Devot. My Saviour Makes Me Whole

Dear Friends,

I hope you had a good weekend!  This devot. gives us Verse 1 of the hymn,

Jesus, What A Friend for Sinners.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t24uLvayvsM

As the topic of the devot. implies and as we see in the New Testament, when someone came to Jesus for physical healing, He healed their inward turmoil, pain and sin and well as the outward infirmity.

He made a person completely whole, inside and out, as you will see if you read through any of the Gospels.   Our Saviour to this day wants to heal the inside of us as well as take care of our outside needs.

I pray the devot, is a blessing to your week!  May the Lord keep you and yours safe, healthy and well.

       

January 5, 2016 My Savior Makes Me Whole “Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.” (Isaiah 40:26)   The hymn “Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners” mentions the frequent failure of our friends and the persistent opposition of our enemies. Conversely, Jesus Christ, who loves us completely, never fails. “For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus! what a Friend for sinners! Jesus! Lover of my soul; Friends may fail me, foes assail me, He, my Savior, makes me whole. The hymnist was not writing for believers only but also for those who still reject God’s gift of salvation. Jesus loves them and came to Earth on their behalf. A favorite Scripture reminds us “for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Abraham was one of those who loved and believed God, “and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God” (James 2:23).   Christ taught His disciples that He would soon die, but they didn’t believe. Jesus taught them that “greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13), and “ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (v. 14). They were growing in the understanding that He was God Himself. “Henceforth I call you not servants . . . but I have called you friends” (John 15:15).   Later, John wrote they were more than friends. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1). JDM   Click here for the sheet music for this hymn.     | Print this article

Devot. Jesus, Our Best Friend

Dear Friends,

 

I hope you have had a safe and healthy week! 

 

The devot. for today touches on the topic of Jesus as being a dear, trusted and faithful Friend- at all times.

 

I pray it is food for thought and that you learn something new that you can carry with you through your weekend.

 

Lord bless and keep you and yours this weekend!

 

Devot. http://intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/jesus-our-best-friend (Used by permission.   Taken from http://intouch.org/)

Devot.Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners

Dear Friends,

I hope you had a safe and healthy weekend!  We got some snow in my neck of the woods yesterday and temps are really cold, so I think we officially have winter now:)
The devot. for today is a series and is based on the hymn, Jesus What a Friend For Sinners:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t24uLvayvsM

The message is full of meaning and encouragement, esp. to me right now. I pray this series and the words of the song that are studies each week are a blessing to your soul.

Lord bless and keep you and yours this week!

       

January 4, 2016 Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:13-14)   Hymns sometimes lift our souls to heights undreamed of. Let us use the familiar hymn “Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners” these next few days to take us into scriptural truth. The refrain that accompanies each verse follows. Hallelujah! what a Savior! Hallelujah! what a Friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. Hallelujah is sometimes translated “praise ye the Lord.” Praising God is a precious privilege to Christians. The Psalms often give praise to our great Lord and King, and this will continue throughout eternity. “And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God” (Revelation 19:1).   He is saving us from sin and its penalty. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him” (Hebrews 7:25), helping us in our journey through life. “Therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice” (Psalm 63:7). Through any peril, He is keeping us “by the power of God through faith unto salvation” (1 Peter 1:5) while loving us through it. In fact, “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).   We can be confident that He will keep us for all time. “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 1:24-25). JDM   Click here for the sheet music for this hymn.      | Print this article

Devot. A Fresh Start

Dear Friend,

I hope you had a good week!  The topic of this devot. has been on my heart since the New Year began.   We do have a fresh start on life!

Then I also though of the New Year's resolutions we make.   I think making them is good, but do we pick any that will have an eternal impact?  Like reading a chapter of the Bible a day, praying more? 

 

My personal desire and goal is do my dead level best, with the Lord's help, to reflect Him, show the difference He has made in my life and show the joy He has brought into my life so that others will ask why I am different (It's b/c of Jesus!)  and try to tell more people about him in word or by giving a Gospel tract.   There is nothing wrong with setting goals like losing weight or eating well.  The Bible says we are God's temple (His house) and to take if ourselves (2 Cor. 6:16-18), but what goals are you making that will make an eternal difference?

 

Pray the devot. gives you ideas of what you can do for the Lord this year.   Lord bless you and yours this weekend.

 

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January 1, 2016 A Fresh Start “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)   Everyone deserves a fresh start. As we start the New Year with resolutions and lofty ideals, it is good to remember that we can all renew our commitment. We can all purpose to gain even loftier heights in our spiritual journey toward Christ-likeness. No matter how far we have ascended, we can go farther; no matter how low we have fallen, we can begin again.   How can this be accomplished? As the context of our text teaches, we must go back to school—the school of Christ. “But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:20-21). “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:29).   As our text verses explain, we must both “put off . . . the old man” and “put on the new man,” clearly speaking of our manner of life, just as if we were changing clothes. If we as believers are hanging on to a few old rags, let this New Year see us obey this passage as an act of faith through the living Spirit of God: “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14).   This act of submission and desire will result as we are “renewed in the spirit [or attitude] of [our minds]” (Ephesians 4:23). The old man will not be removed or changed into the new but will be brought under control. The new man is a new creation of God modeled after Him “in righteousness and true holiness.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Ephesians 2:10). JDM     | Print this article Unsubscribe | Subscribe

Devot. Loaded with Blessing

Dear Friends,

I pray you had a blessed start to the New Year!  As the devot's title implies, I think the New Year is a time to reflect on all that God has blessed us with in the previous year.

 

I was thinking of 2 things as I was preparing to look at this devot.:  #1.  If we took the time to think of or write down all our blessings, we could see that they would far outweigh any hardships or trials we had to endure.   

 

For myself, I've purposely chosen to think of the difficulties  as ways of helping me grow stronger in my faith, walk with the Lord and even see Him beside me in the midst of it. 

 I always tell me mom that the bad times can either make me stronger  or weaker in my faith, and the last one's not an option!!!

#2.  My mom said the other day, and I've heard others say it as well, if we could just look for God-His provision, blessing, Him being there/involved-in every day life, we would see Him.  

 

 I have personally seen this, in my life, and even so just today.  It doesn't have to be 'miracles', it could be being blessing in a 'small' way(parking spot close by) that is a God given blessing if we would just look.

The song Count Your Many Blessings that I have sent our before strongly implies this. If we would count our blessings, we would be surprised at what God has done!

 

As one New Year Resolution, I pray you would think of counting your blessings at the end of every day or looking to see God's involvement/blessing in your every day life. 

 

Lord bless and keep you and yours this week!  Devot. below.

       

December 31, 2015 Loaded with Blessing “Blessed be the LORD, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” (Psalm 68:19)   As we come to this year’s end, it is salutary for the believer to think back over the days of the year and to meditate upon his blessings. He may, indeed, have experienced defeats and losses, disappointments and injuries in great number. If he is honest with himself, however, the Christian will always have to acknowledge that his blessings far outweigh his burdens. God “loadeth us with benefits,” and is even working in and through all the trials and hurtful things together for our good (Romans 8:28).   In our text verse, the words “with benefits” have been supplied by the translators. Some might, therefore, conclude that the verse could mean that God is daily loading us with burdens, instead of benefits. The context, however, assures us that the emphasis is really on His blessings. For that matter, even a burden can become a blessing, if we take it as a gift from God for our spiritual benefit.   Therefore: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2). “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).   He has given us “life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25). Far more importantly, He is “the God of our salvation.” Whatever else we have, or don’t have, in this life, we have the great gift of eternal life, through faith in Christ and His finished work of redemption. We have it every day of the year and are daily ready to meet the Lord, whenever He calls. Each day we have the indwelling presence of His Spirit, the illuminating guidance of His Word, the daily provision of all real needs, and the assurance of His love. He has surely loaded us with benefits! HMM     | Print this article Unsubscribe | Subscribe