PRAYER: WHAT CAN THE RIGHTEOUS DO?

In Your Word, oh Holy One of Israel, we are called to the truth that "if the Foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3). However, You have told us, oh Mighty Father, that "the effective and fervent prayer of a righteous man, availeth much" (James 5:16).

So Lord, in these dark days, You have called Your people, we, Your elect, to righteousness and prayer. Therefore, help us oh God, to begin anything - a new day, a new week, a new month, a new plan, a new project, with reverence, review and an introspective look at our former Adamic nature, to ensure certain aspects of it, are not attempting to sully the washed-in-the-Blood saints You have called us to be.

As we begin all these things first of all with complete Gratitude for who we are and for Whose we are.  We did not save ourselves, and no one can. But You did. You rescued us from the pit, the furnace, the deep, the dungeon and the grips of the evil one, when we could do nothing for ourselves. For that we are eternally grateful.

You provide the roof over our heads, our food, our clothing, our health care, our modes of transport....in fact EVERYTHING which is just too numerous to mention. All are constantly provided by Your Mighty, Generous and Magnificent Hand!

There is nothing in this world, which we have or participate in, which did not come from You. We of all people are duty-bound to acknowledge this truth.

So Lord, teach us more of Your Ways that we may grow in the righteousness which You demand of those Who walk as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Search our hearts oh God, and see if there is any wicked way in us, and remove it ...root it out...reject it and release us from the stronghold and grip, that anything has over Your end time saints.

Scorch us with Your Refining Fire, until every tiny portion of dross is removed completely from us, floats to the top and is removed by the cleansing scoop from the Master's Hand.

Saturate our minds, via the Power of the Holy Spirit, that the more we learn about You in this lifetime, even if it is 5% of Who You are, the more we will wish to marinate and soak in the Presence and Knowledge of the Holy.

Sing a new song over us, as we break free from the chains that held us back from living Free and Holy, as You wish ALL Your children to live, so that as we see the day getting more evil by the hour, we can be steadfast in faith, abounding in Grace and overflowing with love, power and a sound mind.

Great Father in Heaven, the Foundations are being destroyed. The spirit of antiChrist is evident not just in communist China, the Middle East, Europe and the Far East, but in this country and throughout the West. But Lord,while sinful men and women have brought unthinkable disasters and evil into everything from family life and church, to schools and businesses at every level of society, You did not and will not give up Your plan, Your purpose and Your protection, until the job is done.

While the Foundations of Family, Faith and Fellowship have been systematically dismantled, today we join with other brothers and sisters in Christ who by our lifestyles, seek after the righteousness and uplifting moral guidance daily, which comes from Christ and His Holy Spirit Who lives in us. Lord hear our prayer. Seal Your Powerful Word in us! Hallelujah.

May we, by our actions, fueled accurately by the Spirit and the Leading of the Lord, grounded in truth and walking right before You, become that effective man, that effective woman of God, of whom it can be said, He has been with Jesus (or she has been with Jesus). Lord, today, right now, we ask and come to You with this powerful pleading and petition, in the Mighty and strong Name of Jesus. Amen.

PLUMBLINE DEVOTIONAL - COLOSSIANS 2:1-5

TEXT: COLOSSIANS 2:1-5

 1 I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

PLUMBLINE DEVOTIONAL: COLOSSIANS 1:9-12

TEXT:

COLOSSIANS 1:9-12
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 

13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

IN THE PRESENCE OF THE GOD OF PEACE

TEXT:

PHILIPPIANS 4:9
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

PART 1: HIS INSTRUCTION, HIS TESTIMONY, HIS MERCY

One particular passage from the oh-so powerful praiseworthy Psalm 19, is worthy of further deep diving and study, rather than reading it and going on to the next thing. In fact, it is so inspiring as to be transformational in the best way possible!

Verse 7 (CSB) reads as follows:

The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.

The instruction of the Lord, as found in the Scriptures!  In 2 Timothy 3:16 we know that The Word of the Lord is/was “breathed” into the authors of the Bible by God and is profitable for teaching (instruction); reproof (discipline); for correction (righting the path we were on) and for training in righteousness (just a closer walk with Thee, Oh Lord).  It is perfect. There is nothing that should be added or taken away.

Because of its divine origins, we know there is no error in it.

Because it is from the Mind and great big Heart of the Ancient of Days, we can trust it.

Because it is from the Creator of the Universe, Whose intricate designs  are flawless, seamless and nothing less than perfection, we can trust His Mighty Hand.

All of this revives the Soul! It refreshes us as we awake to a new day. It fuels us to make it through not just that particular day, but for the rest of our days. There is so much to be grateful here in that our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He poured out His Spirit into the most magnificent document ever written. It stands for all peoples of any age, until the End of the Age, when all will be revealed.

In light of all of this, and the Purity, Perfection and all-powerful Presence of the Lord, His testimony can be depended on. If He says it, it settles the matter. If He speaks it, we believe it. If He promises it, it will happens.

When His prophets speak, their warnings materialize at the appointed time. When His Spirit moves, He saves and rescues.

Therefore, He takes coal like us, and makes diamonds. He takes simpletons like us, and makes His complex creation simple. He rescues us from the folly of our disastrous ways, and bring us to the Knowledge of the uminaginable – the Knowledge of the Holy. He guides us out from the domain of darkness, into the Kingdom of His Marvelous Light!

Oh, what love is this?!

Oh, what incredible mercy and compassion!

Oh, what a mighty God He is.

Hallelujah, what a Savior, His mercies endureth forever.

 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved. 

SERIES ON PRAYER: HANNAH'S PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Outside of the magnificent prayer of Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus, one of the greatest prayers of thanksgiving and adoration, followed the birth of a baby boy who went on to become one of the greatest prophets of God! He was a miracle baby and accomplished what God had ordained. This man was Samuel. 

Samuel's mother Hannah was childless and one of two wives of Elkanah. Year after year, Hannah could come to the temple in Shiloh (Jerusalem was not yet ordained as the Capitol of Israel). She would pray for the Lord to give her a child with such fervor, passion and heartfelt emotion that Eli the head priest thought she was drunk.  Hannah kept praying year after year. She then promised the Lord, that if He gave her a son, she would give the boy back to the Lord, as a servant.

God gave Hannah a son named Samuel, which means "God listened...or requested of God". Hannah kept her promise and dedicated Samuel to the Lord, in the care of Eli the Priest. In joy and gratitude, she prayed this prayer of Thanksgiving, which if read in the correct way, should be a guide to us for both personal growth, as well as intercession for others. 

Hannah's Prayer
Praise & Worship:
1  And Hannah prayed and said,
My heart exults in the Lord;
    my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
    because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 “There is none holy like the Lord:
    for there is none besides you;
    there is no rock like our God.

Acknowledge His Attributes:
3 Talk no more so very proudly,
    let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
    and by Him, actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty are broken,
    but the feeble bind on strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
    but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
The barren has borne seven,
    but she who has many children is forlorn.

Acknowledge the Power of God: 6 The Lord kills and brings to life;
    he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
    he brings low and he exalts.
8 He raises up the poor from the dust;
    he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
    and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's,
    and on them, He has set the world.
9 “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
    but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
    for not by might shall a man prevail.

The Lord is to be feared...and loved:
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;
    against them,  He will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
    He will give strength to His king
    and exalt the horn of His anointed.” 
(This prayer is found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10)

There are many aspect of this prayer, which if prayed in the spirit, could apply to all men and women. Like all the prayers of the Bible, make it your own and lift up the Name of the Lord. There is nothing more powerful than praying the Scriptures back to the Lord, in engaged, full on, praise and worship. 

THE LORD'S PRAYER- THE MODEL EXPLAINED: PART 2

Hallowed by Thy Name

We know all of the great attributes of God – He is all powerful, knows all, owns all and sees all.  2 Chronicles 16:9 tells us that “the Eyes of the Lord roam across the WHOLE earth in search of those whose hearts are loyal to Him”. There is absolutely no doubting that fact.

But the first attribute of God is His Holiness. He abhors sin. He despises it and even turned His back on His own Son – the Lord Jesus – Who had to cry out from the Cross “my God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Psalm 22:1 and Matthew 27:46).

How do we know this? Well, the greatest Old Testament prophet, who wrote about those times as well as the End Times, was pulled up into Heaven before the Lord Himself in Isaiah Chapter 6. The first thing anyone who has had an encounter with Holy God does is this: fall down at His feet in total surrender and humility. Isaiah did it. John did it.

The next thing that happens to a man, who, in the rare occasion, is recorded to be in the fearsome Presence of Holy God is – the self-realization of one’s worthlessness to be in such a lofty place. Isaiahfalls down (Chapter 6) and knew immediately he was a sinner….that he was notworthy of being there….that he was a man of unclean lips, even as a man of Godand a prophet. We can relate to that today.  We, every one of us, use language which our forefathers – regardless of background – would never use and would even consider untoward.

The Lord took care of Isaiah’s problem with swearing and probably even blaspheming when He sent one of His emissaries to take a burning coal off the altar to cleans the prophet’s inclination towards such speech. God sends the Holy Spirit to convict you and I immediately after we say something we swore we would not say 500 times before. 

The third and important thing to note is the Worship in Heaven underscores what the ministering special angels – God’s Own Special Ops– think of the Almighty. They sign back and forth “Holy Holy Holy ….”. This is reinforced in Revelation 4 and click here to read the entire amazing chapter!

What is the connection to the practical matter of us praying to Abba Father, Who is in Heaven? The Knowledge of the Holy – the Holy One of Israel, should act as a check in our spirit as to how we approach the Lord.  Just as we do not take the Lord’s Table or communion in an unworthy manner, meaning with active sin in our lives, we need to be instinctively circumspect in our prayer, following the example of the Messiah Who gave us this prayer. In light of this, let us pray into it:

Heavenly Father, we do not deserve to even be in the same zip code as You. But You in Your love and mercy adopted us, who believe in Jesus as Lord, as Your Children. Lord we are people of unclean lips, and too many times unclean hearts and minds. Purify us, oh God, remove our sin as far as the east is from the west. Wash us with hyssop that we may be clean. Cleanse us that we may be as white as snow. May these spiritual broken bones be healed or done away with that we may stand pure and holy before You, because You are Holy. You are worthy. You are mighty. Forgive  us as we approach in true repentance and surrender all at the Foot of the Cross right now, in Jesus’ Name amen.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY BY AW TOZER FOR FREE!...DOWNLOAD AS A PDF TO TABLET ETC....

(photo credit here)

PRAY FOR.....GREATER FAITH

21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe;help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:21-24)
Can a believer NOT believe? Sure we can. It’s the frail human nature, which though replaced as a perishing soul at regeneration (or born-again) still continues to live in a mortal body, in a corrupt and evil world. But it is more than just our present temporary environment in this life.  We don’t believe completely sometimes because we just don’t know! We do not know because we do not read His Word and we are not led to read His Words because of a stunning lack of discipleship. We have a lack of the latter because we don’t know His Power and His Presence completely in our lives.

We do the same thing to Jesus and our Heavenly Father, which this father of the demon-possessed boy did in the verses above.  To wit, he actually said to Jesus (as translated into modern English in the New Living Translation) “have mercy on us  and help us IF YOU CAN”! Should we then be surprised when Jesus’ immediate response is “What do you mean, ‘IF I CAN’?” (verse 23a,  Mark chapter 9).

And we do the same thing: we approach God in prayer with our most serious needs, lay them before Him, then pick them right back up and go back to our corners with them. Then we call up all friends and family asking them to pray for us.  All along, Jesus stands with His Arms wide open waiting for His children to come to Him.  Is the Arm of the Lord too short?  Not it is not. He is our Prophet – He orders and ordains our past, present and future. He is our High Priest Who prays and intercedes for this who are His, and lifts us up in prayer to the Father when we ask in Faith!

Look at what Jesus said to the boy’s father here again in Mark 9:23b “anything is possible for he who believes” (NLT)! The response from the father is just so great. He has enough faith to believe Jesus can heal his son, but it appears to be the kind of faith which was just enough to look at the Lord as a “drive-up clinic”….without knowing Who Jesus really is! Thus when the boy’s father said “Lord, I believe, help my  unbelief”, he is asking for such a bump up in the measure of Faith he currently possessed that we, in this century 2000 years later, need to sit up and take notice.  

No matter how spiritually mature we think we are, we must always be pressing into and on to our higher calling in Christ. We can never know even 10% of what we should know. In fact,  after we’ve been in heaven there for 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we will not know half of Who the Lord is. This is why we have Eternity. But for this current life, it behooves us to be humble enough to realize we are still not as strong in our Faith as we should be, could be or would be. So why not ask  as this man did of Jesus: “Lord I believe, help my unbelief!” There is no simpler expression of Faith in God than this – simple, to the point, with full clarity in recognition of the paucity of our frailty before the Almighty!

Father in the Mighty and strong Name of Jesus, I believe, I trust, I have faith….but not enough.  Help me to understand the breadth and width and depth of the great mystery of our Faith, so that I may begin to comprehend just how great a God You are, Lord. Assist us in acquiring a modicum of supernatural Faith which is way beyond what is common.  Father, many have accepted You as Lord and Master of our lives, yet we do now know, nor do some even venture to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of just Who You really are beyond the baseline of the Christian Faith. Lord, we want more. 

We want to know more of You, see more of You, be more in Your Presence. We want to desire to walk fully in the knowledge of the Holy and travel in the paths of Your Righteousness, but first oh God, give us the capacity to dispatch with our incorrect notions. 

These wrong assertions about You, have come from a lifetime of traveling in the wisdom of the world or in the works of Christian authors and teachers who do not fully grasp the Power and Position You have always occupied at the Throne Room of all Time in the Universe. Lord as we get rid of our error, replace with Truth and Revelation, as much as we can handle, process and then walk out in our daily lives, helping as many as we can to come to that same place of knowing the Real God and Your amazing wonderful self.  Lord, we believe….take away any unbelief and replace it with more of You, in Jesus all Wise and Power Name, amen

(Photo Credit Here)

ABBA, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN - PART 2: ATTRIBUTES OF HEAVENLY FATHER

When we look at the attributes of an earthly father (from Part 1), it is obvious that God ordained parents (and dads especially) to represent Him to His creation. There is a reason the first commandment with a promise - "Honor Your Father and Your Mother, your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you". This commandment appears as the transition from the Commandments which are vertical and dealing solely with our relationship with Holy God, to the horizontal - re: our relationships with our fellow human beings.

The plan and purpose of God is for His created ones to obey their parents in reverence, so that we will reverence our Heavenly Father, in the same way. We know this has never been the case for most of humanity, even though it has been commanded. This does not change "conditions on the ground", so to speak. The self-existent always alive Creator of the Universe is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow!

The great Illinois preacher A.W. Tozer is well known as the foremost expounder of the Attributes of God. In his phenomenal Classic Book - "THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY", Tozer presented 18 Attributes of God. Some of them are presented here with the link to continue reading the rest of those eighteen.  Tozer's work is highlighted here because they are the best known and acknowledged as complete and inspired:

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD COPY OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY - CLICK HERE

Attributes of God – The Basis
Jesus came to reveal the God of the Bible. And God has revealed Himself in His book. Any deviation from that insight from Him is a made-up god. Tozer in Knowledge of the Holy finds 18 characteristics of God in the Bible. They are repeated here, although not in the same order. Tozer’s definitions, when used, will appear in quotes. 

Attributes of God – The Characteristics
Wisdom: “Wisdom is the ability to devise perfect ends and to achieve these ends by the most perfect means.” In other words, God makes no mistakes. He is the Father who truly knows best, as Paul explains in Romans 11:33: “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways!” 

Infinitude: God knows no boundaries. He is without measure. This attribute by definition impacts all of the others. Since God is infinite, everything else about Him must also be infinite. 

Sovereignty: This is “the attribute by which He rules His entire creation.” It is the application of His other attributes of being all-knowing and all-powerful. It makes Him absolutely free to do what He knows to be best. God is in control of everything that happens. Man still has a free will, and is responsible for his choices in life. 

Holiness: This is the attribute that sets God apart from all created beings. It refers to His majesty and His perfect moral purity. There is absolutely no sin or evil thought in God at all. His holiness is the definition of that which is pure and righteous in all the universe. Wherever God has appeared, such as to Moses at the burning bush, that place becomes holy just for God having been there.

READ THE REST OF THE ATTRIBUTES BY CLICKING HERE

The following is a part of a teaching I did on one of the TV shows I appeared on in the recent past which include more clarification on the Attributes of Our Great God in Heaven - Abba Father: