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**January 20-21, 2012**
Hey, You Scripture-Memory-Mad Women!
I hope your Memorial Day weekend was wonderful and that your appreciation of our nation’s heroes got a fresh stir. I looked around our sanctuary on Sunday at all those who had served in wars and I marveled over the few World War II veterans we have left. My Dad was one of them and, had he lived, he would be ninety. Such a powerful part of our history was written in their blood. My dad lived well over half a century with a bullet fragment lodged near his heart. He took a hit right through his cheek and, ultimately, surgeons grafted skin from his hip to cover the severe indention in his face. If you have a family with a weird sense of humor, perhaps you can imagine that it was fodder for a few jokes, most of which he told himself.
Of course, heroes come in all generations and both genders. I have two framed pictures in prominent places in my office of women soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan who have done Bible studies on their tours of duty. Flabbergasting to me. May Christ hold our soldiers tight and let them lose neither their lives nor their faith and may He return them to their families as whole people, twice the wiser.
Well, Girlfriends, it’s JUNE! Our temperatures in Houston are already well into the upper nineties and we are experiencing the severest drought in decades. It seems that few areas of our country are free of something ranging from brow-raising concern all the way to destruction and devastation. What on earth?? I don’t pretend to know the details of what is happening around us but I really do feel that Kingdom history is being written in these days entrusted to us. I believe there is a bold dot on the divine time line representing this era with a label Heaven alone knows for now, but generations will talk about until Christ’s Kingdom comes. We must stand firm in our faith and love twice as much. These are days when our words must be backed by our hearts or dismissed entirely by the world. Remember Christ’s warning in Matthew 24:12 that the hearts of many will grow cold. Our love will not endure extended seasons of difficulty by accident. In our self-protectiveness, the first natural casualty will be our emotions. We will either set our hearts on things above (Col. 3:1) where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, or we’ll lose our footing here below.
We are called to live by faith and to love by faith.
Part of how we stand firm is to know Scripture, and not with swollen heads but swollen hearts. One of the verses in my quiet time this morning was Psalm 119:57 – “The LORD is my source of security. I have determined to follow Your instructions.” (The NET Bible) One thing is certain: we are finding out how little security this anguishing planet can offer us. “The LORD is the source of security.” Personal. National. Global. Universal. The Lord alone. And, so, like never before, we need to know His instructions…and follow them.
One of my favorite portions of the Book of James has turned out to be the last half of 5:11 – “…you have seen the Lord’s purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” The Lord cannot set aside His compassion and mercy to deal with this world. Oh, I’m not saying He won’t ultimately deal with this world. His Word promises that He will. But I am saying that He cannot set aside His compassion and mercy to do it. They are elements of His immutable character and the first descriptions He used to introduce Himself to Moses by name in Exodus 34:6-7.
OK, Sisters. I better get to our purpose here on this first of June. The pages are flying off the calendar like leaves in the wind and it’s time for our 11th verse! God has had me in 2 Timothy recently for my memory work so here’s mine this time around:
Beth, Houston. “Because of this, in fact, I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know the one in whom my faith is set and I am convinced that He is able to protect what has been entrusted to me until that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12 The NET Bible
You can bet your life on it.
You are treasured here. May Christ continue to captivate you. He loves you so much.
PS. OK, I can’t stand it anymore. SO HOW ABOUT THAT TIMER AT THE TOP OF THIS POST???? That, my beloved Siestas, is exactly how much time we have to go until our SSMT celebration! Wooooooohoooooooo!!! Bring it, Jesus! Kudos to my wonderful coworker, Kimberly McMahon, for making that happen. I told her I thought we needed a little extra incentive for this second half of our Scripture memory commitment. I WANT EVERY ONE OF YOU TO COME if you possibly can. With the numbers where they are right now on our 1st and 15th entries, we have room to fit all of you in our sanctuary. Save your money! Ask for it as a Christmas gift! Remember, the event is our gift to you but it’s not too soon to start saving for travel and accommodations. This is one of the biggest events on the calendar to us at Living Proof so please know how wanted you are and how loved you are. Celebrating a faithful work of God to a woefully dependent people was His idea in the first place. He loves festivals so, Girlfriends, let’s have one.
L.E.T.S.C.O.U.N.T.I.T.D.O.W.N.
mitzi, Brandon, MS
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Lisa
New York
Brenda, Midlothian, VA. “For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” NASB
Nikol, Birmingham, AL: “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.” – Proverbs 24:33-34 (ESV)
Kristen Keeling from Covington, Ga:
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, God’s own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
1 Peter 2:9 (AMP)
Jamie, Fort Worth
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” – Hebrews 4:16 NIV
“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” Romans 12:16 NIV
Fresno, CA
Rachel, Blairsville, GA. But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6, NIV.
Charlene, Houston
“..and whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Colossians 3:17 NKJ
Heather, Whittier, CA
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.
NIV
Lynne, New Milford – “The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving towards all He has made.” Psalm 145:13b NIV
Jill, Bozeman MT
For The Lord gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 2:6
Teresa, Mississippi,
“…for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You.” Ps. 9:10b niv
RaeLeen, Greenwood,
“…for You Lord have never forsaken those who seek you.”
Psalm 9:106
Denise in NC
Asheville, NC
Philippians 4:8-9 (NIV)
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Thank you for the cool countdown clock, Kimberly!!
Juanita in Virginia Beach
James 3:17 (NKJV)
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
Psalm 138:7-8 NASB
“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies and Your right hand will save me. The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness O Lord is everlasting. Do not forsake the work of Your hands.
Jayne
Frisco, TX
Almost forgot:
Be still, and KNOW that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10
Roni Long
Demopolis, AL
Port St. Joe, FL
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and wondrous things you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3
Suey, Houston, Ps 116:!, 16 I love you oh Lord
Blessed in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints.
My sister in law, all my life, age 81 Evalyn Marie Hardey
died in houston. Im tired of mourning the dead, 2 months ago my sister, last week Klare Bambrick’s niece, now my
sister in law Evalyn, God is a God of joy. Thank you love you. taking care of a poodle dog Sadie, next door, that makes me laugh a lot. haha God bless you
Suey Caldwell
Proverbs 21:21 NLT
“Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor.”
Hugs from Ohio 🙂
Rachel
Holly G, Williamston SC
#12 SSMT
For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Rom 1:17 NIV
Kathy, NH.
I haven’t been good at posting my verses, but I am still memorizing!!! This month its 2 Cor 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Joy
Charlotte, NC
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58, NASB
Nashville
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 (NIV)
Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. Galatians 5:1
Ephesians 4:2 NIV
Be completely humble and gentlem be patient bearing with one another in love.
Shawn from Whitesboro
Psalms 91:1-2 NIV
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Mindy, Rowley, IA Philippians 3:12 “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” NKJV
Misti- Carlsbad, NM
Psalm 119:10
“I will seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands”. (NIV)
Isa, East Lansing, MI
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.” 1 Peter 1:22 NIV
Barb, Kentwood MI:
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor 4:17-18 NKJV
Lisa, Boerne, Tx
“This is what the Lord says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)
Ann; Austin TX
“Do not gloat over me my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.”
Michah 7:8 NIV
Hope, Northport, AL
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”
Proverbs 1:7 (NIV)
Cheryl
Leesburg, IN
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourself be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1 NIV
James 1:26 (NIV)
If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.
(Don’t want to be useless!)
Gina, Atlanta: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Psalm 51: 10-13 (NIV)
Lauren, Arlington, TX:
1 Peter 1:6 ESV
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,”
Marla, Columbus OH
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8, ESV
Midland, TX
he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
Ephesians 1:9
Jeannette, Land O Lakes, FL
“For you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”- Psalm 9:10b NIV
Gretchen, Kearney, Missouri
“Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.”
Psalms 143:8 NLT
Pam, Greensboro,NC
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who
are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law
of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and
death.” Romans 8:1,2 NIV
Emily
Potomac, MD
“Because of this, in fact, I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know the one in whom my faith is set and I am convinced that He is able to protect what has been entrusted to me until that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12 (The NET Bible)
To you I call, O Lord, My Rock;
Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.
Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help,
as I lift my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
Psalm 28:1-2 (NIV)
Karen
Ponte Vedra, Florida
Pam, Austin, Psalm 119:57 Amplified
“You are my portion, O Lord; I have promised to keep Your words.”
Doris, Whiteville, NC
Psalm 138:8 ESV
“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the works of your hands.”
Samantha
Menomonie WI.
NAS
Ephesians 4:1
…walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called…
(Sorry a day late.:) I didn’t have time yesterday to get on the computer)