To Be One With You

Jesus prays in John 17:21 (NIV), “that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.”

And in John 14:23 (KJV), “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.”

To know Him: Paul says in Philippians 3:10 (KJV), “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;”

John says in 1John 4:6-7 (NIV):

“We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.”

Know Me: Father God says in Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NKJV), “Thus says the Lord:

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
24 But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.

Thank You Father God, Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit for being faithful and true.  Praise God!

 

Richness

Jesus prayed, “And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are One:” John 17:22 (KJV).

And

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 (NKJV).

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Paul prays in Philippians 4:19 (NKJV).

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”

“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?”
For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. ” Romans 11:33-36 (NIV).
“Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.”    Malachi 3:8-10 (NKJV).

 

The Conclusion of the Matter

Ecclesiastes 12

Verse 7: “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Verse 12-14:

“And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

“For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

Dear Father God, help us to remember You made us and we are just borrowing time down here. You are the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13). Amen.

clear glass with red sand grainer
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Crown of Righteousness

Proverbs 16:31 (NIV), “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.”

Proverbs 20:29, (NKJV), “The glory of young men is their strength, And the splendor of old men is their gray head.”

Jesus said in Matt 15:3-6 (NKJV), “For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”—then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.”

Dear Jesus, we put down the traditions that nullify Your commandments, we’re sorry for trying to be men-pleasers.  We will abide in Your love and truth, no matter what. Help us to honor our elders and You in purity, Father God.

“Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” 2 Timothy 5:1-2 (NIV).

1 Timothy 6

Verse 4-5 (NKJV), “He is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.”

Verse 10 (NIV), “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

 

 

 

 

The Puzzle

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV).

500 Pieces may seem impossible to put together.  Your heart drops, piece by piece you connect them, all the time looking to the picture of what it’s supposed to be.

So we are to keep referring to the vision Jesus gave us, thou in the beginning it looks so far fetched, like the visions were meant for someone else. But God is always right.

Oswald Chambers speaks on visions here in July 6 My Upmost for His Highest: https://utmost.org/visions-becoming-reality/

Lord, forgive us for when we gave up, You give more than we could ever want or imagine.

jigsaw puzzle
Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com

Banana / Strawberry Crumb Cake

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us– yes, establish the work of our hands.” Psalm 90:17 (NIV).

Ingredients:

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1  cup frozen strawberries
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup honey

Crumb Topping:

  • 3 tablespoons softened butter
  • 2 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon flour

Directions:

Beat egg slightly in large bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients in till all are equally wet.  Spoon into an oiled, 8×8 inch square pan. Cut topping ingredients with a knife in a separate bowl to form small balls, layer on top of cake.  Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.

apples-bananas-basket-220911  Picture courtesy of PEXEL:  Donate  Nancy Folgmann

(*This was an impromptu recipe, so use any combination of fruit. I also made it with 1 banana and a 15 ounce can of pears without the liquid.)

 

Chicken Curry

“My beloved has gone to his garden, to the beds of spices,” Song 6:2

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 chopped garlic cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric
  • 5 whole cloves, can remove before serving (equals about 1/2 teaspoon dried)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
  • 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
  • 13.5 ounce can Coconut milk unsweetened
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • rice

Directions:

Heat olive oil on low in large skillet.  Add garlic, stir as it softens for about 10 minutes.  Stir in the rest of the spices, add the chicken pieces, cover them with the spices, brown on all sides, tossing for about 15 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, then peas. Cover and heat through, ensuring the chicken is thoroughly cooked, for about 10 minutes.  Serve over rice.

*** This is adapted from an old curry recipe that I found on the internet!  Only in the past few years have I been using ready-made curry powder, “Wild Oats” organic brand. Also, if using chicken on the bone, cook with the bones in, and remove before serving, they should fall right off.  Use any combination of spices to your taste.

anise aroma art bazaar
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Your Word Says

“It is finished,” Jesus said in John 19:30.

“By Your stripes we are healed,” 1 Peter 2:24.

“Jesus wept.” John 11:35.

“The Lord is my Shepard I shall not want” Psalm 23:1

“Here am I, Send me” Isaiah 6:8.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11.

“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled” Hebrews 13:4.

Father God, thank You for the beauty and clarity of Your word.  We live our lives by It. In Jesus’ Name!

Be Merciful

for your Father also is merciful,” Jesus says in Luke 6:36.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
   His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is Your faithfulness.” Lam 3:22-23

Be merciful to whoever you talk to and for whatever reason, a friend suggests.  When deciding point of action, before making a mistake, I remembered the words of the Lord.

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (KJV).

 

 

 

Reduce The Noise

Isaiah 25:5 (KJV), “Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.”

Psalm 65:7 (NKJV), “You who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
And the tumult of the peoples.”

Wow, these two verses came up during devotion one morning after praying; how many noises there were!  God, You are our refuge against the storm of noise (Psalm 46:1).  We love You!

Jesus said in Matthew 15:10, “Listen and understand.”

“A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” Mark 4:37-39 (NIV).