in the secret, in the quiet place...
Topic: 2002
hmmmm - some of you may recognize the subject as the first two lines of the song that says "...i want to know You more." - well, today, i thought we'd look at a couple of psalms that list some attributes of God - so that we can think about them AND know Him more....


psalm 103:8-19

the Lord is compassionate and gracious
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will He harbor His anger forever;
nor will He treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
for as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His love for those who fear Him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
as a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him;
for He knows how we are formed,
He remembers that we are dust.
as for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like the flowers of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
but from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord's love is with those who fear Him,
and His righteousness with their children's children -
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey His precepts.
the Lord has established His throne in heaven,
and His kingdom rules over all.


Psalm 145:8-20

the Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
the Lord is good to all;
He has compassion on all He has made.
all you have made will praise You, o Lord;
Your saints will extol you.
they will tell of the glory of Your kingdom
and speak of Your might,
so that all men may know of Your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and Your dominion endures through all generations.
the Lord is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all He has made.
the Lord upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
the eyes of all look to You,
and You give them their food at the proper time.
You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
the Lord is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all He has made.
the Lord is near to all who call on Him,
to all who call on Him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;
He hears their cry and saves them.
the Lord watches over all who love Him,
but all the wicked He will destroy.

ministry verses
Topic: 2002
so - i've been compiling in my one notebook (i have a BUNCH of notebooks....) verses that are important to me in ministry.....

hebrews 4:12

for the word of God is living and active. sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

1 corinthians 4:1-2

so then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

2 corinthians 4:1-2,5,7

therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. on the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly, we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.... for we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.... but we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

colossians 1:28-29

we proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. to this end i labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

galatians 6:9

let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

2 corinthians 12:15

so i will very gladly spend for you everything i have and expend myself as well. if i love you more, will you love me less?

thinkin' about speakin'...
Topic: 2002
colossians 4:6

let your conversation be ALWAYS full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

*** first - let's get the idea of grace... it's the understanding that i'm a terrible sinner - not deserving of anything from God except His wrath (eternity in hell) - BUT that God in His great love for me, sent His Son, Jesus to die in MY place - that i might have a restored relationship with Him!!! - no wonder we sing "amazing grace"...

### so - how should i be talkin if my conversation's full of grace? well - it won't be selfishly, it won't be self-righteously, it won't be judgmentally.... it will be with a love, joy and understanding born out of the fact that i have received the greatest gift possible and it was something that i in NO WAY deserve... i will be patient and understanding, compassionate and kind.....

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.

oh, you know you'd better - WATCH OUT!
Topic: 2002
deuteronomy 29:16-19

you yourselves know how we lived in egypt and how we passed through the countries on the way here. you saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold. make sure that there is no man among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such BITTER POISON. when such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, "i will be safe, even though i persist in going my own way." this will bring disaster...

**** God says in exodus 34:14 "...the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." ...... don't be fooled into compromise!!

quess what it's about...
Topic: 2002
hmmmm - after a long layoff (i hate my computer!!!) - here we go again:

1 john 4:7-21

dear friends, let us LOVE one another, for .
LOVE comes from God

everyone who LOVES has been born of God and knows God. whoever does not LOVE does not know God, because God is LOVE.

this is how God showed his LOVE among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

this is LOVE: not that we LOVED God, but that He LOVED us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

dear friends, since God so LOVED us, we also ought to LOVE one another.

no one has ever seen God; but if we LOVE one another, God lives in us and his LOVE is made complete in us. we know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given his Spirit. and we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. if anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. and so we know and rely on the LOVE God has for us.

God is LOVE. whoever lives in LOVE lives in God, and God in him. in this way, LOVE is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.

there is no fear in LOVE, but perfect LOVE drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. the one who fears is not made perfect in LOVE.

we LOVE because He first LOVED us.

if anyone says, "i LOVE God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. for anyone who does not LOVE his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

and He has given us this command: whoever LOVES God must also LOVE his brother.