God’s Promise to Moses Is a Promise to Us, Too

“And He said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give your rest.’ “ – Exodus 33:14

Moses returned to the plain where the thousands of Israelites (recently escaped from bondage in Egypt) were awaiting his return from Mt. Sinai where God had given to Moses the law (the 10 Commandments) and the Covenant. Moses came down from the mountain and found the people, under his brother Aaron’s leadership, a priest before the Lord, as was Moses, had allowed and even assisted the people in gathering gold they had procured before leaving Egyptian bondage. Aaron had cast a golden calf. They had bowed down and worshiped the golden image, to the great consternation of Moses. His heart was broken.

Could God forgive the erring people? They had broken the first and second commandments: “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.” And “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images.” In their desire to “see” God, they had made a false god to worship.

At the beginning of Chapter 33, God again commanded Moses to lead the people to the land He intended to give them for their inheritance. Even though they had grievously gone against God’s command in making and worshiping the golden calf, still God remembered the covenant he had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, “ The Lord said to Moses, ‘Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, To your offspring I will give it. I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way for you are a stiff-necked people.” (Exodus 33: 1-3, ESV).

On Moses’ plea, God forgave the people and promised Moses, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14). Chapters 34 through 40 of Exodus tell how the commandments were written by the hand of God again on tablets of stone Moses took with him to Mt. Sinai the second time. The covenant was renewed. Then the Tent of Meeting was built in in a much more elaborate fashion, and the Tabernacle became the center of and place for Hebrew worship until such time as they were settled in Jerusalem and Solomon, a future king, could erect the magnificent temple to honor God and in which they would worship. To indicate God’s presence with the nation, we read: “For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys” (Exodus 40:38). God was faithful to his promise to Moses, earthly leader of the people of Israel: “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14, ESV).

Thank God, that even today, hundreds of years after the Exodus from Egypt, the wilderness wanderings, and the conquest of the Promised Land, God is still faithful to His chosen people. Under the covenant of the Lord Jesus Christ, all who come to Him in faith are the Children of God, we have the continuing promise that God made to Moses so long ago. Thanks be to God, I am a child of the King of King and Lord of Lords. Amen. -Ethelene Dyer Jones. 10.22.2017

The First Commandment

“You shall have no other Gods before me.” -Exodus 20:3 (ESV)

Exodus 20 begins what was later named the Book of the Covenant (see Exodus 24:7). The Ten Commandments are found in Exodus 20:3-17. In their shortened form, perhaps you as well as I memorized them when younger. Not only are they vital for Jewish believers, to whom they were given by God through Moses in either the 1400’s BC or the 1300’s BC, but they have become the foundation of laws for many countries in our world.

On “the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Eypt on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.” (Exodus 19:1). Mount Sinai is believed to be the mountain where Moses saw the burning bush (Exodus 3) and received his call from God to go to Egypt and lead in freeing the Israelites from the bondage of slavery. Now, after ten plagues on the people of Egypt, the Israelites have escaped, they crossing the Red Sea, seeing their enemies destroyed, and finally Moses and his large entourage arrived in the desert area with Mt Sinai stretching upward. Moses was summoned to go to the mountain where God spoke to him, giving him the code of laws which we call the Ten Commandments.

“And the Lord spoke all these words, saying, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” (Exodus 20:1-2). God identified himself to Moses. No doubt, Moses had no trouble knowing who was speaking to him because he had heard God’s voice before. Was it audible? Did Moses actually hear the voice of God coming out of the cloud that indicated God’s presence? Or was God’s voice vocal, clear, understandable, unmistakable? With Moses’ attention, God identified Himself positively: “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Certainly, with that experience and the escape fresh on Moses’ mind, he was ready to listen again to God’s counsel. This statement from God became a preface to the Ten Commandments and the rest of the law which God would give to Moses to be written down, not only for keeping before the people but to be studied, treasured, followed.

“You shall have no other Gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3). The first commandment declares unequivocally that Yahweh expects and demands total and exclusive covenant loyalty. There are no other Gods to worship save those conceived in the minds of those who would make an image or otherwise put up some entity to worship and follow. Monotheism, the worship of one God, is the only practice to be exercised by Moses and the Children of Israel, and yes, people everywhere are to take this first commandment from God as the exclusive way to worship. “Before me,” might mean, not just “ahead of God,” or “superior to God,” but worshiped “alongside me,” or “in addition to me.” In the creation account, God had made His identity as the one and only God known. In Egypt, with the plagues, Almighty God had displayed His power and superiority to the so-called gods of Egypt. Now, Moses and the Israelites were to demonstrate the power, love and supremacy, in keeping with God’s promise years before to Abraham that He would make him “Father of many nations,” and that Abraham’s seed would be as the sands of the seashore. And tied with that promise, the command to take the knowledge of the Lord to all peoples. And an important lesson for all peoples to learn: “You shall have no other Gods before me” (the first commandment). An important task for the Israelite people was to make the one true God known. God speaks this command with authority and expects obedience from those who love, worship, serve and follow Him. “The Lord is God; there is no other besides Him” (Deut 4:34, 39. TLB).

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for giving us the Ten Commandments that are a guide for how we should live, vertically in relationship to you (Commandments 1-4) and horizontally in relationship with our fellow man in the society in which we live (Commandments 5-10). And we begin on the right road with You by recognizing You, Sovereign Lord, Creator, Savior of all who believe and accept Your Truth, Love, and sacrifice for sin. Help us so to live that we may reflect Your love and sovereignty in our lives. Amen. -Ethelene Dyer Jones. 10.08.2017

Hold On!

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? -Psalm 27:1 (KJV)

Sometimes life is a struggle

With twists and turns so blind.

How can I hope to hold on,

Assurances to find?

Each day a step toward victory

In this way we walk and run;

Each morning’s dawn a promise

With the rays of brilliant sun.

A Hand reaches out to touch me,

God’s Hand with mighty strength;

He knows already my life and death,

Their depth, their height, their length.

“Fear not,” He whispers warmly

Whatever turn I take;

He knows my mind and holds my hand

In struggles that I make.

Even pain will not oppress me,

Nor the darkness override;

His Hand is ever upon me

To sustain me and to guide.

Behold! What a gift life is,

Although beset at times with doubt;

God is my Guide and Anchor,

He’s prepared my entire route!

Thanks be to God for promises,

For His presence and His power,

My ever-present Guide and Stay

Throughout each earthly hour.

 

-Ethelene Dyer Jones 09.17.2017.

The poem was composed December 7, 2011, when my husband, the Rev. Grover D. Jones, was near death after having had debilitating Alzheimer’s for 18 years. I knew God would see me through the remainder of his days, as He had since his diagnosis 17 years previously. The doctors/nurses who attended him stated that they had not known a case of Alzheimer’s when the patient lived as long as he did with the disease.. He died peacefully and quietly on January 26, 2011 at 1:26 a. m. in Georgia War Veterans’ Home, Milledgeville. I looked after him 14 of the 18 years at home, and visited him almost every day the 4 years he was in Veterans’ Home, except for the days/weeks when I myself was in the hospital, as for five bypasses heart surgery (August 30, 2007) and another major surgery for another ailment in 2009. God taught me, indeed, to “Hold On!” to His power and His Hand. I claimed for my verse during Grover’s long illness and during the many hospitalizations I myself have had for serious ailments since 1999, this verse from Psalm 118:17. I have also shared the verse many times with others who deal with serious health and other challenges. That verse reads: “I shall not die but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” Each time I have come back from a near-death experience, I have rejoiced that God answered my prayer as I prayed Psalm 118:17. “ God’s not finished with me yet!” Amen!

Enjoying Spiritual Blessings in Christ Jesus

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” -Ephesians 1:1-10.

In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul wrote a long greeting, a sincere prayer for them in their faith and work, and praise that God had chosen them “from before the foundation of the world” to be “holy, blameless before Him in love.” The Lord had predestined all believers “for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.” What a marvelous heritage!

Today, the church of which I am a member, First Baptist Church, Milledgeville, observes “Heritage Day.” We consider the long history of a church holding forth the Word of Life on the same location, tracing our history at Liberty Street since 1811 (206 years). And, before it was named Milledgeville Baptist Church and relocated at Liberty Street, there was Mt. Zion Baptist Church (founded in 1806), whose members became the nucleus of the membership of the church founded in 1811. Whether our present church counts our years of existence as 206 (from 1811) or 211 (from 1806), we celebrate a long history of faithfully holding forth the Word of Life in this town. We rejoice in the history of faithfulness of saints who served before us. We read of their work and service in our church history and records that have been saved for us to enjoy. But we realize as we look back on history, that the Lord has commissioned us to serve in our age, to share our blessings of hope, joy and peace in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have a calling.

A Heritage Day celebration is for looking back at God’s faithfulness to the church for more than two centuries. It is a time to recognize that “through the richness of the Lord’s grace” as Paul wrote to the Church at Ephesus, “we have redemption through His blood, forgiveness of our trespasses according to the richness of His grace which He lavished upon us.” And furthermore, in our day, as with those who were faithful in the past, we too must remain faithful, and share the good news of redemption so that people will still accept Jesus as Savior and Lord and continue to hold forth the Word of Life for this generation and the next. The call to the faithful is the same, yesterday and today and forever. Yes. The Lord certainly “lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight, making known to us His will according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, in heaven and things on earth.” And this we remember, on Heritage Day, and rejoice. We enjoy our blessings, and accept our responsibility to pass the faith on to others. How wonderful our heritage; how awesome our responsibility! Lord, let us be found faithful! -Ethelene Dyer Jones 09.10.2017

A Deep-set Longing for Fellowship with God

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?...By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life…Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”-Psalm 42:1-2, 8, 11 (ESV)

Psalm 42 is one of eleven psalms attributed to the sons of Korah as the authors. The eleven so signed are 42, 44-49, 84-85, 87-88. These “sons of Korah” were Levites, leaders in music and worship before the Ark of the Covenant in the wilderness and also after the construction of the temple in Jerusalem. It is believed the “son of Korah” who wrote Psalm 42 (and possibly 43) was separated from his fellow worshipers for some reason, and is crying out in this psalm, telling how he longs to be back with those who enjoy worshiping God together. His enemies taunt him, but he continues to long for the fellowship of a brotherhood of worshipers “as a deer pants for the flowing streams” and as a thirsty man longs for water. Scholars believe that Psalm 42 and 43 were once a continuous Psalm, as the same refrain is repeated in Psalm 42:5 and 11, and in Psalm 43:5. Moreover, in Psalm 43, the writer (whether the same ‘son of Korah’ as of Psalm 42) holds out positive hope that he will soon be restored to his position of lyre-player and leader of worship with his believing brethren. He states positively in Psalm 43:3-4: “Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.” Then he concludes in Psalm 43:5, as the writer (the same one?) does in Psalm 42:8 and 11: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

We learn some valuable spiritual lessons from Psalm 42 and 43. In spite of suffering and hardships, even taunts from the enemy concerning the believer’s dependence on God and questioning who God is, the Psalmist remains steadfast in his belief in God. Discouragement, for many reasons, comes to all of us at times. Life is sometimes unkind and we must learn to “bear with the punches.” Just as a person cannot live very long without water to allay thirst, so the believer cannot go long without refreshment of belief that God is present, even in the dark times, and will be the guide and stay of his/her life. To come back from the hard, dark places, the Psalmist first recognizees his condition and moves from being away from God to experiencing restoration with Him (Ps. 42:1). He reaffirms that, whether day or night, God has not moved. The One who loves the believer is ever keeping watch. The believer just needs to realize there is no need ‘to be cast down.” Hope in God is shaft of light that leads out of the pits of doubt and darkness, of turmoil and suffering to the living God. The triumphant cry is “Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (Psalm 42:5, 11 and Psalm 43:5).

The Holy Spirit woos a person in the first place to put his trust in the Lord God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8 -9, ESV). Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit, who walks beside us, teaches us, keeps us in God’s mercy and goodness: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you.” -John 14:15-18 (ESV). Praise be to God! - Ethelene Dyer Jones 08.27.2017

Joys Come as a Result of Honoring Forebears

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”: -Exodus 20:12 (ESV)

The fifth of God’s ten commandments given to Moses for the Israelite people, and for us, who also study, love and seek to follow God’s commandments, teaches us that we should honor parents. Honor means to treat with respect due to their position and role. It means, while we are young, obeying them. And when we grow into adults, to continue to honor and respect them and to love and care for them. This commandment is the only one of the ten with a specific promise: “that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” This means not “just a long life,” (although that is inherent in the promise), but it can mean, too, a life that is filled with God’s presence and favor.

I am a member of Old Unicoi Trail Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. Twenty years ago, on August 17, 1997, I became a charter and a founding member of that newly-organizing chapter (formed on that day) to serve the areas of Towns, Union and Fannin County in the mountains of North Georgia. I transferred my membership from the Tomocheechee Chapter, NSDAR, Clarkesville, where I had become a new member of National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in 1992. I had traced my ancestry back to John Ingraham of South Carolina, one of three of my ancestors (the other known ancestors serving in the Revolution were John Henry Stonecypher, Jr., Stephen Souther, and Bluford Elisha Dyer, Sr.). Daughters of American Revolution chapters throughout America seek to honor ancestors, and are patriotic and service organizations, not only honoring those who have preceded us but serving the needs of people in a compassionate and caring way in the present. The twentieth anniversary celebration of Old Unicoi Trail Chapter, NSDAR, recalled highlights of two decades of service to our area and highlighted some accomplishments the chapter and its members had made, always with the aim of service to others..

At the celebration meeting of the Old Unicoi Trail’s twentieth anniversary, two were presented awards: the “American Women in History” recognition by National Society, Daughters of American Revolution. Mrs. Shirley Carver Miller, wife of former Governor of Georgia and U. S. Senator, Mr. Zell Miller, was honored at the meeting for her outstanding work with adult education throughout Georgia, and the adult-learning centers that assist interested adults to earn their high school diplomas through the GED (Georgia Educational Development program). And I, Ethelene Dyer Jones, also received the “American Women in History” award for my work in preserving history through my historical preservation work and writing (five books based on local and area history and newspaper columns over a long period of 27 years, with a large percentage being on area history topics).

As I received the distinguished award, I felt unworthy of the honor, but at the same time glad and thankful that I had honored the memory of my ancestors who had fought for America’s freedom, and others since that Revolutionary War period who had stood firmly as patriots and builders of a free nation where we can exercise our freedoms to work and develop an even stronger nation. As I received the award, I was grateful to my own parents for how they had reared me, and my thanks reached back to John Ingraham and other ancestors who had been willing to fight for the freedoms we still enjoy today. “Honor your father and your mother,” a commandment with a promise, indeed.

Prayer: Thank you, God. Your word is true and righteous altogether, being fulfilled to succeeding generations of those who love and follow Your precepts. Amen. -  Ethelene Dyer Jones 08.20.2017

The Christian Rejoices While Learning and Instructing Others

“Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.

Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy all you upright in heart!” – Psalm 32:10-11 (ESV).

Psalm 32 is attributed to David and seems to be the sequel to Psalm 51 in which David confessed the sins that separated him from fellowship with God. We know the story. While Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, was away in battle, David lusted after Bathsheba. She became pregnant. David, not wanting the scandal in the kingdom, sent for Uriah to come home. But being the upright and faithful soldier, Uriah did not go into his wife Bathsheba. When he returned to battle, David arranged that he should be in the thick of battle and Uriah was killed. The child of David and Bathsheba did not live. David went through a period of depression and separation from God until Nathan the prophet declared David’s sin to him and David confessed, and sought again the fellowship he had lost with the Lord God. David’s heartfelt cry to God is in Psalm 51:14: “Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God—God of my salvation—and my tongue will sing of your righteousness” (HSB-Holman Study Bible).

Psalm 32 is a “maskil”—the Hebrew word which means to instruct, to impart wisdom or knowledge. In Psalm 32 are two strong lessons: Verses 1-5 teach the believer to stay faithful to the Lord. Verses 6-11 tell the believer to assist others to be faithful to the Lord. Therefore, our job as Christians in instructing and imparting wisdom is twofold: Examine first one’s own life and be sure it is in alignment with God’s will. And, second, take responsibility for those Christian in your life and do what you can to help them study and understand God’s way for them.

For the past several months I have been making friends with, as yet, an unbeliever. This fine adult lady has many good characteristics. She has recently experienced a tragedy in her life, and her lack of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has made her burden heavy, indeed, to bear. Gently I have shared the love of Christ with her, but have not rushed her into making a decision to be a Christian. I am burdened by the fact that she is moving from our town to a far away state without first confessing Christ as Lord. But a good foundation in instructing her has been laid. She has experienced much kindness from members of our congregation as she has eaten Wednesday night fellowship meals with us before going to Dr. Terry Quick’s “Divorce Care” classes. Prior to moving, she asked both Dr. Quick and me for references of a Baptist Church she might attend in the western city where she is moving. I have a cousin who is a deaconess in a town less than a 30-minute drive north of the city where my new friend is moving. I notified my cousin that I am sending her a lonely, lost woman to befriend. Knowing my cousin, and her kind, tender-hearted nature, I am sure, as soon as the newcomer to her area has an established address, she will receive a visit and an invitation to my cousin’s church. God works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform. I pray that all reading this will pray for my new friend and that soon she will make the important faith decision to become a Christian.

Prayer: Father, help us to look well to our own relationship with the Lord, to rejoice and be glad. And help us to accept responsibility to lead others to a right relationship with God. May Your steadfast love, Father, be our guiding light and our constant reminder that we belong to the God of glory! - Ethelene Dyer Jones 08.13.2017

Rejoice in the Lord

“Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him…Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together.” -Psalm 98:1, 8 (ESV).

We are eager to go to the Lord in prayer with our requests when troubles, illnesses, distress and calamity arise. And well we should, for our God is a problem-solving God. We spend time before Him asking that He intervene and make right the situations that trouble us, the challenges with which we need help. But when positive answers come—or even if the challenges are not removed but we gain strength to bear them—do we pray with as much fervor and intensity as when we are making petitions for God to change situations?

The Psalmist expressed such exuberance in his rejoicing: “Sing a new song to the Lord, for He has done marvelous things!...Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together” Rejoice! Tied up in the word “rejoice” is a depth of meaning. “Re” means again; and the root, “joice” (from “joie”) means to take great delight in. It is said of the composer Johann Sebastian Bach that before he considered composing a new piece of music, he would pray that his composition would honor and glorify the Lord God.

In our praying, we should learn to rejoice mightily. Even if our prayers are not answered in the way we think they should be, there is always cause for rejoicing. In life and opportunity and a new day, there are reasons to rejoice. What will be my new song today, your new song today? Will we be able to see “the rivers clap their hands, the hills sing for joy together?” Rejoice! God has given us so many blessings to enjoy. Even amidst troubles we face, His presence and comfort are reasons to rejoice.

Paul wrote, admonishing Christians: “Rejoice evermore…In everything give thanks (rejoice), for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I Thessalonians 5:18 KJV). In this Lord’s day, rejoice with other Christians. Exult in your salvation, in knowing the Lord Christ.

Rejoice in the freedom to worship and to peacefully assemble to study God’s Word and to hear lofty music and a sermon of instruction and admonition. Rejoice, for this is comely and an honor to God from whom flow blessings unnumbered. - Ethelene Dyer Jones 08.06.2017

God’s Faithfulness

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.” -Psalm 146:5-7 (ESV)

In our Sunday School adult studies for this current quarter, we are studying selected Psalms. Psalm 146 is the assignment for Sunday, July 30. The central truth of Psalm 146 is: “God can be trusted as the One who reigns eternally.” So writes Dr. Allen Tilley, pastor of First Baptist Church, Carthage, Texas who wrote the commentary in the “Personal Study Guide” for students for the July 30 study session. Psalms 146-150 are known as the “Hallelujah Psalms” for each begins and ends with the word of praise to God, “Hallelujah!” Read this majestic beginning of Psalm 146: “Hallelujah! My soul, praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing to my God as long as I live!”

If we sometimes become lax in attending regular worship at our church and neglect to gather to study the Bible with our Sunday School class, we ought quickly to examine our laxness and see wherein we are failing. Are we bearing some grudge against a pastor or other church leader, or have we allowed the cares and pursuits of this worldly life to rob us of the joy of praising God for His faithfulness?

How faithful is our God? In Psalm 146, a hymn of praise to God, the psalmist lists nine definite ways God’s faithfulness is shown to us:

1. God executes justice for those who are oppressed (v. 7a)

2. He gives food to the hungry (v. 7b)

3. He frees prisoners (v. 7c)

4. He opens the eyes of the blind (v. 8a)

5. He lifts up those who are bowed down (v. 8b)

6. God loves the righteous (v. 8c)

7. He watches over sojourners (this can be translated as ‘resident aliens’) (v. 9a)

8. He helps the widows and the fatherless (v. 9a)

9. He brings the ways of the wicked to ruin (frustrates them) (v. 9b).

How can we describe God’s faithfulness? The Psalmist lists nine ways in three verses from Psalm 146. As good as the list is, more aspects of God’s faithfulness could be added. Hymn writers have been trying since King David’s time and before to find a way to express God’s faithfulness. Our best efforts in writing still fall short of the glory, majesty, strength, provision and all-encompassing faithfulness of the Lord of Lord and the God of the Universe. Think about and meditate upon the hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” copyrighted in 1923, with words written by Thomas O. Chisholm (1866-1960) and set to “Faithfulness” tune composed by William M. Runyan (1820-1957). Here is the first stanza and chorus:

“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Chorus: Great is thy faithfulness; Great is Thy faithfulness; Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me” Amen! Ethelene Dyer Jones July 30, 2017

God’s Faithful Love for Us

“O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure for ever.” -Psalm 136:1 (The Amplified Bible)

Psalm 136 with its 26 verses has the same refrain ending each verse. I used the Amplified Bible today in the introductory verse that begins this devotional because it best expresses the Hebrew word “chesed” (expressing God’s faithful love for us, His people) which is translated “His mercy and loving-kindness” which endure forever, now and for all eternity! Seek to think of the magnitude of God’s love: He knows us even before we are conceived in our mother’s womb (see Psalm 139:13); He knows us and woos us to Him while we are in this earthly life. Read meditatively all of Psalm 139 to see all the ways God follows each of us whom He loves.. Even the “hairs of our head are numbered” (see Matthew 10:30). With the Psalmist we can say assuredly: “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy” (Psalm 33:18). Not only is the Lord with those who fear and follow Him on earth, but He has prepared an eternal place for believers after this life is ended. Jesus promised, “In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). This promise is steadfast and sure, as the Psalmist declared: “The Lord redeems the soul of his servants, and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate” (Psalm 34:22). Indeed, the refrain that is repeated in each verse of Psalm 136, “His mercy and loving-kindness endure for ever” is intended to give us comfort and assurance in our earthly life and hope for the life beyond.

The writer of Psalm 136 gave a summary of what our reaction should be for God’s faithful love and mercy (undeserved favor) for us: “O give thanks to the God of heaven, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure for ever!” (v. 26, Amplified Bible).

I read about a “Blessing Bowl” in which a faithful follower of God wrote a major daily blessing on a 3 x 5 card, dated the card, and placed the card in a special bowl. At the end of each month, she reviewed what she had written on each card and had a record of events in her life that showed how God’s “mercy and loving-kindness endure for ever!” I thought the idea was a good one, and I began to record major blessings. I had already done this for a long time in a daily journal. The “blessing card” gave quicker access when I wanted to review God’s blessings to me at the end of each month, and have a special time of thanksgiving for His care for me. Time and obligations often preclude my listing all the blessings, but I find that there is always an outstanding one each day worthy of recording. Writing down special blessings gives me a record of God’s faithful love to me and also provides a springboard for thanks and gratitude. When we take time to record our outstanding blessings, we seek to become more aware of how God indeed is with us in our daily lives and through the triumphs and troubles we experience. We, as the Psalmist, can declare in all sincerity and truth: “His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!”

The writer of the beloved gospel song, “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” (words by Civilla D. Martin, music composed by Charles H. Gabriel, 1905), based the thoughts in the hymn on Matthew 10:29-33 and also expressed the major theme of Psalm 136 in beautiful words: “Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,/Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home, When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eyes is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. Refrain: I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free; For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” Amen! - Ethelene Dyer Jones 07.23.2017.

An Invitation and a Reason

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker!

For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” -Psalm 95:6-7 (ESV)

In the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, the authorship of Psalm 95 is attributed to David. However, in later editions, even the authorized King James Version (1611), no author is given. Many scholars, however, hold that the style and content are like so many of the Psalms of David. Even though we have no verification of authorship, the Psalm is the type of Psalm called “Enthronement,” seeking to have worshipers “enthrone” or raise up the Lord in worship and follow Him faithfully. The Psalm speaks forcibly of God as the Creator and the One who invites us to worship and bow down before Him, the Lord our Maker (Psalm 95:6). Scholars also believe the Psalm was used during the Jewish celebration called the “Festival of Booths.” At harvest time, the people went to the fields to gather in the harvest, making themselves temporary tents made of palm and willow tree branches to house them during this time of ingathering of crops. Workers lived in these booths for a week as a reminder of their temporary dwellings in the forty years of wilderness wanderings after God delivered them from Egyptian bondage. A holy convocation was held on the first and eighth days of the Festival of Booths. Verses five and six of this Psalm would have been the call to all the people to gather and worship before God, Maker and Creator, and the one who provided rain, sunshine and soil to bring the crops to the time of bountiful harvest. It was a glorious time of worship. To remind the worshipers that they were also “the people of his pasture” reflects on the cogent message of the 23rd Psalm, which is definitely a Psalm from the pen of David, and the most-quoted Old Testament passage of the entire Bible. We worship and bow down before Him because He made us and He keeps us with His hand.

What is involved in worship? One element is remembrance, as verses 8 and 9 remind us. At Meribah, soon after the Israelites’ release from Egyptian bondage, they complained to Moses that he had led them out of Egypt to die in the wilderness because they had no water. God commanded Moses to strike the rock and pure water to drink came forth abundantly. Again, when they had crossed the desert and were hoping to enter the promised land, the need for water arose. And the second time, Moses’ rod was the instrument used by God to bring forth water. Each time, the people failed to trust God in adversity (the need for water), and complained loudly. Because of their unbelief, none but Caleb and Joshua of the approximately 600,000 who came out of Egypt were allowed to enter the promised land. Even Moses and Aaron died before they went in to possess the physical land of Palestine.

What then is involved in worship besides remembrance? Confession, or acknowledging sins. Then praise, adoration, awe, wonder, love, thanksgiving, humility and reverence. Worship helps us recognize God as God, our Creator, Sovereign, Savior and Lord. A companion New Testament scripture to read and study as we study Psalm 95 is Hebrews 3:7 through 4:13. A portion of Psalm 95 is quoted in this passage in Hebrews: “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test, and saw my works for forty years.” (Hebrews 3:7b-9). Believers need to worship God in Spirit and in truth because He is our Maker and He is sovereign, He is our Shepherd and we are kept by His almighty hand. Selah! - Ethelene Dyer Jones 07.09.2017

Christian Characteristics of a God-Directed Life

“Put on, then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” – Colossians 3:12-13 (ESV)

I remember when I was much younger, as a young minister’s wife, I had the privilege of attending a state-wide Bible conference at which Dr. Julian T. Pipkin, then Georgia’s Secretary of Sunday School work, an excellent Bible teacher, was teaching the gathered group Paul’s letter to the Colossians.

To help us remember verses 12-13, and Paul’s command to Christians to “put on” characteristics needed by each Christian in his life, Dr. Pipkin, always dressed appropriately in suit, white shirt and tie when he appeared before an audience, came before the class that day and took off his coat; then his tie. Then he asked us to turn in our Bibles to Colossians 3:12-13 and asked for a volunteer to read the two verses. After the verses were read, he led in prayer. Then he said something like this:

“Now let us see if we can do what today’s scripture asks us to do.” He then went to the chair where he had laid his coat. He took it up, put it on, and also put back on his clip-on tie. He then looked neat and well-dressed, as Dr. Pipkin usually appeared before an audience. “ ‘Put on,’ God tells us through Paul’s writing, because we are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, we must deliberately put on (1) compassionate hearts, (2) kindness, (3) humility, (4) meekness, (5) patience, (6) forbearance, (7) forgiveness. Seven Christian characteristics or virtues should be as well-fitting to our lives as the clothes we wear, and as deliberately ‘put on’ daily as if we were dressing ourselves appropriately.”

Dr. Pipkin’s simple but profound illustration of showing us that we don’t “automatically”: have these virtues, we must ‘put them on’ deliberately, or develop them in our lives and use them for other’s good remained with me. He led us to talk about each of the seven virtues, and we had good group discussion of how we might exercise the virtues in daily situations. I came away from that Bible study very conscious that these Christian characteristics do not just “happen” in the Christian’s life. As Paul states, they must be deliberately cultivated, put into one’s life.

To put on the virtues of Christ calls the Christian to a holy lifestyle, to one that will not only benefit the “wearer” of these virtues but will help all those whom the Christian encounters in his daily walk.

As we met with Dr. Pipkin the next day at Bible study time, he asked us how conscious we were of “putting on” the seven Christian characteristics we had studied the day before, and how had we utilized any one of them in our encounters with those we had met. We were able to share how we were much more aware of how the “well-dressed” Christian approached others. We could name the seven virtues we were working to incorporate into our manner of life: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance and forgiveness. God, help each of us to put these on and practice them daily. - Ethelene Dyer Jones 07.02.2017

Gratitude for Answered Prayer

“On the day I called you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.” – Psalm 138:3 (ESV)

Psalm 138 is a catalogue of praise to God for hearing and answering prayers. A Psalm of David, the Psalm recounts various situations in which God showed His love and concern and answered the believer’s prayers.

God is still faithfully answering the prayers of believers today. God shows steadfast love and faithfulness (v. 2). His name is exalted above all (v. 2). Whatever day one calls on God, He answers and increases the soul’s strength. The kings of the earth will come to recognize the Lord as sovereign and sing to Him (vv. 4, 5). Although the Lord is high, He regards the lowly (v. 5). In the midst of trouble, God stretches out His hand and delivers the faithful (v. 7). The believer can be assured that the Lord will fulfill his purpose in his life, and that God will not forsake him, the “work of His hands” (v. 5).

Even though David wrote the words of Psalm 138 centuries ago, the truths hold true today.

God stands ready to hear and answer our prayers. The faithful can go to Him with petitions daily. They are assured that His ear is attuned to their needs.

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised. He hears the prayers of His faithful servants.

He hears and answers even me. Praise is a part of petition and thanksgiving. Let us not forget to praise the Lord for His faithfulness to us day by day. Selah! - Ethelene Dyer Jones 06.25.2017

“Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” – Hebrews 9:15 (ESV).

Hebrews 11 has sometimes been called “The Roll Call of Faith” by Bible scholars. In that chapter the writer of Hebrews lists many Old Testament examples of those who held a strong faith in God under the “Old” or First Covenent, made to Abraham and subsequent persons whose accounts are given in the Old Testament. Those believers were faithful to hold to the promises passed by word of mouth generation to generation and recorded in the law and the prophets, the Psalms and Proverbs.

In the New Testament we learn of the New Covenant mediated by Jesus Christ the Lord. A mediator is one who helps two parties arrive at an important agreement. The first covenant, given to the Israelites, became ineffective, not through flaws in God’s beneficence in giving it, but in the people’s inability to keep the terms of the covenant. Jesus came and established a New Covenant between Himself and God and for believers.

Jeremiah and others of the prophets wrote of and anticipated the New Covenant. “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant…not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord…I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:31-33). Jesus was the mediator—the executor of the New Covenant. And since, for remission of sins, there must be shedding of blood, Jesus Himself was the perfect sacrifice. He willingly offered Himself as the guarantor—the blood sacrifice—to seal the terms of the New Covenant and pay the price for mankind’s sins and separation from God.

The author of Hebrews states that “all who are called” will receive the promise of the eternal inheritance”—another way of stating “eternal life.” An amazing fact is that Jesus’ death for the propitiation (offering, sacrifice) for mankind’s sins is retroactive. Therefore, the “roll call” of the faithful in Hebrews 11 gives us an insight of Old Testament heroes whom we can expect to meet in Heaven because of their calling-out and faith held by those who lived before the coming of Christ to earth for the sacrifice of sins.

Jesus’ sacrifice is also “once for all” for any (of any era) who hear(d) and heed(ed) His call, believe in Him, and accept His sacrifice for sin. Dr. John Macarthur states in his commentary on Hebrews: “In a deeper sense, the sacrifice had already been made in God’s mind long before it was made in human history, because Christ’s works were finished from the foundation of the world” (see John Macarthur, New Testament Commentary. “Hebrews.” Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005, p. 235). Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Redeemer, has done His work for the faithful of all ages: “It is finished!” was His triumphant cry from the cross before He died. To accept or reject is personal choice. Let us “be about our Father’s business” and declare to our unsaved family members and friends that any individual has but to believe, accept, confess and follow Jesus, and then look forward to an eternity with Him and with saints like the called-out among whom were Moses, Abraham, David and so many more. And, too, all who believe in this life will be reunited with ancestors and loved ones who have gone on before us. How can we not want to receive “the promise of the eternal inheritance” as declared in Hebrews 9:15? - Ethelene Dyer Jones 06.18.2017

Choosing the Right Path

“Blessed is the man Who walks not I the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in
the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in
the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.  He shall be
like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its
season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 
The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 
Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the
congregation of the righteous.  For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But
the way of the ungodly shall perish.” -Psalm 6. (NKJV)

When we plan a journey, we want to arrive safely at our chosen destination.  We
map out a route.  Now we have a our fingertips help through the Global
Positioning Service (GPS) as a handy device on our cell phone.  We can quickly
get directions and the route to travel.   We often refer to living life as the
“path” we follow, or the “journey” we take as we live out our allotted days on
earth.  The anonymous writer of the first Psalm invites all who read it to
embrace the pathway God has established for the good of man.  He calls it “the
law of the Lord”—another way of stating that God has made a covenant with man,
to lead and direct him, and lead him in the “paths of righteousness,” the way
man should follow and live.  This way is delightful, and man should “meditate on
it day and night.” 

Early in my Christian life, I committed the King James Versions of this Psalm to
memory.  Throughout my years, I have often quoted the Psalm and meditated on its
truth.  “Blessed”—“happy”—is the person who avoids the counsel of the ungodly,
refuses to stand in the path of sinners, and avoids the seat of the scornful. 
Instead, happiness comes when one delights in the law of the Lord and thinks on
God’s law day and night.

As a child, I could easily understand the metaphor (although I did not then know
to call it a metaphor, a comparison) of being like a stately tree growing beside
the water and bearing fruit.  On our farm, we had apple, pear and peach trees. 
These bore delicious fruit for our family’s use.  I could then easily relate
what the Psalmist was teaching when he said the “blessed” or “happy” person was
like a productive, fruit-bearing tree.  I related, too, that trees that bear
fruit need water, just like a person, to grow and develop.  And in my thinking,
I related the study of God’s Word as being the “water of life.”  This is a
wonderful concept for a young child to learn and live by!  I also liked the
promise as a result of this action:  (The tree—the person) “brings forth fruit
in its season; the leaf does not wither; whatever he does prospers.”  As a youth
and into adulthood, I wanted to follow that method of seeking fruit and that
result of bearing fruit.  I had much to learn, but somehow the lesson fell upon
eager ears.  My path was set.  Early on, I wanted to walk with Go, and I made a
choice to do so.

This past weekend I had the happy privilege of returning to “my mountains,”
where my roots began.  I took friends, one born and reared in China and another
born and reared in British Guinea, to visit the mountain community where I was
born and reared.  We walked a short distance on the famed Appalachian Trail that
crosses Highway 129/19 at Neel Gap a few miles “up a mountain” from where I grew
up.  We drove to the church which was a pivotal point in my growing up years. 
We visited the country schoolhouse where I studied from Primer through Seventh
Grade, thus getting a firm foundation in education.  We viewed a portion of the
land that was once my father’s fertile farm.  We saw my “old homeplace.”  We
drove near the river where I was baptized as a testimony to my faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ on an August Sunday afternoon in 1939.  I think my friends easily
learned from my excitement at being “home’ that I had learned early in life an
eternal truth:  To choose and follow God’s path in life is the way to go.  This
path does not preclude troubles.  But it does assure that God is in control and
that God knows “the way of the righteous.”  Therefore, we have the choice of
choosing the right pathway, the Way with God as Guide.  It is a sure path—the
right path!  Selah!  - Ethelene Dyer Jones  06.04.2017

Christ’s Commission to His Disciples and to Us

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) The eleven disciples who remained with Jesus after His resurrection (Judas had already committed suicide because of his grief over betraying Christ) had gone to a mountain in Galilee to await his appearance to them. He was ready to ascend into Heaven, back to His Father. We are told in verse 17 that they “worshiped Him, but some doubted.” Even though he had been seen, we are told, some forty times since His resurrection, some “still doubted” that he had arisen triumphantly from death and the grave. And now Jesus had an important announcement to make to the disciples and a very important commission to give to them. First, He stated firmly: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Because of His authority, He had the power to be with them in what He was about to ask them to do. He had the authority to empower them for the task. He was going triumphantly back to Heaven, His reason for coming to earth fully accomplished. And even though He did not come to set up a political earthly kingdom as so many had anticipated He would do, and hoped He would do, He was ready for them to take part in building that kingdom of believers. They (and we) were (are) to do this by going into all the world and making disciples in every nation. Believers are to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Baptism is an act of obedience. It also demonstrates to the world that the believer is “dead to sins” and “resurrected to new life in Jesus Christ.” Next, they (we) have the command to “teach them to observe all that I have commanded you.” In other words, we are to disciple the saved, teach them the Bible, teach them to walk in God’s ways, as Jesus had taught His disciples when He was among them on earth. And this marvelous promise came from the mouth of Jesus before He ascended into heaven in their sight: “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Go to Acts 1:6-11 to read a fuller account than in Matthew’s gospel of the Great Commission and what happened just before and just after Jesus ascended (was taken upward in a cloud as they watched). Would you not like to have been standing on that mountain in Galilee that day to hear Christ’s commission and to see the remarkable spectacle of His ascension? How very thrilling that event was! Now, back to earth and the job the disciples had to do. We hear no more about “some doubting” after hearing Jesus that day and seeing Him ascend into heaven. They were so awe-struck that two angels were sent from God to tell the disciples Jesus would return even as they had seen Him go into heaven. This is the one promise of Jesus that has not yet been fulfilled. Be ready; this will happen when all peoples everywhere hear the Good News that Jesus is Lord and Savior! My pastor of years ago used to urge us to expect Jesus each day: To arise and say, “Lord, are You returning to earth today?” He told us that if we live in anticipation, we will also live in holiness and obedience. I believed him when I was a child and become a Christian (at age 9), and I believe even today that we should live with this expectancy of Jesus’ return very present in our minds. In the meantime, as disciples, we are to go, tell, baptize, teach. And I add, live in expectancy of His return to earth. The next day after I became a Christian at age nine, I led my cousin to the Lord. Later that revival week, I led another cousin to the Lord. Did I know “how” to witness? Not really; I had no previous lessons in the “steps to salvation”. But I knew how to tell Dennis and Mary Lou that Jesus loves me and He loves each of them. At age six, when Missionary Pearl Todd from China came to our church to speak, I was not then a Christian; but I loved Jesus in my heart and wanted to do His will as I understood it. I felt at age six that God was calling me to China to be a missionary like Miss Todd, to tell people there that Jesus loves them. My job, instead, was to stay home and “hold the ropes,” to be a preacher’s wife, and to seek to faithfully witness to the lost where ever God led my husband and me in our ministerial and teaching work. What a life He has provided me: seeking to do the Great Commission. Lord, help us be faithful. - Ethelene Dyer Jones 05.28.2017

In Worship: A Refrain of Praise

“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods, for His steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His steadfast love endures forever!

To Him who alone does great wonders; for His steadfast love endures forever.” -Psalm 136-1-4 (ESV). [Read Psalm 136]

Today is a day of worship (although every day we should worship!). I pray you will attend the church of your choice and worship with fellow believers. Worship is important to our spiritual stability and growth. I have enjoyed gathering for worship in all of the span of my years since earliest remembrances in childhood.

Psalm 136 is a worship hymn that repeats the refrain, “For His steadfast love endures forever.” The priest led with the statement giving the list of God’s provision and goodness; the people sang or repeated the refrain. The leader recalls systematically the goodness of God (1-4), the greatness of God in creation (4-9), deliverance from Egypt (10-16), provision of a land in which to live (17-22) and His continuing care (23-26).

As I studied the Psalm, I thought how important it is for us in our worship (whether public or private) to list our own catalog of praise and thank God for His care and provision. It would be good for us, too, like the ancient Hebrew worshipers, to repeat “and His steadfast love endures forever.” Here is a list to follow:

           Praise for God’s goodness

           Praise for God’s creation

           Praise for God’s deliverance

           Praise for God’s provision

           Praise for God’s continuing care

We would also want to add:

           Praise for salvation

           Praise for a place to worship and for fellow with other believers

           Praise for family, comforts of life, productive work, our Christian calling.

I express my prayer of thanks for the above (and more). I, like the psalmist, follow my statement of thanksgiving with “For Your steadfast love endures forever.” Here is a little poem with some of my thanksgivings listed. I repeat after each, as did the Psalmist:

           Hope rises in me like a prayer; (for Your steadfast love endures forever!)

           God, You know my needs for every hour; (for Your steadfast love endures forever!)

           Your hand is strong, Your help is sure! (For Your steadfast love endures forever!)

           I abide in You,God. I feel secure. (For Your steadfast love endures forever!)

Thank You, God, for all of these and so many more blessings! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

- Ethelene Dyer Jones 05.21.2017

Honor Your Mother

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” -Exodus 20:12 (ESV)

The fifth commandment is often termed “the first commandment with a promise.” Indeed, it is the only one of the Ten Commandments with a specific promise attached. Those who respect and honor their earthly father and mother are promised long life in the land the Lord gives them. Remember that Moses received the Ten Commandments not long after the Israelites escaped Egyptian bondage. They were looking forward to soon settling in the Promised Land.

God commanded them to honor parents. “Honor” is a word meaning to treat with respect and dignity, love and deference, and to provide for parents’ needs and look after them in their old age. Both parents are to receive this preferential and loving treatment. Today, when we observe a day set aside to honor mothers, we will consider ways in which we can honor mothers.

Studying the history of Mother’s Day, we learn that the ancient Greek and Roman culture had a specified time to honor mothers. In America, a movement was begun in 1905, led by Miss Anna Jarvis of West Virginia, to honor mothers in general by honoring her own mother who had just died and who had cared for wounded soldiers, both Union and Southern, during the Civil War. In 1908, Miss Jarvis set a day of celebration in the St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, Virginia, a church now noted as the one starting the International Mother’s Day. Even though a proposal to have an annual Mother’s Day lost in both Senate and House in 1908, by 1911 enough interest had been generated so that observances were held in most all the states. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation declaring the second Sunday in May as a national day to honor mothers. The day has been observed since that date throughout the United States.

Paul the Apostle repeated the fifth commandment in Ephesians 6:2. Also, the Apostle, writing to his ‘son in the gospel,’ Timothy, had these words about honoring mothers: “But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household, and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.”

When a mother is given honor and respect, Proverbs 31:28 states that “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”

Love of children for the mother and love of the mother for her children is a vital concept in God’s plan for families. In this modern day, we have seen a wide departure from biblical admonitions to honor mother and for a mother to love and rear children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The words written by Dr. B. B. McKinney (1886-1952) and put to “The Christian Home’ tune also composed by Dr. McKinney is a prayer. May we pray it sincerely and earnestly for a return to God’s ways for the home and for honoring mothers:

“God give us Christian homes!

Homes where the mother, in caring quest,

Strives to show others Your way is best,

Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;

God give us Christian homes;

God give us Christian homes.”

-Ethelene Dyer Jones 05.14.2017

His Creation Reveals God

“The heavens declare the glory of God And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world.” -Psalm 119:1-4 (NKJV)

Psalm 119, a Psalm of David, begins with a song of praise for God’s magnificent creation. Both the heavens and the earth in His created order reveal the handiwork of Creator God. David sees day and night as revealing, speaking out, about Almighty God who created them. A remarkable benefit of the creation is that in all places in the world the created order testifies to the power and glory of God.

I can recall as a young child looking up to the beautiful mountains that surrounded the valley where I lived. The sky above and the azure line of mountains made me wonder about God’s creation and appreciate the beautiful world in which I lived. I especially liked to see the night sky with the moon and stars. I marveled at the beauty I saw all about me in nature. It turned my thoughts to God the Creator.

Some people worship nature. But nature is a part of the remarkable creation God made, a place He created for man whom He made in His own image. We are not to worship nature and its beauty, but the God who created the beauty for us to enjoy. In John 4:23-24 Jesus taught us: “But the hour is coming and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (NKJV).

I enjoy singing “This Is My Father’s World” with words by Maltbie D. Babcock (1858-1901) and the music, “Terra Patris” by Franklin L. Sheppard (1852-1930 ):

“This is my Father’s world, And to my list’ning ears,

All nature sings, and round me rings The music of the spheres.

This is my Father’s world, I rest me in the thought,

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas, His hand the wonders wrought.

“This is my Father’s world, O let me ne’er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father’s world, The battle is not done;

Jesus who died shall be satisfied, And earth and heaven be one.”

May the beauty of nature remind us of God who created the heavens and earth and the people who dwell in the place He made for us. “The morning light, the lily white Declare their Maker’s praise.” And so should we! And so do we! Amen! - Ethelene Dyer Jones 05.07.2017

Jesus’ Ascension, the Promises of Receiving the Holy Spirit and of His Return

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ “ -Acts 1:8-11 (ESV) [Read Actos 1:1-11]

The Acts of the Apostles is a continuation of Luke’s gospel, written by Luke himself, and recounts the story of Jesus Christ’s work after His ascension, the work He commissioned His disciples to do. Addressed to “Theophilus,” which could have referred to a nobleman, but most likely meant “friend of God,” (the meaning of the two Greek words, “Theo” – God; and “philus” – friend of), a term for all believers everywhere.

Imagine the scene: The disciples were gathered together on a mountain (Matthew gives this mountain as in Galilee [see Matthew 28:16]). Jesus had appeared to them during a forty-day period after His resurrection (Acts 1:3), speaking to them about the Kingdom of God. And now it was time for Jesus to ascend back to the Father, and for the disciples to get on with the work of preaching, teaching, healing and making disciples, as He had commanded them. They were instructed not to leave Jerusalem until they were “baptized with the Holy Spirit” (vv. 4-5). Jesus began to rise, still in His recognizable, resurrected body, and ascended into heaven. A cloud descended and enveloped Him (v. 9). This cloud was not an ordinary rain cloud but the manifestation of God’s power, presence and glory. The disciples were so amazed at the scene unfolding before them that they had to be reminded by two men in white robes (angels—v. 10-11) that Jesus would eventually return to earth as they had seen Him go into heaven (in glory and in recognizable form, scholars believe). “The amazing miracle of the incarnation is not only that the eternal Son of God took human nature on Himself and became a person who is simultaneously God and man, but also that He will remain both fully God and fully man forever.” (Dr. John B. Pholhil, professor, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in study note, ESV Study Bible, p. 2081).

Before Jesus’ kingdom could come to earth, the disciples had a job to do. They were told to go to Jerusalem and await the fulfillment of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them in power. Thus imbued with power, they would be able to spread the gospel from where they were in Jerusalem even unto the ends of the earth. That promise of the Holy Spirit’s coming was fulfilled shortly after Jesus’ ascension. And here Luke gives an outline of the Book of Acts which he addressed to “Theophilus” (I like to think friend(s) of God—disciples). Acts tells how the gospel spread first in Jerusalem, then to all Judea, to Samaria, and “to the end of the earth,” thus coming to us, thousands of years later.

An amazing thought is that the great commission given by Jesus from that mountain just prior to His ascension into heaven is still for disciples today. The gospel came to us on its way to someone else. And we, too, are to remain faithful in sharing the good news with others. Pray that God will impel us forth to tell of His love for all peoples, even to those where we are and to whom we can witness. -Ethelene Dyer Jones 04.30.2017

Post-Resurrection Appearance of Jesus to His Disciples at the Sea of Galilee

“He saith unto him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?’ Peter was grieved because He had said unto him the third time, ‘Lovest thou me?’ and he said unto Him, ‘Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love Thee.’ Jesus said unto Peter, ‘Feed my sheep’: -John 21:17 KJV

It was early morning. The location was the sea of Tiberias (KJV) also known as the Sea of Galilee. Peter and some of the other disciples had gone fishing in the night, the occupation Peter and other disciples had left about three years before to follow the itinerant preacher, teacher, healer named Jesus on his travels and ministries. Jesus had taught them much they needed to know to be His successors when He finished His human/divine mission on earth, the giving of His life as a ransom for all who will believe in Him. But under great duress, when Jesus was on trial before His crucifixion, Peter had denied Christ three times. Christ had said that Peter would deny him, but Peter had declared his undying devotion to the Lord. Little could Peter see how easily the temptations beset a human being under great duress and fear of also being arrested. And now, Peter who has already seen the resurrected Christ, is about to be questioned three times by the Lord at a place they frequented when Jesus was teaching the disciples. It was perhaps near this location, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus had given what we term “The Sermon on the Mount” early in His ministry. Peter and the other fishermen had no success with fishing. Jesus, from shore, whom they did not recognize at the time, told them to cast their nets “on the other side” of the boat.” That time, they got such a catch – 153 fine fish by count - that they could hardly pull in the heavy net. Coming to shore, they found a fire going , fish and bread cooked, and they recognized the Risen Christ, who had prepared their breakfast. A little later in this encounter comes Christ’s asking Peter three times: “Lovest thou me?” And Jesus’s direction: “Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep.” By the third time, Peter, the impetuous disciple, had become a little impatient with being asked three times by Jesus, “Peter, do you love me?” and the third time, Peter said: Lord You know all things! You know that I love You!” could the question, posed three times by the risen Lord, have been a reminder to the leader among the disciples that He had denied Jesus three times? Scholars believe the triple asking response might have served as a reminder to Peter that He had, indeed, betrayed His Lord by the denial. But here is the forgiving, loving Lord, bringing Peter back to the major task for which he was called from the fishing nets three years before: To follow Jesus and to lead others to the Lord: “Feed my sheep” was a reminder that the Lord forgave Peter and had a major mission for him in the early church.

The early-morning encounter had a lasting impression on Peter. We have but to read the first several chapters in the Acts of the Apostles to know that Peter became the leader of the early church movement and the spread of the gospel. On the day of Pentecost, his powerful sermon resulted in over 5,000 converts to the Christian faith. Peter, so tradition holds, was also crucified for his strong faith, and he asked that he be crucified upside down because he was not worthy to be crucified as the Lord Christ was, in an upright position. “Feed my lambs! Feed my sheep!” Give persons the truth of the Word and the Holy Spirit is faithful to do the convicting and calling of persons into the fold of God. This pattern started with Peter one early morning by the Sea of Tiberias just prior to the Risen Lord’s ascension into Heaven. The same call goes to us today who teach and tell the Good News: “Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep.” Peter, forgiven for denying Christ, was faithful. Many have been faithful through the ages since. Now it is up to present-day believers to continue Christ’s command to Peter. May we be faithful, for faithful disciples are needed sorely today. – Ethelene Dyer Jones 04.23.2017