The story of King David and Bathsheba is currently one of my favorites, believe it or not. It is such a legend of the grace of God, actively at work in our lives. For a shepherd boy to be made a king in the first place was incredible. Then, he see’s a woman bathing.. Takes her into his chambers, she get’s pregnant, he murders her husband (along with many others) and then wed’s the beautiful Bathsheba. The price for adultery was death. The price for murder was death. And yet, neither of them die. Their first baby dies, but then they go on to have four more God-fearing sons. One of which becomes King Solomon, known as the wisest man to have ever lived.
A story of grace is one that turns a shepherd into an anointed king. And his son, the son of an adulteress into his successor. That is exactly what the grace of God desires to do, despite all of our faults and failures. He longs to take us, from the shepherd’s field, into the king’s court. No matter how many times I commit adultery in my relationship with the Lord, He still calls me royalty. He still places upon me a white robe. He calls me new. He calls me His love. And that.. Is grace, my friends.

Oh God, gather me now to be with You as You are with me.

Soothe my tiredness;
quiet my fretfulness;
curb my aimlessness;
relieve my compulsiveness;
let me be easy for a moment.


O Lord, release me
from the fears and guilts which grip me so tightly;
from the expectations and opinions which I so tightly grip,
that I may be open
to receiving what You give,
to risking something genuinely new,
to learning something refreshingly different.


Forgive me
for claiming so much for myself
that I leave no room for gratitude;
for confusing exercises in self-importance
with acceptance of self-worth;
for complaining so much of my burdens
that I become a burden;
for competing against others so insidiously
that I stifle celebrating them
and receiving your blessing through their gifts.

O God, gather me to be with You as You are with me.

Amen.

-by Ted Loder

CLICK THIS LINK RIGHT NOW AND WATCH "HEAR AND OBEY".......LIFE CHANGING.

http://austinstone.org/resources/sermons

 

Nehemiah 9:6

 



You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

 

A consideration of these passages:

 

" Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”  “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered.

 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.  Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

 

&

 

^" Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

  “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with,  but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.  Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

We have been given a choice, either we will seek to serve ourselves, a choice that nullifies our capacity to live as disciples, or we will learn to live as servants out of a faith relationship with God through Christ. In Matthew 6, the Lord stated it this way, “No one is able to serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. No one is able to serve God and possessions” (Matt. 6:24). When we serve money, we are really serving ourselves and our own desires for what we think money will purchase like significance, power, pleasure, security, or status. Money is not evil and having it is not evil, but if it becomes our master, it controls our values, priorities, and pursuits rather than God, and that is evil.
Through these passages, Christ shows that His organization or organism, the body of Christ, is to function on the basis of service or servant-like ministry to others.

"God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne."  Psalm 47:8

 

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

 Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O LORD, and I will sing praises to Your name. Psalm 18:49

Abundant life

Have you ever been reading the Bible and come across a verse you’ve read a thousand times, but for some reason this time, God showed you something you’d never seen before? I had that experience last week.

I was reading in the book of John, in a different translation thaN I normally use, and came across John 10:10. I’d read it a thousand times before:

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

In the past, every time I’d read that verse I got stuck on the second half where it talks about abundant life. I wanted to know what abundant life is, do I have it, how do I get it… and every lesson I’d ever heard or read on that verse discussed the same thing.

But last week when I read it, it hit me. And I hope I am able to explain it the way that God showed it to me that day. That verse is telling me what abundant life is and it’s this: “I am come…”

The fact that Jesus is here – that’s what abundant life is! It’s his presence in my life. It’s not something else that I need to acquire, or something else I need to find or earn, or somehow get a hold of. It’s the presence of Jesus in my life – automatically I have abundant life. It’s Him!

All throughout Scripture God uses the expression “I am” to describe himself. It means something that is happening in this present moment. He says I am the bread of life, I am the light of the world, I am the resurrection and the life, I am the way, the truth, the life, I am love, I am peace, I am strength, I am hope, I am… He becomes whatever we need in this present moment. That’s the nature of who God is.

Jesus uses this same phrase here – “I am come…”

I am here, so you already have abundant life. You have everything you need. Abundant life is the opposite of overwhelming life. God was telling me to open my eyes and see that I already have it. We have abundant life now, in the midst of whatever we are going through. If we have asked Christ to come into our lives and to take over, to forgive us, and to save us – we have him. That’s everything. There is nothing more I could ever possibly need because everything is met in his presence.

Think back for a minute when you were a kid in school. The atmosphere in the classroom was a certain way when the teacher was in the room and probably a different way when the teacher was out of the room, right? The teacher’s presence made a difference in the classroom, hopefully! But what happened in that classroom when the Principal walked into the room. Everything changed, right? Even if he just stood in the back of the room, didn’t say a word, his presence changed everything. There was a power to his presence. Everything quieted down, every chaotic word or action fell into line, peace and order settled over the room. The Principal, by the authority of his position, was in complete control of the classroom. Nothing was going to happen that he wasn’t aware of or in charge of.

That’s what this verse in John 10 is saying. I am come… my presence in your life brings infinite love, and infinite power, and infinite wisdom, it brings peace, it brings rest, it brings hope, it brings order.

Consciousness of God’s presence is abundant life. I need to constantly be aware of His presence with me. He is in my life. And here’s the thing: God doesn’t get overwhelmed!

The word abundantly, is a Greek word that was used in the marketplace. It was a mathematical word meaning to have a surplus. When you have a surplus it means that you have more than you need. More than you required, or more than you ordered. You have enough to meet your need and then some. Think about the implications of that for a minute.

Let’s reword that verse from John chapter 10. This is my translation:

“Today, my presence is your life, ruling in your world, and I provide exactly what you need, and even more than you ordered.”

If I am operating based on that truth, I will not be overwhelmed. I can’t be overwhelmed. God can’t be overwhelmed.

And what do you do with surplus? When we have surplus anything we normally give it away. Think about the army surplus store. They are selling the extra supplies that they don’t need. If I have extra cheesecake, I’m going to offer some to you. I don’t need it. I can’t eat it all. If I have surplus I’m going to give it away.

That’s what God wants me to do. As he meets my need, provides what I ask for, then I give the rest out to someone else. If I have prayed for peace this week, God gives me what I need and more because he wants me to take that peace and give it away. Maybe I asked for patience, I can be sure he will give me opportunities to give patience away. Maybe I'm feeling insecure this week, God says, know that my presence is with you; you are secure, now go out and encourage someone else. Give it away.

Recognize his presence in your life, and share it. That’s the path to abundant life.

"when the redeemed soul, beyond all hope and nearly beyond belief, learns at last that she has pleased Him whom she was created to please, there will be no room for vanity then. she will be free from the miserable illusion that it is her doing. with no taint of what we should now call self-approval she will most innocently rejoice in the thing that God has made her to be, and the moment which heals her old inferiority complex for ever will also drown her pride." -C.S. Lewis

Beloved,

Long before I laid down earth's foundations, I had you in mind, had settled on you as the focus of My love, to be made whole and holy by My love. (Ephesians 1:4-6). I created you so I could love you. I did not make you a puppet, because I wanted a lover. I knew that for a real romance to occur, I had to give you the freedom to reject Me. And reject Me, you did, chasing other lovers. I stood and watched you commit adulterous affairs with the world, trying to fill the deep chasm in your heart. And each time you came up short. They failed you. As the world continued to take and take and take from you, My overflowing fountain of love continued to lavish love upon you. I gave and gave but you kept on running from Me. Yet, I still wanted you. My pursuit for you was relentless. At the point of your deepest betrayal, when you had run your farthest from Me and gotten so lost in the woods you could never find your way home, I came into the world and died to rescue you. I followed you into your own darkness; there where you thought finally to escape me, and you ran straight into My arms. Your hope is now in My determination to save you, and I will not give in. Loving you is not something I do, it is who I am. And because of who I am, I love you. Period. Why would I love you? Because that’s who I am: I am Love. And that makes you who you are: beloved. My bride, are you making yourself ready for your Groom? Each day I kneel on one knee proposing to you the greatest romance of them all. Will you let Me love you today? Will you stop focusing on cupid, chocolates, flowers, cards, and balloons? Trade it in for a cross, the real symbol of love. Redeem what the world has tainted. Refresh your definition of love. I AM LOVE HIMSELF, all that I am goes back to love. Please do not think I am holding out on you, I am holding onto you. I am jealous FOR you, for YOUR BEST. “But, I NEED love.” Yes, My beautiful one, I know you do, but not the kind that any earthly being can give. You need Me. “What a man desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar” (Proverbs 19:22). Do not hesitate in admitting that you are in desperate need of love; I made you that way. Don’t live in the falsehood and lies that you have found unfailing love in another other source than Me. I have shaped your heart, shaped it to beat with Mine. Confess that you are bankrupt without My love. I am enthralled by your beauty, I desire you, I have already saved the day and I am coming back for you. And as you are awaiting My return, if I will, in MY time, I will surprise you with a prince to take care of you until I come riding on the clouds. But I want you to remember that “no love of the natural heart is safe unless the human heart has been satisfied by God first.” Your love will fail others. Others love will fail you. But when you are both saturated in My love, my love is made complete in you. I will grant this to you for I want you to see, in the flesh, a picture of your relationship with Me, and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty and perfection and love that I offer you with Myself. Know that I love utterly. I do not have the ability to suddenly decide I do not want you anymore. Nothing you do or don’t do will make Me love you any more or any less. My love is steadfast, never changing. I am inviting you to an adventure, to live from your heart. May this world continue to stir in you the hope of Heaven, our happily ever after. You were made for Love with no intentions of giving up. I won’t relent.

I Remain,
Your Sacred Romance

How could I not serve a God who....

Loves me and has chose me: 
1 Thessalonians 1:4 ~ We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people

Calls me holy and beloved:
Colossians 3:12~ So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience

Makes me complete:
Colossians 2:10~ and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

Supplies all my needs:
Philippians 4:19~ And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Guards my heart and mind:
Philippians 4:7~ And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Makes me righteous and perfect:
Ephesians 4:24~ and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Calls me His workmanship:
Ephesians 2:10~For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Brings me to life:
Ephesians 2:4-5~  But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ ( by grace you have been saved),

Seals me with a promise:
Ephesians 1:13~ In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Gives me every spiritual blessing:
Ephesians 1:3~ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

Sets me free:
Galatians 5:1~ It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Casts away my wrongs and makes me a new person:
2 Corinthians 5:17~ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Leads me in triumph:
2 Corinthians 2:14~But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

Calls my body sacred:
1 Corinthians 6:19~Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

Gives me victory in all things:
Romans 8:37~ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

Sees me as beautiful:
Song of Solomon 4:7~“ You are altogether beautiful, my darling,
And there is no blemish in you.