John 17:6-8

I encourage you if you have not already to pick up a book by Nancy Missler called the Way of Agape. It is life changing and very powerful. It goes through the soul, spirit, and mind and shows us how to use each to love the Lord fully and to love others. There is actually a series, I plan to start the next book in that tomorrow. For now it’s time for the Word.

-David

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"I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.

John 17:6-8

Our eternity rests in the ability of the Lord Jesus to keep that which the Father has given Him, His own. We have been given to Him as a prized possession, one which is won through the victory of the cross. We are not in the world, but in Him for we have been saved by Him. Even more exciting is the reality that Jesus presents the believers as one with Himself.

Jesus in the role of high priest wears us over his heart much like the high priest in Israel carried the names of the tribes on his chest. When He comes before the Father, he bears our name. Pretty exciting when it comes along with nailed scarred hands and feet! He has bought us with the price and there is nothing that can change our destiny in Him.

The disciples knew the word and kept it as much as they had received the message and were settled in the basic truth. Jesus is God in the flesh and there is no other answer or way into life but through Him. They committed their lives to him to the very death. We are to do the same. What a powerful purpose we have, and an important one. But He is the one who paid the price for our sin, all we have to do is believe and live.

John 17:4-5

I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
John 17:4-5

Within hours after Jesus’ prayer to the Father, he would be tried, and crucified, being hung on a tree for all to see. The work which was given to Him would be complete with the final statement from the cross where he proclaimed victory. The Lamb of God was given to make atonement for the sins of Israel and for all who would believe on Him.

We have said before, and will say again now that our Lord has been even before the world was created. The Son is not a created being, but is One with the Father and all things came through Him. He had full glory during the time of creation and now His glory is displayed through the work on the cross. 

It is finished my friend. That great work of saving your soul from death and brining you into life is complete. Now there is nothing more you can do, or would even need to do. No religious ceremony or act must be done. All things are finished as the sin of your whole life has been paid for. Refresh yourself in that truth. Nothing could be better.

John 17:2-3

“Even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” 
John 17:2-3

Our world offers many theories and ideas on what it thinks will bring you eternal life. Now of course this is nothing new, I am sure there were many brilliant speculations made by people standing on the other side of Noah’s Ark before the rain started to fall. But just like then, there is only one door which we can go through to have life eternal. 

Really all men will have eternal life, it is just where you spend it and who you spend it with that matters. To choose to walk away from the Lord and not believe on Him, brings eternal death and separation. But when we walk in the Lord, we are living in eternity presently and will have great joy. 

Knowing Jesus Christ as the one and only Son sent from the Father who is the true God; this is what brings us life. This is more than just a head knowledge, but a relationship by which only through personal interaction can you grow. Therefore our entire lives should be spent on the mission to learn as much as we can by spending all of our time in His Word and with Him.

John 17:1

Thank you for your prayers for Avery. She is doing much better with the medicine the doctor gave her for her Asthma. Still working with that. But that is alright, she is a little sweetheart. I can’t believe she is already 8 months old. Just happens so fast.
Hope you have a great day my friend.

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Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,

John 17:1

John chapter 17 is considered by many to be the holy ground of the New Testament. It is the most detailed prayer we have in the Bible and it is a conversation between the Son and the Father. We see the depth of emotion and feeling Jesus had for the Father and for His own. There is so much to gain from meditating on its message. 

The first verse sums up the purpose He has for the prayer and really the mission. Jesus came so that He could reveal the glory of the Father, and give us a real encounter with the Living God. All of the Psalms and Prophets, and the Law pointed toward Christ and his coming. He came not just to teach us about the Father, but to show us His heart and His love for us. 

Now Jesus knew what the next twenty-four hours were going to look like and He was ready. But this hour that has come was planned out before the Creation of the world. We need to remember that nothing came by accident, but was planned even before sin entered the world. Our Lord knew even then what He was going to do to bring us salvation. 

Amazing how fast time goes, seems like as soon as we close our eyes on one month, another one is about to end. Thursday Holly and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary. It has been an amazing four years and now we start our fifth year. We went to see a Broadway musical “Wicked” based on the witches from the Wizard of Oz. We loved it and thought it was very well done. I love seeing musicals and enjoying the time with my wife. I can’t imagine anyone else I would rather spend all my life with then her, so I am blessed fully. The Lord gave me a beautiful wife and daughter as well.

We enjoyed our first Father’s Day this weekend as well. My dad came out on Friday and is attending a conference out here this week. It was neat to have the day to spend with him and Avery. She is his first granddaughter so its pretty exciting. I love seeing my family whenever I can. Makes me miss them more of course, and it is good to spend time with them. My parents have been married about 35 years now and my oldest sister Diane is 30 now. Time does go so fast. I can remember when we were all still young.

We are getting back into the work week mostly now. Avery caught a cold and is running fever so we are watching her close today. Holly is such a great mommy, Avery couldn’t have better. Our little one is so precious and I hope she gets feeling better quick.

Titus 1:1-4

Avery enjoyed her first Father’s Day but now it seems she caught a cold again and ran fever all night. She is feeling a little better but hopefully will be back on track later. She is also getting some more teeth, so that doesn’t help much. It was a good weekend for us and now we have the week to get one with. Not as exciting to think about really but away we go. Hope you have a good day

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This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began. And now at just the right time he has revealed this message, which we announce to everyone. It is by the command of God our Savior that I have been entrusted with this work for him.
I am writing to Titus, my true son in the faith that we share.
  May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace.

Titus 1:1-4

Titus is one of Paul’s greatest helpers in the ministry and can often be described as the troubleshooter. If there is a problem, Paul would send Titus to go help and get things on track. In the beginning of this letter to Titus, Paul lays out His purpose for preaching about the good news of Christ.

Our world has only gotten further away from the truth since the days of Paul and Titus. In that time there were so many philosophies and theories that people would only accept information and ideas. But our Lord proclaims the truth, not just some truth or a version of the truth. There is just one Truth, and our Lord is that truth. That message is still being sent out because man lives in a lying and dying world.

Paul states the Lord’s message is for everyone great and small, but not everyone will come to believe in Jesus. There are going to be those who continue to reject the truth, though it is preached to them. But this cannot stop us from extending the message to all people. Our Lord died for the people so that they could live. He died for us all.

James 1:5-8

Avery is very excited grandpa came to visit this week! It is always good to have family and loved ones. It is good to think about the things the Lord gives us and thank Him. Gratitude is one of the most important things we can ever have, not only for the Lord but for those in our lives who have also been there for us. Have a good weekend my friend. And I will be enjoying my First Father's Day!

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If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

James 1:5-8

Whenever any decision comes up in life we tend to go to our best resources for wisdom on what path we should take. Those tend to be our friends, family, and perhaps a pastor or two. We search the Internet even to explore options and seek answers from every source imaginable. And then just to make sure we are covered, we throw a prayer up to the Lord for help.

Why don’t we first go to the Father before anything is decided or questioned? He is the one who has all wisdom and perfect knowledge and yet we do not remember that when we really need Him. We put our trust in the wisdom of this world and that pretty much backfires on us most of the time. If our heart is in what he world thinks and feels then we have already turned our worship and loyalty toward the wrong things.

Our Father wants us to ask of Him all things we need in life. As long as you ask according to the will of Him, and in the authority of the Son you will be given an answer. Wisdom is found in trusting in the Lord with all your heart and leaning on Him for all things. Anchor yourself in Him so you will not be tossed around by every good idea that is ready for you. He is the source of all the wisdom you and I need.

Ruth 3:12-18

  "Now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I.
  "Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the LORD lives. Lie down until morning."
  So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, " Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor."
  Again he said, "Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it." So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then she went into the city.
  When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "How did it go, my daughter?" And she told her all that the man had done for her.
  She said, "These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, 'Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'"
  Then she said, "Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today."
Ruth 3:12-18

  The story of Ruth is far more than the story of Boaz falling in love with Ruth and redeeming her along with the land. It is also a story of our relationship to Jesus and His redemption of us.
  During those days land sold into the family must be redeemed by someone also in the line and family. Boaz was a close relative to Naomi and Ruth but had to first get past the closer relative. But Boaz loved Ruth so much that he did everything He could in order to get her. But first Ruth had to ask for it. She asked by going to his feet in the night just as a servant would do waiting for orders. Boaz gave her six measures of barley which is one less than seven- seven being complete. Naomi explained why he did this, as a way to show Boaz would not rest till the redemption was finished.
  Indeed Jesus Christ, Son of David, a man, God in the flesh, came to earth to redeem us. He did this out of His love for us and in order to receive the free gift we must ask for it. Many have already done this. But we need to realize that we are daily being redeemed by Him. Each new day in Christian life we are becoming more and more like Him. It is not a quick process, but one that takes throughout our life to do. But He is faithful and will finish what He has set out to do! And that is to make you more like Him.

Haggai 1:2-6

Life is busy this June, at least seems to be for us. Last weekend we had a wedding to drive to, this weekend my dad will be coming out for a conference. Avery loves that idea, since her grandpa will be here. She is learning how to army crawl now so she can get from one point to another to go after stuff. Means we have some baby proofing to work on. Also today is our Four year anniversary of marriage! What a wonderful marriage as well. Hope you have a good day and weekend coming my friend.

David

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“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’” Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!

Haggai 1:2-6

Our Lord in the New Testament continues to call our own bodies the temple of the Lord. Keeping this in mind while reading Haggai is important, because it shows us how important the temple is. When the people were neglecting the House of God, they were setting aside all of the things that would bring them life. In the same way when we put our Lord on the shelf and concentrate on our own ways to make us happy, we only end in ruin.

The very structure of the Temple is a model of our own spiritual and physical being. It has been said that the heart, soul, mind, and strength are all laid out in the plan of the Temple. Since the Holy Spirit gave Solomon the wisdom on how to build and what to build, it should be no surprise if it means more than meets the eye.

We take care of so much in life to make life work. But the Lord wants us to work on our relationship with Him first and only. When we draw near to Him and work on our maturity, then we grow and build up the temple that we are; the temple where the Holy Spirit dwells. It is through Him and in Him we find life.

Avery had another long road trip this past weekend on our way to a wedding. It was also her first wedding to attend which was very good. We enjoyed the trip and the dancing as well. Good to know she travels well, though does get tired of being strapped into her seat after a long while. I like to travel with my wife and daugther, i hope we can do that more. It is also good to have a car which can hold more stuff so we can take trips without much problem.

Now we are back to our week and looking forward to grandpa coming out on Friday. That will be a great time as he hasnt seen her since Feb. I hate how far we live away from family, it can be hard when you miss them so much and want to see them. But it is good to spend time with them when we can. Holly's family is here though so at least we arent completly alone. They keep life interesting as well.

Jonah 1:4-5

It’s the middle of the week and it already feels like its dragging a little bit. But that is okay because we have the Word to get us through each day. I do hope you are blessed through it as I have been.

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But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.

Jonah 1:4-5

Storms in life are not uncommon, they happen both in nature and in the spiritual realm. Sometimes though as it was the case for Jonah, the storm was directly related to his disobedience to God. The Lord called Jonah to go preach to Israel’s darkest enemy. This was very hard for him because he loved his country and was a patriot of his time. You can imagine how hard that can be then to go to another country to preach repentance.

Jonah thought running from God would solve all his own problems and he could get away from his responsibilities. No matter how hard we try to run though, the Lord will already be waiting for us when we get to where we are running. He will sometimes send storms even to wake us up. The people on the ship knew something was wrong and it had to be a judgment from the heavens.

Our world is in great jeopardy as the wrath of God will soon be poured out on all mankind. As much as we continue being citizens of a greater Kingdom, that of Heaven, we are still on this earth in this time and have a call. Now we are like Jonah and ignore the destruction going on around us, when we are really supposed to be facing it and leading people to the Lord. Therefore let us wake up and seek the Lord, for He has a plan for us. 

Micah 2:1-2

It is always hard to get up and started in a new week. We did get the car sold which was great and now we can enjoy our new one. We have a lot planned this month which is normal for summer time anyway. Thank you for your prayers. Also pray for those going on missions this month, some to Moldova, some to Thailand, others to Brazil. We have brothers and sisters who are moving out into the nations and they need our prayers and support. Be blessed when you pray.

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Woe to those who devise iniquity,
      And work out evil on their beds!
      At morning light they practice it,
      Because it is in the power of their hand.
      They covet fields and take them by violence,
      Also houses, and seize them.
      So they oppress a man and his house,
      A man and his inheritance.
Micah 2:1-2

Our Lord knows all the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. He hears us in the morning, in the evening, and when we are preparing for sleep. It seems like most of our planning comes right before we are ready to turn out the light, or in the morning before dawn casts its first light. Mankind has a sinful nature and devises its own way because that is how it thinks.

Micah might have had such authorities as Queen Jezebel in mind when he wrote this passage. The Spirit knew of the time when she stole a vineyard for her husband, King Ahab, by a false trial and murder of an innocent man (1 Kings 21). That story shows how easy it is to justify getting our own way. All such actions are done in the flesh. Anything that is not planned with the Lord’s will in mind needs to be forgotten.

The Spirit is ever working in our lives to bring is to a place of obedience before the Lord. No matter what it is we are thinking about in the secret places of our hearts, He knows. It as if we are telling our Lord Jesus all things we are thinking. This passage can apply to anything in our hearts we are seeking that is not really ours to seek. I do not believe it would take to long for that desire you have to come to light. Rise up and seek the Lord in all things. Let Him be the one desire of your heart.

Avery has a cute way of getting around now, it is not really crawling so much but more of a scooting. She takes her self and turns around on her belly using her arms and dragging her self around. She doesn't get very far but we have a feeling its only a matter of time. If we leave her sitting with some toys around she will make her way to them. And of course she hates it when we leave a room and will cry till we come back. She is so sweet and I love seeing her smile and making her laugh. She gets her tickleness from me. Holly and I are so blessed with her and love her. Also she does say mama once in a while and a few other things she can get out. Still practicing on those words of course.

Numbers 11:23

June is here and the rain continues to come down hard. We are working on getting out car sold now that we bought a new one. It is a nice car which is bigger since we need the room now with Avery. This is going to be a busy month, I can already tell. I hope you have a good weekend my friend and be blessed.

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And the LORD said to Moses, “Has the LORD’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.”

Numbers 11:23

A famous painting depicts the Lord God in heaven reaching down to Adam with all of his might. You can see the arm of the Lord stretching out in all fullness toward man, and yet the arm of the man is just leaning out toward God, halfway propped up on his knee. If the man even moved his arm out just a little the Lord would have Him. This shows us just a small piece of the picture we see in this verse. The arm of the Lord is extended out in power, if only man would just turn toward Him. 

Moses was faced with a great struggle during the days of the wilderness wandering. There was so much to be done and he was the leader of so many. I am sure it was a great deal of pressure for Him, as we see that. God promises Moses a great deal and uses the phrase so common to our language. Is the Lord’s arm too short to reach you? No! He is fully able to accomplish the purpose He has for you.

Remember this passage and see if you cannot get a hold of that picture, I believe it was by Michelangelo. It shows the great intensity the Lord God has to reach His arms around us, if only we are willing. Jesus uses the same terms when speaking to Israel and how he wished he could gather his children into his arms like a hen gathers her chicks, if only they were willing. His arms are not too short to get into your life. They were not too short to save you, and they are not too short to hold on to you forever.

June is finally here and we have the warm air to prove it. Of course we also still have a lot of rain, which makes mowing the lawn difficult. Hopefully the grass will dry out so i can get on that tommrow. We bought a new car last week and have been enjoying it since. Now we have three cars and are still looking to sell one of them. The upgrade was needed though and does give us more room for Avery and people to get into the car without a problem. I like it.

As for work all is going just fine there too. I tried out for a new position but was turned down as i do not have enough experince with it. But I guess there is always room to grow. I did change teams back to marvin's which is much better. Well really i dont mind what team i am on, but i do like marvin and will be glad to move to a different area. Seems like change is constant around here.

Hopefully as we move into June we can get some good time to enjoy ourselves and the summer. We have a lot planned so i look forward to it all.