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I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you. Jeremiah 31:3b (ESV)

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (ESV)

Everlasting

Our Father God conveys to us three very important messages in the 16 words of the first verse through the prophet Jeremiah. Let’s explore what these messages mean.

The first thing He tells us is that He loves us. Do we realize what all that entails? God looks at us with eyes of love. No matter what we may have done…  ( Click for more )

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore,…  ( Click for more )

New Covenant

Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke though I was their husband, declares the LORD. I will put the law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. For I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sins no more. Jeremiah 31:31-32,33b, 34c (ESV)

God…  ( Click for more )

New Heart

And I will give them one heart and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people and I will be their God. Ezekiel 11:19-20 (ESV)

Happy New Year to each of you. We seem to always look forward to something new, be it a new outfit, a new piece of furniture, or a new vehicle. God plans to do new things for us if we are willing to let Him be in control. Our focus passage will help us understand more.

…  ( Click for more )

This question comes to my mind as the year 2017 comes to a close as I sit in ‘God’s waiting room, seeking His guidance for my life. Here are some answers that come to mind.

He wants us to come to Him. (Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28. ESV)

He wants our whole hearts. (You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 ESV)

Our God wants us to trust Him. (Trust the Lord your God with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Psalm 3:5 ESV) …  ( Click for more )

WITH

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23 Isaiah 7:14 (ESV)

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

Even today, we see evidence of God’s presence in our world. The end of last month, I received a prayer request from a very dear friend. Her husband’s nephew had called and asked her to pray for his new-born granddaughter. The baby was born with three…  ( Click for more )

SHINE

It is God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NSRV)

We have often heard we are to show Jesus to those we meet. Also, we hear we are the only Bible some people read. What can we do when we try to incorporate these thoughts into our personas?

At my Tuesday morning prayer group, I shared a reading entitled “Shine”, from an Advent devotional book Pauses for Advent Words of Wonder by Trevor…  ( Click for more )

AWAKE

What I say to you, I say to all: Keep Awake. Mark 13:37 (NRSV)

Have you ever felt you have missed something when someone said or did something that ultimately affected you? Did you feel as if you had sleepwalked through the event?

During the season of Advent, we find ourselves having certain realizations about God. The morning I wrote this I had to sleep in and get some more rest before starting my day. Hubby had some business to take care of. He couldn’t find out information he needed over the phone. He believed he would have to drive all over town…  ( Click for more )

Thoughts about Praise and Rejoicing

Rejoice, Praise, and Be Glad

This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)

On most days, I repeat this verse while I am still in bed. Doing this helps me have a good outlook on my day. However, this does not guarantee me a perfect day or a day without trials.

The Message That Changed Me

I heard a friend of mine preach a sermon on living in the moment. In it she told us about taking each day as it came and not to look ahead to the next one, especially if we may have fears about…  ( Click for more )

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

The Lord is good to all and his mercy is over all he has made.

Psalm 145:8-9 (ESV)

David gives praise to God in this passage. Let’s see what he says about our heavenly Father.

The Lord is gracious and merciful,

We have scriptures that tell of the Father’s grace, His granting things we don’t deserve. He gives us evidence of showing His people His mercy, the withholding of what we do deserve.

Slow to anger,

Have you even know anyone who…  ( Click for more )

As we hear of more and more instances of man’s atrocities to man, we begin to wonder what causes one person to bring harm to another.

As I read our local newspaper two days ago, I noticed the front page had stories that I found distressing. Earlier, in one of his columns, the editor of our paper stressed the fact that the editors try to find good news stories to place on the front page. Since then, I have watched and tried to note the good news stories. They are fewer and further between.

I wonder what God thinks when He looks down and sees people being killed…  ( Click for more )

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand

In the evil day, and having done all stand firm” Ephesians 6:13 (ESV)

In today’s world we see a lot of activity that does not speak of Christianity but of the world.

My heart goes out to those in Sutherland Springs, Texas. A friend pointed out to several of us that that one small church had 60 members and lost at least 26 of their people. We prayed for that church and town during our times of prayer this week.

The gospel hymn, “Stand…  ( Click for more )

. . . in this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33 (ESV)

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV)

Dear Father God;

We have seen a lot of heart-wrenching events take place in our world. Several of my friends believe they are unable to watch the news broadcasts because of what they see. Your people are concerned about the state…  ( Click for more )

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 14:27 (ESV)

Each time I hear of a bombing or a shooting, my heart becomes heavy for a short time. Those who lost their lives in the Paris attacks, the magazine and the multiple sites in 2015, those who became victims in Nice, Berlin and in Turkey at the end of 2016, those who were in that night club in Florida all come to mind. And I can’t forget the bombings of 9/11/2001 in my own nation. The metropolitan…  ( Click for more )

Jesus Came and Said, “Peace”

“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week,

the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews,

Jesus came and stood among them and said to them,

“Peace be with you.”

John 20:19 (ESV)

The risen Christ came into the midst of his followers. They locked the door because they feared the Jews and those in power. The first words He spoke were words of comfort to them, “Peace be with you.”

His followers had been turmoil, the like of which they…  ( Click for more )

Peace and His Guidance Needed

I have said these things to you, in me you may have peace.

In this world you will have tribulation.

But take heart; I have overcome the world.

John 16:33 (ESV)

In our present-day world, we hear of tragedy striking somewhere every day. Some of these are in our own nation, even sometimes close to home. The latest one happened in Las Vegas. I have a friend from high school who has an ex-son-in-law who works there. People from all over our nation vacation there. Companies hold conventions in that town. Also, the forest fires in…  ( Click for more )

I have said these things to you, in me you may have peace.

In this world you will have tribulation.

But take heart; I have overcome the world.

John 16:33 (ESV)

In our present-day world, we hear of tragedy striking somewhere in our world every day. Some of these are in our own nation, even sometimes close to home. The latest one happened in Las Vegas. I have a friend from high school who has an ex-son-in-law who works there. People from all over our nation vacation there. Companies hold conventions in that town.

The news media calls this the worst tragedy…  ( Click for more )

Thoughts about Life’s Events

Trials

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious that gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation.

1 Peter 1:6-7 (ESV)

I found this quote I liked when I reviewed this one book. “Our gracious God never wastes a trial He permits to enter our lives. If we cooperate, He will use every difficulty, heartache, and…  ( Click for more )

Our World

In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

John 16:33 (ESV)

Our World As We See It

As we go through life we become more aware of trouble. It comes to the forefront of each newscast and article in the papers. No one is exempt from hearing of riots, demonstrations, or domestic violence.

Case in point: I attend a small prayer cell on Tuesday mornings. Recently, a member told me I needed to be careful when I left my house. Her daughter heard of a stabbing taking place two blocks from my house.

Then,…  ( Click for more )

I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 14:6 (ESV)

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,

while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a]

so that it will be even more fruitful.

John 15:1-2 (ESV)

The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Jesus has told His disciples not to be troubled in their hearts. He advised them to trust in God and in Him. He continued…  ( Click for more )

“I Am the Door”

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved

and will go in and out and find pasture.

John 10:9 (ESV)

Jesus Christ explains to his listeners that there is only one way to reach God and to enter heaven; that way is through Him and Him alone.

In our world, we see buildings with doors and windows. Doors are present in order to allow desired people in and, when necessary, to keep unwanted people out. Looters and robbers climb through windows in order to gain entry to buildings and homes where they do their questionable…  ( Click for more )

Early last month I heard a keynote speaker at a writing conference speak on the idea of “What if John had not written?”1. One of the comments he made that intrigued me was that we would not have the “I AM” statements. When I returned home, I began reading the gospel of John from a different perspective. Here are some of the thoughts I have on how I perceive His meaning of two of the phrases.

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

John 6:35 (ESV) …  ( Click for more )

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

Matthew 12:25 (NKJV)

As I watch the events of our nation unfold, I wonder are we united in our stand for what is right? A friend said something recently in Sunday school that got me to pondering this idea of our lack of unity. Her thought was because we see a large crowd gathering for an event, we will see a major disruption of peace.

We have seen peaceful daily events…  ( Click for more )

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)

A lot of events happen in our modern world that cause Christian people to become disenchanted. Every day, the newspapers and the television news reports tell of tragedies that tend to cause believers to initially question the state of our world.

Due to our humanity, we often wonder why these things occur. The vast majority of these events…  ( Click for more )