Something Greater

Lord, give me strength today...strength to trust you when circumstances are difficult and my emotions are troubled. Give me peace today...peace to obey your Word, to love you more than anything this world can offer, and to love my friends and neighbors the way you love me. Break down my pride, Lord. By your power, teach me to recognize my need for you. Bring me into situations today that reveal my selfishness, my lack of humility, my false sense of superiority over others. Open my mouth to clearly speak of your faithful love, your wonderful providence, your awe-inspiring strength and wisdom in creation, redemption and restoration. All of heaven and earth belong to you...you created them in righteousness and justice, in faithful love and truth. You have made Jesus to be the Rock of my salvation, the greatest of all kings. For the sake of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, forgive my sin and form my heart to love and obey you above all others. Halleluja...

Our Lord is great, vast in power; his understanding is infinite. He is my light and my salvation — whom should I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life — whom should I dread? Because of my adversaries, show me your way, LORD, and lead me on a level path. Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, for I take refuge in you. I will seek refuge in the shadow of your wings until danger passes. I am certain that I will see the LORD’s goodness in the land of the living. My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident. I will sing; I will sing praises. My whole source of joy is in you. Lord, calm my heart and turn my mind to your holy Word. Strengthen my weak faith. Turn my fearful heart towards trust-filled dependence upon you alone, in every circumstance in which you have brought me. Strengthen and encourage my heart to wait for you. A Prayer based upon Psalms 27, 57, 87, 117, 147 // Milt Reynolds Photo by Devon Hawkins on Unsplash

Isaiah 6: A Vision and a Commission Isaiah describes a vision of the LORD, holy and glorious, and it shook Isaiah to his core with guilt and fear. But the Lord forgave Isaiah's guilt and sin, and Isaiah gladly offered his life as servant to the Lord. The Lord set Isaiah on a mission to preach a warning of judgement upon the people of Israel. Cities would be ravaged and the land wasted, with only a tenth of the population remaining. HOLY IS THE LORD: Verses 1-7 Isaiah saw the Lord enthroned in a temple, attended by seraphim who sang of the LORD's holiness and glory. The temple shook and filled with smoke, and the Lord's robe covered the entire temple. Isaiah cried out in fear, knowing the depth of his dirtiness compared to the holiness of the King. But the seraphim touched Isaiah's mouth with a burning coal and pronounced his sin atoned for and his guilt taken away. Isaiah's vision was connected with King Uzziah: Isaiah 6:1 (ESV) In the year that Kin...

Isaiah 4: From Reproach to Restoration The previous chapter ended with a description of the Lord taking away from Israel all sources of strength and beauty, and the violence that would bring death to most of the men of Israel. Chapter 4 describes the end of that sorrow and the beginning of their salvation. Isaiah proclaims the future exaltation of "the branch", and the reversal of fortune for the survivors left in Zion. Judgement will bring pride and honor, holiness and safety. Verse 1: God brings reproach. This verse seems a conclusion of the previous chapter. In the wake of God's removal of support and supply, the political and religious leadership will crumble, and war will decimate the male population (Isaiah 3:25). The ratio of men to women will plummet. Women will suffer reproach. Isaiah 4:1 (ESV) And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; ...

Psalm 12: The Godly One Is Gone To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David. Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man. Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say, "With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?" "Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise," says the Lord; "I will place him in the safety for which he longs." The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever. On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man. WHAT DO YOU THINK? Tell about a time when you felt alone in...

1 Timothy 4: The Value Of Godliness 1 Timothy 4:1-16 (ESV) What's gone before... Paul described our faith in Christ as a mystery, urging the church in Ephesus to make Christ the foundation of their godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world and taken up in glory. Moving on... "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. "If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Chri...

A Real Relationship With Jesus Today's post is written by my wife, Robin Reynolds, taken from a message presented at a recent Healing Hearts Bible study. The message strikes deeply at the heart of what being a Christian is, and I'm grateful for Robin allowing me to post it here. Being a Christian, a follower of Christ, isn't about following a list of rules. It's not about going through the checklist...Did I read my Bible today, did I pray, did I got to church this week? No. It's about our relationship with Jesus Christ. How dare we? How dare we reduce being a Christian to a simple set of rules. How dare we act as if the King of kings and the Lord of lords did not sacrifice His life so that we can have forgiveness of sins, an abundant life, and an intimate relationship with Him? How dare we behave as if this life that He has given us is all about us and our rule-following? Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but it isn't all about us. "Looki...

Psalm 3: Arise, O Lord! A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; Many are saying of my soul, "There is no salvation for him in God." Selah But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, And he answered me from his holy hill. Selah I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; You break the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the Lord; Your blessing be on your people! Selah Psalms 3:1-8 (ESV) WHAT DO YOU THINK? What range of emotions does David describe in this psalm? Is there a progression, or do David's feelings seem random? David was a warrior...he had bravely faced many situations, some even more threatening ...

The Price Of Sin What has gone before... Sin makes shipwreck of our lives on earth, destroying joy and peace, ruining relationships and stealing wealth and property. But sin also reaches beyond our natural life, condemning us to a spiritual death , eternity apart from God and His goodness. Sin - disobedience and dishonor, adoration for creatures and things rather than the Creator - ruins our heart for God . We become His enemy. Our only hope is being saved: delivered and protected by God from the effects of our sin. God desires that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, but the word "all" has a condition: all who are called by God , all who have their spiritual eyes opened by God, all who desire to be saved. "All" means all people who seek Jesus Christ as their Deliverer. Moving on... "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is...

Being Saved What has gone on before... Paul has urged Timothy to remain at Ephesus as pastor, warning him to expect opposition from some in the church who use the Law of God unlawfully, swerving away from love, searing their consciences and controlling others. The first priority, according to Paul, was to pray: in supplication, with discipline, as intercession, and with thanksgiving . "This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:3-4 (ESV) "This" refers to a peaceful, quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. "This" is salvation. Being saved means knowing the truth about ourselves and God . This knowledge brings peace, freedom from conflict and fear. It allows quiet meditation and contemplation without fear of rejection or punishment. Salvation creates the desire to adore goodness. Salvation restores human dignity, worthy of re...