HE IS WITH US (and Blog Break)

 

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Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.” Matthew 1:23 Isaiah 7:14 (NRSV)

Do we understand the significance of the angel’s message? This message refers to a prophecy of Isaiah some 4oo years earlier. God is with us!

Even today, we see evidence of God’s presence in our world. The end of November 2017, I received a prayer request from my best friend. Her husband’s nephew had called and asked her to pray for his new-born granddaughter. The baby was born with three heart abnormalities.

The medical team waited for almost a week before performing surgery. In the meantime, several of us were praying. I requested prayer from one of my social media friends and from an online social media prayer group. This family needed to see God’s working in this circumstance. On the day I prepared this. My friend texted me a picture of the baby being held by her 3-year-old sister. She seems to have no tubes for breathing or feeding or heart monitor leads. We believed that this baby will go home very soon. God was with them throughout this past year.

UPDATE: In the fall of 2022, my friend and her husband along with their younger daughter journeyed out west and visited this nephew and his family. The little girl told my friend’s husband that she has a zipper on her chest. He told her that he has a zipper as well. The child is doing very well.

In the early part of our nation, there were people who believed that God created the world and chose to stand back and see what we would do. However, this is not the way the modern theologians teach. Those of us who have witnessed His workings know that God chooses to stand beside us in the good times and in the not-so-good times and guides us through those less than good times.

As we continue in our walk with God, let us learn to seek God in our lives and let Him lead us through the difficult times of our lives.

May this thought continue as we approach the upcoming New Year.

I am going to take a blog break until Tuesday, January 3, 2023. There are some things I need to get done here at home and also finish a bit of Christmas shopping,

Pledges

node01flagstat.net

 I gave this message at church this past Sunday.  I didn't realize that some of this information was new to some of the adults. 

Children’s Moments Message

September 25, 2022

I have been thinking about promises lately, sometimes we call them pledges. A pledge is a sincere promise we make. We make one to our nation’s flag, another one to the Bible, and one to the Christian flag.

In all three pledges, we promise to be loyal to each of these.

Pledge to the American flag

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which is stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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Pledge to the Bible

I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word. A lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. It’s words I will hide in my heart, that I might not sin against God. ⁽¹⁾

node01flagstat.net

Pledge to the Christian flag

I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag and to the Savior for whose Kingdom it stands, one Savior, crucified, risen again, and coming again with life and liberty to all who believe. ⁽²⁾

We have those items in our sanctuary here at Cross Roads. I discovered something I did not know about the Christian flag. I knew there is a cross in a blue section, and the rest of the flag is white. Here’s what I learned:

#The shade of red in the Cross reminds us of Jesus’ blood that He shed because He took our sins away.

#The blue reminds us of the water of baptism. It also reminds us of Jesus’ loyalty to God.

#The white reminds us of Jesus’ purity. He was without sin until He went to the Cross for us. ⁽³⁾

^{________________________}

^1.http://www.ccabrazil.org/uploads /4/3/5/9/4359809/christian_flag__bible_pledges.pdf

2. IBID.

3. http://en.wikiepedia.org/Christian _Flag#:-text=The Christian Flag was first to arrive for the event/

God Bless America

If you feel compelled to sing along. Feel free to. This brought tears to my eyes.

God bless America, land that I love
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with the light from above

From the mountains to the prairies
To the oceans white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home

God bless America, land that I love
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with the light from above

From the mountains to the prairies
To the oceans white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home

From the mountains to the prairies
To the oceans white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home
God bless America, my home sweet home

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Irving Berlin

Joy Inexpressible

 

www/joyconcerts.com

 

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9 (NKJV)        

 

Believers have times of grief due to trials entering their lives. Knowing Jesus does not make us exempt from the hurts of our earthly life.

 

However, the apostle Peter tells us because of the realness of our faith, being more valuable than gold, we will receive God’s praise (commendation or approval), honor (possibly crowns at the judgment seat of Christ) and glory (a precious, enduring, and genuine faith) because of our suffering.

Like Peter’s readers, we have not actually seen Jesus. However, we rejoice with a joy we cannot describe to anyone else.

 

Prayer: Father God; We thank You for our salvation, for your guidance through our days. We thank You that, when we see You, you will honor us with various crowns for our faith while we walk this earth. In the Name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Joy’s Seen in Gentleness

 

 

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 (NKJV)

 

The Apostle Paul tells his readers, us included, to rejoice. He repeats this thought He was imprisoned! He spent 24 hours a day chained to a Praetorium guard. What could Paul have to rejoice about? Simply put—He knew the LORD was in control.

 

He says that we are to let our gentleness be known to all men. Gentleness is defined as being reasonable—not so concerned with unimportant matters that a person fights over nonessentials^{. (1)} Paul reminds his readers that the Lord is nearby.

 

Paul continues with the best counsel. He tells us to be anxious for nothing. He then tells us to request what we need from God through prayer and humble entreaties (pleas) and then thanking Him.

 

By prayer and thanksgiving, we will receive God’s protection for our hearts and minds through His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

(1) Jeremiah Study Bible © 2013 Worthy Publishing Co. Hachette Book Group, New York p.1662)

Some Music about New Things

A New Name Written Down in Glory

 

A New Name

 

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             The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name.  Isaiah 62:2 (NKJV)

 

The LORD gives Isaiah assurance of Israel’s salvation from her enemies. God will allow the non-Jews (the Gentiles) to see Israel’s righteous living for Him. In return for their righteousness, the nation will be given a new name, chosen by The LORD himself.

 

In the past, when a young woman married, she took her groom’s surname as hers. That was a new name. When a family receives grandchildren, the grand parents choose what name they wish those children call them. Another new name.

 

When a candidate for ordination into the ministry completes his coursework and receives his license and ordination papers, his name to those to whom he ministers becomes “Pastor (insert first name and last name.)

 

All these changes of names in our society recognize a change in a person’s status. When the LORD chooses to give each of His children a new heart, He recognizes his or her change of character. The interesting part of this process is that God Himself is the one who gives a person or a nation a new name.

A New Heart

 

bible-daily.org

Then, I will give them one heart, and put a NEW spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 11:19 (NKJV)

 

The prophet Ezekiel heard from God. Part of what He said states a very basic belief. God gives new hearts to those who believe in Him.

 

When a believer truly lives for Jesus, his or her life changes. Nothing is viewed in the same way. This does not mean that all is easy for the believer. God will bring His children through very difficult times. The Israelites were being hauled into exile when God spoke to his prophet Ezekiel.

 

In our present world, God speaks to each of His children, as He has need. A man and his wife at our church are praying for their son’s soul. He was hurt in an accident in March of 2021. He can’t go back to his job until he is completely healed physically, it could be another year. When you pray, please remember this couple and their adult son.

“The Lord will cleanse His people from sin as they repent. He will transform their hearts and minds and place His Spirit within them to empower them to be obedient. They will repopulate the desolate land and enjoy His rich covenantal blessings”. ⁽¹⁾

(1)   Jeremiah Study Bible© 2013 Worthy, Hachette Book Group, New York, NY. Page 1064 (FYI) Sidebar.

Some Christmas Music

 I always find the carols of Christmas soothing. Here are some of my favorites. I trust you will enjoy them as much as I do.

                      I  wish each of you and your families a BLESSED  CHRISTMAS!

 

O Holy Night

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Angels We Have Heard on High

    

                                                             Mary, Did You Know? 

Thankful for ALL Things

 

saturdayeveningpost.com

 

Several years ago, I attended a very special church service on the night before Thanksgiving. As we entered the sanctuary, the lights were turned off. Each person received a plastic bag that contained five kernels of corn.

The pastor went to the front of the sanctuary and told us the legend of the Five Kernels of Corn.

The legend goes that in 1623, two years after the first Thanksgiving, there was a drought which led to a famine for the pilgrims.  William Bradford was the leader of the colony.  He said their situation was similar to the Romans who were said to survive on a ration of five kernels of corn. They were not entirely without food, but were slowly starving our to the lack of grain. Bradford said that they would have considered five kernels of corn (or maize) as good as a feast! From then on, the legend says that they celebrated Thanksgiving by beginning their fest with five kernels of corn on their plate.

Then he lit a candle, a taper that was in a tall wooden holder. We passed it around and each person was asked to tell five things they were thankful for.

1. The first kernel reminds us of the Autumn beauty all around us.
2. The second kernel reminds us of our love for one another.
3. The third kernel reminds us of God’s love and care for us.
4. The fourth kernel reminds us of all our many friends.
5. The fifth kernel reminds us of that we are a free people. (teachbesideme.com)

I chose to use that as my lesson I gave at our women’s circle meeting earlier this month.

In preparing for the lesson, I found a poem written by Hezekiah Butterworth, Five Kernels of Corn

 I also created small plastic bags that contained five kernels of corn. I set one bag at each place on the tables. To make them a bit decorative, I stapled an orange ribbon around each of them.

Two of my friends used the information I researched, incorporating it into Sunday school lessons and children’s messages.

We should be thankful for all God has given us. My third-grade teacher talked to us about Thanksgiving being a day set aside to give thanks for what we have, even if it’s peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. (This thought came back to me a few years ago.)

 

I have decided to take a blog break until December 7th. I must really get serious about some issues that seem to affect me.

 

I pray all of you will have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Book Review: Prepare Him Room

 

Bethany House Publishers

Written by Susie Larson

 

Susie Larson has created a journey for her readers, a journey through the life of Jesus Christ. This pilgrimage takes us from the visit of the angel of God and his announcement to Mary of her role in the birth of Jesus.

 

The author takes us through the Advent season with a devotion each day. She includes a chapter from the book of Luke and two other scripture passages along with an applicable quote for each day’s reading. At the end of each chapter, she includes a prayer and a daily fast for the readers to attempt.

 

I profited from reading this devotional and will use it in depth during the upcoming Advent season. She cleared up some things I had on my heart.

 

I recommend this seasonal devotional for anyone who gets ‘hung up’ in the rush of the Advent season in trying to do so much extra to commemorate the season of Jesus’ birth.

 

I received this book, free of charge, from Bethany House Publishers. All they asked of me was to give an unbiased review.

 

Copies of this devotional can be found on: Amazon.com 

Called to Be Free

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You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13

           

Paul, in writing to the Galatian believers, cautioned them to use their freedom to serve one another in love. In today’s world, we see people doing certain acts because they believe they can or are entitled to do those things.

 

Paul tells us that we are not to do anything sinful but to remember that we are serving God as well as those around us. Sometimes, we forget this.

 

We have the freedom to approach God’s throne with anything that befalls us, health issues, financial stresses, relational issues, or job-related stresses. Yes, we may forget this as well.

 

Whatever plagues us, we have the freedom to talk to Jesus about it. He invites us to turn those things over to Him.

 

We should remember to thank Him for all He does for us and give Him praise for those deeds. The deeds God does for us can be simple actions that we might not think about.

I had to go out to our car and “fix” the radio for my husband. He is not attuned to electronics. Some of the devices are beyond me. When he told me, I was less than excited about doing it. All I had to do was start the engine and then press on the knob marked “radio” and it came back on with the special connection we have on it. I believe that God heard my initial reaction and chose to help me through this circumstance.

HE AROSE! HAPPY EASTER

At The Cross

God Sees Me-Mary

 

nataliesnapp.com

 

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies

the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God

my Savior, for he has been mindful of

the humble state of his servant.

Luke 1:46-48 (NIV)

 

God sent the angel Gabriel to visit Mary. He carried a wonderful message from God. He conveyed two messages. The first being God chose Mary to bear His Child. The second was that Elizabeth, her older relative, was bearing a child.

 

Mary went to visit Elizabeth. Upon her arrival the baby Elizabeth was carrying ‘leaped for joy’ at the sound of Mary’s voice.

 

Mary felt blessed by Elizabeth’s words. She sang a song giving glory to the Lord. She does this to give thanks to God.

 

I love the phraseology of this translation (NIV) ‘for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.”

 

This tells me that God saw Mary and he chose her for the awesome role of bearing His Child.

 

God calls his children into professions that magnify Him. Pastors, Missionaries, Doctors, and healthcare workers (nurses, nursing assistants, physical therapists, x-ray technologists, to name a few.)

 

God sees each of His children as special. He uses each of them as He desires to expand His Kingdom.

 

Do we remember that God sees us at times when we are not at our best? I have learned that God sees us at all times. This is something I have had to realize and repent of my behavior.

 

                 

Newness of Life

 

K love morning show

 

Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that never perish oil or fade -- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the Salvation that is readily revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1: 3 - 5 (NIV)

 

The Apostle Peter tells us this too tells this 2 those scattered throughout the known world

 

Peter reminds us that God has mercifully given his children new birth. What does this mean to us?

 

Simply put, God gives us a new life because he wanted to. It was nothing we did that caused God to give us a new life. He did it because he loves us.

 

He gave us a living hope. God did this by sacrificing his son, resurrecting him, and taking him back to heaven to rule with himself

 

We received this new life through faith and believed that all things are under God's control because of God's power we have nothing to fear.

 

With all the upheaval going on around us, we can rely on God to be with us and give us strength to be stand what life throws in our way.

 

Father God, thank you for giving us our Salvation thank you for your son who took our sin upon himself so that we might live in his name, Amen

Welcome 2021

 

 

It is a new year! We welcome it into existence.

Bing Images-Concept Draw

 

What has God planned for this new year? Only He knows. All we can do is trust in Him and obey Him. A hymnist tells us there is no other way.

Each year, I sit at my computer and make out writing plans for the twelve months. Due to my humanity, I forget those plans. In 2020, I did search for outlets for my writing. I plan to make a better effort to be more diligent in this.

 

Word for 2021

 

In selecting my word for this year, I considered many terms. As I understand the idea behind doing this, I know the chosen word is one that I believe will guide me through the upcoming year. My word for 2021 is Abide.

 

My choice of this word is based on the thought that I will need to live close to God in this coming year. I do not know what God has in store for me and my family, but I want to remain in His will, whatever comes across my path.

 

Peace and Blessings in this New Year to each of you and your families.  

                     

Some Thoughts on Christmas

 

This Christmas season has been different for all of us. People being advised not to congregate in large crowds or celebrations. However, we must remember that the first Christmas was observed by a few people, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds.

We still send Christmas cards to some friends in southern Indiana. The picture above is an ornament that came in one of those cards. The lady that sent it to us is Jim's best friend's sister. She has had a rough couple of years, healthwise.  She made this from scratch. She has the dove so that one can turn it over and see another dove. I love the poem. I am unsure where she found it. I love the message.

Merry Christmas to each of you and to your families.

Prince of Peace

 

Head of Christ by Sallman

He shall be called. . . Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

 

A friend of mine, now residing in heaven, told of a phone survey she was a part of. The surveyor asked her what she thought about a certain peace accord conference going on at that time. She told the person that our world would never see lasting peace until Jesus comes again. She was right. Peace only will come when Jesus returns and sets things right. He is the only one who can do that. 

 

I have learned we can only have peace for the world when each of us finds true peace, the peace that comes from Jesus, in our hearts.

Wonderful Counselor

 

Switchbacks.org

 

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. For unto us a child is born, a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. For unto us a child is born, a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor. . . Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

 

When He walked this earth, Jesus gave counsel to His disciples and to those who heard Him preach.

 

Presently, Jesus gives counsel to those who approach Him in prayer and seek His guidance. He upholds each of us as we go through difficult times and times of questioning.

 

As children of God, we must seek His counsel on all that we attempt to do for ourselves, our families, and ultimately for Him.

 

A friend once told a group of us that we should not run ahead of God. She also reminded us that we also should not run behind God as we go through our walk with Him. We are to walk alongside Him.

 

As we walk with the LORD, we learn to trust Him without reservation. We learn to believe in what He tells us and how He guides us. His counsel is indeed wonderful.