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.

Considering Three Pursuits: Beauty, Truth and Love

“Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” –Psalm 29:2b (NKJV).

“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”-John 14:1 (NKJV). “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” –John 8:32 (NKJV). “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” a-1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (NKJV).

“For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it.

For every truth there is an ear somewhere to hear it.

For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it.”

These are words from the pen of Ivan Panin who lived from 1855-1942. Dr. Panin was a Bible scholar born in Russia who did much study in the Hebrew and Greek languages and applied what he learned to an intensive study and interpretation of the Scriptures.

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” wrote Margaret Hungerford (1855?-1897). How we view people, places, objects and events makes the difference in whether we consider them ugly or comely, of little value or priceless. How does your eye view an object, person or situation to determine beauty? According to Ms. Hungerford, the beholder either sees beauty or does not. If we train ourselves to look for beauty, it is likely that we will be searching for it wherever we are. And this being the Lord’s Day, Sunday, we have the opportunity for beauty when we gather together in bonds of Christian love to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

“Truth will out,” wrote John Lydgate (1370?-1450?). Sometimes we cannot hear truth because we are deafened by deep-set prejudices, preconceived notions and irrelevant ideas. Is your ear attuned to Truth? Jesus invited us to seek and follow Him and He will lead us to Truth which is freeing and satisfying. Today many voices vie for hearings and we need to weigh and seek to sift the false from the true. Back to another truthful saying by Dr. Ivan Panin who believed that “For every truth there is an ear to hear it,” also held that we can learn truth. “Experience, if we only learn by it, is cheap at any price,” he wrote. Such experience we can apply to learning truth.

“Love either finds equality or makes it,” wrote John Dryden (1631-1700). Love is more than a fleeting feeling and a romantic attachment. Love is a deep commitment. Have we a heart to receive—and give—love in the places where it is needed most? Paul wrote that he would show the Christians at Corinth “a more excellent way.” Then followed the great treatise on love found in 1 Corinthians 13. The qualities of love are identified. We can use the characteristics in the chapter as a check-list to see if our manner of giving and receiving love is according to

God’s will and way. 

 

Does the way I live my life demonstrate beauty, truth and love?

-Ethelene Dyer Jones November 8, 2015

Wait for the Promise of the Father

“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up, after He had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen. He presented Himself alive to them after His suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them He ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’”-Acts 1:1-4 (ESV).

The book of the Acts of the Apostles has as its purpose to give a selective history of the early church and the spread of the gospel following Jesus resurrection. Its theme is the witness of those who received the Holy Spirit and were compelled to share the good news of Jesus Christ to all, beginning in Jerusalem. In the introduction, the “I” is believed by scholars to be Luke, author of Acts. who also wrote the Gospel of Luke. Both the Gospel of Luke and Acts are addressed to Theophilus, a name which means “friend of God.” Speculation about the unknown Theophilus holds that he might have been one who was in high political standing and was a benefactor of the apostles and the early church; other scholars hold that Theophilus was a generic term meaning, as the name implies, any who are friends of God. 

 

Luke himself is not mentioned either in his gospel or in Acts, but we learn about him in the three places Paul names him in his writings (Colossians 4:14, 2 Timothy 4:11 and Philemon 24). He was present with Paul on occasion and he was a physician. The name Luke is Greek, and he wrote both his gospel and Acts in excellent Greek. The date usually accepted for the writing of Acts is about 70 to 80 AD. Luke’s knowledge of the Old Testament as often reflected in his writings. This shows that he was well acquainted with the Hebrew writings of the law, the prophets and the wisdom literature, and that he may have been first, before becoming a Christian, a Gentile convert to Judaism who regularly worshiped in a synagogue. Or, through study, he could have gained this knowledge after he became a Christian. Dr. John B. Polhill who wrote the study helps for Acts in the English Standard Version Study Bible (Crossways, 2008, p. 2077) states: “The book of Acts is a small anthology of individual literary genres. The list includes hero story, adventure story, travel story, conversion story, and miracle story. Drama also figures prominently; there are 32 speeches in Acts.” He notes that a common pattern is repeated throughout the Acts account of early church beginnings: (1) Christian leaders preach the gospel; (2) listeners hear, are converted, and are added to the church; (3) opponents begin to persecute Christians; (4) God intervenes to rescue leaders or to protect the church (Polhill, p. 2077). Acts is an exciting account of God’s work. It is fitting that, after the introduction, Luke tells of how the apostles are to “wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father.” Note name change from disciples (learners) to apostles (those who had been with Jesus and were sent on a mission). 

 

The “promise of the Father” for which the apostles were to wait was the Holy Spirit. They were to be “baptized” with the Spirit soon. Jesus had promised the disciples on many occasions that the Holy Spirit would come upon them and be in them (Greek paraclete—“walk beside”). One of the notable promises is found in John 14:16-17: “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.” In his post-resurrection appearances, and especially at his ascension, Jesus promised His disciples again that the Holy Spirit would come upon them. I can imagine the anticipation, the eagerness, with which the disciples awaited the “baptism” (or coming upon them) by the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist had announced it (see Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16 and John 1:33).

It is significant that they waited for the promise of the Father, the imbuement of power by the Holy Spirit. To be “baptized” by the Spirit can be interpreted as being completely immersed by the Spirit, to have one’s life directed by Him and propelled forward by Him in the work God intends. The disciples did not have long to wait. On the Day of Pentecost the Spirit descended in their midst as Jesus had promised. In the meantime, there was the period of preparation, of expectantly waiting, and prayer. This pattern for receiving the promise of the Father has not changed: preparation, waiting, prayer. May we be faithful, even in these and may we wait expectantly for the Holy Spirit to guide us into the work Christ has called us to do. We sing, “There’s a sweet, sweet spirit in this place, and I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord.” (Kurt Kaiser, c1962) May we recognize the Holy Spirit’s presence, follow His leadership. –Ethelene Dyer Jones 04.12.2015

The Helper Promised and Present

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.” -John 14:16 (NKJV) These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” –John 14: 25-16 (NKJV). “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…However, when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth…He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” -John 16:7-8; 13-14 (NKJV).

Jesus knew his earthly time with his disciples was drawing to a close, that his death was imminent. Within the fifth discourse of Jesus given in the Gospel of John, Jesus draws his disciples aside and teaches them many things, reinforcing some He had previously taught, and giving them new promises. 

 

In this intimate discourse, Jesus assured the disciples that He was praying to the Father that He would send a Helper to them, One that would be with them forever. This presence was paraclete, the Greek word for “one Who walks beside,” the Comforter, the Helper. This third person of the Trinity has the power to indwell each believer and to make possible spiritual work of the highest magnitude in and through believers. The Spirit will be Teacher, helping the believer to study and understand the Word of God. The Spirit will stir up the gift of remembrance in the believer, so that when words for witnessing or teaching are needed, they will be brought to the mind of the believer. The Spirit will be Convictor, showing the world the condemnation of sin, and stirring those who will respond to turn to righteousness. He will guide believers into truth. But always He will glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Helper is the third person of the Trinity, the Triune God: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that without the Spirit present in believers, they would not be able to function as His followers in a world gone awry with sin. We are to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), worship in the Spirit (Philippians 3:3), and witness in the Spirit (Acts 1:8). These references teach us a very important doctrine about the Holy Spirit. He works through believers in whom He lives. A very important true illustration of the Spirit at work is on the Day of Pentecost when Peter was empowered to preach and over 3,000 people were convicted of sin and accepted the new and glorious Truth of salvation through faith in Christ. One of the main ministries of the Holy Spirit is to enlighten us with God’s Truth. He is Teacher, but He is also Comforter, Helper, and Friend. He empowers us to do the work Jesus left for his followers to do.

“I will not leave you comfortless,” Jesus promised us in John 14:18. That Comforter comes in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the Trinity is hard to explain and much mystery surrounds it still. Although we can grasp in part the concept of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, one in Three, yet One God, monotheistic, because the persons of the Trinity are in complete harmony working to bring the highest of God’s created order to a restored relationship with God in whose image we are made. May we take time to consider the wonder, majesty and power of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and open anew our hearts to the work of the Holy Spirit to convict, to judge, to empower, to comfort, to teach, to enlighten and to motivate.     Ethelene Dyer Jones 03.22.2015

A Different Kind of Peace

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” – John 14:27 (ESV)

Recall with me the context in which Jesus gave this wonderful promise of peace to His disciples—and to us. All the disciples were gathered with Jesus in an upper room in Jerusalem.

It was the night of the last supper when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, or Memorial Supper. Judas had already been dismissed by the Lord with the words, “What you are going to do, do quickly” (John 14:27). He left to betray Jesus to the authorities. Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion were immanent. He was giving his disciples very important information They knew something extremely important was impending, but they could not fathom what it was.

Imagine the feelings of dread and fear the disciples were experiencing. Jesus told them He would go away from them “for a little while.” Amidst the tension, Jesus’ voice was no doubt forceful, firm and comforting. He gave them important concepts that would help them later to live through a most difficult time and regain hope: “Let not your hearts be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me…(John 14:2). “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).

Peace surely must have seemed a distant condition for the troubled disciples. Roman rule was obeyed to the letter. Even though the Jews were allowed to worship in the Temple and in their synagogues, the exacting government spared no cruelties in keeping in bondage a people longing to be free. Peace? Absence of war? Oh! But listen to Jesus’ promise: “not as the world gives give I to you. The peace Jesus promised them was a different kind of peace. It was not dependent on political conditions, humanitarian laws, or even freedom from want. “My peace I give to you. That same peace He promised His disciples then is available to believers now. The peace Jesus offered His disciples that night in the upper room was infinite, consistent, unconditional. It was a peace that emanated from the heart of God the Father and was transferred by the Lord Jesus Christ. It would be kept alive in the hearts of believers through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

A faithful saint of the Lord, 93 years of age, and his wife had morning devotional time together. That morning, he pulled out from their daily scripture card box the verse from John 14:27. He read it, and he and his wife joined hands and thanked the Lord for the peace that passes understanding which Jesus gave them in their hearts. He moved from the table to his recliner. A little later, when his daughter and wife tried to awaken him to go with them to the shopping mall, he could not be roused. He had fallen into the deep sleep of death and peace. He had gone to meet the Lord in person. A. B. Simpson writes, “So precious indeed is peace that it was a legacy left us by our departing Lord.” Whatever situation you or I face now is not too big for our Master and Lord. Hear Him: “My peace I give to you…Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.” -Ethelene Dyer Jones 08.24.2014

The Blessing of Peace

“May the Lord  give strength to His people!  May the Lord bless His people with peace!” –Psalm 29:11 (ESV). “May God give peace to you, my Christian brothers, and love, with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” –Ephesians 6:23 (TLB).

Two prayers, very similar in nature, both asking God to grant the blessing of peace to His people, are quoted here from Psalm 29:11 and Ephesians 6:23.  We pray, quoting the disciples’ prayer, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  We surely know that the will of the Father is for us to dwell together in peace and harmony, even as the heavenly realm enjoys the blessings of complete peace.

Most of 2014 stretches before us like the pages of an unwritten book

But in our country and in the world, turmoil exists.

Peace seems to evade us; we worry, fret, mistrust each other, go more deeply into multiple troubles.

Yet within the heart of every child of God it is possible to have peace, joy, gratitude, hope and vitality.

These are gifts  promised from the Almighty God who orders the Universe and visits believing hearts.

The psalmist prayed that God would give strength to His people, bless His people with peace.

Paul the apostle prayed that peace might come to Christians,  and likewise, love and faith.

Peace is not a result of outward circumstances.

Although we are buffeted about by them, we can still know peace.

How is this so?

Peace is a gift of God, as is His love.

We love because He first loved us.

We have peace because He is the author of peace.

He assists us to write “Peace” on the unwritten pages of our lives.

We know not what 2014 holds, and it is good that we do not have the clairvoyance to see ahead.

If we knew in advance, we might be so troubled, so worried that we would fail to seek God’s strength.

Like the Psalmist and Paul the Apostle, we need to pray for peace.

To grant us inward peace is God’s will for us.

One truth I can know with surety:  If I walk with God, He will walk with me.

If I know His blessing of peace in my heart, His peace will permeate my life.

In the pathway I walk with Him, there is always, every day and night, peace, joy, gratitude, hope, vitality.

Jesus promised:  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27).  Praise be to God for the blessings of peace!   -Ethelene Dyer Jones  01.19.2014

Privileged Visit

“Let not your heart be troubled:  ye believe in God, believe also in me.  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 may be also.”  -John 14:1-3 (KJV).

Several books have been written recently on near-death-experiences in which a person dies for a little while, is transported to heaven, and returns to earth to tell the story.  A friend has suggested that instead of “n. d. e..—near-death-experience,” this journey could be called “privileged visit.”  Here are some of the books that tell of the “privileged visit,” and the return of persons to earth to tell about their journey to the extra-dimensional spiritual realm we call heaven—the place Jesus spoke of so positively and with such anticipation of having all believers gathered into that place of heavenly bliss.

Heaven Is For Real is about little Colton Burpo, not quite four, who went to heaven and returned to earth to tell in his extraordinary way about whom he saw there, persons he had never known in his life, like his grandfather who died before Colton was born, and his little sister who did not even make it to birth because of his mother’s miscarriage.  Colton’s parents began to take notice of his astounding story and his father wrote a book about what Colton told them of heaven.

To Heaven and Back by Dr. Mary C. Neal is an orthopedic surgeon’s story about dying in a kayak accident while cascading down a waterfall in Chile.   She encountered the peace, beauty and angels in heaven but was sent back because her work on earth was not finished. She became much more aware not only of God’s providence but of her purpose in life.

Proof of Heaven by Dr. Eben Alexander, neurosurgeon, is by a doctor who did not believe in God or life after death.  He said that those with near-death experiences only had fantasies produced by the brain under severe stress.  Then he himself had a terrible brain illness and was in a deep coma for seven days.  About the time the doctors decided to declare him dead, he awoke.  His life was never the same after the experience.  While he was in the after life, he was accompanied by an angelic being who guided him to super-physical realms of existence.  He met the Divine.  In addition to his book, he now speaks widely and declares that “true health can be achieved only when we believe that God and the soul are real and that death is not the end of life but a transition.”

Don Piper’s story is 90 Minutes in Heaven:  A True Story of Death & Life.  His life, too, has been one of positive impact as he tells the story of going to heaven and returning with a message and mission.

Two books from the Grahams are not of near-death experiences but of looking forward in faith to Heaven.  Billy Graham’s Nearing Home and Ann Graham Lotz’s Heaven, My Father’s House  are permeated with joy in anticipating heaven and finishing well the earthly journey so the Lord can say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy reward” (Matthew 25:21).