Regeneration

O God…

occupy the throne of my heart,
take full possession and reign supreme,
lay low every rebel lust,
let no vile passion resist thy holy war;
manifest thy mighty power,
and make me thine for ever.

Thou art worthy to be praised with my every breath,
loved with my every faculty of soul,
served with my every act of life.

Thou hast loved me, espoused me, received me,
purchased, washed, favored, clothed, adorned me,
when I was worthless, vile, soiled, polluted.

I was dead in iniquities,
having no eyes to see thee,
no ears to hear thee,
no taste to relish thy joys,
no intelligence to know thee;

But thy Spirit has quickened me,
has brought me into a new world as a new creature,
has given me spiritual perception,
has opened to me thy Word as light, guide, solace, joy.

Thy presence is to me a treasure of unending peace;
No provocation can part me from thy sympathy,
for thou hast drawn me with cords of love,
and dost forgive me daily, hourly.

O help me then to walk worthy of thy love,
of my hopes, and my vocation.

Keep me, for I cannot keep myself;
Protect me that no evil befall me;
Let me lay aside every sin admired of many;
Help me to walk by thy side, lean on thy arm,
hold converse with thee,
That henceforth I may be salt of the earth and a blessing to all.

-This prayer and many other Puritan prayers can be found in The Valley of Vision

Q. 33. What is a change of heart called?

A. Regneration

-from A Catechism for Boys and Girls

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. -Titus 3:4-7

A Thankful Heart

So yesterday I was surfing around searching for something to encourage me a bit and I stopped at Holy Experience. (Ann Voscamp’s writing and photography are beautiful. This sounds cliché, but she “moves me”.) As I was visiting I stumbled upon an old post and a link to the Gratitude Community and I realized that this is something I need to do. I need to be intentionally thankful. So without further ado I’m going to jump in. I will post these whenever not just on Monday. Lord, move me.

Thankful for…

1. Lessons learned in this season of life.
2. A little girl with generous kisses.
3. Funny faces.
4. “One thing more.”
5. Together time
6. Pumpkins
7. Benjamin in constant motion
8. Learning from “missed marks” and a patient God who never gives up on me.
9. Quiet times and noisy ones
10. Times of worship
11. Being tired at the end of the day.
12. Rest

Holy Thursday

Just a reminder, today is Maundy Thursday ( also called Holy Thursday or Great Thursday). It is the Thursday before Easter, and the day before Good Friday, and is a commemoration of the Last Supper when Jesus shared the Passover meal with the disciples on the night before He was crucified. This is typically a solemn day because it is marked by the remembrance of the Jesus' betrayal by Judas. It is the start four precious days that culminate on Sunday with Easter and the celebration of the resurrection.

Three important events to reflect on today:

1. The Last Supper also called the Passover Meal (the Passover Meal was a meal that the Jewish people shared together to remember and/or celebrate the time when God delivered Moses and the Israelites from captivity in Egypt).

And when the hour came, He reclined at table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And He took the cup,…” –Luke 22:14-17a

2. Jesus washing the disciples’ feet - before the Passover meal Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside His outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around His waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. –John 13:3-5

When He had washed their feet and put on His outer garments and resumed His place He said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” –John 13:12-4

3. Jesus betrayal by Judas; one of the twelve disciples - Maundy Thursday was the night on which Judas betrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize Him and lead Him away under guard.” And when he came, he went up to Him at once and said, “Rabbi!” and he kissed Him. –Mark 14:43-45

You can learn more here and here.

My two cents – if you haven’t already begun preparing your heart for Easter/Resurrection Day prayerfully consider doing so. This is such a special, special time…and for Christians is arguably the most important of all Christian celebrations. I’ll write more tomorrow about Good Friday and about our own Lenten traditions.

blessings,
danielle

And as they were eating, He took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” -Mark 14:22-25

Morning Prayer

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.
Give me understanding, and I will keep your law, and obey it with all my heart.
Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
That which I see not teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.
-Psalm 119:18, 34; 25:4-5 and Job 34:32 KJV

A Little Stott

We should not suppose that self-denial is giving up luxuries during Lent or that “my cross” is some personal and painful trial. We are always in danger of trivializing Christian discipleship, as if it were no more than adding a thin veneer of piety to an otherwise secular life. Then prick the veneer, and there is the same old pagan underneath. No, becoming and being a Christian involves a change so radical that no imagery can do it justice except death and resurrection - dying to the old life of self-centeredness and rising to a new life of holiness and love. Paul was elaborating Jesus’ vocabulary when he wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20) and, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24). One final thought: Luke added the adverb daily to the saying of Jesus: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23, emphasis added). –from Through the Bible, Through the Year : Daily Reflections from Geneis to Revelation by John Stott (reflecting on Mark 8:34/Taking Up the Cross)

How can I not be moved by You!

This morning I was reading the story of the demon possessed man (Luke 8:26-39) and as I got to the end of the story I was struck by the last two verses.

The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him (Luke 8:38-39).

Do you see? Did you hear?

Return home.

Declare how much God has done for you.

And he went away proclaiming…how much Jesus had done for him (v.39)

Do you? Proclaim how much God has done for you?

And he went away proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him (Luke 8:39 b).

At other times after Jesus has finished telling a Parable He will tell the people, “You go, and do likewise (Luke 10:37)”.

How can we not be moved by Him?

Maybe we haven’t been set free from demons, but we have been forgiven much…shouldn’t we too be going “throughout the city” and telling everyone just how much Christ has done for us?

You calm the storms
And you give me rest
You hold me in your hands
You won't let me fall
You steal my heart
When you take my breath away
Would you take me in take me deeper now

And how can I stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be
Any better than this
-from “Everything” by Lifehouse

Let the Word of Chirst dwell in you richly… -Colossians 3:16

Prayer Part 4

Yesterday morning (sorry the story still isn't finished) Aaron woke up and told me that he’d seen an Alien in the house. Yes. Complete with scales and a long tail. Yes, really. We don’t talk much about Aliens so this was a very odd thing to hear. He went on to tell me about how he saw it peeking around the corner of his room and how he was afraid and prayed that God would protect him and the rest of us and get rid of the creature. Notice his response to this creature? At his age (10) I did not know the Lord and I would not have prayed for protection, because no one ever told me I should or could, so I would have cowered with my head under my blankets and been afraid. Aaron was afraid too, but he knows that he has Someone bigger than himself, bigger than me, even bigger than his father to whom he can turn to in time of need. He also knows that this Someone loves him very, very much. Would I want it any other way? Was his prayer trivial? Did I tell him that God didn’t care about his experience with the Alien? No. Regardless of whether I believe that the Alien was real or not I want him to know that he has Someone whose name is God, and who has a Son named Jesus, and a helper named the Holy Spirit to whom he can turn in time of need and all other times as well. But, do I want him to pray only in time of need?

No. Pray without ceasing.

Why? Because – and this is the crux of everything - prayer is about building a relationship with God. Aaron can’t get to know God unless he spends time talking to Him and learning about His character. You can’t get to know God unless you spend time with Him. And you can’t hear God speak unless you are so used to talking to him that You can hear and recognize His voice when He speaks.

And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 1 Samuel 3:10

Why didn’t Samuel recognize the Lord’s voice the first three times? Because he couldn’t distinguish God’s voice from Eli’s voice. He didn’t recognize the Lord’s voice.

I have no doubt that after God’s fourth call Samuel never again mistook God’s voice for the voice of anyone other than God. Why? Because he was familiar with God’s voice. From that time on he was listening for God’s voice and he was talking to God regularly.

Prayer.

Only one more left. I'll post part 5 tomorrow. (Donna, I bet you had no idea your question would spark this many posts. Thank you and sorry.)

Prayer Part 3

Continuing the story from yesterday…

The next thing that happened was that Ben woke up around 3:00 a.m. and wouldn’t go back to sleep (which for him is not normal). I nursed him, and eventually he did go back to sleep. But, again, where did I turn?

To prayer.

I immediately prayed for him because he wasn’t himself and seemed to be in pain. Yet, as I lay back down to sleep I pondered my reaction. Was prayer necessary? Maybe he would have gone back to sleep anyway. More than likely he would have, so why pray? Was/is his sleeping/not sleeping even important to God? Doesn't He (God) have more important - read that "bigger"- things to worry about? Starving children in Africa?

But, maybe my praying wasn't just about calming down my little son...maybe there was/is something else going on...something more.

Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17)…these words kept echoing through my mind throughout the night and into the morning…along with...pray like breathing…never ceasing. Constant.

You have said, "Seek my face."My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek."
-Psalm 27:8

What if I didn't have this option? What if prayer was not an option - ever? Or only an option for "big ticket" issues. And how would I know what qualified as a "big ticket" issue? What might seem big to me might be little to God.

Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! -Psalm 27:7

P.S. Last night (Monday) I went in to check on Ben before heading to bed and he was hot with fever. Even as I ministered to his physical needs I prayed over him again and this morning his fever was gone.

Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel. -Matthew 15:29-31

And they glorified the God of Israel. -Matthew 15:31 (And they were Gentiles.)

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. -Isaiah 26:3

Prayer Part 2

More about prayer.

Continuing the story…later that night Mark and I spoke a little more about prayer and then we both fell fast asleep on the couch. When I awoke it was midnight. I went upstairs to check on the children and then I went back downstairs and woke Mark so he could go to bed. After he woke up (which he does not do easily) I walked into our bedroom and left him to follow after me. Before I got very far I heard a crash. I went back out into the living room and found him on the floor. He said that his legs had given out and he’d fallen. I tried to help him up and he said that he was dizzy and that his legs weren’t working. After a few minutes he was able to get up and with my help make it to bed…he seems fine this morning and can barely remember the strange occurrence…but it is slightly worrisome. I’m wondering if he had a small stroke.

So why am I sharing this, how does it relate to prayer? Because of what I immediately did when he fell. I immediately prayed. I immediately turned to God. And what a relief. Yes! What if I didn’t have this option? What if I couldn’t turn to God and to prayer because this issue was too trivial? Too meager, already arranged and unimportant to God, then I would be like so many unsaved who have nothing and no One to rely upon. There would be no hope.

We have a Hope.

What a blessing to be able to immediately call upon God for help. Did I once question whether or not God would care? No. Because I know that He loves Mark and that He cares for me. And I know that He wants me to call upon Him just as I would want my children to call upon me in their time of need…regardless of whether I am able to help them or not.

But, as I lay in bed later that night I thought about why I had prayed and I questioned whether I really needed to pray in the first place because wouldn’t God’s will be accomplished anyway? I continued to ponder this…and as you will see other things happened later that night and into this morning which lead me to ponder this issue further and in the end confirmed my belief that prayer – even for the little things - is really necessary. (But, maybe not for the reason you might think.)

More later.

Prayer Part 1

Last night Mark and I had a wonderful conversation with a sweet friend of ours about prayer.

How I love conversations like that.

We talked about whether or not we should pray for the little things – like our children’s character issues, or selling our homes, or buying a new car, or job situations - the everyday things; the little things.

Last night Mark said, “Yes” the little things are important to God.

What do you think? Are the little things important to God?

Now I have to stop for a minute and brag on my hubby…it is amazing to me and so precious to be able to listen to him speak of the things of God and to know that what he has to say is right on biblically and wise, so wise…it is wonderful. How I rejoice that the Lord chose to pair me with this godly man. How thankful I am for Mark. I see and hear him teach every Sunday, but for some reason as I listened to him last night – it was beautiful. Just beautiful. And as I listened to him speak last night and learned from him (for I did) I found myself praising God that He choose to place me where I am. I think back to when we met and who we were then and I think, “Who would have thought?” And some still don’t (think so) because they just don’t know (him), because they don’t spend enough time with him, or think that because he doesn’t blog he doesn’t think (but which in fact probably makes him wiser than most of us), or they are still caught in a time warp and think he is still who he was as a child, or as a teenager, or even as a young man…and he is not! And I am so thankful.

I honestly believe that once you decide to step into the whirlwind with God…to surrender yourself and do whatever God calls you to do – be it something you like or don’t like – He will change you and you will never be the same. You can’t be the same once you’ve been in the presence of God. He won’t let you. If you come into the presence of God and you aren’t changed (and I’m not talking immediate transformation but gradual and consistent change), then something is wrong. But I digress…

I’ll write more when I have time.

Christ Alone

Who (or what) is your Sustainer?

This morning I was reading through Psalm 3. When I got to verse 5 the word "Sustained" jumped out at me. The verse says, “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.”

He (Christ) is my Sustainer. (Praise Him!)

How often I look elsewhere for sustainment when the only person I should be looking to is Christ. And it follows that when I am looking elsewhere for sustainment, I begin to feel depleted and overwhelmed by life.

Forgive me, Lord.

Thank you, Lord that You alone are my Sustainer. Help me to turn to You and Your Word when I’m feeling empty and overwhelmed and even before. Forgive me, for looking elsewhere for filling and nourishment – to blogs, books, people, and things... for they can not fill me or bring nourishment to my soul. Only You can do this. Sustain me as I look to You. Thank You that Your promises are always true.

When all Else Fails

Nothing teaches us the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we discover the emptiness of everything else. -C. H. Spurgeon

In prayer and praise this morning...

A thousand times I’ve failed
Still Your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I’m caught in Your grace

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

My heart and my soul, I give You control
Consume me from the inside out, Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
In bringing You praise

Everlasting…

-from The Inside Out by Hillsong

Praise Him!

Dear God,

How can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?

There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you. -Jeremiah 10:6-7

You are my everything.