Category Archives: Jesus

John MacArthur 1939-2025

This morning at 10:30 Pacific Time we will be live streaming the Memorial Service for Pastor John MacArthur. He was our first Pastor after Greg and I were married.

The Youtube I shared above is of a song that MacArthur wrote.

You can live stream the service if interested at the Grace Community Church Website.

The Program can be seen here, too.

The Los Angeles Police Department will do the Flag Presentation. A bagpiper will perform Amazing Grace.

It will be a God honoring and Jesus exalting memorial with many participating in the service, Alistair Begg, John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, the Getty’s, Joni and others. Tune in for a encouraging time.

 

Truth for Today #158

Thursday August 21st

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you! 

Romans 8:18-25

 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope  that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

From Leonard:

Ezekiel 46:1-3

“Prepare buckler and shield, and advance for battle! Harness the horses; mount, O horsemen!
Take your stations with your helmets, polish your spears, put on your armor!” (Also see Ephesians 6)

From Karen:

Romans 12:18

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

 

Have I Done My Best for Jesus? ~ Hymn

Have I Done My Best for Jesus?

I won­der, have I giv’n my best to Je­sus,
Who died up­on the cru­el tree?
To think of His great sac­ri­fice at Cal­v’ry,
I know my Lord ex­pects the best from me.

Refrain

How ma­ny are the lost that I have lift­ed?
How ma­ny are the chained I’ve helped to free?
I won­der, have I done my best for Je­sus,
When He has done so much for me?

The hours that I have wast­ed are so many,
The hours I’ve spent for Christ so few.
Because of all my lack of love for Je­sus,
I won­der if His heart is break­ing, too?

Refrain

I won­der, have I cared enough for oth­ers,
Or have I let them die alone?
I might have helped a wan­d’rer to the Sav­ior,
The seed of pre­cious Life I might have sown.

Refrain

No long­er will I stay with­in the val­ley,
I’ll climb to mount­ain heights above;
The world is dy­ing now for want of some­one
To tell them of the Sav­ior’s match­less love.

How ma­ny are the lost that I have lift­ed?
How ma­ny are the chained I’ve helped to free?
I won­der, have I done my best for Je­sus,
When He has done so much for me?

Words: E. Edwin Young, 1923.

Truth for Today #157

Thursday August 14th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you! 

Psalm 119:160

The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endure forever.

Psalm 33:4

For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.

Proverbs 30:5,6

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

Jeremiah 24:7

I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.

From Vera:

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

From Leonard:

Jeremiah 50:34

“But the one who redeems them is strong. His name is the Lord Almighty. He will defend them and give them rest again in Israel. But the people of Babylon – there will be no rest for them!”

From Karen:

Romans 5:8

But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Swinging with the Hodgepodge

Our son, Josh, golfing at St. Michaels golf club in Scotland before we visited St. Andrews.  Our dear DIL, Laura is the photographer.

Since Joyce informed us that August is National Golf month, I’m adding some photos of some favorite golf shots involving our family.

It is Wednesday and time to post answers to Joyce’s weekly Hodgepodge questions.

1. August is National Golf month…do you play? Do you enjoy following golf? Have you ever been to a professional tournament? 

When our kids were in high school and I was part of the PTA, we raised money by serving at snack bars for a professional tournament in our town at the Inglewood Golf Club.

In 2024 while travelling in Scotland with Josh and Laura we toured one of the most famous Golf courses in the world, St. Andrews.

I don’t follow golf except for enjoying photos of our sons or nephew from the golf courses they enjoy a round of golf at. Just this past week our son, Josh, enjoyed a course in Otsego, New York. Josh and Laura traveled for a Baseball tournament that Laura’s brother and nephew were participants in at Cooperstown Dream Park.

Otsego Golf Club was established in 1894 and is one of America’s oldest courses. it is located on the shores of Otsego Lake and just nine miles from Cooperstown, NY.

In 1904 the club was taken over by Arthur Ryerson who as history tells traveled to St. Andrews golf course in his lifetime. Ryerson, traveling back from Great Britain, died heroically in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

2. Astronaut Jim Lovell of Apollo 13 fame passed away this past Thursday. Are you interested in outer space and what’s happening today in terms of space exploration? If space travel became common in your lifetime would you go? How do you personally relate to the idea of exploring something vast and mysterious…does the idea excite you, intimidate you, or something else? 

I’m not leaving the earth until the Rapture occurs or until God calls me home. I do admire space travelers. I’ll stick to exploring less vast and mysterious places like abbeys and cathedrals and ancient towns.

3. Describe your communication style in three words. 

I might need 4 words. Better written than spoken. 

My spoken words can get jumbled and aren’t as clear to my intentions as my written words can be. I’m not a great verbal communicator.

Our present culture is so divided that I’m passive in my communication amongst those with certain ‘strong feelings’ about things that do not pertain to eternity. I’m amending what I said before here with the fact that although it is not politics that set the standard for salvation, there are moral issues in policies and laws that go against the Bible and will be a hindrance to peace with God. I do speak up about these issues that do matter and applaud others with a strong voice.  It does matter who you are spiritually.

I’ll still be bold in communicating things that matter eternally regardless of ‘feelings’. Every person in the human race has only two destinations eternally. The Bible is clear about these two destinations, heaven and hell.

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Jesus Christ will return to this world in judgement. The only way to be saved from the eternal consequences of your sin is to enter through the narrow gate, repenting (turning from your sin) and calling on the Son of God who gave his life for you, taking the penalty for our sins.

There was one door into the ark that saved Noah and his family from the flood. Similarly, there is only one door that can save us from eternal judgement. Jesus Christ is that door. The Bible states that now is the day of salvation. If you have not already done so, will you turn from your sins and call on the risen Lord Jesus to save you?

By faith, enter the only door that leads to eternal life today. Here’s a link that gives life saving information.

4. Do you have a favorite cookbook?

I’ll have to toot my own horn and say that the cookbooks that I’m part of with the Mennonite girls are my favorites, Mennonite Girls Can Cook, Celebrations by Mennonite Girls Can Cook and Bread for the Journey.

A favorite celebrity chef?

Jamie Oliver and Ina Garten are two celebrity favorites and I’m happy to say I’ve met both of them in person. We met Jamie Oliver at one of his restaurants in London and I met Ina Garten at a book signing in Kirkland, Washington at Sur La Table.

Do you watch any cooking shows on TV? 

I do enjoy the Great British Baking Show but we do not have Netflix so I haven’t been able to watch it recently.

5. As a child did you have any back to school traditions? If so, did you carry on those same traditions with your own children? Do you have any back to school traditions you’ve started on your own? 

Growing up our back to school traditions involved new outfits and a new pair of shoes to wear for school. Our children were given the option to wear something new for back to school.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

More golfing favorites.

dave and daniel

Our son, Dan, golfing with our dear friend, David Dickinson (1950-2016), who shared his love of golf with his sons and our sons. This was the day before Dan and Jamie’s wedding, June of 2015. Dave died a year later.

dave and daniel2

Our boys golfing with Jamie Dickinson, Dave’s youngest son and a best friend to our boys. This was just a couple weeks ago.

I can take great joy in vicariously enjoying golf through our loved ones experiences.

“Hit em long and straight, boys!”

I went to play golf and tried to shoot my age, but I shot my weight instead. – Bob Hope

Thy Goodness, Lord, Our Souls confess ~ Hymn

 

Thy Goodness, Lord, Our Souls Confess

Thy good­ness, Lord, our souls con­fess,
Thy good­ness we adore:
A spring, whose bless­ings nev­er fail,
A sea with­out a shore.

Sun, moon and stars Thy love at­test,
In ev­ery cheer­ful ray:
Love draws the cur­tains of the night,
And love re­stores the day.

Thy boun­ty ev­ery sea­son crowns,
With all the bliss it yields;
With joy­ful clus­ters bend the vines,
With har­vests wave the fields.

But chief­ly Thy com­pass­ions, Lord,
Are in the Gos­pel seen;
There, like the sun, Thy mer­cy shines,
Without a cloud be­tween.

Thy Son, Thy nob­lest, choic­est gift,
Was from Thy bo­som sent
To bear from off a sink­ing world
Its load of pun­ish­ment.

Pardon, ac­cept­ance, peace and joy
Are pub­lished in His name;
Ours is the life, the glo­ry ours,
And His the death and shame.

Of sov­er­eign grace how wide the reign;
How strong the cur­rent rolls
That bears to Heav’n’s un­bound­ed bliss
Our hell-de­serv­ing souls!

Words: Thomas Gibbons, 1775.

The Eagle Lectern

The symbolism of the eagle derived from the belief that the bird was capable of staring into the sun and that Christians similarly were able to gaze unflinchingly at the revelation of the divine word. Alternatively, the eagle was believed to be the bird that flew highest in the sky and was therefore closest to heaven, and symbolized the carrying of the word of God to the four corners of the world.
The eagle is the symbol used to depict John the Apostle, whose writing most clearly witnesses the light and divinity of Christ. In art, John, as the author of the Gospel, is often depicted with an eagle, which symbolizes the height to which he rose in the first chapter of his gospel. The eagle came to represent the inspiration of the gospels.
Eagle Lectern at Glasgow Cathedral
Balliol College, Oxford.

THE FLYING eagle is the symbol of John the Evangelist (see Revelation, ch 4, v 7) who proclaimed Christ as ‘the Word of God’ at the beginning of his Gospel. The flying eagle is thus a suitable emblem from which God’s word is read, reaching to the ends of the earth.

St. Mary Magdalene Church in Woodstock

Broadway Day 7 034

St. Michael and All Angels Church in Broadway (Cotswolds)

We were intrigued with these ornate Eagle lecterns that we saw in most of the churches and cathedrals we visited in England. That is why I researched to see the significance of this design.

The lectern stands as the location from which Christian Biblical lessons are given. Lecterns hold the Bible in place as the church leader reads various passages from it. Lecterns in the shape of an eagle hold special value within churches.

Eagle lecterns date back to early church history. Some of the earliest examples of church lecterns that are still in existence date back to the 13th century, such as the lectern located within All Saints’ Parish Church in Bedfordshire, England.

The eagle is the symbol used to depict John the Apostle, whose writing is said to most clearly witness the light and divinity of Christ.

Another reason for eagle-shaped lecterns lies in its symbolizing the word of God being read from the lectern and soaring its way to the ears of the churchgoers.

Oxford

York Minster

What a blessing it has been to be able to visit so many of these beautiful chapels and cathedrals and learn the history and inspiration behind the Eagle Lectern. But how much more amazing is it that we can hold the Word of God in our hands and read it and learn from it and grow in wisdom and grace.

Psalm 19:7-11

The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.

I’m adding a quote from one of my favorite pastors who inspired me to love God’s Word because of His love for all of God’s Word and his faithful preaching of the Word.

“It is the power of the Word that saves. It is the power of the Word that sanctifies. It provides doctrine. It reproves error and sin. It sets upright and then trains in the path of righteousness.” ~John MacArthur

Truth for Today #156

Thursday August 7th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you! 

Isaiah 61:10-11

I will rejoice greatly in the Lord,
My soul will exult in my God;
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up,
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
To spring up before all the nations.

From Vera:

Joel‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.”

From Nikkipolani:

James 1:21

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

From Leonard:

Jeremiah 31:3-4

…“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again, and you will be rebuilt. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful.”

From Karen:

Psalm 73:28

But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

From Marilyn:

Matthew 1:24

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him.

‭‭From Dianna:

“For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.” Psalm 149:4

Whate’er My God Ordains is Right ~Hymn

Whate’er My God Ordains is Right

Whate’er my God or­dains is right:
His ho­ly will abid­eth;
I will be still what­e’er He doth;
And fol­low where He guid­eth;
He is my God; though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.

Whate’er my God or­dains is right:
He nev­er will de­ceive me;
He leads me by the pro­per path:
I know He will not leave me.
I take, con­tent, what He hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And pa­tient­ly I wait His day.

Whate’er my God or­dains is right:
His lov­ing thought at­tends me;
No poi­son can be in the cup
That my phy­si­cian sends me.
My God is true; each morn anew
I’ll trust His grace un­end­ing,
My life to Him com­mend­ing.

Whate’er my God or­dains is right:
He is my friend and Fa­ther;
He suf­fers naught to do me harm,
Though many storms may ga­ther,
Now I may know both joy and woe,
Some day I shall see clear­ly
That He hath loved me dear­ly.

Whate’er my God or­dains is right:
Though now this cup, in drink­ing,
May bit­ter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all un­shrink­ing.
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet com­fort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sor­row shall de­part.

Whate’er my God or­dains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sor­row, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not for­sak­en.
My Fa­ther’s care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to Him I leave it all.

Words: Samuel Rodigast, 1676.

Truth for Today #155

Thursday July 31st

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you! 

1 Timothy 6:11-16

11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

From Dianna:

John 1:12-13 NASB

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who are born, not of blood nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God.”

From Vera:

‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬-‭21‬

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

From Leonard:

Isaiah 41:10

“Do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am you God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

From Karen:

Isaiah 1:18.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they hall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

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