How to start your work-week and have a great day…

Have a great day!Well, it’s Monday and we begin another work-week.  The question I asked myself this morning during “coffee with the Lord” was, how should a person begin a week… or a day for that matter?

I’m convinced I began the week right… I worshipped with fellow Christians on Sunday, the Lord’s Day!  (You do realize, don’t you, that Monday is the second day, not the first day of the week?)  So, starting the week with fellow Christians in worship at Church is a good beginning to any week!

But how about any other days of the week?  What’s a good beginning?  I think I read about it this morning in Psalm 100!  I’ll give you my personal restatement of it that I put in the margin of my Bible this morning… Then I’ll give you the actual words of the Psalm from the Bible…

Here’s my personal restatement of it…

Start your week, or any day of the week, with… 1)  A joyful sound; 2)  Glad service for the Lord; 3)  and then sing!  Be aware of Who God is and conscience of who you are.  Approach Him with a thankful heart, authentic praise and worship!  Focus on His character throughout the day… He is good!  His love is steadfast!  And His faithfulness endures to you, your children, your grandchildren, their children… in fac, It reaches back as far as creation itself and can be depended on throughout all eternity!  Praise the Lord!!!

Oh, the way the Bible says it is much better than my feeble attempt at paraphrasing!  Here it is…

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

Serve the Lord with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

“Know that the Lord, He is God!

It is he who made us, and we are His!

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving,

And His courts with praise!

Give thanks to Him; bless his name!

“For the Lord is good!

His steadfast love endures forever!

And his faithfulness to all generations!”

(Psalm 100 ESV)

Hey, have a great week… and a wonderful day!

Holy! Holy!! Holy!!! LORD God, Almighty!

Holy! Holy!! Holy!!!

It’s Sunday! Christians call it “the Lord’s Day” – it should be a day set apart as “holy to the Lord” – a day for worship, a day for honoring Him, a day for remembering Who the Lord is and what He has accomplished! It is appropriate to remember (and sing) some of the great hymns of the Church on “the Lord’s day!” This one came to mind this morning during “coffee with the Lord” as I finished my Bible reading…

“Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord God almighty
Early in the morning my song shall rise to thee
Holy. holy, holy
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons, blessed Trinity

“Holy, Holy, Holy
All the saints adore Thee
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea
All the cherubim and seraphim are falling down before Thee
Which wert and art and evermore shalt be [i.e. eternal!]

“Holy, Holy, Holy
Though the darkness hide Thee
Though the eyes of sinful man Thy glory may not see
Lord, only Thou art holy and there is none beside Thee
Perfect in power, in love and purity”
-Reginald Heber, 1826

And the Scripture that brought that old hymn to mind?

“The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! The LORD is great in Zion; He is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise His great and awesome name! Holy is He! … Exalt the LORD our God; worship at His footstool! Holy is he! Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!” (From Psalm 99)

Remembering and reverencing His awesome holiness this Lord’s day morning! Just seems appropriate, don’t you think?

Does God still work miracles today?

Miracles todayWhen Jesus walked the earth He developed quite a reputation! His teaching was profound and life transforming! His power to heal and deliver was incredible and brought hope and help to needy people! Ponder these words I read this morning in the Bible during my time of “coffee with the Lord”…
 
“And He came down and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all over Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. They came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.” (From Luke 6:17–19)
 
I am one who believes that nothing has changed! Jesus is still alive and active! He died, but rose again from the dead! “He is the same, yesterday, today and forever!” (Hebrews 13:8) We can still expect Him to work miracles today through the power of the Holy Spirit!
 
He told His followers, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (From John 14:12–14)
 
Wow! That blows me away!! I don’t know about you, but I’m going to claim that promise and believe He will fulfill it!