Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
Tammy needs our prayers!!! She's feeling unwell again and I think a quick prayer for her might just do the trick: http://www.christianforums.com/t4677692-fhg-tammy-needs-prayers.html
Lynda's doing alot better today.. Kamala (my roommate from India) and I are keeping an eye on her and giving her lots of hugs and love. Her voice is still a lil shakey from crying so much but she's doing alot better... acting like her normal little crazy self lol.So we know she's alright.
One more teaching for tonight... It comes from a devotional that studies the Passion Week for 365. A small verse and a small devotional. This is one of my favorite lessons from it... I read it often. Some read the particular verse and are taken back that Jesus showed His anger in such a way! No, I don't believe Jesus showed anger... I think He was showing love, just like He shows us each and every day (though with our simple minds and hearts, its sometimes difficult to understand).
Love For God's House
Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them. "Get these things out of here. Don't turn my Father's house into a marketplace!" Then His disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: "Passion for God's house burns within me." ~John 2:16-17 NLT
Jesus watched and listened for a few moments. Then He filled His lungs, and in a voice which carried above the bleating and lowing, shouts of sellers, and arguments of the cheated, He called out texts from the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah: "It is written: 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.' But you are making it a 'den of robbers'!"
With set face, He walked up to the nearest row of money changers' tables and pushed them over, one after another. Coins clattered on the paving stones and rolled away. He upset the seats of the sellers of doves and drove flocks and herds toward the gate, calling out repeatedly the texts by which buying and selling in the Temple stood condemned...
As the Twelve helped Jesus, John was impressed beyond all else by the expression on His face: not the moral force only but of love. John could feel the love which drove Jesus: love for God and His Temple, love for the cheated, love for the merchants and herdsman who had been trapped into sacrilege by greed and custom, even love for the Temple authorities who had betrayed their trust.
~ John Pollock
Taken from "His Passion: Christ's Journey to the Resurrection" pg 26 (2004).
Praying for Tammy. Glad to hear that your roommate is doing better.
*gives Gabs a great big hug*
Once again I found this perfect timing, I was stressing momentarily, that I am invisible......From Joyce Meyer's Evening devotional....
Exchanges Ashes for Beauty
[Cast] all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
~1 Peter 5:7 KJV
Do you know God wants to take care of you? It's true. He wants you to give Him all your cares, your problems, your failures-- your "ashes" --- and in exchange He will give you beauty.
Many people want God to take care of them, but they continue worrying or trying to figure out the answers to their problems instead of waiting for His direction. They continue to wallow in their "ashes" and expect God to give them beauty. But it doesn't work that way--- God can only give you beauty when you give Him the ashes.
It's a great privilege to be cared for by the King of kings, so give up your worries and concerns to Him and enjoy His protection, stability, and fullness of joy.
Once again I found this perfect timing, I was stressing momentarily, that I am invisible......
How low can you go?
by John Fischer
If you’ve ever wondered how far God would go to show his love, look in the mirror and wonder no more. We need not look any further than ourselves to find the most shocking and amazing displays of God’s grace. If we think otherwise, it is only because we have not seen ourselves as we truly are.
It has been said and sung many times: “There but for the grace of God go I.” At first this sounds grateful, but such sentiment masks a dangerous pride. It is actually not unlike the statement of a religious leader in Jesus’ day as he looked upon a sinner on his knees who was crying out for God’s mercy. “I thank you, God,” said the Pharisee, “that I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like that tax collector over there.” (Luke 18:11 NLT) It is a view that focuses on someone else’s misfortune. Someone else is worse than I am. It is much better to be thinking and praying, “Here, because of the grace of God and for no other reason, am I.” I am the only person I truly know about when it comes to sin. I am the authority on the subject.
The Pharisee hasn’t a clue about the sinner – who he is or what he has done. He has no point of reference to judge the man’s life but from his own inflated view of himself. If he had even the slightest clue about his own sin, he would realize he doesn’t have any business making the assumption that the sinner is any worse than he is. The only prayer any of us can pray on the subject of sin is: “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” This is the one prayer that sends heaven scurrying.
It is best to steer completely clear of the comparison game. Any attempt to better ourselves at the mercy of someone else’s failure will always bring a twisted view of us and others.
The immensity of God’s mercy is not displayed in what he did for the world, or for someone else. It is not displayed in someone else’s story about how low they were before Christ picked them up (of course, never as low as we would ever go – heaven forbid). Nor is it discovered through some theological understanding or study of the many nuances of his grace. No, the immensity of God’s mercy is revealed finally – and only – in the incredible realization that, lo and behold, it found out the worst of the lot. God’s mercy looked down from heaven and found out me!
Once again I found this perfect timing, I was stressing momentarily, that I am invisible......
Ri Ri, Gabs hugs her tight thank you for coming, you my dear sister are welcome here anytime, you want to drop in.Beautiful place! I love this...so peaceful!
*hugs* for you T, looking forward to hanging out.You're never invisible to the Lord and you should know that the angels of heaven always watch over you and that you're on the minds and hearts of your friends.
You did great with these honeyMiss Gabby it was hard trying to find your thread but I'm glad I did
I told you in the other thread I like your new name
but now I have a s'prise for you
I found a lamb n made it red n then made you one for your siggy n one for your avatar if you want to use it that way
luv Becka
Thank you T for posting this. I'm sorry I should be posting the lessons, but I just feel I have studying to do myself, a young Christian still on cereal, not teacher a on His word just yet.Good morning dearest Sisters and Brothers!! Ahh Monday again... what a blessed reminder of why we hate the work week lolWell school week for me... which reminds me I need to find a job before my parents start nagging me again Isn't being a full-time student good enough???
Well, I have a nice devotional for everybody today. It's from the daily devotional I get based on the The Purpose Driven Life book, which I know we're kinda sorta studying in here.Hope you all enjoy it!
to Gabby!!!
Becka, I am so thankful you can't imagine.You did great with these honey
Originally Posted by Becka
Miss Gabby it was hard trying to find your thread but I'm glad I did
I told you in the other thread I like your new name
but now I have a s'prise for you
I found a lamb n made it red n then made you one for your siggy n one for your avatar if you want to use it that way
luv Becka
/me waves to Gab's too..good morning dear oneLove you
Tammy
praying for you sis!!Yes this is a re-post so sue me.
Just when you think life is about to take an upward turn.......I get a note in the mail today my insurance, my health insurance, that I pay out of pocket for, just went up $117.04 ............. A MONTH, I really need your prayers that God starts opening some doors, work doors real soon.
*sigh*
Oh Richard this is so true and so touching.AS LITTLE CHILDREN
*** WARNING TISSUES NEEDED ***
We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi there." He pounded his fat baby hands on the highchair tray. His eyes were wide with excitement and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin. He wriggled and giggled with merriment. I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man with a tattered rag of a coat; dirty, greasy and worn. His pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. "Hi there, baby. Hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster," the man said to Erik. My husband and I exchanged looks, "What do we do?" Erik continued to laugh and answer, ""Hi, hi there." Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby.
Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya know patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo." Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence, all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments. We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's pick-me-up, position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man's. Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love relationship.
Erik in an act of total trust, love and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain and hard labor -- gently, so gently cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.
I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms for a moment, and then his eyes opened and set squarely on mine, he said in a firm commanding voice, "You take care of this baby." Somehow I managed, "I will," from a throat that contained a stone.
He pried Erik from his chest unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift." I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me."
I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment. A child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not, I felt it was God asking -
"Are you willing to share your son for a moment?" when He shared His for all eternity. The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, "To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children."
May God Bless you and those you love, and keep you safe.
Author Unknown
Submitted by Richard
God doesn't always give us what we want, but HE'LL always give us what we need..Oh Richard this is so true and so touching.
Praise God!
G
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?