Time part 6

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“a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to keep from embracing.” Ecclesiastes 3:5 (NIV)

            Solomon speaks here of God’s actions. He broke apart the Hebrew nation scattering the 12 tribes of Israel and, at the same time keeping into two kingdoms. One of those tribes survived and even that tribe was scattered for several generations. In May 1948, Jewish people, returning to the “homeland,” created the modern state of Israel.

            When Christ Jesus returns to earth, He will gather His people back into the New Jerusalem.

            As God’s children, we receive instruction to love one another, even our neighbors, as much as we love ourselves. We sometimes show that love by hugging or embracing one another. However, there are times we are not to show our agape love in this way. We commit to pray for them. Often, we may have to perform some type of work for another—snow removal, raking leaves, washing windows, washing dishes, or cooking a meal. We still have love but it is a working love.

            

The Spirit of the LORD

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“Now the LORD is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is freedom.”

2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)

            This verse used to appear on the front page of our capital city’s newspaper. It always intrigued me how these words applied to the newspaper.

            When we give our hearts to Jesus and ask Him to guide our lives, we accept His Spirit into our hearts to help us as we travel through this thing called life. This Spirit is the third person of the trinity—the Holy Spirit.

            Now, the passage tells us that when the Spirit of God is present we experience freedom. Have you ever wondered what kind of freedom we have in our 21st Century world?

            In the United States, we have the freedoms pertaining to:

             Freedoms, Petitions, Assembly
             Right to bear arms
             Quartering of soldiers
              Search and arrest
              Rights in criminal cases
               Right to a fair trial
               Rights in civil cases
               Bail, fines, punishment
               Rights retained by the People
                States' rights (1)

The above list is THE list of the first ten amendments to our Constitution. We are facing times when these basic freedoms are at stake of being lost to the people.Even with our civic freedoms slowly eroding, we still have freedom in Christ. 

            Thomas Jefferson stated in the Declaration of Independence that; “All men are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

           

            On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech to an audience at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania dedicating the cemetery there. “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” ⁽²⁾

1. http://www.ushistory.org/documents/amendments.htm (accessed July 20, 2016)

2.         Hppt://www.d.umn.edu~rmaclin/Gettysburg-address.html (accessed July 8, 2016)

Book Review: Grieving the Loss of a Loved One

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            This volume carries a subtitle describing its purpose: A Devotional of Comfort as You Mourn. The author, Kathe Wunnenberg, gives the reader encouragement and understanding as she shares about the grief process. One she has experienced several times.

            One thing Ms. Wunnenberg included was a listing of readings for special days-the holidays, special events, birthdays and anniversary, and some specific readings for men and children who grieve, and helping others cope. I liked this feature of her book.

           

            Ms. Wunnenberg penned 52 devotional readings. The reader can either go straight through them, using one each day or “take a slower pace and meditate on one devotion each week for the next year.” (1)

            I benefitted from reading this book. I would recommend it to those who minister to those suffer loss by losing a loved one to death.

            I received this book from Booklook Bloggers program of Harper Collins publishers via Zondervan. All they asked of me was an impartial review.     

           

1.)   Found on page xi.