Month: January 2021

TeacherStudent

HOME. This world is not.

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:1-3)

*************************************************

HOME. This world is not.

Growing up through childhood and even adolescence, I never felt like I wanted to leave the home my parents provided for me and my brother. Some of my friends would talk about doing this and some even acted on it, but I did not have a reason to even give it serious thought. My little brother, however, did pack a few things into a wagon once when he was quite young and decided to leave home over some incident that upset him. But he was back to eat not long after. Home was safe, warm, and loving. Mom was always there. Dad always came home from work. My brother and I now realize how blessed we were to have a home like this. It was a home we could—and always did—come back to in adulthood. Yet, it was temporary, for the physical place remembered as “home” changed and our parents passed from this world to enter their eternal home.

The true HOME we await as Christians is that eternal home with God and our Savior Jesus. He has promised a place for you and for me there–if we accept Him as Lord and follow His path and commands. The path we must take is not an easy one. We each have our own crosses to bear in this life, as Christ bore His—not just at the end but throughout His life on earth. How did He leave a home that was so loving with His Father, to come to a place where He was homeless during His ministry?

19 And a scribe came up and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests;  but the Son of man has nowhere to lay His head.” (Matthew 8:19-20)

HOME. This world is not.

It was not His home, yet He came. For you and me, He entered this earthly realm, humbly, as a baby. For you and me, He suffered mocking, torture, and the most grievous pain of separation from His Father as He took our sins onto Himself. The One without sin did this for us all, that we might be forgiven and saved.

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, la’ma sabach-tha’ni?” that is, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

HOME. This world is not.

(Mark 15:37) And Jesus uttered a loud cry,

and breathed His last.

(Matthew 27:50)And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit.

HOME–

Where He waits,

For you and me

To be with Him,

A place prepared,

Eternal dwelling

With the Father–

HOME.

(Sharon G. Tate 01/24/21 blog) teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word

TeacherStudent

Hope and Grace Through Prayer

Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer

 (Romans 12:12)

*****************************************************************
In hospital with COVID. On lots of oxygen.
Will get plasma, cocktail of meds.
Maybe a ventilator. You have medical directive. Pray.
Message to my son on November 20th, 2020.
**************************************************
Due to prior lung disease/damage from autoimmune disease and a compromised immune system, the odds were not in my favor to avoid a ventilator or even total respiratory failure and death. The ER doctor said I was almost too late; I could not inhale. He asked if they had permission for chest compression and a ventilator if needed. I nodded permission. The message was sent to my son after I was taken to the COVID wing.
You have medical directive.
But truly, the medical directive was in God’s hands.
I knew, by faith, that if It was His Will for me to live and not be vented, then this would be the medical decision. I prayed and asked for prayers. The prayers of many were heard, from people I did not even know, and I beat the odds through His grace.
14 And this is the confidence which we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His Will He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask we know that we have obtained the requests made of Him. (I John 5:14-15)
AMEN and AMEN.
 During the darkest of days, His Light is always there.
                     Seek the Lord and His strength,seek His presence continually! (I Chronicles 16:11)
These words still speak to us today.
There are those in our church family going through serious health struggles, confronting the unknown. All of us have struggles to deal with daily. God knows our concerns, our heartaches, our trials. He can remove them instantly. Yet, we are to seek Him. The sacrifice by Jesus opened a pathway for us to reach God. Prayer is the direct communication to seek His strength, His presence, His mercy, and His grace.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)
LET US PRAY TO HIM ON BEHALF OF EACH OTHER.
20 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, 21 to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
 (Sharon G. Tate blog 01/17/21) teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word