Victory of spring

Sickness dominates the news;

a virus has infected-

Millions shelter from this cloud

The globe is now affected.

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Governments and scientists

unite to seek solutions;

Soldiers wearing masks and gloves,

Battle for the wounded.

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Homes are now a refuge

from agents in the air..

unseen foe is out there,

causing much despair.

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But nature shows the hand of God

painted on the trees;

Flowers bud and bursting forth,

The forest sings in green!

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We may stop and we may stall

and we may see life altered,

But God is still the King of all;

And spring will be the victor.

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For He is Lord of all that lives,

This season shouts His glory-

And we, in hopeful voice proclaim

The virus will be history!

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And spring will lead life fresh and new

Our God will tell His story.

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Song of Solomon 2

11 for behold, the winter is past;
    the rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth,
    the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
    is heard in our land.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

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"Death is inevitable.  Life is a choice!"

John 11:25

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live."

Different styles of learning

We are told that people have different preferred 'channels' for learning.  Some are auditory, some visual.  Some prefer to read and others like to learn through physical activity.  When the Lord was on earth I believe He recognized this.  As prophecy was fulfilled through His healing ministry and through the working of many various miracles, which showed His rule over nature, Jesus appealed to the visual and sensory learners to confirm His divinity.  And when He spoke, He spoke truth and He spoke the words of His Father, full of wisdom and peace.  We see some of the frustrations of the disciples, even as late as the night of the last supper...they still seemed to be grappling with who He truly was.  Jesus reminds them that He has presented His origin from Heaven in various ways:

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John 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

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Earlier, Jesus delivered a similar message to Jews at the Temple, during the Feast of Dedication...when He also spoke of His role as shepherd of the sheep:

John 10:24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me.

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Whether through works or words Jesus clearly reveals His identity and His purpose in glorifying the Father and in drawing people of faith to Himself.

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What is your learning style?  Will your faith be awakened through Jesus' works or His words?  Or do you find little interest in learning when it comes to the things of Heaven?

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blessings,

Rob Smith

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"Death is inevitable.  Life is a choice!"

John 11:25

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live."

Air

We fill our lungs with unseen stuff

That brings life to our body

The atmosphere is everywhere

And has a presence mighty,

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Breezes gentle, often still

but sometimes wind is flighty

moving trees on puppet strings

with power matching lightning

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On it ride the birds of size

Soaring in its currents-

Looking down, as if they're crowned

as Watchers of the tiny

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As the air surrounds us here

So Spirit moves among us

Giving life to seeking hearts

Bringing Heaven's longing

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Sometimes gentle, often still

Waiting for His timing

to lift another from earth's grip

and taste the truest flying

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The Father blows His kiss this way

As Spirit opens eyes

The Words become the force that blows

our faith into His skies

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So watch the breezes blow today, 

moving leaves about

Remember how His Spirit moves

(and make a holy shout!)

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Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

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"Death is inevitable.  Life is a choice!"

John 11:25

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live."

trading work for worship

Each day we tend to struggle,

That seems to be our way-

Life often seems a jumble

where problems have their say.

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We think it's all about our work;

The effort that we bring,

And cent'ring on ourselves we strain

for meaning as we slave.

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But, look around, spring's bursting forth!

How little did you add?

The Lord's in Heav'n, still touching Earth

Why can't this make you glad?

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Exchanging work for worship

Now there's a welcome plea

Seeing God in what He's made

(including you and me)

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Set striving, fears and selfish things

high upon a shelf-and

skip like children through a field

forgetting Mr. Self.

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You are His Creation too,

fashioned by that Hand-

Built for joy and thankfulness,

with love to tend the land

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So trade your work for worship

and see your burdens lift

Look around and then look up...and

Make your heart His gift.

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Psalm 47:1 "Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy."

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blessings all,

Rob Smith

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"Death is inevitable.  Life is a choice!"

John 11:25

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live."

His voice

John 10:4 "When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."

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As a young child I remember being very excited to see my father.  When he came through the door after work we would run to him.  A special thrill were those times when my Mom took us to pick him up from the airport.  We would search the faces and appearance of all who were coming through the airport concourse and strain to see him.  When we spotted him we felt a surge of joy because to us he was our hero.  I thought he must be the most wonderful man in the world.  Out of all these busy grownups I had one who was important and who loved me in a very personal way.  And he often had some kind of treat for us...something simple like a roll of lifesavers...but somehow it became a treasure, coming from him.

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And I always loved my father's voice.  I'm not sure that his voice was any more impressive than other voices, but I associated his voice with his love, because that was how he was with us...he spoke to us children out of love.  

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Perhaps this is something like our bond with Jesus.  We have heard His voice of love coming from words of scripture and those words have found an intimate place of knowledge in our hearts.  We have responded to that love and openly told him about our faults and our issues and now, when we recognize Him...in nature...in His words...in the experience of others...we still run to Him.  For He truly is our hero, both now and forever!

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blessings!

Rob Smith

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"Death is inevitable.  Life is a choice!"

John 11:25

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live."

The gift

The gift of life comes to the mother,

Nine months she has to start

a bond, once formed, that never breaks

through all the years that part.

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Into that child she pours her heart,

so little does he know

the benefit of being loved

till he much older grows.

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Carried daily first by arms

and then with acts and words,

She nurtures him, and reads him rhymes

and gives him what is firm.

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That he might never go a day,

through all the meals and clothes and toys,

Above all else, not just a boy,

You are her son, and somehow joy

springs from her well of life always

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And knowing now this lifelong bond

Established long ago,

Still remains a cornerstone

Of that which makes him whole.

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For love so unconditional

Is what each child so needs,

To meet the bruising waves of life

and plant eternal seeds

That recognize the love of God

and brings you to the knee.

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You spent those years just giving

all you could to him,

So now he starts to realize,

the value of your gift.

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Thank you, Mom, for bringing me

into this awesome world

And thanks, still more, for loving me.

That gift still fills my sail.

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"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." – 3 John 1:4

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for Mom, as she turns 97 this Friday!

Rob

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"Death is inevitable.  Life is a choice!"

John 11:25

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live."

A new day

Matthew 28:1 "Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb."

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I have wondered about the silent Saturday that Jesus was in the tomb.  Why did it happen that Jesus would be dead for that day.  Why couldn't He rise on Saturday instead of Sunday?  I don't really know but it occurred to me that Jesus was dead over the course of the full Sabbath.  The Sabbath had been instituted by the Father to remember the 7th Day of Creation, when the Father rested.

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Genesis 2:3 "So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation."  

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Just as the Father rested from all His work, done in Creation, so the Son rested when His work was done for restoration.  John 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.  Luke records it this way: Luke 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last.

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We think of Jesus as dead for that day but we know He'd committed His spirit to the Father and he promised the thief on the cross next to him: Luke 23:43 And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise."  

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And you might consider this the final official Sabbath because the next day became known as the Lord's Day...Sunday...and now we mark the beginning of the week, as we mark the celebration of new life, purchased by the blood of Jesus.

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John 20:"19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

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The Cross represented incredible agony but it also marked incomparable victory...a victory celebrated first when the Son went to the Father in Spirit immediately upon dying and by the Disciples when He returned to His body and rose.  Jesus celebrated the final Sabbath rest with His Father and now we celebrate the victory of life on the day He rose!

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blessings!

Rob Smith

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"Death is inevitable.  Life is a choice!"

John 11:25

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live."