Month: January 2013

Morning Reading: Luke 6.43-45 NLT – fruit inspection

Reading: Luke 6.43-45 NLT

grape vine“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”

Prayer: Holy Spirit – As the day unfolds, show me what is flowing out of my heart… that I may hold onto what’s good, and let go of the bad. Lord Jesus – probe the treasury of my heart… forgive and prune away the bad stuff, and increase in me all that is good. Heavenly Father – may I honor and bless you in all that I do and say. I surrender myself to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hymn: “I Surrender All” – Judson W. Van De Venter (1896)

All to Jesus I surrender; All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live. I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.

(All to Jesus I surrender – Oslo Gospel Choir)

All to Jesus I surrender; Humbly at His feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken; Take me, Jesus, take me now. I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender; Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy love and power; Let Thy blessing fall on me. I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.

Morning Reading: Luke 6.27-36 NLT – love your enemies

Reading: Luke 6:27-36 NLT

“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies!

Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

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If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back.

Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.

“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.

You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus – You know that my knee-jerk reaction to enemies is anger, followed by fight or flight. Loving them – and doing good to them – is the last thing on my mind. Forgive me.

Give me your Father’s heart – transform my heart of stone into a heart of flesh – full of compassion and slow to anger.

Help me to see my enemies as you see them… and respond appropriately – guided and empowered by your Spirit… that you may be glorified. Amen.

Country Song: “Love can build a bridge” – The Judds

I’d gladly walk across the desert, with no shoes upon my feet
To share with you the last bite, of bread I had to eat
I would swim out to save you, in your sea of broken dreams
When all your hopes are sinkin’, let me show you what love means

Please click on audio link –

Love can build a bridge, between your heart and mine
Love can build a bridge. Don’t you think it’s time?
Don’t you think it’s time?

I would whisper love so loudly, every heart could understand
That love and only love, can join the tribes of man
I would give my heart’s desire, so that you might see
The first step is to realize that it all begins with you and me

Love can build a bridge, between your heart and mine
Love can build a bridge. Don’t you think it’s time?
Don’t you think it’s time?

When we stand together, it’s our finest hour
We can do anything, anything, keep believin’ in the power

Love can build a bridge, between your heart and mine
Love can build a bridge. Don’t you think it’s time?
Don’t you think it’s time?

Love and only love, Love and only love

Morning Reading: Luke 6.24-26 NLT – sorrows

Reading: Luke 6:24-26 NLT

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Sorrowing Old Man (‘At Eternity’s Gate’)
Vincent Van Gough (1890)

“What sorrow awaits you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now.

What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger awaits you.

What sorrow awaits you who laugh now, for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.

What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Lamb of God – you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us… and grant us your peace. Amen.

Hymn: “Man of Sorrows” – Philip P. Bliss (1875)

Man of sorrows, what a name for the Son of God who came, ruined sinners to reclaim: Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned he stood, sealed my pardon with his blood: Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Guilty, helpless, lost were we; blameless Lamb of God was he, sacrificed to set us free: Hallelujah, what a Savior!

He was lifted up to die; “It is finished” was his cry; now in heaven exalted high: Hallelujah, what a Savior!

When he comes, our glorious King, all his ransomed home to bring, then anew this song we’ll sing: Hallelujah, what a Savior!

We’re going to Washington DC – how about you?

Biltrix's avatarBiltrix

55,881,645

That’s the number of unborn lives ended by legal abortions in this country since this day in 1973 (as of 10:00 a.m.).

1,235 in the U.S. alone today by the time I finish writing this sentence. Now, 1,236, and counting…

Planned Parenthood has terminated 6,341,432 since 1970 — 19,865 so far this year alone (as of Jan. 1 2013).

73,281… 73,283… 73,284… — rising, rising, rising…

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