Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

I think it was at Bumangi, our first dwelling site in Tanzania, that we fell head over heels for the mangoes that grew there.  Mmm.  Here is a locally purchased one!

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13 – 14

Listen, heart of mine, to the words of your great mentor, Paul of Tarsus, who shares his discoveries with us.  One of the greatest is, no doubt, this – that he does not brood over the past but presses on toward the goal to which Jesus Christ is calling him. He uses the expression “heavenward” to help us to understand how he is being pulled!  Many forces are at work in our world but the greatest is the pull upward, “heavenward” he calls it, toward God!

We human beings are pulled with forces beyond number, but which are very, very strong and promising, but futile!

Join me in making this life’s purpose, to be pulled heavenward by Jesus.

The fruit of the Spirit is longsuffering, gentleness.

Galatians 5:22

As June opens, I anticipated a nice, comforting verse to begin the month, something soothing to the spirit, I suppose.  So what?  Here is the word for today, this month, and all time.  The fruit of the Spirit is longsuffering, gentleness.  Let me read that again!  The fruit of the Spirit is to suffer long?  I would have expected that my promise for this morning would have been, “This month you will not suffer.”  But, no, that is not the way it is.  The fruit of the Spirit that is ready for me to eat is right there – suffering!  Am I called to suffer?  Absolutely.  Point to one follower of Jesus who does not suffer!  There is no one like that.

I find the second promise a bit nicer.  Gentleness.  I need that and I am blessed when I actually am gentle.  If the Lord enables me to receive both suffering and gentleness I am content.

At least once a year the Brubakers favor us with not only their evening but with their delicious food.  They did so this week and blessed Anna Ruth and me so much.  We have a picture of Sara that we will post.

A great evening, to be sure.  Thank you guys for coming over.  And furnishing that chicken and other tasty foods!  You guys are super special.

I suppose I will always be excited when such magnificent roses bloom here!  Enjoy out new blossom?

 “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”  The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

Luke 17:3 – 5

These later teachings of Jesus are compelling.  As I see it, the children of God are being sinned against all the time!  That is not a surprise because they have decided to place their lives in God’s hands, not the world’s. This means they live in a different “world” from those who do not believe.  All believers can do is to rebuke the sinners even though that seems like an endless task that we are called to do again and again.

I note that the reason for the rebuke is to encourage people to repent, not to exonerate us or condemn them!   We know where we are with God, they have no idea.  That does not mean that we just clam up.  It means being honest about to whom we belong.

Jesus sums it up with this simple statement, “Increase our faith.”  We do not have any responsibility for the faith of others, but we are responsible, before God, to have faith where non-believers are simply confused and helpless.

So today, as May closes, my plea is that I might be faithful to my Jesus, even if that looks futile!  He is able!

Our bridge needed considerable rebuilding so Alan and Paul took it upon themselves to do that!  Here they are, almost finished.  Good guys!

For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.

Hebrews 4:10

I have pored over this verse quite often, not quite sure what the writer is saying, or what he sees as the heart of the matter.  When the writer refers to the way God, after creating for a long time, takes time to rest, or at least to step back, perhaps, to see how things are turning out, he is making the statement that we should follow the example of God!  Now, rest like God rested!

God rested from his work.  That is clear from the revelation.  The point here is, there is a rest called “God’s rest.”  I believe that the meaning of this is to do what God does, step back and rest a bit, not out of frustration but with the purpose of perfecting what He is doing.

I believe that there are things in our relationship with God that we simply let in his hands because we can do nothing in any case, God alone can!  Whatever, the point is that God knows how to rest and he invites us to join Him in that.

But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Hebrews 9:12

This is a key passage, the key that unlocks all things about our salvation.  It is such an important passage that we do well to allow it to sink in.  It uncovers all mystery regarding our Salvation.

Jesus appeared.  The Promised One whose appearance is foretold in the book of Isaiah and other Old Testament books has appeared on earth, among us.  His name is Jesus.  He has appeared “once for all” which means that what he did is final and complete.  Offering the sacrifice for sin is such an earth-shaking thing that it occupies the center of our consideration.  Jesus became that promised savior!  There is no other!

What he did still astounds us.  By the sacrifice of himself he broke the power of sin.  This is at the heart of the crucifixion.  Jesus was that promised sacrifice!  Glory!  The One who is now watching me type these words is alive, active and precious beyond telling.  He is Jesus!

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Titus 2:11-14

Titus has his way of saying it but he sounds like the other Apostles!  The grace of God appeared offering us salvation, free and glorious.  That free gift shapes our entire life, life in Christ.

Only then can we discern the things of the Spirit, and to recognize ungodliness and say no to it.  That is our position in Christ.

Then, bless His Name forever, our Savior and great God appears, revealing to us Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for him.  Jesus has changed everything – he redeems us from all wickedness and purifies us as true followers of the Savior.

Jesus redeems us and purifies us!  We can not do this ourselves.  We plea for that to be given us through the mighty grace of God.

Touch me, again this morning with that touch of grace, it is You!