Abiding Forever

 

Womanofnoblecharacter.com

 

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world and the world is passing away and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15-17 (NKJV)

 

John the Apostle tells us some deep thoughts here.

 

He points out that all the divisive actions and thought we see and hear in this world are created by the world and not by God.

 

We see and hear of things every day that bring heartache and sadness to God’s people.

Our city recently heard of at least three shooting in less than a week. One of them was due to road rage and involved narcotics. I don’t believe God wants us to have these issues in our world. But certain segments of our society seems to want what it wants.

 

I have all but given up watching the TV news programs because certain elements of make claims that are not true or cause detriment to our people.

 

However, we must not forget that God is watching over all the events that cause Him pain. We serve a God who loves us and guides us through these fallen times.

 

In the Gospel of John, Jesus asks his disciples if they want to leave Him as several others have done. Simon Peter responds by saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68, NIV)

 

Yes, we who follow Jesus believe and know that we are to continue to walk with Him to live with Him forever. 

 

Abide in Him

 

Jesus is the Centre, Gospel Teaching Life Church

 

 “I am the true vine, and My Father

 is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me

  that does not bear fruit He takes away;

and every branch that bears fruit He

prunes, that it may bear more fruit…

           Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch       

                   cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it                     

abides in the vine, neither can you,

      unless you abide in me.”

John 15: 1,2, and 4 (NKJV)

 

 Jesus speaks to His disciples about the importance of living for Him. He calls God the vinedresser, one who cares for the vine and the yield of fruit. He tells them that He is the vine; His followers are the fruit.

 

In His comparison, the vinedresser (God) prunes the vine for that vine to bear more fruit that stays on the vine matures and flourishes.

 

Is this not what God does for His followers today? Believers beset by difficult, if not traumatic, circumstances in their lives make decisions to either stay with God or go their own ways.

 

What are ways we can abide in Jesus?   

    Through prayer

                Through Bible reading

                Through Bible study

                Through meditation

                Through Journaling  

                Through listening to Him

                Through obeying what He tells us

 

.

God in Us

Sallman

 

 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not dismayed.

 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 (NIV)

 

I referred a friend to part of this passage on a Friday night. I found myself recalling it the next day. I chose to journal about the message. Doing that helped me get going and get some baking done.

 

 this treasure

God’s power, given to us because of His grace.

 

 jars of clay

 our weak, frail, and fallible bodies.

 

 hard-pressed on every side

the world sometimes presses in on our spirits. One thing after another seems to wear us down.

 

 not crushed

 the love of God and His guidance, along with the prayers of His people keep us going.

 

 perplexed

we can become puzzled by what we experience while we are in this world.

 

not in despair

we are able, with God’s help to keep ourselves on the right path.

 

 persecuted

there will always be those who pick us apart, constantly pointing out our faults.

 

 not abandoned

God tells us He will NEVER leave or forsake us.

 

 struck down

Yes, sometimes we feel we are ‘down for the count’.

 

 not destroyed

When we ask Him for help or someone intercedes for us in prayer, God always speaks to us, showing us what to do and guiding us through the tough times.  

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.

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?

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Easter to You

elefantz.com 

Our pastor, Rick Jones, has preached each Sunday through Lent via YouTube. Today's message was particularly special to me. I had hoped to share that video here but this that knowledge is above my skill level.

To see it go to YouTube videos and put in CRUMCanderson. The message for today is appropriately called "He Is Risen"

Follow Me

basicprimarymusic.blogspot.com

. . .follow me, . . .and I will make you fishers of men.

Matt. 4:19 (NIV)

Jesus gave this invitation to the brothers, Peter and Andrew. They were fishermen by trade. He also called another pair of brothers who were fishermen, James and John.

All four of these men left ‘lucrative’, vital, and meaningful work to follow Jesus.

These brothers helped support their families by fishing. Their efforts may have helped feed those who lived near them. It was honest work.

These pairs of brothers were willing to step away from their trade, and to leave the comforts of home to accept the call of Jesus.

As I compose this, our nation is under travel restrictions we have not seen before. Only people who work as first responders, health care workers, and grocery store employees are working. All these occupations are vital to our existence as we try to stem the advance of this Coronavirus (COVID-19.)

     

We hear of people, organizations, and businesses working to help others to have food and even jobs in order to get through these social-distancing, shelter-in- place, lock-down mandated times.      

We all must remember that God is in charge. I find it interesting that we have this event happening during the season of Lent when Christians attempt to draw closer to Jesus and learn more about Him.

Like Peter and Andrew, James and John, we must follow Jesus as He leads us through our daily lives.

His Name

Pinterest.com

…and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6b (ESV)

Isaiah gives us insight to some of the attributes of Jesus and roles He will have.

Wonderful Counselor

This child, Jesus would always be available to hear us. He would be (and is) always listening as we pour out our heart-breaking stories to Him. He also listens when we give praise for what He has done for us.

Mighty God

We recognize that Jesus came from God. We also have learned that when Jesus told the disciples that He would send a Helper to them when He would leave them. This Helper is the Holy Spirit.

Jesus and the Holy Spirit and God are equal. If you have a difficult time with this idea, think of an egg. We have the shell. Inside the shell, we have the egg white. Along with the egg white, we have the egg yolk. Three distinct substances yet all contained together.

Everlasting Father

God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are eternal. They will never cease to be. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is always present in our lives. Once we accept Him into our hearts, even when we have thoughts and actions that shut Him out, He is always with us. 

Prince of Peace

What is peace? Here are some thoughts on what it means.

•          Outward conditions of tranquility of individuals, of communities, of churches, and of nations.

•          Christian Unity

•          Restored relations of harmony with God. ⁽¹⁾

My thoughts on peace describe it as the absence of stress, worry, and conflict. Another thought of mine was the presence of contentment, joy, trust, and love.

How do you describe peace?

_________________________

1.)    The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary:  The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, © 1988, page 980

God Shows His Compassion

They remembered that God was their rock,

    the Most High God their redeemer.

But they flattered him with their mouths;

    they lied to him with their tongues.

Their heart was not steadfast toward him;

    they were not faithful to his covenant.

Yet he, being compassionate,

    atoned for their iniquity

    and did not destroy them;

he restrained his anger often

    and did not stir up all his wrath.

Psalm 78-35-38 (ESV)

Our focus passage was written by Asaph. It paints a picture of the way God reacted to His people in spite of their behavior toward Him.

They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer.

I can visualize the Israelites flocking to the Temple on the sacred feast days. They are kneeling or lying prostrate as they pray and seek forgiveness for their sin.

 In today’s world, we see children try to get on the good side of their parents when they know they have done something wrong. And we hear children tell falsehoods in order to not get into trouble.

But they flattered Him with their mouths; they lied to Him with their tongues.

I can hear them tell God what they believe He wants to hear from them. The Israelites tell God they will always honor Him and keep His commandments. We hear this same flattery going on between generations and from those who want to exploit innocent people.

Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant.

How many times did the kings do “what was right in their sight”? Each time the ruler used this mode of carrying out his role, the nation Israel went through difficult times.  My Sunday teacher of many years compared it to a roller coaster ride. When the leaders followed God, the nation flourished (were on top of the hill.) When leaders did “what was right in their sight,” the nation saw times of great hardships.

Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath. 

In spite of how the Israelites behaved, God always forgave them. In the instance of their exile to Babylon, God patiently explained why it was going to happen and told them how to conduct themselves and that he knew what He had in store for them. (Jeremiah 29.)

We live in perilous times. We witness events that appear to be lifted right out of the Bible.

*Wars and rumors of war, earthquakes in many places, (Matthew 24)

*people being lovers of themselves, lovers of money, proud, arrogant,

(2 Timothy 3:2)

 * disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy. (2 Timothy 3:20)

* having the appearance of godliness but denying its power. (2 Timothy 3:5)

These are just a few of the examples of behavior we can see in our present world. We should be thankful that God has been compassionate with us. And yet, we should be aware that He is coming back soon.

Time part 6

www.dreamstime.com

“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.

            

RJD: 2/2016 Names People Call Us

Journal Entry: Dec. 3, 2015

BACKGROUND:

I received therapy for my broken ankle while I was in the nursing home. My only time out of my room each day (seven days a week) was to receive therapy. I came to enjoy those who worked in that department.

Journal Entry:

               One of the male therapists here at the nursing home/rehab center said something interesting today. His mother does not like to be called ‘honey’ or ‘hon.’ She thinks it sounds demeaning.

               This set me to thinking. When I was in college, one of the guys on campus who worked for the food service, part time, always called the girls in the dorm endearing little names like ‘doll.’ He was in the same fraternity as my boyfriend. One day one of my sorority sisters who also dated another guy from that fraternity house and I asked him why he did that.

               My friend hit upon the idea that he did this because he did not know or could not remember the names of the other girls on campus. However, he had to know our names.

               Here at the rehab/nursing facility, the CAN’s, the nurses, and the therapists use the little cute names because it is quick and easy. The environment can be somewhat cold and daunting to the patients. The use of endearing terms breaks the ice and is meant to put the patient at ease.

               The Bible says God has a special name for each of his children. Each of us will find out what He calls us when we meet Him.

UPDATE:

               Yesterday, I underwent an evaluation for the possibility of continuing my physical therapy. The young woman told me I was doing well, making progress. I could have continued receiving therapy for 30 days. I explained something to her and asked for two more weeks. She agreed to my suggestion.

I will see my regular PT woman three more times and then this evaluator will come back to release me. I am so happy; I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  

Linked to:enthusiasticallydawn.

A New Birth

www.hanneth.com

“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 can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1: 3-5 (NIV) 

               Peter writes these words to God’s chosen people, scattered throughout the world. He gives praise to the Lord. He then reminds his readers of the marvelous works God did for them because of his unmerited love-love they did not deserve. My family recently received gifts that we had no idea we would ever receive. This deed has humbled me. I believe it was only through God’s intervention that we received them.

               God protects us through our faith until He chooses to come again. He keeps what He has stored up for us guarding that which He deems to be ours from perishing, spoiling, or fading.

               There will come a day when all things will be revealed to those who remain true to Him. I want to be one of those to whom God reveals all those wonderful, miraculous, and special things about His realm. I know I have to remain close to God.

His Great Promises

www.daily-inspirational-quotes.net

“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises,

 so that through these you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption

 in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1:4 (NIV)

               God gives us promises—eternal life, peace, and His presence in order that we may become godly and not get caught in the trappings of the secular life caused by selfishness, egotism, vanity and pride.

               We sometimes fall into the trap of “me”-isms—“What’s in it for me? What do I get out of it?” As followers of Christ we learn not to think of ourselves better than we are. We learn to live by the Golden Rule. When we ask ourselves “What Would Jesus Do,” God’s word reminds us that Jesus always put others before Himself. He healed the sick at times when He was needed some alone time with His Father. He forgave the woman caught in adultery without saying one word about her sin. His parting words were “Go and sin no more.”

               

Our Hope is in God

“No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame,

 but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse

 . . . guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior,

and my hope is in you all day long.”

 Psalm 25:3-5 (NIV)

David pens these encouraging words. Each of God’s children who trust in Him and follow His guidance will never have to be embarrassed by their actions or decisions. 

Does this mean those who flaunt God’s laws, laugh at those who belong to Him, and create terror in the hearts of Christian believers will ultimately face God’s wrath and consequences? I believe it does.

I heard a true story of a little four-year-old girl asking a neighbor lady if she loved Jesus. The lady, in her early 60’s, responded that everyone loved Jesus. The child’s response was “But, do you love Him with all your heart?” The woman was floored by the second question. The little girl handed her a booklet entitled “Four Spiritual Laws.” A few days later,the girl’s mother was able to lead this neighbor lady to the LORD.

Jeremiah 29:13 tells us, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart.” We have to want to have Jesus in our hearts and lives. When we choose to allow Jesus to enter our hearts, He is able to keep us safe as He protects us from harm.

When we get the idea that we can do things ourselves, we run into trouble and begin to ‘have issues’ with everything.

When we admit we can’t do things without God’s help and place our hope in Him, we become pliable and allow the Father to mold us into what He wants for us.

The Source of My Hope.

Do We Believe This?

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.

 He who believes in me will live, even if he dies; and whoever lives

and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’”

 John 11:25-26 (NIV)

Jesus arrived at Bethany after Lazarus had died. His sisters Mary and Martha were grieving and upset.

Because of her grief, Martha spoke harshly to Jesus. “Lord, if you’d been here my brother would not have died.” The discussion continued. Martha believed God would do what Jesus asked.

She also believed her brother would rise again in the resurrection at the final day. He had to help Martha understand His role in God’s plan.

The words of our focus verse are read at Christian funerals and memorial services. They bring comfort to those who grieve. The question Jesus asks Martha is one we all have to ask ourselves and answer with honesty.

In our 21st Century world we, as a society, have not always dealt with this issue of what we believe or to what degree.  Our attitude is ‘What’s in it for me?” “What about me?”

Overall, we have ignored the needs of our brothers and sisters, our neighbors, the ones we pass on the streets. We wait for the racy tabloids to come out with the latest scandal or the dirt on those who have held our attention in the media. We seem to thrive on the misfortunes of others. Only God, through Jesus Christ can forgive us for our behavior.

Bittersweet Moments

“Precious in the sight of the LORD

is the death of his saints.”

Ps.116:15 (NIV)

One of my closest friends, Martha, called early Sunday afternoon. She had stayed the night at the nursing home. She received a telephone call last Monday that her sister was heading into the very last phase of her life. Sunday’s call to me was to tell me her sister had passed.

I called our mutual friend, Ginny, who is our pastoral assistant. My purpose was to communicate our friend’s need of prayer. As I conversed with Ginny, I realized I experienced a quiet joy for our friend’s sister and yet sadness for my friend and her daughters. 

After Hubby and I had lunch, I had a graduation Open House to go to. The grandson of another close friend graduated from high school on Saturday. That friend and her family have known and worshipped with Martha for a long time. I wanted to insure that they received the prayer call about Martha’s loss.

As I sat in our living room making initial input I reflect on times when we had suffered a loss of a loved one. When my dad passed on, I found a poem by John Donne that summed up my feelings. I always remember the main thought of these lines-We all are impacted by the loss of a life because our lives intertwine with those we meet as we walk this earth.

  

'No Man is an Island'

No man is an island entire of itself; every man

is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;

if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe

is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as

well as any manner of thy friends or of thine

own were; any man's death diminishes me,

because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore never send to know for whom

the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

MEDITATION XVII

Devotions upon Emergent Occasions

John Donne

graphic: alighthouse.com

God will Restore Us

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ

after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make

you strong, firm and steadfast.” 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)

When we ask Jesus into our hearts, and we are faithful to Him, He assures us of a place in heaven with Him. When we have times of illness or trial, we have to realize that theses times only last a little while in the light of eternity. I have two friends who are facing uncertainties related to their health. One of them has been dealing with complications from a surgery she had last July. The other one has a consultation appointment this Friday afternoon. Something suspicious showed on her annual x-ray. This is important that she get this seen about because her mother succumbed to this disease.

After God helps us surpass the time of distress, He brings us back and makes us stronger in our walk with Him. We have to trust Him for the outcome and believe that He will protect us and give us the strength to go through these times.

During these times of stress and distress, how do we look at the people involved? Do we look at what they were previous to this incident or what they are right then? I am presently reading a book that presents the idea that, instead of looking at what people have been or are, we look at what people can become. This is something to think about. A lot of adults walk around defeated because of what they heard people say to them in times of anger.

God can see what will become of each of us and each of those who cause us stress. We would do well to pray for the ability to see with God’s eyes, rather than our own. I wonder what the outcome for the church would be if we prayed for His eyes to see ourselves. What would be the state of our cities and towns, our nation?

graphic:dailydoseofgods word.wordpress.com

More than Conquerors

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

                   ‘for your sake we face death all day long;

We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Romans 8:35-37(NIV)

Paul cites possible circumstances that could happen to a church. The church at Rome eventually did go through these situations. Paul’s purpose for writing these words was to remind the Roman believers of God’s infinite love for those who believe in Him.  No matter what happens, God’s love is real and lasting.

In her book, One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp relates her experience of ministering to a homeless man on the streets of Toronto. The man had a dog-eared Gideon Bible in the duffel bag he carried. He asked one of the teenage girls to read aloud Romans 7-8, which she did. When the girl reached a certain point, this homeless man echoed each line that she read. Ann and the youth were there to minister to him; he ministered to them.  

It impressed me that this man, who lived on the streets, had experienced God’s love and knew the Word. It gives me a new aspect to consider when I think about those without a home.

A little over thirty years ago, I took a personal leave from the job I had; after the leave ended, I resigned. I remember telling people I wanted to survive the stress and mental fatigue I dealt with. I slowly realized I didn’t just want to survive; I wanted more. Then I discovered this passage.

“More than conquerors,” that means more than just getting by, it means surmounting those harsh circumstances and giving thanks for our new-found knowledge that Jesus loves us and will stand beside us in every circumstance we face.

The Love of God

Graphic: testimoinesofhisgoodness.wordpress.com

A Prophetic Announcement

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign:

The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)

The prophet Isaiah and King Ahaz have a discussion. Isaiah tells Ahaz to request a sign from God. The king answers that he “will not put God to a test.”

Isaiah responds with the prophecy of the birth of the Son of God. “This prophecy is fulfilled nearly 700 years later. Isaiah also prophesies a second event that happened 13 years later. The fulfillment of the first guarantees the reliability of the second.”¹  Isaiah foretells of the birth of God’s son, Jesus. We look at this as a message from God. We believe it to be true because we have written evidence of Christ’s birth.

The thing about prophecy is the words can be true or not true. Prophecy in the Bible can either be fulfilled soon after it is spoken, revealed later on or in the future. In the Bible we see all three types. False prophets tell of things that don’t happen.

   1.)    The Discovery Bible, Zondervan, © 2004, page 87

    Graphic: jasontingle.com

Our Children’s Peace

“‘Though the mountains be shaken and the hills removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant be of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you. All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children’s peace.”

Isa. 54:10, 13

“’Though the mountains be shaken and the hills removed. . .” Even if the world would come to an end through earthquake, leveling the mountains and hills God will be there beside us.

“. . . yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken. . .” God will still love us as our world falls apart- the spiritual, the emotional, as well as the actual.

“. . . nor my covenant be of peace be removed,’” God says that he will keep His pact of peace with His people. Where would we be if we didn’t have this inner strength when we definitely need it—as our world, both figurative and literal, collapses?

“. . . says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Isaiah reminds us that these are God’s words and that He has tenderness for His children. Where would we be without God’s desire to look out for us?

“All your sons will be taught by the Lord. . .” Isaiah gives his audience hope here. The Lord will guide their sons in learning what they will need. In the 21^st Century, we want the children of our natural families and our church families to learn of the Lord. We all need to ask God the proper way to do this.

“’ . . . and great will be your children’s peace.” Isaiah tells his audience there will be a positive result for the Lord’s efforts through them. Their children will not be confused, depressed or down-hearted. The will be at peace. Praise the Lord!

Graphic: www.whachristianswanttoknow.com