Saturday, April 11, 2020

Truth; The Unshakeable Pillar...and Good, Good News


 I think a lot of us don't know what to believe when it comes to COVID-19
so many differing opinions on how to handle it!
After listening to THIS I don't know what to think!!!

...so I turn back to this; 
the words Jesus prayed in the garden 



The Truth raises Love’s scepter like an unshakeable rod
It parts the murky waters with the faultless Word of God

The Truth ignites Hope’s Beacon like a stream of Light unfurled
It rends the dark with mercy because God so loved the World

The Truth secures Faith’s buckle on a belt that girds the soul
And holds us up when trouble would let fear gain full control

The Truth saves us from death and hell; it triumphs o’er the grave
From Calvary it flowed and fell in pow’r mighty to save

The Truth will never lead astray; its compass sound and sure
It guides us with a steadfast ray and judgment just and pure

Ah, what is truth the people cry whose ears/hearts have not yet ‘heard’
The Truth WAS, IS, FORVERMORE, God’s everlasting Word

© Janet Martin

For those who are asking 'How may I be saved/born again.'
Jesus explains. (his words are written in red)
Long ago a member of the Jewish ruling council, named Nicodemus
asked the same question.
We often hear the verse John 3:16 in this chapter but not always
the setting where it was spoken to a seeker of truth

Here  is the way to Jesus who said 
"I am the Way, The Truth and the Life". 
John 14:6

 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus 
who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.
He came to Jesus at night and said,
 “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. 
For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God 
unless they are born again.[a]
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked.
 “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God 
unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 
 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 
 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 
 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, 
but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. 
So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.[d]
“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, and do you not understand these things?
  11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, 
but still you people do not accept our testimony. 
 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; 
how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?  
13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[e] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[f] 
15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[g]
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
 that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 
 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
 but to save the world through him. 
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, 
but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 
 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light 
for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 
21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, 
so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done 
has been done in the sight of God.

Friday, April 10, 2020

God’s Ears, My Throat, and the Best and Worst Case Scenario


Like never before prayer is/must be the power we choose and turn to!
 Most crises bring people together.
COVID-19 will persist unless we stay apart to fight it, 
making the longing for human interaction a hunger
we have never experienced to this degree!!
So many things I think of to do for people to cheer them
I realize include some sort of physical touch!
Since we don’t really know how potent the virus is
even food-prep for others is iffy! 
(my personal comfort-language)
But God’s Ear, the most powerful bulwark of all is always accessible.

My friend, who is on mat-leave with a DARLING new baby
that no one can come and see or cuddle
sent me this when I told her I’m stressing over every throat-scratch!
Laughter really is a wonderful medicine!


 I read the excerpt below on one of my favorite blogs
 on today's post; God Himself Scraped and Torn


In a daring and beautiful creative reversal, 
God takes the worse we can do to Him
and turns it into the very best He can do for us.
~Malcolm Guite from The Word in the Wilderness


The best that we can ever have
Came through the Worst love bore for us
When God gave Heaven’s Best to brave
The Worst (Man’s sin) on cruel cross

The Worst that we must brave is small
Compared to what the Best will be
For God so loved us, one and all
He paid sin’s debt on Calvary

…so that the worst may taste the Best
Because the Best suffered the worst
Our prayer and supplication blessed
Because we are no longer cursed

Therefore to turn away from He
Who gave His best to save mankind
Deserves the worst that there can be
When little life is left behind

© Janet Martin


Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry. 
But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
 to sever their memory from the earth.…
Psalm 34:14-16

John 9:31
We know that God does not listen to sinners, 
but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.


1 Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer.
 But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

Mercy-Drenched



My first thought when I looked outside this morning was "Oh no!"
(Seeing something is totally different than hearing about it, isn't it!...on so many fronts!)
My second thought was,
 "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; 
Isa. 1:18
Hallelujah! 

thinking about how seeing something is far different
 than simply hearing about it 
made me think of this song



Morning fair-gleams,
Bursting its seams
With Mercy-streams renewed
The brush and blow
Of high and low
Resumes its aptitude
We pause to gape,
Awed by dawn’s cape,
Stuff cheeks like autumn squirrels
Then go our way,
Forget to pray;
Like swine-herds trampling pearls

The dreamer trails
His home-spun sails
Like kite-tails in the sand
Waiting to toss
Star-studded gloss
Far from his untried hand
Where ebb and surge
Of lilt and dirge
Merge in a clash of chords
Where war and peace
Roar and release
Forging plowshares from swords

Love’s give and take
Begins to shake
The core of what we clenched
But lo, look up
God tips a cup
And dawn is Mercy-drenched
As white as snow
Our guilt-stains flow
With two words, “I believe”
And sorrow brims
With thank-you hymns
For the grace faith receives

© Janet Martin

I Ask Not For Understanding...Just Faith

While I was writing this I found out about a barn fire in our community, 
I read Today's Daily Bread devotion: below is the first paragraph:
In the Middle Eastern country where they live, Adrian and his family suffer persecution for their faith. Yet, through it all, they demonstrate Christ’s love. Standing in his church courtyard, which was pummeled by bullets when terrorists used it as training ground, he said, “Today is Good Friday. We remember that Jesus suffered for us on the cross.” And suffering, he continued, is something that believers in Jesus there understand. But his family chooses to remain in their homeland: “We’re still here, still standing.”...
I prayed for my mom who this week was tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. She is doing reasonably well (over the worst, we hope) and is in the 3rd week of Quarantine. Please can you remember her in your prayers and pray for dad's protection?! 
I revisited a WOW-some Message I listened to yesterday by Dr. Charles Stanley...
 

I talked to hubby and daughter Emily on the phone for a while...about life!
...and in all of it found pieces to press into poem.
Praying this Good Friday, that soul-searching turns into worship in spirit and in truth...
 (and for my Russian friend/friends)
The STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL version below!

I ask not for understanding but for faith to ‘just believe
Taking at God’s Word His promise of the life we will receive
Yes indeed, we will have trouble, but His Name is like a tow’r
Standing firm amidst the rubble; the cross cannot lose its pow’r

I ask not for understanding but for faith to ‘just obey
To take up the cross of service and to follow all the way
If the gain of this world’s treasure claims the price-tag of the soul

I ask not for understanding but for faith to ‘just endure
Time is like a little teardrop on the cheek of Evermore
Where salvation grants Hope’s Wings that help us soar above earth’s loss
As we bow in humble worship in the shadow of the cross

© Janet Martin