December ....

It's Dec. 12. I have this entire week off from my paying job. Today I cleaned up the basement and in the process I found a New Testament that had belonged to my mother. She received it when she was 10 years old and a student at Lone Willow School in rural southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The date was Dec. 13, 1920. How interesting ... 85 years ago tomorrow.

Dec. 13, 2005, the Ladies Class from church is coming to our house for its Christmas meeting. We exchange cookies and ornaments, reminisce, pray, share prayer requests and praises. We are a close knit group of ladies. Many of us have been together for 20 years or more.

Dec. 14, my husband and I and a friend will see "Polar Express" at the IMAXX/Science Station. I was able to purchase 2 tickets at a reduced price through my employment and got an extra one free.

Dec. 15, we are heading over to Prairie Middle School, where my nephew will be performing as part of the Seventh and Eighth grade band concert. He's in 8th grade and plays the piano and alto sax.

Dec. 17, we will host our annual Christmas Open House. We decorate our home, mostly indoors, and have a wooden creche outside near the lamp post. We have enjoyed opening our home to family and friends for 15 years.

Dec. 18, the Immanuel Baptist Church choir will present "Heaven & Earth Rejoice, A Christmas Worship Experience," at its evening performance ... that's 6:30.

Have you seen "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe?" We saw it Friday, Dec. 9. It was exciting and is full of symbolism. I have not read the book by C.S. Lewis but I sure would like to.

I am not ashamed

Romans 1:16 says: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of
God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."

I am not ashamed to share my faith. Unfortunately, sometimes I am not sensitive to another's desire to hear the Gospel ... or not hear it. My mouth got the best of me recently and I didn't realize it until I heard about it ... at work of all places. It didn't happen at work, but that didn't matter. I felt horrid. We are to have the attitude of Christ, which means being gentle and kind at all times, not just occasionally, when it pleases us. We are not to be judgmental, that is up to the Lord. Boy, I imagine God is very disappointed in me. But, thankfully, the Lord will forgive me.

If it comes to mind, please pray for those people who do not practice their faith, whatever it is, yet do not want to hear the Truth of Jesus either. They feel uncomfortable.

Let's pray for the best way to reach these people, without appearing holier than thou.

God hates the sin, but loves the sinner

God hates the sin, but loves the sinner. Human beings, it seems, hate the sin and the sinner. Christian or not, we do not follow the principles laid down by Jesus. I've seen it, and horrible as it is, I am sure I have been guilty of this. If we say we are not guilty, that we are sinless, then we are definitely not being honest or sincere. We're lying ... to ourselves and to God.

Psalm 140: 4-5 says: "Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from violent men, Who have purposed to make my steps stumble. The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; They have spread a net by the wayside; They have set traps for me."

Sometimes the wicked, the violent, the stumbler-makers, the net holders, the trappers are within the church. God sees all. We should not become so legalistic and proud that we miss what God is saying to us.

A vapor

James 4:14 - "whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

A friend died suddenly this morning. I know, I know. All death is sudden. Perhaps a better word would be unexpectedly. I don't know. She was bleeding internally. The doctors couldn't help her. It caught me off-guard as it did a few others. My husband, as he was going off to work, said "we are but a vapor."

We are here and we are sad and remorseful. But Judy is in heaven with Jesus. She had accepted the Lord as her saviour and she is now with Him. Even amidst the sadness there is joy! For we know where she is and we know we will see her again and many of our loved ones who have gone on before her.

Every day, every hour, every minute could be too late for you. Don't shrug it off. Don't say another time. Do it now. Seek out the Lord, accept His promises for yourself. Believe in Jesus and be His child. Be saved now!

Saving links: http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/ReflectionsOnJesus.html
http://www.thekristo.com/

Games

I like to play online games, particularly Hardwood spades. Occasionally I meet really interesting people. Today I met Jordan. She goes by the name BohemianJ and lives in North Carolina. I go by the name JOYously. She commented she liked my Web site and when I perused hers, decided likewise. Many of the people who I meet online are obnoxious and out to get whatever they can with little care for others. Thank goodness for those others who make a difference.

God knows me

Psalm 139: 1-3 says: "O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are aquainted with all my ways."

God knows me. All of me. My every thought, my dreams, my desires, my hangups, my failings. He is there beside me all along the way I travel. If I fall away from Him, He is still there. It is only me or you who has moved. God remains. God is ever faithful. We often are not. Doing our own thing in our own time. Not always smart. Not always wise.

It is only through God, through His son Jesus Christ, that we gain wisdom and knowledge.

Blessings

It is interesting ... we are studying Job in Sunday School and Thursday is Thanksgiving. They sort of go hand in hand. Its about blessings ... its about honoring God in the midst of suffering and pain and loss ... its about doing the Lord's will for you.

Here's something more to think about ...

If God would grant you one blessing on earth that you desired, what would it be and why?

The thought that came to me had nothing to do with me.

Searching

We're always searching ... for food ... for drink ... for friends ... for a career ... a job ... for love ... happiness ... for knowledge ... for wisdom ... for GOD.
Psalm 136 was what I read today: "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." The Lord is forever. Always present. We however are not always present with Him. We may be off searching for some unknown that we think will bring us fulfillment.
Fulfillment ... just what is that?! I'm not sure I have found it. But I think as long as I remain in God's word, and listen to His still small voice, fulfillment will be found. Not just listen though. Obey. Listen and obey. Hear, take it to heart. Be all the Lord has for you. Not less.

On the bandwagon

Results of a student survey by the Iowa Pride Network show "violence and harassment continues to be the rule, not the exception."

While I believe that statement bears a lot of truth, it is not true just for one targeted group -- gays/lesbians.

Christians in India, in Africa, in Russia, in Indonesia, and yes, in the United States, all across the world, are being bullied, harrassed, i.e., persecuted for their beliefs, for their witness of Jesus Christ.

A safe learning environment ... yes that would be ideal. For just one group? No! For all? You bet! In the United States, in Iowa, you would think it would be possible.

If there is going to be an anti-bullying law in the schools, then it needs to be for all students. No one group should be more protected than another.

We should learn to show respect for all peoples ... respect, love the person ... but not the action, not the lifestyle. Walk as Jesus walked.

Music, film, and ...

I love music. Thursday night my husband and I went to a jazz band concert to hear my nephew Jonathan perform. He plays the alto saxophone and the piano. He is almost 14 years old; has been playing piano since age 5 and this is his second year on the sax. He loves music and particularly jazz.
I like theater (movies/film inclusive) too and sometimes on televison I'll watch the International Film Festival. There are film festivals in Iowa (Tipton and Iowa City), but somehow I don't seem to get to them. Friday night our church (Immanuel Baptist) was hosting its first movie night ... and it was the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. We saw 6 films, varying in length from 8 minutes to 55 minutes. They were excellent, some silly or ridiculous, but mostly great and a lesson to be learned in each. One of them, Bluestate - Tolerance for All, was a semi-finalist and featured music by church member and pianist Matt W., who is a homeschooled senior. If you haven't yet seen Bluestate, I urge you to check out the Web site, buy the DVD and show it in your home churches. We hear much lately about Christian prosecution everywhere. This movie shows how it could be here in the United States.

Persecution

Psalm 129, verse 2 says "Many a time they have afflicted (persecuted) me from my youth; Yet they have not prevailed against me."

We all have periods when we think we are being persecuted, Christian and non-Christian alike. But as Christians, IF we continue to abide in and with the Lord, praising and worshipping Him, those who strike against us will not prevail. It will wash off like rain drops, because the Lord is with thee. This reminds me of Job (who I am currently studying in Sunday School) and his "friends." It also brings to mind all those missionaries in foreign lands who are boldly reaching out to the lost in Jesus' name; those who are persecuted because of their beliefs, who face death daily. We Christians who live in America think we have it tough, but I think those many others have it far tougher. There is much we could learn from them.

Comfort

In our Sunday School lesson on Job, the question is asked, "How would you want people to respond to you when you experience suffering?" -- (a) explain it to me (b) pray for me (c) comfort me (d) try to understand my circumstances (e) other

Job's friends came to give him comfort in the midst of his misery ... but NOT! They scrutinized him instead, they determined Job had sinned against God, why else would all these bad things have befallen him. Friend No. 1 Eliphaz says in Job 5:27 "Behold, this we have searched out; It is true. Hear it, and know for yourself."

But Job was righteous. God said so. God doesn't lie. He is all about Truth.

We have no right to sit in judgement of another. To come to another to give aid, comfort in times of distress is all fine and good, but to contemplate and determine why this other is in misery and then proceed to inform them how they got that way and how to get out of it, is just plain Wrong!

Bad things happen to good people. Often it is God's way of testing us, to help us grow in Him.
But even when it is not a test, we are still growing. We either learn to lean on God for our strength, or we lean on ourselves and other people. I prefer to lean on God ... I have tried leaning on myself and others ... but its overly stressful. God helps me rid myself of stress, He gives me rest.

Slow to speak

James 1:19-27: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man (person) observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."

Do you ever speak or act first without thinking? I do, I have and I bet you have too. Afterall, we're human. That we are, but that doesn't mean we're to use that as an excuse all the time. If we profess to be Christians ... i.e., followers of Jesus Christ, then we should act and speak like Christians. And that means all the time, not just when it appeals to us. It's not easy. I have said things and done things that I have regretted. But, fortunately, if (when) the Lord convicts me, I follow through and apologize. Saying you're sorry is another very hard thing to do.

Sometimes when I see another acting contrary to God's laws, it reminds me of where I should be if I want my walk with Jesus to be without blemish.

Trust

Trust = have faith in = Believe
God does not waiver. If you believe in God, believe also in His son, Jesus, who came to be among us. Jesus is not just another prophet, like some religions prefer to believe. He is the son of God and of the virgin Mary. It is not Mary to whom one should worship. Mary did the bidding of her Holy Father, something all of us should do. But she is not the one who came to save us from our sins. God did not send Mary. God sent Jesus. Jesus is the one who was persecuted (and continues to be) and condemned to die for us, for our sins (He had no sin of his own) so that we would live and have eternal life. Without Jesus, we have no REAL Life, no purpose, no reason for being. We search for what is truth, for what will give us meaning. We think we've found it, only to discover we haven't. Not until we find Jesus ... then we must repent, admit that we are indeed sinners, ask God for forgiveness and accept Jesus's ultimate gift of sacrifice for us. Only then will our search for true purpose and meaning begin.

Why so many gods? ... so many denominations ... so many religions.
There is only one God - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) There is none other.

Walk With Jesus

The pastor of First Baptist Church in LaGrange, Mo., writes a weekly column titled Walk With Jesus. I have been receiving it for as long as he's been writing it. Jim Reynolds has interesting insights. If you're interested in seeing what he writes about and possibly subscribing to it, please use this link: http://associate.com/groups/walkwithjesus/

Safety For ALL

I find it interesting that school boards across the country (including Iowa) are being forced to address the issue of safety for students of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persuasion, when the issue should concern safety for all, not just a select few.

Bullying / harassment is not a lifestyle happening. It goes on everywhere to all people: whether you are overweight, very thin, spend your days in a wheelchair, wear glasses, are lonely and/or depressed, have one parent or are adopted, are born-again Christian, or Muslim, or Hindu, by how you dress, the color of your skin, or whatever ... someone somewhere will give you a hard time and harass you by what they perceive as "not right."

If we're going to be concerned about the safety of our students, which I believe we should be, it should be a global concern. For all. Why should one type of people be given preferential treatment?

God loves you. But there are things He hates (Proverbs 6:17-19):

• A proud look
• A lying tongue
• Hands that kill innocent people
• A heart that plans bad/wicked things to do
• Feet that run to do evil things
• A person who tells lies in court and says things that are not true
• One who starts arguments and causes fights between other people

God's Time Table

EVERYTHING is according to God's time table, not our own. I read Psalm 124 this morning and it starts out with: "'If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,' ..." That's the key I believe. Fellow Christians, IF the Lord had/has not been with you, where would you be or where are you now? He is with us in the midst of all our struggles and triumphs, that is, IF we allow Him to be. He is with us in pain and sorrow, disappointments; and He is with us in exciting, joyous times.

This brought to mind Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 --

"To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born, And a time to die;

A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill, And a time to heal;

A time to break down, And a time to build up;

A time to weep, And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, And a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain, And a time to lose;

A time to keep, And a time to throw away;

A time to tear, And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;

A time to love, And a time to hate;

A time of war, And a time of peace."

Knowing Jesus

Knowing Jesus is a lifelong process for His followers. It is not a simple thing. Attending church or "walking down the aisle" will not get you there. "There" is a walk with Him through life, talking with Him, reaching out to Him always, everywhere, praising Him, worshipping Him.

Knowing Jesus is a very personal thing. It's not head knowledge, because having information about something doesn't mean you are doing anything with it. It's a heart knowledge based on faith. It's an overwhelming sensation of love for Jesus, who died for me. Jesus Loves Me! I spent a long time arguing with myself over that. I couldn't understand how Jesus could love me. I am very undeserving, yet He loves me. He always loves me. He doesn't always love what I do, which I fear shows I do not always love Him. If I did, I do not think He would be unhappy with any of my actions. I am striving to live in His truth and not make up lies or falsehoods along the way. Like I said its a lifelong process.

Knowing Jesus is satisfying and exciting. The Bible, His word, is filled with exciting morsels of truth. The more you read, the more you want to know and the more you want to share with others. I do that through my Web site, Windows To Christian Ministries ... in Iowa and through this blog.

Knowing Jesus is having a song in your heart and a smile on your face ... no matter what. Sometimes that's hard. We think our tough times are the worst. But they're not. Afterall, Jesus went to the cross for us. He died for us. He died to give us life. Through thick and thin, Jesus is there for us. Where are we?

Ministries

I'm working on a new business idea ... one that might bring in some of that GREEN stuff, and no, I don't mean the grass on the ground or the leaves on some trees that haven't even turned red yet!

This project is connected with Window To Christian Ministries ... in Iowa in a broad sense. I'm putting together a Web site (its not up yet!) to sell laminated memorial keepsakes/tribute cards and bookmarks.

I've talked to lots of people who would like laminated copies of a loved ones' obituary, and they don't know where to turn. I've decided to fill a void here, although there are some funeral homes who provide this service and a lot of copy shops can laminate all sorts of things for you.

Today I even applied for a sales tax license, although unfortunately that will take 4 to 6 weeks before it arrives in my mailbox.

I've been toying with this idea for some time, but today I went forth and got a little bit conquered.

Walking in the Light

The other day (Oct. 24: The Unrighteous) I talked about how God loves us for ourselves, but not always for what we do or how we act. Today, as I finished studying the first part of Ephesians 5, I was reminded that we are to walk not only in love, but in the light. And the light is Jesus. We are to be fragrant imitators of God, a pleasant aroma. We can not be if we continue to walk in the ways of our past. For when we become children of God, our old way is washed away and we become new.
Verses 8-12 say:
"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth), proving what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret."

If you do not believe this and persist in living in your old ways, then it is reasonable to question whether you really are a child of God. According to Ephesians 4:22-24: "that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness."

Implementing change

Galatians 5:16-17 says: "...walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish."

How true. My biggest downfall has to do with eating. Even though I have lost considerable weight and look better and feel better, I still have my cravings and, unfortunately, give in to them too often. And then I don't feel so good. And hindsight seems to work better than foresight. We see the results of our sin (that's what it really is) after the fact. Its only when we learn how to say no to our personal desires and no to Satan, will we have a finger-hold in walking with the Lord. Its day-to-day, minute-to-minute, as we strive to be obedient to what the Lord commands of us.

You may think you have it down pat one day, everything is going so smoothly, but unless you stay in the Word, study it and follow through with your actions, the next day you may find has gone sour. The Lord is always available to each of us, but we have to actively seek His leading and pursue.

What is a Christian?

What is a Christian and are you one? To me a Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. It is not one who merely prays or attends church. Its a personal relationship with Jesus, the founder of our faith.

On my Web site, http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com I have a link about World Religions. Under Christianity, there is listed Protestant, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. The primary belief of all three is that Jesus is the Messiah and Saviour and heaven can only be assessed through belief and faith in Him.

What I find sad is that is where it stops. I have received emails from some people who think Catholicism is a cult and others who thank me for listing it as part of Christianity. Its confusing to say the least.

Earlier this morning I started reading on this Web site:
Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry. I will be doing some more reading and studying before I come to definite conclusions.

The unrighteous

God loves you and God loves me. But God does not love what we do when it is against Him and His commandments. I recently came across a site called ChristianGays.com
and while I believe God loves the gay man or woman, I do not believe God loves how that person is living.

I Corinthians 6:9-10 says:

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."

Jesus Loves Me!

and He loves you too. Every now and then I sing "Jesus Loves Me" around the house. But I never knew the second and third verses, or if I did, they weren't in my memory bank. Here are all three verses:

Jesus loves me! this I know; For the Bible tells me so; Little ones to Him belong; They are weak but He is strong

Jesus loves me! He who died; Heaven's gate to open wide; He will wasy away my Sin; Let his little child come in

Jesus loves me! He will stay; Close beside me all the way; He prepared a home for me; And some day His face I'll see.

Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

About God ... the lies and the TRUTH

Maybe you think there are no lies you believe about God. Well think again. Here are some you may have thought about at one time or another.

• God is not really good
• God doesn't love me
• God is just like my father
• God's ways are too restrictive
• God should fix my problems

I have believed God doesn't love me from time to time. But He does. And He's not like my earthly father. My father left when I was young. The Lord is always there for me. We are the ones who leave.

Think about what lies you have believed. There's probably more than are listed here. And once you've AGREED with God about these lies, ACCEPT responsibility for them and AFFIRM the truth and then ACT on that truth.

Truths I found for myself are:

• God's love for me is infinite and unconditional
• I don't have to perform to earn God's love or favor
• God always has my best interests at heart
• God is exactly wht He has revealed Himself to be in His word
• God is infinitely more wise and loving than any earthly father could ever be
• No matter what problem I am facing, God's grace is sufficient for me

Get out your Bible and read these verses:

• Psalm 100:5
• Psalm 23
• Psalm 124
• Romans 8:28-39

Think about what these verses reveal to you about the character of God and His heart toward His children.

I realized that I knew the Lord is good; His mercy lasts forever; His truth endures to all generations; the Lord is all - guide, protector, constant companion; the Lord watches over me at all times. He is ever waiting and watching; All things work together for good to those who love God. God is in control at all times.

Knowing the truth about God and living the truth about HIM is the difference.

Old and new

Our Sunday School class is studying Ephesians. Today's reading is from Ephesians 4:22-24:
"that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness."

I read that and it reminded me of the the many ways Satan digs into our minds and makes us think things that aren't true. We hear something and instead of bringing to mind all that God has said through His word, we dwell on the untruths and then believe and act on them.

How stupid! I'm right up there. I was saved, I am saved, I am a child of God, therefore, what was my old former self has been renewed. But if we don't live in the new, if we don't renew our minds ... our way of thinking, we haven't really put off that former conduct and we are living in bondage to sin, to Satan.

The way we live reveals what we believe.

The Lord

The Lord IS

• righteous
• faithful ... trusthworthy
• pure
• everlasting
• truth

He is so much more. But that is what He is in Psalm 119 verses 137-144.

Dear Lord,

Help me to always believe in you, never let me become wayward and distant from you.

Bring to my mind all that you are. Remembering you are faithful, help me too to to be faithful and do all that you instruct.

Help me always to see your truths.

Help me stay afloat, not falter, not drown in sorrow, in debt to man (myself or others).

Amen.

It's all about Jesus ... in Iowa

I started a ministry site 4 years ago. It purpose is to provide listings of Christian churches and ministries in Iowa so visitors and residents of the state can find a Bible-believing church or activity to attend. That link is http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/Communities.html

The site is a continuing work in progress. If you live in Iowa and are reading this blog, please check out the numerous links on the site. And if there is something you would like to see that isn't there or if you have information about a particular Bible-believing church or ministry that is not listed, please submit your request. That link is http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/SubmitInfo.html

Other links that you may be interested in are:

• How to know you have eternal life: http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/GodsPromises.html

• Have you accepted Jesus as your personal saviour?http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/ReflectionsOnJesus.html

• Who or what do you perceive as God? http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/God_Is.html

• Christianity/Buddhism/Islam and more http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/WorldReligions.html

• Churches/Denominations that preach the word http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/namethem.html

• Organizations that DO NOT believe in or profess the word of God http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/cults.html

• Do you believe you can sin and get away with it?http://www.windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/Consequences.html

• Educating your child http://www.windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/ChildcareandSchools.html

• Evangelists and Missionaries with an Iowa connection http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/Ambassadors.html

• Links to Christian sites: http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/Connections.html

• Testimony and Faith Statement http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/ChristianMinistries.html

For your garden

I received this from a friend. I've seen it before, but decided to share it this time with all of you. It's so true. If we did what it instructs we'd be far better off.

Come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses...






FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING, PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:


1. Peace of mind 2. Peace of heart 3. Peace of soul


PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:




1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness


PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:




1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love another

NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS:



1. Turnip for meetings 2. Turnip for service 3. Turnip to help one another




TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN, WE MUST HAVE THYME:

1. Thyme for each other 2. Thyme for family

3. Thyme for friends

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE

AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE.

THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN

BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Poetic beauty

I have been reading Psalm 119 for weeks. It has many, many verses - 176 to be exact, and I read 129-136 today. I want to share it with you today from the New King James version of the Bible.
"Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul keeps them. The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. I opened my mouth and panted, For I longed for Your commandments. Look upon me and be merciful to me, As Your custom is toward those who love Your name. Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me. Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts. Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes. Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law."

My hope is in you

Psalm 119 (Samek) says, "I hate the double-minded, But I love Your law. You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word."

My hope is in You. Do not let me be ashamed. You are my hiding place, my refuge. In times of strife, do not allow me to become separated from you, to become divided, to stray, to not know what is right and what is not. Hold me up, keep me ever mindful of your statutes, your judgements, your testimonies, your commandments. Help me be obedient to you Lord.

Coming of Age

How old are you? If you're past 21 or even if you're not there yet, what does that mean to you?

For lots of people turning 21 means you can be on your own, out from under your parents' wing, with opportunities to do or be whatever you want. Those opportunities can result in positive development or negative. It could mean drinking and bar-hopping, or getting stoned on marijuana or crack, or being promiscuous, having children out of wedlock. It could also mean following the Lord, learning how to be what He desires of you, listening to and learning from those more mature than you and becoming mature yourself.

Spiritual maturity is not something that comes with age. I'm in my 50s (shhhh! don't tell anyone) but I've witnessed people in their 20s or 30s who have more maturity than I. A person can be 50 or 70 and not be mature. Therefore a person in their teens can show more spiritual maturity than someone much older.

Spiritual maturity has to do with your walk with Christ. It involves prayer, Bible study, obedience. Its an ever learning process ...

Lies - an overview

Everyone at some time or another in their life tells a lie or believes a lie. When I read the book by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, "Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets them Free," my eyes opened wide in amazement.

Firstly, DeMoss indicates we are in bondage ... frazzled, exhausted, burned-out, overwhelmed, confused, angry, frustrated, discouraged, defeated, depressed, ashamed, emotionally unstable, uptight, insecure, lonely, fearful, suicidal. I admit I've been all of those at least once. I bet you have too. And we don't like how that feels.

God wants us to be joyous, contented, loving, radiant, confident, gracious, peaceful, stable.

So, why aren't we? What has happened? DeMoss says Satan deceives us by causing us to make decisions based on what we can see and what our emotions and our reason tell us is right RATHER than what God has already told us. Nowhere does it say in the Bible that God desires us to be exhausted or overwhelmed or frustrated or insecure or fearful.

When we are not honest with each other we are doing Satan's work for him, we are acting as Satan's agents, deceiving and destroying each other.

Stop and think, meditate on what you are hearing.

• What is the message here?
• Is it really true?
• Am I being deceived by a way of thinking that is contrary to the truth?

Bondage begins when we first listen to a lie.

Listening to a view point that is contrary to God's word sends us down a road that leads to disobedience and ultimately, physical and spiritual death.

1. Listen to lie
2. Dwell on lie and sooner or later we
3. Believe the lie and then we
4. Act on the lie

In moving from bondage (lies) to freedom (truth), each of us need to

1. Identify areas of bondage or sinful behavior. Ask God to show you specific areas where you are not free.
2. Identify the lie(s) at the root of that bondage or behavior.
3. Replace the lie(s) with the Truth.

Its more than "Do I believe this lie?" Its "Do I live as though I believe this lie?"

Birthdays

Today is nearly over. But its still Sunday, Oct. 16. Today is Beanne's birthday. She'd be 90-something. She and my mom were friends, went to college together ... back in the 1930s. A lifetime ago. They went to Coe College ... how that campus has changed. They actually have a campus and it is really pretty. Beanne was always silly and I remember her telling me I was too and not to ever lose it. Having humor is important in life. Sometimes it helps you get through the painfully difficult times.

I was reading a blog (before I decided to write this) of someone who was reminiscing about his dad who died 14 years ago. My mom died nine years ago last month. I think of the day of her going home every year, about a month or a week before the actual date. There are so many times I wish she was here, to talk with and do stuff with. But she is in a better place (heaven) and although I still miss her, one day I'll be with her and we can talk to our hearts' content.

Understanding God's peace

Peace ... what do you consider that to be? According to the Scriptures, it is completeness based on God's presence rather than circumstances. If it were only based on circumstances, none of us would ever find peace. We would be in a constant state of turmoil.

Peace is what Jesus Christ represents to everyone. But of course, not everyone finds that peace, not everyone comes to know Christ as their personal saviour, not everyone becomes one of God's chosen.

God's chosen are not one distinct group of people, i.e., the Jews.

Read Ephesians 2:14-15. It says the same thing in many different versions of the Bible, but some are easier to understand. I compared the New King James to The Message and the Good News. This is what the Good News says:
"For Christ himself has brought us peace by making Jews and Gentiles one people. With his own body he broke down the wall that separated them and kept them enemies. He abolished the Jewish Law with its commandments and rules, in order to create out of the two races one new people in union with himself, in this way making peace."

Emphasizing differences and division thwarts one's abilities to understand and enjoy the meaning of true peace. Even when the walls are torn or broken down, without wholeness and unity, there is no peace.

God's chosen people are all those who come to Christ and are His followers.

Life with Christ

The Sunday school lesson this week is on "Experiencing God's Life-Changing Power" and is taken from Ephesians 1:18 - 2:10.

"The Purpose-Driven Life," written by Rick Warren asks What on Earth am I here for?
I struggled with that for a long time. I wondered what legacy I would leave anyone since I had no children and only one nephew and not a lot of influence there that I could see. I came to realize that I'm not really put on this earth for me and my selfish desires. I'm here to praise and worship God, my creator, your creator. To obey His commandments, not to listen to our inner thoughts telling us other things.

God tells us through the Scriptures (vs. 8-10):
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

It is by His grace we have been saved through faith in His son Jesus Christ. It is not anything we have done -- no way we can earn salvation. It is God's gift to us. No matter where you are in your life - no matter where you live. A person is not saved by being born in a particular country or by belonging to a particular ethnic group.

I will follow you ...

Some of you may remember the song "I will follow you." It was around probably during the late 1960s. I love that song.

But the meaning I'm thinking of here, has to do with following the Lord. Psalm 119 (He) says:
"Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end."

Instruct, help me understand, direct me in your ways;
Incline my heart toward you and not inwardly to my own selfish desires;
Shield my eyes from looking at worthless things;
Regenerate, rejuvenate me to follow you;
Bring to my mind your every word to keep me on your path to righteousness.

Is it the Truth ... or is it a lie?

The Truth -- Psalm 119 (Gimel) says "Open my eyes that I may see." This refers to spiritual insights, what we glean through reading the Word of God. I recently finished reading a book by Nancy Leigh DeMoss titled "Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free." In the next few weeks I will be commenting on those lies and God's truth.

Pure ... unblemished ... cleansed

Psalm 119 - Beth:

"How can a young man (i.e., person) cleanse his way?"

My take on this is that the only way to keep your life pure, unblemished, or to clean up your life is to obey the Lord's commandments, live according to His will, NOT your own. Bring to mind at all times God's word and apply it to your life. Memorization of the Scriptures is useful (and I'm not very good at that). Study His Holy word and meditate on how God is using the Scriptures to make your life completely whole. Think about what is pleasing to the Lord, not what you personally desire.

Blameless ... undefiled

Psalm 119 - Aleph says
"Blessed are the undefiled (i.e., blameless) in the way who walk in the law of the Lord."

Who is blameless? Is it possible to follow the Lord's commandments and be blameless? We are human, we are not God, how can we be blameless, how can we be pure? Is it talking about cleansed?

There is no one, but Jesus, who is without SIN. The rest of us may make every attempt to follow the Lord, seek Him, walk in His ways, keep His commandments, YET, it is only through Christ's shed blood, His death on the cross, His burial and His resurrection, that we can be cleansed, saved, born-again. And even then, that requires a personal acceptance, a heart knowledge, an individual application.

The Lord

I have been reading the psalms and today's reading was Psalm 118. The first thing I noticed was "His mercy endures forever." I remembered reading yesterday in Psalm 117 that "His truth endures forever." I remember because I wrote it down. I've been contemplating doing a word study on "truth" but today I thought I'd check out the phrase "endures forever."

I found

• 42 occurrences referring to His mercy
• 4 occurrences referring to His righteousness
• 1 occurrence referring to His praise
• 1 occurrence referring to His truth
• 1 occurrence referring to His righteous judgments
• 1 occurrence referring to His name
• 1 occurrence referring to His word

My God reigns.

A day for other things

I didn't feel well Wednesday afternoon, so I only worked at my paying job 4 hours. Then on Thursday, I worked 6 hours. Today is Friday, the first day of my weekend. I feel better, but am not completely up to par. I'm not eating much, and I think I've lost at least one pound over the last few days.

Anyway, today being a free day so to speak, I elected to work on my Christian Ministries Web site, adding Christian churches to the communities page. Its a long, drawn-out process ... I wish there was a way to simplify it, but that's doubtful, unless of course you have MONEY ( ... to have someone else do it). Anyway, I have a few more churches listed in various towns in the fair state of Iowa.

I enjoy working on the site. I wish more people were aware of it and utilized it. But they will come. Just keep pushing and doing what the Lord bids of you.

Today is the last day of September. The weather has been breezy but really nice. Too bad I spent so much of it indoors.

Waiting, waiting, waiting

Waiting is not easy. We are an impatient lot. We want things to happen now, right away, immediately ... NOT in God's time. Sunday's message was on waiting, Wait & Power actually.

We need to learn more patience, be more tolerant of others, let God do His work, not take it upon ourselves to do His work for Him. Afterall, He created us, we didn't create Him.

Our job is to be Jesus' witness. And we are excellent in that area, right? Not me. I would like to be, but I'm not there.

To be an effective witness for Christ, we must

• abide in Christ
• hold on to one another, and
• reach out to others

And we need all three to be that effective and powerful witness, not just one.

Idol ... Idle worship

Only the sovereign God is worthy of worship. There is only one God. He is our creator ... of the world, of humans, of everything. If you think differently, you'd best think again. Those people who worship other gods, are merely worshiping idols and that is idle worship. It comes to no good. Your prayers will not be heard.

Idols can be money ... silver and gold. Idols can be other people or just statues made by human hand. ... they may have mouths, but do not speak; they may have eyes, but do not see; they may have ears, but do not hear; they may have noses, but do not smell; they may have feet, but do not walk; they may have hands, but do not hold. Psalm 115 verses 4-7 shows this contrast between the Father Almighty and the substandard idol.

Just a thought or two

Whatever a person or nation trusts in, in place of God, will one day destroy that person or nation.

If God is your co-pilot, He's in the wrong place. He needs to be the Pilot!

We who believe in Jesus are the church. As we come together, we make up the body of Christ. The building we go to is called a "church," but only as Christ's believers gather is it so.

What is your "world" view?

There are two major competing world views --Naturalism, which denies the existence of any supreme being. Naturalists believe the universe is complete in and of itself; there is nothing beyond. And Christian Theism -- Christians believe in one supreme being, God, creator of the universe, of mankind, and that Jesus, His son, is the savior of the world.

The 23rd Psalm

The Lord is my Shepherd ... that's Relationship!

I shall not want ... that's Supply!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ...
that's Rest!

He leadeth me beside the still waters ...
that's Refreshment!

He restoreth my soul ... that's Healing!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness ...
that's Guidance!

For His name sake ... that's Purpose!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death ... that's Testing!

I will feat no evil ... that's Protection!

For Thou art with me ... that's Faithfulness!

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me ... that's Discipline!

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence
on mine enemies ... that's Hope!

Thou annointest my head with oil ... that's Consecreation!

My cup runneth over ... that's Abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life ... that's Blessing!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord ... that's Security!

Forever ... that's Eternity!

The Warrior's Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,
Today I claim victory over Satan by putting on the whole armor of God.

I put on the belt of truth. May I stand firm in the truth of your word so I will not be a victim of Satan's lies.

I put on the breastplate of righteousness. May it guard my heart from evil so I will remain pure and holy, protected under the blood of Jesus Christ.

I put on the shoes of peace. May I stand firm in the Good News of the gospel so your peace will shine through me and be a light to all I encounter.

I take the shield of faith! May I be ready for Satan's fiery arrows of doubt, denial and deceit so I will not be vulnerable to spiritual defeat.

May I put on the helmet of salvation! May I keep my mind focused on you so Satan will not have a stronghold on my thoughts.

I take the sword of the spirit! May the two-edged sword of your word be ready in my hands so I can expose the tempting words of Satan.

By faith as your warrior, I have put on the whole armor of God.

I am prepared to live this day in a spiritual victory!

Amen

Staying on track

I find it harder to stay on track when there is not a spiritual leader in the church. Why would some not want to follow? Why are there some, always, any place you worship, who don't want to follow God's leadership through a pastor at His church? I miss that. I miss Pastor Mark, his leadership that at least I was willing to follow.
I see fellowship ... social contact, but ...

Pleasing God

The Sunday School lesson this week is on Living to Please God. That may be how you want to be, but getting there is not an easy task. Its all wonderful and good to desire to live as God wants you to live, following His commandments and teachings, but sometimes, lots of times actually, our "wonderful" human nature gets in the way.

The problem crops up everywhere. For example, in the past 19 months, I have lost 115 pounds. Unfortunately, I have gained 7 pounds. Its due to poor eating habits. It's due principally to having things "my" way instead of God's way.

I desire so much to do and be all things that are pleasing to my Lord and Saviour.
I feel I am on the bottom rung of a very tall ladder.

How about you?

Lorenzo's Oil

I just finished watching the movie, "Lorenzo's Oil." A real story about a little boy, Lorenzo Odone, who acquired a genetic disease prior to his 6th birthday. It was heart-wrenching at times to see this little boy and his family suffer so. But they plodded on, never giving up hope or giving in to pressure from anyone. Always looking for a way to combat the disease. The story ended in 1992, with Lorenzo age 14 and waiting for a brain cell transplant. Here is a link about Lorenzo, his family and the disease: The Myelin Project

Welcome

I'm really new to this. It looks interesting though and I will give it a try. I have a Christian resource guide on the Web. It can be found at www.windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com
Please have a look. Check out the links. Tell me what you think.
I am currently reading a book by Nancy DeMoss titled "Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets them Free." Has anyone else read it?