Month: May 2019

TeacherStudent

REMEMBRANCE OF HONOR

 

LEGACY OF LOVE

“Heaven and earth will pass away,

but My Words will not pass away.” 

 (Matthew 24:35)

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In a special place in my garage, on the passenger side where my car is always parked, I have a Memorial of Honor for my father, who served in WWII. His Air Force Veteran hat is placed there with a small flag and a red, white, and blue star. I see it every time I get into my car to leave my condo. His presence is always felt in my heart, and I can hear him saying, “Drive safe.” Even though he is gone from this world, his words still speak to me. My heart hears him in memory.

Remembrance is a gift from God. It is the way we hold onto the ones we love when their physical presence is no longer here to touch and hold. That embrace becomes a memory, vividly real and almost tangible. Our loved ones do not pass away from our presence while we carry them with us in heart and memory.

The Presence of the Lord, the One who loves us more than all others we have ever encountered or ever will meet, abides within those of us who believe in Him. His Words still speak to us. His Words have not– and will not– pass away. He lives in us through those Words– talking to us in our thoughts, speaking to us in our hearts, and directing us in our actions—IF we want to hear Him.

He tells us how to live upright before men and before Him and our Father:

** 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)

** 37 Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

The love that He made real in the ultimate sacrifice of His own life for each one of us throughout time is revealed to us through the Word. His eternal promise is our hope to live with Him always.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

 He lets us know that He cares about us now and forever.

** “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

** 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (John 4:13-14)

He lets us know by His Words that we are safe with Him.

27 “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” (Matthew 10:27-30)

 Through the way we live our lives and the manner that we conduct our inner lives, have we set up a Remembrance of Honor for Him?

Have we shared His Legacy of Love with others?

(Sharon G. Tate blog 05/26/19) teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word

 

TeacherStudent

Growing Henceforth into the Likeness of Christ

16 that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)

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G erminating

R ising

O pening;

W eather-beaten

T ransforming

H ereafter–

The seed is planted. The Word rises within us, opening us up to Him.  The good rains fall over us, and we grow more, blossoming happily in Son Light.

A perfect vision–until the storms. Struck with punishing rains, pummeled by hail, buffeted by gales. Weather-beaten. We ask: “How do we stand tall before the Son?”

A transformation must occur. Changing. Becoming stronger to withstand the storms of life through recognition of our weakness. Not standing tall but bowing down, His Hand lifting us up as we  re-germinate, arise again, open anew, endure the trials, mature and grow.

                      Becoming more like Him. Kneeling before Him.                     

Henceforth from now on, from this day forward, hereafter with Him.

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We come to Christ through a seed planted from God, maybe through our parents, a Bible school teacher, a friend, a colleague, a preacher, a Bible on a motel room stand. The Word takes form within us, shaping us, enabling us to see Him in His glory, in His goodness, in His sacrifice, in His love. The Son sends a Light we have never known before. Happily, we choose to die to our old self in baptism and come up out of the water a new and forgiven soul.

But the initial bliss is tested as storms and trials do come. The fruit from the tree of life has been tasted before us. The promise is not Eden before the fall. Yet, there is the promise of a Helper to get us through difficult times. How we react and reach out to Him for sustenance and refuge determines our growth and transformation.

We don’t stand tall before the Son. We bow down and look up, clasping our hands in prayer to the One who hears, to the One who waits, to the One who holds us close.

Becoming more like Him. Kneeling before Him.

Henceforth from now on, from this day forward, hereafter with Him.

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But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.  (2 Peter 3:18)

(Sharon G. Tate blog 05/19/19) teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word

 

 

TeacherStudent

Train Up a Child: Influence of a Godly Mother

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6  ******************************************************************************

Teacher, nurse, doctor, lawyer, judge, chef, hygienist, interior decorator, mechanic, psychologist, hairdresser, librarian, negotiator, cheerleader, financial adviser, role model, artist, and so much more. . .

MOTHER: Multi-Occupational, Talented HER.

HER role is pivotal in the life of her children. HER influence emanates through the life of her child from birth to death—and throughout eternity. When a God-fearing mother is that influential presence, Proverbs 22:6 can be fulfilled. Father and mother are both the responsible trainers in their children’s lives, but the mother has the initial bond internally in child-bearing and continues to be the child-bearer in many ways throughout the life of her daughter or son.

 “Being a mother means that your heart is no longer yours; it wanders wherever your children do.” (Author Unknown) ¹

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” ― Washington Irving ²

A praying mother is a powerful presence, moving through time with her sons and daughters: “I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.” Abraham Lincoln. ³

A praying mother has no boundaries of space, traveling ahead of her children with protective prayer: “If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been.” Robert Brault 4

God gave mothers a special place in His plan. A human mother bore the Savior of us all. Mothers bear the children who have the potential to become the followers of Jesus and carry on His work here in His church and throughout the world—if properly trained, if earnestly prayed for, if devoutly reared by a Godly mother.

May we be mothers who carry forth the plan God designed for us. God help us faithfully nurture and raise children who will know the Way to go and never depart from it.  Amen.

1 scrapbook.com

2 goodreads.com

3 brainyquote.com

4 pinterest.com

(Sharon G. Tate blog 05/12/19) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word

TeacherStudent

Judgment Day is Today! Living Daily for Christ.

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your Name and in Your Name drive out demons and in Your Name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!’”  (Matthew 7:21-23)

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“I NEVER KNEW YOU.”

Words we would pray to never hear from someone we love. The anguish of being erased from a loved one’s memory is an emotional pain that we would never want to endure. This painful loss of a loved one looking at us with no recognition seems unimaginable. Yet, this is what it is like to have a loved one with advanced Alzheimer’s, a heart-breaking disease with no cure in this world.

Having experienced “I never knew you” with my mother who had advanced Alzheimer’s, I have a deeper understanding of what the words of Jesus will really mean if I allow sin to control my life. If Christ looks at me with no recognition, speaks the words to me “I never knew you,” and exclaims “Away from Me, you evildoer!” — the permanence of these words will be forever throughout eternity. There will be no hope of being with the One who loves me more– but turns from me if I have not followed His commandments. I will have chosen this eternal separation and forever loss of being with the One who loved me enough to die for me. The eternal anguish of “I never knew you” will be heard over and over and over again and again, forever and always, in my mind with unbearable pain and utter darkness apart from God.

All because I forgot Him today after today after today . . .

Have we ever looked at ourselves in a mirror and wondered who it is we see? Can we change so much that we might say, “I never knew you” to our former selves. In Alzheimer’s, the person may not recognize herself in a mirror, even to the point of acknowledging another person coming up behind her and appearing in the mirror’s image as herself. I have witnessed this with my mother. The comparison is applicable, because we can become someone we don’t recognize when we draw away from God. The self we should see is Christ in us, but we become someone else when we allow sin to enter our lives.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 

(2 Corinthians 13:5)

The forgetfulness of Alzheimer’s is not a choice and can be cured with a new body from God after life here ends. Sin, however, is a decision to forget the One who loved us more. The cure must be here, today, in our hearts. God is waiting for us to change the image of the person in the mirror to reflect His goodness. He does not want anyone to be lost and turned away. Yet, the decision is ours to make in this life. We must realistically and honestly examine self in the mirror to know what words will be said to us on our judgment day with the Lord: “I never knew you. . . Away from Me, you evildoer” (Matthew 7:23) or “Well done, good and faithful servant. . . Enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:23).

We must know who we are each day and have a full realization of the meaning behind the words, “I never knew you.” The eternity we enter will be our choice. The image in the mirror will be what we have decided to be.

 10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10-11)

WE MUST BE DILIGENT SERVANTS OF CHRIST,

EXAMINING OURSELVES ALWAYS BEFORE HIM.

Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)

 

(Sharon G. Tate blog 05/05/19) teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word