Category Archives: Christianity

Testimony Tuesday ~ Beth

The following testimony is from my friend Beth. We met after her son Jamie and my son Dan became close friends in elementary school in Washington. Both Beth and her husband Dave are relational people who care about others and are always willing and ready to help those in need. We have been ministered to by them in so many ways. We truly treasure their friendship. Beth and Dave have three sons who are all our dear friends, too. Here’s Beth’s testimony in her own words.

In 1951, God chose to give me physical birth, into a non practicing Catholic family. From my earliest years I  believed in God and knew He loved me. I spent a lot of time with my grandmother who took her Catholic religion VERY seriously. With her I spent a lot of time at church, which I didn’t like, but what was comforting was her love for God. My parents divorced when I was 9.  I ended up going to quite a few different schools, one of them being Bellevue Christian. Mr. Fredricks was my 8th grade teacher. He was an ex-drinker and smoker who loved to tell how God reached down and saved him. I was so drawn to his passion, but didn’t understand the message. My sophomore year I went to a Seventh Day Adventist boarding school. They believe Saturday is the Sabbath, so from sundown Friday till sundown Saturday, we could either study the Bible or go to church services. Up to that point, I had heard the story of Jesus many times in many ways by many different people. I wasn’t seeking, and thought I already knew how much Jesus loved me. But one night in 1967, He chose to give me spiritual birth. He pierced my heart, opened my spiritual eyes and completely overwhelmed me with His love.

         ” The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making  wise the simple.”  Psalm 19:7

 Looking back I have seen how even before I was saved God placed people in my life to nurture, protect & direct me to Him. He has shown time and time again how faithful, how merciful, and how lovingly patient He is. His truth is what I continually seek.

             “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.”       Psalm 62:7,8

“With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”     Psalm 119: 10-16

                                       

These are Dave and Beth’s three sons in Jamie, Aaron, and Matt.      

All We Will Get Is Mercy ~ Piper

 

From Life As a Vapor (Thirty ~ One Meditations for Your Faith) by John Piper

 

Let us make crystal clear at the beginning of each new day, all we will get from God as believers in Jesus is mercy. Whatever pleasures or pains may come our way in this day, they will all be mercy. This is why Christ came into the world – “in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his great mercy” (Romans 15:9). We were born again “according to his great mercy” (I Peter 1:3); we pray daily “that we may receive mercy” (Hebrews 4:16); and we are now “waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life” (Jude 1:21). If any Christian prove trustworthy, it is “by the Lord’s mercy [he] is trustworthy” (I Corinthians 7:25). In the end, when all is said and done, we will confess, “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Romans 9:16).

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O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus – Samuel Francis (1834 – 1925)

O the deep, deep love of Jesus

Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!

Rolling as a mighty ocean

In its fullness over me.

Underneath me, all around me,

Is the current of His love

Leading onward leading homeward,

To Thy glorious rest above

O the deep, deep love of Jesus

Spread His praise from shore to shore.

How he loveth ever loveth

changeth never, nevermore.

How He watcheth o’er His loved ones,

Died to call them all His own;

How for them He intercedeth,

Watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus

Love of ev’ry, love the best!

‘Tis an ocean vast of blessing,

‘Tis a haven sweet of rest.

O the deep, deep love of Jesus

‘Tis a heav’n of heav’ns to me;

And it lifts me up to glory,

For it lifts me, Lord, to Thee!

 

“““““““`

This is one of my favorite hymns. The words are so rich and the minor key  that it is written in takes me back to my Russian heritage.

 

The Ten Commandments ~ Following God Wholeheartedly

Pastor Steve at E.V. Free Conejo Valley is doing a series in Deuteronomy and we are at Deuteronomy 5.

Deuteronomy 5:1, 6-22 (ESV):

1 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them.

6 “‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

7 “‘You shall have no other gods before me.

8 “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

11 “‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

17 “‘You shall not murder.

18 “‘And you shall not commit adultery.

19 “‘And you shall not steal.

20 “‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

21 “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’

22 “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

Questions from Pastor Steve to ponder in response to these commandments and to this question: Am I following God wholeheartedly?  2 Chronicles 25:2, “He did what was right in the eyes of God but not wholeheartedly.” 

What is your source of strength and guidance?  ~ What gives you a sense of security? ~ In what do you trust? ~ What has become the source of your joy this week? ~ What sparks your heart to adoration? ~ Who or what do you worship? (John 4:23) ~ What lifts your heart to wonder and praise? ~ What are you looking forward to? ~ What do you think will truly fulfill your life and make it worth living? ~ In whom do you place your hope?

God has given me these commandments for my good. I need to learn them and to remember them and teach them to my children and grandchildren and I am to be careful to do them and follow God wholeheartedly. Yep, I’m feeling convicted.

Disclaimer: I’m assuming the artwork at the top of this post is the Ten Commandments in Hebrew, but since I don’t read Hebrew I can’t be sure. Forgive me if it isn’t.

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Lord of all the Pots and Pans

 Lord of All the Pots and Pans

A poem written in by a 19 year old girl in domestic service in England:

 

Lord of all pots and pans and things
Since I’ve no time to be
A saint by doing lovely things
Or watching late with Thee
Or dreaming in the sweet dawn light
Or storming Heaven’s gates,
Make me a saint by getting meals
And washing up the plates.

Although I must have Martha’s hands,
I have a Mary mind,
And when I black the boots and shoes,
Thy sandals, Lord, I find.
I think of how they trod the earth,
What time I scrub the floor:
Accept this meditation, Lord.
I haven’t time for more.

Warm all the kitchen with Thy love
And light it with Thy peace;
Forgive me all my worrying,
And make all grumbling cease.
Thou who didst love to give men food,
In room or by the sea,
Accept this service that I do–
I do it unto Thee

Colossians 3:17 (ESV): “And whatever you do , in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father through him.”

Thanks to my girlfriend Jody who sent me this poem a while back.

 

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Testimony Tuesday ~ Kathy (a.k.a. Jack’s Nana)

This is my sister Kathy’s testimony. She is the oldest of 8 siblings. She was born in Tehran and immigrated to the U.S. with my folks shortly after World War II. Kathy is married to Len and she has two daughters Michelle and Melissa. Michelle is married to Ryan and has one son, Jackson.

 

Lana, Kathy, Ellen and Vera (sisters)

Growing up in our family, where our Mom was a Christian and Pop was a very religious man, was a real privilege.  Babushka Vera [our maternal grandmother] was a real prayer warrior and prayed for all of us especially Pop.  Vera [my younger sister] and I would go to Bethany Sunday School occasionally because of our friendships with Tamara and Milla Katkov.  We also went to a midweek meeting at Tamara Kushnerov’s [one of the teachers at Bethany].  I remember hearing my need of a Saviour at this midweek meeting, and then I went home and got on my knees and asked Jesus to come into my heart.  It is all a little fuzzy but I think I was about eight or nine.  Summer camps were a very important part of my growth and maturing in the Lord.  I started teaching Sunday School when I was probably about thirteen, and preparing for that helped me to grow as well.  We used to go to a Tuesday night youth group at YRCA (Young Russian Christian Association) which also added to my growth.  So many events and so many people were used by God to help me grow.

I am now challenged and refreshed by my family as they grow and walk with the Lord.

Thank you, God, for your faithfulness!

Kathy has a peacemaker’s heart and is very kind. She has a degree in teaching but more than that she has the gift of teaching.  Right now besides spending as much time as she can with Jack and substitute teaching,  she is caring for her 93  year old mother-in-law. May God bless her richly for all the good she does in obedience to Him. Kathy truly is an example of a Proverbs 31 woman who fears the Lord and does good for her household and others!

Beatles ~ We Can Work It Out ~ Allistair Begg

O.K., you might be wondering what the Beatles and Allistair Begg have in common and why I am posting them together. Well “Dear” and I listen to Truth for Life with Allistair Begg when I drive “Dear” to work in the wee hours of the morning. We both were chuckling and singing this Beatles tune because Begg recited part of it for an illustration to his talk. He was talking about the importance of being part of a Church Family. The importance of sticking with your Church Family through good and hard times. Reconciling with your Church Family and not running away from problems but “working them out”.  Begg is an anointed preacher and he says it better than me so do click on the link below and listen to him in his own words. Growing up with the Beatles we find ourselves knowing many of their lyrics. We’ve sat around fires singing all the Beatles tunes we can remember into the wee hours of the morning. (Are you reading this D & J? Remember the Ski Lodge?) Anyway you can blame Allistair for this post and if you’ve never listened to him, we recommend you do. You can download his talks at Truth for Life. Oh, by the way, he’s originally from Scotland and he has a cool accent! He didn’t quote the whole song for sure but I am highlighting the lines he did quote.

Try to see it my way,
Do I have to keep on talking till I can’t go on?
While you see it your way,
Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone.
We can work it out,
We can work it out.

Think of what you’re saying.
You can get it wrong and still you think that it’s all right.
Think of what I’m saying,
We can work it out and get it straight, or say good night.
We can work it out,
We can work it out.
Life is very short, and there’s no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend.
I have always thought that it’s a crime,
So I will ask you once again.

Try to see it my way,
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong.
While you see it your way
There’s a chance that we might fall apart before too long.
We can work it out,
We can work it out.
Life is very short, and there’s no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend.
I have always thought that it’s a crime,
So I will ask you once again.

Try to see it my way,
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong.
While you see it your way
There’s a chance that we may fall apart before too long.
We can work it out,
We can work it out.

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Britain with Lewis, Tolkien, Austen and (Monty Python!)

For our daughter Katie’s high school graduation in 2004, “Dear” and I took her to Great Britain. Katie is a reader, a learner, a writer, a poet and an artist. We asked her what she’d want to see and she came up with the brilliant idea of following some of her favorites around the Isle! The following is a photo log of our trip that we can highly recommend to all lovers of Hobbits, Inklings, Literary Giants, 19th Century England, Harry Potter, and wacky Holy Grail enthusiasts!

The Eagle and Child (The Bird and Baby) Oxford

We set out from our first B & B base in Cheltenham to tour Oxford. Our first stop was The Eagle and Child (The Bird and the Baby) where the Inklings would meet and discuss their current writings, thoughts, etc.

The pictures on the wall are of C. S. Lewis, Tolkien, and other Inklings, plus letters, etc. We had a bite to eat and a pint was raised to toast our respected authors! “It comes in pints?”

Addison’s Walk

“Dear” and Katie on Addison’s Walk. This is on the grounds of Magdalan College (pronounced Maudlin) where Tolkien and Lewis would walk and have long conversations, after which C. S. Lewis was converted to Christianity. We found it, walked it and reflected on the beauty and wonder of it all!

Tolkien lived at 21 Merton St. after his wife died in 1971.

Katie would not let us leave Oxford till we found Tolkien’s grave. This was no small feat! Here we are at Wolvercote Cemetery in North Oxford at the graveside where he and his wife are buried. His son is buried here, also.  Katie left a note in Elvish, (yes, she learned to write and speak Tolkien’s Elvish).

EDITH MARY TOLKIEN
LUTHIEN
1889 – 1971
JOHN RONALD
REUEL TOLKIEN
BEREN
1892 – 1973

Buckley

Our next excursion took us in search of Hobbits in the Cotswolds. This is the little village of Buckley. While in the Cotswolds we also visited the Hidcote Garden which we highly recommend. We were here in April so gardens were not in their prime. If you get a Heritage pass this garden is part of the deal along with some of the castles and other sights we visited.

Hidcote Manor Garden

We next concentrated on Jane Austen. Our first excursion on this theme took us to Bath. We walked around the city finding the places she stayed and where some of the social gatherings happened in her books. Our prior research and guidebooks explained where these sights were. We imagined being at a dance or performance in these grand halls. We toured the Roman baths, Bath Abbey, and Number One on the Royal Crescent where Austen lived while in Bath. Two of her novels are set in Bath. On a side trip we visited Gloucester Cathedral where parts of Harry Potter movies were filmed.

Jane Austen Center, Bath

We left our first B & B in Cheltenham and headed Northeast to our second B & B in Sheffield. Although Sheffield wasn’t a comfy, cozy, little town it gave us good access to continue following Austen haunts. (I’d definitely pick some place more quaint to stay the next time we tour this area). The photo below is of Chatsworth House. The house Jane Austen based Darcy’s family home after. The new Pride and Prejudice movie actually filmed segments here. We were here in 2004 before the new film.  The estate was quite breathtaking. The small village of Bakewell close by was very reminiscent of  Lambton where Jane and her Aunt and Uncle stayed in Derbyshire.

Chatsworth House (Pemberley House)

“Every disposition of the ground was good; and Elizabeth looked on the whole scene — the river, the trees scattered on its banks, and the winding of the valley, as far as she could trace it — with delight.”

Bakewell (Lambton)

From Sheffield we continued North and a little East to the wonderful walled city of York. We dropped our rental car off here because you do not need a car in this compact city and from here we were taking a train to Edinburgh. We had the coolest walking tour book of this city and we were able to see a lot of things we would have missed without it. York Minster is a beautiful  Gothic Cathedral and we would recommend attending Evensong there.

From York we traveled by train north to Edinburgh. We arrived in Edinburgh found our self catering flat we rented and toured Edinburgh Castle and as much of Edinburgh our tired bodies could endure. We ate at a nice pub where Katie says she had the best hamburger she’s ever eaten.

Edinburgh Castle

 Our main side trip from Edinburgh was by bus to Stirling with a connecting bus to the little town of Doune where you’ll find Castle Doune. Castle Doune is the sight of some of the filming of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. This was a must stop for our daughter Katie. We were the only people at the castle (it was part of our Heritage Pass). To those of you who are familiar with this film you are handed coconut shells to walk around the grounds with. We were throwing out lines from the movie (Run Away, run away!) and making horse clip clop noises (with the coconut shells). They even take a picture of you here and post it on the official web page for Castle Doune and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Hilarious fun. Back in Edinburgh we were given bad directions to the Elephant Cafe and never found it. So our Harry Potter sightings had to be confined to the outside of Bodleian Library (Oxford) and the outside of Gloucester Cathedral (Gloucester) where filming took place.

Castle Doune

From Edinburgh we took a train straight to London. We were finishing our trip here with so much to see. We walked our feet off. We went to the National Gallery, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Tower of London (photo), and so much more. We were here for the Queen’s 80th birthday and got to hear and see the cannons speak 80 times! One of my favorite sites in London is the British Library and their Greatest Treasures Room. You’ll see the Gutenberg Bible, Magna Carta, many incredible Sacred Texts, Literary Manuscripts by Austen, Bronte’, Chaucer, etc. Music on loan from the Beatles.  A must see when you’re in London. We included a trip to the theater to see Les Miserables. London was a wonderful culmination to a great tour of Great Britain.

The Tower of London and Tower Bridge

Here’s the main contributor and researcher for our marvelous literary tour of Great Britain.

Katie, our Seattle Girl.

II Timothy and The Reformation Study Bible

This year I took a suggestion to read through the Bible in a different way. Retention is not my strong point. I have to write things down and read them over and over to really get the point, so this Bible reading method was a great suggestion for me. I am reading every book of the Bible 20 times before I move on to the next. I’m starting with the shortest New Testament Books. At this rate I’ll not finish till I’m dead…but that’s OK. I find myself in 2 Timothy on my 17th read. I’m highlighting some great verses with footnotes and comments from The Reformation Study Bible, R.C. Sproul ~ General Editor, ESV.  I want to give a “heads up” appeal to Moms and Grandmothers to pay attention here to the great opportunity they have with their children and grandchildren!

2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

In the ESV footnotes they say the word of truth refers to  The gospel (2:8, 9, 4:2).

2 Timothy 3:14, 15; But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Footnotes: ( from whom you learned it) A reference to Timothy’s mother and grandmother, as well as to Paul himself. (from childhood) According to custom, the Jewish parent was to begin instructing a child in the law when the child reached five years of age. (Sacred Writings) The false teachers have been misinterpreting the Old Testament. (I Tim. 1:7, Titus 3:9) Timothy needs to remember the proper instruction he received from the hands of his mother and grandmother. The “Sacred Writings” here are the books of the Old Testament. The New Testament did not yet exist as a collection. (Salvation …in Christ Jesus), The Old testament interpreted properly, leads one to understand the central role of Jesus Christ in God’s overall plan for His Creation.

2 Timothy 3:16,17;  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

(breathed out by God) This is one of the most important expressions in the New Testament of the doctrine of the divine inspiration of Scripture. The Bible has been breathed out by the Spirit of God (2 Pet. 1:21). God is the source and ultimate Author of Scripture. Though written by human authors, Scripture nevertheless has the full weight of His authority.

The following is an excerpt from a theological note “The Authority of Scripture” and from the introduction to The Reformation Study Bible:

The Authority of Scripture … “Historic Protestantism accepts the Scripture as the only written revelation of God. It is inspired, or “breathed out by God” (2 Tim. 3:16), distinguishing it from all other words. As a result, the Scriptures are infallible and true in all that they affirm. They are sufficient, containing everything that is necessary to know for salvation and eternal life. They are clear, so that a person without special preparation can understand what God requires without the intervention of an official interpreter.”

And from the Introduction written by R.C. Sproul ~

“The Bible is an inspired book, that is, “breathed out” by God. Inspiration reaches far beyond the scope of the inspiration of human artist as commonly understood. The Bible offers more than brilliant insight, more than human sagacity. It is called “inspired” not because of its supernatural mode of transmission via human authors, but because of its origin. It is not merely a book about God; it is a book from God. Therefore the church confesses its trust and confidence that the Bible is the vox Dei, the veritable “voice of God.”

…God calls every Christian to pursue righteousness. Our trust is to be childlike, but our understanding must be mature. such trust and understanding require study of God’s word. The authentic disciple meditates on it day and night, continuing and remaining in it. Our goal is more than knowledge; it is wisdom and the fruit of inward and outward obedience.”

From my trusty dictionary I’ll share this definition.  Sagacity – the quality of being sagacious. Sagacious – 1. having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd.

So what have we learned, grasshopper? We the regular folk (those who need dictionaries to understand really bright people) can study and understand the Scriptures, with the help of the Holy Spirit.  We can be trusted with diligence on our parts to impart these truths to our children and our grandchildren. We can hear from the very voice of God because this book is from God.  We have all we need to be competent and equipped for every good work. This is amazing stuff.  Let’s study to show ourselves approved, dear Christ followers!

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C. S. Lewis ~ Forgive ~ Mathew 6: 7-15

 

 

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. This is hard; …how can we do it? Only, I think, by remembering where we stand, by meaning our words when we say in our prayers each night, ‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.’ We are offered forgiveness on no other terms. To refuse it means to refuse God’s mercy for ourselves.”

~C. S. Lewis

Mathew 6: 7-15(ESV)

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name. 
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done, 
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread, 
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. 

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

God the Spirit has been impressing on my heart and mind the need to forgive and to seek forgiveness from others. This has  been brought to the forefront of my mind through reading  God’s word and a Woman’s Bible Study I’ve been attending ~ Seeking Him (Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival). It is hard but oh so rewarding to follow through with those God has put on my heart to seek forgiveness from. I hope with God’s help to change patterns of thought and behaviour that take me down those roads of grumbling and bitterness (that is sin) and causes division in relationships. You need to give this some good thought and prayer. Ask God to reveal to you anyone you need to forgive and anyone you need to seek forgiveness from. Give yourself a few days to ponder this and keep in prayer over it. You might be surprised to find that you are harboring some bitterness that needs to be dealt with.

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