These Are Dark Days...

In Times Like These

In times like these it would be very easy to fall prey to fear but...

2 Pet.1:3-10

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness 

through the knowledge of Him who called us by His owna glory and excellence.

  4Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, 

so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature,

 now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue;

 and to virtue, knowledge;

  6and to knowledge, self-control; 

and to self-control, perseverance; 

and to perseverance, godliness; 

7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; 

and to brotherly kindness, love.

  8For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, 

they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive

 in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  9But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness,

 having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

10Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure.

 For if you practice these things you will never stumble, 

11and you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom 

of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

These are dark days of doubting God

Of lack of fear and reverence

For He, who through His own shed blood

Purchased mankind's deliverance

From death and hell; sin's penalty

That only Jesus justifies 

He alone sets captive souls free

And fits us for Redemption's Prize

...for all have sinned and fall short of

The glory of God, kind and true

Holy, faithful, and rich in love

He helps us love each other too

When days are dark with doubt and dread

And evil's bold and blinded boast

Mocks or disregards the Godhead

Of Father, Son and Holy Ghost 

These are dark days of unbelief

In our Lord's glorious return

When He will triumph over grief

And pain; when this old world will burn

And Faith will will behold all things new

No suffering or forecasts grim

As He who IS Faithful and True 

Unfurls eternity with Him 

Janet Martin

Rev.21:1-8

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, 

for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. 

Also there was no more sea.

  2Then I, [a]John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven

 from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 

3And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying,

 “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,

 and He will dwell with them,

 and they shall be His people. 

God Himself will be with them and be their God.

  4And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;

 there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. 

There shall be no more pain, 

for the former things have passed away.”

5Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” 

And He said [b]to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

6And He said to me, “It[c] is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7He who overcomes [d]shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8But the cowardly, [e]unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

If it were not so I would have told you!

Jesus-

John 14:2

Redemption's Groaning Gate Flings Wide...

 My sister Lucy's granddaughter picked these wildflowers for me the other day...

I don't think she noticed the tears I choked back as I was honoured

by her innocent eagerness.

The mug seemed the perfect vase for my utter joy and sorrow!

Below is a collection of verses to treasure as they comfort and cheer the soul

and remind us of what matters most!

Psalm 25:14

The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.

Psalm 84:11

For the LORD God is a sun and a shield;

 the LORD gives grace and glory;

 He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.

Psalm 115:13

He will bless those who fear the LORD—small and great alike.

Psalm 5:12

For surely You, O LORD, bless the righteous; 

You surround them with the shield of Your favor.

Ps.69:15

But as for me, my prayer is to You,
O Lord, in the acceptable time;
O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,
Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.

Ps.119:153-160

153 Consider mine affliction, and deliver me:

 for I do not forget thy law.

154 Plead my cause, and deliver me: 

quicken me according to thy word.

155 Salvation is far from the wicked: 

for they seek not thy statutes.

156 Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord:

 quicken me according to thy judgments.

157 Many are my persecutors and mine enemies; 

yet do I not decline from thy testimonies.

158 I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; 

because they kept not thy word.

159 Consider how I love thy precepts:

 quicken me, O Lord, according to thy lovingkindness.

160 Thy word is true from the beginning: 

and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

 

Redemption's groaning gate flings wide and a new day is born...

A multitude of mercies smiles upon a world sin-worn... 

Redemption's groaning gate flings wide and a new day is born

A multitude of mercies smiles upon a world sin-worn 

The Author of Salvation who appoints what none can trace

Once more anoints creation with un-stoppered love and grace

Regret, remorse, repentance spar within the human heart 

God's holiness and man's pride are a humble prayer apart 

Oh Lord, rebuke my erring will, waiting to cause offence 

So the purposes You fulfill/instill may have preeminence 

The truth of your salvation comforts all who fear You, LORD 

Imbue deep dedication to the counsel of Your Word

Lest, for the lack of earnest heed I look away and drift

Forgetting who supplies my need with truths that do not shift 

Delight thrills all who love Your law with thoughts too rare to speak

My spirit thirsts for constant awe, but oh, my flesh is weak

Prone to descend the slippery slope of half-truth to appease

The carnal foe to Living Hope with 'come soul, take thine ease '

Each edict of your Word is true, where faith sees but in part  

Lord, help me learn it through and through and hide it in my heart 

So that I do not grieve you, Saviour, but with yielded will

Reverence the Shield of Your favour as Your mercies spill

Janet Martin  

 

 

The Other Side of Hug-and-Kiss...

There is only one way to remain grounded in Things Above; in the unseen...

by seeking faithfully to be found faithful!

Remembering the reward for faithfulness is veiled on earth...

1 Corinthians 4:2

Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

James 1:25

But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom,

 and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—

he will be blessed in what he does.

Matthew 25:21

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! 

You have been faithful with a few things;

 I will put you in charge of many things. 

Enter into the joy of your master!’

Faithfulness is like our 'marriage vow' to God,

forsaking all others, as long as we live,

 in the matter of fidelity and allegiance to Him

with love second to none

because we have resolved All For Christ!

Just as in earthly marriage as time goes by 

and human nature rears its unlovely head,

 we don't always 'feel' the passion

and excitement as in the beginning, 

but pray it is replaced with

a deeper, matured awareness that faithfulness

must/will weather the highs and lows that are bound to be,

'Well done, Thou good and faithful servant' 

is no small fete to win.

It requires daily surrender to our Heavenly Father,

our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ,

and to the Holy Spirit who indwells the believer.

Faithfulness forgives and accepts forgiveness.

Faithfulness is a firm and humble obedience,

a penitent repentance when we stumble/sin,

a modest presentation of Self,

so we may give God the glory

for making possible the boast

of our salvation. 

***

Today we are attending the wedding of my niece

and we will witness the vows they make;

'till death do us part'

We will hear them speak before God

the words that bind two into one;

Matthew 19:6
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 

Therefore what God has joined together, 

let man not separate.”

A wedding day is a day of joy and celebration and grave solemnity

as vows made on earth are sealed in heaven.

It is no laughing matter, This

The other side of hug-and-kiss

Of being true no matter what

When tempted to undo love's knot

Love's vows are not of fickle font

But transcend every wish and want

Because these words, 'till death doth part'

Are etched forever on God's heart

When hug and kiss is interspersed

With human foible's selfish worst

Startled, we start to humbly learn

Faithfulness grants no quick return

...but refines rose-coloured romance

With love, that would not stand a chance

Without steadfast commitment to

He who made us 'no longer two'

'A three-strand cord is hard to break'

'Love bears all things' love's highest stake

With God 'all things' are possible

Without, love is soon miserable

For self times two is not enough

To satisfy the ways of love

How harsh is disillusioned bliss;

The other side of hug-and-kiss

But oh, how lovely in return

Is love that is willing to learn

And learn again, the meaning of

A patient, kind and faithful love

For tis no laughing matter; this

The other/weathered side of hug-and-kiss

But is, when all is done and told

Life's greatest beauty to behold

...as the covenant of 'I do'

Remembers, one cannot be two

When faithfulness seeks no excuse

To sever what no man can loose

© Janet Martin

For those who are seeking truth

and maybe reasons to re-resolve to remain faithful

first and foremost to God, some helpful links below

 Dr. Joseph Webb on the truth about I Do, based on God's Word!

Why talk about divorce and remarriage in the Church Part 1, 

Can the blood of Jesus cover over my past divorce so I can remarry? Part 2

Whose servant is your pastor? Part 3

Pastors: please watch your doctrine on divorce and remarriage Part 4

Teach the truth on divorce and remarriage Part 5

Divorce and remarriage: what's your church teaching? Part 6

If I repented from having had a divorce, can the blood of Jesus cover me so I can remarry? Part 7

Are all second marriages after divorce adultery? Part 8

Can divorced and remarried couples In the Church serve God too? Part 9

Can divorced and remarried couples in the Church be believers too? Part 10

Can Christian divorced and remarried couples love Jesus too? Part 11

What repentance is and the mess of divorce and remarriage In the Church Part 12 

Christian divorced and remarried couples In the Church Part 13

If my spouse left me, why Should I Stay Single? Part 14

more HERE or HERE 

or more from Dr. Joseph Webb  HERE 

or this;

What Makes a Marriage Legal in the Sight of God 

Is my first marriage still standing even if I was not a Christian then?

I got a divorce and remarried all before coming to faith in Christ

I'm a Christian Divorced and married, am I living in adultery?

My first marriage ended; now I'm divorced but I'd to marry a godly Christian

Divorce and Remarriage and the Cost of Following Christ

Of Painful Joy or Of Boundless Love

 

Ps. 23:4

Yea, though I walk through the valley

 of the shadow of death,

 I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;

 thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

1 Pet.1:6

In this you greatly rejoice, 

though now for a little while, 

if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,..

Whether on faith's mountaintop

or in the dark, lonely valley

the incomprehensible, steadfast love of God abides

to minister to body and soul's need 

Tell Me the Old, Old Story

This is a poem I am still in the process of learning...

through deep disappointments

and divine epiphanies 🙏

There is no limit to the love of God

Its height and depth thought cannot comprehend

Whether beneath the guerdon of its rod

Or in a garden where soft breezes wend

His love cannot be measured or contained

Nor with ingenious eloquence explained

The love of God is beyond reckoning

He knows the heart of man is vile indeed

The hub of prideful Fancy’s beckoning

Left unbroken, would choke faith’s mustard seed

So, lest we covet what we cannot keep

Faith’s Great Perfecter runs love’s plowshares deep

…with piercing love, He works for our good

Ah, pray for faith to see beyond the part

That is often sadly misunderstood

While He prepares the test-plots of the heart

Until faith’s finely-tilled furrows are sown

With seed that grows for His glory alone

We are the sheep of His pasture. He tends

The welfare of His flock with rod and staff

He rescues, rebukes, comforts and defends

No cost too great to work on our behalf

Because the love of the Good Shepherd knows

The dire danger of wolves in sheep’s clothes

The love of God produces painful joys

For He too faced the Tempter’s crafty charms

A shrewd maneuverer of deadly ploys

To blind us to love’s everlasting arms

To draw us from His word that girds and feeds

Thus, with both rod and staff, love intercedes

Then, for a season, if need be, love grieves

The proving of faith’s shield to quench sin’s darts

Until at last with patience, God achieves

His joy complete, only His love imparts

As the heart yields He overflows its sod

With bounty from the boundless love of God

© Janet Martin

As for This Fellow...

...as for this fellow, we know not from whence He is!

John 9:29

Amazing Grace

Do we listen when He asks us

To trust Him implicitly

On the roadway to Damascus

Have we been struck blind, to see? 

Have we committed to follow

Jesus; to 'fight the good fight'

Or do His precepts ring hollow

Because we still walk by sight 

Does 'the joy still set before us'

Satisfy our cup of grief

Does faith's Canaan-land implore us

To guard against unbelief

Has our stubborn will been broken 

As we looked on Calvary

Have we echoed Wonder spoken

'I was blind but now I see'

Have we fixed our eyes on Jesus

Has 'this fellow' been revealed;

He whose blood-bought pardon frees us

He, by whose wounds we are healed 

Is 'this fellow' our Saviour?

Has transformation begun?

Turning sight-governed behaviour 

Into faith's 'Thy will be done' 

Has Belief sight's barrier broken

By 'this fellow' humbly/wholly awed

Have our eyes of faith been opened  

To behold the Son of God

Dear, once-blind-but-now-I-see-man

Keep your courage undeterred

You will not fall prey to man's plan

Through the keeping of His Word 

Janet Martin 

 

John 9:25

He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. 

One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

No Suitable Substitute

For the last while on Sunday mornings
our teaching messages have been from 1 John,
and have kindled many a meditation
of both somber evaluation and profound encouragement
leading to many coordinating passages throughout scripture.

Eccles.12:13-14
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God, and keep his commandments:
for this is the whole duty of man.
For God shall bring every work into judgment,
with every secret thing,
whether it be good,
or whether it be evil.

Ps.51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and a contrite heart,
O God, thou wilt not despise.

1 Sa.15:22
So Samuel said:
“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.

1 John 5:3
This is the love of God,
that we keep His commandments.

Disobedience/sin separated Adam and Eve
from their perfect relationship with God. Gen. 3
Sin made God sorry that He had made man; Gen.6:5-8

Sin kept Moses from the Promised Land. Num. 20:12

...and ultimately sin took God's only Son, Jesus to the cross
to be the eternal Sacrifice for sin;
to purchase our pardon, for all who repent and believe.
Jesus, who pled to God the Father,
if it be possible let this cup pass from me;
nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will... Matt.26:39
And Jesus was obedient to death, even death on a cross. Phil. 2:8

Thus, by the grace of God we can be saved,
not by good works lest we boast,
but for good works God prepared in advance for us to do.
Eph. 2:8-10

The old quote 'actions speak louder than words' rings true!
How hollow are the words 'I love you' without the fruit of deeds to prove it!

Oh Lord as we begin a new week help us anew
to trust in You with all our hearts,
and to fear you and keep Your commandments!

No substitute could suffice to wash away our sin, but Jesus' blood. Heb.10:4-10

No substitute, outside of obedience, can bear witness to the righteousness of God in us. 1 John 2:3

No substitute will do
No pretense will suffice
Nor lenient logic reason through
Faith in God’s proving price

No joy will be complete
No noble cause defend
No clause corrupts the mercy seat
Of God, both Judge and Friend

God, faithful to forgive
Beholds the heart alone
He witnesses the fruit we live
And thus, the tree is known

There is no substitute
No judgement-proof façade
Obedience is the pure fruit
Of love and faith in God

© Janet Martin

Because The Heart Is Prone To Fear...

The heart is prone to fear

The eye to what it sees

Without God’s Word to commandeer

How gullible are these

The ear is how we hear

With voice we speak and sing

Without God’s Word to enrich cheer

How hollow noises ring

From minds, thought is unfurled

The hand follows, with deed

Without God’s Word, to gain the world

Still cannot sustain need

Bodies are born to die

Dust-to-dust, the Soul’s gown

Without God’s Word, hope is a lie

And knowledge but a clown

The Soul, God-breathed, endures

Beyond mortality

Faith in God and His word secures

Its holy destiny/victory

Headlines spew hateful wrath

And forecasts, dark and grim

God’s Word is a Light to our path

No woe/foe its glow can dim

Better to trust the Lord

In all we do not know

Because the power of His Word

No force can overthrow

The heart is prone to fear

Fear blinds us to the hills

Where God draws flaming chariots near

With peace His Word instills

The heart is quick to yield

To fear and dread and doubt

God's Word is both a sword and shield

None can survive without

© Janet Martin

Eph.6:13-17 BSB

13Therefore take up the full armor of God,

 so that when the day of evil comes, 

you will be able to stand your ground, 

and having done everything, to stand.

  14Stand firm then, 

with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, 

with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, 

15and with your feet fitted 

with the readiness of the gospel of peace.

  16In addition to all this, 

take up the shield of faith, 

with which you can extinguish all

 the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

17And take the helmet of salvation 

and the sword of the Spirit, 

which is the word of God.

Blessed Assurance

My Anchor Holds

The Key/Path To True Happiness

Happiness is not listed with the fruits of the Spirit,

however, happiness is promised to those who trust in and obey the Lord.

( we just might need to take a closer look at what we define as happiness

and who our 'happiness' serves) ooh

Happy/blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!

Ps.144:15

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

And whose hope is the LORD.

Jer.17:7

Happiness is the the phoenix that rises

from the ashes on the altar of sacrifice/obedience

So Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight

 in burnt offerings and sacrifices, 

As in obeying the voice of the LORD? 

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

 And to heed than the fat of rams.

1 Sa.15:22

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.

James 1:25

The law of liberty is not freedom/permission to

do what we prefer, but rather to trust God (who) works all things for good

to those who love Him are called according to His purpose (not ours)

Rom.8:28

John 13:17

If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Romans 2:13

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God,

but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.

Luke 11:28

But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

1 Peter 3:14

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.

“Do not fear what they fear; do not be shaken.”

James 1:22

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.

Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

The path to the house has been cleared so we can get to the front door!

The path of righteousness has been cleared too, not by a shovel

but by a Shepherd 🙏 

To walk in paths of righteousness we first must trust the Shepherd's lead

And acknowledge the selfishness, that hinders true humility

That frustrates full surrender to He who knows and supplies our need

His love, faithful, tender and true secures the law of liberty

He cannot keep in perfect peace, the mind that is not stayed on Him

Who prefers rather, to appease the ways of want with willful pride

And cater to the nature that justifies stubborn wish and whim

Rather than honour the Creator who is able/faithful to provide

The Way, The Truth, the Life is not a 'pick-your-flavour-of-the-day'

His commands are not optional, but He gives us freedom to choose

To accept the duty of man; fear God, keep His commands, obey

He, who authored salvation's plan and paid its price. Or to refuse

With God all things are possible; why are we so deceived by sight?

Making logic more credible than He who rules seas, tempest-tossed

And numbers stars; who through His word grants wisdom to know wrong from right

A Shepherd who is undeterred and leaves the fold to seek the lost

To walk in paths of righteousness we first must trust the Shepherd's lead

And recognize that selfishness approves the wayward ways of sin

We first must bow in thankful wonder before He who fills our need

Who rent the temple's veil with thunder so that all may enter in

So that all may find sweet rest for souls that once were lost, like sheep

For all who trust the Lord are blessed; who make His law their chief delight  

So that we need not fear the vales that wind through Unknowns, dark and deep

The Shepherd, whose love never fails leads us till faith is turned to sight

© Janet Martin

Psalm 95:6-7

O come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For He is our God,

and we are the people of His pasture,

the sheep under His care.

Faith's Sacred Enrollment

Through what lies behind

we are being prepared

for what lies ahead!

***

Regret has but one merit;

to learn from it

***

God cares for each of us beyond our wildest comprehension;

and invites us to cast our cares on Him!

Why do I/we often attempt to shoulder care

as if He didn't care?!!

***

What great fun and frustration, as we cheer on

our favourite teams, for better or worse!

When we put our faith in God

we become part of a 'team'

whose 'Coach' puts us through drills we often don't recognize

unless/until they produce His desire's sacred result;

a more humbly prayerful people.

Oh Lord, we give thee thanks

Whatever comes our way

May circumstance unveil the ranks

That teaches us to pray

...that tutors hope and trust

Though sorrow's throes increase

As we surrender what we must

You fill us with your peace

Lord, nothing is too hard

For You to will and do

Where the deceiver preys, you guard

The heart, humble and true

And should we stumble, still

You do not turn away

But with the shards of broken will

You teach us how to pray

Oh Lord, kindly renew

Our courage through your love

Help us to wholly lean on You

The wellspring of Enough 

For we know no true loss

Whatever comes our way

As long as You command/commend the cross 

That teaches us to pray

To wallow in regret

Is futile; Lord, pray we

Will learn from the mistakes that set

More sorry sights on Thee 

Forgiver of our sin

Help us as You prepare

The sacred drills faith enrolls in; 

Today's lessons in prayer

Our faith ought never be

In throne-rooms of this world

Lord, open eyes of faith to see

Your mighty Hand unfurled

Then, as a soldier/soul-dier true

Whatever comes our way

 Help us to put our trust in You

Who teaches us to pray

Your strength, through weakness gleams

In grief, Your comfort cheers

From the ash-heaps of broken dreams

We cry; Your kindness hears

And bends to bind the ill

That comes through creature care

That tests us with love's best until

We lean on You in prayer

 

 © Janet Martin 

Prov.3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; 

and lean not unto thine own understanding.

 In all thy ways acknowledge him,

 and he shall direct thy paths.

Lord, Teach Us How to Pray Aright 

Till Death Doth Part Is Not Word-art...

Mark 10:7-9

 7‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother

 and be united to his wife,

c 8and the two will become one flesh.’d 

So they are no longer two, but one flesh.

9Therefore what God has joined together, 

let man not separate.”

For all who are married

 or thinking of marriage,

or thinking of ending a marriage,

something to consider/ponder...

What God has joined 💕💗

He will sustain

through ups and downs of love

'as long as both shall live' remain

He will His witness prove...

No, not our anniversary,

no, no wedding today

Just pondering the inescapable,

exhaustless common ground

 of love

Before any marriage fails

a friendship fails first.

May this year be filled with

refreshed and restored friendships!! 

🙏🙏🙏

God will not fail

all who humbly and sincerely

ask Him for help and wisdom.

Till death doth part is not word-art by signatures undone

Love's solemn vow does not somehow recant as time goes by

These words 'I do' are woven through God's hands; two become one

A covenanted knot, God-wrought, only death can untie 

Husband and Wife are thus, for life; marriage, a Mystery

Where what was two with this 'I do' is transformed into one 

And no rebate can separate the sacred filigree

As vows of love are sealed above, only by death undone 

For better-worse is not a curse but a glimpse of God's heart

To have and hold while dreams unfold much to learn and forgive

 And keep the vow no matter how many urge 'one' to part 

Airing 'just cause' as if this was mankind's prerogative 

We are not God; and too oft awed by what is not Enough

Like pride of life, or selfish strife or trusting mortal ken 

God's word is true; He helps us through the thick and thin of love

Till death doth part is not word art, but God with us. Amen 

© Janet Martin

To Him That Is Able...

A bit of everlasting cheer on a dreary Saturday morning in Ontario! 

Jude 1:24-25

"Now unto Him that is able

 to keep you from falling,

 and to present you faultless

 before the presence of His glory

 with exceeding joy,

 to the only wise God our Savior, 

be glory and majesty, 

dominion and power, 

both now and forever.

 Amen"

2 Timothy 1:12
For this reason, even though I suffer as I do,

 I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, 

and I am convinced that He is able to guard 

what I have entrusted to Him for that day.

To Him who is able, pray

In Him who is able, trust

Our God who is able, obey

Believing His way is just

For He is able to keep

That which we commit to Him

Though morrow seems dark and deep

And the veiled unknown seems grim 

To Him who is able, call 

In Him who is able, hope

He will not permit us to fall

But faithfully helps us cope 

On Him who is able, gaze

Unfazed by sight's acumen  

For God is able always

Forever and ever, amen 

Janet 🙏

I came across the paragraph below, salvaged some time ago

from a message about the school of faith

by David Jeremiah...

"One of the sobering thoughts about the Christian life

is the truth that God is far more interested in who we become 

and what we are than in what we do. 

He cares a whole lot more about how we live

 than about what we accomplish.

 His purpose is to build Christians, not cathedrals. 

His focus is on people, not programs, 

and for this reason, when God is working in the life of a person,

 he often allows unexplainable events to prepare and perfect those

 that he is getting ready to serve him in a much bigger way in the kingdom. 

The New Testament says this: "Whom the Lord loves He chastens, 

and scourges every son whom He receives". 

Often when difficult things happen in our lives, 

it's not the evidence of something that is wrong, 

but proof that something is right." 

David Jeremiah~

A Life Well Lived or Because of Him

Jim, when he called this morning,

because I attended a funeral yesterday,

wondered if I am writing about death and sorrow...again🙏

'Actually, the total opposite' I replied,

'I'm writing about life and living'

 (hopefully joyfully in spite of sorrow)

Yesterday, at a another funeral service at our church 

for another beloved, ripe-old-aged, faithful saint laid to rest

the relevance of the phrase 'life well-lived' impacted me.

No fancy or exceptional faculty or status required

to earn this accolade.

What first may seem quite commonplace;

Morn's light-replenished sky 

Is fresh evidence of God's grace

Waiting for our reply... 

A life well-lived; a culmination of moments well spent

Of recognition that its gift begets its testament

Aware that by God’s grace who and wherever we may be

He grants to all this universal opportunity

To triumph in what matters most, not for fortune or fame

But, with one sole objective; to bring glory to God’s name

To know it is enough, no matter how common the task

To render service for the King; He helps us if we ask

Transforming what, in the grand scheme of things may seem so small

And commonplace, because of love, into life’s Best of All

A life well-lived does not depend on rare ability

Superior intelligence or physicality

A life well-lived is something we are all able to do

And its account we give to God is up to me and you

With no one else to blame, because in every circumstance

He does not leave us helpless or without His providence

He never turns a blind eye or deaf ear to prayer or need

His Word is truth; We ought to give his word more earnest heed

And recognize Today is of great price, an altar where

We prove through fruit of sacrifice, who we love and revere  

A life well lived; what better witness can we leave behind

Than the track-record of love, generous, patient and kind

With God, then others first in mind, and not begrudgingly

But with a heart that overflows with joy of ‘Christ in me’

His light no dark hour can dim, His grace our want supplies

And as we cast our cares on Him His faithfulness replies

To keep us in His perfect peace though sorrow-storms assail

To know that He is able, His promises never fail

To help us, for His glory to accomplish day by day

A life well-lived, because of Him, when Soul’s shroud slips away

© Janet Martin

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, in word or deed, 

do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

 giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before men, 

that they may see your good deeds 

and glorify your Father in heaven.

1 Peter 4:11
If anyone speaks, 

he should speak as one conveying the words of God.

 If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides,

 so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, 

to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. 

Amen.

I've had much occasion recently to ponder this song...

We Are Going down the Valley