Tag Archives: salvation

Lent 2018 Week Three (updated for 2023)

What is LENT? (a link to all of the LENT devotions)
Wikipedia has a very complete explanation for many of the christian denominations that observe LENT.
Short and simple, it’s making oneself prepared through humility to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is the Christian equivalent to Passover for the Jews.
We’ve created a Face book group to follow and discuss, please join us! – 40 days of Lent!

11 – (3/6) Upper Room – Lord’s Supper – REMEMBER – Mt 26:17-30; Luke 22:14-20 small cup and plate
12 – (3/7) Upper Room – Lord’s Supper – NEW COVENANT – Mt 26:17-30; Luke 22:14-20 small cup and plate
13 – (3/8)  Upper Room – Lord’s Supper – cup and body – Mt 26:17-30; Luke 22:14-20 small cup and plate
14 – (3/9)Upper Room -Jesus washes the disciples feet – John 13:2-17; great is least – Luke 22:24-30 terry cloth
15 – (3/10)Upper Room – Declaration of Judas’ betrayal John 13:21-30, Luke 22 ; 21-23 knife;
16 – (3/11) Upper Room – Peter’s confession of Loyalty Mt 26:31-33, John 13:36-38
(3/12) Third Sunday of Lent  SUNDAY WORSHIP – REMEMBER THE RESURRECTION – “My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken me?”

Lenten Cross Instructions
Our Lenten cross in progress.

 

I want these to be family activities, therefore, I’m going to list a few free coloring page websites here:

 

~~~~~~~

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links:

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

Older woman with shades of coral in jewelry and sweater, glasses, silver and brown hair.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Second Sunday of Lent – 3/5/2023

Lent Devotions
Lent Week Two
We have created a facebook group in which to follow and discuss, please join! – 40 days of Lent!

Second Sunday of Lent

If you are doing the Lenten Cross – light all but one. I am starting from the bottom, it seems symbolic to me. Here’s a photo of my cross:

Second Sunday of Lent

The Second Sunday of Lent
The final words of Jesus
“Today you will be with me in Paradise”

Music
Pass Me not Oh Gentle Savior – Don Moen

Scripture
Luke 23:43 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
43 And He said to him, “I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise.”

Devotion
I want to break this down by word.
Today -Jesus isn’t saying that sometime in the future or even tomorrow. Jesus is saying to this man, who has repented(confessed his sins) while hanging on the cross next to Jesus, today you will be with me in Paradise. This man knew he was a sinner. This man probably knew that according to the law he was going to hell. This man acknowledged Jesus as the son of God and asked him to forgive him.(Luke 23:39-43). Jesus’s response was today…TO HIM!

You – Jesus isn’t saying that the other thief was going to be with him in Paradise. Jesus isn’t saying that the ones who put him on the cross would be with him in Paradise. Jesus is speaking specifically to this man, who had declared his faith in Jesus, confessed that he was a sinner, and asked to be delivered. Jesus could have called him by name I’m sure, but the way we have it written is you.

YOU! THIS IS A PERSONAL PROMISE! This is a conversation and a promise from Jesus Christ to the thief as Jesus Christ was dying for his sins for him. As we know later in the story Jesus dies before the two thieves do and therefore Jesus paid the price before the thief died and therefore again, Jesus died first, paid the price and then the thief died and he went to Paradise to be with Jesus. Talk about a last minute conversion! Yet, that is all it takes to be promised life in Jesus! Recognize you are a sinner, repentance(in this case, confession and sorry), confess that Jesus is Lord, Wait – the next part of that verse is believe that God raised him from the dead! Romans 10:9 The thief was confessing Jesus BEFORE the prophecy was even fulfilled! The thief was confessing something that even those that had walked with Jesus were not sure about! The ultimate death bed confession! WOW!

WILL BE – this might be a bit nit-picky, but I’m going to say it anyway: will be.
Today.
you.
will be.
It’s not today you might be. It’s not today you could be. It’s today you WILL BE with me in Paradise. These are the words of Jesus Christ, the son of the Living God, the God whose word spoke creation into being, the One who is the way, the truth and the light and life, and God cannot lie! Jesus was not just saying something to make him feel good. Jesus wasn’t just using some strange turn of phrase to sound good in the King James version. When Jesus said that the thief will be with me in Paradise that’s what he meant.
He meant I’m going to die and pay the price.
Then, you’re going to die, and your sins will be forgiven and
then, you will be with me in Paradise.

Let every man be a liar but God is faithful and cannot lie(Romans 3:4; Num 23:19). What an amazing confirmation for this man as he hangs on the cross next to the man that he’s committing his life to, or what is left of it.

WITH ME – the need for Salvation is that by sin we are separated from God. That’s what happened with Adam and Eve in the garden.
They disobeyed God,
He had to remove them from the garden or Paradise, and
they no longer got to walk with him in the evening and
no longer had perfect fellowship with him.

Somehow Enoch walked with God and ended up being raptured/taken up.
Elijah had some amazing relationship with God that the Chariot came and picked him up and took him up to heaven.

We are not able to walk with God in the way that Adam and Eve did in the garden,  or not willing to walk with God in the way that  Enoch, Elijah, or even Moses – the friend of God – did.
Even so, our human nature does desire some sort of connection with the supernatural and that is our heart cry for us to be with God.

The thief just declared that Jesus was the son of God and was not a sinner and asked him to take him to his kingdom. In the midst of dying, Jesus looks at him and says you will be with me.  I imagine a life of crime would be one that’s very lonely. Always looking over your shoulder and such like and whatever drove the man to a life of crime would be something that again would cause extreme loneliness.

In my life, having mental illness and having a history of abuse and some other things have caused me to be peculiar enough that I have spent much time being lonely. There are people that would say “yeah I’ll be with you” and they are until life gets rough or until the second or third time I have had to back out of something because of an anxiety attack or migraine or pain or whatever. Sometimes it takes 10 to 12 times and yet I’m not someone that they can just call up and say “hey, Let’s go do this or that” and I can drop everything and go. People get tired that I have disabilities and difficulties.

Even worse than that, because of a life of low self-esteem and self-loathing, I’m constantly dealing with “what if they find out who I really am they won’t like me and they will desert me.” These are called cognitive distortions and yet they are real, and they make for a very very lonely existence. It only takes a few times where somebody actually makes good on what are supposedly cognitive distortion lies to re-establish those cognitive distortions that “everybody hates, me nobody likes me, I think I’ll go eat worms!”

Here’s this thief. Thieves are not cared for in the least. Think about how in the old west the cattle rustlers were despicable, horse thieves where despicable all because they stole the livelihood of others. There was no insurance policies for someone who was robbed back in Jesus’s day. Someone steals something from you and it’s gone and if that was the only something you had, now you are in a world of hurt.
I think about Matthew the tax collector or Zacchaeus, and how they were hated because they were tax collectors and they took extra. They were kind of government sanctioned thieves. The Pharisees were constantly ridiculing Jesus for spending his time with publicans and sinners and that if Jesus was actually the Son of God he would never spend time with these type of people.

Jesus stating to this thief that he would be with him speaks volumes

IN PARADISE – This can get very tricky because of various theological viewpoints. There is some question as to where was Abraham when the Lazarus the poor man died and the rich man came and said send him to talk to my brothers and Lazarus was in Abraham’s bosom(Luke 16:19-31).

  • Some think that that was Hades, a waiting place until Christ died on the cross and brought them back up taking them to heaven.
  • Some think that there is a place that’s not quite the kingdom of heaven but is not hell and it’s waiting place that when Christ returns in the Rapture and he calls up and then the dead in Christ will rise first will come up and meet him in the clouds.
  • There’s the Catholic perspective of purgatory and I don’t know enough about that to speak on it.

There is the statement in Ephesians 1:20 where Christ is seated at the right hand of God and we are seated in the heavenlies with him now(Ephesians 2:6)? Is that figurative because we’re not there yet or when Stephen saw Jesus sitting at the right hand of God(Acts 7:56) just before he was stoned, was that stating that Jesus had died on the cross, he gone to set the dead free and then he went up ascended into heaven? That is what happens in Acts 1:9-11 and Jesus is seated at the right hand of God.  Then there’s the passage in Revelations where the martyrs are under the altar asking God “how long do we have to wait before judgment comes on the world?” Revelations 6:9-11.  All of this to say there’s a lot of variations out there to believe, to research and to decide on.

For what it’s worth here’s my take.

Where Jesus is is Paradise.

To be with Jesus is to be in Paradise.

I don’t know how many realms there are. Hell, Hades, Death. I know that Paul talks about being taken up to a third level of Heaven.
I like Got Questions Explanation of what Paul said:

In 2 Corinthians 12:2 Paul says he knew a man (assumed to be himself—he is speaking in the third person) who went to the “third heaven.” The “third heaven” here simply means the spiritual dwelling of God, as opposed to the other two “heavens,” the atmosphere and outer space. The three “heavens” implied in 2 Corinthians 12:2 would be the three different realms that we call “the sky,” “outer space,” and the “spiritual heaven.”

My point is that this man, dying next to Jesus, was promised that he wasn’t going to be lying in a grave rotting, that he was not going into nothingness, that he was not going into that Hades(the place where the rich man was was constantly to tormented by fire(Luke 16:19-31)).

Jesus said today you will be with me in Paradise.

My Story
I have had three near-death experiences. I have two that I have small paintings that depict, in part, what I experienced.. I have one painting in progress. I can tell you that in those near death experiences the beauty that I saw was so intense that I could feel the colors. The light permeated every cell of my body and the love washed over me as if I was immersed in liquid love. I have written about those in two blogs and I’m going to post those here, rather than rewrite them.

Glimpses of Heaven – Stairway to Heaven
Glimpses of Heaven – a Glimpse of Jesus

All I can say is having seen a glimpse, no matter how tainted it is by my finite mind, I declare that the promise of being in Paradise with Christ Jesus is exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask or think and is so immeasurably enriching and enlightening and life-full, that to hear Jesus say to me some day “today you will be with me in Paradise” is second only to wanting to hear him say “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

Confession – Oh my! Hearing that Billy Graham has entered into his eternal life gives me jealousy! To know the riches that he is experiencing now and to know that he definitely paid the price and he sacrificed his life and gave it for the Lord, challenges me. I thank God that I got to know a little bit of the ministry of that man.

When I hear that someone has gone on, specifically, someone who has lived a ripe life for the Lord and was ready to go, I am full of rejoicing because I know I’m going to see them again! I know, in part, what an amazing party and celebration they’re going to have that our finite minds cannot comprehend. Everything here pales in comparison!

I do think that this is one of my favorite phrases that Jesus says at the end of his life. And I hope this gives you a little bit of an insight as to why I feel that way.

There’s a part of this verse I have not covered. Jesus said something else in Luke 23:43
A Bit of a word study:
Truly – NIV, ESV, NAS, BEREAN, CSB
I assure you – NLT
Verily – KJV, JUBILEE, ASV
I promise – CEV
I tell you with certainty – ISV
AMEN – ARAMAIC
I tell you in solemn truth – WEYMOUTH
I can guarantee this truth – GOD’S WORD TRANSLATION.

Jesus made a promise….declared a promise…I think in this moment, Jesus breathed that creative power, and the man became a new creature. Jesus was being GOD!

Numbers 23:19 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
19 God is not a man who lies,
or a son of man who changes His mind.
Does He speak and not act,
or promise and not fulfill?

2 Corinthians 1:20 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
20 For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in Him. Therefore, the “Amen” is also spoken through Him by us for God’s glory.

The same promises that Jesus gave to this man, He gives to us.
The same guarantee that Jesus gave to this man, He gives to us.
Can it be anymore beautiful? No.
But, there is a down side to this story. The other thief.

He was on the other cross. He ridiculed Jesus.
There is a saying – in response to living your life for Christ being fantasy.

If I’m wrong – and there is nothing after this, what have I lost?
If I’m right – you will have lost everything.

What would it have taken for that other thief to hedge his bets? The thing is, it’s a heart attitude. He didn’t want to believe. His heart was hardened. He was presented with the gospel by the other thief. He said no, by not saying yes. In Lent Day Eight, I talked about Jesus crying out for those to believe in the LIGHT. It takes a response.

Another saying I’ve heard about pastors, but since we touched on the martyrs, and I’m not shy about the life of being a Christian is not a bed of roses(unless you include the thorns), I’m going to share this.

The Christian Life is hard –
but the retirement plan is out of this world!

Is there anything that is keeping you from saying “Jesus – please remember me today?”
Here are some simple tools for taking care of this need.
Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation

You can have that need for the supernatural in your life FILLED TODAY!

Don’t be a Judas!

Prayer and Worship

Just As I am – Aaron Shust

At Calvary – Casting Crowns

 

~~~~~~~

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links:

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

Older woman with shades of coral in jewelry and sweater, glasses, silver and brown hair.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

2018 Lent Day Nine – Judas’ betrayal – 3-3-2023

Lent Devotions
Lent Week Two
We have created a facebook group to follow and discuss, please join! – 40 days of Lent!

Lent Day Nine
Are you a Judas?

MUSIC –
Hymns Mash Up by anthem Lights

Scripture:

Luke 22 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Plot to Kill Jesus
22 The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called Passover, was drawing near. 2 The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Him to death, because they were afraid of the people.

3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, who was numbered among the Twelve. 4 He went away and discussed with the chief priests and temple police how he could hand Him over to them. 5 They were glad and agreed to give him silver.[a] 6 So he accepted the offer and started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him to them when the crowd was not present.

Matthew 26:14-16 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
14 Then one of the Twelve—the man called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” So they weighed out 30 pieces of silver for him. 16 And from that time he started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.

Mark 14:10-11

Devotion
This comes after the woman anointing Jesus.

Mark 14:4-5 (HCSB)
4 But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this fragrant oil been wasted? 5 For this oil might have been sold for more than 300 denarii and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her.

Matthew 26:8-9(HCSB)
8 When the disciples saw it, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This might have been sold for a great deal and given to the poor.”

Matthew 26:14(HSCB) Then one of the Twelve—the man called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests

John calls out Judas:

John 12:4-6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
4 Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot (who was about to betray Him), said, 5 “Why wasn’t this fragrant oil sold for 300 denarii[a] and given to the poor?” 6 He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.

Here’s an interesting picture of Judas.
He’s known to be a thief…and he’s put in charge of the money bag.
Was Jesus surprised? NO!

John 6:70-71 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
70 Jesus replied to them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is the Devil!” 71 He was referring to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son,[a][b] one of the Twelve, because he was going to betray Him.

Satan entered Judas…how does that happen?
In studying Romans, I’ve watched a teaching by Tommy Nelson, Romans, the letter that changed the world. In Romans 3, he points out the progression of the clean man to devolve into the degenerate man.

Romans 3 HCSB
The Whole World Guilty before God(PROGRESSION OF DEGENERATION – note and emphasis mine)
9 What then? Are we any better? Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin,

(ESTATE OF MAN)
10 as it is written:
There is no one righteous, not even one.
(EXTENT OF SIN-MIND, WILL AND HEART)
11 There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
(EFFECT OF SIN – WHOLE BODY IS CURSED)
12 All have turned away;(FEET)
all alike have become useless.
There is no one who does what is good,(HANDS)
not even one.
(EXPRESSION OF SIN)
13 Their throat is an open grave;
they deceive with their tongues.
Vipers’ venom is under their lips.
14 Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,
17 and the path of peace they have not known.
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Another part of this goes with Romans 1 – another progression into degeneration:
Romans 1:18-32

The keys in both are these:

Romans 1:21 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened.

Romans 3:18 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.[a]

I don’t believe that Judas was aware of the progression going on in his heart…but Jesus was.

  • Adam and Eve – did Eve realize that her heart had gone from fully relying on God…to listening to the enemy? Genesis 3
  • Cain – God gave him the opportunity Genesis 4
  • Samson – didn’t even realise that the Spirit of God had left him….Judges 13
  • Ananias was asked by Peter -what has gotten into you? Acts 5

Jesus KNEW that we would be tempted…JESUS KNOWS that we have a tendency to fall backwards if we are not specifically choosing to move forwards.
We just completed a series preached by Pastor Jimmy Knott on Spiritual Growth.
Pastor Jimmy’s Ministry Page
I wish I could make available to you the booklet he and his wife created for figuring out why we are stuck in our walks, what we need to do to get unstuck, and how to MOVE FORWARD in our Spiritual Walk with Jesus.
He explained that we grow on a spiritual continuum – from

  • Exploring Christ(Seeking) to
  • Growing in Christ(Little Children) to
  • Close to Christ(Young Adults) and onto
  • Christ Centered (Spiritual Fathers and Mothers).

Yes, we move forward, slip back, move between areas…but the movement must be forward, or, we actually we are slipping backward.
Bill Owens – We know that, when it comes to technology and the economy, if you’re not constantly moving forward, then – without a doubt – you’re moving backwards.

Gorbachev – “If you don’t move forward, sooner or later you begin to move backward.”

The progression in Romans 1 & 3 would confirm these quotes.

Jesus pled with the disciples at Gethsemane to Watch and Pray that they not fall into temptation! Matthew 26:41
Jesus told Peter that Satan had a target on his back! Luke 22:321
Paul wrote much about being aware of the enemy’s schemes.

I think the point I take from today’s study is that we have to be watching out to whom we are listening. We’ve looked at making sure we hear God’s voice, and making sure we respond with a yes. Judas had Jesus RIGHT THERE WITH HIM and somehow he got lost in the money.
There’s two more parts to Judas’s story – the betrayal, and then, his total despair ending in suicide. From a trusted disciple, sent out with power to heal, and whose feet were washed by Jesus, to the betrayer of the Lord of Light and Life, to a victim of his own suicide. A sad progression.

Listening to the enemy is death.
It’s what happened to Adam and Eve, they began to die, and an animal had to be slain on their behalf.
It’s what happened to Cain and Abel – Abel dead, and Cain sent away.
It’s what happened to Ananias and Saphira – both struck dead for lying to the Holy Spirit.

Even worse, it’s what happened to Samson – not even knowing the Spirit had left him – and his life was destroyed. I do not ever want to be so blind that I don’t even notice that the Spirit of God is no longer with me!

Proverbs 4:18-19 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
shining brighter and brighter until midday.
19 But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom;
they don’t know what makes them stumble.

Jesus begs us to believe in The Light – as I wrote in Lent day Eight.
Jesus doesn’t want us to stumble, and fall, and die.

Prayer and Worship
Come Thou Fount – by Chris Rice

 

~~~~~~~

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links:

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

Older woman with shades of coral in jewelry and sweater, glasses, silver and brown hair.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

2018 Lent Day Eight – 3/2/2023

Lent Devotions
Lent Week Two
We have created a facebook group to follow and discuss, please join! – 40 days of Lent!

Lent Day Eight
Believe or Not, that is the Question

Music:
I hear Jesus Calling – F. C. Barnes and company
Jesus is Calling – Elevation Worship

Scripture:
John 12:35-50

verses 35-36
35 Jesus answered, “The light will be with you only a little longer. Walk while you have the light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. The one who walks in darkness doesn’t know where he’s going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light so that you may become sons of light.”

then verses 44-30
44 Then Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in Me believes not in Me, but in Him who sent Me. 45 And the one who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears My words and doesn’t keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects Me and doesn’t accept My sayings has this as his judge:[f] The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a command as to what I should say and what I should speak. 50 I know that His command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”

Devotion
Jesus IS the LIGHT!

John 1:4 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
4 Life was in Him,[a]
and that life was the light of men.

John 3:19 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
19 “This, then, is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.

John 8:12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Light of the World
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

In John 12:42-43 we read

42 Nevertheless, many did believe in Him even among the rulers, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, so they would not be banned from the synagogue. 43 For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

John later clarifies this

1 John 1:6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 If we say, “We have fellowship with Him,” yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing[a] the truth.

Yesterday, Lent Day Seven, we talked about having ears to hear, and at the end of that post, I stated that a response is expected.

A year ago, I was going through the FIRST verse of Psalm 23 to declare that THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD. This is David’s RESPONSE! He wrote Psalm 23!

From John 12:35-50

35 Jesus answered, “The light will be with you only a little longer.
Walk while you have the light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. The one who walks in darkness doesn’t know where he’s going.
36 While you have the light, believe in the light so that you may become sons of light.”

Jesus tells them what response is necessary to BECOME SONS OF LIGHT!

Jesus CRIES OUT!

44 Then Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in Me believes not in Me, but in Him who sent Me.
45 And the one who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.
46 I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness.

It’s as if the heart of Christ is breaking as He pleads with us to believe!

Continuing from yesterday’s post on hearing, God WANTS us to HEAR!

Psalm 81:11-13

Micah 6:1-5

Luke 16:31 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
31 “But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’”

It is crucial to hear – and then to make a choice.

Joshua 24:15 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
15 But if it doesn’t please you to worship Yahweh, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my family, we will worship Yahweh.”

IT IS A CHOICE!

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
15 See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity.

17 But if your heart turns away and you do not listen and you are led astray to bow down to other gods and worship them,
18 I tell you today that you will certainly perish and will not live long in the land you are entering to possess across the Jordan.

19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live,
20 love the Lord your God, obey Him, and remain faithful[c] to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land the Lord swore to give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

OUR choice is between Life and Death – Blessing and Curse – life and prosperity, death and adversity. OUR Choice effects not only ourselves, but our descendants – it provides a foundation for their choice!

BELIEVE!

Acts 16:31 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

Our choice AFFECTS THE HOUSEHOLD!

CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH

Romans 10:9-10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

For more specifics on how to make a choice FOR Life which is the LIGHT of men – Jesus Christ, Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
In honor of Billy Graham who just went home to Jesus today, I am also providing his version of the Plan of salvation

The final piece of today’s passage is from John 12:35-50 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

48 The one who rejects Me and doesn’t accept My sayings has this as his judge: The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
49 For I have not spoken on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a command as to what I should say and what I should speak.
50 I know that His command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”

We’re back to God speaking – Jesus is His WORD to us. We will not be judged by predestination and election. We will not be judged by who or what we were. We will be judged by the Words that Christ spoke, and I daresay, all of the Words that are contained in the Holy Bible!  We will be judged by creation that declares the existence of a creator. We will be judged for whether or not we sought to know him. And, we will be judged by the fact that HE spoke the words, and we chose not to hear, listen, obey or respond. We will be judged on whether we believed or not. There are various quotes in the self help arena. I have no idea of the original author for this one.

Deciding not to decide is a decision in itself.

The thing is, God has made the decision easy for us!
He’s given us the faith!

Matt 17:20, Luke 17:6

Ephesians 2:8-10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

Hebrews 11 talks of the enormity of this faith! Key verse:

Hebrews 11:6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

Hear the Heart Cry of Jesus!

John 12:36 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
36 While you have the light, believe in the light so that you may become sons of light.” Jesus said this, then went away and hid from them.

Choose ye this day whom ye shall serve!
Choose LIFE – and we know that the life in Jesus is the Light!

John 1:4-5 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
4 Life was in Him,
and that life was the light of men.
5 That light shines in the darkness,
yet the darkness did not overcome[b] it.

CHOOSE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD! Let’s Worship:

All to Jesus I Surrender All – Newsboys
All To Jesus I Surrender – by Casting Crowns

Love Lifted Me – Gaither and Kim Hopper
Your Love lifted Me by Ashmont Hill

~~~~~~~

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links:

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

Older woman with shades of coral in jewelry and sweater, glasses, silver and brown hair.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Lent Devotions – Week One

What is LENT? (a link to all of the LENT devotions)
Wikipedia has a very complete explanation for many of the Christian denominations that observe LENT.
Short and simple, it’s making oneself prepared through humility to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is the Christian equivalent to Passover for the Jews.
We’ve created a face book group to follow and discuss, please join us! – 40 days of Lent!

2023 Lent dates – week one!
2/21 – Shrove Tuesday – you are on your own! Eat pancakes, do whatever!
2/22 – Ash Wednesday – the beginning of self reflection
2/27 – Orthodox Clean Monday

1 – (2/22) preaching on his upcoming death – Luke 18:31-34 (egg rocks – black cloth)
2 – (2/23) Zacchaeus – Luke 19:1-10; Let the Children Come – Luke 18:15-17 (egg rocks – tree branch or children photos)
3 – (2/24) Mary anoints Jesus’ feet – John 12:1-11, Mk 14:1-9 (egg rocks -small bottle of perfume)
4 – (2/25) Donkey provided – Luke 19: 28-35 (egg rocks – donkey)

(2/26) 1st Sunday of Lent – SUNDAY WORSHIP – REMEMBER THE RESURRECTION – Father forgive them – Lk 23:34

the not quite done Lenten cross

I want these to be family activities, therefore, I’m going to list a few free coloring page websites here:

 

~~~~~~~

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links:

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

Older woman with shades of coral in jewelry and sweater, glasses, silver and brown hair.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Jonah 3

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!) The conversation started Monday, February 5th.

Jonah 3

YET 40 DAYS AND NINIVEH SHALL BE OVERTHROWN!

 

NLT says DESTROYED
CSV says DEMOLISHED

I admit that I don’t know greek or hebrew, therefore I rely on Strongs, Vines or other references.
The BlueLetterBible has this to say about this word:

hâphak, haw-fak’; a primitive root; to turn about or over; by implication, to change, overturn, return, pervert:—× become, change, come, be converted, give, make (a bed), overthrow (-turn), perverse, retire, tumble, turn (again, aside, back, to the contrary, every way).

There’s one word here that gets my attention…RETURN…and BLB’s Bible usage shows this:

to turn, overthrow, overturn

(Qal)

to overturn, overthrow
to turn, turn about, turn over, turn around
to change, transform

(Niphal)
to turn oneself, turn, turn back
to change oneself
to be perverse
to be turned, be turned over, be changed, be turned against
to be reversed
to be overturned, be overthrown
to be upturned

(Hithpael)

to transform oneself
to turn this way and that, turn every way

I can’t help but see those as words that could, in English, be used for repentance!

Jonah3:5
5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

To me, this is one of the greatest evidences that it is NEVER too late to repent and turn to GOD! GOD HAD PRONOUNCED JUDGEMENT! and He heard their cry! Isn’t that exciting???!!!

EVEN THE KING REPENTED! There’s hope for the government leadership of any country!

Jonah 3:6-9
6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

Jonah 3:10
10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Oh Thank God for being a merciful God!
Here, I’m going to compare myself to the Ninevites…I have never been that sinful…so, that helps me to know that NO MATTER HOW BADLY one is going the wrong way – GOD WILL HEAR THE PRAYER OF REPENTANCE!

My story –
While I was in the hospital, I attended church. I have no idea why, as I look back, other than God was keeping my heart warm…I was keeping it lukewarm! Friends would come and take me to church and I can see the little chapel that help the church services in my mind’s eye. I don’t remember if I spent time in the word…I’m sure that would have brought about much needed repentance, but, I just don’t remember it. In fact, I have not much memory of what transpired during those times in the hospital.

In the Psych Ward, I was the only female, dressed in men’s PJ’s with nothing on under (so I could not harm myself with my undergarments, I think). I know I talked about Jesus, and I’m appalled now as to what kind of witness I was(not). I know that there were times that I was talking about Jesus, I believed in Him, still, and I considered myself a follower of Christ. I believed I was good enough, I suppose. I had not turned my heart back to the Lord yet. I had not chosen to obey. My life had been changed from being a sailor to being a civilian. Even so, in the face of this ‘judgement’ or consequence upon my life, I did not repent, or turn around. I just accepted this discharge from God’s hand as inevitable.

There is a principle that repentance brings about evidences.  There was no evidence of repentance in my life. I am saddened when I look back upon my life at that point.

THE KING of Nineveh heard the words of Jonah and declared a fast! in sackclothes and ashes! HE showed evidences of repentance!

John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry by saying:

Matthew 3:2-3 New King James Version (NKJV)
2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’”

The Lord spoke to Solomon:

2 Chronicles 7:14 King James Version (KJV)
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

verse 14 is a promise that follows God’s judgement in verse 13:

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 King James Version (KJV)
13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

God gave Cain an opprtunity to repent:

Genesis 4:6-7 English Standard Version (ESV)
6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

Instead of turning, Cain took the life of his brother Abel …the first murder.
Then, he lied to God…an even greater sin, and he was cast away from his family.
These were evidences to the contrary of repentance.

When God came walking through the Garden, he called out to Adam and Eve. Where are you?
Adam confessed his nakedness – but not his sin. When given a chance to repent, he points his finger to Eve AND God!

Genesis 3:12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

They were cast out of the garden.

We’re no better:

Romans 3:23 English Standard Version (ESV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

BECAUSE:

Isaiah 64:6 King James Version (KJV)
6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Peter announced on the day of Pentecost that repentance is part of the salvation process:

Acts 2:38 English Standard Version (ESV)
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Got questions has a great article on Repentance and Salvation!

Through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ…we have a promise!

1 John 1:5-10
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1 John 2: 1- 6
2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

That last verse is speaking of evidences of repentance…walking in the same way Jesus walked…or at least trying to!

Dear James lets us know that:

James 5:14-16 English Standard Version (ESV)
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

REPENTANCE!
DELIVERANCE FROM JUDGEMENT!
GOD HEARS US!

These are the points that Jonah 3 speaks to me.

Have you recognized that your sins get in the way of your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ?

Have you repented of your sins, put them under the blood of Jesus Christ, and asked Him to be the Lord of your life?

Got Questions has a great explanation on how to do just this, and know that you will spend eternal life with Jesus!

To be honest, while I know that my initial salvation was in 1969, in a little church across the street from my house, there have been other times in my life that I needed to repent of my path, and turn again to Christ. I didn’t get RE-saved – I just RE-dedicated my life to Christ. In my life, at least, repentance isn’t a one time deal! It’s a daily deal, sometimes hourly, do I dare admit there are times that it’s minute by minute? If we turn our hearts towards the Lord…well, I’ll let Isaiah say it!

Isaiah 55:6-7 King James Version (KJV)
6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

And this beautiful promise:

Isaiah 55:1-3 King James Version (KJV)
55 1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

AND WE CAN BELIEVE:

Lamentations 3:22-23 English Standard Version (ESV)
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[a]
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

here’s some prayer and some comfort!
Create in me a clean heart

Next – Jonah 4
 

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Jonah 2

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!) The conversation started Monday, February 5th.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Jonah – introduction
Itty Bitty Bible Study – Jonah chapter 1

Jonah 2

Jonah is in the fish

Now, Jonah starts to pray.

It sounds like this:

Psalm 18:3-6 King James Version (KJV)
3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

and this:

Psalm 116 King James Version (KJV)
116 I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

Really, the whole of Psalm 116.

and this:

Psalm 34:4 King James Version (KJV)
4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Foxhole Prayers are NOT unusual.

More of my story:
I was laying in the Recruit Training Center infirmary – not able to put weight on my right leg. Everything was stark white…cold, antiseptic, lonely. Recruits don’t usually get sick, so, I was the only one there. Recruits are treated like non people, so I was ignored except when they needed to care for me. I don’t know if it was three days in there…or when, but I asked the Lord, why?….and he said “I told you not to go to the navy, but to go to college.”

yes, I know…but…

now, I’m paralyzed for all intents and purposes.
I knew that there was probably no way I was going to get out of the navy, or I was going to be sent home without completing boot camp….and, I still had not learned my lesson. what logical thing did I do? I negotiated with God.
“so, if you can work it out that they cannot find what is wrong with me, but they know that something is wrong with me, I can graduate with my unit, and they discharge me honorably, I’ll leave the Navy.”

As I read what I just wrote, I just cannot imagine how arrogant I was to negotiate with God! And this wasn’t like Abraham negotiating with God about how many it would take to save Sodom and Gomorrah. I am so thankful that God is a merciful God. Those folks in the infirmary don’t know how close they came to having God strike me dead, like any normal parent would have!

Within a few days, the anti-inflammatories took down the swelling, and I was able to walk again, though I was on pain meds. I had to do PT twice a day – running in the morning, then PT exercises in the evening, or PT with the unit, and running in the evening. I was scoring fine on everything, and I graduated with my unit.

Next stop was NTC San Diego – for Radioman school. I felt fine, I enjoyed my time as a sailor…going to bars, drinking, and having a great time. I aced my A school, and even caught the eye of my Chief Petty Officer. I was given a scholar promotion…and chosen to be the first female radio shack operator on an actual IN SERVICE ship(rather than on land or a supply ship). I had forgotten all about my deal with God, and honestly, I thought he had, too. Then My leg started hurting again. I went to sick call. again and again.
They did multiple tests – one, the dyd couldn’t show the discs because of the wideness of the space between my cord and bones. The other, they couldn’t complete the test because I had an anaphylactic reaction to the dye, and they had to pump me full of ephedrine to bring me back…the dye had not reached the area they were aiming to view.
Xrays were non conclusive.
The nuero surgeon KNEW something was wrong, and wanted to open up my back so he could see.
But, GOD.…
While I was spending months in Balboa naval hospital because of my leg and lower back, and one month in convalescent leave (where a chiropractor was able to xray my low back while standing, and found five discs bulging…and provide traction that enabled me to ambulate with crutches), there were other things going on of which I was unaware.
I said no to exploratory surgery…so, I was sent to the psych ward.
They harassed me until I said, FINE – GET ME OUT OF THE NAVY!

I was given a honorable discharge – stating that I was never to be reconsidered for enlistment. And, I was discharged at 11 months…which meant no education benefits. My medical papers disappeared for 30 years(the typical pattern was that the person carried their med papers back to their station, and took them home with them…but, I was told that they had to finish the papers).

I was dumber, or slower than Jonah….I didn’t go home. I stayed in San Diego, living with two other sailors, taking in laundry, and being a beach bum. I knew God had kept his end of the bargain. I was out of the Navy. And yet…I was not sure of my end of the bargain!

I’ll write about that next week.

Jonah prayed!

One commentary says that Jonah died and was raised from the dead…I don’t know that I quite agree with that…but I’m sure he was close to death…or was wishing for death!

7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.

When My soul fainted within me…oh how I know that feeling!
Often, I know that feeling.
And still – I am only delivered by remembering the Lord!

The Amplified doesn’t add much –

7
“When my soul was fainting within me,
I remembered the Lord,
And my prayer came to You,
Into Your holy temple.
8
“Those who regard and follow worthless idols
Turn away from their [living source of] mercy and lovingkindness.
9
“But [as for me], I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I shall pay that which I have vowed.
Salvation is from the Lord!”

What it does do, is explain part of verse 8 – following worthless idols.
The worthless idol I was following was myself – thinking I knew better than God.
The worthless idol that Jonah was following was thinking he was able to get away from God…Kind of putting himself in a position of more power than God.

God said Go – Jonah said NO.
God said Go – Christi said No.
If I say that God is my God, and I say no to him…is he really my God?
Who I my God?
If I think that I have the right to contradict the God of creation…oh wait…someone did that….SATAN!

Satan decided that he wanted to call the shots…which meant, he wanted to be Like God…equal to God…above God?
Got Questions has a great set of articles on the fall of Satan.

The scary thing to me is that I was acting just like Satan!

Back to Jonah!

Jonah 2:9 AMP
But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

A voice of thanksgiving…in the midst of trials! Great point! and, it can sometimes be a sacrifice!

Steps of turning….
1. Jonah recognized he was underthe wrath of God – and repents.

Romans 1:18 – 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

2. He avoided the trap of ingratitude that God hates:

Romans 1:21 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

3. Jonah remembered what he’d vowed when he became a follower….with a voice of thanksgiving…I will sacrifice to you.
How could he sacrifice in the belly of a fish? This was him putting his heart on the altar…sacrificing his fear, or his control(as if he had any) – he was sacrificing himself.

Psalm 116:17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.

4. and he agreed to do God’s will – “what I have vowed, I will pay.”

Psalm 116:18 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,

5. and he declares SALVATION belongs to THE LORD! He recognized and declared his salvation is from God – NO ONE ELSE!

Romans 10:9-10 English Standard Version (ESV)
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
And then God spoke…and the fish obeyed…and lo and behold, Jonah is vomited up right where he needs to be!

Here is where Jonah and My stories start to separate…but there are still similarities. I’ll tell you more when I write about chapter 3.

The story so far, in my artwork:

I hope you are enjoying my little artistic additions…I hope to scan it in at the end and have a decent copy!

So – foxhole prayers – have you prayed any?

Have you needed to repent for saying No to God, and turn around to go the other way?

Isn’t that the perfect illustration of Salvation? We tell God no, until we come to the end of ourselves, and when we pray, he’s right there, ready to save us!

Let me know what you have seen in Jonah 1 & 2 in the comments!
See you next week for Jonah 3!

 

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission. The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.
Some artwork is from FreeClipArt Library. copyrights belong to them.

I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

TV Show Review – Star Trek Discovery(from my one word 2018)

I admit it, I’m a treky. I have been since the original series. Yes, in the 60’s.
I’ll also admit it – Star Trek does NOT coincide with Christian beliefs.
It was never meant to.
Gene Roddenberry

For me, as an artist and writer, I have enjoyed the cinematic evolution that is Star Trek.
The artistic aspects of the sets, the clothing, the scenes…all of that.
The humanistic study of humans…from a psychological and sociological point of view.

This is my review of the new series, Star Trek, Discovery, currently only available on CBS All-Access.
I utilized the free 7 day trial.

While all of the Star Trek episodes are/were meant to push the social envelope(Kirk kissing Uhura – first mixed race kiss on TV) – I’m feeling a bit pushed over the edge.

What I’m going to write next is NOT politically correct. This is MY review, this is MY opinion. Everyone has one!

Pros:
I love the strong women!
I love the reality of their back stories!
In only 10 episodes, I love their growth.
I love the dealing of PTSD in the life of Tyler, after being tortured by Klingons.
I love the character development.
I love the equality of the story line – mixed skin-color couple, mixed race couple(Klingon and Human) and the same sex couple. Since this is NOT a Christian statement show…I appreciate the balance from a humanistic point of view).

Cons:
This is NOT a show that will encourage my Christian faith.(sometimes, non Christian shows do give me food for thought)
This is a much more RAW Star Trek – while there are good parts…it feels much more savage and violent.
This series has been promoted as the series to push the women’s movement, and the LGBT movement into mainstream.
This is NOT a show that will encourage my Christian faith. (yes, I said that before…I’ll explain the reasoning behind this CON later)

PROS:
As a survivor of abuse, and having PTSD and anxiety issues, and to some extent, having been ‘brain washed’, the little bit of Tyler’s story, having been a POW in the Klingon camp, and having been tortured in ways we do not understand at this time, I am intrigued by his character development. In one episode, he has horrible flash backs and goes almost catatonic, and the other character talks him through the flash back. The words she says to him are the very words needed when PTSD flashbacks come.

Focus on the sound of my voice.
These are not happening, these are memories.
They didn’t defeat you then, they won’t defeat you now.
breathe.

MY Views:

My comfort when going through PTSD flashbacks sometimes needs to be from a human voice outside of my raging head filled with memories and negative self talk. Sometimes, I just need a human to keep me grounded to the present. I believe the Bible has the answer to this. I do not want my heart and mind divided.

1 Corinthians 12
26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

As an abuse survivor that has suffered from every cognitive distortion, I have struggled with not being good enough – and with suicidal thoughts. For a few of my thoughts, I submit:

Like I said above, the episode where Tyler is crashing from the flashbacks of his torture, the Admiral, a Psychiatrist, gave him simple, exact support to pull him back to reality.
A human voice on which to focus, can break through the (enormously loud chaotic) noise in my head.
As a mental healt awareness advocate, this is great exposure to how someone feels going through an episode.
In case someone needs this, here are 21 Anxiety Grounding Techniques.

As a Christian, my healing is based on my faith, my relationship with Jesus and with the Word of God speaking into my life. That is evident in my blogs above. And, prayer, Bible Verse recital, and Worship songs, and the like are VERY important safety/grounding techniques for MY healing. I believe the Bible has the source of healing that is eternal. I do not want my heart and mind divided. I’ve added some Bible verses at the end, but not about mental health at this time.

Powerful women…wow. What a change from the damsel in distress women in the original Star Trek.
Over coming mistakes.
Overcoming abuse.
Overcoming life long ridicule.
and rising up, taking back your power, and using the past to empower your future.

MY views…….
While they are encouraging and inspirational – they do not fill me with the love of Jesus that is MY healing power.

1 Peter 2:9English Standard Version (ESV)
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

You see, I need to remember that I belong to another…Another…and HIS light is a light that I desire…not the light of this world. Or any light that star trek can offer.

Luke 11:34-36English Standard Version (ESV)
34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”

I’ve written many blogs about how to overcome the above issues with scripture, prayer and a relationship with Jesus Christ. Some are listed above. I believe that the Bible supports women rising up, taking back their power, and using the past to empower their future. I am one of them. I do not want my heart and mind divided.

Tolerance – all are one blood – no color seen by God. Acts 17:26
From a humanist point of view – the equality is refreshing. Including the very “normal” treatment of the prominent gay couple.

MY Views….
From a legal, and humanist point of view – this is great. From an American point of view, all are equal – We the People.
From MY Christian point of view –
all are equal before God, before salvation.
all human life is valuable to God – because he sent his son to die for the WHOLE WORLD.
all have the opportunity to be reconciled to God.
all have the opportunity to be members of the Kingdom of God.
And the method I believe in is through the Lord Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

As with all countries – I believe every sovereign country has the right to choose who may enter their borders.
God(Jehovah, Yaweh, Yeshua, Jesus, Messiah, Emmanuel – the God that created the world, and created man, and gave His son, wholly God and wholly man to be the sacrifice for our sins, and indwells the believer with the Holy Spirit, also wholly God) – has given his requirements for entry…and that is to be a citizen.
To be a citizen, one has to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, renounce their sins, receive Him as Lord and Savior of their life, and live their life to glorify God until we meet him face to face.
I have followed the citizenship steps, and I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

Phillipians 3
18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

I believe the Bible, and I do not want my heart and mind divided.

CONS
The violence…period.
the deceit being rewarded.
The gay couple.
The embracing of a very over the top women’s movement.

MY views.
So, basically, my cons are pretty much that this show does not promote my beliefs.
I didn’t expect it to.
But I do need to make a choice…or be divided.

James 1:8King James Version (KJV)
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

1 Kings 18:21
Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.

Isaiah 29:13
The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

James 4:8 gives me the solotion:

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Isaiah 55:7
let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Isaiah 5:20
“How terrible it will be for those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute what is bitter for what is sweet and what is sweet for what is bitter!”

For the Christian, it is not as easy as just turning off the tvs how.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

2 Peter 2:
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

Psalm 106:35English Standard Version (ESV)
35 but they mixed with the nations
and learned to do as they did.

Hosea 7

Those chapters are convicting, but here is the verse that really settles things in my heart:

Luke 9:
62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Yes, those words are in red, because they are the words of Jesus.
So, while I like some of the ways that this show is going, and I do not like the raw ness of it with the violence and such, I will discontinue my All-Access membership before I am charged, and choose not to watch this.

This will have an affect on my other watching habits, as well.
You see – the impression I’ve been given for this year is
“the end is near,
the time short…be like Jesus.”

There are so many more eternally profitable things I can be doing with my time.
There are so many more things that could help me to grow into Jesus’s likeness.
Star Trek is not one of them.
many of the things I’ve watched are not.

Why do you watch what you watch?
Does it further you toward your passions?
Does it help you to fulfill your calling?
If not…what do you choose?

Joshua 24:14-15
14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:14-15

Joshua 24:14-15

I admitted at the beginning that I was a trekky – that is my confession, and I am not going to stop being a trekky.
I’m a child of God – and I have a job to do – and being a trekky keeps my heart divided and distracted.
Several things I’ve allowed into my life are causing division and distraction.
The time is short, the end is near…I need to get about the job at hand, the purpose for which I was saved.

 

Jim & Christi 2017

 

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission. The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.
Some artwork is from FreeClipArt Library. copyrights belong to them.

I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Philippians 1:12-18

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

Philippians 1:12-18
12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.
14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

First:

Phil 1:12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

So often, when things go badly from our point of view, we wonder what we did wrong, what others did wrong, or why God did not protect, provide, or prevent whatever happened.

Paul wrote Romans 8:28

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

This goes all the way back to the story of Joseph – being thrown into the well by his brothers…and his final statement to them:

Genesis 50:19-20
19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20″As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

This goes back to Ruth and Naomi…if Naomi, Elimelech and their sons had not gone to Moab, and the men had not all died, Ruth would not have met Boaz and been the grandmother of David, and in the ancestral line of Christ.

Ruth 4:13-17
Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

For more of my thoughts on this part of Ruth’s story – Itty Bitty Bible Study – Ruth 4

The verse states : those that Love God and are Called according to his purpose
Paul loved God – shown early on by his zealous nature to eradicate the Christians, and his willingness to humble himself, admit he was wrong, and zealously follow Christ!
Paul was called – again – hearing the voice of God saying “Paul, Paul, why do you persecute me?”, and then, as a blind man, being led to Christ so that he could truly see.

Our lives, when we give them over to the Lord, are knit together to bring about HIS good will and purposes in our lives. Throughout the Bible, it is obvious that God is not as concerned about being the holy Santa Claus and giving us the material things to look like the wealthy kings, but more that he is interested in giving us lessons so that our character is challenged, and we are given spiritual things so that we can be filled with the Holy Spirit, and walk as an Ambassador of Christ! A representation of Christ to the world.

What was Paul called unto?
1 Cor 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ…
2 Cor 1:1; Colossians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God….
Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead)
Philippians 1:1 Paul…the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus….
1 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness

An apostle.

But this is talking about the effect his bonds have upon others…and, this is the statement that talks about Paul’s specific calling:

Philippians 1:17
The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

Saul’s calling was pretty dramatic.
Acts 9 talks about the zealot – and his blinding – and his healing – and his calling!
Ananais was not convinced to go see this man that killed the Christ followers! But here is where God states Paul’s calling:

verse 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

Paul’s bonds for Christ hve drawn attention. I’d imagine, it wasn’t just the bonds, because many had been put in bondage. It’s the REASON for which he was put in bondage…something worth being put into bondage for!

Christ’s death exploded the faith. His resurrection completed the plan – but being willing to die for His faith set in motion the cost to be a follower. Here are just a few of the ways that Jesus tells us to count the cost…

We can understand why Paul said, in Philippians 3:7-9 that he counts all things as loss, except for Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:18
But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,

Jesus said something similar. in Luke 9:49-50(ESV)

49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.”50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”

To me, this is saying that God is able to make sure that HIS word is able to accomplish that to which HE has sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11English Standard Version (ESV)
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

It’s the basis for Philippians 1:6

For I am confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

and reflects, from the Psalmist:

Psalm 138:8 NASB
The Lord will accomplish what concerns me;
Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

There are various ways to share the gospel.
Here are a few:

Some great pointers on being clear, when sharing the gospel.

The key is TO SHARE THE GOSPEL!

Mark 16:15-16English Standard Version (ESV)
15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

There’s a parable about the seed…we all know it.Matthew 13
We’re to cast the seed – maybe we do some watering – maybe some day, we get to harvest…but we are all called to cast the seed!
Paul explains to us that some plant, some water, and some harvest – but, the point is…we all spread the seed. 1 Cor 3:6

Remember, we may be the only Jesus that someone ever meets!
Let’s BE LIKE JESUS!

 

Jim & Christi 2017

 

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission. The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.
Some artwork is from FreeClipArt Library. copyrights belong to them.

I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Jan 2, 2018 reflecting on Jan 2, 2014

Thanks to Facebook, I was reminded of my thoughts four years ago.
Because it is just as pertinent now as it was then, I’m going to repost it here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

January 2, 2014 – Welcome 2014

I may be a bit strange…well, yes, I am peculiar….but I have a way of looking at the new year that sort of gets some folks down.

It is like a new salvation confession.

During December, in the midst of all the celebrations, I look at my life as if I am going to meet the Lord Jesus. Of course, that IS what folks supposedly celebrate on Dec 25, welcoming the Lord Jesus into their lives – but that discussion is for another blog!

I look at the Old year as, well, my old life….it is passed away by 2014…and I look it over as if I was preparing for my confession of Christ as my savior. Sort of like one would do before their public baptism.

What things troubled me last year?

What things needed help last year?

What were my weak areas?

What were, if any, my strong areas?

DID MY LIFE SCREAM JESUS EVERYWHERE I WENT?

Well, of course, there are times that our lives should just whisper Jesus – but the point is, did I shine the light of Jesus to those around me? Or did I hide my light under a bushel?

2013 was a year of recovery.

2013 was a year of acceptance.

2013 was a year of resting and leaning on Jesus.

Yes, I failed.

  • I failed in my consistency of blogging.
  • I failed in my consistency of painting.
  • I failed in my consistency of writing…or writing the books at all!
  • and those are just the public failures!

But were those my goals or God’s goals????

  • I was blessed to help out our daughter, Faith, around her baby boy’s birth.
  • I was blessed to enjoy a week of vacation with our son and his family here in Florida.
  • I was blessed to visit some ‘old’ friends in Ohio.
  • I was blessed to take a road trip with my daughter, Rachel.
  • I was blessed to go on some trips with my husband.
  • I was blessed to walk up FOUR lighthouses!
  • I was blessed to get to see two cousins that I hadn’t seen in years…one that was my ‘older sister’ cousin, and one that was my ‘younger sister’ cousin.
  • I was blessed to learn that milk and bread mess up my body and cause pain.
  • I was blessed to learn about alkaline ionized water, and how it benefits my body to enable me to do many more things with my chronic illnesses.
  • I was blessed to learn that I could choose my food…my food did not dictate or, rather, my emotions did not dictate my food.
  • I was blessed to learn that my husband and I love each other more and more than we did when we got married…with 34 years of experiences, good and bad, shared.

In all of those, I learned many things.

Did I get done the things I thought I was supposed to get done? no.

Some of that is my fault…some of that is what God brought down my path.

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Ps 16:11)

I say I want to walk the path God gives me…that I want Him to lead me and be the light unto my feet, and the lamp unto my path…but

  • do I follow? or,
  • do I follow willingly? or,
  • do I follow unbegrudgedly? or,
  • do I whine? or,
  • do I embrace JOY? and accept HIS pleasures (listed above as blessings)?

The sheep don’t whine about following the shepherd.

Those that wander, he breaks their leg, so that they learn to stay near…

I have had several years of learning to be still….the last surgery was a HUGE be still lesson.

But, that was last year.

Just as someone that is going to their baptism, their public confession of Faith…that is in the past. When I confess my sins, he is faithful to forgive and to cleanse me of all my sins (1 John 1:9).

That is what my evaluation of last year is all about.

Then, 2014 – all things are new….I have been washed in the blood – and my time before me is NEW…just as after my confession of sin, and confession of the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior, I am a new creation…old things are passed away, all things become new(2 Cor 5:17)!!!

So, I start this year with some new goals…I’ll write about that in another blog. But, 1/1 seems to be a great time for a NEW start.

I will fail…but He is the glory and the lifter of my head(Ps 3:3).

I will succeed…but I am weak, success is because HE is strong(2 Cor 12:10)…

and I will flounder…I still live in this body of flesh…Romans 7

But I will work out my own salvation with fear and trembling(Phil 2:12)…I will press on towards the mark of the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus…I will continue to run this race….because I know what is at stake! Eternity! 1 cor 9:24; Heb 12:1-2; Phil 3:14

BTW – every evening can be a re-eval of your day, and every morning can be a new day – weeping may be for the night, but joy comes in the morning.(Ps 30:5)

May each of my readers be blessed this year with a new and fresh knowledge of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I guess I’ve had that quote for a while!
I know I’ve had that life verse for a while.
I still spend December looking back over the year.
I still make a fresh confession to Jesus on New Year’s Eve.
This year, it came out in the form of a Poem.

I again pray that my readers will be blessed by these thoughts of mine, focused upon my Savior, Jesus Christ, and His plan for our lives.

 

Jim & Christi 2017

 

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission.
The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, follow me on Pinterest, or other social media!
I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.