Walking in kindness

Mathew 5:39

Jesus speaks on “an eye for an eye”

But I tell you , do not resist an evil person, if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Come on now, some people are such a challenge sometimes aren’t they!

But Jesus tells us there will be trials with everything!!! So instead of getting mad or running from them try to live as though you were meant to see this person today and that person you are angry or annoyed with may just be teaching you something, even about yourself!  So, be kind, even if they are not. Show you belong to the Lord and follow in his ways, they are always loving and truthful.

As you read through the posts you will see a lot written for changing a heart, watching your step and especially for forgiveness.

Because….God is Simply Kind!

The Call with Guest Speaker Jan Lucas

This week Jan speaks about “How to Heal Your Marriage” and how she gave everything over to Christ, putting Him in the center. Jan also lists 5 books to help you heal yourself and your marriage.

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

Jesus ascended 40 days after Passover-

The day has arrived-

50 Days- since Passover-

The waiting is over-

Pentecost (also called-Feast of Weeks) this is a festival for thanksgiving for harvested crops

The disciples gathered together in a room in Jerusalem and prayed- the presence of God came down upon them- first, a violent wind, fire and then the Holy Spirit.

Just as the fulfillment  of John the Baptist- the Holy Spirit would baptize these believers with fire which was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and a confirmation of the prophet Joel 2:28-29

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

People were hearing the praises of God in their own languages as the disciples were praying and praising God. This confirms to us that Christianity does not limit any race or group but God wants all to repent and come to Him.

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”  Acts 2:1-12

Is God speaking into your life?

Sometimes He just whispers and sometimes it’s dramatic, however He does it- He is trying to get your attention, why not pray?

Happy Pentecost – Praise God, seek God and Believe God!

Shalom

Nancy

The Christian Writer

3 Days to Pentecost

Drawing near to the time of the promise

If there was anytime that anticipation was at it’s highest is now. The Apsotles waited and knew that Jesus promise of the gift was about to unfold, just like us, when we seek to understand what God has for us and have to wait with patience, this teaches us that everything is done in God’s time, not ours.

So what do they do in their days of waiting?

Pray

What do we do in our days of waiting?

Pray

We carry on our lives as best we can, when we have anxiety over things we can’t control, we aren’t trusting in the Lord. The Apostles knew this and as anxious as they may have been at times, they knew His word was Truth. Just as they waited, we will wait for the Lord to act, be ready for what He will do next, you never know what God is going to do!

Shalom

Nancy

The Christian Writer

Leading Women to Christ

Mary Ball joins Nancy on Leading Women to Christ

20 Days To Pentecost

So they waited…… and began to plan

20 days to the gift that Jesus promised.

The disciples didn’t stand around with their hands folded they prayed and began to plan, several of the apostles went back to Jerusalem as Peter addressed a crowd of 120, he spoke about the scriptures and how they were fulfilled “through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as a guide for those who arrested Jesus- he was one of our number, Peter tells them, and shared in this ministry.” Acts 1:16-17

When Judas betrayed Jesus, the reward for his wickedness was that he bought a field, he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everybody in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field Akeldema, Field of Blood. 

The apostles didn’t wait around and complain about their circumstances they took action, they had to choose someone to take Judas’ place for leadership, it had to be someone from John’s baptism to when Jesus was taken up, that person needed to be a witness of the resurrection. Vs 21-22

They purposed two men, Joseph called Barabbas (also known as Justus) and Mathias. Then they prayed for the Lord to show them the one He chooses to take over the apostolic ministry that Judas left to go where he belongs. Vs 25. Then they cast lots and it fell on Matthias and he was added to the eleven.

Just as you and I wait in these days of uncertainty, the apostles felt the same, Jesus said wait in Jerusalem, we wait in our circumstances, God has a plan in our waiting, it’s not for nothing. He wants us to draw closer to Him, wait and pray, not to give up hope. Be open to his plan and be receptive to His call as the Apostles did, waiting is growth and seeing things in a different perspective, God’s hand holds us back as allows us to see the bigger picture and gives us time to heal, forgive and grieve. Don’t waste time worrying, Jesus tells us that, don’t waste the precious time you have on that, instead try to embrace wherever you are and make the best of it all.

Shalom

Nancy

The Christian Writer

32 Days to Pentecost

So they waited……

During the time that the Apostles were waiting for the gift Jesus promised, they didn’t fold their hands and wait, they took action, they walked back to Jerusalem gathered together and prayed. 

Acts 1:12-14 

 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

When you don’t know what to do, do you seek God for answers as the Apostles did?

They walked with Jesus, they saw Him go out alone to seek His Father for direction and guidance but Jesus could not sit still He took action, He prayed and walked ahead, He came into people’s lives and changed them for eternal rewards not earthly. He gave hope to those who were suffering, healing to the sick and love to the unlovable. Maybe what you have a story to share and that would bring hope to someone, just as Jesus took action, we have the gift of sharing His love with others as He tells us to “Feed His Sheep”.

Do you continue to share your life story with others who may need that encouragement?

Are you taking the time to sit with the Father in prayer?

Shalom

Nancy

The Christian Writer

35 Days until Pentecost

A time of waiting

For those who are not sure what Pentecost is about this is a definition from biblestudytools.com-

What does the Bible say about the topic of pentecost?

Pentecost was a Jewish festival that happened during the Feast of First Fruits. Happening 50 days after Passover, which celebrated Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, Pentecost was a time to celebrate the initial harvest feast. Israel gathered together to offer the Lord two loaves of wheat bread made from firstfruits of the grain. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit comes to the apostles to fulfill Jesus’s words that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit to glorify God’s name to all nations. As a result, we, the church and body of Christ, are called to bear witness to all nations through the power of the Holy Spirit to glorify the name of God!

Back to the Book of Acts- Jesus was giving the apostles instruction to wait for the gift He promised them.

Acts 1:6-11

⁶ Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restorethe kingdom to Israel?”

⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (www.biblegateway.com)

During this time of self isolation are you worrying about things that cannot be changed or are you thinking about your relationship with God? Jesus came into this world to save you from eternal death and to give you new life with Him, an eternal one in Heaven.

Something to take seriously, Jesus will come again, but only God knows when that will be. Are you ready to meet your savior?

Shalom

Nancy

The Christian Writer

37 Days to Pentecost

The Gift is coming!

On one occasion while He (Jesus) was eating with them, He gave them this command:

“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. Fot John baptized with water but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Why is this important?

The Holy Spirit draws us closer to Jesus, the Holy Spirit is a calming gift from above and you will see what Jesus does as we draw closer to the day.

Stay tuned!

Shalom, Nancy

The Christian Writer

Rejoice He Has Risen!

After Jesus died on the cross, a rich man named Joseph who was a disciple of Jesus went to Pilate and asked for Jesus body and he gave his new tomb over to Jesus and wrapped Him in clean linen cloth and rolled a stone in front of the tomb. After preparation  day the chief Priest and Pharisees went to Pilate to have the tomb guarded because they were afraid of what Jesus said about rising again after three days. So a guard was sent- but that wasn’t going to stop our Lord!

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb after Sabbath at dawn, there was a violent earthquake and an Angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled back the stone and sat on it. He shone like lightening and they were afraid but the angel assured them not to be and that Jesus was no longer there that He Has Risen!

The angel tells them Jesus is going ahead of them into the city and to go tell the disciples. We can’t imagine the joy they must have felt knowing that the Lord has come back to life, He was resurrected from the dead, He Defeated Death and is the only Living God.

Make no mistake about it, the account of this part of His life should assure you that God loves you and that no matter what you have done you can go to Jesus and confess your sins and ask for His forgiveness and make Him your Lord and Savior.

HE HAS RISEN

Shalom 

Nancy

The Christian Writer

Ref: Matthew 27, 28

Peter Denies Jesus, Scriptures Are Fulfilled

Jesus and His disciples are sitting together at the table, Jesus makes a bold statement:

“You will all fall away.” And letting them know- “it is written – I will strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.” Zechariah 13:7

Then Jesus tells them- “but after I have risen I will go ahead of you into Galilee”

Peter says “ Even if all fall away I will not.” But this is not the case as Jesus tells him, “Before the rooster crows twice you will deny me three times.” At this Peter empathizes with Jesus and says I will die with you and won’t disown you, so did the disciples. 

Right after they were finished eating as Jesus goes the the Garden of Gethsemane, he’s praying and deeply distressed, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” 

He asks the disciples to watch and pray and says to them don’t fall asleep “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” They did fall asleep and Jesus says the hour has come and I’m going to be betrayed into the hands of sinners, just as he says this they come for him and Judas is at the lead with a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priest, elders and teachers of the law. 

Judas walks up to Jesus and gives him a kiss signaling them that he was the one. Peter steps up, striking Malchus, the servant of the high priest cutting off his ear. But Jesus healed and restored him, saying “i’m not leading a rebellion, you have seen me everyday teaching in the temple courts, you didn’t arrest me then, but the scriptures are being fulfilled.

…….and they took Jesus to Caiaphas the high priest.

Next post: Jesus Faces High Priest & Roman Governor

Shalom

Nancy

The Christian Writer

Ref: Matthew 26