Memorize Monday – free coloring page – Isaiah 54:10 “Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing, He makes me lie down in green pastures, …” – Psalm 23.
A good shepherd looks out for his sheep. The sheep know and follow his voice. A good shepherd goes after the one that looses its way, he leaves the 99 and searches until he finds that one lost sheep and returns to the fold. A good shepherd looks for the green pasture, the tuft of grass like the one pictured above, for the sheep to graze upon.
Back in David’s day, the green pastures aren’t the lush green pastures we think of. David was in the desert of Israel, green was far and few between. So the shepherds had to look and lead the sheep to the green pastures, the tufts of grass in the desert.
So it is with Jesus. He is our good Shepherd. He is going before us each day clearing the path for us and leading us to green pastures. He has cleared the path to the greenest pasture, Heaven.
1 Timothy 2:4 – “who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” God desires that all men be saved, to come to know Him, Truth. And so He made a way. He created us to have a relationship with Him but sin entered the world and that relationship was broken. So God sent His Son Jesus to pay sin’s penalty. It was Jesus sacrificing His life for us that paves our way to Heaven. Not our works, not our deeds, nothing of ourselves can get us into Heaven but accepting the blood of Jesus. We must choose. We must choose to hear His voice, we must choose to follow HIs voice, we must choose Him to enter our hearts.
John 10: 2 – ” The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.” John 10:9 – ““I am the Gate for the sheep,”
So even today this very moment, Jesus has not only paved the way to Heaven, which we could never do ourselves, each day He is leading us to green pastures. You may be in a difficult situation and wondering where that green pasture is. It’s there, it may not be what you think it should look like. In our own personal deserts there are green pastures. It may not be the lush green grassy field you are thinking of. It could something small and simple, unexpected. Maybe it’s just a verse from God’s word for you to cling to. Or perhaps it is a song in your heart. Maybe it’s just a text from a friend saying they are thinking of you. Maybe it’s a happy memory God gives to carry you through the day. Maybe it’s just ten minutes to savor between appointments. God gives us what we need. Its not always what we think we need. It can be hard to recognize the green pastures. Listen for his voice, follow Him.
For further reading: John 10:1-8, 1 Timothy 2:1-6
More resources: Israelu.org, Dave Adamson
“… the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
“Like a thief in the night,” unseen, quiet, unsuspecting. There are people who do steal in broad daylight but they are most likely to get caught. During the night the thief is quiet, it’s dark, less likely to be seen and most likely the victim is unsuspecting. Well maybe not so much these days.
How will Jesus return, in the night like a thief? Is that how we will meet Him in the clouds? The Bible say we don’t know the hour or the day – Matthew 24:36-44. No one knows but the Father. Jesus, His Son doesn’t know, not even the angels. Here in the book of Matthew it describes daytime activity. Like with Noah in verse 37, “They didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away.” (CSB) Verse 40, “two men will be in the field” and verse 41, two women will be grinding grain.” Verse 42, “Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.” (emphasis mine)
Even at night we can prepare for a possible threat to our homes. We have alarms to wake us, we have a plan of attack should someone enter home, maybe a weapon, security cameras and alarms that are connected to the police department. We are prepared.
So how do we prepare for Christ’s return? By staying alert. By staying anchored in His word daily, reading His word daily. The book of Revelation is packed full of signs of the days proceeding Jesus’ return. We see some of those signs today; what’s right is wrong, what’s wrong is right. You may be saying to yourself,” that’s been happening since the beginning of time. Well yes, it has. And when Jesus said He’d be returning soon (Revelation 22-12), according to His timeline it could be any day. “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” 2 Peter 3:8.
But if Jesus were to return during the day, imagine the chaos. God is not the author of chaos; 1 Corinthians 14:33. So would He allow chaos to ensue? But what a testimony for all to see. Of course the media and the experts will try and say it was aliens. Or will Jesus come in the quiet of the night? I don’t know. I know this it will be like a blink of your eye, 1 Corinthians 15:52, “It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.”
I know this too, Jesus is coming back! We all need to be ready. Are you ready? Are you prepared? Are you looking for signs?
Memorize Monday – free coloring page John 6:54 “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (NIV)
Jesus is the bread of life, John 6:35. The Spirit gives life, v.63. When we are reading God’s word we are partaking of His word, His flesh, and are being filled with His Spirit, (His blood), John 1:14. In verses 40 and 47 Jesus says anyone who believes in me will have eternal life. In verse 54 Jesus says whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. All we have to do is accept Jesus’ offer. He is asking us to believe by faith, Ephesians 2:8-9. Our good works will not get us into Heaven.
Is Jesus calling you today? He doesn’t require you to clean up your act. He’s not waiting for when you overcome your problems. When you are sick you don’t wait until you’re feeling better to go to the doctor you go when you are sick. Jesus came because of your problems, He wants to help you, He wants to give you eternal life. Let’s face it this world, it isn’t going to get better. And once Jesus comes to meet us in the clouds, there won’t be another chance. Will you let Him help you today? If not now, when?
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“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
Psalm 34:8
David, a man after God’s heart, who wrote the psalms, encourages the reader in Psalm 34 to experience God for themselves. We can hear about God’s goodness but David invites us to experience His goodness. We can’t really experience anything just by hearing about it. But when we use our other senses we can become fully engaged. We are invited to taste and see for ourselves God’s goodness.
All throughout the Bible there are passages that speak of feasts, festivals and food. Adam and Eve were placed in a garden with food, (Genesis2:8). In the Old Testament we can read about seven feasts that point to Christ. The Passover, (Leviticus 23:4-8); Unleavened Bread, (Leviticus 23:6); First Fruits, (Leviticus 23:10); Feast of Weeks, (Leviticus 23:16); Feast of Trumpets,(Leviticus 23:24); Day of Atonement, (Leviticus 16, 23:26-32); and the Feast of Tabernacles, (Leviticus 23:34). In the New Testament, God’s goodness was experienced at the Wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11) where Jesus turned water into wine. Jesus fed 5000 (Matthew 14:13-21) with five loaves of bread and two fish, another miracle that people were able to experience God’s goodness through food. Jesus and His disciples ate at the Last Super (Matthew 26:17-30) in the upper room and fellowshipped. In Revelation we read of the marriage super of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9) where we will celebrate finally being united with Jesus face to face.
Food grows us, food can heal us, food fuels us, it sustains us. Is any coincidence that God’s word is the bread of life? When we taste and see, we are experiencing. When we read God’s word, we are tasting and seeing, we are fueling our souls and fortifying our bodies. Proverbs 4:20-22 “My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.”
God speaks to us through His word, we can experience a revelation or a “ah ha” moment. We learn and when we learn we are growing our knowledge. We grow when we partake of God’s word daily. We can enhance our experience by fellowshipping with others and reading His word together. It’s kind of like sharing a meal with someone when we share God’s word and fellowship with others in His word, we are tasting and seeing, experiencing. We are not only experiencing the taste of food but enjoying company of the person or persons with whom we are eating. And what a joy it is, either sharing a meal or sharing God’s word and hearing from God Himself.
Taste and see that the Lord is good today. Feast on His word, experience Him by reading His word and sharing it with others.
Memorize Monday – free coloring page 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient, love is kind…”
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Memorize Monday – free coloring page Psalm 34:5 “To those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy.
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Prayer is a big subject. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. I think we humans tend to make it what it’s not and complicate it. What’s important is we talk to God and listen to His response. I do believe it is important to pray everyday. And that may look different for each of us.
For me the basics, praying daily to the Father as Jesus taught us in the Lord’s prayer and having a place everyday to pray away from everyone, alone as Jesus set that example for us. Luke 4:42 – “At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.” Luke 11:1 -“He was praying in a certain place, and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” Matthew 6:6-13 sums it up – “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; …”
The time of day may not be early in the morning, it could be at noon or in the evening. Your quiet place may not be a mountain. It could be a prayer closet, a room, your car, or sitting outside under a tree in your yard. And it could change from time to time.
We don’t always have to have our heads bowed and hands folded. We can pray standing with our hands lifted or on our knees. We can pray while dancing or while walking and singing. God sees our heart. I like to have the heart of a child when I approach God, unabashed, with boldness. Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Sometimes kids don’t have filters. They just speak their minds. There is no hiding our feelings from God.
But don’t let these things, these ways, routines, think that God will only answer your prayer if you do these things and don’t miss a beat. Yes there is a way to pray and God hears your prayer and He will answer them according to His TIMING!! That’s the key, His timing. Trust His timing.
Keep it simple. “Pray without ceasing” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
The Kedge Anchor 
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