Earlier today, this blog logged post number 500. (I mistakenly commented on Saturday's post that it was #500.)
It seems like a good time to sit back, take stock of things, and chat (maybe wrestle) with the Lord a bit.
God bless you all until next time.
Much love to you all,
Anne / Annie
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Surrender
Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: 'If you surely surrender to the king of Babylon's princes, then your soul shall live ... you and your house shall live." ... And Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid ... lest they deliver me into their hand, and they abuse me." But Jeremiah said, "... Please, obey the voice of the LORD which I speak to you. So it shall be well with you ..."
~ Jeremiah 38:17,19-20 (NKJV)
But the Chaldean army ... captured him ... Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes ... Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon.
~ Jeremiah 39:5-7 (NKJV)
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid..." So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
~ Luke 5:10-11 (NKJV)
We fear the word "surrender," for it means to give control over to another.
Jeremiah pleaded with King Zedekiah to surrender to the Chaldeans, and therefore to the Lord's will, so that he and his children would live—"so it shall be well." Zedekiah named his fear, that he would be abused. Fear prevented his surrender and obedience to God. He not only lost the preservation of his sons' lives, but his worst fear came to pass as well.
We are little different. The Lord asks us to surrender to Him—surrender all we have, surrender all we do, surrender all we are. We fear what it might cost us. We forget that we stand to preserve or even gain far more.
How foolish that we hesitate to surrender, in fear that we will lose control over what the Lord asks of us, when we in fact hold so little (if any) control at all. Each surrender relinquishes little more than an illusion of control, yet acquires spiritual life in ever greater measure.
Beloved Lord and Master, there is no greater blessing than what comes in surrender of ourselves to You. Your love and goodness are too great to justify any fear. Please move our hearts to yield to Your touch upon our lives and receive You and Your life in ever greater measure.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ Jeremiah 38:17,19-20 (NKJV)
But the Chaldean army ... captured him ... Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes ... Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon.
~ Jeremiah 39:5-7 (NKJV)
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid..." So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
~ Luke 5:10-11 (NKJV)
We fear the word "surrender," for it means to give control over to another.
Jeremiah pleaded with King Zedekiah to surrender to the Chaldeans, and therefore to the Lord's will, so that he and his children would live—"so it shall be well." Zedekiah named his fear, that he would be abused. Fear prevented his surrender and obedience to God. He not only lost the preservation of his sons' lives, but his worst fear came to pass as well.
We are little different. The Lord asks us to surrender to Him—surrender all we have, surrender all we do, surrender all we are. We fear what it might cost us. We forget that we stand to preserve or even gain far more.
How foolish that we hesitate to surrender, in fear that we will lose control over what the Lord asks of us, when we in fact hold so little (if any) control at all. Each surrender relinquishes little more than an illusion of control, yet acquires spiritual life in ever greater measure.
Beloved Lord and Master, there is no greater blessing than what comes in surrender of ourselves to You. Your love and goodness are too great to justify any fear. Please move our hearts to yield to Your touch upon our lives and receive You and Your life in ever greater measure.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
God's Sovereignty
"Thus says the LORD: 'Do not deceive yourselves ... For though you had defeated the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained only wounded men among them, they would rise up, every man in his tent, and burn the city with fire.' "
~ Jeremiah 37:9-10 (NKJV)
So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh ..."
~ Jonah 2:10-3:2 (NKJV)
"For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place ... Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
~ Esther 4:14 (NKJV)
If you hadn't already noticed, I'm a huge fan of the Old Testament. The stories which many Christians consider obsolete in the light of the New Covenant are what I instead see as illuminating the New Covenant—the New Testament—more fully.
A recurring theme is God's sovereignty. Paul assures that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28 NKJV) Jeremiah warned not to resist God's inevitable will. Care for more vivid illustrations?
The Lord called Jonah and enlisted his cooperation by making him fish vomit. The Lord called Esther and enlisted her cooperation by making her a queen. Is the harmony of human will and God's sovereignty evident yet?
Once the Lord has determined what He intends to do and calls us to do it, our disobedience will not frustrate God's will. Our obedience confers upon us the high privilege to cooperate with His will, and thereby exalt God's sovereignty.
Father in heaven, You are sovereign over all the world and all that is in it, above it, below it. You have dominion over all we are, all we do, all we have. How foolish we are when we resist Your good and perfect will! How privileged we are to cooperate with it. Please move our hearts ever closer to Your own.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ Jeremiah 37:9-10 (NKJV)
So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh ..."
~ Jonah 2:10-3:2 (NKJV)
"For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place ... Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
~ Esther 4:14 (NKJV)
If you hadn't already noticed, I'm a huge fan of the Old Testament. The stories which many Christians consider obsolete in the light of the New Covenant are what I instead see as illuminating the New Covenant—the New Testament—more fully.
A recurring theme is God's sovereignty. Paul assures that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28 NKJV) Jeremiah warned not to resist God's inevitable will. Care for more vivid illustrations?
The Lord called Jonah and enlisted his cooperation by making him fish vomit. The Lord called Esther and enlisted her cooperation by making her a queen. Is the harmony of human will and God's sovereignty evident yet?
Once the Lord has determined what He intends to do and calls us to do it, our disobedience will not frustrate God's will. Our obedience confers upon us the high privilege to cooperate with His will, and thereby exalt God's sovereignty.
Father in heaven, You are sovereign over all the world and all that is in it, above it, below it. You have dominion over all we are, all we do, all we have. How foolish we are when we resist Your good and perfect will! How privileged we are to cooperate with it. Please move our hearts ever closer to Your own.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday Freelance: FRAGRANT
If you want to know the truth, ask a four-year-old child.
Ours is named Daniel. He's still cuddly, possibly because he's the baby of the family and the favorite for everyone else to cuddle. During our homeschool group's reading and Bible lessons, Daniel often gets snagged by one of his teenage sisters for the extended sitting time if I don't get to him first. Several days ago, his older sister invited, "Come sit with me." He pulled away and answered, "I want to sit with Mommy. She's beautiful."
I collected my son into my arms with an extra tight hug and a kiss—and the dismissive thought that he must have picked up that expression at a recent wedding celebration sprinkled with compliments on lavish attire. After all, small children repeat what they hear with only a vague grasp of what it really means.
But a day or so later, another one of my children was speaking to me in a less-than-glowing tone of voice. Daniel became a little upset, got in the individual's face, and admonished, "Don't talk to Mommy like that. She's beautiful."
The previously terse discussion dissolved and I gave just a tad more pause to the remark this time, since I couldn't write it off to being parroted. I held Daniel close for a bit, as if perchance to press into his psyche a sentiment I hope will last another decade until he's a teenager.
Another day or so later, Daniel again made a remark about Mommy being beautiful. It was reported to me that when one of his siblings asked him how Mommy is beautiful, Daniel answered, "Her heart is beautiful."
I can hear you all saying "awww." Mine came out more a soft gasp of "oh!" To be told that inner beauty is both visible and cherished, by a small child devoid of guile, is about the most fragrant compliment I think I could ever receive.
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
As much as I enjoy sharing the story, I'm not doing so to parade the compliment, but because its poignancy makes such a startling point.
My very favorite activity of the whole week is Sunday morning worship and praise time. Praise was suppressed in my life for so very long that having now found release, it will no longer be contained. Even so, there's plenty of times I still allow distraction to just sufficiently detach me from the words I'm singing that the compliment to the Almighty becomes parroted words.
He still knows I see Him as beautiful. I know He loves to hear me tell Him so, and I do so as often as I'm moved to do so. I'm a great singer in the shower and car, but I also push myself to do a capella solos in the presence of witnesses—more courageous than you might think if you could hear my very average voice.
All that singing to God about His infinite attributes is sure to evoke His smile. Yet I can't help but think He finds highest compliment when we praise Him not for what He is and what He does, but for Who He is.
He surely melts when we offer the fragrant words devoid of guile, "Your heart is beautiful."
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Ours is named Daniel. He's still cuddly, possibly because he's the baby of the family and the favorite for everyone else to cuddle. During our homeschool group's reading and Bible lessons, Daniel often gets snagged by one of his teenage sisters for the extended sitting time if I don't get to him first. Several days ago, his older sister invited, "Come sit with me." He pulled away and answered, "I want to sit with Mommy. She's beautiful."
I collected my son into my arms with an extra tight hug and a kiss—and the dismissive thought that he must have picked up that expression at a recent wedding celebration sprinkled with compliments on lavish attire. After all, small children repeat what they hear with only a vague grasp of what it really means.
But a day or so later, another one of my children was speaking to me in a less-than-glowing tone of voice. Daniel became a little upset, got in the individual's face, and admonished, "Don't talk to Mommy like that. She's beautiful."
The previously terse discussion dissolved and I gave just a tad more pause to the remark this time, since I couldn't write it off to being parroted. I held Daniel close for a bit, as if perchance to press into his psyche a sentiment I hope will last another decade until he's a teenager.
Another day or so later, Daniel again made a remark about Mommy being beautiful. It was reported to me that when one of his siblings asked him how Mommy is beautiful, Daniel answered, "Her heart is beautiful."
I can hear you all saying "awww." Mine came out more a soft gasp of "oh!" To be told that inner beauty is both visible and cherished, by a small child devoid of guile, is about the most fragrant compliment I think I could ever receive.
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Proverbs 31:30 NKJV
As much as I enjoy sharing the story, I'm not doing so to parade the compliment, but because its poignancy makes such a startling point.
My very favorite activity of the whole week is Sunday morning worship and praise time. Praise was suppressed in my life for so very long that having now found release, it will no longer be contained. Even so, there's plenty of times I still allow distraction to just sufficiently detach me from the words I'm singing that the compliment to the Almighty becomes parroted words.
He still knows I see Him as beautiful. I know He loves to hear me tell Him so, and I do so as often as I'm moved to do so. I'm a great singer in the shower and car, but I also push myself to do a capella solos in the presence of witnesses—more courageous than you might think if you could hear my very average voice.
All that singing to God about His infinite attributes is sure to evoke His smile. Yet I can't help but think He finds highest compliment when we praise Him not for what He is and what He does, but for Who He is.
He surely melts when we offer the fragrant words devoid of guile, "Your heart is beautiful."
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Life and Death
"Therefore thus says the LORD: 'You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and every one to his neighbor. Behold, I proclaim liberty to you,' says the LORD 'to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine! And I will deliver you to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth.' "
~ Jeremiah 34:17 (NKJV)
"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."
~ Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV)
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
~ Galatians 6:7 (NKJV)
At it's core, disobedience doubts God. He sets before us life and death. He says we will be blessed if we obey. Faith believes God is all-loving, all-wise, and all-knowing—and obeys. If we disobey, believing we'll otherwise miss out on some gain, we declare the Lord less than God and a liar.
Obedience is neither a means to earn salvation nor prove righteous. Salvation through the blood of Jesus cannot be purchased with works. And once clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, there is no greater righteousness to be obtained by works.
For the Christian, obedience is both an expression of faith and a choice to receive life. Disobedience must result in some form of death, for sowing seeds of death simply cannot bear the fruit of life. The wages of sin is death. We cannot reap something other than what we've sown.
Even so, praise be to God that because His Son's blood covers us, we receive blessing and grace in the face of our sin!
Good Father in heaven, You surely wish to bless us and are wise. You ask nothing of us which will cause us harm or deny us what is truly good. Please give us discerning hearts to understand Your ways. Please give us strong hearts to pursue fullness of life.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ Jeremiah 34:17 (NKJV)
"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."
~ Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV)
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
~ Galatians 6:7 (NKJV)
At it's core, disobedience doubts God. He sets before us life and death. He says we will be blessed if we obey. Faith believes God is all-loving, all-wise, and all-knowing—and obeys. If we disobey, believing we'll otherwise miss out on some gain, we declare the Lord less than God and a liar.
Obedience is neither a means to earn salvation nor prove righteous. Salvation through the blood of Jesus cannot be purchased with works. And once clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, there is no greater righteousness to be obtained by works.
For the Christian, obedience is both an expression of faith and a choice to receive life. Disobedience must result in some form of death, for sowing seeds of death simply cannot bear the fruit of life. The wages of sin is death. We cannot reap something other than what we've sown.
Even so, praise be to God that because His Son's blood covers us, we receive blessing and grace in the face of our sin!
Good Father in heaven, You surely wish to bless us and are wise. You ask nothing of us which will cause us harm or deny us what is truly good. Please give us discerning hearts to understand Your ways. Please give us strong hearts to pursue fullness of life.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Hated by All
"And Jerusalem will dwell safely.
And this is the name by which she will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
~ Jeremiah 33:16 (NKJV)
"A King shall reign and prosper,
And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth...
Now this is His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
~ Jeremiah 23:5-6 (NKJV)
"And you will be hated by all for My name's sake."
~ Luke 21:17 (NKJV)
While in Best Buy, shopping an iPod to use as a pocket Bible, I used their internet to insure compatibility between the device and my favorite Bible program, E-Sword. I googled to get the desired hit, but clicking the link received only an error message, "Filtered for content, corporate level: RELIGION." An employee explained, "We protect kids from stuff they don't need to see." (It was enough to buy my iPod elsewhere.)
Corporate America evidently bows to the notion that religion is as threatening as pornography. Hostility toward religion in the USA has been around even before the masses extolled John Lennon when he serenely sang, "Imagine there's no heaven, and no religion too." As animosity becomes increasingly widespread, it is important to establish fidelity before an hour of testing.
In Jeremiah 23, the Lord establishes His name, YHWH our Righteousness. (YHWH Tsidke-nu). In Jeremiah 33, He puts the same name upon Jerusalem. As when a man puts his name on a woman to make her his, God calls Himself her Husband, and her fidelity is zealously expected.
Christians likewise bear the name of Christ, and with it, the promise to be hated by all. In whatever surprising place it springs upon us, may such hatred inspire our own zeal for Him.
Lord Jesus Christ, we long for Your coming as King, to reign and prosper, to execute judgment and righteousness in the earth as YHWH Our Righteousness. How privileged we are to bear Your name. Remind us that we are also privileged when we are considered worthy to suffer for Your name's sake.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
And this is the name by which she will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
~ Jeremiah 33:16 (NKJV)
"A King shall reign and prosper,
And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth...
Now this is His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
~ Jeremiah 23:5-6 (NKJV)
"And you will be hated by all for My name's sake."
~ Luke 21:17 (NKJV)
While in Best Buy, shopping an iPod to use as a pocket Bible, I used their internet to insure compatibility between the device and my favorite Bible program, E-Sword. I googled to get the desired hit, but clicking the link received only an error message, "Filtered for content, corporate level: RELIGION." An employee explained, "We protect kids from stuff they don't need to see." (It was enough to buy my iPod elsewhere.)
Corporate America evidently bows to the notion that religion is as threatening as pornography. Hostility toward religion in the USA has been around even before the masses extolled John Lennon when he serenely sang, "Imagine there's no heaven, and no religion too." As animosity becomes increasingly widespread, it is important to establish fidelity before an hour of testing.
In Jeremiah 23, the Lord establishes His name, YHWH our Righteousness. (YHWH Tsidke-nu). In Jeremiah 33, He puts the same name upon Jerusalem. As when a man puts his name on a woman to make her his, God calls Himself her Husband, and her fidelity is zealously expected.
Christians likewise bear the name of Christ, and with it, the promise to be hated by all. In whatever surprising place it springs upon us, may such hatred inspire our own zeal for Him.
Lord Jesus Christ, we long for Your coming as King, to reign and prosper, to execute judgment and righteousness in the earth as YHWH Our Righteousness. How privileged we are to bear Your name. Remind us that we are also privileged when we are considered worthy to suffer for Your name's sake.
"Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven."
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven."
Luke 6:22-23 NKJV
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Health and Healing
"Behold, I will bring [Jerusalem] health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth... I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities ... Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it.' "
~ Jeremiah 33:6-9 (NKJV)
For whom the Lord loves He chastens.
~ Hebrews 12:6 (NKJV)
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ ... and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
~ Ephesians 2:4-6 (NKJV)
I fear I shall sound repetitive. Yet God's Word is repetitive. We are slow to understand. Slow to believe. Slow to live out the truths God manifests to us. So like the loving Father He is, He gently reminds us over and over of the truths we need.
Yet again, the "weeping prophet" Jeremiah is confronted with the great sin and punishment from God which was his burden to witness. Yet again, the Lord assures that His intent as Jerusalem is rebuked with suffering is to restore her to health and healing, because of His great love.
God dealt with our sin in the blood of His Son. He has made us alive—past tense. He has raised us up—past tense. He has made us sit in the heavenly places—past tense. He has already accomplished the work of our health and healing. He continually reminds us that it is ours.
Father, You are rich in mercy and great in love. You grant to us abundance of peace and truth. The health and healing of our souls lies in Your great compassion for us. Please impress upon our hearts with great clarity the life and place of being raised up and the seat with You in heavenly places which is ours.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ Jeremiah 33:6-9 (NKJV)
For whom the Lord loves He chastens.
~ Hebrews 12:6 (NKJV)
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ ... and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
~ Ephesians 2:4-6 (NKJV)
I fear I shall sound repetitive. Yet God's Word is repetitive. We are slow to understand. Slow to believe. Slow to live out the truths God manifests to us. So like the loving Father He is, He gently reminds us over and over of the truths we need.
Yet again, the "weeping prophet" Jeremiah is confronted with the great sin and punishment from God which was his burden to witness. Yet again, the Lord assures that His intent as Jerusalem is rebuked with suffering is to restore her to health and healing, because of His great love.
God dealt with our sin in the blood of His Son. He has made us alive—past tense. He has raised us up—past tense. He has made us sit in the heavenly places—past tense. He has already accomplished the work of our health and healing. He continually reminds us that it is ours.
Father, You are rich in mercy and great in love. You grant to us abundance of peace and truth. The health and healing of our souls lies in Your great compassion for us. Please impress upon our hearts with great clarity the life and place of being raised up and the seat with You in heavenly places which is ours.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Good Gifts
"Thus says the LORD ... 'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' "
~ Jeremiah 33:2-3 (NKJV)
"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you... If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
~ Luke 11:10,13 (NKJV)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
~ James 1:17 (NKJV)
We all know what it is to open gifts and find something less than "perfect." However much we love the givers, we struggle to find places in our lives for what others thought would be good gifts.
The Lord knows with certainty what will make a perfect gift, and He longs to give us His best.
The best He has to give us is Himself. When a heart yielded to Him asks for good gifts, none exceed the gifts of the Holy Spirit. When we need an answer, the Word made flesh is able to speak to our hearts with Scripture. And if we wish to see "great and mighty things," the very best we can receive is a picture of God so clear that whatever else we may think we lack fades out of view.
Finding "good gifts" doesn't require entering just the right words on Google, but simply asking God to select what He knows is best. His choices are impeccable.
Father of Lights, Your goodness and love for us assure us of receiving from You so much more than we ever might have thought to ask for ourselves. You have amazing ways of answering prayers so much bigger than we can imagine. Please build our faith to trust You to send good gifts—indeed, Your best gifts. Surprise us!
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ Jeremiah 33:2-3 (NKJV)
"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you... If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
~ Luke 11:10,13 (NKJV)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
~ James 1:17 (NKJV)
We all know what it is to open gifts and find something less than "perfect." However much we love the givers, we struggle to find places in our lives for what others thought would be good gifts.
The Lord knows with certainty what will make a perfect gift, and He longs to give us His best.
The best He has to give us is Himself. When a heart yielded to Him asks for good gifts, none exceed the gifts of the Holy Spirit. When we need an answer, the Word made flesh is able to speak to our hearts with Scripture. And if we wish to see "great and mighty things," the very best we can receive is a picture of God so clear that whatever else we may think we lack fades out of view.
Finding "good gifts" doesn't require entering just the right words on Google, but simply asking God to select what He knows is best. His choices are impeccable.
Father of Lights, Your goodness and love for us assure us of receiving from You so much more than we ever might have thought to ask for ourselves. You have amazing ways of answering prayers so much bigger than we can imagine. Please build our faith to trust You to send good gifts—indeed, Your best gifts. Surprise us!
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Nothing Too Great or Too Wonderful
Ah, Adonai YHWH!
Behold, You have created the heavens and the earth
By Your great power and outstretched arm.
There is nothing too difficult,
Nothing too great or wonderful for You to do!
You show merciful lovingkindness and favor to thousands,
And repay the iniquity of the fathers
Into the bosom of their children after them.
Great and Mighty God, whose name is YHWH of Hosts,
You are great in counsel and mighty in deed.
~ Jeremiah 32:17-19 (author, amplified)
[May] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory ... give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him ... that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe ...
~ Ephesians 1:17-19 (NKJV)
Jeremiah 32 begins with the Lord's proclamation of doom and destruction, followed by the promise of peace. Jeremiah's sudden and awestruck proclamation of YHWH's power and goodness is declared in the midst of Jeremiah's struggle to comprehend such opposite scenarios.
What situation in your life—or in the world—looks like only doom and destruction? From Him who created the heavens and the earth, there is nothing too great or too wonderful to come out of even the very worst scenario.
When faith lags, and we cannot comprehend any good coming from a situation, it is time to look upon all our God has already done, declare His merciful lovingkindness and favor, and remember the exceeding greatness of His power—against those who oppose Him, but toward us who believe.
Adonai YHWH, You have shown us Your goodness and Your power in so many ways that it will take an eternity to proclaim them! Please turn our eyes to look upon testimonies of the past whenever we doubt Your great plans, purposes, and promises for the future.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Behold, You have created the heavens and the earth
By Your great power and outstretched arm.
There is nothing too difficult,
Nothing too great or wonderful for You to do!
You show merciful lovingkindness and favor to thousands,
And repay the iniquity of the fathers
Into the bosom of their children after them.
Great and Mighty God, whose name is YHWH of Hosts,
You are great in counsel and mighty in deed.
~ Jeremiah 32:17-19 (author, amplified)
[May] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory ... give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him ... that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe ...
~ Ephesians 1:17-19 (NKJV)
Jeremiah 32 begins with the Lord's proclamation of doom and destruction, followed by the promise of peace. Jeremiah's sudden and awestruck proclamation of YHWH's power and goodness is declared in the midst of Jeremiah's struggle to comprehend such opposite scenarios.
What situation in your life—or in the world—looks like only doom and destruction? From Him who created the heavens and the earth, there is nothing too great or too wonderful to come out of even the very worst scenario.
When faith lags, and we cannot comprehend any good coming from a situation, it is time to look upon all our God has already done, declare His merciful lovingkindness and favor, and remember the exceeding greatness of His power—against those who oppose Him, but toward us who believe.
Adonai YHWH, You have shown us Your goodness and Your power in so many ways that it will take an eternity to proclaim them! Please turn our eyes to look upon testimonies of the past whenever we doubt Your great plans, purposes, and promises for the future.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Know the Lord
"But this is the covenant that I will make ... I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," says the LORD.
~ Jeremiah 31:33-34 (NKJV)
"I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And you shall know the LORD."
~ Hosea 2:19-20 (NKJV)
"I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own... My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."
~ John 10:14,27 (NKJV)
It is reported that the best shepherds know their sheep well enough to identify the name of each one in the dark by their feel and voice. When several flocks share a sheep pen, the shepherd calls out his own sheep, and only those sheep who know his voice will respond to his call. Pet owners likely appreciate such tender intimacy.
The Lord not only calls Himself "Shepherd," but boldly describes His intimacy with His people on a whole other level. He beckons throughout Scripture, "Know the Lord." Both the Hebrew yada and the Greek ginosko (an intensive word form) mean "to know," and define the physical intimacy between man and wife.
It doesn't get any more intimate than this.
The use of "to know" in such a context is not mere metaphor. To know the Lord is to surrender ourselves to Him. It is to come to a place of knowledge from which there is no going back. It is to feel His Spirit's presence within us and know joy in the experience. It is to receive the seed of His Word and bear Him fruit.
Know the Lord.
Beloved Bridegroom, how humbled we are by the bride price of blood You paid to obtain us as Your own. How majestic are the sweet whispers of Your Spirit to us. What a wonderful God You are to not only create us so fearfully, not only save us so mercifully, but to allow us to know You so intimately.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ Jeremiah 31:33-34 (NKJV)
"I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And you shall know the LORD."
~ Hosea 2:19-20 (NKJV)
"I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own... My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."
~ John 10:14,27 (NKJV)
It is reported that the best shepherds know their sheep well enough to identify the name of each one in the dark by their feel and voice. When several flocks share a sheep pen, the shepherd calls out his own sheep, and only those sheep who know his voice will respond to his call. Pet owners likely appreciate such tender intimacy.
The Lord not only calls Himself "Shepherd," but boldly describes His intimacy with His people on a whole other level. He beckons throughout Scripture, "Know the Lord." Both the Hebrew yada and the Greek ginosko (an intensive word form) mean "to know," and define the physical intimacy between man and wife.
It doesn't get any more intimate than this.
The use of "to know" in such a context is not mere metaphor. To know the Lord is to surrender ourselves to Him. It is to come to a place of knowledge from which there is no going back. It is to feel His Spirit's presence within us and know joy in the experience. It is to receive the seed of His Word and bear Him fruit.
Know the Lord.
Beloved Bridegroom, how humbled we are by the bride price of blood You paid to obtain us as Your own. How majestic are the sweet whispers of Your Spirit to us. What a wonderful God You are to not only create us so fearfully, not only save us so mercifully, but to allow us to know You so intimately.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Friday Freelance: FAVOR
Why me?
My memories of my youth are of being pretty unhappy with life. Mostly because as I looked at people around me, it seemed everyone else had it ... better.
I was a geeky kid growing up. The other kids were all taller, prettier, more popular. More normal. They had more cool stuff than I did, nicer clothes, less weird parents. The teachers liked them more. I was the oldest in a large family and had more chores than anyone else I knew. I spent many hours lamenting my sad state in life and my lack of friends.
Little improved as a teen, when the other girls had boyfriends and I did not, because I still wasn't popular among my peers. So I decided to skip the teen years and move on to being an adult, hanging around people ten years older than me who accepted me—for their own various reasons. I'd learned to work hard, so employers liked me as an employee. I was smart enough to excel at nearly anything I put my mind to and afraid of almost nothing, so I could always be counted on to add something to anyone's venture. I accompanied my friends to the bar after work where I could put down shots without wincing (I learned to drink on Bushmills whiskey) and knew to quit before acting like a fool, so I fit in there. I learned how to get a boyfriend. Things seemed to be looking up.
After working quite successfully through a couple of jobs in the legal field, I decided to pursue a career in law enforcement. Did I say pursue? I became consumed. I studied Criminal Justice in college and volunteered at the police department. I always hated running but took up jogging and was on Nautilus equipment nearly daily. I learned to fit in with the cops professionally and socially. I eventually scored number four out of some 1500 applicants with the Denver Police, but declined their job offer in favor of the smaller department where I scored number one.
I found no peace in any of it. Fun? Absolutely. But emotional security remained as elusive as when I was a geeky kid. I never stopped feeling lonely. My teen sisters started families, and their facade of relational stability and love looked so ... better.
I believed in God. I talked to Him once in a while. But I only remember a single two word prayer.
Why me?
Why did everyone else seem happy but me? Why did I succeed and still feel like a complete failure? Why didn't any man really love me? Why did I feel so lonely surrounded by so many "friends"?
Being lonely and alone or being lonely in a crowd are bad enough. Being lonely with one other person is more than a soul can bear.
I was a geeky kid growing up. The other kids were all taller, prettier, more popular. More normal. They had more cool stuff than I did, nicer clothes, less weird parents. The teachers liked them more. I was the oldest in a large family and had more chores than anyone else I knew. I spent many hours lamenting my sad state in life and my lack of friends.
Little improved as a teen, when the other girls had boyfriends and I did not, because I still wasn't popular among my peers. So I decided to skip the teen years and move on to being an adult, hanging around people ten years older than me who accepted me—for their own various reasons. I'd learned to work hard, so employers liked me as an employee. I was smart enough to excel at nearly anything I put my mind to and afraid of almost nothing, so I could always be counted on to add something to anyone's venture. I accompanied my friends to the bar after work where I could put down shots without wincing (I learned to drink on Bushmills whiskey) and knew to quit before acting like a fool, so I fit in there. I learned how to get a boyfriend. Things seemed to be looking up.
After working quite successfully through a couple of jobs in the legal field, I decided to pursue a career in law enforcement. Did I say pursue? I became consumed. I studied Criminal Justice in college and volunteered at the police department. I always hated running but took up jogging and was on Nautilus equipment nearly daily. I learned to fit in with the cops professionally and socially. I eventually scored number four out of some 1500 applicants with the Denver Police, but declined their job offer in favor of the smaller department where I scored number one.
I found no peace in any of it. Fun? Absolutely. But emotional security remained as elusive as when I was a geeky kid. I never stopped feeling lonely. My teen sisters started families, and their facade of relational stability and love looked so ... better.
I believed in God. I talked to Him once in a while. But I only remember a single two word prayer.
Why me?
Why did everyone else seem happy but me? Why did I succeed and still feel like a complete failure? Why didn't any man really love me? Why did I feel so lonely surrounded by so many "friends"?
Being lonely and alone or being lonely in a crowd are bad enough. Being lonely with one other person is more than a soul can bear.
Optimist: Someone who gets a load of manure dumped
in front of them and immediately begins digging through it
to find the gift horse which was surely included.
Jesus Christ got a firm grip on me one day and I latched onto Him right back. He gave me truth and brought me peace. He made me know His love. He gave me an Extreme Makeover, Soul Edition, from the inside out.
He completely changed my perspective of circumstances. I began to see incredible blessing from Him everywhere, even when things don't go right. I learned how to depend upon Him when I feel weak. I came to know that however I struggle, He is right there with me.
My life has few easy days. I have plenty I could whine about if I chose to do so (and occasionally I do). But I see complaining as the opposite of thanksgiving, and God is far too good to me to allow for diluting blessing with whining.
I am astounded by the favor God shows me. How is it that my life should be so good?
When I think about His favor, a two word prayer frequently escapes:
Why me?
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Ends of the Earth
"Proclaim, give praise, and say,
'O LORD, save [Hosanna] Your people,
The remnant of Israel!'
Behold, I will bring them from the north country,
And gather them from the ends of the earth."
~ Jeremiah 31:7-8 (NKJV)
He will set up a banner for the nations,
And will assemble the outcasts of Israel,
And gather together the dispersed of Judah [Yehuda, the Jews]
From the four corners of the earth.
~ Isaiah 11:12 (NKJV)
And so all Israel will be saved... For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
~ Romans 11:26,29 (NKJV)
The multitude of prophesies which preceded Jesus' arrival on earth made clear only in retrospect the nature of His ministry. The majority of Jews presumed that He must take the throne immediately. His timing required otherwise, frustrating their limited faith.
Presumption of many faithful Christians denies that Israel shall still be saved, despite volumes of prophecy to the contrary—despite seeing the gathering of Jews from the ends of the earth back to Israel, before our very eyes!
We cannot be so presumptuous that we believe we can know in advance how all will be fulfilled. Only in retrospect will we see with accuracy the how's of God.
I don't wish to be contentious. I refuse to be divisive on matters not foundational to salvation. I freely admit my limited knowledge, which is certain we shall escape God's wrath, but cannot conclusively support that the rapture shall precede the seven-year Tribulation. I do not see such clarity in Scripture, nor do many people far more learned than I am.
Many Christians presume the Lord will gather us from the ends of the earth immediately before The Tribulation. It is my firm belief we should wait upon the Lord without presumption, expecting the tribulation Jesus said we should expect.
Father in heaven, thank You for Your multitude of reassurances that people faithful to You should always escape the brunt of Your wrath. Please unite Your people in spirit and truth. Please complete final preparations to make us one, in anticipation of Your return for Your bride.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
'O LORD, save [Hosanna] Your people,
The remnant of Israel!'
Behold, I will bring them from the north country,
And gather them from the ends of the earth."
~ Jeremiah 31:7-8 (NKJV)
He will set up a banner for the nations,
And will assemble the outcasts of Israel,
And gather together the dispersed of Judah [Yehuda, the Jews]
From the four corners of the earth.
~ Isaiah 11:12 (NKJV)
And so all Israel will be saved... For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
~ Romans 11:26,29 (NKJV)
The multitude of prophesies which preceded Jesus' arrival on earth made clear only in retrospect the nature of His ministry. The majority of Jews presumed that He must take the throne immediately. His timing required otherwise, frustrating their limited faith.
Presumption of many faithful Christians denies that Israel shall still be saved, despite volumes of prophecy to the contrary—despite seeing the gathering of Jews from the ends of the earth back to Israel, before our very eyes!
We cannot be so presumptuous that we believe we can know in advance how all will be fulfilled. Only in retrospect will we see with accuracy the how's of God.
I don't wish to be contentious. I refuse to be divisive on matters not foundational to salvation. I freely admit my limited knowledge, which is certain we shall escape God's wrath, but cannot conclusively support that the rapture shall precede the seven-year Tribulation. I do not see such clarity in Scripture, nor do many people far more learned than I am.
Many Christians presume the Lord will gather us from the ends of the earth immediately before The Tribulation. It is my firm belief we should wait upon the Lord without presumption, expecting the tribulation Jesus said we should expect.
Father in heaven, thank You for Your multitude of reassurances that people faithful to You should always escape the brunt of Your wrath. Please unite Your people in spirit and truth. Please complete final preparations to make us one, in anticipation of Your return for Your bride.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
New Creation
"Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin of Israel!
You shall again be adorned with your tambourines,
And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice."
~ Jeremiah 31:4 (NKJV)
Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with [idols of] stone and wood.
~ Jeremiah 3:9 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
The Bible's metaphors are often truly outrageous. When God refers to Jerusalem as "virgin of Israel," He does so as He pours out punishment for her spiritual adultery with idols. The title seems as ridiculous as putting a robe over a harlot and then calling her pure and chaste.
The Lord was speaking to her in the way He yet intended to bring to pass. He was looking to the future, when His adulterous people would again be pure and virginal. This work is fully completed in Christ, who makes us a new creation, restoring to our souls the purity of sinlessness.
I personally know many people (myself included) who continue to wrestle with the stain of past sin. Even if our mind embraces the Word of God which says we're made new, we're painfully aware of all the old.
It is so important to distinguish between temporal and eternal consequences, between feelings and truth, between the way we see ourselves and the way God sees us. If He has the audacity to call an adulteress a virgin, it is within His right to say so and within His power to make it so.
If He says anyone in Christ is a new creation—born again as pure, sinless, and holy—then it is so.
Lord, thank You, thank You, thank You for cleaning away the stain of sin with Your own blood. Thank You that the debt of past sin is paid in full and nothing more need be done to wipe it away. Please make the truth for our souls also true in our hearts and heads. Please increase our faith and ability to believe You, that we may go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
O virgin of Israel!
You shall again be adorned with your tambourines,
And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice."
~ Jeremiah 31:4 (NKJV)
Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with [idols of] stone and wood.
~ Jeremiah 3:9 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
The Bible's metaphors are often truly outrageous. When God refers to Jerusalem as "virgin of Israel," He does so as He pours out punishment for her spiritual adultery with idols. The title seems as ridiculous as putting a robe over a harlot and then calling her pure and chaste.
The Lord was speaking to her in the way He yet intended to bring to pass. He was looking to the future, when His adulterous people would again be pure and virginal. This work is fully completed in Christ, who makes us a new creation, restoring to our souls the purity of sinlessness.
I personally know many people (myself included) who continue to wrestle with the stain of past sin. Even if our mind embraces the Word of God which says we're made new, we're painfully aware of all the old.
It is so important to distinguish between temporal and eternal consequences, between feelings and truth, between the way we see ourselves and the way God sees us. If He has the audacity to call an adulteress a virgin, it is within His right to say so and within His power to make it so.
If He says anyone in Christ is a new creation—born again as pure, sinless, and holy—then it is so.
Lord, thank You, thank You, thank You for cleaning away the stain of sin with Your own blood. Thank You that the debt of past sin is paid in full and nothing more need be done to wipe it away. Please make the truth for our souls also true in our hearts and heads. Please increase our faith and ability to believe You, that we may go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.
And we know that all things work together for good to those
who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose...
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called;
whom He called, these He also justified;
and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us? ...
Who shall bring a charge against God's elect?
It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns?
~ Romans 8:28,30-31,33-34 (NKJV)
who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose...
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called;
whom He called, these He also justified;
and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us? ...
Who shall bring a charge against God's elect?
It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns?
~ Romans 8:28,30-31,33-34 (NKJV)
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Everlasting God, Everlasting Love
The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying:
"Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."
~ Jeremiah 31:3 (NKJV)
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
~ Isaiah 40:28-29 (NKJV)
[I pray that you] may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
~ Ephesians 3:18-19 (NKJV)
"I have loved you with an everlasting love."
These words are stenciled as the border in my girls' bedroom. (The other three walls have other love verses.) For several years now my daughters have slept with their heads at the opposite end of the bed so they can see this verse.
Human love is such an uncertain thing sometimes. It ebbs and flows with the winds of our emotions, circumstances, and time. Once close friends move away or move on. Even in families, sisters and brothers, parents and children can drift apart.
Not so with God's love. The everlasting God spoke of His everlasting love at a time when He seemed anything but loving. Jerusalem was in the process of being devastated and destroyed for its horrific idolatry and child sacrifice. Famine provoked cannibalism. Bodies lay in heaps. Things got as ugly as ugly gets in the Bible.
At such times God's love and goodness may seem nonexistent. But it's often in our darkest hours that we're able to most diligently seek Him, and thereby know reassurance of His love.
Everlasting God, how can we know love which passes knowledge? How do we see in four dimensions of width and length and depth and height? Surely no matter how much we hear or know of Your love, we've only begun to plumb its depths. Please let us never doubt such love. Please show us how to share such love.
[Note: I typically work through a book of the Bible in about a month, and have been going through two chapters a day of Jeremiah. But I simply must linger over the beauty of these next few chapters for several days.]
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
"Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."
~ Jeremiah 31:3 (NKJV)
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
~ Isaiah 40:28-29 (NKJV)
[I pray that you] may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
~ Ephesians 3:18-19 (NKJV)
"I have loved you with an everlasting love."
These words are stenciled as the border in my girls' bedroom. (The other three walls have other love verses.) For several years now my daughters have slept with their heads at the opposite end of the bed so they can see this verse.
Human love is such an uncertain thing sometimes. It ebbs and flows with the winds of our emotions, circumstances, and time. Once close friends move away or move on. Even in families, sisters and brothers, parents and children can drift apart.
Not so with God's love. The everlasting God spoke of His everlasting love at a time when He seemed anything but loving. Jerusalem was in the process of being devastated and destroyed for its horrific idolatry and child sacrifice. Famine provoked cannibalism. Bodies lay in heaps. Things got as ugly as ugly gets in the Bible.
At such times God's love and goodness may seem nonexistent. But it's often in our darkest hours that we're able to most diligently seek Him, and thereby know reassurance of His love.
Everlasting God, how can we know love which passes knowledge? How do we see in four dimensions of width and length and depth and height? Surely no matter how much we hear or know of Your love, we've only begun to plumb its depths. Please let us never doubt such love. Please show us how to share such love.
[Note: I typically work through a book of the Bible in about a month, and have been going through two chapters a day of Jeremiah. But I simply must linger over the beauty of these next few chapters for several days.]
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Flame of Yah
"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."
~ Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)
Seal my love upon Your heart;
Seal my arms around You.
Love is as overpowering as death.
Passion is as unyielding as the grave.
Its flashes are arrows of fire—
The very flame of YAH.
~ Song of Solomon 8:6 (author paraphrase, based on GNB & GW)
"And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace."
~ Jeremiah 29:7 (NKJV)
Jeremiah 29:13 is my life verse (note the large letters at bottom of page). I don't remember a time when I didn't relentlessly seek spiritual truth. The Lord had to utterly exhaust me of searching for it in wrong places before He revealed Himself to me. My eyes were opened to Him in 1985. My life was surrendered to Him in 1988. Relentless search for truth became relentless pursuit of God.
I'm a fanatic for learning names of God. Of the hundreds I've collected, my very favorite is Yah. It is an intimate name (perhaps even a nickname), used fifty times in Hebrew Scripture. It is most familiar in the phrase, "Hallelu Yah" (Greek "Alleluia"), which literally means "give clear and shining praise to Yah." Bible authors generally use Yah in contexts of up close or very personal encounters with YHWH's power. The first appearance of "Yah" in Scripture is when the Israelites danced and sang praise after being delivered through the parting of the Red Sea.
The consequences of relentless pursuit of God is discovering the consuming love of Yah, as many contemporary praise songs attest. Such consuming love can make us yearn for heaven a little too much, to the point of losing peace over being earth's captive.
Though we yearn for heaven, we must also remain firmly engaged in bringing God's peace to this place of captivity—for therein we also find peace.
Oh Yah, how You confront me today! Please give strength for the pursuit and to withstand the flames without shrinking back. Please enable us to praise You with unbridled passion as we engage ourselves in kingdom work on earth. Please lead in paths of peace.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)
Seal my love upon Your heart;
Seal my arms around You.
Love is as overpowering as death.
Passion is as unyielding as the grave.
Its flashes are arrows of fire—
The very flame of YAH.
~ Song of Solomon 8:6 (author paraphrase, based on GNB & GW)
"And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace."
~ Jeremiah 29:7 (NKJV)
Jeremiah 29:13 is my life verse (note the large letters at bottom of page). I don't remember a time when I didn't relentlessly seek spiritual truth. The Lord had to utterly exhaust me of searching for it in wrong places before He revealed Himself to me. My eyes were opened to Him in 1985. My life was surrendered to Him in 1988. Relentless search for truth became relentless pursuit of God.
I'm a fanatic for learning names of God. Of the hundreds I've collected, my very favorite is Yah. It is an intimate name (perhaps even a nickname), used fifty times in Hebrew Scripture. It is most familiar in the phrase, "Hallelu Yah" (Greek "Alleluia"), which literally means "give clear and shining praise to Yah." Bible authors generally use Yah in contexts of up close or very personal encounters with YHWH's power. The first appearance of "Yah" in Scripture is when the Israelites danced and sang praise after being delivered through the parting of the Red Sea.
The consequences of relentless pursuit of God is discovering the consuming love of Yah, as many contemporary praise songs attest. Such consuming love can make us yearn for heaven a little too much, to the point of losing peace over being earth's captive.
Though we yearn for heaven, we must also remain firmly engaged in bringing God's peace to this place of captivity—for therein we also find peace.
Oh Yah, how You confront me today! Please give strength for the pursuit and to withstand the flames without shrinking back. Please enable us to praise You with unbridled passion as we engage ourselves in kingdom work on earth. Please lead in paths of peace.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Restored Vessels
"For thus says the LORD of hosts ... concerning the remainder of the vessels that remain in this city ... 'They shall be carried to Babylon, and there they shall be until the day that I visit them,' says the LORD. 'Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.' "
~ Jeremiah 27:19,22 (NKJV)
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed—
always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus,
that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 (NKJV)
The sacred vessels originally crafted for the Lord's service were defiled by idol worship, right in the Lord's temple. So the Lord did the unthinkable. He sent those set-apart-to-Him vessels into a pagan nation, until seventy years passed and the Lord restored them to His temple.
Don't we always hold just a little more dear those things once lost to us after they've been restored?
My friend Billy Coffey wrote yesterday of his come-to-Jesus moment. After a season in his life he thought excellent, Billy sunk to the place where he sought to destroy his own life. God spoke, and restored Billy's life to him through Jesus Christ—making his life far more precious than when he believed it happy.
Such is life for a vessel the Lord jealously wants for Himself—the scarred and defiled vessel He's been allowed to restore as purified and precious, now fit to hold the treasure of Himself. He'll do whatever it takes to create such a vessel.
When we are hard-pressed, perplexed, persecuted, or struck down, we are also not crushed, not in despair, not forsaken—and never destroyed. In these hours we are being made fit to manifest the life of Jesus as restored vessels.
My Lord and my God, thank You for preserving the lives of those You've appointed to life. Thank You for the testimonies of those who hear Your voice in a critical moment. Thank You for the work You do in each of us to create a vessel worthy to manifest Divinity.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ Jeremiah 27:19,22 (NKJV)
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed—
always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus,
that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 (NKJV)
The sacred vessels originally crafted for the Lord's service were defiled by idol worship, right in the Lord's temple. So the Lord did the unthinkable. He sent those set-apart-to-Him vessels into a pagan nation, until seventy years passed and the Lord restored them to His temple.
Don't we always hold just a little more dear those things once lost to us after they've been restored?
My friend Billy Coffey wrote yesterday of his come-to-Jesus moment. After a season in his life he thought excellent, Billy sunk to the place where he sought to destroy his own life. God spoke, and restored Billy's life to him through Jesus Christ—making his life far more precious than when he believed it happy.
Such is life for a vessel the Lord jealously wants for Himself—the scarred and defiled vessel He's been allowed to restore as purified and precious, now fit to hold the treasure of Himself. He'll do whatever it takes to create such a vessel.
When we are hard-pressed, perplexed, persecuted, or struck down, we are also not crushed, not in despair, not forsaken—and never destroyed. In these hours we are being made fit to manifest the life of Jesus as restored vessels.
My Lord and my God, thank You for preserving the lives of those You've appointed to life. Thank You for the testimonies of those who hear Your voice in a critical moment. Thank You for the work You do in each of us to create a vessel worthy to manifest Divinity.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
WHATEVER, Part II
"Do with me whatever you think is fair and right. But be sure of this: if you kill me, you and the people of this city will be guilty of killing an innocent man, because it is the LORD who sent me."
~ Jeremiah 26:14-15 (GNB)
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it ... But even if he does not ... we will not serve your gods."
~ Daniel 3:16-18 (NIV)
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.
~ Colossians 3:23 (NKJV)
The Lord is Lord, and whatever He says is good to do. Submission to Him isn't difficult (in theory), if one acknowledges the perfection of His love, His wisdom, and His desire to bless via everything.
The next level of surrender stretches faith beyond human reason. Can faith allow that whatever another, definitely not perfect person does is also within God's control and part of His will? Does faith believe that the Lord will accomplish His purposes when others fail me, use me, hurt me, hate me, betray me, reject me, abandon me?
Jeremiah and the three youths in Babylon were unconcerned by the death threats of murderous kings. God's servants readily surrendered themselves to whatever these evil leaders might do to them. Their faith was great enough to know that the Lord yet controlled their destiny.
Is present era leadership evil? However the Lord leads our specific response, behind it must be the attitude which says God is still earth's sovereign ruler, and we can face whatever.
Most High King, under the shadow of Your wings is complete refuge. Our lives are in Your hands, to do with them whatever You desire. Please give us peace and faith in Your love. Please strengthen our hearts to accept whatever You allow in our lives, even through evil men.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ Jeremiah 26:14-15 (GNB)
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it ... But even if he does not ... we will not serve your gods."
~ Daniel 3:16-18 (NIV)
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.
~ Colossians 3:23 (NKJV)
The Lord is Lord, and whatever He says is good to do. Submission to Him isn't difficult (in theory), if one acknowledges the perfection of His love, His wisdom, and His desire to bless via everything.
The next level of surrender stretches faith beyond human reason. Can faith allow that whatever another, definitely not perfect person does is also within God's control and part of His will? Does faith believe that the Lord will accomplish His purposes when others fail me, use me, hurt me, hate me, betray me, reject me, abandon me?
Jeremiah and the three youths in Babylon were unconcerned by the death threats of murderous kings. God's servants readily surrendered themselves to whatever these evil leaders might do to them. Their faith was great enough to know that the Lord yet controlled their destiny.
Is present era leadership evil? However the Lord leads our specific response, behind it must be the attitude which says God is still earth's sovereign ruler, and we can face whatever.
Most High King, under the shadow of Your wings is complete refuge. Our lives are in Your hands, to do with them whatever You desire. Please give us peace and faith in Your love. Please strengthen our hearts to accept whatever You allow in our lives, even through evil men.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Friday Freelance: FLICKER
This week's unseasonably cool weather was a blessing as we traveled 1300 miles from Colorado to Michigan without air conditioning on Monday. The continued chill now gives me cause to eye the wood stove. But I can't bring myself to start an indoor fire in June.
Days like these in spring or autumn bring me to stir the coals in search of a glowing flicker of the previous night's fire. I don't want to clean out the whole stove and start a big fire. I just need a few embers to ignite enough flame to take the chill off—not unlike other situations in life which sometimes need just a flicker of light.
I asked all of you for prayer last week before I attempted to contact my brother John. Previous phone calls to him have gone unanswered and voice mails unreturned, so I planned to catch him unannounced at his local haunt while I visited Colorado. My only expectation was to convey my love. I was disappointed when he failed to show up.
Encouraged by a friend's persuasion, I mustered the courage to phone John. He answered. I told him of my attempt to contact him because I love and miss him. He told me why I shouldn't bother and hung up.
I contented myself with the knowledge that he'd indeed heard my expression of love, grateful to the Lord for that opportunity. But God wasn't done for the day. A few moments later, John called me back.
He talked. I listened. He told me he has another family now, I shouldn't try to reconcile him to our family, and he didn't plan to talk to me again. I said my call wasn't to attempt reconciliation, but only so he'd know of my love for him. He heard that no matter what he says or does, he'll always be my brother, and I'll always love him. The second call ended with quiet good-byes.
My deep gratitude goes to all the people who prayed. The Lord is gracious to answer those prayers and provide a flicker of hope that my brother and I might speak again.
There are other times when it would be easier not to search for any flicker. It seems less painful to allow hope to die rather than face disappointment. But this incorrigible optimist really can't help herself. I'll embrace whatever pain comes mingled with a flicker of hope that holds promise of joy.
Last week provided yet another bittersweet flicker of light. Saturday morning I attended worship with the Messianic congregation I consider my home away from home. Worship is already plenty emotional for me, and I usually can’t make it through singing without something between moist eyes and tears streaming down my cheeks. Watching Messianic dancers worship is sure to get me.
I'll rabbit trail here to share something of myself not well known. (Numerous other bloggers have been doing so this week, so I suppose I'm in good company.) I first observed worship dance some fifteen or so years ago. One of the deepest longings of my heart ever since has been to worship the Lord in corporate dance. A few times a door cracked open, providing a flicker of hope that I might. So far, the Lord has not fully opened that door. I content myself with the prayer, "Lord, please put me on heaven's dance team. I'll wait."
Back to last Saturday. The shofar had hardly sounded, the music barely started, when the worship leader’s words went straight to my heart from God. And then the dance began. So did my inevitable tears.
And something different happened this time. When the string of dancers passed me, I held out a hand. It was immediately grasped and I was pulled into their midst (though I’d not practiced with them and was unfamiliar with their choreography). So I lifted my worship and praise in dance, heart's love for God compensating for less than perfect execution.
In the dance, a flicker of heaven's light and joy blazed brightly for a few moments. That small blaze was enough to keep alive a flicker of hope—a flicker which must be enough for now.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Days like these in spring or autumn bring me to stir the coals in search of a glowing flicker of the previous night's fire. I don't want to clean out the whole stove and start a big fire. I just need a few embers to ignite enough flame to take the chill off—not unlike other situations in life which sometimes need just a flicker of light.
I asked all of you for prayer last week before I attempted to contact my brother John. Previous phone calls to him have gone unanswered and voice mails unreturned, so I planned to catch him unannounced at his local haunt while I visited Colorado. My only expectation was to convey my love. I was disappointed when he failed to show up.
Encouraged by a friend's persuasion, I mustered the courage to phone John. He answered. I told him of my attempt to contact him because I love and miss him. He told me why I shouldn't bother and hung up.
I contented myself with the knowledge that he'd indeed heard my expression of love, grateful to the Lord for that opportunity. But God wasn't done for the day. A few moments later, John called me back.
He talked. I listened. He told me he has another family now, I shouldn't try to reconcile him to our family, and he didn't plan to talk to me again. I said my call wasn't to attempt reconciliation, but only so he'd know of my love for him. He heard that no matter what he says or does, he'll always be my brother, and I'll always love him. The second call ended with quiet good-byes.
My deep gratitude goes to all the people who prayed. The Lord is gracious to answer those prayers and provide a flicker of hope that my brother and I might speak again.
There are other times when it would be easier not to search for any flicker. It seems less painful to allow hope to die rather than face disappointment. But this incorrigible optimist really can't help herself. I'll embrace whatever pain comes mingled with a flicker of hope that holds promise of joy.
Last week provided yet another bittersweet flicker of light. Saturday morning I attended worship with the Messianic congregation I consider my home away from home. Worship is already plenty emotional for me, and I usually can’t make it through singing without something between moist eyes and tears streaming down my cheeks. Watching Messianic dancers worship is sure to get me.
I'll rabbit trail here to share something of myself not well known. (Numerous other bloggers have been doing so this week, so I suppose I'm in good company.) I first observed worship dance some fifteen or so years ago. One of the deepest longings of my heart ever since has been to worship the Lord in corporate dance. A few times a door cracked open, providing a flicker of hope that I might. So far, the Lord has not fully opened that door. I content myself with the prayer, "Lord, please put me on heaven's dance team. I'll wait."
Back to last Saturday. The shofar had hardly sounded, the music barely started, when the worship leader’s words went straight to my heart from God. And then the dance began. So did my inevitable tears.
And something different happened this time. When the string of dancers passed me, I held out a hand. It was immediately grasped and I was pulled into their midst (though I’d not practiced with them and was unfamiliar with their choreography). So I lifted my worship and praise in dance, heart's love for God compensating for less than perfect execution.
In the dance, a flicker of heaven's light and joy blazed brightly for a few moments. That small blaze was enough to keep alive a flicker of hope—a flicker which must be enough for now.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Our Righteousness
"A King shall reign and prosper,
And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth...
Now this is His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
~ Jeremiah 23:5-6 (NKJV)
For we have all become as one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is as a polluted garment [filthy rags].
~ Isaiah 64:6 (HNV)
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all.
~ Romans 5:18 (TNIV)
There's no reason for any Christian to have any pride or self-righteousness. Whatever "good" we see as our righteousness is unclean and filthy in God's eyes.
There's no reason for any Christian to have any despair or guilt for sin. We have no condemnation, for Jesus already suffered the condemnation for our sins. He has replaced our guilt, condemnation, and unrighteousness with His own righteousness. Our King's very name is "Our Righteousness"—YHWH Tsidke-nu (tsid-KAY-noo).
Our identity, in Christ, is "righteous."
Our righteousness is in Christ's identity alone.
O YHWH Our Righteousness, Your perfection and holiness are incomprehensible to sinful man. How can we begin to comprehend that it is ours? Please give us the right perspective of ourselves—nothing apart from You, everything in You.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth...
Now this is His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
~ Jeremiah 23:5-6 (NKJV)
For we have all become as one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is as a polluted garment [filthy rags].
~ Isaiah 64:6 (HNV)
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all.
~ Romans 5:18 (TNIV)
There's no reason for any Christian to have any pride or self-righteousness. Whatever "good" we see as our righteousness is unclean and filthy in God's eyes.
There's no reason for any Christian to have any despair or guilt for sin. We have no condemnation, for Jesus already suffered the condemnation for our sins. He has replaced our guilt, condemnation, and unrighteousness with His own righteousness. Our King's very name is "Our Righteousness"—YHWH Tsidke-nu (tsid-KAY-noo).
Our identity, in Christ, is "righteous."
Our righteousness is in Christ's identity alone.
O YHWH Our Righteousness, Your perfection and holiness are incomprehensible to sinful man. How can we begin to comprehend that it is ours? Please give us the right perspective of ourselves—nothing apart from You, everything in You.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Free Indeed
"Furthermore, tell the people, 'This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; he will escape with his life.' "
~ Jeremiah 21:8-9 (NIV)
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free... Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
~ John 8:32,36 (NKJV)
When the Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem, the people asked Jeremiah for a word of deliverance from the LORD. Jeremiah's unhappy message was that the Babylonians acted as the Lord's instrument of punishment, and deliverance could be found only by surrendering to the enemy, not remaining within the city.
The people preferred to hear a lie which said they could stay in the bondage of the besieged city and live. They disregarded the fact that to know the truth of surrender held the only way to life.
The devil no longer has power over those who belong to Christ. If we feel captive ("in bondage") to anything, we likely believe some lie of the enemy. To know the truth is to be free indeed.
Truth abounds in God's Word, and through the Holy Spirit by abiding in prayer. Freedom and life are found in surrender to Jesus Christ.
Lord Jesus, thank You for shedding the blood which bought our freedom. Thank You for daily revealing truth to us. Please reveal to us all lies of the enemy which deceive us and tell us we are yet captive. Please make us free indeed.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ Jeremiah 21:8-9 (NIV)
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free... Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
~ John 8:32,36 (NKJV)
When the Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem, the people asked Jeremiah for a word of deliverance from the LORD. Jeremiah's unhappy message was that the Babylonians acted as the Lord's instrument of punishment, and deliverance could be found only by surrendering to the enemy, not remaining within the city.
The people preferred to hear a lie which said they could stay in the bondage of the besieged city and live. They disregarded the fact that to know the truth of surrender held the only way to life.
The devil no longer has power over those who belong to Christ. If we feel captive ("in bondage") to anything, we likely believe some lie of the enemy. To know the truth is to be free indeed.
Truth abounds in God's Word, and through the Holy Spirit by abiding in prayer. Freedom and life are found in surrender to Jesus Christ.
Lord Jesus, thank You for shedding the blood which bought our freedom. Thank You for daily revealing truth to us. Please reveal to us all lies of the enemy which deceive us and tell us we are yet captive. Please make us free indeed.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
You May Prophesy
O LORD, You induced me, and I was persuaded;
You are stronger than I, and have prevailed...
His word was in my heart like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
I was weary of holding it back,
And I could not...
The LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One.
~ Jeremiah 20:7,9,11 (NKJV)
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy... he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
~ 1 Corinthians 14:1,3 (NKJV)
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith.
~ Romans 12:6 (NKJV)
Each person sanctified by the blood of Christ is equipped by His Spirit with different spiritual gifts. Though we likely manifest strength in a particular gift, every Christian should exercise all spiritual gifts. Even tongues has been described as taking the time to understand an individual’s love language and then communicating accordingly.
Prophecy is first among spiritual gifts, especially needed in these last days, and frequently misunderstood as merely seeing the future. Prophecy is discerning what God sees—by the revelation of His Spirit—and proclaiming it to someone else. It is far more about what is than about what shall be.
If you are Christ’s, you take the Lord’s presence everywhere you go. You may minister mercy. You may teach. You may prophesy and speak a word on God’s behalf. You can do all things through Christ, who strengthens you for every situation, that the Father may be glorified.
And if the Lord has indeed given you the gift of prophecy, you will surely know a time when you wish to hold it back. Pray to speak no more and no less than His word.
Mighty Awesome One, we bless You for all Your good gifts. Your Scripture is the purest Word we may speak. Induce us to prepare ourselves with Your Word, that we would both mightily wield the Sword of the Spirit, and accurately speak other words on Your behalf, wherever and whenever You wish to use us.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
You are stronger than I, and have prevailed...
His word was in my heart like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
I was weary of holding it back,
And I could not...
The LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One.
~ Jeremiah 20:7,9,11 (NKJV)
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy... he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
~ 1 Corinthians 14:1,3 (NKJV)
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith.
~ Romans 12:6 (NKJV)
Each person sanctified by the blood of Christ is equipped by His Spirit with different spiritual gifts. Though we likely manifest strength in a particular gift, every Christian should exercise all spiritual gifts. Even tongues has been described as taking the time to understand an individual’s love language and then communicating accordingly.
Prophecy is first among spiritual gifts, especially needed in these last days, and frequently misunderstood as merely seeing the future. Prophecy is discerning what God sees—by the revelation of His Spirit—and proclaiming it to someone else. It is far more about what is than about what shall be.
If you are Christ’s, you take the Lord’s presence everywhere you go. You may minister mercy. You may teach. You may prophesy and speak a word on God’s behalf. You can do all things through Christ, who strengthens you for every situation, that the Father may be glorified.
And if the Lord has indeed given you the gift of prophecy, you will surely know a time when you wish to hold it back. Pray to speak no more and no less than His word.
Mighty Awesome One, we bless You for all Your good gifts. Your Scripture is the purest Word we may speak. Induce us to prepare ourselves with Your Word, that we would both mightily wield the Sword of the Spirit, and accurately speak other words on Your behalf, wherever and whenever You wish to use us.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Belong to Christ
"The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the LORD, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings."
~ Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NKJV)
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
~ Galatians 5:24 (ESV)
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
~ Galatians 6:7-8 (NKJV)
To belong to Christ includes blessings unknown to those who do not confess Him as Lord: salvation from sin’s penalty of eternal death; relationship with God as Father; becoming a place where the Holy Spirit (and therefore the presence of God) resides.
But we share the curses of those who are not His. To belong to Christ does not immediately remove us from this world, nor exclude us from its suffering. To belong to Christ does not immediately set us free from mortal flesh and its sinful nature.
The more closely we identify with this world, the more we will experience the despair of suffering. The more we give in to the sinful and self-seeking desires of flesh, the more we will experience the temporal penalties of sin.
The more closely we identify with the Kingdom of God, the more we will know love, joy and peace in the face of suffering. The more we yield to the Spirit of God within us and crucify the desires of flesh, the more we will reap the fruit of everlasting life rather than the fruit of corruption from the seeds of our doings.
Father, how good You are to give us the armor we need to face the enemy when he attacks. How good You are to supply all we need to face a world of suffering and the temptations of flesh. Please teach us to depend on You and follow You—to sow seeds of life.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com.
Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the LORD, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings."
~ Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NKJV)
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
~ Galatians 5:24 (ESV)
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
~ Galatians 6:7-8 (NKJV)
To belong to Christ includes blessings unknown to those who do not confess Him as Lord: salvation from sin’s penalty of eternal death; relationship with God as Father; becoming a place where the Holy Spirit (and therefore the presence of God) resides.
But we share the curses of those who are not His. To belong to Christ does not immediately remove us from this world, nor exclude us from its suffering. To belong to Christ does not immediately set us free from mortal flesh and its sinful nature.
The more closely we identify with this world, the more we will experience the despair of suffering. The more we give in to the sinful and self-seeking desires of flesh, the more we will experience the temporal penalties of sin.
The more closely we identify with the Kingdom of God, the more we will know love, joy and peace in the face of suffering. The more we yield to the Spirit of God within us and crucify the desires of flesh, the more we will reap the fruit of everlasting life rather than the fruit of corruption from the seeds of our doings.
Father, how good You are to give us the armor we need to face the enemy when he attacks. How good You are to supply all we need to face a world of suffering and the temptations of flesh. Please teach us to depend on You and follow You—to sow seeds of life.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com.
Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Remember the Sabbath
Thus says the LORD:
"Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day ...
nor do any work,
but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers."
~ Jeremiah 17:21-22 (NKJV)
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work ... For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it [set it apart]."
~ Exodus 20:8-11 (NKJV)
They shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison.
~ Revelation 20:6-7 (NKJV)
As with other biblical feast days, the Sabbath is both a memorial of what has happened and a remembrance of what is yet to come. The fact that it is included in the Ten Commandments rather than among the other 612 Old Testament laws sets apart this feast day as significant.
It’s been said that the Sabbath serves as a reminder and example of even God resting after work. I can testify to the fact that when I refrain from extra activities one day a week, I’m more effective on the other six.
The Sabbath is also an especially important sign of hope to us and to the world: God has promised a millennium of rest, when Jesus Christ reigns as earth’s King. Many scholars and Bible students (myself included) look for it at the end of the sixth millennium since creation—a millennium now closing.
In the face of unprecedented trouble and global unrest, each Sabbath serves as a sign of hope for the great rest soon to come.
Father in Heaven, You alone know the day and hour of Your Son’s return. Yet you have prepared us to recognize its time and season, and we acknowledge its imminence. Please use everything in our lives, including observance of the Sabbath, to make us ready for our Lord and Bridegroom. Maranatha Adonai Yeshua! Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
"Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day ...
nor do any work,
but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers."
~ Jeremiah 17:21-22 (NKJV)
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work ... For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it [set it apart]."
~ Exodus 20:8-11 (NKJV)
They shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison.
~ Revelation 20:6-7 (NKJV)
As with other biblical feast days, the Sabbath is both a memorial of what has happened and a remembrance of what is yet to come. The fact that it is included in the Ten Commandments rather than among the other 612 Old Testament laws sets apart this feast day as significant.
It’s been said that the Sabbath serves as a reminder and example of even God resting after work. I can testify to the fact that when I refrain from extra activities one day a week, I’m more effective on the other six.
The Sabbath is also an especially important sign of hope to us and to the world: God has promised a millennium of rest, when Jesus Christ reigns as earth’s King. Many scholars and Bible students (myself included) look for it at the end of the sixth millennium since creation—a millennium now closing.
In the face of unprecedented trouble and global unrest, each Sabbath serves as a sign of hope for the great rest soon to come.
Father in Heaven, You alone know the day and hour of Your Son’s return. Yet you have prepared us to recognize its time and season, and we acknowledge its imminence. Please use everything in our lives, including observance of the Sabbath, to make us ready for our Lord and Bridegroom. Maranatha Adonai Yeshua! Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart
Your words were found, and I ate them,
And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;
For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.
~ Jeremiah 15:16 (NKJV)
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth! …
Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live …
I rejoice at Your word
As one who finds great treasure.
~ Psalm 119:103,116, 162 (NKJV)
This weekend concludes a two-week visit with family in Colorado. We timed our visit to attend a wedding filled with “joy and rejoicing of heart.” Any time with my family is a joy and rejoicing of my heart. And because so many of them are Christ’s, we share a love that shall transcend eternity.
Several people have expressed surprise that I’ve continued to post to my blog while away from home. I’ll confess it’s been tough to find the time. Most posts don’t take that much time to write. Far more demanding is time set aside for reading and digesting God’s Word amid so many extra distractions.
My commitment to these daily posts makes me accountable to staying in the Word. (There is a record before all of you if I fail to do so.) But more importantly, if God’s Word is not the first source of joy and rejoicing of my heart, it will not be found elsewhere.
Bread of Life, You sustain as nothing else does. Living Word, You fill us with love and laughter and LIFE! Whatever else we rejoice over—wherever else joy is found—let it ever and always be first in You.
Your feedback is appreciated. (Some days it keeps me going.)
Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Friday Freelance: FITNESS
I met a Wii for the first time on Wednesday. I think I’m in love.
I am not a technophile. Over the years I’ve resisted an automatic transmission, a computer, a cell phone, upgraded cell phone, cell phone camera, a laptop, blogging, Facebook, and Twitter.
I’ve managed to evade Twitter. I still prefer to drive a stick for mountains, snow, and just plain fun. But I’ve succumbed (even become addicted) to all the rest.
Alhough the Wii nicely marries fun and fitness, I’ll confess that it got to me with flattery of my pride. I did a fitness test which measured BMI and balance and flexibility and such, then pegged me at age 30. The assessment evoked an "OH yeah!" (etc.) from me in the face of age 46 reality.
I’m fascinated by a computer which can’t even see the outside of me and purports to tell me what’s on the inside. I also have difficulty believing that my body’s age is measured with balance rather than blood work or history. I’d like to believe such friendly technology (who wouldn’t?), but I reason that such an assessment can’t be accurate.
Earlier on Wednesday I was praying the Lord’s prayer as part of my morning routine. I got hung up at “Our Father” (as I’m wont to do) when I thanked the Father for His two greatest gifts—the blood of His Son, which makes me His child, and the Holy Spirit within me, the deposit of all to come.
In that moment it occurred to me that the Father accepts me without condemnation because that’s the way He sees me, on both the outside (where His Son’s blood covers me), and the inside (where His Holy Spirit resides).
None of this is new information, to you or to me. Although Romans 8:1 is among my favorite verses (in the NKJV longer text), I continually struggle to see myself as without condemnation in the face of the sinful reality. I reason that such an assessment of my heart's fitness can’t be accurate.
Evidently the Lord uses different criteria than I do when assessing the measurement of my sin and the capacity of His mercy.
Your feedback is appreciated. (Some days it keeps me going.) Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
I am not a technophile. Over the years I’ve resisted an automatic transmission, a computer, a cell phone, upgraded cell phone, cell phone camera, a laptop, blogging, Facebook, and Twitter.
I’ve managed to evade Twitter. I still prefer to drive a stick for mountains, snow, and just plain fun. But I’ve succumbed (even become addicted) to all the rest.
Alhough the Wii nicely marries fun and fitness, I’ll confess that it got to me with flattery of my pride. I did a fitness test which measured BMI and balance and flexibility and such, then pegged me at age 30. The assessment evoked an "OH yeah!" (etc.) from me in the face of age 46 reality.
I’m fascinated by a computer which can’t even see the outside of me and purports to tell me what’s on the inside. I also have difficulty believing that my body’s age is measured with balance rather than blood work or history. I’d like to believe such friendly technology (who wouldn’t?), but I reason that such an assessment can’t be accurate.
There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in Christ Jesus,
who do not walk according to the flesh,
but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1 (NKJV)
to those who are in Christ Jesus,
who do not walk according to the flesh,
but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1 (NKJV)
Earlier on Wednesday I was praying the Lord’s prayer as part of my morning routine. I got hung up at “Our Father” (as I’m wont to do) when I thanked the Father for His two greatest gifts—the blood of His Son, which makes me His child, and the Holy Spirit within me, the deposit of all to come.
In that moment it occurred to me that the Father accepts me without condemnation because that’s the way He sees me, on both the outside (where His Son’s blood covers me), and the inside (where His Holy Spirit resides).
None of this is new information, to you or to me. Although Romans 8:1 is among my favorite verses (in the NKJV longer text), I continually struggle to see myself as without condemnation in the face of the sinful reality. I reason that such an assessment of my heart's fitness can’t be accurate.
Evidently the Lord uses different criteria than I do when assessing the measurement of my sin and the capacity of His mercy.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:11-12 (NKJV)
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:11-12 (NKJV)
Your feedback is appreciated. (Some days it keeps me going.) Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Unforgivable Sin
"Our backslidings are many,
We have sinned against You.
O the Hope of Israel, his Savior in time of trouble,
Why should You be like a stranger in the land,
And like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night? ...
Yet You, O LORD, are in our midst,
And we are called by Your name;
Do not leave us!"
~ Jeremiah 14:7-9 (NKJV)
"He who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation."
~ Mark 3:29 (NKJV)
It was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations.
~ Luke 24:46-47 (NKJV)
While visiting family in Colorado we are blessed to stay in my sister's house. Though she gives us the run of the place as if we owned it, we are only visitors. Our home is in Michigan.
Various places in the Bible refer to the Holy Spirit resting upon a person, as a visitor. Other places refer to the Holy Spirit dwelling within a person as Owner.
I don't claim to have perfect understanding, but may I suggest the following explanation for the Unforgivable Sin?
When the Holy Spirit shows up for a visit, He brings with Him the conviction of sin, and the message of forgiveness and repentance. If He is then refused as a liar (blasphemed), and denied possession as Owner, He will eventually leave us. And we cannot enter eternal life without Him.
The opposite response is to be possessed by the Spirit and give Him run of the place.
Father, how great Your love for us! You grant remission of sin, and replace penalty of death with life. You continue to cleanse us of all impurity, which brings us suffering. Please fill us with desire to yield to Your Spirit's possession.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
On a Personal Note: How can I express my thanks to all of you who prayed for my meeting with my brother John yesterday? God's answer was that we not meet. John mysteriously failed to show up at a favorite haunt. I am trusting the Lord's plan in "whatever."
We have sinned against You.
O the Hope of Israel, his Savior in time of trouble,
Why should You be like a stranger in the land,
And like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night? ...
Yet You, O LORD, are in our midst,
And we are called by Your name;
Do not leave us!"
~ Jeremiah 14:7-9 (NKJV)
"He who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation."
~ Mark 3:29 (NKJV)
It was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations.
~ Luke 24:46-47 (NKJV)
While visiting family in Colorado we are blessed to stay in my sister's house. Though she gives us the run of the place as if we owned it, we are only visitors. Our home is in Michigan.
Various places in the Bible refer to the Holy Spirit resting upon a person, as a visitor. Other places refer to the Holy Spirit dwelling within a person as Owner.
I don't claim to have perfect understanding, but may I suggest the following explanation for the Unforgivable Sin?
When the Holy Spirit shows up for a visit, He brings with Him the conviction of sin, and the message of forgiveness and repentance. If He is then refused as a liar (blasphemed), and denied possession as Owner, He will eventually leave us. And we cannot enter eternal life without Him.
The opposite response is to be possessed by the Spirit and give Him run of the place.
Father, how great Your love for us! You grant remission of sin, and replace penalty of death with life. You continue to cleanse us of all impurity, which brings us suffering. Please fill us with desire to yield to Your Spirit's possession.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
On a Personal Note: How can I express my thanks to all of you who prayed for my meeting with my brother John yesterday? God's answer was that we not meet. John mysteriously failed to show up at a favorite haunt. I am trusting the Lord's plan in "whatever."
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
WHATEVER
And I answered and said, “So be it, LORD.”
~ Jeremiah 11:5 (NKJV)
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
~ Colossians 3:17 (NKJV)
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’ ”
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Whether saved or unsaved, happy or discouraged, I believe human response to God can always be summed up in the word “Whatever.”
If rebellious, we will say it with a sneer and disgusted snort, head tossed back, incredulous that anyone presumes to suggest what we should do: “What-EH-ver!”
If resigned to God’s will, understanding that He is God and we are not (and thus we must accept His will, no matter how painful or distasteful), we sigh heavily (perhaps sniffle) and mutter, “WHAT-ever …”
If we accept how very infinite is our Father’s love for us, and how much He longs to bless us if we will but believe He means all for our good, we can receive every single situation or word from Him with a nod and a smile (maybe a laugh), and say, “Yes, Lord. So be it. Whatever You say I will do. Whatever Your will, I accept Your good purpose in it.”
Joy in the Christian walk is found when one knows the proper way to say “Whatever.”
Ah Lord God, Your love and wisdom are beyond comprehension! We do not understand why You do what You do. Please assure us that we do not need to. Please increase our faith and love for You in and through every situation.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
On a personal note: I'd deeply appreciate your prayers. I will attempt to meet with my brother John tonight. Please pray God will make possible our meeting, and soften my brother's heart so I might tell him face to face that I love him. Thank you!
~ Jeremiah 11:5 (NKJV)
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
~ Colossians 3:17 (NKJV)
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’ ”
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Whether saved or unsaved, happy or discouraged, I believe human response to God can always be summed up in the word “Whatever.”
If rebellious, we will say it with a sneer and disgusted snort, head tossed back, incredulous that anyone presumes to suggest what we should do: “What-EH-ver!”
If resigned to God’s will, understanding that He is God and we are not (and thus we must accept His will, no matter how painful or distasteful), we sigh heavily (perhaps sniffle) and mutter, “WHAT-ever …”
If we accept how very infinite is our Father’s love for us, and how much He longs to bless us if we will but believe He means all for our good, we can receive every single situation or word from Him with a nod and a smile (maybe a laugh), and say, “Yes, Lord. So be it. Whatever You say I will do. Whatever Your will, I accept Your good purpose in it.”
Joy in the Christian walk is found when one knows the proper way to say “Whatever.”
Ah Lord God, Your love and wisdom are beyond comprehension! We do not understand why You do what You do. Please assure us that we do not need to. Please increase our faith and love for You in and through every situation.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
On a personal note: I'd deeply appreciate your prayers. I will attempt to meet with my brother John tonight. Please pray God will make possible our meeting, and soften my brother's heart so I might tell him face to face that I love him. Thank you!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Foolish
Thus says the LORD:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me."
~ Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NKJV)
God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.
~ 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (NKJV)
I was vexed in my mind.
I was so foolish and ignorant ...
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
~ Psalm 73:21-22,25 (NKJV)
Some people see me as on fire for the Lord. Some people see me as simply exuberant. Not a few call me foolish. I honestly don’t mind being seen as foolish for the way I love the Lord.
I have a confession. Lately I really have been foolish. I’ve allowed distractions to draw my attention from the glory of the Lord enough to become "vexed in my mind." It honestly doesn’t take much “cares of this world” to steal from a relationship with the Lord.
I’ve been blessed by the prayers of those who love me, and by one friend in particular offering just the right words. How deep is my gratitude for such people. Yet I wouldn’t have been vexed in the first place if I’d kept my heart where it should be.
What can this world offer to best the ability to glory in knowledge and understanding of the LORD? A sermon I heard this weekend suggested that human glory is the opposite of shame. Such glory I’ll gladly accept.
Oh God, You are my God. Whom have I in heaven or on earth but You? What shall I desire but You? Your glory is a consuming fire I cannot bear for long. Yet even as I back far enough away to recover, let me not become cold. Please show all of us how to draw near and endure Your glory.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me."
~ Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NKJV)
God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.
~ 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (NKJV)
I was vexed in my mind.
I was so foolish and ignorant ...
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
~ Psalm 73:21-22,25 (NKJV)
Some people see me as on fire for the Lord. Some people see me as simply exuberant. Not a few call me foolish. I honestly don’t mind being seen as foolish for the way I love the Lord.
I have a confession. Lately I really have been foolish. I’ve allowed distractions to draw my attention from the glory of the Lord enough to become "vexed in my mind." It honestly doesn’t take much “cares of this world” to steal from a relationship with the Lord.
I’ve been blessed by the prayers of those who love me, and by one friend in particular offering just the right words. How deep is my gratitude for such people. Yet I wouldn’t have been vexed in the first place if I’d kept my heart where it should be.
What can this world offer to best the ability to glory in knowledge and understanding of the LORD? A sermon I heard this weekend suggested that human glory is the opposite of shame. Such glory I’ll gladly accept.
Oh God, You are my God. Whom have I in heaven or on earth but You? What shall I desire but You? Your glory is a consuming fire I cannot bear for long. Yet even as I back far enough away to recover, let me not become cold. Please show all of us how to draw near and endure Your glory.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Times of Refreshing
Repent therefore and be converted,
that your sins may be blotted out,
so that times of refreshing may come
from the presence of the Lord.
~ Acts 3:19 (NKJV)
that your sins may be blotted out,
so that times of refreshing may come
from the presence of the Lord.
~ Acts 3:19 (NKJV)
I need to take a day off, slow down, regather, be refreshed. I plan to be back tomorrow.
Love in Christ,
Anne
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