For the LORD is our Judge,
The LORD is our Lawgiver,
The LORD is our King;
He will save us.
Isaiah 33:22 (NKJV)
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalms 73:25-26 (NKJV)
From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." ~ John 6:66-69 (NKJV)
In the United States a system of "checks and balances" exists in the judicial, legislative, and administrative branches of government. The nation relies upon thousands of individuals at local, state and federal levels oversee the three functions which all find fulfillment in the Lord our God as Judge, Lawgiver and King.
To whom shall we go but God for all we need? It's often said if we have Jesus we have everything. Do we thus live? Do we worry for nothing else because He is first? Do we rise to bless Him with our first waking breath and drift to sleep with His name in our hearts? Do we live to love and know Him? Have we ceased from complaining about whatever He allows?
To know and love the Lord is more intensely satisfying than all other earthly pleasure. If we delight in Him, we will not wait to receive the desires of our heart, because He is the desire of our heart.
Everlasting Father, Lord Jesus, Precious Spirit, in You we live and move and have our being. You are the Alpha and the Omega and everything in between. You are goodness and light and love and the only One we need. May our highest privilege, greatest pleasure, and deepest passion be to glorify You.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Lending to the Lord
But a generous man devises generous things,
And by generosity he shall stand.
Isaiah 32:8 (NKJV)
Caring for the poor is lending to the LORD,
and you will be well repaid.
Proverbs 19:17 (CEV)
For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. ~ Hebrews 6:10 (NKJV)
When God has given us so much—when we acknowledge that we are not our own but belong to our Creator and Lord—we can never consider God in our debt. We can never believe we have done anything for which He owes us anything.
Even so, His own Word says that He allows no good deed to go unrepaid. Therefore we do to others as we want them to do to us. We reap as we have sown. We receive from God with the same measure we use for others.
If—if—there is a way to put God in our debt, it is by being generous with the poor, whether in financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual poverty. And we can minister with whatever we have, be it money, time, or love.
Lord, You have given us all things. Your hand is liberal. Please open our eyes to how very generous You are, and enable us to give freely of ourselves, confident that all belongs to You.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
And by generosity he shall stand.
Isaiah 32:8 (NKJV)
Caring for the poor is lending to the LORD,
and you will be well repaid.
Proverbs 19:17 (CEV)
For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. ~ Hebrews 6:10 (NKJV)
When God has given us so much—when we acknowledge that we are not our own but belong to our Creator and Lord—we can never consider God in our debt. We can never believe we have done anything for which He owes us anything.
Even so, His own Word says that He allows no good deed to go unrepaid. Therefore we do to others as we want them to do to us. We reap as we have sown. We receive from God with the same measure we use for others.
If—if—there is a way to put God in our debt, it is by being generous with the poor, whether in financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual poverty. And we can minister with whatever we have, be it money, time, or love.
Lord, You have given us all things. Your hand is liberal. Please open our eyes to how very generous You are, and enable us to give freely of ourselves, confident that all belongs to You.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
Friday, January 2, 2009
Friday Freelance: FLESH
We spend an incredible amount of time, money and effort on our flesh.
Life's basic functions are to feed, clothe and house flesh so it survives. We may fastidiously work to keep flesh healthy, or exhaustively engage practitioners and treatments in the effort to restore flesh's health. We expend considerable effort bathing and grooming our flesh so it's socially inviting.
Despite efforts to be clean, flesh always reverts back to stink. How amazing that God became flesh to walk among the smell of humans, because He has a sensitive nose. Everyone entering the Old Testament temple was free of bodily uncleanness to be holy and set apart to Him, and the priests also got a good washing. Holy Place offerings were freshly baked bread and incense. Burnt offerings sacrificed to Him were called a sweet aroma. Throughout the Old Testament, flesh and all else was cleansed by blood, water, or (as a last resort) fire.
God still smells us. Offering ourselves as a living sacrifice is a pleasing aroma to Him. Our prayers are sweet incense. Time spent communing with Him is the scent of fresh bread broken between friends. When we exemplify His Son in our lives, He calls us the fragrance of Christ.
I never got enough of my newborns' fragrance. Bottoms got frequent soap and water, but I bathed everything else sparingly, because newborns don't really get dirty and I loved their natural aroma. Alas, babies grow into dirty children and compel frequent baths.
When Jesus chose to cloth Himself in flesh physically, He never sinned nor lost His spiritually pure fragrance. Yet Jesus didn't hesitate to go near the Pharisees' stench of pride or the sinners' stench of depravity.
God loves us even when we're covered in the filth of sin. But to come near Him we need to be cleansed by blood, water and fire. He first washes us in the blood that takes away the stench of sin's death. Then regular washing in the water of His Word cleans away sinful inclinations and perfumes us with the fragrance of Jesus. If the flesh stench of pride, selfishness and lust stubbornly clings to us (perhaps for lack of water), cleansing comes by the Spirit's fire.
In the present era, the Holy Spirit is willing to actually inhabit our flesh. But God insists we clean up. He'll provide the blood and water—fire too. We need only cooperate.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
Life's basic functions are to feed, clothe and house flesh so it survives. We may fastidiously work to keep flesh healthy, or exhaustively engage practitioners and treatments in the effort to restore flesh's health. We expend considerable effort bathing and grooming our flesh so it's socially inviting.
Despite efforts to be clean, flesh always reverts back to stink. How amazing that God became flesh to walk among the smell of humans, because He has a sensitive nose. Everyone entering the Old Testament temple was free of bodily uncleanness to be holy and set apart to Him, and the priests also got a good washing. Holy Place offerings were freshly baked bread and incense. Burnt offerings sacrificed to Him were called a sweet aroma. Throughout the Old Testament, flesh and all else was cleansed by blood, water, or (as a last resort) fire.
God still smells us. Offering ourselves as a living sacrifice is a pleasing aroma to Him. Our prayers are sweet incense. Time spent communing with Him is the scent of fresh bread broken between friends. When we exemplify His Son in our lives, He calls us the fragrance of Christ.
I never got enough of my newborns' fragrance. Bottoms got frequent soap and water, but I bathed everything else sparingly, because newborns don't really get dirty and I loved their natural aroma. Alas, babies grow into dirty children and compel frequent baths.
When Jesus chose to cloth Himself in flesh physically, He never sinned nor lost His spiritually pure fragrance. Yet Jesus didn't hesitate to go near the Pharisees' stench of pride or the sinners' stench of depravity.
God loves us even when we're covered in the filth of sin. But to come near Him we need to be cleansed by blood, water and fire. He first washes us in the blood that takes away the stench of sin's death. Then regular washing in the water of His Word cleans away sinful inclinations and perfumes us with the fragrance of Jesus. If the flesh stench of pride, selfishness and lust stubbornly clings to us (perhaps for lack of water), cleansing comes by the Spirit's fire.
In the present era, the Holy Spirit is willing to actually inhabit our flesh. But God insists we clean up. He'll provide the blood and water—fire too. We need only cooperate.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
The Lord Waits
Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you,
and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.
Isaiah 30:18 (ESV)
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' " ~ Matthew 23:37-39 (NKJV)
... what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God ...?
2 Peter 3:11-12 (NKJV)
Though I've for the most part "learned in whatever state I am to be content," I never stop waiting for things to change. I am entirely content sitting eight feet from the fire in my wood stove, but I also wait for the bite of frigid winter to give way for spring's gentle warmth.
It fascinates me to think that the Lord waits for us before He acts, for this hints at the power mankind has to move the hand of God. Prayer is perhaps the most apparent example of our influence with the Almighty, but there are clearly many other ways we affect Him.
Such is the nature of a relationship. We carefully watch and evaluate and respond to each other. We self-consciously wait for the responses to ourselves. In our relationship with God, we are painfully aware of waiting upon Him. How amazing that the Lord waits upon us as well!
Everlasting God, even time waits for no man—how is it that You should be so patient with puny mortals? Please move in our hearts, that we will readily respond to you. Please call us to times of prayer to express our love, to hear You speak, to repent, to share our hearts, and to move Your hand.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.
Isaiah 30:18 (ESV)
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' " ~ Matthew 23:37-39 (NKJV)
... what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God ...?
2 Peter 3:11-12 (NKJV)
Though I've for the most part "learned in whatever state I am to be content," I never stop waiting for things to change. I am entirely content sitting eight feet from the fire in my wood stove, but I also wait for the bite of frigid winter to give way for spring's gentle warmth.
It fascinates me to think that the Lord waits for us before He acts, for this hints at the power mankind has to move the hand of God. Prayer is perhaps the most apparent example of our influence with the Almighty, but there are clearly many other ways we affect Him.
Such is the nature of a relationship. We carefully watch and evaluate and respond to each other. We self-consciously wait for the responses to ourselves. In our relationship with God, we are painfully aware of waiting upon Him. How amazing that the Lord waits upon us as well!
Everlasting God, even time waits for no man—how is it that You should be so patient with puny mortals? Please move in our hearts, that we will readily respond to you. Please call us to times of prayer to express our love, to hear You speak, to repent, to share our hearts, and to move Your hand.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
Thursday, January 1, 2009
God So Loved the World
Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,
"He did not make me"?
Can the pot say of the potter,
"He knows nothing"?
Isaiah 29:16 (NIV)
The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
God is in none of his thoughts...
Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
"You will not require an account."
Psalms 10:4,13 (NKJV)
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
~ John 3:16 (NIV)
The invisible God makes Himself abundantly manifest in His creation. He programmed us with a conscience that makes mankind know its accountability to its Maker. And we are intelligent enough to figure out that the Creator certainly knows more than the one created. No logic can refute His wisdom.
The only remaining factor to make God's will our most rational option is belief that He is good and He loves us. If we doubt these, we may view Him as malicious or uncaring and not see His will as being in our best interest.
After creating the universe for us, God so loved the world that in His goodness He sent Jesus to die for us, that we might live with Him forever. What more could prove His goodness and love? No obstacle remains to trusting Him. Whatever He wills can be nothing but good for us. Our only reasonable response is to obey.
Father, You have given us all things, and You have given us life that we might enjoy them. You have given us no greater gift than knowing You and calling You our God. Please encourage us when we doubt, and strengthen us to obey you fully.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
"He did not make me"?
Can the pot say of the potter,
"He knows nothing"?
Isaiah 29:16 (NIV)
The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
God is in none of his thoughts...
Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
"You will not require an account."
Psalms 10:4,13 (NKJV)
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
~ John 3:16 (NIV)
The invisible God makes Himself abundantly manifest in His creation. He programmed us with a conscience that makes mankind know its accountability to its Maker. And we are intelligent enough to figure out that the Creator certainly knows more than the one created. No logic can refute His wisdom.
The only remaining factor to make God's will our most rational option is belief that He is good and He loves us. If we doubt these, we may view Him as malicious or uncaring and not see His will as being in our best interest.
After creating the universe for us, God so loved the world that in His goodness He sent Jesus to die for us, that we might live with Him forever. What more could prove His goodness and love? No obstacle remains to trusting Him. Whatever He wills can be nothing but good for us. Our only reasonable response is to obey.
Father, You have given us all things, and You have given us life that we might enjoy them. You have given us no greater gift than knowing You and calling You our God. Please encourage us when we doubt, and strengthen us to obey you fully.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy
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