John Pape Online Blog

By Zina Leone

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Jesus Our Lord

Does the 23rd Psalm remind you of death and funerals? It should, because it’s one of the most common passages of the Bible recited at funerals. Maybe it’s the thought our loved ones “walking through the valley of the shadow of death, fearing no evil” that brings so much comfort. Indeed, this thought is very comforting, but somehow when I read it I don’t think of death at all, but of life.

Our life here is a journey and sometimes we must travel through rough terrain and dark valleys. Sometimes those dark valleys can be so difficult we feel as if we’re traveling through the very “shadow of death.” This is because when we’re faced with trials and tribulation we usually feel so apart from God. Some call it “the dark night of the soul” and it truly is. But the 23rd Psalm is a reminder to us to “fear no evil” because Jesus is always there to give us direction and guidance, no matter how dark it may seem. He is there beside us and “His rod and His staff will comfort us.

In the Bible, Jesus is often referred to as a shepherd and we as His sheep. He watches over us the same way a shepherd watches over his flock. A shepherd always carries a rod to clear away rocks or anything in the way that could possibly harm his sheep. Sometimes he might even use it against wild animals that threaten his flock. The staff he carries has a crook on the end of it and is often used to steer wandering sheep back to the flock. Sometimes it might be used to rescue a lamb that has fallen in a crevice or gotten itself stuck in some bushes. When we think of Jesus as our shepherd, keeping harm away from us, it’s certainly a very comforting thought. We don’t even know how many times He may have used His rod to push Satan away from us. And how comforting it is to know His staff is always ready to guide us back to His fold when we have strayed.

God provides for us and gives all we need. Sometimes we have trouble believing that because our idea of what we need is usually completely different than His. Have you ever wanted something really bad and prayed and prayed, but it didn’t seem like He was listening? He’s listening, but He doesn’t always give us what we want because He knows better than we do what’s good for us. We need to learn to accept whatever it is He wants for us and trust it is for our good. “We shall not want” for anything we need.

Life can be hectic at times and we feel as if we have the weight of the world on our shoulders. Traveling through dark valleys can really tear us apart both physically and mentally. It’s very important for us to try to set aside a time for prayer and meditation. As we shut out the world and try not to think about our problems “He will make us to lie down in green pastures and lead us beside the still waters.” As we do this more and more “He will restore our souls and lead us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

In the midst of all our troubles and all the evil influences of the world, He is always there beside us. “He prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies.” His Spirit of love and compassion envelopes us as “He anoints our heads with oil. Our cups runneth over.” When we follow Him He assures us “goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives,” and when our journey here has finally ended “we will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

This is what I see when I read the 23rd Psalm, a step-by-step guide in all areas of our lives. Maybe my view of it is kind of like the adage, a cup half-empty vs. a cup half-full. While some people seem to only associate it with the comfort it brings in death, I am so thankful for the comfort it brings in life.

Source:

Zina Leone is freelance writer and photographer living in southeastern Pennsylvania. She started out in high school, writing articles and poems for the school newspaper and has continued to write about life experiences, opinions, short stories, essays and poems. She published her first book, a storybook for her grandson in 2007 and has recently been chosen to publish an article in a new book coming out in the Fall, Hope Whispers.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Lord-is-My-Shepherd&id=2868526

By Stephen Johns

Being a Christian you have this amazing gift of being able to interact with the Most High God! God is in our lives in every way possible directing our paths. Amazing, and what amazes me further is the fact that we get to speak with our Creator on a continual basis, day by day, hour by hour, even down to the second if we choose so. This act is called prayer.

I am asked quite frequently by Christians, “How do I pray?” I believe there are many ways to pray, but I would like to discuss one which I believe to be the most natural way to pray.

First, I want you to imagine that you are at your childhood home. You get up in the morning as you do everyday and you can smell breakfast cooking and your Mom singing in the kitchen. Your Dad is drinking coffee in the kitchen. You walk downstairs and there is evidence of them being all around you but you barely acknowledge them. Time passes through the day. You have lunch, maybe saying hi and thanking your parents for the food exactly as you did the day before. More time passes as you do your chores. Soon the afternoon passes with no interaction. It’s night time, you sit for dinner and again possibly saying thanks for the food. Night has fallen and you watch a T.V. show and go to bed. Just before you retire for the evening you tell your parents, “How thou art great and thou art wonderful parents” and as you are speaking you gently fall asleep in mid-sentence!

Sound a little strange? As abundant as your parents are in your life you barely communicate with them and when you do, you use strange words unlike your typical rhetoric through the day!? Yet this is how God is often treated by us. Avoided most of the day and spoken to with ready made cookie cutter prayers.

There are many reasons that we may not pursue God in prayer more often. One reason is that we may feel vain in thinking that we can actually speak to the “Great I Am” without using specific times like dinner, and bedtime, and using formidable words like thou and thee. However, this is not true.

One of my favorite names for God is Abba or as it could break down, “Daddy – a loving and trusting Father.” And He wants us to come to him on a continual basis. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to, “Pray without ceasing.” If it is suggested that I can pray without ceasing, then every second must be suitable for prayer. There would not be a specific time or place that would be more suitable for prayer, meaning our communication lines are wide open and our Father is ready to hear us any moment through the day.

Understand and recognize that your “Heavenly Daddy” is with you never leaving 24/7. He is there in the good and the bad, thick and thin and He wants you to tell Him about it in your own words, crying out if need be! So how do you pray? Start by just opening your mouth and your heart and in your own words – pray.

For more on how you can participate in personal growth and help improve the lives of the unfortunate and downtrodden please contact us at the web-site below.
http://www.mylifechange.org

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http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Absolute-Best-Form-of-Communication&id=2867111

By Parker Jaymes

One of the ways we can develop greater health and greater success is to develop some of these habits below. These habits have secular origins, but I believe that they demonstrate the truth in Scripture.

Psalm 77:11-13 (King James Version)

I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.

I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

One of the lessons in our e-book discusses the process of recalling all God has done. It comes from Psalm 77:11-13 and I believe exercising in this does several things. Some of these insights come from reading a decidedly secular book called “Learned Optimism.”

Again, because the origin comes from a psychologist shows that the outcome is true with empirical evidence, even if their attribution of the practice is not from a Christian world view.

Recall positive outcomes from the past

“Surely I will remember Your wonders of old” instructs us to try to see the past that shapes us with wonder of God’s hand. This creates resiliency for our current circumstances.

See the negatives as temporary

“You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble” puts into perspective that even the worse situations we may be facing are temporary. When we allow that mindset, we become more resilient in the world and trusting in God. In fact, it strengthens the faith we need today to see his faithfulness of yesterday.

Freedom from helplessness

“I cannot stop thinking about your might works” gives us the ability to act and confidence that we are not alone and helpless. Helplessness (often learned helplessness) leads to disempowering states like depression. But when we follow these words and meditate in what God has done, we begin to see everything else in a different optic.

These three aspects come from living a life that recalls all that God has done. They’ve shown that people who take the types of actions which can be derived from this mindset are more successful and live longer.

How often do people meditate on God’s “wonderful deeds of long ago“?

Parker Jaymes
Author: “Hundredfold Now!”
Free 7-Day Course at: http://www.HundredfoldNow.com/7Days

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Meditating-on-Gods-Works-Creates-Optimism-For-Success-and-Health&id=2813188

By Angela Mwema

Matthew 18:3

And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus Our Lord

When we get born again, we are so careful to do everything perfectly and please God in all that we do. We think before we talk and treat people better. Our love for God is very intense. We want to tell everyone about this wonderful thing we feel and preach to everyone though most of the time we are not even sure of what we are saying. We spend a lot of time with God in prayer and reading his word. This is called the First Love. Sadly with time, this energy fades away and all we have are memories of the pleasant times we used to share with God.

This is what matters to God. This innocent, yet total and undiluted love for him. We are like new born babes who know nothing about the new world they have been ushered into but we trust our mothers entirely. We know that nothing can happen to us when they are around us and we want them to be around us all the time. If you’ve never known, new born babies only have eyes for there moms. Nothing else interests them but with time, they start noticing the world around them. They soon want to spend their time doing other things not just with the mom.

God wants us to be like the newborns, entirely engrossed in his love and care. We should want to know him the more and not care about the world around us. He wants us to cultivate a relationship with him and this can only happen when we spend time with him.

Angela Mwema is a messenger to the world with the true and living word of God. Please visit her site for more spiritual nourishment. This is http://angiepages.com/2009/09/09/the-workers-are-few/.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Matters-to-God&id=2908103

By Richard R Blake

God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness. Titus 2:11-12 (The Message)

Jesus Our Lord

In today’s society we are all faced with the challenge of living self-disciplined, godly lives in an environment that if filled with ungodliness, corruption, and worldly passions. Self-discipline includes saying “No” to all that is evil. Jesus has freed us from the power of sin in our lives and empowers us to live upright and godly lives. Through his sacrifice for us, we now appear before God as pure, holy, and righteous. He has given us new life. Our challenge is to allow him to mold us into his likeness so that our daily walk will manifest his character before the world in a way that our lives will be a magnet drawing others to Him.

Prayer:

LORD, God of Jesus, my Abba Father, I praise you for your costly grace and love demonstrated to me in Jesus. Now galvanize my commitment to say “No!” to all those sins that required my Savior’s pain and humiliation. Through your Spirit, form in me a righteous lifestyle that is self-controlled and is reflective of your righteousness. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen. The prayer is quoted From: Heart light Organization, on line daily devotions

Richard R. Blake, Christian Editorial Consultant, Freelance Writer

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Living-Godly-Lives-in-Todays-Culture&id=2911757

By Angela Mwema

Mathew 9:35-37

When Jesus was preaching the word to the people, many came from all parts of the world to see him and hear from him. Most expected for God to move in there lives and break them free from the bondage that suppressed them. At one time, he looked at them and saw what they had to go through to just come and be ministered to by him. Some even fainted from hunger. He was moved with compassion for them and declared that the harvest was plenteous but the workers were few. He said, “Pray you therefore the Lord of the Harvest send forth laborers into the harvest.”

Jesus Our Lord

Today, the same situation is being experienced all over the world. People are hungry and thirsty for God. Some cannot even afford to own the Bible. Some are too poor to afford any real investment in the true and living word. You are needed in reaching out to these people. God wants you to go to them for you can afford it. As Christians, we are all called to advance the word of God in one way or another.

It’s your duty to know how you are supposed to do this. Have you been called to minister the word or assist in the ministration? Note that everything and everybody is very important in the work of God. Whatever way God wants you to assist in taking the gospel to the four corners of the earth, make sure you obey him for you will never find personal gratification if you are not in his will. Realize that spreading the Gospel is number one priority to God. It should be your top priority too.

Angela Mwema is a messenger to the world with the true and living word of God. Please visit her site for more spiritual nourishment. This is http://angiepages.com/2009/08/24/everything-we-do-as-youths-will-come-back-to-us/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angela_Mwema
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Workers-Are-Few&id=2908101

This article is for worship leaders. And as such, I believe it needs to focus on leadership skills. It is my intent to do this from a Biblical perspective. The only prerequisite for leadership is you must have somebody follow you. I can be just one person or thousands. The definition is still the same – A leader must have someone following them.

Understand That You are a Spiritual Leader

But there is more to leadership than having people follow you. In the Body of Christ you are a not just a leader. You are a Spiritual Leader. Your leadership skills must be in alignment with spiritual ideals. (more…)