The Upward Path

[Nancy]

Oh when the times get too tough , I don't even try to pray...I picture myself just climbing up into Fathers lap and snuggling , listening to His heart.

He knows.
I may have told you this before ...probably so.
But I read once about a young new minister who travelled with Smith Wigglesworth. He lay in bed and said that S W never got into bed , but knelt by his bed all night , and he heard S.W. groaning over and over "Oh God, Oh God" over and over all night.
He was an amazing healing ministry ( England)

If groaning "Oh God" was a good enough prayer from Smith Wigglesworth, it's also good enough for me. :)

You don't have to read the whole lot, just read from "Ministry" down ( I hate links haha!) An old lady we used to take to church in the '60's actually knew him and went to his meetings. She told about the wonderful things that God did through him.

Smith Wigglesworth - Wikipedia

Thanks Helen. Yes, I have heard of S.W. Thank you for sharing, helps to know others, especially those in Ministry go through similar struggles ♥

 

[Helen]

 

[Nancy]

View attachment 6035

Very encouraging Helen, thank you for sharing ♥

 

[Helen]

 

[Helen]

 

[Helen]

Before God made the decision to create the world, He made the decision to love you and “bring you to Himself through Jesus” Ephesians 1:5.
The grace of Jesus is the bridge that brings you to God and makes a place for you in God’s heart.

You are saved by grace, sustained by grace, and satisfied, in the deepest part of your soul, by grace and grace alone.
Thank Him for His grace and lean hard into it today—His grace really is sufficient. ✟

 

[Helen]

Live fully in today....in the present.
God is a "present" help in times of trouble.
He is present in the present with us right now.
"Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will care for itself." Matthew 6:34.

Lord, give us the grace to live today without worry for tomorrow or regret about yesterday.
Help us to hear Your voice and follow Your will today. Amen.

 

[Berserk]

NO LOVE WITHOUG RESPECT

"Let love be genuine...Outdo one another in showing respect (Romans 12:9-10--NRSV)."

What passes for Christian love is often stained by strings attached, by manipulation, and by a patronizing tone.
Our efforts to help, correct, and support others often lacks one essential ingredient that prevents them from experiencing our love--respect. We are competitive by nature and often insist on the last word or, if confronted, come back with a "Yes, but" to avoid any impression that only we are in the wrong. Paul recognizes our need to be competitive in our intimate relationships. So in this text he in effect says this: if you must be competitive and unconsciously compare your spirituality with that of others, then compete to be more respectful than others in the way you interact with people. What this means in practice is not always easy to imagine because people annoy us and often need correction and critique. Still, for many of us, Romans 12:9-10 points the way to the path to greater spiritual maturity and more authentic love. [The Greek word "time" is often translated "honor," but its synonym "respect makes Paul's point more powerfully in our cultural usage.]

 

[Helen]

@Berserk

Amen!!

I am very glad that you are here!!

 

[Dave L]

NO LOVE WITHOUG RESPECT

"Let love be genuine...Outdo one another in showing respect (Romans 12:9-10--NRSV)."

What passes for Christian love is often stained by strings attached, by manipulation, and by a patronizing tone.
Our efforts to help, correct, and support others often lacks one essential ingredient that prevents them from experiencing our love--respect. We are competitive by nature and often insist on the last word or, if confronted, come back with a "Yes, but" to avoid any impression that only we are in the wrong. Paul recognizes our need to be competitive in our intimate relationships. So in this text he in effect says this: if you must be competitive and unconsciously compare your spirituality with that of others, then compete to be more respectful than others in the way you interact with people. What this means in practice is not always easy to imagine because people annoy us and often need correction and critique. Still, for many of us, Romans 12:9-10 points the way to the path to greater spiritual maturity and more authentic love. [The Greek word "time" is often translated "honor," but its synonym "respect makes Paul's point more powerfully in our cultural usage.]

Many times we judge the whole by the part. Most of the Christians I'm around smother me with love even when I least deserve it.

 

[Helen]

It all begins with what we already have .
When Moses was heading to Egypt, he told God he needed a sign to reassure him. God asked, “What is in your hand?” ...= "A rod" .
When Moses laid it down, God used the rod to provide for Moses and all the Israelites Exodus 4:1-3; 14:16.

When a widow needed financial help, Elisha asked what she had in her house. She said she had a small amount of oil, so he told her to borrow jars to pour the oil in. God then multiplied it until every jar was full 2 Kings 4:1-7.

Though God created the universe from nothing, He still often chooses to take the ordinary things of our lives and transform them for our benefit, for ministry to others, and for His glory.
Perhaps what we are looking for from God is already in our hand?

Lord, show us how to trust You with what we have.
Give us grace to give back to You what we think is ours , so You can use it to bless us and others.
Amen.

 

[amadeus]

It all begins with what we already have .
When Moses was heading to Egypt, he told God he needed a sign to reassure him. God asked, “What is in your hand?” ...= "A rod" .
When Moses laid it down, God used the rod to provide for Moses and all the Israelites Exodus 4:1-3; 14:16.

When a widow needed financial help, Elisha asked what she had in her house. She said she had a small amount of oil, so he told her to borrow jars to pour the oil in. God then multiplied it until every jar was full 2 Kings 4:1-7.

Though God created the universe from nothing, He still often chooses to take the ordinary things of our lives and transform them for our benefit, for ministry to others, and for His glory.
Perhaps what we are looking for from God is already in our hand?

Lord, show us how to trust You with what we have.
Give us grace to give back to You what we think is ours , so You can use it to bless us and others.
Amen.

Very good, Helen! Give God the glory indeed!

 

[Helen]

Sometimes it feels like hard things can take the best from us, doesn’t it?
But God doesn’t let us go through difficult times and struggles to tear us down, but rather to turn us into something remarkable. Trials aren’t supposed to define us.... God wants trials to refine us. And, though the refining process is never easy, He has us in His hand the whole time. ✟

When we are feeling the heat of the fire today, remember that our loving God is holding us and keeping His eye on us until, like the silversmith in His silver, God sees His beautiful, radiant image reflected in us. ✟

 

[Nancy]

Sometimes it feels like hard things can take the best from us, doesn’t it?
But God doesn’t let us go through difficult times and struggles to tear us down, but rather to turn us into something remarkable. Trials aren’t supposed to define us.... God wants trials to refine us. And, though the refining process is never easy, He has us in His hand the whole time. ✟

When we are feeling the heat of the fire today, remember that our loving God is holding us and keeping His eye on us until, like the silversmith in His silver, God sees His beautiful, radiant image reflected in us. ✟

Like a piece of coal being formed into a diamond ♥

 

[Helen]

Like a piece of coal being formed into a diamond ♥

Amen...good thought. :)

 

[Helen]

• 
  "Pressed out of measure" (2 Cor. 1:8).
  
  "That the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Cor. 12:9).
  
  God allowed the crisis to close around Jacob on the night when he bowed at Peniel in supplication, to bring him to the place where he could take hold of God as he never would have done; and from that narrow pass of peril, Jacob became enlarged in his faith and knowledge of God, and in the power of a new and victorious life.
  
  God had to compel David, by a long and painful discipline of years, to learn the almighty power and faithfulness of his God, and grow up into the established principles of faith and godliness, which were indispensable for his glorious career as the king of Israel.
  
  Nothing but the extremities in which Paul was constantly placed could ever have taught him, and taught the Church through him, the full meaning of the great promise he so learned to claim, "My grace is sufficient for thee."
  
  And nothing but our trials and perils would ever have led some of us to know Him as we do, to trust Him as we have, and to draw from Him the measures of grace which our very extremities made indispensable.
  
  Difficulties and obstacles are God's challenges to faith. When hindrances confront us in the path of duty, we are to recognize them as vessels for faith to fill with the fullness and all-sufficiency of Jesus; and as we go forward, simply and fully trusting Him, we may be tested, we may have to wait and let patience have her perfect work; but we shall surely find at last the stone rolled away, and the Lord waiting to render unto us double for our time of testing.
• --A. B. Simpson--

 

[Nancy]

• 
  "Pressed out of measure" (2 Cor. 1:8).
  
  "That the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Cor. 12:9).
  
  God allowed the crisis to close around Jacob on the night when he bowed at Peniel in supplication, to bring him to the place where he could take hold of God as he never would have done; and from that narrow pass of peril, Jacob became enlarged in his faith and knowledge of God, and in the power of a new and victorious life.
  
  God had to compel David, by a long and painful discipline of years, to learn the almighty power and faithfulness of his God, and grow up into the established principles of faith and godliness, which were indispensable for his glorious career as the king of Israel.
  
  Nothing but the extremities in which Paul was constantly placed could ever have taught him, and taught the Church through him, the full meaning of the great promise he so learned to claim, "My grace is sufficient for thee."
  
  And nothing but our trials and perils would ever have led some of us to know Him as we do, to trust Him as we have, and to draw from Him the measures of grace which our very extremities made indispensable.
  
  Difficulties and obstacles are God's challenges to faith. When hindrances confront us in the path of duty, we are to recognize them as vessels for faith to fill with the fullness and all-sufficiency of Jesus; and as we go forward, simply and fully trusting Him, we may be tested, we may have to wait and let patience have her perfect work; but we shall surely find at last the stone rolled away, and the Lord waiting to render unto us double for our time of testing.
• --A. B. Simpson--

"Good word" as you would say Helen, lol. Awesomely put.
Yes indeedy doo, we would be nowhere without our trials ♥
BTW-Love your new Avatar pic!

 

[Helen]

BTW-Love your new Avatar pic!

Yes, at least I have grey hair in it..the others even though grey, looked brownish for some reason. This is more " me. "

Pat has pretty white hair...I always wanted white...but stuck with "Battleship-grey" just like my dad. My mums was snow white...lovely.

 

[Helen]

 

[Episkopos]

Yes, at least I have grey hair in it..the others even though grey, looked brownish for some reason. This is more " me. "

Pat has pretty white hair...I always wanted white...but stuck with "Battleship-grey" just like my dad. My mums was snow white...lovely.

Proverbs 16:31 “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.”