Category: Salvation

Fully Awake

On earth, I moved and lived. I laughed till I cried and sobbed my heart out. I loved till I didn’t think I could love any more, and then was wonderfully loved, more than I could have imagined. I felt strong, able and confident; then I got old, weak and full of pain. On the  whole I’ve had a pleasant and comfortable life, knowing the presence of God since I was a small child.

Then I “died.” When people thought my life had ended, it had only begun! Now I was fully awake, more aware of myself and my surroundings than I had ever been on earth.

Now in heaven, I saw Jesus face to face and fell down and worshipped at my Father’s feet. Surrounded by mighty angels, I hardly noticed them; so insignificant were they compared to the luminous glory of God and His Beloved Son.

I suddenly knew the meaning of love, joy, peace and contentment. I was more alive than I’d ever been on earth! Now I learned the full meaning of being awake and aware. Enjoy the pleasantness of life on earth. Love and serve God and others to the best of your ability. Then look forward to that day in heaven. That day you become fully awake.

Because I am righteous, I will see you. When I am awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied. (Psalm 17:15 NLT)

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Dedicated to Rose Ann Meyer and Marvin Tucker, our children-in-law, who became “fully awake” this summer.

The Treasure Within

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We are like common clay jars that carry this glorious treasure within, so that the extraordinary overflow of power will be seen as God’s not ours. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

Picture a mason jar or a peanut butter, pickle or mayonnaise jar. Suddenly you see one of these filled with one-hundred-dollar bills or precious jewels. You know immediately that the contents make the value, not the container.

That’s what happens when we’re spending significant time with the Lord. Changed from our old lifestyle, we start manifesting different qualities listed in the Bible, such as:

You are always and dearly loved by God! [This fact must become a part of our very being; that’s our basis for receiving the qualities described.] So robe yourself with virtues of God, since you have been divinely chosen to be holy. Be merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness to all. Be gentle and humble, unoffendable in your patience with others. 

 This fruit of the Spirit flows from us, without any effort on our part when we’re with others but comes from our time alone with our Father.  It remains a product of Him living within us, even though some aren’t listed in Galatians 5:22-23 (see below.) Without His working in us, we can’t exercise these qualities; they are only supplied by the Holy Spirit.

But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions:
            Joy that overflows,
            Peace that subdues,
            Patience that endures,
            Kindness in action,
            A life full of virtue,
            Faith that prevails,
           Gentleness of heart, and
           Strength of spirit.
Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.

 _________

 All verses taken from The Passion Translation.

Poem for Those Who’ve Lost Loved Ones This Year

Several of my friends have lost loved ones this year, and I dedicate this poem to them. Some years ago God gave me this idea of the joy those who know Jesus Christ as their Savior and are children of our Father experience when entering heaven. I cannot say this reality fits all who pass this life, for regrettably they turned their backs on the One who could give them this new life. The Gospel of John tells us much about this decision we must make while still alive.

John calls Satan a thief in John 10:10 and we’re told the different purposes he has in our lives and Jesus has for our lives. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they have life and have [it] abundantly.”

Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and in 1 John 3:8 we read, “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” Jesus therefore tells us that Satan wants only our harm, but He came to bless us.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me’” in John 14:6. The thick veil in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem being torn apart from top to bottom when Jesus died indicates that the way for us to know God as our Father is no longer through following laws and rituals but through simply recognizing Jesus as the One who makes us clean before God so we can become His children.

“God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Many people recognize John 3:16 probably more than any other verse in the Bible unless it’s Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

We hardly hear, however, of verses 17-18 in John 3 which say, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Finally, Ezekiel 18:23 records God saying, “Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?”

If anyone does not realize that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for all you’ve done wrong so you can become a child of God, then I ask you to please contact me or talk with someone who is a believer and find out how when you die, you can go to heaven and know the great joy that this poem discusses, plus so much more than words can express.

My Destiny

Joy unspeakable!
How can I describe this blessedness?
So far surpassing all I imagined
The greatest words cannot do it justice.

“What joy,” you ask,
“What brings such rapture?”

The sight of my Jesus’ face!
How can I picture such love
Such compassion, even for me?
What word describes His glory?
The glory of the only begotten Son!

Then I see my Father!
My Daddy-God.
The tears fall down my face
Tears of humility, adoration and love.
I kneel at His feet and worship
Almighty God!

No eye has seen
No ear has heard
No mind has conceived
What God has prepared
For those who love Him.
(1 Corinthians 2:9)

I cannot tell you all this wonder;
Truly, you must see it for yourself!
 

Receiving God’s Love

God, I don’t really know how to approach You, but a person told me You loved me. Really loved me so much that You gave up your Son on my behalf. Now that’s really hard to believe! I mean, I’m not a good person, so why would You love me or do anything for me?

I’ve been in a deep, deep pit for most of my life. Wanting out but not even knowing how to try to get out. It seemed the harder I tried, the deeper I went. I can’t imagine anyone doing me any favors. No one ever has, so why should You?

But this person told me Jesus loves me and actually suffered all your hatred of my wrong ways, and now I’m free to have a good life, if I only believe that Jesus did this for me. Not only that, but I can become your child. Seems strange for an adult to become someone’s child, even God’s. I didn’t even know my own parents, and my childhood certainly wasn’t something I’d want anyone else to experience.

God, I don’t quite understand all this, but I’m trying. I do believe what I was told that Jesus suffered all your fury for all the horrible things I’ve done. I want to become a different person, a person who can do good for others. I don’t know how I could do anything good for someone; but the person who told me about you, said that I’d find things I could do that would help others. I’d like to be that way – helping people instead of all the evil I’ve done in the past. God, forgive me for all that stuff!

I’ve been rotten and don’t see how anybody could want me, much less You, God. But that’s what I was told, and something happened in my heart at those words. Somehow, I believed them, and they made me smile. I haven’t smiled in a long, long time. I can’t explain it, but something happened, and all the heaviness, anger and bitterness just melted away. Why, I feel like a new person; almost like a little baby just finding out what’s happening in the world and how to adjust to it. Just learning how to be loved, not by a person, but by You, God. Amazing!

Thank you, God, for doing whatever You did to make me feel this way, to give me this joy and this newfound hope. Thank You that Jesus suffered all your wrath over my evil deeds, so I can become a person who’s able to talk with You, to have a relationship with You. God, You are awesome! I just realized that if I’m your child, then You are my Father. What an amazing idea! I’ve never had a father, and now the God of all the universe is my Father. I’m so thankful for this person who told me about You because You have changed my life. You made me a new person, and I love You. I just discovered that: I love You because of what You have done for me. Thank You, Father! Thank You, Jesus!

Who Is Jesus to Me?

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Recently in church we sang songs talking about who Jesus is: our way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper. You wipe away our tears, mend broken hearts, touch every life, heal our diseases, meet every need. Jesus is the Light in the darkness; his blood transforms my life, brings the dead to life, is sufficient for me. He is the highest power so that I am no longer bound to sin and am free!

The Bible assures us Jesus and now the Holy Spirit working in us, fulfills all these vital roles. But do we really trust Him to do these things? To meet our needs, to heal our diseases, to mend our broken hearts?

In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus tells Simon (later called Peter) to put his fishing net on the other side of the boat. Even though these professional fishermen had fished all night and caught nothing, Simon said he would, and he caught so many fish that his nets almost broke, so he called his partners to help catch all the fish. Am I  as willing to do what Jesus tells me to do, even if it doesn’t make sense to me?

Jesus quotes Isaiah 61:1-2 in Luke 4:18-19 (NASB): The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.

Are we not financially poor but spiritually poverty-stricken because we haven’t heard of the rescue from eternal death that Jesus came to give us, as well as abundancy in this life? Are we bound in captivity to style, pride or insecurity? Do we have physical infirmities? Are we oppressed by addiction, co-dependency or other issues? This is the year of redemption from all that! Jesus wants to set us free from the dominion these conditions have in our lives so that we have heart-peace and joy in our spirits.

We sing songs with joy about Jesus providing all we need and read the Bible with all His miracles, claiming we believe it. But when the test comes, do I really? Do I depend on my Father God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit to keep promises to me? Have I checked first to see if conditions exist to gain those promises? Do I really understand who Jesus wants to be for me? Am I willing to let Him change my life dramatically, so He can be?

We must question ourselves and ask repeatedly, “Who is Jesus to me?” Am I letting Him be all He wants to be? What is holding me back? Investigate this!

Clogged Arteries

Many people get clogged arteries as they age and then must take medicine to clear them. But, do I have spiritual clogged arteries? What? When our spiritual arteries get clogged, our relationship with Father God gets hindered and Holy Spirit no longer flows freely within us, just like blood becomes partially blocked in our physical arteries when they’re clogged. Continue reading →

The Batter

Imagine that you are the last batter in the last inning of a baseball game. Already.  your team has two outs and the bases are loaded. If you can make a home run and bring in those four points, your team wins. Otherwise, it loses. What a responsibility!

In the reality of eternal life, each Christ-follower stands at that place. While we will not lose our destiny in heaven, all those on the bases who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior will spend eternity in hell. What an overwhelming responsibility! Yet, if we are willing, the Holy Spirit will use each of us to help show the joy of Jesus to those who do not know Him. Our only responsibility is to obey what our Father asks us to do. We speak when we’re led to speak, we live a life that witnesses to what we say, and we pray for those who do not know our Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Continue reading →

I Don’t Need to Understand

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Last night in church as we sang about how worthy God is, I considered his holiness, righteousness and majesty and realized I’d never be able to imagine it. Lord God Almighty remains far beyond anything or anyone we can possibly comprehend. Only when we’re in heaven will we grasp His significance and imperial majesty.

Then I realized that I don’t need to understand this while on earth. The fact is settled in my heart that God remains above all gods, all kings, all world leaders, anyone anywhere. My spirit realizes God’s greatness and I worship Him coming from that point. I continued in my worship of the One who fills my heart with joy. No understanding required.

That God-shaped Hole

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Feeling kinda down and don’t know why? Your family life is going well, your job’s OK, finances are sufficient for your needs, health is adequate. Yes, you’re not overflowing in any of these areas but things are sufficient, so then why do you still feel like something is lacking? You’re somewhat depressed without being able to understand the reason.  Let me tell you my story. Continue reading →

J-O-Y

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For Christmas a few years ago I was given the three letters to spell joy and as I looked at them today on a what-not shelf, I realized the subject of this devotional. Perhaps you’ve heard the saying to find “joy,” consider Jesus first, others second and yourself last. I thought that way for most of my life but the last few years, I’ve realized that the first commandment Jesus said is to love God with all our hearts and the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves (see Matthew 22:37-40). The more I’ve thought about this, the more I say we must love ourselves before we can know how to love others! Continue reading →

Unimaginable!

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Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.  (1 Corinthians 2:9 New King James Version).

In Part 1 of 1 Corinthians 2:9, we looked at ideas about the eternal life believers find when they die. I said, “Besides living in such an optimal place with our Father, Savior and the Holy Spirit, we’ll enjoy long conversations with loved ones and people from the Bible. God’s promises of eternal rewards occur throughout the New Testament. What a wonderful verse God provides about eternal life. I believe this verse also applies to the life we’re living now as well. That idea follows in Part 2.” Continue reading →

1 Corinthians 2:9 Meditation

 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9 New King James Version)

1 Corinthians 2:9 (Amplified Bible): As the Scripture says, “What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed].” This verse references Isaiah 64:4, from which it quotes, and Isaiah 65:17, printed below. Continue reading →

Salvation and Righteousness Flow!

Open up, O heavens, and pour out your righteousness. Let the earth open wide so salvation and righteousness can sprout up together. I, the LORD, created them. (Isaiah 45:8 New Living Translation)

Father, this is my prayer today: that the heavens would open wide and pour out your righteousness upon me, upon my family and friends, upon everyone. Turmoil abounds all over the world today; perhaps never was your justice and honesty needed more than now. Everywhere I look exists terror and fighting or the threat of it. Many governments seemly don’t care for their people but only their greed. Even nature groans with earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, drought, fires, blizzards and excess heat. Who can make sense of it all? Continue reading →

What a Difference Easter Makes!

Sitting in church Easter Sunday morning, I remembered that Easter morning in church so many years ago. A blind evangelist visited and preached the sermon, making such a real presentation about the two thieves crucified on either side of Jesus. Even though I was only six at the time, I realized that I didn’t know Jesus as my personal Savior and that without Him, I would go to hell when I died. So that morning became my resurrection into the new life that Christ always brings. Continue reading →

The Rest of the Story

What would you think if someone told you about a great opportunity but they neglected to tell you about the consequences if you didn’t take it? You wouldn’t be very happy if you decided against taking this chance and then the result was dire. You would blame the person for not telling the whole truth about the matter. And no one could blame you. Continue reading →

Hummingbirds, Whooping Cranes and Mountains

My husband and I enjoy going to Rockport, Texas where in September we watch as thousands of hummingbirdscrop hummers gather to stock up on food before making the long trip to South America for the winter. These miniature jewels barely weigh 0.11 ounces, being only 3.75 inches long with a wingspan of 4.5 inches; yet many of them fly directly over the Gulf of Mexico. What a wonder our Master Creator made. Continue reading →