Tag Archives: Wing His Words

Christian Growth, Devotionals

Potholes Praise!

photo credit: Demmer S <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/56266875@N04/25596544178″>Potholes</a&gt; via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”>(license)</a&gt;

I’ve never had the misfortune of driving in areas filled with landmines.

I don’t live in a war zone; yet, avoiding potholes is a daily distraction. Politically I’m right-wing; driving on back roads, I straddle the middle. It’s that or get pothole whiplash…

Potholes do have a positive function. They force me to slow down.

Praise God for potholes!

I have discovered that problems are like potholes.  They are not always avoidable; I can complain or coast, slow down and praise the LORD!

“I will praise the Lord at all times;
His praise will always be on my lips.
I will boast in the Lord;
the humble will hear and be glad.
Proclaim Yahweh’s greatness with me;
let us exalt His name together.

I sought the Lord, and He answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to Him are radiant with joy;
their faces will never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him from all his troubles.
The Angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear Him, and rescues them (Psalm 34:1-7 HCSB).”

 

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Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Crucifixion, Resurrection

Christ Jesus is Risen; He is Risen Indeed!

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“And as they were saying these things, He Himself stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace to you!’ But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. ‘Why are you troubled?’ He asked them. ‘And why do doubts arise in your hearts?  Look at My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself! Touch Me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ Having said this, He showed them His hands and feet.  But while they still were amazed and unbelieving because of their joy, He asked them, ‘Do you have anything here to eat?’  So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and He took it and ate in their presence.

Then He told them, ‘These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. He also said to them, ‘This is what is written: The Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things. And look, I am sending you what My Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high (Luke 24:36-49 HCSB).”

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Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Crucifixion, Devotionals, Redemption, Salvation

Prophecy Fulfilled (Isaiah 53:3-12)

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3 “He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, [yet when] He was afflicted, He was submissive and opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who among them considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living [stricken to His death] for the transgression of my [Isaiah’s] people, to whom the stroke was due?

9 And they assigned Him a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief and made Him sick. When You and He make His life an offering for sin [and He has risen from the dead, in time to come], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, and the will and pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.

11 He shall see [the fruit] of the travail of His soul and be satisfied; by His knowledge of Himself [which He possesses and imparts to others] shall My [uncompromisingly] righteous One, My Servant, justify many and make many righteous (upright and in right standing with God), for He shall bear their iniquities and their guilt [with the consequences, says the Lord].

12 Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great [kings and rulers], and He shall divide the spoil with the mighty, because He poured out His life unto death, and [He let Himself] be regarded as a criminal and be numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore [and took away] the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors (the rebellious).”

[Isaiah 53:3-12 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition]

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Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Crucifixion, Devotionals

They Knew Not…

photo credit: Angela-xujing <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/153103713@N04/35563302664″>The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”>(license)</a&gt;

They knew not.

“And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.  Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’

And they divided His garments and cast lots.  And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.’

The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine,  and saying, ‘If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.’

And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’

 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’

And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’

 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’  Having said this, He breathed His last.

So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, ‘Certainly this was a righteous Man!’

And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned.  But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things (Luke 23:33-49 NKJV).”

 

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Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Devotionals

A Bedtime Story

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You might recall the bedtime fairy tale of the ‘Princess and the Pea.’

Here is a bedtime story that is far less familiar.

“(Only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed was made of iron. Isn’t it in Rabbah of the Ammonites? It is 13 feet six inches long and six feet wide by a standard measure.) (Deuteronomy 3:11 HCSB).”

Humongous humor?

No; there were giants in the land.

It’s been said, ‘You made your bed-now lie in it.’

That’s a fact; there are consequences.

“Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap,  because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit (Galatians 6:7-8 HCSB).”

 

 

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Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Devotionals

The Last One Chosen

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Flash back to gym class; or maybe your school called it physical education (PE for short).

Go back a bit earlier to elementary school and playground recess.

Were you a team captain’s first choice? Maybe you were picked a bit later; someone was the last one chosen.  

“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot;  Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor (Luke 6:12-16 NKJV).”

Judas was not the last one chosen by Christ.

Saul (Paul) was.

“But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel (Acts 9:15 NKJV).”

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Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Devotionals

His ETA

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My husband Norm is good about keeping me updated on his daily activities. He calls me to let me know where he is and just before he is heading back home. With that information, I can estimate his time of arrival.

Jesus is in heaven at the right hand of His Father. We cannot know His ETA but He did tell us what we can expect before His return.

“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’

And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. ‘For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

‘Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:3-14 NKJV).”

 

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Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Devotionals, Redemption, Salvation

It is Finished!

photo credit: Angela-xujing <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/153103713@N04/36398558575″>The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”>(license)</a&gt;

“After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He said, ‘I’m thirsty!’ A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop and held it up to His mouth.

When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit (John 19:28-30 HCSB).”

Finished, what did Jesus mean; what was finished?

I’m no theologian but I have pondered the imponderable.

Was the agony, excruciating pain of crucifixion finished?

Yes, but I believe the statement holds much deeper meaning.

First I share an interpretation I heard many years ago. (I’m sorry that I cannot remember who shared this information). He said that in Bible times… when people were unable to pay their debts, they were arrested and put in jail. A placard was posted above their cell stating the amount they owed. The individual would serve their time until their debt was paid in full. Then the placard read, ‘It is finished!’

Jesus paid the debt I could never pay. God sent Him to earth to be the perfect sacrifice for my sin. As the spotless Lamb of God, He died in my place. 

The old covenant is finished.

“Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, ‘Drink from it, all of you.  For this is My blood that establishes the covenant; it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:27-28 HCSB).”

The work of redemption is finished.

“But the Messiah has appeared, high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation),  He entered the most holy place once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:11-12 HCSB).”

Yes, forever finished!

“According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22 HCSB).” 

 

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Christian Growth, Devotionals

Mourning

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It had a catchy tune; I sang along with the lyrics.

“Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

I mean who wants to be sad?

Right?

Remember how Spock irritated his friends?

He was so logical.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5 NKJV).”

Spock leaned and relied on his understanding, his logic.

The truth is that I can receive a blessing (not happiness). It comes through mourning.

That may not be logical. It is factual.

“Blessed are those who mourn,
    For they shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4 NKJV).”

Joy comes in the morning; that is true.

“For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5 NKJV).”

But, through mourning I draw nearer to God.

“Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up (James 4:10 NKJV).”

 

 

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Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Devotionals, Family

Free born…

Free born…

“Tell me, those of you who want to be under the law, don’t you hear the law?  For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and the other by a free woman.  But the one by the slave was born according to the impulse of the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things are illustrations, for the women represent the two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery—this is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.  But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.  For it is written:

Rejoice, childless woman,
who does not give birth.
Burst into song and shout,
you who are not in labor,
for the children of the desolate are many,
more numerous than those
of the woman who has a husband.

 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.  But just as then the child born according to the flesh persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so also now.  But what does the Scripture say?

Drive out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will never be a coheir with the son of the free woman.

 Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman (Galatians 4:21-31 HCSB).”

In Bible times names carried significant meaning.

‘Freeborn’ is a family name in my genealogy. My grandmother’s maiden name was Freeborn. In addition my father was named Franklin Freeborn Ford.  

 

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