The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves
The concept of “one another” in Scripture is very important for Christians. It strikes the very heart and nature of any Christian because all of us must work on these very things. We are not, to use an old phrase, “an island to ourselves”. Some of the areas that these “one another” passages deal with are: ministering to problems of other church members, loving others, creating of unity, servant attitude, and evangelism (by how we treat each other; cf. John 13:34-35). Every member, in the Lord’s church, is in need of these things and the Lord expects/demands us to do them – from the heart (cf. 1 Peter 1:22). For those who truly work on this, I know that you will please the Lord and your spiritual life will be healthier and selfless. Remember, Jesus said to love “one another” as “I [Jesus] have loved you” (John 13:34).
The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves
1 Comment
A friend of mine wrote poetry before he died. His name was Dallas Brown. He wrote two books: Intimate Voice of God, Heavy Rain and Light Breezes. The following is an unpublished poem by him for me and my second wife after my first wife passed. Under His Wing Under the Wing of God I found you My love, my one and only, We would have been married long And happily But your tragic death Changed all plans. Why? Why was I bereft Of my youthful, loving, My chaste virgin, Who knew no man, Who waited until we Became one in our own home? My love for her will not fade. Healing trudged slow And sadly, until a day When he touched my face, With a Light Breeze Reminding me of his many Blessings of life. I could only love again, By this power of God. Don't think me rash, Or hasty, or as giving up On a dream I once had. My dream remains To do His Will! If a friend join me As a new wife In the Lord, We shall continue on In His Steps! Jesus’ love is illustrated as a husband who gave the ultimate sacrifice for his wife. “Husbands, love your wife, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25; cf. Eph. 5:22-33). Jesus’ love consisted of obedience to the Father by standing up against those who would try to destroy His family; namely, Satan. Jesus is a true example of one who cares for His family and who wants all people to come to know the truth of the Gospel of Christ. “For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). There is no better example of love than the love of Jesus. It is this love that needs to abide within all people. On Mother’s Day, people honor and celebrate mothers. Mothers come in many forms; like, biological mothers, foster mothers, adoptive mothers, grandmothers, and even those ladies who may never have children of their own but who are motherly to those around them. Mothers are wonderful people. They tend to show their love through sacrifice, caring, and warmth. On Mother’s Day, we may even give our mothers flowers, hugs, or make them breakfast in bed. Yet, in the other 364 days of the year, how do we treat our mothers? Jesus gave His very life for His wife – the church. He loved, protected, and cared for her. Therefore, always remember the example of Jesus’ love; especially, to our mothers. Have a happy Mother’s day every day of the year! The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves I wrote this poem with the seeker in mind. It's actually an indictment. I accuse myself and others of their lack of determination to live out God's mission - to seek and save the lost. Cry For The Seeker By John A. Reeves Who will cry for the child lost? With pain, sorrow, and fear! Who will cry for the child lost? Who doesn’t know what to hear! Who will cry for the child lost? Who doesn’t know the meaning of love! Who will cry for the child lost? Who can’t seek the lost for God! Feed My Sheep. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves God
I just wanted to thank You for keeping Your promises. When I was young, You taught me Your ways. As I grew in age, You helped me to not forget Your teachings. You disciplined me in my arrogance. You helped me understand Your love with respect to those who seem to struggle with godliness. Funny?! When I asked to be like You - I didn't know it would take sooo long. (Will I ever get there?) Anyway - Thank You for teaching me to become like You. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves My parents were great examples of givers. They gave to God at their local congregation. They gave to help the needy and distressed. They gave to their family and they gave to each other. So, how come I have found "giving" somewhat of a continual challange. I do give. I give my time and I give my sweat and tears. But I have struggled, in the past, with planning and preparing the gift of financial support. But I thank God that living debt free for almost 3 years helps me to be a better if not a more natural giver. It's natural because I plan to give and I work the plan. (Thanks Dave Ramsey). Currently, I've been reading through the Bible in a 90 day program. I am passed 30 days. One of the things that I have been reminded of is how Isreal was instructed to give God of their "First Fruits" - their material wealth. I have a personal budget and plan all my spending, saving, and giving. But I realized that I usually give toward the end of the month in case some "surprise" happens and I need money for something else. Well, this month I have resolved to give my budgeted giving its proper place - before all other things; i.e., "first fruits". First, this shows honor to God in putting him first before all my other wants and needs. Second, it shows my commitment to budgeting. Third, it reminds me that I love God. Giving doesn't just happen because parents were givers. Giving happens because you want it to happen. Giving happens because one's focus is in correct form. Part of living the Christian life is to keep growing. One area of my lifestyle in Christ that is growing is my giving. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves I have heard the statement, "Jesus is your savior but He may not be your Lord." I believe I understand the reasoning behind this thought but it is definately not a biblical thought. It's a crock thought.
If you choose to follow Jesus as your savior you also agree to make Him your Lord and King. Obedience is necessary when you are a servant of the King. If Jesus is your Savior, remember He is also your Lord. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves Last night our family started to read the gospel of Mark. Each of us took turns reading from Scripture. Afterword, we talked a little, had a prayer, and hugged each other on the way to bed.
There are benefits to studying the word with your family. (My oldest two children are 9 and 10 years old.) Improve reading skills. Improve study skills. Improve family structure. Improve dedication to God's word. Improve relationship with God through an obedient faith in Jesus Christ. We love our children. Yet, we know that if God isn't first in their life, because of our lack of teaching, we have done a disservice to God as parents. Remain humble before the Lord. The Lord's humbled John A. Reeves Without a doubt, God gave children as blessings.
Are they blessings to provide us entertainment? Are they blessings to bring us pride? Are they blessings only for their obedience? Are they blessings for their future ability to provide us monetary gifts? Hmmm? Maybe their blessings because they offer us (as parents) opportunities to glimpse how God might look at us (people). We need His love. We need His discipline. We need His patience. We need His grace. We need His teachings. We need His provisions. We need His law. We need . . . . What honest parent, who looks within themselves, doesn't see God's desire for the lost in their baby's eyes. Who doesn't sense a deep awareness of the need to nurture "a little one" toward Christ. A parent recieves wonderful blessings to know that they can glimpse what it means to love one who has a will to choose. They receive blessings when they live for Christ. They receive blessings when they realize that they can't do it (parent) without the assistance of God. What a blessing a child is when they, by their nature, teach us to rely on God. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves I read an article on "Fox News" website about a Christian "pastor" who refused to recant his belief in Christ. According to the laws of his land, he must be put to death. Evidently, they (the Iranian court system) said that since his ancestors were Muslim then he must take on the Muslim faith or die. Evidently, the death penalty will be carried out today.
Pray for him and his family to have the courage to continue to stand for the name of Christ |
Categories
All
Archives
March 2019
|