Prayer for Wuhan and the World

Heavenly Father, we bow down with our faces to the ground in praise, adoration, in reverent awe, and in the fear and name of the Lord.  You are our Maker.  You made us to perfection and pronounced all Your work, "very good" (Genesis 1:1-31; esp vs 31).

Then The Fall came.  Sin.  Sin and all its consequences: separation from God, sickness, suffering, and ultimately, death.  We are now fallen creatures of imperfection; a fallen world of nature.  Sounds like gloom and despair, hopelessness and panic.

Yet, You did not abandon us, Father God.  Your unconditional, unfailing love prompted You to prove this steadfast love, to us, the fallen race of human beings.  You sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us all; the "whosoever will" who will accept Your love and forgiveness, and repent from our sins.  Jesus, Your Son, broke that curse Your enemy Satan perpetuated upon mankind.  Those fetters were broken asunder.  Therein is light, joy, hope and peace for one and all who receive Your gift of salvation. 

Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and with His stripes we were made whole.  Isaiah describes this in his book, Isaiah, and chapter 53, verses 3-5 but especially verse 5 (ESV), as we can read below...

"He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief...Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrow;...But he was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed."

Healing...healing in our hearts, souls and spirits...healing, indirectly, in our bodies.

Humbly, Father, we give You thanks for Your love and Jesus' act of selfless love; that sacrifice for us.  We followers of Jesus Christ confess our wrong doings; our sins.  We thank You, in turn for Your forgiveness.

At this time, and all around the world, but especially from what seems to be the epicenter of the current lethal corona-virus, that is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China.  We implore You for Your mercy upon all Your human beings, especially those who have already contracted this virus.  Stop this virus.  Halt it in its tracks.  Heal those who are sick with it.

We know that those in Wuhan are no worse sinners than the rest of us. Like Jesus said about the Galileans with whose blood Pilate desecrated the Temple and those eighteen on whom the Tower of Siloam fell, killing them, that they were no worse either.  Jesus went on to say, we all need to repent or we will all perish (Luke 13:1-5).

May there be great repentance worldwide, Father.  Great repentance and great revival.  May millions upon millions turn to You.  Turn to You, to seek Your face, repent of their sin, learn of Your goodness and their need of You and Your Son Jesus, to accept Your love and forgiveness and receive the healing of their souls; repairing that catastrophic breech that had separated them from You, Father God.  That breech that Jesus spanned on the cross, shedding His blood for the remission of sins.  May each one be "infected" with Your love, forgiveness of sins and eternal life as they turn to You in waves of droves.

Father, we seek Your aid in finding resolution against the corona-virus.  Thank-You for the measures and great efforts the Chinese government have begun, striving to contain this virus.  Galvanize governments around the world to do the same.  We know world leaders are in Your hands and You can compel them to do as You wish for the good of mankind in general, and the individual in particular.  Make their hearts willing and give them wisdom to know what to do and how to do it.

May the many scientists/doctors/researchers world-wide integrate their knowledge and skill with effective understanding.  Give them a special anointing of Your heavenly wisdom; shower it in torrents upon them, as You did back in ancient times upon the craftsmen constructing the Tabernacle for Your presence to dwell, and all the furnishings, back there in the wilderness (Exodus 31:3).  Show them efficacious ways to halt this virus and even keep it from mutating.

Keep wicked men from perpetuating and prolonging the pandemic proportions this virus has already penetrated upon populaces of the world.

You learned all about grief, Father, when You lost Your Son for our sakes.  You know how to comfort others.  You know what to say and what to do.  Comfort those who have already lost their loved ones from this virus  May they find peace, hope and comfort in You, in Your good time. 

Heavenly Father, You are the Great Physician.  The followers of Jesus Christ stand in the gap and call upon You, beseeching You.  Hear our call.  Hear our cries.  See our distress.  On behalf of the world's citizens, whom we pray will turn to You and give thanks, I ask all the above in Jesus' Name.

                                                        ~ERC  January 2020~

The Great Physician as sung by The NCrew EliEli

Prayer - Flourishing

Father, in King David's day people were just as evil as they are today;  that You know full well.  Then and now, they "practice deceit,...plot destruction...speak falsehood rather than the truth" (Psalm 52).  

Jeremiah corroborated,

"The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked..." (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV).

Some people plot their evil against others to bring them down.  You, oh Lord, see it all and will bring evil doers to "everlasting ruin".  You will clear out the evil from "the land of the living" leaving it for the righteous.

However, Father, You do not want to see anyone eternally perish but You also hate evil.  Consequently, You bring wicked ones down Father.  I know how You do it though.  Not how we human beings would wish it to be done.  You are brilliant!  You use Your unconditional, unfailing love and kindness and goodness.  You draw them to repentance with Your goodness (Romans 2:4).  This includes every last one of us human beings!

Jesus was sent by You, out of love, to remedy the repercussions of sin-that separation from You- to defeat Satan and overcome the curse upon us.  When He accomplished Your will, He went back to be with You in Heaven.  He did not leave us "comfortless" or "unguided".

Your Holy Spirit came and indwelt us followers of Jesus Christ.  As we follow Your will and ways we are transformed into "pure hearts".  Pure hearts will be blessed and enable us to see You (Matthew 5:8 NIV).

We can become like an olive tree, as David the psalmist wrote, that he did.  We can flourish in Your presence.  David would go to Your house, the Tabernacle.  He knew from whence His source of nourishment and nurture stemmed.  He must have spent loads of time there worshiping and praising You too because it takes time for olive tress (or any tree for that matter) to take firm root, to sprout, and shoot upward, to bear fruit and to do so in a thriving, burgeoning manner.

Olive trees need the right amount of sunlight, water and essential minerals in the soil.  Similarly, David knew where and how to get his proper spiritual growing essentials.  His Source--You, in Your House and in Your presence.  We, too, can have this and I thank You Father, God.

When we look to You and Your Word, Our Source, oh Father God, we will flourish as we obey and spend our time and life depending on You for enrichment in our spirits, souls and bodies.

Father, help us always make You our stronghold and be found in Your presence.  May our words be words of truth and life and spill out to nourish others with our "fruit".  May we build up and not tear down or destroy others.  May we be transformed to be more like Your son Jesus Christ in ever increasing manner.

May we be found praising You among Your faithful people; hoping in Your unfailing, unconditional love.  Your Name, Father, is great and good  We can trust in You. 

In this wonderful Name of Jesus we praise and adore You, Father.

                                                   ~ERC  January 2020~

Prayer - Mindful of Me, A Human Being

O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, how majestic is Your Name!  When we consider Your heavens and the glory of all those things You have made by Your own hands; how marvelous it is!  Even children can appreciate and lisp out the grandeur of what You have done for them in their songs, singing songs such as, "Jesus loves me,", showing the magnificence of Who You are and what You do and have done.

Think of all the stars You have put into place, they're so resplendent...majestic.  We love to look up at them.  Lord, it gives us a little gladsome picture of You; of Who You are and what You must look like and of Your greatness above all creation.  Then we realize, that as the Psalmist of Psalm 8, likely David, managed to utter, 

"What is man that You are mindful of him..." (vs 8 NIV)?

What makes You think of us?

Father, You have such a glorious, glorious creation out there under the immense expanse of bright blue sky;  the stars, the clouds; I like to behold the clouds and the different shapes that are formed and how they wisp and whisk across the sky or zoom across on windy days.  It's so..it takes our breath away, makes us dumbfounded at the beauty and grandeur.  Yet You are mindful of Your human beings.  You are mindful, of us!

How can it be that we are the ones, out of all Your creation, that You loved.  Out of all the wonderful whales and dear dolphins that frolic in the deep blue sea; or the prodigious varieties of colorful and not so colorful birds; or the "magical" world of insects that some people really like but I find rather creepy for the most part...yet of all Your magnificent, magnificent creation, counting in critters like cute, cuddly koala bears, Lord, that are now in danger in Australia because of the wild bush fires; out of all this glorious creation which You have created, You still chose the human beings; the race of humans, upon whom to bestow Your love, to prove Your love....

It makes me feel like one of Your little, tiny ants; that is, from my perspective.  You know when we look at most species of ants, they are so small, like the teeny-tiny black one that bites so painfully and one may not even realize it's crawling on you until it bites...we feel so insignificant relative to the whole scope of the universe, yet You sent Your Son Jesus, The Divine Heavenly Being,  and crowned Him with Your glory and honor to live among mankind and to provide salvation for them.  

You even crowned Your human beings and made them to be the ruler over all Your creation!  How mind-blowing that is!  Human beings who make so many drastic mistakes causing some of Your creation to become endangered species or even extinct and make the ozone layer to become so thin and cause what people call, global warming.  (I know, some people debate whether there is such a thing as that, but I don't want to discuss that here.)

We make such terribly, awful mistakes; all the world wars and all the on-going wars.  We are so incorrigible, making astronomical messes of everything.  Nonetheless, You still...You STILL, are mindful of mankind....

Lord, it boggles our mind and we just have to humble ourselves before You, thanking and praising You for Your love.  We have no idea why You chose us, but You did.

All praise be to You, our Creator God.

You chose us over all Your incredible creatures that swim in the sea and the beasts of the fields, the birds of the air and the flocks and the herds that roam the earth:  the wildebeests, lions, gazelles; giraffes; the cattle on the thousand hills and the baby goats that kid around, jumping for joy...they are so wonderful and often amusing to watch; like the monkeys.  Nevertheless, you purposefully chose mankind.  Even David could not understand; likely also blew his mind, so all he could do in the end was to thank and praise You, Father!  

So do I.

You are an amazing God.  Again, I give you praise and thanks in the Name of Your Son Jesus Christ...

Thank-You for being mindful of me.

                                                         ~ERC  January 2020~

This prayer is based on Psalm 8 (NIV)

Lift up your hearts and sing praise to the One Who died for you.  Alas and Did My Savior Bleed...for such a worm (or ant) as I?

Lord's Day Devotion - Devotional Prayer - Crown the Year With Songs of Joy

Good Morning, Lord!   

Praise awaits You this morning as we look to meet together.  Your followers, the followers of Jesus Christ Your Son, look forward to meeting together to sing praises to You among all the peoples who will congregate, singing of the things You have done for us by sending Jesus to earth to die on the cross for us, atoning for our sins. 

Indeed, You have blessed us with life and fill us with good things from Your holiness and You have done many awesome deeds of righteousness in so many people; our God, our Savior.  You are the hope of all the ends of the earth from the farthest of seas, stretching right around the world.  You are the One Who formed the mountains by Your mighty power and it is by Your strength that we can sing songs of joy to You.  When the morning dawns and the evening fades we can sing songs of joy because of You.  Our joy comes from Your strength in us. 

You care about us and have blessed us richly, abundantly providing us with food and shelter.  You continue to make the rains come and the sun to shine so we can bring forth crops in their seasons and You crown the year with Your goodness.  We just started a new year a couple of weeks ago and are currently celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year; you crown this year with your bounty, not just with physical food, but spiritual sustenance.  

You have given us Your Word, the Bible, at least in the English language, and many different languages  around the world where your people, linguists, have translated Your Word into the languages of so many people groups.  We thank you so much for this bounty you have given to so many people.  I know there are still many people groups yet to be reached with Your Word but Father, we thank You for those who have Your Word in their hands; may they treasure it.  

We pray that there would be harvesters sent in to those unreached areas to bring them Your Word in their own mother tongue.  May those harvesters be plenty in these end times and that the grasslands and deserts of the hearts will overflow with Your Words like streams of living water flowing through them and they'll be embraced by Your loving kindness, Your mercy, Your steadfast love.  Let them know these things Lord.  Even as they view your creation; the magnificent, breathtaking awesomeness of Your creation let them acknowledged that you exist, oh Father, that there must be a Supreme Being, a Creator God, Who is You, and to Whom they will worship.  Make Yourself known to them through Your Words Father, who You are so that they too can shout for joy and sing of your love forever.  

I ask this in Jesus' most precious Name as we partake of and share among Your people, the bread and cup of wine, on this Lord's Day, in remembrance of what You accomplished for us through Jesus Christ; we praise You.  

Amen.

                                                           ~ERC  January 2020~


Prayer based on Psalm 65

You Crown the Year (Psalm 65) as sung by Hillsong singers

Prayer - Call Out, "Jesus!"

Father, thank-You so much for Jesus, and Your Holy Spirit who indwells the followers of Jesus Christ, Your Son, making us Your children; signed, sealed and secured.  It is marvelous to belong to You.

As Your children, we need not fear Your enemy, Satan, nor any of his minions.  We, along with the multitudes who often surrounded Jesus during His tenure on earth, are amazed at Jesus' divine power and authority.  Power and authority  over diseases, which He healed; and that enabled Him to do so many miracles--such as the turning of water into wine; walking on water; healing a man who perhaps had had kidney failure due advanced diabetes (Luke 14:1-4).  These deeds are, quite frankly, astonishing.

Then there were the evil spirits that chained people making them wild, or fettered with physical ailments.  For example, the woman who was bent over for eighteen long years by an evil spirit (Luke 18:10-13).  Many may have thought it was the result of osteoporosis.  Jesus knew it was an evil spirit and He released her from the bondage, and she stood up straight and tall.

Another incident, Father, that was very obvious was the man living like a  naked savage in the tombs, self-inflicting harm;  as we read in Your Word in Mark 5:1-10.  No one could "tame" him, not even with chains.  He was well known in the region and likely well feared.  Yet when he spotted Jesus, the legion of demons possessing the man knew Jesus was to be bowed to, submitted to and knew their days, rather minutes, of torturing the Legion-man, were numbered.  You commanded those demons to leave the man and they did.  The man got dressed and was in his right mind, sitting, listening to Jesus.

We are totally dumbfounded by Your power and authority, Father, as embodied in Jesus Your Son.  We bow speechless and  in humbleness before You; the Great and Mighty God!

We thank and praise You that Jesus is Lord over evil spirits.  That He is stronger than they ever are or could be; stronger than Satan himself.

Father, we human beings are much weaker than any of them but being Your children, Father, who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, have Your power and authority and strength to overcome the evil one.  Thank-You, that we can cry out, "Jesus, save me!" and those evil ones have no choice but to listen, to obey and submit to the powerful Name of Jesus.

If God, You are for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?

Mark 1:27 remarks,

"He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey Him" (NIV).

Thank-You for these reassurances, Father!  These privileges and rights we have as Your children we do not take lightly.  We can only thank-You as we depend upon You and in grateful praise, give you thanks and honor as we live ever increasingly, Christ-like lives.

We do this with Your strength.  We thank-You that we can call You, Father, and shout out to Jesus, our Savior, in good times and in our bad times and times we are afraid; times we are harassed by the evil one.

In this powerful Name of Jesus, we pray...

                                                      ~ERC   January 2020~

Break Every Chain sung by Jesus Culture Lyrics

All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name as sung by Maranatha singers

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus as sung by ( ? )

This blog entry based on Mark 5:1-20.

Chinese New Year's Festive Embrace

Chinese New Year is a time of joy, fun, firecrackers, food feasts and family reunions; a wondrous festive season for many.  It 's an "imperative must" (expression coined especially for this auspicious occasion) for family members, scattered far and wide, to do their absolute best to "get home" to the paternal residence for the celebrations.  This is similar as to how folks are compelled at Thanksgiving time or at Christmas to be with family.

Among all the merry-making are those lonely souls who haven't been able to "get home".  They didn't have the budget, or couldn't get off work or studies, or they just do not have family connection to return to.

In such cases the words of Jesus that could be applied to the situation ring in my mind.  Don't invite the rich who can repay you but, invite those poor, lame, crippled to join your feasts (Luke 13:12).  They may not be physically crippled, rather emotionally, or just feel down because they couldn't "get back" and need the good cheer as well as a good meal.

Followers of Jesus Christ are told to "practice hospitality" (Romans 12:13; Galatians 6:10).  Here is one grand occasion in which to practice and bring joy and encouragement to some homesick heart.

Indeed, my own sons are unable to celebrate with us this year.  However, they had not only one, but two, invitations from different church members to join them for one of the most important meals of CNY.  It's so important it is almost a sacred meal; the reunion dinner on CNY eve.

This is meant for the gathered immediate family only!  Yet that family circle (the one who asked first) opened up to embrace our sons, and perhaps others; I don't know.

To me, this is a wonderful example of engaging in God's way of doing things.  He would include those from "the north and south, east and west"; not just a select few (Luke 13:29).

Indeed, He offers His salvation to one and all.  When an individual accepts His love and invitation to salvation, there is great rejoicing in Heaven in the presence of the angels (Luke 15:7, 10) even over just one person who repented and got included.  Some day we followers of Jesus Christ will be at Jesus' wedding feast.

On the other hand, maybe you've wracked your brain considering whom you could ask to join the family circle but can't think of anyone.  Don't have a guilt trip over it if there's no "outsiders" to welcome.  Perhaps the Lord will bring them to your doorsteps instead.

May all my Chinese family and friends have a joyous CNY 2020!


                   Happy Chinese New Year!

                                                      ~ERC  January 2020~

Lord's Day Devotion - Devotional Prayer - Shout for Joy

Do you hear the sound of praise?

I do as I read Psalm 98.  I can "hear" the jubilation in David's voice and heart as he says, 

"SHOUT for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song...make music to the LORD with the harp,...and the sound of singing...shout for joy before the LORD, the King."  [emphasis mine]  (Psalm 98:4-6)

Lord, I guess David had this happen to him before so he knows how it feels and how it must feel good to have people shout for joy at one's presence.  Oh Lord I think of how we gather together on a Lord's Day morning to remember Your Son Jesus in His death.  Do we actually shout for joy, is our singing actually so joyful?

  Ah, Lord, sometimes we are so somber, so bogged down with life we can't remember that feeling of joy; we forget that the joy of the Lord is our strength.  Despite all the stresses of life and things that pin us down, help us to remember You, truly remember the joy of our salvation as we partake of the bread and cup of wine in remembrance of Jesus' death for us.  You have given us so much, much more despite like the sea's constant resoundings.

Sometimes your creation can be really wild, like at Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada during and immediately after a storm and those waves haven't yet calmed so come CRASHING into the rocks and water goes geysering up and splashing all over the place and you can hear the water smack back down with force, slapping hard onto the rocks and it is quite euphoric and it really impacts the inner being and mesmerizes the person who can be standing there observing it all through their eyes and ears and maybe even feeling salty water-drops flung onto their face and onto their lips; the wind buffeting at them as they brace themselves against it.  

A person can get just a small, small feel of your power, that great impetus you have over your creation.   It makes me want to shout for joy when I think of it.  May this kind of joy just bubble up and smash out of us like the ocean's roaring and smashing, rivers clapping their hands and the mountains singing together for joy.  May each one of us on Lord's Day morning come together like that.  Shout for joy.  Sing together for joy like the mountains.  Rivers are clapping their hands, but Lord, may the people clap together according to rhythm so it's not plop, plop, plop....  Clap all in unison, the joy of the Lord being their strength, because we are in Your presence. 

You are the Judge of all the earth Who does right so we can rest in You because You will judge in righteousness and the people with equity.   There is no bias.  You have no bias.  What a blessed Judge You are to give us sterling justice.  You judge justly and aright so we can shout for joy in that  You are our King and Judge Who brought us salvation and hopefully allow You to reign in our hearts through Your Holy Spirit's convictions.  

You have worked salvation for all of us who have become Your royal priesthood and we give You praise and SHOUT with joy and thankfulness and gratefulness, "HALLELUJAH!"

Can you hear it?

                                                       ~ERC  January 2020~

Devotional Prayer based on Psalm 98

Shout to the Lord as presented by Hillsong singers

Prayer - Hearing Me In My Distress

O LORD, thank-You for hearing and answering me when I call to You.  You are my righteous God and You bring relief from life's distresses.   Be merciful to me and hear my prayer.  I thank-You that You actually do.  I ask that you be merciful too, to those who especially need it  in times of trial and troubles.  We all know family or friends under duress, be merciful to them and even those whom we do not know, but You do.  They need You; they need You every hour of every day.  

How long, will men turn their glory into shame?  How long will they have delusions and seek false gods?  Lord, how long will family, friends and acquaintances seek their false gods?   Lord, breakthrough their defenses, break them down to see the falseness of kowtowing to images having eyes that cannot see, ears that cannot hear, mouths that cannot speak, hands that cannot work, and feet that cannot walk   Help them to see this delusion. Let them seek You instead with their whole hearts, souls and minds.  Break down all their resistance, Father, to You and Your Son Jesus.  Let them know that then they will be set apart for godly use, they, themselves, for You, Lord, and have a wonderful relationship of communing with You.  Let them understand that You will hear when they call because You have ears that can hear and they are always open to their cry. 

I know that I often get angry and that I do sin when I am angry.  Lord, help me that when I'm angry I will do what is right, that I will seek You and how to handle situations; even spur-of-the-moment ones.   May Your Holy Spirit convict me and may I listen. I know Your Holy Spirit is already indwelling me but may I be sensitive to Your Holy Spirit's prompting and  putting up of roadblocks, and stop signs to sinning when I'm angry.  Lord, help me to search my heart even at night when I'm awake and can't sleep and that I will be silent in Your presence because You are the One Who does right.  

You are the God of all wisdom and knowledge and understanding.  Many times, so many, many times I get so angry and I don't search my heart to learn Your will.   I know Jesus was angry at the merchants who were buying and selling and cheating in the temple place that was Your house of prayer.  They were making it into a marketplace and not allowing people from all nations to go and worship you in the area designated particularly for them.  Lord you had a place for people to worship You, it was not just for the Jewish people alone.

 Perhaps, they were jealous and they didn't care less about people from other places.  In fact, they were probably downright determined not to let others come and so called, defile, Your holy house.   At that time Lord, those who really and truly wanted to come and genuinely worship You and bow down before You, recognizing You as the One true God, they could not.  So it's no wonder Jesus got angry and drove them all out of Your Father's house.  

You upset all the money changers tables, and money...hee, hee, it must have been kind of funny to see all that money go rolling and all the men go scrambling after their coins...You do have a sense of humor, Father.  I'm sure they must have been furious!  The men wanted to know by what authority Jesus could do such a thing.  Of course, Father, it was by Your authority.  They knew right, they knew very well that they were wrong and Jesus was right.  They knew in their heart of hearts that what they were doing was wrong. They didn't search their hearts Father, but Lord I don't want to judge other people.  

People often have this habit of doing such a thing.  Help me to search my own heart, to judge my own heart and mind in Your presence because there is where the rubber hits the road.  Help me to deal with my anger issues Lord.  It is not righteous anger like Your Son Jesus' anger was.  I need you, I need you every hour so that I can then offer right sacrifices to You.  

Father, I trust in You, never let me be afraid. May my family members also offer right sacrifices to You; sacrifices of praise and worship.  Do we work for You, Lord?  We will all do it with the right sacrifices of our life.  We'll do so for Your glory and honor and to benefit Your kingdom.  Let us all be God-centered sacrifices giving right sacrifices.  

Father, in this world of disillusionment and skeptics all around, may I ask who...who...who

can show us any good?  

We know You, the righteous God, are the one and truly good Being, ever in our existence.  We know You have existed from eternity past and continue to eternity to come.  There is no beginning and no ending but You are our Alpha and Omega and You are the one who is good and Your son Jesus Christ Whom You have sent.  We begin with You and You graciously and mercifully will bring the followers of Jesus to You and into eternity ahead at the end of our time on earth.  

Father You are so good, I ask that the Light of Your face will shine upon us, like You did for Moses.  You shone, You let Him see Your glory, O Lord, as You passed by.  Let us see Your glory too because You are the righteous one and You have made us righteous through Jesus Christ our Savior.  Fill our hearts with joy in greater measures of joy than we ever knew.  We know when Jesus came to earth, He brought joy to the heart of the shepherds.  He brought joy to the hearts of Mary and Joseph and to the wise men.  I don't know how many others became joyful because of what You have done for them in bringing salvation to many multitudes thereafter.   You caused their grain and new wine to abound, spiritually, and perhaps even physically, in their lives.   

You are a merciful God, and You turn our shame to glory and You help us Lord to be godly through Your Holy Spirit's help.  You hear us when we call.  Lord, we can trust therefore, can trust and confide in You also because You are good.  We can have our confidence in You and be filled with joy and peace so that when we go to bed at night we can lie down and sleep in peace because you alone, oh Lord, make us to dwell in safety.  

Even those who are persecuted for their faith in You and Jesus Christ, who live in constant fear for their lives, they can have peace in their hearts and minds.  I don't know how they do it and they have courage too, Lord.  No doubt it's through Your wondrous almighty power in them giving them the strength to have joy; that joy of the Lord that truly is their strength. 

 I want that kind of joy, joy that comes from You and Your strength.  

Thank-You Father for hearing me.  I thank and praise You in the Name of Jesus and by the power of Jesus' blood.

                                                      ~ERC  January 2020~

Prayer based on Psalm 4

Lord's Day Devotion - He Kept Silent

I just can't keep silent.  Reading of the trial, and subsequent crucifixion of Jesus Christ, from Matthew 27, when Jesus was standing before Pilate the governor.  Pilate is more or less begging Jesus to give testimony in His 'defense' to defend Himself.  

It didn't take much detective work for Pilate to ferret out the Jewish leaders' agenda and that they were bringing Jesus before him under false pretenses.  He intuited that Jesus was innocent.  Why won't Jesus, the "King of the Jews," speak, though!?  If Jesus would only say something, perhaps Pilate would gain some kernel of leverage to free Him.  

So why did Jesus keep silent?

He did so for you and for me.  He did so for all His human race, for the "whosoever will" of John 3:16.  He wanted to take the punishment we deserved for our own sins.  So, He did not want to be set free by Pilate.  Jesus kept silent.

Jesus did not want to be set free because He wanted us to be free instead.  His grace and His faith were given at great cost to Him to secure our forgiveness of sins and eternal life and all that entails.  He would go to the cross on Calvary's Hill and take the full heat of the punishment for our sins.

This is my Jesus.  Jesus the King of the Jews.  Jesus who became my Savior and Lord.  He became my King.  That is why He kept silent.

Praise, thank and honor Him by "proclaiming His death til He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26).  Partake of the bread and wine each Lord's Day to remember this most unselfish act of love for one and all, and most importantly, for yourself.  This is an act of the New Covenant "between God and mankind.  Be forever grateful for Jesus' silence that dark, dark day so long ago.  

Do not remain silent.  Sing to the Lord a new song.  Declare His wondrous deeds among the nations.

                                                      ~ERC  January 2020~

Close your eyes; turn up the volume a little bit and listen to this song "Sing to the Lord a New Song" as arranged by Mark Hayes.  You'll be enraptured.

Prayer - The Judge of Judges

Father God, we rejoice and are glad in knowing You are the Judge of all the earth and You judge justly because You are a righteous God and Judge.  Earthly judges try to judge aright, I like to think.  However, they too are human beings, prone to faults just as much as the next fellow.  We just hope that the earthly judges one comes across are indeed of the more just and righteous caliber.

Father, we know that human kings, judges and others in positions of authority, that their...

"...hearts are a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He will..." (Proverbs 21:1 ESV).

Whenever one of us earthlings, finds him or her self up in front of a judge, Father, we can remember, that You have given that particular judge his or her authority, number 1; and number 2, that judge's heart is in Your Hands.  Thank-You Father, you can and do turn it whichever way You wish.  

You are on Your righteous child's side.  That gives the defendant room to ask You for wisdom for the judge in his judging  in any case and that he/she will judge aright.  The defendant can cry out to You, and does, often in anguish, Father, in the turmoil of a trial that makes furrows in the heart and soul.  We leave the verdict up to You.

It is not always what we want Father, but Your ways and thoughts are higher and bigger than any of ours.  You have the "bird's eye view" so to speak.  Help us to trust you.

Your Word says in Psalm 96:10 ESV, that,

"The LORD of all the earth reigns...He reigns and judges the peoples with equity." You judge in righteousness and in faithfulness (Psalm 96:13 ESV).

As Abraham of ancient times declared,

"...will not the Judge of all the earth do right" (Genesis 18:25 NIV)?

We can sing, 

"...great is the LORD and greatly to be praised" (Psalm 96:11 ESV).

We can be glad and rejoice because He is the One coming to straighten out the earth.  The cry of our hearts rings clear, "Come, Lord Jesus!"

All those earthly judges who innocently got their judgments inadvertently wrong, will get straightened out by the Judge of judges in time to come.  All those who judged out of self-interest, bribery, or fear will also be judged by The Judge.  This Judge will do right.

Rejoice and be glad.  Worship His Holy Name.

I praise You Father in the Name of Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

                                                 ~ERC  January 2020~

The above prayer is loosely based on Psalm 96.

God of Our Fathers as sung by Gaithers and Shane McConnell

Prayer: God's Kingdom of Holy Priests

Father we give you thanks and praise that we can call upon Your Holy Name and give thanks to You for all you have done for us.  Every time we can make Your deeds known to one and all as best we can, may You be praised and honored.  I thank you for giving me the idea to write so many blog pieces about You and how we can live our lives to please You, and for those who read them.    May the Good News of your salvation steal into the hearts of one and all, that we may know Your Son Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, personally and intimately. 

Thank-You for sending Him to earth in human form.  Often You are seen as an abstract Being but Jesus, being God, is One who walked this earth and people could touch Him, hear Him, SEE Him. It is very difficult at times to know You and Your presence with us.  So thank-you for sending Jesus with whom we can relate.  Thank-you for sending Him to earth to die on the cross for our sins but before that, for sending Him to walk among men and that there were eyewitnesses to His life on earth, like Peter and John and all those good guys' eyes who later journalled it for us and we can read all about it in Your good book, the Bible.   They are Your Words You wanted us to know and understand and accept.

Thank-you for all those things you do for us everyday.  Things that we don't very often see or realize or even thank You for.  Thank-You, though for Your most treasured, Treasure:  Your Son, Jesus Christ who came as a babe to this earth.  Lord, thank-You.  And I thank-you that He gave His life for us human beings  because you wanted to make a nation, a kingdom rather, of priests who are holy. 

I know, I confess, that we are not very holy at all.  We make many, many mistakes but the blood of Jesus Christ Your Son has cleansed us from all sin and has made us righteous in Your sight.   That is Your justification.  

Thank-You for Your Holy Spirit who leads and guides us into your holiness to bring out that Christ-likeness we so desperately need to emulate.    We are Your royal priests choosing to be sanctified into Your way of holy living that is pleasing in Your sight.  

So Father, we thank you and praise you for all these things.  I say all this in the Name of the Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Amen.

                                    ~ERC giving thanks and praise January 2020~

Lord's Day Devotion - Signs of a Promise

Covenants are built on trust and love between individuals or groups or nations.  There is usually a signing or sealing of the agreement, often with blood.  This, as opposed to contracts that are established on distrust and are signed and sealed, most often with an exchange of goods and/or money.  These agreements, especially covenants, are "binding promises which have far-reaching importance between the covenanting parties".

The covenants I'm referring to are those made between God and mankind; His human creatures.  His covenants have often dealt in blood but not always and not always with animal blood.  Let me explain.

There have been several covenants between God and human beings but I will only highlight a couple.

One of the most well-known covenants is likely that between God and Noah.  Noah had come out of the ark after being cooped up for so many days and nights and promptly erected an altar of thanksgiving and praise to God, offering up clean animals for burnt offering sacrifice.  God spoke to Noah and promised that He would never flood the whole earth ever again.  God "signed and sealed" that promise with His rainbow.  God really knows how to do things in style!  He's still keeping that promise thousands of years later even though Noah doesn't know (Genesis 8 & 9).

Another covenant of paramount significance is the one God made with Abraham.  This was a three-pronged promise.  He was promised a promised land; his descendants would be blessed and redeemed; and his covenant would be everlasting (Genesis 12:1-3).  The sign between God and Abraham was that he and all his male descendants would be circumcised.  This little operation causes blood to flow which in turn, symbolizes and represents the signing and sealing of the covenant.  Abraham readily accepted these terms and set to work fulfilling his part of the agreement.

There were other great covenants; for instance, the one with David the king of Judah and Israel in which God promised him an eternal throne.  What king does not want to hear such a promise?  In some ways this was an "appreciation" gift from God to David because David had, for the most part, been wholly committed to God and walked in God's ways as an outpouring of love and devotion from his heart to God.  (When we read many of the Psalms written from David's pen, the reader can see that trust, dependence, love and gratitude.)

This did not involve blood but years later, we find Jesus, many generations later, in the genealogy of the descendants of David (Matthew 1).  This is Jesus, who we know is the King of kings and who will reign forever (2 Samuel 7:13-16; Psalm 89:29, 36).  

Go back further in time to Moses and the covenant he mitigated between God and the children of Israel. As they were traipsing through the wilderness en route to the Promised Land after having the miraculous escape from slavery in Egypt God wanted to interact with them and firm up His covenant with them.

God spoke the Law to Moses and Moses explained all the rules and regulations to the throngs of Israel.  He asked if they would accept this and be obedient to God their Almighty God, Guide, the One who'd rescued them and was accompanying them along the way.  If they'd be obedient, God would bless them.  If not, they'd bring curses down on their heads as delineated by Moses from God.  They adamantly agreed to do all God asked.

Moses then sacrificed offerings to God.  This covenant was signed and sealed with the blood of animals (Read Exodus 24:3-8).

"Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words" (vs 8 NIV).

In the New Testament we see God making another covenant with all of mankind.  Jesus, the promised Messiah, the Root and Offspring of David, the Star (Isaiah 11:1-2; Zechariah 3:8; 6:12; Revelation 5:5 and 22:16), would be the Lamb of God who would shed His blood for the remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22, 28).

"...the blood of Jesus Christ, His (God's) Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7 NIV).

Peruse Luke 22:19 and 20.  Verse 19 speaks of Jesus' body being given for us (all mankind).  Continue to verse 20, in regards to Jesus' blood which was spilt when on the cross of Calvary.  It tells us, Jesus said, 

"This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (NIV).

The signs and seals of God's covenant promise with the Church are water baptism after one has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and then partaking of the "Lord's Table" in remembrance of Jesus in His death for us and all that entails.  We do this as often as we can to show our belief, allegiance, obedience, love, thankfulness, and more, to Him but most of all, we proclaim His death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26).  All this because He first loved us (1 John 4;19).

In this covenant, God does all because He knows and has proven to mankind, that mankind cannot help themselves.  They fail time and again in keeping any kind of covenant.  Thank God that He keeps us safe in His hands (John 10:27-30).  

The connection I really like here is the symbolism of Moses sprinkling the Israelites with the blood of animals showing the acceptance of God's terms of their covenant.  As we read the 1 John 1:7 verse and see that it is Jesus' blood that atones for our souls, I see it as God's doing more than just "sprinkling", He washes and purifies us from our sins; total, once for all purification of our justification.  

This covenant is of great importance to God and has far-reaching repercussions.  This New Covenant's other signs and seals are the promise of forgiveness of sins and the giving of the gift of everlasting life when God looks down and sees the blood of Jesus Christ has washed away the sins on the hearts and lives of individuals who have accepted "the terms".  

Praise God for all He has done for you!  

This is an enduring covenant.

                                                         ~ERC  December 2019~

Sing What The Lord Has Done; Hillsong

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Hymn:  The New Covenant Blessings

Open the Shut Door

When the master of the house shuts the door, the door is shut.  It's final.  It's frightening if you suddenly realize the error of being on the wrong side of the shut door; what was really at stake.

God shut the door of Noah's ark.  Once that happened no one could get out nor in.  How terrifying for those outside when they realized Noah was NOT kidding (Genesis 7).  As the rain bucketed down and the water levels rose up higher, and higher and higher, unabated, so too, the terror would likely have escalated.  Think of the screams, shouts and perhaps, curses, that could be heard piercing the air.

A prophecy, in reference to the coming of Jesus, given to Isaiah, tells the solemn prediction about "the door",

"I will place on His shoulder the key to the house of David; what He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open" (Isaiah 22:22 NIV).

There's another door that will be shut.  Look how Luke records it:

"When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' then He will answer you, 'I do not know where your come from...'" (Luke 13:25 ESV).

The advice, also from the same Luke passage but verse 24 (ESV), was to...

"...strive to enter through the narrow door..."

Recently I watched a short video of an ice-hockey puck challenge.  Normally an ice hockey goal post is wide open, except for the goal tender, of course.  However, for this challenge, the whole hockey net was blocked off except for a very small opening at the bottom, ice level, not bigger than a letter flap on the front door of someone's home.  In fact, it appeared much smaller than...

The 'challengee' had to shoot one goal in to earn a brand new car.  The participant had three chances.  The odds seemed insurmountably slim yet not totally impossible.  However, one chap actually managed to score!  Even the game host was stunned.

Striving to enter the narrow door to God may seem unattainable to some but it is definitely NOT impossible.  

The 'door' to God is, Jesus.  He said,

"I am the Door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved" (John 10:9 KJV).

The Door, Jesus, is the One through whom we all must enter.  We must all strive to enter.

By 'strive' I do not mean "earn our own way"; no, Jesus has already paid the price for our salvation.  We must willingly, from our hearts, accept this Gift from God.  This is often a struggle of our will, thus the need to strive.  Many times there are many excuses, fears, roadblocks and resistant attitudes to receiving this Gift God offers.  Therefore a person's striving must be to overcome and break down the door of his/her own heart before going through Jesus, the Door to Heaven.

Will you open Heaven's Door?

Is your door shut or open?

God is not going to force that door open.

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:  if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20 KJV).

He's waiting for your decision.

Open the door of your heart to Jesus.  He is the Door to the Father in Heaven.

There's a Sunday School song that kids long ago used to love to sing,

"One door and only one, And yet its sides are two; Inside and outside, On which side are you?"

The Door is open to "whosoever will" at the moment.  As the folks in the church in Philadelphia learned, 

"...behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it..." (Revelation 3:8 KJV).

There will come a day when the "master of the house (heaven) will shut the door.  That indeed will be a doomsday for all those who haven't come to the Father through Jesus, the Door (Luke 13:25-27).

This may sound harsh but remember this; the time of opportunity is now.

God's Word declares,

"...behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2 KJV).

The people in Noah's day had more than 100 years to hear about the coming flood and how they could escape it.  None took heed.  Only Noah and his family were saved along with the two and seven of a kind of animal.  No one can blame God or Noah for not being warned.  

They had had to act on the knowledge just as folks nowadays do so they too would not perish.  Come to Jesus the Door, before it is forever too late.  Do not procrastinate. 

Once a person has opened the Door and come to the Father through Jesus Christ, he or she can keep the door of his/her heart shut in another way that's not recommended; keeping Jesus standing outside and knocking.

Followers of Jesus Christ can have as much or as little as they wish of Christ.  He wants to come in and 'sup' with them, though.  He wants to commune and have fellowship; to spend time.  We need to open our heart's door wide, allow Christ to have access to every area of our heart and life so His almighty power and Holy Spirit can transform us to be more "like Christ".  Let Jesus truly be Lord and Master of our life, as well as Savior.

A line of another Sunday School song sang...

"At the heart's door your Savior's waiting..."

Let's let Him be the Master of our heart's house.  Let the brilliance of heavenly things illuminate each individual all because you "walked through" the Door of the heavenly Father and to life in His kingdom.  Keep your door open to Him.

                                                              ~ERC  January 2020~

One Door and Only One

At the Heart's Door