Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

I must admit, certain foods have a special appeal for me, like the pizza that Anna Ruth prepared, one for her and one for me!  Mmm.

I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in his death.

Philippians 3:10

What does following Jesus entail?  I like the glorious aspects, like life everlasting, and so forth.  To be honest, I do not welcome, certainly not often, the prospect of following Jesus as a sufferer.  Yet that is exactly the word of God through Paul, the Apostle.  Did Jesus suffer for us?  Terribly much, we would say.  So, why should we think that following Jesus now will be the way to avoid suffering for his sake?

One of the most marvelous aspects of Jesus’ love for us is that He allows suffering to come to us, each personalized.  We suffer, we reign.  We are bashed by Satan, we rise in the fullness of God’s amazing strength.

As I think of it, suffering and rejoicing are not opposites, but fellows!

Those who may be following this blog realize that I am pushing 91!  So, I have thoughts of an aging man.  I find that I do not  resist that tug on my life but count it joy to be one of Jesus’ followers.  Praise His name now and ever!!

Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.

I Timothy 2:8

Timothy strikes a little different note here, designating that he is writing to the believing men, not the women, which comes later.  I usually think of men, young are older, as given to work and ministry.  I hang on to that but am arrested, in a way, by Timothy’s admonition for them to pray, using their hands, not to fashion tools, etc., but to pray!   Now, that is new!

They are to pray with lifted holy hands, cleansed by the Blood of Jesus, in prayer to God.  Timothy insists that they do so without any anger toward anyone or toward themselves. Just praying with a pure heart.  Without “disputing.”  That is insightful because there is so much judging of others in the brotherhood, or tendency to do so is not with unified hands but with malice and disputation.

Oh, Lord, please count us among those who love you dearly and who strengthen one another in the way of your peace!

We feel doubly blessed this year by having a bluebird couple use the blue bird house near the swing. Here is the male with a morsel for the young.  I see an insect wing in its bill. What a blessing!  Thank you, Lord.

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

I John 3:8

Might this be the most startling, promising, revealing revelation?

If I were to ask, why did Jesus come?  I suppose the last thing I could think of is, to destroy the devil’s work.  What comes to mind, however, is a list of things like, to bring peace, to pacify the mind, to make me a better person, to help me to be a better citizen of the land, give life a meaning.

As God planned it, Jesus has come to destroy the devil’s work.  I must grasp this truth with both hands, and especially with my heart and spirit.  Unless I see this clearly, I will falter.

The devil destroys everything he can, even what goes on in people.  He is always on the side of the scoffers.

I have lived many, many years in many different situations.  I can add my consent to the truth that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.  That is the bottom, so to speak.  If it is not true, woe is me and all like me those who have lived with Jesus for many years.

We do not find many people using this sort of language.  For John it explained everything in that area!  I thank God for revealing this to me, again and again, over so many years of life.

Anna Ruth and I were blessed beyond measure when Galen and Marie Burkholder and Ann Landis favored us with an hour and a half visit just before dark yesterday.  I can barely contain myself when I think of that.  It is only a few days since Paul’s death and here we were!  My, my.  God has surprises for us.  Our conversation was as precious as one can imagine.  We took our fellowship in Jesus even further, now with Paul off to glory and Ann settling into her widowhood.  This is the morning after, and my heart still leaps at the fact that they paid us that unforgettable visit.   Bless them.

Human relationships are important, that we know, but blend the human with the spiritual and we begin to understand the gift we have in Christ.

Paul was a student at Lancaster Mennonite School when I taught there.  That relationship remained strong through the years, tested and tried, troubled and smooth, promising and disappointing!  And much more.  That is all now in the heart and memory – praise God for His goodness in giving us life-long friendships.  Paul and Ann walked with us all those many years.

So the visit with us yesterday had that aura of love and friendship.

Galen and Marie have been soulmates of ours and workmates in ministry for many, many years.  We will always praise God for the mercies we have received as we walked together, as people in Jesus and as colleagues in ministry.

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”  Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”

John 12:27 – 28

Can it be?  Jesus is passing through heavy, heavy troubles!  What lay ahead for him is beyond imagination.  The Perfect Lamb of God is nearing the hour of slaughter.  Fortunately, Jesus is in the hands of God, not Satan.  If I had any doubt, that was dispelled by the clear voice of God, his Father.  “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.”

Is this really the way God is glorifying his Son?  It all seems so troubling.  But here it is – our salvation depends on the glorification of Jesus and Jesus’ glorification of his Father.  The mixture of pain, pathos hope and faith that Father and Son expressed is the bedrock of reality and the basis of our salvation!  Who among us who have experienced this wonderful salvation can but bow and praise for this marvelous gift of God?

Jesus’ soul was troubled.  My soul was speechless.  There, friend, is the mystery and grace of Salvation of Jesus Christ, wrought with his very own blood.

My life is centered there!  I have no other place.  Praise him for loving me beyond thought!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

Take heart!  I love that. This world is both welcome, challenging and at times not welcome at all.  What does this mean for us believers?  First off, Jesus is as honest as his name suggests.  Christians, you and I included, have trouble!  This threatens our peace.

The peace we have with God in Jesus is precious beyond belief, almost.  How understand that?

The declaration ends where it begins – Jesus is the over comer!  If we are embraced by Jesus, we are safe indeed.  It is not that we overcome the world, but that Jesus overcomes the world and if we are in Him, we are overcomers!

We live every day and in every situation with that faith, God loves us!  Lord, I embrace that with all my heart!

This is Monday morning, weekend past, little activity except Anna Ruth went to two funeral events, one that of Paul Landis.  Prayed at home.  Decided not to attend Chestnut Hill.  Derrick resigned.  Not a great surprise.  Will happen in a few months.  Change is normal!

I think their moving out of the area was a problem for some.

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppress and humble of Spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite. 

Isaiah 57:15

Can this be?  Jesus, after his Resurrection from the dead ascended into the heavenlies, as promised as of old.  To rest on what he accomplished for us?  Not at all.  He is busier that ever, listening and answering the prayers of his adopted children.  Without this ministry where would we be?  That is the source of all goodness.

Where does God dwell?  With the oppressed and humble of spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.  What does this mean for me and you this morning?  The Spirit means what he says, God almighty dwells with the needy, the praying ones, the destitute.  You and Me!!

May 2 – praise God.  He loves us forevermore!