Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

1 O, for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King
The triumphs of his grace.

2 My gracious Master, and my God
Assist me to proclaim
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honours of thy Name.

3 Jesus! The Name that charms our fears
That bids our sorrows cease,
‘Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
‘Tis life, and health, and peace.

4 He breaks the power of cancelled sin,
He sets the prisoner free.
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood avail’d for me.

Charles Wesley, author

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Ephesians 6:18

Pray!  In the Spirit!  On all occasions!  With all kinds of prayers and requests!  I need this advice and encouragement.  My life of prayer is so shallow, it seems to me.   Does this limit the way God wants to work in my life?  If this is a deficit in my life with the Lord, and I assume it is, I pray that I will know more and more of what it means to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

My own walk with the Lord has roots in prayer.  That life of prayer bonds me with Jesus all the time.  It is so blessed and necessary that I seldom think of how important it really is.  I need to rediscover the extraordinary gift of prayer that pushes everything aside as I go directly to Jesus for everything.

This morning I see clearly the phrase, keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.  Have I been concentrating solely on my own needs, forgetting to pray for all the Lord’s people?  I hear the Lord say, pray for yourself, and pray for my people all over the world.

Lord, I am a willing student in your school of prayer.  Teach me daily how to pray!

One of my favorite flowers is the snapdragon.  This year we had a few plants that bloomed almost constantly, now fixing to rest as frost approaches.  I grew up with these flowers so I have a soft spot in my heart for their dependable beauty and grace.

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1, 2

Can it be that I am a “dearly loved child” of the God of all love?  As a father, grandfather and now a great grandfather, I do love my children, of three generations.   Anna Ruth and I pray for each every day and ask God to bless them, keep them, and pray that they may each find the face of Jesus Christ and accept anew his marvelous love.

Paul reminds us of the extent of God’s love, that he gave himself up for us. There is no greater love than that.  We, redeemed people, are to God like a pleasing offering and costly sacrifice of love and devotion.  I need to dwell on that aspect of our relationship more and more because it is the basis of all delight.

No matter how I am feeling, one thing is absolutely sure, Christ gave himself up for me!  My feelings have nothing at all to do with it. It is a glorious fact that Jesus presents me to God and God is eternally pleased.  Can I ask for more?

Thank you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit!  May I walk in the way of love, that love!

Frost is just around the corner.  Our late-blooming showy iris bursts into a glorious treat.   It was a great year, that is for sure.

Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.  From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Ephesians 4:15, 16

Paul’s words are as true today as when he wrote them to the Ephesian believers of many tribes and cultures.  I must admit, as I read the phrase we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ, I find myself thinking that I will try to understand this sometime.  That time has come.

The Lord expects us, aided by Holy Spirit, to grow, continually and purposefully.  We are not artificial plants that represent the real ones.  We are the real plants, growing and reaching out, always on the move.  We never stop growing.  I am almost 90 years and still at it!

What is the object of this growth?  To become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.  Again, we are reminded of our calling, to become like Jesus, our head.  Is there a higher calling?  I think of none.  It is high, indeed, to become in every respect the mature body of Jesus.  Jesus is the BODY and we become that body as well.  A profound invitation.

What does that mean for you and me?  It means that we should take our places, side by side with all true believers, to make up the real, authentic Body of Christ on the earth!  That is a mystery.  But as we ponder it, we are awed by the privilege we have – to become like Jesus as we walk with all believers.

Our lives take on a lofty calling.  Listen to Paul.  From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  So simple, so profound!

We had these plants at my home, as we do here, in our little woods next to the house.  We called them “money trees.”  Never did check on the botanical name.  Just enjoyed the white, translucent pods that carried seeds for the next generation.  The plant is unique in my estimation.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Yesterday our visiting speaker was Jenny Gehman, wife of Dan who has roots in our congregation at Chestnut Hill.  She and Dan passed through a strenuous year, having lost their long-held positions in the Millersville house, a home to several international students.  That was quite a blow for Dan and Jenny.

Jenny quoted the Humpty Dumpty ditty as a lead-in to her message that focused on what often happens – we fall and are badly broken and no one can fix us.  Her picture of a cracked egg at the bottom of the wall was impressive.  Poor, dear Humpty!

This set my mind to thinking.  When we feel secure, perhaps, then we are in danger of falling – of cracking into pieces, like our distressed Humpty!  We all know this story in our own lives.  We keep falling.

I felt my spirit asking, is there not another verse to this ditty?  Does it all stop there, a cracked egg at the foot of the wall with no healer?  Ouch!

After church I tried to find out who wrote it, why and when?  I got only enough of an answer to know that no one knows.  Probably 18^th Century England, but that is about it. I found, to my surprise, there is no second verse!

So, we are free to think about its truth!  Who has not fallen from a “safe” place of some sort or another, and who has not cried out for help, but found none?

So, as I sat there with my wife, Anna Ruth and granddaughter, Elizabeth, I found my spirit crying out – there is surely another verse, a verse written by a believer.  How about something like –

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
He cried out of his brokenness, Lord, restore me to fullness.
Now, he is back on the wall, forgiven and thankful.

Humpty reminds me of truth eternal, truth I know that keeps me from falling – and gets me back on the wall when it happens, again.

Amen 

A lovely hymn by Charles Wesley

Join, all ye ransomed sons of grace,
The holy joy prolong,
And shout to the Redeemer’s praise
A solemn midnight song.

Blessing, and thanks, and love, and might,
Be to our Jesus giv’n,
Who turns our darkness into light
Who turns our hell to Heav’n.

Thither our faithful souls He leads,
Thither He bids us rise,
With crowns of joy upon our heads,
To meet Him in the skies.

Here it is, middle of October, nearing the end of an amazing season.  This milkweed, bursting with life, and the milkweed bettles, orange and black, colors of the season, announce a summer of joy.  The fluffy seeds are eager to fly and propogate who knows where and beetles that beautify the scene, amazing.  I love Fall.  Maybe that is why I am so grateful to God for his goodness as I approach my 90th year!