Mothers, I want to honor my Father in heaven, Who has lavished love on us so that we could be called children of God. And that is what we are! God alone is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise, and my my life be filled with efforts to bring Him that glory. Not with just my words, but with my very actions every single day.

Fear the Lord

Proverbs 14
 26 Those who fear the Lord are secure;
      he will be a refuge for their children.

 27 Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain;
      it offers escape from the snares of death.

We have all but forgotten this notion of fearing the Lord in 21st century America. There is very little respect given to the Creator of heaven and earth. We no longer revere the Name of our Heavenly Father. There is no fear for the Righteous and Holy Judge. I say this to our shame. Fear of the Lord must be restored so that we can have the proper relationship with Him. Yes, He loves us more deeply than we can fathom, but He is first and foremost a Holy, Righteous God Who is worthy of our respect, loyalty, and fear!

I am Willing

John 5

6 When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

7 “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

8 Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

At first glance it may seem like a silly question that Jesus asks. Of ourselves a man who has been cripple since birth would like to get better, wouldn't he? Unless of course he had gotten quite used to his condition and to allowing others to tend to his needs. Yeh, in order for Jesus to truly work in us and through us, we must have a change of attitude. We must be WILLING for Jesus to do His work in us and through us. Lord, I pray that today, my willingness shines through. Where You lead, I will will follow. What You would have me to do, I will gladly do. I am willing, Lord. I am willing.

Seek God

Psalm 105

4 Search for the Lord and for his strength;

continually seek him.



Lord, I am continually seeking You, and I know that this is best done in Bible study and prayer. Make those actives a priority in my life not just on this day of my Dad's surgery, but every day of my life.

Praise God With Every Breath

Psalm 104

33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.
I will praise my God to my last breath!
34 May all my thoughts be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the Lord.

On this day when Dad, Emily and I leave for Orlando in preparation for Dad’s surgery tomorrow, I must stop and just give praise to my Lord and my God. The Author of Life, and the Provider of Salvation is worthy of my honor and praise. May my life bring Him glory always. May my life be a song of praise for Him. I am blessed beyond measure, and loved beyond reason. The only natural response I could have is to praise God with my every breath every day of my life!

Boss of Me

Judges 17

6 In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

When I read this verse, I want to cry. Not just for the people of Israel at the time this Scripture was recorded, but for people who claim to be Christians today, yet live their lives in such a way as to bring dishonor to the Name of Christ. Why do so many people claim to be Christians without giving much thought to how then they must live? Because they have not truly submitted to the LORDSHIP of Jesus. They still want to be the king or queen of their own life. Submission is as much a key to salvation as anything else. Jesus submitted to God the Father in everything He did while on this earth. How could we dare to think that we could do any less? Yes, to follow Christ is to say that “Jesus IS the Boss of me.”

I will praise the Lord

Psalm 103

1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;

with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.

2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;

may I never forget the good things he does for me.

3 He forgives all my sins

and heals all my diseases.

Today especially, I need to live out these verse of praise to my Lord and my God. May my life reflect the praise, glory, and honor due to the Giver of life, the Author of my Salvation, and the Perfecter of my faith. God alone deserves this glory, and my life must be dedicated to bringing that glory to Him always. Especially today.

The Stairway To Heaven

John 1

32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”

49 Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.”

The Gospel of John leaves no doubt as to who Jesus is, and what His purpose for coming to this earth was. When John tells about the cousin of Jesus (John the Immerser) testifying about Jesus, that testimony is as clear as day. Just a few verses later when Nathanael makes his proclamation, Jesus replies with a statement that really caught this teen of the 70’s eye: “the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.” Jesus isn’t claiming to be just a good man here. He is the way to get to heaven. Period. I believe that. I pray that I can show others the truth of this claim so that they, too, can know eternal life through the Son of Man: Jesus.