Joyful Always 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Philippians 4:4-7 Psalms 97:11-12 Habakkuk 3:17-19 Psalms 119:162-163 Matthew 5:11-12 Romans 12:12 Psalms 105:1-4 Nehemiah 8:10 Psalms 4:5-8 12.29.17

JOYFUL ALWAYS

BREAD

¹⁶ Be joyful always; ¹⁷ pray continually; ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.   1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

¹¹ Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. ¹² Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.   Psalm 97:11-12 (NIV)

¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, ¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. ¹⁹ The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.  For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.   Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NIV)

¹⁶² I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil. ¹⁶³ I hate and abhor falsehood but I love your law.   Psalm 119:162-163 (NIV)

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”   Matthew 5:11-12 (NIV)

¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.   Romans 12:12 (NIV)

¹ Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. ² Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. ³ Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. ⁴ Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.   Psalm 105:1-4 (NIV)

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”  Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV)

⁵ Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD. ⁶ Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. ⁷ You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. ⁸ I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.  Psalm 4:5-8 (NIV)

BUTTER

“Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God.”   Leon Bloy

“What impression do you want to leave with others if the only thing they have to go on is your countenance, attitude or expression?  Sadly, for some of us the message would be ‘unhappy home,’ ‘mad at the world,’ or ‘depressed and downtrodden.’  As believers in Christ, we must not live there. Rather, our lives should reflect whose we are.  The Scriptures teach us in Psalm 68:3, ‘...may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.’  If you're a child of the King, then take on an attitude of royalty.  Reveal God's presence in your life.  Hold your head high, greet others with genuine hospitality and be careful to show loving-kindness to all people.  By doing these things, you will become a bold witness for Christ without ever having to open your mouth.”   Renee Nail

“Other men see only a hopeless end, but the Christian rejoices in an endless hope.”   Gilbert Brenken

“We must rejoice in God, but still with a holy trembling.”   Matthew Henry

“In a command to ‘be joyful,’ self-discipline isn’t the goal.  It isn’t an effective response or even a realistic one.  We can’t change our hearts simply by telling them to change.  We can, however, realize that our attitudes are off-kilter and ask Him to supernaturally change them.  He holds hearts in His hand; He can certainly sway them with His thoughts and fill them with His Spirit.  If we are going to be people who are always joyful, this is how it has to be.  We can’t follow this instruction in the midst of trying circumstances unless we have a radical change of perspective and supernatural help.  Biblical commands to rejoice – especially in suffering, persecution, and the intense trials of life – can only be fulfilled when we depend on Him.”   Chris Tiegreen   

“Life is a celebration; delight in it. For us to enjoy life and to see it as a celebration, there are three things that we must do: rejoice (Ecclesiastes 11:7, 9), remove (11:10), and remember (12:1). Rejoice in each day. Anticipate every new day as a wrapped gift from the hand of God, and look forward to waking up and unwrapping that wonderful gift. Start your day with gratitude. Remove bitterness, false beliefs, bad habits, and unwholesome relationships from your life now before they endanger your future. Remember the constant presence of God. Wherever you go, He is with you, and He is watching over you. Remember to obey His Word and to seek His righteousness and His Kingdom first -- for that is the secret to your success. Remember to place Him first in every decision you make.”    Michael Youssef

“The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love - the love of Christ constraineth them; they rejoice that divine love is set upon them, they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto them, and then by force of gratitude they love the Saviour with a pure heart, fervently.  My dear reader, do you love Him?”  Charles H. Spurgeon 

“Every attribute of God should become a fresh ray in the sunlight of our gladness.  That He is wise should make us glad, knowing as we do our own foolishness.  That He is mighty should cause us to rejoice who tremble at our weakness.  That He is everlasting, should always be a theme of joy when we know that we wither as the grass.  That He is un-changing, should perpetually yield us a song, since we change every hour.  That He is full of grace, that He is overflowing with it, and that this grace in covenant He has given to us; that it is ours to cleanse us, ours to keep us, ours to sanctify us, ours to perfect us, ours to bring us to glory – all this should tend to make us glad in Him.  This gladness in God is as a deep river; we have only as yet touched its brink, we know a little of its clear sweet, heavenly streams, but onward the depth is greater, and the current more impetuous in its joy.”   Charles H. Spurgeon
   

“It is our duty and privilege to rejoice in God, and to rejoice in him always; at all times, in all conditions.  There is enough in God to furnish us with matter for joy in the worst circumstances on earth.”    Matthew Henry    

    

“The root of joy is gratefulness … It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.”   David Steindl-Rast

“Those who are ‘beloved of the Lord’ must be the most happy and joyful people to be found anywhere upon the face of the earth.”   Charles H. Spurgeon

“Circumstances do not have the power to steal your joy.  Joy is the by-product of experiencing God’s sovereign grace even in the midst of seemingly impossible circumstances.”   Anonymous

“The surest mark of a Christian is not faith, or even love, but joy.”    Samuel Shoemaker

HEART SAVOR

• ·         Believers are to be joyful always.
• ·         Our reaction to circumstances reveal what is in our hearts.
• ·         Our joy in the Lord is a great witness.

Jesus The Lamb Of God Genesis 22:8 Isaiah 53:1-12 John 1:29 Acts 8:32-35 1 Peter 1:17-21 Revelation 19:9 12.27.17

JESUS THE LAMB OF GOD

BREAD

⁸ Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.   Genesis 22:8 (NIV)

¹ Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?  ² He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. ³ He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. ⁴ Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. ⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. ⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. ¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. ¹¹ After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. ¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.  Isaiah 53:1-12 (NIV)

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  John 1:29 (NIV)

³² The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. ³³ In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”  ³⁴ The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”  ³⁵ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.   Acts 8:32-35 (NIV)

¹⁷ Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. ¹⁸ For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. ²⁰ He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. ²¹ Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.  1 Peter 1:17-21 (NIV)

⁹ Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”   Revelation 19:9 (NIV)

BUTTER

“The Gospel is a message about God. It tells us who he is, what his character is, what his standards are and what he requires of us, his creatures. It tells us that we owe our very existence to him…the gospel starts by teaching us that we, as creatures, are absolutely dependent on God, and that he as Creator, has an absolute claim on us.  The gospel is a message about sin.  It tells us how we have fallen short of God’s standard; how we have become guilty, filthy and helpless in sin, and now stand under the wrath of God…the gospel is a message about Christ.  Christ is the Son of God incarnate; Christ is the Lamb of God, who died for sin; Christ is the risen Lord; Christ is the perfect Savior…The gospel is a summons to faith and repentance. All who hear the gospel are summoned by God to repent and believe”.   J.I. Packer

“The thunders of the law and the terrors of judgment are all used to bring us to Christ; but the final victory is effected by loving-kindness.  The prodigal set out to his father’s house from a sense of need.  However, his father saw him a great way off and ran to meet him, so that the last steps he took towards his father’s house were with the kiss still warm upon his cheek and the welcome still musical in his ears…What Moses with the tablets of stone could never do, Christ does with His pierced hand.  Such is the doctrine of effectual calling.  Do I understand it experimentally?  Can I say, ‘He drew me, and I followed on, glad to confess the voice divine?’  If so, may He continue to draw me, until at last I shall sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb.”   Charles H. Spurgeon

“Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am.  Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus, No language my rapture can tell; I know that the light of His presence With me doth continually dwell. I think of my blessed Redeemer, I think of Him all the day long:  I sing, for I cannot be silent; His love is the theme of my song.  I know I shall see in His beauty The King in whose law I delight; Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps, And giveth me songs in the night. I know there’s a crown that is waiting In yonder bright mansion for me, And soon, with the spirits made perfect, At home with the Lord I shall be.”  Frances J. Crosby

“When a believer has fallen into a low, sad state of feeling, he often tries to lift himself out of it by chastening himself with dark and doleful fears. Such is not the way to rise from the dust, but to continue in it. It is not the law, but the gospel which saves the seeking soul at first; and it is not a legal bondage, but gospel liberty which can restore the fainting believer afterwards. Slavish fear brings not back the backslider to God, but the sweet wooings of love allure him to Jesus' bosom…Whatever good quality there is in divine grace, you shall enjoy it to the full. All the riches of divine grace you shall receive in plenty; you shall be as it were drenched with it: and as sometimes the meadows become flooded by the bursting rivers, and the fields are turned into pools, so shall you be--the thirsty land shall be springs of water.”  Charles Spurgeon

“Your only Son no sin to hide But You have sent Him from Your side To walk upon this guilty sod And to become the Lamb of God.  Your gift of love they crucified They laughed and scorned Him as he died The humble King they named a fraud And sacrificed the Lamb of God.  Oh Lamb of God, Sweet lamb of God I love the Holy Lamb of God Oh wash me in His precious Blood My Jesus Christ the Lamb of God.  I was so lost I should have died But You have brought me to Your side To be led by Your staff and rod And to be called a lamb of God.  Oh wash me in His precious Blood My Jesus Chris the Lamb of God.”   Twila Paris

“The courtship that began in the Garden culminates in the wedding feast of the Lamb.”   John Eldredge

HEART SAVOR

• ·         All of us have gone astray and upon Him all iniquity was laid.
• ·         He bore my sins and made intercession for me.
• ·         Blessed are those who belong to Him.

Lay Down Your Burdens Matthew 11:28-30 Psalms 65:1-5 Psalms 68:19 Psalms 81:1, 6-7, 10 Isaiah 9:1-7 1 John 5:2-5

LAY DOWN YOUR BURDENS

BREAD

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

¹ Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. ² O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come. ³ When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. ⁴ Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple. ⁵ You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.  Psalm 65:1-5 (NIV)

¹⁹ Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.  Selah   Psalm 68:19 (NIV)

¹ Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! ⁶ He says, “I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket.”  ⁷ In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah   ¹⁰ I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.   Psalm 81:1, 6-7, 10 (NIV)

¹ Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-- ² The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.  ³ You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. ⁴ For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. ⁵ Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. ⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:1-7 (NIV)

² This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. ³ This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, ⁴ for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.  ⁵ Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.   1 John 5:2-5 (NIV)  

BUTTER

“Love bares nothing and love bears all things — and love carries burdens that sets us all free.”  Ann Voskamp

“Would you follow Christ?  Then follow Him in self-denial, in humility, in patience, and in readiness for every good work.  Follow Him with a daily cross upon your back, and look to His cross to make your burden light.  Follow Him as your Guide and Guard, and learn to see with His eyes, and to trust in His arm for defense.  Follow Him as the Friend of sinners, who healeth the broken in heart, and giveth rest to the weary souls, and casteth out none that come unto Him.   Follow Him with faith, resting your whole acceptance with God, and your title to heaven, on His meritorious blood and righteousness.  Lastly, follow Him with much prayer.  For, though He is full of compassion, He loves to be much entreated; and when He is determined to give a blessing, you must yet wrestle with Him for it.  Thus follow Jesus, and He will lead you to glory.”   K. H. Von Bogatzky

“Never try to carry tomorrow’s burdens with today’s grace.”   Anonymous

“If He bids us carry a burden, He carries it also.”   Charles Spurgeon

“The burden of suffering seems a tombstone hung about our necks, while in reality, it is only the weight which is necessary to keep down the diver while he is hunting for pearls.”   Richter

“Give me a stout heart to bear my own burdens.  Give me a willing heart to bear the burdens of others.  Give me a believing heart to cast all burdens upon Thee, O Lord.”   John Baillie

“We all know the value of joy.  It alone is the proof that what we have really satisfies the heart.  Just this makes gladness such a mighty element in the Christian character:  there is no proof of the reality of God’s love and the blessing He bestows, which men so soon feel the force of, as when the joy of God overcomes all the trials of life.  And for the Christian’s own welfare, joy is no less indispensable:  the joy of the Lord is his strength; confidence, and courage, and patience finds their inspiration in joy.  With a heart full of joy no work can weary, and no burden can depress; God Himself is strength and song.”   Andrew Murray    

“I’ll take your broken heart and give you My warmed one; I’ll take your broken body and give you My fresh Spirit; I’ll take your burden-broken back and give you weightlessness.  Take Me?  Let Me be your enough?  Always now, no matter what – let Me be your enough.”   Ann Voskamp

“Lay down your burden I will carry you I will carry you my child, my child.  Lay down your burden I will carry you I will carry you my child, my child.  Because I can walk on water, I can calm a restless sea, I’ve done a thousand things you’ve never done.  And I’m weary watching while you struggle on your own, call my Name and I’ll come.  I give vision to the blind, I can raise the dead, I’ve seen the darker side of hell and I’ve returned.  I’ve seen all those sleepless nights and count every tear you cry, some lessons hurt to learn.  Lay down your burden I will carry you I will carry you my child my child.  Lay down your burden I will carry you I will carry you my child, my child.”    Amy Grant   

      

“All the commandments of God are commandments of love tending to our real good and great happiness; far from being grievous to those who have faith and love, the practice thereof is life and peace.   The world may think it a grievous burden; but this is a great mistake indeed.  Sin is grievous.  In hatred, envy, anger, revenge, pride, there is nothing but torment and slavery; but in love there is a sweet rest and pleasure.  Thus a sinner always punishes himself, and is robbed of great peace and blessing, by transgressing the commandments of God.”   K. H. Von Bogatzky

 “Anticipation of trouble makes trifles appear unduly large, and the troubles that never come make up an imagined burden that will crush the spirit.  They are haunting specters, as unsubstantial as a bad dream, and we spend the strength that should be expended in constructive work and services in fighting problems that do not even exist.”  Billy Graham

“When the Bible speaks of ‘following Jesus’ it is proclaiming a discipleship which will liberate mankind from all man-made dogma, from every burden and oppression, from every anxiety and torture which afflicts the conscience.  If they follow Jesus, men escape from the hard yoke of their own laws, and submit to the kindly yoke of Jesus Christ.  But does this mean that we can ignore the seriousness of His command?  Far from it!  We can only achieve perfect liberty and enjoy fellowship with Jesus when His command, His call to absolute discipleship, is appreciated in its entirety.  Only the man who follows the command of Jesus without reserve, and submits unresistingly to His yoke, finds his burden easy, and under its gentle pressure receives the power to persevere in the right way.  The command of Jesus is hard—unutterably hard—for those who try to resist it.”    Dietrich Bonhoeffer

HEART SAVOR

• ·         We were never meant to carry the weight of our own burdens -  we are to bring them all to the cross.
• ·         It is Jesus Who carries us and allows us to soar on wings like eagles not dependent on circumstances.
• ·         It is the one who follows the commands of the Lord Jesus - without reserve – who finds their burden easy.  We cling to Him, He carries us. 

  

My All In All Deuteronomy 32:4 Psalms 18:1-2 Psalms 73;25-26 Psalms 103:1-5 Isaiah 26:3 Isaiah 51:1-3 Isaiah 40:27-31 Isaiah 41:10 Psalms 91:1-16 12.20.17

MY ALL IN ALL

BREAD

⁴ He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.   Deuteronomy 32:4 (NIV)

¹ I love you, O LORD, my strength. ² The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.   Psalm 18:1-2 (NIV)

²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. ²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.   Psalm 73:25-26 (NIV)

¹ Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. ² Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- ³ who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, ⁴ who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, ⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.  Psalm 103:1-5 (NIV)

³ You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.  Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

¹ “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; ² look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth.  When I called him he was but one, and I blessed him and made him many.  ³ The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.  Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.”  Isaiah 51:1-3 (NIV)

²⁷ Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”? ²⁸ Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. ²⁹ He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. ³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; ³¹ but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.   Isaiah 40:27-31 (NIV)

¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.   Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

¹ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ² I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”  ³ Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.  ⁴ He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. ⁵ You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. ⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. ⁸ You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. ⁹ If you make the Most High your dwelling-- even the LORD, who is my refuge-- ¹⁰ then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. ¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; ¹² they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. ¹³ You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. ¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 

¹⁵ He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. ¹⁶ With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”   Psalm 91:1-16 (NIV)

BUTTER

“‘Pray without ceasing’” …and here the word ‘pray’ does not mean to beg or to plead as if God were unwilling to give – but simply to expose by faith every situation as it arises, to the all-sufficiency of the One who indwells you by His life.”  Major W. Ian Thomas

“This morning let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each one of us: ‘I will help thee’.  ‘It is but a small thing for Me, thy God, to help thee.  Consider what I have done already.  What!  Not help thee?  Why, I bought thee with My blood.  What!  Not help thee?  I have died for thee; and if I have done the greater, will I not do the less?  Help thee!  It is the least thing I will ever do for thee; I have done more, and will do more.  Before the world began I chose thee.  I made the covenant for thee.  I laid aside My glory and became a man for thee; I gave My life for thee; and if I did all this, I will surely help thee now.  In helping thee, I am giving thee what I have bought for thee already.  If thou hadst need of a thousand times as much help, I would give it thee; thou requirest little compared with what I am ready to give.  ‘Tis much for thee to need, but it is nothing for me to bestow.  “Help thee?”  Fear not!  If there were an ant at the door of thy granary asking for help, it would not ruin thee to give him a handful of thy wheat; and thou art nothing but a tiny insect at the door of my all sufficiency.  “I will help thee”.’  O my soul, is not this enough?  Dost thou need more strength than the omnipotence of the United Trinity?  Dost thou want more wisdom than exists in the Father, more love than displays itself in the Son, or more power than is manifest in the influences of the Spirit?  Bring hither thine empty pitcher!  Surely this well will fill it.  Haste, gather up thy wants, and bring them there – thine emptiness, thy woes, thy needs.  Behold, this river of God is full for thy supply; what canst thou desire beside?  Go forth, my soul, in this thy might.  The Eternal God is thine helper!”  C. H. Spurgeon   

 

“There is in Him an all-sufficiency of grace and strength; all our springs are in Him, and all our streams are from Him.”   Matthew Henry

“He who is a believer in Jesus finds enough in his Lord to satisfy him now, and to content him for evermore.  The believer is not the man whose days are weary for want of comfort, and whose nights are long from absence of heart-cheering thought, for he finds in Christ such a spring of joy, such a fountain of consolation, that he is content and happy.  Put him in a dungeon and he will find good company; place him in a barren wilderness, he will eat the bread of heaven; drive him away from friendship, he will meet the ‘friend that sticketh closer than a brother.’  Blast all his gourds, and he will find shadow beneath the Rock of Ages; sap the foundation of his earthly hopes, but his heart will still be fixed, trusting in the Lord.  The heart is as insatiable as the grave till Jesus enters it, and then it is a cup full to overflowing.  There is such a fullness in Christ that He alone is the believer’s all.  The true saint is so completely satisfied with the all-sufficiency of Jesus that he thirsts no more – except it be for deeper draughts of the living fountain.”   Charles H. Spurgeon

“Father, as we’re here today, please help us to rid our hearts and minds of the clutter that is within them.  Our thoughts are clouded by worldly matters- things that don’t matter.  Our hearts seek after things that don’t satisfy.  We run after the perishable and fail to seek the imperishable.  Forgive us, Father.  May Your Spirit remind us of Your Presence in all of our lives- all of the time.  Guide us.  Let our thoughts and words and attitudes be pleasing to You.  Let us imitate Christ.  Give us His mind and His attitude.  Strip us of our pride and self-sufficiency and may we be humble as Jesus showed Humility.  In the Name of Jesus, Who humbled Himself to death, even death on the Cross, for us, we pray.”   Roger Killian

“Upon the authority of God’s Word, I declare that Christ is the answer to every baffling perplexity which plagues mankind.  In Him is found the cure for care, a balm for bereavement, a healing for our hurts, and a sufficiency for our insufficiency.”   Billy Graham

“George Muller, when asked the secret of his work, replied, ‘There came a day when George Muller died, utterly died!  No longer did his own desires, preferences, and tastes come first.  He knew that from then on Christ had to be all in all.’”   Robert J. Morgan

“Faith – Forsaking All I Trust Him.  It is faith in Him not faith in us nor faith in faith, but faith in Him.  Faith is the confident expectation that God will do what He says He will do.  It is standing securely on the Truth of His Word which keeps us from being swayed by false doctrines and it is honored by and pleases God.”   BHY

“This God is no stranger to the hard road. This God walked the hardest road for us. And whatever road we’re walking one now—then somehow, someway—that road is good. There’s not just breadcrumbs of good for you on it; the road itself is good… In this hard, He is doing something holy. He is doing something transformative. Even as our hearts rage. Even as they break….This upside down road, where His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), where troubles are an opportunity for great joy (James 1:2) because troubles usher us into His presence, and in His presence, there is fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11).  This is Who.  A God who does not forsake. A God who is not cruel. A God who is not stingy with grace.  Not a sparrow falls outside of His care.  When we find ourselves walking through a dry and weary land where there is no water, shaking our fists at why…Fix the eyes on this God.  Remember and rest in Who.  Maybe comfort isn’t found so much when we ask ‘Why is this all unfolding here and now?’ — Maybe comfort is found more when we rest in Who is enfolding us all here and now.”  Katie Ganshert 

“What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.”   Blaise Pascal 

HEART SAVOR

·         Jesus is my sufficiency, Jesus is my strength.

·         He is the All-Sufficient One.  The great “I AM”.

·         He upholds me with His righteous right hand.  I need never fear.

Always Was - Always Is - Always Will Be Revelation 1:8 John 1:1-5 1 John 1:1-4 Isaiah 46:8-10 Daniel 7:13-14 Deuteronomy 33:27 Nehemiah 9:5 Psalms 90:2 1 Chronicles 16:36 Psalms 103:17-18 Revelation 4:8 Psalms 145:13 12.18.17

ALWAYS WAS - ALWAYS IS - ALWAYS WILL BE

BREAD

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”   Revelation 1:8 (NIV)

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
⁵ The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  John 1:1-5 (NIV)

¹ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ² The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³ We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴ We write this to make our joy complete.   1 John 1:1-4 (NIV)

⁸ “Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. ⁹ Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. ¹⁰ I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.”   Isaiah 46:8-10 (NIV)

¹³ “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”   Daniel 7:13-14 (NIV)

²⁷ “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, ‘Destroy him!’”   Deuteronomy 33:27 (NIV)

“Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.  Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.”   Nehemiah 9:5 (NIV)

² Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.   Psalm 90:2 (NIV)

³⁶ Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the LORD.”   1 Chronicles 16:36 (NIV)
 

¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-- ¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.   Psalm 103:17-18 (NIV)

⁸ Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings.  Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”   Revelation 4:8 (NIV)

¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. Psalm 145:13 (NIV)

BUTTER

“Every attribute of God should become a fresh ray in the sunlight of our gladness.  That He is wise should make us glad, knowing as we do our own foolishness.  That He is mighty should cause us to rejoice who tremble at our weakness.  That He is everlasting, should always be a theme of joy when we know that we wither as the grass.  That He is un-changing, should perpetually yield us a song, since we change every hour.  That He is full of grace, that He is overflowing with it, and that this grace in covenant He has given to us; that it is ours to cleanse us, ours to keep us, ours to sanctify us, ours to perfect us, ours to bring us to glory – all this should tend to make us glad in Him.  This gladness in God is as a deep river; we have only as yet touched its brink, we know a little of its clear sweet, heavenly streams, but onward the depth is greater, and the current more impetuous in its joy.”   Charles H. Spurgeon    

“However low the people of God are at any time brought, everlasting arms are underneath them to keep the spirit from fainting and the faith from failing, even when they are pressed above measure…everlasting arms with which believers have been wonderfully sustained and kept cheerful in the worst of times.  Divine grace is sufficient.”   Matthew Henry

“God, the eternal God, is our support at all times, especially when we are sinking into deep trouble.  There are seasons when we sink quite low…Dear child of God, even when you are at your lowest, underneath are the everlasting arms.”   Charles H. Spurgeon

“What a fellowship, what a joy divine, Leaning on the everlasting arms! What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, Leaning on the everlasting arms!  Leaning, leaning, Safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms.  Oh how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way, Leaning on the everlasting arms!  Oh how bright the path Grows from day to day, Leaning on the everlasting arms.  Leaning, leaning, Safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms.  What have I to dread, what have I to fear, Leaning on the everlasting arms?  I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the everlasting arms.  Leaning, leaning, Safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, Leaning on the everlasting arms.”   Elisha A. Hoffman

“He who provides for this life, but takes no care for eternity, is wise for a moment, but a fool forever.”   John Tillotson

“One thing that Jesus brings to our attention is the importance of living in this world with our eyes fixed upon what is above. A follower of the Lord experiences eternal realities while he lives in a temporal world--he sees things that others do not see; he hears things that others do not hear; he knows things that others do not know.  A follower of the Lord walks with his feet upon the ground, while his eyes are fixed upon heaven. He knows that all the things around him are passing away, and that all that is before him will last forever.” Roy Lessin

“Never dread any consequence resulting from absolute obedience to His command.  Never fear the rough waters ahead, which through their proud contempt impede your progress.  God is greater than the roar of raging water and the mighty waves of the sea.  ‘The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever’ (Psalm 29:10).  A storm is simply the hem of His robe, the sign of His coming, and the evidence of His presence.  Dare to trust Him!  Dare to follow Him!  Then discover that the forces that blocked your progress and threatened your life become at His command the very materials He uses to build your street of freedom.”    F. B. Meyer

“In the wait, whatever you lose, don’t lose heart — you never lose what lasts forever. You’ve got to believe it: whatever is being lost momentarily, more is being gained eternally.  In the wait, if you shift the way you see — and see that the wait could make you into the person you’ve been waiting to become.  If you’re waiting on God — do what waiters do: serve.  In serving, you are served a feast of what you’re longing for.  Because the One who loves you steadfastly, stood fast at the cross for you, so now stand fast for Him.”   Ann Voskamp

“We can wait in eager expectation rather than wringing our hands in worry as God has promised to cause all things to work together for our good and we can trust Him in any and every circumstance.  He is ever faithful to His promises and loving towards all He has made.  He loves us with an everlasting love and His eye is ever on us.  He was faithful in the past, He is faithful today and He will be faithful tomorrow.  What a gracious and loving God we serve.   BHY

“The imperishable reality of heaven is what every human heart desperately longs for. We all want a home where we can live forever, experience endless joy in the Creator's presence, and be reunited with those we love.  God Himself placed those desires within us so that we would never be satisfied with anything less than eternity with Him. He wants to draw us into a relationship with Him because only by joining our lives to His can we experience the eternal life He intended for us at creation.”   Michael Youssef

HEART SAVOR

·       God always was, always is and always will be.

·       God is never taken by surprise – He makes known the end from the beginning - His purposes always stand.

·       The eternal God is my refuge.