Ezra & Nehemiah

I reviewed Ezra all over again, and then started Nehemiah and read about its historical context.

My thought of the day (largely inspired by PB's sermon): If you stay in a comfortable, secure place, you will lose it ALL and forever live enslaved to the world. A passive attitude and lifestyle will not protect you from danger, but rather condemns you...That's scary stuff!

During my QT, I faced a couple of problems. I was wondering if you guys had any strategies to help solve the following issues:
-falling asleep or zoning out during prayer
-the temptation to simply rush through intercessory prayer in order to pray for as many people as possible, but only superficially

everything ties together

God put us in this darkened world
To shine as sons of light;
So, help us, Lord, to spread Your Word
And keep our witness bright. —D. De Haan

today's QT's reminded me of PB's sermon, sort of. lights risk being seen as long (as long as it's not purposely hiding in something). question of the day...am i willing to take the risk?

i just realized that our website's url is http://ufofemmes.blogspot.com/! hahahahah, ESTHER.

the Spirit

HI Konny, I left a comment on your post!

1 Corinthians 3

Here Paul talks about God's Spirit living inside of us. Although I hear it constantly, I never really understood this. What exactly does the Spirit inside us do? And if the Spirit is inside of us, how come we still sin?

Philippians 4

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7

- Do not be anxious about anything
- Pray with a thankful heart
- There is much to rejoice about in Christ

Better late than never...

Matthew 25: 1-13, "The Parable of the Ten Virgins"
-being prepared for the Second Coming of Christ
-not missing out on the opportunity to grow deeper with my relationship with God

Gen 31 & Mark 2

Joy is not "Gush"

By Amy Carmichael, missionary

Thunder clouds are nothing to the Spirit of Joy. The only special reference to the joy of the Holy Spirit is bound up with words "severe suffering":

...in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message [of fellowship with Jesus Christ] with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 1 Thess. 1:6

Joy is not gush.
Joy is not mere jolliness.
Joy is perfect acquiescence - acceptance, rest - in God's will, whatever comes. And that is so, only for the soul who delights himself in God.

Jesus, our Lord, took God as His God as well as His Father, and that brought Him to say His delight was "to do the will of him who sent me" (John 6:38) - even though that meant the cross, and such agony as no man has ever known. To do the will of God cost Him blood. It cost Him blood.

Accept for yourself the Fatherhood of God, which is only possible for you and me because of the sacrifice of the blessed Son our Savior. And by the presence of the Holy Spirit within, you will learn to rejoice in the will of God, and nothing else...

This, then, is the call to the soul that would ascend above all earthly circumstance, to walk in heavenly places: Leave yourself open to the circumstances of His choice, for that is perfect acceptance, and rest in the will of God.

If you do so, you are not a fool - you are in the company of the brave!

For accepting the will of God in this way, "You become imitators of us," Paul writes, "and of the Lord" (1 Thess 1:6).

Are you following in their path?

Amy Carmichael, Gold by Moonlight pp. 74-75