I know not the hour when my Lord will come
To take me away to His own dear home;
But I know that His presence will lighten the gloom,
And that will be glory for me.
I know not the song that the angels sing,
I know not the sound of the harps' glad ring;
But I know there'll be mention of Jesus our King,
And that will be music for me.
I know not the form of my mansion fair,
I know not the name that I then shall bear;
But I know that my Saviour will welcome me there,
And that will be heaven for me.
By J. McGranahan
1 Peter 1:7-8 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Psalm 107:28-30 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
John 14:2-3 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Revelation 21:18-25 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
Revelation 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Did you ever stop to think that the armies of heaven are not said to carry any swords? Why? Because Jesus Christ is the Word of God, and He will conquer with the word of His mouth. We won't even need weapons. He will do all the fighting and take the complete victory with just His words.
How powerful do you think His words must be in order to do that?
The Springtime joy be thine:--- Joy of the wind across vast spaces sweeping And like a giant on the forest leaping; Joy of the trees from slumber rudely shaken, From dreams of living unto life to waken; Joy of the little bird that flies and sings For very rapture of it song and wings; Joy of the stream, whose penthouse roof of snow Muffles no more its glad, impetuous flow; Joy of the silver showers that gleam and pass And leave a trail of green o'er tree and grass; Joy of the mounting sap, the bursting seed, The joy of life from death's dominion freed;--- This joy be thine.
The Resurrection joy be thine:--- The joy of those who, weeping Because their dead, in straitened chambers sleeping, Have left them for a while, Yet know, that loosed from all earth's tribulations They have passed on to heavenly habitations, To Life eternal and the Father's smile; The joy of those who hear Beyond all doubt and fear, Through jarring echoes of discordant strife, That one Voice sounding clear:--- "I am the resurrection and the life; They who believe on me From death's dark thrall I free; I drank that bitter cup, I passed that gloomy door, Through that lone valley I have gone before, Because I live, they live for evermore." This joy be thine.
Annie Johnson Flint altered
John 11:25-26Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Psalm 40:1-3 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
Colossians 3:15-17 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Revelation 21:6-8 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
A cousin on my mom's side of the family who sometimes reads my things sent me this message recently:
Hi Mary, I thought I would send you what I was thinking about...the other day. I was remembering the verses at the end of chapter 3 in the book of Habakkuk. I realized if it was in the vernacular, I would be saying "Even though we have come through two wearying years of Covid and the price of gas has almost tripled and inflation has affected every purchase I make, and though the media pours out negativity and misinformation and we hear of wars and rumors of wars and although the moral fabric of our nation seems to be in shreds, YET WILL I REJOICE IN THE LORD. I WILL JOY IN THE GOD OF MY SALVATION!"
The passage she is referring to is:
Habakkuk 3:17-18 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
In the trying times we're living in, this is something so important to remember, and so hard to actually do...
Psalms 91:2-4 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
By Marsha Burkholder, February 2014
This seems to have been one of the coldest winters I remember in Austin since we moved here over 30 years ago. Most of the Austin winters have always been too mild for me. I tolerate the heat of summer and love the cold of winter. There are some Austinites who do not share my enjoyment of this winter weather. Of course, if I had to work out in the cold or lived in an area where the winters were much colder and longer in length, I might not feel as enthused about winter.
Some of the things I enjoy about winter are sleeping under thick blankets, wearing sweaters, basking in the warmth of a fireplace, coming into a warm, cozy house, drinking hot chocolate with melting marshmallows and in the rarest of Austin times having to stay home because of inclement weather. I guess when I look at what I like about winter, it looks like I like it most when I’m doing things that will keep me warm. These thoughts made me think of a quote I read: “This cold world needs warmhearted Christians.” Indeed, this world is a spiritually cold place. I don’t enjoy its kind of coldness; however, it gives us Christians an opportunity to be someone’s spiritual blanket, sweater, fireplace, heater or hot chocolate. That unsaved person we meet at the grocery store, the school, the work place, etc. who seems to be chilled to the bone, burdened with the cares of this world needs our smile, our encouragement and most of all our witness of the Savior and His wonderful salvation. Even that saved person who may be going through a wintry time in his life is in need of our warmth.
I’m reminded of an old saying that something “warms the cockles of my heart” i.e. brings joy and warmth to the innermost part of a person. Only Jesus can bring that kind of joy and warmth.
Christians can become cold when they stray from the Lord’s warmth. In that state, we cannot give off the warmth to the unsaved who are truly the coldest of all. When one is cold, it doesn’t do him any good to shake hands with someone who has cold hands. When one is cold spiritually, there is the same effect on another. Psalm 34:8 says, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.” God’s provision of salvation, His daily provisions and love are truly warmth for the cold in heart. May those around us never feel spiritually cold from having been around us but desire to know the One Who keeps us spiritually warm.
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Editor’s Note: It is amazing how much a kind word and a cheerful smile can improve someone’s day and warm their heart, and it usually costs us nothing more than the effort. Even more importantly, we need to point others to the only true source of spiritual warmth and light – the Sun of righteousness with healing in his wings… Malachi 4:2
Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. Psalms 107:8-9 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
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Revelation 5:9-14 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Revelation 14:6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Psalm 75:1Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.
Psalm 107:1-2 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
My parents knew Mrs. Barth and they had this album and played it when I was a child. This was one of my favorite songs. I hope you enjoy and are blessed. :-)
Ephesians 5:18-20 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
This year for the U.S. Thanksgiving I thought it would be nice to do something a little different. Here is a selection of songs and hymns to listen to and some scripture to read. (Please remember that I have no control over the ads that might come up during the videos. :-) Thanks.) I hope that all those who serve the Lord Jesus in truth have a blessed day.
Psalm 103:2-5 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
Psalm 52:1...the goodness of God endureth continually.
1 Chronicles 16:35 And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.
Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Psalm 106:1-2 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?
Something that has come across my path from time to time in various ways is the idea that Jesus was a homeless person. This is used to make Him "relate-able" to homeless people, but I think it is primarily intended to make Christians feel guilty about how they treat the homeless.
Ministering to the poor is an important duty. It is mentioned in the New Testament a number of times. We also see God having pity upon the poor and encouraging us to do so over and over in scripture.
Galatians 2:10 Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do. Proverbs 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. Psalm 9:17-18 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
But, in our zeal to acknowledge the suffering of the homeless it is not appropriate to misrepresent the Lord Jesus Christ.
The thing is that Jesus wasn't homeless. I think that people get the idea He was from this verse:
Matthew 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
He had nowhere to lay His head on this earth, but heaven was still His home. He left His home to come and save us.
John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
It was still his father's house, and it was His home. He voluntarily gave up the comforts of His home to be a servant, to walk in the dirt and grime of this world, and to minister; ultimately to bring us eternal salvation. He endured many privations, the suffering of life on this earth, and the horrible death of the cross so that He could make heaven our home too!
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
1 Peter 2:21-25 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Because Jesus Christ did all that for us, we are called to follow His example.
We are also told to be content with food and raiment.
1 Timothy 6:6-8 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
If you don't have a house, or a car, or a bank account, or property, but only the clothes on your back and some "daily bread," you still have a home if your are a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ. Your home is heaven.
Oh, that is so easy to say and so terribly hard to live out in real life. I have heard and read of believers who were actually homeless and living on the street. This may happen for a number of reasons, and war and persecutions have been two that have caused this throughout the history of the church. In ancient Rome during the severe persecutions a lot of Christians even lived in the tombs under the city - the catacombs, as they are called (which takes some of the awfulness off of the face of it because that word isn't commonly used).
Hebrews 11:37-38 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
My own family was once "homeless" for a few months when a man told my dad to move to California because he had a job and a house for him there. My dad loaded us up (we were four total at the time) and we drove out west from Michigan, only to discover that there was no job and no house. We were just about 7 months home from the missionfield at the time and my dad had thought this was God's leading, so it must have hit him pretty hard. Well, it was the Lord's will, but we had to wait for three months. Thankfully, the man who got us into the mess opened his home for us to live in, but those were difficult days. [Eventually the Lord opened up a place for my dad to serve as a pastor. It was his first pastorate and possibly his best, but we had to go through that trial of not having an earthly home of our own to get there. And, by the way, pastors who live in parsonages do not own "homes" anyway. We lived in that situation for many years.]
I have also known missionaries who lived in very limited situations - in tiny cinder block houses, in a small space within a church building or Bible Institute building, in tiny apartments, in mud houses, in jungle huts, etc. None of them were places they could really call their own. This is part of following the example of Jesus Christ to do His will.
These are the sort of things that happen sometimes to pilgrims who are on a journey to their eternal home. Because we are not called to have nice houses and comfortable lives all the time, or even most of the time in some cases, we often learn to look more hopefully and joyfully to the future home in heaven. Probably this is what the Lord intends by allowing these situations. But no matter the circumstances, we are never really "homeless" and even the best that this world has to offer should be nothing but a temporary dwelling place for us while we "...look for a city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Hebrews 11:10
1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Hebrews 11:13-16 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
We are strangers and pilgrims on this earth, but we have a home in heaven and someday we are going to go there.
Jesus was not "homeless" and neither are we.
---
The Lights of Home
O the friends that now are waiting,
In the cloudless realms of day,
Who are calling me to follow
Where their steps have led the way;
They have laid aside their armor,
And their earthly course is run;
They have kept the faith with patience
And their crown of life is won.
Refrain:
They are calling, gently calling,
Sweetly calling me to come,
And I’m looking through the shadows
For the blessèd lights of home.
They have laid aside their armor
For the robe of spotless white;
And with Jesus they are walking
Where the river sparkles bright.
We have labored here together,
We have labored side by side,
Just a little while before me
They have crossed the rolling tide.
On those dear familiar faces
There will be no trace of care;
Every sigh was hushed forever
At the palace gate so fair.
I shall see them, I shall know them,
I shall hear their song of love,
And we’ll all sing hallelujah
In our Father’s house above.
- Fanny J. Crosby
--- Since Yesterday
Along the golden streets
A stranger walks tonight
With wonder in his heart --
Faith blossomed into sight.
He walks and stops and stares,
And walks and stares again.
Vistas of loveliness
Beyond the dreams of men.
He who once was weak,
And often shackled to a bed,
Now climbs eternal hills
With light and easy tread.
He has escaped at last
The cruel clutch of pain;
His lips shall never taste
Her bitter cup again.
O never call him dead,
This buoyant one and free,
Whose daily portion is
Delight and ecstasy!
Now bows in speechless joy
Before the feet of Him
Whom, seeing not, he loved
While yet his sight was dim.
Along the golden streets
No stranger walks today,
But one who, long homesick,
Is home at last, to stay!
Attribute n. - a quality or feature regarded as a characteristic or inherent part of someone or something.
Since this month starts with the remembrance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it seemed like it would be appropriate to think on the fact that God is the living God. As I said at the beginning of this series, these are not going to be in depth doctrinal studies. This one is somewhat simplistic, but hopefully it will help us get a better grasp of what it really means to serve the living God!
The phrase “the living God” shows up numerous times in scripture. Perhaps it is best remembered because of its appearance in two well known Bible stories – David and Goliath and Daniel in the lion’s den.
1 Samuel 17:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
Daniel 6:20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
God is the living God because, unlike any other god, He has the power to create life; not just animal life, but a living soul.
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
He is the living God as opposed to the idols of the heathen. He is able to do what He wills, and He is able to satisfy and to respond.
Psalms 115:3-8 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
Psalms 42:2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
Psalms 107:8-9 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
As the living God, He is able to exercise His authority upon earth and upon the nations. He is able to judge, and He will!
Jeremiah 10:10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.
Genesis 18:25 …Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
He is the living God and because of that, He is able to give us eternal life through His Son.
Matthew 16:15-16 He [Jesus] saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Because He is the living God, His word is living, eternal and it gives eternal life.
John 6:66-69 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
Philippians 2:15-16 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life…
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. [The word “quick” here indicating alive, as in “the quick and the dead”.]
As the living God who has given us eternal life in His Son, He has the reasonable right to make certain demands upon our lives.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 Corinthians 6:16-17 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Ephesians 4:17-18 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
He is not only the living God, He is the God of the living. He is the God of those who have received life from Him spiritually. Those who have died without salvation in Christ are eternally dead. Those who are alive on this earth and have not believed on the Lord Jesus are spiritually dead and He is not their God. Those who are physically alive or dead in Christ have His eternal life and He is their God because they are “the living”. Is He your God? Are you alive by faith in Jesus Christ?
Matthew 22:31-32 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
The Lord Jesus, as the Son of the living God, has that eternal life in Him, but He willingly laid down His life to bring us eternal salvation. Because His life was supernatural, He had to power to not only lay it down – die on the cross – but to take it up again – to rise from the dead. That He would choose to do this for poor sinners such as us is mind-boggling. Yet, it is true!
John 10:17-18 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Luke 24:1-7 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
In conclusion, I want to focus just a little on that phrase “Why seek ye the living among the dead?” There are so many that are seeking God in dead places:
in dead works (both keeping of the Law and following “standards” and rules of mankind); in dead religions that do not have the truth; in the dead world with its sin-sick cultures; in a dying creation that is groaning for redemption (Romans 8:21-22); in health plans and diets that are meant only to sustain the dying physical body.
Where are you seeking God? Are you seeking the living God? There is only one way to find Him, and that is through His living Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
If you are a child of the living God already, are you living daily like someone who has a direct connection with the source of true life, or are you still looking for satisfaction in the deadness of this present world? We need to think on the fact that He is the living God, the Only living God. We need to keep the wonderful fact of our relationship to the living God in our minds – to remember that it is through the death of Christ that we have this amazing LIFE. This will cause us to strive to show forth that life of the living God in our own lives, it will remind us of what it means to die to this world and live unto Him.
Romans 6:9-13 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
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.
Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings… Revelation 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
Last week was a hard week. My husband has had some recent physical issues that needed addressing (still no diagnosis, we’re waiting to see how the treatment goes). I had something going on – there was at least one migraine and then another that lasted more than one day, which may have actually been a bug of some sort. We didn’t get to go to church fellowship at all because of various health hindrances. I also had some struggles with my old flesh that were discouraging (Rom. 7:18-25).
But, my kind Lord blessed me in a very special way. I received two letters and a package from ladies I know in Australia! I met two of them online through my sister-in-law and the other through the blog or web page (though she also knows my s-i-l’s family). Here are the lovely things I received:
Notice that all five verses on the various things are different. Such a small thing, and yet it indicated the Lord’s attention to details in guiding their choices. Also, that phrase from Isaiah 30:15 at the bottom of the card on the lower right is one of my favorite verses! …in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength… The two papers in the background give the definitions of our first and last names. The letter on the right was printed on the back of such beautiful, cheerful paper! What a great idea. The lady who sent the card on the upper right also included some information that she thought might be helpful for one of my physical difficulties, and she wrote her short note on a separate piece of paper so that I can reuse the blank card! Wasn’t that an nice touch?
One thing that made me feel very humble was to realize that the Lord had planned all this ahead of time for me, knowing that last week would be a hard week. They all mailed their items before I “needed” them. This was a real reminder to me of His faithfulness in caring for the smallest details of our lives – even when we aren’t faithful to Him always. Now, I don’t always get some extra special blessing like this when I’m down or struggling, but our kind Father has a way of reminding us He is there and loves us and that He is FAITHFUL. Sometimes I’m afraid we miss the reminders, but this was hard to miss. :-)
He's helping me now--this moment, Though I may not see it or hear, Perhaps by a friend far distant, Perhaps by a stranger near, Perhaps by a spoken message Perhaps by the printed word; In ways that I know and know not I have the help of the Lord.
-- Annie Johnson Flint
Another thing that I can’t help noting is just how pleasant it is to get “real mail.” It makes me happy that I’ve been encouraging just this type of behavior on the blog this year. (See the January Challenge and February Challenge) It makes me feel more motivated to pass on the love to someone else. Mailing a letter or greeting card really doesn’t cost that much in the big scheme of things, but that kind touch may alter the whole course of someone’s day or week. Remember the ripple affect. One stone dropped in a pool can make ripples far from where the stone landed. One kind deed done in Jesus’ name can spread joy and cheer in places you may never realize you could reach. Let’s all be more diligent to do these small deeds of kindness – in Jesus’ name and for His glory!
Mark 9:41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Here’s another new idea for 2015. I like challenges, but I like them to be something worthwhile and generally of modest proportions, at least when it’s something that I choose to put upon myself. We get enough of the more difficult kind just living, right? Hopefully, this idea will be more of the enjoyable as well as expanding type! :-)
Each month I hope to post a challenge to us on the first Tuesday of the month. They will vary in type from reaching out to others to working on our own personal space and selves. I hope it will prove to be interesting, enjoyable and also helpful to us over the course of the year. I also plan to give two options so that it will be easier to choose something that will fit into each one’s life and schedule. However, you’re welcome to do both if you like!
To start off with, since I didn’t get this going at the beginning of the month, I’m making it relatively easy. It’s always better to ease into new things if we can anyway. :-)
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Challenge 1
Write a snail mail to someone far away.
AND/OR
Pick several people on your contact list on your cell phone who you have not communicated with for a bit and send them a kind text message.
Hebrews 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
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I already sent text messages to several ladies that I hadn’t communicated with for a week or more. I won’t always tell you which or what I did, but since I already did this I thought I’d mention it. :-) I may still also write a snail mail, or two.
