Kay Cude poetry. Right-Click to see larger in new tab. Used with permission.
Artist’s Statement:
I was deeply drawn to this painting because of the look on the face of the child clutched out of death into the arms of his beloved mother. I see peace mixed in with awe as he looks into the face of one who has nurtured him since birth; the face of the one he is so grateful to see. I am reminded of the nurturing love of the Father and Son for Their beloved redeemed; perhaps we will have that same look upon our faces as we look into the glorious and wonderful face of Christ Jesus at the Rapture.
Assurance of salvation is something many Christians struggle with. It’s normal that a believer might enter a period when they doubt their salvation. We still sin, and if a person sins repeatedly, it’s also normal to wonder if the Lord has sealed the Spirit in us and that we’re actually saved for the day of redemption. It’s normal that a believer might have a (short) period of performing besetting sins or as known in the Christian culture, “backslide”. We often feel in life that we are not making progress (like the Pilgrim in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, who also slid down the hill at times).
The Holy Spirit is sealed in believers and if a person possesses the Spirit, He will not allow the believer to continue to sin. His ministry is to sanctify. Persistent sin in a believer would be at odds with that progress, so if a person does not allow conscience to prick their heart and repent, eventually the Spirit will make Himself known more strongly- either through a bigger conscience prick, or sending someone to confront you, or raise certain Bible verses to you, or even a mishap in life to knock sense into us.
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. ” (Matthew 24:14).
Twelve years ago the Gideons organization marked their 100th year of giving out Bibles.
Gideons mark 100th year giving Bibles: "Nearly 76.9 million Gideon Bibles were given out in nearly 85 languages in 187 countries last year [2008]. Close to 1.5 billion Bibles have been distributed since 1908, when the Gideons first began to place Bibles in hotel rooms.
Did you know that when you make an order of any kind from Amazon, a portion of that can be dedicated through Amazon Smile to an organization of your choice?
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Do you believe this? Believe it!
And also remember, Jesus said we all will be pressed someday to choose the state government, or act for Christ in dangerous or uncomfortable circumstances. I wrote that very line 12 years ago on my blog (at Blogger) and some commenters disbelieved that it could ever happen in the United States. Well, it’s happening.
Does it seem to you that people are becoming more thin-skinned? I seems that way to me.
Should believers worry? Of course not! All things are possible in Jesus, for does not Romans 12:21 say “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Our ‘skin’ should be as thick as possible, for we have on the inside the Holy Spirit and on the outside the full armor of God. Share Him with as many as possible, so they also can know the peace of the Heavenly Spirit.
Spiritual war is real and it manifests as either good or evil fruit in today’s society. The war front is invisible, and it’s not against people but “against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12).
Lately we see more societal interest toward the occult, people are particularly fascinated with ‘beings’ from the other side. I believe this is a direct deception from the fallen angels and demons who influence our thinking into areas the Bible expressly forbids. There are no ‘helpful’ ghosts wandering about trying to bring “messages” to the living. And there are no UFOs, or aliens. “UFOs” and “Aliens” are just fallen (demonic) angels deceiving the unwary.
I used to spend the Fourth of July in Lubec-Eastport Maine. If you visualize Maine as the profile of a dog, Eastport and Lubec would be the nostrils. These two towns are as far east as you can go in Maine and not be in Canada. The highest tides in the world begin there, with the Bay of Fundy funneling the Atlantic into a small inlet where massive 30′ tides are pushed up then down several times a day. Lubec and Eastport are nautical cities, driven by the sea, which surrounds both of them. And as for the air, there’s cool, fog, and cold. Those are the seasons. (Notice the shadow side on the left and the sunny side on the right. The difference in temps would be at least ten degrees)
Kay Cude poetry. Used with permission. Right-click to open photo in new window
Artist’s statement:
After finishing this piece, the more I read and reread Mark 4:37-41 and Colossians 1:16-18, the more I was overcome with tears. The Holy Spirit is so faithful to teach, especially at times when I am too busy “doing things” for Christ (in my own effort). How many more readings of these verses will it take for me to attentively remember that Christ’s continuing patience with me, my fears and my sometimes feeble faith is unbelievably profound and so very merciful?
How many times has Scripture told me, told all believers, to pay attention to Christ and His Word, and to not allow the storms of battering and fearful trials or heartaches overwhelm us? That He is sufficient; that He will enable us to glorify Him in our lives; that He will supply us with the appropriate words needed at perilous times of persecution and impending death? Or to remember that all things are under His authority and that He is preeminent and sovereign and that he will supply us the wisdom and endurance to continue on? Or that His Holy Spirit sustains us!
I am so thankful, so grateful, that He knows the hearts of His redeemed so intimately, and so very thankful that He rescued me!
flowers and velvet pillow cover, how great these surprises are!
It was a tough week in my little sphere. A lot of people are struggling, we’re all stretched thin. Prices are rising fast and I juggle and jiggle and juggle the budget again and again to adjust. I arrive home hot and tired. I’m waiting for the brutal Georgia August to slide into September cooler fall weather.
When you go to the bank, or grocery store and you see the lines, you wonder which line to pick. If I go in this line will it go faster? Or will that line end up being faster? I always pick the wrong line. If I see that it was moving faster, the moment I get in it, suddenly the cashier runs out of receipt paper and has to reload…or the customer starts writing a check…or the clerks end their shift and swap over. Something, lol.
Being in the wrong line is part of the daily condition and sometimes makes us chuckle with the absurdity of life. Ending up in the wrong checkout line doesn’t have eternal consequences.
