Weekly Spiritual Meditations - 3/28

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No matter what we have done, God always offers us the chance to begin anew. Knowing that God grants us a new beginning, we, too, can look at our parents, our children, our partner or our friends, anyone with whom we've had some distance, and say, "Let's have a new beginning." Love is greater than any of our mistakes. --Mary Manin Morrissey

God is love, God is all.

Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

Sometimes our role is simply to plant the seed and trust God to bring the harvest.

"God is not a bystander in life, He is the power that inspires greatness in the most average of men."

You begin your spiritual walk as an unworthy, wicked lump of clay. God places you on His potter's wheel, and begins to form you.
You may say, "I have such rough edges this is very uncomfortable. God looks at you with His all-knowing eyes and says, "My Child, I have just begun. Bear with me, For I love you."

Remember nothing is going to happen today that you and God can't handle.

Keep your light shinning bright and strong. You may never know who will find their way out of the darkness, because of your light.

God has planned our future long before we reach the destination of our need.

When storms come, face God not the storm.

God will either lighten your load or He will strengthen Your back.

Talk to God -- He always listens.

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"Verbal Halitosis" by Ron Hutchraft
One thing television has done for us - it's made us all more self-conscious about our breath. The commercials keep coming. Years ago it was, "Don't broadcast bad breath." More recent commercials talk about your "wake-up breath." You run from people who want to kiss you because you have to gargle first. You got to get rid of that morning mouth. Well, these kinds of commercials sell a lot of mouthwash, toothpaste, breath mints and breath Drops. I just wish there was a mouthwash for the really gross mouth problem.
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
This word unwholesome is interesting, "don't let any unwholesome talk come out." It means decay. It means rotten. It talks about rotten fruit. It talks about spoiled fish. Don't let any rotten apples or spoiled fish come out of your mouth. It's a strong word. It's not just unwholesome. We're talking here about verbal halitosis.
What if we taped your conversations over the last few days and played them all back? Telephone conversations, what you said to your family members, your angry moments, your stress moments. Is there any talk there that would tear a person down? Critical, negative, complaining, some put-down there, a little sarcasm here, maybe you had the last word that ended the argument, but it wounded someone you love.
Listen to this: "Do not let (That means, stop it. Don't let it) come out of your mouth" - that kind of hurting talk. The Bible says "the tongue has the power of life and death." Proverbs 12:18 says, "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
You've got to ask the Lord to help you hear those spiritual alarms that go off before you're about to say something that's really hurtful. We've already done it enough for a lifetime. Stop it before it comes out. It's like a bullet coming out of a gun. You can't stop it. You have to stop it by not pulling the trigger. Once it's sent to its target, it's just going to do its damage.
Interestingly enough, God provides a "do" here for the "don't." He says, "Don't let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth." He says, "...but talk building-up talk" - things that build up other people. You need to look at that other person as a person who's under construction - a person you're building. So ask yourself, when I talk to that person, did I build them or did I bulldoze them. It's a strong follow-up here in Ephesians 4:30 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
In other words, you make God cry when you tear down a person He's trying to build. So look out for that rotten, spoiled garbage that so easily spills out of your mouth.
It doesn't take long for the words to come out, but the damage can last a lifetime. We never forget the insults. We never forget the names we're called. We never forget the criticism long after the person who has spoken them can't remember them.
Spiritual halitosis - it's not just dangerous because it smells bad, sometimes it can even leave life-long scars. Let's follow what the Bible says: "Guard your mouth."

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THE HUT Author Unknown
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.
Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.
Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground ---- it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

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Testing the Water by Sally I. Kennedy
Test everything, hold onto the good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Okayyy, the faucet handles were backwards. Who knew the hot was on the right and cold on the left?! I turned the knobs slowly, testing the water, and discovered the reversal. Fortunately I didn't just turn it on and hop right in without testing the water.
As I thought about the value of testing that water, my mind shifted to another kind of water. Through loads of media available today we have access to all kinds of info and teaching. Brain food, soul food, you name it. Live streaming from conferences and churches is a piece of cake for many smartphones.
Discernment is needed now more than ever, with more input all around us. One thing for sure, it has to line up with the Word of God....'no Bible contradictions' would be a good check.
Benjamin Franklin once said, "Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see". The Bible says, "Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world." (1 John 4:1)
When it comes to testing the water, we might have a sixth-sense of right or wrong. It may not sit well with us somehow. The big thing is we have the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. We can rely on His voice and know He will never lead us astray or off course. That is good news.

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The Place of Nothingness by Os Hillman
"Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10)
Do you find yourself in a place of nothingness? There is a time and place in our walk with God in which He sets us in a place of isolation and waiting. It is a place in which all past experiences are of no value. It is a time of such stillness that it can disturb the most faithful if we do not understand that He is the one who has brought us to this place for only a season. It is as if God has placed a wall around us. No new opportunities - simply inactivity.
During these times, God is calling us aside to fashion something new in us. It is a place of nothingness designed to call us to deeper roots of prayer and faith. It is not a comfortable place, especially for a task-driven workplace believer. Our nature cries out, "You must do something" while God is saying, "Be still and know that I am God." You know the signs that you have been brought into this place when He has removed many things from your life and you can't seem to change anything. Perhaps you are unemployed. Perhaps you are laid up with an illness.
Many people live a very planned and orchestrated life where they know almost everything that will happen. But for people in whom God is performing a deeper work, He brings them into a time of quietness that seems almost eerie. They cannot see what God is doing. They just know that He is doing a work that cannot be explained to themselves or to others.
Has God brought you to a place of nothingness? Be still and know that He really is God. When this happens, your nothingness will be turned into something you will value for the rest of your life.

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Argument Over
I read these words from Jesus, “Do not worry about your life.” I read these words from Paul, “Do not be anxious about anything…” And, I read these words from Peter, “Cast all your anxiety on him…” and I want to argue with them.
Before I get the objections out of my mouth Paul and Peter point to Jesus and remind me, “We are only the messengers! These are His words.” So, I argument with Him.
“Do not worry about your life? Are you kidding me? Have you ever been laid off from your job? Have you ever seen your hard earned paycheck disappear before you even get it deposited? Have you ever wondered where your next meal would come from, or when it would come? Have you have known something was wrong inside your body but found no answers from the medical experts?”
“Don’t be anxious about anything? Lord, are You serious?” I continue my case. “Lord, have you ever sat in a hospital waiting room as the person you love undergoes surgery to remove a tumor that may or may not be cancerous? Have You ever dropped your son off at his college dorm, hugged him, told him you love him, and drove home knowing that things will never be the same? Have You, Lord, ever been hundreds of miles away from your daughter, while she approaches and passes her baby’s due date? Have You ever been forced to watch as your son struggles to recover from his first true heartbreak?”
“Cast all my anxiety on You? All my anxiety? Do you really expect me to do that? Do you know what it’s like to give up the controls of your life and let someone else take control? Have You ever experienced what it is like to be totally at the mercy of someone else, knowing they could take advantage of you, hurt you, misrepresent you, and abuse you?”
He answers, while Paul and Peter stand nearby with their arms crossed and sly smiles on their faces: “Well, maybe not exactly those same circumstances, but I think I understand how you feel. I did send my one and only Son into a world to express my love for the people, only to watch as He was mistreated, ridiculed, judged, beaten, and killed. And, I have watched as my children have declared their undying love for me one day then turn their backs on me the next. And, I have witnessed my loved ones make promises and express vows of faith and faithfulness, only to watch them fall by the wayside when they experience opposition. And, I have been watching over you since before you were born and re-born clearing away dangerous obstacles, removing strong opposition, giving you strength and wisdom to handle the pressure, and going out of my way to express how very special you are to me. Let me ask you, did you know all that?”
Before I can shamefully slip away from His presence, He asks me to read the entire passage surrounding those statements. So, I read the entire passages.
(Matthew 6) “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
He asks me: “Are you not much more valuable than they?”
(Philippians 4) 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
He asks, “Do you realize that I am always near?”
(1 Peter 5) 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
He asks, “Do you realize how much I care about you?”
My argument is over. --Tom

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Trust Author Unknown
A new school Principal was checking over his school on the first day. Passing the stockroom, he was startled to see the door wide open and teachers bustling in and out, carrying off books and supplies in preparation for the arrival of students the next day. The school where he had been a Principal the previous year had used a check-out system only slightly less elaborate than that at Fort Knox.
Cautiously, he asked the school's long time Custodian, "Do you think it's wise to keep the stockroom unlocked and to let the teachers take things without requisitions?"
The Custodian looked at him gravely and said, "We trust them with the children, don't we?"
Trust. A simple and short word, but one that implies so much. If I trust someone in one area, but not in another, have I really trusted them? Can trust be area specific? I know confidence can be, but trust implies the whole package.
How do you trust God? Do you, as many people do, trust Him for your salvation, but you don't trust Him to take care of your daily needs? Do you trust Him to forgive you of your sins, but not to help you in personal areas that you lift to Him in prayer? In other words, do you trust the Lord for the big things, but doubt Him (distrust) for the relatively little things?
We need to make a decision right now! Do you trust God for EVERYTHING or do you pick and choose where you trust Him? How does God want you to trust Him? I'm so glad that God forgave me of ALL my sins, not just the ones He thought about, rationalized, and made a decision based on my life experience or my worthiness.
God can be trusted in ALL things; we need to show Him that we trust Him in ALL areas by giving Him our WHOLE life, not just certain areas.

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
Do not react emotionally to recent and unexpected developments. Ask for wisdom and yield to My directives. Stand strong in righteousness, and exercise your authority to bind the works of the enemy. Resist every form of evil that tries to intrude. I have given you power over darkness, says the Lord. Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Ask for wisdom in your current dilemma, and I will show you how to proceed. I will reveal pieces of the puzzle that you have not yet considered, says the Lord. Trust Me to take you in a proper progression so that nothing is lost, stolen or destroyed that is still of value. My ways always bring life and liberty to all concerned. Be strong and persevere. Romans 5:3-4 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

I say to you, stay in the river. Spiritually, you have not only gotten your feet wet (walked in the Spirit), but you have waded--even gotten in waist deep. You have been able to flow in the Spirit according to your understanding of the Word (loins gird about with truth). But now, I am urging you to get in over your head. Let the Spirit move as you plunge in beyond your knowledge and understanding. Be baptized, immersed in the Holy Spirit. Go beyond your own abilities, and cast yourself on Him. Just as water will buoy you up and carry you, let the Spirit lift you and move you. Refuse to walk in shallowness; go deeper. Abandon yourself completely to the Spirit of God. I want you to experience the joy deep water!

I remind you today of a word I have already given you. I say this word is coming to completion: You are wondering about the current shifting of position. You could call it the "changing of the guard." The enemy is jockeying for position; he is able to establish his people in key positions of leadership because of the compliance of the general population. Satan has been laying the ground work for this move for several decades. This is the beginning of the powers of the earth aligning themselves in one-world order against the Lord. This shifting of position will continue on every level. At the end of this shifting, the communistic states will again be closed to the Gospel, and Christian persecution will become the accepted norm. Nevertheless, My people are also being moved to areas of their greatest effectiveness. Many are being assigned positions they don't yet understand. Some are sent or will be sent on special assignment to strengthen others in key positions. I will link strong and weak together that all may stand. Refrain from logical conclusions or intellectual guessing about those things you don't understand. Walk in the Spirit. Stay grounded in the Word. Trust and Obey.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
I see where you have camped out. But, the cloud is moving. The cloud is going before you, so get up and go with Me, and you will have no regrets. For, I am leading you to a higher place than you have ever been. Your discernment in this season will grow greatly, and your ability to seek and find Me will rise to a place that you have never understood. You will know in your heart, without any doubt, that I am for you and with you. I am leading you, guiding you, protecting you, and I will provide for you. Healing will come. The healing waters will flow. The flow of the Spirit is increasing in these days. So, come into agreement with My purposes and come with Me on this journey, says the Lord.

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UNFOLDING THE ROSEBUD Author Unknown
It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of GOD's design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.
The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
GOD opens this flower so sweetly,
When in my hands they fade and die.
If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of GOD's design,
Then how can I think I have wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?
So I'll trust in Him for His leading
Each moment of every day.
I will look to Him for His guidance
Each step of the pilgrim way.
The pathway that lies before me,
Only my heavenly Father knows.
I'll trust Him to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose.

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An Inspiring Alphabet Author Unknown
Although things are not perfect
Because of trial or pain
Continue in happy giving
Do not begin to blame
Even when the times are hard
Fierce winds are bound to blow
God is forever able
Hold on to what you know
Imagine life without God's love
Joy would cease to be
Keep thanking God for all the things
Love imparts to thee
Move out of Self Complaining
No weapon that is known
On earth can yield the power
Prayer can do alone
Quit looking at the future
Redeem the time at hand
Start every day with worship
To thank is a command
Until we get blessings
Victorious in the sky
We'll run the race with gratitude
Xpect from God most high
Yes, there will be good times and will be bad, but...
Zzzz peacefully at night... when you're blessed in dream!

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When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:17-18

Then I said, "Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. Do not, O LORD, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever. Psalm 40:7-11

The LORD upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to thee, and thou givest them their food in due season. Thou openest thy hand, thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing. The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. He fulfills the desire of all who fear him, he also hears their cry, and saves them. The LORD preserves all who love him; but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever. Psalm 145:14-2

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Romans 13:12

Let the whole world bless our God and sing aloud His praises. Our lives are in His hands, and He keeps our feet from stumbling. Psalm 66:8-9

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How Old Are You? By Pastor Lonnie
Our spiritual maturity may be easiest to spot by one simple trait - how perceptive and thankful are we of God's works?
I think about my newest not-quite-one-week-old grandson, and realize how much care he needs. He is totally oblivious to it. Then there is my 3 year olds, they have more of an appreciation for how much they need their parents, their care, and their supply; and at times actually acknowledge in some loving way. My five year old who has a mature mind and a soft heart, is so much more thankful and aware of all of the people around him.
Of course nothing makes our kids more aware, than when they become the provider and care giver.
In our journey with the Lord, it is not important what our chronological age. When we are not aware of God's works all around us, all the time, ever interceding, never failing; we are infants.
We are toddlers when we become a little more aware of all that He does every day and consider them. But as we began to love Him, take Him in, share Him, praise Him, and care more for the needs and families of others as much as our own; we know we are finally beginning to grow up.
What happens when His works are totally unknown and unacknowledged? Israel shows us in the Book of Judges, ...there arose another generation that knew not the works that He had done...every man that which was right in their own eyes.
There is a connection between acknowledging the ever-present, great works of God all around our life and wanting to please Him with all He has given us. David brings up God's works five times...One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of thy glorious honor of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works...The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies over all His works. All thy works shall praise the, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee...The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. (Psalm 145.4, 5, 9, 10, 17) How old are we?

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Change Me Author Unknown
Dear Lord change not Thy will in my life,
Or trial and sorrows to be;
Renew my faith and make me strong,
Change not Thy will, change me.
Though teardrops fall when trouble comes,
Like storms on a rolling sea;
Let Thy beacon guide my ship to port,
Change not the storm, change me.
When Thy Holy Word I don't understand
And Thy glory I cannot see;
Teach my eyes, give me sight and wisdom,
Change not Thy Word, change me.
If the fruit Thou hast given me to eat,
Taste bitter and sour, I plea;
Let not my will but Thine be done,
Change not the fruit, change me.
If sometime I murmur and grumble, dear Lord,
About the cross I carry for Thee;
Keep it firm on my shoulders, but hold my hand,
Change not the cross, change me.
If You change Thy ways to please me, dear Lord,
I would soon grow cold and turn from Thee;
That You may hear my prayers, dear Lord,
Change not Thy ways, change me.
There's a valley that I must cross,
Someday Thy face to see;
Lest I forget what power is Thine,
Change not the valley, change me.

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Read Through The Bible
2 Chronicles 15
The Reforms of Asa
1 Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. 2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 3 For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; 4 but when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. 5 And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity. 7 But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!” 8 And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim; and he restored the altar of the Lord that was before the vestibule of the Lord. 9 Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who dwelt with them from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for they came over to him in great numbers from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. 10 So they gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 And they offered to the Lord at that time seven hundred bulls and seven thousand sheep from the spoil they had brought. 12 Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; 13 and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. 14 Then they took an oath before the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting and trumpets and rams’ horns. 15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around. 16 Also he removed Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah; and Asa cut down her obscene image, then crushed and burned it by the Brook Kidron. 17 But the high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days. 18 He also brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated: silver and gold and utensils. 19 And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

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Dear God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself... and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But, I believe this: I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. I hope I have that desire in everything I do. I hope I never do anything apart from that desire. And, I know that if I do this You will lead me by the right road... though I may know nothing about it at the time. Therefore, I will trust You always for though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death, I will not be afraid because I know You will never leave me to face my troubles all alone. Amen --Thomas Merton

Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so: http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.