Welcome Cody

God has blessed our family once again by giving us Cody. Everyone is healthy and happy and glad to be home. 

How Sweet The Sound

When John Newton wrote this hymn, it was very personal to him. I wonder if he had any idea how personal it would become to so many. It is a very special hymn to me. I have put together a few verses that I feel confirm through God’s Word what Newton was saying.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

I can think of no sweeter sound than my Lord saying “your sins are forgiven, your debt is paid”

That sav’d a wretch like me!

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

I once was lost, but now am found,

Luk 15:6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

Was blind, but now I see.

Joh 9:25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no,I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

Psa 86:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

And grace my fears reliev’d;

Psa 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. 

How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d! 

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 

Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 

’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

 Jam 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

1Jo 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. 2Ti 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.   

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

Psa 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

Rev 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

But God, who call’d me here below,

1Jo 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

Will be forever mine.

Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

The Interview

A few days ago I came up with the idea for my wife and I to come up with a series of questions for each other and then to interview each other on camera. I really wanted to capture the spontaneous answers and emotions that might come up. I thought it would be too easy to come up with the perfect answer unless we were somewhat constrained by time. Also, not knowing the questions beforehand would really make us think on our feet. She was more excited about the idea than I thought she would be, and went to work on her questions for me. I already had 16 questions down for her.

 Last night after we put our son to bed, she came into our bedroom with her list of 16 questions. We decided to set the camera up right there and just go for it. Once I got set up, we sat beside each other and turned the camera on. After I asked her 4 questions, it was her turn. “If you had exactly 5 minutes with your Grandfather right now, how would you spend it?”

Wow. I wasn’t expecting that at all. The flood of emotions that filled me was a bit overwhelming.

A bit of background…  My grandfather passed away 10 years ago, before I accepted Christ as my Saviour. Not only was I unsaved, but I was about as worldly as one man could be. The exact opposite of my grandfather. During the last few years of his life, I was generally nowhere to be found. I missed his last years because I was too busy being a drug addicted selfish wretch. I admired him more than anyone in my life. Long story short, He was always there for me and I was not there for him.

Back to the question. As I fought back the tears, I was finally able to say, “first, I would apologize for not being there for him. That wouldn’t take long, because he would stop me and tell me that it was ok. Then I would spend the next 4 1/2 minutes celebrating and praising God that this would not be the last time we got to see each other, that we would now be able to spend eternity together in the presence of God.”

Psalm 34:3 O magnify Jehovah with me, and let us exalt His name together.

I can think of no better way to spend 5 minutes than that.

The Bell Of Liberty

The Bell
I KNOW WHO I AM
I am God’s child ( John 1:12)
I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15)
I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)
I am bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
I  am a personal witness of Christ  (Acts 1:8)
I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt. 5:13-14)
I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)
I a m free forever from condemnation  ( Rom.8: 1-2)
I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant  (Phil.3:20)
I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31-34)
I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor.5:17-21)
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit   (Eph 2:18)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms  (Eph. 2:6)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom.8:35-39)
I am established, anointed, sealed by God  (2 Cor. 1:21-22)
I am assured all things work together for good ( Rom. 8: 28)
I  have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit ( John 15:16)
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)
I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)
I am God’s temple (1 Cor. 3: 16).  I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).  I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am God’s co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1).  I am God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected (Phil. 1: 5)
I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col. 1:14).  I have been adopted as God’s child (Eph 1:5)
I belong to God

This is my commandment…

It is important to have friends. It is important that they love one another. We are blessed to have friends that understand that. My prayer is that I am to them, the same kind of friend. After all, I need to do what I’m told…In the book of John, Jesus tells us very directly what is expected of us. 

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

He doesn’t offer it up as a suggestion, or a good idea, he commands it.  He also tells us what it should look like, the degree to which we should love.

John 13:35 By this shall all know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.  

A couple of chapters later, He again makes very clear that we, as Christians, are commanded to love one another. This is the chapter concerning the vine, and abiding in Him.

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. John 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

The Apostle John understood this. He reminded us of this several times in the books of 1st & 2nd John. 

1John 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

 1John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

1John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

1John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

1John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.  

2John 1:5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.  

If it was important to John, if it was important to Jesus Christ, then it should be of extreme importance to us. I thank God that we have friends that it is important to. They aren’t following Christ’s commandment just so, that like in John 13:35, they will be seen as Christians, (while that is important, it is important only for the proper reason, that people will see Christ in them) they are following Christ’s commandment because they are Christians.

Trusting God

Pro 3:1-6 My son, forget not my law; but let your heart keep my commandments;  for they shall add length of days, and long life, and peace to you.  

Let not mercy and truth forsake you; tie them around your neck; write them upon the tablet of your heart;  and you shall find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

 Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding.  

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

This is what I’ve been needing during this latest struggle. Especially verses 5 and 6. The more I try to work it out on my own, the further I get from being able to do that. I have to keep coming back to this to have any sort of peace.

…with ALL your heart; in ALL your ways.

Tears

After discussing the prognosis of my back with my doctor today, Marcy and I went to lunch. As we sat there talking, I consiously avoided my cell phone. I promised my mother I would call her and give an update. I just couldn’t talk about it anymore. After we got home, my sister-in-law came over. Of course, she wanted an update. So I rehashed the whole thing again. It isn’t the most enjoyable thing in the world to talk about, and I was beginning to kind of unravel.

 Marcy went to get dinner while I watched Nicholas. It is especially hard to try to act, for his sake(or for anyone else for that matter) like I have it all together right now. But try I do. As we sat there trading licks on the piano, Marcy’s mom walked in. Of course, she wanted to know how it went at the doctor. So, bravely, I tried to give as much detail as I could remember. I had to apologise a couple of times for my pain-killer induced brain fog, but I think I finally got everything out. Then, it hit me. I started crying. I didn’t want Nicholas to see me that way, so I just kind of hid my face in my hands. She walked over and tried to comfort me as she prayed. I just kind of held on to her arm and followed along. After she finished, I asked if she could watch Nicholas for a bit so I could be alone.

 Just about the time I halfway had myself pulled together, Marcy came home. Just seeing her face sent me back into tears. I, without many words, let her know that I was ok, just kind of having a little breakdown. She gave me some much needed space.

I know that I need to, and think that I have laid the whole situation before God. The part I seem to be struggling with is feeling like I have done that.

I look forward to the day described in Revelation 7

Rev 7:15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple. And He sitting on the throne will dwell among them.

 Rev 7:16 They will not hunger any more, nor thirst any more, nor will the sun light on them, nor any heat.

Rev 7:17 For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will feed them and will lead them to the fountains of living waters. And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.

What a day of rejoicing that will be.

 I know God will calm my heart. I am confident that He will lead me through this situation. …I feel better already

A Reminder

Phillipians 2:3,4  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves.  Do not let each man look upon his own things, but each man also on the things of others.

I was reminded of these verses this morning as I was talking to my grandmother. She is 95 years old. She resides in a nursing home where the care is less than spectacular. She has macular degeneration and is barely able to see. She battles her stomach daily. She has bouts of dizziness and relies on a walker to get around most of the time. She has very few visitors from a family that is more than able to keep her company.

I called her to find out how she was doing. Before I could find that out though, I was asked, “How are you? How is Marcy? How is Nicholas? How is the little one (our unborn son)?” These are the same questions she asks every time I call her. She rarely complains about her situation. Even when she does, it is not so much complaining, but just answering questions and concerns from me.

With all that she could be concerned about, she puts her concern for others ahead of herself. Which reminds of more verses that I’m sure she has meditated on many times in her 95 years on Earth.

Phillipians 4:6,7 Be anxious for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

A Long Day

   Nicholas wanted to go outside and play yesterday. I went out with him and he immediatly asked to swing. I pushed him for quite a while as we watched animals and airplanes. We talked about and counted the shrubs. We laughed and laughed. While he was still swinging, I asked him if he was getting tired. He confidently said no. No more than five minutes later, while still swinging, he was asleep. It took a minute or two for the swing to come to rest. He never flinched. I even pushed him a little more, hoping he would wake up because I didn’t want him to stay awake all night. Still, he slept. I managed to get him out of the swing and onto my shoulder with not much more than a peep. He only awoke because the doorbell rang as we walked by. It was the first time he’s fallen asleep in my arms since he was an infant. I enjoyed it.

Mat 11:28-30 Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke on you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

The Living Water

John 4:10-14 

Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give Me to drink, you would have asked of Him, and He would have given you living water.  The woman said to Him, Sir, you have no vessel, and the well is deep. From where then do you have that living water?  Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his children and his cattle?

 Jesus answered and said to her, Whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again,  but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.