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Suffering

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” Philippians 3:10-11 (NIV)

I had a relative who had walked away from the LORD. During this spell, she developed some health issues and spoke of suffering, as one would speak of an enemy. She did not like going through it. I understood what she meant. No human likes pain. Then I heard the Apostle Paul’s thoughts he shared with believers at Philippi.

I often wonder what Paul meant.…  ( Click for more )

In our worship service recently, our pastor included a lengthy passage of scripture that ended with the following words; “Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.” (Psalm 107:31, NIV)

The next morning, I looked that passage up in my Bible. I realized I had studied it a few years before. Here is what I discovered then.

The writer of this chapter repeats the text of this verse four times, as if it were a chorus to a hymn. In the chapter, the writer speaks of…  ( Click for more )

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

“Did you recognize that one scripture pastor used in his sermon.” My friend asked me after the service.

I had to stop and think. “Which one do you mean?”

She looked pensive. “The one about man’s plans.” I remembered.

The next day, a blogging friend wrote about the release of her e-book six weeks later. She spoke of procrastination…  ( Click for more )

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (NIV)

…  ( Click for more )

In these times of turbulence, unrest, and upheaval, we need an anchor to hold our feet on the ground. Each day seems to bring more and more senseless behavior, in my country and worldwide.

Jesus tells us to come to Him and he will give us rest. (Matthew 11:28, NIV) He invites us to share with Him the burdens of our hearts. (Matthew 29-30, NIV)

I attend two small prayer groups that meet each week. The requests of late have been for the unrest of our nation and of the world. We also have concerns about the church leaning toward a cultural Christianity…  ( Click for more )

We celebrated our nation’s freedom earlier this month. We hear scriptures talking about the freedom we have in Christ. The newspaper in our state capital has the scripture, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” written as part of its masthead.

The leaders of our nation remind us that freedom not free. Ask any family that has lost a member who gave his/her life for the cause of maintaining or establishing freedom for our or another nation.

We have freedom in Christ because God planned for His Son…  ( Click for more )

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

What is Praise?

Several years ago, I heard a radio evangelist and his wife ask their two sons to explain praise, as they understood it. One of them said it was giving God a compliment. I liked that response. However, I now know it is more than that.

Praise is Thanking God

Near the beginning of our worship services at church,…  ( Click for more )

“a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away.”

Ecclesiastes 3:6 (NIV)

I find this verse haunting, at least the first section. There are times we lose something precious to us; we search for it until we have looked everywhere. Then we stop, realizing we cannot find it. However, somehow, a while later, we spot it just out of reach from one of the places we looked.

However, when we hear of a plane going down, we hear of a search team rescuing those who have survived. Yet, after a given time, that team’s objective…  ( Click for more )

“a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build.” Ecclesiastes 3:3 (NIV)

I believe the first part of this verse belongs to God’s activity. It is His job to decide whether He heals a person or takes that person home to be with Him. I just noticed in this section of the verse what we think is a negative action is mentioned first.

In the second half, the negative again comes first. Yes, there is a time to tear down. Right across the street from our home sits a Community Garden spot. In March of 2014, the house that stood there…  ( Click for more )

Time

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

Throughout our lives, we have waged a contest between time and ourselves. We know there are 24 hours in a day, usually 31 days in a month—except April, June, September, and November, each of these have 30; and that renegade we call February which has either 28 or 29.

Back in high school, I had a teacher who used the phrase ‘time—wasters’ to describe some of us students. We heard people…  ( Click for more )

In my recent reading, I ran across an article that said we in the USA and Europe have abandoned Biblical Christianity for Cultural Christianity. I forwarded the article to some friends. At church, the next Sunday, one of them stopped me to tell me she got a lot out of the article. I took the time to copy/paste the statement about our world engaging in ‘cultural Christianity’ into another e-mail to emphasize how much I agreed with that thought.

This set me to thinking, “What is Biblical Christianity?” We have God’s Word…  ( Click for more )

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

A recent sermon reminded me of the fact that we are never alone. Jesus is always with us. One of the churches I was a part of several years ago had an anniversary celebration while I attended there. The closing hymn of that service was selected because the congregation sang it to…  ( Click for more )

In the story of Jesus’ birth we see God’s emissaries carry the Gospel message to earth. God relies on them to:

● announce to Mary her role in His plan to send His son into this world.

●explain to Joseph what had happened and the carpenter’s part in this wonderful story.

● tell the shepherds of the birth of Jesus and invite them to go worship the newborn king.

At the age of 30, Jesus approaches his cousin, John, and requests to be baptized. As He comes up out of the water, the Holy Spirit-in the form of a dove lands…  ( Click for more )

“I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore, my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.” Psalm 16:9 (KJV)

Old Testament

“In the Old Testament hope is expressed by several different words meaning ‘safety, security, trust,”1

Hope hōp/Submit noun 1.a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

"he looked through her belongings in the hope of coming across some information"

Synonyms: …  ( Click for more )

“I know the plans I have for you.” Declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Who has not had plans for a vacation or even a long weekend that went awry? We all have had that happen.

Plans in My Life

When I was in my late teens and my early adult years, I had plans fail several times. Those intentions either fell through beforehand or came to completion and left me ‘down.’ Because of this I got to the place where I really could not look forward to…  ( Click for more )

I heard it said that our lives are the sum of the choices we make. The truth is we make decisions that shape each of our days.

We had a sister-in-law who lived to be in her nineties. Toward the end of her life, she asked me to meet her at the building where her doctor’s office was located and accompany her to her doctor appointment. She was a very earlier riser. She knew we were not; my husband worked nights for the better part of 30 years.

When we met, she apologized for my having to get up at an early hour. I responded without…  ( Click for more )

“Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question; ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.’” Matthew 22:34-40 (NIV)

The Pharisees were out to get…  ( Click for more )

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God; the benefits you reap lead to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” Romans 6:22 (NIV)

Paul writes to the believers in Rome. He reminds them God has set them free from their sinful pasts. Further, he relates they have become God’s servants.

When people ask Jesus to come into their hearts, they receive certain “benefits.” Believers have peace, wholeness, eternal life, the Holy Spirit, and His gifts. These benefits work together…  ( Click for more )

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:5-8 (NIV)

“Commit your way to the Lord” David tells us to be sincere about our following the LORD. When we are serious about an action, we do not see anything else but what is in front of us. We spend large quantities of time…  ( Click for more )

“I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.” Psalm 16:7-10 (NIV)

“I will praise the LORD” David chose to thank the LORD for being able to take refuge in Him. God has made his lot secure. The shepherd king has a delightful inheritance.…  ( Click for more )

“The LORD your God goes with you; he will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)

Several of my friends are struggling right now. One reasonably young couple, the daughter and son-in law of very close friends, presently deals with his illness—one that had no symptoms until just over four months ago. Another couple faces her son’s reaction to prolonged stress and anger in his life.

All I can do at this time is pray for these friends and their loved ones. In both of these families,…  ( Click for more )

Jesus Prays for Himself

Scripture: John 17:1-5

Focus Verse: “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3 (NIV)

In this chapter, Jesus spends time in prayer. He sets an example for us. Here He is; His time is getting short and he takes time to pray.

He begins by praying to the Father for himself. This is a very intimate time between Him and the Father. William Barclay states this intimacy between Jesus and God can only happen because of…  ( Click for more )

Abide In Him

Scripture: John 15:1-17

Focus Verses: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:7-8 (NIV)

The following lines comprise what the disciples might have thought as Jesus shares with them.

“Abide with him?”

“What does he mean?”

“We have followed him all these months…  ( Click for more )

One of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 29:11.

“For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV)

One day I chose to read the context—the verses preceding this hopeful verse. Jeremiah sent these words in a letter to those from Jerusalem, exiled in Babylon. The words of that letter were from God. He tells the surviving elders, the priests, and the others who Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem to exile Babylon how they are to live. …  ( Click for more )