Monthly Archives: March 2011

Guests

Once Again

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Good late Friday afternoon, y’all. I have a special treat for you.  Jamie’s been writing again and I am delighted that she has allowed me to share her thoughts with you.

Enjoy! And be blessed!

Once again

by Jamie Martin on Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 1:47 pm

So, God used our youth pastor to bring an amazing and challenging message last night. Prior to that, we had worship. We sang a song I know, but do not know much about. Such as title, artist and so on. The last part of the chorus says “once again I thank you, once again I pour out my life”. I’m not sure if the writer of this song was meaning it the way I took it…but ya know! As we sang those two lines, I just saw a mental picture of my life and heart being poured out to God at that moment. In worship, I believe, that is essentially what you’re doing. Pouring yourself on God. Giving Him everything you are.

Well, as I saw this “mental picture”, I began seeing some of the things I fill my heart and life with. I was literally watching myself “pour” these things on Jesus. Everything. Good. Bad. Ugly. Are these really things God wants me to offer Him? “No” He said to me in that moment.

The following message would only push that further. I can’t begin to tell everything here, but essentially the challenge question was “does your life look like THE book?”. When others look at my life, do they see Jesus? The one and only? The perfect son of God? The one who left all the majesty of Heaven to live among us? The one who was persecuted and hated? The one we put to a cruel death? The one who sacrificed Himself for you and for me? That’s the Bible, right? Jesus. He was there from beginning to end. Genesis to Revelation. Does my life point others to THAT Jesus.

I’m challenged to rid my mind and heart of the junk that’s crowding all the things God is looking for. When I come before my Holy, perfect God to worship Him…to pour out my life to Him, I SO want it to be God honoring things. Not trivial junk. Not “idols” I have placed before Him. Not “good” stuff that I know HE has said is not HIS doing. Just because something is a good thing, doesn’t mean it’s a God thing. (I wish I could remember who I heard say that recently, but I can’t). When all that stuff is gone, then and only then will my life point people to Jesus. And that is why I am here. To tell people about this Jesus that has come into my life and radically changed me.

Praying for These

Until Then + + +
Kathie

Fascinating Facts of the Faith

DAY 58

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Fascinating Facts of the Faith

2008 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
ISBN 978-1-60260-013-3
www.barbourbooks.com

 

Women of the Faith
Fanny J. Crosby
(1820-1915)
American hymn writer and poet

The Parents of baby Frances Jane Crosby, born March 24, 1820, became alarmed when they noticed their tiny infant’s eyes were red and inflamed. A doctor wasn’t readily available, so when Frances was six weeks old, her parents took her to a practitioner who was later exposed as a quack. After his prescribed treatment, the infection gradually healed, but the damage to little Frances’s eyes was permanent. She was blind.
Fourteen years later, Frances traveled by stagecoach to the New York Institute for the Blind. She described the day as the happiest of her life. Miss Crosby spent two decades at the Institute. When her own schooling there was complete, she stayed on as a teacher. Nationally recognized as “The Blind Poetess,” she was called upon many times to write and recite a poem for visiting U.S. presidents and other dignitaries.
In 1858 Frances (better known as Fanny) married a fellow teacher and blind musician, Alexander Van Alstyne, and they left the institute to begin a new life. Sadly, their only child died in infancy. Fanny’s life work was redirected in 1864 when William Bradbury encouraged her to write Sunday school hymns.
Fanny Crosby perceived her blindness as a gift from God. She even believed the practitioner’s mistake became a prelude to her writing nearly nine thousand hymns. “Blessed Assurance” and many other beloved hymns became favorites at D.L. Moody’s revivals and are still being sung in congregations today.

FACT: Fanny Crosby never earned more than four hundred dollars per year and gave away anything not needed for basic living. She spent countless hours ministering in street missions and the slums of New York, where she also lived.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.
Philippians 4:12

Praying for These

The good reports regarding Jenny keep coming. Your prayers are appreciated, please continue. Rosemary is home and improving well. Perry is home and slowly gaining strength — prayers appreciated. I cannot confirm word on Iris but hoping she will be going home soon, and possibly already there. Elaine just sent me an email and she is rallying – prayers appreciated, please continue.

ABBA, we thank You for these reports, so grateful! And we continue to ask for complete recoveries for each of these.  We continue to ask You favor and tending of all on our caring list as well as protection and safety for our IDOK Troops. I praise You and thank You for the continuing ministry of the hymns and poems You gave to Fanny to write. Thank You for the life she lived and for the promises she now enjoys with You. We pray to likewise do as You have called us to do in our allotted time here.
Again, we pray for the peace and salvation of Israel. And for repentance and an awakening among the people of America. Thank You for this Country. Thank You for ordaining and birthing it; please forgive us and have mercy upon us, redeem us, JESUS, I pray.
Thank You for each IDOK; thank You for every word You have given through this ministry and I pray that each will be used again and again for Your Glory and the betterment of others. Amen and amen.

Until Then + + +
Kathie

Assurance - Promise, Christian Living

A Few Alls

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Got some ALL this morning and I liked it – a lot!

First I read Psalm 111:10.  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His instructions have good insight.

See that word ALL?  ALL – not a select few but ALL who follow JESUS’ instructions have good insight.  I got some good insight. Not perfect, but good.  No more false humility when it is recognized by others — just flat out glory to JESUS for giving it to me!! Yikes! This will take practice. :)

Next.

Proverbs 3 speaks of wisdom. Something achievable in CHRIST JESUS.  And look with me at just a few verses and what the acquiring of wisdom promises us.

17 Her ways are pleasant ways and all (there’s that word again) her paths are peace.

When I, when you live in wisdom ALL our journeys are marked with peace — even when war wages around us — we have peace.
This is going to take LOTS OF PRACTICE for me! I better be diligent about getting me some wisdom!

18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are ALL who hold her fast.

Oh my goodness! Does this mean when I’m not a ‘happy camper’, I’m not walking in wisdom? What do you think?

Now for just the pure pleasure of it read verses 19 – 26.  I read them to my beloved this morning and he liked them!

Proverbs 3:19The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens.
20By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the skies drip with dew.
21My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck.
23Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble.
24When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes;
26For the LORD will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught.
via Proverbs 3:19-26 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

That really does not need any KT paraphrasing, does it? Not sure I can resist though.  The comfort, encouragement, and counsel in these verses FEELS so good!  To walk securely, my foot to not stumble; to lie down without fear, to sleep in sweet peace; and when calamity comes, He is my confidence and will keep me from entrapment. That is just flat out GOOD!

Sweet Wednesday to you all in JESUS Name and walking in His wisdom — it’s a given.

Praying for These

 Thank You, DADDY GOD, for this passage and, HOLY SPIRIT, I pray You will administer it to each One who reads it just as they need it.
And thank You for good reports for Iris, Rosemary, and Perry.  I pray Perry will come home soon and her strength will return and I pray this for Iris too. Thank You that Jenny continues to progress and thank You that she will be restored.  I pray for all the ins and outs of that coming to be, for strength and courage for all the family as the weeks come and go. Please keep safe and protected our IDOK Troops.  Yes, Dawn and her family, and Elaine and Billy and their family and many others — all those listed at our link, thank You for allowing us to pray for them and thank You for the Good work You on doing in them and on their behalf.  Thank You JESUS. And Israel, dare not forget them – my heart’s desire for them is to KNOW You as Messiah. ABBA, we love You. Thank You for making it possible. Amen and amen.

Until Then + + +
Kathie  

Christian Living

The Squeeze

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 I am flat out enjoying the new colors in our hall bath. I often stop in passing, lean my head against the door facing and just smile. 

As I begin to write I am fresh from cleaning the miniature roller I used this morning for some touch up and I have an application to share with you. It is by no means new but I have to have something to write about for our Tuesday time together.  :)

I noticed it takes a lot of water to get the paint roller clean. Even when the roller looked clean and white again and I thougth I might be finished, with just a little squeeze I knew there was yet paint hiding deep in the roller. 

Is a picture forming for you?

It takes a lot of WATER of the Word to work (wash) the practice of sin out of us. I say practice because once we say YES to JESUS and Eternal Life is received within, positionally we are fully and completely and thoroughly clean before ABBA. But oh my goodness the HOLY SPIRIT, He has much work to do to correct and change our practices!  I have heard it said it only takes a moment to rescue a sinner from hell but it takes a lifetime to get the hell out of the sinner.  I am living proof to the truth of that! And washing that paint roller this morning surely reminded me of it.

At times  I look pretty good in practice and I might even think I am doing pretty good and I surely am doing better than I used to. BUT let me get squeezed just right and uh oh — I didn’t know that was in there!!  Makes me grateful for the squeezes AND the Water.  Cause I really do want to be clean in practice, don’t you?  See why I say it takes a lot of ‘WATER’ to wash the sin out of saved sinners.

One more thought, well perhaps two  — I had to kept pouring that water on that roller to get it clean. If I had shut off the water too soon — that roller would still be dirty.

We have to keep applying the Word of God, a steady stream of it I’d say, moment by moment, day after day until we are completely clean.  Which, of course, will take a lifetime you know. But, think about it, what better way to spend our ‘three score and twenty’?

Roll that paint on the walls, apply those touch ups, wash those rollers and brushes and often lean your head on the chest of JESUS and enjoy the beautiful paint on the walls of your life!

And the squeeze?  Remember I said, “with just a little squeeze I knew there was yet paint hiding deep in the roller.”?     Can you say with me, Thank You, ABBA, thank You so much for loving me enough to SQUEEZE me? For without the squeezes I would not know what is in me! 

And my Dear Ones this is two fold good. Sometimes He squeezes or allow us to be squeezed so we will see not what needs washing away but what has been washed away! The squeeze lets us see that He has been doing some really great work in us — more than we even knew! With the squeeze we see clean, clear, fresh water flowing from us!! How good is that?!

Clean water flowing and beautiful paint on the walls of our lives!!  I tell you, it don’t get any better!! :)

Philippians 1: (New American Standard Bible) 6For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. source

Isaiah 1: (King James Version) 17Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:  source

I like this application, ABBA, I am so glad to have it; so glad to write it and I pray the sharing of it will bless each Reader. And as they gather here to read and pray I ask that You administer it just as You will. Thank You for this ministry. Thank You for every Reader. Thank You for every prayer that is prayed and thank You for every answer You give. Thank You for every life that is touched and thank You for what You will yet do with this group of believers.  In agreement, we bring to Your Throne the needs and faces of those represented by name and we thank You for what You have done for them already and what You will yet do.  Thank You for the safety and protection You have given our IDOK Troops and we ask that You please continue to do that.  Thank You for the messages we have heard; thank You for eyes to see the signs that You display before us each day.  And, ABBA, as I have been so carefully reminded I pray for Israel, gather them to Yourself, I pray for more and more even today to believe and received YESHUA  as their Messiah. Amen and amen in His Holy Name. 

Until Then + + +
KathieÂ