"Earthly Strongholds"

           "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble

                                      Nahum 1:7 NKJV

VISIT CORREGIDOR  IN THE  PHILIPPINES, and you will find a deep tunnel. Originally build to store arme and ammunition,  Malinta Tunnel was also a stringhold that bombs of the enemy couldn't penetrate. It served as a haven for wounded soldiers andas headquarter for General MacArthur.

            Strongholds are important because they provide protection. They allow you to sleep at night without fear for your safety.

             When David was a fugitive from Saul, he hid in stronghols in the desert. He learned that safety is not the absence of danger, but the presence of the Lord.

             Repeatedly he referred to the Lord as his fortress. In Psalm 18 he wrote, "I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer, my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge" (Psalm 18: 1:2).

            You will nevrr understand that God is a refuge until you run to yhim and throw yoursekf upon His mercy, until you pound on His door and say, "Take me in. I need Your protection and help!" Yet far too many stand outside the door thinking. "I can handle this on my own." If someone were chasing you with a weapon, and he was getting closer, would you stand outside the fortress and wonder if it was strong enough to protect you?

           You may be thinking, "Having God asba fortress worked for David, but I'm not sure it'll work for me!" How would you know unless you try? I've never heard anyone say, 'I threw myself upon the Lord and He closed the door of help in my face."

           Need a refuge? Most earthly strongholds have masdive doors and can be entered by walking. The refuge God provides is entered by kneeling

          

"TRUST IN THE LORD!

      "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because 

      Anyone who comes to him must believe that he exisf and

      That he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

                                  HEBREWS 11 : 6

     "I HAVE BEEN DRIVEN to my knees many times, "said the American president Lincoln, "by the realization that there was nowhere else to go." It is amazing how high you can reach by bowing your knees before God.

      Consider this story: A helicopter was taking flak from the enemy, and the tail gunner, fearful the chopper might be shotdown, used his radio to call for help. "What's your position?" Asked the radio operator. Immediately the pilot responded, "Kneeling!"    

      It is with this kind of submission and surrender that you can discover what so many haved found: there is a place of quiet rest near the Heart of God. Sometimes what you say isn't nearly as important as the attitude of your heart. For instance a little child's tears do far more to move of a father than his persuasive words of argument.

       When you walk in darkness, having sustained a blow of one  kind or another, you might feel as if God doesn't notice or care. He does. You are simply numbered your pain and can't take your eyes from your wound.

        Try kneeling before the King and telling Him Why you are hurting. Your Father who sees your distress and cares for you will take note, and will honor the promises of His word. Faith tells

 Us there is One who knows your distress. Search your heart before Him and ask Him for a new heart, conscience washed by His blood, and light for the next step so "Trust in the Lord!

"SPIRITUAL SIGHT"

"In Him we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."

Ephesians 1:7(KJV) 

  A prisoner who survived 14 years in cuban jail told how he kept his spirits up and his hope alive: "I had no window in my cell and so I mentally constructed one on the door. I 'saw' in my mind a beautiful scene from the mountains, with water tumbling down a ravine over rocks. It became so real to me that I would visualize it without effort every time I looked at the cell door."

  Ironically some of the most hopeful book of the Bible Philippians, Colossians and Ephesians come out of Paul's house arrest in Rome. The letter to the Ephesians gives a hint as to what the apostle Paul saw when he though about life beyond his place of confinement.

  First he saw the spiritual growth in the churches he left behind. This book opens with a burst of thankgiving for the vitality of the Ephesians church ( Eph. 1: 15-16). Then he sought to open the eyes of their hearts to even more exalted sights the "exceeding riches" of God's grace (2:7). When Paul cranks up the volume to express God's plan of love, not one low, mournful note sneaks in.

  If you feel discourage or question whether the christian life is worth it, Ephesians proves to be a great tonic. It prescribes the riches in Christ available to all. Grace, mercy and Peace.

 Title :     Grace, Mercy and Peace

1. His grace bring us good things

    Everyday in our lives

    And His grace bring us peace

    In troublesome sometimes

    With His love opens heavens

    Love and truth is pouring out

    With grace mercy and Peace

Chorus:   

    Glory to God in his amazing love

    I will rejoices in the Lord. (3x)

    With grace mercy and Peace

2. In Him i am redeem through 

    His blood His unfailing love

    In whom having believe

    I am being sealed with promises

    It shall be established

    With grace mercy and Peace

    (i, we) 

           

"Not to Forget"

"Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: 'I will Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and i will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him."

Exodus 15:1-2 (KJV) 

  What a song of praise! The entire chapter of Exodus 15 ia a glorious praise song ti the Lord after He opened a path through the Red Sea. You can imagine the Israelites' amazement when they saw the water parted like giant glass skycrapers. Little wonder they sang on for twenty-one verses in music and melody.

  But a few verses later, their joy turned sour. Their song gave out. After three days of traveling in the desert without finding water, they grumbled, saying, "what are we to drink? The song faded all too quickly when they ran out into trouble. The irony is, they grumbled about water! Didn't they remember God's miracle with water? They had just watched Him part a whole sea of it. Our own songs of praise fade all too quickly when we forget how God protects and provides for us. We need to take the advice God gave the Israelite in Deuteronomy 4:9, "only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the thing your eyes have seen. The next time you're tempted to grumble or complain, think of your favorite praise song and then sing it. It will be God's way of helping you not to forget this protection and provision in your life

"SO HELP YOURSELF"

           "Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,

                        Whose hope is in the Lord his God

                                          Psalm 146:5

Recently, i saw a television ad for a restaurant chain that made a dramatic claim. At those restaurants, the ad said you could "Help yourself to Happiness," wouldn't it be nice if a helping of potatoes or meat pasta or dessert would be all that was needed to provide happiness? Unfortunately, no restaurant can fulfill that promise. 

             Happiness is elusive thing as we can see in almost every area of life. Our pursuit of happiness may involve food or a host of other things, but in the end, happiness continues to escape our grasp.

             Why? In large measure it's because the things we tend to pursue di not touch the deepest needs of our hearts.

             Ours pursuit may provide moment of enjoyment, distraction, or pleasure, but the cry of heart is to love you more that was the song say goes unheard the cry for help and hope. That is why the psalmist points to a better way when he says, 'Happy is he who has the of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God" (Psalm 146:5).

              Help yourself? Yes if we are seeking Him, the joy of the Lord is our strength. It is only when we entrust ourselves to God and His care that we can find the joy we seek. Our hope and help are found only in trusting Him. In other things, In (Mark 9: 29)  so help yourself!

            

"YOU WON'T MISS OUT"

             "I have set the Lord always before me: because 

                 He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

                                         Psalm 16: 8

             Lots of people think that being a Christian means missing out on the good stuff. They think I'm the father who makes you ride your bike to school on your sixteenth birthday when everyone else gets a new car. That's not Me. I have a wonderful inheritance for you read My will and learn that I've made you, so i know what makes you happy I know you better than you know yourself.

What does  it mean to set the Lord always before you? It means that you choose to relate everything you encounter to your trust in God What you choose to focus on becomes the dorminant influence in your life. You may be a christian, but if your focus is always on your problems,your problems will determine the direction of ypur life. If your focus s on people, then the poeple will determine what you think and do.

             In biblical times, the right hand was the most distinguished position, reserved for one's chief adviser and supporter. When you choose to focus on Christ, you invite Him to take the most important condition in your life as Counselor and Defender.

             Every time you face a new experience, you should turn to Christ for His interpretation and strength. When people insult you and mistreat you, you should seek direction from your Counselor regarding the right response. When you face a crisis, you should receive strength from the One at your right hand. When you experience need, you should consult your Counselor before you react. When you face a fearful situation, you should take courage from the Advocate at your hand. Everything you do is in the context of your relationship to Christ.

             What an incredible act of God's grace that Christ should stand beside you to guide you and counsel you and defend you! How could you ever become dismayed over your situation with Christ at your right hand! What confidence this should give you! "You won't miss out!

             

"SAY IT IS GOOD FOR ME"

                            "It is good for me to draw mear to God

                                                Psalm 73:28

Beauty, wealth, power, love, marriage, and pleasure are good things, but they're not the best. The best is loving God and taking in his love bring Him glory and making Him our friend for life. That leads to the best possible life because it gives us satisfaction and joy Read (John10:10). 

       That's why we should make time for God and rest in His love, the love that made you and me. It is the season for our existence and the means by which we will make the most of our lives.

        I like the way the psalmist put it: "it is good for me to draw near to God; i have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all your works" (Ps 73:28). In other words the good life is drawing close to the One who loves us like no other.

        And how can we draw close" to Him? Here's a practice take a few minutes every morning to read some verse from the Gospels (Matthew  Mark, Luke, John) and note what Jesus saud or did after all, He came to show us what Gods is like (Heb.1:1-3). Put yourself in the story in the place of the leper He healed with His loving touch. For example ( Mark 1:40-45). Think about how much He loves us and then thank Him. Start Reading (Psalm 73:21-28).