Breakfast For Your Soul

Monday, November 3, 2008

“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since He is Lord of heaven and earth, He doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve His needs—for He has no needs. He Himself gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need.  From one man He created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and He determined their boundaries. “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him—though He is not far from any one of us. For in Him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’ And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. “God over-looked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now He commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to Him. For He has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man He has appointed, and He proved to everyone who this is by raising Him from the dead.” When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” That ended Paul’s discussion with them, but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council,a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

{Acts 17:24-34}

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
angels descending bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Refrain)

Perfect submission, all is at rest;
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
watching and waiting, looking above, 
filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
(Refrain)

{“Blessed Assurance”}

Text: Fanny J. Crosby, 1820-1915
Music: Phoebe P. Knapp, 1839-1908

God’s promise, His assurance is yes He exists, no… no one really “gets away” with anything.  He is a just God.  The good news for us, is that He is also merciful.  Every moment we have breath, is another moment that was not owed or promised… a gift… time to “work out” our issues with Him.  I heard someone say, something to the effect that, isn’t it funny how we demand justice when someone offends us, and pray for mercy when the shoe is on our foot.  My grandmother used to say, “God ain’t no play-toy…. don’t play with Him”.  There is another side to God lest we think He is all warm and fuzzy… We don’t have to meet that other side though.  He has given us access into His presence.  A ‘golden invitation’ to come and reason with Him about anything.