FOLLOWING JESUS
Today’s Reading: Luke 5
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).
Early morning view over the Sea of Galilee. No doubt when Jesus arose early every morning for His private time of prayer, He often viewed such a sunrise. Enjoy!!!
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, click HERE.
Key Verse: Luke 5:11
So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
It’s exciting to follow Jesus! In this chapter, Jesus filled two boats with fish, cleansed a leper, healed a paralyzed man, called another one of His disciples, attended a party, taught about fasting, and gave a parable about clothing and wine skins. We need to keep watching Jesus and listening carefully to His teaching. To follow Jesus, Peter and Andrew left their business behind, and Levi (Matthew) resigned his government job. If we want to follow Jesus as our vocation, we too must be sure of His call, leave all behind, and learn from Him 24/7. Do we cling to something that should be left behind? As in Jesus’ parable, the new cannot just be added to the old life. It’s a new beginning. Now let’s invite Jesus, as Matthew did, to a party with our friends and introduce Jesus to everyone we know.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord Jesus, I am determined to follow You. This means that there is a cross for me to bear, as well as the joy of Your Presence. Grant me Your strength, Your willingness to sacrifice, and the grace of obedience. I’m Yours Lord, now and forever! In Your Name I pray. Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I’m committed to rising early every morning, spending time reading God’s Word and meditating on it. I give myself to prayer and then open my lap-top computer to produce this blog. In case a first timer has joined, let me remind everyone that if you start today, with daily persistence, you will complete the entire Bible in two years. At the present time in my life, this is what it means for me to follow Jesus. At other times, I’ve been a school teacher, a Bible College student, a Pastor and an Evangelist. To support my family, I’ve owned a little printing press and made business cards for all the businesses in the village, took a job in construction, knocked on every door in town to find children for Sunday School, and, yes, I hosted TV programs for 50 years. At each “crossroads” in my life, I decided to follow Jesus. Never, for one minute, have I been sorry that I left other things behind in order to follow Him.
Yours for following Jesus,
David
P.S. Yesterday, as I reflected on September 11th, 2001, I recalled how my cohost, Lorna Dueck, and I were live on the 100 Huntley Street telecast when the news broke that a commercial airliner had hit the World Trade Centre. About five minutes into the start of the program, our producer, George McEachern, interrupted to tell us the breaking news. We cut to the live CNN newsfeed and went to prayer. HERE is a video clip of 100 Huntley Street that day.
As the sick need a doctor so do the most obvious sinners need the holy Spirit….
The “warning” referred to in this poem was the 9/11 attack.God help us all.
Under God
One nation under God that denies Me,
Will fall apart and be devoured,
If you refuse my love that’s free,
As if I am something now soured.
Your enemies have delivered my warning,
Therefore turn back to find truth,
For the wolves only bring mourning
From the sacrifice of your youth.
Greed is now what too many now preach,
For the demon has reached within,
But you can still change to teach,
So the children may turn from sin.
If you allow the wolves in their power,
To consume with endless thirst,
Then you are guilty at this hour
In helping bring about the worst.
So remove the wolves behind the crown,
For they are deeply entrenched,
And let them and their filth drown
As my laws are tightly clenched.
G W (Bill) Marshall / 11/09/2013
Wow! What a memory 9/11. A great granddaughter was born to me yesterday after a very difficult delivery. After many hours of labour, the decision was made for a “C” section. She arrived in the evening of September 11, 2020. A beautiful heathy girl of almost 9 pounds. Her name is Nevaeh (heaven spelled backwards). Praying for quick recovery for her petite mom. Thank You Jesus.
Congratulations Doreen on the birth of your little Great Granddaughter. That is a very special and unique name they have given her. Many blessings and prayers to your Granddaughter for a quick recovery.
I was praying late last night when I saw that she had to have a C section. God is so good,
Blessings to all today And For the pic Reynold put on it was glorious. Thank you Bill for your poem,God sure gave you a talent for writing.
Sunny but cool today I have my clothes on the line. Eleanor M.
Thanks much for your prayers. It was a difficult situation. What a lovely prayer song in today’s posting. Blessings all.
Your welcome Doreen.🤗💕
Agreeing with Eleanor–fantastic photo, Reynold. 👌
Congratulations. May God richly bless this child.
Wonderful news, Doreen. Nevaeh–such a beautiful name and I am sure she is a beautiful baby. Praying for her mom, your granddaughter. God bless you. 🐏
Congratulation, Great Grandmother!! Praise God He hears and cares, and answers our prayers!!
What a unique Name for a precious little girl!!
Congratulations Doreen.
Beautiful Name. Praying for a quick recovery In Jesus Name
Amen.
https://youtu.be/jIMhshpf0Y4
Be thou my Vision
Lovely rendition, Eleanor. Amen.
Thank you Beveree, I was glad I was able to put it on by myself as I am not great at copying and pasting. 🤗❤️
You did a great job!! 👌
Beverlee you are so kind.🤗
Thank you Eleanor M, “Yes, Lord, be my vision”
I rarely comment anymore but sometimes, when I read something that I feels need more explanation for anyone who is reading this blog who not a Christian yet, or might have little understanding about Christianity I will.
First, in God’s eyes there is no such thing as worst sinners or better sinners, just sinners. We all have a fallen nature that causes us to sin and all sin leads to death. What God did was send His Only Son Jesus, to take our death sentence for us. By accepting Jesus as my Lord I acknowledge I cannot save myself from my sin nature, no matter how loving and good I might be– the only solution for my sin nature was to trade it in for our Lord’s righteous one– it is not my righteousness it is His, it is not my love, it is His, In Christ I am still a sinner, but I am a forgiven sinner who now can gain access to via the Holy Spirit the goodness of our Lord. But it is not my goodness it is His.
Second. 911 was not a warning from God. 911 was the consequence of sin. Human beings sinful nature caused 911 not God. The wages of sin is death. God creates life not death, so to say God was responsible any death is say God sins.
God has given us free will, the free will to choose death that our fallen nature brings or choose life in the person of His Son Jesus Christ as the only Savior. We should be focusing on preaching there is a way of our doomed natures, not berating the unsaved for their fallen natures, the same natures we all had before we accepted the Lord.
God doesn’t need to warn humanity about things He has already told them clearly in His Word. Right now there is the option of choosing the Good News, that there is a way out of our doomed fallen natures, and we have a obligation as part of the saved to make that Good News known. Yet it is not Repent or Be Doomed, it is You are Doomed, but Here is the Way Out– Jesus Christ– and those who want that way out will Repent.
Amen Donna. Thank you for sharing that most needed comment. God’s continued blessings on you.
Yes Amen Doreen M. 🤗❤️
So true, Thank you, Donna M
Thank You Donna
“God creates life not death”??? I think you should read the old testament.God created everything so it all belongs to Him.When circumstances are severe enough He will indeed cause death as a warning (and punishment) to others.Read Exodus for example.I am not pompous enough to go further nor will I enter into a debate.Some of you,perhaps most,have a greater knowledge of the bible than me and some think they are correct.God has caused death but it’s the second death we should fear.
In the above poem,the words came to me as quickly as I could type them back then,like taking dictation.(It seldom happens now and I am not a fan of poetry….It’s a long story.)
May God bless all you saints today.
PS:Jesus never read the King James bible.
I apology for not making myself clearer. It would have been more loving if you simply asked for clarification instead of getting defensive.
But since you did not ask clarification and you have no desire for a thoughtful discussion and reduced dialogue to “debate” I will honor your wishes and not discuss it further.
But for anyone else, please consider this question
If you stick your hand in fire and it gets burn, did the fire create your burn, or was it a consequence of you not respecting the nature of fire by putting your hand into it?
Likewise was death, “created by God” with the intention to kill, violating His own commandment? Or is death the final consequence of not respecting the Consuming nature of God’s Holiness?
Dear Jesus, thank You for going to the cross for us, for all people, for providing the way, for being the way of salvation, truth and life for all people everywhere. Without You, we are dead. But with You, as David said, there is a cross to bear as well as joy in Your presence.
Please help all Your people to be good stewards of all You have given: our time, talents, gifts… Help us to be good family members, workers, neighbours. Help us to be more like You! In Jesus’s name, amen
Amen Rob.
Amen Rob!!!
Amen Rob
In tears again!!
What as glorious view, thanks for posting it!
Amen saints. The committal service that I reported on yesterday happened today.
Glad you were able to see your family, Ger. I don’t remember when you mentioned that your brother Vinal passed. Yes, praise the Lord he claimed Jesus with his daughter beforehand. It must have been some time ago. God bless you.
Ger I am so happy for yo, knowing that Vinal is in heaven with The Lord. You will be able to see him again some day . God is so good.🤗❤️
Thanks saints!