Tuesday, July 12, 2011

LORD is my light and my salvation



Verse for today

Psalm 27:1 (NIV). The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?......


Thoughts on This Verse...
I love the western coast of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines .One of Puerto Princesa’s main tour attraction and a source of pride for the locals is the Subterranean River National Park. The site features a very spectacular limestone landscape display in its navigable underground river, which flows directly to the sea. The underground river represents a habitat for conservation biodiversity.A World Heritage Site, this natural wonder features 8.2 kilometers of navigable Underground River, reputed to be the longest, that winds through the spectacular cave before emptying out to the South China Sea. Cathedral Chambers, wide hallways and interesting geological formations greet the wide- eyed visitor to the grotto hidden beneath the St. Paul Mountain. The craggy shorelines, the crashing surf, and the lighthouses perched at strategic and well-fortified points along the coastline.

I cannot help but think of our heavenly Father when I watch the gloom gather as an impending storm noisily makes its way on shore. There in the storm -- with lightning ripping through the sky, winds howling, and the surf crashing -- stands the light that guides the way, strong against the elements and a beacon of direction and hope. Yes, the LORD, Yahweh the God of Israel, the Almighty Creator of all things, is my light and my salvation. My life, the eternal part of me, is entrusted to him. I choose not to fear. I place my trust in him. Save PALAWAN "No Mining".

 Inspiring Video





"Wait on the Lord"
 by DeVern Fromke

I want at this time, not so much to say anything new, but just to underline some of the things that have been said.

I think we have been realizing through the years that God is wanting to enlarge and stretch our inner man, by which I mean the stretching of the inner spirit and the renewing of the soul, and we are going to see what David says about this in Psalm 27. First we will read verse 14:

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."

The word 'wait' in the Hebrew is an interesting one, for, as you know, the Hebrew is a picture language. When they write this word they are making a picture of a man making rope. Can you see him taking one strand, taking another strand, and another, and twisting them, and finally getting a strong rope? When God first makes a connection to our life, the strand is rather thin and flimsy, but through the years He is strengthening this connection and enlarging us so that there might be a greater flow of His life to us.

Now, beginning with verse 1 of this Psalm, let us see the secrets of which David speaks and by which this enlargement takes place:

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"
 







Grace of God Brings Salvation



Verse for today
Titus 2:11-12 (NIV). For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say''No'' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.........


Thoughts on This Verse... Grace is not about excuses for our sins, but about a deep-seated thanksgiving for pardon and a life-changing commitment to say''No!'' to all that is evil, corrupt, and wicked no matter how alluring or how pervasive they may be in our culture today.


Inspiring Video







Word for today:


Proverbs 12:56
The plans of the righteous are just,
   but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.
The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
   but the speech of the upright rescues them.


Grace teaches us to live “soberly, righteously, and godly in the present time.”
Grace changes our behavior in the present age. Grace doesn’t simply impute Christ’s righteousness to our otherwise wicked lives; grace teaches US to live righteously now. Can it be any clearer? It is not like an employer-employee relationship (where salary or wage is paid for work done). It is not like a seller-buyer relationship (where the buyer receives what he paid for). Grace is better represented by the giver-receiver relationship. The grace of God is best understood in terms of a giver-receiver relationship. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself [now!], just as He is pure. (I John 3:2-3)
Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. (I John 3:7-8)
John implies here that there are deceivers who would tell you that you can be righteous even though your life is characterized by sin. John says, “Let no one deceive you”! Paul wrote, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Cor. 5:10)
Grace is best represented in terms of giver-receiver. God is the giver. What we needed - Salvation. "For the grace of God... brings salvation." That word "salvation" can be considered as a term that conveys the basic idea of rescue; being saved. If you are in danger, and someone comes to your rescue - we call that "salvation."

There is nothing more dangerous than sin! It alienates us from God. It brings destruction and ruin. It causes national instability and cultural confusion. Sin kills marriages, families and churches. It turns relationships into ugly enmity. It provokes the wrath of God and sets the sinner in the direction of eternal punishment. There is nothing more dangerous than sin.

God has made it possible for us to be rescued from sin. Because we have sinned, we cannot do sufficient work to merit or earn salvation. Because we have sinned, we cannot purchase salvation as one would buy a product (this is the point, in Titus 3:4,5).