In Nockamixon State Park, which is five miles east of Quakertown and nine miles west of Doylestown in PA. Photo by gailf548
Good morning, beloved,
Ever notice how when life is quiet, peaceful, everyone is healthy, money in the bank, how easy it is to come to rely on this? Slowly but surely we can remove our trust in God and put our trust in these very temporal circumstances. The picture of this tree is such good reminder to me. This tree is quite alive, healthy, roots firmly established by the water. Can you imagine this tree picking up it’s roots and saying, “I don’t like the water. I’m good on my own.” ? Of course not. This tree relies heavily on the water in good times. And in bad. However, when the waters stir, when the downpours come, when health issues arrive that are not solved, when money is NOT in the bank, we look up to heaven and begin to panic.
Or not. When downpour after downpour come on the Bruinius family, I have to be honest I get overwhelmed. I can type it all out, make a good story for our family but yet I am finding as I type it out, I begin to find reason to be upset with God. Yet, within the span of a day, such good, such stress poured down on our family. As I watched the emails come, as I listened on the phone to another issue, I had to just keep saying…
My friends, you have so many choices in your day, choices for life, for joy. I know I can resonate with Robert Robinson’s hymn..
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above. Robert Robinson
So, join me this day.
Make known your declarations to God. Lift up your debtor’s heart. Don’t forget to keep worship. Refuse the whispers of Satan.
7 “But the person who ·trusts [has confidence] in the Lord will be blessed.
·The Lord will show him that he can be trusted [L …whose trust/confidence is in him]. 8 He will be like a tree planted near water [C vital and strong]
that sends its roots by a stream [Ps. 1:3].
It is not afraid when the ·days are hot [L heat comes];
its leaves are always green.
It ·does not worry [is not anxious] in a year ·when no rain comes [of drought];
it always produces fruit. Jeremiah 17 EXB
Trust. The Lord HAS shown Himself so faithful. I want to be that tree at the top of my post. Vibrant, strong, trusting in my God to provide for each and every need we have. He is so faithful.
227. Tears of my children that with comfort and reminders of joy a smile can be found..
228. My Ella girl finishing her AWANA book..so proud.
229. Chocolate pudding that was all mine from start to finish.
Please continue to pray for Micah Ahern. His parents are sitting in a hospital holding their breath, wondering if the cancer truly has returned.
Prayers for our Pastors and their wives:
Day 21 Pray that your pastor and his wife will not give in to discouragement, but will deal with inevitable criticism and conflict by committing themselves into the hands of God, who judges righteously. (1Pet. 2:23) (ROH)
A Panoramic View of Florence from Bellosguardo Painting by Thomas Patch (1725 – 1782)
Good morning, beloved!
13 I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with ·much [L all] joy and peace ·while you trust[because you trust; through your faith] in him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15 EXB
I’m going to admit to you, dear reader, that today I need these verses. I need to cling to the God of hope today. I cannot make myself hope and have joy and peace. These promises are found in faith in Him and Him alone. So let’s look at some cross references for these verses from the Blue Letter Bible.
I pray that the God who gives hope…
5 May ·the patience and encouragement that come from God [Lthe God of patience and encouragement] ·allow you to live in harmony with each other the way Christ Jesus wants [or grant you the same attitude with each other that Christ Jesus had]. Romans 15 EXB
16 The Lord ·will roar like a lion from Jerusalem [L roars from Zion];
his loud voice will thunder from ·that city [L Jerusalem],
and the ·sky [heavens] and the earth will shake.
But the Lord will be a ·safe place [refuge] for his people,
a ·strong place of safety [stronghold] for the ·people [L sons; T children] of Israel. Joel 3 EXB
1 From Paul, an ·apostle [messenger] of Christ Jesus, by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope. 1 Timothy 1 EXB
will fill you with ·much [L all] joy and peace ·while you trust[because you trust; through your faith] in him.
Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. ·Trust [Believe] in God, and ·trust [believe] in me[or You trust/believe in God, trust/believe also in me]. John 14:1 EXB
27 “I leave you peace [C the Greek word for “peace” reflects the Hebrew shalom, a typical Hebrew farewell; but Jesus’ peace, in the sense of wholeness, is also a characteristic of the messianic kingdom]; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don’t let your hearts be troubled or afraid. John 14 EXB
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through his grace gave us eternal ·comfort [encouragement] and a good hope, 17·encourage [comfort] you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. 2 Thessalonians 2 EXB
Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit.
4 And ·patience [endurance] produces[tested and proven] character, and [tested and proven] character produces hope. 5 And this hope will never ·disappoint us [let us down; or put us to shame; dishonor us; C honor and shame were among the most important values in first century culture], because God has ·poured out his love to fill our hearts [or flooded our hearts with his love]. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us. Romans 5 EXB
8 And God can ·give you more blessings than you need [L overflow/abound all grace to you]. Then ·you will always have plenty of everything [L in all things at all times you will have all you need]— ·enough to give to [abounding/overflowing in] every good work. 2 Corinthians 9 EXB
He is sufficient. He is more than enough.
So today, friends, as you face your day, remember, He is enough. He is worth living for, He is still more awesome than we can even imagine. As trials come today, as encouragement comes..whatever you face today, face it knowing that He is more than enough.
My thankfuls:
220. My church family checking up on me, praying for me and loving me and my family.
221. For children who want to spend time with one another and with us.
222. Thankful for my Dad willing to do whatever he can to help.
Prayers for your Pastor and his wife:
Day 18 Pray that your pastor and his wife will be people of prayer and worship, and that they will lead by example—teaching the congregation how to walk in a close relationship with the Father. (1 Thess. 5:17; Acts 1:14a; Matt. 4:10; Mark 1:35; Luke 22:46) Revive Our Hearts
Panoramic image of the Morteratsch glacier in the Bernina Range. Photo by Daniel Schwen
Good morning, beloved,
A quiet morning, this morning is turning out to be. Everyone is still. I like peaceful. Who doesn’t, right? After the last couple of days, a quiet start to our day is a very, very nice change. On Tuesday, Ella lay listless and curled in a ball. I did everything I could with her, and finally, after a sleepless night, we took her to the pediatrician. She had a bunch of tests done and it was determined that she had some inflammation in her appendix, a fever and her blood numbers were slightly elevated. So they wanted to observe her overnight in the hospital. We began praying. That night, a surgeon came in to see her and looked at me, looked at my girl and said, this is not appendicitis. I was starting to wonder myself. She was hooked up to an IV and starting to perk up, starting to get color again. So we were released from the hospital that night. Pray is amazing. Life changing.
So, yesterday was one of those battling days for me which is strange considering how amazing the week was watching God heal my girl and the body of Christ come to our aid. As I battled, this picture was shared with me.
And I have to say, well timed, God. Well timed.
God’s voice vs. Satan’s voice
Which got me to thinking about where this author got each of these bullet points..
And I decided I needed to update this for me.
God stills:
Psalm 46: God says, “Be still and know that I am God.
I will be ·praised [exalted] in all the nations;
I will be ·praised [exalted] throughout the earth.”
God leads:
2 Corinthians 2: 14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s victory ·parade [procession; C the image is of a victorious Roman general leading his army and his captives through the streets]. God uses us to spread ·his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume [L the aroma/fragrance of the knowledge of him; C incense or spices were burned during such victory parades].
Isaiah 48: 17 This is what the Lord, ·who saves you [your Redeemer],
the Holy One of Israel [1:4], says:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you ·to do what is good [what is best; or how to succeed],
who leads you in the way you should go.
God reassures:
Okay, so I looked up the word reassures: Say or do something to remove the doubts and fears of someone. (www.dictionary.com) So, I began to look for ways God, in the Word, removes our doubts and fears. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:
37 But in all these things we are completely victorious through ·God [or Christ; L the One] who showed his love for us. 38 Yes, I am ·sure [convinced] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ·ruling spirits [or heavenly rulers; or demons; L rulers; T principalities], nothing ·now [in the present], nothing in the future, no ·powers [or spiritual powers/authorities], 39 ·nothing above us [or no powers in the sky], ·nothing below us [or nor powers in the depths], nor ·anything else in the whole world [any created thing] will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God enlightens:
Ephesians 1: 13 So it is with you. When you heard the ·true teaching [message/word of truth]—the ·Good News about [Gospel of] your salvation—you believed in Christ. ·And in Christ, God put his special mark of ownership on you by giving you [L …having been sealed with] the Holy Spirit that he had promised. 18 I pray also that ·you will have greater understanding in your heart [L the eyes of your heart may be enlightened] so you will ·know [comprehend] the hope to which he has called us and that you will know ·how rich and glorious are the blessings God has promised [the riches of his glorious inheritance for; or the glorious wealth of an inheritance that God possesses in] ·his holy people [T the saints].
17 This is how love ·is made perfect [is made complete; comes to full expression] ·in [or among] us: that we can ·be without fear [have boldness; have confidence; 2:28;3:21; 5:14] on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him [C probably referring to Christ, our example of love]. 18 ·Where God’s love is, there is no fear [L There is no fear in love], because ·God’s perfect love drives out fear [T perfect love casts out fear]. It is punishment that makes a person fear, so love is not made ·perfect [complete] in the person who fears [C fear of punishment, not an appropriate fear of God; compare Prov. 1:7; 2 Cor. 7:15; Phil. 2:12].
God comforts:
2 Corinthians 1: 3·Praise be to [Blessed is/be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father who is full of ·mercy [compassion] and all ·comfort [encouragement]. 4 He ·comforts [encourages] us ·every time we have [L in all our] ·troubles [trials; tribulation], so when others have ·trouble [any trials/tribulation], we can ·comfort [encourage] them with the same ·comfort [encouragement] God gives us. 5 [L For just as] ·We share in the many sufferings of Christ [L Christ’s sufferings abound in us]. In the same way, ·much comfort comes to us [L our comfort abounds] through Christ. 6 If we have ·troubles [trials; tribulation], it is for your ·comfort [encouragement] and salvation, and if we ·have comfort [are encouraged], ·you also have comfort [or it is for your comfort/encouragement]. This helps you to accept patiently the same sufferings we have. 7 Our hope for you is ·strong [unshaken; firm], knowing that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the ·comfort [encouragement] we receive.
God calms:
2 Timothy 1:7[L For] God did not give us ·a spirit [or the Spirit] that makes us ·afraid [timid] but ·a spirit [or the Spirit] of power and love and ·self-control[self-discipline; or good judgment].
God, be ·merciful [gracious] to me
·because you are loving [according to your love/loyalty].
·Because you are always ready to be merciful [According to your abundant compassion],
·wipe [blot] out all my ·wrongs [transgressions]. 2 Wash ·away [L me thoroughly from] all my guilt
and make me clean ·again [L from my sin].
Of course, this is NOT an exhaustive list of each of these bullet points. I have no idea who wrote this list, however, I thank him/her for reminding us to be bold in recalling His word when we are in the battle. Test your thoughts. Make sure that you are hearing His word in your mind.
Prayers for your Pastor and his wife:
Pray that your pastor will love God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. Pray that God’s Spirit will work in his heart in power and that he will value and follow biblical priorities. (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 6:33) Revive Our Hearts
Jerusalem – Tower of David, Israel photo by Jehonatan Leurer
Good morning, beloved,
Lent begins this week, friends. I can hardly believe we are about to walk the path to Gethsemane. Spring is coming. My family is in charge, the next three weeks, with shepherding and teaching the little kids in our church. We have looked at the material and we have the privilege of introducing the children to the idea of covenant. My brain went nuts with this news. I was getting so excited until I realized the story we get to help them understand is Genesis 15. Please don’t get me wrong, you know I love talking through His word. However, trying to help children understand in their terms, their level why God chose to make this promise with Abram this way, this bloody, this harsh.
So, kids, lets see what this covenant says, Abram will have more descendants than stars of the universe. (We could show them…)
Very pretty. and amazing. Abram’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. He was going to have that many descendants. However, he was old and no kids were on the horizon yet. So…
8 But Abram said, “Lord God, how can I ·be sure [L know] that I will ·own this land [possess/inherit it]?”
9 ·The Lord [L He] said to Abram, “Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ·male sheep [ram], a ·dove [turtledove], and a young pigeon.”
10 Abram brought them all to God. Then Abram ·killed the animals and cut each of them into two pieces [L split them down the middle], laying each half opposite the other half. But he did not cut the birds in half. 11 Later, ·large birds [or birds of prey]flew down to eat the ·animals [L carcasses], but Abram chased them away [C perhaps representing later enemies of Israel].
That is a lot of blood.
17 After the sun went down, it was very dark. Suddenly a smoking firepot and a blazing torch [C fire and smoke often represent God] passed between the ·halves of the dead animals [L pieces; C a self-curse ritual; by passing between the pieces of the sacrifice, one vowed to keep an agreement or suffer the same fate as the animals]. 18 So on that day the Lord ·made an agreement [L cut a covenant/treaty; 6:18] with Abram and said, “I will give to your ·descendants [L seed] the land between the river of Egypt and the great river Euphrates. Genesis 15 EXB
God was doing something extraordinary with mankind. He was binding Himself to a covenant. The blood of the innocent animals brought images to each of the importance of keeping the covenant. If one side did not keep the covenant, it would be death. You would not enter into a covenant lightly, or without thinking. However, God was the one making the covenant. Abram was asleep. He watched, he remembered his dream.
Should be an interesting morning at children’s church. However, this morning as I work it through in my mind, lo and behold, my first reading for Lent is Matthew 1. God reminds me, everything He does points to Jesus, to His redemption plan.
This is the ·family history [record of the ancestors; genealogy; L book of the offspring/family; C perhaps a title for the entire book] of Jesus ·Christ [the Messiah]. ·He came from the family of David, and David came from the family of Abraham [L …the son of David, the son of Abraham; C “son” can mean descendant].
2 Abraham ·was the father of [fathered; T begot; C and so throughout the genealogy; the word can refer to more distant ancestry] Isaac. Matthew 1 EXB
So I sit here in the quiet of the morning, watching the sky lighten with the start of a new day and I revel in God’s plan. A plan that included you, and me. God never failed. God never broke His covenant, will never break His covenant.
I ask the Lord to help us in teaching His word to His sweet children.
Beit Yanai beach – rain, wind and waves Photo by Sigal Ben Amram
Good morning, beloved,
Rain on the windows, coffee in hand, a fire in our fireplace, piano music in the background, quiet. We have heat, friends. Yes, a nice fire, but our heat is fully functional. I am thankful. I wrote on my Facebook page, we have heat, WOOHOO! or some such nonsense, and I realized how NOT having something has truly shifted my focus. To be grateful, to be thankful, to see with new eyes what I take for granted in my life. How quickly life passes me by, I stare, this morning, at our chairs we have begun using for school and I know who sits in each chair. I see them. Each day I have is a gift. A day with pain gives me perspective to say, to savor, to enjoy a day without.
I played out in the snow with two of my kids, talking with them, planning, dreaming how big our snow fort would become. I would stop and just stare at them. Talk with them. Do you
Rhoen Schneetreiben Source: M. Klüber Fotografie
ever just stop and talk with children? Sit next to them. Not to hurry to the next activity, but to savor, to enjoy a moment with children. They have the most amazing things to say. The words. Their imaginations.
I just have to stop myself. Stop the hurrying. Listen.
When I get all frantic, rushing them, pushing them, the focus of our house becomes me. I lose the chance to help my children, weaving in and out, encouraging, prompting with kindness and agape. Instead I become a clanging bell, a sounding brass. I take center stage. In my last post I discovered these NOT words in verse 4 keep self at the center. Now for verse 5 of 1 Corinthians 13:
5 Love is not ·rude [disrespectful], is not ·selfish [self-serving], and ·does not get upset with others [is not easily provoked/angered]. Love does not ·count up [keep a record of] wrongs that have been done.
The root word of this word rude/disrespectful is to be deformed, indecent, unseemly.
29 ·God knew them before he made the world [L For those whom he foreknew…], ·and he chose them […he also predestined/chose beforehand] to be ·like [molded to the pattern of; conformed to the image of] his Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn [C the preeminent one, but also indicating others will follow] of many brothers and sisters [C Jesus’ resurrection confirms that his followers will also share in God’s glory]. Romans 8 EXB
So either we can be deformed by fleshly behaviors, or we can be conformed, transformed into the image of His Son, right?
Not selfish. Not self -serving..to crave, demand something from someone (zēteō).
2 ·If so […then], ·make me very happy [L fulfill/complete my joy] by ·having the same thoughts [being like-minded/of one mind], sharing the same love, and having one ·mind [heart; soul] and ·purpose [goal; mind]. 3 When you do things, do not let ·selfishness [rivalry; selfish ambition] or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and
View of the Sierra, fresh powder Photo by Introvert
give more ·honor [regard; value] to others than to yourselves. 4 Do not ·be interested only in your own life [look out for your own interests], but ·be interested in the lives of others [look out for others’ interests].Philippians 2 EXB
Does not get upset with others, not easily angered..the greek:( paroxynō) to make sharp, sharpen, to irritate, provoke, arouse to anger.
19 My ·dear [L beloved] brothers and sisters [C fellow believers], [L under-stand/know this:] ·always be willing to listen and slow to speak. Do not become angry easily [L be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; Prov. 17:28], 20 ·because anger will not help you live the right kind of life God wants [L because human anger does not produce God’s righteousness]. James 1 EXB
Does not count up, keep a record of wrongs…
two Greek words (logizomai): to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over AND (kakos) of what is morally or ethically “evil,” whether of persons, or qualities, emotions, passions, deeds
Do you notice that these words, these descriptions mar the person? Change us. Disfigure.
These last few days I have gotten up to finish writing this blog and it just hasn’t been done. I can’t get past this idea of disfigurement by sin and record keeping, and not getting upset, not being controlled by emotions. When I am in pain, (emotional or physical), my filters, my control goes on the blink. Hear that? I. I. I wonder if all the crazy things happening in my house, my children’s lives, my life, Joshua’s bring me exactly where He wants me. Out of control. Letting go.
Release. There’s chaos here, yet He is up to something. He is not letting His child go. He is asking His child to let go.
36 One of the Pharisees ·asked [invited] Jesus to eat with him, so Jesus went into the Pharisee’s house and ·sat at the table[L reclined; C at a formal meal guests would recline at a low table with their feet stretched out behind them]. 37 [L And look/T behold] A ·sinful [immoral] woman in the town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So she brought an alabaster ·jar [vial; flask] of perfume 38 and stood behind Jesus at his feet, ·crying [weeping]. She began to ·wash [wet; drench] his feet with her tears, and she ·dried [wiped] them with her hair, kissing them many times and ·rubbing [anointing]them with the perfume. 39 When the Pharisee who asked Jesus to come to his house saw this, he thought to himself, “If ·Jesus [L this person] were a prophet, he would know ·that the woman touching him is a sinner [L who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner]!” Luke 7 EXB
I see myself in both of these people in this scene. Pharisee judging. Assessing a situation, seeing himself as better. My brain can be such a train wreck. Yet, here is something I am realizing HUGE. The Pharisee ate a meal with Jesus but this meal did not bring the answers he wanted. He wanted Jesus to measure this woman by his standards. Here was this Rabbi allowing this woman to touch Him! Yuck! After the Pharisee walked away from the table, He walked away from Life. The Living Water. Living. Jesus didn’t give him the answers he desired.
However, the woman walked away from the table with her sins forgiven. Healed. HEALED. I want to be at the table with Jesus and walk with Him in peace. I don’t want to walk away from Life, believing Satan’s lies, whispers.
These last few days have been more like the woman for me. Weeping at the feet of Jesus…realizing the weight of my attitudes, my frustration..Lord, I want to walk away from this table with You this morning healed. Restored. I confess. I hurt. I ask for healing, from the inside out. If you don’t heal my body, don’t. Heal me heart.
Remind me with Your holiness, Your grace. Remind me in the songs we sing this day. Remind me in the candle. Remind me in the eyes of my sweet children. Thank You for Your tenderness towards this woman. Me. And towards those who read this, may they meet You this morning at their table. Lord, may You open the floodgates of Your love. Breath on each one of these precious souls. Give them the breath of LIFE! As my day begins, I begin, we begin with You.
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The people ·sitting at the table [L reclining together; 7:36] began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “·Because you believed, you are saved from your sins [L Your faith has saved you]. Go in peace.” Luke 7 EXB
Go in peace, friends. You are saved from your sins this day. Believe on Him…forgiveness…
169. The gift, the reminder of His forgiveness by just looking out my window at the bliss of clean, white snow on my rooftops. The rest of my snow is trampled by little feet.
170. The gift of time this morning to finish this blog, to be healed.
Lörrach: Park “Grütt” with lake in wintertime. Photo by Taxiarchos228
Good morning, friends,
James 1: 4 [L And] Let your ·patience [perseverance; endurance] ·show itself perfectly in what you do [have its full effect; finish its work]. Then you will be ·perfect and complete [mature and whole; or completely mature] and will ·have everything you need[L lack nothing]. 5 But if any of you ·needs [lacks] wisdom, you should ask God for it [Prov. 2:6]. He is generous to everyone and will give you wisdom ·without criticizing you [without finding fault; ungrudgingly; Matt. 7:7]. 6 But when you ask God, you must ·believe [ask with faith] and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like a wave in the sea, ·blown up and down [driven and tossed] by the wind.
Let patience, perseverance, endurance show itself perfectly in what you do…
Psalm 37:7 Wait [L Be quiet before] and ·trust [L wait for] the Lord.
Hypericum orientale Photo by Lokal_Profil
Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord.
He ·turned [bent down; inclined; stooped] to me and heard my cry.
Galatians 6: 9 We must not become ·tired [or discouraged] of doing good. We will receive our harvest of eternal life ·at the right [or in due] time if we do not give up.10 [L Therefore; So then] When we have the opportunity to ·help [do good to] anyone, we should do it. But ·we should give special attention [L especially] to those who are in the ·family [household] of ·believers [L faith].
So that you may be perfect and complete…
John 1720 “I ·pray for these followers [L ask not only for these], but I am also ·praying [L asking] for all those who will believe in me because of their ·teaching [message; proclamation; L word]. 21 Father, I ·pray [L ask] that they can be one. As you are in me and I am in you, I ·pray [L ask] that they can also be ·one in us [L in us]. Then the world will believe that you sent me. 22 I have given these people the ·glory [honor] that you gave me so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. 23 ·I will be in them and you will be in me [L I in them and you in me] so that they will be ·completely one [in perfect unity]. ·Then […so that] the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as much as you loved me.
Philippians 3: 12 ·I do not mean [L Not] that I have already ·achieved [obtained; taken hold of] it or have already ·been perfected [become mature; or reached the goal]. But I keep ·trying [pressing forward; striving; pursuing] to ·take hold of that for which [or make it my own because] Christ ·took hold of me [or made me his own]. 13 Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not ·yet reached that goal [taken hold of it], but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the ·past [L things that are behind] and ·straining toward [stretching/reaching forward to] what is ahead, 14 I keep ·trying to reach [pursuing; chasing] the goal and get the prize for which God called me ·to the life above [heavenward; L upward] ·through [or in] Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 5:10 And after you suffer ·for a short time [or a little], God, who gives all grace, will ·make everything right [L restore you]. He will make you strong and support you and keep you from falling. He called you ·to share in his glory in Christ, a glory that will continue forever [L into his eternal glory in Christ].
Friends, I just needed to hear Him today. My thoughts are jumbled and fractured this morning. However, after reading, pausing, quieting I hear Him. He is never, ever jumbled. He is never fractured.
Now you are probably what I’m alluding to..right? No worries, what is God saying to YOU through these passages?
I wonder, this day, what it will be like to open my eyes and behold the glory of Heaven for the first time. Sometimes, I think, on this side of heaven, my courage is small. I say these two statements after beginning a three-hour movie last night. Five stories of men and women from across the Muslim world who had radical encounters with Jesus in dreams and visions. Their lives were radically changed as they beheld the glory of Jesus. Their hearts’ cry was to know and understand more about God. He came to them.
For decades, a phenomenon has been recurring in the Muslim world. Men and women – without any knowledge of the Gospel and without any contact with Christians – have been forever transformed after experiencing dreams and visions of Jesus Christ. Reports of these supernatural occurrences often come from “closed countries” where preaching the Gospel is forbidden and where converting to Christianity can invoke the death sentence. A common denominator appears to be that the dreams come to those who are seeking to know and please God. We decided to capture some of these stories and use them as a witnessing tool to Muslims all over the world.
Real-life Stories
Through many personal interviews, we selected five true-life stories of
former Muslims who now know Jesus as their Savior. From the outset, the producers endeavored to represent a global cross-section of Islam, and for that reason, stories were selected from Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Nigeria, and Indonesia. More Than Dreams re-created each of these stories, producing each in its original language, in a docudrama format and shot in high-definition video. The movies include a ministry segment explaining what it means to follow Christ and leading viewers in the salvation prayer.
After an encounter with Jesus, these people, each one, made radical decisions to follow Jesus, no matter the persecution that followed. And it was severe. The rage of the families who saw this transformation…
Give me Jesus. As we watched, Dad quoted a passage from Joel 2
28 “After this,
I will pour out my Spirit on all ·kinds of people [humanity; flesh; Acts 2:17–21; Is. 32:15;Ezek. 39:29; Zech. 12:10].
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
and your young men will see visions.
15 This will continue until ·God pours his Spirit [L the Spirit is poured] from ·above [heaven; T on high] upon us.
Then the desert will be like ·rich farmland [a fertile/fruitful field]
and the ·rich farmland [fertile/fruitful field] like a forest [29:17; 35:1, 2]. 16 Justice will ·be found [L dwell] even in the desert,
and fairness will be found in the ·rich farmland [fertile/fruitful field].
27 I will bring the people back from ·other lands[the nations/peoples] and gather them from the lands of their enemies. So I will use my people to ·show many nations that I am holy [L display my holiness in the eyes of many nations.]. 28 Then my people will know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into ·captivity [exile] among the nations, but then I ·brought them back [gathered them] to their own land, leaving no one behind. 29 I will not ·turn away [L hide my face] from them anymore, because I will put my ·Spirit [or spirit] into the ·people [L house] of Israel, says the Lord God [11:19; 36:26–27; 37:14].”
When the day of Pentecost [C a harvest festival fifty days after Passover, celebrating the firstfruits of the crops (while on this day the firstfruits of the Spirit); Ex. 34:22; Deut. 16:10, 16] ·came[arrived], they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a ·noise [roar] like a ·strong [violent], ·blowing [rushing] wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw something like ·flames [L tongues] of fire ·that were separated [that were divided; or that spread out] and ·stood [came to rest] over each person there. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak ·different [other; or foreign] ·languages [L tongues] by the power the Holy Spirit was giving them [C reversing the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel; Gen. 11:1–9].
For me, bells are ringing. Lights are flashing. (Okay, not really). Remember what we worked on yesterday?
Philippians 2:
17 Your faith makes you offer your lives as a sacrifice in serving God. [L Even] If I ·have to offer my own blood [L am poured out as a drink offering] with your sacrifice, I will be ·happy [rejoicing] and full of joy with all of you.
Paul willing to be a drink offering, willing to be poured out and his soul’s response? Joy. Joy to the fullest measure.
God pouring out His Spirit and then men and women would dream dreams…the response of those people who meet Jesus in dreams? Willing to sacrifice it all for the sake of the One they encounter. As each one describes Jesus, eyes light up, demeanor changes…joy has been gifted to them.
We offer our lives as a drink offering to Jesus. Yet, we aren’t the only ones here pouring out. Are we? God’s Spirit pouring out across barriers, reaching, touching, blessing, encouraging, asking each, will you follow Me?
The Millennium Cross (Macedonian: Милениумски крст, Latinic: Mileniumski krst) is a 66 metre-high cross situated on the top of the Vodno Mountain in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia and is one of the biggest crosses in the world. It was constructed to serve as a memorial of 2,000 years of Christianity in Macedonia and the world.(wikipedia.org) By Geoff
Good morning, beloved,
Last night as dinner cooked we all crowded around my computer to play songs off of Youtube. We have a sort of routine when it comes to music. The eldest child hears a song from his friends’ devices, starts playing it around our house, the rest of the kids balk at first and then something tips them over the edge, and then it becomes the song we play ad nauseam. The song that seems to be makes the rounds at this point is a song by One Direction, What Makes You Beautiful. No worries, I won’t include this song, here. I find myself analyzing this song (okay, if you listened to it as much as I have..) and friends, it’s a silly song. I get that. I get that this is a simple song . However, what I hear behind these lyrics is a girl who isn’t sure who she is and is uncomfortable with herself. This song assures that she will find her fulfillment in him.
I’m not going to say anymore about the song. However, Ella and I had a long conversation about this song. (Can you imagine being my daughter?!?) I spoke to her about where she finds her belonging. Number one, however insecure she might be about her appearance, God delights in her. God loves her just the way she is right now. No boy will ever be able to fill the needs for love and acceptance that can only be found in Him. Number two, her Daddy and Mom love her to pieces and thinks she is beautiful inside and out. Now the cute part about this kid is that she is the most self-assured child I know. Does she still need the reminder? You bet.
Whether or not you had a parent tell you the truth that you are beautiful to him/her, hear what God speaks over you.
The Lord your God is ·with you [in your midst];
the mighty One will save you.
He will ·rejoice over you [take delight in you].
·You will rest [or He will quiet you; or He won’t rebuke you] in his love;
he will sing and be joyful about you.” Zephaniah 3:17
Do you offer, do I, offer a broken vessel up to Him?
Broken glass, off Queen’s Road, Titanic Quarter, Belfast, Northern Ireland, April 2010 by Ardfern
11 The Lord ·is pleased with [takes pleasure in] those who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7],
with those who ·trust [wait for; hope in] his ·love [loyalty]. Psalm 147:11EXB
I love to think of this idea of brokenness being offered up to the Lord as a stained glass window. On it’s own, each piece of glass started as a shattered piece. On it’s own, without the artist’s touch, it deserves to be swept up and thrown away. However, the eye of the artist blends each piece into a masterpiece.
Stained Glass Free by Guy Simard
Do you need to today to hear that the broken pieces of your life are being transformed into a masterpiece?
Hear it again. The broken are made whole in Christ. Healing is found in Him.
6 I remember you while I’m lying in bed;
I ·think about [meditate on] you through the watches of the night [C the night was divided into four watches of three hours each]. 7 You are my help.
·Because of your protection [L In the shadow of your wings; C an image of compassion or perhaps a reference to the cherubim whose wings covered the Ark of the Covenant; Ex. 25:20], I sing. 8 I ·stay close [cling] to you;
·you support me with your right hand [L your right hand sustains me]. Psalm 63 EXB
We need, desperately, to remember His hand sustaining us. Remember, today:
23 But I am always with you [C in covenant relationship];
you have held my ·hand [L right hand; C guiding him]. Psalm 73EXB
My thankfuls:
97. I’m thankful for my Minnie Mouse coffee cup, reminds me of love of kiddos and my Mom.
98. I’m thankful for the sunrise yesterday, that I got to see the sun before gray skies came.
99. I’m thankful for my friend who came and sat with me yesterday. A pause.
Bridging the Gap by dying_grotesque from Richards Bay, South Africa
Good morning, beloved,
I had one of THOSE days yesterday. Tried, failed, tried, failed. Christmas cookies were TOO inviting. I grumped at my kids. I grumped at the dog. I lost my focus. Our laundry couch was overflowing. Piles of papers seem to fly. Nobody could find anything. Does that ever happen to you? Then God gave me a gift. I certainly did not deserve the gift, of course, I never do. God gave me some time with a friend. She shared with me just how God has used their family and I listened. I listened as she talked about her kids, her faith, her journey and I revived. I was so grateful. God gave me a perspective shift. Boy howdy, I sure needed it.
As I walked away with children having fits that we couldn’t stay longer, my mother instinct began to kick in. I wanted to lecture. I wanted to rant. And the Lord just put a cap over my mouth, I quieted. I understood where they were coming from. I brought change to their schedule. I pushed because I knew we had to be at an appointment and there was no way I could give in to their rants. They didn’t know that their daddy had a plan while I was in my appointment. As we drove to the appointment, I pointed out a rainbow. Promises. Promises. I was dropped out at my physical therapy appointment and they got their treat.
I’m no different, sadly. I rant and rave at God. Why do I have to be in pain? Why do I have to be dizzy? Couldn’t it just be an easy fix?
2 Corinthians 12: 9But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and[a]show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may[b]pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!
I’m afraid I wasn’t bearing the trouble manfully. I was forgetting the power and the strength and the grace and the sufficiency of our God. God showed me with my friend the power of taking my eyes off myself and feeling sorry for myself and placing that on the Lord and serving Him. I have a saying I tell my kids after I send them to a chore…all the way, right away with a happy heart. I had forgotten to keep my eyes on the birth of Jesus.
So, here I am. I am turning my eyes to Jesus. Want to join me?
The prophecy today is about WHERE Jesus was to be born.
Micah 5:
2 But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, you are little to be among the clans of Judah; [yet] out of you shall One come forth for Me Who is to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from ancient days (eternity).
And the fulfillment:
Matthew 2:
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men [astrologers] from the east came to Jerusalem, asking,
2 Where is He Who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east[a]at its rising and have come to worship Him.
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was disturbed and troubled, and the whole of Jerusalem with him.
4 So he called together all the chief priests and learned men (scribes) of the people and[b]anxiously asked them where the Christ was to be born.
5 They replied to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are not in any way least or insignificant among the [c]chief cities of Judah; for from you shall come a Ruler ([d]Leader) Who will govern and[e]shepherd My people Israel.
Even if Jesus could have fulfilled some of the other prophecies by choosing to do so, He could hardly have fulfilled His place of birth in an obscure village distinct from the other village by the same first name (Bethlehem)! Jesus sternly warned every skeptic of every age that
“unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins.” (John 8:25)
Notice that in this verse “He” has been added by the translators, so what Jesus really said was that He was “I Am”, the equivalent of Jehovah(“I Am”) in the Old Testament. In contrast to the argument by many skeptics that Jesus never declared He was God, this verse is one of many clear refutations. His hearers, although unbelieving, nevertheless knew exactly what He was saying and after He again declared “I Am”…
“they picked up stones to throw at Him…” (John 8:59)
I believe. I place my trust in the great I Am. How about you today?
View of Bethlehem at night. Oil on canvas by Josef Langl (1843-1920)
Good morning, beloved,
I think some mornings there is just peace at the thought of God reigning forever and ever. When I contemplate the situations and families needs that surround me, I need that reminder. I need to remember God’s faithfulness and His presence falls fresh and true in these situations. Instead I find myself giving in to: I grieve, I wonder, I worry. Does that ever help? Umm…no. That little baby born in a manger, He is our hope. Prayers and action can do more than we will ever, ever know. We crave the beautiful. We long for heaven without even realizing it. We crave all to be set right. God allows me to see a need. What do I do? I have an opportunity. Not to offer excuses or push the need to another, but do something.
Las Posadas: The head of the procession will have a candle inside a paper lampshade. At each house, the resident responds by singing a song and Mary and Joseph are finally recognized and allowed to enter. Once the “innkeepers” let them in, the group of guests come into the home and kneel around the Nativity scene to pray (typically, the Rosary). Latin American countries have continued to celebrate this holiday to this day, with very few changes to the tradition. In some places, the final location may be a church instead of a home.
Individuals may actually play the various parts of Mary (María) and Joseph with the expectant mother riding a real donkey (burro), with attendants such as angels and shepherds acquired along the way, or the pilgrims may carry images of the holy personages instead. Children may carry poinsettias.[6] The procession will be followed by musicians, with the entire procession singing posadas such as pedir posada.[4] At the end of each night’s journey, there will be Christmas carols (villancicos), children will break open star-shapedpiñatas to obtain candy and fruit hidden inside, and there will be a feast.[4][7]Piñatas are traditionally made out of clay. It is expected to meet all the invitees in a previous procession.
Mary and Joseph knock on each door asking to be let in. They are refused over and over. Little did the innkeepers and members of households in Jesus’ time know that the Savior of the world was right there. His time on earth was about to come. Everyone refused Him entrance.
So I wonder, when God opens the curtains into a struggling family’s life, allows me to peer in and pray. If I do nothing, if we do nothing and pray that someone else will help, have I just refused the Lord of heaven and earth? I didn’t say no to this family. They didn’t ask for my help. Yet, I see the need. I believe I do refuse My Savior.
Matthew 25:
34 Then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father [you[g]favored of God and appointed to eternal salvation], inherit (receive as your own) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you [h]brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and[i]lodged Me,
36 I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me [j]with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me.
So, friends, to you I say, where has God allowed you to see a need? Can you do something about that need? Can you fill it? Can you help?
My thankfuls today(I missed yesterday):
18. I’m so very thankful for the times in these past few days I’ve experienced freedom from dizziness and pain.
19. I’m thankful for a fluffy dog that loves our family unconditionally.
20. I’m thankful for my parents. I have no clue where we would be without them.
21. I’m thankful for warm socks.
22. I’m thankful for my friend who shared deeply her struggles, opened the door and let me in.
23. I’m thankful for my Danny who spent his own money to buy me a gift last night.
16 And said, I have sworn by Myself, says the Lord, that since you have done this and have not withheld [from Me] or begrudged [giving Me] your son, your only son,
17 In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies,
18 And in your Seed [[e]Christ] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed and [by Him] bless themselves, because you have heard and obeyed My voice.
Abraham did not hold anything back. When the Lord asked for his beloved son, Abraham came to the altar. I reflect on this passage and my heart constricts. I do not know the mind of God but I wonder how, as God watched Abraham lift the knife, God’s heart must have constricted knowing as He stopped Abraham’s hand, there would come a time when His hand would not be stopped. Ugh.
So God blessed Abraham. Totally. Utterly. Amazingly. All because A heard God’s voice and obeyed.
15 To speak in terms of human relations, brethren, [if] even a man makes a last will and testament (a merely human covenant), no one sets it aside or makes it void or adds to it when once it has been drawn up and signed (ratified, confirmed).
16 Now the promises (covenants, agreements) were decreed and made to Abraham and his Seed (his Offspring, his Heir). He [God] does not say, And to seeds (descendants, heirs), as if referring to many persons, but, And to your Seed (your Descendant, your Heir), obviously referring to one individual, Who is [none other than] Christ (the Messiah).
17 This is my argument: The Law, which began 430 years after the covenant [concerning the coming Messiah], does not and cannot annul the covenant previously established (ratified) by God, so as to abolish the promise and make it void.
“In his theological argument concerning the Abrahamic covenant, Paul almost unconsciously makes an exceedingly strong affirmation of the verbal inspiration of the Old Testament Scriptures, basing his argument not just on one word, but oneletter, “seed” instead of “seeds.” Thus the promised “Seed” was not the nation Israel, but the one Person Who alone could fulfill the great promises made to Abraham, namely, Christ. (Defender’s Study Bible)
Praise God! He would not allow His promises to be set aside. There was only one who could fulfill these amazing promises: Jesus.
So, today don’t harden your heart or hope someone else will fill the need He allowed you to see.
