Tag: God’s mercy

The Two Great Wonders of the World

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD8 Comments

Had our first parents understood the purpose of their creation, the beauty and wonder of the world itself might be the greatest wonder ~ and all men may have come to know the Creator as the greatest wonder of heaven and earth.

But, the enemy of God gave God’s creatures a different idea of greatness, and the quest for man’s greatness was instilled in the heart of man. God and His creation were separated as a result of man’s disobedience to His Word but this did not change God or disrupt His plans.

He has continued to reveal His greatness and the greatness of man. And here is the difference. Disobedience and sin against God have continued and the evil in man has become one of the great wonders of the world. Isn’t it amazing that we have not destroyed the earth and ourselves? Even more amazing is that God has not destroyed us all.

God, our Heavenly Father revealed His mercy through His Son, Jesus, as the greatest wonder for all time. Jesus spoke of His greater greatness as compared to Solomon and Jonah in Matthew 12:41-42.

“But God, who is rich in mercy” continues to reveal His love to the world, having shown His mercy and great love through the sacrifice of His Son. He is saving a people for Himself, enabling us to live as light in the middle of this “evil and perverse generation” (Philippians 2:14-16) to show the greater of the two wonders.

Evil seems to be the greatest wonder ~ open to the whole world, prevalent, and accepted by the majority of the world.

Only those who have experienced the richness of God’s mercy and “the great love wherewith He loved us while we still sinners” know what is greater and more wonderful than the world can see. Praise and rejoicing are the responses to His greatness and wonder that will be carried from here throughout eternity.

He calls us to acknowledge His greatness above all others with His promise to reveal the wonder of His greatness to the whole world at His second coming.

Which wonder is the greatest to you? Be grateful and tell others if you are caught up in the wonder of our God’s mercy, love, and grace.

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Galatians 1:3-5

“Keep yourselves in the love of God,
looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ
unto eternal life.”
Jude 1:21

Father in heaven, shine the light in our hearts to reveal the knowledge of your glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Show us your mercy. Work the wonder of your grace in and through us so others will see your presence and the power of your great love in us ~ for your glory and our joy. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The following video by R.C. Sproul initiated my thoughts for this post. No man is worthy of God’s love or mercy. We all deserve His wrath, but He chose to show His mercy to some. And we who know His mercy live in gratitude that it is His idea and work in us, not our own.
Fran

 

The Essentiality of God

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, TRUTH16 Comments

When this title came to my mind, I assumed someone else had written it. Surprisingly, in my search, I found no one had. So, in this first part of a series that may end in another book, I have claimed the copyright. In this first post, I will make a few comments with an introduction and a partial Table of Contents. I welcome anyone’s input as to any part of God’s essentiality we may need to include. And quotes are encouraged if relative to the subject matter.

Introduction
It seems 2020 has become a year for deciding what is essential to humankind.

What may be considered essential to one person may not be essential to another. It depends on how we define “essential.” At first, we may think the term to mean “what is necessary to sustain life.” Then we are brought back to the same reasoning. What is necessary for one person may not be thought of as necessary for all.

And a problem surfaces when more than one authority wants to decide for everybody.

And in all this ~ from the beginning of time ~ the only real authority has been usurped. We need a revelation from ~ and a return to ~ the authority that began and continues to sustain human life. This statement will be refuted by any who do not recognize and acknowledge the only True God and ruler of the universe.

But for the sake of those who do, we will attempt to show how the Creator of heaven and earth is the first and greatest need for all men and the only answer for the ills of humankind.

Table of Contents

as Creator
as Redeemer
as Father
as the living God
as only true God
as Provider
as Lord
as Savior
as Life and the sustainer of life
as power
as ruler over all things
as protector
as shepherd
as strength
as healer
as counselor
as comforter
as King
as deliverer
as judge
as Almighty
as refuge
as salvation
as wisdom
as truth
as our only hope
as love
as peace
in His mercy and grace
in His glory

Please pray for me. Your comments are always an encouragement.

Gracious Father, again I take upon myself a work of which I am not worthy. At a time when I might feel more like settling down in my loss and loneliness, I desire for you to use me. Fill me with your Spirit to search and share the blessings we have from you as our God, Lord, and Savior. In Jesus’  name, I pray. Amen.
Fran
© 2020 Fran Rogers

Image: Google

God is at His Best in Times Like These

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, MUSIC, PRAYER2 Comments

The most difficult the times, the closer our Heavenly Father draws us to Him.
When things are well with us, we are prone to forget Him.

 “Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness:
he is gracious,
and full of compassion, and righteous.”
Psalm 112:4

He waits to be gracious to us. In times like these, He opens heaven and His sanctuary to us, drawing us ever so close.

Dear Father, send your light and and by your Spirit, lead us to seek you, your kingdom and your righteousness. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Rich and Intentional

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, PRAYER18 Comments

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that,
though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor,
that ye through his poverty might be rich.”
2 Corinthians 8:9

Do you ever dream of winning the lottery? I would not know what to do with the money that is at stake. Even now, at the ridiculous $300,000,000, those who buy a chance to win have no idea how they would spend the money. A few may think they would do good and help others, but how many suddenly became wealthy and were so mesmerized they could not even plan what to do.

Even as some who are wealthy in temporal things waste what they have, some rich in spiritual abundance lack wisdom to use what we have. As God’s children, we must be taught to recognize the inheritance we have in Jesus Christ. We have to see the enormous wealth of eternal things and bring to our Father the interest He has invested in us.  We must study and show ourselves approved to receive more. We must be fruitful and multiply.

As these have been my thoughts concerning what it means to be fruitful, I am learning more and more that the gifted life of God’s children is intentional. He does not expect us to waste what He gives.

Jesus gave His life, intentionally, to save His people, to deliver us from our wasteful lives, and to make us a productive vine in His vineyard. He is sanctifying His people through His Spirit, bringing His church to serve Him in the world today.

Following are references to the riches of His glory, His grace, His mercy, His goodness, His wisdom and knowledge.

“And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Romans 9:23

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

“the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians 1:18 

“the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” Colossians 1:27

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” Ephesians 1:7

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Ephesians 2:4

“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” Romans 2:4 

For the last two months, He has been working in my mind and heart, to bring me to see how I am to intentionally be a living sacrifice for Him. As a result, I am spending less time on the computer and more time in His Word and prayer. It has been a blessing to be part of the WordPress Christian community since January of 2011, but I am no longer able to read and comment on everyone’s blog every day.

My blogging will be sporadic, and only as the Lord gives me specific things to share. My main intention is to be Jerry’s caregiver. My primary writing will continue to be through our books. Please pray that we will be fruitful as He, in Christ, blesses us all with all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3).

As God’s children, we are rich in faith and good works

“Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” James 2:5

“That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;” 1 Timothy 6:18

Dear Father in heaven, we praise you for loving us; by your mercy, grace, and goodness, supplying all our needs, and making us partakers of your glory. Forgive us for wasting the inheritance of your many blessings. Teach us and enable us through the wisdom and knowledge of you, to know the riches that are ours in Jesus Christ, our Lord and to share what you give with others. In His precious name, we pray. Amen.
Fran

Image: Google

 

What is a Sacrifice?

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, TRUTH15 Comments

When the Holy Spirit waters the Word planted in fertile soil, fruit comes from and of itself. Such is the case for this article, an inspiration from the same Word, 1 Peter 2:9-10, preached last night from two different ministers, two different pulpits, and two different countries.*

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10

These words brought to memory other references to sacrifices. From the Old Covenant, that spoke of the shadows and types concerned with the physical realm, to the New Covenant and the fulfilling of the promises in a spiritual realm, I could see the evolving of another book (this is usually the overwhelming of the Spirit using the Word).

But I had to rein in my thoughts so as to present a succinct and concise meaning of sacrifice in the Christian life.

So, let’s look at the sacrifice (sacrificial system) in the Old Covenant as we consider the facets of sacrifice. For the Christian, all things originate with our Lord. He initiates and commands. He initiated the Covenant of Grace, promised it through Abraham and his seed, and fulfilled it in Jesus Christ and through His seed.

God Commands a Sacrifice from His People
He specified the object of sacrifice and how it was to be offered.
Sacrifices were commanded for different occasions in the Old Testament ~ the main blood sacrifice was to atone for the sins of His people through the killing of animals.

No other nation was required or privileged to offer these sacrifices. Sacrifices were the response of God’s people to His rule and authority over them.

We see the mercy of the Lord our God when we compare the sacrifices other nations made by offering their own children as sacrifices to their gods.

The people brought their sacrifice to be offered on the altar by the Levitical priests.   They were a shadow or type commanded and offered until the New Covenant was ratified in the sacrifice of His Son.

“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever,
sat down on the right hand of God;”
Hebrews 10:12

A study of the book of Hebrews provides an overwhelming explanation of this brief review. Every believer needs this study under his belt of truth.

In these references. sacrifice is the main subject. Hebrews 5:1; Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 8:3; Hebrews 9:9; Hebrews 9:23;Hebrews 9:26;Hebrews 10:1;Hebrews 10:3;Hebrews 10:5;Hebrews 10:6;Hebrews 10:8;Hebrews 10:11;Hebrews 11:4;Hebrews 13:15

The Point of Sacrifice for the Christian
Jesus was the last blood sacrifice ~ offering Himself willingly to fulfill the covenant of redemption on behalf of His people. The physical altars of sacrifice were shut down when Jesus hung on a cross, sacrificing Himself for those who would come in faith and repentance to Him as Lord and Savior.

His blood atoned forever and commands a response from us as His chosen generation, His blood-bought people.

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house,
an holy priesthood,
to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 2:5

What are these spiritual sacrifices?

 “ to show forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light.“

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:1-2

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” Hebrews 13:15
“But to do good and to communicate forget not:
for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
Hebrews 13:16

 “And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mark 12:33

All we have of His mercy, His goodness, and His love, are the results of His sacrifice for us. 

Mercy begets mercy

Sacrifice begets sacrifice

Goodness begets goodness

Love begets love

Gracious and glorious Father in heaven, send your Holy Spirit to quicken your Word spoken to us by your servants. Speak to us through your Word this week. Bring forth the praise that you command by your Spirit and your Word through us. Make us to know your presence and power as you prepare our hearts for your worship and Word next Lord’s Day ~ all for that glorious day when we shall praise you face to face. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Fran

*Chris Strevel,  Buford, Georgia: Exodus 40  From Slavery to Glory
*Ryan McKee, Northern Ireland: 1 Peter 2:9-10 Who We Are in Christ 

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Words of Life ~ BELONG

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S WORD, POEMS, Words of Life A-Z3 Comments

Heidi is our author this week for Words of Life. Visit and get to know her at
Wings of the Dawn 

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In the hallway of my parent’s home in Germany is a plaque with a poem that I have translated from German into English.

This is my house, yet still not mine.
My heir will own it for a while.
And soon the third comes to reside,
Then – when he’s done – gets dragged outside.
The fourth and fifth, too, don’t stay long.
Tell, to whom does it belong?

When I look around, I see many things I confidently call my own. But are they really mine? How long will they be in my possession? To whom do these things truly belong?

As we search the Word of God for the word belong, we find it cannot be translated into a single word since it is commonly used as a verb phrase and is tightly connected to an owner. Therefore, it is better to consider who owns what. There are 8478 references in the Bible to the word his ~ not counting the words hers, theirs or ours. The idea of possession connects everything.

The Word of God says that He is the Possessor of all things.

Possessor H7069 The One who possesses, created, acquired, obtained, and redeemed. Everyone and everything belong to God

And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: Genesis 14:19

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We will focus on the word belong as we find it mostly in the Old Testament. Bible Gateway and Blue Letter Bible reference what belonged to certain men in the Old Testament.

Genesis 40:8  Do not interpretations belong to God?

Numbers 1:50   Numbers 7:9  and Numbers 8:24 speak of the things that belong to the service of the sanctuary of the tabernacle.

The secret things belong unto the Lord our God:
but those things which are revealed belong unto us
and to our children for ever,
that we may do all the words of this law.
Deuteronomy 29:29

There is a profound meaning to this verse. There are secret things that belong to the Lord our God and there are those things that belong to us as His children. We cannot lose these. They are given to us as our inheritance, forever. We might think of this family relationship in connection to Jesus’ words in Luke 13:32 of the Father’s desire to give us the kingdom.

“the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.” Psalm 47:9

“God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; 
that power belongeth unto God.”
Psalm 61:11

Psalm 94:1 vengeance belongs to God.

“O Lord, righteousness belongs unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces… because  they have trespassed against thee.”  Daniel 9:7

“To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;” Daniel 9:9

“Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people.” Psalm 3:8

“For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.” Mark 9:41  “And you are Christ‘s; and Christ is God’s. 1 Corinthians 3:23

“But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14

Before I knew Jesus as Lord and Master, someone asked me, “Who is your authority?”
I understood the question to mean, “To whom do you belong? Whose are you?”

Not everyone submits to the truth of God’s ownership. Some continue through life thinking they live on their own. Others commit all they are to Him when convicted of their need for His authority and ownership in their lives.

Of His gracious love and kindness, God our Father has given us many gifts — material possessions, talents, relationships, and time to enjoy these within the souls He has given.

None of these belong to us — they are given for us to steward for only a short time. And then, in His time — we shall claim all the promises of our inheritance in Christ.
As joint-heirs with Him, we shall know what it truly means to belong to Him and enjoy the never-ending pleasures of His presence and kingdom.

Lord, Maker of the universe and Possessor of all things, help us to see that nothing truly belongs to us but that You have graciously given us many gifts to manage for Your glory. Help us to know with assurance, that we belong to You. Thank you for Jesus ~ that by grace through faith in Him we belong to You, now and forever. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Heidi

Image: Heidi

“Why Do the Heathen Rage?”

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, Uncategorized10 Comments

I am going out on a limb with this post. It is not my nature to tackle controversial issues.

This comes in response to the recent news of a young man who was killed in his attempt to share the gospel on an isolated island in the Indian Ocean. I do not know all the details, first learning of the event in a fellow blogger’s post accompanied by a video of the island. In the video is the scene of the inhabitants on the beach of North Sentinel island which the reporter called “wildmen.” This video left in me a sad image and the thoughts that I write here.

How different is the majority of people in any land to this small band of isolated people?

How few welcome people they do not know?

How hostile are most people to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ?

People, in general, are ignorant of the good news of Jesus Christ and are antagonistic to those who want to share this good news.

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,
Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” Psalm 2:1-3

Psalm 1 describes two types of people, the righteous and the ungodly. In Psalm 2, the heathen are the ungodly, described in Psalm 1; and the righteous are those whose delight is in the law of the Lord, Psalm 1:2. Kings of the earth and rulers are described as heathen. There are Biblical references to men as beasts.

“So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.” Psalm 73:22

Where is True Civilization?
How different is the scene of those islanders and others who demonstrate in the streets of our nation in anger of whatever comes against them?

How different are they than we are when someone disagrees with us? Only the laws of our land and God’s power of mercy keep us from destroying each other.

Why do we lock our doors? We live in fear of strangers who may come and harm us or take what is ours.

History of the Sentinelese
There seems to be in the history of the Sentinelese a time when their people were kidnapped. There is the story that centuries ago some were taken to another country where the two oldest died, then the others were taken back to the island. Imagine their fear passed from generation to generation. Does this not give us some understanding of their behavior against outsiders?

We cannot condone this savagery, but we do well to learn from this event.

Only one person has ever brought the gospel to an antagonistic people, died in the process, and rose from the grave ~ and His death by His own people who did not accept His good news.

The church leadership needs to train God’s people. There are many para-church organizations – even churches – that are encouraging young people to consider missionary work. Many have the will and the zeal, but not the skill. Jesus trained and sent His disciples in companies of two.

The church used to be the catalyst, ordaining and training for the mission field. Taking the gospel to an illiterate people is a dangerous endeavor, it is a work that requires counseling and training, in addition to faith and prayer.

Please do not attack me for what I have written. I am not criticizing this young man, but believe he was doing what he thought he should do to share the good news. I am just sharing what I believe the Lord has put in my heart, and hopefully, give us things to consider when we think of sharing the gospel outside our own culture and time zone.

A Technological Thought
Another thought, which may seem a bit whimsical: We are not Christ. We either need bullet-proof vests or to pray and brainstorm some way to air-drop something to get and hold the attention of those we want to hear the gospel. Someone with the funds could build a robot that looks like the Islanders and program it to transcribe the gospel into their language.

I pray that this young man’s life is not a loss; that the Lord would show us what we need to reach the unreachable for His glory. What a joy it would be to see our modern technology used in such a way as this. Even this might be dangerous to their immune systems ~ win them to Christ and wipe them out?

Gracious Father, we thank you for sending your Son and for your Holy Spirit who reveals Him to us as our Lord and Savior. We ask you to show your church how to counsel and train those whom you call to the mission field. We ask that the Chau family know your comfort and peace and be drawn closer to you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Fran

Image:Google

Endear and Endure

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, HUMILITY, MUSIC, PRAYER9 Comments

“Hereby perceive we the love of God,
because he laid down his life for us:
and we ought to lay down our lives
for the brethren.”
1 John 3:16

If the Lord brings us to the heights of Christianity ~ Beyond a Mere Christianity ~ it will be according to the truth that the apostle writes here. What keeps us from reaching this height? It must be that we fail to perceive the love of God, who, in Christ, laid down his life for us. To perceive is to see with a spiritual reality ~ beyond our physical sight ~ how much He loves us and how He proved His love. We will look in depth in two other chapters at how His great love begins to work in the hearts of His children, but for this one we are led to write of those who, with time and experience of HIs grace, know the presence and power of the Holy Spirit of Christ working His own nature and disposition through them in relationship with others.

Several years ago, with a new birth (John 3:3), there was no real understanding of the difference He would make in my life. Baptism at the age of eleven did not change my heart; self-centeredness was still my nature. Years later, it was God’s Holy Spirit speaking through His Holy Word when He gave me a new heart and spirit (Ezekiel 36:26) that I longed for the life of Christ within me. Repentance and faith was a work of His goodness and mercy in me (Romans 2:4); the effect of His Spirit in the new heart and spirit within me.

Everything changed on that beautiful day in 1992 when He brought me to Himself, so that I never looked back.

He endeared Himself to me, speaking through the written Word and His Spirit so that I could see Him as the loving Creator and Redeemer that He is. Since then, He has been an ever-present guide and protector of my mind, heart and spirit. He has endured with me through all the trials and adversities we have encountered. The more affliction we experience, the more of His love and care are ministered by His Holy Spirit and the more we are able to see and care for others. We continue to grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). We could speak of many trials we have endured, but time and space do not permit here. We have published eight books that witness of His presence and teachings.

Most and best of all is how He endears Himself through us to others. At present we are formatting One Month to Live ~ A Father’s Last Words, the story of God’s abundant grace as we cared for my dad during the last three weeks of his life.

Never would I have known that being a caregiver for my dad, for grandchildren, for my mother with dementia and  for Jerry the last twelve years would have prepared me to practice this endearment. We, together, have learned to see the needs of others; to pray for them; to reach out to any that the Lord shows us. We don’t have to look far. Within our own family, and our church family, there are many who need encouragement. Just a word of support and hope is enough for most. These are the closest to us and the ones with which we have developed lasting relationships. In Prayer and In Touch is our email prayer ministry, whereby we stay in touch as we pray for others.

We are enabled to see the needs of others when we go for appointments. We may never see some of these again, but the Lord knows what they need. A smile, a “thank you,” a word of greeting or a short conversation can leave a lasting impression to the glory of our Lord.

It is those who are the closest whose needs we know and with whom we endure through their difficulties, sharing the promises of God’s Word, praying for special needs, taking a meal, etc. Whatever is needful, the Lord provides through us, His people.

We encourage those who are continually experiencing the hardships of this life to see others in need and pray with the desire to know how you can help them. Focus on the Lord and His will in how we can care for others greatly changes how we see our own needs. It is good therapy for the soul to count others in greater need than ourselves.

Is this what John meant in 1 John 3:16? What does it mean to lay down our lives? I believe it means that we first give ourselves to the Lord as the apostle Paul speaks in 2 Corinthians 8:5. I have TWO FULL PLATES, but this does not keep me from seeing others in their needs, praying and reaching out when the Lord leads. He always provides more room on our plates for others, and gives the extra strength that we need and extra servings pf joy.

We are, by His mercy to us, called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to serve Him and others (Romans 12:1-2).

He endured all the wrath and punishment for our sins, so that we as His people would be united in our love for Him and one another; to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:1-2).

Jesus now and forever endears Himself to us, and endures with us as our Lord and High Priest. It is when we endear ourselves to each other and endure with one another that we are stronger. As we are united in Christ, members of one body, we stand against the enemy with great power. His Spirit is revealed through those who “in lowliness of mind esteem others better than themselves; who look not on his own things, but on the things of others.” Philippians 2:3-4

Father in heaven, open our eyes and hearts. Draw us heavenward to receive your humility, grace and love that extends to others ~ for your glory and our joy. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen
~ Fran
The following is from Philippians 2:5-11. Have This Mind is the title of an album of Scripture Tunes recorded in the last twenty-five years.

PRAYERS That Bring the House Down

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, Uncategorized12 Comments

It is a delight to share our newest book.
PRAYERS That Bring the House Down is the eighth blessing (akin to having more grandchildren) God has given in answer to our heart’s desire to preserve what He is still teaching us of His goodness, grace and glory.
Father and Family Books are specifically published for our children, grandchildren and future generations to know of the legacy of our Father’s kingdom, and available on Amazon to all who are interested in how He has been working in this seventy-eight year old heart and life. We receive no benefits from sales, even if we ever recoup our expenses. Priced very reasonably, any profits are designated for missions and charity. Fran

“Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.” Psalm 71:18

Breakthrough

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, HUMILITY, PRAYER18 Comments

In February, Jerry and I were waiting in the podiatrist’s exam room for him to have his foot x-rayed. So as to encourage him, I said, “There is light at the end of the tunnel.”

His response was, “Are you sure it is not a locomotive?”

I said, gently, “Yes, I am sure.”

There was no definite meaning, nor explanation for my words, just sharing the spirit of God’s grace as we have experienced His presence through all our difficulties in the past.

The nurse wheeled him out, leaving me alone with my own thoughts in the cold, tiny room.

The still, small voice to which I have become accustomed in quiet times, asked, “Am I your God?’

Humbly, I answered, “Yes, Lord.”

“Then, trust Me.”

As simple as that, without audible conversation, I knew that however long this new episode would last, the Lord was assuring me of His presence and power with us.

Six Months Later
We have waited, as in times past, for healing, not only for treatment for the diabetic ulcer that podiatrists started in February, but for tests and an eventual stent for an aneurysm in his leg in April, to allow blood flow to the foot. Added to this was another wound from that incision

In July this wound closed after treatment with a wound vac. The same treatment did not work for the foot. This was their last resort after trying provadine, skin grafts, collagen, and foot baths. So, they sent us to the wound healing center thirty minutes away.

In this first visit last week, they took a culture that showed MRSA, a staph infection, for which they prescribed clindamycin. Yesterday, for our second visit, we were encouraged with the wound half the size as last week. The wound specialist believes this to be the reason for lack of healing, assuring us of complete healing soon.

At the outset of this sore, the primary care physician prescribed two rounds of antibiotics, but he, nor the podiatrist did a culture. There were no visible signs of infection while under the care of the podiatrist.

We are not resentful that they did not do a culture, but glad that it was done last week, believing that all things are revealed and healed in God’s timing.

Hidden Infection
This all reminds me of how things can be hidden. Just as we all carry the infection of sin within us, not knowing that we need healing, it manifests itself in different ways. Relationships are broken, families are torn apart, life can be emotionally and physically unhealthy because of hidden sin.

It is when we come to the only one who can do a culture for us that we know our sin, and accept the prescription, believing that He is able to bring total healing.

Jesus Christ came to earth as the Great Physician over 2000 years ago, He was, and still is, our breakthrough.

Gracious Father in heaven, we praise you for all things; for Christ, your Son, whom you sent to reveal our sin and to heal broken lives. We thank you for wisdom given to men to solve physical problems and to provide healing, believing that all healing is from you, for your glory and for the purpose of our serving you, living in praise and thanksgiving for your mercy, your grace, your goodness and power in our hearts and lives. Thank you for the encouragement that Jerry might soon be able to wear his prosthesis, and that we will be able to worship with your people again. We ask for your healing for others who are ill, in need of physical and spiritual healing. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.