Maturing in a Godly Manner with Gratitude and Grace:The birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus becomes our salvation

The most important event in a Christian’s life is when he or she believes that Jesus died for them personally when He took their sins with Him to the Cross. He died for all of mankind and we are a part of that group.

Last year, on “Good Friday”, I was watching a film, on TV of the crucifixion of Jesus.  It was very real and intense.  When I saw how they whipped His back until it  bled and then they pounded the crown of thorns into his scalp until His blood ran down over his face, I had to turn off the TV because I was weeping real tears when I realized my personal sins were being covered by His blood.  Jesus, the Son of God actually died to cover our sins with His blood.  The magnitude of His Sacrifice is mind boggling.  To be loved that much by someone, how can we not love Him as much as He loved us?

We praise the Lord for who He is and who we are because He died for us in our place.  And because He lives, we can face tomorrow.  Our chains are gone!  We have been set free!  Our Lord, Our God has rescued us not just for now, but for all of eternity.

This is the 43rd year I will be able to celebrate His Great Gift of Salvation.  My daughter was the first one in our family to learn and believe that all of our “good works” could not save our souls.  She couldn’t wait to share this with her mother and everyone else she knew.  Praise the Lord for her persistent witnessing to me and many others.  The Lord then sent me on my own personal journey to spread His Good News to many others.  Even though I retired from the work place at age 90, my spiritual witnessing goes on in my Devotional writings.  Have you thought about this?  If someone saves your physical life, it only lasts until your physical death.  When Jesus saves your soul, it goes on with you into eternity and beyond.

Praise God Our Father who sent His Son, Jesus to be born on earth.  Our greatest worth on earth is our relationship with Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior.  Four things had to happen and they did. Jesus was born on earth, died on earth, was resurrected and ascended back into heaven.  He reigns there with God Our Father and His Holy Spirit dwells within us.  This is the “Greatest Story Ever Told” because, Praise the Lord, it is true.  What Jesus, Himself, said to Thomas in John 14:6 dispels any myths about other ways to get to heaven.

 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  

I pray during this Easter Season, we will all remember who we are in Christ and what it  took for Him to break down the barrier that was keeping us from coming to God Our Father.

Thank you for reading this,

Great Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner with Gratitude and Grace: It's not too late to salvage and reinforce Christian values.

Instead of being the “Silent Majority”, let’s be the “Vocal Majority” and let “Onward Christian Soldiers” be our battle cry and theme song.  There are enough of us in our Army to overcome those who are blatantly leading our country down a path of self destruction.  Instead of following them, let’s just replace them.  

As we listen to some of the current group of politicians who are vying for the opportunity to be elected, we can sense that it is not all about America, but it is all about them, and their alter ego.  It seems their arms should be in pain from patting themselves on the back by blowing their own trumpets and gaining authority over us in our daily lives.  I strongly suggest that we stop their music/noise by using our TV mute/off buttons.  We can then quietly meditate on the message they are sending  out. Mostly their promises are a figment of their imagination or a “fairy tale”.  Con artists have used the same approach on their victims for many years.  Let us be victors and not victims.  

We must press on until the day that God can truly bless America again! The following scriptures I highlighted last week, are still appropriate for this entire voting season.  I ask that we all unite together and pray these scriptures daily until we see a difference in the immoral practices going on in our nation today.

Psalm 67:3-7 – “Let the people praise You. O God.  Let all the peoples praise You.  O, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For you shall judge the people righteously.  And govern the nations on earth”.

Psalm 96:10-13 – “”Say among the nations, “The Lord Reigns; the world also is firmly established. It shall not be moved.He shall judge the peoples righteously.”  Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;  For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.  He shall judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with His Truth.”

Psalm 97:1, 10 – “The Lord reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad; vs. 10-“You who love the Lord hate evil!”

 

Thank you Jesus for hearing the prayers of your people.  Let us soon visibly see some of the changes we are praying for.

 

Thank you for reading this,

 

Great Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner with gratitude and grace. Our Christian values are in a crisis in America today.

The Lord is giving the Christian Community of believers another opportunity to make a difference in electing the kind of leadership that will bring America back to where the original founders intended it to be.  It is almost unthinkable that "political correctness” has almost succeeded in replacing  our religious freedoms.  Praise the Lord it hasn’t happened yet.  But we are on the brink of what could be a disaster.

Please don’t vote with a blindfold over your eyes.  Research and become aware  of the values of those running for positions of authority over us.  Because God’s Word is the authority that determines our values, don’t compromise and settle for less.  I have heard some people say “I don’t vote because my one vote does not count.  If 50,000 other voters feel the same way, each and every one of those non-votes do count for the opposition.  We need to be realistic and not inadvertently be giving our support to someone whose values are the opposite of ours.  I believe cautious Christian voters are capable of bringing America back to where it started.  That would be a good thing.  Wake up and join the prayer movement for the spiritual healing of our beloved country before it is too late.

I believe the following scriptures support my thoughts on this serious matter.

Psalm 67:3-7 – “Let the peoples praise You. O God.  Let all the peoples praise You.  O, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people righteously. And govern the nations on earth.”

Psalm 96:10-13 – “Say among the nations, “The Lord Reigns; the world also is firmly established.  It shall not be moved.  He shall judge the peoples righteously.” Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;  For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.  He shall judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with His Truth.”

Psalm 97:1 – “The Lord reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad;  vs. 10 – “You who love the Lord hate evil!”    

 

Thank you for reading this,

 

Great Granny Witt    

Maturing in a Godly Manner with gratitude and grace. Enduring the last cold months of winter without despair!

Winter doesn’t seem so bad if you can spend your time in Sunny Florida.  If you can't make it there, you can sit in a recliner beside a roaring fire in the fireplace and have no urgent outside errands that would require you to drive there on icy roads.  However, even a short walk to your curbside mail box can be dangerous if the pathway to get there is very slippery.

How can one be content in the dark days of late winter? It  helps to concentrate on the fact that November, December, January and now February have come and gone.  And, if according to our weather forecasters, or a groundhog, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, winter is on its way out for this year at least.  This is my 91st winter and I have never seen a year when we have not been rewarded by April Showers bringing in May flowers.  And believe it or not, with no help from a specific rodent nor an all knowing weather forecaster!  Why is it so hard for most people to give God the credit He deserves for the change of seasons?

The year I moved back to Ohio from the sunny South, 141 inches of snow fell to the ground that winter.  What a welcome back home!  Maybe this winter hasn’t been so bad after all.

Matthew 24:20  And Jesus said to His disciples,“And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.”  

Song of Solomon 2:11, 12 – “For lo the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.  The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing is come, And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.” 

Weather was also a factor when Jesus walked on this earth. Can you imagine living in those times without all of the perks we have?  No snow blowers,  nor plows to clear the way.  We probably need to get out our shovels and start to work without whining.  God has put all of the seasons in place and we need to accept that fact with love and grace.  Let’s face the facts that one future day in eternity we will live in a perfect environment.  But as you look around you will realize that “We are not there yet.”

Praise the Lord for all of His many blessings to us,

Even as we endure walking in the snow and slush.

 Spring will come as it always does,

And we can again put away our coats, boots and gloves.

Summer will follow with warmth from the sun,

Paul’s advice in Phil. 4:11-13 should be followed by everyone.

Philippians 4:11-13 – “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.  Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both  to abound and to suffer need.  Result: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  

God is our protector and provider, so we can relax and go wherever He leads us.

Thank you for reading this,

Great Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner with gratitude and grace: Letting problems lead to intolerance of others!

My intolerance of others comes to the forefront again.  I thought I had overcome this sin pattern from my high school days, but obviously not!  I have again found out that my arrogance can breed intolerance.  

My recent medical problems resulted in my almost continuous contact with personnel in the medical field.  There were many incidents where they billed me personally for medical fees already covered and reimbursed by my Health Insurance Company.  I expected them to do their jobs efficiently.  I had accumulated a large stack of bills sent to me in error before my insurance company had received the original bills which they would have paid in full.  I became a very unhappy patient and the many phone calls back and forth confirmed that to the medical insurance workers.  My attitude was that I was literally performing their tasks for them because they were incompetent.  I was not using wisdom to solve the problem as the following scriptures advise.

Proverbs 8:12, 13 – “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, which is “skill and good judgment in the use of resources”. 

I was being prideful which is too much self esteem, and arrogance which is an overbearing manner.  When I finally calmed down and agreed with their solutions, we developed a good working relationship.  In no time, all of their financial errors were corrected.  My knowing that there is scriptural advice to cover any given problem, I often wonder why I still try it my way before I succumb to God’s Way.  As in Isaiah 55:8,9 – 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways, My ways”, says the Lord, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”  

My new motto must surely be – First, take it to the Lord in prayer or you might not get anywhere on your own!  Praise the Lord, He is always ready to answer.  It is our duty to always ask Him for advice before we stumble around in the darkness.  He is able to open doors of opportunity, if only we will ask.  Praise the Lord that He is always there to listen to us and take care of all of our needs.  I hope I have now learned everything He has taught me through this experience, so I don’t have to take this test over again.

 

Thank you for reading this,

 

Great Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner with Gratitude and Grace: We have new opportunities each day to pray for those in need.

Each morning, before I set down with my Bible for my quiet time, I check my inbox for church emails to see who is requesting prayer for a special need that day.  I lift them and their request up to God in prayer.  It seems that frequently, later in the day, they express their gratitude and thankfulness for His answer.  It is good to be a part of this prayer group as described in James 5:16.

“Pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”  

As an example, my whole church family was praying for my recovery from a stroke.  Their prayers were answered and I am home now and am  on the way to a complete recovery.  Praise the Lord for prayer warriors!  They help us win the battle against our enemy.  They also encourage us with hope.  

It is very comforting to me when I lift up in prayer individually all of my family members by name each day and ask this of God, Our Father:  “Please put Your loving arms around each of us and protect us from all harm, all personal harm, and all of the elements and of all damage.  I pray Your Grace will be sufficient for all of us, spiritually, emotionally and physically, this day and this night, wherever we might be and whatever we are doing." 

I place these requests from my heart into His Hands, which is a place of safety, security, blessings, love and hope!  There is no better place to be while we are still on this earth, until He takes us home to be with Him for eternity!

 

Thank you for reading this,

 

Great Granny Witt

Maturing in a Godly Manner with Gratitude and Grace: Lessons learned from trials and tribulations

A trial is a test of faith.  A tribulation is a trying experience. It is possible to turn an annoyance into a blessing by being thankful and grateful for it.  I have been healthy and medicine free most of my adult life.  Now, because of my recent stroke, I have had to be on a strict medicine schedule.  This has dropped my patience level down several degrees.  I have finally come to my senses and realize that my complete recovery will occur much sooner because these medicines have been made available to me.  Now my attitude is one of gratitude and not impatience.  I know as a follower of Jesus, that this temporary bump on the road to recovery will not weaken my faith and trust in My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I believe it will be used to strengthen my faith and trust in Him.  

I am a firm believer in Romans 8:28-31 -

 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who are the called, who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?”  

What a fantastic privilege as a believer in Jesus to have instant access to God,Our Father, at any time of the day or night and wherever we might be.  He will show us the way.  As Jesus said to Thomas in John 14:6 -

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  

The following scriptures have helped  me to change my perspective from annoyance to gratitude:

Luke 8:11 -  “Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.”  verse 15, “But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”  

I Thessalonians 1:3- “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father.”  

I Timothy 6:11 – “But you, O man of God, flee thee things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.”  

James 1:2,3,4 – “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. knowing that

the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” 

John 6: 28, 29 – “Then they said to Him, “What should we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” 

 

If per chance, someone is reading this devotional who has never accepted Jesus as their personal Savior, consider  John 3:16  -

”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”   

Believe what it says and you will become a new believer.

 

Thank you for reading  this,

 

Great Granny Witt