trusted online casino malaysia
Realizing the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God.

John Nunnikhoven

John Nunnikhoven is a member of The Fellowship of Ailbe and has begun working toward what, Lord willing, will become a re-awakening of the Church as a body directed into living the Kingdom in the here and now as it awaits the yet to come.
Books by John Nunnikhoven

Psalm 45:1-2

May 29, 2013

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah; a love song. My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.

O, Lord, that I would be consumed with the vision of your glory and beauty, that the Spirit would build a fire in my heart and a passion in my soul.

Today's readings in the Psalms:

Morning: Psalm 75

Mid-day: 119:41-48

Evening: Psalm 1

Voices Together is available as an annual daily devotional and can be purchased at the Fellowship Of Ailbe bookstore.

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Finally, all is complete. Shalom has been restored. The Creation has been cleansed of the effects of that fateful action on the part of Adam and Eve. Nothing left which defiles or is detestable. The beauty of God is on display for all to see and to respond in praise.

Today's readings in the Psalms:

Morning: Psalm 74

Mid-day: 119:33-40

Evening: Psalm 150

Voices Together is available as an annual daily devotional and can be purchased at the Fellowship Of Ailbe bookstore.



And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.

What an opulent and magnificent display of the most beautiful jewels in creation. Yet I am sure that I will say that John's description falls far short of reality when I am there. Human words cannot express anything that comes at all close to describing God's glory and the City of God is the physical expression of that glory.

Today's readings in the Psalms:

Morning: Psalm 73

Mid-day: 119:25-32

Evening: Psalm 149

Voices Together is available as an annual daily devotional and can be purchased at the Fellowship Of Ailbe bookstore.

The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Thousands of pieces of gold and silver? What do I do with that pile? Sit and pick up each piece and study it, to put down and pick up the next piece. How much more to take each Word from Your Mouth and study it, let it become part of the fabric of my soul; to savor, to taste and see the the Lord is good through the beauty and never ending variety that is in each Word. O, for eternity to be able to browse through the the never ending Library of God.

The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts; their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law.

What a contrast, Lord, the heart that cannot feel vs. the heart that is filled with delight and joy. The result is that the lies of the Father of Lies have no impact on me for I am focused on keeping Your precepts and living my life accordingly.

It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.

You discipline those whom You love in order that they will learn that You are the source of all goodness and blessings; that there is no joy except in You.

You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.

As with love, I cannot know goodness until I know and experience Your goodness. The principles of Your goodness are spelled out for me in Your statutes and understanding of these statutes comes through the tutelage of Your Holy Spirit. You have given me a teachable and transformable heart. Thank You, LORD, God Almighty.

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.

Lord, I was living out of pride and self-sufficiency and it led to a life of sin and corruption. Now that You have led me to the foot of the Cross, slowly transforming me into Your image, I love to obey Your Word, it is my guide to life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.

I believe--I trust in Your commandments--I am committed to obeying You Commandments. Use Your Commandments to teach me good judgment , to inform my common sense, to impart wisdom to me, to conform my conscience to Your Will and to create You image in me.

You have dealt well with your servant, O LORD, according to your word.

There must never be a shadow of doubt in my mind that the Lord has not treated me fairly. He is faithful and true in all things; I must always be prepared to acknowledge that any misunderstanding of this truth is due to a lack of understanding on my part.

 

You have dealt well with your servant, O LORD, according to your word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. You are good and do good; teach me your statutes. The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts; their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law. It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Lord, my prayer this morning is not that I would be kept from trials, temptations and persecution but that I would be strong in my witness to You. As I read in James 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” I find my spirit longing for that state of completion and perfection. I know that I cannot reach it in its entirety until I become a new man in You, but, Lord, carry me through the work of Your Holy Spirit towards that precious goal—to be perfect and complete in You.

Psalm 119:136

May 26, 2013

My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.

Lord, it is a source of grief that Your people do not keep Your Law; that each is a law unto himself. Help me, Lord, to preach and teach to Your people, that the sinner's prayer is not life in the Kingdom but only the entry.

Today's readings in the Psalms:

Morning: Psalm 72

Mid-day: 119:17-24

Evening: Psalm 148

Voices Together is available as an annual daily devotional and can be purchased at the Fellowship Of Ailbe bookstore.

Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed—on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

I am intrigued by the use of “jasper” as a descriptive since that gemstone is opaque but shows great variety in coloration and appearance. It takes a high polish producing fascinating settings often described as picture jasper. While I do not understand clear, the thought of a city built of jasper portrays an exceeding beautiful structure of infinite variety. What a glorious city to contain the center and object of my worship.

Today's readings in the Psalms:

Morning: Psalm 71

Mid-day: 119:9-16

Evening: Psalm 147

Voices Together is available as an annual daily devotional and can be purchased at the Fellowship Of Ailbe bookstore.

Subscribe to Ailbe Newsletters

Sign up to receive our email newsletters and read columns about revival, renewal, and awakening built upon prayer, sharing, and mutual edification.