Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

Beside our pond we have some absolutely marvelous large grasses, name unknown to me.  They are near the fish pond.  I am awed by their beauty, waving and dancing in the slight wind.  Nice!

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4 – 7

God is rich in mercy!  When I ponder God, I am amazed by his creative power, his wisdom that astounds me, his purity and his every thought and action.  These leave me breathless.  I am saved by the grace of God!

Then I see these words, God is rich in mercy.  That is so precious because it has to do with God’s love for me!  When I consider God’s stupendous creative power and action I do not even think of his mercy.  He just does those mighty works.  But it his mercy that enables me to write these words, to even consider what it means for the perfect God to have mercy on me and to love me in my brokenness and sin.

God’s most mighty work is, in my mind, finding me dead in sin and then making me alive in Christ Jesus.  Is there a more improbable miracle?  I think not.  Not only have I been given life, but I have a marvelous destiny – to show by my life and thought that God is gracious!  Not only is He strong, but He is full of grace.  His grace trumps all his marvelous virtues, at least that is what I believe.  Saved by grace!  That is for all of us believers.

I need God to make me strong, but I fail there.  I need God to give me new life, His life in me.  When that new life is at work in me, I can be strong in faith.  This is a sure sign that Jesus Christ is kind beyond measure.

A couple of weeks ago Glenn and Elin pulled out some of their Fall lettuce plants and gave some to us.  Here they are a day before our first frost.  We have been eating the tasty leaves for couple of weeks, picking a few off on the outside.  Nice!  Thanks to the Brubaker family, now hosting Lilian and her family from Taiwan.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20 – 21

“I can do it!”  That is me talking.  “You can do it.”  That is my mother talking.  I knew only the language of “self-help.”

As long as I remember I knew it was up to me.

Then, at age 16, I met the Lord in a way that he alone could have planned.  That changed everything.  As I recall, Jesus became the center of my world, not me!  I had tried to be better, so to speak, and failed.

Then by some miracle of God’s grace I embraced Jesus Christ and by doing so He became the center of my life, not me.   I was astounded.  I had no idea of the difference that would make.  “God is able!”   Not me.

That way of looking at life changed everything.  When his power is at work in us, stand back and be surprised.  That is the story of my life.  And, I have discovered, it is the same story of all those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ.

To Him be the glory in the church and in Jesus forever more!  Amen.

John Newton, a former slave owner, wrote these words to announce his conversion by Jesus Christ.  Probably written in the 1830’s. 

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see. 

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

 Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:8 – 10

I must read this again.  We are created in Christ Jesus.  I was created when sperm fertilized egg!  My entire being is a miracle of grace.  I had absolutely nothing to do with that.  An outstanding mystery but true beyond a doubt.  Paul has it right – no one can boast about being born.  None of us had anything to do with that.

We then come to the new birth.  We see the same truth – we were created by God to do good works.  We who are new-born did not decide to do good works.  God decided to get his good works done by bringing us into the picture where we walk with God in doing good.  So, we can take no credit for doing good.  It is God at work in us, the very Spirit of Jesus Christ.  Our boast is that Jesus is in us doing good.

AMEN

Eliminate the two candles on the ends and 9 candy cups remain, one for each of the young children in our growing congregation.  When their birthdays come in 2018 each will receive a cup that I turned from different woods.  They will be filled with candy!  Whether they like the cups or not, I enjoy the giving!

So, may all the youngsters grow to be gallant men and women of Christ.

(I am wondering if I included Laura’s baby?!)

I love this hymn of Charles Wesley, a call to evangelize the entire world, a call that is now more urgent than ever.  The same Gospel is for all mankind, no matter what race, language or culture.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is for all mankind.  “Into all the world,” Jesus said.

(I quote but two verses.)

Come, sinners, to the Gospel feast;
Let every soul be Jesus’ guest.
Ye need not one be left behind,
For God hath bid all humankind.

Sent by my Lord, on you I call;
The invitation is to all.
Come, all the world! Come, sinner, thou!
All things in Christ are ready now.

When Anna Ruth stacks the bread pans like this, I know that the kitchen will soon exude the satisfying aroma of hand-made bread.  One of life’s simple but most profound delights.  Every week, four loaves!  What a wife!