sandieh

Jesus suffered betrayal, disbelief on the part of most of the Jewish people. He was taunted, chased, laughed at, called crazy, even by his family....Jesus suffered even unto death and a horrible one at that. As guilty, when truly innocent. We suffer to, when others refuse to believe us, when we watch sin abound, when we see so many lost and hurting and not knowing the way out. We suffer rejection. We suffer temptation. We fight our flesh, that hurts too. Suffering however toughens us. We become stronger because of it. We learn to stand up under trial and temptation. And through it all we know we aren't alone, because Jesus went first, stood the test, bore our pain even to the death and when He ascended, He sent us help in the form of the Holy Spirit. We would not, nor couldn't appreciate what He did for us, if it came without cost to ourselves. Jesus loved me. He suffered for me. He died, for me....Thank you Jesus

The truth of the Salvation Gospel was confirmed when I accepted Christ. There is No disputing being born again. That in itself is a powerful miracle, when you pass from death into life! Miracles and wonders happen everyday. Look around. The sun shines, the rain falls, seasons come and go...prayers are answered, people are healed! Lifes are changed. The most hardened sinner totally changes after confessing Jesus as Lord! Famlies are reconcilled, addicts set free, the gospel is preached in all the earth!! I would have to say the Gospels, and the work of Jesus...was proof enough for me! And then there is that ongoing work that is even now taking place as we grow from faith to faith! Signs and wonders are common place especially in newly evangelized countries! Read the Heavenly Man about Brother Yun in China, if you aren't convinced before you will be then!!

We have to continually be renewed in the spirit of our mind by saturating it with the Word of God. To not do so, gives us an opportunity to become that forgetful hearer, James I believe spoke about. The cares, worries and pursuit of pleasures and riches can also cause drifitng. This is a good reason NOT to negelt the assembying of ourselves together also so that we as Christians can HEAR the Word being preached and taught, as well as learn MANY More applications of the Word to daily life!! He who hears my Word and obeys it is like a house built on solid rock! Nothing can move it! Matt7:24

The term "exact reprensentation" of the Father, says He is indeed divine. His role was that of Savior, in that He saved us from our sin and as creator, through whom everything came into being.

The author was referring to a relationship here. The term Son denotes a relationship with a parent, in this case "Father" as a son one is raised by the parent, knows the parent and is taught by him. The fact that Jesus was God's Son implies a very special relationship, that even the prophets did not enjoy. Except for maybe Elijah!

Jesus, was just as much man as he was God. I believe that the human part of Him was reluctant, scared, and uncertain....He was praying for confirmation of the Fathers will. And I imagine as much as the disciples didn't want Him to leave them, He didn't want to leave them either. Their bond of friendship and love was strong. This passage of scripture speaks to me so strongly, of Jesus humanity, and His willingness, even in the face of His own reluctance, to preservere in Gods will. Makes me love Him even more! Because He so loved us!!!!

The same way! Recalling all of God's goodness, and faithfulness to me! Sometimes, He just blows me away!! He is so awesome, and so everywhere, and in all things you can find Him at work, around and with you! Hallowed the Thy Name, is just the beginning for honoring the Lord, in the Lords Prayer, and that pretty much says it all! My favorite song about God's greatness? I Can Only Imagine.........

Hezekiah, never really says Lord heal me, but he does remind the Lord that he has walked faithfully before Him. The fact that he then weeps bitterly tells me, that he wasn't ready to die just yet. However God who knows our heart, knew his also, and grants him 15 more years. If we can't pray the same way, being without fault, how can we expect the same answer? Sin hinders our prayers and God's answers.

This was a very precarious time for Isreal, what with all the nations wanting to invade and conquer them. Hezekiah kept them God centered and they needed God to be on their side. However in the end, because of his healing, he was able to invite the Babylonians in to view his nations wealth, and ultimately that led to them coming back to take it...so I am not sure his being healed and living another 15 years ended up being such a good thing. God had promised that there would always be a decendant of davids on the throne, and He kept that promise, through Jesus!!

Both prayers begin with Our God who is in Heaven! Because God sits enthroned above the earth, and is the creator and Lord of it all, we can have faith that God will watch over and protect that which is His! It acknowledges that we know who is in cointrol, and on whom we rely!!!!

Hezekiah was showing God what the enemy was saying about God Himself! It shows that Hezekiah knew that the insult and disrepect were being directed at the Lord, and that it was the Lord who needed to respond! The underlying principle here, is to take our problems to the Lord! Not that we shouldn't do "anything" but having done what we can, then STAND in the strength of the Lord and the power of His might! When we don't apply this principle then the battle is ours, and we get beat down, tired, defeated, and give up. We might even have a victory of sorts in our own doing, but nothing like we would have if the battle is the Lord's!!!

Praise, real heartfelt adoration, releases the reality of God's majesty to our senses and innermost being. It brings us into closer relatioship with Him in a profound way. I can remember once during praise and worship at our church where we were just singing "Jesus" and we were so caught up in the worship that it was almost impossible to stop! I fully understood at that moment why the angels around the throne, cry Holy, Holy Holy... We should exalt God because God inhabits the praises of His people! And it brings us into relationship with Him! It says that we Love and honor and adore our Heavenly Father!!!!

Our prayers "bless God" when they come from a willing, thankful heart. When we are acknowledging our adoration and awe of Him. We have no good thing with in our delves to bless God. But His Spirit in us, lifts us to new heights! Of awareness of Him as Lord, Creator, Provider, Healer, all of His goodness that comes to us, goes through us and comes back as a blessing to Him! Because it is not in vain! We love our Father!! Prayers that are self focused, self centered, do not bless God, because we are failing to acknowledge that He is all we need. He is our everything!!!

To have a broken heart and spirit, one must be truly sorry for their sin. Not just upset about being "found out", but truly repentant, and ready to turn away from that sin. It is a sacrifice, because we are giving up our selfishness to God. We tend to resist a broken heart, maybe because we haven't ever really experienced one, even at the time of salvation, or maybe we are still trying to excuse our behaviour. I am guilty of that, and not proud of it. I want a heart after Gods own....

Yes it is possible! When we put it all on the table, lay it all out before God! And ask Him to cleanse us, restore us again to the joy of our salvation!! We have to be willing, we have to confess, repent and turn away from our sin...everytime we sin, because we will, but but who is faithful will when we confess, forgive!!! Praise the Lord!