Christian Photographers Community

Morning Devotional...



I thought that since we've been remembering our dear brother, Iain, in prayer that we could ponder some words he wrote last summer for the members here.




'Come see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?'
John 4:29


I love the poetry in these words. No other translation comes near to affecting my soul like this one does. The joy of the new birth is beyond words. Old things have passed away behold all things have become new, even our language.

I wonder what kind of thoughts were going through this woman's mind as she got out of her bed that particular morning?

Would she have been like many today, rushing to get things done having little or no time for prayer or reading. Perhaps some burden lay heavy upon her, a burden that no one knew about but herself. Did she think in her heart as many of us do, all these things are against me!

Did she dread the morning light and the start of another new day? Was a particular sin gnawing away at her conscience, depriving her of peace? Well things were about to change, and if this woman lived to lay her head on her pillow that same night she would have nothing but praise in her heart for the wondrous workings of God in her life that day.

'He must needs go through Samaria.'

It had been planned from all eternity that our Lord should meet face to face with this woman at this particular well, in this town, and at that exact time! Nothing in heaven above nor on the earth beneath could have prevented this meeting. The same can be said of Marilyn, Al and Marbeth for this meeting was planned in eternity.

Perhaps you have been waiting many days, months or even many years for such a meeting with the Lord. Are you still a stranger to grace and to God? Are you living without Christ and without hope in this world? Or are you a child of God awaiting a renewing and revival in your soul?

Daily we are ask ourselves, where is the blessedness I knew when first I saw the Lord? Our prayer is 'restore unto me the joys of thy salvation.'

Whatever our condition, that you and I will meet face to face with this same Jesus. His timing is always perfect. How will we see Him? By faith! Will we recognise Him? Be sure of it.

Today may be the day when salvation comes to our homes. Would to God we would here our loved crying today, 'Come see a man who told me all things that ever I did; is not this the Christ?'

We may think He delays in His dealings with us. Not so my friend. Let patience have her perfect work. Do not get in the way of a work of grace in the soul. Allow God free reign to do business with our souls, and the blessings shall descend upon us as surely as the dew that fell on Hermon.

The fool doth in his heart conclude that there is no God! You my friend are not a fool. You know full well that there is a God and that one day soon you must meet Him face to face, either as Saviour or as Judge. What will it be? Dare you put your salvation off for one more hour? Can you honestly promise yourself one more breath?

Believe me my friend I have had the feeling recently that my next breath would be my last, and I can assure you that it is not a pleasant feeling, even although I am a Christian and my salvation sure. I am prepared to meet my God.

Are you truly satisfied with your life today? Do you have everything that you need or are you yearning still for material gain? If and when you get what you long for, what then?

Perhaps there is a great dissatisfaction and a restlessness in your life at present? Things are not going wrong, it's just that something is missing! There is a drought in your soul and nothing but drinking the Living Waters will quench that thirst.

I tell you my friend, I am praying for you as I write this. Try as you may, nothing can satisfy the longing soul but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Both Christ and this woman had come to Jacob's well on a mission. Only one mission was accomplished. We are told that the woman returned to her city leaving her water pot behind. She had met face to face with Jesus and she left that well a new person.

The joy of sins forgiven, the vision of an eternity with Christ fills the soul with rapture. She could not wait to tell all around her what she had seen and heard. Her faithful witness bore much fruit.

All who know the Lord as their Messiah have a message of Good News to proclaim. Are you faint in your witness? Are you content to leave speaking about Christ to others? Do you view it as a task for Pastors and Elders but not for you?

Remember my friend you also have to give an account on the last day, and that will include your witnessing to others. Are you ashamed to have Christ as your Saviour? If not, then prove it!

Be encouraged by the words written in this same chapter. 'Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.' Drink deeply today and satisfy your thirst, then tell others that they need not perish in a lost eternity!

Whatever your situation, I pray this day that you will be able to sing a new song.  'Come see a man who told me all things that ever I did; is not this the Christ?'
I love you, but Christ loves you even more!


Your brother in Christ

Iain

good morning-just thought  I would say a quick hi and say goodnight too-Yes I run in circles sometimes-but all for a good cause my kids keep me busy and I love it-wouldn't know what to do without them.
Karma just thought id let you know that I closed templesforchrist-I just am not able to keep up with them-however I have a young mothers group called ChristCenteredMommies@yahoogroups.com
I have a total of 10 memebers there-I can only keep up with the one group with the kids and summer coming.
Not much else going on today-I am going to say goodnight-but wanted to say Hi!
Hugs
Rachelle

Good Morning All 11.31 AM in Holland

PAT thank you very much for the devotional this morning writen by our dear brother Iain.

LARRY thank you very much for the very nice hymn yesterday "It Is No Secret" very lovely.We also have that hymn in Holland and we are singing it a lot in the church.

JUNE thank you very much for your lovely words to me i love you.

SONJA your new photo is nice.

In HOLLAND every own has a bike and in the summer you see a lot people on bikes when the weather is nice. My son Marcel will buy this summer a second bike a mountainbike then he can go very quickly.
And there are also groups they are going on their bike 4 days
and each day they must go 20 km. In one week.
And when people are going on holidays in Holland they go with the car but there bikes they also are going with them. So that she also can go on the bikes on the place where they have holidays. Little children as soon as they can walk they also get a little bike a little tricycle
i say always little children in Holland are better in going on
a little bike then walk.Don't forget Holland in a very small country. Yesterday evening we have been trough a very great recreation park. There are only park places for cars. But is was being dark so we have not seen the hole park but it is there very silent in the evening. But i go there not when i am alone but now was Marcel with me and he is 1.90m so not little then i am not afraid.But i love it to go on my  hahaha But Karmat when you every day go on a bike then you feel your legs no more yes i yesterday evening but now no more.

James 1 : 17
Every good and perfect gift is from above.

          THE SPLENDOR OF BEAUTY

          Today, look upon something beautiful...
                   For beauty is a gift of God,
           a touch of wonder, a glimse of glory,
             a hint of great and splendid things,
                        eternal things to be.

Love and prayerfully for you all
Ria             
                               

   

               treshingfloor !! to CP

                                 RIA

good morning everyone, i am up and off to school just thought i'd drop in and say HI! ttyl
Sarah

Something beautiful, something good.
All my confusion, He understood.
All I had to offer Him
Was brokenness and strife.
But He made something beautiful
Out of my life.

One of the first times I ever heard this song was at a rest home.  We had gone there to conduct a service for the residents.  Before I preached, my son sang this song.  It was perfect.

Pat ~ 'In the Garden' was one of my mother's favorite songs.  Her great-grandson sang it at her funeral.  It was beautiful.  I still don't know how he did it.  He didn't falter one bit singing but afterwards....

Karma ~ Biking in Western North Carolina, I am sure, would be more difficult than biking in Holland.

Ria ~ Do you have hills in Holland?  Karma has lots of hills where she lives.

I got my medicine yesterday at the doctors office.  Now to take it, then have blood drawn May 24th and see the doctor again May 26.  I am praying this medicine takes care of the liver profile problems. 

A lazy day today...I plan to do nothing, zilch, zero, nil, nada, 0!!!!

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"Parents:  People who bear infants, bore teenagers, and board newlyweds."

ETTA SUE in the middle and the south of
Holland their are hills and yesterday evening i have been to a great recreationpark with Marcel and there they have make also little hills. But also in the middle and in the south of Holland you are seeing people on bikes.There have we also been on holidays also with the bikes but it is not easy but we are doing it.
Bye love Ria

That's interesting, Ria about the hills.  I must look that up on the internet.  I never thought of Holland as having hills.  Great what we learn in here.

Etta Sue, sure hope you get good results re your liver.  Will be thinking of you.

Hi Soni!  Nice pic! 

Good Morning. IThank you Pat for posting one of Iain's great devotionals again. I wonder how he is doing

Ria I would never be able to ride a bike much of anyplace. It isn't because I can't but I have a balance problem and would be afraid I would fall or get hit by a car.

Etta Sue how high is your cholesterol anyway? I have to have blood work done tomorrow for my Dr. appt. next week.

Well I am off to work shortly so I will go now and check the other folders here before I leave.

TTYL

Ria, I think it's great that you in Holland ride bicycles a lot.  I never had a bike!  I always wanted one, but my parents had not much money, so none of the kids in my family ever had a bike.  Consequently, I never learned to ride one well.  I used to try to ride my friends' sometimes, and they laughed at me as I wobbled along.     But It is terrific exercise!  Wish I had learned when I was young, then I would go buy one now to ride for the exercise.

This is my class day.  Tonight Darrel is leaving with our son in law to go to Las Vegas (Lost Wages, Glitter Gulch, etc.) for a car wash show.  Jeff didn't want to go by himself.

I hope you all have a great day.  I might have time to come back later.

Bonjour, folks!  How's it going?

How come everyone seems to be talking about bikes and biking?  Here in Rossland biking is very, very popular (mountain biking).  It's the Summer sport.  I myself don't much care for biking because I like to look around too much, and because my joints hurt too much. 

Oh well.  How you all have a wonderful day.

Ursula

G'Morning everyone!     It is another beautiful day here on the Oregon coast, and I have absolutely NOTHING planned!! 

JUNE~I am sorry that I didn't respond to your comment/question the other day ... The answer is YES I am still enjoying my little piece of paradise here in Oregon!    We (Nita and I) had a little mini-bash for several seniornetters here on Tuesday.  The weather was absolutely perfect for all their sightseeing/hiking/photography outings.  Of course, you know Nita and I ordered it that way--just for the occasion!   

I would like to express my WELCOME to all the newcomers in the past few days.  I have been a bit "involved" as well as not feeling too much like conversation, so..... that's my excuse anyway.    

Jane, did anyone from CP go to the "bash"?   Glad you had good weather.

Hi Ursula!

Marilyn, I'll let you know if I have any news on Iain.  Maybe Chris will have some news.

Janet, did you get my email in reply to yours?

Thanks Pat! 

Great devotion again.  It is to kind of step into her shoes and to imagine what she was feeling during that time.  Pretty close to what we feel today.

I am off to take Chandraya to kindergarten screening.  They will check her eyes, ears and see what she needs to work on before the big day when she goes to school in the fall.  I know, I know...but I don't want to homeschool anymore.  Maybe later on down the road I will. :-)

Soni, I wondered about the homeschooling the other day when you mentioned taking her for an interview for school.  Homeschooling can be very draining I know as I used to speak to Janice all the time about this.  I know though that she appreciated it when it came time to travel south to see the family and she could still do the schooling on the trip.

But you have to do what you feel is right.

Hello, gang.  My day is one big problem after another, so I will just say HI and move along.  Hope all of you have a great day. 

Nard

You sound frustrated, Nards.  ;-)

Hi everyone.  Welcome to Threshingfloor.

Have just a few minutes before leaving to go to Calvin Cove this afternoon.  I couldn't go on Tuesday due to the medical appointment I had. 

This morning after going to the gym to walk and then coffee I went to a friends house to help her with a couple of computer problems.  Fortunately they were not difficult and it didn't take too long.

Etta Sue, sure glad to hear that you had good results from your test.  Enjoy your day of doing zilch!

Jane, I just saw the picture of your SeniorNet mini bash on the SeniorNet site.  It looks like you had a very nice group.  The small groups allow for visiting with everyone and that is always nice.

Ria, I also was surprised about the hills in Holland.  My cousin took a week to bike through your country two or three years ago and he said it was quite a job as it was so flat where he was, but he had a wonderful time. 

After my first heart surgery I got a three speed bike thinking it would be a good way to get exercise.  Unfotunately, I wasn't able to ride it very much as just didn't have the energy.  I finally gave it to my son and it probably just sits in his basement.

Speaking of my son, I am very proud of his accomplishments at his place of employment.  A couple of days ago he was promoted to Director of Manufacturing Operations and will be getting a nice raise in pay.

Janet, I grew up in the country where we had no paved roads and certainly no sidewalks.  I remember having an old secondhand bike but it was pretty tough to ride it on the rutted dirt roads.

In the devotional reading today from "My Utmost for HIs Highest" by Oswald Chambers is the following, which really stood out for me today:

Quote...when we are rightly related to God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy.

"Believe also in Me," said Jesus, not--"Believe certain things about Me."  Leave the whole thing to Him, it is gloriously uncertain how He will come in, but He will come.  Remain loyal to Him.

Oh, what fun, this morning is.

All your postings bring back the memories.

Count me in, Ria, I WILL be riding with you on my
bike.  I just love it. 

I, too, was fearful to start , Marilyn, because of my ear problem/and balance problem but I got on it and
very carefully ride again and it is just great.  I try not to overdo.

I must be doing something right cause we took our physicals this morning and they look good.

My blood pressure was down to normal ; so the only thing different is riding the bike; walking a lot in the mountains(the terrain is better --makes you sweat at a shorter distance than walking on flat road) eating more veggies and I started juicing.

Hope this is why my blood pressure was good.
And cardiogram was good, too.

Have to wait for results of blood work ...

I am taking Ria's advice and double up on calcium because I had to stop the Actonel for my osteo and I do feel less pain.

Maybe the exercise from walking is good, too.

So glad to see June here--I always remembered her wonderful love for the LORD and how she expressed it so well on SN  --welcome, again.

Etta, prayers still coming your way for your blood work to come back and you have good results.

Jeanne, have been watching more and more of Joyce Meyer and really enjoying her.

I have to go back and check; I think Chris and Margit,
mentioned another preacher or site a couple of days ago for good old fashioned preaching.

Bless, Al, for your bible info to Sonja; I am learning right along with her.

Hope you are feeling better.

Love in Christ,

Joyce

Nards, I read your posting on motorcycle riding and I decided not to comment but then---well, women are known to change their mind --so here I go commenting.

You sound just like my husband; his desire to ride the cycle was so overwhelming and my heart melted and I gave the okay to ride.

Riding home one night(over 40 years ago) he was on one without a helmet--we lived in Phoenix and they didn't require helments.

A guy cut him off and my hubby went sailing through windshield and back out again.

Broke every bone in his face only--eye was dangling out and not much left of his face to restore.

Only with plenty of prayers and the good LORD's graces did he make it through--His eye was replaced; tear ducts are wrong but working so much that it is written up in medical journals.

His knee is so busted up and without any work done to it (they were too busy trying to keep him alive so they disregard fixing his leg till later) he walked out of hospital in less than 2 weeks.

Further surgery replace his forehead and parts of his hip replaced some of the facial bones.

Do I believe in miracles??  Oh, yes , I do ,  why because I was told he would never make it out of the hospital alive or be a vegatable --the only way I was
told by doctors that he would live is if there is a GOD
watching him and he granted him a miracle.

Not only is he alive; no problems with his eyes (with tear ducts broken, etc.) not problems with his legs/knees and this happened when he was 22 and he just celebrated his 67th birthday.

Sorry, for this to be so long but Nards brought back so many memories.

My husband doesn't ride cycles since that day and my son never , ever ask if I would give him permission to ride.

You see, there are so many other factors to think about in life; so they chose to stay away from cycles
on their own.

Love in Christ,

Joyce

Ria, when I was a boy I had several bicycles.  But I haven't ridden a bicycle in many years.  I was amazed when we would go to Holland when we lived in Belgium.  Bicycles everywhere.

I got a good report today from my doctor.  Seems like so far there is no indication of the cancer reappearing anywhere.

Larry, I know you are proud of your son's successes.  Congratulations to him.

Joyce, thank you for sharing the experience your husband had with the motorcycle.  I'm happy he has done well in spite of his terrible injuries.

Phil 4:4-9
4   Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5   Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6   Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7   And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8   Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things.
9   Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.  (NIV)



--- Old Papa John          <)))><<   
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Quote from: Pat Scott on April 29, 2004, 11:52:27 AM

Jane, did anyone from CP go to the "bash"?   Glad you had good weather.

Nita was there!  I think all the rest were from SeniorNet.

Oh my, but it was easy to rejoice in this day the Lord made.  Mostly sunny, a little breezy and the thermometer topped out at 80 this afternoon!  And my hyacinths and daffodils are starting to open!

Of course that meant opening windows all over the house, which meant I could see how dirty the windows, blinds and curtains had become.  S-o-o-o-o...  The living room and dining room blinds are soaking in oxi-clean and laundry detergent in the bathtub and tomorrow the curtains go into the washing machine while the windows get polished until they shine.  The blinds will be hosed down in the back yard and hung to dry and by tomorrow night at least some of my windows should look at least respectable.  (I shouldn't have any trouble sleeping tonight!  )

Joyce, we tape Joyce Meyers' morning message every day so we can watch it together later.  We also tape John Hagee's daily show and Adrian Rogers' Sunday service.  We got a notice that the price of our cable "package" is going up and asked about something less expensive.  The only lower priced package would mean losing the set of channels that includes TBN so we're going to have to find some other way to save.   

Can't stay long.  Just got out of bed for awhile to make some tea and now I'm going back.  I have to shake this "flu".

I went for a short drive this afternoon to take a plant to a friend and was just so happy to get home.

Talk to you all later.

Pat:  Get well soon!

Larry:  Fine news on your son's promotion!  Hooray!

The news is still not good for a friend's son who is paralized from a skiing accident - very hard decisions being made now and more hard times to come. They belong to a good and attentive church and have a lot of help but the financial drain is really astounding. 

Good health to all.......Carol

Pat:    I am thinking of you GET WELL SOONER.