AUGUST BLESSINGS

I see the August full yellow moon so bright

Giving out its yellow glow to light the night.

I see the stars at night, and know God is there

Making each one give out its light.

When I see these heavenly lights at night,

I know that God is on His throne in Heaven

and everything will be all right.

Casting my eyes upon the moon and stars

I am filled with God’s peace,

And I am ready for a good night’s sleep.

The dawn breaks to start a new day

And I pray God will guide me through another day,

And show me His will and way.

The sunset comes and the shadows fall

Across the meadow grass, and I take a few

More sips from my water glass.

Then I remember the Blessings sent all day.

I begin to thank God for all the Blessings

As I go to my place to pray.

Yes, God blesses me from day to day

Giving food, shelter and clothes to wear,

And He takes away every care.

Hand and hand we walk together,

No matter what kind of weather.

He takes me where He wants me to go,

Whether it be sunshine, rain, sleet or snow.

By Dorothy T. Donaldson

MY RESTING PLACE

Jesus is my resting place,

He is my good shepherd that leads me to my resting place,

He is my shepherd that makes me lie down in green pastures,

He comforts me with his rod and staff and protects me in the pastures.

He leads me where the still waters flow—

He is so kind and gentle I know,

Because He speaks to me in a kind, gentle voice—

That I would know even if I got lost.

When I grow weary I can lean on him,

He never forsakes me even whe I’m not thinking of him.

Jesus sticketh closer than a brother,

The Bible tells me Jesus is my elder brother

The Bible tells me that I am a joint heir with him

when I get born again.

By Dorothy T. Donaldson

August 2, 2010 – According to the Bible, assurance of salvation rests on four unshakable pillars.

Some time ago, on a flight to Oregon, I sat next to a woman who asked where I was going. “Sisters, Oregon,” I answered. “Do you know where it is?”

Assuring me that she did, the woman asked, “What’s your business there?”

After I said I was writing a book about how we can be sure we are going to heaven, she marveled, “You mean you can know that you are going to heaven?”

Realizing God had opened a door for me to tell her about Christ, I reinforced that we can know for certain our eternal destiny, saying, “We can afford to be wrong about going to Sisters, Oregon, but not about going to heaven.”

How Can We Be Sure?

The truth is, we can be sure about where we will spend eternity. We can know with certainty that when we die, we will go to heaven. But how can we be sure? Many people struggle with the certainty of their salvation, especially new believers.

How can we know where we stand with God? The Bible teaches that the assurance of salvation rests securely upon four unshakable pillars:

Pillar #1

God Cannot Lie!

First, assurance is based on the absolute trustworthiness of Scripture. Throughout the New Testament, we read God’s promises to save all who will believe upon His Son. The Bible says, “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”(1) This is a promise! All who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ may have the firm confidence of salvation based upon the infallibility of God’s Word.

Jesus said, “The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”(2) If you come to Jesus with genuine repentance and faith, He promises that He will save you. We can know Jesus has received us because, quite simply, He said so! When the Bible speaks, God speaks. And what God said, He will surely do. He will save all who call upon Jesus Christ. You have His word on it.

Pillar #2

Jesus Paid It All

Second, assurance rests on the finished work of Jesus Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, He bore our iniquities, enduring God’s wrath, and cried out, “It is finished!”(3) By this, He meant that the full atonement for all our sins-past, present and future-has been made. His work of redemption now completed, our entire sin debt is paid in full.

Just as salvation comes from believing in Christ alone, so does assurance. As we trust in Christ’s perfect sacrifice for our sins, the certainty of eternal life floods our hearts. No matter how great your sin, God’s grace is greater still. The Bible says, “Come now, and let us reason together. … Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.”(4)

Pillar #3

The Great Convincer

Third, assurance comes through the inward witness of the Holy Spirit. A divinely produced gift, assurance is bestowed by God’s Spirit to all true believers. It is the Holy Spirit’s ministry to convince our hearts of our salvation. In actuality, no preacher, evangelist, parent or friend can give us assurance. Neither can we work it up within ourselves. Only the Holy Spirit Himself can give us the absolute certainty of our eternal salvation.

The Bible says, “We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He has given us.”(5) … “By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”(6) … “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”(7) This means, the Holy Spirit who convicted, called and converted us also convinces us that we belong to Christ. It is the Spirit’s inward witness that persuades us of the genuineness of our salvation.

Pillar #4

New Life in Christ

Fourth, assurance comes through the evidence of a changed life. Ultimately, assurance is confirmed within us as we see God conforming us into the image of Jesus Christ. All who have been born again will see clear evidences of a new life in Christ. While we will never become perfect in this life, we will, nevertheless, experience a changed life. It is this inward transformation that provides strong confirmation of our salvation.

The book of First John details what are the vital signs of our new life in Christ. The Apostle John writes, “We know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.”(8) In other words, we may be certain that we know Christ as we see within us a desired and willing obedience to God’s Word. Likewise, John writes, other vital signs will follow: Love for other people,(9) love for God,(10) refusing the world,(11) understanding biblical truth,(12) righteous behavior,(13) opposition from the world(14) and answered prayer.(15) As we see this spiritual fruit produced in our lives, we may be confident that Christ lives within us.

Here are the four sturdy pillars on which the assurance of our salvation rests. Giving “full assurance of hope”(16) regarding our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, these pillars provide unshakable confidence of eternal life.

As I told the woman on the plane, we can be wrong about earthly directions but not about our eternal destiny. In our salvation we must be sure. Assurance of salvation is God’s blessed gift for all who believe: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.”(17)

Be absolutely sure!

(1) Romans 10:13, NASB. (2) John 6:37, NASB. (3) John 19:30, NASB. (4) Isaiah 1:18, NASB. (5) 1 John 3:24, NASB. (6) 1 John 4:13, NASB. (7) Romans 8:16, NASB. (8) 1 John 2:3, NASB. (9) 1 John 2:9-11. (10) 1 John 2:12-14. (11) 1 John 2:15-17. (12) 1 John 2:20-27. (13) 1 John 3:4-6. (14) 1 John 3:13. (15) 1 John 3:22-24. (16) Hebrews 6:11, NASB. (17) 1 John 5:13, NASB. Bible verses marked NASB are taken by permission from the New American Standard Bible, ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California

There are times in our life when we don’t always see the value of a person until we take time to go deeper and view them beyond face value. This also pertains to how we value our own self. But God already knows our worth and puts a high value on our soul. Isn’t it reassuring to know that we are a continued work in progress as God is never finished with us?To reinforce the power of God’s renewal and restoration, click here to watch Inspired Faith’s newest inspirational movie. You’ll find the combination of the words, imagery, and music to be a source of encouragement in your life as well as others. So be sure to share this with your family and friends or anyone you know who could use a reminder…

Be Inspired and Inspire Others

A DAY AT THE BEACH

I see tiny bubbles and small creatures in the foam.

There are sea shells and a sand dollar in the white foam.

I pick up the sand dollar and open the center to see

Three little white doves that fall out into my hand–

The sea gulls fly over my head and circle around

While others lite on the ground.

I settle back in my chair to relax and watch

The sea birds dive into the ocean to hunt for prey

And I thank the Lord for the beauty of this day.

I look across the large expanse of the ocean

And see big ships far out on the ocean–

I sit listening to the roar of the ocean–

That almost puts me to sleep.

In all this beauty I feel such peace.

In front of me are children at play in the ocean

And on the sand,

Some are building sand castles with daddy’s helping hand.

I turn my head to see the sea oats blowing in the breeze

Across the dunes of white sand.

Evening approaches and cool breezes blow accross my face.

The breeze brings in salt air I can taste.

The smell of seafood cooking lures me away,

Soon I sit in the seafood restaurant as the day wanes away,

I bow my head over my food and thank the Lord for a Blessed day!

by Dorothy T. Donaldson

BUTTERFLIES

Butterflies came today flittering here and there

The place they came from we know not where

We love the colors of  yellow, orange and blue

That the butterflies wear.

They came near to sit on a flower

to drink of its sweet perfume.

Soon the butterfly bush is full of butterflies

We wonder if they will have enough room.

Watching the lovely sight of them flittering here and there,

Made me completely forget I had a care.

One came near and smelled my hair.

I tried to catch him as he flew by

I couldn’t catch him even with my best try.

This was such a perfect day

With blue skies and lovely butterflies.

At sunset the butterflies flew away,

I said my prayers thanking God

For the butterflies and another perfect day.

By Dorothy T. Donaldson

TO: God.Com

Dear Lord,

Every single evening
As I’m lying here in bed,
This tiny little Prayer
Keeps running through my head:

God bless all my family
Wherever they may be,
Keep them warm
And safe from harm
For they’re so close to me.

And God, there is one more thing
I wish that you could do;
Hope you don’t mind me asking,
Please bless my computer too.

Now I know that it’s unusual
To Bless a motherboard,
But listen just a second
While I explain it to you, Lord.

You see, that little metal box
Holds more than odds and ends;
Inside those small compartments
Rest so many of my friends.

I know so much about them
By the kindness that they give,
And this little scrap of metal
Takes me in to where they live.

By faith is how I know them
Much the same as you.
We share in what life brings us
And from that our friendships grew.

Please take an extra minute
From your duties up above,
To bless those in my address book
That’s filled with so much love.

Wherever else this prayer may reach
To each and every friend,
Bless each e-mail inbox
And each person who hits ‘send’.

When you update your Heavenly list
On your own Great CD-ROM,
Bless everyone who says this prayer

Sent up to GOD.Com

Amen

THE GIFT

To give a Gift of Love to other people

Makes me the happiest of anything I do.

It expands my world—-

It fills my heart with a feeling of Purpose and Joy

And the awareness

That nothing is an accident.

You and I have been put here

(Precisely where we are and precisely now)

For reasons that are very significant

And when I catch even a glimpse

Of that significance —–

Sparkling in the eyes of someone I

I have given to —-

The Whole World comes Alive for me

And I want to Laugh and Sing and

“Shout Hurray”!!

And at that moment in my heart

Everything makes Sense!

THERE IS A WONDERFUL GIFT WAITING FOR YOU!

It was made personally just for You.  And your Father wants you to have it!

1. You were made for a distinct purpose, and you possess all the tools you  need to       live a useful life.

• Your body is a Miracle, and your five senses help you deal with the material realm.
• Your mind is a Marvel of brain and emotions that deal with your mental realm.
• Your God-given spirit opens the ability to communicate with God.
• God’s deepest desire is to communicate with you. In fact, that is why you were created and are Precious to Him.

2. No one is perfect, and every human has broken God’s law.

• We all have sinned.
• Laws without penalties would be simply “advice.”
• The penalty for breaking God’s law is DEATH—spiritual death and separation from God.

3. God loves you, but He must uphold His law.

• God has provided the way to break the power of sin over our lives.
• Forgiveness was needed—“…and without the shedding of blood                        there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22 RSV)
• Jesus Christ paid the penalty and shed HIS blood for YOU.

4. Forgiveness is God’s FR.EE gift to you!

To claim your gift, you must:

• Realize that you are a sinner—
• “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”(Romans 3:23).
• Believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead for you, in your place—“…Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”(Romans 10:13)

Just Pray:

“Oh, God, I know I am a sinner.
I believe Jesus was my substitute when He died on the Cross.
I believe His shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection were for me.
I now receive Him as my Savior.
I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins,
the gift of salvation and everlasting life,
because of Your merciful grace.
Amen.”

Just take God at His word and claim His salvation by faith. Believe, and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, no good works can save you. Remember, God does the saving. All of it!

God’s simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner. Therefore, unless you believe on Jesus Who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on Him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all of your sins and His gift of eternal salvation by faith.

You say, “Surely, it cannot be that simple.” Yes, that simple! It is scriptural. It is God’s plan. My friend, believe on Jesus and receive Him as Savior today.

If His plan is not perfectly clear, read this tract over and over, without laying it down until you understand it. Your soul is worth more than all the world.

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

Be sure you are saved. If you lose your soul, you miss Heaven and lose all. Please! Let God save you this very moment.

God’s power will save you, keep you saved, and enable you to live a victorious Christian life, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Do not trust your feelings. They change. Stand on God’s promises. They never change. After you are saved, there are three things to practice daily for spiritual growth: Pray – you talk to God. Read your Bible – God talks to you. Witness – you talk for God.

You should be baptized in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ as a public testimony of your salvation, and then unite with a Bible-believing church without delay. “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord…” (2 Timothy 1:8).

“Whosoever therefore shall confess [testify of] Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).

The Touch Of The Master’s Hand

Myra Brooks Welch

It was battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
Hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
“What am I bid, good people”, he cried,
“Who starts the bidding for me?”
“One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?”
“Two dollars, who makes it three?”

“Three dollars once, three dollars twice,
Going for three”. . . but no!
From the room far back a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet,
As sweet as an angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said “What now am I bid for this old violin?”
As he held it aloft with its bow.
“One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?”
“Two thousand, Who makes it three?”
“Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone”, said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
“We do not quite understand.
What changed its worth?” Swift came the reply:
“The touch of the Master’s hand.”
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd
Much like the old violin.

A “mess of pottage,” a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on,
He’s going once, and going twice -
He’s going – and almost gone!
But the MASTER comes, and the foolish crowd,
Never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul, and the change that’s wrought
By the touch of the MASTER’S hand.

Category: Inspirational and Motivational Poems | Tags: angel, auctioneer, dollar, masters hand, melody, music, soul, touch, violin, wine  | Leave a Comment