God, Rich in Mercy

 

” But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-6 (NKJV)

God has made us alive because of Christ. He rescued us from the sins of our trespassed and will give us a place in heaven when our time here on earth is over.

God showers us with mercy, His great love, and His grace.

When Jesus returns to earth, God will bodily raise those who have lived for Him, giving them each a resurrected body that will be reunited with their spirits.

Our son was born with a birth defect that caused him not to run “like the other boys.”

One evening when he was in either kindergarten or first grade, he asked me, “Mom, when will I be able to run like the other boys?”

I thought for a second and answered him, “When Jesus comes again.” I believed it then and I still believe it all these many years later.

.

Several years ago, we started attending a different church. There we met a man who, several years before, had been in an accident on his motor scooter. This was his second accident that summer. He was a quadriplegic. At the time we met him, he lived with his mother who, with help, took care of him.

This man was unable to do anything physical. However, he could pray and pray, he did. He would call me from time to time and we would talk and then we would pray for each other. When he prayed for me, I felt prayed for.

When God called him home, I wrote a poem about him. My first thought when I heard of his passing was that “Heaven is Richer Now”. That was what I entitled the poem. Our pastor at that time read it at his service.

God blesses, in Spite of Our Sin

 

pinterest.com 

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD. The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. Psalm 33:12 (NKJV)

The LORD chose the children of Israel as His special people. We sometimes wonder why He opted to do this. We come to realize the God’s grace and love for those who He made is so great that, even when they did something He did not like, He chose to love them rather than bring down wrath upon them.

In Genesis, He did not “take out” Adam and Eve for their disobedience. He even created clothing to cover their bodies before He cast them out of the garden.

In 2 Samuel, God didn’t take out David for his sin with Bathsheba. When Nathan, the prophet, confronted him with the fact that what David had done was sin, David realized that he had sinned against God. God took the son to be with Him. He spared David’s life and blessed him personally but, also, allowed dissension in David’s family.

Each of us has had to make a decision to follow Jesus. By doing so, we tell Him that we will follow and obey Him. We allow Him to guide us through our lives. We have had times when that commitment was not always easy for us but, deep inside, we knew that was the path we should follow.

God’s Purpose

 

blogspost.com

” Now my soul is troubled and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose, I came to this hour. Father glorify Your Name." John 12:27-28a (NKJV)

Here Jesus speaks to God from His humanity. His soul is troubled. He knows what lays ahead for Him, yet He fears the separation from His Father that He has to endure.

Jesus Christ knew God had led Him to this point in His ministry. He asks the question if he should ask God to save Him from that hour.

However, Jesus realized and stated that what He was about to go through was God’s plan and purpose.

Our God has plans and purposes for each of us. In researching God’s purpose for our lives, we begin to see His plan unfold for each of us.

1. Keep in touch with God through prayer.

2. Study His Word (Read the Bible)

3. Apply what you read to our hearts.

I have had a terrible time getting onto the internet this afternoon. I spent almost an hour and five phone calls to my carrier. I had to go pick up some things at the dry cleaners. I was online when I returned. We had supper and I could not get back online again. I had to switch browsers in order to get this posted. I also had to get a new password. I believe there is a message in this. At the moment, I am unsure what that message is.

Husband knows to not ask any questions or cross my path when things like this happen. I get very upset.

Patience and Gentleness

 

i.pinimg.com

By long forbearance a ruler is persuaded, and a gentle tongue breaks a bone.

Proverbs 25:15 (NKJV)

Moses listened to the Lord and patiently awaited the day that Pharaoh would finally let the Israelite people depart Egypt and head to the land God had promised them.

Hannah exercised patience and faith as she awaited receiving her first-born son, Samuel. Hannah also practiced gentleness, although it was difficult, as she endured the taunts from Peninnah.

When we have stress-causing circumstances in our lives, we have to practice patience and, yes, gentleness in our daily lives. We may have to spend more time with God, as he gently whispers words of comfort, healing and love into our ears as we face overwhelming circumstances in our lives.

When we hear things from others that upset us, we need to apply the rule that our mothers said, “If you can’t say anything nice, say nothing at all.” This was a rule that a lot of us senior citizens heard from early on in our growing-up years. It is a pity that this rule seemed to fall by the wayside during the last half-century

Can we begin teaching this “rule” to children of these times?

Bear with one Another in Love

 

canyonville christian academy

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:1-3(NKJV)

Words of Paul written to Ephesian believers.

walk worthy of the calling

He encouraged them to live in a way that reflected God to others. He goes into detail as to how that would look. As we read those words, they can also apply to us who live in the 21^st Century.

with all lowliness and gentleness,

As believers in Christ, we must abandon all thought of ourselves as being better than others. We must also respond to each other with tenderness, no matter how others treat us.

bearing with one another in love,

Believers must accept those around us in love and be available for others as we can be. I sometimes find this difficult to do given the mindset of those in the world.

endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit

Paul’s purpose in his ministry was to introduce people to Jesus Christ and then to educate them in the ways of Christ. His goal was to unify those converted to the faith.

in the bond of peace.

Paul tells his readers, then and now that all we should do must have peace as its ultimate aim. I have had times when someone in the business world has been almost rude in response to a question I asked. In one instance, the woman could have explained their position better than she did.

Do you find it difficult to bear  certain people in your life?

We Must be Faithful

 

iO.wp.com

This is a faithful saying:

For if we died with Him,

We shall also live with Him.

If we endure,

We shall also reign with Him.

If we deny Him,

He will deny us.

If we are faithless,

He remains faithful;

He cannot deny Himself.

2 Timothy 2:11-13 (NKJV)

Paul wrote these words to Timothy. This was his last letter he would write. Paul knew he would die.

Paul gives words of encouragement to Timothy to stay close to God. These words are especially important to followers of Christ today. We see people who followed Christ in their youth go their own ways and get tripped up by the enemy. We have at least two generations that seem to have denied Christ. We must endure for His sake. We must not deny Him. God is faithful; we must be faithful to Him.

Each of us must re-dedicate our lives to live for Jesus, to stand for what He has taught us.

Everlasting Mercy

Sallman Collection

 

 

For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100:5 (NJKV)

 

These words come from a Psalm of Thanksgiving. I find comfort in them as I type them. I remember learning this Psalm in the fifth grade.

 

We sing choruses about God’s goodness to us. But do we really understand what we mean? God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are the only truly good persons we know of. They are without sin. God endows His children with His goodness so that they can display that goodness to those who need His love axpalnd kindness.

The goodness God showed to the Biblical heroes He can also show to us. What was truth in those times is still truth today. God never changes. We as a nation and a people need to get back to following God. 

We never realize how merciful God is until we know we have received mercy in a way that we cannot explain any other way. I experienced His mercy in this way several times lately.

God will see us through these difficult times.                             

       We must remember God's goodness to each of us. I trust you will enjoy this song.

God’s Kindness and His Mercy

 

 

quiet spirit

 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts, and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward men appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:3-5 (NKJV)

 

When God chooses to extend His kindness and love, He exercises His mercy toward us who are sinners. He does so through the Holy Spirit. None of us are worthy of His love but it is because of His mercy that God extends them to us.

During these times of upheaval in our nation and our world, we must rely on the kindness of God to allow us to keep calm in the light of the circumstances that cause great anxiety in our daily lives.

 

God will guide us through these difficult times, whether they are international, national, or even personal in scope. We must accept His kindness and love to be able to be “more than conquerors.” In today’s world. It is only then that we are able to rise above the circumstances that vex us.

Patience’s Perfect Work

 

 

quiet spirit 

 

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4 (NKJV)

 

As believers in Christ, we are faced with many trials as we go through life. We learn to rely on God to take us through them.

 

As those trials become part of our past, we come to realize that we grow in our strength and our faith because of those trials. 

                                      

We learn that we need to be patient in order for God to work in our lives. When we are impatient, we miss the lesson God has for us.                                              

I am reminded of a small sign I heard of that a woman had by her kitchen sink. It depicted a small boy. Above his head appear the words, God give me patience. In his had is a megaphone and on that megaphone is the word “NOW!” This always brings a smile to my heart.

 

Sometimes, I can be like that small boy; except, I want patience yesterday or even last week. However, having gone through some health issues these past few years, I have learned that I must be patient. The best way to practice patience is to wait upon the LORD.                                                                                                                                                      

A Cure for Anxiety

 

saatchiart

 

 

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 passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

 

Paul gives the believers at Philippi some very astute advice in this passage.

 

 Be anxious for nothing

 

He tells them and us to not worry about anything. Some of us find that to be hard to do.

 

in everything by prayer and supplication

 

He tells his readers to pray and to petition God with our concerns. God wants to hear from us about what bothers us.

 

 with thanksgiving

 

We are to thank God for all He does for us and all He gives us. When He guides us through a difficult circumstance, we must tell Him, “Thank You.” In our earthly lives, we try to thank someone who does something we don’t expect or something that is nice.

We should do the same when God guides us through or answers a prayer.

 

let your requests be made known to God

 

When we have anxieties, fears, or concerns, we must take them to the LORD first. I recently had a concern that I felt was weighing me down. I prayed several times about the need. I texted a message to some of my prayer group. I told them I couldn’t talk about it. I received responses that told me they were praying for my need.

 

The next morning, my heart felt lighter. I found out later that the cause of the anxiety had been taken away.

 

the peace of God, which passes all understanding,

 

We will never fully understand the peace of God while we are on this earth. All I know is His peace has wondrous effects on those who receive it.

 

 will guard your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus.

 

God guards the hearts and minds of those who surrender to Him and choose to continue to live for Him whatever circumstances enter their lives.

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)

Love, Do Good, Bless, Pray

 

kairos.com

 

 But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. Luke 6:27-31 (NKJKV)

 

These are words spoken by Jesus. He spoke them to those who had chosen to follow Him, to become His closest disciples.

 

These commands were not achievable by man alone. They could only be followed by those who have the Holy Spirit directing them.  This was true in the days that Jesus walked this earth but also is true in our modern world.

 

We rarely see love like this in our times. We often wonder if we will ever see these words translated into action. However, I see several believers and ministry groups striving to obey this message During the COVID pandemic, I read of and see groups of people working together to ensure that families have enough food to eat. There is a new assisted living facility opening in our city. The local Christian Center opened its doors to some victims of a fire recently.

 

There is a lot of heartache in our world beyond COVD. As believers, we need to follow the words in this passage and show Jesus to those around us.

God’s Love.

 

Pinterest

 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

 

We all learned this verse as children in Sunday school. We could recite it from memory with ease.

 

For God so loved the world, God has His reasons for all He does. That reason is that He loves what he creates-our world and all who inhabit it. Sometimes, He has to allow difficult things to entre our lives. He does this to teach us something.

s

He gave His only begotten Son,  God gave. He willingly gave His only Son. He sent His son to earth, divesting Him from the glories and splendor of heaven. Our Father again gave His Son to give us, His children life eternally.

 

 that whoever believes in Him should not perish, All who come to trust in the Son will not go through a spiritual death.

 

 but have everlasting life.  The men and women who choose to trust Jesus will be able to be in heaven with Jesus whenever their time on earth comes to its end.

 

All this happens because God loves us that much. He sent His Son to earth, making Him identify with mankind so that we might learn about the Father. God loves us so much that He allowed Jesus to suffer a criminal’s death for us, to take away our sins.

New Creature

 

Shutterstock

 

So, from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NIV)

 

Paul tells the believers at Corinth and us that we are to view others as God looks upon them not as humans do. Have we looked down on someone because he or she looked different than ourselves? Because they do not have things as nice as we have? Or is it that they seem to have things better than what we have, and they seem to let us know they do? Have their actions been contrary to what is appropriate? Maybe their language is not as refined as ours?

 

One of the first lessons we may have learned as Christians is that we are not to judge others. Instead, we are to pray for them. We do not know their circumstances. When we pray, we must ask God to give us His eyes with which to view them.

 

Then Paul explains why. Once a person asks God into their hearts, He takes away the bad things and replaces them with good things, things that reflect Him and His love for all mankind.

 

I must confess, I am guilty of looking at a person wrongly. I witnessed behavior that went against the plan of the person that headed up a project of which I was a part. I chose not to say anything because I was new to this group. Recently, have been asked to pray for that erring person. I want to be fully honest before God about this person’s behavior and how it affected me. Please pray for me.

Let Every Heart Prepare

 

A voice of one calling in the desert. Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.

                                Isaiah 40:3, Matthew 3:3 (NIV)

 

We all know the Christmas carol, Joy to the World. The words, “Let every heart prepare Him room.” Give me pause. We prepare our homes—cleaning, rearranging, decorating. I used to make candy. Shopping for that one special gift for each person on our list.

 

During this Christmas season, things will be different. We have the pandemic raging around us. Personally, I am housebound as I heal from major surgery. It could be another two weeks before I being to feel like doing anything toward preparing our home for Christmas.

 

During these times of lockdown, shutdown, or whatever you wish to call them, I have fallen out of certain habits. I believe I need to get back in step and do what I must do to regain my relationship with God. No, He has not left me, but I feel that I am not as close to Him as I once was.

 

At the end of November, I started a re-read of the book, True Worshipers. On the first Sunday of Advent, I started reading a devotional booklet, Our Greatest Gift, A Wonderful Life in Christ by Michael Hoy. It is a devotional booklet that our Sunday school class would be studying, had we been able to meet.

 

I once heard a dear Christian lady tell a group of us that we must prepare for worship as we would prepare for company or a vacation. Shouldn’t we prepare our hearts to celebrate Christ’s birth?

 

 

 

 

 

Praise Him for His Protection

 

Godsdailyword.org

 

                 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  

                                    Psalm 91:4 (NIV)     

 

I awoke the other morning and felt the need to pray as I lay in bed. I heard the words, “under His wings.” I looked up that passage and enjoyed its message.

 

A while later, I received a text from a close friend. Her mother, a 96-year-old assisted living resident, had tested positive for COVID. She was asymptomatic.

 

I called my friend and we talked. I shared the scripture reference with her. Another friend used to sing a hymn by the title, “Under His Wings”, as special music in our old church.

I searched online for that hymn and played it a few times. It brought me peace.

 

            For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike you foot against a stone.

                                    Psalm 91:11-12 (NIV)

 

This section of the chapter also gives me comfort. It speaks of God’s angels surrounding us whatever we do so that we do not come to any added physical injury or personal hurt. The week before, I had left our home to go for a medical test. My ramp had a thin layer of ice on it which I did not see until I stepped on it. All I did was slide a few inches.

 

 Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “ I will rescue him, I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him, in trouble, I will deliver   and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.

                                    Psalm 91:14-16 (NIV)

 

These last few verses convey to me that God is real and wants what is best for all His children. When we acknowledge Him and turn everything that bothers us over to Him, we receive peace of mind, and heart. God will answer us when we are facing tumultuous personal times.

As I await a medical appointment, I have found comfort in these verses. I can feel the prayers of His people. We are all blessed to have a God who cares for and protects us.

My Jesus I Love Thee

On most days since the pandemic and the stay-at-home order was in effect, our pastor has called the congregants with a "daily lesson." Today's lesson was on loving God. As I listened, I had this song come into my mind. It gives me comfort. I hope it brings that same feeling, whatever you may be going through. This hymn was written by William Ralph Featherstone in 1864. He was possibly 16 years old at the time. 

Look to God for Him to Sustain Us

 

godtv.com

Psalm 123

 

I lift up my eyes to you,

To you whose throne is in

Heaven.

 

The psalmist looks to God who rules over heaven. We must do the same.

 

As the eyes of slaves look to the

Hand of their master,

As the eyes of a maid look to the

Hand of her mistress,

So our eyes look to the LORD, our

God,

Til he shows us his mercy.

 

The writer tells us we must look to God for instruction and guidance until He answers our pleas.

Have mercy on us, O LORD, have

Mercy on us,

For we have endured much

Contempt.

 

He begs God for His mercy. We will have times when we have to plead for His love and grace to cover us especially when we receive treatment that undermines us. 

 

                                                            We have endured much ridicule

                          From the proud,

              Much contempt from the arrogant.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we receive forms of persecution—sometimes mild, other times not. We learn to rely on the LORD to sustain us.

 

Forget Not God’s Benefits

ourdailyblossoms.com 

Praise the LORD, O my soul and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desire with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. Psalm 103:2-5 (NIV)

David penned these words of praise. With these words, He reminds us of the wonderful gifts the LORD bestows on us, His children. 

forgives all your sins

God, our Father covers our sin with His grace, mercy, and love. All we must do is ask.

heals all your diseases,

He guides us to find ways to control, cure, and to heal our bodies from disease and disorder. He determines whether our healing comes while we are on earth or in heaven with Him.

redeems your life from the pit

When we follow God’s guidance and direction our lives can be lived on a higher level. We do not speak the same language we did before we met Christ. We do not frequent the same places or watch the same shows on television.

crowns you with love and compassion

Our Father looks at us with love and compassion, not contempt, even when we sin.

He stands with us and hurts with us when we go through suffering and times we do not understand.

satisfies your desire with good things

           

Our Redeemer chooses to give us, His children, things to lighten our cares and help us through issues that cause us concern.

your youth is renewed like the eagles.

God gives us all these benefits in order that we can rise above those trying circumstances that come our way as we walk through life.

The Pure in Heart

rainbowtoken.com 

                Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Matthew 5:8 (NIV)

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, taught, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.” How does that work out in 2020?

We wonder about where we stand with God as we try to adhere to the COVID-19 restrictions placed on our lives. We see people going full force with ‘getting back to normal’. In some instances, we see social distancing taking a back seat as people go to the ice cream parlor or to get a snow cone. All those who protest in the city streets who seem to ignore the social distancing rule. Now they are told to stay in small groups and away from enormous crowds.

Our pastor, in his daily lesson/message to us, spoke of unselfishness as the quality of having a pure heart.

As parents, we put the needs of our small children ahead of what we wanted to do. When those same children, as adults, face difficulties, we try to guide them as best we can.

When we hear of a need among those at church, we try to pray for them, fix food for their families. We try to express our condolence when someone suffers a loss of a loved one.

I know a family that was not close-knit who always rallied around someone who was hospitalized because deep down they knew it was the right thing to do.

As I see it, doing the right thing in God’s eyes in any circumstance that life gives us

Is having heart purity in 2020.

On a personal note: Although our church is re-opening this Sunday, our Sunday school class will not meet for a while, maybe the first of September. Most of our class is in the 65+ age range and most of us either have underlying health issues or our spouses do. We want to show concern for those around us.