Beneath the Cross of Jesus

Beneath the cross of Jesus i fain would take my stand

the shadow of a mighty Rock within a weary land

a home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way

from the burning of the noon-day heat, and the burden of the day

Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see

the very dying form of One who suffered there for me

and from my smitten heart with tears two wonders i confess

the wonders if His glorious love, and my own worthlessness

I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place

I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face

content to let the world go by, to know no gain nor loss

my sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross 

99

The LORD is great in Zion, and He is high above all the peoples.

Let them praise Your great name---

He is holy.

Exalt the LORD our God, and worship

at His footstool---

He is holy.

Exalt the LORD our God,

And worship at His holy hill;

For the LORD our God is holy.

Still, Still with Thee

Still, still with Thee, when purple morning breaketh, 

When the bird waketh and the shadows flee;

Fairer than morning, lovelier than the daylight

Dawns the sweet consciousness, 

I am with Thee.

Alone with Thee, amid the mystic shadows, 

the solemn hush of nature newly born

Alone with Thee in breathless adoration

In the calm dew and freshness of the morn.

When sinks the soul subdued by toil, to slumber

Its closing eyes look up to Thee in prayer

Sweet the repose beneath Thy wings overshading

But sweeter still to wake and find Thee there.

So shall it be at last, in that bright morning

When the soul waketh, and life's shadows flee

Oh, in that hour, fairer than daylight dawning

Shall rise the glorious thought

I am with Thee.  Amen. 

Lord, Speak to Me

My soul was downcast after receiving some unwelcome news last night.  Instead of getting upset and giving satan room to work in my heart, I sang a hymn to the Lord.  

Lord, speak to me, that I may speak 

in living echoes of Thy tone;

as Thou hast sought, so let me seek

Thy erring children lost and alone.

O teach me,Lord,that I may teach

the precious things Thou dost impart

And wing my words,that they may reach

The hidden depths of many a heart.

O fill me with Thy fullness, Lord

Until my very heart overflows

In kindling thought and glowing word

Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show.

O use me, Lord, use even me

Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where;

Until Thy blessed face I see

Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.

Needless to say, after singing this hymn and reading from the Word of God, my night ended on a great note.  

God bless.  

P.S.

How was your night?

Famous Quotes

If we only have the will to walk, then God is pleased with our stumbles.

C.S. Lewis

Near

As I was finishing my morning prayer, I asked the Spirit of God "to reveal something new to me from His word."  It seems innocent enough, but I do not always ask it.  There have been times when i have read my bible and 'expect' the Holy Spirit to reveal a truth to me, but when I ask Him to do so, well, it is pretty profound.

Today's reading takes place in Psalm 75.  There are many truths contained in this psalm of Asaph.  

                                                     We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!

                                                     For Your wondrous works declare

                                      that Your name is near.  

The last line in verse 1 got me to thinking, "what does it mean 'Your name is near'"?

Could it be the nearness of God in our everyday lives?  At work?  At home?  At school or wherever we set our feet to go to?  

Could it be the nearness of God as we call out to Him in prayer for the needs of others?  For our own needs or the needs of family members?  Is His nearness more closely related to the pleas for the unsaved to find salvation through Jesus Christ before His return?  

God, being Sovereign, moves men as pawns to accomplish His will.  I see the 'wondrous works' as the events that are shaping our world today as we draw closer to the rapture of the church.  Many people are reaching out to God more and more.  Some accept the free gift of salvation (praise God) while others rededicate (praise God) their lives to God, knowing that He is the only hope for themselves and this world.  

I praise God for His faithfulness.  Never once has He not been there for me.  In this present world and the things to come, the nearness of God is comforting.  Many days I have wanted to be nearer to God than I am now.  Meaning, not just in my prayers or personal time, but to see Him and to know only Him, apart from my human limitations.  Yet, those limitations increase my desires to search Him out daily in the scriptures.  As i do, i see His majesty and grace and holiness and mercy and righteousness and all the other attributes of God that shows me who He is and who i can become like, by His Holy Spirit and only because of the blood of Jesus.

There is an expectancy within my soul everyday for His voice to preceed my seeing Him face to face.

Luke 21:28 "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your head, because your redemption draws near."  (Jesus speaking)

Have a great day and God bless.

Good Morning

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,

For in You do I trust:

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,

For I lift up my soul to You.

Teach me to do Your will,

For You are my God;

Your Spirit is good.

Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Psalm 143:8,10

Famous Quotes

Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, 

a foundation for cheeerfulness, a source of constant

happiness, a protection against sadness.

St. John Chrysostom

Shadows

They are all around, these shadows.

One by one they illuminate my failures.  Past, present and somehow my future.

A failed marriage

no relationship with your children

homeless

unstable

unreliable

alone

worthless

useless

These shadows loom like towering walls that i cannot see the tops of, nor can i go around them.  They fill my mind like water fills an ocean.  My modern day walls of Jericho.  I am trapped in my own mind.

I look down to see these shadows as they become my prison bars and shackels on my hands and feet.  

Who can free me?

The shadows taunt me.

The shadows mock me.

Their words are like needles trying to pierce my flesh.

I wince in pain.  I yell at them, but they only laugh.

"Foolish boy."

The light of day increase my shadows.  The light increases my pain.  

Free me.

Free me..

Free me...

Free me....

Time slowly passes.  Darkness of night creeps upon my soul.  Death seems to be my only escape from these monsters.

Yielding, I no longer fight.  I simply lay there waiting for the final blow.  My breathing becomes short gasps for air.  Air that is stale and musty.  Relief shall come soon enough.  

No sound.  The end is near.  My mumbled prayers proceed me into sleep. 

Shadowss

A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, and a cover from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.   Isaiah 32:2

Night has cast its last shadow.  My soul awakens to a different morning.  Only i didn't know it at the time.  

Movement amplifies the pain from my body.  I try to shield my eyes from the light streaming through the bars of my cell.  My body is bathed in dirt and filt.  Who cares?  They compliment my sin and shame.  I stretch my legs only to find more points of pain to release from my body.  

I yell.

I kick.  

I pound the floor with my hands.

I throw myself against the wall.

Another prayer for deliverance is directed at the moss covered ceiling.

Silence.

An unknown amount of time has passed.   My fate is sealed.  I give up.  

Suddenly, a shadow passes by.  I flinch.  My time has come.  Another shadow can now be seen.  They now stand side by side outside my cell.

The door is unlocked.  It slowly opens.  However, the light pouring into my cell is different.  

It feels different.  It tastes different.  

Has death found me and come to take me to my eternal reward?  

I look at my hands and arms.  Soon my eyes find the rest of my body and I cannot believe all that is before me.  The walls of my prison now shine with the brightness of a million stars.  In my weakened form I try to stand.  I cannot.  Four powerful hands grab hold of me and lift me up.  I feel as though I am being transported.  Am i walking on air?  A strange wonderful scent fills my nostrils.  A sweet smelling savor.  A voice that sounds like the roaring sea fills my being.  Warmth and peace envelope my heart.

"Come with me My child.  My angels have been sent to your side to free you and bring you forth to Me."

"Who are You?"

"I AM the One you cried out to in your days of bondage.  When no one appeared to hear, I did."  

"Am I alive?

"You are in Me."

"Why?"

"Step into the light and you will see."

My steps are slow.  I am unsure of what has happened to me.  Am I dreaming?  

Shadowsss

Therefore He says:

"When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts to me."

Ephesians 4:8

Three days.  Three days I sat in that dark, damp prison cell.  Never have I wanted so badly to die.  I saw no hope of ever being set free.  I have lived a life of disgrace.  My parents disowned me because of my unruly behavior.  Self became my god.   I did everything I could to please him.  I stole, cheated, lied and did all kinds of unimaginable evil all in the name of self.  Little did I know that self was the master over me instead of me over it.  I was caught in the act of committing a crime and condemned to death.  All this time I thought i was in control, when in fact I was being controlled.

We've come to the outermost prison door.  I hesitate.  My two escorts tell me it's okay.  I step out of the darkness and into the light.  

Freedom.  Sweet, sweet freedom.  Never have you tasted or felt so good.  

Off into the distance I see three wooden structures.  Three 't' shaped structures.  Crosses?  

I ask the man on my left "What does it mean?"

He points to the one in the middle.  It seemed to stand the tallest.

"On that very cross a man by the name of Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth was crucified.  His death, by our standards was undeserving.  He did nothing wrong, yet was falsely accused.  He was beaten and scourged, tried in a court of law, He was found guilty and sentenced to death."

My body starts to tremble.  My voice becomes heavy with guilt.  "It should have been me.  He took my place."

"Yes He did."  Said the man on my right.

"All my life I lived by my own rules.  No one could tell me anything.  Not my parents.  Not my friends. Not my bosses.  No one.  I listened to no one but me."

The two men exchanged glances.  There was no need to verbalize the obvious.  

"For three days while I was in prison all i could think about was getting out.  I pleaded with anyone who would hear me.  My own actions being thrown back into my face.  They ignored me."

A different kind of silence hung in the air.  Gazing upon the center cross, understanding begin to dawn upon me.

"He heard me.  When I cried out for someone, anyone to come and save me, He heard me!  He heard me say i was sorry for all the wrong things i had done.  He heard me asking for forgiveness.  He heard me asking for another chance."

"So many people today are in some form of a prison.  They plead their case to other prisoners.  They talk to the guards and feign innocence.  They yell threats and are only hurting themsleves.  You were once like them.  But, you acknowledged your transgressions and did not try to hide from them."

"It all seems so foolish right now.  While i was pleading for someone to help me, He was pleading my cause to a Higher Authority.  He was heard and therefore obtained my freedom.  His voice was the one i heard calling me His child when the prison doors opened?"

"Yes."

"Tell me sir, what must I do to be saved?"

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved."

"Go and tell others about the love and mercy of God in heaven.  Help them to realize that they are lost and are in need of someone to save them.  Tell them about Jesus."

Shadowssss

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.  Psalm 91:1,15

Before I continue let me say that I am only presenting this to you.  I am not forcing this upon you nor am I asking you to blindly accept it.  All i ask is that you consider it and the implications.

  

Let me lay two things before you:

Point 1:  God is the Creator of all things.  The earth, the heavens to the stars in the sky and all things underneath.  Birds of the air, the fish of the sea and the unseen are all creations of God.  

Point 2:   Only those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and savior of their lives can call God,     

their Father.  John 1:12 states "But as many as have received Him, to them He gave the power to become sons and daughters of God."              

We all have different earthly fathers.  But, unless your father adopts me I cannot call him my father.  It is not possible.  

God is in the midst of everything going on in the lives of everyone on this planet.  He, being God, occupies time and space everywhere.  The good times, the bad times and even the times when nothing appears to be going on God is there.  Knowing that, we are all constantly in the presence of the Almighty.  But depending on who YOU ARE, He is either God or Father.  God is a shelter and a resting place to His children.  That is one of the many assurances, those of us (humanity) who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ can lay claim to.  For some who only know God as god, we cannot cross over into that area of belief because it is foreign to them.  Not all, but some.  Yet, the barrier is still there because they have come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. 

There is gentleman at work with whom I share some past experiences and hardships.  We both grew up in the church and we both walked away from the church during our formative high school years.  When time allows we have our 'religious' discussions and talk about the bible and God and life in general.  However, this is where we differ.  GREATLY!!!!! 

The hardships we both endured have brought about two different views of the same God.

My times of trials brought me back to the God i grew up hearing about in my home church.  Instead of relying on others to tell me of Him, I decided to seek Him out myself.  I wanted to know if what I heard and read was true.  I set my heart on God and He revealed the truth of His word and character to me.

My coworker on the other hand refused to believe that the God he had heard of and read about, would

let him experience the hardships he did at such a young age.  He has hardened his heart against God.  

One of his most well-used reponses to me is, "Unless God himself comes down and tells me and shows me, I will not believe it."  

I tell him that which he already knows, "God himself did come down and tell you and show you.  Jesus Christ."  

Second most used reply to me. (true quote coming) "Unless i meet someone who was alive back then, I still will not believe."

My spirit cringes and heart sinks at the mention of those words.

He goes on to add, "too many people have lied to me for me to believe anything anyone says to me."

Despite all the deliverances the Lord has done for him in his life, he still does not believe.  

We all have shadows in ourlives.  Each shadow represents something, someone that we have experienced in the course of our lives.  Shadows come and go and even stay.  But there is One shadow the will always remain.  The Shadow of the Cross.

John 10:10 (Jesus speaking) "The thief does not come expect to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

God knows when we are having difficult times.  He is in the midst of them.  As our Father or as God.  But it is our response to God in those times of trouble that shows the true depths of our hearts.  God will answer in His time and His way.  

Psalm 34:4  I sought the LORD and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 40:1  I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.

Psalms 120:1  In my distress I cried to the LORD and He heard me.

None of these say when God delivered them (and He did), but they do say He heard them.  No matter what I go through  God does hear me.  Because of that and that alone I will continue to dwell (establish oneself) and abide (remain there) under the covering of His glorious light that streams from the Shadow of the Cross. 

God bless.

 

Sunday reflection

The power of God within you is greater than the pressure of troubles around you.

Guess What?

This morning I prayed for YOU!

For my brothers and sisters in Christ, I prayed that you would be strong in the Lord and full of His Holy Spirit.  May the wisdom of the Lord guide you throughout the day and that YOU would be His hands and feet as a Minister of Reconciliation (2nd Corianthians 5:18) to the lost in your family, community and workplace.  

To the one who has not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I prayed for your eternal salvation.  

Jesus died on the cross for your sins and mine.  It was by His death that mankind, you and I, can find forgiveness and get right with God.  We were separated from God and condemned to spend eternity in hell.  His love for you and me, was the reason God made a way for us to find redemption.  We can do nothing on our own to get into heaven, other than cross of Calvary. 

God is also married to the backslider.  If you have found yourself not spending as much time in the presence of God as you once did, not reading your bible and coming to His house of worship, then you are backslidden.  I implore you, COME BACK TO YOUR FIRST LOVE.

The reason why does not matter.  You are loved with an everlasting love.  God is waiting for you.

Rediscover your joy and passion for your Heavenly Father.

Thank you and God bless.

P.S. 

Today could be the day Jesus calls us home via the rapture or death.  No one knows when it will happen.  No one is guaranteed their next heartbeat.  Why run the risk of  being separated from the One who created you and loves you?

Life offers many choices.  God on the other hand offers only two choices...heaven or hell.

#381

Good morning everyone.  

We have another day to give the Lord of glory thanks.  Let us take advantage of it.

For our monthly Men's fellowship and our weekly Wednesday night bible study, we have been studying the armor of God from Ephesians 6.  I must say I have been truly blessed from both teachings and am now more able to stand against the enemy of my soul.

How apropos that my devotional hymn this morning is titled "Soldiers of Christ, Arise".   

Thank You Lord.

There are three verses and no chorus.  Enjoy the song and sing it to the Lord yourself if you want.  I won't tell.   God bless.

V1. Soldiers of Christ, arise, and put your armor on

      Strong in the strength which God supplies 

      Through His eternal Son;

      Strong in the Lord of hosts, and His mighty power

      Who in the strength of Jesus trusts Is more

      than conquerer.

V2. Stand in His great might with all His strength endued

      And take, to arm you for the fight, the panoply of God;

      That having all things done, and all your conflicts past

      Ye may overcome through Christ alone, and stand entire at last.

V3. Leave no unguarded place, no weakness of the soul

     Take every virtue, every grace, and fortify the whole,

     From strength to strength go on, wrestle and fight and pray,

     Tread all the powers of darkness down, and win the well-fought day.

   

Minutes til Midnight

Eight minutes exactly.  I am filled with such a peace right now that I cannot sleep.  God has been so good to me lately.  

As I read His words, they have taken on a new meaning to me.   Several passages in the Psalms, the book of Titus, the Gospels and others have given me a glimpse of myself if I follow after the ways of the LORD.  Of course none of this would be attainable without humility and prayer. Satan had me convinced that I was a constant disappointment as a servant of God.  As Peter was being sifted by Satan in Luke 22, so too was I being sifted by the great deceiver.  His goal?  To get me to turn away from God and my salvation.  Several times I almost did it.  The thought of walking away more than crossed my mind.  Instead of turning my back on God I fell on my knees and prayed.  I prayed like I never have before.  When I was not praying I had my face buried in the Holy Scriptures.  Day after day. Night after night.  His Word reshaped my heart.  His promises transformed my thinking.  

Why would God invest so much into me (Jesus dying on the Cross) and not become a refuge to me in times of trouble?  Why would He set me up to fail? 

Something had to change.  God is unchanging.  His perfect nature will always be 'perfect'.  The problem was me.  My life was devoid, my life as a born again believer, was devoid of a true relationship with the LORD.  Just as the Pharisees knew the word of God, they did not have a relationship with the Word of God.  Me?  I was caught in the middle, which is worse.  

Please forgive me for the personal nature of this post.  As always, God deserves the glory and honor and praise for anything that comes from my life because He has willed it.  It is me, Darryl, who needed to change.  As the world around me falls into chaos, I choose not to.  We are in the final hours until the return of Jesus to rapture the church.  Will God find me worthy of His kingdom if I am sitting on the fence?  No!  The midnight cry (rapture) shall be a great occasion for those whom The Bridegroom finds waiting His return.  However, the midnight cry of those left behind will be greater.  The world is not prepared for what is to come.  

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalms 91:1)

My life comes from the Lord.  My life is in the Lord.  HE has been my strength when I could not go on.

HE has been my strong tower when the storms raged.  HE has become my peace when all else has failed.

Do we have loved ones who have not accepted Jesus as Lord and savior?  Yes.  

Friends?  Yes.

Family?  Yes.

It is now 30 minutes past midnight.  Let the next cry heard be from our prayers for the unsaved.

Good night and God bless.  

Famous Quotes

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

No other has ever known.

C. Austin Miles

But my heart stands in awe of Your word.

I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure.  

Great peace have those who love Your law, and

nothing causes them to stumble.

LORD, I hope for Your salvation.

Faithful God

God is a faithful God.