Dear Ones,
Hope you have a wonderful weekend. We had 31 at the Birthday celebration and our grandson stopped by and got to have a taste of the chocolate cake too. Today I plan to clean the apartment and do food prep.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
We may think of the Chrisian life as one of joy and peace and great happiness, but we forget that there are also times of struggles and sacrifices to be made because we know the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We can mistakenly think that our life will now be lived on “easy street” so we wonder if we have done something wrong and sinned when we have struggles. But we can expect hard times if we are people of faith. Jesus even told His disciples ahead of time, as He also tells us, that we will go through times of trial and persecution because we are His followers. We are considered blessed when that happens. Matthew 5:11-12 says, “Count yourself blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is the truth is too close for comfort, and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even! — for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds.” Perhaps we can say that these very things that we struggle with should be embraced for they help us become stronger and more resolute to follow Him.

I am reading Professor Gerald Sittser’s book, Water from a Deep Well, and he shares what the early martyrs, desert saints, missionaries, reformers etc. went through as they were persecuted and yet flourished; others confessed their faith and yet were killed. Here in America, we may be made fun of and laughed at for our faith, and possibly be passed over for a job, but very few lose their lives for expressing their faith as they do in other countries. The early martyrs who were committed to Christ confessed Jesus was the only way and paid the price with their lives. We have only to think back on Roman times when entertainment was watching Christians meet their death in the arena as they were torn apart by animals or a gladiator’s sword. Yet they chose to follow Jesus whatever the price, and they chose death rather than renounce their faith. Their torture and deaths also resulted in many more people becoming believers like second-century theologian Justin Martyr. When he observed the courage of the Christians being brutally executed in Rome and yet not renouncing their faith, he also came a believer, as did others. Bishop Polycarp was burned to death for his faith, and as the fire was lite, he prayed how blessed he was among the martyrs and that God counted him worthy to partake of Christ’s cup’

I was struck by reading of Perpetua’s martyrdom for she was a young married gal who had a newborn baby and put into prison for her faith. The Lord told her in a vision that she would soon die, and her father pleaded with her to sacrifice to the gods and give up her faith. But she remained strong and even as she was marched to the amphitheater, she was joyful and calm and sang a song before she was struck and killed by a gladiator.

We all choices every day of whether we will choose Christ over the world and the devil. Let us be faithful to the Lord.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you die daily to all those things that separates you from the Lord.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy