ONE MESSAGE. ONE FAITH.

PRESS. image from web My desire for God must  drive  me to the throne of God. I must press, like the woman with the issue of blood-- I must persevere. There has to be an inner desperation, a dire thirst in my soul that longs for God. O God, You  are  my God; Early will I seek You; My  soul  thirsts for You; My flesh  longs  for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.- Psalm 63:1 My  soul   longs , yes, even faints For the courts of the  Lord ; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.- Psalm 84:2   I spread out my hands to You; My  soul   longs  for You like a thirsty land. Selah- Psalm 143:6 What brought David to the point of his flesh - his flesh(!)- longing for the Lord? Well the flesh [ basar]  used here is in context of the tangible body- rather than the carnal nature of man as we'd normally translate it in the new testament. So David was saying his soul and his physi...

Easy yoke? Light burden? Easy is not usually the first word that comes to mind with the image of a  Yoke. But there it is in Matthew 11:29. "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light"   Truth is, yokes are easy when the one you're yoked with is carrying the bulk of the load. Burdens become light when you are suddenly freed from carrying the load of guilt and condemnation on your shoulders alone.  So Jesus beckons us to take the load of the world off our shoulders and yoke up with him. Even when I walk      through the darkest valley, [ a ] I will not be afraid,      for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff      protect and comfort me. - Psalm 23:4

Luke 3:7-14 NLT   When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, ...Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath?   8  Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.... 10  The crowds asked, “What should we do?” 11  John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.” 12  Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13  He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.” 14  “What should we do?” asked some soldiers. John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.” True repentance is more than a inside-the-heart feeling. It's an action of turning away from old ...

Psalm 116: 2 Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! Isaiah 37:21-22 The Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: " this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Because you prayed about King Sennacherib of Assyria, the Lord has spoken this word... God is very interested in  our prayers. He wants us to know we can depend on him. He wants us to depend on Him. And depend on Him, we must. In him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28. We exist because of God. When we pray He "bends down to listen" because he wants you to know he is dependable. When we pray he is moved with compassion to answer, because it builds our trust in who He is. When we pray, God speaks to our situation. He is the only one who can. Our prayers are never in vain. So P ray U ntil S omething H appens.

"When praises go up blessings come down."  I searched the bible and came up a little disappointed when this verse did not appear.  While I may not have found this specific scripture in the Word, I was instead reminded  that He is enthroned in the praises of his people (it says Israel in the bible).  Psalm 22:3. In other words, when I praise it results in an abiding place for the presence of God!  I believe wholeheartedly that God's presence is the greatest of blessings, and mighty things happen in the Holy presence of God. Paul and Silas can attest to what praises can do.  Acts 16:25-26. Indeed we can conclude,  miracles are blessings as well. So instead of focusing on praising God to get blessings (which we tend to denote as material or physical in many aspects) let's praise God for, or because of,  his blessings he's already given us: the blessing of new mercies,  unfailing love,  salvation through His name, and too many more to...

Psalm 19: 7 Not one jot, accent mark,  or dot is without strategic purpose in the inspired, written Word of God.  Just as carefully as salt is measured for a recipe,  the same of which too little or too much can destroy the goodness of a dish,  the words of the Word are so measured. This perfectly meted Word,  revives,  or brings life back,  to the soul.  The King James version says it converts the soul. See, the Word of God does this work.  The Word converts the soul- whether little by little for some,  or a miraculous about face for others.   The soul is changed. The Word is perfected for this purpose.  It brings dead back to life. Nothing is out of the reach of the perfect Word of God. With constant application of the Word of life,  something is bound to change. Warmest thoughts and prayers,  Chantel

Psalms 62:1-2, 5-6, 11-12 KJV Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God. Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work. Our Father wants us to remember that he sees and and hears all. He is the master of the universe and nothing happens without his knowledge of it. He is aware of your every move and circumstance and he is all powerful and full of mercy. He is doing a work that is larger than you can even comprehend. Your life is in good hands. Trust- He knows what he is doing. As for God his way is perfect. The Word of the Lord is tried. He is a sheild to all those who put his trust in Him. Trust- He knows wha...

God has equipped his children to do what he has called us to do. Here King David has the majestic ability to be an influence. He has the power to impact his kingdom, and those involved. He is zealously encouraged to go forth and do; he is passionately encouraged to take action, and do awe-inspiring deeds. Why? Because he has been equipped to. The Father has given his children the gift of his Spirit, and too have been charged with the words"go forth". We are to go forth and do awe-inspiring deeds, to influence humanity with the promise of salvation through Jesus Christ. Warmest thoughts and prayers, Chantel

And ever, and ever... Psalm 136 takes the reader from seeing the big picture of who God is,  funnels down to his wondrous acts,  and brings it into eye view by declaring his acts in the writers personal life. It resonates with this mantra-his faithful love endures forever. I noticed, that though the phrase is repetitive, it is not redundant. It comes at the beginning, middle, and end of each recount of God's merciful acts to Israel. It seems to cut in, where the story should logically continue; but there it is, smack in the middle - "His mercy endures forever". This is a strong reminder that the God who in the start of this chapter created the heavens as an act of mercy, is capable of securing every moment of your life story. Every detail of our lives are painted with the brush of his enduring faithful love. Recognize his mercy at work in the harder moments. They too are part of the beautiful story that will testify of his mercy toward you, and add to ...

Psalm 119:30-32 New International Version (NIV) 30  I have chosen  the way of faithfulness;       I have set my heart  on your laws. 31  I hold fast  to your statutes,  Lord ;      do not let me be put to shame. 32  I run in the path of your commands,      for you have broadened my understanding. Almost each moment of every, day from the time we blink open our eyes, we are faced with decisions. Some take less thought and consideration than others. Some decisions, however, result in inner conflict. In this walk with Christ, choosing to remain faithful to our calling as a child of God is, many moments a walk in the park. Other moments it's a walk on a bed of fiery coals- it's so much easier to take the more comfortable road. Either way we must, each moment, choose life. We must purposely choose life. We must purposely choose his will, until our will is his. We mus...

This is a devotional that I do with my children most mornings during our prayer time. This morning, it hit me square in the chest. Enjoy : ) Warmest thoughts and prayers, Chantel Dillard                                                                                                 Keys for Kids Daily Devotional for Friday, June 29, 2012 "When You Pray" Bible Reading: Psalm 145:17-19...

Psalm 1   1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.   2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.   3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.   4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.   5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.   6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Now Read it again- slower this time. One is blessed because he delights in God's words and his thoughts are always on the Word of the Lord day and night. When we are blessed of the Lord, then we are like a tree. No just any tree, but one planted by the ri...

I sang this Psalm in a dream last night, and it was still with me when I awoke. As I dressed I flipped through the bible to locate it, knowing its general place in the psalms. I found and read Psalm 136 and danced to the tune that rang in my heart. It was joyful. Look how many times the phrase "His mercy endures forever" was repeated, and yet it was still not enough to express the extent of God's mercy. He is slow to anger, and full, FULL of mercy. Everything he does toward us is an act of mercy and love. Take time to go through your day and see every situation you  are involved in, as an act of mercy. So though the world spirals into complete entropy around us, God delays his return because he is in love with the sinner that he is gifting with one more day to know Him. His mercy endures forever. The cold of winter may be unbearable to some, yet it affords us the opportunity to know the difference between comfort and discomfort. This heightens our ability to know Go...

Yesterday I was flipping through the pages of my 4 year old's bible- a Gideon published New Testament- and was pleasantly surprised by what I found in the prefacing pages. A few songs were shared there, anthems, such as "Jesus, Lover of my soul", "The Star -Spangled Banner", "Onward, Christian soldiers" and "America ( My country 'tis of thee)". The songs themselves were not the surprise. It was the verses that are not generally sung or mainstream. We may all belt out, skillfully or unskillfully, O say ! can you see, by the dawn's early light.... Yet the song has this  4th verse: O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation! Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation... Or how about this one: My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing... Yet take a l...

Our help is in the name of the LORD,    the Maker of heaven and earth.- Psalm 124:8 Today's passage, Psalm 122-124 heralded several attributes of God. In chapter 122 he is the one who is desired. In  chapter 123 God is the giver of mercy. In chapter 124, God is the deliverer. Verse eight of this chapter caught my eye because of the wording. David does not write that his help is in the Lord, but more specifically, his help is in the NAME of the Lord. It is awesome that with all the myriad of names for our Jehovah, that every attribute of God is wrapped up in the glorified name JESUS. It is in this name that we can know God as Elohim, for all power is given unto Him in earth and heaven. It is in this name that we can know God as provider for he saves us from poverty. Jesus saves us from dis-ease. Jesus saves us from confusion- He is the prince of peace. And the list goes on. Take a look at all the names for God. It is worth going through them all,even if not all in ...

I am inspired by the boldness and confidence in many of the verses of this day's passage. In the 16th chapter of Psalms, David is confident in Jehovah, and knows that he will be ultimately delivered from the hands of his enemies simply based on the experiences from the past- testimony. Psalms 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. 11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. There are times when we face the valley- between- mountains ,but we have to bring the "mountain experience" back to remembrance. We must recall that " he will " and " he is ".

Many of us know this by heart, and if not, it's a good one to commit to memory. Further more, it s a good one to put to practice.  If we want to be blessed, just do what God blesses, someone once said to me. That makes much sense, I say. Psalm 1 BOOK I : Psalms 1-41 1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

As I read Psalm 143 this morning I am reminded to mediate on the works of the Lord and consider all that he has done( verse 5). It is good to recall what God has done for us, especially when we are in the middle of a test. It is so easy, just like the Israelites did in the wilderness, to quickly forget the miracles God , only recently performed in our lives, once faced with a new trial. Like Right now. In the beginning of this month, as usual, my husband sent  in our rent. normally, days later we get a receipt from our landlord with the receipt book, and everything is taken care of. After a few days we noticed something wasn't right.

Hallelujah! Praise Jehovah! Extol the almighty one, the self-existent. My spirit quickened as the praises rang from verse to verse in the reading in Psalms. The footnote on 117:2 spoke so loudly to me as it denoted "Praise the Lord" for the Hebrew of " Hallelu Yah" A word we say so much, and thanks to the information age, we do now know what it means. Yet do we grasp the depths of the one whom we offer these praises to? In my morning prayer today I was so overwhelmed with praise and thanksgiving when i thought of my very existence depending on our Jehovah God, whether we attribute it to him or not. I was blown away by how he just is, The Great I AM - He just exists. It is easy to get caught up, and to the non-believer, discouraged, by that BIGNESS of who God is, but it is extraordinarily intriguing to me, the greatness of God. So like the words of classic chorus I love to sing: when I think of the goodness of Jesus and all he has done for me my soul cries out Halle...

Psalm 103: 8-14 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. 14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. I was overwhelmingly thankful when I read Psalms 103 and was reminded that the Lord knows our frame. He knows that we are but dust. His mercy is great toward us because of this. We tend, however, to forget that we are dust, and beat ourselves up when we mess up and do not measure up to our own expectations.Yet the almighty, all knowing, ever present God, does not hold these things over our heads the way we do ....