Jun
7

The Three R’s

jcannon on June 7th, 2013
The Three R’s
No matter how things seem in your life- God is Still all about rescue, redeem and restore.
 So remember the 3 R’s today and thank Him for His goodness and greatness. For they are Bigger than whatever is before you or behind.
Psalm 124
God the Protector of His People
1 What if the Lord had not been on our side?  Answer, O Israel!
2 “If the Lord had not been on our side when our enemies attacked us,
3 then they would have swallowed us alive in their furious anger against us;
4 then the flood would have carried us away, the water would have covered us,
5     the raging torrent would have drowned us.”
6 Let us thank the Lord,  who has not let our enemies destroy us.
7 We have escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap;
    the trap is broken, and we are free!
8 Our help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.
RESCUE Is God’s Plan
On the day Adam and Eve fell from grace, they ran off and hid in the bushes. And God came looking for them. He called to Adam, “Where are you?” (Gen. 3:9). Thus began the long and painful story of God’s pursuit of mankind. Though we betrayed him and fell into the hands of the Evil One, God did not abandon us. Even a quick read of the Old Testament would be enough to convince you that rescue is God’s plan. First with Noah, then with Abraham, and then with the nation Israel, you see God looking for a people who will turn to him from the heart, be his intimate allies once more.
The dramatic archetype is the Exodus, where God goes to war against the Egyptian taskmasters to set his captive people free.
Four hundred years they have languished in a life of despair. Suddenly—blood. Hail. Locusts. Darkness. Death. Plague after plague descends on Egypt like the blows of some unrelenting ax. Pharaoh releases his grip, but only for a moment. The fleeing slaves are pinned against the Red Sea when Egypt makes a last charge, hurtling down on them in chariots. God drowns those soldiers in the sea, every last one of them. Standing in shock and joy on the opposite shore, the Hebrews proclaim, “The LORD is a warrior” (Ex. 15:3). God is a warrior. He has come to rescue us.
An excerpt from
Epic- by John Eldredge
So….No matter what you have or haven’t done, give it to Jesus-
1 Peter 5:7
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Psalm 55:22
Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
Peace,  Jonathan
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Apr
25

UNDERMINED!

jcannon on April 25th, 2013

Undermined

I drove by a school this morning and saw this on the sign out front-
UNDERMINE- To weaken, sabotage
And the Spirit said, “that’s it!  … That’s what the thief does!”
I immediately thought of the message The Lord gave me just over a year ago based on the following verse.

John 10:10
10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
I then went to the dictionary and found this….
Undermine- Def.
 to impair, weaken, or destroy (health, morale, etc.) by imperceptible stages
Then I had this thought… “Who do we fight against?”
Ephesians 6:12
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Looking at the definition, the last phrase jumped out at me- “by imperceptible stages”.
Imperceptible-  very slight, gradual or subtle.
So, lets pull this together!  We know there is a thief bent on our destruction. Jesus said he- the thief, has come to steal, kill and destroy.  He has come to Undermine what Jesus came to do- to give us a rich and satisfying life.  In essence, His kingdom of LIFE.
Jesus comes sowing seeds of life- TRUTH into our tilled hearts and then the thief comes to undermine Christ’s work in us by sowing LIES that are bent on stealing, killing and destroying life in us.
Our enemy comes to sow seeds of doubt, fear, unbelief… Casting question marks in our hearts about Gods goodness, faithfulness and love. For example.. “If God is so loving, why would he allow this to happen to me?”
Any good relationship is based on trust.   Without trust there cannot be relationship. The more the thief can undermine Gods trustworthiness in our hearts, the less we will trust God with our lives.
This leads to a false life of control. I call it a “False Life” because a life made by our own doing is not Real Life and pales in comparison to the Life Jesus came to give us.
So we settle for a self-made life based on a lie which lead us to fear that God can’t be trusted. Then, when the lie takes root in our hearts it produces fear.  The fruit of fear is control and self protection.  This leads to death of the relationship.
It is a vicious cycle!!
Jesus said….
John 15:5
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:9
“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.”
TRUST=ABIDE=LIFE
FEAR=CONTROL=DEATH
Colossians 1:27
27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Mark 8:36-37
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Proverbs 14:12
12 There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.
Luke 17:33
If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.
Abundant Life or a False Life
The choice is yours!  Choose wisely.
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Feb
25

The Cutting Edge Of Faith

jcannon on February 25th, 2013
Men..
It is in our nature to act.. To take control and make things happen. This makes a ton of sense to our masculine natures. God created us for action!
 So, the million dollar question becomes- When is my action to be taking the bull by the horns and when is it to be a work of faith and stillness?
Your reply.. ” C’mon Jonathan! You know the Bible says, ” faith without works is dead”! “
Funny, I knew that would be your response. :-)
 I know you can make a strong and compelling argument for your game-plan.  I have done it many times with results that were not pretty and quite painful.  Please hear me loud and clear…. The path of sorrows is lined with good intentions!
Proverbs 14:12
12 There is a path before each person that seems right,
    but it ends in death.
Taking the proverbial “Bull by the horns” is scary no doubt.  But, I believe the hardest action for us to take is that of faith and stillness.  It is so counter-intuitive to reason.
The old “Bull” can seem like a real stretch to us, like we are really taking risks. The truth is- you are but it seems like a natural progression to you. One you can “get your head around!”
Now, taking the path of faith and stillness seems down right ludicrous in comparison.  Choosing to be still before The Lord is just as much action and a much higher work than the “path of the bull”.
It is truly “Living On The Edge!”
So, I challenge you to take the path of faith and stillness.  To learn to wait upon The Lord.
More food for thought….
Psalm 37:7-8
7 Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
    do not fret—it leads only to evil.
He that can have Patience, can have what he will- Benjamin Franklin
All things come to him who waits – provided he knows what he is waiting for. -Woodrow T. Wilson
Isaiah 40:30-33 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Psalm 37:9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,  but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
Psalm 37:34  Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
Psalm 130:5-6 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.
“Stand still” – keep the posture of an upright man, ready for action, expecting further orders, cheerfully and patiently awaiting the directing voice; and it will not be long ere God shall say to you, as distinctly as Moses said it to the people of Israel, “Go forward.”
If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes. The Lord’s people have always been a waiting people- Charles Spurgeon
I close with this from Streams In The Desert.
Faithful in waiting, Jonathan
Shut Up To Faith
“Shut up to faith” (Gal. 3:23).
God, in olden time suffered man to be kept in ward by the law that he might learn the more excellent way of faith. For by the law he would see God’s holy standard and by the law he would see his own utter helplessness; then he would be glad to learn God’s way of faith.
God still shuts us up to faith. Our natures, our circumstances, trials, disappointments, all serve to shut us up and keep us in ward till we see that the only way out is God’s way of faith. Moses tried by self-effort, by personal influence, even by violence, to bring about the deliverance of his people. God had to shut him up forty years in the wilderness before he was prepared for God’s work.
Paul and Silas were bidden of God to preach the Gospel in Europe. They landed and proceeded to Philippi. They were flogged, they were shut up in prison, their feet were put fast in the stocks. They were shut up to faith. They trusted God. They sang praises to Him in the darkest hour, and God wrought deliverance and salvation.
John was banished to the Isle of Patmos. He was shut up to faith. Had he not been so shut up, he would never have seen such glorious visions of God.
Dear reader, are you in some great trouble? Have you had some great disappointment, have you met some sorrow, some unspeakable loss? Are you in a hard place? Cheer up! You are shut up to faith. Take your trouble the right way. Commit it to God. Praise Him that He maketh “all things work together for good,” and that “God worketh for him that waiteth for him.” There will be blessings, help and revelations of God that will come to you that never could otherwise have come; and many besides yourself will receive great light and blessing because you were shut up to faith.
–C. H. P
***
“Great things are done when men and mountains meet,
These are not done by jostling in the street.”

 

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Feb
18

NEWS

jcannon on February 18th, 2013

People ask me all the time about current news…. “Did you hear about the people on the cruise ship?” Or any number of sensational stories out there.  It seems that we can waste so much time filling our minds with useless and harmful information

I am very intentional about what I watch and listen to. Not to mention .. Who I listen to.
I was talking to an old friend today  and somehow the topic of news came up. I told him
“I have enough bad news inside me already that I did not need to add any more by watching or reading the news. “
You may think my stance a bit Neanderthal.   I’m ok with that.
I believe we need as much good news as we can get. But it seems that good news does not sell papers or television.
Does this seem wrong to anyone else!?
In  Philippians 4, Paul says it so well
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Yes. We must be very intentional in how we live.
Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Ephesians 5:15-21
15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like ignorant people, but like wise people. 16 Make good use of every opportunity you have, because these are evil days. 17 Don’t be fools, then, but try to find out what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with the words of psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing hymns and psalms to the Lord with praise in your hearts. 20 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, always give thanks for everything to God the Father. 21 Submit yourselves to one another because of your reverence for Christ.
In closing, there is news that was heralded over 2,000 years ago and still rings true today!
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Refrain
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Refrain
Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Refrain
Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.
Refrain
Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
– words by Charles Wesley
– music by Felix Mendelssohn
Now! That’s news worth my time and attention!!
And that’s the good news for today!
This is Jonathan Cannon, Good Day
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Dec
12

Whatever Befalls You…Remember This!

jcannon on December 12th, 2012

Whatever Befalls You…Remember This!

When times are good and The Lord draweth near, could it be that the times of closeness are preparing you for a desert storm? A storm that drives you seemingly far off course? If this be your current lot in life, hold fast and keep it simple saint.

Child-like faith will see you through. Simply trust n rest is the only way to make it through the storms melee.

I pray The Lord will use these verses and encourage your soul today! – JC

1 Thessalonians 5
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

“In fierce storms,” said an old seaman, “we must do one thing; there is only one way: we must put the ship in a certain position and keep her there.”

This, Christian, is what you must do. Sometimes, like Paul, you can see neither sun nor stars, and no small tempest lies on you; and then you can do but one thing; there is only one way.

Reason cannot help you; past experiences give you no light. Even prayer fetches no consolation. Only a single course is left. You must put your soul in one position and keep it there.

You must stay upon the Lord; and come what may–winds, waves, cross-seas, thunder, lightning, frowning rocks, roaring breakers–no matter what, you must lash yourself to the helm, and hold fast your confidence in God’s faithfulness, His covenant engagement, His everlasting love in Christ Jesus. –Richard Fuller

1 Corinthians 1:8-9

8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 43:5
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again–my Savior and my God!

Psalm 103:2
Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me.

Psalm 9:9-10
9 The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.

Psalm 61:1-4
Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

Psalm 62:1-2
My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Psalm 91:14-16
Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.

In closing…Remember this- No matter how bad life may be- how silent The Lord may seem- how painful waiting is- how impossible the odds are …… Keep looking up! Peace. Jonathan

Keep looking up–
The waves that roar around thy feet,
Jehovah-Jireh will defeat
When looking up.

“Keep looking up–
Though darkness seems to wrap thy soul;
The Light of Light shall fill thy soul
When looking up.

“Keep looking up–
When worn, distracted with the fight;
Your Captain gives you conquering might
When you look up.”

Author Unknown

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