Perpetuum Jazzile - Aquarela Do Brasil

Ultimate wedding dance

I don’t know if their marriage will survive the test of time. But they’re gonna have a blast while it lasts.

Striving together in prayer

 

Meg McGinnis

Y

ou’re not in it alone.

I have been convinced in recent days of the necessity for Christians to show love to one another. This may sound like an obvious thing, but I don’t think we do such a good job at it.

I have been somewhat self-focused for the past few months as we have struggled with finding a new home to live in. But along the way, many of my Christian brothers and sisters have gone through severe trials as well. Close friends of mine have made emergency trips to the hospital, others have gone through surgery, some have lost their jobs, some have seen severe illness hit multiple immediate family members at the same time. If I remain focused on myself, I am not able to encourage those friends and I forget to hold them up before the throne of grace.

James 1:2-7

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

My friend Meg McGinnis has been going through some tough times recently. She has written about it on her blog, Meg’s Journey. Meg posted a recent article in which she discussed The Testing of Our Faith. She quotes James 1:2–7 in that post. This is a great encouragement and something we all need to remember as we go through our own trials.

And then we need to remember to take the time to encourage others and to pray for them. I think it actually helps us to realize that others are in need of our support, our encouragement, our prayers, and our love.

Strategic actions causing sincere confusion

I have been a Sarah Palin fan ever since she burst onto the public scene when John McCain selected her as his presidential campaign running mate. I was not particularly interested in John McCain as a candidate. I have not been particularly thrilled with the Republican Party for quite some time. I am appalled at most of what I see from the Democrat Party.

But Sarah Palin seemed to me to be a breath of fresh air—primarily because she doesn’nt follow the expected course for a politician; she actually seems to care more about the people she is serving than her own political ambitions. This I applaud.

The American Thinker has published Palin and the Battle for the GOP’s Soul, an article analyzing Sarah Palin’s potential impact on the political world. It’s worth a read.

Beyond all expectation

Ephesians 3:14—21

I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.
Amen.

Another hit

It is 10:47 AM and we have just been informed that we will not be able to rent the home in Front Royal that we were hoping to rent. Our landlords have told us that we must vacate the house we are living in by August 20. That gives us two weeks to find a house, get approval, and complete our move.

Please pray.

Update - 3:00 pm

Matthew 6:16-18

And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

I had a talk with my father and he shared with me Matthew 6:18, “Your father who sees in secret will reward you.” After I finished talking to my father, I looked up the verse in its context. This is a very well-known passage (The Sermon on the Mount), so I was quite familiar with it already, but I needed to read it again.

Christianity is a personal relationship with Christ. I have looked at this concept from only one side until the past year or so—that it is not up to us to force our convictions on other Christians. But until recently I have ignored the flip side of this issue—that we are not supposed to do our good deeds in front of others in order to show what great Christians we are.

I have recently been more and more convicted of this aspect of the personal relationship nature of Christianity. But my father directed me to this verse for an entirely different reason—to point out that God knows.

Ephesians 8:26-27

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

He knows our needs. We are to ask him to meet our needs and we are to solicit the prayers of others. But God knows. In fact, God knows much better than we know. And he knows much better than the multitude of praying saints that we may be able to engage in praying for our unique situation.

According to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the Holy Spirit fills in the gaps in our prayers, praying for things that we don’t even know how to pray for. Who could possibly be a better prayer partner in a time of need than God himself?

In that letter to the Ephesian believers, Paul goes on to say (in the well-known verse 28): “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

This will all work out in the end. And my heavenly Father who loves me enough to send his Son to die for me will make it work out to my good. The darkness will lift. I will see Jesus’ lovely, and loving, face.

By whose power are you living?

Amos 9:9

For behold, I will command, and shake the house of Israel among all the nations as one shakes with a sieve, but no pebble shall fall to the earth.

I

t is very important to be able to distinguish between things that differ, for appearances are not to be relied upon. Things which seem to be alike may actually be the opposite of each other. A scorpion may be like an egg and a stone like a piece of bread, but they are far from being the same. Like may be very unlike. This is especially the case in spiritual things, and therefore it behooves us to be on our guard.

It would be very difficult to say how far a man may go in religion and yet die in his sins. He may very well look like an heir of heaven and yet be a child of wrath. Many unconverted men have a belief which is similar to faith, and yet it is not true faith. Certain people exhibit pious affections which have the warmth of spiritual love but are quite destitute of gracious life. Every grace can be counterfeited, even as jewels can be imitated. As paste gems are wonderfully like the real stones, so sham graces are marvelously like the work of the Spirit of God. In soul matters a man will need to have all his wits about him, or he will soon deceive his own heart. It is to be feared that many are already mistaken and will never discover their delusion until they lift up their eyes in the world of woe where their disappointment will be terrible indeed.

The dead child of nature may be carefully washed by his mother, but this will not make him a living child of grace. The life of God within the soul creates an infinite difference between the man who has it and the man who does not. The point is to make sure that we have this life. Are you sure that you have it?

It will be an awful thing to cry, “Peace, peace,” where there is no peace and to falsely prophesy smooth things for yourself. This may make your heart easy, but it could lull your conscience into a slumber. You might never wake out of the deep until a clap of the thunder of judgment shall startle you out of presumption into endless horror.

I desire to help my reader in the business of self–examination. I actually want him to go further than examination. He needs to realize that he can attain such an abundance of grace that his holy and happy state shall become a witness to himself.

[This article] is meant to be a sieve to separate the chaff from the wheat. Let my reader use it upon himself. It may be the best day’s work he has ever done. He who looked into his accounts and found that his business was a losing one [dollar] was saved from bankruptcy. This may happen also to my reader. Should he, however, discover that his heavenly trade is prospering, it will be a great comfort to him. No man can ever lose by honestly searching his own heart. Friend, try it at once.

According to Promise, C. H. Spurgeon

We are commiting it to God

Psalm 37:4–5

Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.

Laying fear aside, Lord, we commit our way to you. Act as you will to bring glory to your name.

Blog Header - August 2, 2009

I took this photo at the Lynchburg Market last year. These hot peppers look so good and I thought the font on the blog title fit the hot pepper theme. God’s products sure are beautiful, aren’t they?

Perpetuum Jazzile - Mas Que Nada