Category Archives: Jesus

Truth from A to Z ~ I is for…

For the first Thursday in November we are on the letter I in our Bible Verse Challenge. I’m going to go with several “I ams” that are found throughout the Bible that God declares about Himself.

I is for I AM

Exodus 3:14: “I am who I am.”

Isaiah 41:13: “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Isaiah 45:18: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.”

Matthew 28:20: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

John 6:35: Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

John 8:12: Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 10:11: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 11:25-26: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

John 14:6: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Revelation 1:8: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

From Tom: Another I Am:

Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’

From Cheryl:

My verses today are two similar questions:
“Is anything too hard for the LORD?” Genesis 18:14
“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” Jeremiah 32:27

From Maristella:

“Better a little with righteousness
than much gain with *injustice*.”
Proverbs 16:8
And
“The *integrity* of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”
Proverbs 11:3

From Vera: I is for Immortal, Invisible

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Add your verse/verses for the letter I in the comments or on your blog and I will add them to this post. Happy Hunting!

I want to give you a heads up that we will not have our Bible Verse Challenge on the Thursday that Thanksgiving lands on this year, November 26th. We’ll resume the following Thursday, December 3rd.

Perfect Peace Hodgepodge

The verses before this verse are: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4: 4-7

1. How do you define peace?

Funny you should ask that question. Tuesday morning as part of my devotions I read these words from a commentary on Ephesians:

Speaking about Jesus…

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near. (Ephesians 2:14-17)

Jesus alone is our peace.

Jesus Christ came as a babe to earth, and in His sacrifice on the cross He Himself became peace for those who trust in Him. His peace is not temporary but permanent. he made both groups, Jews (those who were “near”) and Gentiles (those who were “far off”), into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall. (MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians)

Believing in Jesus Christ as Savior because of his perfect sacrifice on the cross for our sins is the only way to peace with God. This is the only permanent peace available.

2. November 3rd is Election Day in the US of A, but did you know it’s also National Sandwich Day? Let’s vote, shall we? egg salad or tuna salad? chicken salad or grilled chicken on a bun? peanut butter and jelly or a bagel with cream cheese? turkey and swiss or ham and cheddar? grilled cheese or pimento cheese? roast beef-corned beef-or make mine veggie? 

I vote for tuna salad, grilled chicken on a bun, peanut butter and jelly, turkey and swiss, grilled cheese and corned beef on rye, please.

3. When did you last say (or feel) ‘no rest for the weary’?

This is my hard working husband every day while he tries to get the shop ‘snow tight’ before the next big snow. Hard to work in freezing temps so his hours are limited but he keeps plugging away.

4. This time last year, where were you?

This time last year we had just had a weekend with my sister Vera in our neck of the woods and I was taking her back to the airport. While she was with us we enjoyed a trip into Canada to enjoy a Persian lunch at Kootenay Kebab in Trail, B.C. and we had a baking day in my kitchen making Piroshky with our kids and our cousin while Dear and our son worked on the shop. (We’re still working on the shop!!) I’m hoping that some day in the future we’ll be able to cross the line again into Canada…

5. Share a favorite song, verse, or quote featuring the word ‘peace’.

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you;
You will find a solace there.

Blessèd Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded
There will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

A quote from our pastor this last Sunday that made a few of us laugh out loud.

“The Bible tells us how to live in the nasty now and now.”

Thank you to Jo From This Side of the Pond for asking the questions each week!

Approach, My Soul, the Mercy Seat ~ Hymn

 

Approach, My Soul, the Mercy Seat

Approach, my soul, the mercy seat,
Where Jesus answers prayer;
There humbly fall before His feet,
For none can perish there.

Thy promise is my only plea,
With this I venture nigh;
Thou callest burdened souls to Thee,
And such, O Lord, am I.

Bowed down beneath a load of sin,
By Satan sorely pressed,
By war without and fears within,
I come to Thee for rest.

Be Thou my Shield and hiding Place,
That, sheltered by Thy side,
I may my fierce accuser face,
And tell him Thou hast died!

O wondrous love! to bleed and die,
To bear the cross and shame,
That guilty sinners, such as I,
Might plead Thy gracious name.

Poor tempest tossèd soul, be still;
My promised grace receive;
’Tis Jesus speaks—I must, I will,
I can, I do believe.

Words: John Newton, 1779.

Christ is Thy Light ~ Hymn

Christ is Thy Light

Christ is thy light, O wand’rer, tempest tossed!
The beacon light is pointing to thy rest;
Dark is the night,
And rocky is the coast,
But sure it shines above the billow’s crest;
Christ is thy light!

Christ is thy strength, O faint and weary soul!
Thy strife is vain; embrace without delay
The grace that pleads
With thee To make thee whole;
Who by His blood has washed thy sins away;
Christ is thy strength!

Christ is thy guide, O pilgrim seeking rest!
He gently bids thee open wide the door
For Him to enter
In and be thy guest;
O trust and follow Him forevermore;
Christ is thy guide!

Christ is thy hope! O cling to self no more,
No more to hopes which flatter and decay,
But to the Rock
That stands the tempest’s roar,
On which thy trembling ark will find a stay;
Christ is thy hope!

Christ is thy king! He wore the crown for thee,
A crown of thorns, a diadem so meet;
But bow before
His love that made thee free,
And humbly cast thy crown before His feet;
Christ is thy king!

Words: Richard B. Cadbury

August Challenge Hodgepodge

 

Before I dive into the Wednesday Hodgepodge today is the 5th of August and the word prompt for our August Bible Verse challenge is Jesus.

I’m sharing a section of scripture from Acts. This is what Peter testified in Jerusalem to the rulers, elders and scribes gathered together along with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander and all who were of the high-priestly family after Peter and John were arrested because they healed a crippled man and they were saying things in the temple that the leaders did not like.

Acts 4: 7-12 (ESV) ~

And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead–by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Another great verse for the challenge from Happy One at Life is Good. Click over to read it.

Thank You to Joyce for asking the questions. Click over to see more Hodgepodge posts.

1.  What’s happening where you live in terms of schools opening? How do you feel about it?

It really isn’t clear what is happening in the Fall here. They seem to be saying they are trying both online and in person learning experiences. We live in the 2nd poorest county in the state of Washington. Many of our students don’t have computers or their internet connections are very poor so online learning becomes more difficult. All I can say is OYE and my heart goes out to teachers, staff and parents of school aged children.

2. What’s something you still do ‘old school’?

We still listen to Music CD’s in our house.

3. August 4th is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Will you/did you celebrate by baking a batch? Eating a batch? Nuts or no nuts? Homemade or store bought? Soft and chewy or do you prefer your cookie to snap when you bite into it?

I won’t be baking cookies because we had an overload of bread so I made bread pudding. Can’t have too many desserts at one time around here.

I have a loaded chocolate chip cookie that our household loves and they are not the crispy variety. Yes to nuts and oatmeal in this recipe. I also only put 1/2 the bag of chocolate chips in my loaded cookies. I use the Toll House recipe with added nuts and oatmeal. I take them out of the oven when the bottoms are light brown. Homemade is always best!

4. What are you starved for?

I’m starved for a really nice meal out with things on the menu that I don’t regularly have.  The photo above is of the last great meal we had out on March 13th of this year just a couple days before the lock downs started.

I’m also starved for leisurely shopping experiences without a mask on.

5. Anything new and interesting on your August calendar? What is one thing you’re looking forward to this month?

We are supposed to have some weekend visitors that we are looking forward to. Haven’t heard the final date from them yet.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

 

I have an August challenge going on my blog right now. Using the word prompts for the day I post a verse or section of scripture that relates to the word. An easy challenge that gets me to search and find verses I haven’t read for a while. If you want to join in on any given day in August feel free and please let me know so I can read the verses you choose and link them.

Moving Up Hodgepodge

1. Last time you moved house?

Our last move took from April through September of 2018 from staging and listing and loading containers and selling off stuff and taking several weekend trips over the Cascade Mountain Range in a noisy truck pulling a trailer, accepting an offer, moving in with our kids until we found a house to buy, then finishing loading up the shop with more trips across the mountains with a trailer and finally having the containers arrive at our new home, unloading all the containers and organizing a new home and still having our son’s shop filled with a lot of our things that will finally be moved into Dear’s new shop at our new property once the new shop is done. 

Something you’ve learned in moving house?

It’s not easy and we have too much stuff. Thankful to God for giving us the strength to do all that and survive. 

Love this professional photo of our kitchen in Kenmore for the real estate listing.

2. Move mountains, move along, make a wrong move, moved to tears, get a move on, move up, move over, move out of the way, move the deck chairs on the Titanic, move it!…pick one and tell us how it fits your recent circumstances.

I guess I’ll choose move up because more and more I’m ready for our move up to heaven. Many of these days I catch myself saying, Come Lord Jesus and take your church home. 

3. What have you been doing to make yourself move (aka stay fit-active) during these strange times?

Nothing regular which is a problem. I do have to weed and mow and run after my grands but those things are more random and not everyday activities. 

4. This week’s calendar includes celebrations for the following foods-

National Coffee Milkshake Day (Sunday), National Creme Brûlée Day (Monday), National Milk Chocolate Day (Tuesday), National Chicken Wing Day (Wednesday), National Lasagne Day (Wednesday), National Cheesecake Day (Thursday), and National Avocado Day (Friday)

Which one on the list would you be most inclined to celebrate?

National Avocado Day. I love avocado toast, guacamole, avocado on eggs, avocado in a burrito, avocado in pica de gallo, etc. etc. 

Which would you be most inclined to skip?

Milkshake day. Unfortunately milkshakes don’t agree with my digestive system these days.

5. Next week’s Hodgepodge lands in August! I know!! Raise your hand if you feel like July flew by in the blink of an eye? Now bid farewell to your July acrostic style. If you don’t know what that means click here.

Just when we got
Used to you, you are
Leaving us behind and it still feels like
Yesterday when we celebrated the red, white and blue, adieu.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

I’ve been thinking about the Rapture in regards to all our stuff. I’m formulating plans in my head for scaling down what I have and am not using. Giving away stuff that others might need or enjoy. Do you ever wonder what the aftermath of the Rapture will be like? I’m thinking I should write an explanation of what happened to us with a clear Gospel message and leave it in the entry of our home. I’m also wondering about telling a friend or two who are still rejecting Christ that if we are all missing they can salvage whatever they want from our home especially our Bibles! No one knows the time or the hour when Christ will come and pluck His followers out of the world but it would be cool to experience it in our lifetime. If not, we know when we die we’ll be with our Savior, Jesus Christ. God is gracious and patient in His timing so that all who are His will come to faith before He returns but be forewarned…after that comes judgement of those who will not believe. 

Thank you Joyce for coming up with the questions each week for Wednesday Hodgepodge!

Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus ~ Hymn

 

Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
Ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner,
It must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory
His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished,
And Christ is Lord indeed.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
The solemn watchword hear;
If while ye sleep He suffers,
Away with shame and fear;
Where’er ye meet with evil,
Within you or without,
Charge for the God of battles,
And put the foe to rout.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
The trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict,
In this His glorious day.
Ye that are brave now serve Him
Against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger,
And strength to strength oppose.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
Stand in His strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you,
Ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the Gospel armor,
Each piece put on with prayer;
Where duty calls or danger,
Be never wanting there.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
Each soldier to his post,
Close up the broken column,
And shout through all the host:
Make good the loss so heavy,
In those that still remain,
And prove to all around you
That death itself is gain.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
The strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle,
The next the victor’s song.
To him who overcometh
A crown of life shall be;
They with the King of Glory
Shall reign eternally.

Words: George Duffield, Jr., 1858.

 

Hugs Allowed!

Our little Eastside family went to Phase Three for gathering and hugging on May 2nd, 2020. We had Dan, Jamie, Addy and Jaymison over for dinner on that Saturday. First things first…we got a good hug from Addy after she was out of her car seat and up the two steps to Gramps and Baba’s house.

Jaymison came in with his mommy and I wondered if he’d be willing to come to me after the many times we had seen him without responding to his little arms lifted up for me to pick him up. I was overjoyed (to tears) when he came right to me and then laid his sweet head against my shoulder and stayed there until it was time to sit down for dinner.

We had a nice dinner and then it was time to get re-acquainted with fun in the playroom. Jaymison is getting the “lay of the land” at our country bungalow.

Addy is a pro about all things here already.

Such a relief and joy to be together.

Thinking about this separation time and distancing time we are all having this morning and wondering about how special, amazing, glorious it will be when we finally see Jesus face to face? To behold His glory in person. Will we hug? Will we hold back and be in awe or will we run up and give Him a bear hug. Maybe both? The longer I live the more I’m looking forward to His appearing.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Titus 2:11-14 (ESV)

Jesus Christ

We are on the letter J and Jesus Christ is the best choice for me to create a post on this Easter Weekend.

The Old Rugged Cross

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

Refrain

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

Refrain

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

Thinking of all our friends and family who will be celebrating alone on this Easter 2020. May God draw you to a closer relationship with Him. Praying that God will wipe out this virus soon so we can meet together again.

Important Events ~ Good Friday

We are on the letter I and I’m choosing Important for my theme. This is an important weekend in the history of Christianity. Today we remember Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified on a cross and when he breathed His last was laid in a tomb.

Were the angels looking down from heaven to see all that would transpire?

Growing up there were Good Fridays when we would fast on that day until our church service in the evening with Communion breaking our fast and then having a meal together.

We will miss being able to attend Good Friday services this year but that will not stop us from our reading and contemplating the importance of this event in history and it’s importance today and in our future.

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
From Matthew 27:

The Death of Jesus

45 Now from the sixth hour[f] there was darkness over all the land[g] until the ninth hour.[h] 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son[i] of God!”

55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Jesus Is Buried

57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard[j] of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

Tomorrow for the letter J my post will be about Jesus and His resurrection including photos from Easters past.