Amy's Place ... Poetry and Potpourri ... June, 2014

6-1-2014 | JustAmy; St.Louie1; MamaBear; Billie; Meg33, Friends

[left that other site]

Good Morning, MEG!
Have a lovely and Blessed Independence Day!

[MEG33]

Thank you, trish
;o)

[MEG33]

Good afternoon,ML... (((Hugs)))

[geologist]

AMERICA HAS BEEN RICHLY BLESSED

ABORTION ON DEMAND, SAME SEX MARRIAGE, allowing OUR SCHOOLS TO TEACH LITTLE OR NO HISTORY OF OUR NATION, AND WORLD HISTORY. lies AND ABOMINATIONS ARE OCCURRING IN WASHINGTON. AND THROUGH LIBERAL MEDIAS.

WE ARE IN BIG TROUBLE. TIME TO GET SERIOUSAND GET THE VOTE OUT AND KEEP IT TRUE AND NOT STOLEN BY THE DESIGN OF THE CURRENT POWERS.

ARE WE REALLY GOING TO FOLLOW EVIL?

FORGIVE US LORD, WE KNOW NOT WHAT WE DO, IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

[The Mayor]

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The Growth Chart
July 5, 2014

Read: 2 Peter 3:10-18

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. —2 Peter 3:18

Bible in a Year:
Job 30-31; Acts 13:26-52

If my family ever moves from the house where we live now, I want to unhinge the pantry door and take it with me! That door is special because it shows how my children have grown over the years. Every few months, my husband and I place our children against the door and pencil a mark just above their heads. According to our growth chart, my daughter shot up 4 inches in just 1 year!

While my children grow physically as a natural part of life, there’s another kind of growth that happens with some effort—our spiritual growth in Christlikeness. Peter encouraged believers to “grow in the grace and knowledge” of Jesus (2 Peter 3:18). He said that maturing in our faith prepares us for Christ’s return. The apostle wanted Jesus to come back and find believers living in peace and righteousness (v.14). Peter viewed spiritual growth as a defense against teaching that incorrectly interprets God’s Word and leads people astray (vv.16-17).

Even when we feel discouraged and disconnected from God, we can remember that He will help us advance in our faith by making us more like His Son. His Word assures us that “He who has begun a good work in [us] will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).

Dear God, I invite Your Holy Spirit
to mold me into the person You want me to be.
Empower me to keep reaching for
the holiness I see in Jesus.

Spiritual growth requires the solid food of God’s Word.

Insight

The exhortation to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord” is the end goal of every believer (2 Peter 3:18; cf. John 17:3; Eph. 1:17; Col. 1:10; 3:10; 1 John 5:20). God wants us to grow and not to remain spiritual infants (1 Peter 2:2).

[geologist]

The living are a work in progress. Some have decided to reject God. It has been the history of man to be his/her own God. Which leads to evil, arrogance, self aggrandizement, etc. The LORD of the universe waits for our willingness to seek and know Him. Open the heart and pray for the LORD to come and abide in Thee, with true repentance, and earnest humbleness of heart, cry out to God for salvation, in Jesus name, amen. The LORD will answer. Faith ... have faith.

[geologist]

HOPE, FAITH, MERCY, LOVE, TRUST, GOD KNOWS OUR HEART. PRAYER WITHOUT CEASING’, ... focus ‘ON THESE THINGS’.

REPENTANCE FIRST, TURNING FROM OUR SINS IN TRUTH.

[The Mayor]

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Not A Hitching Post
July 6, 2014

Read: Jeremiah 6:13-20

Ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. —Jeremiah 6:16

Bible in a Year:
Job 32-33; Acts 14

You may have heard the saying, “The past is supposed to be a guidepost, not a hitching post.” It’s easy to become tied to memories of “the good old days” instead of using our experiences to find direction for the road ahead. We are all susceptible to the paralyzing effects of nostalgia—a longing for what used to be.

Jeremiah was a priest from a small town near Jerusalem when God called him to be “a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5). He was given the very difficult job of pronouncing God’s judgment primarily on the people of Judah, who had turned away from the Lord. Jeremiah made it clear that he was delivering God’s message, not his own (7:1-2).

The Lord said, “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it’” (6:16).

God urged His people to look back so they could move ahead. The purpose of considering the ancient paths was to find “the good way” marked by God’s faithfulness, His forgiveness, and His forward call.

God can teach us from our past that the best road is the one we walk with Him.

Though I know not what awaits me—
What the future has in store,
Yet I know that God is faithful,
For I’ve proved Him oft before. —Anon.

God’s guidance in the past gives courage for the future.

Insight

Jeremiah, often called the “weeping prophet,” brought a depressing message to Israel: “Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people” (6:19). God would bring the consequences of Israel’s choices on them. Calamity was coming (v.15) because Israel had forgotten the path given in the past (v.16). Yet Jeremiah also offered words of hope: One day God would bring “the remnant” back to Israel and raise up a “Branch of righteousness” (23:3-8).

[The Mayor]

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The Jaws Of Death
July 7, 2014

Read: Luke 9:1-6

They departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. —Luke 9:6

Bible in a Year:
Job 34-35; Acts 15:1-21

Lauren Kornacki is glad she took that summer CPR class, but she probably never thought she would have to use it so soon and on someone she loves. Her father was repairing his car when the jack slipped and the car fell on him. Lauren, a 22-year-old, reportedly heroically lifted the 3,300-pound car enough to pull him from underneath! Then she kept him alive with CPR until the paramedics arrived.

Far greater than Lauren’s rescue of her father from the jaws of death is Jesus’ rescue of us from the clutches of sin by His death and resurrection. When Jesus sent the 12 disciples to carry out His work, He gave them the assignment to preach the good news of God’s desire to rescue people (Luke 9:1-6). They would not carry this out in their own strength, but Jesus would lift the heavy burden of people’s sin as they taught about Him. Their preaching and healing in Jesus’ power and authority proved that Jesus had actually brought God’s rule to earth.

Many today are trapped under the weight of sin, but our great God can rescue us from underneath those burdens and then send us into the world to tell others that He can set them free.

Thinking It Over
Do you know someone who is trapped under the
burden of sin and needs Jesus’ rescue? In what
practical ways can you be an active agent of Jesus’ love?

Those who’ve been rescued from sin are best able to help in the rescue of others.

Insight

Luke records that Jesus gave the disciples “power and authority” (9:1). He does not relate the specific situations the disciples faced or the people’s reaction to these 12 new miracle workers who were suddenly working in Israel. Instead, Luke simply found it important to record, “So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere” (v.6). Luke’s emphasis was on Jesus. He was the one who gave His disciples the authority. It’s important to remember that power and authority are always His to give.

[geologist]

Our part is to have FAITH. We know our self and it is difficult to accept God will use us to heal sickness and handicaps. Where there is doubt, faith is not.

How wonderful the gift of healing is ... The woman with the long time issue of bleeding by touching the hem of Jesus’ robe was instantly healed by her faith in Jesus’ ability to heal. Jesus felt the power go out of Him.

God bless America.

[geologist]

Ever notice what we focus on grows? What we are looking for ... is what we find.

Think about it!

[The Mayor]

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Uncertain Times
July 8, 2014

Read: Philippians 4:6-9

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. —Philippians 4:7

Bible in a Year:
Job 36-37; Acts 15:22-41

During a major economic downturn several years ago, many people lost their jobs. Sadly, my brother-in-law was one of them. Writing to me about their situation, my sister shared that although there were uncertainties, they had peace because they knew that God would care for them.

Believers in Jesus can have peace in the midst of uncertainties because we have the assurance that our heavenly Father loves His children and cares for our needs (Matt. 6:25-34). We can bring all our concerns to Him with an attitude of thankfulness, trusting Him to meet our needs and give us peace (Phil. 4:6-7).

“The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,” writes the apostle Paul, “will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (v.7). To say the peace of God surpasses all understanding reveals that we can’t explain it, but we can experience it as He guards our hearts and minds.

Our peace comes from the confidence that the Lord loves us and He is in control. He alone provides the comfort that settles our nerves, fills our minds with hope, and allows us to relax even in the midst of changes and challenges.

Heavenly Father, You are all-wise, all-powerful, and
all-loving. In the midst of uncertainties, help me to
rest in the certainty of who You are. I thank You
that Your peace will guard my heart. I place my trust in You.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. —Isaiah 26:3

Insight

Jesus taught us not to worry, because we can entrust our needs to our heavenly Father who loves us and cares for us deeply (Matt. 6:25-34; 7:9-11; 1 Peter 5:7). In Philippians 4, Paul follows Jesus’ example and encourages us to replace our anxieties with expectant trust and grateful prayer. The “peace of God” (v.7) is not a psychological state of mind but an inner calm or tranquility. This peace comes from a confident trust in God who answers prayers (v.6), from a disciplined spiritual perspective, and from a deliberate practice of Christian virtues (v.9). Those who entrust themselves to God will not only experience the peace of God (v.7), but “the God of peace” Himself will be with them (v.9).

[MEG33]

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. —Isaiah 26:3

I love this lesson...adding to my favorites about worry and trusting in the Lord.

Matthew 6:
27. Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your lifespan?...

[The Mayor]

Thanks Meg!!

[The Mayor]

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Asking Different Questions
July 9, 2014

Read: Job 38:1-11

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? —Job 38:4

Bible in a Year:
Job 38-40; Acts 16:1-21

When tragedy strikes, questions follow. Our loss of a loved one may lead us to ask God any number of pointed questions: “Why did You let this happen?” “Whose fault was this?” “Don’t You care about my pain?” Believe me, as the grieving father of a teenager who died tragically I have asked these very questions.

The book of Job records the questions Job asks as he sits down with friends to lament his suffering. He had lost his family as well as his health and possessions. At one point, he asks, “Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter of soul?” (3:20). Later, he asks, “What strength do I have, that I should hope?” (6:11). And, “Does it seem good to You that You should oppress?” (10:3). Many have stood near a headstone placed too early and asked similar questions.

But when you read all the way to the end of the book, you get a surprise. When God responds to Job (chs. 38–41), He does it in an unexpected way. He turns the tables and asks Job questions—different questions that show His wisdom and sovereignty. Questions about His magnificent creation—the earth, stars, and sea. And the questions all point to this: God is sovereign. God is all-powerful. God is love. And God knows what He is doing.

We comprehend Him not,
Yet earth and heaven tell,
God sits as sovereign on the throne,
And ruleth all things well. —Gerhardt

Our greatest comfort in sorrow is to know that God is in control.

Insight

Our familiarity with the story of Job may cause us to overlook some of the significant aspects of his story. It is important to notice the unity of the book of Job. The wisdom, power, and control that God asks Job to consider in chapters 38–41 is the same wisdom, power, and control we read about in the opening chapters when God allows Satan to turn Job’s life upside down and inside out. We should not disconnect God’s wisdom seen in the world around us from the wisdom with which He works in our lives.

[Kitty Mittens]

(((((Hugs and Love to Everyone)))))

[trisham]

Thank you, Kitty Mittens!

((((Hugs and Love to you and Everyone too!))))

[left that other site]

(((((((BIG HUGS BACK ATCHA!))))))

[The Mayor]

[trisham]

Awwwww...so adorable, The Mayor!