Christian Photographers Community

 



Morning Devotional...



Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
Acts 16:31


Years ago in Britain there were self-opening gates employed on country roads. They stood fast and firm as the traveller approached them.

If he stopped the wagon, the gate would not open.

But if, in faith, he drove right at it, the wagon wheels would press springs hidden in the road and the gate would open.

Many stop short of taking God at His Word, acknowledging their sins and putting their trust fully in Jesus Christ's redeeming work on the cross. We must proceed in faith, accept the gospel promise of God and claim it as our own.

Eyes will be opened and you will know that you are saved. Heaven's gate will open for you.
—Wade LeBlanc

Devotion reminds me of a story.  The sea did not "divide" until the priests were in the water.  I'm so guilty of waiting for the door to open, even though I know what the Lord has directed me to do.   It just slows everything down when I do that!!

Have a good night all.

WAKE UP EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Given to Us Eternal Life

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"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son" (I John 5:11).

Our text for today contains truths which provide great power and comfort for Christians. Let us reflect on some of them.

The word "record" needs amplification. In noun form, it means "the evidence given," and in verb form it means "testify," or "witness." The apostle John used it nine times in verses 7 through 11. Study of our text and its context shows that the record mentioned is none other than the great truth that Christ Jesus was God's only Son, and that He died as a perfect and fully sufficient sacrifice to provide us life eternal.

In our text, we see that this work of bestowing eternal life is God's work. It is "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us" (Titus 3:5). This eternal life is our present possession, for He "hath given" it to us (i.e., in the past). This gift is to individuals-to "us"-not to a nation or even the church, but to those who have believed. Furthermore, this "eternal life" is eternal! It will last for eternity and cannot be taken away. It is inconceivable for an omnipotent God to give "eternal life" temporarily. We are alive in Him, having been born (again) into His family. This is a permanent situation.

The tense shifts to the present in the last phrase of the text. Our "life is in His Son." We are "in Him. . . . This is the true God, and eternal life" (I John 5:20). Our life finds its vitality in living union with the Son. His death and resurrection made life possible, and now His present life is ours. His Spirit, resident within us, provides this vitality, and since the Spirit of God is eternal, our life is eternal. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (v.13). JDM  

Good Morning WAKE UP everybody.

I don't go to work until 11 today, so I am gboing to Tai CHi at 8:30 thn back home  until time to leave for work. This afternoon I will go to my 2nd job with Sister Versal Hammers.

Pat I am praying for you Thank you for sharing with me in an email. God Bless you Sister you sure have been through a lot.

I will be back shortly.

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I too am sorry for not giving all the above names a proper welcome so I am sure that all of you will have a blessed time here at CP & I look forward to reading all of your posts.

Well, it's going to be a WARM DAY here in OHIO like about 76 and so I want to get some cleaning done with the windows open today so I just stopped into say hello & pray that everyone is doing well !!

I will be back again soon !![/size]

Hi everyone.  We have another day of nice sunshine and moderate temperatures.  Things are still pretty damp as we had over three inches of rain.

I got up feeling better but sense the weariness coming back.  All I have done is go to coffee this morning.  Fortunately Pat's cold is better and she felt up to going to the church to help with the monthly newsletter.  It is a big job putting it together and getting the mailing labels affixed.  They have several who come to help with the job so it takes only a couple of hours. 

I don't have anything on my schedule today other than choir this evening and going a little early to hear my friend discuss his recent missionary trip to India on behalf of an organization called Mission India.  I hope I will feel up to going this evening as certainly hate to miss choir practice.

Pat, that is an interesting anology in the devotional today.  That little story makes quite an effective point.

Marilyn, it looks like you were up early today.  Hope your new work assignment turns out to be very satisfactory.

Tbear, we like to open up our house on nice days.  The fresh air smells so nice.  Don't overdo the cleaning and enjoy your day.

Judy, glad to see that you are Norm are safely home from your trip to Florida.  Hope you were able to absorb a lot of that good sunshine while you were there.

For some strange reason, I had problems checking in here last night.      Everything is working now.

Marilyn:  Thanks for making the prayer area for Pat! 

Larry:  Hello - good to read that your Pat is feeling well enough to get out. 

Wednesday means quilting at church this afternoon & Spirituality class tonight.

Everyone, have a safe and good day.

Carol

Hi folks.

A thought came to me when thinking about open doors etc.

As we commit each day to our God we must have the courage of our convictions to accept the closed doors as well as the open doors.

I have also heard many say that one door does not close without another opening. While I believe this to be true we must be aware that God's timetable is not the same as ours. We may need to wait many a long day before we meet with the next open door.

Christ is our door no matter which way we choose.

With love

Your brother in Christ

Iain

Good morning.  I like the analogy in the devotional today.

Darrel and I are starting on a much healthier eating plan along with our exercise regime.  We are well on our way to robust health!  I thank God for that.

Marilyn, I hope your new job will bless both you and her.

Pat, are you better today?

Larry, good to see you, hope you have a great day, and your Pat as well.

Hi, Carol!  Have fun quilting!

Hey there, Karmat!  Hugs to you!  :)

Good to see you popping, Iain.  How is the weather there on your island today?

Karen, do you want to come clean my house when you get yours done?  ;)

Papa John, we sure are missing you in here!  Come in and say hello, will you?

I have a couple projects to work on in my framing area today.  See you later!

Well I am ready to start my day. I  want to thank all of you for going to the Prayer and Praise thread to pray for Pat she really needs all of our prayers.

I am sure that my new job will bless me I love working with those who love the Lord. I will be taking her to church  She hasn't been able to go for a long time as someone without a car and her children do not come to take her to church. Sometimes she doesn't feel up to walking even to the parking lot to get in a car. Donna used to bring her occassionally before she moved away.

Iain Brother it is good to see you here today. I am praying for you Brother. Are you getting any better at dealing with your terrible pain?

Janet Good for you and Darrel getting yourselves healthy and robust. I sure have to get back to the gym, I haven't been for about a month, but then I don't do all the weight workout that you do either. Nor do  swim. Tai Chi, the treadmill, bicycle and a couple of other things is enough for me. I do my weight thing at home with 3 lb weights. ;D

]TTYL

Janet - For once it is sunny and dry but with a chill wind. Great for photos with big puffy white clouds.

Marilyn - I doubt if I'll ever get any better at dealing with pain sis. Some are much better then others but then the frustration of what I cannot do but would like to kicks in.

OK OK I am awake!  hehehe...

Nice day for some picture taking outside. 

I found this quote while browsing...
"Live as though Christ died yesterday, rose from the grave today, and is coming back tomorrow."
--Theodore Epp

I am off to start my day.
Soni

GOOD FRIENDS ARE GOOD MEDICINE

Our news is constantly filled with the reality of death and dying. And
each of us, if we live long enough, experiences the loss of persons we
loved.

Children ages eight through ten were asked what they thought about
death, and these are some of their answers:

"When you die, God takes care of you like your mother did when you
were alive - only God doesn't yell at you all the time." (Beth, 9)

"When you die, they bury you in the ground and your soul goes to
heaven, but your body can't go to heaven because it's too crowded up
there already." (Jimmy, 8)

"Only the good people go to heaven. The other people go where it's hot
all the time like in Florida." (Judy, 9)

"Maybe I'll die someday, but I hope I don't die on my birthday because
it's no fun to celebrate your birthday if you're dead." (Jon, 9)

"I'm not afraid to die because I'm a Boy Scout." (Kevin, 10)

"Doctors help you so you won't die until you pay their bills."
(Stephanie, 9)

I've observed that the loss of a loved one can be one of the most
difficult things we humans can face. And one of our greatest needs as
we experience such a loss is for simple, human comfort. I've known
friends of sick and dying people to sit by a bedside or in a hospital
room for hours, even days, at a time. I've sometimes heard them offer
words of prayer. I've seen food in homes of people who are dying
overflow from kitchen to dining room - food brought by comforting
friends from church and concerned neighbors. And I've observed friends
to just listen.for as long as it takes. Caring friends are
indispensable in times of trouble.

When U.S. Congressman Sam Rayburn (1882-1961) discovered that he
was ill, he announced to the House of Representatives he was going
home to Texas for medical tests. Some wondered why he did not stay in
Washington where there were excellent medical facilities. His answer
was a beautiful tribute to friendship: "Bonham is a place where people
know it when you're sick, and where they care when you die."

No one wants to go through difficult times alone. So Rayburn traded
the best of medical technology for the closeness of loving friends.
He knew that good friends are good medicine. Often the best.
__________

Soni, that quote from Epp is priceless!  Thank you for that!
Janet, those quotes from kids are fantastic!

March 30   

Pastoral Ministry: Humble Service

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this
life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 
--2 Timothy 2:3-4

Save me from the error of judging a church by its size, its
popularity or the amount of its yearly offering. Help me to remember
that I am a prophet--not a promoter, not a religious manager, but a
prophet. Let me never become a slave to crowds. Heal my soul of
carnal ambitions and deliver me from the itch for publicity. Save me
from bondage to things. Let me not waste my days puttering around
the house. Lay Thy terror upon me, O God, and drive me to the place
of prayer where I may wrestle with principalities and powers and the
rulers of the darkness of this world. Deliver me from overeating and
late sleeping. Teach me self-discipline that I may be a good soldier
of Jesus Christ....

And now, O Lord of heaven and earth, I consecrate my remaining days
to Thee; let them be many or few, as Thou wilt. Let me stand before
the great or minister to the poor and lowly; that choice is not
mine, and I would not influence it if I could. I am Thy servant to
do Thy will, and that will is sweeter to me than position or riches
or fame and I choose it above all things on earth or in heaven. 
God Tells the Man Who Cares, 105-106.

"Lord, this prayer of Tozer's seems so contrary to the spirit of
today's church growth emphasis, celebrity pastors, and TV
personalities. Enable me by your Holy Spirit to make this prayer
genuinely mine. Amen."

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My husband, a big-time sports fan, was watching a football game with our grandchildren. He had just turned 75 and was feeling a little wistful. "You know," he said to our grandson, Nick, "it's not easy getting old. I guess I'm in the fourth quarter now." "Don't worry, Grandpa," Nick said cheerily. "Maybe you'll go into overtime." 


--Contributed to "Life in These United States" by Evelyn Bredleau

I just got home from visiting Jerry.  I have posted an update in the prayer request.  I wish I had the link to put a clickable here but I don't.  My heart is heavy.  Not real good news today.  I know Jerry is ready to go see his maker but I am not ready for him to go.  God Bless Jerry. 

I will be back later to post the NEM for tomorrow.

Oh, dear Etta Sue...  I'm on my way to read your update.

Iain:  Yes, to accept closed doors.  I have wrestled with that one and fear that another door might be creeping in to close one of these days. 

Pat:  I read that you were able to take a walk with Geordie.  How sweet that must have been for you. 

Janet:  All that good exercising - it is wonderful for you two.

Etta Sue:  I will check in on Jerry's condition now.  Hugs to you!

Carol

Etta Sue:  God bless you, dear one.  I'm on my way to P & P forum to read your update on our dear Jerry. :'(

Here's your new NEM...

Click Here (http://christianphotographers.com/community/index.php?topic=4355.msg78406#msg78406)