Wednesday, January 22, 2020

PR"I"DE

King David's repentance after sinning with Bathsheba


"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)

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me,
and I shall be whiter than snow."
(Psalm 51:7)



King David told us all about it; he was mighty, a man after God's own heart, a deep soul, but he sinned.  He saw Bathsheba bathing on the rooftop and he sent for her and took her.  Then, when she was pregnant, he sent for her husband, Uriah, who was on the battlefield, and David assumed Uriah would go in unto his wife and the problem would be solved; he would think it was his child Bathsheba was carrying.  But, David didn't count on Uriah being a noble, just and heroic man; Uriah would not go in unto his wife and enjoy pleasure, when his fellow soldiers were out there fighting and dying.  So, David sent Uriah back to the battlefront with a note to the man in charge, and the note instructed him to put Uriah on the front line of the battle so he would be killed  ...  and he "was" killed.  David thought he was home free until Nathan, the Prophet, showed up and in "the way of the Prophet" told him his sin.  All this came upon David, because of "PRIDE."  Pride is "having an inordinate opinion of one's own dignity or importance."  It's the sin that brought satan, or Lucifer, down; it's the sin that brings divorce; it's the sin often of people in high places of position or authority; it's the sin that can get all of us and bring destruction and it's called   ...  pr"I"de.

"Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is
evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you
 speak and justified when you judge."
(Psalm 51:4)

King David, however, had a repentant heart, and he realized his sin was against his God.  Psalm 51 was written after his sin with Bathsheba.  But, sin always brings forth death in some manner or form, and his child born of Bathsheba died.  Sin made its circle of completion and the "we reap what we sow" came home to roost.  After the child died, David cast off his sackcloth and ashes and went into the house of God and worshipped.  What?  David, indeed, had a heart after God; he realized his sin; he repented of his sin; he mourned and would not eat many days while the child lay dying; but when it was over; he returned to the God of his soul, the God who is "Just" in all matters, the God in whom he had all trust, and he worshipped  ... 



It's two little words that could change the world!  Husbands and wives, kids and parents, bosses and employees, nation to nation, congregations and pastors, and creation to its Creator  ... "I'm Sorry!"  What stops it? It's that thing that we must all conquer; it lurks in humans from birth until it meets the Creator.  It's pride  ...  Pride   ...  PRIDE   ...  pr"I"de!  Nobody wants to admit they're wrong; nobody wants to humble himself to another person; nobody wants to give up that thing called "pride."  But, guess what?  Love IS having to say, "I'm sorry," and saying it, and saying it, and saying it  ...  over and over until WE all get it right.  Many divorces could be stopped if one or both would take the first step and say it.  You say, "But, it wasn't MY fault; why should I say it?"  Why not?  Is it worth losing everything for the cause of pride?  Sometimes, we can't stop a divorce if the other person refuses to stay, no matter what you say, and in cases of abuse, we have to make difficult choices in life.  But, many relationships could be saved with those two little words.

"He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever
confesses and renounces them finds mercy."
(Proverbs 28:13)

"Grace" is a beautiful word; we are in the time of Grace, and because the Lord Jesus Christ took our sins upon Himself, shed His precious blood, and gave His torn pierced body for the sins of all mankind, we have only to accept this "Amazing Grace," and ask Him to forgive us of our sins.  He will and He does every time, and His only condition is "turn and walk the other way" in the path of righteousness, and sin no more.  Ah, it's beautiful; is it not?  To be forgiven is the most joyous occasion of one's life; to have the heavy burdensome weight of sin lifted from us and we feel FREE; it's so heavenly, so awesome, so wonderful, and if you're not one who smiles, You will!  The Lord will put a smile on your face, a skip in your walk, a tongue in your speech, His name in your baptism, a song in grumbling, a beauty in your spirit, a love in your heart, and hey, it doesn't stop there; it goes on and on and on  ...  Because He's God and He will create newness in you every day  ... if you let Him.

"Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and
forgives the transgression of the remnant of
his inheritance? You do not stay angry
forever but delight to show mercy."
(Micah 7:18)

Get rid of it!  What?  That thing that's killing you and everyone around you; that hatred, that ego, that "I will not give in" attitude, that thing that will destroy you, that thing that sent satan spiraling downward like a lightning strike from the gates of heaven, that thing that robs you of peace and joy, that thing called pr"I"de.

"As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed
our transgressions from us."
(Psalm 103:12)



(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.org)


PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas
Services Sundays 10:30 am and Wednesdays 7:15 pm
~~~~~Live Streaming~~~~~

Thank you for joining us in worship of our Lord
Jesus Christ!  Please send us your prayer 
requests and if you would like to sow seed into
holy ground that prays and SEES miracles, 
you may give online @ promiselandchurch.net.
God bless you, and I know He will!



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PromiseLand Church!
We're telling the world that 
Jesus Christ is coming soon!

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Special thanks to cooltext.com for the use of
graphic text generator}

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

"MOMENTS!"



"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout
 the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf 
of them whose heart is perfect toward him..." 
(2 Chronicles 16:9)






They come and they go, and when they're gone  ... they're gone! What?  Special, God ordained, heaven tuned, anointed and holy, spine-tingling, mind boggling, awe inspiring, silence filled, still magnificent MOMENTS!  They're like intersections of destiny that you remember for a lifetime. They're those times when God has found it!  Found what?  That one with the "perfect heart;" that one who will obey no matter what, that one who, like Abraham, will climb the mountain and hold a knife over his only son  ...  because God told him to.  But, the "ram in the thicket" changes the whole thing; the angel grabbing his knife-clad hand at the right time suddenly stops time, and it becomes a MOMENT!  We know the story; it was a test, and Abraham passed  ...  God wanted to know if Abraham would obey Him in all things, even to the death of his own son  ... while Abraham lifted the knife to plunge it into his own son's heart, God had a ram coming up the other side of the mountain; God had an angel ready to grab his arm; God had an "escape" and when Abraham passed the test, his son was spared.  Ah, a MOMENT!



The list is long; David, Daniel, Esther, Moses, Ruth, Elisha, and Paul to name a few, who showed us the "route" to the perfect heart.  God still searches to and fro today  ...  for that One  ... that human being who will give all and allow God to stop time and show mortals what it's all about   ...  in a Moment!  It's not easy to be one who arrives at the Moment; it takes one who will climb the mountain, dwell in the desert, abide by the brook, wait in the quiver, sit in Job's ashes, rot in Joseph's prison, sustain Paul's beatings, or raise Abraham's knife.  This "God thing" is not for amateurs; God Almighty is real, and Yes, He loves us; Yes He will move heaven and earth for us when we surrender to Him  ...  but, we must be prepared to "become!"  Become what?  Like Him  ... We've got it on our currency, on our most important of documents, but is it in our "perfect hearts?"   ...  In God We Trust  ...



Moments are like fleeting angels; they move with the wisps of the breath of God, and we must "be there" at the right time and the right place to catch them.  How do we do that?  It takes a heart after God  ...  a "perfect heart" after God.  That word 'perfect' means "complete or whole."  When our hearts belong to Jesus Christ our Lord, He makes them whole, and then it's up to us to make them "Holy" His!  The times when we're pondering what to do and how to do it, we never know but that help is hovering over us to confirm the MOMENT and give us the answer.  We must always be aware of the MOMENT.  The blessing could be hanging right over our heads.

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered 
and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
(Hebrews 4:13) 

He sees all; He knows all; and He's searching to and fro  ... Will He find one today?  All it takes is a "perfect heart," one that follows God wherever He may go, one that says, "I Will," to His "Will you?"  It's one that forsakes the worldliness for Godliness, one that knows life belongs to the Creator and He can do with it what He pleases.  Ah, it's not an easy road, but it's a MOMENTOUS road!  Today could be YOUR day for one of those times when ethereal moves in to turn your "every day" into one of those miraculous times of ecstasy  ...  one of those "MOMENTS."




 (Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.)

We're praising our Lord Jesus Christ 
and listening for the moment when the Trumpet 
sounds and we meet Him in the air!




PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas
Services Sundays @ 10:30 am 
~~~~~Live Streaming~~~~~

We are not "just" a Church, we are

chosen of God to reach the entire world with the 
gospel of Jesus Christ and LOVE drives us!  Send
us your prayer needs, and if you would like to sow 
a seed into holy ground that's blessing and being 
blessed, please give online @ promiselandchurch.net.
Thank You, and may God richly bless you!






~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




PromiseLand Church! 
We hunger for "Moments" in 
this time of Harvest!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{Special thanks to cooltext.com.} 

Monday, January 20, 2020

"Give It Away!"


"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."
(Luke 6:38)




Lord, thank you for leading me to this
lonely, honest heart
And filling her with Your Spirit to 
make a new start



Lead me to another who is desperate, and
in need of a Savior
Draw her to me, to show her a new walk, and
a brand new behavior



We honor each one, unique, and so 
beautiful in Your presence
You call them from every Nation, to come
and partake of Your essence




It matters not the age; You died for all, and 
Your love fills the earth
You call unto the little ones, as You dedicated
them from their birth



O, the love You bestow on kindreds and
tongues, both near and far
And we must not forget the apple of Your
eye, ever bearing the Jewish star



You give us the strength, to traverse 
through the continents
There's not a soul anywhere, that's not
imprinted on Your countenance



Help me, Dear Lord, to bring You the
called, chosen, and noted
He may be a Preacher, not knowing he's
 anointed, to be Godly devoted



Give me Your insight, Lord, and Your gifts of
knowledge and wisdom
To befriend this soul for Your service,
and for Your kingdom



Jesus, it's all about deliverance, and working in
Your employ to go after strays
And in the process, we always reap the benefit of love, 
when we "Give It Away!"




(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.org.)

                            



PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas
Services Sundays @ 10:30 am 
~~~~~Live Streaming~~~~~

W
e are not "just" a Church, we are
chosen of God to reach the entire world with the 
gospel of Jesus Christ and LOVE drives us!  Send
us your prayer needs, and if you would like to sow 
a seed into holy ground that's blessing and being 
blessed, please give online @ promiselandchurch.net.
Thank You, and may God richly bless you!