Archives for 2022

Good morning,

“10 women in the Bible who exceeded expectations.

Immediately we can think of women in the Bible like Mary, Eve, Sarah, Miriam, Esther, Ruth, Naomi, Deborah, and Mary Magdalene. But there are others that have only a small appearance in the Bible, some as few as one verse. 

While plenty of women in the Bible were strong, capable women, these ladies didn’t sit around waiting for someone else to get the job done. They feared God and lived faithfully. They did what they needed to do.” (Kate Edwards is a School Chaplain, Kid’s Ministry Leader and aspiring Bible Scholar. http://www.thenurturedword.com/)

For the next two weeks we will look at some of the lesser known women in the Bible. They will challenge us in our walk with the Lord.

1. Shiphrah & 2. Puah

The King of Egypt commanded the two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, to kill all the Hebrew boys when they were born. In Exodus 1 we read that the midwives feared God and did not do what the King commanded them to do. Instead they lied and said the babies were born before they arrived. This early act of civil disobedience saved many children’s lives. These women are great examples of how we can resist an evil regime.

Shiphrah and Puah in the Bible – Exodus 1:17-20

“But Shiphrah and Puah had respect for God. They didn’t do what the king of Egypt had told them to do. They let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt sent for the women. He asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?” The women answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like the women of Egypt. They are strong. They have their babies before we get there.” So God was kind to Shiphrah and Puah. And the people of Israel increased their numbers more and more. Shiphrah and Puah had respect for God. So he gave them families of their own.” 

How they exceeded expectations:

These women feared God more than the unnamed Pharaoh in Exodus who could have easily had them killed. They understood sanctity of life, and they knew what they did in God’s eyes mattered most. These women were up against a hard choice, follow this new Pharaoh or reap the consequences. They would have been expected to cave in to Pharaoh’s command to secure their own safety, but they held strong to what they believed and refused to kill the Hebrew children. (Kate Edwards is a School Chaplain, Kid’s Ministry Leader and aspiring Bible Scholar. http://www.thenurturedword.com/)

Please read chapter 1 of Exodus. Their act of faith allowed Moses to be born. Moses consequently was used by God to bring judgement on Egypt and deliver the Hebrew children from bondage. Moses led the Israelites into the dessert and prepared them to enter into the Promised Land.

They chose to deliver life at the risk to their own lives. They were courageous, cunning, and resourceful.

They truly did exceed expectations.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Memorial Day is Monday, 30 May 2022.

God has given us many memorials. This week we will look at five of them.

The Lord’s Supper, the Rainbow, the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Purim.

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.

5.  The feast of Purim 

The fifth memorial can be found in Esther 9:28. 

“And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.”  (Esther 9:28) 

In the book of Esther you may remember that Mordecai refused to bow to Haman, who was the king’s favorite. As a result, Haman made plans to massacre the Jews on a fixed date. Mordecai went to Esther and persuaded her to intercede with the king. Esther invited the king and Haman to a banquet. At the banquet Esther reveals Haman’s plans to massacre the Jews, and Haman is hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Since the edict for the massacre cannot be revoked, the king sends a edict allowing the Jews to defend themselves. The Jews take advantage of this to kill their enemies. The deliverance is commemorated at the feast of Purim.

The special feast continues to be celebrated by Jews to this day to celebrate their deliverance from Haman’s destruction through Queen Esther’s actions. So it is a self-proclaimed memorial to the Jews to this very day. During the Purim, the Esther scroll is read aloud in the synagogues.

Other festivals were ordained by Divine authority this one was initiated by Mordecai and Esther. Yet its commemoration was undoubtedly sanctioned by God whose merciful interposition it records.

CONCLUSION:

So, what we can learn from this is not so much the memorial that the Jews proclaimed, but rather the fact that God is a protector and deliverer of those who look to him and trust in him. It is a memorial to illustrate the Graciousness of God.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Memorial Day is Monday, 30 May 2022.

God has given us many memorials. This week we will look at five of them.

The Lord’s Supper, the Rainbow, the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Purim.

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.

4.  Feast of the Tabernacles

The fourth memorial is found in found in Leviticus 23:39-43.

“Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.⁴⁰ And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.⁴¹ And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.⁴² Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: ⁴³ That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”  (Leviticus 23:39-43) 

This is talking about the Feast of the Tabernacles. It fell in the Autumn when the full harvest of corn, wine and oil had been gathered in. It was the last great feast of the year. It was a time of rejoicing and thanksgiving when Israel showed their gratitude to God and remembered that He had delivered them from Egyptian bondage and brought them into a land which produced so many good things.

It came five days after the Day of Atonement when the sin of the people had been removed. During the seven days of the feast Israel dwelt in booths or tents made from the boughs of trees. It would remind them of the 40 years in the wilderness when they dwelt in tents, the This is talking about the Feast of the Tabernacles.

The feast pointed forward to the full harvest and the result of Christ’s work during the Millennium. It will be at this time that the whole earth will rejoice with Israel and keep the feast of Tabernacles. 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Memorial Day is Monday, 30 May 2022.

God has given us many memorials. This week we will look at five of them.

The Lord’s Supper, the Rainbow, the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Purim.

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.

MEMORIALS

1. The Lord’s Supper

The first memorial we are considering in this list is found in Luke 22:19-20. 

“And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.²⁰ Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”  (Luke 22:19-20) 

Of course, the greatest memorial of them all is the Lord’s Supper which is a reminder of the broken body and shed blood of Christ.

The Communion service is a service of remembrance. It is the equivalent of the Passover feast under the Law of Moses. The Communion takes us back to our salvation from sin through Christ, which was made possible on the cross and to which we became related by baptism. Keeping this commandment is therefore something we naturally want to do.

2.  The Rainbow

The second memorial can be found in Genesis chapter 9:12-17.

“And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:¹³ I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.¹⁴ And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:¹⁵ And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.¹⁶ And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.¹⁷ And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” (Genesis 9:12-17)

The memorial is the rainbow, and it is a reminder that God would never again destroy the world by a flood.

In the verses in the above quote, the rainbow is described as a token of the covenant. So, God is saying that whenever he sees this sign or monument in the sky, it will remind him of the covenant between him and every living creature on the earth. In other words, it is a memorial not only for God but also for us. Whenever we see the rainbow it is to remind us of the covenant, that never again will there be a flood to destroy all life on the earth.     

3. The Passover

The third memorial is found in Exodus 12:11-14. In the verse leading up to these verses the Israelites are told to take an unblemished lamb and kill it. They shall take the blood from it and place it on the side and tops of the door frames of the houses where they should eat the lamb.

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.¹³ And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.¹⁴ And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.”

So, the Passover was important as a memorial to the Israelites as it reminded them:

1. God’s separation of His people from the Gentiles.

2. God’s protection of His people.

3. God’s deliverance of His people.

4. God’s requirements of His people, that is, dedication to Him.

5. God’s commandment to them to keep the feast annually to remind them of all God had done for them.

4.  Feast of the Tabernacles

The fourth memorial is found in found in Leviticus 23:39-43.

“Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.⁴⁰ And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.⁴¹ And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.⁴² Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: ⁴³ That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”  (Leviticus 23:39-43) 

This is talking about the Feast of the Tabernacles. It fell in the Autumn when the full harvest of corn, wine and oil had been gathered in. It was the last great feast of the year. It was a time of rejoicing and thanksgiving when Israel showed their gratitude to God and remembered that He had delivered them from Egyptian bondage and brought them into a land which produced so many good things.

It came five days after the Day of Atonement when the sin of the people had been removed. During the seven days of the feast Israel dwelt in booths or tents made from the boughs of trees. It would remind them of the 40 years in the wilderness when they dwelt in tents, the This is talking about the Feast of the Tabernacles.

The feast pointed forward to the full harvest and the result of Christ’s work during the Millennium. It will be at this time that the whole earth will rejoice with Israel and keep the feast of Tabernacles. 

5.  The feast of Purim 

The fifth memorial can be found in Esther 9:28. 

“And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.”  (Esther 9:28) 

In the book of Esther, you may remember that Mordecai refused to bow to Haman, who was the king’s favorite. As a result, Haman made plans to massacre the Jews on a fixed date. Mordecai went to Esther and persuaded her to intercede with the king. Esther invited the king and Haman to a banquet. At the banquet Esther reveals Haman’s plans to massacre the Jews, and Haman is hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Since the edict for the massacre cannot be revoked, the king sends a edict allowing the Jews to defend themselves. The Jews take advantage of this to kill their enemies. The deliverance is commemorated at the feast of Purim.

The special feast continues to be celebrated by Jews to this day to celebrate their deliverance from Haman’s destruction through Queen Esther’s actions. So it is a self-proclaimed memorial to the Jews to this very day. During the Purim, the Esther scroll is read aloud in the synagogues.

Other festivals were ordained by Divine authority this one was initiated by Mordecai and Esther. Yet its commemoration was undoubtedly sanctioned by God whose merciful events it records.

CONCLUSION:

So, what we can learn from this is not so much the memorial that the Jews proclaimed, but rather the fact that God is a protector and deliverer of those who look to him and trust in him. It is a memorial to illustrate the Graciousness of God.

Memorials are for:

Remembrance

Worship

Learning

Teaching

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Memorial Day is Monday, 30 May 2022.

God has given us many memorials. This week we will look at five of them.

The Lord’s Supper, the Rainbow, the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Purim.

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.

MEMORIALS

3. The Passover

The third memorial is found in Exodus 12:11-14. In the verse leading up to these verses the Israelites are told to take an unblemished lamb and kill it. They shall take the blood from it and place it on the side and tops of the door frames of the houses where they should eat the lamb.

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.¹³ And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.¹⁴ And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.”

So the Passover was important as a memorial to the Israelites as it reminded them:

1. God’s separation of His people from the Gentiles.

2. God’s protection of His people.

3. God’s deliverance of His people.

4. God’s requirements of His people, that is, dedication to Him.

5. God’s commandment to them to keep the feast annually to remind them of all God had done for them.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Memorial Day is Monday, 30 May 2022.

God has given us many memorials. This week we will look at five of them.

The Lord’s Supper, the Rainbow, the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Purim.

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.

MEMORIALS

1. The Lord’s Supper

The first memorial we are considering in this list is found in Luke 22:19-20. 

“And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.²⁰ Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”  (Luke 22:19-20) 

Of course, the greatest memorial of them all is the Lord’s Supper which is a reminder of the broken body and shed blood of Christ.

The Communion service is a service of remembrance. It is the equivalent of the Passover feast under the Law of Moses. The Communion takes us back to our salvation from sin through Christ, which was made possible on the cross and to which we became related by baptism. Keeping this commandment is therefore something we naturally want to do. We do this in obedience to Christ’s command.

2.  The Rainbow

The second memorial can be found in Genesis chapter 9:12-17.

“And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:¹³ I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.¹⁴ And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:¹⁵ And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.¹⁶ And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.¹⁷ And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” (Genesis 9:12-17)

The memorial is the rainbow, and it is a reminder that God would never again destroy the world by a flood.

In the verses in the above quote, the rainbow is described as a token of the covenant. So God is saying that whenever He sees this sign or monument in the sky, it will remind Him of the covenant between Him and every living creature on the earth. In other words, it is a memorial not only for God but also for us. Whenever we see the rainbow it is to remind us of the covenant, that never again will there be a flood to destroy all life on the earth.     

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

This week we will concentrate on the benefits of life. Our devotions come from the Grace Gems website.

We can’t even imagine!

(John Newton, “The Present and Future Rest of True Believers“)

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(You will find it helpful to listen to the audio above, as you read the text below.)

Our most enlarged ideas of our future glory are faint and imperfect.  Who can describe or conceive the happiness of Heaven? It will be as unlike as possible, to this wilderness of sin and sorrow where we are now confined. Here on earth we are in a warfare, but then we shall enter into perfect rest. We now cry out, “O that I had wings like a dove! For then would I flee away and be at REST!” (Psalm 55:6)

Heaven will be a rest from ALL SIN. No ‘unclean thing’ shall ever defile or disturb us forever! We shall be free from all indwelling sin. This alone would be worth dying for! Indwelling sin is a burden under which all the redeemed must groan, while they sojourn in the body.

And those who are most spiritual are most deeply affected with shame, humiliation, and grief, on account of their sins–because they have the clearest views . . .
  of the holiness of God,
  of the spirituality of His law,
  of the love of Christ, and
  of the deceitfulness of their own hearts!
Therefore the Apostle Paul, though perhaps in grace and talents, in zeal and usefulness, was distinguished above all saints–accounted himself the ‘chief of sinners,‘ (1 Timothy 1:15) ‘less than the least of all saints,‘ (Ephesians 3:8) and cried out under the disparity he felt between what he actually was, and what he desired to be: “O wretched man that I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin!” (Romans 7:24)

But we shall not carry this burden of sin beyond the grave. The hour of death shall free us from our inbred enemies (the inseparable attendants of this frail perishing nature) which now trouble us, and we shall see them no more forever!

Heaven will also be a rest from all outward AFFLICTIONS, which, though necessary, and, under the influence of Divine grace, are profitable–yet they are grievous to bear. But in Heaven, they will no more be necessary. Where there is no sin–there shall be no sorrow. Then, “God will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever!” (Revelation 21:4)

Heaven will also be a rest from SATAN’S TEMPTATIONS. How busy is this adversary of God and man–what various arts and schemes he employs! What surprising force, what constant assiduity does he employ to ensnare, distress, and terrify those who by grace have escaped from his servitude! He says, like Pharaoh of old, “I will pursue, I will overtake, I will destroy!” (Exodus 15:9) He follows them to the last stage of life, but he can follow them no farther. The moment of their departure out of the body, shall place them beyond his reach forever!

Heaven will also be a rest from UNSATISFIED DESIRES. Here on earth, the more we drink–the more we thirst. But in Heaven, our highest wishes shall be crowned and exceeded! We shall rest in full communion with Him whom we love, and shall no more complain of interruptions and imperfections, and a careless heart.

Here on earth–we obtain a little glimpse of His presence when He brings us into His banqueting-house, and spreads His banner of love over us! And how gladly would we remain in such a desirable frame! How unwilling are we to ‘come down’ from the mount! But these pleasing and holy seasons are quickly ended, and often give place to some sudden unexpected trial, which robs us of all that sweetness in which we lately rejoiced. But when we ascend the holy hill of God above–we shall never again ‘come down’! We shall be forever with the Lord, never offend Him, and never be separated from Him again! “I will see Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be fully satisfied with Your presence!” (Psalm 17:15)

Here on earth, we find a mixture of evil in our most holy moments! When we approach nearest to God, we have the liveliest sense of our defilement, and how much we fall short in every branch of duty, and in every temper of our hearts. But when we shall see Jesus as He is–we shall be fully transformed into His image, and be perfectly like Him!

“Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when He comes–we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is!” 1 John 3:2

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined–what God has prepared for those who love Him!” 1 Corinthians 2:9

   ~  ~  ~  ~

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

This week we will concentrate on the benefits of life. Our devotions come from the Grace Gems website.

No longer will there be any curse!

(Maria Sandberg, “Glimpses of Heaven!” 1880)

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“No longer will there be any curse!” Revelation 22:3

Our beautiful world, filled with the wonderful works of God, bears evident traces that it is not what it was created at first. It bears everywhere, the marks of a great change–which change is accounted for in the Bible by the fall of Adam. God made everything very good–but man sinned, and the curse came upon himself and the whole creation! Though still beautiful, yet how much is its beauty marred and defaced! Now, thorns and thistles spring up, where once were only lovely flowers and sweet fruits. The wild beasts of the forest, though still beautiful in outward form–now possess violent and ferocious dispositions; and the beasts of burden groan under the tyranny of man. Man himself is subject to labor and toil, to sorrow and sickness and death. Even his most innocent enjoyments are marred by sin!

But thanks be to God, the promise of deliverance from the curse sounds in our ears in this blessed Scripture, “No longer will there be any curse!” Where then, is this land of blessing and perfection? It is that Paradise which Christ has gone to prepare for His people; that “Rest which remains for the people of God.”

Here on earth, even our very blessings are mixed with signs of the curse.
But there shall be no more curse in our Heavenly home:
  no more toil and labor,
  no more weariness and faintness,
  no more hunger or thirst,
  no more bitter cold or burning heat,
  no more disappointment,
  no more sorrow,
  no more pain,
  no more sickness,
  no more death!

In Heaven there shall be no more curse, but all will be the perfection of bliss. Who can conceive the happiness of such a state? For this, the whole creation groans and travails in pain, eagerly waiting for its consummation.

Let us, then, who have such exceedingly great and precious promises, when sighing under the effects of the curse in any of its forms–gladly turn our thoughts to meditate on Heaven’s glorious realities! And when admiring the beautiful works of God, which still exist to show us what they once were–let us also turn our thoughts to the greater beauty and glory of our Paradise above!

    ~  ~  ~  ~

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

This week we will concentrate on the benefits of life. Our devotions come from the Grace Gems website.

The unerring hand of infinite wisdom!

(Thomas Reade, “The Sovereignty of God”)

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“My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” Isaiah 46:10

Nothing is so calming and comforting to the Christian pilgrim, as the assurance of Divine Guidance in every, even the most minute circumstances which befall him.

Without this perception of his heavenly Father’s care, a thousand intricacies must beset his path. He must be staggered at almost every step. But when he beholds, by faith, the unerring hand of infinite wisdom, wielding the stupendous machine of human events, causing everything to promote the spiritual good of His people–then he quiets himself as a little child, and can say with cheerful resignation, “Father, not my will, but Yours be done!”

In such a world of change and trial, how inestimable is a calm reliance on the wisdom, power, and love of God. It fully compensates for the lack of temporal ease and wealth. If, without our heavenly Father, not even a sparrow can fall to the ground; if the very hairs of our head are all numbered–how composed should we be.

The reins of universal nature are in the hands of Infinite Love! This vast complex machine is guided by Infinite Wisdom and Power! The Almighty Ruler of the sky cannot be taken by surprise. Nothing unforeseen can happen to cross His purposes or thwart His designs. All worlds are open to His view.

If this Great and Glorious Being is our Father and our Friend–then our privilege is to rejoice at all times, and in everything to give thanks. How consoling and encouraging is the assurance that the blessed Redeemer of my soul, is the Great Sovereign of the Universe! Without His permission, nothing can happen in the vast dominion over which He sways His scepter! To His will every creature must bow–either in willing obedience, or in just and endless punishment!

“Lord, be pleased to impart unto me, your unworthy servant, this spirit of confidence in You. May I see Your hand in all the events of life–ordering the minor, as well as in the greater movements of Your Providence. This watching and waiting for the manifestations of Your guardian care–will fill me with thankfulness for all my mercies, and make me patient under all my trials.”

“My times are in Your hands.” Psalm 31:15

   ~  ~  ~  ~

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

This week we will concentrate on the benefits of life. Our devotions come from the Grace Gems website.

All things have become new!

(Thomas Reade)

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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Our perceptions will be new. A divine light will break in upon our minds.
The darkness of error, which obscured the truth from our view, will be dissipated.

Our principles will be new:
We shall act from pure, holy, unselfish motives.
Faith working by love will be the grand moving principle.
Self will no longer be the pivot on which we turn, but Jesus will be our all in all.

Our practice will be new. We shall live no longer according to the sinful customs of the world, or the powerful solicitations of the flesh–but according to the holy precepts of the everlasting Gospel. We shall delight in the law of God after the inward man. It will be our food and drink to do the will of our Father.

Our plans will be new. We shall dedicate ourselves, and all we have and are, to the service of that divine Savior who loved us and gave Himself for us. We shall not be daily occupied in forming plans for worldly pleasure, or projecting schemes for the acquisition of worldly profit; but in devising means for carrying on the cause of truth, and for spreading the knowledge of a crucified Redeemer throughout the earth.

Our prospects will be new. The darkness being past, and the true light now shining–we shall see the distant radiance of the heavenly Zion, and behold, with the telescopic eye of faith, the land which is very far off!

Our privileges will be new:
God will be our reconciled Father.
Jesus will be our Savior and friend.
The Holy Spirit will be our sanctifier and comforter.
And Heaven will be our eternal home!

Our portion will be new.
All those exceeding great and precious promises, will be ours.
We shall be heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ!
We shall be the citizens of the New Jerusalem, and inherit that kingdom that is incorruptible and undefiled, prepared for all the new creatures in Christ Jesus, before the foundation of the world!

To sum up all this blessedness, we shall experience in this world a progression in holiness–and in the world to come, a perpetuity of bliss!

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Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com