The Living Bible

Have you read from the living bible lately? Oh I know, some don’t believe in reading any other bible but the JKV. Two verses from the writing of Paul got my attention today. He writes about what may be the most important translation of all. I call it the life translation. It is the one translation people read when they don’t know they are reading. It is not confined to a drawer in a motel room. It is not bound in leather. It is not a red letter edition. It can’t be banned from a public building or a secular school. It can look very ordinary or it can be beautiful. I read this bible before I could read and it greatly impacted my life. You too have been influenced by this bible. Just listen to what Paul says, You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. 2Co 3:2-3. An “epistle of Christ,” now that is something to think about. When people read from my life, I pray they are drawn to Jesus. jfs

Rest

Today, I shall rest in God's completed work. "It is finished"

Heb 4:9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.

Psalm 36:9

For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

Psalm 66

Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious.
Say to God, "How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name." Selah
Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
He turned the sea into dry land; They went through the river on foot. There we will rejoice in Him.
He rules by His power forever; His eyes observe the nations; Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
Who keeps our soul among the living, And does not allow our feet to be moved.
0 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.
You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs.
You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows,
Which my lips have uttered And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals, With the sweet aroma of rams; I will offer bulls with goats. Selah
Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue.
If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.
But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!
NKJV)

God's Song

I just returned from Palcon at Eastern Nazarene College where I taught a class on redefining success. I pray that God used me to encourage pastors as I was greatly encouraged myself. God has His way of touching our lives through His people. I got to spend time with some of my dear friends and shared a room with one of them, Rev. Kerry Willis. What a joy to be with the people of God--reminds me that heaven will be a celebration like the universe has never known.
I live my life looking for seeds of truth which will help me on my journey. Kerry dropped a seed in my heart that I plan on watering and nurturing. For years Mary has awakened every morning with a song in her heart. I often ask her what her song is for today and she never has to think about it, she just starts singing it. I must admit I seldom hear a song in the morning, but an experience a couple of weeks ago has made me rethink the issue. In a time of prayer the Lord sang to me. It has never happen before, but oh how it touched my heart. Then the Lord confirmed it all through my friend Kerry. He took me to Zep 3:17 “The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." jfs

"Take Me Home Son"

There are moments in all of our lives that become markers--moments burned in our minds and hearts that stay with us for a lifetime. One such moment happened to me a few years ago. My boys and I had flown to Canada to fish for a week. As you can imagine, the week went by too fast. The fishing was good and the time together will always be cherished. The flight home brought the moment I shall always remember.
The day we were leaving was gray with a drizzling rain and I dreaded the flight in IFR conditions. As an instrument rated pilot I had filed many flight plans, and as an experienced pilot I had done most of the flying, but my fishing had left me relaxed but tired. In that moment I pulled the key to the airplane from my pocket and handed it to my youngest son, John, and said, “Take me home son.” It was the first time I had ever crawled into the back seat of my own airplane and trusted myself to John. The truth was, he had a commercial rating and was well qualified. The challenge was, I was used to being in control and putting yourself in a place of dependence and trust is never easy. You can’t fly an airplane from the back seat. The lesson learned is that much of the Christian life must be lived in the back seat trusting our Lord to take us home. In our moments of weariness it is always wise to sit in the back seat. Maybe it is time you gave Jesus the key.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Pr 3:5-6 (NKJV)

Duty

It stormed yesterday at my house. I sat inside in the dry and thought of the female cardinal in a bush in my front yard sitting on her nest protecting her eggs. It is only natural to want to find shelter from the storms of life, but there are times when duty calls us to stay put, there are some things more important than our comfort. Until we find something beyond ourselves to live for, life is disappointing and empty.
Jesus said, "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. Mr 8:35
jfs