Want a Passion for the Word and Prayer?

My great need is to pray more and to get into God's Word more, and Psalms 119 is a powerful tool that I rely on over and over.

The structure of Psalms 119 is unique. Almost every verse is both a prayer and a comment on The Word of God, and can stand alone. There are 8 verses per grouping and each grouping starts with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet as a memory aid. 
The verses are supremely motivating to DRAW ME INTO PRAYER AND THE WORD OF GOD SIMULTANEOUSLY!

I come back to this chapter repeatedly for my meditation. I can not say enough about how motivating this chapter is, if you will pursue it like a lifetime treasure hunt!

 ¹Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

 ²Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

 ³They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

 ⁴Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

 ⁵O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

 ⁶Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

 ⁷I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

 ⁸I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

 ⁹Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

 ¹⁰With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

 ¹¹Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

 ¹²Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.

 ¹³With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

 ¹⁴I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

 ¹⁵I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

 ¹⁶I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

 ¹⁷Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.

 ¹⁸Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

 ¹⁹I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.

 ²⁰My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.

 ²¹Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.

 ²²Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.

 ²³Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.

 ²⁴Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.

 ²⁵My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.

 ²⁶I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.

 ²⁷Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.

 ²⁸My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.

 ²⁹Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.

 ³⁰I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me. (Psalm 119, King James Version)

Our Valentine's Day Adventure

This was originally posted February 14, 2011

 What a wonderful Valentine's Day! Woke up in the arms of the woman I love (and married!) We exchanged Valentine's Day Cards. The one I gave her played the Righteous Brother's The Unchained Melody.

We went to Palio's Italian Dining  in Ann Arbor, MI. http://www.paliorestaurant.com/

Genesis 12:1 - 7 - Passage Lookup - King James Version - BibleGateway.com

Now the LORD had said unto Abram,

God is speaking to me about this passage, that there are insights in it that will shatter some false notion(s?) that I am holding on to. I'll be looking at this passage in Genesis 12 verses 1 through 7 this week.Of course, this passage strengthens the truth that I am already holding on to. One truth I cling to is in the first verse, and God spoke to Abram. I know this to be true, FOR GOD HAS SPOKEN TO ME!

Wonderful waitress!

Second course, LaSagne for me

Cheese filled Rotini for Mary

First course- Soup for me, Salad for Mary,

Pinot Noir for both of us

Third Course - Tiramisu and coffee

Be sure to stop at The Adventures of Mike and Mary Blog!
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Our Ice Driving Adventure

This blog was originally posted  February 23, 2011

God was very good to us yesterday. The surgery went quickly and well, and Mary's recovery seems to be on a fast track. She took me out to Applebee's last night to celebrate how well things went.

I want to thank everybody for your prayers for Mary and the doctors. It is obvious that you prayed & your prayers were answered!

The trip in was exciting. The roads were sheet ice covered by slush, and it was difficult to stop even going at 5 mph. The traffic was bumper to bumper. 

A nice guy in front of me with all wheel drive stopped on a hill to let another driver in. I couldn't move after that for several moments because of the steepness of the hill, the slickness of the ice, and the inertia of the car.
When I did start, it took perhaps a minute to get up to the fantastic speed of 20 miles per hour. I thought I was doing badly, but when I looked behind me, no one else had moved at all!

I am so glad my dad gave me extensive lessons on driving on ice! Thank you Jesus, and thank you Dad. Even though you're in heaven, I know you're hearing this.

Besides, I told him several times on earth, right after his lessons saved either either my life or in one case, the life of a little girl. But that's another story.
By the way, all my Ad links are monetized, which means that if you click and buy, I get paid. I put in the ad about Keurig coffee because I love our Keurig coffee maker. It always makes an exceptional cup of coffee, so exceptional that I don't drink coffee outside the home, even in the nicest restaurants. Their coffee tastes poorly in comparison, including Starbucks. You will have to try it once to see what I mean.
It must be the fact that the Keurig coffee maker only brews one cup at a time, which makes it completely, totally fresh, without even a moment in a flask on the burner, because there is no burner. The coffee is brewed in less than a minute, and it only takes a few seconds to easily load a new K cup. It is, all in all, an incredible experience.
To be sure I get credit for the purchase, just go to Amazon through this link, rather than directly through your browser.
Thanks for your support, and let me know if you purchase anything through my store so I can thank you!
To see all the adventures of Mike and Mary, go to this link!

God Speaks to Abraham!

This blog was originally published February 23, 2011

God has been compelling me to look at this passage repeatedly.

 ¹Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

 ²And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

 ³And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:1-3, King James Version)

From reading the ancient writings called The Scriptures it is abundantly obvious that God from time to time speaks to man, ie US!*

How does God choose those to whom He speaks? He speaks to those He seeks to teach.*

God speaks to those who need a lesson, or will end up being a lesson. Remember He spoke to Abram & Satan!* 

How does God choose those to whom He speaks? He speaks to those who will OBEY AND BECOME A LIVING LESSON!*

Jesus, flood my heart with You and Your grace that I might obey Your Words & glorify Your Name!*

Thank You, #Jesus, for making my life into a living #parable, patiently teaching me Who You are!*

Our Doctor's Lipoma Adventure

originally written February 25, 2011
Mary recovered very quickly after her outpatient surgery to remove a lipoma on Tuesday, February 22. She took me to dinner that night at 9 pm and has been getting around pretty good since then, although she is taking it very easy. She still has some pain, but it is unclear as to whether it's from the surgery or the other pain issues Mary has.
Thank you for your prayers!

From Wikipedia:
A lipoma is a benign tumor composed of adipose tissue. It is the most common form of soft tissue tumor.[a] Lipomas are soft to the touch, usually movable, and are generally painless. Many lipomas are small (under one centimeter diameter) but can enlarge to sizes greater than six centimeters. Lipomas are commonly found in adults from 40 to 60 years of age, but can also be found in children. Some sources claim that malignant transformation can occur,[b] while others say that this has yet to be convincingly documented.[c]


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A Devotion; Jeremy Riddle; Sweetly Broken

From ICorinthians 1:

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

Please note we are enriched in everything! Not just the spiritual or the physical, but both.
The age of reason has been an age of arrogance. We had patted ourselves on the back for what the Holy Spirit has taught us.*
Lord Jesus,remind me constantly that I depend on you wholly for my instruction, my growth, my edification!*

Truths God will not abandon in the end times!

End times good news! The Truth of Jesus Christ will be Shared!*
End times good news! Parents will be able to protect, provide for, and direct their children!*
End time good/bad news! A loving King will choose a severe short termed tribulation over a severe long term tribulation! *

Jeremy Riddle Has become my favorite artist lately, since my friend Rick drug me kicking and screaming away from the land of Southern Gospel and into the land of Worship Music.

Jeremy's songs sustained me during the difficult days while my late wife went through her many months of suffering.

He has a classic rock style, and uses his full range voice to it's limit. His melodies are simple. His volume range is from one end of the scale to other. But his words are classic worship.

Consider the chorus of Sweetly Broken:

At the cross You beckon me

You draw me gently to my knees, and I am

Lost for words, so lost in love,

I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered

This is Jeremy's first album, and it contains my favorite song Sweetly Broken

This is Jeremy's second album. It's just as worshipful as his first!

Search Amazon.com for jeremy riddle cd

Deeper into the Word and Prayer?

My great need is to pray more and to get into God's Word more, and Psalms 119 is a powerful tool that I rely on over and over.

The structure of Psalms 119 is unique. Almost every verse is both a prayer and a comment on The Word of God, and can stand alone. 

There are 8 verses per grouping and each grouping starts with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet as a memory aid. The verses are supremely motivating to DRAW ME INTO PRAYER AND THE WORD OF GOD SIMULTANEOUSLY!

I come back to this chapter repeatedly for my meditation. I can not say enough about how motivating this chapter is, if you will pursue it like a lifetime treasure hunt!
Psalms 119:1-30 at Bible Gateway

 ¹Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

 ²Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

 ³They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

 ⁴Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

 ⁵O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

 ⁶Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

 ⁷I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

 ⁸I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

 ⁹Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

 ¹⁰With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

 ¹¹Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

 ¹²Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.

 ¹³With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

 ¹⁴I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

 ¹⁵I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

 ¹⁶I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

 ¹⁷Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.

 ¹⁸Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

 ¹⁹I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.

 ²⁰My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.

 ²¹Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.

 ²²Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.

 ²³Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.

 ²⁴Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.

 ²⁵My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.

 ²⁶I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.

 ²⁷Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.

 ²⁸My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.

 ²⁹Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.

 ³⁰I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me. (Psalm 119, King James Version)

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Why The Parables?

You may have asked the question, "Why do you call some of your stories and /or sermons parables?"
It's obvious after observing me that I have some stories to tell. God has taken great delight in leading me along a path where I could be a witness to some miraculous incidents.
He has His reasons.
My dilemma arose when it came time to tell these stories.
First, there was the outright disbelief in many listeners in any thing spiritual. Sometimes God would respond to a listener's disrespect by revealing to me something the listener was desperately trying to conceal. But just as often, God would not intervene.
Then there were also the denominational protocols. If the miracle seemed to endorse a different denominational stripe, there were problems.
It didn't help that I was so easily offended when someone didn't endorse me whole heartedly and immediately. Yet I was also uncomfortable with those who bought in quickly, without any double checking of the facts.
I first responded to these problems with silence, not mentioning these incidents for months and sometimes years. But the stories kept bubbling behind the locked doors of my heart.
It helped that Lynne, my late wife, could collaborate most, if not all, of these stories. With her help, we developed a strategy of one on one sharing, and only when the subject of the miraculous was brought up by others first.
But when Lynne began her final battle with cancer, it became apparent that I would have to tell these stories without her enthusiastic support.
Silence was no longer an option. The spring of what I know see was a divine compulsion was bubbling ever stronger.
When I finally put one of these stories on paper as a sermon, I realized that the story was very much like a parable. A parable is a story that may or may not be true, and teaches a lesson.
I realized that God had been orchestrating my life into a living parable.
In a parable, the facts that verify the story as a document are not important, nor is it vital to grasp the meaning immediately.
The important thing about a parable is the story itself. The story has power built in to bring truth to the surface.
The best example of built in grace within the story is the story of the Cross and the Crucifixion of Jesus. Many listeners have had hardened hearts won by that story, without any debate on the facts.
When the facts are verified, it brings even more power to the story, but the story can stand alone and win the most skeptical heart.
I know this to be true, for the story of the Cross won my heart when I was 8 years old.
I want to thank you, my friends, for allowing me to tell my story, and how my story and the story of Jesus became one story.
And now you know how these stories began to be called parables.

The Witness

Stand over the very still sleeping form of Mathew, so very quiet, and whisper his name “Mathew.” His eyes will pop open like toast pops from  a toaster! He looks up to see who said his name, and he gives a hearty greeting, “Grampy!” Count to three very quickly, 1-2-3, and he will start with questions and observations, non stop!

January 17, 2010 - The Shepherd's Heart Journal: The Witness

John 1: The Word Became Flesh!

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.

3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood[a] it.

6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.[b]

There are could several reasons why God created each of us, and all of us. There may be dozens perhaps hundreds. Since God is by nature infinite, His purposes in all that He does is probably beyond comprehension. But we can get a handle on His overall purpose or His main theme, so to speak. We can do that because we are His children, made in His image, with a basic, perhaps instinctive understanding of what He is doing and why He made us.

A child may not understand all that we do in our efforts to provide for them. but most children readily grasp the overall purpose of a mom or a dad. They will give you simple answers like “A mom is here to love me!” or “A dad is here to protect me!” Their answers would be brief, but surprisingly comprehensive.

I talked to someone lately about why God brings people into our lives, and what it is we long for from friends. I was given a quote from a movie. There was a depth to the statement that almost floored me. The movie statement was “I want someone to bear witness to who I am!” It is a broad theme of friendship and love.

Funerals are extremely unpleasant, but essential. They give the friends of the deceased an opportunity to fulfill this deep heart felt desire in every sentient creature to be remembered. We go to a funeral to bear witness to the impact of that person’s effect on our life. It is painful, but it is deeply desired by most, if not all. I know that I myself have considered this question: Have I made an impact at all on the lives of those around me? When the time comes for my funeral, will any one show up?

We are made in God’s image, so we can assume that God and we are alike in basic respects. The very fact that there is a Bible testifies to the desire of God to have people witness to what He is. The writer of John was bearing witness to who God is, by documenting the life of another John, the cousin of Jesus, and at the same time a prophet of Jesus, John the Baptist. (Pulease! No denominational jokes like “The greatest man in the eyes of Jesus was a Baptist!” to which another counters “Yes, but the Son of God Himself was a Nazarene!”

Jesus said of Himself that He was sent to bear witness of the Father. If the accounts of the Gospels are accurate, then we can believe that Jesus not only sought to constantly bear witness of the Father, but He also loved the Father. There is a correlation, or a tie between loving someone, and bearing witness to someone. Funerals are well attended if the deceased is well loved. We will stand for the reputation of someone if we love them.

God has had the desire from the beginning of time. Before he created a single star, or a drop of water, or a ray of light, or a speck of dust, he created massive, almost innumerable race of Angels, creatures made of celestial stone and light, invincible, indestructible, fearless, and completely aware, almost divinely aware. They woke up talking, sort of like my grandson Mathew gets up in the morning. Stand over the very still sleeping form of Mathew, so very quiet, and whisper his name “Mathew.” his eyes will pop open like toast pops out of a toaster! He looks up to see who said his name, and he gives a hearty greeting, “Grampy!” Count to three very quickly, 1-2-3, and he will start with questions and observations, non stop!

That is not! how I wake up! But I imagine it was like that with the angels. Loaded to the brim with curiosity, observations, and language, I suspect that God created angels one at a time, and fully briefed each one, before He went to the next one, so that He could use the older to help the younger. If that wasn’t the way He did it, I am trying to get a picture of a billion Mathew like beings popping their eyes open all at once. Well, God is not the Author of confusion!

That’s why you read the Scripture “When God laid the foundations of the Earth, The Sons of God shouted for joy!” The entire ancient lives of these heavenly beings are devoted to being the full time witnesses to what God can do.

That’s what the purpose of John the Baptist was. He was sent to bear witness of the divinity of his cousin Jesus. He knew it since he was a boy. He even sacrificed his life rather than be untrue to that witness. His last request was to His cousin, “Am I on track, cous?” (That’s a Mad Dog paraphrase!)

I have rearranged my entire life on the belief that God has called me to be a full time witness. I gave up my goal of playing music in bars. That was probably a good thing. I walked away from lifetime friendship with a beautiful musician, Valedictorian, who thought being a preacher was unwise. Then God brought into my life another beautiful woman, Valedictorian of the Class of Outstanding Character, who sought me out because I was going to be a preacher. (Why are incredible people attracted to me, people like you, for instance?) I have done this because I love that man who died on Calvary for me, and for you.

Why does God create an abundance of witnesses, angels, saints, believers? The reason is witnesses make it so much easier to believe. Faith is vital to survive. If you want to make it another day, you have to trust God. If you want to have eternal life, you have to have faith! If you want to make it to Heaven, you have to believe.

There are lost people all around us. They don’t know who they are. They don’t know where they are. They don’t know where they are going. They don’t know where they want to go. They don’t know who God is.

You could help them. You could go to them and tell them who you are. Don’t tell them what’s wrong with them. Don’t condemn them. Just tell what you have seen and heard and felt. You do love God. You believe He died on the Cross for you. Tell them that. Be a witness!

The Trinity

My friend Pastor Sharoon and I had a discussion on his page about the Trinity. I wrote a brief note of thoughts about the Trinity.

I am not certain if the word trinity is in the Bible, but it is a good word to describe the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus was not a ventriloquist when the Spirit came down in the form of a dove, and the Father said at the same time, "This is my Son in Whom I am well pleased."

If we do not understand the three fold nature of God, then we will not understand how the body can die, but the soul will live on, nor will we understand how the spirit without Christ is dead, but the soul without Christ will live in Hell forever.

Nor will we understand or believe that an Eternal God came to inhabit a newborn baby. To teach other than the Trinity is the Spirit of Anti Christ.

The Father and the Son are one, and I am one with Christ, yet I am Mike, and Jesus is Christ, and God is the Father.

Without the Trinity there is NO deference and humility. Yet those who observed Jesus said that Jesus the Son submitted to the will and the plan of the Father. They also observed that Jesus did not use His own power, but the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Without the Trinity God is manipulating the universe for His own benefit. 

Without the Trinity Jesus was just a good man, not eternal before, and robbed of eternal life afterwards. We will at best be bodiless spirits, or die forever, with no hope of heaven.

With the Trinity, God proved He can combine the infinite and the finite, the Spirit with the body, the infallible with the flawed.

With The Trinity, God proved His love when He sent His only begotten Son to live among men, and to die on the cross.