Month: December 2012

A New and True Reflection Of Christ

On By francesrogersIn CONTENTMENT, GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, PRAYER1 Comment

DSC02891This original picture was taken in Bavaria, Germany. We have never been there.  I duplicated this with my camera from the cover of a Big Ben 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle box.

After separating some pieces of the puzzle, I thought of the many reflections of nature. Then I realized later, as I was praying for the transition of one year to the next, that where there is light and a means of receiving, there will be a reflection of that which is higher, brighter, greater, more powerful and beautiful.

God, our Father has created all things, and the most important of His creation is that which He created in His own image.  Since the Fall that image has been marred—just as a reflection that we see from the sky to the lake is not clear.  But, He has planned, through the giving of His Son, to restore that image for eternity—when all shall be a new heavens and a new earth; and we shall be like Him.

No True Images of Christ in a Picture
Just as I have no true knowledge of Germany, never having been there, there is no true knowledge of Jesus Christ, except as the Father brings (draws – John 6:44-45) us to Him.  No one can paint or draw an image of Christ that will reflect His image in us.  He has to first give us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:16) through which we see Him.  He must draw His own image; only by the power of His Holy Spirit applying His Holy Word to our spirits, hearts, and minds can we be humbled and still, so as to receive His image in us.  And unlike water that only reflects an image, Christ’s image is in us.  The external only reflects what is internally and eternally ours.

My prayer for a new year is that we, as His redeemed children shall know our lowliness and His highest, His power working in us as new creatures in Christ; for a new outpouring of His Spirit; that we may know His light in us, the receiving and reflecting of the nature and disposition of Christ,  yet, somewhat still blurred.

My desire is to desire what He desires; and to be transparent—just as in the picture I do not remember the lake—only the reflection in it.

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness,
who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”
2 Corinthians 4:6,7

“Beloved, now we are children of God;
and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be,
but we know that when He is revealed,
we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.“
1 John 3:2,3

“As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.”
Psalm 17:15

“The LORD bless you and keep you;  The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you:  The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace” ~~~ “Christ in you,” this year.

Old ~ But New-born

On By francesrogersIn CONTENTMENT, GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, POEMS1 Comment

I’m old, and this body is worn.                    
My flesh and my heart have been torn.
Time takes its toll,
And makes me old;
But, praise God, in Christ I’m new-born.

Beautiful-Butterfly

His Spirit transcends all the age,
He has written on every page~
“My Love divine
Has made you mine,
Afflictions and trials assuage.”

beautiful-nature-wallpapers-181

This life will not fail in the test;           
Years prove to us the Father’s best.
Christ is the root;
Seasons of fruit~
His glory, His Life, joy, and rest.

 For Linda, Mary and me; and all the older ones in Christ.
Fran

(From Growing Up and Growing Old, Gracefully)
Related articles

From the Highest to the Lowliest

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, PRAYERLeave a comment

….and the glory of the Lord shined round about them….
A MULTITUDE OF HEAVENLY HOSTS

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!

images….shepherds abiding in the field…..

FEAR!!!!!!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fear not—–GOOD NEWS!!!!!!

A SAVIOR

…YOU WILL FIND HIM…

The highest of God’s creation came to the lowliest proclaiming the greatest news.

Why not the “greatest news” to the “greatest people” on earth?

It is to the humble, the meek and lowly that God reveals Himself, in His glory.  The noble and wealthy see no need for a Savior.  They have the knowledge, the treasures, and the wonders of this world.

The first response of the lowliest, the humble ones, is fear.  Proverbs 1:7

It is the humble to whom heaven is opened; and who, in obedience “will find“ the Messiah, Christ Jesus, the Lord.

We must pray for humility; and expect that God will hear and answer.  Know that in order to humble us He will have to remove the shroud of our own glory, take away the treasures we have laid up in this world, and break our hearts over the important things in our lives.  We must come out of our palaces into the open, with nothing of our own; and expect that He will reveal His glory~~~and we will fear the awesome and mighty God that we find in the meek and lowly Jesus; and worship Him.

Related articles

Heavenly Overtones

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, MUSIC, THE LORD'S DAY (SABBATH)Leave a comment

images

Music is designed with a melody that runs throughout the whole piece.  Other parts add harmony.  The melody is the beginning, and the ending.  It is what holds the piece together.  Lose the melody or make it a monotone—the same tone over and over— and it ceases to be music.  Overpower the melody and the music loses its meaning.

Music is a sound that began in heaven with God, our Father and Creator.  It is a major means that He provided to help us worship Him—“Holy, Holy, Holy”—one for the Father, one for the Son, and one for the Holy Ghost, is sung by the angels in heaven. (Isaiah 6:3  and Revelation 4:8)

Anthems are compositions for music that include all parts —melody, harmony, and sometimes, what is called a descant.  A descant is a part that is sung by a higher range of voices.  It is not meant to overpower but provide an extra lift to the other parts.

Together all the parts speak to the senses to lift the spirit and the heart toward God.

Some of The Psalms that we sing from the Trinity Psalter have descants.  If you have never sung The Psalms you have not only missed hearing the command of the Lord in Ephesians 5:19, but also the blessings that come with them when they are sung.

In Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs we worship with Biblical texts and heavenly music.

(For centuries The Psalms were sung in all the churches.  They are God’s Word sung in worship to Him.  But most churches for the past two hundred years have thrown them out in the same way that the true gospel has been pushed aside.)

And for the most part, all we hear is a monotone—the same thing over and over.  Melody and harmony have been replaced with the performances of one person’s voice or drowned by instruments that overpower the melody.

Hymns have been replaced by compositions that have no harmony—difficult to sing and remember—and have separated generations of families.

I picture it according to His Word—the melody was begun in heaven with Jesus, His Son—“Holy, Holy, Holy”  from the foundation of the world.  He would not only be the beginning of music, but the melody throughout the span of time here on earth, onward into eternity.

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes…”

He was wrapped in our humanity—the melody of heaven was here—to gather around Him those that would add the harmony to Himself, and provide the music for His family, the music that the Father wanted to hear.

images

“On the same night there were shepherds with flocks of sheep in the field. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them”—the music and the worship were about to begin.

“And the glory of the Lord shone round about them with good tidings of great joy”—the prelude—the introduction to the first anthem of true worship.

“To all people—unto you is born a Savior, Christ the Lord”—the music begins.
images

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God, and saying,  Glory to God in the highest”—the descant.

“And on earth peace.”   Christ Jesus, our Lord, is the melody of heaven, the melody of life, as God has composed it, and plays it for us by His Spirit and through His Word.

“I will declare thy name (the Father) unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.” “Behold, I and the children which God hath given me.”  (Hebrews 2:12-13)—the harmony of His family.  Now He has a full choir.

The Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs that we learn throughout our childhood are the anthems that are carried into heaven with us, as we join that celestial choir. Others are added along the way as He gives us a repertoire.  The only soloist is the one who carries the melody—Christ, Himself.

As we live by the Spirit, and walk by the Spirit, He opens our ears to hear the melody, and to follow Him.  Our off-keys and monotones are tuned to harmonize with other voices.  And walking humbly with our Father, in the obedience of faith, loving the Lord, our God, and our neighbor, we are surrounded by the heavenly overtones echoing His praise in heaven and earth. In our devotion to Christ He opens our hearts to hear compositions we have never heard before, especially during the difficult circumstances of life.

I pray that we know the Lord as our strength and song.”  (Exodus 15:2)

I pray that we would experience “the new song” as He fills us with His Spirit.

On this Lord’s Day I go to His House with a great expectation of hearing the melody—a strong and sure foundation for our worship—hearing the other parts, and the distant sound of the descant of the angels in affirmation that our worship is accepted.

I pray that each day we will practice our singing, individually, and in family worship, so that we are prepared for worship on the Lord’s Day—all in preparation for the great day when we see Him and praise Him in all His glory with the angels.

Our Father has composed the music and directs the choir.

Let us sing with full hearts to His glory and our joy.

“Holy,—-Holy,—-Holy,

The LORD of hosts:

        The whole earth is full of His glory.”

Lord’s Day 9/23/07 (From 50 Days of Prayer and Praise~Articles and Stories of Faith.)

Angels from the Realms of Glory

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, MUSIC, POEMS4 Comments

Where are God’s angels today?

3_angels_flying_over_earth_-_x350“Angels from the realms of  glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye, who sang creation’s story,
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.”

The angels that were present at the creation, have been present throughout all of history, waiting the time when God’s word would be fulfilled in the incarnation of His Son, Jesus.

Without doing a whole series on angels, we want to look at  one segment of the record of angels from God’s word, to compare the angel’s announcement of Mary’s conception,  to Jesus’ proclamation of our new birth.

The Angels Proclamation:
“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”  Luke 1:35

 Jesus’ Proclamation:  
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…except a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit…The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”   John 3:3,5-6

The same Holy Ghost (Sprit) that came upon Mary is the same Spirit that comes upon us to reveal Jesus Christ in us. The power of the Highest that overshadowed Mary is the same power that overshadows His people today; by which we conceive in our hearts the image and Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

He told His disciples that He would not leave them helpless, but would come to them, by His Spirit. When Jesus comes He does not just come unto us, but into us, by His Spirit.

Mary could not conceive a child of her own.  It was God’s gift to her and to us.
We cannot conceive a child on our own.  Whether flesh or Spirit, it is God’s gift to us.
We cannot will this gift to ourselves.  We cannot birth Christ in our own hearts.
We cannot decide to believe in Christ.  Only He can send His Spirit to be born in us.

Was Mary’s conception a phenomenon?  So is our faith in Jesus Christ.
Was the birth of Jesus Christ through a virgin a supernatural event?  So is our new birth.

Apart from Jesus Christ, we can do nothing.  As He continually sends His Spirit to do His work in and through us we can do all things that He wills for us, no less and no more ~ all miraculously!

“CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY”
Colossians 1:27

What are the angels doing, now that Christ has accomplished His work on earth and “It is finished?” They are still winging their flight o’er all the earth; and in heaven rejoicing over every sinner that repents! images

The work of the Spirit of Christ keeps the angels singing. “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:14

   Angels We Have Heard on High
Sweetly singing o’er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Glory to God in the Highest!

 “All creation, join in praising God, the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising to the eternal Three in One.”

Give Your Marriage at Least Fifty-years

On By francesrogersIn CONTENTMENT, GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, PRAYER3 Comments

slide_191808_853093_largeWhat happens after the honeymoon?  Reality sets in.  The husband and wife begin to let down their guard and show their true colors.  The marriage vows were laid on a sure foundation of true love and commitment or on the sand of lust and deception.

How well do a man and woman know each other before saying “I do?”  In a way the stages of marriage can be compared to this life and preparing for the next.  As the Bride of Christ, the church is always going through difficult times, as we anticipate and contemplate the developing of this relationship and the final consummation.

For whatever reason you married ~ for love or lust ~ it can develop into a holy relationship.  By this I mean, a relationship in which God, through Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit, does a miraculous work in both hearts; bringing two people to enjoy a time together that was impossible at the beginning.

It takes commitment, from both, or at least one.  This too is His work.  We must give ourselves first to the Lord Jesus Christ, as part of His Bride.  We experience a spiritual marriage in our relationship with Him; and a physical marriage in our relationship with a husband or wife.  A wife’s submission to the husband is “as unto the Lord.”  Ephesians 5: 22-24, 33.  The husband’s love to the wife, is as “Christ loves His church.”  Ephesians 5:23, 25, 33.   This is a supernatural work.

Twenty years is a miracle for most marriages today.  We have heard of broken vows and divorce after thirty years of marriage.  The duration of fifty years is one of brokenness of hearts and spirits, for things unforeseen, for hurts and adversity; much prayer and searching for wisdom through God’s word.

All of these bring with them the needed character of patience, longsuffering, and forgiveness, with  a multitude of the Lord’s blessings.  They are used of God to turn lust into true love, as we endure with the one to whom we are united and committed.

 Jerry and I (as one) are a good example of this truth of perseverance.  Had we depended on ourselves, or just on each other, we would not still be together.  Forgetting ourselves, we had to look past our own feelings, to what God willed for us, and to the needs of the other.

There is no perfect marriage, except the one that our heavenly Father is preparing us for in heaven with Christ.  What a glorious day and eternity that will be.  In the meantime, He is revealing it to me, giving me a taste of it, in my own marriage.

 (Jerry, in case I haven’t told you today  ~  I love you.   Thank you for putting up with me all these years, for enduring all my anger, impatience, discontent and frustrations; for your forgiveness, for providing for me, for loving me. )

 Lord Jesus,  I love you.  Thank you for your patience and longsuffering,  your physical suffering and sacrifice for me, your provisions for now and eternity; your loving me now and forever.  Thank you heavenly Father for creating me to be Jerry’s, to see His needs above my own; to live for you and him.  Spread abroad your love in our hearts, by your Spirit, which you have given us; that we may love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. Continue to fill me with your Spirit of joy, fulfilling your purpose for Jerry and me ~ for your glory and our joy.  In Jesus name I pray.  Amen.

The Words I Speak Most Often

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, PRAYERLeave a comment

The words I speak most often:

paths


“FATHER, HELP ME!”  ~  Isaiah 41:10

“FORGIVE ME, LORD.”    ~  Matthew 6:12

“THANK YOU, LORD!”   ~  Psalm 100:4

~ because He promises to hear and answer; to be with me; and  show me His way.

“Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD
who formed it to establish it—the LORD is His name.
Call to me and I will answer you,
and will show you great and mighty  things that you do not know.”
Jeremiah 33:2-3

Morgennebel “Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach my thy paths;
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me;
For thou art the God of my salvation;
On thee do I wait all the day.”
Psalm 25:4-5

In Jesus name, I pray.  Amen.

Related articles