Fruits of Kindness

In the Book of Luke when Jesus told Simon Peter to put down his nets, Peter trusted enough to do it, but reading further in verse 7, Peter “signaled to their partners to come and help them.” 

     Often, we all need help, but we need to be willing to help out, as well. Kind acts are the fruits of labor and of our day. 

Putting the Shoe On The Other Foot

Years ago, I watched as my daughter was in the learning process of dressing herself. When she put her shoes on the wrong feet, I am sure I told her, “Put the shoe on the other foot.” 

     As I reminisced about this, I thought of Luke 6:31 where scripture tells me, “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”

     Putting the shoe on the other foot is like putting myself in the other person’s place and asking, “How do I want others to treat me?” I am constantly in this learning process-“putting the shoe on the other foot.”

 

The Angel to Mary

      The Christmas Season is in full bloom. Our Church service started today with a Christmas Carol.  The preacher followed with scripture beginning in the first chapter of Luke when the Angel appeared to Mary.   As I studied the reading further, I put into verse the following: 

The Angel to Mary  

“You have found favor

And will bear a Savior. 

The child will be the Son of God.“ 

Mary was troubled but awed.

The Angel said,

“Word will spread,

But there is no need to fear

The Lord will be near.

He will be with you,

And carry you through.

Your baby will be the Christ child,

Remaining undefiled.

Name Him Jesus!

He will become great, a royal king;

At birth, the angels will sing.

He will be holy,

Though born lowly.

Shepherds will draw nigh

To see this Son of the Most High.

As God’s own,

He will receive a throne,

Reign forever and evermore

After unrighteous sins He has bore.”

 

Mary Crisp Jameson  11/27/2022

 

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  And the Lord God will give to Him a throne…and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end… Therefore the child to be born will be called holy-the Son of God.”  Luke 1:31-33,35b

 

 

 

 

Impact for God

     I seem to have slipped and been away, for a spell,  from writing for Jesus.  Although I have not been posting weekly, I love the Lord no less, and I know that Jesus is like the father of the lost son described in Luke, chapter 15.  "His father saw him and was filled with compassion.  He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him." 
     Although I fail miserably, I sincerely want to make an impact for the Glory of God.  How do I succeed?  Some simple reminders come from the word IMPACT.

I-nform others of God
M-anage your tongue and thoughts
P-ut away differences
A-pproach others with sincere love
C-loak yourself in the Word
T-each righteousness through words and actions

Charles Spurgeon wrote, "I would put it to you, my dear hearer, have you been fruitful?  Have you been fruitful with your wealth?  Have you been fruitful with your talent?  Have you been fruitful with your time?  What are you doing for Jesus now?  Salvation is not by doings, you are saved by grace, but if you are so saved, prove it by your devoted life.  Consecrate yourself anew this day wholly to your Master's service.  You are not your own but bought with a price, and if you would not be like these thorn-choked seeds, live while you live, with all-consuming zeal."

    

Faith

Just what is faith? And what can it do for us?  There is not a lot I can tell anyone about faith, but the following scriptures explains one aspect of it.  As I read these scriptures I pray to have "faith as small as a mustard seed."  As hard as I try to live by faith, I often find myself lacking. 

 

Hebrews 11  "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. ..."

People were healed because of faith.  Matthew 9:2 "Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

Matthew 9:22 "Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment."

Matthew 9:29 "Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”

Matthew 13:58 "And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith."

 

Matthew 15:28 "Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment."

Matthew 17:20 "He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 21:21 "Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done."

Mark 2:5 "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Mark 4:40  "He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Mark 5:34 "He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Mark 10:52 "Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road."

Luke 8:48 "Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

Luke 12:28 "If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!

Luke 17:6 "He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you."

Luke 17:19 "Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

1 Corinthians 2:5 "so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power."

2 Corinthians 5:7 "For we live by faith, not by sight."

THREE DAYS!

     “The saddest and the happiest day was in 3 days.”  This was on a sign I saw during  Easter.  As Christians we can only imagine how the followers of Jesus felt, as they stood and watched Him hanging on that cross and even before, when they watched the abuse and the nails being driven into His hand.  Yet joy occurred in just 3 days.   Jesus gave us hope and life in his resurrection.  Death, burial, and resurrection-it all happened in three days.

     As I reflected on this in “A Friendly Shade,” I thought it might be interesting to discover what other Biblical events brought sadness or happiness in just 3 days. 
 
     I went back to Genesis 40 when Joseph was in prison with the Pharaoh’s butler and baker.  They both had dreams which Joseph interpreted. One ended up being a very happy day while the other ended sadly. 
     ¹² And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days:¹³ Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.
^{…………………
     16} When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:¹⁷ And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bake meats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.¹⁸ And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:¹⁹ Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.²⁰ And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.²¹ And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:²² But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.
     The question to consider here is, what did the butler do with his joy?  How long did it take before he remembered his promise to Joseph? 

     After the death of Moses, we find in Joshua 1 that the people were told they would finally possess the land promised to them.    This 3-day wait must have been very exciting as preparations were being made.   Here we must remember the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness because of disobedience and lack of faith. 
     ¹¹ Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.

          I cannot leave out the story of Jonah who tried to flee from doing the Lord’s calling.   After being in the belly of a whale for 3 days, can you imagine the happiness of being back on dry land?    Then in Matthew we find a comparison being made.  
     ¹⁷ Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights………Matthew12: ⁴⁰ For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

     In Mark 8, we find Jesus feeding the multitude after they had been with Him for 3 days. This act truly shows Jesus’ love and power.  Of course, His healing power had already, time and time again, been demonstrated to the people following him. 
     ² I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:³ And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. ⁴ And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?⁵ And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. ⁶ And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. ⁷ And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. ⁸ So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. ⁹ And they that had eaten were about four thousand:

     In Luke 2, we find the story of Jesus when Joseph and Mary were returning from the feast of the Passover.  Unknowingly, Jesus tarried behind, and Joseph and Mary had to return to look for Him.  After 3 days they found him in the temple.   In response to their question about why he has stayed behind, Jesus said,  vs 49: “How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?”
     ⁴² And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.  ⁴³ And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. ⁴⁴ But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.  ⁴⁵ And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.  ⁴⁶ And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

     We also see in Act 9 when Saul was on the road to Damascus with intent to persecute the followers of Jesus, he was suddenly blinded by a light from heaven.  What joy there must have been when, after 3 days,  he could see again.  Here was a cruel man who suddenly had his life changed.  vs 20 “And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.”   

     ⁷ And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.  ⁸ And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.   ⁹ And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

 

     There are many more references to 3 days in the Bible, but none overshadow the death, burial and resurrection of my Lord.    John 2: 19   Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.  

The saddest and the happiest in just 3 days certainly has meaning.