Let “Ask, and it will be given to you,” and “Seek, and you will find,” and “Knock, and the door will be opened to you,” often come to mind.
God has so many possibilities, when we are thinking there are none– The disciples were distraught at Jesus’ death ’til they beheld the risen Son.
When hope seems to have ended, remember your mighty God’s deeds. He’s a “beyond all that we ask or think” God, who supplies beyond our needs.
So be blessed to be a blessing to others as God pours out His love. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights above.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen”. Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17KJV
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him? Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:7-12 NKJV
A certain woman of the city heard that Jesus was at the home of Simon, a Pharisee. So she came with an alabaster flask of ointment–her sins had weighed her down very heavily. Her tears washed Jesus’ feet, which she kissed and wiped with her hair–then anointed them with the oil–all tokens of the love she had come there to share.
Simon’s thought was that Jesus should have known that she was a woman to shun. If Jesus was truly a prophet, he would not have permitted her because of the things she’d done. Jesus then told him a story of two debtors, freely forgiven of debts of lesser and greater amounts. It was an explanation to Simon of a sinner’s gratefulness–her debt of sin was large (and, therefore, so was her love) by all accounts.
Jesus expressed appreciation for her kisses and for the tears that she had shed. “Your sins are forgiven” and “Your faith has saved you; go in peace,” He said. Those who sat at the table with Him began to discuss that, saying “Who is this?” His forgiveness of her sins was an authoritative statement they really couldn’t dismiss.
…from John 12:1-8 (in Bethany at the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary)
In a second narrative, six days before Passover, the scriptures tell of Mary– who used spikenard, a costly oil–the fragrance of which, the entire house would carry. After supper, there in Bethany, she anointed Jesus’ feet, also wiping them with her hair. Judas then asked why the oil hadn’t been sold and the money been given to the poor–not that he actually did care.
Jesus told Judas to let her alone for she had kept the oil for His burial day. “For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always,” was what He had to say.
…from Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9 (in Bethany)
A similar occurrence at the house of Simon the leper, Matthew and Mark record, was that of a woman who took spikenard, pouring it, this time, upon the head of Jesus, her Lord. There were some who, like Judas, criticized her, saying that the oil might have been sold for the poor. But Jesus said she had done this for His burial, speaking of her with grace, and that in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, she would forever have a place.
Today, God is pouring out His love and the Holy Spirit upon each open heart. May we fill our own “alabaster jars,” with love for Him, and eagerly do our part. There’s a world of people Jesus died for, and many are in great need. Guide and strengthen us, Lord, as we seek to be Your servants, caring with both word and deed.
We thank You for Your great sacrifice; we thank You for Your steadfast love. We appreciate so much what it cost You to visit us from heaven above.
P. A. Oltrogge
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:7-11
“Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8
“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly I say to you inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” Matthew 25:40 (and verses 31-46) NKJV
“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and are in him that is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” 1 John 5:20 KJV
“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” John 15:9-10
Help me, Father in heaven, to be mindful of what Your Word has said–that my words shouldn’t be critical of others, but they should bless instead. If someone’s ways seem contrary to mine, or if they’ve hurt me in some way, every person is still made in Your image–I must show love towards them and pray.
A forest spring doesn’t flow with waters that are both bitter and fresh; likewise, help me in “keeping under” any wrong attitudes of my flesh. A fig tree doesn’t produce olives, and figs don’t come from a grapevine; neither should judgmental words towards others come from these lips of mine.
The same lips that praise my God, should speak with His love; and I should be kind, in turn. Purity, being peace loving and gentle, willing to yield to others, are things that I must learn. With humility that’s gleaned from Your wisdom, I’ll avoid jealousy and selfish ambition, for You’ve said that disorder and evil of every kind come from either condition.
I should be full of Your mercy, showing no favoritism, and always be sincere–Planting seeds of peace, I’ll reap a harvest of righteousness–all truths that You’ve made clear.
P. A. Oltrogge
“And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way.” words of Jesus in Luke 6:31
“People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:7-18 NLT
“Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and He will grant you His blessing. For the Scriptures say, ‘If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.’” 1 Peter 3:9-12 NLT
“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)
I like to think of the butterfly, a high-flying creation of beauty…
that once was a lowly caterpillar, but destined for the unique duty,
of submitting to the Creator’s perfect will, and a higher design.
This may be compared to the lives of believers–even yours and mine.
Once, we were living low, though we may not have thought it so…
then recognized our need to be forgiven and be transformed to grow
into new creations with a very high call–to go throughout the earth,
in order to share with others, for God, the joy of obtaining “the new birth.”
P. A. Oltrogge
” …he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” …words of Jesus from Matthew 10:39 (NKJV)
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.’” John 3:3 (NASB)
” ..’Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.’” …Jesus’ words from Mark 16:15 (NKJV)
“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and are in him that is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” 1 John 5:20 (KJV)
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (RSV)
Be blessed to read of praise reports at http://www.josephprince.org under “Blog” and then “Praise reports” for great encouragement regarding many situations of life. I’m thanking the Lord, that His goodness and mercy are following you this day. His banner over you is love….
with thanks to God, that He’s making things right.
For God, there is nothing that is too hard.
Rely on that truth in any regard.
Pray and obey, as the Lord leads;
meditate on His Word, from which wisdom proceeds.
It may take some time to see right come about…
Just remember He’s faithful and reject any doubt.
There are times in our lives that seem dark and bad,
but keep trusting God, our Father. He’s the very best Dad!
P. A. Oltrogge
But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Galatians 4:4-7 NLT
The earliest believers suffered persecution–a man of God, Stephen, was put to death. Though scattered, they continued to share about Jesus, the Master, who gives to all of us breath.
We read on…of the evangelist, Philip, in the book of Acts and chapter eight. His desire to share about Jesus was greater than any fears he might have had for his own fate.
He’d gone to the city of Samaria and preached there, doing many miraculous signs. He had cast out demons and healed the lame, leaving a very joyful city behind.
Having heard of the new believers in Samaria, Peter and John had arrived as well. They prayed and laid hands on the believers–and upon them, the Holy Spirit fell.
An angel of the Lord then instructed Philip, to head south on the desert road…that ran from Jerusalem to Gaza, where he saw a man soon, and his journey slowed….
Philip walked alongside the man’s chariot, at the Holy Spirit’s leading. This man was the treasurer of Ethiopia, and from the book of Isaiah, he was reading.
He’d been to Jerusalem to worship and was on his journey from there of return. But, obviously, he had a hunger about God, and Philip was to help him learn.
“Do you understand what you’re reading?” Philip asked, wanting to be his guide. The man replied that he needed help, and invited him to come up and sit alongside.
This was the passage of scripture he’d been reading:
“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.”
The Ethiopian asked Philip for clarification as to whom this text referred. Then Philip told him the good news of Jesus, the Savior–the first time that he clearly had heard.
Philip undoubtedly told him about baptism in water and of the Holy Spirit being outpoured. The man believed the gospel, and his own baptism was what he then eagerly looked toward.
As they rode along, they came to some water and stopped, because this man recognized…that it was the perfect opportunity for them to get out so he could immediately be baptized.
Regarding it, Philip said, ‘”If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God”–so there was no reason for delay.
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip supernaturally away. The Ethiopian never saw him again, but he went home rejoicing in the Lord that day.
P. A. Oltrogge
Above scripture: Acts 8:32-33 NKJV
And then he (Jesus) told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV
A man with deafness and a speech impediment was in need of Jesus’ touch. Those who brought him begged the Lord to heal him, being confident of such.
Jesus led him, then, away from the crowd so that they could be alone. He put His fingers into the man’s ears—the beginning of his hearing tone.
Jesus spit upon His own fingers and touched the man’s tongue as well. “Ephphatha,” (“Be opened!”) He said, looking up to heaven—then the man instantly heard, clear as a bell!
The man’s tongue was also freed—his speech became perfectly clear. Jesus told the crowd not to spread the story, but they couldn’t help tell that the man could now speak and hear.
“Everything Jesus does is wonderful,” they shared, in relating this event. The deaf could hear, the dumb could speak. God’s goodness was being displayed wherever Jesus went!
P. A. Oltrogge
From Mark 7:31-37
“Everything He does is wonderful! He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.” Mark 7:37 NLT
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases….” Psalm 103:1-3
Hear testimonies of the works of Jesus today…or receive prayer, M-F, 9:30 a.m. ET; 8:30 a.m. CT at http://www.govictory.com (Morning Prayer)
Refer also to archived post, “Immersion in God’s Word,” or to other sites, such as http://www.moorelife.org, http://www.awmi.net, and others previously mentioned on this blog.
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
As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God….
Psalm 42:1-2 NKJV
Photos/Unsplash: Top, Gleason Falls, Hillsborough, NH, U.S., by Forest Simon Bottom, Rocky Mountain State Park, Estes Park, U.S., by Steve Adams
The Porch of the Lord 