Holiest of Holy

"Who touched Me? Jesus asked." Luke 8:45

"The people were crowding against Jesus, and many people touched Him; but there was* one touch *different from the others. There was a heart's cry in it, a pleading, a piteous supplication. It was a touch of faith, inspired by a deep sense of need. It was not an accidental touch, a mere touch of nearness; it was intentional.

This incident illustrates what is going on all the while, about Christ. We cannot move without pressing up against Him. Sometimes in our heedlessness we jostle Him rudely. But when among all earth's millions, one person intentionally reaches out a hand to feel after Christ, to touch Him with a purpose, to seek for some blessing, to crave some help—Jesus instantly knows the pressure of that touch, and turns to answer it. He knows when any heart wants Him, no matter how obscure the person, how poor, how hidden away in the crowd. Blessing came that day to none in that crowd, so far as we know—except to this poor, sick woman, who touched Christ's clothes. It came to her, because she had a burden on her heart—and sought Christ's help.

So in every company, there are some who are close, and yet receive no blessing, because there is no faith in their touching. Then there are those who are no nearer—but who reach out their hands in faith, and touch Christ's clothes, and go away helped, comforted." J R Miller

Are we coming into God's presence with a sense of awe and wonder? Are we still amazed at the fact that He is almighty God who created this big universe, or are our hearts calloused towards Him to the point that we abruptly touch Him? I challenge you to seek after God in a new way every day! And to take His magnificence seriously!
With love,
Jesse

As Far As The East Is From The West

"Who is a God like You, removing iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not hold on to His anger forever, because He delights in faithful love. He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." Micah 7:18-19

"Wonderful language! This is one of the finest images to represent the completeness of God's pardoning mercy to be found in all the Bible. He casts our sins not into a brook nor a river where they might be found again; no, nor into the sea near the shore where the tide might wash them up again—but like a stone cast into the depths of the sea, where they can never be fished up again, but lie forever buried and forgotten at the bottom of the ocean! This is divine forgiveness—casting all our sins into oblivion!" John Angell James


What a wonderful, Holy God we serve... to forgive us of things that He hates with all of His being...and to never bring them up again... take a moment and just sit in awe of how amazing our God is to love us so much... go take a look at this video it is kind of long, but good all the same! http://youtu.be/pRi4VwcrYmA

Honor God

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and worship God in reverence and fear in a way that pleases Him. For our God is an all-consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28-29)

"O with what solemn reverence should we approach Him in worship! Away with light and low thoughts of Christ! Away with formal, irreverent, and careless frames in praying, hearing, receiving; yes, in conferring and speaking of Christ. Away with all deadness, and drowsiness in duties; for He is a great King with whom you have to do. A king, to whom the kings of the earth are but as little bits of clay! Lo, the angels cover their faces in His presence." John Flavel

God is not a God of occasion or of routine, God is a God to be looked anew with every act you commit, not a background idol that you speak of and talk about... Think strongly on this through the week.

God is Great!

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called sons of God!" 1 John 3:1

"O sirs! what matter of admiration is this—that the great and glorious God, who has many millions of glorious angels attending Him—that He should . . . look upon all holy people as His sons, and love them as His sons, and delight in them as His sons, and clothe them as His sons, and feed them as His sons, and protect them as His sons!

What great love is this—that those who have . . . so highly provoked God, walked so cross and contrary to God, were so exceeding unlike God, preferred every lust, and every toy and vanity before God fought many years under Satan's banner against God, refused all the kind offers of mercy from God; that those who have deserved to be . . . reprobated by God, damned by God, and to be thrown to hell by God—that these should be made the sons of God!

Oh stand and wonder! Oh stand and admire the freeness of His grace, and the riches of His grace!" Thomas Brooks

Wow, this is an amazingly true statement... All I can say is after reading this, I feel like falling flat on my face and worshipping the God who grants grace and mercy to the undeserving.
In awe,
Jesse

Gold Must Be Purified

"When He has tested me, I will come forth as gold!" Job 23:10

"The Lord puts all of His people into His furnace! Some are long in melting and refining — and with others the work is quick. But long or short, the Lord will keep His people in the fire — until they are purified! A genuine Christian loses nothing in the furnace, but his dross. He comes forth bettered, purified, refined. He is more humble, his faith is more simple, and his life more spiritual. He shines like molten gold, and reflects the image of the great Refiner."

"He will sit as a Refiner and Purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver." Malachi 3:3-James Smith

So true, and just like the trials situation it all rebuke and scorn should lead only to a mote pure life and walk with God. Hope this finds you where you need it...
With love,
Jesse

Gold Must Be Purified

"When He has tested me, I will come forth as gold!" Job 23:10

"The Lord puts all of His people into His furnace! Some are long in melting and refining — and with others the work is quick. But long or short, the Lord will keep His people in the fire — until they are purified! A genuine Christian loses nothing in the furnace, but his dross. He comes forth bettered, purified, refined. He is more humble, his faith is more simple, and his life more spiritual. He shines like molten gold, and reflects the image of the great Refiner."

"He will sit as a Refiner and Purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver." Malachi 3:3-James Smith

So true, and just like the trials situation it all rebuke and scorn should lead only to a mote pure life and walk with God. Hope this finds you where you need it...
With love,
Jesse

Life is Short... Trials Are Too!

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace..." Eph. 1:7

"Jesus came into our world, and shed the blood of His heart on the ground, that it might produce a crop of souls for the harvest of eternal glory! And without this, we could no more expect it—than wheat without seed or moisture. A part of this seed is already ripened and gathered into the granary of heaven, like a shock of ripened corn. Another part is still in this unfriendly climate suffering the extremities of winter, covered with snow, nipped with frost, languishing in drought, and trodden under foot! Such are you, the plants of righteousness, who now hear me. But you are ripening apace, and your harvest is just at hand!

Therefore, bear up under the severities of winter; for that coldness of heart, that drought for lack of divine influences, those storms of temptations, and those oppressions which now tread you down—will shortly be over!" Samuel Davies

Ahh what a wonderful thought, that of the ending of our affliction. The best part is that when we leave this world, the ending of our afflictions is not the best part, we get to be with Jesus for an eternity too! And that is worth all of our afflictions! I pray this comes to you in a time that you need to hear it and be reminded.
With love,
Jesse