Daily Dose of God’s Glorious Love

Extra note – As a pastor of a congregation I saw the struggles people have with feeling like they are cut off from not only their congregation but even their friends.   I always tried to encourage them that they were not forgotten.             Since becoming disabled I see the truth of what they felt.   People are busy with their lives and families and they do not think about those who they used to fellowship and worship with.   Church families without meaning to forget those they used to worship with.             The Body is often more interested in filling pews and forget about those who can no longer “serve” the congregation.   By this they lose so much!!!             Since becoming disabled I spend much time praying for the people I know and the congregations we served.   God has given me a prayer ministry for not only those I love but for those around the world who God loves.             I joke with Bonnie that while trapped in our home I travel the world as God call

January 30, 2018 Tuesday “Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are — the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.” (Mark 1:23-28 NKJV)             In this passage did Jesus rebuke and cast out demons or heal someone with a psychiatric problem?   The Bible clearly states many times that Jesus cast our demons, many who publicly declared that Jesus is the Son of God!             Isn’t it amazing that these people wi

January 29, 2018 Monday “Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mark 1:21-22 NKJV)             Jesus went to the synagogue wherever he went.   Wherever Jesus went the nearest synagogue or the Temple was part of the itinerary.   Part of this was to share the Good News but it seems Jesus also went to join in community worship since the good News was preached everywhere.             And when Jesus taught people were usually amazed at and the wisdom and authority with which He preached and spoke.   They were used to messages from the scribes which had not authority.             Without authority a message becomes little more than a sharing of ideas or the law which though helpful doesn’t touch the deepest need of the soul.   Self-help messages can improve life but cannot create life or renew a life darke

January 28, 2018 Sunday ““I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God. “And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.” (Exodus 29:45-46 NKJV)             Usually my scriptures come from the lectionary but this week God really touched my soul with this verse as I was reading through the Bible this year.   I do believe this is my new life verse!             In many ways these verses are a summation of what I have tried to emphasize in my ministry over the years.   That God is with us, loves us and brought us through so much so He could dwell among us!             The mystery of God can be seen in these verses as we see not only the presence but the direct contact of God to bring people out of slavery to the freedom of being with God.   We also see the glory, power and wonder of God who is “ the LORD their God.”                We also see the I

January 27, 2018 Saturday “But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, and those who use this world as not misusing it . For the form of this world is passing away.” (1 Corinthians 7:29-31 NKJV)             “For the form of this world is passing away.”               We are called to bear the burden of saving our world!   We must save the world for it is our home!   We must save the world because it is all that is!             WHAT A LIE!!!   This world, indeed the entire universe was created to hold life.   Life is the only eternal thing and our life can only be saved by God!   But our time is short and the time we have to receive God’s salvation is short!             The bible teaches us that there will be a new Heaven and a new earth.   Why?   B

January 26, 2018 Friday “My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah Surely men of low degree are a vapor, Men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor. Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them . God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work.” (Psalm 62:5-12 NKJV)             Many books have been written which teach money, sex and power are the important things to work for.   It is advertised, celebrated and even awarded!   They are like shiny

January 25, 2018 Thursday “This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the LORD about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, LORD! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” The LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?” Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. And the LORD God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that

January 24, 2018 Wednesday “The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city: “No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.” When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.” (Jonah 3:5-10 NLT)             Some will say that you can

Bonnie and I read this in our devotional from Near to the Heart of God: Meditations on 366 Best-Loved Hymns by Robert J. Morgan James Montgomery wrote four hundred hymns, the best-known being the Christmas carol “Angels from the Realms of Glory.” Among his lesser-known hymns is this wonderful prayer for Christian workers. A copy in the author’s handwriting says it was written on January 23, 1833, for “a meeting of the clergy.” It’s usually sung to the tune “Duke Street” (“Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun”). Offer it today as a prayer for your pastor or church staff! Pour out Thy Spirit from on high;   Lord, Thine assembled servants bless;   Graces and gifts to each supply,   And clothe Thy priests with righteousness.   Within Thy temple when they stand,   To teach the truth, as taught by Thee,   Savior, like stars in Thy right hand   May all Thy Church’s pastors be.   To watch and pray and never faint,   By day and night, strict guard t

January 23, 2018 Tuesday “Then the LORD spoke to Jonah a second time: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.” This time Jonah obeyed the LORD’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!”” (Jonah 3:1-4 NLT)             “A second time”.   God called Jonah to go fishing in Nineveh and instead he got caught by God through a great fish.   But God renews the call of Jonah and gave him another chance.             Do you give those in the Church a second chance?   Do you look for God to patiently change people as God patiently changed you?             Jonah is such a sad tale of a prophet who did not want to let go of his hate to give others a second chance even after God had given him a second chance.   But finally Jonah enters the massive city of Nineveh with the message that God

January 22, 2018 Monday “One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him. A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.” (Mark 1:16-20 NLT)             It is easy to think that we must invite people to come to church, especially our church.   After all we need to fill the pews and we need the offerings the new people will bring.             But Jesus was interested in other things and more important things.   The call of Jesus is “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”   Look at the stages of this call. Come – Jesus came to

January 21, 2018 Sunday “Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”” (Mark 1:14-15 NLT)             The coming of Jesus for many has become either a date we argue about or something that happened a long time ago.   It is too easy to lose the wonder and mystery of a child and be amazed as God at last fulfilled His promise. “The time promised by God has come at last!”             Does that make your heart and soul break forth in joy?   Does that make you wonder how such an amazing could have happened?   Are you amazed that the God who created all wrapped Himself in human flesh and came from the Worship of heaven to the abuse and murder of His Creation?             Jesus proclaims that the Kingdom of God is near!   Where is this Kingdom of God?   How can we know it even if we see it?

January 20, 2018 Saturday “"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything. "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spiri

1/19/2018 My Lord woke me and called for me to pray For the fear merchants spread their seed It grows into a harvest of anger and fear The evil one will bring fire and hail Not from the skies but within hearts The blaze consumes the fear merchants And those who let the seed into them The blaze will grow and burn so many Souls will be lost in their fear and anger For you cannot blame the fear merchants Because you have let their seed into you You have let it grow into a hateful crop And you have let it keep you from love And you have let it keep you from prayer And you have let it keep you from joy And you have let it keep you from peace And you have let it keep you from God PRAY for those who you hate the most PRAY for those who you fear the most PRAY for those who you dread the most PRAY for those who you call them For you are them to who you call them And they pray against you out of fear Little children please

January 18, 2018 Thursday “ For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” (Psalm 139:1-6 NIV)             I fear this verse!   I fear the searching of God for I know what I am and I know who I am!   I know that my tongue is not always filled with God’s Word but is often filled with my anger and fear.               I remember the lady who once told me that she only wanted what she deserved!   But is that what you want?   Do you want the pain and destruction and the hell in this life to grow into your hell in the next?             Pray and discover that God is all around you waiting

January 17, 2018 Wednesday “And the LORD said to Samuel: "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family for ever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them. Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’" Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, but Eli called him and said, "Samuel, my son." Samuel answered, "Here I am." "What was it he said to you?" Eli asked. "Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you." So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from