Your Benefits Package

 

Your Benefits Package

 

            If you work for any company for any length of time you earn the ability to have insurance or what is called a benefits package.  The book of Proverbs is the wisdom benefits package passed down from King Solomon to his son and then to us.  So how do you get these benefits?  You come to God with a willingness to follow Him and be humble enough to admit you need to learn.  I’ve mentioned before on a G.I.Joe cartoon there was a conversation that went like this.  “Some of em never learn.”  “Nope, some of em never do.  It’s the ones we can help that get us out of bed in the morning.”  See with this blog thing I don’t know who reads or watches it.  I share what God shows me.  I pray for it to draw the person who participates closer to God and that he will give them hope.  If I can help one person I have accomplished what I set out to do.  See I know this to be true and this is part of why I keep doing this. 

 

Isaiah 55:8-11

            “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.  ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways.  And my thoughts than your thoughts.  For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater.  So will my word be which goes forth from my mouth; it will not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire.’” 

            So if you want your benefits package provided by King Solomon here it is because most of this is cause and effect. 

Proverbs 3:1-6

            “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for the length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.  Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.  So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” 

 

            “We need wisdom we need power
And true love for each other
We have had so many big but empty words
So we come before Your face
Asking for Your grace
Bring Your people to a state of kingdom life
Restore Your church again

Touch Your people once again
With Your precious holy hand, we pray
Let Your kingdom shine upon this earth
Through a living glorious church
Not for temporary deeds
But to restore authority and power”

 

Touch your people by Steve Green

Much of you by Steven Curtis Chapman

For all the World by Sandi Patti

Trust in the Lord by Girls of Grace

Treasure Island by Steven Curtis Chapman

Exalt the Name by Sandi Patti

Search

 If I type search in the title does that mean it has now become the search bar instead lol 

yes this is your weekly blog and that is my dumb joke. 

Search

 

          If you ever watch any of the Indiana Jones movies or play the game Tomb Raider Both hero and heroine are searching for something.  Psalm 139 is one of the most beautiful and thought-provoking chapters in the Bible.  The ending two verses though draw you to a different kind od search.  It’s a plea for cleansing. 

Psalm 139:23-24

          “Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” 

          I often pray and ask God to cleanse my heart and my mind because I know I’m a sinful person.  I get angry way too easy and it’s not good.  As I read these verses I was reminded of a very old song by Sandi Patty called “When the Time Comes”.  It’s about having your heart right before God. 

          “Cleanse me Lord, of all my silly sad charades How I long to be all and only yours, Take away the clutter in my life everyday and make me like a child at play.” 

          God wants all of your heart.  We have to be willing to be searched and confess when we are wrong. 

          In the song “Heat it Up” by Degarmo and Key they compare it to being purified and cleansed by fire.  We are standing before Holy God.

          “I need a thermo boost, a nuclear device an eternal flame to penetrate the ice, this chill is so depressing raise up the temperature in tears I stand confessing I need a heart that’s pure.”

          Some might say you’re taking this relationship with God too seriously.  God is extremely specific about our focus being on him. 

Revelation 3:14-16

          “To the angel of the church in Laodecia write ‘These are the words of the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness the Ruler of God’s Creation I know your deeds that you are neither hot nor cold I wish you were either one or the other!  So because you are lukewarm- neither hot or cold I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” 

          Be passionate about letting God search your heart and show you where you are wrong and be cleansed!  God wants you all of you.  Stop playing church and be the church. 

 

 

Consuming Fire by Third Day

Heat it up by Degarmo and Key

Casual Christian by Degarmo and Key

Hit you where you Live by Petra

Purified by Michael W Smith

When the Time Comes by Sandi Patti

Honesty by Margaret Becker

Ready or Not by Degarmo and Key

Eight

 

Eight

 

          There’s an old joke that goes something like this.  “Why was six afraid of seven?  Because seven eight nine.” Eight is a significant number.  Eight legs on a spider.  We work eight hours a day.  There was even a wrestling faction called Aces and Eights.  But I want to show you eight verses in one chapter and that would be Psalm 138.  The whole chapter is simply eight verses and it is all King David needs to get his points across. 

 

138:1-2

 

          “I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart, before the ‘gods’ I will sing your praise.  I will bow down toward your Holy Temple and praise your name for your love and your faithfulness for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.” 

          At the beginning of this David humbles himself and praises God and gives him the glory.  Then he talks about God’s name being exalted.  Many years later God exalts a name.  Philippians 2:9-11”Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  The first two verses of Psalm 138 also mentioned God’s name and his Word.  In John chapter 1 Jesus is called the Word and in verse 14 the Word became flesh but also in verse 1 Jesus is with God and the Word was God. 

 

138:3

 

          “When I called you answered me and you made me bold and stouthearted.”  God made him bold and stouthearted.  Now rewind to what God told Joshua years before.  Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” 

 

138:4-6

 

          “May all the kings of the earth praise you, O Lord, when they hear the words of your mouth.  May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great.  Though the Lord is on high, he looks on the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar.” 

          Now ponder this for a minute because he talked about the lowly and proud and kings.  Here’s a guy who was a shepherd who became a king.  I think he knows what he’s talking about.  Like the commercial says, “At Farmers we’ve seen a thing or two.”

 

138:7

 

          “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes with your right hand you save me.” 

          Goliath, Saul, Philistines and many more.   David had so many enemies he could shake a stick, sling and sword at, and he did. 

          Then for those of you who come to the Batcave blog because the emphasis is on hope verse 8 is what you’ve been waiting for.  David is about to deliver the coup de grace.  When your life doesn’t make sense, keep your eyes on God. 

 

138:8

 

          “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands.”

God’s not done with you! 

 

 

You make me brave by Bethel

Standby the cross by Pam Thum

Younever let Go by Jeremy Camp

Yourlove never fails by Newsboys

 

Call for Mercy

 

Call for Mercy

 

          We ask God for mercy because the weight of our sin is great. 

 

          This is the lyrics to a song called Mercy by Casting Crowns

 

Here I am a sinner
Broken and in need of You
Take my life and wash my fears away
For You are the Great I AM
Rest assured, I feel Your hand
Holding me until the darkness clears
A Father to the fatherless
Redeemer of my soul
My Life is Yours forever
I want the world to know

Your mercy saved me
Mercy made me whole
Your mercy found me
Called me as Your own

Here I stand a child of Yours
Broken and in need of You
Break these chains and wash my guilt away
Healer of my brokenness
My weary soul will find its rest
You are my strength, the lifter of my head
You're greater than my yesterdays
You hold me close today
You're the Lord of my tomorrows
My heart will always say
You're greater than my yesterdays
You hold me close today
You're the Lord of my tomorrows
My heart will always say

You called me as Your own
You called me as Your own
Thank You for Your mercy
Thank You for Your mercy

You called me as Your own
Your own

 

          Hebrews 4:14-16 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are—yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” 

 

          Been thinking a lot lately about God’s mercy to us as sinful beings and it’s because I have read this one Psalm about 5 times now.  This whole chapter is a call for God’s mercy. 

 

Psalm 123

 

“To you I lift up my eyes,

O You who are enthroned in the heavens!

Behold, as the eyes of the servants look to the hands of their master, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,

So our eyes look to the Lord our God,

Until He is gracious to us.

 

Be Gracious to us, O Lord, Be gracious to us,

For we are greatly filled with contempt

Our soul is greatly filled

With the scoffing of those who are at ease

And with the contempt of the proud.”

 

          In Luke 18, Jesus tells a story of two people’s prayers.  In verses 13-14 we find this.

          “But the tax collector stood at a distance He would not even look up to heaven but beat his breast and said `God have mercy on me a sinner’.  I tell you that this man rather than the other went home justified before God.  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

 

          See the song Great Divide by Point of Grace summed it up well because to understand God’s mercy we have to only look at the Cross of Calvary. 

 

          “There’s a bridge to cross the Great Divide

          A way weas made to reach the other side

          The mercy of the Father cost His son His life

          His love is deep, His love is wide

          There’s a way to cross the Great Divide.”

 

In conclusion I want to show you these verses.

 

Psalm 130:1-4

 

“Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord

Lord, hear my voice

Let your ears be attentive

To the voice of my supplications.

If you, Lord, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

But there is forgiveness with you,

That you may be feared.”

 

 

 

Mercy by Casting Crowns

Only a Savior by Lisa Bevill

Great Divide by Point of Grace

Road to Calvary by John Schlitt

Only Jesus/ Calvary’s love by SteveGreen

How Great is the Love by MeredithAndrews

Mercy came running by Phillips, Craigand Dean