Our minister has asked us to read through I John as many times as we can for an upcoming sermon series. So I am on my way!

Today I read a verse in chapter 4 that I thought was a good one and I am sharing it with you this morning:

"For though we have never yet seen God,

when we love each other God lives in us

and His Love grows ever stronger."

~ I john 4:12 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "Some people love to be with others. They befriend strangers easily and always are surrounded by many friends. Other people are shy or reserved. They have a few friends, but they are uncomfortable talking with people they don't know or mingling in crowds. Shy people don't need to become extroverts in order to love others. John isn't telling us HOW MANY people to love, but HOW MUCH to love the people we already know. Our job is to faithfully love the people God has given us to love, whether there are two or two hundred of them. If God sees we are ready to love others, he will bring them to us. No matter how shy we are, we don't need to be afraid of the love commandment. God never leads us beyond the sufficiency of his strength."

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Rarely, if ever, do I use something in Karen's Korner two days in a row. But I really liked today's entry from Sarah Young and her "Jesus Calling:  Enjoying Peace in His Presence". Here you go:

"I want you to experience the riches of your salvation:  The Joy of being loved constantly and perfectly. You make a practice of judging yourself, based on how you look or behave or feel. If you like what you see in the mirror, you feel a bit more worthy of My Love. When things are going smoothly and your performance seems adequate, you find it easier to believe you are My beloved child. When you feel discouraged, you tend to look inward so you can correct whatever is wrong.

"Instead of trying to 'fix' yourself, 'fix your gaze on Me, the Lover of your soul'. Rather than using your energy to judge yourself, redirect it to praising Me. Remember that I see you clothed in My righteousness, radiant in My perfect Love."

~ Ephesians 2:7 - 8; Hebrews 3:1; Psalm 34:5

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Today's entry by Sarah Young's 'Jesus Calling, Enjoying Peace in His Presence"

"Whenever you feel distant from Me, whisper My Name in loving trust. This simple prayer can restore your awareness of My Presence.

"My Name is abused in the world, where people use it as a curse word. The verbal assault reaches all the way to heaven; every word is heard and recorded. When you trustingly whisper My Name, My aching ears are soothed. The grating rancor of the world's blasphemies cannot compare with a trusting child's utterance:  'Jesus'. The power of My Name to bless both you and Me is beyond understanding."

~ Taken from Acts 4:12; John 16:24

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Jesus teaching:

"Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right hand,

'Come, blessed of my Father,

into the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world,

For I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and you gave me water;

I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes,

naked and you clothes me,

sick and in prison, and you visited me'.

Then these righteous ones will reply,

'Sir, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you?

Or thirsty and give you anything to drink?

Or a stranger, and help you?

Or naked and clothe you?

When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?'

And I, the King will tell them,

'When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!'"

~ Matthew 25:34 - 40 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "This parable describes acts of mercy we all can do every day. These acts are not dependent on wealth, ability, or intelligence; they are simple acts freely given and freely received. We have no excuse to neglect those who have deep needs, and we cannot hand over responsibility to the church or government. Jesus demands personal involvement in caring for others' needs."

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JUST TURN ON THE LIGHT!

"You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light."

~ Ephesians 5:8 NKJV

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"I live in the southern part of the United States. During the warmer months in particular, if I leave the porch light on at night, all sorts of moths and insects swarm to it. The variety can be fascinating. Everything from large luna moths to beetles to strange green crawly things, beat and flutter their way to the light. I have never stood at the door and called these insects to come or set out bait for them. All I have to do is to turn on the light and they come of their own volition -- by the hundreds. Moths, in the midst of darkness, are not attracted to more darkness. They are attracted to the light.

"People today, living in the midst of 'darkness,' are not attracted to more darkness; they are attracted to the Light. So let your Light shine! Lift it high! You don't have to have a clever presentation to your witness or learn evangelistic formulas or take a course on communicating to postmodern man. For heaven's sake, just turn on the Light!"

~ By Ann Graham Lotz

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A couple of quotes shared at an ecumenical gals' Bible study led by Carolyn Bowman recently; taken from a November 2017 Guideposts magazine:

"Sometimes God makes better choices for us

than we could ever made for ourselves."

~  author Jennifer Hudson Taylor

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"Positive thinking is not about expecting the best to happen every time

but accepting that whatever happens is the best for the moment."

~ Lori Schneider,

first woman with multiple sclerosis to summit Mount Everest

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* Faith is a firm trust and conviction that sometimes

if God doesn't give you what you think you want,

it's not because you don't deserve it,

but because you deserve better."

~ David A.R. White

movie producer, from his book

'Between Heaven and Hollywood, Chasing Your God-Given Dream

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"O Lord, hear me praying:  listen to my plea,

O God my King,

for I will never pray to anyone but you.

Each morning I will look to you in heaven and lay my requests before you,

praying earnestly."

~ Psalm 5:1 - 3 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "The secret of a close relationship with God is to pray to Him earnestly each morning. Regular communication is fundamental to any friendship and is certainly necessary for a strong relationship with God. We need to communicate with Him daily. Do we have a regular time to pray and read God's Word?"

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I hope that you had a wonderful 4th of July celebrating with family and friends!

I enjoyed every part of the day from enjoying a parade at a neighboring town to spending time with family members!

As I drove home last evening from just over the border in Minnesota, northwest of my farm home, I had the opportunity to view several fireworks by local towns. All the displays of celebration, in spite of the fact that it was raining.

The rains were accompanied by lightning!

In the distant, the community displays, while some colored, were small and not as brilliant as was the strikes of lightning! Fireworks, then lightning!

Lightning was larger. Greater. Brighter. Higher. Sometimes more sustained.

As I watched the dual, it appeared that God was winning!

God expects us to do some 'things'. But what God can do is far superior to what we can do!

Praise Him!

"Power belongs to God!

His majesty shines down on Israel (and all of us!);

His strength is mighty in the heavens."

~ Psalm 68: 34 LAB

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Happy 4th of July!

Something written by Billy Graham for today:

"Fear God and honor the government."

~ I Peter 2:17 TLB

"On this Independence Day, we should be on our knees thanking God for all He has given us. The United States is a country in which everyone has an equal opportunity. Thank God for a country where there is no caste or class to keep a man from going to the top. If a man has a will to work and study, he can go ahead regardless of his background. In addition, thank God, He has given us freedom of religion. Whatever you may believe, no one can close your church because your religion does not coincide with his. A few people meeting in a small, out-of-the-way shack, worshiping God as they believe in Him, have the same right to religious freedom as people who worship God in the great cathedrals on the avenues of our greatest cities."

"Thank You, God, for allowing me to live in the greatest, grandest, and most free land the world has ever known."

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Something shared with me (and a few others) yesterday morning by Maureen Cameron from her prayer journal for the day:

Taken from Conrad Hilton's Autobiography:

"My mother had one answer for everything, PRAYER!"

"In the circle of successful living, prayer is 'the hub' that holds 'the wheel' (everything!) together.

Without our contact with God, we are nothing.

With it, we are 'a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor'."

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