Peace Be Still 9/27-30/19

27-30 Sept 2019 - Peace Be Still – Manna from 2015 by Dorothy

Mark 4:39 “He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

What do we do when we are stuck in a troubling situation with nowhere to run? Maybe, we feel like the disciples who were stuck in a life-threatening storm in a boat? Strange to say, Jesus was sound asleep with His head on a cushion when all these things were happening. I tried to imagine that Jesus looks so peaceful when He was so tired from all His day’s work.

The story was about disciples who were in the boats and they were going across on the lake of Galilee. It was so peaceful at first when their boats went sailing and then unexpected storm came with a very strong wind. There were huge waves that came into the boat with lots of water. [Ref. Mark 35-41]

When the disciples couldn’t get the water out of the boat quick enough, they panic that they were going to drown. They “ran to Jesus” and woke Him up. Jesus stood up and commanded the wind and the waves, “Peace be still!” The wind stopped, and the waves became completely calm.

We could learn from the disciples who “fled to Jesus” as their only hope. Jesus may be “asleep in our boat” in the storms of life so we, like the disciples who faced trouble, will “wake Him up.” Thankfully, He is always with us in the storms of life, saying things like, “Peace be still!”

So, look for Him in your storm and let Him fill you with peace that comes from knowing He is near. (Even if we have to “wake Him up”)!

SONG: With Christ in the Vessel (Boat)

With Christ in the vessel

         we can smile at the storm,

        Smile at the storm, smile at the storm.

With Christ in the vessel

         we can smile at the storm

As we go sailing home.

Sailing, sailing home,

     sailing, sailing home,

With Christ in the vessel

         we can smile at the storm

As we go sailing home.

[Inspiring Choruses]

God bless you!

Dorothy

Justified by Faith 9/21-26/19

21-26 Sept 2019 - Justified By Faith – Revised Manna from 2010 by Dorothy

Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 5:2 “By whom (Jesus Christ) also we have access (permission) by faith into this grace where we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”  

            What does being justified by faith really mean? NCV says, "Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have peace with God."  
            Justified means to prove or show to be just, right, legal, or reasonable 2: to release from guilt of sin (Merriam-Webster). Being justified is like, just as if I had never sinned before.  To be justified by faith is to say "I have been made right with God by faith . . ."        
           How did that happen? "This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has brought us into that blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have sharing God's glory" (Romans 5:1b-2).
            So that means we will be free from all the troubles? "We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope. And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out His love to fill our hearts. He gave His love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given us" (Romans 5:3-5).
              Summary addition on the peace of God:

Dorothy: I was impressed with the word, peace. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. The basic meaning of shalom is harmony, wholeness, soundness, well-being, and success in all areas of life.

            When God created the heavens and the earth, He created a world at peace. After God had finished creating the world, “every thing . . . was very good” (Gen. 1:31). When God came down to fellowship with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening, there was peace for Adam and Eve because they had relationship with God.

            But after their fall, they lost their inner peace with God because they felt guilt and shame before God. Their sin destroyed the peace of harmony with God so therefore they had no access or permission to come to Him until God built an altar and slain the sheep with blood offered. God made coats of skins and clothed Adam and Eve. (Ref. Gen.3:21)

            This was the type of Christ who was to come through the death on the cross and brought back the harmony of peace with God the Father through Jesus’ blood. So therefore, when we believe in Jesus Christ, we are justified (made right) by faith and have peace with God through Jesus Christ.

            We now have access (permission to enter) to our heavenly Father and Jesus restored our peace relationship with God, our Father.  Now the message that Christians proclaim is the good news of peace through Jesus Christ (Acts 10:36). So let us be thankful that Jesus' blood washed us and His blood cover us and all God sees is our faith in Him. Hallelujah!

Chorus: At the Cross
At the cross, at the cross
Where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith
I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
(Isaac Watts, Melodies of Praise)

God bless you!

Dorothy

PS. Song: I Have Peace

I have peace, I have peace

Where in Him I first receive,

And the peace in my heart to stay,

Peace was there by faith,

I received my peace,

And now I have peace all the day!

(Inspiration by Anonymous)

Wisdom of Solomon 9/14-20/19

14-20 September 2019 - Wisdom of Solomon - Manna by Dorothy & Tony

Matthew 12:42 KJV, “… she (the queen of south, Sheba) came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the Wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.”

We read story about how the Queen of Sheba traveled a thousand miles to learn God’s wisdom from Solomon. She was amazed at the Wisdom of Solomon in all his glory. She was breathless. “And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts, and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes have seen it: and behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard” (1 Kings 10:6-7 KJV).

She said, “Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore (He made) thee king, to do judgment and justice” (1 Kings 10:8-9 KJV). 

Now Jesus said, “… … behold, a greater than Solomon is here.” Why did Jesus say this? The Scribes and the Pharisees demanded that Jesus gives them a sign of miracle to prove that He was the Messiah. They had already decided not to believe in Him. Who would be greater than Solomon? Jesus Christ is greater than Solomon.

Jesus had done miracles of healing people, even He raised Lazarus from the dead. Because of their unbelief, Jesus declared that “On the Judgment Day, the Queen of the South will stand up with you people who live today. She will show that you are guilty, because she came from far away to listen to Solomon’s wise teaching …” (Matt. 12:42 NCV).

So now, I want to focus on the “Wisdom of Solomon” which is a type of Christ, who would one day reign as a King of Israel on the earth for a thousand year. We look forward to that day and we will hear the “Wisdom of Christ.” He will do greater things than Solomon. I believe we will be “breathless” and say to our future King: “How happy these people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to Your wisdom!” (1Kings 10:8 NLT).

SONG: WE SHALL SEE THE KING

There’s a blessed time that‘s coming, coming soon,

It may be evening, morning or at noon,

The wedding of the bride, united with the groom,

We shall see the King when He comes.

Chorus:

We shall see the King, We shall see the King,

We shall see the King when He comes;

He is coming in power, we’ll hail the blessed hour,

We shall see the King when He comes.

(James B. Vaughan, Sing His Praise)

God bless you!

Dorothy 

PS. Manna from March 2015

The Overcomer 9/7-13/19

07-13 September 2019 - To You that Overcome – Poem by Dorothy

Romans 8:37 KJV: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. NCV: But in all these things we have full victory through God who showed his love for us.

1. To you that overcome I will give to eat the tree of life.
2. To you that overcome I will give thee a crown of life.
3. To you that overcome shall not be hurt of the second death.
4. To you that overcome I will give to eat of the hidden manna.
5. To you that overcome I will give you a white stone with your new name on it.
6. To you that overcome I will give you power to rule over the nations with a rod of iron.
7. To you that overcome I shall give you clothing in white raiment.
8. To you that overcome I will not blot out your name out of the book of life.
9. To you that overcome I will confess your name before My Father & before His angels.
10. To you that overcome I will make your enemies to come and bow before your feet.
11. To you that overcome I will make your enemies to know that I have loved thee.
12. To you that overcome I will make a pillar in the temple of My God.
13. To you that overcome I will write upon you the name of My God.
14. To you that overcome I will write upon you the name of the city of My God.
15. To you that overcome I will write upon you My new name.
16. To you that overcome I will grant you to sit with Me in My throne,
17. Even as I also overcame, and I am set down with My Father in His throne. [3:21]
                 [Poem written from Revelation 2 & 3 by Dorothy Callies in 1980’s]

What is conquer? The dictionary says: 1. get by fighting; win by war: conquer a country. 2. Overcome by force; defeat; get the better of: conquer an enemy, conquer a bad habit. 3. be victorious; be the conqueror.

Reading from Romans 8:31-39 would give the whole picture of what the key verse of Romans 8:37 was about.  (Manna from 2008 revised to Dec. 5-8, 2015)

Dorothy: Reading this, boy! That is a lot of promises Jesus had already made for us who are overcomers. The same God who knows the number of your hairs … care that much to reward you a lot. That should really encourage us to rejoice in all things and be able to overcome things when they are bad. Just review all the rewards that Jesus has promised us would be enough to sing, “It would be worth it all.”

Song: When We See Christ
It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,

Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;

One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase,

So bravely run the race, till we see Christ.

[Lyrics & Music: Esther Kerr Rusthoi, Sing His Praise]

May God bless you richly,

Dorothy

[Manna from 05-08 December 2015]

Memory of Crisis 9/1-6/19

01-06 Sept 2019 - The Third times on Memory of Crisis 2008

17-21 December 2014 - Memory of Crisis 2008 – Callies’ News

Psalm 34:7-8 “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.”

Memory of Christmas crisis was seven years ago on Dec. 19, 2008. After reading the crisis news, the Lord reminds me of how He is always with Tony and me. I wrote this news in December 22, 2008 for Fresh Manna.

[As for news, we had no power last Friday, Dec. 19th until Dec. 21, 2008 when we came home to check the power on late Sunday morning. We stayed at Double Tree Hotel which is across the lake from our apartment. It was like a special Christmas date on Saturday night when it got too cold to stay in our apartment on the second night with no power.

I had the Fresh Manna ready but no power and something urged me to go to Panera. I remembered they had wireless free so we were there on Saturday morning for breakfast. I was able to transfer from document saved to Fresh Manna. Awesome to me, there was a way to do that when power went out.]

O taste and see that the Lord is good. You are blessed when you trust in God! Maybe you had some crisis time in the past or recently, but you learn to trust in God in all things that we don’t always understand. When we trust God, notice something? We feel good! That is a feeling of God’s blessing on you when we trust in Him! I am reminded of a . . .

Song, ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus!

‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His word.
Just to rest upon His promise, Just to know “Thus saith the Lord.”
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him, How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er.
Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus! Oh for grace to trust Him more.

Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to trust His cleansing blood.
Just in simple faith to plunge me ‘Neath the healing, cleansing flood.
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him, How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er.
Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus! Oh for grace to trust Him more.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee, Precious Jesus, Savior Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me, Wilt be with me to the end.
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him, How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er.
Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus! Oh for grace to trust Him more.

(Lyrics: Louisa M. R. Stead, Sing His Praise)

Dorothy: 2008 and 2014 and now 2019. How times flies from 2008 which is 11 years ago and from 2014 which is 5 years ago. It reminds me that God is “I AM.”  He is there every day, even today! The song is so precious to sing to Jesus personally. It is so sweet to trust You Jesus, just to take You at Your word. I am resting in Your promise, I know You speak to me, dear Lord. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust You, how You have prove to me over and over. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, oh for grace to trust You even more.

May God richly bless you as you sing to Jesus, personally! Amen!

Dorothy