James 4:14 (KJV)Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, & then vanisheth away. Psalm 78:39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, & cometh not again. — What is life? Short! We must remember! —John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; & that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Gal 5:22-23 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, & temperance: against such there is no law. —These fruits are worth developing for they will last forever! —Gal 5:13-14 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love Mel
Lessons from Simeon and Anna
Luke Chap 2 (KJV): 25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 28 Then took he Him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation. 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. 33 And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
Sometimes when we compare our devotion to God to that of people like Simeon and Anna, it can be pretty daunting. There are people all over the world today whose every waking thought is of God. Simeon and Anna were among them – many years ago. They lived their entire lives focused on Jehovah God Almighty. How magnificent. Do you think that pleased God?
They serve as a good example to us. Do we forget God and put Him last on the list of things we care about? Or is He involved in everything we do. I submit the goal should be that He be with us in spirit at all times and that we be ever conscious of Him. There is a booklet by Brother Lawrence called “The Practice of the Presence of God” in which he describes washing dishes in the monastery imagining that God is standing there beside him. He lived his whole life with that thought in mind.
God is worthy of our full attention. The gift of His presence and the gift of eternal life is what this life should be all about. It is the pearl of great price and treasure in the field worth selling everything to get.
While we don’t want to ever think that works, effort or suffering will gain eternal life for us, it is wise to evaluate ourselves to see if we really take God seriously. If you think you are failing the test, ask Him to give you a greater love and desire for Him. And begin to “practice the presence” daily.
From Glory to Glory
Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV) I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven & earth. Isaiah 2:2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, & shall be lifted up above the hills; & all the nations shall flow to it. — Have you ever tried to climb to the top of a mountain or a tall building? When you did it, where were your eyes focused? I hope that you lifted your eyes up often. For when we focus on the individual steps, we can see the climb as weary, endless & difficult! However when we focus toward the summit the climb goes more smoothly and effortlessly. So life can be a journey of weary steps or one of glory to glory, it is all about focus! Stay focused on God, for all things are possible with Him! Love Mel
Fear Not – We Are Commanded Not to Fear
Isaiah 44:8 (all KJV verses) Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, & have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. Matt10:31-32 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. Ex 14:13-14 Fear ye not, stand still, & see the salvation of the LORD, which He will shew to you to day: The LORD shall fight for you, & ye shall hold your peace. — The hardest commands from God are always fear not & stand still in the most impossible situations! The Israelites were trapped btw the Red Sea & Pharaoh’s Army! No where to run! And God tells them to stand still! And God parts the Red Sea & then closes it on top of the enemy! We need not fear! God has it all in the palm of His hands! Praise Him! Love Mel
Forgive Others as God Forgave Us
Eph 5:32 (ESV) Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Matt 6:14-15 (ESV) For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matt 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Prov 11:17 A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself. Matt 18:21-22 Then Peter came up & said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, & I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. — Any issues we may have with another must be brought to God & left! This is the only alternative we have, because we all need to be forgiven & to be forgiven we must forgive! Just look at it as a trade, we give our heavy burdens to God & He gives us grace upon grace! That is truly a very generous trade! So it is simple, want or need mercy, then choose to be merciful! Love Mel
