Mary Crisp Jameson - copyright material







Sunday, October 28, 2012

Maybe It's Not Too Late

     This morning as I was trying to find a way to remove specks of rust from a stainless steel soap dispenser I began to wander how this had happened.  Had I been too busy and neglected the dispenser over the course of time? 
     The soap within, of course, was still good and there to assist in removing germs, the enemies of cleanliness.  It was just the outer container that was the problem.  As I continued to examine those small specks of rust, I began to make excuses.  It must be the quality of the metal.  We all know there are different qualities of stainless steel. Some are just more rust resistant than others. Much depends on the elements added as it was developed.  “That was it!  I had just bought a cheap stainless steel dispenser,” I reasoned, as I reached for my faithful brillo pad.  It took a little scrubbing, but the rust was coming off a little at a time.   However, the shine was not what it should have been.  Then I thought, “A little wax of some kind will help to polish out the scratches and put it back to normal.  It wouldn’t hurt to try.  Maybe it wasn’t too late.”  
     Is that the way it is in our Christian walk?  Maybe it’s not too late!  As Christians, Jesus lives within our very souls.  He is there to lift us up, to keep us clean, and to keep us on the right path.  However, outwardly, many Christians fell to add the right elements, and we develop poorly.  Overtime rust begins to form.  The Element of cleanliness, lying just beneath the surface, is kept at bay.  When that happens, our enemies spread like germs, making us sick.  Depression erupts, selfishness takes over, and self-pity enters our thoughts.
     It would be good to wash and clean our vessels, our minds and our hearts, every day by having quality fellowship with the One who lives within instead of waiting until we have to reach for the ‘brillo pad’ to scrub away the rust of neglect.  Only by having a daily walk with God can we create a pure shield of protection; a shield that will stand firm and endure through the rusty times in our life; a shield that will fill in the scratches made from having to scrub away the areas in our lives that we have ignored and neglected for far too long. 
     Maybe, just maybe, it is not too late!      

Thursday, October 18, 2012

A New Armor

A NEW ARMOR

 Take me out of the battlefield
I prayed and appealed!
 
I was shackled and worn-
Beaten and torn;
Then the sun shone through-
A light appeared as the dark sky turned to blue.
 
I was re-dressed-
Given a shield to cover my breast;
A new armor of protection-
A light for direction.
 
I was given victory in the battlefield.
Wounds were beginning to heal;
My chains of weakness disappeared.
The helmet of faith covered my head-
My weariness was quickly shed.
 
Take me out of the battlefield
I prayed and appealed.
“The demons are too strong to bare!”
My shout rang out, and He heard my prayer.
 
He set my feet on solid ground.
His mighty Book was in my hand;
A weapon polished from His word.
I was strong in battle with the sharpest sword.
 
Shackled and worn-
Beaten and torn;
Taken out of the battlefield,
As I had prayed and appealed.

                                              Mary Nell Jameson -10/18/2012
 
 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.  Psalm 24:8

 

Saturday, October 6, 2012

The Gift of Joy

     Joy is defined as the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something good or satisfying; it is the expression or display of glad feelings.
     Too often, we allow our joy to be stolen because we do not feel that good or satisfying feeling we think must come with joy.  Personally, I think joy comes from the indwelling spirit of the Lord living within.  I like the prayer of Habbakkuk who said that “although the fig tree shall not blossom…and the fields shall yield no meat;…Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
     Throughout our life we may be robbed of possessions and health, but we are in control of our joy.  It cannot be stolen unless we allow it. 
     How many times have you walked into the workplace in a cheerful mood only to be confronted with a sour attitude or expression from a fellow co-worker or friend, and it just messed up your whole day?  Your smile went away, and you took on their attitude.  You listened to their groanings, and then you began to grumble with them.   Why did you allow it to happen?  Did your joy get stolen?   That joy you had was in your possession; you were the one in control.  That joy was yours to keep. 
     How many times have you been in a room full of people who were laughing and talking, and then someone disagreed with a comment you made.  Did you grit your teeth, frown, and let your laughter go by the way-side?  Or did you accept the comment for what it was- their opinion, and continue to maintain the joy that was actually in your heart?    
     Keep in mind that if you are waiting for all to be right and your life to be void of problems, before you allow joy to enter your heart, you will be in for a long wait and an unhappy life. In Act it says, "...that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, ..."
     I pray that when troubles come my way and the tears roll down my face, I will still have the joy in my heart that God so graciously gifted me.  It is a gift of love which I never want to allow someone or some event or some loss to steal away from me. 
 Psalms 118:24  This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” 

Monday, October 1, 2012

Spirtual Strength and Growth

     For some reason I keep coming back to write about the rainbow and the many different ways it can be used.  If you go back to my archives dated May 22, 2011 you will find how I described the way God used the rainbow to leave a  lasting memory in the lives of two young children who had just received Jesus as their Savior.  Then August 7, 2011 I used Roy G Biv, the name that helps us remember the rainbow colors, to emphasize how we can overcome the drought in our lives. Today, I will use the rainbow as an example for growing in our spiritual strength with God.   
     The rainbow is defined as a bow or arc of prismatic colors appearing in the heavens opposite the sun and caused by refraction and reflection of the sun’s rays in drops of rain. 
     God set this bow in the sky and it has special meaning.  It emphasizes a promise and can be thought of as a bridge.  Although there is only one thing we have to do to gain salvation, God gives us many promises that, if sought, will lead us into a peaceful and abundant life.
         Rainbow                                                         
R-ead God’s word daily                                    
A-void temptation                                                 
I-nvolve yourself in Christian fellowship      
N-urture your relationship with God           
B-elieve in Jesus                                             
O-bey God’s instructions                               
W-walk in faith
                                         
        Roy G. Biv
R-esist evil
O-pen your heart to God's love
Y-earn for a walk with God
G-ive your tithe in money and time
B-attle your temptations
I-nvite God into your life
V-alue your communication with God