Thursday's Thought.....

John 6:9

There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

Good morning, one and all!

Somehow I have missed a few days of serving tonic. Life has been busy, and it seems we've been on the road a lot these past few days.

I have always been intrigued by the story in John 6 when Jesus fed the multitude. A small lad, possibly bearing a sack containing his little bit of lunch, seems to be the only one who thought to bring something to eat that day. But, he did bring something that day; something that he was asked to give up.

That day, the lad had a choice, and I wonder if questions ran through his head?

Why my lunch?

Can't Jesus use someone else's lunch?

But my mom packed this just for me!

It holds my favorite foods!

What is Jesus planning to do with my little bit of lunch?

These questions remind me a lot of life, especially when it seems that Jesus is asking something of ME. He has given me my very own special lunch, but I have often found myself in a situation where He is asking for me to relinquish it into His hands. I, too, have choices at times like these. 

Do I readily and willingly place my life (my lunch) in His capable hands?

What could He possibly do with my little bit?

My best choice is to take what He has given me, open my hand with willingness and love, and give it back to Him. 

Could it be that what I see as my little bit could feed a multitude? Only Jesus knows!

Let us pray one for another that we will be used for the work of the Lord! 

Monday's Moment and more

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Good morning!!

Monday's Moment has passed, along with Tuesday's Tidbit, and here we are, patiently awaiting Wednesday's Whisper. So happy you have joined me for three spoons full of tonic.... we should be better after that much tonic!

I knelt to pray yesterday morning, feeling the weight of some burdens on my heart, as well as desiring God's direction in a very special matter in our lives. Feelings of anxiety were trying to well up in my soul. Then, the whisper came.... Jesus reminded me of His Word.... Philippians 4:6 came to my mind. One translation says, "Don't be anxious...." 

What does anxiety mean? One definition is - a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease.

What does trust mean? I like this definition - reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence

Worry accomplishes nothing while trust in Jesus means we confide in Him, and rely on HIS strength and not ours. 

According to the verses above, if we will not be anxious about anything but pray to Jesus about it (with thanksgiving), then (and only then) will His peace keep our hearts and minds. Anxiety will always rear its ugly head until we pray about everything, with confidence and thanksgiving. The Bible is true... when we've done our part to pray, then the peace that passes understanding will KEEP us!!

I found this little poem or saying in a book yesterday, and I want to include it in today's blog post:

When we see the lilies

Spinning in distress,

Taking thought to manufacture

Their own loveliness,

When we see the birds

All building barns for store,

'Twill then be time to worry --

Not before!! *

I'll end with a few more verses:

Luke 12:24-28

24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

* Taken from The Speaker's Quotebook by Benjamin R. De Jong

I hope today's post has helped you. May we all pray today in earnest with thanksgiving.... then the Whisper of the Wonderful will come...... bringing peace!

God bless you... until we "meet" again!

Saturday's Snippet & Sunday's Specialty

Isaiah 6:1-4

1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

Good morning, one and all!

Today appears to be another sunny Sunday here in Tennessee. Looking ahead, tomorrow is the funeral of my Dad's sister, my Aunt Louise; then Wednesday marks the final service here at the First Pentecostal Church. Lord willing, on Thursday we move toward home, then on to another scheduled meeting for May 1st. God is good and faithful. On the good days and on the bad days, He remains constant and true; always the same.

During pre-church prayer, this particular church plays songs and one of them touches me every time I hear it. It's a song obviously based upon the above verses from Isaiah 6. I often think of Isaiah and what he must have felt when he penned those words so long ago. Yet today, centuries later, we can "see" God like Isaiah saw Him - high and lifted up, with a train that fills the temple! The feeling that swells up inside me is awe... and I want to weep before a God who is holy, holy, holy!!!

You Are Holy

as sung by the Pentecostals of Alexandria, LA

I saw the Lord, seated on the throne

And He's clothed in glory, and exalted high

And the train of His robe

Filled the temple

And the angels gathered round Him

and cried...

You are holy, oh, so holy

You are holy, Lord of all

You are holy, oh, so holy

You are holy, Lord of all

Woe is me, for I'm unclean

But my eyes have seen the Holy King

And He cleansed my lips

Right before my eyes

And the pillars shook

As the angels cried....

You are holy, oh, so holy

You are holy, Lord of all

You are holy, oh, so holy

You are holy, Lord of all

My heart's desire for today and for the rest of my life is that when I enter into the sanctuary for church, that I sense the power and holiness of God in a great way. I never want to take church lightly but especially not the presence of the Almighty God!

Enjoy your Sunday in God, and I hope to be back again tomorrow with another spoonful.. 

Thursday's Thought and Friday's Footnote

Matthew 24:35

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Good morning, one and all!

It's a blessing to me to write this blog and share it with whoever chooses to read it. I am once again bringing you two servings of tonic in one, all because my schedule seems so sporadic these past few days. 

I found this short poem in a book yesterday (The Speaker's Quotebook by Benjamin R. DeJong), and I thought I'd share it with you:

When You Read the Bible Through

I supposed I knew my Bible,

Reading piecemeal, hit or miss,

Now a bit of John or Matthew,

Now a snatch of Genesis,

Certain chapter of Isaiah,

Certain Psalms (the twenty-third),

Twelfth of Romans, First of Proverbs --

Yes, I thought I knew the Word!

But I found that thorough reading

Was a different thing to do,

And the way was unfamiliar

When I read the Bible through.

You who like to play at Bible,

Dip and dabble, here and there,

Just before you kneel, aweary,

And yawn through a hurried prayer;

You who treat the Crown of Writings

As  you treat no other book --

Just a paragraph disjointed,

Just a crude impatient look --

Try a worthier procedure,

Try a broad and steady view;

You will kneel in very rapture

When you read the Bible through.

--Amos R. Wells

For several years, I read my Bible from Genesis through Revelation; then I skipped a few years, but I'm back again this year. This poem is so true - one can find so much more in the Bible - when we read it through!!

God bless your Friday and, if He's willing, I'll be back with more tonic soon!

Monday's Moment, Tues. Tidbit, Wed. Whisper

Luke 18:16

 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Good morning, one and all!

Well, this is a first for me - serving you three spoons full of tonic at one time, and I sincerely hope that this never happens again. But, with remodeling going on in our motor home for the past three days, life hasn't been going along as usual. Here I am, though, and I'd like to leave something with you today.

Saturday, I went on outreach with some of the people from the local church here in Union City, TN. Two young ladies were interested in starting a bus route for picking up children for Sunday School, so we chose a mobile home park for our outreach area. At the first mobile home where we stopped, two young girls were hanging their heads out of an open window, curious about who we were and why we were there. They warmed up to the church people right away.

My friend, Phyllis and I approached another mobile home, and found a boy about 8-10 years of age working on an old wagon. We made small talk with him. I offered him a lollipop, which he readily refused. When we asked him if he'd like to go to Sunday School, he replied, "No." Both of us had a hard time with his response.

Phyllis snapped a picture of him, and we continued to talk about him after we moved on to other homes. Why was he so solemn? What kind of life did he live behind closed doors? What had happened in his young life to make him so guarded? It's still bothering me today. I am including his picture for you. Pray that God will soften his heart, so he will come and be a part of the exciting Sunday School program going on in this city. 

On Sunday, I thought back to my own life and had to tell the Lord how grateful I was and still am that my parents were born again by the time I turned ten. I never had to live in the kind of conditions I saw Saturday. My heart is still full of thanksgiving for my blessings, but after Saturday's outreach, I realize that there are so many who live without what I knew as the norm.

What is really sad is that there are so many children who live in godless homes, where they witness all kinds of violence and immorality on television, and perhaps even among their family members. Can we reach them? I am reminded of the verse in the Bible where Jesus said.... 

Luke 10:2

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

There are so many fields of labor for the Lord but, sadly, the labourers are so few. There is so much to do.

May our hearts be touched by the love of Jesus Christ so we will feel as He does about lost souls... and do our part in His harvest!

Hope to see you again tomorrow!

Sunday's Specialty

Luke 14:23

 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Good morning!!!

Thanks be to God for granting us the privilege of awakening on yet another Special Sunday!

Yesterday, six of us went on an outreach trip to a mobile home park about nine miles from the church. There were two young ladies with us; one 18 and the other 21 - and to say that they were excited about reaching out to others is an understatement. They were thrilled to be out among people, inviting them to church. 

The mobile homes, for the most part, were in deplorable condition. I realized as I walked with the others through the pitiful "park", how very blessed my life has been. Growing up, I never saw conditions like those I saw yesterday. While we were never rich, we had a great life. I confess to feeling unable to fully grasp how to help these people, all because my upbringing had been so different. 

But our two young lady friends were not a bit deterred by the obvious. They walked up to doors, knocked on them, and offered the warmest smiles to all they talked to. I was inspired by these two. All they wanted was to bring people to the house of God; they shared their Jesus!! Their lights were shining brightly!

I thought of this old song and wanted to share it with you today:

Lord, Lay Some Soul upon my Heart

by Mack Weaver & Baylus Benjamin McKinney

Lord, lay some soul upon my heart

And love that soul through me

And may I bravely do my part

To win that soul for Thee

There are many highways and hedges in our world today, containing people who are in sad shape because they do not know the Lord. Hurting people, who need to know of a healing Savior. Do we care enough to share Jesus with them? How passionate are we to be about our Father's business?

May our hearts be stirred to forever live in a state of reaching out - not just on Saturdays - but all week long. Wherever we go, to shine our lights for Jesus - and to share Him!

God bless you all with a very Special Sunday, and I pray to be back again tomorrow with you!

Saturday's Snippet

Joshua 1:7

Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.

Good morning, and a Sweet Saturday to you all!

I am reading through the book of Joshua at this time, and enjoying this book. The above verse seems to be a prominent command of the Lord to Joshua. Simple, but profound. Be strong. Be very courageous. Observe the law which Moses commanded. Don't waiver from the path. Do all of this, and you will prosper wherever you go!! A very good way to live the Christian life - actually, the only way to live the Christian life.

Commitment and Christianity go hand in hand. But, no matter when we started on this walk with God, we must keep our commitment renewed. It is so easy to become lackadaisical, but a daily renewing of our commitment to Jesus Christ will keep us alive, alert, and ready to meet the challenge.

We can do all things through Christ, which strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13)  Through Christ, and only through Him, can we live effective, victorious lives. Keeping our prayer life fresh and new each day; reading, studying, and living His Word.... living holy - these are the components that make up the life of a true Christian.

There is a song from the past, and I'm not sure who penned these words, but they are fitting for today's blog post:

I'm Committed

Verse One

In every little thing I do

I want to give my life to You

O, Lord, I'm committed

I want to give my all in all

No matter what the cost

O, Lord, I'm committed

Chorus

I'm committed

Even though my works aren't really what saves me

O, I'm committed

I'm presenting my body as a living sacrifice

Our Saturday will be oh, so sweet, if we live it for Him - committed to His cause and purpose - sold out for Him, and Him alone!

Lord willing, I'll see you again tomorrow!

Friday's Footnote

Deuteronomy 34:10-12

10 And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,

11 In all the signs and the wonders, which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land,

12 And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel.

Good morning, and a Fabulous Friday to all my Family & Friends!

This is another day that the Lord has blessed us to see. Looking out the window of my motor home, I see that it is a sunny day here in Union City, TN. Glad to be alive today!!

In reading through the Bible this year, I came to the final chapter of Deuteronomy; a book filled with much wisdom and promise from God. As I was reading in my Life Application Bible, I read these notes:

"Moses, the man who did not want to be sent to Egypt because he was "slow of speech" (Exodus 4:10), delivered the three addresses to Israel that make up the book of Deuteronomy. God gave him the power to develop from a stuttering shepherd into a national leader and powerful orator. His courage, humility, and wisdom molded the Hebrew slaves into a nation. But Moses was one person who did not let success go to his head. In the end, God was still Moses' best friend. His love, respect, and awe for God had grown daily throughout his life. Moses knew that it was not any greatness in himself that made him successful; it was the greatness of the all-powerful God in whom he trusted."

Deuteronomy 34:10 tells us that the Lord knew Moses "face to face." Now, THAT is what you call a close friendship! Moses felt his inadequacies but, when he placed his trust in God Almighty, he was changed to be what God wanted him to be.

This will always be one of my favorite songs, and it is often more than a song to me; it is a prayer:

Called to Be 

by Jonathan Nelson

Verse One

In the journey of life 

There are winding roads

Mountains high and valleys low

Though the road ahead may be unknown

I'm still focused on the prize that's worth pressing for

Chorus

I will be what You called me to be

I'll say, Yes, Lord, I agree

My desire, passionately

Is to be what You called me to be

That's what I'll be

Verse Two

All road signs read Destiny

I'll follow wherever You lead

Nothing can hinder me

For the prize is all I see

All I see......

Rather than focusing on what we feel we cannot do... let's focus on our Lord Jesus Christ, the One who enables us to be what He has called us to be... through the power of His Spirit that dwells in us!!

Feel after the Father on this Fabulous Friday... He is Forever Faithful!!

Hope to see you some time tomorrow with another spoonful!