Run the Race!

Greetings!!!

Are you a runner? Do you like to watch track and field events in the Summer Olympics? Walking and running is something that almost anyone can do. One thing about a runner is that he has to fix his gaze on what is ahead of him. If a runner looks back, it not only hinders his forward motion, but it can also stop his race. 

One place where Paul gives advise on running well is in Philippians 3:10-14: "that I my know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

You may never be an Olympic runner, but if you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, you are in a race. Does that surprise you? Your race is not a 100m dash. It is not a 400m, 800m run. You are not even a miler or a cross country runner. This race is not a 26.2  mile marathon. No, this race you are running is much longer. It takes stamina, endurance, and determination to make it to the finish line. The finish line, my friend, is when die, or when Jesus returns to usher you to heaven. Have you put on your running shoes? The best way to do that is to open your Bible. On your mark. Get set. Run! Run well, my friend. Run well, and do not look back!!

The LORD bless you with finishing your race well, and bringing glory to Him.

I love you,

Ruth

Too Good To Be True

Greetings!!!

Have you ever gotten something in the mail or maybe a phone call offering something that seemed too good to be true? As I was growing up, I was always warned, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is." So I was surprised when my daughter got information about a free cruise that seemed too good to be true, and she thought it might be legitimate. When she called, she found that all she had to do was give her credit card number to pay $800 for the hotel, meals, and taxes. When she refused, the price was lowered to $400!!  Praise God! She did not give out her credit card number, and through internet research discovered that it was in fact a scam. You can view the details on her blog by clicking on her link on the left: http://imaginedchaos.blogspot.com

Are you falling for a scam? The devil is the biggest scam artist there is. He scammed Adam and Eve-the facts are in Genesis 3:1-7

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.' " And the serpent said to the woman, "You surely shall not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also  to her husband with her, and he ate."

Satan lied. No, Eve and Adam did not die as soon as they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but they did die. Satan also failed to tell them that they would not be able to stay in their home, the Garden of Eden. 

Satan's biggest scam today is telling you that you do not need the death of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection from the grave to give you life forever in heaven with God when you die. He wants you to believe that good deeds and good behavior are all you need. After all, you are a good person. You can make it on your own. NOW HEAR THIS!! That is a lie from the father of lies. Satan is very good at what he does. Deceptions, half truths, twisted words of God are all the same thing--lies. The fact is you do need a Savior, and His name is Jesus Christ. He did all that needs to be done to gain your access into heaven. Your job is to believe He paid the cost, and paid it in full with not surprise fees.

The LORD bless you with open eyes and an open heart to know the truth.

I love you,

Ruth

Remember

Greetings!!!

Have you ever done something that sparked a memory so vivid it was almost like you were there? Recently, I purchased some raw peanuts. As soon as I opened bag and ate the first nut, memories tumbled over me like water over a fall. I remembered being a little girl and harvesting peanuts with my dad and eating raw peanuts. Those memories came unbidden and as real as if I were there... that little girl harvesting and eating and savoring the taste of raw peanuts.

As I thought about remembering, the words of David came into my mind:

I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all Thy doings; 

I muse on the work of Thy hands. 

I stretch out my hand to Thee; 

My soul longs for Thee, as a parched land.   [Selah.

Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit fails; 

Do not hide Thy face from me, 

Lest I go down to the pit. 

Let me hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning; 

For I trust in Thee; 

Teach me the way in which I should walk; 

For to Thee I lift up my soul. 

Psalm 143:5-8

I think God wants us to remember Him more than anything else. When was the last time your thoughts turned to Him? When was the last time that you were awestruck by His greatness and wonder? When was the last time you realized how big and powerful the God of the universe really is? And when was the last time that you considered that in spite of all His power and greatness, wonder and majesty, His thoughts are on you... longing for you to turn your gaze upon Him? Hmmm, now that is true love.

The LORD bless you with thoughts that are continually upon Him!

I love you,

Ruth

Test Time Again

Greetings!!!

Do you like taking tests? Do you study and prepare as you get information for a test, or are you one to cram the night or maybe even the morning right before a test? Pennsylvania law requires that third, fifth, eighth, and eleventh grades be tested to make sure the students are on grade level. Because of this law, my son Thomas was taking the PSSA tests last week. He hates doing the public school tests. He is never quite sure if he knows the material being tested. I try to reassure him that all he can do is his best.

As a child of God, are you unsure of your moments of testing? 

2 Timothy 2:11-16 says:

"Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with Him, we will also live with Him;

if we endure, we will also reign with Him.

If we deny Him, He will also deny us;

if we are faithless, He will remain faithful,

for He cannot deny Himself. 

Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly."

Are you prepared to be tested? When was the last time you studied the Father's word, the Bible?  If it is so important to study to prepare for life, how much more important is it to study to prepare yourself and those around you for eternal life?

The LORD bless you with hunger and thirst for the truth of His word.

I love you,

Ruth 

Not Just Your Dwelling Place

Greetings!!!

Do  you like to clean? I cannot say that I like to clean, but I do like the results of cleaning. It would be nice to be able to get everything done at one time... to have the whole house clean, all the laundry done, porches swept, garage cleaned out... everything clean at the same time. I wonder...hmmm, is that even possible?

Do you know that there is an even more important place to be cleaned? John tells us in 1 John 1:5-10, "And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."  

It hit me yesterday after writing about spring cleaning that the leaven that was not to be eaten in preparation for the Passover represented sin. Sin was to be removed from the lives of the Israelites. Sin is still a problem today. It still needs to be removed sin from your life, but first you have to recognize what sin is in your life. You have to confess it, ask God to forgive you and allow Him to cleanse you of all unrighteousness. You are the one who has to start the process. What are you doing or failing to do that needs to be brought before the Lord? Do not wait! Go now and get your heart clean!

The LORD bless you with knowing His forgiveness and cleansing in your life.

I love you,

Ruth 

Spring Cleaning

Greetings!!!

Do you spring clean? Are you the spring cleaner who cleans every nook and cranny in your home? I do not spring clean. I do my best to keep ahead of the dust and dirt, dishes and laundry, not to mention the dirty windows in my home. But a big clean all at once... hmm, I may have done that before children, but I do not remember that far back. Somehow, it does not seem as important as it might have been once. As I was wondering where  we ever got the idea of spring cleaning, my Bible reading was in Exodus 12 where Moses was teaching the Israelites about the Passover.

Here is what verses 14- 15 say: "Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel."

Knowing how Adam and Eve, the Pharisees and even we today hear and yet do not hear what God says to us, I can see how people would become obsessive/compulsive about God's command not to eat anything leavened to not touching it or even having it in the house. I can see it now, each spring in the month of Abib before the Passover celebration all the Hebrew families gathered in their homes to clean out every nook and cranny of any small smidge of leaven. And here we are today, mothers with their families being obsessive/compulsive about cleaning out every speck of... what are we looking for? As you spring clean this year, may you find yourself falling in love with Jesus our Lord and Savior, our once and forever Passover Lamb.

The LORD bless  you with eyes to see Him in the busy-ness of spring.

I love you,

Ruth