Hard Questions: I Gave My Life for Thee, What Hast Thou Given for Me?

 

These questions in the form of a poem seem appropriate as we head into a new year.  Let’s think about how we can live more intentionally for Jesus Christ this coming year.

I Gave My Life for Thee

I gave My life for thee,
My precious blood I shed,
That thou mightest ransomed be,
And quickened from the dead
I gave My life for thee,
What hast thou given for Me?

I spent long years for thee
In weariness and woe,
That  an eternity,
Of joy thou mightest know.
I spent long years for thee:
Hast thou spent one for Me?

My Father’s home of light,
My rainbow circled throne,
I left for earthly night,
For wanderings sad and lone;
I left, it all for thee,
Hast thou left aught for Me?

I suffered much for thee – 
More than thy tongue can tell,
Of bitterest agony –
To rescue thee from hell.
I suffered much for thee,
What canst thou bear for Me?

And I have brought to thee,
Down from My home above,
Salvation full and free,
My pardon and My love;
Great gifts I brought to thee,
What hast thou brought to Me?

Oh, let my life be given,
My years for Thee be spent;
World-fetters all be riven,
And joy with suffering blent:
To Thee my all I bring,
My Savior and my King!

- Frances Ridley Havergal

Mark 8:35  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

Galatians 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Be Not Anxious – A Poem by Annie Johnson Flint

 

Be Not Anxious

I cannot change the yesterday when I distrusted Thee,
Though all my fears unfounded proved, and shame me now as then;
I cannot promise that my faith will last throughout the night,
Or that, when Thy tomorrow comes, I will not doubt again.

But grant, O faithful Lord and true, that I may trust Thee now,
Just now, each moment of each hour of this Thy present day;
That, looking backward, I may read the record of the past,
And, forward, see Thy steadfast word light all the future way.

With Memory to guard the rear and Faith to lead the van,
And all Thy tested promises like beacon lights to shine,
How can I dread that demon shape of anxious, faithless fear?
For he shall lose his power when I fully trust in Thine.

Annie Johnson Flint

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

The Thousand Word Project – Memories of Summer

 

Thoughts from the Past – Will A Man Rob God?

 

March 7, 2006
Will A Man Rob God?
[Edited]

There is a form of robbery, or rather attempted robbery, going on in the Lord's church and Christendom today which mostly goes unnoticed. There are many who preach doubt and question other believer's salvation, thus robbing them of their assurance of salvation. This is devilish, for Satan is the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10), and those who do this are serving his purposes, even if they don't realize it. But, there is another way that attempted robbery is going on.

Psalm 3:8 tells us, Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah. Salvation is the private property of God Almighty. No human can give it or remove it. It is personally ours in one sense, and yet it is not. It belongs to God from whence it came. He paid for it with His own blood, Acts 20:28.

David said, Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. While David obviously knew he was saved personally, yet he calls it "thy salvation". In a very real sense it belongs to the Lord. In fact, it is quite amazing how many times the scriptures speak of "thy salvation" in reference to God owning it! Look it up in Sword Searcher or your computer Bible program. I was surprised.

The last, and perhaps most significant reference to "thy salvation" is in Luke 2:30, For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. Simeon was speaking here of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, whom he saw in the temple.

Acts 28:28 tells us ...that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. Note that it is God's salvation. It is also Christ.

Consider this verse - Revelation 7:10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. We might think, "Why would God need salvation? Why give that to Him?" Well, in the context of what we're considering here, salvation belongs to Him. Power belongs to Him also; so does might. Why not give Him salvation? It is His. He owns it. He was the only one that could ever pay for it!

Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

So, salvation - which belongs to the Lord - is applied to individuals by belief and confession of Jesus Christ. Who then decides who is saved and who is not? Only GOD. Can it be possible that a man or woman could take someone's salvation away? John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. It is God's salvation and eternal life, and He gives it. Ultimately it does not belong to the person the thieves are trying to rob! It belongs to God! So, in essence, they are trying to rob God of what is rightfully His!

They also try to rob Him of the right to apply it in accordance to His word. When they begin to make lists of works that are "necessary" to prove salvation, they are actually trying to take salvation into their own hands. Horrible thought! There isn't one of them I would trust to save me!

Just a few "requirements" man uses to rob God through questioning people’s salvation:

Church attendance
Standards (many, many different issues)
Denominational and/or church membership
Baptism
"Holy communion" 
Submission to man's authority (pastor, pope, bishop, etc.)
Acceptance of scholarship
Speaking in tongues
Observance of the Old Testament Law
Sabbath keeping

etc. ad nauseam.

When a man says, "If I can talk you out of your salvation, you weren't saved to begin with" he is a hireling and a thief. He is trying to steal what is not his to take, nor ours to lose! Sure, we might be weak enough to think we lost something we never earned in the first place – something that was given to us as a free gift. What does that prove? Our salvation belongs to God, and NO ONE can get it out of His hand. Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Glory to God!

Perhaps one reason some people indulge in this attempted thievery is because of the end of Psalm 3:8, ... thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah. It galls some people that God would bless folks who "aren't right with God" by their standards. It infuriates some. I'm not entirely sure, but I cannot help wondering if really these folks are mad at God and so they take it out on people by trying to rob them of the hope of their salvation. I suppose it could be. Nevertheless, the LORD gives salvation and He gives blessing according to His word. We need not fear man. Psalm 118:6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? Man cannot take our salvation – it belongs to God.

Romans 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The End of the World – Bring It On!

 

So, today the world is supposed to end.  I haven’t heard specifics on how it is supposed to happen, but that’s OK.  All the kerfuffle reminds me of my favorite “comic strip.”  It was a single frame style actually and, as I recall it depicted a street corner scene.  In the back were a group of “doomsdayers” in long white robes with long white beards.  They were holding up placards with such warnings as, “The end of the world is coming!” “The world will end tomorrow!”  “Prepare for the end of the world!”  In the foreground is a decent looking fellow with the Holy Bible under his arm and he’s saying, “That’s OK.  We can get along without it.”

I love that. :-)  We CAN get along without it!

This old world has some beautiful spots.  It has a certain level of enjoyment and pleasantness.  But, there is so much sin, there is so much sorrow.  And, more than that, through faith in Jesus Christ I have so much more to look forward to, that really and truly I can get along without this old world!  How about you? 

2 Peter 3:10-13  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Regarding the Mayans -

First of all, if they had been so smart about predicting the future they would still be a nation today.   

Secondly:

Psalms 96:1-5  O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

The Thousand Word Project – Heated

 

Getting the Bigger Picture – An Adventure In Gigapixels

 

Here is some of those amazing gigapixel photographs where you can zoom in and zoom in and zoom in… 

Mt. Everest

A 16 gigapixel photo of Machu Picchu.  This will save you a climb and shortness of breath. :-)

Paris at 26 gigapixels.

London at 80 gigapixels

Budapest at 70 gigapixels.  I had no idea that Budapest was nestled in such a wooded, hilly area.  It’s beautiful.

Dresden at 10 gigapixels

Hard Questions - What Is the “Right” Response to this Tragedy?

 

Friday I was really struggling with my reaction to the Sandy Hook massacre in Connecticut.  There was so much emotional shock and fervor being poured out by many, and yet I found myself moved and dismayed, but not as shocked and grief-stricken as I apparently “should have been”.  I felt like I was hardhearted and I was getting those “What’s wrong with me?” thoughts.  I also felt frustrated and like something was wrong with the whole picture.  Some of it I could vaguely discern, but it was still muddled in my mind.

Then the Lord used a friend’s post on Facebook to help clarify things for me…

Continue Reading.

Quick and Easy Recipes - Special Dietary Needs Recipe Finder

 

WHFoods: Over 100 Quick and Easy Recipes

Here is a recipe finder that allows you to add specific ingredients, exclude specific ingredients, and include a specific nutrient.  You can select more than one item in the first two columns by following their instructions.  By doing this, you can find quick recipes for special diet needs!  What a useful tool! 

And, the recipes are quick.  They say, “The majority of recipes we offer can be both prepared and cooked in 30 minutes or less, from start to finish.”

The recipes are also flexible.  They tell us, “We realize that if our recipes are going to fit your individual tastes, schedule and lifestyle, they can't just dictate exactly which ingredients you need and the exact amount of each one to use.”

If you have no special diet needs, you can also just browse through their recipes and select ones that interest you.  Or, if you like to cook healthy, nutritious meals and are just looking for a quick and easy recipe for a specific ingredient, this is a great way to locate something.

A friend of mine whose son is on a very specialized diet right now got this link from his doctor and passed it on.

The Thousand Word Project – On the Lake: An Image Frozen In Time

 

Gull Lake, Michigan, 1962

Favorite Kitchen Things – Lettuce Spinner

 

When I was younger and foolisher (ahem) I thought my Grandma was a bit silly for liking her lettuce spinner so much.  I didn’t think there was anything wrong with our method, which was shaking the leaves or patting them with paper towel.  Well, it’s a strange, but with at least some things, the older you get the more you think like your mom – and your grandmothers.  Now, I think my lettuce spinner is great!  (I also love watermelon, but that’s off the subject.)

My local sister-in-law bought me this neat little salad spinner (pictured above) and I’ve learned to use and and enjoy it!  Sometimes I do forget to use it still (old habits die hard), but I have remembered a fair amount. 

I also figured out that it works for other things besides lettuce.  I’ve spun baby carrots and blueberries in it as well.  It’s really handy for making smallish fruits and veggies less drippy!  And, the removable basket is useful for rinsing small vegetables and fruit under the faucet, then putting it in the spinner to spin. For something that just needs a surface rinse it works as a colander.

Another cool thing about it?  I can store my lettuce right in the container in the fridge and it stays nice and fresh!  I do drain out the water from the bottom if there’s an excessive amount, but then I just pop the basket holding the lettuce back in and put the lid on and it’s ready for the fridge.

Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but I also don’t always really wash it after I use it.  I will if I’ve used it to store lettuce for awhile, but if it’s just a short job I usually rinse it and put it in the drainer.  My reasoning is that we’re going to eat the fresh carrots or lettuce or berries just the way they came out of the spinner, so why is the spinner “dirty”?  I only rinse and drain if it’s visibly dirty or been storing something for awhile. :-)  Easy peasy.

(Yeah, I can hear one of my local friends now asking me to please wash the lettuce spinner before they come to dinner if we’re having salad. Haha.)

A Random Day

 

Since the The Simple Woman’s Day Book post was fun and one reader especially liked it, I thought I might try doing more in that vein.  I took some ideas from others and mixed them with some of my own.  I may keep on doing something like this from time to time.  Hope you enjoy it. :-)

This Morning I like the…
Smell of…fresh air.
Sound of…birds singing outside our living room.
Taste of…a banana, mixed berry, yogurt smoothie.
Sight of…sunshine.
Feel of…a jacket (Yes, it’s actually cool enough to wear a jacket inside this morning, though our weather this December has been unseasonably warm.)

Good Things about Today:

My husband has a job, and he was able to get to it (our own car is in for repairs, so we are borrowing my brother’s.)

I have family nearby whom I hope to visit with later.

Things Already Accomplished Today:

Made a banana, berry, yogurt smoothie. (Bet you didn’t see that one coming.) ;-)  Also fried an egg.

Entered some fabric giveaways online and also discovered some neat quilting blogs.

Let the cat out and petted her briefly.  (She was in one of her weird moods.)

Started working on the laundry – again.

Had my special time with Lord while doing my light therapy.

Created this blog post. :-)

Things that Need to Be Done – Hopefully Today:

Process and can the green enchilada sauce that is in the fridge and freezer.

Dust the house.

Random Photo from My World:

A batch of green tomato enchilada sauce before it was cooked.  Hopefully I’ll get the recipe posted for you all soon.

Quote for Today:

“You’re never safe from surprise till your dead.” – Irene Isenhart

Verse for Today:

Psalms 68:9  Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.

 

The Thousand Word Project - By the breath of God frost is given…