Do you know Dorcas?

Truly the Lord is in this place!

Which is exactly how I felt as I participated in the first day of the “It’s Tough Being a Woman” annual retreat in Escanaba.

This year’s Christian get-together focused on Dorcas, aka Tabitha, the seamstress. Although little is known of this follower of Jesus Christ, only six biblical verses are dedicated to her existence, enough was gleaned by the retreat’s organizers to focus an entire weekend event around this dedicated woman of God.

The story of Dorcas is a saga of faith in a Savior, faith that was enriched by good works in His precious name. Dorcas cared for those in her hometown of Joppa by providing clothing to those in need. When she died, which is the account told in book of Acts, she was mourned by many. Her dedication and her reputation was such that when she passed away, Peter, one of Jesus’s original 12 disciples, was called to her side.

Through the Lord's mercy, Peter raised Dorcas from the dead! Can you imagine? Can you envision a scenario more miraculous than being restored to life by a disciple of the Risen Lord? Can you grasp the significance of this seemingly impossible occurrence?

Quickly, here’s the Bible passage about our weekend’s guest star – Acts 9:36-41 (NIV) 36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!” 39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive.

Although we may never be raised from the dead by God, we can find eternal life by believing in His Son Jesus Christ. It’s a fact, and it’s promised over and over again in the New Testament as witnessed by this passage from the disciple whom Jesus loved – 1 John 5:11-12 (NIV) 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Don’t forget that God will forgive our transgressions and purify us from our sin too. And, it’s all because he is faithful as John wrote in 1 John 1:9 (NIV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

How simple is that? Believe, confess, enjoy life in Him. It’s a no-brainer in my estimation.

Besides, just think of all the fun you could be having as a true follower of Jesus. Check out the photographs attached to this blog to get a tiny taste of Christian interaction that, so far this weekend, has included pedicures, manicures, door prizes, scarf sewing and card making, not to mention praise and worship singing, special speakers, good food and much, much more.

Well, I see it’s getting late, 11:44 p.m. to be exact, and 6 a.m. comes pretty early. So good night, and may God bless each and every one of you. Amen.

Blessed are the...

In a reenactment, Jesus preaches
the Sermon on the Mount.

Every additional Beatitude deepens the breach between the disciples and the people. The disciples’ call becomes more and more visible.

Those who mourn are those who are prepared to renounce and live without everything the world calls happiness and peace. They are those who cannot be brought into accord with the world, who cannot conform to the world. They mourn over the world, its guilt, its fate, and its happiness.

No one understands people better than Jesus’s community. No one loves people more than Jesus’ disciples.

That is why they [Jesus’s disciples] stand apart, why they mourn; it is meaningful and lovely that Luther translates the Greek word for what is blessed with “to bear suffering.”

The important part is the bearing.

The community of disciples does not shake off suffering, as if they had nothing to do with it. Instead they bear it. In doing so, they give witness to their connection with the people around them.

At the same time this indicates that they do not arbitrarily seek suffering – that they do not withdraw into willful contempt for the world. Instead, they bear what is laid upon them and what happens to them in discipleship for the sake of Jesus Christ.

Finally, disciples will not be weakened by suffering, worn down, and embittered until they are broken. Instead, they bear suffering, by the power of him who supports them. The disciples bear the suffering laid on them only by the power of him who bears all suffering on the cross.

As bearers of suffering, they stand in communion with the Crucified. They stand as strangers in the power of him who was so alien to the world that it crucified him.
DIETRICH BONHOEFFER

Interesting that the translation for “blessed” comes from the Greek word that means “to bear suffering.” I had never read, or heard, that before, but it makes sense.

Just like true followers of our Lord and Savior, Jesus’s disciples were apart from, but at the same time, a part of, the world. Others (the unsaved) just don’t get a true follower’s devotion to living as He would have us live, nor do they understand the commitment that entails.

A true follower of Jesus picks up his cross daily as required in Luke 9:23 (NIV), bears the suffering, and proceeds to spread the Word of Him who would save the world.

A true follower of Jesus bears the suffering of the world because….

A true follower stands “in communion with the Crucified.”

Are you a true follower of the Word?

Do you pick up your cross daily?

Do you love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul?

Are you…?

In this Lenten season of introspection, please take time to consider these life-altering questions. Take time to make your peace with God. Take time to ensure your eternal future.

Repent; confess your sins; become a follower…TODAY!

After all, who other than Jesus – and the United States military – ever died so that you could live? The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:3 (NIV) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

He died in my place, yours too, so that we could see glory with Him. He died to secure my eternal future.

Give yourself to him. What do you have to lose, except your eternal soul?

This post began with a commentary on the Beatitudes. Here, for your reading enjoyment is the entire text of Jesus's introduction to the Sermon on the Mount.

Meditate on these words of enlightment from the fifth book of Matthew (NIV) –
The Beatitudes
[Jesus] said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

May God bless you today and every day. AMEN.

Thoughts to ponder during the second week of Lent

The Lord, though he was God, became man. He suffered for the sake of those who suffer, he was bound for those in bonds, condemned for the guilty, buried for those who lie in the grave; but he rose from the dead, and cried aloud:

 

"Who will contend with me? Let him confront me. I have freed the condemned, brought the dead back to life, raised men from their graves. Who has anything to say against me? I," he said, "am the Christ; I have destroyed death, triumphed over the enemy, trampled hell underfoot, bound the strong one, and taken men up to the heights of heaven: I am the Christ."

"Come, then, all you nations of men, receive forgiveness for the sins that defile you. I am your forgiveness. I am the Passover that brings salvation. I am the lamb who was immolated for you. I am your ransom, your life, your resurrection, your light, I am your salvation and your king. I will bring you to the heights of heaven. With my own right hand I will raise you up, and I will show you the eternal Father." — Melito of Sardis, 2nd century church father

Follow Him, and you will find that, "...with God all things are possible," including our salvation. Amen!

Blogger's Note: Closing scriptural text from Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

Pray so you will not be tempted

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan; Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
                                                                                                          — Book of Common Prayer

Give thanks...for everything

Today, one of the Lenten studies I am pursuing focused on prayer, reasoning that we should give thanks for the small things as well as the large things. The psalmist gives a multitude of reasons in the reading associated with the text, Psalm 103:1-5. After reading the assigned scripture, I went on to embrace the entire psalm, and have recorded it below for your consideration.

As I read it, this psalm of David explains why we should thank the Good Lord above for everything in our lives. After all, as verse 19 explains, “The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.”

Since this is the case, who else would you pray to? To whom, other than God, would you give thanks? And, since His Son declared it so, pray in Jesus name, always. John 16:23-24 (NIV) [Jesus said] 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

Give thanks daily for your food, your warmth, your humble abode, your children, your health, your faith…I could list a million things I am thankful for, but I am sure, when you read it, you will understand the psalm’s guidance.

Psalm 103 (NIV)
1 Praise the LORD, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD works righteousness
    and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
    his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
    he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
    they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
    and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
    the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
    and remember to obey his precepts.
19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his bidding,
    who obey his word.
21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
    you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the LORD, all his works
    everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, my soul.

Ending today's post with the prayer from the devotional - Lord, open my eyes that I may see the giftedness of my life and let my life be a hymn of praise and thanksgiving. AMEN

Today is Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday. Lent begins today, bringing with it a season of reflection and somber thought about our sin and Christ’s ultimate sacrifice.

Throughout Lent, Christians wait patiently to exchange the Easter morning greeting, “His is risen!” He is risen, INDEED!”

In my humble opinion, repentance and reconnecting are the key words associated with Lent.

During the weeks ahead, Christians throughout the world take time to reflect on the days leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus as foretold in Isaiah 53:12 (NIV)
[Bolded words from the scriptures are my emphasis.]
Therefore, I will give him a portion among the great,
   and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
    and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
    and made intercession for the transgressors.

Many Christians sacrifice a significant pleasure during the season of Lent. Some give up chocolate, some smoking, others give up alcoholic beverages or gambling. When I was a youngster, my Catholic friends were required to abstain from meat during Lent. I can remember the public school cafeteria always had a fish choice during the Lenten season.

This semi-fasting experience is not designed for depriving oneself of something, or as a means of atonement for our sins, it’s more about devoting yourself to God, fulfilling His purpose for us in this world.

I approach my sacrifice by reasoning that if I can take my mind off just one of my guilty pleasures for the next 40-odd days, perhaps the fast will result in a better relationship with the One who truly matters – Jesus Christ!

What are you giving up for Lent? Will it impact your relationship with Jesus? Think about it.

While you're considering the question, I'll close with a prayer that opened a devotional I am following during the Lenten season -

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. — The Book of Common Prayer

And, AMEN!

Use your talents to spread His teachings

Been thinking a lot lately about Christian discipleship and what that means in my daily life.

I found a definition that addresses my discipleship ponderings on this website. If you clicked on the link, you found a page dedicated to following Jesus.

As I read that page I came across one sentence that summed up the whole idea of discipleship for me.

The statement? “Christian discipleship is more than being a believer - it's about being a follower!”

Since starting this blog the first of the year, I know that I have written a lot about being a follower of Jesus. Even though I have always been a believer in the Bible, God and Jesus, I have not always been a follower, at least in the manner of which He would have me follow Him.

Retreat to Belief is all about being a sinner in God’s sight. It’s about how to change my sinning ways, and perhaps yours too. It’s about sharing my loving relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with other sinners like me.

Basically, Retreat to Belief is a sinner’s journal of how I accomplish the Great Commission by walking the path to being a true follower. It’s about using my God-given aptitude for writing to share that journey with all of you.

The apostle Paul wrote extensively about using our talents for God’s purpose. Most of you are probably familiar with Paul’s often-quoted teaching on this subject. If not, Romans 12:3-8 (NIV) titled Humble Service in the Body of Christ, reads, 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

I believe Paul’s message is that using our expertise in the capacity for which we are led by Him is a form of discipleship, agreed?

Have you ever used your flair for (insert your God-given talent here) to disciple others for Christ? Why not use that talent to share your knowledge of Him with others? Why not use your God-given talents to become a true follower of His Way?

Sometimes that can seem like a daunting task; I know.

Jesus even labeled it so, as retold in Luke 9:23 (NIV) Then he [Jesus] said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

In the verses immediately following, Jesus gave some very good reasons to take up that cross – 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Jesus said it; I believe it. I am a follower. God will take care of me. Jesus promised to do just that if I take up His cross. If I take on his yoke and learn…

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Praying God will take care of all of you, directing you in the path of Christian discipleship. Amen

Blessings sometimes come in strange packages

Nasty weather prompted togetherness in the Withrow household.

“Train your mind and heart to see the good in everything. There is always something to be grateful for.”   ---Author Unknown

Came across this quote on Facebook yesterday and thought, “Yes, there is always something to be thankful/grateful for in my life.”

Someone told me a long time ago that if you just stop and count your blessings every single day, there won’t be much time left over to gripe.

Then I thought about blessings and how to turn even challenging situations into grateful ones.

Take the Arctic cold we experienced this weekend – while it was not conducive to outdoor activities, the extreme weather prompted us to clear off the coffee table and get started on a jigsaw puzzle we’d had sitting around for a couple years.

Charlie and I spent literally hours this weekend pouring over a challenge of birds and fences and lots and lots and lots of blue and green puzzle pieces.

For the record, I left those to Charlie’s capable eye while I concentrated on the songbirds!

Now that situation, at least to me, is turning a challenge into a blessing.

We stayed inside; we stayed warm; we enjoyed each other’s company; we made a lot of headway on our birds-on-a-fence puzzle; and, bottom line, we experienced gratefulness in His plan to reconnect with one another through a blizzard.

Thank you, Lord. We are blessed.

Can you remember a time where a challenge turned into a blessing? I am sure if you thought about it for a few minutes some test that you thought would be daunting ending up making you grateful that it had the audacity to intrude on your life. Right?

After all, we all know God sends the storm so we appreciate the sunshine He sends afterwards.

Paul explained God’s process in his letter to the Romans, Chapter 5, Verses 1-5 (NIV), where the apostle counseled, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us,” [emphasis mine].

Bottom line – But your faith in Him. That way, the challenges that seem to destroy your life will only require you to turn to Jesus Christ, where you will learn to persevere, build character and revel in His hope for your life.

May God bless and keep you in all your challenges. May you always find the sunshine in the trials life sends to seemingly trip you up. Trust in Him. He is always there for you, no matter what! AMEN

Appreciation...defined

Appreciate every day of your life.

Good days give you happiness;

Bad days give you experience; and,

The worst days give you lessons.

Learn from all of them.

AMEN!

Walk away from the drama

There comes a time in your life when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it.

You surround yourself with people who make you laugh.

Forget the bad and focus on the good. Love the people who treat you right; pray for the ones who don't.

Life is too short to be anything but happy.

Falling down is part of life; getting back up is living.

AMEN!

After all, Jesus did say, "...With God all things are possible!" Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

God answered my prayers

Dorcas the Seamstress, a disciple of Jesus,
whose story you can find in Acts 9:36-42.

Have you had a personal prayer answered recently? I sure did, and I am so glad I lifted my dilemma up to Him.

After all, Jesus did, on many occasions go to God in prayer. He also instructed us to do the same. Go to God in prayer and ask in the same of the Son. In the Gospel of John 14:14 (NIV) {Jesus said} You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Fair enough, I think. Agreed?

My issue came about as a result of attending a woman’s one-day retreat a few weeks ago. While praising Jesus with 25 other Christian women, we all learned about answered prayer and continuing service to God from participants who shared their stories at the event.

We also received pamphlets advertising the “It’s Tough Being a Woman Retreat – Dorcas the Seamstress.” This non-denominational retreat for women is set for Feb 27 and 28 in Escanaba. I read the literature and decided, “I really want to go to this.” When I got home, I talked the trip over with my husband, who encouraged me to attend.

However, there was an issue that had to be resolved before I could go.

Again, I called upon my Bible, reading another verse about God answering prayer. I delved further into John’s gospel, but this time I found a later verse, where Jesus tells us, yet again, to ask in His name. John 16:24 (NIV) reads, {Jesus said} Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

You ask, what could be the problem and why did you need prayer to attend the retreat? After all, you want to go and your husband is on board, what was the obstacle?

Well, to be honest, I had no clue who I could room with. Although I attend the women’s non-denominational Bible studies throughout the year, I really do not have a personal relationship with the women there. My best friend lives 2,000 miles away, and no one at my church planned to go to the two-day event. Consequently, I had no one to share a room with.

So, I prayed.

Lo and behold, I ran into our Bible study leader while grocery shopping this afternoon. She asked if I planned to attend the retreat. I explained that although I would love to, I did not have a roommate. To my delight, she said, “Neither do I!”

Problem solved.

More importantly, prayers answered.

After I got home, I immediately turned to my Bible and read perhaps the most famous of Jesus’s admonitions where prayer is concerned. I am sure you know the one of which I speak. It’s Matthew 7:7-12 (NIV), the Ask, Seek, Knock passage where Jesus said, 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Ask in His name, always. The answer may not come immediately. The answer may take days, weeks, months or even years. But if your request coincides with His will, He will answer you.

Step into a meaningful relationship with Jesus today through prayer. Confess your sins. Ask for forgiveness. Live life as a true follower of Jesus Christ.

And don’t forget to pray to Him daily. After all, it's what he prescribes.

May God bless each of you every day in every way. Amen

Forgive in your heart

Forgive as many times as you would wish God forgave you.
From Daily Inspiration: A Thought for Every Day of the Year via Guideposts.

There are many instances of forgiveness in the Bible, probably the most famous is the plight of Joseph, the son of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham – the father of the Jewish nation.

You may recall the account from Genesis – Jealous of Joseph, his brothers first plotted to kill him, but then sold Joseph into slavery. During his many years separated from his family, Joseph was falsely accused, thrown into prison, but eventually became second in command of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh! God used Joseph’s plight to save the family of Jacob.

You can read Joseph’s story beginning with his birth in Genesis 30:22 through his death in Genesis 50:26.

After many years absent from his family, Joseph forgave his brothers for their unsavory deed, praising God for the way his brothers’ betrayal was used to save the family into which he was born.

That, folks, is amazing forgiveness.

Are you capable of such absolution?

I know I have a problem wrapping my human mind around the notion of forgiving anything and everything, no matter how egregious the transgression.

But, I have found that if I employ my Christ-centered heart, and its corresponding attitude, I find forgiveness a simple extension of my life as a true follower of His Way.

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus outlined the consequences of refusing to forgive. In Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV), {Jesus said} “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Pretty strong admonition, agreed?

Forgive and get forgiven, is what I read here.

Don’t forget that God knows what is in our hearts. We need to forgive all the way. Forgive in our hearts as well as with our lips.

Jesus even explained this direction further in the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant in Matthew 18:21-35 (NIV):
Pay particular attention to verse 35.
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” {emphasis - mine}

That nails it for me. Forgive as much as is necessary to accomplish true forgiveness in my heart.

It’s the only way to get the forgiveness we need to continue as His followers.

Forgive; kick it to the curb; make the 180; enjoy life minus the burden of hate.

You’ll be glad you did.

May God continually bless you and your forgiving ways. Amen

A friend is a blessed thing

A Blessed Thing

 

A blessed thing it is for any man or woman to have a friend;

One human soul whom we can trust utterly;

Who knows the best and the worst of us, and who loves us in spite of all our faults;

Who will speak the honest truth to us,

While the world flatters us to our face and laughs at us behind our back;

Who will give us counsel and reproof in the day of prosperity and self-conceit; but who, again,

Will comfort and encourage us in the day of difficulty and sorrow,

When the world leaves us alone to flight our own battle as best we can.

 

Anonymous

 

Reminds me of one of my favorite hymns -
 

"What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear.

What a privilege to carry,

Everything to God in prayer."

Jesus prayed many times, according to all four Gospels. In fact, Jesus even gave us instruction on just how to offer up prayers to our awesome Creator. You can find the text of the Lord's Prayer, given to us by Jesus Christ in the book of Matthew, Chapter 6, Verses 9-13 (NIV).

You can also read it here:
⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.

 

Of course it's always good to have good friends, especially one as described in the poem that began this post. I have friends like these and I thank God for them every day.

 

But, I do not know where I would be without my best Friend.

 

I can't pray to Kathy; I can't give Charlie my troubles and expect him to fix them (even though I know he would do his best to do so); I can't ask for eternal forgiveness from Katherine.

 

These issues, as with most everything else, belong to God.

 

It's Him I pray to; it's Him I give my troubles to; it's Him I confess my sins to and ask for His grace of forgiveness. It's Him...lock, stock and barrel.

 

Put everything in His capable hands. As I have said many times in the past, you'll be glad you did.

 

May the Lord bless you and keep you today and every day. Amen.

Is everything OK?

Days come and days go. Sometimes days are good and sometimes they are bad. If you are having "one of those days" or even if you're not, this poem may inspire you. It sure did me. Read on...

 

Don’t Quit

 

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.

 

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow.

 

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

 

Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

 

- Author Unknown

What do nicknames have to do with God?

Nicknames come in many shapes and sizes.

Some folks have nicknames. Some nicknames stick; some do not.

When I was a youngster, I was a little on the chubby side – not fat by any means, but “pleasingly plump,” as my mom always called it. The short, permed hair (easier for a mother that worked to care for), the freckles and the fact that back then girls always wore dresses to school and church, did nothing to enhance my appearance.

This chubby girl was hung with the unflattering moniker – Cheryl the Barrel.

Oh, the embarrassment. You can’t imagine, but then, maybe you can.

Did you have a nickname you hated? Fortunately mine disappeared sometime in puberty when I slimmed down and got a figure.

That isn’t always the case, though. 

I had a guy friend who, because of some prominent buck teeth, was plastered with the nickname “Bucky.” It stuck. To this day, everyone calls Conner – Bucky. Some people probably don’t even know, or remember, his given name!

As it would happen, a Christmas present got me thinking about these lousy nicknames. My sister had all the family slides transferred to CDs, and there I was in all my glory for my husband to see. Pleasingly plump; short, curly hair (with a bow, no less); freckles, red plaid dress (red was my favorite color even back then); Cheryl the Barrel – in spades!

Oh the embarrassment – all over again, 50 years later.

I even admitted to the nickname. Then I asked myself, “Cheryl, what is WRONG with you? Why did you reveal this deep, dark secret to your unsuspecting husband?”

Guess it’s because today, I can laugh at it, but I can assure you, it wasn’t funny back then.

Well, I guess I ran this blog a little sideways for a minute. Maybe that nickname bothers me today more than I care to admit? Maybe I need to make a confession about my less-than-kindly recollections of my opinion of the kids who used that awful name. You think? Yeah – time to get on my knees.

And time to get back to the subject of this blog post - What do nicknames have to do with God?

After all the reminiscing the photo CD aroused, I got to thinking about God, and asked myself, “Does God have a nickname, or maybe more than one?”

You might not consider God’s names, nicknames, but God does have many different (using today’s marketing designation) brands, most associated with his divinity.

You’ve probably all heard the terms omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence as they apply to our awesome God. I must admit that I sometimes get them confused with one another because they are so similar.

For this blog article, I decided to delve into my copy of Nelson’s Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible to set the omni(s) firmly in my brain.

According to my reference text, omniscience [om NISH unce] refers to God’s superior knowledge and wisdom; omnipresence [om nih PRES ence] addresses God’s unfathomable nature to be everywhere at all times; and, omnipotence [om NIP oh tunce] is defined as God’s all-encompassing power.

Of course these are God’s traits, not His nicknames, nicknames being defined as “a name added to or substituted for the proper name of a person…”

The Jewish people bestowed many names on the All Mighty, some of which refer to his attributes, some his character, some His capabilities – maybe not nicknames by definition, but close.

According to Joe Stowell (Cornerstone University president and Our Daily Bread contributor) God has many such names. Here are a few Stowell mentioned in a recent ODB devotional post:

• Jehovah Yahweh, which means the covenant-keeping God;
• Jehovah Rapha, the healer God;
• Jehovah Shalom, the God of peace (many folks use shalom as a closing in emails, letters and verbal goodbyes);
• El-Shaddai, almighty God;
• Elohim, one God above all gods;
• Jehovah Shamma, the ever-present God;
• Jehovah Jireh, provider God.

WOW! That's quite a list, isn't it? God definitely is all the omni(s) previously mentioned – and more!

God is EVERYTHING to me. And, I hope and pray that he is everything to you. As his all-encompassing Word explains in Proverbs 18:10 (NIV) The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Are you safe? Do you run to Him to find safety?

No matter the situation, God can make you safe.

Get on your knees today. Accept his son, Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Submit to Him. Confess your sins. Accept His forgiveness. Obey His precepts. Become a true follower of Jesus.

What do you have to lose? Your life. What do you have to gain? Eternity.

No brainer, agreed?

After all, “…with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26b (NIV)

May God bless us all, everyone. Amen.

Overcome failure through confession

When we fail, it can be an eye-opening experience. Failure comes in many varieties. Failed marriages. Failed dreams. Failed investments. Failing grades. Failure to communicate. Failing at sports. The list seems endless, doesn’t it?

As most of you who know me know, I am an avid football fan. In fact, I guess you could say I am now experiencing football withdrawal. Being a fan creates innumerable highs and lows. The high point was THE Ohio State University’s undisputed national championship win on Jan. 12. The low point? Yesterday’s unfathomable Seattle Seahawks loss, and to none other than Tom Brady’s Patriots, the perennial nemesis of both Charlie’s Colts and my Bengals.

But, life goes on, and the football diversion goes on the back burner until next year.

In the meantime, my focus to reach the unreached in Jesus Christ’s name continues as we expand this daily blog. Last week my husband and I discussed the future of my blog-based ministry.  His insight proved invaluable.

As a result of much prayerful consideration, Charlie has decided to join this ministry. As such, you can expect to soon see blog posts from a man’s point of view, with Charlie sharing his male perspective of life as a follower of Jesus.

Back to the topic at hand…failure seems to rear its ugly head when you least expect it. But, just like sin invades our lives from time to time, so does failure.

As the followers of this blog probably noticed, personal blog posts were missing last week. Although links to the devotional I read every day were provided to you, I know it was not the same as a daily dose of personal reflection from one sinner to another. Missing even one day of sharing His Word, is, in my opinion, a monumental failure.

When I started blogging on Jan. 1, I made a commitment to not fail, and there I was, less than one month into this ministry, experiencing a colossal failure. Woe is me.

Then I thought about failure and sin and what the Good Book says how failure and sin, at least in my mind, may be related.

Romans 3:22-24 (NIV) says ²² This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of (failed in our pursuit of) the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. [emphasis and parenthetical meaning mine]

The apostle Paul writes that we are saved by grace if we believe in Jesus. But, even though we employ our best efforts not to, we continue to sin. Remember Jesus says that if we sin in our heart…

In fact, in the Sermon on the Mount, Christ cautions against all types of heart-/mind-based sin. Matthew 5 gives the details. Read His instruction on the subject in your Bible or by clicking here.

My take is that I failed Christ in my absence from this blog for the last week. Even though I was ill, I should have at least made the effort to share His Word. I failed as a true follower. I failed. But that does not mean I cannot seek His forgiveness and begin again, does it?

My granddaddy always said, “Cheryl Ann, don’t you know confession is good for the soul?”

As always, granddaddy was right. As the disciple John put it so well in 1 John 1:9 (NIV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

According to my study Bible, John wrote this letter to the churches in Ephesus to encourage their journey in the faith. The Bible remains a timeless vessel of unfathomable knowledge as witnessed in this passage which holds true today just as it did more than 2,000 years ago.

Amazing!

In today’s vernacular, God gives us “an out,” a way back to him. A way to process, and confess our failures/sins, a way to return to Him as a true follower.

Dennis Dehaan put it so well when he wrote, “Learning to benefit from failure is the key to continued growth in grace.”

Pray, confess your sin, ask for forgiveness, and work to do it better the next time. Grow in grace. After all, “…with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26(b) (NIV).

May God bless each and every one of you every day in every way. Amen.