Another Year Ends

Greetings!!!

As you look back on 2008, how do you feel about it? Is it a year that you are glad to see completed or would you like to live it over again? As you step into a new year, are you filled with anxiety, dread, excitement or anticipation? Has 2008 been a good year for you or bad? What are your expectations for 2009?

Whether your year has been the greatest in your life or the most dreaded, as the year 2008 closes and 2009 begins meditate on the words of Paul in Philippians 3:7-14. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which come from God on the basis of faith, that I may 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.

Again, I ask, as you look back on 2008, what was it like for you? Was it a good year or a bad one? A year of great sorrow or great rejoicing? A year of loss or gain? Whatever 2008 held for you is now past. Nothing can be added to it and nothing can be taken away. It came to pass. Whatever 2008 was, it is time to put it behind and push forward with expectancy in what God will do in your life in 2009. Good or bad, forget the past and press into what the Lord has in store for you. He loves you. His desire is for you. It is amazing what He will do to get your attention to draw you near to Himself. Do not fight Him. Fall into His love! Throw yourself and all your cares into His arms. He is a big God. He can take care of all your past and every day you have yet to come.

The LORD bless you with forgetting what lies behind and reaching for what lies ahead in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I love you,

Ruth

Merry Christmas

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Isn't it amazing that God would send His Son as a baby? Isn't it amazing that He was born in a stable? Isn't it amazing that the ones first told about His birth were shepherds? At least they realized that this was no ordinary child. Do you?

Isaiah 9:6

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; 

And the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called 

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Eternal Father,

Prince of Peace.

May you experience our amazing God in a deep personal way this Christmas, and may your eyes and heart be opened to His wonders and glory throughout the 2009.

I love you,

Ruth

Suddenly, All Is Changed

Greetings!!!

Isn't it amazing that in the blink of an eye all of our best plans can be thrown to the wind?  It is that way in all areas of life. An accident can change the whole course of a life. The wrong word or lack of one can ruin a relationship. Poor business practices can leave a successful career crumpled in a heap at the bottom of the ladder. The economy can cause a handsome investment portfolio to become worthless.  So what are we to do? Not plan?

James 4:13-16 tells us, 'Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that." But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.'

Even with doing this, sometime it seems everything falls apart. What then? Turn to the Scripture again. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight." Sometimes, maybe that is now for you, it feels like you are walking blindly with no idea in what direction to turn, but even then God is in control. He loves you with an everlasting love. His arms are beneath you ever ready to catch you when you fall or to pick you up after you hit the ground. He will use either one to complete His purpose in your life. He loves you. You are a special treasure to Him. He delights in you. So, no matter what is going on in your life, rest. Stop fretting and rest in His great love. 

The LORD bless you with thrusting the full weight of your situation into His hands.

I love you,

Ruth

No Place to Hide

Greetings!!!

Have you seen the breathtaking beauty of sunrises and sunsets lately? If you have not, you really need to take the time and go somewhere so you can sit and watch a remarkable masterpiece unfold. I have been told that the Chaiten Volcano in Chile, the Dalaffilla Volcano in Ethiopia, the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii, as well as many others, are responsible for spewing dust, ash, smoke and gases miles into the air resulting in our spectacular and vibrant morning and evening displays. Isn't it amazing that something so far away can have such an effect here?

As I thought of those volcanoes blanketing the earth's atmosphere with dust and ash, Psalm 139:1-12 came to mind.

O LORD, Thou hast searched me and known me. 

Thou dost understand my thoughts from afar. 

Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down,

And art intimately acquainted with all my ways. 

Even before there is a word on my tongue, 

Behold, O LORD, Thou dost know it all. 

Thou hast enclosed me behind and before,  

And laid Thy hand upon me. 

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. 

It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

Where can I go from Thy Spirit? 

Or where can I flee from Thy presence: 

If I ascend to heaven, Thou are there; 

If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there. 

If I take the wings of the dawn, 

If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 

Even there Thy hand will lead me, 

And Thy right hand will lay hold of me. 

If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, 

And the light around me will be night," 

Even the darkness is not dark to Thee,

And the night is as bright as the day. 

Darkness and light are alike to Thee. 

Maybe you feel like God is as far away as those volcanoes, maybe even farther. Perhaps you feel that He is unaware of the details of your life, or that if He is aware, He surely does not care? Let me reassure you that as surely as the earth cannot get away from the dust and ash of those volcanoes, you cannot get away from the ever loving arms of God, and He is not far from you. He loves you. He has you in His hands, and you are safe. Rest child of God. Rest.

The LORD bless you with allowing yourself to rest in His arms and allowing Him to comfort you.

I love you,

Ruth

Are You Heavy Laden?

Greetings!!!

As I walked my route one morning last week, everything was covered with snow. Our area had an unexpected snowstorm through the night. Everything looked so beautiful covered with snow. When I got to the place with a bamboo grove, I was surprised. The bamboo was hanging close to the ground from the burden of snow. It reminded me of so many people who are struggling to get through the holidays.  

I can almost hear Jesus say, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle an humble in heart; and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light." Matthew 11:28-30

How are you feeling this holiday season? When you look around can you see no brightness or joy, but only shades of gray and sorrow.  Do you feel you will soon break under of the enormous load that you bear?  And do you believe that you have nowhere to turn? Again, I direct you to Scripture. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7

Do not beat yourself up because of your feelings. Feelings come and go. They go up. They go down. Sometimes feelings are dark and foreboding, while other times they are merry and light. You are feeling what you are feeling, but do not press into them. Press into the One who loves you so much that He made every provision for you through Jesus Christ. What are you waiting for? Go! Run to the Lover of your soul and give all this to Him.

The LORD bless you with soul rest in Him.

I love you,

Ruth

Tough Road

Greetings!!!

Do you have snow this morning? Instead of the rain that was predicted here, we got snow last night-enough that it made the going very difficult on my morning walk. At first I was slipping and sliding all over the place making me aware of the fact that I needed to be careful because there were many treacherous places. Some were quite obvious so I slowed down and used extra caution. But several times, when I came to a stretch that seemed safer, because the sun was melting the ice, I got more confident and walked with a quicker step. On one such occasion, I hit black ice. After being held up by the hand of God - it certainly was not my own ability, I should have fallen - I looked back. There was no evidence of any ice on the road, but it was icy.

As I thought about that situation, it reminded me that life is like that. So often you are going along with not a care in the world. Then, suddenly, it is like the rug has been pulled out from under you. Is there no safe guard? You can find it in Psalm 119:105-112

Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.

I have sworn, and I will confirm it,

That I will keep Thy righteous ordinances.

I am exceedingly afflicted; 

Revive me, O LORD, according to Thy word.

O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD,

And teach me Thine ordinances.

My life is continually in my hand,

Yet I do not forget Thy law.

The wicked have laid a snare for me,

Yet I have not gone astray from Thy precepts.

I have inherited Thy testimonies forever,

For they are the joy of my heart.

I have inclined my heart to perform Thy statutes

Forever, even to the end.

Whether you are confident in your walk or feel you are on shaky ground, there is only one safe guard. That is the Word of God. Are you using it as the light for your path and the lamp for your feet, or are you content to make your own way? If you are going your own way, I must warn you, be careful of the black ice that is just waiting for you. It looks all right. It looks safe. But in the end you could be struggling for all you are worth not to go down, and go down hard. When was the last time you sought the Word of God for direction in your life? Maybe it time to start today.

The LORD bless you with recognizing His light in your life.

I love you,

Ruth

What Is Your Focus?

Greetings!!!

Do you remember the dogs I told you about that greet me like clockwork every morning? To my surprise yesterday morning, when I got to the place where I usually hear the barking and baying of hounds, there was silence. I could see the dogs, but they did not see me. I wondered what was wrong. When I got close enough to see what the distraction was, I realized that every one of those dogs was focus on its master who was at the kennels talking to them. I was not their concern at that time.

Almost instantly, Matthew 14: 25-32 came to mind. "And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking upon the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were frightened, saying, "It's a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became afraid and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Peter walked on the water! He remained above the waves for as long as he focused on Jesus and not on the storm around him! In the same way that the wind and the waves did not stop Peter from walking on the water while he focused on Jesus, and nothing could disrupt those dogs from focusing on their master, I tell you "fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith". You are safe in His hands, rest there. You are safe in His hands, be at peace. You are safe in His hands, focus your gaze on His face and listen intently to His word. Nothing needs to disturb or disrupt your day.

The LORD bless you with a determined, intense focus on Him.

I love you,

Ruth

The Reunion

Greetings!!!

Have you ever been to a funeral? Have you ever been to a reunion? On November 1, 2008, I went to the funeral of a very special lady-           Mary Simmons. Since we have been attending a church that is closer to our community, arriving for the viewing was much like a reunion for me. I saw so many precious friends that I have not seen in a long time. I said to several people that being at a funeral should not be such a blessing, to which one person responded, "That is the way Mary would have wanted it." When the service started, Pastor Bellis announced that Mary wanted this service to be a celebration. We were to rejoice in her going home to be with "her Jesus".

As I thought about feeling like I was at a reunion and a celebration, I got an image of this picture from heaven's side. There will be a reunion! There are two Scriptures came to mind that make me believe this. First is Luke 16:19-22. Jesus is telling a parable to the people. "Now there was a certain rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day. And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered in sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man died and was buried also." 

The other Scripture is in Luke 23:40-43 where Jesus is on the cross between two thieves. One of the thieves, along with much of the crowd, is hurling insults at Jesus. The other thief responds, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" An He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

In the footnote of my Study Bible it says, "The Talmud mentions both Abraham's bosom and Paradise as the home of the righteous. Its bliss is the quality of blessedness reserved for people like Abraham." Also, that "paradise refers to a place of bliss and rest between death and resurrection." Whatever or wherever that place is, those who die in Christ will be there together with Jesus until the day He returns to earth. When I think of some of the people I know who are waiting there, I know there is a big celebration going on, and I am waiting, with great anticipation, to join them there. 

The LORD bless you with being ready for that great and glorious reunion!

I love you,

Ruth

The Gap

Greetings!!!

As I was running last week, I looked to my right and saw the gap between the mountains, and it really struck me like a neon sign. Once again I have a word stuck in my head--GAP. As I thought about the word gap I found that it has various meanings: the geography term which started this-a narrow opening, especially through a mountain;  a break or hole; an unfilled space or interval; a difference, especially an undesirable one, between two views.

In Ezekiel 22-23-31, Ezekiel tells us: And the word of the LORD came to me saying, "Son of man, say to her, 'You are a land that is not cleansed or rain on in the day of indignation.' There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her.  Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and I am profaned among them. Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, 'Thus says the LORD GOD,' when the LORD has not spoken. The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and oppressed the sojourner without justice. And I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads," declared the LORD GOD.

Are you willing to intercede with God on behalf of your nation? Are you willing to be the one to stand in the gap and plead for the mercy of God on the souls of men? Are you willing to humble yourself and pray and seek God's face and turn from your wicked ways so that God's wrath and destruction will be abated. Are you willing to pray that the sins of your nation will be forgiven and your land healed? Choose to be like Moses who stood in the breach before God to turn away His wrath from destroying Israel while they were in the desert. Your prayers are powerful and avail much, but you have to pray them!! Stand in the gap!

The LORD bless you with taking the time to pray.

I love you,

Ruth

Strong Tower

Greetings!!!

Are you still reeling from the election results? As a child of God, are you confused, hurt and maybe even angry because you feel God did not answer the prayers of the saints. I know that many people where fasting and praying about the elections, and I want to assure you that God did not fall asleep and not hear the prayers and petitions of His saints. God did not hear their prayers and forget to act. God is still on the throne and still in control.

David's words from 2 Samuel 22:2-4 really spoke to me today. I pray that  they minister to you as well.

"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; 

My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, 

My shield and the horn of my salvation, 

             my stronghold and my refuge;

My savior, Thou dost save me from violence.

I call upon the LORD. who is worthy to be praised;

And I am saved from my enemies."

No matter what you are facing today--disappointments, financial struggles, physical difficulties, confusion or whatever is your enemy today--God is in control. God loves you. God has good plans for your life. The things going on in your life can be used by God to bring Him glory and you good. Rest in Him.

I conclude with the words from "Strong Tower" by Kutless

When I wander through the desert

And I'm longing for my home

All my dreams have gone astray

When I'm stranded in the valley

And I'm tired and all alone

It seems like I've lost my way

I go running to Your mountain

Where Your mercy sets me free

You are my strong tower

Shelter over me

Beautiful and mighty

Everlasting King

You are my strong tower

Fortress when I'm weak

Your name is True and Holy

And Your face is all I seek

In the middle of my darkness

In the midst of all my fear

You're my refuge and my hope

When the storm of life is raging

And the thunder's all I hear

You speak softly to my soul

Now I'm running to Your mountain

Where Your mercy sets me free

You are my strong tower

Shelter over me

Beautiful and mighty

Everlasting King

You are my strong tower

Fortress when I'm weak

Your name is True and Holy

And Your face is all I seek

The LORD bless you with peace and assurance of His control.

I love you,

Ruth

Anchor

Greetings!!!

Have you ever had a word stuck in your head? For at least a week the word anchor has been rolling around in my head and I have not been able to get to my blog. What is an anchor? I like the New World Dictionary of America English definition: any device that holds something else secure; anything that gives or seems to give stability or security. What is the the anchor in your life? Is it a good job or having enough money in your savings accounts? Perhaps it is in having the right relationships. With just completing the Presidential election in the United States, do you have your anchor in who will run this nation? What is your anchor?

As I listened to my Biblestick, I heard: "When God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying, 'I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.' And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. Men swear by someone greater than themselves and the oath confirms what is said and puts and end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that , by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled  to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."

No matter how shaky the anchors are in your life, there is an anchor for your soul that is actually able to hold you securely and that truly gives you stability and security. Is your soul secure? It can be. It is as simple as choosing to have a relationship with Jesus Christ the Lord.

The LORD bless you with realizing the security you can have in Him.

I love you,

Ruth

"I Just Want To Be Where You Are"

Greetings!!!

Do you have a pet that always wants to be where you are? I had two situations yesterday where my cat and one of the kittens put themselves in danger to be with me. First thing in the morning, my buddy Blackie, who is our big, fat cat, crossed the road and was desperately trying to catch up with my when I went on my morning walk. I happened to turn around and saw him and had to take him home. Then later, when I was coming in from the garage, I did not see the kitten sprint up behind me and get caught in the door. I had to release the little guy from the door that trapped him.

Have you ever been so thoughtless about the things around you because you were desperate for God? In Psalm 42:1-4, Korah describes his longing for God. 

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, 

So my soul pants for Thee, O God. 

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; 

When shall I come and appear before God? 

My tears have been my food day and night, 

While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" 

These things I remember, and I pour out my soul within me. 

For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in

procession to the house of God, 

With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping     

    festival."

Do you remember a time when you were in the presence of God? How long ago was that? How desperate are you to be in the presence of God again? What will you do? What will you give up to enter into His presence again? God's desire to have you come into His presence is greater than your desire to be there. Do not wait. Take time to meet with Him today.

The LORD bless you with being desperate for Him.

I love you,

Ruth

Keep Watch

Greetings!!!

Have you ever been surprised by a dog? There is a family on my morning route that has not one, but six dogs. I have never surprised by them. I know for a certainty that when my foot hits a particular place on the road, one dog will sound the alarm, and that that dog will be joined by a chorus of barking that will continue until I am well out of sight. This morning as I approached the house, I noticed that the one dog was watching -standing guard- anticipating my coming.

Are you watching? Jesus said in Matthew 24: 36-44 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

Are you standing guard? Are you looking with expectation, waiting to see the return of our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? The King is coming, and I pray you will be ready.

The LORD bless you with being prepared for the return of the King.

I love you,

Ruth

Look Up! Look Around!

Greetings!!!

Did you see the sunrise this morning? Where I live in Pennsylvania, the sky was almost completely covered with big puffy clouds and clouds that looked like snow-topped mountains. Before the sun crested the mountain, from east to west, the clouds were blushed with varying shades of crimson. It was obvious that the sun was coming. All the the clouds were declaring its rising.

Instantly, what Jesus said in Luke 21:25-28 came to mind. "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then will they see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

Are you looking expectantly for the return of the King of kings and the Lord of lord, or do the cares of the world keep you from watching in expectation? That day is drawing near. Are you ready for His return? What  do you need to do in order to be ready for His return? Get ready! Just like the sun, He is coming!!

The LORD bless you with a heart that is ready for His return.

I love you,

Ruth

Turn Around

Greetings!!!

Do you have a regular traveling route? I have three different routes that I use regularly for my morning exercise. No matter which direction I go, I have some major hills to go up and down. This morning I was prompted to reverse one of my routes. I kept thinking how different things looked from this vantage point. Dogs barked that I did not know were there. The view was different as I traveled this new direction. I saw things I would never have seen if I had not turned around.

As I thought of how unfamiliar my route was this morning, Acts 3: 18-21 came to mind. "But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ should suffer He has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time."

Have you ever reversed your direction? It can appear and feel quite strange and unfamiliar, and so it is when you repent and turn the other direction spiritually. Everything is... well... different. If you have never turned around and asked God to forgive your sins, or trusted the death of Jesus to be all you need to have a relationship with the one, true and living God, or asked Jesus to come into your life and lead you home, what is keeping you from making that decision? Why not do so today? It will give your life a new, refreshing perspective.

The LORD bless you with turning to Him today.

I love you,

Ruth

Fall Colors

Greetings!!!

Do you have trees with green leaves where you live? Maybe that sounds like a dumb question, but here in central Pennsylvania the leaves of the trees are beginning to change color. We are seeing red, orange, yellow and even purple leaves. Green is not the actual color of these leaves, but rather, green is the color of the chlorophyll that these leaves produce as food. It takes the change in season to see the true colors of the leaves on different trees.

As I looked around this morning at some of the different, vibrant colors on the trees, 1 John 3: 1-3 came to mind. See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And every one who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Have you ever considered that what you truly are cannot be truly seen here while you are alive? What you truly are will not be revealed until you are with the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven or when He returns to take His bride home. Although you may be a student, a husband or wife, mother or father, son or daughter, teacher, mechanic, plumber, construction worker, secretary, pastor, missionary, boy or girl, that is not really what you are. Only God sees you as you really are, and one day you will see what you really are because, if you are trusting Him for your salvation, you will be like Jesus.

The LORD bless you with being the righteousness of Christ.

I love you,

Ruth

Is Your Battery Low?

Greetings!!!

Do you have anything that is battery powered? I just got a Biblestick from Faith Comes By Hearing (biblestick.com). A Biblestick is an MP3 player that is a dedicated audio Bible. Hosanna Ministries has formatted the New Testament  into twenty-eight minute segments so that in just forty days you could listen to the entire New Testament. There is a neat little feature on this MP3 player to indicate when the battery is getting low-the volume gets low and a light flashes red and green, giving plenty of warning to change the battery. Too bad there is not a little feature built into us, a flashing light or something, to give us a signal when our spiritual battery is running low.

Is your spiritual battery in need of a charge today? I suggest that you spend some time praising God for who He is, and then open the word and read or turn it on and listen. David knew that the LORD could renew his spirit. 

Here is a portion of Psalm 103

Bless the LORD, O my soul; 

And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; 

Who pardons all your iniquities; 

Who heals all your diseases; 

Who redeems your life from the pit; 

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; 

Who satisfies your years with good things, 

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. vs. 1-5

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, 

Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. vs. 8 

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, 

Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 

For high as the heavens are above the earth, 

So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. 

As far as the east is from the west, 

So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 

Just as a father has compassion on his children, 

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. 

For He Himself knows our frame; 

He is mindful that we are but dust. vs. 10-14 

Bless the LORD, all you works of His, 

In all places of His dominion; 

Bless the LORD, O my soul. vs. 22

Do not wait for your battery to run low. Recharge your spiritual battery on a daily basis. Get refreshed. Allow God to renew your spirit. Do not run on your own strength. If you do, small things will become big stressors. Hmmm. Maybe that is the flashing red light!! 

The LORD bless you with the determination to get recharged every day.

I love you,

Ruth

Sweet, Luscious and Refreshing

Greetings!!!

Do you have a garden? We have really enjoyed God's abundance from our garden this summer. One of our special treats was watermelons. It was so much fun to go to the garden and get a watermelon, clean the dirt and grass off it, take it to the house and plunge a knife into it. The melon would burst open revealing the luscious, juicy, red fruit. It was so refreshing and good. If you have never enjoyed produce fresh from the garden, you are missing a wonderful treat.

As I pondered our sweet treats, David's words in Psalm 19: 7-11 became very real to me.

The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; 

The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; 

In keeping them there is great reward.

God provides a rich, abundant harvest from His word. He provides what is needed for refreshment, wisdom, joy, enlightenment, righteousness and riches forever and ever. When was the last time that you spent time taking in God's luscious, delectable Word? If you have a hard time being able to read the Bible, have you considered listening to it? Check out http://www.faithcomesbyhearing.com. There you can find a free MP3 audio New Testament that you can download. Then you can listen to the Bible when you are busy working or driving or doing anything that would keep you from reading God's word. By listening just twenty-eight minutes a day, you can complete the New Testament in just forty days. Who knows what could happen in the lives of God's people if all of us together would listen for forty days and then do it again, and again, and again and continue doing it everyday until our days are no more?? I believe there would be an incredible change, but first there must be a commitment to begin.

The LORD bless you with hunger and thirst for His Word.

I love you,

Ruth

Surprised By a Rainbow!

Greetings!!!

Do you ever look for rainbows? For as long as I can remember, when I would see the sun come out while it was raining, I would expect to see and look for a rainbow. It was delight when I would see one and a disappointment when there was none. So imagine my surprise and delight on this bright and beautiful morning as I turned the corner on my running route and looked up to the sky and saw an enormous, brilliant rainbow against the dark clouds, but there was no rain!! For the entire fifteen minutes it took to get home from there, that rainbow was suspended on the clouds.

Why do we have rainbows? Oh, I could give you the scientific explanation of refraction and dispersion, etcetera, and so on, but what is it really? The beginning is found in Genesis 9:8-15 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, "Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. And I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth, And it shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh." A rainbow in the clouds is one of God's ways of remembering you and me!!!

But look again... Revelation 4:2-3 The apostle John is speaking. "Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, an One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance." Hmmm. Why would God have a rainbow encircling His throne? Could it be so that whichever direction He faces, He sees the rainbow and remembers you and me? 

The LORD bless you with remembering God's great love and desire for you.

I love you,

Ruth

How Will You Make Your Decision?

Greetings!!!

For those of you who live in the United States, can you tell it is an election year? Every night there is a debate among people and the news media about which candidate is more qualified to be the next President of the United States. On and on they drone trying to convince us, or maybe themselves, that a particular person should be elected. Along with this, the commentators will throw in out of context blurbs from each candidate and their running mates in an effort to sway the opinion of the American people. Mind you, the media knows the power they wield. Most people, who will actually vote, will make their decision based on what the media tells them. 

I would challenge you to make your choice based not on the economy, foreign policy, domestic policy or even the morals of the candidates, but based on 1 Chronicles 7:14 "if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 

It is time for Christians to stop seeking wisdom and guidance from the news media. Stop making your decisions based on what those who hate to hear the name of Jesus mentioned tell you. The news media is not interested in what is best for this nation. The media would have you believe that more money, bigger houses, big, luxurious cars, more lands, the latest expensive designer clothes, and sex are the great gods to be worshipped in this nation. We are told in Psalm 33:12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom he has chosen for His own inheritance." It is time for those who are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ to unite and once again make our God the LORD and to turn away from the deception of the gods of this world. Spend time seeking God in order to know how He wants you to vote.

The LORD bless you as you seek His wisdom for this election.

I love you,

Ruth

Lies! It is All Lies!

Greetings!!!

Do you get a lot of spam in your email box? Almost one third of all my mail is not just spam, but lies. Lies from people who claim to be from the UK, Chevron or Texaco, Yahoo and Msn, various banks, or who claim to be a Senator, lawyer, or an FBI agent. What is their lie? There are many approaches: "I found your contact particulars in an address journal I am seeking your kind assistance to move the sum of $35 million dollars to you...", or "You were listed as a beneficiary to the total sum of 10,600,000GBP", another is "$6.8 million dollars has been credited in your favor..." And what do I have to do in order to receive these millions of dollars at least 15 to 20 times a day? Give all my personal information to them so they can steal my identity. They want to take what I have and ruin my life.

Hmmm. That sounds a lot like what the devil does in the life of a believer. He constantly badgers hoping to catch someone off guard, hoping that maybe this time he will break through the defenses. "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that you brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."   1 Peter 5: 8-9

Is the constant barrage in your life wearing you down. Take a look at         1 Peter 5: 5-7 "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert." Whether the lies you are dealing with are from people or Satan-the father of lies, run to the Savior. Run to Him and bring everything to Him that is weighing heavy upon you. He will lift you up!

The LORD bless you with finding safety under God's mighty hand.

I love you,

Ruth

Mounting Frustration

Greetings!!!

Have you ever been late for work? Maybe you woke up late, and it seemed that the hurrier you went the behinder you fell. My precious daughter found herself in that position this morning. The frustration mounted, and it seemed that nothing went right- hair that could not be managed, the open trunk on the car that would not close, the seat belt that refused to pull out. As things going wrong mounted, frustration soared. It is easy to wonder in times like these, "Where was God in all of this?"

As I went out to run and listen to Scripture, I heard God say, "I am always just on time." It made me think of Romans 5:1-8 "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Whom He has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."(emphasis mine)

I wonder how many times throughout time people have questioned God's timing. God's timing is always perfect... even when you are running late!! Instead of letting frustration, worry, and panic rule in your moments of rush and confusion, ask God to give you His grace and peace. Ask Him to help you rejoice and to use the situation to work in what is missing in your character. Ask Him to redeem the situation that is making you feel that He is late in His help to you.

The LORD bless you with feeling His grace wash over you removing all frustration and flooding you with His peace.

I love you,

Ruth

What If?

Greetings!!!

Have you ever seen a Cedar of Lebanon? Since I have never seen one, I checked it out on Wikipedia. They can grow to be 130 feet (40 m) tall and 8 feet 2 inches (2.5 m) in diameter! That is huge! Now, consider Job 40: 15-18.  God is speaking to Job and his three friends. "Behold now, Behemoth, which I made as well as you; He eats grass like an ox. Behold now, his strength in his loins, And his power in the muscles of his belly. He bends his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are knit together. His bones are tubes of bronze; His limbs are like bars of iron." Most commentaries say Behemoth is the hippopotamus or the elephant. Neither one has a tale close to 130 feet long or 8 feet in diameter. Can you think of anything that might have? The Brachiosaurus or Apatosaurus come to mind for me. They were great beasts!! If Job had never seen a dinosaur, why would God direct his attention to such a huge beast? What if the Bible is correct? What if man and dinosaurs coexisted together, then maybe the earth is much younger than they taught you in school.

Now consider God's gift. John 3:16-17  "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil." Again, what if the Bible is right? What if the only reason Jesus came into this world was to die for your sins. What if God really loves you and wants you to spend all of eternity with Him. What if God really does have an amazing plan for your life, then you have a decision to make. Will you receive God's gift?

The LORD bless you with revealing His truth to you.

I love you,

Ruth

Sound the Alarm

Greetings!!!

Have you ever had a song in your head that would not go away? I have had the song "Holy Visitation" going through my head for the past two weeks. Here are the words:

Sound the alarm

Gather the people

Gather the elders

Let the ministers wail

Take back the years that the enemy's stolen

Lord, You are coming with a Holy Visitation

Sound the alarm

Awaken the watchmen

Open their ears 

Let their voices be loud

We prophecy, You'll come to this nation

Touch this generation with a Holy Visitation

We return to You

Fasting and weeping and mourning

Oh, my Lord, You're returning

We lie here weeping between porch and altar

Pour out Your Spirit on Your sons and Your daughters

We dance. We shout. We lift up our voices

Let Your kingdom come down

I was made for war

I was made for battle, Lord

As the song went through my head this morning, there were two Scriptures that also rolled around in my head. First was Joel 2:1-2 "Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near. A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness." 

The second Scripture is from the New Testament. Ephesians 6: 12-13 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything , to stand firm."

Sometimes it takes me awhile to hear clearly, but I believe I need to sound the alarm. It is time for the church to get on their face before the LORD and seek Him and His will. It is time to fast and pray and not move away-neither to the left or right, nor forward or back, until we hear from Him. If He does not move, we cannot move. Are you ready for battle? As Petra put it, you ready to "Get on your knees, and fight like a man!"

The LORD bless you with hearing the alarm before it is too late.

I love you,

Ruth