Yesterday’s interview went okay. I barely made it in on time. I almost didn’t give myself enough time. I made it to the counter in the records division at 8:07, and my interview was at 8:15. They didn’t come get me until just a minute or two after 8:15, so I had time to calm down and collect myself. I think the interview went okay, it was kind of hard to tell. They will be interviewing all day, today, as well, and will decide tonight who will move on to the next phase of the process.
There are also two other people taking the dispatch test at Richland Hills today, and if they pass (which they probably will), they will have three days to turn in their preliminary interview packet, so it will probably be early next week before we hear who keeps going in that process.
In the meantime, Christi has elected to go ahead with knee replacement surgery on her left knee. We met with a new doctor yesterday, and we both loved him. The surgery will take place on August 23.
So, on to the good stuff.
The Valley of Vision
RESURRECTION
O God of my Exodus,
Great was the joy if Israel’s sons,
when Egypt died upon the shore,
Far greater the joy
when the Redeemer’s foe lay crushed
in the dust.
Jesus strides forth as the victor,
conqueror of death, hell, and all opposing might;
He bursts the bands of death,
tramples the powers of darkness down,
and lives for ever.
He, my gracious surety,
apprehended for payment of my debt,
comes forth from the prison house of the grave
free, and triumphant over sin, Satan, and death.
Show me herein the proof that his vicarious offering is accepted,
that the claims of justice are satisfied,
that the devil’s scepter is shivered,
that his wrongful throne is leveled.
Give me the assurance that in Christ I died,
in him I rose,
in his life I live, in his victory I triumph,
in his ascension I shall be glorified.
Adorable Redeemer,
you who were lifted up upon a cross
are ascended to highest heaven.
You, who as Man of sorrows
were crowned with thorns,
are now as Lord of life wreathed with glory.
Once, no shame more deep than yours,
no agony more bitter,
no death more cruel.
Now, no exaltation more high,
no life more glorious,
no advocate more effective.
You are in the triumph car leading captive your enemies behind you.
What more could be done than you have done!
your death is my life,
your resurrection my peace,
your ascension my hope,
your prayers my comfort.
A Musician Looks At the Psalms, by Don Wyrtzen
PSALM 95:1-2,6-7
1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
This Psalm is almost an explosion of praise! The psalmist sings for joy, makes a joyful noise. He worships God, who provides safety and freedom. In verses not quoted here, he celebrates God’s creative nature; God who made the mountains and seas.
In Mr. Wyrtzen’s words, “In the tradition of Abraham and other spiritual forefathers, I am compelled to fall facedown before my Lord. Merely bowing or kneeling will just begin to express my heart’s adoration in the presence of such majesty. Yet He is also my tender Shepherd and desires to have intimacy with the people of His pasture.”
I must confess that I am not “facedown” often enough before my Father. Perhaps that will become a more frequent habit for me.
Matthew Henry Daily Readings
ROMANS 5:1
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
“A blessed change takes place in the sinner’s state when he becomes a true believer, whatever he has been. Being justified by faith he has peace with God. The holy, righteous God cannot be at peace with a sinner, while under the guilt of sin. Justification takes away the guilt, and so makes way for peace. This is through our Lord Jesus Christ; through him as the great Peace-maker, the Mediator between God and man. The saints’ happy state is a state of grace. Into this grace we are brought, which teaches that we were not born in this state. We could not have got into it of ourselves, but we are led into it, as pardoned offenders. Therein we stand, a posture that denotes perseverance; we stand firm and safe, upheld by the power of God, not borne down by the power of the enemy.”
That, my friends, is truly the GOOD NEWS!!
Tabletalk Magazine
1 TIMOTHY 2:5-6
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
“In sending His Son, the Father has shown us even more clearly that there is only one way of salvation and, therefore, only one God who is able to redeem creation. This is one of the points of today’s passage. Paul is saying to an audience living in a culture with may ‘ways of salvation’ that the practical application of monotheism is that the Father alone determines the means by which He is reconciled to sinners. His choice? The sending of His Son to reveal His grace and embody the one avenue of redemption (1 Tim. 2:5-6). Since God is the only God, He transcends all ethnic, national, and sociological barriers. There is to be no worrying about other means of salvation, for the one God offers a universal promise that all who come to Him through the one way, truth, and life will be redeemed. Those who affirm many ways of salvation really affirm the existence of many gods with many standards, which is foolish given that no other gods exist. The one God has revealed in the one Mediator the one way of salvation, and only the fool would seek redemption elsewhere.”
These are hard words. But they are true words. We live in a society (worldwide) that prefers to decide for itself how it can reach God. But God alone determines how he may be reached, and he has said that he can be reached only through Jesus Christ. There is only one road to God.
Father, I pray for success of the gospel in the world. The Good News is so very simple, yet we try to make it so complicated. We cannot be at peace with you in a sinful state, and the only way to get out of that sinful state is to become justified. The only way to get justified is through the blood of Jesus, which you graciously provided for any one who will believe. You have declared, Lord, that “whosoever believes in Him shall not perish.” You have given us Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life. And he has declare that no man comes to you except through him. Yet we continue to try to forge our own paths to you, just like the fools who attempted to build the Tower of Babel. I can’t help but wonder how much longer you will wait.
I also pray that you would forgive and correct all “preachers” who are falling prey to the “many roads to God” myth. There are many out there who claim to be preaching your word, yet they refuse to mention the blood of Jesus; they refuse to preach about sin; and they refuse to proclaim that Jesus is the only way to get to you. These men need to be either corrected or silenced. But they are drawing thousands to have their ears tickled. This is, of course, prophesied by Paul in 2 Timothy when he said, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
I thank you that I have peace with you through the justification of Jesus Christ! That is the best news ever written! Help me to know that peace in my every day life. I have gotten myself so worked up through things lately, that I have lost sight of that peace. But your peace has never left me. I just need to let it wash over me right now, Father.
Inspire me to get on my face more often before you. My devotion to you is there, but I feel it could be more intense, more intimate, more serious. I need to stop being so casual with you, Lord.
As in the Puritan prayer, Jesus, your death is my life, your resurrection my peace, your ascension my hope, and your prayers my comfort!
Prayers from the Presidential Prayer Team:
HEALTH CARE
Keeping the heart fit and strong can slow down the ageing of one’s brain, researchers at Boston University have found.
People with sluggish hearts that pumped less blood had “older” shrinking brains on scans than others.
Nearly 90% of adults consume more salt than U.S. dietary guidelines recommend, causing federal officials to consider
making those guidelines tougher to follow for producers of packaged foods.
Pray about improvements to your own health and safety.
Hmmm….great. Now they’re going to tell us how much salt we can eat.
Let the peace of God reign in your life today.
Grace and peace, friends.
Spaces of Beauty, Grace, Prayer, and Mercy 