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Posted on 01/01/2022 11:37:54 AM PST by JustAmy
1/01/2021 | The Mayor; Luvie; JustAmy
Posted on 01/01/2021 6:43:29 AM PST by JustAmy
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TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Miscellaneous; Poetry; The Poetry Branch; Click to Add Topic
KEYWORDS: amysplace; friendship; january2022; poetry; Click to Add Keyword
Bible in a Year:
The king . . . renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands.
The ornate ceremonial bow and quiver had hung on the wall of our home in Michigan for years. I’d inherited them from my father, who acquired the souvenirs while we were serving as missionaries in Ghana.
Then one day a Ghanaian friend visited us. When he saw the bow, he got a strange look on his face. Pointing to a small object tied to it he said, “That is a fetish—a magic charm. I know it has no power, but I would not keep it in my house.” Quickly we cut the charm from the bow and discarded it. We didn’t want anything in our home intended for the worship of something other than God.
Josiah, king in Jerusalem, grew up with little knowledge of God’s expectations for His people. When the high priest rediscovered the Book of the Law in the long-neglected temple (2 Kings 22:8), Josiah wanted to hear it. As soon as he learned what God had said about idolatry, he ordered sweeping changes to bring Judah into compliance with God’s law—changes far more drastic than merely cutting a charm from a bow (see 2 Kings 23:3–7).
Believers today have more than King Josiah did—much, much more. We have the entire Bible to instruct us. We have each other. And we have the vital filling of the Holy Spirit, who brings things to light, large and small, that we might otherwise overlook.
Reflect & Pray
Can you describe a time when a believer wisely pointed out a change you needed to make? What things in your life might be offensive to God?
Heavenly Father, by the work of the Holy Spirit, help me steer clear of anything that’s offensive to You.
Thank you.
Thank you for reading them, that’s why I;m here
And we appreciate you!!
Thank you for being here for us.
Over 20 years now, whew time has flown by.
Happy you saw Jim today, we have been praying for him
How time flies.
It was great seeing and talking to Jim today.
Did you see his picture?
He looked and sounded so good.
Yes I did, you pinged me and I appreciate that!
Bible in a Year:
The message of the cross is . . . the power of God.
Zhang was raised with, in his words, “no God, no religion, nothing.” In 1989, seeking democracy and freedom for his people, he helped lead students in peaceful protests. But the protests tragically led to the government’s intervention and hundreds of lives lost. For his part in the event, Zhang was placed on his country’s most-wanted list. After a short imprisonment, he fled to an outlying village where he met an elderly farmer who introduced him to Christianity. She had only a handwritten copy of the gospel of John but couldn’t read, so she asked Zhang to read it to her. As he did, she explained it to him—and a year later he became a believer in Jesus.
Through all he endured, Zhang sees that God was powerfully leading him to the cross, where he experienced firsthand what the apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians, “The message of the cross is . . . the power of God” (1:18). What many considered foolishness, a weakness, became Zhang’s strength. For some of us, this too was our thinking before we came to Christ. But through the Spirit, we felt the power and wisdom of God breaking into our lives and leading us to Christ. Today Zhang serves as a pastor spreading the truth of the cross to all who will hear.
Jesus has the power to change even the hardest of hearts. Who needs His powerful touch today?
Reflect & Pray
How did you view the message of the cross before you received Christ as your Savior? Who might benefit from hearing your story?
Jesus, thank You for leading me to You through the cross. I would be lost without You!
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Sometime around your hospitalization, you wrote that this is your mission. Some of us read and pray along more than we post, but please know that we’re with you in prayer and spirit.
Thank you.
Thank you
Happy Friday!
That was a fast week.
😅
Bible in a Year:
Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
“I had a dark moment.” Those five words capture the internal agony of a popular female celebrity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adjusting to a new normal was part of her challenge, and in her turmoil, she acknowledged that she wrestled with thoughts of suicide. Pulling out of the downward spiral included sharing her struggle with a friend who cared.
We’re all susceptible to tumultuous hours, days, and seasons. Valleys and hard places aren’t foreign but getting out of such places can be challenging. And seeking the assistance of mental health professionals is sometimes needed.
In Psalm 143, we hear and are instructed by David’s prayer during one of the dark times of his life. The exact situation is unknown, but his prayers to God are honest and hope-filled. “The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed” (vv. 3–4). For believers in Jesus, it’s not enough to acknowledge what’s going on within us to ourselves, to our friends, or to medical specialists. We must earnestly come to God (thoughts and all) with prayers that include the earnest petitions found in Psalm 143:7–10. Our dark moments can also be times for deep prayers—seeking the light and life only God can bring.
Reflect & Pray
In the midst of your darkest moments, how do you typically respond? Why is it difficult to be honest about your struggles?
Father, please renew my strength and hope in You. When dark moments invade my life internally or externally and bring me low, help me to come to You in prayer.
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