The Key to the Kingdom-Faithfulness

Mark 13:13
You will be hated by everyone because of My name, 

but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

Luke 21:19
By your patient endurance you will gain your souls.

Revelation 2:10
Do not fear what you are about to suffer...

. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Jesus... for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, 

despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

On the cross death/defeat appeared the Victor, but not so!

So let us also endure faith's crosses...

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, 

and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. 

Heb.12:1-2

“This job has been given to me to do. 

Therefore, it is a gift. 

Therefore, it is a privilege. 

Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. 

Therefore, it is to be done gladly, 

if it is done for Him. 

Here, not somewhere else, 

I may learn God’s way. 

In this job, 

not in some other,

 God looks for faithfulness.”

- Elisabeth Elliot

What sacred service and holy,

suddenly housework/homemaking becomes

To learn the faithfulness of God

Through cleaning up toys and toast crumbs

(or laundry or cooking or cleaning😅🙏)

Because I am in close contact with a number of young mothers

I am reminded of the days/season that 

sometimes felt overwhelming with 'small' demands

and feelings of little accomplished.

Faithfulness in life's seemingly small things is

faithfulness in its big things!

Dear young parent, dear old saint, 

Galatians 6:9

And let us not grow weary while doing good, 

for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Each task performed to the glory of God

transforms mundane chores to majestic opportunities of faithfulness! 

1 Corinthians 6:20

For you were bought at a price; 

therefore glorify God in your body 

and in your spirit, which are God's.

Oh Lord, when I cry 'I am finished'

You reply 'I AM faithful'

Faithfulness takes a lifetime to achieve!

There is only one way to achieve it;

Press on!

Faithfulness is no once and done flying-leap victory  

It attracts little attention; its garb, humility 

No grandstands filled with lively din to energize and cheer 

And urge faith's athlete onward in the race/grace of now-and-here 

Faithfulness is no grandiose triumph, hailed with high-fives 

The approach to its curtain-close a grueling enterprise

Accomplished slowly, breath by breath, with love's sincerity 

And only the mercy of death achieves its victory

Faithfulness needs no scribe to pen its authenticity 

Love, first for God then fellowmen proves faith's integrity   

Faithfulness needs no loud applause, no trophy-bedecked hall 

Faithfulness presses on because of God's high, holy call 

Faithfulness is the diligence of duty, honour-shod

A servant-postured reliance on promises of God 

A fervent heart-desire, when the race of life is run

To bow before its Giver and to hear Him say 'well done'

Janet Martin

John 16:33 NIV

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. 

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! 

I have overcome the world.”

2 Cor.4:16-18 NIV

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. 

Though outwardly we are wasting away, 

yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 

17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us 

an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 

18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,

 but on what is unseen, 

since what is seen is temporary, 

but what is unseen is eternal.

The Afters - Well Done (Lyric Video)

On Conditional Promises

We all desire a beautiful life,

as glorious as a chocolate-cherry hibiscus in full bloom!

But there are certain conditions necessary for flowers to

bloom profusely, such as adequate sun and rain!

So too,  there are conditions when it comes to a truly, beautiful life

 rich with spiritual blessings; 

the beauty of true hope, joy and peace

Each of the preciously comforting promises below, 

(a few of many)  are conditional;

God's part contingent on our response to Him,

reserved for all who fear God and keep His commandments. (Eccles.12:13)

Ps.145:18

The LORD is near to all who call on Him,

to all who call out to Him in truth.

Ps.103:17-18

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children’s children,

18To such as keep His covenant,

And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

Rom.8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,

who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Rom.8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,

to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Matt7:21

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven,

but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

John 14:15-17

“If you love Me, [d]keep My commandments. 

16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another [e]Helper, 

that He may abide with you forever— 

17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,

 because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; 

but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

In light of promises such as these, a prayer,

(because God sees my heart and who/what I most truly worship)

Without His help and righteousness, my faith is impossible to please Him! 

Lord, help me do my part to trust You and obey

Then You will satisfy my heart and hear me when I pray 

The comfort You instill grants joy and peace divine

Impossible to know, until I yield my will to Thine

You are the God of hope; there is none besides Thee

Without You, Want is doomed to grope in faithless misery

But with You, come what may, Your promises abide

To all who trust You and obey You faithfully provide

And satisfy our need beyond our wildest ken

You hear our prayers and intercede with perfect love. Amen  

Janet Martin

Rom15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, 

so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

My camera is on its last gasp!

I'm so thankful it worked well enough to capture

this beauty before it fades

Take Time Out For Jesus 

Beyond the 'But In Part' We See

Below, a photo of a handmade card from a friend,

given almost a year ago...

(the above verse one of my favs)

On Sunday morning one of my students asked me if I have a favorite Bible verse.

 I replied that favourite verses vary, depending on what is happening, etc! 

On that particular morning I had meditated on Ps.119:165.

(because, I asked, 'who doesn't want 'great peace' ?

and that verse tells us who has it and how) 

Today I turned to this familiar and beloved Psalm, 

also an enduring favorite, 

filled with consolation and worship 

as we weather a world filled with sin and it's consequences

 such as sickness and sorrow!

Some sorrows are very public

and others very private!

But God knows them all!

Ps. 46

God is our refuge and strength,

A[a] very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear,

Even though the earth be removed,

And though the mountains be carried into the [b]midst of the sea;

3 Though its waters roar and be troubled,

Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,

The holy place of the [c]tabernacle of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be [d]moved;

God shall help her, just [e]at the break of dawn.

6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;

He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,

Who has made desolations in the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;

He burns the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

11 The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

***

Take up Thy cross and follow He who grants sufficient grace

Beyond the ‘but in part’ we see before ‘then, face to face’

He helps us bear the suffering that faith must first endure

Beneath the shadow of His wing joy and peace are secure

Do not despair though dark may seem the valley of the hour

The trying of our faith will gleam with God’s sustaining pow’r

Here morning breaks and disappears; all is change and decay

But God remains the same; His years shall never pass away

Then, trust in God with all your heart; He is all-wise and good

From earth we know Him ‘but in part’; love oft misunderstood

So, fix your eyes upon the Prize of ‘someday, face to face’

And do not dread the test that tries the perfecting of faith

Be still and know that He is God; He is faithful and true

Take courage, for His staff and rod protect and guide us through

The valley of the shadow of the part He overcame

At Calvary, for all who love and believe in His Name

Janet Martin

1 Cor.13:12 NKJV

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.

Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

God Will Take Care of You

Heb.12:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 

let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, 

and let us run with endurance the race set out for us.

  2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the authora and perfecter of our faith, 

who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,

 scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

3Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners,

 so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Of Awe and Love

Ps.33:8

Let all the earth fear the Lord;

let all the inhabitants of the world

stand in awe of Him

Ps.65:8-13

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;

where morning dawns, where evening fades,

you call forth songs of joy.

9 You care for the land and water it;

you enrich it abundantly.

The streams of God are filled with water

to provide the people with grain,

for so you have ordained it.[d]

10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;

you soften it with showers and bless its crops.

11 You crown the year with your bounty,

and your carts overflow with abundance.

12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;

the hills are clothed with gladness.

13 The meadows are covered with flocks

and the valleys are mantled with grain;

they shout for joy and sing.

On Sunday morning the message was opened with this challenge;

When was the last time you were completely awed?

And closed with this challenge;

Do you fear God?

Do you love Him? 

(For message click HERE, then click on Aug.17)

These challenges were drawn from the beloved chapter of

Psalm 145

Have you ever tried to write out your depth of awe and love for God?!!

It's really quite impossible to do but still so worthwhile to try! 

It is bound to humble, challenge and perhaps help us 

reevaluate what we (should) prioritize! 

***

There is so no limit to the love of God for us, so then

There ought to be no limit to our love for fellowmen

There ought to be no task, no sacrifice too great or small

To do or give our best for He who gave His best for all

 

Whose tender mercies, new each morn proclaim great faithfulness

No matter what befalls God is true to His promises

He manifests His evidence in nature's ordered law

His word and workmanship evoke unsurpassable awe

As He o'erwhelms our souls with joy though sorrow's portions press  

He cheers our hearts with hymns of old  'great is thy faithfulness'  

Then as we meditate on Him, with worship sadly flawed

His whisper thunders deep within and leaves us sweetly awed

Without God, love and awe are like shadows, cast by Time's lease

With God, love and awe anchor everlasting hope-joy-peace  

...because His grace sufficient is enough to rush the heart

With endless hymns of awe and love, 'oh LORD, how great Thou art'

Janet Martin

Great is Thy Faithfulness 

How Great Thou Art

When the speaker asked us to try and remember when we were last awed

I leaned over to Jim and whispered 'every time I walk through a garden!!'

It is absolutely mind-blowing to witness the unfolding of seeds...

To Keep On Keeping On...

In the spring Jim went peony-inhaling with me...

(insert soft breeze, sweet scents, pastel and vibrant hues and bird-song)

...so on Saturday I reciprocated and went fume-in/exhaling with him😂😅

Below a local young man's first pull!

I was going to record one of these...

 but the noise was so excruciatingly loud this is all I got...

(I dropped my camera 😅)

A tractor-pull exhibits each competitor in a brief

rush of noise, adrenaline and smoke

as they charge toward the finish line, 

in hopes of the farthest pull/the win

without breaking down!

Quite the polar opposite of faithfulness, isn't it;

of quietly keeping on till we cross an invisible Finish Line?!!

(if we break down, by the grace of God

we get back up and press on!)

2 Cor.4:7

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,

that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

To keep on keeping on in bands of faith and hope and love
Will not draw crowds to line the stands with thunderous applause
No trophy waits, or inscribed plaque, in recognition of
Fidelity. Nor stats to track the progress to The Cause
Until we cross the finish line where Time no more will be
When faith and hope their charge resign in love’s eternity

To keep on keeping on is not a luring enterprise
Appealing to bystanders, who have come to see a show
It lacks the rush of pleasure that instantly gratifies
Its distance none can measure to break records here below
No adrenaline rush to fuel bursts of lightning speed
But rather a steadfast pull-push while God supplies each need

To keep on keeping on is a most unembellished quest
It does not earn reason to boast, save in the grace of God
Knowing, in vessels earthen, we are given Heaven’s best
God’s power; nothing human can inspire sweeter laud
His promises beyond compare, faith, hope and love console
Us day by day and prayer by prayer while we press t'ward the goal

© Janet Martin

Endurance Test (or For Faith's Athletes and Soldiers)

Some people pick a 'word of the year' at the beginning of each year

to focus on and learn from throughout the year ahead...

I never have but it dawned on me recently that in the past year

I have pondered one word more than ever before. 

This word is 'endure'.

To endure is to remain faithful at all cost!

To endure we cannot quit!

just as it is impossible to endure without conscious effort

 a physical workout,  so too, the spiritual!

I am so thankful for a patient and forgiving Heavenly Father!

Ps.36:7-9

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust 

under the shadow of Your wings.
They are abundantly satisfied 

with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink 

from the river of Your pleasures.
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.

Matt.24. 12-13

And because lawlessness will abound, 

the love of many will grow cold.

 13But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

2 Tim.2:3

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ

Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

 let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles,

 and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. 

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,

 who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, 

scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

 Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners,

 so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

True believers are athletes and soldiers for Christ.

Each day tests faith's fitness and endurance!

Without the whole armour of God we will be unable to

withstand the enemy!

The gift of salvation is not a

kick-back-and-relax,

eat-drink-and-be-merry grace!!

It is warfare

It is a grueling race!

It is not for the faint of heart and soul.

It is impossible without God!

It demands time-out

with head bowed,

to 'be still and know that He is God!' Ps.46:10

It is He who 'restores our souls'! Ps.23

from His rivers of pleasure

and fountain of life! Ps.36:8-9

Want is a great enemy unless it is the

meek want to endure ruthless rivalry

as we 'trust in His holy name'  Ps.33:21

Lord, empower us daily with this declaration of old from Ps. 23

The Lord is my Shepherd;

I shall not want'

Summer's garden offers a smorgasbord of delights,

...but these pale in comparison to what Christ offers through his Word and Spirit.

Want wars with faith, with hope and love

It roars with 'never quite enough'

'Come unto Me' the Saviour pleads

My strength and rest supplies Thy needs

This world unfurls glitter and noise

It boasts a smorgasbord of joys

Each one a wind that passes by

Each one helpless to satisfy

Want tests the will of humankind

Who we love best, heart-soul-and-mind

It tries endurance without pause

Till we too cry, 'Lord, plead my cause' Ps.35

Thy Word, oh Lord, restores the saint

It giveth power to the faint Isa.40:29

It fixes eyes on faith's reward

Endurance waits upon the Lord

 Then casts off  sin's encum'bring snare

For these hinder the gates of  prayer

Where God rallies faith's troops again

To run with endurance. Amen

Do not lose heart; do not despair

But cast upon the LORD each care

Remember when rivals molest

This is but faith's endurance test

© Janet Martin 

Rivals come in all shapes and sizes...

Some bold and blaring;

some like sneaky little foxes!

Let's faithfully seek and trust God who cares for us! 

Let Us Run by Alex MacQueen (Sung by Christina Macmillan)

Oh!! and last but not least... Happy August!

Hope, What a Precious Word

Without hope all we need is lost! with hope (in God) all we need is found!

Why art thou cast down, O my soul?

and why art thou disquieted in me?

hope thou in God:

for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. 

Ps.42:5

Today's poem is inspired in part by the above verse, 

and in part by our message yesterday morning from Ps.23

as God ministered to His flock through the preaching of His Word.

As we hope in Him our good Shepherd restores our souls! 

  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for...Heb.11:1

Romans 8:24-25
For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all.

 Who hopes for what he can already see? 

 But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.

2 Corinthians 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Hope-what a precious word; 'hope thou in God' Amen

Hope, the substance that keeps faith stirred to trust the more, and then

With strength and joy restored, hope in God sings and sings

For they that wait upon the Lord will mount on eagle's wings

A Shepherd to the soul; when cares and sorrows press

Hope cheers us on toward a goal only faith can possess

Where wayward paths increase and fattened feelings taunt

Hope eclipses desire with peace and cries 'I shall not want'

A Comforter and Friend; unyielding, in the fray

Hope arms and anchors; does not bend to 'did God really say?

But with glad confidence beneath His rod reproved/behooved

Hope replies 'God is my defense and I will not be moved''

A Rock that does not shift through howling gales of change

Hope anchors us, lest we should drift and let sight, faith estrange

As God tests wish and whim with patience-honing ways

Take up hope's cross and follow Him with persevering praise

Effort and rest, in sync; seeking God's kingdom first

As the deer pants for brooks to drink, Hope in God slakes faith's thirst

And never disappoints; His gift of grace enough

Hope is the goodness that anoints faith with mercy's great love

© Janet Martin

Eph.2:4-5

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ

 (by grace you have been saved),...

I'd Rather Have Jesus - Amos Raber (ALASKA)

May Today Be...

And just like that it's Summer

Happy First Day of Summer!

May today be a hymn of praise

to He who grants all of our days!

Isa.61:10-11

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
 For as the earth brings forth its bud,
As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise 

to spring forth before all the nations.

After yesterday's wind and rain the garden, adorned with nature's jewels,

 springs forth with vivid hymns of praise!

May today be, in Bygone's trove, 

above all else, a cherished thought

A gem in a collection of 

learning to love the way we ought

A token where devotion crowns

the tempo that unravels days

Composing from hope's ups and downs

a memento of grateful praise

May today be in reverie 

a masterpiece Past mediates

Into the kind of poetry 

ink never quite encapsulates

Arpeggios that waltz and brood, 

o'er vistas of echoes unbound

A breathless sense of having stood 

with shoes removed on holy ground

May today, as moments are spent, 

augment inestimable worth 

An intentional investment 

in treasures not beheld on earth 

As, grace upon grace grants no lack

Because God keeps his promises

May today be, when looking back

A frame filled with God's faithfulness 

Janet Martin