One sure way to get your prayers answered

Main passage: Psalm 6

Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity;

For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
The Lord has heard my supplication;

The Lord will receive my prayer. (Psalm 6:8-9)

The LORD sees, the LORD knows, the LORD hears, the LORD cares, the LORD understands, the LORD is faithful, the LORD never sleeps, the LORD never takes a vacation, the LORD is able, the LORD has a plan, the LORD will fulfill His purposes, the LORD does not change. 

THE LORD ANSWERS PRAYERS!

Despite the troubles and woes the Psalmist was experiencing, troubles from without, woes from within, one thing comes across very clearly when reading this psalm, i.e. his confidence in God's hearing his prayers was unshakable. His rock-solid assurance was in who God was in essence. The formidability and the relentlessness of his enemies did not matter as his faith began to grow. Neither did his own weaknesses and failings.

Once he humbled himself and began voicing his fears and anxieties, he supernaturally received insight into who his God really and truly is. His spiritual eyes were opened, he saw the light, so to speak, and was reassured.

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened,

That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy,

That it cannot hear. But your iniquities 

have separated you from your God; 

And your sins have hidden His face from you,

So that He will not hear. (Isaiah 59:1-2)

The key to getting our prayers answered, according to God's Word, does not lie with God, but with us. He will definitely keep His promise as mentioned in 2 Chronicles 7:14. Give it a try.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S9qZNUASnE

RE*J*oicita

No SHADOW of turning!

Main Scripture; Psalm 5

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.  (Psalm 5:11-12 NKJV)

Did you know that the shortest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 117, the longest chapter is Psalm 119 and sandwiched between the two is Psalm 118 (Duh!), which some scholars say is the center chapter of the entire Bible?! 

One very important verse in this central chapter is verse 8:

It is better to trust in the LORD

Than to put confidence in man.

Trust in the finest of human beings will at some point result in disappointment. We are human, inherently prone to fall short of the expectations we place on each other, so it behooves us to leave some room for disappointment. But not so with God. Not at all! We can ALWAYS trust Him implicitly,even when we don't understand what He allows to happen in our lives at any given point. He does not make mistakes, He is always right on time, He knows everything, He is everywhere, He can do anything, He is love, He is righteous, HE DOES NOT CHANGE.

That knowledge, those truths give me peace. They indeed give me joy. They give me confidence in He whose thoughts and ways are exceedingly better than ours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT8BmxnNOzo&feature=related

RE*J*oicita

The pivotal role of THE AGED, let's not miss it!

Main Scripture: Luke 2:22-52

²⁵ And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. ²⁷ So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, ²⁸ he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

²⁹ "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
³⁰ For my eyes have seen Your salvation
³¹ Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
³² A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel."

^{33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."}

³⁶ Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; ³⁷ and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.³⁸ And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. (Luke 2:22-38)

What honour was bestowed on these two faithful, elderly persons! They had the joy of seeing the promised and long-awaited Messiah with their own eyes. No one had to point Him out to them. The fullness of the Spirit in them, caused them to recognize the boy for who He really was, i.e. Emmanuel, God with us. What a source of encouragement their recognition of the Messiah must have been for Joseph and Mary.

Fast forward to today for another time of expectancy. Just by keeping abreast of the news and comparing it to Biblical prohecy, we know that the stage is being set for the Lord's return. 

Like Simeon and Anna, the mature Christians among us can help the younger ones to recognize the signs of the last days we are living in and spur them on to righteous living. To fulfill this pivotal role adequately, we too need to be just and devout, spending much time in prayer and fasting.

The same Spirit that filled and spoke through them, will fill and  speak through us, as we submit to Him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK-O5nfL1Mo&feature=related

RE*J*oicita

In God we TRUST

Main Scripture: 1 Chronicles 5

The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh had forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with the bow, and skillful in war, who went to war. ¹⁹ They made war with the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. ²⁰ And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him. (1 Chronicles 5:18-20)

⁷ "Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. ⁸ With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. (2 Chronicles 32:7-8)

¹⁵ And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. (2 Chronicles 20:15)

It is very clear from the reading that these soldiers, though numerous, well-armed, skilled at waging war and valiant, obtained the victory over their enemies because they were "helped". And not by the flesh and blood kind either, but by God Himself. Why, those Assyrians didn't stand a chance whatsoever.

When these soldiers were ambushed from behind and from in front, they looked UP and cried out to God to deliver them from their powerful enemy. Did God respond? Of course! He always comes through for those who trust Him implicitly.

But wait ..... Is this the same group of people, who a couple of verses down are unfaithful to God? Hm ... They went from being called famous, mighty men of valor to being called men who played the harlot after false gods, almost in the same breath! Hm ...

How quickly they forgot the real God who had helped them. How quickly we forget the God who answers our prayers, who lovingly watches over us and cares for us.

Forgive us God. Help us to continually trust You in our battle against the flesh, the world and the devil.  

⁸ It is better to take refuge in the LORD  than to trust in people. ⁹ It is better to take refuge in the LORD  than to trust in princes. (Psalm 118:8-9 NKJV)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft2E4BO22pA&feature=related

RE*J*oicita

Chariots of FIRE

Main Scripture: Genesis 5 

When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him. (Genesis 5:21-24 NLT)

Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. (Hebrews 11:5 ESV)

Another gem hidden away in the shunned genealogies

Only of Enoch and Elijah it is recorded that they went to heaven without dying. Upon a more careful study of their lives, I came up with the following:

Of Enoch it is said that he walked with God IN CLOSE FELLOWSHIP for 300 years, that he pleased God and as a result was taken to heaven without dying. What a walk that must have been Now, I know for sure that he wasn't perfect, being from the fallen human race and all, but in order to have maintained that close, intimate walk with God, he had to have kept "short accounts" with God. With that I mean repentance and confession of sin the moment he became conscious of it. He apparently did not live on "yesterday's high" with the Lord, but daily, moment by moment replenished himself in God's Presence. It IS a "moment by moment" humbly seeking His Face, which is a constant struggle for most, being the proud, self-sufficient human beings that we tend to be.

Now, Elijah, on the other hand, is someone portrayed in James 5:17-18 (KJV) as being more like us. Hm ...

Elias (aka Elijah) was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 

Besides his many strengths (obedient, courageous, bold, humorous, full of "miracle-working" faith, etc.), Elijah was also known to be fearful (of a woman, at that), despondent, to name a couple of his weaknesses. Yet!!!!........ He was taken to heaven by means of a chariot of fire and horses of fire, in a whirlwind .... the royal treatment, if you please!!! As in the case of Enoch, leaving behind no funeral expenses for the family :) ... Hm ...

What motivated God to bless these two men in this manner? Their moment by moment intimate walk with Him? Their strong, steadfast faith in Him? 

James 5:17 gives me hope that God will miraculously intervene in my life as well, if my walk and my faith please Him...... and who knows, I may go without dying as well, if I am alive when Jesus returns and raptures* His Church in mid-air:

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thes. 4:17 NIV) 

*to rapture -  the act of transporting a person from one sphere of existence to another, esp from earth to heaven 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9myoXFk-O4U&feature=related

RE*J*oicita

Celestial VALET service?

Main Scripture: Psalm 4

1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
         You have relieved me in my distress; 
         Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. 
         
 ² How long, O you sons of men,
         Will you turn my glory to shame? 
         How long will you love worthlessness 
         And seek falsehood?  Selah  
 ³ But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly;
         The LORD will hear when I call to Him. (Psalm. 4:1-3 NKJV)

Delight yourself also in the LORD,
         And He shall give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4 NKJV) 

So much to glean from this short Psalm! It’s so full of raw emotion. Indeed, it fills my heart with PURE joy just to read or listen to it. I am like a kid in a candy store. Don’t know which “candy” (Truth) to muse over. Let me listen to it again … and again. The Holy Spirit will pinpoint one or two truths He wants me to meditate on today.

Like David, I too have the unwavering assurance that God hears me when I call to Him. He has answered countless prayers of mine, ranging from small, and medium, to big requests. The small requests have seemed insignificant to some, but not to God. He can effortlessly keep the universe running smoothly from His seated position in heaven, while at the same time helping me find a parking space downtown, in answer to my simple prayer to Him. After all, He’s God Almighty, isn’t He? Is it too difficult for Him to orchestrate the timing of a space to become free, just as I expectantly come driving along? Of course not! 

It is in His nature to care for His children, to meet their needs, to grant them their desires as they delight themselves in Him. What’s more, His answering our prayers in the seemingly insignificant things of life, gives us assurance that certainly He’ll come through for us in the bigger things as well.

Yeah, let’s put our trust firmly in the Lord, for He WILL answer when we call to Him. Every time! And BTW, “No” sometimes is the BEST answer to many a request......and “NO”, He is definitely not our valet, He simply delights in blessing us in the BIG as well as the little things in life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOhFfSFK7TQ&feature=related

RE*J*oicita  PROductions

A (devalued) PENNY for your thoughts

Main Scripture: Luke 2:1-21

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2: 1-7 NKJV)

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV)

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 ESV)     

The romantic picture some of us have in our minds of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth could not be further from the truth. Only after giving it some serious thought and doing a study of related scripture and historic accounts, can one begin to appreciate the hardship, inconvenience, bewilderment, etc., involved in the +- 70 mile trek up a mountain of +- 2654 ft. on foot or on a donkey (The Bible does not specify which of the two), by a young girl in the last period of her pregnancy, led by a man she had recently been betrothed to! All because an angel had visited both and had announced to them that Mary would become the mother of the long-awaited Messiah.

While the honor, joy and wonder of this announcement must have been overwhelming for them, the ramifications of their obedience, no doubt, would include gossip, speculation, condemnation, etc. on the part of others. No, it was not easy for them to do the will of God, not by a long shot. However, it would prove to be the single most important, history-affecting decision they would ever make in their lives!

Read Hebrews chapter 11 to further understand that God’s will for some may very well include suffering, even physical death through persecution. So the next time you pray “Thy will be done in my life as it is in heaven”, know that it may very well NOT be what you have in mind.

Hardship in life, even persecution, while right smack in the center of the will of God, is more to be desired than wealth, prestige, etc., outside the will of God, because in the former is where lasting peace and perduring happiness is found.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-M_u5m5ylA

RE* J* oicita  PROductions