love – Page 37 – Drawing Closer to Christ

Confidence in Christ Jesus

1 John 5:14 NIV, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

It was a busy weekend for me, as I continue packing for my upcoming move. It always amazes me how much stuff can accumulate over time. I still have a few Little Golden books from when I was little. Going through all this stuff, reminds me of the many stages of life I have been through. When I see items from years gone by, I can see how fast time has flown.

The love and care that God shows us does not change. Circumstances may change. People may change, or we may even change. But God, He remains the same. His faithfulness is constant. During times where my needs were lacking, I knew God would somehow provide for me. Because He always has, and I know He always will. That’s the confidence we have in knowing Christ. In Him, we have a firm foundation. We can be sure. Sometimes we hesitate to believe, but when it comes to Him, we don’t have to hesitate. We can freely trust and believe.

As we start this new week, His presence is with us and living in us through the Holy Spirit. We can ask Him for what we need. Every need we have, rather big, small or somewhere in between, He has promised to lovingly supply. When your heart feels anxious and life tries to overwhelm you, remember that God is still greater than whatever or whoever.

May you be blessed, as you walk in the confidence that comes from knowing who you are in Christ Jesus our Lord.

One Way…Jesus (pt 2)

One way…Jesus (pt 1)

We explained to her that we had met Jerry through the singles ministry at church. She seemed astonished and became very inquisitive about His church attendance. She didn’t waste anytime asking us if we knew rather or not her Uncle had become a Christian. So we begin to share with her how Jerry had accepted Jesus as his Savior, and had become a faithful member of the singles ministry. The look on her face was priceless. I remember hearing her inhale in surprise.

It was such a thrill for me and the other group leader to be able to share the good news about Jerry with her. Although we hadn’t known Jerry very long, being able to assure her that he had chosen to give his heart to Jesus brought us so much joy.

She briefly looked around the room. Then she showed us the small Bible that she had in her hand. She said she knew that many of the family members were unsaved, and that she had asked the Lord for a chance to share His Word with them. She opened the little Bible and showed us several of the scriptures that she had highlighted. We exchanged a few more words with her, before she moved on to speak to others in the crowd.

I glanced over at my friend Jerry and admired the gold cross that he was holding in his hand. Although his old physical body was lying there lifeless in the casket, I knew for certain that he was now in the presence of the Lord, with his new heavenly body. No more pain, no more hurt, and no more divorce.

I’m thankful the Lord allowed us to be standing in the right place at the right time so that we could meet Jerry’s niece. I was delighted to be a part of a moment that was so special to her…finding out about her Uncle’s new life in Jesus Christ. Jerry lost something valuable when his marriage dissolved, but he found something priceless, when he gained eternal life through Jesus.

Some people say there are many ways to God, but Jesus said this and I believe Him…

John 14:6 NIV, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

There is nothing that is too hard for God. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. He knew what Jerry needed. He’s knows what you and I need. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

One Way…Jesus.

One Way…Jesus (pt 1)

John 14:6 NLT, “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

During my eleven years in Michigan, I attended two different churches. The first church I attended for about eight years. For two of those years, I had the privilege to serve as a group leader in the Singles Ministry. This particular Singles Ministry was for ages thirty and up. As group leaders, we were responsible for helping to facilitate the Sunday morning discussions. Proverbs 2:8 was our theme scripture. Our ministry was called, “One Way Singles Ministry”, since Jesus is the One Way.

Proverbs 2:8 NIV, “for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.”

I’ll never forget one man who was part of our ministry. His name was Jerry, and he was 70 years old. He was actually the oldest member of our ministry. Jerry had not been a Christian for the majority of his life, but he had come to know the Lord through the pain and hurt of divorce. His wife of fifty years, had left him for her high school sweetheart.

It was always hard to understand how something like this could happen, but Jerry had so much joy in his heart. Whenever you spoke to him, you could sense the love he had for the Lord. He would share how empty his life was before he came to know Jesus.

Jerry became terminally ill, and I still remember the last conversation I had with him about two weeks before he passed away. He asked me how I was doing, and he had so much concern and compassion. I could feel how genuine his spirit was.

The day before Jerry’s funeral, I attended the viewing at the funeral home, along with one of my fellow group leaders. While we were there, standing near the casket, a woman came in and told us she was Jerry’s niece. She seemed very anxious and begin to explain to us that she had not seen her Uncle Jerry in quite awhile. She had just found out about his death the day before.

He Never Forsakes Us

Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV, “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

I remember the days when although I was a Christian, I was not following the Lord closely. I was in church most Sundays, listening to the sermon and singing songs just like everyone else. However, the rest of the week, I lived like I wanted to, with little or no regard for the Lord and His ways.

When I think of His past faithfulness to me, in spite of me, my heart rejoices. I’m thankful that God was patient and kind with me as I learned what it truly meant to be committed to Jesus. It does take time to grow in the ways of the Lord, and growing in Him is something that we should always be striving to do throughout our time here on Earth. If we don’t seek Him, we won’t find Him.

Looking back and seeing how God has kept us and used the things in our lives, both good and bad, to draw us closer to Himself, is a way of understanding His eternal love for us. The things we go through may not always make sense at the time, but I’m glad He never forsakes us, and has mercy on us through it all.

Love and Truth

Psalm 143:10, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

God is love, and God is Truth. As Christians, we should allow ourselves to be guided by His love and truth as we go through this life. God’s definition of love, often differs from the worlds. And of course truth, has become whatever people want it to be. Whatever makes them feel good is deemed to be true. However, God’s Word does not change based on our feelings. He will lead us on level ground, but we must be willing to follow Him.

John 10:27 NIV, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

The love and truth that is found in Christ is priceless. It is imperative that we listen to Him, so that we will not be lead astray by the deception of the world. As the old hymn says, “On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.” May you walk in the joy of God’s love and truth, and stand firm knowing that as you follow Christ, His faithfulness to you will never end.

Teachers Are Amazing People 🍎

Teachers are some of the first people we meet in life that have a significant impact on us. I admire them for the contributions and sacrifices they make everyday. I know that for them to do what they do, they must care deeply about others. I still remember the names of most of my teachers from grade school. To me, teachers are hero’s.

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of joining The Teachers Ministry at church. The purpose of the ministry is to encourage teachers by showing them appreciation throughout the school year. (Below are two pictures from a recent event we had at the school.) One of the best parts of the ministry is the prayer box, where teachers are free to leave prayer requests so that we can pray for their needs. The leader of the ministry is a retired teacher who taught elementary school, and it’s been a blessing working with her.

Please remember to pray for the strength of our teachers as they begin this new school year. 1 Thessalonians 1:2 NIV, “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.”

I wanted to acknowledge some of my fellow bloggers who I know are teachers or retired teachers, and share their post related to the joys of teaching. Thank you for all you do, or have done, to help others through your gift of teaching. You are truly making a difference in ways you may never know. (If you work or have worked as a teacher or teacher’s aide in any capacity feel free to let me know in the comments.)

🍎Matt @ Jesusluvsall – teaches English to adult students from many different countries. By doing this he is empowering them to have more success in America. https://jesusluvsall.wordpress.com/2019/09/03/back-to-school/

🍏Jacquie @ Joy Cottage – teaches God Word through mentoring and counseling youth. She is working to win youth for Jesus. https://joycottage.blog/2019/06/26/youth-teens-are-so-capable/

🍎Deborah @ Great is God’s Faithfulness – teaches Pre-K students as a teachers aide and often shares some of the cutest stories. http://greatisgodsfaithfulness.blog/2019/07/27/was-that-jesus-on-the-phone/

🍏Big Sky Buckeye is a retired teacher who wrote a poem called Back to School. https://bigskybuckeye.com/2019/08/10/back-to-school/

🍎Grace and Pink is an elementary school teacher who shared her story about an epiphany she had while teaching one day. https://graceandpink.home.blog/2019/04/07/epiphany/

🍏Untangling Life’s Web teaches young children and also uses her blog as a platform to teach lessons. https://untanglinglifesweb.wordpress.com/2019/07/16/easy-goal-setting-tips-and-activities-for-children/

Jesus, Our Daily Bread

John 6:35, “Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

I hadn’t heard this song Breathe by Michael Smith in years, but I woke up this morning with it on my mind. Truly Jesus is the air that we breathe. As Christians, His Holy Presence living inside of us is everything. He is the bread of life. In Him we are filled completely. He is the One who can take away our emptiness and replace it with joy. His words give us life and hope.

Praying you have a very blessed day!

I hope you enjoy this song:

Breathe by Michael Smith

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