Bear with one Another in Love

 

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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?

Paul’s Description of Love

 

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Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will cease, whether there are tongues, they will cease, whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 1 Cor 13: 4-8 (NKJV)

 

Paul describes the highest attributes of love.

 

 love suffers long

 The King James Version says, ‘long suffering’, this translates to the modern phrase ‘is patient’.

 

 and is kind

When we show kindness to others, we show love to them. Our action may be very small, but it may mean the world to that other person.

 

 love does not envy

When we love as Jesus loves and another person receives something that is good, a loving response is for us to be happy for them.

 

 love does not parade itself, is not puffed up

When we love as Jesus loves we are not to call attention to ourselves or what we have done, especially when that something makes us look good in the eyes of others.

 

 does not behave rudely

When we truly love as Jesus loved will not do anything that another person would consider rude.

 

does not seek its own,

When we show the love of Jesus, we do not do things with selfish motives.

 

 is not provoked,

When we love like Christ, we can’t let another person ‘push buttons’ and cause him or her to get angry.

 

thinks no evil,

When we truly love with the love of Christ, we will not say bad things or wish them on those around us.

 

does not rejoice in iniquity,

 When we love as Christ loves, we will not be happy when anyone around us sins.

 

but rejoices in the truth, when we truly love as Jesus does, we are grateful for the truth that sets us and those around us free from their struggles and their sins.

 

 bears all things

When we love as Jesus loves, we learn to be strong and wait for His outcome to a circumstance.

 

believes all thing

When we love as Jesus loves, we believe all the good things we know about others.

 endures all things.

 

Because of Jesus’ love for the people God had created, He went to the cross to make us acceptable (sinless) before His Father. When we love someone, we attempt to tolerate their unkind thoughts and their bad behavior.

 

Love never fails.

The Love of God is eternal. Even when we mess up, He is there waiting for us to seek forgiveness of our wrongdoing and then guidance to make things right with those we have hurt.

 

prophecies. . . will cease

As a teenager, I heard some ‘profound’ prophecies that never came to pass. We have heard some prophecies in the recent past that also have not happened. God is in control.

 

 tongues. . . will cease

When we all learn to love as Jesus did, we will be able to live our lives without hearing “wagging tongues”, we will be so busy praising God and doing new tasks He will assign us.

 

 knowledge. . . will vanish away We know procedures of certain activities we do to get through our jobs, through our daily chores, through raising our children. As technology has changed those procedures, those new ways may also be done away with when Christ comes again.

 

 

Love, Do Good, Bless, Pray

 

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 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.

Eucharisteo: I Give Praise

 

Simple Life Heartenings

This is something from my past writings. You may remember it. 

 

For My Savior

            First and foremost, I want to lift up the name of Jesus. He left heaven’s glory to come to earth to teach us about His Father and how we can live for Him.

 

            Because Jesus died for our sins, we can enjoy freedom from the guilt of sin. A close friend of mine asked me a question about another person’s role in our church. The next morning, I found the answer.

            I called her and said, “You asked me a question last night. I found the answer this this morning.” Her response was, “That’s all right, I don’t need to know. I gave that over to God.” I know she could do this because of what Jesus did for her.

            Jesus teaches us each day how we should live. The Shepherd guides us through troublesome times of our lives. The Teacher instructs us when we don’t understand certain circumstances. The Comforter soothes us when our hearts are broken. The Physician heals us from diseases. The Protector keeps us warm and safe.

 

            In my lifetime, Jesus has acted in the above roles innumerable times. I thank Him for each

 

Christian Community

As I sit here on a dreary November day, what does God want me to write about? Thus far this year, He has given me 895 gifts and blessings that I know of. I recently joined the church I have attended since its creation in 2006. We attended one of the forerunner churches for almost four and a half years before the merger of two existing congregations.

            It always impresses me with the way Christians accept others into their fold. I saw this at a writing conference. Everyone was there for the same purpose—to learn how to better present God through their writing. The people were warm and hospitable. The faculty was outstanding. Even one of the speakers, with whom I didn’t see eye to eye, had some good points for us.

            On Wednesday mornings, a group of us meet for prayer. Several years ago, one of the women still has both parents living. This daughter faced one of her parents having his health fail. When I was at that writing conference, I attended a workshop, given by a man who happened to write a book about his experience of watching and caring for his mother as she went through the dementia process. I purchased that book, thinking I could read it myself and then donate it to the church library. I found myself telling this dear sweet Christian sister that I would let her have it first. Her husband is now critically ill. Our church prays for this couple.

            In our faith community, people pray, for however long it takes, for that need. When someone has praise, we all rejoice with them. One Sunday, we heard two women give testimony that someone in their families was cancer free. Another one said she experienced freedom for the first time in a long time.

            I participate in the church’s visitation ministry. Today, we saw eight people, three nursing home patients, four assisted living facility residents. Several of these are close to or in their nineties. My visitation partner and I try to go every other week. I enjoy hearing them talk about their families, or stories of their youth.

            God was good to me when he led me to our church. He always has something special for me each week. He calms me as I worship Him and makes my journey smoother as I follow Him. For this, I am thankful.

 

God’s Provision

            God gives us words to say when he needs us to speak to someone on His behalf. We had a neighbor who feared her son’s departure for basic training for the U. S. Army. She and I had several talks about what she was feeling. Often, I reminded her that all she felt went with being a mother. Just before his departure, she received baptism. At one point, early in his training, he was very down-in-spirit. She told him, “Go to church tomorrow.” As she and her family prepared to go to his graduation from basic training, she found out he was planned on also receiving baptism while they were all together just prior to his graduation.

            One of my Spiritual Gifts is encouragement. Sometimes, thoughts for encouraging others come easy and sometimes I must pray to find them. Either way, I know the LORD gives me the words.

            I follow a gluten-free diet due to intolerance to grains that contain a certain protein (gluten), namely wheat, barley, rye and some oats. When we have had scrambled eggs for a meal, Hubby couldn’t understand why I couldn’t make toast in our toaster the same way he did. I started using our microwave to basically warm the gluten-free bread. Our anniversary is this month. He recently took me out to a store and bought me a toaster oven. This is something I did not ask for.

            I sometimes have sleepless nights. When I have a good night’s sleep, I know it comes as a gift from God. Even if I can’t fall right to sleep, when I do, I awaken feeling refreshed.

            If each of us were to examine our lives, we would see how God provides for us. He is ready to fulfill any need we have according to His will for our lives. Occasionally, God even takes care of a want we might have. As we go into this season of giving thanks, let’s remember that we can do that all year long. Doesn’t God provide for us every day?

            God lavishes each of us with all we need.

Jesus’ Invitation

 

 

                 he said to them, “Come away with me by yourselves and get some rest.

 Mark 6:31 (NIV)

 

                This verse comes in the middle of a passage where the apostles had reported to Jesus about “all they had done and taught.”

The twelve were so crowded by people they did not have a chance to eat. Therefore, Jesus encouraged them to go to “deserted place and rest awhile” (NKJV)

 

Each believer needs rest, especially after a harrowing event in their lives. A family funeral, a time of surgery, a time of great excitement, during an illness.

 

The LORD Jesus often went to Gethsemane by himself to commune with His Father. God rested from his work of creation on the seventh day.

 

In our American culture in the past, there were what is referred to as ‘Blue Laws’. No unnecessary businesses were open on Sunday. People knew this; they made sure they had gasoline in their cars and food in the house.

 

A corner grocery store in our neighborhood was open for a few hours on Sunday. It was owned and run by a family. As I remember, they only had maybe one or two employees over the years.

 

Things seemed simpler when we obeyed the words of God about resting on the Sabbath.

 

The author of one of the blogs I used to follow stated repeatedly that she took Sunday as a Cyber Sabbath. I did it for a while, but I got out of the habit. I believe I need to practice it again. 

Thoughts About Life

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“Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Genesis 4:9 (NIV)

This year, 2020, has given us a different perspective about things. We have seen the CORONA VIRUS spread around the world.  Some people do not take it seriously. We have seen states close and then reopen only to have the virus wreak more havoc in our nation. Those that do not take it seriously choose not to wear masks. Others chose to have parties and go to the beaches and lakes over the Memorial Day and July 4^th holidays. I recently heard of a city one area of which had a “Block Party” and had 600 participants.

As I initially write this, our nation has lost 138,649 lives. As I think on these numbers, I think of my cousin’s passing in early April. His daughter, who works at the nursing facility where he lived, also had COVID and was quarantined at the time he passed on and had to plan his service “long distance.” Each night on the news channel I watch, several of the journalists pay tribute to some of those who have succumbed.

As I sit here in my home, (I prefer to stay in as much as possible. I still have some issues with my ankle.) However, when I do go out, I wear a mask. Hubby has a supply of them in the console of our car. I see people who work in these places who have health issues. I talk to these people and feel I must try to do my part to protect them as well as myself.

Yes, we are our brother’s (or sister’s) keepers. In our community, we have numerous agencies that depend on people who are able to volunteer or to donate to help those who are unable to have food for their families, homes for themselves, and those who are in the process of turning their lives around.

Our governor here in Indiana has mandated masks to be worn by all over the age of 8 years old. This will go into effect this coming Monday, July 28^th.

Jesus Relinquished His Will

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Abba, Father, everything is possible for you.

Take this cup from me.

Yet not what I will, but what you will.

Mark 14:36 (NIV)

Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane. He separated Himself from the disciples. He chose to humble Himself and seek His Father’s will.

Jesus did not think of Himself. He turned to God and relinquished His control over the events that lay before Him. He did that for you and me, so we could be in heaven with Him when He calls us home.

In our lives, we must remember that we are not the ones in control of our lives. Yes, there are certain things we may have a say in, where we live, who we marry, what kind of car we may drive, and where we worship God. There are other areas of our lives that only God knows about when we are born, when we die, the color of our eyes, our gender.

When we allow God’s will to control our lives, we are at peace with Him, with ourselves and with one another. We experience Jesus’s peace. He gives us a peace that is different from what the world offers.       

For us to find Jesus’ peace for our hearts, we have to ask His forgiveness for sin, the world’s offenses, our nation’s transgressions, and our personal ‘missing the mark.’

During Lent, we find ourselves focusing on our relationship with Jesus, on the fact that we are sinners, on His grace, and what He did for us—He gave his life that we may be deemed worthy to spend eternity with Him in heaven.

Jesus Relinquished His Will

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Abba, Father, everything is possible for you.

Take this cup from me.

Yet not what I will, but what you will.

Mark 14:36 (NIV)

Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane. He separated Himself from the disciples. He chose to humble Himself and seek His Father’s will.

Jesus did not think of Himself. He turned to God and relinquished His control over the events that lay before Him. He did that for you and me, so we could be in heaven with Him when He calls us home.

In our lives, we must remember that we are not the ones in control of our lives. Yes, there are certain things we may have a say in, where we live, who we marry, what kind of car we may drive, and where we worship God. There are other areas of our lives that only God knows about when we are born, when we die, the color of our eyes, our gender.

When we allow God’s will to control our lives, we are at peace with Him, with ourselves and with one another. We experience Jesus’s peace. He gives us a peace that is different from what the world offers.       

For us to find Jesus’ peace for our hearts, we have to ask His forgiveness for sin- the world’s offenses, our nation’s transgressions, and our personal ‘missing the mark.’

During Lent, we find ourselves focusing on our relationship with Jesus, on the fact that we are sinners, on His grace, and what He did for us—He gave his life that we may be deemed worthy to spend eternity with Him in heaven.

We May Know We Are His

Warner Sallman 

Whoever says Ï know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this, we may know that we are in him. 1 John 2:4-5 (ESV)

When we say that we know Jesus, we tell others that we have asked Him into our hearts. The Apostle John tells us that those who claim to know Him, but don’t, are dishonest and are not acquainted with the truth.

We, who know Jesus as our Savior and Lord, strive to live our lives for Him. We keep in mind the Ten Commandments. We seek His guidance when we have difficulties. We ask ourselves “What Would Jesus Do” when we find ourselves in doubt about what we need to do. We rely on the Word of God to guide us through each day. We display the love of God to others by loving them and praying for them.

God presents us with times where He wants us to Stand for Him. When His children obey Him, He smiles down on them and eventually rewards them for their obedience.

As we pray, we need to ask God to show us what He wants us to do for Him that day. As we grow in Christ, we learn that He is in control of all we do.  

Open Our Eyes Lord

God Alone Allows Success

Youtube>Latrisha Waites

  

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.

                                                Proverbs 21:30-31 (NIV)

This passage speaks of our need to consult God with our plans and goals.

 There is no wisdom,

     

            Wisdom is a gift from God. His Word, the Bible leads us to live rightly, have the right relationships, and make the right decisions. ¹

no insight, 

    God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight. (1 Kings 4:29)  His understanding could not be measured. He had more insight and wisdom that anyone of that time.

no plan,

            In our lives, plans get altered. Plans don’t get realized. We must adjust our schedules and even our lives when those plans must change. Each of us has gone through the process of having to fall back on ‘Plan B.’

 that can succeed against the LORD.

            God holds everything in His hands, when babies are born, (Our son came two weeks after my anticipated due date.) when a loved one goes to heaven, (a friend and her extended family sat with her stepmother for over a week as she went through the process of leaving this earth.)

I had a friend and her husband who lived in our part of town. They wanted to move to a larger house. They wanted to stay in this area. Every house someone directed them to see was in other parts of town. She asked me what I thought that meant. My answer was, “It seems like the LORD wants you in another part of town.” When they moved their new house was in another part of town. 

The lesson I have learned from this verse humbles me. I have not always consulted God about my plans. Those plans either changed, or had to be postponed, or even did not give me what I expected.

Through these experiences, I have learned to remain open for God to enter and orchestrate my life. But then, I am human and sometimes need a remedial course.

(1.) Life Application Bible, ©1988-1991, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, IL 60189, page 1071

Living for Jesus

facultyblog.eternitybiblecollege.com 

This is a departure from my chosen monthly topic. I heard a story that disturbed me. I found myself thinking about the person and how many people she has wronged by her actions. I found myself doing what I do when I am confronted by things I cannot understand. I wrote out my thoughts. 

Recently, I heard more of a person’s story that has caused me to think about how we live for Jesus. In hearing this latest addition to the story, I realized this individual is truly living for herself and not Jesus. This caused me to ponder what living for Jesus means.

                  He is the Lord of our lives.

                                    He sees all that we do.

                                    He hears all we say.

                                    He directs us through each day.

Our responsibility is to read His Word, take it to heart, and strive to follow it as best we can. Sometimes, we fail to live up to what The Word directs us to do. That is where His grace begins to act.

As we go through life, God’s Holy Spirit goes with us and supports us as we face trials and go through tribulations. God hears all we say during those times.

When we accept Christ and ask Him to walk with us through our lives, we need to be honest with Him and with ourselves. We shouldn’t do or say anything that Jesus would not like.

Sometimes, we have ‘head knowledge’ and not ‘heart knowledge’. We think we know Jesus and we can get by with anything we do because ‘we are saved’. When we do things disregarding Jesus, in reality, we know about Jesus, but we really don’t know Him.

A lot of us approach Jesus when we are in trouble or face something we cannot handle. This is not the relationship He wants to have with us. He wants to be the LORD of our lives.

Sometimes, we claim to be Christian and a worker for Christ because we want to impress others. Jesus would rather we didn’t do that. When we proclaim Christ and then our behavior or our attitude tells those around us otherwise, we ‘give Jesus a black eye”.

How can we continue to show the grace of God to those who seem to revert to former ways of living?

How can we pray about this?

God in Our World Today

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We recently took a trip. Parts of it were not exactly enjoyable. However, I could see and feel God with us as we traveled.

God Sighting Number One

I felt God at our local CVS as I prepared to purchase some last-minute items. I picked up a can of cashews and started to walk away. Across the aisle sat shelving with cookies. Being gluten-free, I don’t allow myself to look very closely. Then, I happened to notice some organic cookies. Curiosity got the better of me. I looked closer and saw they were Gluten-Free. I took two packages of them with us.

God Sighting Number Two

About an hour away for where we live, we always stop at this one gas station/convenience store. This time, when we stopped there on our way down, I had two employees, in different parts of the store, of the station hold the door open for me. (I walk with a cane.)

God Sighting Number Three

We stopped in to see our son and for Hubby to pay respects to a family of someone he was in school with. Our special friend went with Hubby; after that, we went out to eat with our son, our friend and his wife, our friend’s sister and brother-in-law and one of their granddaughters. There were eight of us. We talked and heard stories and laughed together.

God Sighting Number Four

We drove into Kentucky and visited Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace. At the Visitors Center, we asked if there was a way to get to the Memorial Building that didn’t require a lot of walking. They had a boardwalk that went through a wooded area that was breathtaking. There were benches every so often for those who needed to rest.

Going to the Memorial Building, the walk was slightly uphill. Coming back down was easier. As we sat on the benches, we remarked how peaceful the park was. God was there with us.

God Sightings Here at Home

This past Sunday was Pentecost Sunday. The speaker talked about God’s Miracles, in the Bible, and in our present lives.

During our Worship Service, we received communion by intinction. The pastor stands at the front of the sanctuary and holds the bread. A second person holds the grape juice. The congregants go to the front of the sanctuary and receive the element.

Due to our outgoing pastor being on vacation, a retired pastor in our congregation and a gentleman who is ordained served the elements. The retired pastor has health issues that sometimes interfere with him and his wife being able to be present. As I entered the aisle from my pew. His wife told me that he had not been able to stand alone for some time. There he was standing there holding the chalice for all who came forward. My response to her was that it was God allowing it I have since found out that he did the same thing in the earlier service as well.

Our Lay speaker had a guest give his testimony near the end of the service. His story was one of God’s grace and love toward him during his recovery from a choice he made to end his life. At the end of the service, those of congregation who felt led could come forward and lay hands on him and pray. The majority of those present went down and prayed for this man.

Giving Honor to Others

www.nationalparksservice.org

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and 10 time ten thousand. The encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang:

‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and

wisdom and strength and honor and

glory and praise!’ Revelation 5:11-12

            Today is Memorial Day. The purpose of this holiday is to give honor to those who have gone on before us, whether in service to our country or in helping us become the people we are, those of our families. Also, we are to give honor to our Savior, Jesus Christ and to God.

The Lamb of God is Jesus. He went to the Cross so that we would be justified sinless in the eyes of His Father.  

In the Old Testament, God honored Solomon because Solomon only asked God wisdom and knowledge so he could lead the people in his kingdom. God chose to honor Solomon with wisdom and knowledge and wealth, riches and honor.

In the letter to the Romans, Paul relates to them: “God will ‘give to each person according to what he has done.” To those who by persistence in doing good, because that is the right thing to do, he will give eternal life.”

Each of us has given honor to others we have known in our lives. We honor:

   1.)    the fallen who have made the supreme sacrifice that we may live in freedom.

                2.) those who interrupted their lives to serve our country.

                3.) those in our families who have gone on before.

Throughout the year, we honor those we still have with us through:

1.)    celebrating births and birthdays,

2.)    celebrating graduations,

3.)    observing Mother’s Day,

4.)    observing Father’s Day,

5.)    celebrating wedding anniversaries,

6.)    observing Veterans Day,

7.)    celebrating Christmas

We have honored God by the way we live for Him, by attending worship services, by serving Him in various ministries. Some do this by singing, others by playing a musical instrument, still others by teaching children, some by writing, others through art by drawing or painting.

About the picture at to the top:

 It is of the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington D. C. Our pastor had in on the screen for us to view at church this morning. It spoke to me. I pray it speaks to you as well.

An Interview with Jesus’ Mother

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Quiet Spirit: Hello. Today we have with us Jesus’ mother, Mary. She has quite a story to share with us. Welcome, Mary. Thank you for coming to Following My King. Would you please share some of these tender memories with our readers?

Mary: I would be glad to. What would you like me to share?

Q. S.: Anything you feel led to.

M.: As I stood and watched my son and Savior as He struggled to carry his cross, that instrument of torture, along the road, I revisited the scenes of His life.

Q. S.: Can you please give us some background about the marriage customs among the Hebrew people at the time of your betrothal?

M.: As a young girl from a poor family, I was pledged to Joseph, a local carpenter. He was learning his trade from his father, as he would teach our future sons if God would bless us in that way. There were three steps to marriage for Hebrew young couples. First, the parents met and discussed the possibility of a union. Then the couple became “pledged”, the only way a pledging could end was through the death of one of the couple or through a divorce. The final step was the marriage ceremony.

Q.S.: You received a very special visit from the angel Gabriel? How did that make you feel? How did you react?

M.: An angel brought me a message that changed all our plans. It brought pain, ridicule, and rejection by my peers, I might have lost my beloved Joseph. I wasn’t certain that I could follow God and do that. However, I chose to obey God. Do you understand that? I chose to obey God.

Q.S.: How did Joseph react to this news.

M.: At first, Joseph was bewildered by what I told him. When word got around to the community, we lost friends and he lost some business. But the angel went to him and told him that what I had told him was true. My baby was conceived by God. He took me into his home as his wife and assisted me as he could.

Q.S.: What happened after your son was born?

M.: Some shepherds came to the stable where we stayed. I sat quietly and listened to them jubilantly tell the story of how they heard of the birth of my son. They told me of the angel and then the angel host and their message. One of those angels must have been the one who carried the message to me and told Joseph that he was to continue with our pledging. These lowly workers were thrilled to know that they saw angels from God. All I could do was sit, listen, ponder their words, and record them in my heart.

Q.S.: When Joseph took you and your baby to the temple, what happened?

M.: When Joseph took me and baby Jesus for the purification rite, Simeon, a man devoted to God, met us in the Temple When Simeon asked to hold the baby, he praised God. He told God he was ready to go to heaven in peace because he had been allowed to see our babe. Simeon called our baby Jesus God’s salvation for His people.

As we departed the Temple with Jesus, Simeon gave us a blessing and said; “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul, too.” Could this be what he meant?

Q.S.: Do you have anything else you would like to share with our readers?

M.: As I stood there at the foot of the cross, watching my son as He breathed his last breaths, He entrusted my care to John, the only one of His followers who was loyal to Him through His ministry and through the trial and tribulation my son suffered. I have always remembered this wonderful act of love my son did for me.

Q.S.: Thank you, Mary, for stopping in and sharing these personal thoughts with us.

M.: You are welcome. Thank you for inviting me.

Interview with a Roman Soldier

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Quiet Spirit: Today, we have with us Servius Antonius Balduinus, a Roman soldier who was garrisoned at Jerusalem during the Jewish Passover when the Jews confronted Pontius Pilate that led to Jesus’ crucifixion. Thank you for consenting to visit Following My King.

Servius Antonius Balduinus Thank you for inviting me. As you said I was garrisoned at Jerusalem when the Jews confronted Pontius Pilate about this man called Jesus. Rome anticipated trouble and supplied us with additional troops to contain any uprising that might occur from the Jews.

Q. S.: Was this something new to you? Or had you seen other such actions?

S. A. B.: While I was there, I participated in several crucifixions. I thought the previous ones were all the same. However, the one with this man Jesus was . . . different. In the other ones, the criminals on the crosses shouted down curses onto us and the onlookers. This man Jesus asked His Father to forgive us. Forgive us? We caused Him to die and, yet, He sought God’s forgiveness for us.

Q. S.: Did you have any doubts about this one?

S. A. B.: “Why,” I asked myself “are we taking His very life?” Pilate told the Jews he found no guilt in this man and, yet, he turned Him over to the crowd. Yes, I joined in when my fellow soldiers divided up his garments, to the point of drawing lots when they decided to gamble for his undergarment As I look back, I realize it was so wrong to do. We justified it because there were four of us and he had five items of clothes. The undergarment was seamless, and we didn't want to cut it.

Q. S.: Did any people stand out to you? Did any of them act differently from the rest?

S. A. B.: While this horrific event was unfolding, I noticed a small group of four women and one young man watching. Later, I learned that one of the women was His mother. How terrible this must have been for her to watch: people brutalizing her own flesh and blood. I remember this Jesus calling down to her, “Woman, behold, your son!” And to the man, “Behold, your mother!”

Q. S.: How did this event affect you?

S. A. B.: Then my superior officer appointed me to puncture each of the three men in their side with my spear. After that, in case that process had not rendered them dead, I had to break their legs. When I approached the other two, they were still alive. I will always remember their screams of agony.

But this Jesus was already dead. I thought about all that I had seen and heard from this man Jesus, then I realized. “This man was truly the Son of God.” I Have not forgotten Jesus and what He did for each of us. My life has not been the same.

Q. S.: Thank you Servius Antonius Balduinus, for being here with us.

Jesus Speaks on Love

quiet spirit.

You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest commandment. And a second one is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37-39(ESV)

Jesus responds to a lawyer’s question with our focus verse. I wonder why the why the man posed the question. Was he seriously seeking an answer to something that bothered him? Did the group of Sadducees put that lawyer up to asking a question to trick or embarrass Jesus?

His answer may have surprised those in the crowd. The question, as presented, asks about a high thing, the greatest commandment. The Master told the group three ways in which to love God.

 

“with all your heart,” The human heart thought to be the seat of our emotions. When we choose to love another person, we want the best for that person. When we love God, our desire is to live for Him.

“with all your soul,” The soul is man’s true self, who we really are. Said another way, our soul is our inner core. When we say we know a person’s soul, we know his or her inner being.

“with all your mind.” Our minds control our thoughts as well as our movements. What we think at times dictates what we say or do. Our words convey more than we realize. Sometimes they convey hurt and cause problems. As followers of Christ, we are to represent Him in the world. Because we are his His emissaries, we are to live for Him hourly and daily. Jesus continued instructing the Sadducees. With the last seven words of our focus verse, the LORD gets down to the very core of human relationships, how we treat those around us.

“You shall love”

Our neighborhood has changed over the time we have lived here. People have passed away, others have moved away. Those houses that were owner-occupied might now be rentals, several which seem to be vacant. Because of these factors, we no longer know most of those who live along our section of the street. As Mother Teresa told us, we must “Do it anyway.”

“your neighbor”

I found a way to love these neighbors and these supposedly empty houses. I have a section of my prayer list devoted to my neighborhood. In checking a neighborhood social media site’s message board one morning, I found I needed to expand my section to include a few more houses on a street down the way from our home.

“as yourself.”

As we continue to live in our world as things become more conflicted for those of us who love the LORD, we may need to look again at the values we hold and search for ways to please God as we pray for those near us and for those dear to us.

We can learn from the teachings of Jesus and apply them to our daily lives as we walk with Him. We can learn to seek His guidance before we comment on the events and actions of others that we don’t understand. We can give Him the glory for the uplifting things He does and not try to take credit for anything He has done for us. We can encourage our neighbors as they try to improve their homes. We can be patient with those who do not have a like-minded viewpoint about certain events that affect our homes and our lives.

Father God;

I thank You for Your lesson on how to love You. I ask that You help me to love You according to this verse in order that I may truly represent You in this fallen world. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. AMEN