BLESSINGS
The month of November is coming to an end today, thanks and blessings no longer of concern. When we think of the month of November, Thanksgiving Day is our first thought. If you do any kind of craft, thanksgiving and blessings are the themes for November. Yet, it is so short lived, if lived at all. Most will relate Thanksgiving Day as the count down for Black Friday madness.  That is all we hear for weeks prior to this day of thanks;  "Get ready, you'll save big here!"  
     The true blessing and the big save is not found in any department store, but in the blood of Jesus. Thanksgiving is found in the love that was shed on the cross for you and I.  Everyday, I am so thankful for what Christ did for me. I live today and for everyday with no end, because He died for me. That is where true thanksgiving comes from. Let not the month of thanks end in our hearts, but may it continue everyday, all year around, thanking Jesus for what He did for you and I. True thanks will come when you begin to read His word and dwell on the passages of salvation. Here are a few to being with; John 5:24, 10:28, 3:16, 6:37, 1 John 5:13, 5:11-13, Romans 10:13, Eph. 2:8-9. 
Thank you Lord for what you did for me. Thank you for the many blessings that You bless me with daily.  May I never let a day go by without thanking you. Oh, how blessed I am. Psalm 107:1  "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

BEING USED

For the past week, my heart has been stirred with the desire to be used by God.  All I want is to serve Him deeper, with more intensity in whatever capacity He has for me. 
This request is one that is more than how I am serving presently. Oh, I teach bible study, help with the power point and pitch in when needed, but I want more. I want to serve deeper. In searching and seeking God with this desire, as always, He is so faithful to answer! As I have cried out asking to be used by, for and of Him, He showed me a passage this morning that is the beginning of my request's journey. 
In 2 Tim. 2:20-21, God showed me that to begin my deeper journey, there is preparation that needs to take place. Verse 21 says, "If a man cleanses (sanctifies, sets apart, purges) himself from the latter, (ignoble purposes) he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." That's my desire, to be useful to the Master, but there is a process to fulfill my desire. 
The word sanctify means to set-apart and in this case, set apart from the worlds thoughts, ways, ungodliness, purged of all unrighteousness so that purification will prevail for the Masters use. Paul was making a point that there were those in the church that were causing corruption and infecting as well affecting the truth. We are all vessels of some sort and the reference in verse 20 is vessels of gold and silver, wood and clay, noble and ignoble. The gold and silver vessels were set apart to be used to serve the master of the home, the wood and clay for lesser uses, common, inferior. Scripture tells us we are to be emptied of self, worldliness, corruption, evil, and etc. and to be filled with goodness, truth, His Word, godliness, purity, faith, wisdom, knowledge and etc. The latter for God's purposes. 
So, the process of cleansing my undesirables must begin in my heart so that things that God desires can take its place. I want to be pleasing and acceptable to the Lord, to be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy and useful to the Master and prepared to do His work. 
Lord, my prayer today is Psalms 51, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Oh Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare Your praise...."  Use me Lord, here am I.   Click below and hear the desire of my heart. http://youtu.be/0IvXA0yRDwY
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