Grace

"The livelier our sense of guilt and grace and gratitude, the more faithful and fervent will be our obedience to our Lord and Saviour. When we are grateful for the grace that is greater than all our guilt, our souls are stirred to deeper reverence and higher loyalty.” 

 DiGangi, Mariano; “The Day I Met God”; Philadelphia: “Time and Eternity”, 1965.
 

Let it be done for you as you have believed...

God showed great mercy this week.  Our daughters' friend was diagnosed with cancer in her ovary. An 8 inch (22cm) tumor was removed and she was going to start Chemotherapy.  It was advanced and did not look good.

But, we know and believe that the Lord is good and it is in His Power to take action if it is His Will.  So we all prayed to Him who is able to Heal.  The report is in - her cancer went from a stage 3 to a stage 1a with no need for Chemotherapy.  The doctor was astonished because not having chemo was not even an option! We believe this was God's intervention and an answer to prayer!!

The Faith of a Centurion

 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.”And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.”  

 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant,‘Do this,’ and he does it.”  

 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.  I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,  while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  

 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

Matthew 8:5-13

Man's Crucible

We went to a conference and the speaker came out to thunderous applause.  He looked genuinely uncomfortable with the attention given and said, "Applause is dangerous." When I read the proverbs for today I came across this truth, "The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise."  Proverbs 27:21

Thanksgiving

Around my town I am starting to see grocery stores call this time of year Turkey Day. No, realllly!!! Apparently, the very idea of giving thanks might challenge some to wonder why it was good to give thanks on a specific day. Heaven forbid it might lead to believing in a Power greater than self and being thankful to God for provision or harvest. So instead we glorify turkey!  Brilliant.

I want to go on record as giving thanks to my Lord and God not only for one day, but for every day.  May each one of you be thankful and blessed with knowing my very loving and very patient God.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name.

For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100:4-5

Promise Keeper

God is Creator. "In the beginning God created..." Genesis 1:1

Sin entered His creation causing created man to be separated from God. "...so The Lord banished man from the Garden of Eden." Genesis 3:23

But God promised a Savior. And brought forth a people through whose line of descendants He would come. All who believe the original promise will be no longer separated from God. To Abraham God said, "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you. I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and ALL people's on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:2-3

Jesus is The promised Messiah. "The record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham..." Mathew 1:1

See to it that you do not put aside the words of Jesus who proclaimed, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

Today, if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts. Respond to God in faith.

Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.  

Proverbs 17:28

Front and Rear

The prophet Isaiah told Israel, "The LORD will go before you! The God of Israel will be your rear guard!"

And we know that Jesus our Messiah, The Messiah says, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last." He is the beginning and the end...the first and the last.

Isaiah 52:12, Revelation 1:11