Lord take delight in me!

SABBATH SCRIPTURE
She came unto the king no more, except the king delight in her, and that she were called by name. Esther 2:14


SABBATH REFLECTION
Jesus call us to serve Him, all believers have an assignment to reveal to others kingdom space. We are to live in a manner others will want to be a part of God’s wonderful kingdom. Jesus sometimes has special assignments to be carried out in His name; He than looks to His disciples to determine whom He will use. This scripture from the story of Esther which tells us the young girls seeking to be queen only had one night with the king and if he didn’t find delight in her and called her by name she came unto the king no more. It would break my heart if I didn’t please my King, Jesus and He never again called me to an assignment or took away my gifts because He no longer took delight in me. The difference in Jesus and the king of Persia is Jesus will give me another chance; He does not give up on me after one try. Even though Jesus does not give up on us if we do not bring Him delight after one try He expects us to strive to bring delight and glory to His name. How do we bring delight to our Lord, let us look back at the pages of time and find examples of those whom the Lord took delight. David the second King of Israel was not perfect, but the Lord took delight in him, called him the apple of His eye. David learned if he repented from his sins, God would again find favor with Him. Repentance is essential to our relationship with Christ and necessary to claim the Lord has delighted in me. Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” 2 Samuel 12:13 “Have mercy on me, O God because of Your unfailing love. Because of Your great compassion blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion it haunts me day and night. Psalm 51:1-3 Repentance is more than confession; it is a change of mind, a commitment to live differently with a new attitude.

Not only must we live in repentance of our sins, we must be obedient to the Lord as was Noah. When God gave Noah instructions to build an ark, He did so without hesitation. I believe God called upon Noah because He delighted in him. He found Noah to be righteous, and blameless. Noah arrived at this place with God because he remained in closed fellowship with Him, therefore when God called upon him he was immediately obedient. Noah gives us a clear roadmap to delighting God; righteous living, fellowship with God and obedience. “So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.” Genesis 6:22As a result Noah and his family were blessed to be the only family alive following the flood. God trusted Noah with two huge assignments, to build the ark and to carry on the human race.

To delight the Lord we must follow the example of Mary of Bethany, who put aside worldly issues to set at the feet of Jesus to learn of Him. We must seek our King; learn from Him that we may know Him
Mary’s desire to delight the Lord resulted in God choosing her to anoint the Savior, what a blessing and what a memorial to leave for us. “Her sister Mary sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what He taught.” Luke 10: 39 God commands us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. Matthew 6:33 God knows each of us by name and He desires to delight in us, but will not force Himself on us He desires not only for us to have an attitude of repentance, and obedience, seeking Him above all else He delights in us when we put on the garments of Christ, love our neighbors and open our hearts and spirits to His will.

DEEPER PERSONAL REFLECTION
Please STOP- bear with me today go back and read the anchor scripture again, slowly and then read it again replacing your name where there are pronouns. What are your thoughts?

DEEPER PERSONAL STUDY
Psalm 51
Genesis 6
John 12:1-7

As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. Psalm 16:3

but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:24 -

But now, this is what the Lord says-- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1

I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. Isaiah 45:3

PRAYER OF THE HEART
Most gracious Lord, upon Your holy name I call asking forgiveness of my sins, Merciful God cleanse me from all my guilt, purify me from my sin, grant me a clean heart and renew in me a loyal spirit. Lord it is my heart desire to know You, when I seek You O Lord please reveal Yourself and guide me to true repentance, and obedience. Lord I thank you because You are a Just God forgiving me of my wrongdoings when I confess them to You. Lord please never forget my name and take delight in me, knowing it is the ultimate will of my soul to serve You. In the name of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus The Christ, I pray. Amen


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Sabbath Rest- Believe

SABBATH SCRIPTURE
So they rushed back from the tomb to tell His eleven disciples-and everyone else-what had happened. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the Mother of James and several other women who told the apostles what had happened.
But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. Luke 24: 9-11

SABBATH REFLECTION
It sounds like nonsense, it’s absolutely crazy, and it makes no sense. It is just a story created by man because people need something to believe in order to live life. If the disciples who had been with Jesus, actually were eyewitness to healings, changed lives, the transfiguration, Jesus turning water to wine, stilling the waves, giving the dead life and Jesus own testimony He would be raised from death to life after three days didn’t believe such nonsense how in the world am I going to get those who cross my path and a few in my inner circle to believe when I have never even seen this man Jesus, whom I call Savior?

BELIEVE

*BOLD- I must be bold and confident in my belief. I must walk out my belief, bringing honor to God with my life, allowing my life to bring forth good fruit. Living to bring Him glory and to be a witness that all I am and all I do which is good is because Christ lives in me. “For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ. Philippians 1:20a My bold confidence is evidence it was not nonsense.

*EVIDENCE- I must have evidence- Peter didn’t believe but something in him made him want to check out the story. "However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings." Luke: 24:12.
Before Christ my life was filled with sin, junk, dirt, wickedness, and all kinds of wrongdoings, I was dead. Jesus poured out His blood on the cross and God took His work and emptied me of my sin and put in me the desire to
live righteously. Now when you look closely at my life you will see the linen wrappings of sinfulness is empty. My life is evidence, the tomb was empty.

*LIGHT-I must have a heart flooded with light. I must continually be the light of Christ, reflecting His light that others will see and know there must be a God in me molding and shaping me. “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called-His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance.” Ephesians 1:18 My heart reflects an empty tomb.

*IDENTITY- I must have an identity. Christ has identified me as His own. “And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago.” Ephesians 1:13. The Holy Spirit living in me is additional evidence, it was not nonsense.

*EXPLAINING- I must be ready at all times to explain this Christian life. I must always be ready to explain in a gentle and respectful way why
I choose to live a life which worships Christ as Lord. I must stay focused on living a life in which I will have a clear conscience, and then if others speak against me they will be ashamed when they see what a good life I live because I belong to Christ. 1 Peter 3:15-16 (Paraphrased) I couldn’t belong to Christ if He had not died on the cross.

*VALUE- I must value knowing Christ. When I value knowing Christ and my life reflect intimacy with Him and true knowledge of Him, others must look at me and wonder what is happening. She cares naught about the offerings of the world, only the offerings of Christ. “I once thought these things were valuable, but now consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with Him. “Philippians 3: 7-9a He is the resurrection, He raised me with Him to a new life.

*EARNESTLY- I must earnestly seek after God, that I might find Him. If I am not earnestly seeking God with all my heart and soul, I can not require another to seek Him or even desire to know Him or His beloved Son. “Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. They earnestly sought after God, and they found Him. 2 Chronicles 15:12, 15b. The tomb was empty, He was raised by the power of God on the third day and He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on my behalf. I know this because God has revealed it to me.

SABBATH PRAYER
Father God, Heavenly Father, I believe, help me to plant the seed that those who cross my path and those in my inner circle who have chosen not to believe will come to believe by my life which Christ is living through me. Lord God let me bold in my Christian walk, reflecting the light of Christ daily. Help me to show how much I value Christ Jesus by living as a true daughter always ready and able to explain my belief.
Let my life be evidence to all because I have been seal with the Holy Spirit and given identity in You. Father God may I earnestly seek you with all my heart and soul every day I am gifted. By the power of the Holy Spirit and in the glorious name Of Jesus I pray. Amen

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It is Finished

SABBATH SCRIPTURE
Jesus said, “It is finished.” Then He bowed His head and released His Spirit. John 19: 30

SABBATH REFLECTION
Jesus life was not taken, it was freely given. He gave it for you and me. “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” Romans 5:6

Jesus fulfilled God’s plan for salvation. He became the sacrificial lamb, meeting all God’s standards for sacrificial offerings. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, 1Peter 1:18-20

We all have been taught and know the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23
And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. John 17:3

God so loved us He gave His one and only son, the Christ; Jesus so loved the Father He was made us His passion by becoming obedient even unto death. What can we do to repay this debt? All we can offer back to God is a heart of gratitude, wrapped in obedience. So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:1-2


SABBATH PRAYER
Lord my heart is overflowing with love for you because You have loved me so completely. You gave me Your very best gift, Your very own Son. He went through an agonizing death so I could be reconciled to You. He brought me fellowship, He brought me intimacy. He gave His all for me. Lord my pitiful thank you is not enough, so I ask You to fill me with Thy Holy Spirit to lead me to giving all of my body to You, a living and holy sacrifice. Father God help me to fully embrace all You have done for me by being obedient to Your every command as Christ my Lord my Savior, my Redeemer has model for me. In Jesus magnificent and awesome name I give praise, worship and offer this prayer. Amen

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Spiritual Sunday-Lift Him Up

SABBATH SCRIPTURE
“Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven”! But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” He replied, If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”
Luke 19:38-40

SABBATH REFLECTION
He is our King, let us rejoice, and let us lift joyful voices in praise to His holy name. Praise Him with the highest praise and give glory to His name. He is our Savior. He left heaven for us. He is worthy of our praise. He carried the shame of the cross for us. He was ridiculed, mocked, and brutally beaten for us. He took on every sin, every disease, unkindness, lie, rebellion, every transgression, and all of our iniquities. He bore the cup of suffering for us; a cup filled and over flowing. We became His passion.


GO DEEPER
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God Romans 8:10

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21

For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. Romans 3:25

SABBATH PRAISE
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find
protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold. Psalm 18:2

Praise the Lord; praise God our SAVIOR! For each day he carries us in his arms. Psalm 68:19

SABBATH PRAYER
Most Holy One to your name we give all praise, glory and honor. You O Lord are worthy of our praise. Lord God never do we want the stones of the earth to lift their voices in praise of You because we fail to give You the glory and honor due You Majestic name. We lift up Your name, the One who said If I be lifted up I’ll draw all men unto me. Thank You Lord Jesus for drawing us into You. Thank You for making us Your passion, may we daily seek to make You our passion by living as true children of the King of Glory, Who is the King of glory? The LORD Almighty – he is the King of glory. Jesus in Your Saving Name we pray. Amen


DON’T LET THE ROCKS CRY OUR FOR YOU!

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