Open to the public....

Open to the public......

It seems like there are times when whatever we do, we are on display...not really wanting to be, but we just are...and maybe that is the way we feel and may not be a reality..maybe no one is really looking or even cares...but it may be just one person who is looking and that is the one God has for that time...

For whatever reason we are on display for good or bad....not for a performance but just daily living...how we react, how we show Christ or not in our lives...what our words are...whatever...

Today is a funeral for a friend...his life will be on display as well as his wife and children...before a believing and unbelieving world...what is said may effect many, or  it may touch one person's life for eternity...pray that Jesus' name be glorified through all of this...not just the deceased....

Thank YOU that You went on display for us...for the world to see...how much You love each and every person...You died that we might live...you were made low that You might  lift up...You, who created the world, humbled yourself  for us...

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

Philippians 2:7-9 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man,he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest placeand gave him the name that is above every name, 

The Life Of Jesus In Mortal Bodies   A daily devotion for September 11th   From your friends at RayStedman.org     Read: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15       For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body (2 Corinthians 4:11).       What we want, of course, is to be like Him. But the power of God is the miracle of others seeing in us, in the midst of our pressures and trials, the character and the life of Jesus. I have always been amused and challenged by the verse in Colossians 1, where Paul prays that his friends in Colosse may be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might (Colossians 1:11a). What are they going to use all this power for? It sounds as though Paul ought to say, So that you can go about doing great miracles; so that you can astonish people with the tremendous magnetism of your preaching and teaching and be followed by great crowds.But that is not what he says. He says, I pray that you may be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience (Colossians 1:11). That is what takes power; that is where the life and the power of God is manifest. That is the life of Jesus. As you read through the gospels, the Spirit of God brings to your mind's eye a far more beautiful and wonderful picture, perhaps, of Jesus' character and life. You see His compassion of heart, His moral beauty that attracted people everywhere He went. You see the serenity of His spirit, how He moves through every scene of anger and unrest with calmness and quietness. You see His disciplined will and His obvious joy in living. That is the life of Jesus, and that is what we want, isn't it? How do you get it? The secret, Paul says, is our consent to share in the dying of Jesus. What does he mean by the dying of Jesus? You know he does not mean that we have to get ourselves nailed to a cross. But that cross is a symbol of something very real in our experience. What was Jesus like on the cross? He was not powerful and impressive and significant; He was not being applauded by the multitudes that listened to His every word. No. The cross was a place of physical weakness, of rejection by the proud and arrogant world around Him. It was a place of obscurity, a place where He was willing to lose everything He had built and to trust God to bring it back and make it significant. Have you been in those circumstances recently, where no matter what you do you cannot seem to get any glory or credit for yourself? That is exactly where God wants you, because out of those times of inordinate pressure, times of hurt and despair and heartache and a sense of being wasted and not used, God is working His will. Others, perhaps, are being given life because of the death you are going through. Lord, there are times when I go through trials. How my heart longs to cry out to You to deliver me from them. May I rather learn instead, Lord, that wonderful attitude of the Lord Jesus, if it be possible, may this cup pass from Me. Nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done.       Life Application   Are we being so changed by our relationship with Christ that others who are in our lives see the glory of His character? How can we share in the dying of Jesus?   Related Message   For more on this portion of Scripture read the message: Your Pot -- His Power or listen to the audio by clicking:   Listen to Ray     Previous Devotions for September Next       Want to Subscribe?   Subscribe / Unsubscribe to this Daily Devotion by Email   Copyright © 2014 Ray Stedman Ministries — This daily devotion is from the book The Power of His Presence: a year of devotions from the writings of Ray Stedman, compiled by Mark Mitchell. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice and a hyperlink to RayStedman.org if the copy is posted on the Internet.

 

God remembered....

God remembered...

My daughter sent me the following devotional yesterday...as we are planning to attend yet another funeral of "too young of a friend and colleague". And then I decided to look up the main phrase..."God remembered"

his-love and faithfulness, salvation, promises, covenant, redeemer, their weaknesses....

It is not that he goes away and forgets...He is always there, not in our timing, not in "our" plans, not even in our wildest imagination...or the "whys" and "how come"...

he knows our frame, our weaknesses...all of it...and He remembers ....and takes care of things in His time, in His way...

Thank YOU that You remember me, those around me...You are faithful, You keep your promises...You are my Rock...as we journey through this passing life....

Psalm 98:3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 

Genesis 19:29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived. 

Genesis 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. 

Exodus 2:24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 

Psalm 78:35, 39 They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return. 

"When the Flood Comes

Wendy Pope

Genesis 8:1 (NIV) “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.”

Christians have many benefits as children of God, but flood-free lives are not one of them. Perhaps this is one of the most difficult things to accept.

Noah spent his life walking with God, yet he and his family faced a horrific storm. As the door of the ark was closed, Noah’s only hope was to trust God through the unknown.

We all have faced unknown storms. The untimely death of a family member. The uncertainty of our health. Unemployment. Just to name a few. But our key verse gives us a certainty for times that are uncertain.

No matter the severity of the storm or how we arrived in its eye, we can trust two simple truths about God and the floods we face: 1) God remembers His plan for us. 2) God remembers His love for us.

A storm doesn’t mean God forgot us. God remembered Noah and gave him instructions to build the ark. It was Noah’s obedience that kept his family safe when the flood rose.  In the same way, God directs us, and our safety often requires obedience.

Whether we are currently in a storm or just on the other side of one, we can be certain our storm will end. Isn’t it comforting to know that God will be with us through it all?

Prayer: Lord, these two trustworthy truths are simple. Help me to remember them when the flood comes. As Your Word has strengthened my faith"

Sleeping alone .....

Sleeping alone...

Upon the death of a spouse, we who are left, all of the sudden are sleeping alone not by choice....oh, maybe We have been doing that for awhile because of snoring or whatever, but that is by choice...now it is not..all of the sudden, we reach across the bed and no one is there and the space is empty....we wander around the house as if looking for some one and they are gone...

As if in a dream, we check their comfy chair, or their office space and they are still not there...then we realize in our wakefulness that they are gone and won't be coming back...we wanted to have the morning kiss or hug, or tell them something, just their presence ...and it has vanished...the realization of their departure  hits  again and again...for so many reasons...they aren't going to call, or drive up....we can't check in, the house temperature is our responsibility, whatever chores are ours as well...no sharing ....alone....

We can sense God's presence...it is almost tangible...His peace, comfort...even His Joy and understanding...we can talk to Him and we may even talk to our spouse as we work through each day and night..."what do I do now" or "I am so missing you"... This aloneness isn't fun and wasn't part of my plans....and maybe even the "whys"...  

It takes months not to expect those phone calls...those moments of conversation...we have practiced them for so long ....the ambushes of the vehicles as they turn the "wrong " way and we don't know the drivers...the little things that we associate with our loved ones...

We have turned the page to a new and different chapter, still part of God's plan...different from ours...we just couldn't read ahead...but, God has...

Thank YOU for filling each page of our book with Your perfect will for our lives...but please comfort us when we are sleeping alone, when the tears soak our pillows, when we need answers or just a comforting thought...each and every hour...bringing the joy and peace that only You can give us...

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 

Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8 Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, 

I will never be shaken. 

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. 

My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him,for God is our refuge. 

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

Songs...again...

Songs...again...

"Blessings"

"The Rock won't move"

"When the stars burn down", singing blessing to our God...

"Cornerstone"

Songs we sang at church yesterday morning...all faith builders...after the laments...and still lamenting ....praying for peace, comfort, decisions ...of families facing tremendous decisions...and no "head" anymore...

I remember when my mother passed away surprisingly...I was like a robot in some ways...going through the motions ....then the same happened with my husband and with my father....going through the motions, trying to get everything accomplished, the papers signed, the funerals/memorials planned quickly, meaningfully...people taken care of...items taken care of...motels, car rentals, mortuaries, speakers, seating, people feelings...

God undergirded everything silently, peacefully, ....adding strength upon strength...He was in the midst of it all..

Thank YOU, for adding peace, strength...to our lives when we need it so desperately....

Psalm 18:32 It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. 

Psalm 28:6-7 Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield;my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. 

Psalm 59:16 But I will sing of your strength,in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. 

A lament....2...

A lament...2...

1. la·ment

   /ləˈment/

   noun

   • 1.a passionate expression of grief or sorrow"his mother's night-long laments for his father"synonyms:wail, wailing, lamentation, moan, moaning, ... more

   verb

   • 1.mourn (a person's loss or death)"he was lamenting the death of his infant daughter"synonyms:mourn, grieve, sorrow, wail, weep, ... moreantonyms:celebrate, rejoice

   Powered by  Oxford Dictionaries

   
   

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   Yesterday, when I wrote my blog, I didn't realize how the day was going to play out...

   
   

   It was that there was a sadness that seemed to touch my soul early on...

   As the morning proceeded, I found out that my husband's business partner had passed away the previous day from the cancer he had been battling so courageously...too young, with four wonderful children, a great supporting wife...a sorrow...a lament...seemed appropriate ....

   
   

   Even though the opposite was happening in the heavens that another Christian geologist gained heaven and reached those gold paved streets...

   
   

   Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of his faithful servants. 

   
   

   He and my husband spent their careers looking for the minerals that are built into heaven...and now they have found them abundantly...and can look to their hearts content...

   
   

   They, who are left here, still need the prayers of others to make it through the days and nights...his wife needs the Herculean strength that only God gives to his children, to face each day that is coming, the rest, the right decisions...the children need the comfort of others, as well as their mother to go on without their beloved father...God can be their guide, their father, their husband ...an intimate help in all things..

   
   

   They may lament, groan, cry, weep, grieve...but there will be times of guilty laughter, joy as well...in the coming weeks ahead....as they need the prayers of others to uphold them through this time...

   
   

   Thank YOU that You comfort us ....You hold us up when we stumble, You enfold us when we cry out..You give wisdom when we ask...You welcome us Home....You number our days...and bless them with good things....Help this wife and children to lean into You and be comforted...

   
   

   
   

   Psalm 90:12 Teach us to number our days,that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 

   
   

   2 Corinthians 1:3-7 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 

A lament....

A lament...

Ezekiel 19:10-14 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water. 

Its branches were strong, fit for a ruler’s scepter.

It towered high above the thick foliage, conspicuous for its height and for its many branches. 

But it was uprooted in fury and thrown to the ground.The east wind made it shrivel, it was stripped of its fruit; its strong branches withered and fire consumed them. 

Now it is planted in the desert, in a dry and thirsty land. Fire spread from one of its main branches and consumed its fruit. 

No strong branch is left on it fit for a ruler’s scepter.’

"This is a lament and is to be used as a lament.” 

I woke up with this scripture in my mind...

Yesterday as the day passed from morning to afternoon, the clouds darkened and darkened over our dry and thirsty land, until a beautiful rainbow appeared in the east sky and the the skies opened up with a torrent of rain...the earth quickly soaking up the moisture that it needs so desperately. And this morning, it is crystal clear...

This year we have had the dry winds, the fires, the dryness, but the gardens have flourished in the continued warmth...

But this passage is about so much more than our summer weather..it is about  flourishing ending in downfall...fruitfulness to withering, abundance to emptiness, strong to weak, heights to the ground .. A lament of a nation, a person, when they or he/she has gone down...and nothing is left ...

What a sad ending to popularity, pride, heights of profession, seeking other gods, turning away from God...a lament....

thank YOU for Your word as constant reminders of how easy it is to fall, to go from the mountain tops to the valleys of life.. .help me keep my eyes focused on You and Your ever present love...

Rest...

Rest...

My cell phone would not work...then my iPad would not work...so after several frustrating tries, I shut the whole system down throughout the house...turned off the power, waited, and restarted it...

And just like that everything turned on and worked wonderfully again...just in overuse mode...

Kind of like me after coming home from a very busy summer...I was in overload and needed some rest...had caught  a bug that was a little resistant to medicines and had to double it for a longer period of time....and I needed to rest both bodily and mindfully...and I don't like taking naps, but that was not my call...shut down and be still and rest....get recharged, and then start up again...hard to accept, but it was worth it...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1-W3B3OUkN0

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9693D91yaUE

I want to go full steam ahead all the time, and have a hard time remembering that I can't do that....

For as long as I can remember, my father would lay down in the middle of the day, cover his eyes with his handkerchief and take a ten minute power nap...when I was little, we would would go out to tend cattle or look over the range...we would eat our lunch sitting in the pastures in the blowing grasses, or near a spring, or sitting on a rock on the hillside, and he would lay back, cover his eyes and be out..,and then arise and be ready to finish the day with renewed strength... As I got older, we sat in the woods, or near a river or wherever we happened to be and he would do the same...

I was wide awake!!!

Then I married and my husband could do the same, take a power nap and be rejuvenated quickly by a few minutes of rest...wherever he might be, in the truck, on the hillside,....

And I was wide awake, again...and I felt guilty napping...but, not as much as I used  to...

Rest....we all need it from time to time...for our weary minds and bodies...it is good emotionally and physically...

Thank YOU for giving us rest...helping me realize that it is okay to rest...and to rest in You...

Exodus 33:14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

Psalm 16:9, 11 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;my body also will rest secure, You make known to me the path of life;you will fill me with joy in your presence,with eternal pleasures at your right hand. 

Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures,he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.