Fear Not

I really do love all the “fear nots” in the Bible. Here are a few that are especially great.

~After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Genesis 15:1

~And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD. Exodus 14:13

~And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. Exodus 20:20

~And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 1 Samuel 12:20

~Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. Isaiah 35:4

~For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Isaiah 41:12

~And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

~Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard. Luke 1:13

~Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. Luke 1:30

~Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. Luke 5:10

~But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. Luke 8:50

~Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Revelation 1:7-8

More Larkin reading!

Yesterday, I finished reading “Rightly Dividing the Word” by Clarence Larkin, a book I highly recommend. Larkin covers the A to Z of Christianity. I learned and got tons of nuggets from his book.

My next adventure is “The Spirit World”, also by Larkin (surprise!).

From the front cover:

This book gives the teaching of the Holy Scriptures as to the “Spirit World”. It treats of the “Power of Good and Evil,” of the “Under-world,” of “Satan,” of the “Fallen Angels,” of “Demonism,” of “Soul Sleep,” the “Intermediate State” the “Resurrections” and “Judgments” and of “Heaven” and “Hell”.

If our fight is against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world and against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12), we should know exactly what we are facing and how ought we put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:13).

It’s not a very long book, but it should be an interesting one.

His delight

~They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight. Proverbs 11:20

They that have a forward heart are a people who lack complete modesty, have no regard for consequences and are lacking restraint and discernment. They tend to be of an arrogant nature. It is then no surprise that the Lord calls them an abomination. We certainly don’t want to be part of that group of people.

Our desire is to be a His delight. Hence, we want to be an upright man, or woman, that is to be honest, just and honorable, all of which are qualities which compose a strict regard for what is Godly. The Lord has delight in such a people, for He Himself is an holy God and His way is an upright way.

This should also be our joy and delight in that we serve such an upright Master!

Trusting Jesus Christ

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. Psalm 118:8

Putting confidence in a man will never guarantee us success. If our own heart can fail us, how can another soul also not do the same. Jesus Christ my Lord has proven Himself over and over again to me that He is a trustworthy God. All His precious promises, I have claimed and have obtained. The Lord hath heard my requests, and though I may not hold them all in my hand currently, I know the Lord hath heard my prayers.

My trust is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Psalm 9:10

AWANA Night

Last Friday was the opening night of Awana for the 2006-2007 season, but it was more like an “orientation day”. Tonight was the real thing. Once again, I have the blessing of teaching the JV, and this year it’s going to be even better…it’s all girls!

I was certain that Nicole would not return to Awana this year, and same goes for Ashley. But not so, they are both coming, and out of their own free will! I have four girls in all. Ashley (14), Amanda (12), Adriana (12) and Nicole (14). Ashley and Amanda are saved, but Adriana and Nicole are not. I am earnestly praying that the Lord would bring them to salvation before the end of the year, and that He would strengthen Ashley and Amanda’s walk with Him.

Tonight, we studied one of my favorite Bible verses for our lesson.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

We had an in depth look at how the Word of God is like an x-ray of our heart. More than just a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, the Word of God:

Is a fire and a hammer:

Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? Jeremiah 23:29

Is a lamp and a light:

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

Is a mirror:

For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. James 1:23-25

Leads people to eternal life:

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. John 20:31

Since all our lessons are backed up by Bible verses, it is crucial for the girls to develop a thirst and hunger for God’s Word, hence the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a good thing, even for me, since I can learn a lot just by teaching, and it brings joy to my heart to minister to these young girls. I had a wonderful time tonight and I am looking forward for the rest of the Awana year.

Starve the flesh

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Rom. 13:14

To put on the Lord Jesus Christ is to assume His Godly character which implies living for the same end for which He lived.

But I never fully understood how to “make no provision for the flesh” until now. To make no provision for the flesh is to starve the flesh. Whatever temptation we face, we must force this sinful flesh to starve. When we start feeding this rottenness, it usually starts with just a little portion, which then quickly turns into a bigger one. That’s when the devil’s got us right where he wants us – Egypt.

Make no provision for the flesh = do not feed the flesh.

Some sound advice from the apostle Paul.

Thank God for…Overtime???

Work has been very busy lately, which usually means really long hours. I was was very much hoping to avoid overtime tonight, but alas, I was trapped!

It wasn’t so bad after all, as I finished at 7:30 p.m. I was certain I wouldn’t get out before 8 p.m. On my way out the door, waiting for the elevator, the cleaning lady happened to pass by. She’s really “cute”, very petite woman, which put me at ease! I reached down my purse, handed her a tract and explained to her that it was concerning Jesus Christ. Maybe the Lord wanted me to stay working late so that she could receive His Word and I thank Him for that open door.

I was very happy on my way back home and my frown did turn upside down!

After God's Own Heart

~But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. 1 Samuel 13:14

Those are the words of the prophet Samuel spoken to Saul concerning David, who is to succeed him to the throne.

~And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will. Act 13:22

This raises the question of what is a man after God’s own heart. To better answer that question, we need to take a look into David’s life.

David was not a perfect man by any description of the term. However, even as but a young boy, he was a man of deep faith and understanding. He didn’t fear the enemy because he knew His God was bigger.

~Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 1 Samuel 17:45

Unfortunately, we tend to remember the worst and failures of people. As much as we are familiar with the David and Goliath story, we are also quick to associate David with his sin with Bathsheba, and instead of recalling David as a courageous and God-fearing man, we remember him as an adulterer and murderer. However, the significance with David was his ability to realize and to repent of his sin. I believe David was a man after God’s own heart, because he regretted sin and when he realized that there was sin in his life he asked God to forgive him and turned from his sinful activity.

~And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 2 Samuel 12:13

Repentance is an important concept; it’s more than just confession of sin, but the turning away of sin. It requires a change of heart. We must identify and understand sin and put it out of our lives. I could be wrong, but I believe that one of the main reasons why David is called by the Lord a man after His own heart is because David was sin-conscious and had the capacity to turn away from it. He had the courage to effect change in his life. It’s also important to note that David not only turned away from his sin, but also accepted the consequences thereof.

~Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshiped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. 2 Samuel 2:20

We know we serve a Holy God, that is, without sin. He cannot even so look at sin. As the children of God, we should strive to be men and women after God’s own heart, that is, to acknowledge the sins in our lives, turn away from them, and to aslo accept that we reap what we sow. God’s own heart is a heart that despises sin. That should be our heart also. Thankfully, we have the assurance that if we ask Jesus Christ, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (1 John 1:9) and will create in us a new heart, like unto His.

~Create in me a clean heart, O God. Psalm 51:10

Dawson shooting

I guess you’ve heard by now about the school shooting here in Montreal. I find this seriously disturbing.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/09/13/shots-dawson.html

There are three main colleges (English colleges, that is) here in Montreal. John Abott, Vanier and Dawson. I attended Vanier College. Anyway, I find this entire incident very unfortunate. Seems like everybody knows somebody attending Dawson College. At work alone, two of the lawyers have their children attending this college, and fortunately, both students are fine. Who knows, maybe the Lord will use this open door for me to tell the parents that the Lord Jesus is the one that kept their children safe.

High Esteem

~I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. Job 23:12

Job, even during the worst of his trials, was able to utter such words as to esteem the Word of God more than his necessary food. How much more we, whom the Lord Jesus Christ went through unimaginable agony to redeem us back to the Father, ought we esteem the words of his mouth.

We wouldn’t go a day without eating food, or drinking water, why then, can we go through weeks and months without reading our Holy Bible.

Even the Psalmist writes numerous times of the value of God’s Word.

~Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

It’s a dark world out there, let’s not let our guards down and leave the house without the Word of God in our heart.

Woman of Strength

Far above rubies

Hallelujah! I have found Him

~I found him whom my soul loveth. Song of Solomon 3:4

SATISFIED

All my life long I had panted for a draught,
from some clear spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning
of the thirst I felt within

Refrain

Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings,
Through His blood I now am saved.

Feeding on the husks around me,
Till my strength was almost gone,
Longed my soul for something better,
Only still to hunger on

Refrain

Poor I was, and sought for riches,
Something that would satisfy,
But the dust I gathered round me,
Only mocked my soul’s sad cry

Refrain

Well of water, ever springing,
Bread of life so rich and free,
Untold wealth that never faileth,
My redeemer is to me

Refrain

~For he satisfieth the longing soul. Psalm 107:9

Salvation for my boss

Oddly enough, my best witnessing opportunities at work have been with my boss. It definitely is the Lord’s work and the Lord’s will for me to witness to him. Jeffrey is a bit intimidating being that he’s a well-known litigation lawyer, arbitrator and author. Everybody “knows” that he will some day be a judge. However, he must fear the greatest Judge of all, the Lord God Himself.

Friday evening, as I was wishing Jeffrey a good evening and a pleasant long weekend, he opened up the subject. I truly believe that the Lord put the right words in my mouth and gave me boldness to tell Jeffrey that his soul is in danger of hell, that he is in need of salvation and that only Jesus Christ can save and give him eternal life. I managed to have a good 20-minute discussion before he finally closed the conversation. Coming out of his office, I felt a bit shy, but the Lord quickly turned my countenance into a joyful one. I was refreshed and thankful that I had yet another wonderful opportunity to share the gospel to my boss.

Though he dismissed the conversation on Friday night, and plainly admitted that he’s not interested, it’s obvious to me that something is brewing and that maybe the Lord is speaking to him. When I saw him at work today he greeted me with “I keep on thinking of our conversation on Friday….you’re scaring me…with hell and I need to get saved.” Yes, you need to get saved, I was telling him, when I was interrupted by a phone call.

That is alright though. I will continue praying for his salvation as I sincerely believe that God can save him, and his family.

~ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 ~

Wicked heart

~Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

This is one of the many verses that we always teach our children at church, whether during Awana, Sunday school and/or children’s church. This morning, as I was doing my Proverbs of the day, I thought that Jeremiah 17:9 ties in beautifully with the verse below:

~Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

It’s scary just how true these verses are. Our heart is deceitful, desperately wicked and out of it are the issues of life!!! Personally speaking (and I’m sure many believers can testify the same), I have gotten myself in a mess before because of my wicked heart. But here, we get some wise and good advice from Proverbs 4. We should keep our heart will all diligence; that is to be very careful when dealing with it.

The only way that I can think of being careful with my heart is by offering it to the Lord in prayer at all times and weighing His advice in all matters of life.

New book to read

I finally finished Ruckman’s book “The sure word of prophecy – The kingdom of God vs. the Kingdom of Heaven”, which I read with passion.

I will now tackle Clarence Larkin’s book “Rightly dividing the Word”, which my brother brought back from his Ohio trip. I am looking forward to this one. Here is a short description of the book:

From the front cover: This book "Rightly Divides" the fundamentals in a series of contrasts, as "Law and Grace," "Faith and Works," "Standing and State," "Sin and Salvation," " Atonement and Redemption," etc. It contains the ream and meat of the Author's sermons and Bible lectures, for thirty years, and is illustrated with 55 charts and diagrams. The charts are clear and simple and adapted to Institute and Bible class work.

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