Tag: Jesus

True Friends

Proverbs 18 The Message

Words Kill, Words Give Life

18 Loners who care only for themselves
spit on the common good.

²Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse;
all they do is run off at the mouth.

³When wickedness arrives, shame’s not far behind;
contempt for life is contemptible.

⁴Many words rush along like rivers in flood,
but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs.

⁵It’s not right to go easy on the guilty,
or come down hard on the innocent.

⁶The words of a fool start fights;
do him a favor and gag him.

⁷Fools are undone by their big mouths;
their souls are crushed by their words.

⁸Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy;
do you really want junk like that in your belly?

⁹Slack habits and sloppy work
are as bad as vandalism.

¹⁰God’s name is a place of protection—
good people can run there and be safe.

¹¹The rich think their wealth protects them;
they imagine themselves safe behind it.

¹²Pride first, then the crash,
but humility is precursor to honour.

¹³Answering before listening
is both stupid and rude.

¹⁴A healthy spirit conquers adversity,
but what can you do when the spirit is crushed?

¹⁵Wise men and women are always learning,
always listening for fresh insights.

¹⁶A gift gets attention;
it buys the attention of eminent people.

¹⁷The first speech in a court case is always convincing—
until the cross-examination starts!

¹⁸You may have to draw straws
when faced with a tough decision.

¹⁹Do a favour and win a friend forever;
nothing can untie that bond.

²⁰Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach;
good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest.

²¹Words kill, words give life;
they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.

²²Find a good spouse, you find a good life—
and even more: the favor of God!

²³The poor speak in soft supplications;
the rich bark out answers.

²⁴Friends come and friends go,
but a true friend sticks by you like family.

(WOMEN) What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! (ALL) O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. (MEN) Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer. (ALL) Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer. (ALL) Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Saviour, still our refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In his arms he’ll take and shield thee; thou shalt find a solace there.

Starting off on the right foot

Proverbs 22 New International Version Verse 6

⁶Start children off on the way they should go,
and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

As a child I can honestly say I had the type of parents and Grandparent’s who done their best to point me in the right direction in life in more ways than one and for this I am grateful

Being a Father and Grandfather I have tried as much as humanly possible to point my daughter (27) in the right direction and I think I’ve done alright so far. As for my Granddaughter I aim to do likewise as I did with my Daughter.

If we are God’s Children there is of course only one path to go Even when the going gets tough. There are a few video’s I could put to the above , for example ‘ The Pathway of Duty’, but because of the closing words in the proverb I have chosen ‘I’ll not turn back’.

The Highest Place

Colossians 1:15-23 New International Version – UK

The supremacy of the Son of God

¹⁵The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

²¹Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[a] your evil behaviour. ²²But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation – ²³if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Bed of Straw

Luke 2 New International Version (NIV)

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ²(This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

The way home

John 14 New International Version

Jesus the Way to the Father

⁵Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶Jesus answered, “I am

the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷If you really know me, you will know^[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

⁸Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

⁹Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. ¹²Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Something in a Name

Philippians 2 The Message

He Took on the Status of a Slave

2 ^1-4If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

^5-8Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human!Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

^9-11Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

You may recall I had the exact same reading to a different translation the other day. The reason for the reading appearing again is it matches a chorus written by Bill & Gloria Gaither.

Jesus Jesus Jesus, there’s just
Something about that name
Master, Saviour, Jesus, like the
Fragrance after the rain
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all heaven and
Earth proclaim
Kings and kingdoms will pass away
But there’s something about that Name!

To Be Free

Romans 8:1-4

Life Through the Spirit

1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

There are many songs I can think of that speak of freedom, another one being ‘Would you be free from your burden of sin’. What a testimony this song is Especially in verse 3. Though we are human we can strive to be ‘Whiter than white’ with the Lord’s help Image result for life through the spirit

Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood

There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the blood of the Lamb
There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb

Would you be free from your passion and pride
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide
There’s wonderful power in the blood

There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the blood of the Lamb
There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb

Would you be whiter,
much whiter than snow?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood
Sin stains are lost in its life-giving flow
There’s wonderful power in the blood

There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the blood of the Lamb
There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb

Smooth Ride

Ezekiel 1

15 As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.[b] 16 As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl; and the four had the same form, their construction being something like a wheel within a wheel. 17 When they moved, they moved in any of the four directions without veering as they moved. 18 Their rims were tall and awesome, for the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. 19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. 20 Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When they moved, the others moved; when they stopped, the others stopped; and when they rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Why don’t you swing down (sweet) chariot
Stop and let me ride
Swing down chariot
Stop and let me ride
Rock me Lord, rock me Lord
Calm and easy
I’ve got a home on the other side

Swing, swing, swing, swing, swing, swing
Well, well, well Ezekiel went down in the middle of a field
He saw and angel workin’ on a chariot wheel
He wasn’t so particular ’bout the chariot wheel
He just wanted to see how a chariot feel

Swing, swing, swing, swing, swing, swing
Well, well, well Ezekiel wend down and he got on board
Chariot went a bumpin’ up and down the road
Zeke wasn’t so particular ’bout the bumpin’ of that road
He just wanted to lay down his heavy load

Life is never a ‘Smooth ride’ it has it’s up and down along the road. We must therefore be like Ezekiel and not be to concerned about that bumpy road, just as long as we can lay our burdens at the feet of Jesus

The Messenger

Malachi 3:1-5 New International Version – UK (NIVUK)

3 ‘I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,’ says the Lord Almighty.

²But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. ³He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, ⁴and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.

⁵‘So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud labourers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Resting in Jesus

Matthew 11 New International Version

The Father Revealed in the Son

²⁵At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. ²⁶Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

²⁷“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

²⁸“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I feel as if I’m repeating myself from Sunday’s post, but here in verse 28 we are talking about anxiety and all the various things that comes with it.

1. Is there a heart o’erbound by sorrow?
Is there a life weighed down by care?
Come to the cross, each burden bearing;
All your anxiety—leave it there.

Refrain:
All your anxiety, all your care,
Bring to the mercy seat, leave it there,
Never a burden He cannot bear,
Never a friend like Jesus!

2. No other friend so swift to help you,
No other friend so quick to hear,
No other place to leave your burden,
No other one to hear your prayer.

3. Come then at once; delay no longer!
Heed His entreaty kind and sweet,
You need not fear a disappointment;
You shall find peace at the mercy seat.