Precious Memories!

The warm, summer days are swiftly passing away and the scent of Fall is in the air.  Tomorrow is September 1, and the next day, September 2, is the Lord's Day!  But this Lord's Day is a very special day for me, for if Dad was still here, we would be celebrating our 60th wedding anniversary!  But I am quite sure, sweet Papa, that you are having such a glorious time living on the "Hallelujah Side" --  loving your conversations with the Apostle Paul -- perhaps wishing that you could tell the younger grandchildren and great grandchildren how exciting it is to hear Daniel tell about sleeping with the lions, and the three Hebrew children tell about being thrown in the fiery furnace!  And you've probably begged Elijah many times to tell you again of his miraculous victories!  You loved to preach about him -- so you probably don't even remember what an important day this is!!

However, the Bible says "we are compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses", so I think perhaps our wonderful Lord lets you look over the edge of heaven to enjoy special things that are happening in the family.  And on our Anniversary, I plan to take some time to recall some "Precious Memories" of living "each for the other, and both for the Lord"!  I still remember very vividly the first time I heard you pray when the College was in revival.  I said -- "Who is that praying so loud"?  My friend said, "that's Gene Hood from Texas"!  Immediately, I said in my heart --"I would like to marry a man who can pray like that!"  And now, 60 years later, I greatly miss those prayers -- I miss your strong leadership -- your determination to obey God, whatever the cost -- your example of being a "Giver", never a "Taker" -- your selflessness; never caring who got the credit -- your burning desire to build an Ark for the saving of your house!

Well, sweet Papa, I could write an epistle, but I am quite sure you are "chomping at the bits" to get back to your conversation with Abraham!  So in closing, I want you to know that you don't need to worry about me, for the children and grandchildren are taking wonderful care of me!  I'm happy living for Jesus -- sweeter gets the journey day by day, and I plan, by God's wonderful grace, to meet you at The Eastern Gate with the family in my hand!

    

Psalm 119 --

The Book of Psalms is such a marvelous Book!  I believe that somewhere in this wonderful book of song and praise, we can find encouragement, guidance, instruction --- whatever we may need for a particular situation or trial we are facing at any given time in our lives.

To me, the 119th Psalm is a very special Psalm that is filled with wonderful promises, commands, and challenges.  Let us take a few minutes today to look at verses 41-48.  In these eight short verses, we are told to trust, hope, keep, seek, speak, delight, and meditate.

"I TRUST in Thy Word."
"I have HOPE in Thy judgments."
"So shall I KEEP Thy law continually for ever and ever."
"I will walk at liberty: for I SEEK Thy precepts."
"I will SPEAK of Thy testimonies."
"I will DELIGHT myself in Thy commandments which I have loved."
"I will MEDITATE in Thy statutes."

As individuals, we don't all share the same interests---we don't all enjoy the same foods---we have different tastes in clothing, decorating, etc., but I'm glad that we all can (and should) delight in God's Wonderful Word!!
     "Let me more of their beauty see -- Wonderful Words of Life!"

A Sunbeam!

The sun is shining so beautifully this Monday morning!  It makes me want to sing the little chorus I sang as a child many years ago:
     "A sunbeam!  A sunbeam!  Jesus wants me for a sunbeam!  A sunbeam!  A sunbeam!  I'll be a sunbeam for Him"!  It is so much better to be a bright sunbeam bringing joy to others, rather than a dark, stormy cloud that brings sorrow and sadness!
I like this little poem by Helen Steiner Rice: 

     "I've never seen God, but I know how I feel --
It's people like you who make Him so real!
      It seems that I pass God so often each day,
In the faces of people I meet on my way . . .

      I wish I might meet Him much more than I do . . .
I would, if there were more people like you!"

     "Dear Heavenly Father, may each one who reads this little poem have a burning desire to be a reflection of your glory within as we live for Thee this week.  In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."

The Secret Place

In Matthew 6:6, we read:  "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." 
Prayer -- communion with our Heavenly Father -- is one of the sweetest privileges and joys of living for Jesus!  How wonderful it is to know that His ear is always open to our cry!  This little devotional thought spoke to my heart when I read it yesterday.  I trust it will be a blessing and inspiration to you, also, as we prepare our hearts for God's Holy Day!

     "When we truly live in 'the secret place', it becomes impossible for us to doubt God.  We become more sure of Him than of anyone or anything else.  If you will swing the door of your life fully open and 'pray to your Father who is in the secret place', every public thing in your life will be marked with the lasting imprint of the presence of God."  Praise the Lord!  What a blessed thought!

 It makes me want to sing our benediction -- "Sweet peace, the gift of God's love."

Forsake? -- Never!!

Our wonderful Lord knows that there will be times when, for various reasons, we seem to need a little extra assurance of His presence and care for us; so every so often throughout His Holy Word, He has placed a sweet promise to remind us that He knows right where we are and exactly what we need!  In Deuteronomy 31:6, we find these blessed words:

     "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."  This blessed promise that God will never leave or forsake His people occurs often in Scripture.  In Joshua 1:5, we see the Lord encouraging Joshua as He promises -- "As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."  Praise the Lord --what a blessed assurance!

Again in I Chronicles, Solomon needed the promise as he became responsible for the kingdom and the building of the magnificent temple.  King David said to his son --"Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord."  And today, we can rejoice in this same wonderful promise!!

In the 13th chapter of Hebrews, we read another blessed promise of comfort and encouragement.
"He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your "exceeding great and precious promises"!  I'm so thankful they are still for us all today!  

BE GLAD!

In Psalm 32:11, we read these beautiful words:  "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart."
Do I hear someone saying -- "I can't be glad -- I can't rejoice -- and I certainly can't shout -- for on this Monday morning, the cares of life seem to almost overwhelm my soul."

We cannot always control our circumstances, but we can be an overcomer, and as the song says -- "It's amazing what a little bit of praising will do"!!  We can either let our circumstances be a stumbling block to drag us down, or we can make them a stepping stone to lead us onward and upward!  The choice is up to us!!

I like this little quote I read:
     "It is your mission, tested and tried one, to walk out on the stage of this world and reveal to all the earth and Heaven that the music is not in conditions, not in things, not in externals, but the music of life is in your own soul."

Praise the Lord!  What a beautiful thought!!  Let's keep the joybells ringing in our souls as we walk, moment by moment, with Jesus, our wonderful Lord! 

Are you resisting the Devil?

The Apostle Peter gives us an important command in his First Epistle, chapter 5, verses 8-9:
     "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."

We know that the devil is powerful, but God's Word tells us we are not to yield to him nor flee from him -- we are to Resist -- for in James 4:7, we read:  "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you".  It reminds me of the little quote that says -- "When the devil comes knocking, let Jesus answer the door"!

In the Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he tells us to put on the warrior's armour.
     "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
It is interesting to note that the Word of God was the instrument with which the Lord Jesus Himself resisted the devil.  Thank the Lord for His Word that is "quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword!"

I'm very thankful, also, that God's Holy Word is such a beautiful and wonderful Lamp for our feet and Light for our path!  Let us love it, obey it, and hide it in our hearts that we might not sin against God! 

 

"Deeper Than the Stain Has Gone"

A few weeks ago, I posted the first verse of this wonderful song on my Blog from memory, but I could not remember the rest of it and could not locate the song.  Later, my daughter-in-law was able to locate the words, so I hope that we will be able to find the music also.

I love this song.  It is such a vivid picture of inbred sin, but it also gives the remedy!  Praise the Lord for the precious blood of Jesus that still today reaches deeper than the stain has gone!

     "Dark the stain that soiled man's nature, long the distance that he fell.
Far removed from hope and heaven, into deep despair and hell.
      But there was a fountain opened, and the blood of God's own Son,
Purifies the soul and reaches deeper than the stain has gone!

      Conscious of the deep pollution, sinners wander in the night,
Tho' they hear the Shepherd calling, they still fear to face the light.
      This the blessed consolation, that can melt the heart of stone,
That sweet Balm of Gilead reaches deeper than the stain has gone!

      All unworthy we who've wandered, and our eyes are wet with tears;
As we think of love that sought us through the weary, wasted years.
      Yet we walk the holy highway -- walking by God's grace alone,
Knowing Calvary's fountain reaches deeper than the stain has gone!

      When with holy choirs we're standing in the presence of the King,
And our souls are lost in wonder, while the white-robed choirs sing;
      Then we'll praise the name of Jesus, with the millions round the throne;
Praise Him for the power that reaches, Deeper than the Stain has gone!

      Praise the Lord for full salvation--God still reigns upon His throne!
And I know the blood still reaches Deeper than the Stain has gone!"

Only A Nail --

A few weeks ago, my pastor used a very vivid illustration in his message.  It spoke to my heart, and I asked him if I could share it on my Blog.
   
      A Haitian pastor illustrated the need for total consecration to Christ with this parable:  "A certain man wanted to sell his house for $2,000.00.  Another man wanted very badly to buy it, but because he was poor, he couldn't afford the full price.  After much bargaining, the owner agreed to sell the house for half the original price with just one stipulation: he would retain ownership of one small nail protruding from just over the door.
      After several years, the original owner wanted the house back, but the new owner was unwilling to sell.  So first the owner went out, found the carcass of a dead dog, and hung it from the nail he still owned.  Soon the house became unlivable, and the family was forced to sell the house to the owner of the nail."
      The Haitian pastor's conclusion:  "If we leave the Devil with even one small peg in our life, he will return to hang his rotting garbage on it, making it unfit for Christ's habitation."

To me, this little story is a powerful picture of inbred sin, and how the Devil will do whatever he can to bargain with us in an attempt to keep us from paying the full price -- even if we have given all but "a little nail"!  If our consecration is not totally complete-- if we have not paid "the full price" --  the Devil will be back to claim his "nail", hang his garbage on it, and our heart will be unfit for Christ to dwell in!  But, praise the Lord, I am so very thankful that we don't have to keep even one little nail.

When we hold nothing back -- when we surrender all -- we can sing with the songwriter:
     "This land of peace and plenty is yours by faith to claim.
There's perfect love and rest from inbred sin.
      Its mountain heights possessing through faith in Jesus name,
Cross over and the victory life begin!"

Praise the Lord!  This is where I want to live -- "in the center of the will of God."  

Yes -- Heaven!

Every so often, we need to lay aside the cares of life, turn our gaze upward until the world is left behind, and we feel like we are right up at the windowsill of heaven where we can look in, get a glimpse of the glory that awaits us, and look upon the face of Jesus, our wonderful Lord and Saviour!  But we can't stay there long -- we must come back down, pick up our daily responsibilities, and "labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun."
And then, if we are faithful, one day we will hear Him say:  "Well done, thou good and faithful servant:  thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:  enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
I love this beautiful poem that I read recently, entitled, "Yes, Heaven" by J. E. Taylor.

     "Is there no place beneath the sun where wounded hearts may find a balm,
And storm-tossed souls on life's rough sea may find a port where all is calm?
      Is there a place in all the earth where one may be relieved of care,
And sorrow, sickness, pain, and tears, and burdens that are hard to bear?

      Oh, tell me if at all you know where weary souls may find sweet peace --
Unbroken by the storms of life, where turmoil shall forever cease.
      Is there no place where souls may dwell in unity and sweet content,
Rejoicing in one "blessed hope," without a feud or faction rent?

      Is there not in this vast domain some treasured spot that we may find,
Where sin shall all be done away that cursed the race of humankind.
      There is an answer to our quest-- and this is all that can be given:
It is not found beneath the stars --- God made the place and called it heaven!"

Are you ready for that day to come?

Fear Not!

The songwriter said:
     "Fear not; I am with thee.  O be not dismayed, for I am thy God, I will still give thee aid.  I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand."

Annie Johnson Flint has written a beautiful poem, entitled "I Will Not Be Afraid"!  I trust it will bless and encourage your heart today.

     "I will trust Him, yea, I will trust, for He never hath failed me yet;
And never a day nor an hour but mine uttermost need is met.
      Though I dwell in the midst of foes, yet there is my table spread,
And His presence wraps me 'round, and His wings are over my head.

      Father and Infinite God, my Refuge and Fortress Rock,
Where I hide from the tempest's wrath, and feel not the earthquake shock.
      So I bide with a soul serene, and a heart that is undismayed;
He is my Strength and my Shield -- of whom shall I be afraid?

      I will not be afraid, for I know that He keeps me safe from harm,
And He shall defend His own with a strong and stretched-out arm.
      Though I grope in perilous paths, in darkness, in danger, and doubt,
I know, as He brought me in, so He surely will bring me out!

      For the God I serve today is one with the God of old;
Still doth He guide my steps, and still doth His hand uphold.
      He giveth me rest from fear; for on Him my mind is stayed;
He is the strength of my life -- of what shall I be afraid?

      I will trust and not be afraid; I have seen, I have heard, I have known;
This mighty and terrible God hath called me and made me His own.
      'Dread not!  Faint not!'  He hath said, 'for the battle belongs to Me.
Go forth with a song of praise, and My victory thou shalt see.'

      And where I go, He will go -- and He knoweth the way I take;
He is with me unto the end, and He will not fail nor forsake.
      They that trust in the Lord shall never be moved nor swayed.
'Fear not'!  He hath said unto me -- and why should I be afraid?

The Rich Became Poor!

There is a beautiful and amazing verse in II Corinthians 8:9 -- so rich in meaning that it is difficult, perhaps impossible, to fully grasp!  In the KJV, we read:
     "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor; that ye through His poverty might become rich."

The Apostle Paul tells us in the second chapter of Philippians that Christ was not only "in the form of God", but also "equal with God", and yet, "made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross."

It is hard for us to comprehend that He who sat on the throne of the universe would come to earth where the shepherds found Him "lying in a manger."  Matthew tells us that throughout His public ministry, He had "no where to lay His head."  He had no money to pay the tax, so he had to catch a fish that had the needed coin in its mouth.

When He was arrested, his friends all "forsook Him and fled".  No one defended Him at His trial.  On the cross, the soldiers took the clothes on His back which were His only personal possessions.  He had to be buried in a borrowed tomb.  No home, no money, no possessions, not even a tomb of His own in which to lie.

But how my heart rejoices today that He had a Cross -- a Cross on which to die that we might live --
Praise His Wonderful Name!!  And because He was obedient to the death of the Cross, "God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name".  Philippians 2:9

The glorious truth is that through His poverty we can become rich -- through His homelessness we can have a mansion in heaven -- and through His death on Calvary we can have everlasting life!  I am so thankful that Jesus, my wonderful Lord, "became poor to ransom my soul"!    

 

Trials!

In John 16:33, we read:  "These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation:  but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
I like this quote from Oswald Chambers:

     "God does not give us overcoming life---He gives us life as we overcome.  The strain of life is what builds our strength.  If there is no strain, there will be no strength.  God never gives us strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the moment.  A saint can "be of good cheer" even when seemingly defeated by adversaries, because victory is absurdly impossible to everyone, except God."

In this little quote, there is a lot for us to think on and put into practice in our daily living.  I especially like these two sentences -- "If there is no strain, there will be no strength.  God never gives us strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the moment."

I will have to admit that I don't get very blessed when I think about my need for physical exercise, but I know it will make me stronger and benefit me in many ways.  Just so--our Heavenly Father knows we need spiritual exercise for daily living, and He has promised to give us strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow!

We don't need to be anxious -- we can "be of good cheer" -- Jesus has overcome the world and given us the Victory!! 

I Am Blessed!

     "I am blessed!  I am blessed!  Every day that I live I am blessed!  When I wake up in the morning until I lay my head to rest -- I am blessed, I am blessed!
This little chorus continues to flow from my heart as I look back over happy and blessed times shared with family and friends the past few days!

This past Sunday, July 29th, was my 78th birthday!  It has been such a blessed and wonderful birthday, filled with lots of joyous times and sweet memories, because all of the family came and planned together to make it very special for me!  (I am blessed)  Jonathan, Jess and the girls came from Kansas City, so all of the family -- 23 of us -- were here together!

I was abundantly blessed and spoiled with many beautiful cards, kind words, and special gifts!  We played games, had lots of fun together, shared memories of Dad, prayed together and thanked the Lord for His wonderful faithfulness!

Now the house is quiet again.  Jonathan and family left this morning to go back to their home in Kansas City.  I sit alone now -- my family is back to their various responsibilities -- but, in reality, I am never alone, for I am a part of the family of God and belong to the King of the Ages!
Someday there will be a glorious Family Reunion on the streets of gold, and we will have a grand Home-Coming Week the first 10,000 years!!

Come, and go with me to Glory Land!!