Heavenly Seasons

Posted on October 25, 2021 by Shirlee Abbott

 

The last book of the Bible offers an intriguing peek into the heavenly realm.

 

 

Revelation 22:2 (NIV)
On each side of the river
stood the tree of life, 
bearing twelve crops of fruit,
yielding its fruit every month.

I relish the changing seasons, especially spring and fall. I like snow (in modest amounts!), but I tire of the cold and long for spring. Spring morphs into summer. When I’ve had it with hot weather, fall arrives. The first snow spreads fresh beauty on barren hillsides.

Imagine each season condensed into a single week, with the cycle repeated monthly. What’s not to love?

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Simple Words to Pray Often

Posted on October 22, 2021 by Shirlee Abbott

“The Way of the Pilgrim,” first printed in Kazan (in Russia) in 1884, tells the story of a peasant on a quest to “Pray continuously” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). He found his answer in The Jesus Prayer:

The perfect prayer for every occasion.

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Simple Words to Guide Our Choices

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Shirlee Abbott

Jesus said,

John 13:34 (NIV)
“A new command I give you:
Love one another.”

 

“Love one another.” Three simple words that change everything.

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Simple Words to Live By

Posted on October 20, 2021 by Shirlee Abbott

 

Ten simple rules:

 

 

Exodus 20:3-17 (CEV)
I am the LORD your God . . .
Do not worship any god except me.
Do not make idols . . . 
Do not misuse my name . . .
Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me . . .
Respect your father and your mother . . .
Do not murder.
Be faithful in marriage.
Do not steal.
Do not tell lies about others.
Do not want anything that belongs to someone else.

God’s Ten Commandments. Good for you, good for everyone around you.

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Simple Words of Joy

Posted on October 19, 2021 by Shirlee Abbott

The greatest commandments:

Simple words of great joy.

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Famous Simple Words

Posted on October 18, 2021 by Shirlee Abbott

 

Some of Jesus’ simplest phrases have become part of our culture. People who don’t know and believe in Him use them.

 

From the Sermon on the Mount:

        • “Turn the other cheek”  (Matthew 5:39)
        • “Go the extra mile” (Matthew 5:41)

And “Good Samaritan” laws are named after Christ’s story about the stranger who helped a wounded traveler (Luke 10:25-37).

Simple words = deep and lasting thoughts.

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Not Doing Right Is Wrong

Posted on October 15, 2021 by Shirlee Abbott

James 4:17 (ESV)
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

James makes it clear: Not doing the right thing is wrong. It’s a sin.

 


Lord, be merciful to me, for I have sinned.

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Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Shirlee Abbott


“Two wrongs don’t make a right.” 

I heard that often as a child. It’s what my mother said every time I tried to blame my reaction on my brother’s action — every time I said, “He started it.”

 

It was her Mom Version of Scripture:

Romans 14:10, 12 (NIV)
 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat . . .So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

Mom was right. No one else is to blame for our wrongs.

 

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Wrongs Aren’t Right

Posted on October 13, 2021 by Shirlee Abbott

 


You’ve heard about the “lesser of two evils.”
God may not see it that way.

 

Proverbs 17:15 (NIV)
Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—
the LORD detests them both.

We sometimes choose the “lesser evil.” Which doesn’t automatically make it good.

 

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I Was Wrong About Being Right

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Shirlee Abbott

I used to tell my children I was right 100% of the time.

I was wrong.

 

Romans 12:3 (NLT)
Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves.

 

God is right 100% of the time. And honestly, I’m not
(my children knew it all along).

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