DO WE BELIEVE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS?

1 John 1:9   If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I have been reading in 1 John this week and thought back to a few months ago.  I had a friend named Pat who had attended the Bible Study I taught several years ago faithfully.  She enjoyed the classes, even had the group meet in her home for a while.  She had lived a troubled life, but was a pleasant person to be with.  She lived alone and had gone out to eat with me several times and I had taken her and her sisters to several services at camp meeting.  In spite of all of this, she had never really been able to be settled in her spiritual life.

Several months ago her sister called me one evening and said that Pat had been admitted to the hospital with pancreatic cancer.  She said that the doctor said that she had 6 months to one year to live.  She was in a lot of pain.  We went the next morning to the hospital to visit her.  Her sister and some of her family were with her.  After we had visited a while her family asked to be excused to get something to eat.  Her sister stayed with us.

While they were gone we were discussing her spiritual condition with her.  Pat said that she had confessed all the sins that she knew of and still didn't think she was saved.  My husband mentioned 1 John 1:9 and quoted it to her.  We knew that the devil was trying to rob her of the victory.  When we asked if she wanted us to pray for her, she said yes.

After I prayed, she said that she had a warm feeling come over her.  I told her to write down the date and time we prayed on a piece of paper and every time the devil came accusing her again that she should point to that paper and tell him he was a liar. 

She came home from the hospital and within about a week she died.  Her sister said that they found that piece of paper with her after she died. 

The devil does not want us to claim salvation even though Jesus said that all we need to do is repent and believe on Him.  The devil is a liar and will do whatever he can to keep us out of heaven.  I am quite sure that the Lord led us to tell her to put the date and time on a piece of paper to show the devil every time he tried to steal the joy of her salvation.

I firmly believe that Pat is in heaven now praising God because she was able to believe what the Bible said in 1 John 1:9.

That scripture was not only for Pat, it is for everyone who is willing to confess their sins to God, repent (which means to be sorry for the sins of the past and change our actions) and then believe that God is faithful to forgive us of our sins. 

God is faithful to every promise He has given.  It is our job to believe that!

My card for the week using the Word Art Wednesday verse is:

  

Have a blessed week and remember "Fear not tomorrow...God is already there."

He Is Faithful

My mind took a vacation last week when it came time to post something on my blog.  I don’t suppose it has anything to do with age since I celebrated my 74^th birthday today. 

But I still find the Lord faithful after all these years.  There is no way I could ever tell even a small part of everything He has done for me.  He is so precious.  I love Him more every day.

I like this acrostic about Jesus:

J.E.S.U.S. C.H.R.I.S.T.

  J esus, Son of God Eternal

  E verlasting Lord is He,

  S avior of a world of sinners,

  U niversal King to be,

  S ought us, brought us victory.

  C hrist is due all adoration,

  H umbly born to save our race,

  R uler of the whole creation

  I ntercedes and gives us grace,

  S aves us from sin's condemnation,

  T ruly worthy of all praise!

-- Author Unknown

One of my new cards:

Have a wonderful week.

Silhouette graphic from http://estherscardcreations.blogspot.com/

Just thought I'd post a few cards I made using some Tea Bag medallions I had made a long time ago.   They were quick and easy since the medallions were already done.

 

  

  

I entered the second card in the http://www.hidinginmycraftroom.com/2014/08/himcr-blogiversary-1.html challenge.  It would be nice to win something:).

Have a good day.

Our Unchanging God

During my devotions this week I again read the scripture in 2 Corinthians 1:9-10 where it says:

9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves,that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 

10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

Paul was telling the Corinthians about the trouble he encountered in Asia.  How he was at a total loss as to how to spare his life and had no hope of escaping death.  The danger was so great that there was nothing he could do. There was no way of escape.  But he knew he could trust in God alone and depend on His almighty power.  The God that could raise the dead was also able to deliver him in this dire situation.

He could look back on what God had done in the past.  He could see what God was doing then and He could remember that God said, “For I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6). 

Look what Paul says about God in verse 10:

1.  He delivered 

2.  He doth deliver 

3.  He will yet deliver 

God doesn’t change.  What He has done and is doing He will continue to do. He has delivered,

He is delivering and He will deliver.

What a promise to us when we feel like there is no way out of our problem.  When it seems there is no answer to our situation.  We can go to our unfailing God and know that He has, He is and He will!  What He promised in the past He still does.  He hasn’t quit.  He is not like people today that we think we can rely on, but when we really need them they aren’t there. 

Some of Jesus’ last words were “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world”   (Matthew 28:20).

I am so thankful that no matter the situation, I know that He has, He is and He will!  He is our living, loving and unchanging God!

My card for the week:

In the coming week remember God is always with you and you can trust Him.

Words

We never know how our words affect other people.  Words can heal or harm.  They can encourage or discourage.  They can bless or curse.

Sometimes it is not the words but the way we say them that makes the difference.  Often our underlying attitude comes through in how we speak.  We can speak softly or harshly the same words with much different results.

Colossians 4:6  says, Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

The Greeks used the word salt as an emblem of wit. So this could mean our words should be used to make what we say pleasing and useful.  Also salt is used in meat to preserve it and keep it fit to eat.  And so with our words, they should be encouraging, helpful and most of all kind.  There are times when we must use our words to correct or deal with unpleasant things.  Even then our words should be spoken with grace, in a manner which is accordance with exemplifying a Christ-like spirit.

James 3:10 says, Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Now I don't think this applies only to cursing, but also to words that injure or hurt.

Just today someone replied to an innocent statement with harsh words.  I am trying to learn from these times to remember that Christians will face times when they want to respond in the same manner, but if we are trying to live a Christ-like life, maybe He is allowing this in order that we might grow.  After these words were spoken to me I went to download a sermon I had received on CD and realized the title was "Watch Your Mouth".  I think it was a reminder from the Lord that I was not to be harsh in return.  Then a short time later I heard the song by Greater Vision,

God Wants to Hear You Sing

Their chains were fastened tight

Down at the jail that night

Still Paul and Silas would not be dismayed.

They said, “It’s time to lift our voice

Sing praises to the Lord

Let’s prove that we will trust Him come what may.”

CHORUS      

God wants to hear you sing

When the waves are crashing ‘round you

When the fiery darts surround you

When despair is all you see.

God wants to hear your voice

When the wisest man has spoken

And says, “Your circumstance is as hopeless as can be.”

That’s when God wants to hear you sing.

He loves to hear our praise on our cheerful days

When the pleasant times outweigh the bad, by far

But when suffering comes along

And we still sing Him songs

That is when we bless the Father’s heart.

When we praise God in the bad times it means much more than when things are going right.  So when people do not deal with us kindly we can take Paul and Silas as an example and praise God anyway.

This is my prayer:

Psalm 19:14  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. 

This card expressed it well.

God's grace is sufficient for all we need.

Have a victorious week in the Lord.