II Chronicles 34:1–33

July 23, 2014

Josiah becomes king at eight years old. By the time he was sixteen, he began to remove all the idols and places for worshiping other gods from the land. He broke up the wooden and metal idols and beat them into powder. He sprinkled the powder over the graves of those who worshiped the idols. (The golden calf the Israelites made while Moses was on the mountain with God was broken and made into powder as well. The Israelites were forced to drink it, and it ended up on the ground—useless.) Josiah rendered the idols useless, dust on the ground—gone. The people returned to dust and what they put their faith in returned to dust. It brought them nothing, totally destroyed and useless.

At the age of 26, Josiah made Judah and the Temple pure again. In the process of doing so, Hilkiah the priest, "found the Book of the LORD's Teachings that had been given through Moses." God's words—lost in His own Temple. God's words that were supposed to be given to each king—lost. God's words that were supposed to be read every day—lost.

When Josiah heard what was in the Book of the LORD's Teachings he was very upset. He wanted to know more. What does this mean? He sent Hilkiah and four other men to, "go and ask the LORD about the words in this book that was found." So Hilkiah and those the king sent with him went to talk to Huldah the prophetess. She was a simple woman, the wife of a man who took care of the king's clothes, yet she was used by God to be a prophetess.

Huldah tells the men that God's word is true. God will do what is written in his Book of Teachings. Accountability for personal actions will happen. There are blessings for those who humble themselves before the LORD; there are curses for those who refuse to surrender their will to His. There are blessings for obedience; there are curses for disobedience. (See Leviticus 26:1 – 27:34; Leviticus 26:1 – 27:34 (Continued); Leviticus 26:1 – 27:34 (Continued); Deuteronomy 27:1 – 28:68; and Deuteronomy 28 (Continued) ) "I will bring all the curses that are written in the book that was read to the king of Judah. The people of Judah have left me and have burned incense to other gods. They have made me angry by all the evil things they have made. So, I will punish them in my anger, which will not be put out." Then, Huldah continued. Because Josiah had humbled himself and sought after the ways of the LORD, God promised to honor him and to not hold him accountable for his ancestors actions. God also told Josiah he would let him die in peace.

God's Word is true—period. He will do what He says—period.  

The men took Huldah's message back to Josiah. Josiah gathered all the people and went to the temple. There he promised to obey the LORD with his whole being and to obey the words in the Book of the LORD's Teachings. Josiah was doing God honoring things even before he knew what was in the book of God's laws. When he found out what was in God's Word (by seeking and searching) he sought to follow hard after the LORD; a blueprint for how we should live our lives. God fulfilled his portions of the prophecy He gave through Huldah.

Seven years ago, Jane (Her Name Was Jane) prophesied, and told us to read Psalm 150, Psalm 140. Jane then prayed a strong prayer of blessing over my life. I never thought of it as a prophecy until I heard my daughter-in-law telling someone that ... and I realized she was right.

I decided to research women prophets in the Bible. There are five listed specifically with the title of prophetess in the Old Testament. A prophetess is a female prophet called by God to be the mouth piece of the One who sends her. She speaks on behalf of the sender. A prophet (prophetess) is considered a seer because God has given them the gift of foreknowledge. God reveals His secrets to the prophet (prophetess). True prophecy is initiated by the Holy Spirit.

I absolutely believe God used Jane to prophecy to us. There can be no other explanation. Her prophecy about praising the LORD taught us a brand new principle/concept. Her prophecy of Psalm 140 describes two kinds of people: 1) people who refuse to obey the LORD's teachings; and 2) those who choose to rely on the LORD for His protection. The same basic principles prophesied by Huldah. Blessings—verses—Curses. Jane's subsequent prophecies of Psalm 1 and Isaiah 30 give the same message. We have a choice. You can choose blessings or you can choose curses. Jane's last prophecy to us was Jeremiah 33—God's promise of restoration. God chose Jane to speak His Holy Spirit inspired words because of her years of faithfulness, her godly character, and her surrendered heart.

Thank you, LORD, for using Jane to be YOUR mouth piece and messenger to us. LORD, Jane spoke words to us that she could not have said within her own ability or knowledge. They were YOUR words, LORD, and we thank you. LORD, we choose to surrender our hearts, lives, and whole beings to YOUR authority. We praise YOUR name LORD, for being the King of all kings and the LORD of all lords. How majestic is YOUR name in all the earth. We humble ourselves before YOU and we claim YOUR promises. Blessed be YOUR name. May all honor and all glory go to YOU for all that YOU have done and will do. Amen.


Next Entry: II Chronicles 35:1 – 36:1 

II Chronicles 29:1 – 32:23

July 20, 2014

There is so much to write about Hezekiah. But first I want to write about this morning's sermon with Dr. Gregg Chenoweth. It was about timing: TDD—Timing Deficient Disorder. There is horizontal timing (meaning things in chronological order) and there is the multiple layers of vertical timing. One is absolute. The other can be vague. While the timing may not be clear, there is one thing we know. There IS a when.

"We Know the What... But When?"

1. Coiled Christians say "wait" to a good cause when a greater one is available. They'll even say no to friends in getting there.
2. Coiled Christians say "now" with immediacy and courage if they have heard from God.
3. Coiled Christians know being misunderstood or criticized after their decision does not mean they had a TDD moment and got it wrong.

"There is a WHEN! Be ready for it. God will bless your faithfulness."

The text for Dr. Chenoweth's sermon was John 7:1-14. But during his message, Dr. Chenoweth quoted verses from Jeremiah 33 - "...pray to me and I will answer you..."; and Isaiah 30 - "...the LORD longs to show you compassion... if you go to the left or right... you will hear a voice saying go this way." The exact promises God gave us through Jane (Her Name Was Jane). WOW! Co-incidence? No. God-incidence.

We have been battling "the storm" for seven years now. That is a very long time to be caught in difficult circumstances. We know the what ... we just don't know the when. Dr. Chenoweth's message today encouraged us to hang on! Remember God's promises! There is a WHEN! Be ready for it! God will bless your faithfulness! Jeremiah 33 - "Pray to me and I will answer you..."; Isaiah 30 - "I will give you direction." (my paraphrase)

Thank you, LORD, for your perfect timing. Dr. Chenoweth's message was exactly what we needed to be reminded of. My husband says it's the LORD saying, "I've got you covered." We have been battling "the storm" for seven years. We will hang on. We will hang on to Your promises. There is a WHEN!

Now... about Hezekiah. The first thing he does upon becoming king is to open the doors to the temple that his father closed. He directed the Levites and priests to cleanse themselves to prepare the sacrifices and to rid the temple of anything that was unholy. He made it clear to everyone why they were in the predicament they were in; it was because their ancestors had been unfaithful to the LORD. Because their ancestors quit following the LORD; because they chose to reject His commands; because they shut the doors of the temple; and because they stopped burning incense—the LORD was now punishing them.

Hezekiah decided that he would not be like his father. He would break the pattern and return the people to following the LORD's commands. Everything was prepared. The burnt offerings (for the forgiveness of sins) were sacrificed. The people worshiped and praised the LORD with the cymbal, harps, and lyres (Psalm 150) as David commanded. Hezekiah ordered the Levites to, "Praise the LORD, using the words David and Asaph had used. So they praised God with joy and bowed down and worshiped." (We praise the LORD quoting the same Psalms the people quoted during Hezekiah's time. How cool is that?)

Hezekiah wrote a letter to be sent and read throughout the land. It said, "...return to the LORD... then God will return to you... don't be like your ancestors... don't be stubborn (KJV and the NIV both say "stiff necked")... obey the LORD willingly... serve the LORD... come back to the LORD... the LORD your God is kind and merciful. He will not turn away from you if you return to him." Did the majority of the people rush to repent? No. They laughed at it and instead made fun of the messengers. You have to do what God puts on your heart to do. How others respond to it is out of your control. In Hezekiah's case a few men were sorry for what they had done and they changed their hearts and repented.  

The people brought their tithes and offerings to the temple. They brought so much that there were piles and piles of offerings. II Chronicles 31:10 - "Since the people began to bring their offerings to the Temple of the LORD, we have had plenty to eat and plenty left over, because the LORD has blessed his people. So we have all this left over!" God bless when we willingly give back to Him what HE has blessed us with. 

Hezekiah "did what was good and right and obedient before the LORD his God." He did everything to the best of his ability. He tried to obey God's teachings and commands. He was successful because of his obedience.

But then...

"After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done," the king of Assyria attacked them. They weren't attacked because they were unfaithful to God. They weren't being punished because of the sin of their ancestors, and they weren't being held accountable for unfaithfulness. Hezekiah was doing everything right and they were being attacked. He encouraged his people saying, "Be strong and brave. Don't be afraid or worried... there is a greater power with us than with him. He only has men, but we have the LORD our God to help us and fight our battles." (II Chronicles 32:7-8)

The king of Assyria surrounded them and attacked them. He ridiculed them. He wrote letters insulting them. He tired to scare them. He did everything he could humanly do. BUT GOD! God fought the battle and God WON! The LORD saved them and took care of them.

These chapters show two different spectrum's: punishment for disobedience; and trials (trails) to be faced even in obedience. We've come to understand we are not being punished and we are not victims. Sometimes the trials we face are the result of someone else's disobedience. But take heart. God will use for your good what others intended for your harm. And in the process, you are given the amazing opportunity of seeing the Hand of God at work in your life.

There is a when! Be ready for it! The battle will end and the victory will be won. God's promises are true. Let's get that altar of stone started! The WHEN is coming!

I've just had an "aha" moment! Of course the A.T. needed to end! The trail (and my goal to hike it) played such an undeniably important role in our lives as we navigated "the storm." God's purpose for putting us on the trail has been fulfilled. There is absolutely no reason for us to continue. None! It seems so obvious now. The Appalachian Trail's role from now on will be one of remembrance.

The WHEN is coming! Blessed be the name of the LORD!!

LORD,
You just amaze me. You take the layers of our life and just keep peeling them away. The more we surrender to you the more you reveal of yourself. We stand in awe of who YOU are. Thank you for the opportunity to see YOUR hand at work in our lives. We love you, Father. How majestic is YOUR name in ALL the earth.

Addendum: 6/23/16 ~ The construction of the Praise Shelter is well underway. The shelter is up and stained. The fireplace is built and the old brick street pavers are laid in the one half. The stones engraved with the chapters Jane told us to read are going to be placed in the path this weekend. Soon. Soon it will be finished.

Addendum #2: 8/22/18 ~ Picture of the Praise Shelter and video of the cobblestone path.

Next Entry: II Chronicles 32:24 – 33:25

II Chronicles 25:1 – 26:23

July 18, 2014

Amaziah becomes king. He does what is right, but it is more out of duty than a passion to follow the LORD's commands. When Amaziah became established, he held those who had killed his father accountable. He followed the laws of Moses and did not hold the children accountable for the actions of their parents.

Amaziah prepares his soldiers for battle. He also hires 100,000 soldiers from Israel for 75 pounds of silver. A man of God comes to him and says—what are you doing? Don't let the men from Israel go with you. Why are you trusting men instead of God? "You can make yourself strong for war, but God will defeat you. He has the power to help you or to defeat you." Amaziah says—but what about the money I have already spent? And the man of God replies—walk away from it. "The LORD can give you much more than that."

God has the power to help you OR defeat you. Put your faith and trust in Him. Rely on HIM, and only Him. It is HIS battle.

So Amaziah goes to war without the hired men and God provides the victory. But THEN, Amaziah brings home the idols of the people he defeated and started worshiping them. Why? Why would he do that? I've always said the most dangerous time isn't when you are facing a battle bigger than yourself because you know you need God's help. The danger comes when the battle has been won and you forget it was God who won the battle. The focus becomes, "look what I have done" instead of, "look what God has done."

Amaziah starts worshiping the idols that could not save those he had attacked and God had beaten. The LORD was very angry and sent a prophet to talk to him. Have you noticed that God always sent someone to warn people when they were getting off track? Unfortunately, it made Amaziah mad and he did not repent. His response was basically, "Who are you to tell me what to do?"

God provides each of us the opportunity for change, but the decision to listen and obey falls entirely upon our own shoulders.

Amaziah would not listen. He tried to align himself with Israel again. Instead of being joined with Israel he was defeated by Israel. He was captured by his enemies, and later he was hunted down and killed by his own people. "God caused all this to happen" because he sought help from others instead of God. Why? Why? Why? Why are some people so stubborn?

We all need to let go (of our pride) and let (surrender to) God.

Uzziah becomes king. He does what the LORD said was right. "As long as Uzziah obeyed the LORD, God gave him success." Therein lies the true secret to success. It is not our own abilities, but God's response to our servant-hood. Unfortunately, when Uzziah became powerful, "His pride led to his ruin." He became unfaithful to God and he thought he was above the rules. Only the priests were allowed to burn incense on the altar, but Uzziah decided that he would do it. The priests tried to warn him, "You have been unfaithful, and the LORD God will not honor you for this." Uzziah wouldn't listen. He became angry and he did what he wanted to do. Because of his actions, Uzziah developed a skin disease and he could no longer live in the palace. He was separated from being around other people for the rest of his life.

The most dangerous time is not when we are in a crisis. The most dangerous time is when things are going well.

LORD, I want to finish strong! May we follow hard after you now and when "the storm" is over.

From the Life Lesson in my Bible – "The humble are always at peace; the proud are often envious and angry." ~ From The Imitation of Christ by Thomas Kempis.

In my Bible margins I have written – "Isn't that amazing! The very thing they think will bring them stature and control actually binds them in a prison. A self made prison of envy and jealousy. What they thought would bring freedom is instead an albatross. A goal or "feeling" that can never be attained."

II Chronicles 25:9 - "...the LORD is able to give thee much more than this." Jane (Her Name Was Jane) has written in her KJV margins – Much More!  See Romans 5 - Uncle Amos's "much more's."

Addendum: 4/12/15 ~ "Walk away from it...the LORD can give you much more." Luke 6:38 - "Give, and you will receive. You will be given much. Pressed down, shaken together, and running over, it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you." We are watching this happen. "The storm" has battered our finances. In our human minds we think, but how can we be restored? How could that happen? How would God be able to do that? See II Kings 6:8 – 8:15.

Our human minds cannot begin to fathom the magnitude of God's love and abilities. Cannot. Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow. 


Next Entry: II Chronicles 27:1 – 28:27  

II Chronicles 16:1 – 19:3

July 14, 2014

Asa went from relying and depending on the LORD, to relying on his own strength and seeking out others to join him as he went out to battle.

The LORD had already proven himself faithful. He had already helped Asa and Judah win against other very powerful kings. Why change now? Why did Asa start deciding he was capable without God's help? Success breeds pride, and pride/success has ruined many people. The danger comes when you start believing in your abilities and depending on your strength, instead of depending on the LORD and acknowledging your success comes from HIM.

The most dangerous time isn't when you are facing a great crisis. The most dangerous time is when the crisis is over, and the victory is won.

A seer named Hanai went to Asa to warn him about the consequences. Instead of repenting, Asa became angry and put Hanani in prison. Instead of looking inward and accepting responsibility, Asa blamed others. Even when Asa was faced with disease he did not turn to God. He died soon after.

Jehoshaphat (Asa's son) becomes king. Jehoshaphat relied on the LORD and he obeyed God's commands. He wanted to obey. It takes intentional desire and effort to follow God; surrendering your will to the LORD's will does not happen automatically or accidentally. Jehoshaphat then did what should come naturally when you are surrendered and following the LORD—he told others. He sent his officers and leaders to teach others. They took God's words and went throughout the towns so everyone would know who God was and would know His teachings. The LORD blessed Jehoshaphat and protected him.


Next Entry: II Chronicles 16:1 – 19:3 (Continued)  

Revelation 3:1–22 (Continued)

July 29, 2013

When Jesus/God sent His message to the seven churches in Asia, each message followed the same format.

1. They each started with who He is—The One who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lamp stands; The One who is the First and Last, who died and came alive again; The One who has the sharp, double-edged sword; The Son of God, who has eyes that blaze like the fire and feet like shining bronze; The One who has the seven spirits and the seven stars; The One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David; The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of all God has made. He is The One, the authority on and in ALL things.
2. I know—After his authority was established, he informed them that he knew. I know what you do; I know you work hard and never give up; I know you don't put up with the false teachings of evil people; I know what has happened to you; I know you are poor but that actually makes you rich; I know the bad things some are saying against you; I know where you live; I know you have stayed true to me even though you are surrounded by evil; I know what you do; I know about your love, your faith, your service, and your patience; I know you are growing; I know the truth behind the "why" of what you do; I know people think you are alive but you are really dead; I know what you do, I have put an open door before you; I know the truth about you, that you are not hot or cold. I know... I know... I KNOW. The One who has the authority in ALL things—KNOWS everything about us and KNOWS what we do.  
3. He tells them what is right and/or wrong—Nothing is left to guessing. "This is what I have against you." He step by step tells them where they have gotten off track. He also tells them what they are doing right. He clearly lays out a road map—a path for them to follow.
4. He offers them the solution—"Change your hearts and lives." There are no excuses. He clearly defines the problem and He clearly defines the solutions. He also clearly defines the rewards for obedience.
5. Finally, He says what He is going to do—What He decides to do hinges on our obedience to His corrections.The IF—THEN "I will" promises of God. If you choose disobedience: I will take away your witness; I will fight against you; I will cause suffering; I will destroy; I will repay you for what you have done; I will come like a thief when you do not know I am coming; I will make you bow down to those you have opposed; I will make you know that I have loved them. I will correct and punish those whom I love. Discipline is promised. But those who choose obedience receive blessings rather that discipline. To those who win the victory: I will give the right to eat the fruit from the tree of life; I will give them the crown of life; I will protect them from the second death; I will give them some of the hidden manna; I will give them a white stone with a new name written on it; I will give them power over other nations; I will give them the morning star; I will say they belong to me; I will keep you from the time of trouble; I will make them pillars in the temple of God; I will keep them secure; I will write on them the name of God; I will come in and fellowship with you; I will keep you with me. Two different choices. Two very different results.

This is who I am.
This is what I know.
This is who you are.
This is what you need to do.
This is what I am going to do.

After each letter He said the exact same thing: "Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches." Some may be blinded to the truth, but if they listen to the Spirit of Truth they will no longer be blinded, and the Truth is what sets us free. Everyone who has ears should listen. We all have blind spots. It is the Holy Spirit who reveals those blind spots to us.

Listen! Change your hearts and lives. Surrender. Obey. Do.

Addendum: 2/2/17 ~ Jesus said the exact same statement seven different times to the seven churches. "Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches." What a powerful statement. Listen!

Why did God say seven different times—Listen? Why not look or let me show you? In the next chapter God showed John what was to come. John looked and saw an open door in heaven and God asked John to come up so he could have him look and see. But to the seven churches, He instructed the people to—Listen.

I've been thinking about the differences between listen and look and why I believe it is important to understand those differences. It all boils down to faith. When you listen it is all about by faith receiving the instruction of The One; by faith believing what He is saying is Truth; by faith accepting His words; and by faith changing your life to follow His Truth. When you accept by faith what He is saying then HE is the balm for your blinded eyes, HE is revealed to you, and your faith increases. The emphasis is on you receiving (hearing) and then by faith responding. It all goes back to obeying the very first commandment and understanding the

God 

↓

 man 

relationship. He is to be MASTER of our lives and we are to—Listen!

 Hebrews 1:1 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (KJV)  

Belief by sight is entirely different than belief by listening. When you need proof you are no longer trusting. You put your faith in the known (seen) rather than the unknown (unseen). Depending upon what you see, you will make the decision on whether or not you will believe. Show me and then I will decide. The God to man relationship changes and instead of trusting and being reliant on God, it becomes an attitude of telling God what you want, how you want it done, and what you need in order for you to believe. Instead of listening to Master Jesus and being God-reliant, you become self-reliant, you want proof, and faith becomes (wrongfully so) irrelevant.

God wants us to listen! He wants us to believe Him by faith first. IF—we believe by faith He becomes the balm for our eyes and THEN—we can see Truth.  It is in that order. Faith comes first.

Listen!! Believe!! See!!


Next Entry: Revelation 4:1 – 6:17

I Peter 3:1–22

July 03, 2013

Do your part to get along. Be kind. Be humble. Be understanding. Be loving. Be agreeable. Don't repay a wrong with a wrong. Don't repay an insult with an insult. When others seek to hurt you do not respond with anger.

Christ teaches us to love, and when we respond by following His teachings we are blessed. That doesn't mean the offense committed against you is excusable. It means you understand what Jesus taught when He said (through Paul in I Corinthians 6), "What's wrong with being wronged?" It means you've decided to follow Christ's example of enduring the pain and, "He let God, the One who judges rightly, take care of him." (I Peter 2:23)

Scripture gives such clear guidelines. Do you want to be happy and enjoy life? Then don't say evil things; don't tell lies; stop doing evil; do good; don't look for fights; do look for peace; and pursue righteousness.

The Lord sees the good people (eyes are on them)
     and listens to their prayers (ears are attentive)
But the Lord is against (face is against)
     those who do evil.

I want to live my life so the Lord's face is turned towards me. What a mental picture of the Lord leaning in, interested, and listening closely. I never want to experience what it would be like to have the Lord against me with His face turned away and refusing to listen. What a horrific thought.

When you live your life according to God's teachings who can harm you? No one. You may suffer from those who seek your harm, but they cannot truly harm you, and you are instead blessed. You do not need to be afraid of their threats and you do not need to be frightened by them. Make sure Christ is Lord of your life. Always be ready to answer anyone and everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have which is found in Christ! Answer in a gentle respectful way. Keep a clear conscience "so that those who speak evil of your good life in Christ will be made ashamed." (I Peter 3:16) There is no shame in suffering because of doing the right things. Christ suffered for our sins so we would be eternally protected from evil. We can (and should) be patient and wait upon the Lord.

Sometimes we wonder... hmm. Why six years? Why has "the storm" lasted six years and counting?

God showed me something new today. In Noah's day the world was evil. Messengers were sent to warn the people that accountability was going to happen. God provided a plan for their salvation. He offered, but He knew few were going to listen. He instructed Noah on what to do. Noah obeyed. And then—God waited patiently while Noah built the boat. God waited for years to fulfill HIS plan to hold the people accountable. He knew what He was going to do; He promised Noah His protection; He warned people to change their hearts and lives; and then—He waited patiently—while Noah built the ark.

Why six plus years? I don't know, but He does. He has promised us His protection. His words declare what happens to those who refuse to obey Him. He has a plan and He is waiting for whatever needs to be finished. At the right time He WILL fulfill it. We will be faithful and wait for Him. It isn't a judge who has delayed a ruling, it is God patiently waiting for something in HIS plan to be completed.


Next Entry:  I Peter 3:1–22 (Continued)

I Peter 1:1–25

June 30, 2013

Praise. Hope. God's Power.

Praise—First, foremost, and always! Praise— to God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When your life is filled with praise there is hope, a living hope.

Hope—because Jesus rose from the dead. Hope—because God blesses his children. Hope—because those blessings cannot be destroyed or spoiled. Hope—because His blessings are eternal, will never lose their beauty, and are kept secure for us in heaven.

God's power—above all, in all, and through all. I Peter 1:5 - "God's power protects you through your faith...." God's power— protects you through troubles and storms. Through! It does not say prevents troubles and storms, and it does not say helps you avoid trouble and storms.

Like I've said before, the "deep" is not a place to avoid, it is a place to embrace. "Deep" water times come to grow us, change us, strengthen us, and get us ready for HIS service. And while it may be hard, difficult, and at times cause sadness, it is worth every moment. I Peter 1:7 - "These troubles come to prove that your faith is pure. This purity of faith is worth more than gold, which can be proved to be pure by fire but will ruin." And that purity of faith brings blessings beyond measure. And as a result, "You are filled with a joy that cannot be explained, a joy full of glory. And you are receiving the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls." (I Peter 1:8)

God used the prophets of the Old Testament to teach others HIS truth. God uses us and the situations we are in to grow us, but it is also for the purpose of teaching others what we have learned. I Peter 1:13 - "Prepare your minds for service and have self-control... be holy in all you do just as God, the One who called you, is holy."

We are to live our lives with respect for God. We were bought for a price, a very steep price. We were bought by "the precious blood of Christ, who was like a pure and perfect lamb." (I Peter 1:19) If we believe that and understand that, we cannot live our lives the same again. We are changed and we have no desire to go back to our old life. Our faith and hope are in God, and we make our souls pure by obeying the truth, and love for others flows out of that. I Peter 1:22 - "So love each other deeply with all your heart."

The things we do bears witness to the truth (or lie) about our lives. Words are easy. Our actions prove whether our words are truth or lies. Our lives on this earth are so short. Scripture says we are like a mist that is only here for a short time, or like grass that dies or flowers that fade away, but that "the word of the Lord will live forever." (I Peter 1:25 and Isaiah 40:8) The only things that matter are eternal things.  

How are you doing? How much time this last week was spent on things that are temporary with no eternal value and how much time was spent on things with Kingdom value? Do any changes need to be made? Remember:

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,
Only what's done for Christ will last.
C.T. Studd

Next Entry: I Peter 2:1–25 

Hebrews 5:11 – 7:28

June 06, 2013

Hebrews 7 explains how Jesus is a priest forever like Melchizedek in the Old Testament. God (through Jesus) has done His part. Hebrews 7:27 - "Christ offered his sacrifice only once and for all time when he offered himself." Forgiveness is available to all mankind because of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Hebrews 6 deals with what we do with the sacrifice Jesus gave. Christ's sacrifice was never intended as just a "get out of hell" free card. While freedom from eternal damnation is one aspect (and certainly an extremely important one), the sacrifice Jesus made was meant for so much more than saving us "from" something. His sacrifice should save us "to" something. Our salvation should be noticeable. It should change our way of thinking, our hearts, and our way of life. We are to be continually growing and maturing in Christ.

The writer of Hebrews talks about how the people "were slow to understand." They were still like babies, understanding very little when they should have learned enough to become teachers. Hebrews 5:14 - "But solid food is for those who are grown up. They have practiced in order to know the difference between good and evil." (See Philippians 1:9–11) To not learn and to not grow is to take God's grace for granted. It is an abuse of His sacrifice and puts you in danger of falling away from His true teachings.   

If you are not turning towards God and learning from Him, you are turning away from God and getting farther away from His will. Our lives should be changing to become more like Him. That is not something that just happens. We need to be intentionally seeking Him and following His teachings. Again, if you are not turning towards, you are turning away. Psalm 78:40–43 - "They turned against God... they grieved him... they did not remember his power... they forgot..."

Hebrews 6:4–6 records what I believe to be some of the most disturbing words in the whole Bible. It makes me incredibly sad to read it because I recognize this happening in people I know. May it never be said about me.

"Some people cannot be brought back again to a changed life. They were once in God's light, and enjoyed heaven's gift, and shared in the Holy Spirit. They found out how good God's word is, and they received the powers of his new world. But they fell away from Christ. It is impossible to bring them back to a changed life again, because they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of others."

Wow! What disturbing words to read. They were in God's light; they enjoyed all of God's gift of salvation; but they fell away; they lost it all; and there isn't a thing we can do about it. And because of their stubbornness and refusal to change, "they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of others."

Oh, how that brings tears to my eyes. The choices we make MATTER!! Be careful! There are consequences for the choices (both the good and bad) we make! Hebrews 6:7–8 - "Some people are like land that gets plenty of rain. The land produces a good crop for those who work it, and it receives God's blessings. Other people are like land that grows thorns and weeds and is worthless. It is in danger of being cursed by God and will be destroyed by fire." (See Psalm 1)

Be patient. God is fair. He will not forget the things you have done by helping His kingdom. It is through faith and patience that you receive what God has promised. There are two things that God cannot change:

1. God cannot lie when He makes a promise, and
2. He cannot lie when He makes an oath.

CANNOT! It's not that God doesn't lie or that He won't lie, HE CANNOT LIE! Hebrews 6:18–19 - "These things encourage us who came to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong."

God has promised us His protection and He cannot lie. We are sure of His promise. We do not doubt it in any way. We are especially grateful for the way He gave us the promise because it was not in a way we could have expected, concocted, or manipulated. We didn't look through the Bible to try and find something we could claim as God's promise. We weren't even anxiously looking for or seeking a promise. That is why His promise was even more special. It was totally unexpected. Who (even in their wildest dreams) could ever have imagined that God, in His Sovereignty, would choose to use an elderly woman with dementia in a nursing home as His chosen way to deliver His prayer of blessing, and His messages of Purpose (Psalm 8), Praise (Psalm 150), Protection (Psalm 140), Provision (Isaiah 30), Path (Psalm 1), and Promise (Jeremiah 33) to us? It was humanly impossible. It could have only been the Hand of God, and we are so grateful.

We didn't know we needed a promise, but we sure have appreciated ALL of the promises HE has given us these past six and one half years. It has been an encouragement just like the writer of Hebrews penned. God cannot lie when He makes a promise and He cannot lie when He makes an oath.  Hebrews 6:18 - "These things encourage us who come to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given."

Thank you, Jesus for your sacrifice given once and for all. Thank you for your grace and mercy. Thank you for giving us your blessings and protection. Thank you, LORD, for your promises and for your "rest." For all these things and more—we thank you!


Next Entry: Hebrews 8:1–13

I Timothy 4:1 – 6:21

May 20, 2013

I Timothy 4:1–2 - "Now the Holy Spirit clearly says that in the latter times some people will stop believing the faith" and follow other teachings that come "from the false words of liars whose consciences are destroyed as if by a hot iron." The NIV calls them "hypocritical liars." Don't fall for the lie! Stand strong in God's truth. 

I Timothy 1:8 - "Train yourself to serve God..." Training your physical body brings obvious health benefits to your body while on earth, but it does nothing for eternity. When we "train ourselves to serve God" it helps us in all ways by bringing blessings in this life and for eternity as well. I Timothy 4:10 - "This is why we work and struggle: We hope in the living God who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe."

Do what God has called you to do. Tell the story! Be an example with your words, your actions, your love, your faith, and your pure life. I Timothy 4:14 - "Use the gift you have..." Continue to do all these things. Give your life to doing them so everyone can see the difference it has made in your life. Be careful in your life and in your teaching. Don't fall... and don't fail. I Timothy 4:16b - "If you continue to live and teach rightly, you will save both yourself and those who listen to you."

What an awesome responsibility and opportunity!

Paul gives instructions on how we should care for others, especially our own family members. I Timothy 5:8 - "Whoever does not care for his own relatives, especially his own family members, has turned against the faith and is worse than someone who does not believe in God." Pretty appropriate to be reading this while barely keeping our heads above water while caring for first my husband's brother and now his Mom and Dad. Some people are really good at giving opinions on what should be done but are missing in action when there is actual work to do. We are exhausted, but we won't turn our backs on my husband's parents. We will continue to do what is right.

I wrote several weeks ago about the promise God gives for honoring your parents. Paul takes it even farther including other family members. Children and grandchildren have the duty to help take care of those who have gone before. I Timothy 5:4 - "... let them first learn to do their duty to their own family and to repay their parents and grandparents."

Paul talks about a widow who is truly alone and how she puts her faith and trust in God. A woman during Bible times had no means to make it on her own. If she didn't have family to help or if she didn't have a family that would help she was truly alone. In those cases the body of believers would step in to help her.

As I read through these verses I noticed something I'd somehow missed before. I'd totally missed that there were guidelines that had to be met before the church stepped in to help a widow. I always thought a widow was a widow, and help was automatic. But that wasn't the case at all. Widows who were younger than 60 were free to marry again. But if a widow was over the age of 60, there were certain qualifications that had to be met before she was eligible for help, and those guidelines all had to do with the widow's life choices.   

To qualify for help the widow had to be at least 60 years old; must have been faithful to her husband; must have been known for doing good works; been hospitable and welcoming to strangers; known for having a "serving" heart and humility; must have been the type of person who helped those in trouble and "the least of these"; and must have devoted her life to helping others and doing good deeds—which all boils down to someone who throughout their life was committed to serving the Lord and following HIS ways over their own selfish desires. And that person was taken care of by the church and therefore received God's blessings in their older years. But for the widow who did not follow God's ways the results were entirely different. She did not receive the help or God's blessings.

Our life choices DO matter. Accountability happens. It's the IF—THEN situations illustrated throughout the Bible which I have so often written about. I Timothy 5:6 - "But the widow who uses her life to please herself is really dead while she is alive."

We, as believers, have a responsibility to take care of the widows in our family. "If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should care for them herself. The church should not have to care for them. Then it will be able to take care of those who are truly widows." (I Timothy 5:16)

I am grateful for the choices we have made concerning my husband's brother and his now widowed wife; my Dad while he was living; my now widowed Mom; and my husband's parents.

Addendum: 10/19/2016 ~ How interesting to be writing about the care of widow's when I have just spent the last week trying to undo the hurt inflicted upon my mother after she received a letter from my sister. My sister is notorious for sending long (ten plus type written pages) letters to my Mom. She rarely ever actually talks to Mom, just long rambling letters with a $100 check enclosed on Mother's Day, Mom's birthday, and possibly Christmas.

Her last letter did what it was intended to do—hurt my Mom. After several pages of my sister rambling on about how wonderful and busy her life is, the accusations and not-so-veiled attacks began. You aren't friendly anymore; you have changed; you are absent in our lives; you should learn how to text; you've disappointed me; you've disappointed your grandson; even if we come to your area we probably won't come to see you again; if we don't come anymore it's your fault; and on and on. And then my sister told my Mom to respond to all these accusations by letter. Mom is 87 years old, blind in one eye, no longer enjoys writing because of the difficulty she has in seeing, and she is supposed to respond to my sister's viciousness in writing. 

The letter was obviously upsetting to my mother. Unfortunately, the letter came while we were gone and at our annual family outing in Brown County so I wasn't home to immediately help her. I call my Mom every night. When I called her from our cabin, I could tell something was wrong. She didn't want to tell me about it while we were gone, but she finally told me what happened and asked me to read it when I got home.

My sister's actions are just wrong on so many levels. Wrong and cruel. Mom is 87. Who does such cruel things? Even if my sister believes those things and even if all the things she was accusing Mom of were true (which they aren't!!), who says those kind of things to their 87 year old widowed mother? Who flies in from across the country or drives the several day trip from the western part of the United States and purposely NEVER tells Mom they are coming so they can arrive at her door unannounced? My sister and brother-in-law have done that to Mom many times, sometimes arriving late at night and expecting to stay (and be fed) at Mom's house. It is NOT for the purpose of giving my Mother a pleasant and welcomed surprise. It's rude. It's unacceptable. And it is calculated behavior to be in control and catch someone off guard. Who does that to anyone let alone your widowed mother who is in her 80's? Mom (understandably) isn't comfortable having house guests and cooking for others anymore. Especially with no notice, and especially when that person has been verbally abusive in the past and is not someone you share a warm relationship with. My Mom feels vulnerable, and I can completely understand.     

When I returned home from our vacation, I went to my Mom's and read the last pages of the letter. I called my brother over and we both reassured Mom that the accusations were false and not fair. Mom doesn't want $100 dollar checks for a birthday and Mother's day. What Mom wants is for her oldest daughter to treat her with love and respect. What Mom wants is for her oldest daughter to quit creating conflict in the family. What Mom wants is for my sister to get over her obsession with my brother and to stop her lawsuit attacks against me. That is what Mom wants. She doesn't want money. The best possible gift my sister could give to our elderly mother is a changed heart and life which in turn would remove the conflict from our family. 

I don't know when accountability happens, but it will happen. As for me and my house, we are going to continue to honor Mom with our words and actions. I will be there for her always. She (on her own) decided she should no longer be driving so I take her to all of her appointments and errands. Her mind is still sharp and she is still physically active, but I am noticing her beginning to get more and more frail. If there comes a day when she can no longer live alone, there is a plan in place. She is welcome in our home. We WILL take care of her. She is a blessing to us, and I want to be a blessing to her.


Next Entry: I Timothy 4:1 – 6:21 (Continued)

Ephesians 6:1–24

April 30, 2013

Honor your mother and father so it will go well with you and you will have a long life on the earth. Commandment #5—the only commandment that has a promise attached to it. Honor your parents and "everything will be well with you." If that is true, then the reverse would be true as well. Dishonor your parents, and you are guaranteeing things will not go "well with you."

Pretty ironic that I am reading this while we are absolutely buried under the weight of honoring our parents, but I would not have it any other way. While we are most definitely carrying a huge load, it is with joy, love, and our privilege to do so. It is getting closer and closer to the time when my husband's parents are going to have to move to assisted living. Our number one priority is their safety. The bonus promise God attached to His commandment is nice, but we would do the same things we are doing right now with or without the promise. The reward is in the giving. You sleep well and you have no regrets when you know you have treated your parents with respect and honor. The memories of your time together are sweet. I am so grateful for the time we invested in my Dad's life and are now investing in Mom and my husband's parents' lives. When we honor our parents we are honoring God, and it doesn't get any better than that! 

Frustrating at times? Yes. Ready to throw up my hands at times? Yes. But, happy to do it? Absolutely.

From what we know about my sister's behavior and my brother-in-law's behavior with his mother and her estate, I would sure hate to be in their shoes. I don't want to miss out on God's promise of blessings for those who honor their parents.

Addendum: 7/16/2018 ~ My sister has totally abandoned our mother. She has not called my Mom more than once or twice in the past several years and when she did call, the call only lasted for a few minutes. (We know this because we provide Mom with a cell phone and there has been no phone calls in over a year. Mom's land line phone is connected with my brother's home which is right next door and there has been no phone calls to the land line number either.) When Mom tried to call her she either doesn't answer or doesn't return the call. Mom is almost 89.

My sister has no idea Mom has recently begun to struggle with some memory issues and she has no idea Mom is declining physically as well. The past several months have been difficult as my brother and I have worked together to try and figure out what is best for our Mother. My brother and I are doing everything we can to honor our Mother and give her the best quality of independent living we can. My sister doesn't care—at all. She sends Mom a long rambling letter (written jointly to both my Mom and another lady) about twice a year. The letters are all about what she is doing, where she is going, etc., but there is no personal contact or concern. There is no "honoring" of our Mother. There is only abandonment.


Update:  Mom passed away 8/31/18. See the 3/27/19 Addendum for: A Mother's Love 


Next Entry: Ephesians 6:1–24 (Continued)

Ephesians 1:1–23

April 23, 2013

Paul writes to the people in Ephesus. He begins the letter by praising God. Now that we have begun to understand the importance of praising God (as a believer there is nothing more important!) the passages in the Bible or lyrics from old hymns that mention praise just jump out at me. How did I miss the importance of praising God for who HE is (not thankfulness for what He has done) for so many years? The only explanation I can come up with is this: I was breaking the first two commandments and "self" was on the throne.

Without even realizing it, my husband and I were both definitely too self-sufficient. Why would praising God be a priority when you are independent and think yourself capable of most things? It isn't. That is why I am so grateful for these last six plus years. God put us in a situation that we couldn't fix on our own, and God, (through Jane) very clearly pointed out to us and what was wrong and out of balance in our lives. We weren't purposely rejecting God and trying to remove Him from the throne in our lives, we were trying to join Him on the throne and we don't belong there!! Joining Him is the same as removing Him.

Jane taught us that praise (first and foremost) puts everything else in your life in the right order and perspective. God is God—and we are not. It is an understanding of the

God

↓

Man

relationship. Praise! First, foremost, at all times, and in all situations. Oh, what a difference this understanding has made in our lives. 

Paul goes on and talks about the wonderful grace of God. This must be the passage that inspired the  the song writer of the old hymn "Grace, grace, wonderful grace, coming down from the Father above..." (Now that I have written that I think I have the wrong song and the words are actually "Peace, peace, wonderful peace...") Other old hymns about God's grace and love are going through my mind this morning. My heart is just full of praise. I can still hear my Dad's rich baritone voice singing, "The love of God, how rich and pure, how measureless and strong! It shall forever more endure the saints' and angels' song." Love singing the new songs, AND the old hymns.  

"...It brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely, in Christ, the One he loves. In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death, and so we have forgiveness of sins. How rich is God's grace, which he has given to us so fully and freely. God, with full wisdom and understanding, let us know his secret purpose."

Wisdom and understanding. (Someday I want to complete my study I began on the difference between wisdom and understanding. A very simple explanation is: wisdom is the knowing and understanding is the doing.) God is both wisdom/knowing and understanding/doing. "When the right time comes" (Ephesians 1:10) he WILL act and His will WILL be done, and it WILL bring honor and glory to His name.

Ephesians 1:14 - "The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we will receive what God promised for his people until God gives full freedom to those who are his—to bring praise to God's glory." It is ALL about HIM!  Until that happens, everything works together "so that you will know him better." (Ephesians 1:17)

• (He) gives the spirit of wisdom and revelation— so we will know Him better.
• (He) gives understanding in our hearts—so we will know the hope He gives and we will know our blessings come from Him. We will know His great power.

God is in control. At the right time, He WILL act.

 Addendum: 5/6/2016 ~ As I was reading Ephesians 1 this morning, three words resounded with me. "You will know... you will know... you will know." It's all about HIM. The LORD—He is the One! Ephesians 1:11 - "... He is the One who makes everything agree with what he decides and wants." What assurance!


Next Entry: Ephesians 2:1–22 

Galatians 3:1 – 4:7

April 15, 2013

Paul talks about faith, the law, grace, and blessings. Abraham had faith, and God blessed him for it. Galatians 3:11 - "Those who are right with God will live by trusting him." (Paul was quoting Habakkuk 2:4) That sounds like such a simple statement, but there is a whole lot of depth to it. IF—you are right with God, THEN—you will live by trusting Him. The reverse is true as well. IF—you live by trusting God, THEN—you will be right with Him.

Live → by → trusting. That means you aren't in charge and revenge or vengeance is not yours to handle. It means you have to let go of ALL, and you have made the decision to let God—a total surrender of your will to His. It is an understanding of the

God

↓

Man

relationship. The law is important. It can't save you, but it does show you if there is anything in your life that is not consistent with how God wants us to live. We cannot ignore God's warnings if we want to continue living right by trusting Him. 

You can be a good moral upright person and follow Commandments 5–10 and still be lost and out of fellowship with God. A New Testament example of this is the rich young ruler. (Matthew 19:16–24)  The first four Commandments are the key. They require total surrender. And if those four are followed, you don't even need to know 5–10, because they won't (and can't) be a problem. When the vertical commandments (1–4 and I call them vertical because they deal with our relationship to God) are followed, the horizontal commandments (5–10 and what I call the horizontal because they deal with our relationship to fellow man) will naturally be followed.

God made a promise to Abraham and He kept that promise. God never goes back on His word. His promises are always fulfilled.


Next Entry: Galatians 4:8–31

II Corinthians 8:1 – 9:15

April 10, 2013

II Corinthians 8:2 - "Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity." Give. Give. Give. Then give some more. First—give your self to God. Then—give yourself to others.

Giving brings: 1) joy; 2) an increased ability to give in accordance to that which has already been given; 3) an increased thankfulness to God; and 4) God is given more honor and glory. ~ From Jane's (Her Name Was Jane) KJV

We have witnessed this first hand. Giving (when I talk about giving I am not talking about just giving money, I'm also referring to the giving of one's self, time, effort, etc.) has always been part of our lives. When we were faced with the most severe trial of our lives, my very first thought was to give—I have to go and do something for someone else. I went to the nursing home even though I felt awful and looked terrible. God has richly blessed our lives, the lives of others, and HE has received honor and glory all because of one simple step of obedience—Go... and give. When I think about these last six plus years, I realize we have given more (during our most severe trial) then we have probably given in all the other years combined. We didn't have extra time, but the more we gave the more God helped us accomplish. Amazing how that works. You don't figure out ahead of time how you can make everything work. You just go—give—and God works out the details.

"Remember this: The person who plants a little will have a small harvest, but the person who plants a lot will have a big harvest. Each one should give as you decided in your heart to give. You should not be sad (reluctant) when you give and you should not give because you feel forced to give. God loves the person who gives happily. And God can give you more blessings than you need. Then you will always have plenty of everything—enough to give to every good work." II Corinthians 9:6–8

"God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and bread for food. He will give you all the seed you need and make it grow so there will be a great harvest from your goodness... This service you do not only helps the needs of God's people, it also brings many more thanks to God. It is proof of your faith. Many people will praise God because you obey the Good News of Christ—the gospel you say you believe—and because you freely share with them and with all others... thanks be to God for his gift that is too wonderful for words." II Corinthians 9:10–15

Thanks be to God. The more we give the more HE gives. His faithfulness continues forever. Blessed be the name of the Lord.


Next Entry: II Corinthians 10:1 –11:15

Romans 11:1–36 (Continued)

February 21, 2013

Paul talks about those who are stubborn and refuse to submit to the Lordship of Christ. He compares them to branches that are cut off and worthless.

This time of year our lawn is covered with broken branches. Especially because of our "retriever" Dozer. He loves to carry sticks and goes out into the woods and drags branches back to our yard. We need to get out there and clean up the lawn once the weather gets nicer. But as I look out and see the dead branches, I can't help but think of Paul's descriptive words:

"Those branches were broken off because they did not believe, and you continue to be part of the tree only because you believe. Do not be proud, but be afraid." Romans 11:20

The contrast between a beautiful, live, growing tree and dead branches lying on the ground, is striking. A tree isn't alive and vibrant because of its branches, it is totally reliant upon the roots of the tree. Our blessings, success, and witness comes from the root—Jesus Christ. We are part of the tree when we accept that understanding. If we are stubborn and refuse to accept Christ and His teachings, we are worthless to him, and we are cut off. As my Dad would have said, "a no-good-good-for-nothing," just like the branches lying on our ground.

Those who refuse to accept the Good News are enemies to God. Even though they are enemies God still loves them. Romans 11:29–36 - "God never changes his mind about the people he calls and the things he gives them... Yes, God's riches are very great, and his wisdom and knowledge have no end... God made all things and everything continues through him and for him. To him be the glory forever!  Amen."


Next Entry: Romans 12:1–21  

The New Beginning: Go—Serve

February 2013

I have completely lost track of time so I have no idea of the exact date. We have spent this past week at Escuela El Sembrador in Honduras. We came with a team from our church and spent our time here working on building a new dormitory for the boys school. We are now in Tegucigalpa. We've made the long drive back to the capital city and are preparing to fly home tomorrow. I have so much to write about. Escuela El Sembrador was amazing. We will definitely be back.

Late last night (while still in El Sembrador), we were awakened by the sound of beautiful Spanish music. A group of about ten boys from the school were singing a beautiful serenade in the open courtyard of our building. We all came out of our rooms and stood on the verandas and balconies to listen. It was a dark clear night and the beautiful Spanish music resonated in the night air. They sang at least five songs. One of the boys played the harmonica and another played the guitar. It was absolutely beautiful. I took out my phone to record part of it.
  

It was our last night at Escuela El Sembrador. Earlier in the day (during our team's morning devotions) my husband and I shared our story (HIS story) with the group. It was a very meaningful and special start to our last day in in this beautiful place. And then on the last night, just when we thought our time here couldn't have ended any better, we are awakened to the sound of beautiful Spanish music and voices singing praises to the King of kings.

I didn't know any of the songs they sang... until the last song. As they sang, I realized I recognized the melody. But while I recognized the melody, I couldn't remember any of the words. I was humming the melody as we went back to bed. Later, in the middle of the night, the words suddenly came to me.

The words of the song comes from Philippians 1:6.

He who began a good work in you

He who began a good work in you

Will be faithful to complete it

Will be faithful to complete it

He who began a good work

Will be faithful to complete it in you.

Listen to the YouTube video of the boys singing it here.

Another promise from God. He who began a good work in you WILL be faithful to complete it. 

Thank you, Jesus! Thank you for the promise. Thank you for the prodding by our Pastor to take this trip. Thank you for the opportunity and for providing the financial means for us to go. Thank you for the impact it has had in our lives. Thank you for the people we met and worked along side of. Thank you for the safety you gave. Thank you for allowing us to do what we thought was lost. Thank you for allowing us to: Go—Serve.  Thank you, Lord.


Next Entry: Romans 8:1–39 (Continued)

Romans 5:1–21

January 30, 2013

Faith is what makes us right with God, and when you are right with God you have peace with God as well and an inexplicable peace settles over you—no matter what the earthly circumstances of your life. The surrendering of our will and the acceptance of Jesus' death as payment for our sin, opens the door for God's grace and blessing to flood into our lives.

And the result is:

• We have hope when things look hopeless; 
• Joy even in the midst of trouble; 
• Patience is built in the midst of trouble as we wait on the Lord; 
• And that patience builds character that cannot be obtained in any other way.  

 As you change, you find yourself having more hope; and God promises that "this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts." (Romans 5:5) It's ALL about Him. IF—we surrender and accept his gift of salvation, THEN—we change, and we develop hope, joy, patience, character, and back to hope. All because of His love being poured into our lives. We can't do it on our own. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

It is only because of the love of God pouring out His love through the Holy Spirit that hope is possible even in the worst of circumstances. Faith produces hope; hope produces joy; joy produces patience; patience develops character; character produces hope; and the circle of faith continues. 


Next Entry: Romans 6:1–23

Romans 4:1–25

January 29, 2013

It's ALL about faith. Romans 4:3 - "Abraham believed God, and God accepted Abraham's faith, and that faith made him right with God." It's not what you do that saves you. It's who you believe in that saves you. God's free gift of love wouldn't be free if we had to earn it.

Abraham was in a impossible situation. There was nothing he could do. BUT, he believed in God's promises and he continued to have hope in the completion of God's promises. He kept the faith. He believed. Time passed and he was still without children, but his faith grew stronger and he gave praise to God. Romans 4:21 - "Abraham felt sure that God was able to do what he had promised." He continued to praise God even during the long wait, and therein lies the key to his ability to keep the faith in God's promises.   

The Old Testament example of Abraham teaches us an important lesson. When you keep your focus on who God IS an amazing thing happens—it becomes impossible to remain focused on yourself and your problems. You are instead focused on the Creator of the universe and mankind; who is All-powerful; ALL-knowing; ALL-present; who has surpassing greatness; and you come to realize you can trust Him—and that becomes enough—more than enough as you put your faith in who He is. When you are focused on the ALL-mighty, the enormity of the problems in your life fade into the background and you TRUST HIM to fulfill HIS PROMISES in your life. THEN—when you have taken your hands are off of the situation—you get to see the hand of God at work in your life and there are no human words adequate to describe the joy and peace that gives you.

You begin to praise Him even more and He blesses you more. It's a continuing circle. Our praises lifted up to HIM and HIS blessings given down to us. Our hands are open in surrender to HIM and our hands are open to receive HIS blessings. There is complete freedom in surrender! What you fear in "giving up" turns into blessings as you receive God Himself. 


Next Entry: Romans 5:1–21

An Opportuity to SERVE!

December 13, 2012

I've been praying a lot for my husband's brother. His leukemia is progressing rapidly. My husband and I met with his brother (and his wife) Sunday night to try and explain the medical options that are left. In some ways he has been in denial, but in many ways he just isn't capable of understanding it on his own. As we were talking with them the thought came to me that I should tell him the train analogy that I've told my husband. I hesitated. Should I say it or just let him remain oblivious to his situation? I said a quick prayer seeking guidance and then strongly felt I was to say it. My husband's brother can understand things better if he can "see" it whether visually or pictured in his mind. I explained to him (and his wife) that his disease is like a train. The train has already left the station. It left when he was diagnosed with Blast Crisis in September of 2011 and that medically there is no going back. I went on to explain that what we have been trying to do these last fifteen months is to slow the train down, and we are running out of options to be able to do that.

You could tell that it was finally starting to sink in. The next day I went to his Doctor appointment with him. While we were waiting for the doctor my brother-in-law said, "It will be good to go home." I nodded my head. We sat in silence. I knew he was processing his feelings and I didn't want to interrupt. Then he went on, "It will be good to be able to see Grandma and Grandpa again. I loved Grandpa B... he was my favorite." I could have cried on the spot. I asked him to tell me stories of his Grandpa. His faced beamed as he shared some of his memories with me.

He is starting to understand and he is beginning to look forward to heaven! This is huge! He is so simple minded. Death is seldom easy but it is even more difficult when an adult has limited understanding and coping skills. Other members of my husband's family have voiced their hope that the dying process could happen without him even knowing he is terminally ill. Death from cancer seldom happens that way. We are the only ones who have spoken honestly with him in terms he could understand, we will continue to try and guide him (and his wife) through the dying process. 

We have been praying several things:

1. For peace that only God can give;
2. For acceptance of God's will—no matter what;
3. For my husband's brother to have an increased desire for heaven as this life wanes;
4. For as much as possible a peaceful passing;
5. For God to accept him with open arms.

As I was praying for him about 5:30 this morning another old hymn came to mind.

'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know "Thus saith the Lord."

   Jesus, Jesus, How I trust Him!
   How I've proved Him o'er and o'er;
   Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
   Oh, for grace to trust Him more.

Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me,
'Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

I'm so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou are with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

Written by Louisa Stead 1882.  Listen to it here.

There is one more thing we do while praying. We thank Jesus for the opportunity to serve my husband's brother. Who would have ever thought we would be thanking God for the opportunity to serve someone who brought more stress, problems, and headaches to my husband than any other person ever in his life! That's how God works. He changes you from the inside out. He took what was a horrible situation and turned it into an "opportunity." Wow! And the havoc situations that were meant for harm does not harm you. Instead, it builds you up and strengthens you and you become more like Christ in your thoughts and actions. Again—Wow!

Bless the LORD, oh my soul
Bless the LORD, oh my soul
Let everything within me
Let everything within me
Let everything within me
I will bless the LORD.

At all times,
At all times,
At all times,
I will bless the LORD!

Listen to it here.


Next Entry: Acts 17:1–34

John 17:1–26 (Continued)

November 10, 2012

John 17:9–25 - "I am praying for them. I am not praying for people in the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours... my glory is shown through them... Father, keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they will be one, just as you and I are one... I am not asking you to take them out of the world but to keep them safe from the Evil One... make them ready for your service through your truth; your word is truth... I pray for these followers, but am also praying for all those who will believe in me because of their teaching... I will be in them and you will be in me so that they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as much as you loved me... Father, you are the One who is good."

Wow! Wow! And again WOW! I thought I was done writing about John 17. Last night I was talking to my husband about Jesus praying for them.I was relaxing in our old cast iron bath tub that's in an alcove of our bedroom and my husband was lying on the bed. I was saying—Imagine! Imagine Jesus praying for you! Then my husband said something that absolutely stunned me and made me stop and think about what he said in total silence. He said, "That is what Jesus did for you when Jane (Her Name Was Jane) prayed."

It felt like the world stopped for a moment. What? I've always known that the words Jane prayed were not her own words. They could not have been. And I wrote yesterday that Jesus is praying for us, but I meant in the heavenly realm. Never did I connect that what my husband was saying was true. Jesus was praying for us! Being the recipients of a "Blessed Event" has taken on a new and additional meaning! Jesus was praying for us! In audible words I could hear HIS words of blessing from Jane's lips. There is no other way to explain it! We are truly the recipients of a Blessed Event, and oh my goodness—we will not squander it!

Our hands are open LORD. Use us however you desire to bring glory and honor to YOU!

I've always called the prayer of blessing Jane prayed on my life on 1/5/07, "the most incredible prayer of blessing I've ever received."  Well of course it was!! It was Jesus praying a prayer of blessing over me through His Spirit.

I've always said that the prayer Jane prayed in July of 2007 (just days after receiving the news my sister and brother-in-law had just filed a vile and vicious lawsuit seeking our ruin), was about every relevant thing in our lives.  Well of course it was!! It was Jesus praying for every relevant detail in our lives through His Spirit. 

It was Jesus! John 17 records Jesus' prayer to the Father for His followers. His prayer began and ended with the most important thing Jane/Jesus taught us: Glory and praise to the Father. I stand in awe and amazement at the Sovereignty of our LORD. Blessed be YOUR Name. Jesus himself literally prayed for us and sent his promises and messages to us through an elderly woman of God. I stand amazed.

It is ALL about YOU, LORD! It is ALL about YOU! Thank you, for allowing us to be the recipients. We will not squander it. We need You. Continue to lead us, guide us, and direct us we pray. Blessed be YOUR Name!

Addendum: 9/2/16 ~ Tears are flowing. I am just amazed and grateful to Jesus for His amazing love. I'm heading outside. We are still building the cobblestone path in our Praise Shelter. The path includes the promises God gave us through the lips of Jane E. Wolfe. The promises are literally engraved in stone. I need to get on my knees. I need to carefully, prayerfully, and tearfully place those precious promises and the other stones in the path that memorializes the journey HE has led us on. I want to thank the Lord. I want to praise HIS Holy Name.

I'm heading outside. I need to get on my knees.

 Addendum #2: 8/20/18 ~ Here is a link to a YouTube video of the cobblestone path with God's promises or it can be watched below.

Next Entry: John 17:1–26 (Continued)

Luke 24:1–53

October 12, 2012

Remember!! Luke 24:6 - "Do you remember what he told you?" Luke 24:44 - "Remember when I was with you?" Our Pastor always says not to forget in the dark what you were told in the light. It may "sound(ed) like nonsense" (verse 11) but believe Him—and remember.

After Jesus arose from the dead He was walking with two of His followers. As they walked He explained everything to them. Luke 24:27 - "Then starting with what Moses and all the prophets had said about him, Jesus began to explain everything that had been written about himself in the scriptures." This verse is a great argument for why the Old Testament is important to read. Jesus himself used it to explain what was written about HIM. When we read God's word, the Holy Spirit reveals God's truth to us. Read. Pray. Remember. Luke 24:45 - "Jesus opened their minds so they could understand scripture." He does the same today.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, "He raised his hands and blessed them." My mind immediately flashes back to Jane. (Her Name Was Jane) She didn't just hold my hand and pray a prayer of blessing. She took my hand in hers and raised our hands together. She held them high over our heads the entire time she prayed that incredible prayer of blessing on my life. I will never forget that moment. At the time I didn't understand the significance of what she did. I later learned that Jane did not have the personal strength to raise her own hand/arm above her head let alone hers and mine. She barely had the strength to raise a spoon to feed herself.  It was a true blessing from God prayed through Jane's lips.

Remember!!


Next Entry: The New Beginning: Tell His Story