 Diane Musil is a
special friend of this
ministry.
Here is a picture of Diane
with "Pup". I recently asked
Diane how long she has been a
Christian, and she responded,
"I
was saved
7/7/1977. Diane explains,
"That is when
I first became saved and
accepted Jesus Christ as my
Savior and
Lord!!!!" She is a
women of faith and a powerful
prayer warrior.
Diane loves
the Lord with all of her heart
and has a deep abiding
relationship with Him, born
out of life's
struggles.
-
- Since the
beginning of this ministry,
Diane has been an
encouragement to Rhonda and
me. Several months ago, we
asked Diane if she would be
willing to write devotionals,
which we could add to this
website, so that other people
would be encouraged too. Diane
graciously responded,
"Yes,".
-
- Diane is Deaf
and legally blind, caused by
being born almost three months
premature. Many years ago,
Diane was visiting at the
Retreat Center here and
preparing to share in chapel.
Diane was in the kitchen and I
happened to walk in on her as
she was reading her Bible and
praying. Diane had her Bible
within three inches of her
eyes as she diligently,
slowly, was reading the Word
of God. I backed out of the
kitchen. That image of Diane
reading her Bible has spurred
me on to be faithful in
reading the precious Word of
God. Rhonda and I pray that
God will encourage you as you
read Diane's devotional below.
Diane has lived in the Chicago
area her entire
life.
-
- May God
encourage and bless
you,
- Gary
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- This Month's
Devotional
-
- BIBLE VERSES
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|
John 15:10
(NCV--New Century Version)
Jesus Is Like a
Vine
1
"I am the true
vine; my Father is the gardener.
2 He cuts
off every branch of mine that
does not produce fruit. And he
trims and cleans every branch
that produces fruit so that it
will produce even more fruit.
3 You
are already clean because of the
words I have spoken to you.
4
Remain in me, and I
will remain in
you. A branch cannot produce
fruit alone but must remain in the
vine. In the same way, you cannot
produce fruit alone but must
remain in
me.
5 "I am
the vine, and you are the
branches. If any remain in me
and I remain in
them, they produce much fruit.
But without me they can do
nothing. 6 If any
do not remain in me,
they are like a branch that is
thrown away and then dies. People
pick up dead branches, throw them
into the fire, and burn
them. 7 If you
remain in me
and follow my teachings, you can
ask anything you want, and it
will be given to you.
8 You
should produce much fruit and
show that you are my followers,
which brings glory to my Father.
9 I loved
you as the Father loved me.
Now
remain in my love.
10 I have
obeyed my Father's commands, and
I remain in his
love. In the same way, if you
obey my commands, you will
remain in my
love.
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|
In
the above verses from John 15 we
notice:
- Jesus is the "TRUE
VINE",
- Christians are the
"BRANCHES",
- God the Father is the
"GARDENER".
-
- In verse 4 notice the word
"REMAIN" (In other translations the word
used is "ABIDE")
- In the NCV "REMAIN" is
used 11 TIMES--WOW!
- REMAIN is to * Continue
* to Keep on * To stay in
-
- After
reading and thinking about these ten
verses I would like to share with
you:
-
FOUR LESSONS
OF--ABIDE:
- The
New Living Translation reads to
"fan into
flames",
- The
New King James reads, "stir up the
gift",
- The
Revised Standard Version reads,
"rekindle the gift of
God"
After Gary
and Rhonda contacted me regarding writing
devotionals, I began to pray about it. God
gave me His peace, and I knew this is
something God wanted me to do. This is the
very first devotional I wrote. May you be
encouraged in your walk with the Lord as
you read this and future devotionals I
write. My brother and sister in the Lord,
as you read this first devotion, it is my
prayer that you will "fan into
flames", "stir up the gift", "rekindle the
gift" of God which is in
you!
-
-
- STORY
-
- Do you
enjoy birthday cakes? I do! My favorite is
a white cake with fresh strawberries! :
)
- Picture this: It is your
birthday. There is a big, nice party for
you with a beautiful birthday cake (your
favorite flavor). The candles on the cake
are brightly shining. Everyone is
signing/singing "Happy Birthday" song.
Finally it is time for you to blow out the
candles. You take a big breath and blow
our all the candles. It becomes dark.
Then, one by one, the candles spark and
light back up again. So you blow out the
candles again. But then, again, one by
one, the candles spark and light back up.
You get a puzzled look on your face as all
of your friends and family begin to smile
and giggle. Suddenly, you realize, the
candles are those trick
candles and everyone gets a good
laugh (LOL).
-
-
- DON'T LET THE FLAME GO
OUT
-
- Paul
uses the words "stir up", "rekindle". I
like the picture of those trick
candles on the birthday cake.
EVERYTIME the candles were blown out, they
sparked and lit up again. Paul says to
Timothy, "Come on!" We need to tell
ourselves, "Come On! Wake up soul! Don't
let the spark go to sleep. Don't let the
spark go out." Today it is so easy to let
the spark become dim. But our lives need
to be the same as those trick candles.
I encourage you to look
inside your heart. Is the spark inside
"sleeping"? Is the spark inside "dim"?
Maybe life's challenges, life's struggles,
life's daily problems have pulled you down
and caused the flame in your life to be
low. We need to be like the
trick
candles--EVERYTIME they are blown
out, they rekindle and start to burn
again. Paul encourages us to "stir up"
have hope in the Father, Jesus Christ, and
the Holy Spirit, and we will be rekindled
and burn bright again, and again, and
again!!!
-
-
- SONG
-
- I am
reminded of this song, "REVIVE US
AGAIN", words written in 1863 by
William P. Mackay:
-
- We
praise Thee, O God! For the Son of Thy
love,
- For
Jesus Who die, And is now gone
above.
-
- Refrain
- Hallelujah! Thine the
glory. Hallelujah! Amen
- Hallelujah! Thine the
glory. Revive us
again.
-
- We
praise Thee, O God! For Thy Spirit of
light,
- Who
hath shown us our Savior, And scattered
our night.
-
- Refrain
- Hallelujah! Thine the
glory. Hallelujah! Amen
- Hallelujah! Thine the
glory. Revive us
again.
-
- All
glory and praise, To the God of all
grace,
- Who
hast brought us, and sought us, And guided
our ways.
-
- Refrain
- Hallelujah! Thine the
glory. Hallelujah! Amen
- Hallelujah! Thine the
glory. Revive us
again.
-
- Revive
us again, Fill each heart with Thy
love;
- May
each soul be rekindled with fire from
above.
-
- Refrain
- Hallelujah! Thine the
glory. Hallelujah! Amen
- Hallelujah! Thine the
glory. Revive us
again.
- PRAYER
-
- Dear
Father in Heaven:
- Stir
up, rekindle within me, once again, the
living hope I have in You. Heavenly
Father, Son and Holy Spirit touch me once
again that I shine bright for You and
reflect You in my life. In Jesus Name I
pray. AMEN.
-
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