Great Is Your Mercy

 

PSALM 86:13

Great is Your Mercy toward me: You have delivered my soul from the lowest hell. 

Psalm 56:13

For You have delivered my soul from death, and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in The Light of Life.

John 8:12

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am The Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have The Light of Life.”

    As long as I remain in The Light of God's Love, I can see clearly enough to know that God is with me and will not abandon me to my own follies. His grace, after all, is "sufficient for me".     The Lord is, as David writes in Psalm 27:1, "My Light and My Salvation, and My Strength of Life." The Lord is with me and I am content.

    

    See how David writes that The Lord God has delivered him from 'the lowest hell'? The very bottom of hell, where no light pierces. All is darkness, despair and hopelessness. His soul was in a very dark place. But God reached down when David reached up and lifted him out of the worst of the worst. Why? Because God loved David and David loved God.

    He faith in His God remained strong despite all the troubles and pitfalls David found himself in. This great faith can be ours, too. We just need to reach up to God, with our praises and prayers, and He will lift us up out of the dark places we find ourselves in from time to time.

    It's lonely in those dark places. A person would begin to believe they are all alone; that no one loves them or even thinks about them. No one reaches out to rescue them from the darkness and discouragement. It appears to the lost or lonely soul that they are the only ones to experience such thoughts. Not so, for even the faithful believer has to battle the thoughts that threaten their souls.

    Let us open our hearts and our mouths, lift our hands and begin to praise God right here, wherever you are, with every breath that is within us. Give God the glory. Give God adoration. Give God you. And you will find yourselves walking in His Light.

The Lord Is The Light

 

John 9:5

As long as I am in the world, I am The Light of the world.

John 8:12

Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, "I am The Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have The Light of Life."

John 1:4

In Him was Life, and that Life was The Light of men.

John 12:46

"I have come into the world as a Light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness."

John 3:18-21

Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in The Name of God’s only begotten Son. And this is the condemnation, that The Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates The Light, and does not come into The Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.”

    If you are living in accordance to God's Word, then you are walking in The Light. Our lifestyle is our walk. Though we are not perfect, each time we fail God, we can come to Him and repent of our faults, our failures and each time God will forgive us. It is only by repenting of our sins that we can come into The Light at all. 

    God forgives, Jesus Christ saves and The Holy Spirit sanctifies us when we believe God's Word, receive Christ into our spiritual hearts and invite God's Holy Spirit into our lives to make us holy. We need all three Persons in the trinity to unite us fully in Him; just like He prayed in the garden (John 17:20-26). Did you know that Jesus prayed for you who would become believers even before you were created in your Mother's womb? 

    Anyone who does Not believe that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD is living in darkness. Anyone can say they believe, but if their lifestyle and the words they speak does not back up their claim, then they are still living in darkness. God knows whose are His.

    John 10:14

I am The Good Shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me.

    1 Corinthians 8:3

But the one who loves God is known by God.

    1 John 4:15

Whoever shall confess that Jesus is The Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

    Do you belong to God? Does God live in you? Come to Jesus and be filled with His Light today. 

REDEEMER SAVIOR FRIEND 

LIGHT OF THE WORLD

ONE DAY 

COME TO THE TABLE

    

The Lord Is My Light

 

Psalm 27:1

The LORD is My Light and My Salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is The Strength of My Life; of whom shall I be afraid? 

    God reminds several times in His Word (the Holy Bible) that there is no one and no thing to be afraid of. In fact, He encourages us to remain in Him and in His Word, for therein is our safety and our salvation. 

    God is, after all, our only means of survival if we want to make it out of this world alive. Even if my bones turn to dust before The Lord returns to get me, I will live. Live eternally with Him, forever in His home. 

    Fear not. Words to live by. He told Joshua several times to "Be strong and courageous". To do this Joshua would have to push past fear and walk into God's blessing. So, I'm pushing past fear and doubt and walking into God's blessing for me.

    The Lord is MY LIGHT and MY SALVATION. His Word guides my steps and shows me where to walk on this Way of Holiness in which His people live out their daily lives. As My Salvation, He is My Savior, My Kinsman Redeemer. My Deliverer: The ONE Who purchased my soul from death, hell and the grave when He died on the cross in my place. The ONE Who rose from the dead and walked out of the grave restored and so much more. For He was unrecognizable to His closest friends until He revealed Himself to them. 

    The Lord is MY Strength of Life. Without Him I have no life. Without Jesus I am nothing. As the song says, "Like a ship without a sail". I would just be drifting in a life without purpose. But with Jesus in my heart and The Holy Spirit in my life, the wind has shifted me from a downward spiral up to the heavenly portal where He waits for me and intercedes for me to His Father. I am His and He is mine. 

    The Lord is My Light that shines in the darkness. He searches out the deep roots of sin and pulls them out, sometimes gently, sometimes not so much. But sin must go that I might be found without stain and without blemish when Christ returns to bring me home with Him. 

PSALM 27:1

A Crucified Life - - Revealing Jesus

 

2 Corinthians 4:11-12

For we who are alive are always consigned to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal body. So, then, death works in us but life in you. 

#Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 5319

Revealed: make visible, make clear

From the Greek word 'phaneroó' (pronounced fan-er-o'-o): make known, illumine, become apparent. 

BEING DIFFERENT IS A CHOICE

    It's not that my religion makes me live a different lifestyle, it's my choice to do so when I became a believer. The closer we get to God in Christ, the less we desire to live in the world and be confined to the world's expectations of us. 

    I don't drink alcohol any more because (a) I don't want to and (b) I can't stand the smell. There was a brief time after I quit that I was, but then the Spirit of God convicted me through a new friend and I realized my testimony was at stake. But only when I became filled with the Holy Spirit did I fully stop drinking. That's when the smell of it became atrocious to me. Now I drink the Living Water that flows from Calvary. That's why I'm different.

    I'm different because I want to be different. I want to be Christ-like. I want to love people the way I am loved by God. I want to serve God with a joyful spirit, not a condemning one. Jesus wasn't sent to condemn the world but to save it. (John 3:17). So, if I'm going to be Christ-like, I need to love, not condemn. I want you to see less of me and more of Jesus Christ in me and through me. (John 3:30). 

SHINE HIS LIGHT

    When Jesus referred to Himself as Light, He also spoke of us being lights in the world. (John 8:12, 9:5, 12:36;Matthew 5:14). in John 12:36 Jesus tells us "While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light." After Jesus had spoken these things, He went away and was hidden from them. 

    I am a child of light because I believe that Jesus is The Light. We sing "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine" because we who believe in the Light are determined to let His Light shine in us, revealing our hidden sin to us so it can be removed. We determine to shine His Light into the darkness of this world and it's worldly system. (Ephesians 5:8,9).

    We shine His Light when we speak His Word in Love and with Grace and Mercy attached. I can speak the Word with Love because I know Love and have Love living in me. Not just any love either. This is agape Love: unconditional, all encompassing. With this Love I can Love anyone and everyone; for I am Loving with the Love of God. 

GOD LOVES US

    God loves me. God loves you. God loves us enough to not only create us but give us life and Life Eternal. God loves us enough to give us His Word, His Law and His Precepts to live by in this world. These standards to live by are different from the world's standards and laws. That's why we, the born again believers, are different. Different means changed; we are changed from our old life and made different in our new life.

    God loves us so much He sent His only begotten Son to die in our place. Even knowing ahead of time that His mission was to die for us, He was in agony over it. We know this because when He prayed for the last time in the garden the night of His arrest, His sweat became blood (Luke 22:44). But He chose to obey His Father, surrendering His will for God's will; choosing to be obedient and submit to God's will in everything. 

    God loves us enough to wrap His Word in the fragility of human form. Everything we feel in our physical forms, Christ also knew. From His birth to His resurrection Jesus could relate to us. And His desire is that we relate to Him. He wants to have a relationship with us. 

    So, see? It's not about religion. It's about relationship. Religion is caring for widows and orphans (James 1:27). Relationship is a mutually beneficial arrangement between at least two persons. In this case, we have a relationship with God made possible through the person of Jesus Christ and through the power of God's Holy Spirit. God loves us and we love God.

    Without the Light of Christ living and shining in us, a relationship with God is just not possible, regardless of what you may hear from others. In speaking with Thomas, Jesus told him, ""I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father, if not by Me." 

    Come to the Light. See Jesus. Walk in the Way. Love like you've been loved. 

REVEALING JESUS

Less Like Me

 The Law of The Lord Is Perfect

Here I Am To Worship 

Heart of God

God Really Loves Us

Then Christ Came

Fix My Eyes

    

    

Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - Swaddled & Clothed

 

Luke 2:7

And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

#Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 4683

Swaddling Cloths: strips of cloth for wrapping newborns

From the Greek word 'sparganoó' (pronounced spar-gan-o'-o). 

Looking it up in my Illustrated Dictionary, it tells us that this is (1) the most loving thing a mother would do for her infant child. (2) 'it is a reminder to us of Christ's humility in becoming a human being for our sakes'. 

    Having left heaven and all His glory behind, He now finds Himself clothed in strips of cloth. His first bed is a borrowed manger in a dimly lit stable behind a busy inn that had no room for Him. 

    The first time He is visited by others, He is wrapped in these cloths and lying in a feeding trough. In a barn. In what could have been the smelliest place, the aroma of heaven now fills the stable. For the Messiah has arrived. 

    But not with pomp and circumstance, not with bells and whistles; not as a conquering king, nor a triumphant entrance. No, this Christ has arrived as a mere babe and is found by many, though not received by many. After all, there was no room in the inn, was there? 

NO ROOM by Todd Agnew

    However, now the opportunity to receive Christ has come to you and to your household. His purpose in coming to earth was fulfilled 33 years after His birth. While not many received Him in His lifetime, untold numbers of people have sought Him, found Him and received Him into their hearts. And you know what? There's always room for more. Jesus never turns any seeker of Truth away.

    John 1:11, 12

11. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

12. But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.

    Galatians 4:4-6

4. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5. to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.

6. And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

    No longer wrapped in swaddling cloths, no longer an infant unable to care for Himself, Jesus now is wrapped in light and life (John 1:4). For He is Light and Life to all who find Him. He is Truth. And He now lives in the hearts of those who have received Him upon believing in His name: that He Is Jesus Christ, Messiah, the only begotten Son of the Most High God. 

    In infancy He was wrapped in swaddling cloths for His protection and growth. In the grave He was again wrapped up in cloth but for an honorable burial (John 19:40, 41). 

    Now, in heaven and in our hearts, He is clothed once more with glory, with honor, with praises (Revelations 5:12, 13). We who believe are His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19) not made with hands (Mark 14:58). We who believe are honored and awed that Jesus would make His home in us. 

    No longer does darkness reign in our hearts and lives: for the Christ now sits on the throne of our hearts, directing us in what is right and will fulfill God's purpose and plan (Proverbs 3:6). 

    John 12:46

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness.

John 14:6

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Have you seen the Light? Do you find yourselves being drawn to the Light? For this Light scatters the darkness and all its inhabitants away into the shadows. This Light illuminates and reveals what is hid and can be found. This Light shines in the hearts of every believer, revealing and making possible the uprooting of all evil in the heart. 

    Psalm 139:24, 25

24. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. 

25. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.

    Can you hear the Father's cry? He's calling you to come into the Light and let the Light come into you.  

SOFTLY AND TENDERLY by Alan Jackson

GOD WITH US by All Sons & Daughters

 KEEP THE LIGHT ON by Christy Nockels

NO ROOM

--An Original Song by Me-- 

No room, no room, no room for Jesus

No way, no how, not here at this time, not now.

Can you imagine telling God 

you have no time for Him?

There isn’t any place today for Him to enter in.

To enter in with joy delight,

Communion sweet to share

No room for Jesus, No room anywhere.

No room, no room, no room for Jesus

No way, no how, not here at this time, not now.

The temples are empty, no life exists here.

No joyful days, no redeemed souls, 

The faces of the people are shut, blank and cold.

I see forlorn temples, I hear lonely sounds

Heartbeats, no heartbeats, no love of God abounds.

No room, no room, no room for Jesus

No way, no how, not here at this time, not now.

No merry hearts, no shining lights

The doors to the temple are shut, slammed in tight

Listening, not hearing; Hearing, not caring.

Heartbeats, no heartbeats, no love of God lives here.

No room, no room, no room for Jesus

No way, no how, not here at this time, not now.

Now, when the feastday of the Bride

Arrives and you are there,

Will you hear Jesus say to you,

“You have no place set here.

There is no room for you today,

You’ll have to go, you cannot stay:

I do not know your name you see, 

It isn’t written here.”

No room, no room, no room for you.

No way, no how, not here at this time,

Not now.

Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - Sovereign Lord

 

Luke 2:27-32

27. Led by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him what was customary under the Law,

28. Simeon took Him in his arms and blessed God, saying:

29. “Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace.

30. For my eyes have seen Your salvation,

31. which You have prepared in the sight of all people,

32. a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel."

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 1203

Sovereign: lord, master, prince

From the Greek word 'despotés' (pronounced des-pot'-ace). Indicative of  'someone exercising "unrestricted power and absolute domination, confessing no limitations or restraints"'. One who exercises complete jurisdiction.

SOVEREIGN LORD

Matthew 28:18

Then Jesus came to them and said, "ALL AUTHORITY in heaven and on earth has been given to Me."

1 Corinthians 15:25

For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

John 3:31

The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The One who comes from heaven is above all.

Having been bought by Christ, we, the born again believer, are under His authority, His jurisdiction. Jesus Christ is our Lord, our Master and our Prince. 

2 Peter 2:1

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2 Timothy 2:21

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the Master of the house, ready for every good work.

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

CHRIST THE LORD

Luke 2:11

Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! 

Matthew 16:16

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

John 4:25, 26

25. The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”

26. Jesus answered, “I who speak to you am He.”

CHRIST THE MASTER

Teacher, Chief, Commander

Luke 5:5

"Master," Simon replied, "we have worked hard all night without catching anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets."

Luke 9:49. 50

49. “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”

50. “Do not stop him,” Jesus replied, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

Luke 17:12-13

12. As He entered one of the villages, He was met by ten lepers. They stood at a distance

13. and raised their voices, shouting, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

CHRIST THE PRINCE

In order for there to be a Prince, there must first be a King, under whose Authority the Prince reigns. 

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 1:18

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father's side, has made Him known.

John 6:40

"For it is My Father's will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

It is important to note that Simeon came into the temple courts, or courtyards of the temple to see The Lord's Christ. The Spirit of God said, "Go here." And at the appointed time, just as Simeon arrived, so did Joseph and Mary with their infant Jesus. 

They were all standing in the temple courtyards in front of the temple: they were standing by the East Gate in the East Courtyard: the designated place of worship, before reaching the altar of sacrifice. (Before we offer God a sacrifice, it is necessary to worship Him first, acknowledging that He is Who He says He Is, loving Him for Himself before we can know what it is we bring as an offering to Him.

It is here that Simeon blesses God, and gives a prophetic blessing over the young Jesus.

(Although, in the temple which Herod built, the courtyard was not as large as the one which was ordained of God, still they were able to meet at the place of worship together.) It is not the size of the place of worship which determines how one worships and who is being worshiped by whom, but where a worshiper's heart is. 

John 4:23, 24

23. But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.

24. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

First, we bless God for His faithfulness and keeping His promises to us. (v28)
Second, we recognize Him when we meet Him as Sovereign Lord. (v29)

Thirdly, we acknowledge that the Sovereign Lord is Savior. (v30)

Fourth, we see the revelation of God's prepared plan for us. (v 31)

Fifth, we see that this Savior is the Light of the Gentiles and the Glory of Israel. 

How beautiful the Word of God is to me! How faithful is God in His promises to us!

 HEAVEN HAS COME by Young Oceans

MY PORTION by Isla Vista

LIGHT HAS COME by Port City Worship

Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - The Way In A Manger

Isaiah 7:14

 Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 226

Sign: miracle, attestation of God's divine presence and interposition (mediation)

Matthew 1:23

"Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel" (which means, "God with us").

On the surface of the Scripture a person may wonder what this verse and the many verses we will touch on this month have to do with being born again. Christ is our foundation of living. Without His arrival to this world there would be no born again experience. The world would still be awaiting God's promise of a Messianic kingdom to be set up. 

THE WAY

To be born again is to believe that Jesus Christ is God's Messiah, that God's plan of salvation is enacted in Him and through Him. He is the gospel of salvation. He is the Way (John 14:6a): the Way in which we are to walk out our daily lives (Isaiah 30:21), the Way which God has provided for us to reach The LORD God Himself (John 14:6d). 

John 14:6

Jesus answered, “I am The Way and The Truth and The Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

IN A MANGER

Luke 2:11, 12

11. Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! 

12. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

15. When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16. So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger.

THE LIGHT

He was born on this Earth of humble birth. After all, what could be a more humble birth than to be born in a stable, a barn? Mary had prepared for the birth of her son by bringing the necessities required to wrap him up after His birth, but the place of one's birth can never really be planned for. 

Babies are born in taxicabs, hotel lobbies, hospitals, at home; very seldom are human babies born in a barn stall surrounded by sounds of barn animals. But this was a special baby, this was The Light of God's Love given to a dark world. It is only fitting then, that He should be born in a dimly lit stable. 

John 1:5

And The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 

John 8:12

Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, "I am The Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have The Light of Life."

John 9:5

"While I am in the world, I am The Light of the world."

Has The Light of God's Love made Himself at home in Your heart? If not, are you ready to believe in God's Messiah, to have The Light take up residence in the darkness of your hearts? 

Dear God,

I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son. Please forgive me of all my sins and help me to walk in Your Way, in Your Light. Come live in my soul: in my heart, in my thoughts, in my emotions, my attitude. Lead me through Your precious Holy Word into Your marvelous Light. Forgive me, Father, of all my unrighteousness; forgive me for trying to do things my way, instead of Your Way. To You, O Lord, I surrender my all. 

As in days of old, when they who had been forgiven much by kings of the realm, I pledge my allegiance to You. May my feet go where You lead. You have promised never to leave nor forsake Your people. I would that I were one of Your people. Come live in me that I might live in You. Forever. 

In Jesus' Precious Name, I pray,

Amen

THE WAY MEDLEY