Friday Morning Prayer:)… August 2, 2018
August 2, 2018 - 9 minutes readLiving for Jesus, a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me;
I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne;
My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.
Living for Jesus Who died in my place,
Bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace;
Such love constrains me to answer His call,
Follow His leading and give Him my all.[1]
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”[2]
_________________
Magnificent colors and so many wonderful things, people, and creations of God way beyond what our minds can imagine this side of heaven. Our hope of glory! A new heaven and a new earth too! So very exciting! To the degree we are able to imagine, just think about the glory of God illuminating everything, our access to a new earth and heaven with rooms prepared by Jesus. As Jesus prepared the disciples for his departure they were understandably puzzled and baffled. Peter would disown him before he was empowered to follow him, even unto death. The other disciples must have been equally perturbed, so Jesus urged them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”[3] I think it imperative that we heed the words of Jesus as we persevere through varied troubling circumstances inherent in this life. We trust God through our Lord Jesus and are encouraged that he took the responsibility, despite our weakness and impending failure, to bring us to the Father’s house.
Although we have confidence in living eternally with Jesus in glory, we have that same blessed assurance that he indwells us and empowers us to live for him today. In fact, we “Set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God, when Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”[4] Living for Jesus, a life that is true! Striving to please Him in all that I do; yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free, this is the pathway of blessing for me. We absolutely look forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.[5] However, God compels us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling in the here and now! “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”[6] ‘Living for Jesus who died in my place, bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace; such love constrains me to answer His call, follow His leading and give Him my all.’
The coming of Jesus was certainly the inauguration of the kingdom as he softened the hearts of mankind, and called people to himself. Today, in Christ, you have a foretaste of glory because of God’s love and mercy toward you. “How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure, that he should give his only son to make a wretch his treasure.”[7] As the truth stood for the disciples, so too it stands for every aching heart longing to know our gracious God. We know the supernatural today as our indwelling God communes with us and helps us. “…the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”[8]
The only true God Almighty revealed in Jesus, is with us. Christ in me and me in Christ. “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”[9] In Spirit, God indwells each truly regenerate heart. He gives us the desires of our heart according to his holiness and righteousness. We are compelled to pursue him in prayer and bring our burdens before the throne of grace. The hymn we sing, ‘Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! Thy wings shall my petition bear. To him, whose truth and faithfulness engage the waiting soul to bless. And since he bids me seek his face, believe his word and trust his grace, I will cast on him my every care, and wait for Thee, sweet hour of prayer!’[10]
Beloved, I pray you feel the joy often and know the bliss shared with Jesus through the body of Christ. Together we long for intimacy with our God, even anxious spirits that burn with strong desires for Thy return! Therefore, we hasten to the place where God my Savior shows his face, and gladly take our station there, and wait for Thee, sweet hour of prayer![11]
Living for Jesus, wherever I am,
Doing each duty in His holy Name;
Willing to suffer affliction and loss,
Deeming each trial a part of my cross
Living for Jesus through earth’s little while,
My dearest treasure, the light of His smile;
Seeking the lost ones He died to redeem,
Bringing the weary to find rest in Him.
_____________________
Gals are meeting for a sweet hour of prayer. First Baptist. 1912 Arnold Way. Alpine. 0900.
You are invited! Join faithful gals who join to encourage one another and pray before the throne of grace. If you have an hour or so on Friday morning, go fellowship for a minute with diverse gals from various gospel-centered churches.
Brothers are meeting too! Alpine Youth Center. 2153 Arnold Way. Alpine. 0730
Join diverse fellas representing the body of Christ. We meet to encourage and express love for each other. We listen, reflect, and rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us through a sweet hour of prayer. You are invited! Close at 0830.
[1] https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Living_for_Jesus_Chisholm/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn-czHr13FE
[7] https://www.stuarttownend.co.uk/song/how-deep-the-fathers-love-for-us/
[10] https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Sweet_Hour_of_Prayer/
0 Comments