Jesus

Ruth Kirk

My beloved is mine and I am his (Song of Songs 2:16; NIV).

Jesus:
You are so kind,
So just, so good –
You are my way, my truth,
My life, and my love.

Jesus:
You are so brave,
So dear, so wise –
You are my joy, my tears,
My peace, and my prize.

Jesus:
You are my bread,
My staff, my rod –
You are my light, my strength,
My Lord, and my God.

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:28; NLT).

References

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us (Philippians 3:14; NLT).

And now the prize awaits me – the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing (2 Timothy 4:8; NLT).

Human and divine

Ruth Kirk

Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body (Colossians 2:8-9; NLT).

Christ… is the exact likeness of God (2 Corinthians 4:4; NLT).

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15; NLT).

Jesus,

You are human
And divine –
Not just here on earth,
But for all time.

The Son of Man, the Christ,
Our Lord, our God –
You are our bread and wine,
Our staff and rod.

We are your joy, your pain,
Your cross, your soul –
You are our way, our truth,
Our life: our goal.

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14; CSB).

My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings… Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it (Philippians 3:10;12 CSB).

References:

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4; NLT).

Then the disciples worshiped him. “You a really are the Son of God!” They exclaimed (Luke 24:52; NLT).

My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:28; NLT).

Readings:

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:6-11; NLT).

Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! (Philippians 3:8-11; NLT).

Seeking

Ruth Kirk

Moses went into the darkness where God was (Exodus 20:21; BST).

Enter your darkness –
Seeking your light.

Wait there in silence –
Seeking your voice.

Welcome your loneliness –
Seeking your truth.

Rest there in stillness –
Seeking your way.

His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him – though he is not far from any one of us (Acts 17:27; NLT).

When you struggle

Ruth Kirk

Is not all human life a struggle? (Job 7:1; NLT).

How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? (Psalm 13:2; NLT).

When you struggle:
I am near.

When you suffer:
I am here –

Sharing all your
Grief and pain –

Come, be one with me
Again!

The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).

References

Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you (Isaiah 30:20; NLT).

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5; NLT).

The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul Genesis 2:7; KJV).

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

Reading: Philippians 3:8-11.

Walk in love

Ruth Kirk

This is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love (2 John 1:6; NIV).

Walk in love,
And meet in love.

Serve in love,
And speak in love.

Pray in love,
And live in love.

Rest in love –
And trust in love.

God is love (1 John 4:16; NLT).

I will always trust in God’s unfailing love (Psalm 52:8; NLT).

References

Use your freedom to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13; NLT).

Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15; NLT).

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them (1 John 4:16; NLT).

Trust in God, and trust also in me (John 14:1; NLT).

I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation (Psalm 13:5; NIV).

Remember

Ruth Kirk

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation (Luke 11:4; NLT).

Always ask for God’s forgiveness –
And
Remember to absolve
Yourself,
And all who hurt you.

Always ask for God’s assistance –
And
Remember to support
Yourself,
And all in need.

Always ask for God’s compassion –
And
Remember to console
Yourself,
And all who suffer.

Always ask for God’s protection –
And
Remember to defend
Yourself,
And all the weak.

Always ask for God’s redemption –
And
Remember to release
Yourself,
And all in chains.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners (Isaiah 61:1; NIV).

Always

Ruth Kirk

Pray for those who hurt you (Luke 6:28; NLT).

To you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! (Luke 6:27; NLT).

Forgive others, and you will be forgiven (Luke 6:37; NLT). 

Aways pray
For those who hurt you –
Love them, bless them,
And forgive.

Yahweh will absolve
And heal them,
Mend their life,
And tend their soul.

Aways ask
To be forgiven –
Face your sins
With God each day.

Yahweh will absolve
And heal you,
Mend your life,
And make you whole.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness 1 John 1:9; NIV).

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds (Psalm 147:3; NLT).

He restoreth my soul (Psalm 23:3; KJV).

I worship you

Ruth Kirk

I am so sorry: this blog went out yesterday before I had finished editing it in WordPress. The “Save” and “Post” buttons are very close to each other, and as has happened before, I accidentally touched the wrong one. Here is the final, properly edited version. Later today I hope to post something new to make up for my mistake.
With love and many apologies, from Ruth xxx

Then the disciples worshiped him. “You a really are the Son of God!” They exclaimed (Luke 24:52; NLT).

My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:28; NLT).

I worship you, Jesus,
My Lord and my God –
Gladly embracing
Your staff, and your rod.

I’ll take up my cross,
And I’ll follow your way –
Giving up selfishness,
Serving, each day.

I’ll love every neighbour,
And stranger, and foe –
Greeting and helping
Wherever I go.

I’ll live in your hands,
And I’ll share in your pain –
Then, trusting your Gospel,
I won’t live in vain.

Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Mark 15:34; NLT).

Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last (Luke 23:46; NIV).

References

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4; NLT).

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23; NLT).

Forgiveness and healing

Ruth Kirk

Today’s blog is a single, clear statement of one of my deepest beliefs.

♥️ With love from Ruth xxx

You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it (Matthew 7:13-14; NLT).

To forgive
Is to take
The first step
On the long road
To complete physical, mental,
Emotional, and spiritual
Healing.

In this,
As in all things,
Christ Jesus
Is our teacher,
Our guide,
Our helper,
And our shining example.

As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light (Matthew 17:2; NLT).

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34; NLT).

For you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture (Malachi 4:2; NLT).

References

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33; NLT).

When you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too (Mark 11:25; NLT).

If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14-15; NLT).

Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all (Psalm 65:3; NLT).

Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive (Luke 17:4; NLT).

If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven (John 20:23; NLT).

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others (Colossians 3:13; NLT).

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds (Psalm 147:3; NLT).

By his wounds you are healed (1 Peter 2:24; NLT).

Those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31; NLT).

Let them criticise

Ruth Kirk

Some readers will be aware that last year I was subjected to vicious personal criticism from someone calling themselves a “theologian”. It is taking me a long time to heal from their lengthy and repeated attacks, which began without warning. Today’s blog shows where I am at the moment in terms of dealing with the damage they did to me. With love from Ruth xxx

They hated me without reason (John 15:25; NIV).

Let them criticise
And censure;
Take my life apart,
Condemn.

Scorn my faith,
Reject my writing;
Mock my prayers:
The gifts you send.

Trash my aims,
Destroy my peace,
And fill my heart
With endless dread:

Yet will I love them –
That’s my goal –
And beg you, Lord,
To make them whole.

Let love be your highest goal (1 Corinthians 14:1; NLT).

Reference

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights (Habakkuk 3:17:19; NLT).