This is from Charles Spurgeon's Gems #8
God's Purpose for Us
[There is not a spider hanging on the wall that doesn't have a purpose; there is not a weed growing in the corner of the church lot that doesn't have a reason for being there; there is not a single insect fluttering in the breeze that does not accomplish some divine decree; and I will never believe that God created any man or woman, especially any Christian man or woman, to be a blank, and to be a nothing. He made you for a purpose. Find out what that purpose is; find out your niche, and fill it. Even if it is something small, if it is only to be someone who picks up trash at the side of the road, or one who mows the church lawn, do something in this great battle for God and truth.]
Isn't that an amazing thought when we think how even the smallest insect has a purpose. I always like the quote, "God does not create anything without a purpose, but mosquito's come close"! I truly believe so many of us are crying out, "What is my purpose Lord"? We see larger than life evangelists preaching God's Word and Charles Spurgeon states that the person picking up trash along side the road can feel they are fulfilling God's purpose? Yep, they can. See that is God's road so He wants it to be beautiful as it brings glory to Him.
As humans we are always competing for something. Our reasoning is that it is better to be ahead of someone else. Why? When it is all said and done God is the only One. See I believe as humans we reason, or try too, everything out. The insects just do their thing. Just think, if it is a hot sunny day and you are being plagued by a lot of mosquitoes, maybe God instructed them to bother you because you were in the sun too long. Probably if you are like most you would grab some repellent and keep doing your own thing. Then 30+ years later ask God, "Why did You give this skin cancer to me"? Interesting thought isn't it?
How about all those weeds that come back year after year. Do we thank God for the exercises He gave us by picking them out of His yard? Yep, it's all His my friends! No, probably we go and pay for the weed exterminator to come and spray all those chemicals on the lawn. Of course when our dog gets sick we are asking God, "Why did You let that happen to our beloved pet"!
What I have found, but it took 50+ years to understand, I am here for God's purpose. It is not the other way around.
How can I serve You today Lord? That is purpose!
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Are you shirking your Christian duties?
“I will praise thee, O Lord.”
Psalm 9:1 (A psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune "The Death of the Son.") I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart and tell about the wonders you have worked.
Have you given praise to Him that let you awake this morning? That in itself is answer to prayer. As your feet hit the floor from a good nights rest, did you Praise Him for the good nights rest? My friends I have seen people without feet also. One woman that the God's Love Outreach Ministry ministers to has lost both feet and she is always telling me how awesome God is. Did you praise Him yet today? Read how Charles Spurgeon describes why as Christians we should be praising our Lord and Savior.
[Praise should always follow answered prayer; as the mist of earth’s gratitude rises when the sun of heaven’s love warms the ground. Hath the Lord been gracious to thee, and inclined his ear to the voice of thy supplication? Then praise him as long as thou livest. Let the ripe fruit drop upon the fertile soil from which it drew its life. Deny not a song to him who hath answered thy prayer and given thee the desire of thy heart. To be silent over God’s mercies is to incur the guilt of ingratitude; it is to act as basely as the nine lepers, who after they had been cured of their leprosy, returned not to give thanks unto the healing Lord.]
As I think about those lepers that being healed from one of the most worst disease and not even to say thanks to Jesus for His grace to do that. My heart saddens just to read about it. Again my question to all, did you say thanks at all today?
[To forget to praise God is to refuse to benefit ourselves; for praise, like prayer, is one great means of promoting the growth of the spiritual life. It helps to remove our burdens, to excite our hope, to increase our faith. It is a healthful and invigorating exercise which quickens the pulse of the believer, and nerves him for fresh enterprises in his Master’s service.]
As I read this part of the devotional I was being uplifted by the words "remove our burdens, to excite our hope, to increase our faith", Charles Spuregon is right on again, well for me anyways. I am glad to be ready for fresh enterprises for Christ. Yes Lord, quicken my pluse as I sing praise to You!
[To bless God for mercies received is also the way to benefit our fellow-men; “the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.” Others who have been in like circumstances shall take comfort if we can say, “Oh! magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together; this poor man cried, and the Lord heard him.” Weak hearts will be strengthened, and drooping saints will be revived as they listen to our “songs of deliverance.” Their doubts and fears will be rebuked, as we teach and admonish one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. They too shall “sing in the ways of the Lord,” when they hear us magnify his holy name. Praise is the most heavenly of Christian duties. The angels pray not, but they cease not to praise both day and night; and the redeemed, clothed in white robes, with palm-branches in their hands, are never weary of singing the new song, “Worthy is the Lamb.”]
Are you feeling like a weak heart? Fellow saint are you drooping today? Sing with Charles and I as we give praise to our Father in Heaven, that by His grace sent His "only begotten Son" to be the lamb sacrificed for our salvation.
Worthy is the Lamb
by Hillsong
Thank you for the cross, Lord
Thank you for the price You paid
Bearing all my sin and shame
In love You came
And gave amazing grace
Thank you for this love, Lord
Thank you for the nail pierced hands
Washed me in Your cleansing flow
Now all I know
Your forgiveness and embrace
Worthy is the Lamb
Seated on the throne
Crown You now with many crowns
You reign victorious
High and lifted up
Jesus Son of God
The Darling of Heaven crucified
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Psalm 9:1 (A psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune "The Death of the Son.") I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart and tell about the wonders you have worked.
Have you given praise to Him that let you awake this morning? That in itself is answer to prayer. As your feet hit the floor from a good nights rest, did you Praise Him for the good nights rest? My friends I have seen people without feet also. One woman that the God's Love Outreach Ministry ministers to has lost both feet and she is always telling me how awesome God is. Did you praise Him yet today? Read how Charles Spurgeon describes why as Christians we should be praising our Lord and Savior.
[Praise should always follow answered prayer; as the mist of earth’s gratitude rises when the sun of heaven’s love warms the ground. Hath the Lord been gracious to thee, and inclined his ear to the voice of thy supplication? Then praise him as long as thou livest. Let the ripe fruit drop upon the fertile soil from which it drew its life. Deny not a song to him who hath answered thy prayer and given thee the desire of thy heart. To be silent over God’s mercies is to incur the guilt of ingratitude; it is to act as basely as the nine lepers, who after they had been cured of their leprosy, returned not to give thanks unto the healing Lord.]
As I think about those lepers that being healed from one of the most worst disease and not even to say thanks to Jesus for His grace to do that. My heart saddens just to read about it. Again my question to all, did you say thanks at all today?
[To forget to praise God is to refuse to benefit ourselves; for praise, like prayer, is one great means of promoting the growth of the spiritual life. It helps to remove our burdens, to excite our hope, to increase our faith. It is a healthful and invigorating exercise which quickens the pulse of the believer, and nerves him for fresh enterprises in his Master’s service.]
As I read this part of the devotional I was being uplifted by the words "remove our burdens, to excite our hope, to increase our faith", Charles Spuregon is right on again, well for me anyways. I am glad to be ready for fresh enterprises for Christ. Yes Lord, quicken my pluse as I sing praise to You!
[To bless God for mercies received is also the way to benefit our fellow-men; “the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.” Others who have been in like circumstances shall take comfort if we can say, “Oh! magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together; this poor man cried, and the Lord heard him.” Weak hearts will be strengthened, and drooping saints will be revived as they listen to our “songs of deliverance.” Their doubts and fears will be rebuked, as we teach and admonish one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. They too shall “sing in the ways of the Lord,” when they hear us magnify his holy name. Praise is the most heavenly of Christian duties. The angels pray not, but they cease not to praise both day and night; and the redeemed, clothed in white robes, with palm-branches in their hands, are never weary of singing the new song, “Worthy is the Lamb.”]
Are you feeling like a weak heart? Fellow saint are you drooping today? Sing with Charles and I as we give praise to our Father in Heaven, that by His grace sent His "only begotten Son" to be the lamb sacrificed for our salvation.
Worthy is the Lamb
by Hillsong
Thank you for the cross, Lord
Thank you for the price You paid
Bearing all my sin and shame
In love You came
And gave amazing grace
Thank you for this love, Lord
Thank you for the nail pierced hands
Washed me in Your cleansing flow
Now all I know
Your forgiveness and embrace
Worthy is the Lamb
Seated on the throne
Crown You now with many crowns
You reign victorious
High and lifted up
Jesus Son of God
The Darling of Heaven crucified
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Thursday, October 29, 2009
As He Looks Into My Heart
Did you know I wrote a few songs? This one I wrote back in October 2004. If you are music knowledgeable then I have also included the notes to the song that I picked at with my guitar when the Lord was blessing me with this.
E---F----G-------G-A---F#--G
As He looked into my heart
E---F---G--------G---A------G----F
Jesus smiled at what He saw
F---G---A-----A----B---------A--G
All the dark had turned to light
F#--G---A---A--G-----F#---G
all the bitterness now gone
How true and important this first part of the song is. It is for sure I know Jesus is pleased and smiling for what He see's in my heart. Even though I was saved as a teenager I must admit many days of darkness surrounded my life. That my friends, is the darkness because of sin. See because of the light of Jesus in my life, all this dark bitterness was removed.
E--F---G--------G-A---F#----G
As He looks into my heart
G-----A------B---C----D
He now understands
F--G--A-----B---C---D
I believe in His love
A----B---D----D-----D--C---D
and the wonders of His hands
Yes, Jesus now understands because I have opened my heart up to Him. My friends it was my choice, just as it is yours. I truly believe in His love and the miracles of His nail pierced loving hands. How do I know? The Bible tells me so, another good song.
E-----G--G---A-----F-----F#--G
The selfishness that was there
E-----F--G---------A-----G---F
now replaced with His love
F---G---A--A---B----A--G
All the anger and dispair
F#----G-A-----A---B---C--------D
now erased by Calvary's blood
Without Christ in your life, you will be selfish. See Jesus has removed all the selfishness, anger and dispair and replaced by His love as shown on Calvary. Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
E----G--G-------G----A------F#---G
For nothing was there for me
E-----F----G-----A-----G----F
like His love from the start
F-----A-----A---B--A-----G
and this my Savior sees
F#---G--A------A-B--C---D
As He looks into my heart
Nothing is truly complete emptyness and how many of us walk through this life feeling this way. Many may try to say "not me", but that usually means they have found something else to replace that longing for His love that was been embeded into our souls at birth. Jesus knows this is calling to each of us constantly as stated in the Bible verse Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Me.
E---F----G-------G-A---F#--G
As He looked into my heart
E---F---G--------G---A------G----F
Jesus smiled at what He saw
F---G---A-----A----B---------A--G
All the dark had turned to light
F#--G---A---A--G-----F#---G
all the bitterness now gone
How true and important this first part of the song is. It is for sure I know Jesus is pleased and smiling for what He see's in my heart. Even though I was saved as a teenager I must admit many days of darkness surrounded my life. That my friends, is the darkness because of sin. See because of the light of Jesus in my life, all this dark bitterness was removed.
E--F---G--------G-A---F#----G
As He looks into my heart
G-----A------B---C----D
He now understands
F--G--A-----B---C---D
I believe in His love
A----B---D----D-----D--C---D
and the wonders of His hands
Yes, Jesus now understands because I have opened my heart up to Him. My friends it was my choice, just as it is yours. I truly believe in His love and the miracles of His nail pierced loving hands. How do I know? The Bible tells me so, another good song.
E-----G--G---A-----F-----F#--G
The selfishness that was there
E-----F--G---------A-----G---F
now replaced with His love
F---G---A--A---B----A--G
All the anger and dispair
F#----G-A-----A---B---C--------D
now erased by Calvary's blood
Without Christ in your life, you will be selfish. See Jesus has removed all the selfishness, anger and dispair and replaced by His love as shown on Calvary. Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
E----G--G-------G----A------F#---G
For nothing was there for me
E-----F----G-----A-----G----F
like His love from the start
F-----A-----A---B--A-----G
and this my Savior sees
F#---G--A------A-B--C---D
As He looks into my heart
Nothing is truly complete emptyness and how many of us walk through this life feeling this way. Many may try to say "not me", but that usually means they have found something else to replace that longing for His love that was been embeded into our souls at birth. Jesus knows this is calling to each of us constantly as stated in the Bible verse Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Me.
What does Jesus see as He looks into your heart?
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Leap for joy my heart!
This is an excerpt from Charles Spurgeon morning devotional.
“His oath, his covenant, his blood,
Support me in the raging flood;
When every earthly prop gives way,
This still is all my strength and stay.”
[If Jesus undertook to bring me to glory, and if the Father promised that he would give me to the Son to be a part of the infinite reward of the travail of his soul; then, my soul, till God himself shall be unfaithful, till Jesus shall cease to be the truth, thou art safe. When David danced before the ark, he told Michal that election made him do so. Come, my soul, exult before the God of grace and leap for joy of heart.]
In this excerpt I really find an excellent way to present to God's wounded, an answer to give them strength and staying power as they find many obstacles in their path. Sometimes I find myself asking, myself, "how do they do it?" "With so much challenging them each day, how do they do it?" Of course the easy way is to just give up, but that is not the true Christian way. With Jesus' oath, His covenant, and His blood, that was shed for us, that is all we need for strength and to stay on this earthly path.
Today because of the touch of a cold or flu I decided to cancel my last two programs for this month. As much as I love being a messenger for God, I also know that, His wounded children and hopefully His soon to be children of His, do not need any more challenges to be facing them.
Last night when I was presenting a program, I felt a lot better than I do today, a woman was singing along to all the older hymns. She told me, "I don't know how I could get through each day without my Jesus"! She also told me she wants to start a Bible Study in the home but she is not a teacher. See she understands as Charles Spurgeon wrote above, until God Himself becomes unfaithful and Jesus shall cease to be the truth, her soul is safe! By the way God will always be faithful, Joshua 1:5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you. and Jesus will always be the truth, John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.
Praise God!
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
“His oath, his covenant, his blood,
Support me in the raging flood;
When every earthly prop gives way,
This still is all my strength and stay.”
[If Jesus undertook to bring me to glory, and if the Father promised that he would give me to the Son to be a part of the infinite reward of the travail of his soul; then, my soul, till God himself shall be unfaithful, till Jesus shall cease to be the truth, thou art safe. When David danced before the ark, he told Michal that election made him do so. Come, my soul, exult before the God of grace and leap for joy of heart.]
In this excerpt I really find an excellent way to present to God's wounded, an answer to give them strength and staying power as they find many obstacles in their path. Sometimes I find myself asking, myself, "how do they do it?" "With so much challenging them each day, how do they do it?" Of course the easy way is to just give up, but that is not the true Christian way. With Jesus' oath, His covenant, and His blood, that was shed for us, that is all we need for strength and to stay on this earthly path.
Today because of the touch of a cold or flu I decided to cancel my last two programs for this month. As much as I love being a messenger for God, I also know that, His wounded children and hopefully His soon to be children of His, do not need any more challenges to be facing them.
Last night when I was presenting a program, I felt a lot better than I do today, a woman was singing along to all the older hymns. She told me, "I don't know how I could get through each day without my Jesus"! She also told me she wants to start a Bible Study in the home but she is not a teacher. See she understands as Charles Spurgeon wrote above, until God Himself becomes unfaithful and Jesus shall cease to be the truth, her soul is safe! By the way God will always be faithful, Joshua 1:5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you. and Jesus will always be the truth, John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.
Praise God!
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Monday, October 26, 2009
Christians love being Christians!
“The trees of the Lord are full of sap.”
- Psalm_104:16
Today when I did a morning program at Seneca Manor I was excited to watch a woman in the front row praising God as the Seeds of Tradition program was ministering to her. Although she is confined to wheelchair you could tell by her actions that she has a very close relationship with Christ and is not ashamed to show that affection. Presbyterians very seldom show this type of excitement, though I believe it is there in many of us. This woman was raising her hands and looking upward as various hymns were being sung. She and many other residents were singing along to "I love to Tell the Story, Old Rugged Cross, Rock of Ages" and many more.
Please read this excellent devotional by Charles Spurgeon as he wonderfully describes us Christians as being trees for the Lord.
[Without sap the tree cannot flourish or even exist. Vitality is essential to a Christian. There must be life -a vital principle infused into us by God the Holy Ghost, or we cannot be trees of the Lord. The mere name of being a Christian is but a dead thing, we must be filled with the spirit of divine life. This life is mysterious. We do not understand the circulation of the sap, by what force it rises, and by what power it descends again. So the life within us is a sacred mystery. Regeneration is wrought by the Holy Ghost entering into man and becoming man’s life; and this divine life in a believer afterwards feeds upon the flesh and blood of Christ and is thus sustained by divine food, but whence it cometh and whither it goeth who shall explain to us? What a secret thing the sap is! The roots go searching through the soil with their little spongioles, but we cannot see them suck out the various gases, or transmute the mineral into the vegetable; this work is done down in the dark. Our root is Christ Jesus, and our life is hid in him; this is the secret of the Lord. The radix of the Christian life is as secret as the life itself. How permanently active is the sap in the cedar! In the Christian the divine life is always full of energy-not always in fruit- bearing, but in inward operations. The believer’s graces, are not every one of them in constant motion? but his life never ceases to palpitate within. He is not always working for God, but his heart is always living upon him. As the sap manifests itself in producing the foliage and fruit of the tree, so with a truly healthy Christian, his grace is externally manifested in his walk and conversation. If you talk with him, he cannot help speaking about Jesus. If you notice his actions you will see that he has been with Jesus. He has so much sap within, that it must fill his conduct and conversation with life.]
This woman today I truly know has been and will always be, with Jesus. When I visited with her she said to me, "I love Him so!" I told her, "So do I!"
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
- Psalm_104:16
Today when I did a morning program at Seneca Manor I was excited to watch a woman in the front row praising God as the Seeds of Tradition program was ministering to her. Although she is confined to wheelchair you could tell by her actions that she has a very close relationship with Christ and is not ashamed to show that affection. Presbyterians very seldom show this type of excitement, though I believe it is there in many of us. This woman was raising her hands and looking upward as various hymns were being sung. She and many other residents were singing along to "I love to Tell the Story, Old Rugged Cross, Rock of Ages" and many more.
Please read this excellent devotional by Charles Spurgeon as he wonderfully describes us Christians as being trees for the Lord.
[Without sap the tree cannot flourish or even exist. Vitality is essential to a Christian. There must be life -a vital principle infused into us by God the Holy Ghost, or we cannot be trees of the Lord. The mere name of being a Christian is but a dead thing, we must be filled with the spirit of divine life. This life is mysterious. We do not understand the circulation of the sap, by what force it rises, and by what power it descends again. So the life within us is a sacred mystery. Regeneration is wrought by the Holy Ghost entering into man and becoming man’s life; and this divine life in a believer afterwards feeds upon the flesh and blood of Christ and is thus sustained by divine food, but whence it cometh and whither it goeth who shall explain to us? What a secret thing the sap is! The roots go searching through the soil with their little spongioles, but we cannot see them suck out the various gases, or transmute the mineral into the vegetable; this work is done down in the dark. Our root is Christ Jesus, and our life is hid in him; this is the secret of the Lord. The radix of the Christian life is as secret as the life itself. How permanently active is the sap in the cedar! In the Christian the divine life is always full of energy-not always in fruit- bearing, but in inward operations. The believer’s graces, are not every one of them in constant motion? but his life never ceases to palpitate within. He is not always working for God, but his heart is always living upon him. As the sap manifests itself in producing the foliage and fruit of the tree, so with a truly healthy Christian, his grace is externally manifested in his walk and conversation. If you talk with him, he cannot help speaking about Jesus. If you notice his actions you will see that he has been with Jesus. He has so much sap within, that it must fill his conduct and conversation with life.]
This woman today I truly know has been and will always be, with Jesus. When I visited with her she said to me, "I love Him so!" I told her, "So do I!"
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Friday, October 23, 2009
You tell em Charles!
Please read these bible verses from the message translation, then read Charles Spurgeon's morning devotional following them.
John 6:51-67 (The Message)
47-51"I'm telling you the most solemn and sober truth now: Whoever believes in me has real life, eternal life. I am the Bread of Life. Your ancestors ate the manna bread in the desert and died. But now here is Bread that truly comes down out of heaven. Anyone eating this Bread will not die, ever. I am the Bread—living Bread!—who came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this Bread will live—and forever! The Bread that I present to the world so that it can eat and live is myself, this flesh-and-blood self."
52At this, the Jews started fighting among themselves: "How can this man serve up his flesh for a meal?"
53-58But Jesus didn't give an inch. "Only insofar as you eat and drink flesh and blood, the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, do you have life within you. The one who brings a hearty appetite to this eating and drinking has eternal life and will be fit and ready for the Final Day. My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. By eating my flesh and drinking my blood you enter into me and I into you. In the same way that the fully alive Father sent me here and I live because of him, so the one who makes a meal of me lives because of me. This is the Bread from heaven. Your ancestors ate bread and later died. Whoever eats this Bread will live always."
59He said these things while teaching in the meeting place in Capernaum.
Too Tough to Swallow
60Many among his disciples heard this and said, "This is tough teaching, too tough to swallow."
61-65Jesus sensed that his disciples were having a hard time with this and said, "Does this throw you completely? What would happen if you saw the Son of Man ascending to where he came from? The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don't make anything happen. Every word I've spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making. But some of you are resisting, refusing to have any part in this." (Jesus knew from the start that some weren't going to risk themselves with him. He knew also who would betray him.) He went on to say, "This is why I told you earlier that no one is capable of coming to me on his own. You get to me only as a gift from the Father."
66-67After this a lot of his disciples left. They no longer wanted to be associated with him. Then Jesus gave the Twelve their chance: "Do you also want to leave?"
[Many have forsaken Christ, and have walked no more with him; but what reason have YOU to make a change? Has there been any reason for it in the past? Has not Jesus proved himself all-sufficient? He appeals to you this morning-”Have I been a wilderness unto you?” When your soul has simply trusted Jesus, have you ever been confounded? Have you not up till now found your Lord to be a compassionate and generous friend to you, and has not simple faith in him given you all the peace your spirit could desire? Can you so much as dream of a better friend than he has been to you? Then change not the old and tried for new and false. As for the present, can that compel you to leave Christ? When we are hard beset with this world, or with the severer trials within the Church, we find it a most blessed thing to pillow our head upon the bosom of our Saviour. This is the joy we have to-day that we are saved in him; and if this joy be satisfying, wherefore should we think of changing? Who barters gold for dross? We will not forswear the sun till we find a better light, nor leave our Lord until a brighter lover shall appear; and, since this can never be, we will hold him with a grasp immortal, and bind his name as a seal upon our arm. As for the future, can you suggest anything which can arise that shall render it necessary for you to mutiny, or desert the old flag to serve under another captain? We think not. If life be long-he changes not. If we are poor, what better than to have Christ who can make us rich? When we are sick, what more do we want than Jesus to make our bed in our sickness? When we die, is it not written that “neither death, nor life, nor things present, nor things to come, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” We say with Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go?”]
I don't know about anyone else but my heart sank to think my Lord would ask me if I wanted to leave Him! In verse 66 it stated a lot of His disciples left Him. Charles Spurgeon said it like it was, and today like it is. As he was asking the questions about Jesus I found myself answering to Charles, yes. All-sufficient? Yes! Compassionate, generous friend? Yes! All the peace my spirit could desire? Yes! Just think we get all this as a gift, for verse 65 it is written "You get to me only as a gift from the Father." Praise God!
Yes Jesus loves me, yes, Jesus love me, yes Jesus love me, the Bible tells me so!
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
John 6:51-67 (The Message)
47-51"I'm telling you the most solemn and sober truth now: Whoever believes in me has real life, eternal life. I am the Bread of Life. Your ancestors ate the manna bread in the desert and died. But now here is Bread that truly comes down out of heaven. Anyone eating this Bread will not die, ever. I am the Bread—living Bread!—who came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this Bread will live—and forever! The Bread that I present to the world so that it can eat and live is myself, this flesh-and-blood self."
52At this, the Jews started fighting among themselves: "How can this man serve up his flesh for a meal?"
53-58But Jesus didn't give an inch. "Only insofar as you eat and drink flesh and blood, the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, do you have life within you. The one who brings a hearty appetite to this eating and drinking has eternal life and will be fit and ready for the Final Day. My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. By eating my flesh and drinking my blood you enter into me and I into you. In the same way that the fully alive Father sent me here and I live because of him, so the one who makes a meal of me lives because of me. This is the Bread from heaven. Your ancestors ate bread and later died. Whoever eats this Bread will live always."
59He said these things while teaching in the meeting place in Capernaum.
Too Tough to Swallow
60Many among his disciples heard this and said, "This is tough teaching, too tough to swallow."
61-65Jesus sensed that his disciples were having a hard time with this and said, "Does this throw you completely? What would happen if you saw the Son of Man ascending to where he came from? The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don't make anything happen. Every word I've spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making. But some of you are resisting, refusing to have any part in this." (Jesus knew from the start that some weren't going to risk themselves with him. He knew also who would betray him.) He went on to say, "This is why I told you earlier that no one is capable of coming to me on his own. You get to me only as a gift from the Father."
66-67After this a lot of his disciples left. They no longer wanted to be associated with him. Then Jesus gave the Twelve their chance: "Do you also want to leave?"
[Many have forsaken Christ, and have walked no more with him; but what reason have YOU to make a change? Has there been any reason for it in the past? Has not Jesus proved himself all-sufficient? He appeals to you this morning-”Have I been a wilderness unto you?” When your soul has simply trusted Jesus, have you ever been confounded? Have you not up till now found your Lord to be a compassionate and generous friend to you, and has not simple faith in him given you all the peace your spirit could desire? Can you so much as dream of a better friend than he has been to you? Then change not the old and tried for new and false. As for the present, can that compel you to leave Christ? When we are hard beset with this world, or with the severer trials within the Church, we find it a most blessed thing to pillow our head upon the bosom of our Saviour. This is the joy we have to-day that we are saved in him; and if this joy be satisfying, wherefore should we think of changing? Who barters gold for dross? We will not forswear the sun till we find a better light, nor leave our Lord until a brighter lover shall appear; and, since this can never be, we will hold him with a grasp immortal, and bind his name as a seal upon our arm. As for the future, can you suggest anything which can arise that shall render it necessary for you to mutiny, or desert the old flag to serve under another captain? We think not. If life be long-he changes not. If we are poor, what better than to have Christ who can make us rich? When we are sick, what more do we want than Jesus to make our bed in our sickness? When we die, is it not written that “neither death, nor life, nor things present, nor things to come, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” We say with Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go?”]
I don't know about anyone else but my heart sank to think my Lord would ask me if I wanted to leave Him! In verse 66 it stated a lot of His disciples left Him. Charles Spurgeon said it like it was, and today like it is. As he was asking the questions about Jesus I found myself answering to Charles, yes. All-sufficient? Yes! Compassionate, generous friend? Yes! All the peace my spirit could desire? Yes! Just think we get all this as a gift, for verse 65 it is written "You get to me only as a gift from the Father." Praise God!
Yes Jesus loves me, yes, Jesus love me, yes Jesus love me, the Bible tells me so!
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
This is what it is all about!
As I Walked Into Heaven
As I walked into Heaven, I looked around
for a friend I wanted to see.
From a distant I saw this figure
of someone coming closer to me.
There was warmth in the smile
and comfort on this face
which made me feel so at ease
upon entering this place.
Though I never felt worried
or unsure at any time
I was truly hoping
it would be a friend of mine.
So as this figure drew nearer
more light began to shine
my new heart started beating faster
could I really be meeting Jesus, for the first time?
What would I do
or what will I say?
The moment I always dreamt of on earth,
was not that far away.
I wanted to run up
but also wanted to fall to my knees!
Closer and closer the figure came
closer and closer to me.
How would I begin to say
all that has been in my heart?
How do I give thanks for all the love
that was always there right from the start?
Through all the Bible readings
and all the lessons learned,
it is now about to be made known
for which my soul has always yearned.
Praise to You, Lord Jesus
for the price You had paid
for if not for You
there would never be this day.
Peace, love, contentment
and never again to be alone!
I am now with my Savior,
I am now finally home!
E. P. Shagott
As I walked into Heaven, I looked around
for a friend I wanted to see.
From a distant I saw this figure
of someone coming closer to me.
There was warmth in the smile
and comfort on this face
which made me feel so at ease
upon entering this place.
Though I never felt worried
or unsure at any time
I was truly hoping
it would be a friend of mine.
So as this figure drew nearer
more light began to shine
my new heart started beating faster
could I really be meeting Jesus, for the first time?
What would I do
or what will I say?
The moment I always dreamt of on earth,
was not that far away.
I wanted to run up
but also wanted to fall to my knees!
Closer and closer the figure came
closer and closer to me.
How would I begin to say
all that has been in my heart?
How do I give thanks for all the love
that was always there right from the start?
Through all the Bible readings
and all the lessons learned,
it is now about to be made known
for which my soul has always yearned.
Praise to You, Lord Jesus
for the price You had paid
for if not for You
there would never be this day.
Peace, love, contentment
and never again to be alone!
I am now with my Savior,
I am now finally home!
E. P. Shagott
Do you have a talent?
I was inspired to write this poem today for as I was watching videos that people posted on Facebook, I was in awe of how through their talent shown in the videos, I was touched and uplifted. What a nice way to start your day.
As I was thinking back on the talent God has given me, I now understand it all was dependant on my choice to pursue this special gift. I did not start to write poetry till the mid 1990's. Now I have written over 100 poems and have heard from others how it touched them in one way or another. I believe the talent was always there but I had to agree to use it.
God has also blessed me with an ear for music and once I said to Him, "use me, control my life", He was then able to work on the voice part needed to touch someone that was looking for His special touch.
See a talent is about God and the person He wants to be blessed by it. The person with the talent is just an awesome tool that through God's grace has chosen to use this gift. This gift sometimes is just a spark, that through the pursuit of practice and commitment that it can flower into a blessing for others. Musicians need hours and hours of practice until they can produce the musical sound that can touch the heart in one way or another. A teacher must go through many years of schooling before they can inspire a child.
I pray that each person God has given a special talent to can understand it and be able to say to our Heavenly Father, "thank You for this gift, use me Lord"!
The Use of a Talent
A talent is given
as a special gift,
to touch someone else
and give their souls a lift.
A talent is something,
that was made just for you,
to share with many others
for it may be needed to get them through.
A talent is from God,
customized just for you.
See God has faith
that you will use it too.
So whatever He gave you,
if used by hand or by voice,
God can’t use this talent to bless others
unless you make the choice.
E. P. Shagott
10/23/09
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
As I was thinking back on the talent God has given me, I now understand it all was dependant on my choice to pursue this special gift. I did not start to write poetry till the mid 1990's. Now I have written over 100 poems and have heard from others how it touched them in one way or another. I believe the talent was always there but I had to agree to use it.
God has also blessed me with an ear for music and once I said to Him, "use me, control my life", He was then able to work on the voice part needed to touch someone that was looking for His special touch.
See a talent is about God and the person He wants to be blessed by it. The person with the talent is just an awesome tool that through God's grace has chosen to use this gift. This gift sometimes is just a spark, that through the pursuit of practice and commitment that it can flower into a blessing for others. Musicians need hours and hours of practice until they can produce the musical sound that can touch the heart in one way or another. A teacher must go through many years of schooling before they can inspire a child.
I pray that each person God has given a special talent to can understand it and be able to say to our Heavenly Father, "thank You for this gift, use me Lord"!
The Use of a Talent
A talent is given
as a special gift,
to touch someone else
and give their souls a lift.
A talent is something,
that was made just for you,
to share with many others
for it may be needed to get them through.
A talent is from God,
customized just for you.
See God has faith
that you will use it too.
So whatever He gave you,
if used by hand or by voice,
God can’t use this talent to bless others
unless you make the choice.
E. P. Shagott
10/23/09
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Remembering Their Sacrifice
Please take some time to view this blog posted 10/20/2009 on the White House blog. All too often we forget the sacrifice the men and women have paid for our freedom. I will always remember talking to gentleman last year in an assisted living home and he was recalling returning home from the Vietnam war and how his country turned their back to him. Also another gentleman who is in a home for people with dementia and other mental challenges. He is younger than I am.
Presidential Unit Citation: Blackhorse Regiment
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/
Sacrifice
As I passed by a grave site
I heard a voice whisper to me.
Please stop for just a moment
and realize why you are so free.
I was a young soldier
fighting and alone.
I sacrificed all I had
so you could have what we call home.
All I ask is you take time,
to be thankful as can be,
for it was also because of their sacrifice
others gave, just like me.
So now if you’re wondering
if all our work is done?
No for we are now in God’s army of angels,
Still protecting you all one by one.
See God also paid the sacrifice
and He like us pray it was not for naught.
We the soldiers for your freedom
and Christ for your salvation on the Cross.
E. P. Shagott
5/26/09
Presidential Unit Citation: Blackhorse Regiment
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/
Sacrifice
As I passed by a grave site
I heard a voice whisper to me.
Please stop for just a moment
and realize why you are so free.
I was a young soldier
fighting and alone.
I sacrificed all I had
so you could have what we call home.
All I ask is you take time,
to be thankful as can be,
for it was also because of their sacrifice
others gave, just like me.
So now if you’re wondering
if all our work is done?
No for we are now in God’s army of angels,
Still protecting you all one by one.
See God also paid the sacrifice
and He like us pray it was not for naught.
We the soldiers for your freedom
and Christ for your salvation on the Cross.
E. P. Shagott
5/26/09
Good devotional to start your morning
“Grow up into him in all things.”
Ephesians 4:15 (The Message)
14-16 No prolonged infancies among us, please. We'll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.
Charles Spurgeon states it so well. I truly believe in the statement, "Christ changes lives!" As I read this devotional I recalled my self for so many years using Mr. Spurgeon's saying, "I am safe", and left it at that. Year after year saying I was "a born again Christian", but not fully understanding what that meant. I was a stay at home Christian not wanting to know more or be near other Christians. It was almost like, "I got mine now you get yours!" Read what Charles Spurgeon wrote so many years ago about this.
[Many Christians remain stunted and dwarfed in spiritual things, so as to present the same appearance year after year. No up-springing of advanced and refined feeling is manifest in them. They exist but do not “grow up into him in all things.” But should we rest content with being in the “green blade,” when we might advance to “the ear,” and eventually ripen into the “full corn in the ear?” Should we be satisfied to believe in Christ, and to say, “I am safe,” without wishing to know in our own experience more of the fulness which is to be found in him. It should not be so; we should, as good traders in heaven’s market, covet to be enriched in the knowledge of Jesus. It is all very well to keep other men’s vineyards, but we must not neglect our own spiritual growth and ripening. Why should it always be winter time in our hearts? We must have our seed time, it is true, but O for a spring time-yea, a summer season, which shall give promise of an early harvest. If we would ripen in grace, we must live near to Jesus-in his presence-ripened by the sunshine of his smiles. We must hold sweet communion with him. We must leave the distant view of his face and come near, as John did, and pillow our head on his breast; then shall we find ourselves advancing in holiness, in love, in faith, in hope-yea, in every precious gift. As the sun rises first on mountain-tops and gilds them with his light, and presents one of the most charming sights to the eye of the traveller; so is it one of the most delightful contemplations in the world to mark the glow of the Spirit’s light on the head of some saint, who has risen up in spiritual stature, like Saul, above his fellows, till, like a mighty Alp, snow-capped, he reflects first among the chosen, the beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and bears the sheen of his effulgence high aloft for all to see, and seeing it, to glorify his Father which is in heaven.]
Praise God that I have awakened from my safe sleep, to a new exciting life in Jesus, wanting to experience daily a closer walk with Him!
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Ephesians 4:15 (The Message)
14-16 No prolonged infancies among us, please. We'll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.
Charles Spurgeon states it so well. I truly believe in the statement, "Christ changes lives!" As I read this devotional I recalled my self for so many years using Mr. Spurgeon's saying, "I am safe", and left it at that. Year after year saying I was "a born again Christian", but not fully understanding what that meant. I was a stay at home Christian not wanting to know more or be near other Christians. It was almost like, "I got mine now you get yours!" Read what Charles Spurgeon wrote so many years ago about this.
[Many Christians remain stunted and dwarfed in spiritual things, so as to present the same appearance year after year. No up-springing of advanced and refined feeling is manifest in them. They exist but do not “grow up into him in all things.” But should we rest content with being in the “green blade,” when we might advance to “the ear,” and eventually ripen into the “full corn in the ear?” Should we be satisfied to believe in Christ, and to say, “I am safe,” without wishing to know in our own experience more of the fulness which is to be found in him. It should not be so; we should, as good traders in heaven’s market, covet to be enriched in the knowledge of Jesus. It is all very well to keep other men’s vineyards, but we must not neglect our own spiritual growth and ripening. Why should it always be winter time in our hearts? We must have our seed time, it is true, but O for a spring time-yea, a summer season, which shall give promise of an early harvest. If we would ripen in grace, we must live near to Jesus-in his presence-ripened by the sunshine of his smiles. We must hold sweet communion with him. We must leave the distant view of his face and come near, as John did, and pillow our head on his breast; then shall we find ourselves advancing in holiness, in love, in faith, in hope-yea, in every precious gift. As the sun rises first on mountain-tops and gilds them with his light, and presents one of the most charming sights to the eye of the traveller; so is it one of the most delightful contemplations in the world to mark the glow of the Spirit’s light on the head of some saint, who has risen up in spiritual stature, like Saul, above his fellows, till, like a mighty Alp, snow-capped, he reflects first among the chosen, the beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and bears the sheen of his effulgence high aloft for all to see, and seeing it, to glorify his Father which is in heaven.]
Praise God that I have awakened from my safe sleep, to a new exciting life in Jesus, wanting to experience daily a closer walk with Him!
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Good Doctor visit
Today was my three week follow-up, after having my physical for being a new patient. I have been blessed health wise but it was quite some time since I had a complete physical. As the results came back from the blood work I was reading about different items in my body which I never really considered or knew I had.
I heard other people talk about their cholesterol and blood pressure but when I looked at the various makeup in my body I said, "Wow!" Of course when I heard the nurse practitioner talk about medicine to control these two items I said, "Whoa!" Now that I know these are problems let me see what I can do to correct them. What was kind of humorous to me was I was thinking if it took 66+ years to get it like this how long do I have to work at reversing what was done?
As I stated in the beginning of this blog, I was doing my three week followup. My cholesterol check will be in three months. What I started to do as soon as I left the doctors office three weeks ago was read food labels. I knew the main item I had to watch for, with my blood pressure was sodium. Everything I looked at was mainly filled with sodium. If it was low on sodium it was high in fat. But I was determined to solve these medical problems without medicine. After all I have been so blessed that I rarely have to take an aspirin.
The first item of course was to talk to the Lord about this. I thanked Him for bringing me to a new doctor and also for all the previous years of good health. I then asked Him to guide me and the doctor's to keep me healthy so I can continue to do His will in my life.
Next it was off to the store to buy healthy food. Did you ever notice that when you do that your food bill is about a third higher than non-healthy. Fewer items to buy also. No wonder our country lives off of junk food, that's about all you can find. I use to love chicken noodle soup but when I read the label one can has almost 900mg of sodium and that is just for 1 cup. Well, I bought a lot of frozen veggies, celery, and lean meats. I told myself you will like rice cakes. I am back to eating cereal (Quaker oats), just don't make it with water, blah!
So what it all meant was in three weeks, blood pressure was going back down, and I lost a couple more pounds. I know if I stay at it in three months my cholestral will be close or in the normal range. Can I grab a chicken wing now and then, sure but just one or two and more then than now.
Life is all about choices. Just as I asked Christ to take control of my life, it was my choice. Sin is like all the junk food, seems good at the time but you will pay the price sooner or later. Jesus is the healthy food. He gives me what I need, not just what I want.
"Give us this day our daily bread!"
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
I heard other people talk about their cholesterol and blood pressure but when I looked at the various makeup in my body I said, "Wow!" Of course when I heard the nurse practitioner talk about medicine to control these two items I said, "Whoa!" Now that I know these are problems let me see what I can do to correct them. What was kind of humorous to me was I was thinking if it took 66+ years to get it like this how long do I have to work at reversing what was done?
As I stated in the beginning of this blog, I was doing my three week followup. My cholesterol check will be in three months. What I started to do as soon as I left the doctors office three weeks ago was read food labels. I knew the main item I had to watch for, with my blood pressure was sodium. Everything I looked at was mainly filled with sodium. If it was low on sodium it was high in fat. But I was determined to solve these medical problems without medicine. After all I have been so blessed that I rarely have to take an aspirin.
The first item of course was to talk to the Lord about this. I thanked Him for bringing me to a new doctor and also for all the previous years of good health. I then asked Him to guide me and the doctor's to keep me healthy so I can continue to do His will in my life.
Next it was off to the store to buy healthy food. Did you ever notice that when you do that your food bill is about a third higher than non-healthy. Fewer items to buy also. No wonder our country lives off of junk food, that's about all you can find. I use to love chicken noodle soup but when I read the label one can has almost 900mg of sodium and that is just for 1 cup. Well, I bought a lot of frozen veggies, celery, and lean meats. I told myself you will like rice cakes. I am back to eating cereal (Quaker oats), just don't make it with water, blah!
So what it all meant was in three weeks, blood pressure was going back down, and I lost a couple more pounds. I know if I stay at it in three months my cholestral will be close or in the normal range. Can I grab a chicken wing now and then, sure but just one or two and more then than now.
Life is all about choices. Just as I asked Christ to take control of my life, it was my choice. Sin is like all the junk food, seems good at the time but you will pay the price sooner or later. Jesus is the healthy food. He gives me what I need, not just what I want.
"Give us this day our daily bread!"
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Monday, October 19, 2009
God brings it all to you
Romans 12:3 (The Message)
I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
This was a very good morning devotional by Charles Spurgeon. I thought it wonderful to follow a Sunday with. In the bible verse above I love the Message translation for sometimes we can get caught up in, "Hey God, look what I did for you today!" A lot of times it followes with, "Hey God, what about those guys? They are just sitting there!" Then my eyes go to the last part of the sentence in that wonderful verse "not by what we are and what we do for him." It is all about what God is and what He does for us!
As I was reading Mr. Spurgeon's devotional it brought me also to that same conclusion as in Romans 12:3. See someone might be looking at my faith walk and be saying, "Why is he acting so Holy? Why don't I act that way?" Before you read the devotional let me first say for me, "It is not an act, it is God in me!"
“Babes in Christ.”
- 1Corinthians 3:1 My friends, you are acting like the people of this world. That's why I could not speak to you as spiritual people. You are like babies as far as your faith in Christ is concerned.
[Are you mourning, believer, because you are so weak in the divine life: because your faith is so little, your love so feeble? Cheer up, for you have cause for gratitude. Remember that in some things you are equal to the greatest and most full-grown Christian. You are as much bought with blood as he is. You are as much an adopted child of God as any other believer. An infant is as truly a child of its parents as is the full-grown man. You are as completely justified, for your justification is not a thing of degrees: your little faith has made you clean every whit. You have as much right to the precious things of the covenant as the most advanced believers, for your right to covenant mercies lies not in your growth, but in the covenant itself; and your faith in Jesus is not the measure, but the token of your inheritance in him.]
Sometimes in my spiritual walk with Christ I am asking Him, "Lord, why don't all the believers have this fire in them as I do for you?" Jesus answer is always the same, "What makes you think they don't?" As you read the last part of the devotional please re-read what I have bold-faced to stand out.
[You are as rich as the richest, if not in enjoyment, yet in real possession. The smallest star that gleams is set in heaven; the faintest ray of light has affinity with the great orb of day. In the family register of glory the small and the great are written with the same pen. You are as dear to your Father’s heart as the greatest in the family. Jesus is very tender over you. You are like the smoking flax; a rougher spirit would say, “put out that smoking flax, it fills the room with an offensive odour!” but the smoking flax he will not quench. You are like a bruised reed; and any less tender hand than that of the Chief Musician would tread upon you or throw you away, but he will never break the bruised reed. Instead of being downcast by reason of what you are, you should triumph in Christ. Am I but little in Israel? Yet in Christ I am made to sit in heavenly places. Am I poor in faith? Still in Jesus I am heir of all things. Though “less than nothing I can boast, and vanity confess.” yet, if the root of the matter be in me I will rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the God of my salvation.]
In Romans 12:3 above it says it so well for each of us in Christ, "Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace!"
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
This was a very good morning devotional by Charles Spurgeon. I thought it wonderful to follow a Sunday with. In the bible verse above I love the Message translation for sometimes we can get caught up in, "Hey God, look what I did for you today!" A lot of times it followes with, "Hey God, what about those guys? They are just sitting there!" Then my eyes go to the last part of the sentence in that wonderful verse "not by what we are and what we do for him." It is all about what God is and what He does for us!
As I was reading Mr. Spurgeon's devotional it brought me also to that same conclusion as in Romans 12:3. See someone might be looking at my faith walk and be saying, "Why is he acting so Holy? Why don't I act that way?" Before you read the devotional let me first say for me, "It is not an act, it is God in me!"
“Babes in Christ.”
- 1Corinthians 3:1 My friends, you are acting like the people of this world. That's why I could not speak to you as spiritual people. You are like babies as far as your faith in Christ is concerned.
[Are you mourning, believer, because you are so weak in the divine life: because your faith is so little, your love so feeble? Cheer up, for you have cause for gratitude. Remember that in some things you are equal to the greatest and most full-grown Christian. You are as much bought with blood as he is. You are as much an adopted child of God as any other believer. An infant is as truly a child of its parents as is the full-grown man. You are as completely justified, for your justification is not a thing of degrees: your little faith has made you clean every whit. You have as much right to the precious things of the covenant as the most advanced believers, for your right to covenant mercies lies not in your growth, but in the covenant itself; and your faith in Jesus is not the measure, but the token of your inheritance in him.]
Sometimes in my spiritual walk with Christ I am asking Him, "Lord, why don't all the believers have this fire in them as I do for you?" Jesus answer is always the same, "What makes you think they don't?" As you read the last part of the devotional please re-read what I have bold-faced to stand out.
[You are as rich as the richest, if not in enjoyment, yet in real possession. The smallest star that gleams is set in heaven; the faintest ray of light has affinity with the great orb of day. In the family register of glory the small and the great are written with the same pen. You are as dear to your Father’s heart as the greatest in the family. Jesus is very tender over you. You are like the smoking flax; a rougher spirit would say, “put out that smoking flax, it fills the room with an offensive odour!” but the smoking flax he will not quench. You are like a bruised reed; and any less tender hand than that of the Chief Musician would tread upon you or throw you away, but he will never break the bruised reed. Instead of being downcast by reason of what you are, you should triumph in Christ. Am I but little in Israel? Yet in Christ I am made to sit in heavenly places. Am I poor in faith? Still in Jesus I am heir of all things. Though “less than nothing I can boast, and vanity confess.” yet, if the root of the matter be in me I will rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the God of my salvation.]
In Romans 12:3 above it says it so well for each of us in Christ, "Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace!"
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Rock of Ages cleft for me!
"All things are naked and open unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do"
From an A. B. Simpson devotional
[The literal translation of this phrase is, all things are stripped and stunned. This is the force of the Greek words. The figure is that of an athlete in the Coliseum who has fought his best in the arena, and has at length fallen at the feet of his adversary, disarmed and broken down in helplessness. There he lies, unable to strike a blow, or lift his arm. He is stripped and stunned, disarmed and disabled, and there is nothing left for him but to lie at the feet of his adversary and throw up his arms for mercy.
Now this is the position that God wants to bring us to, where we shall cease our struggles and our attempts at self-defence or self-improvement, and throw ourselves helplessly upon the mercy of God. This is the sinner's only hope, and when he thus lies at the feet of mercy, Jesus is ready to lift him up and give him that free salvation which is waiting for all.
This, too, is the greatest need of the Christian seeking a deeper and higher life, to come to a full realization of his nothingness and helplessness, and to lie down, stripped and stunned at the feet of Jesus.]
Hebrews 4:13 (The Message)
12-13 God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it—no matter what.
I love this verse in the Message translation. It basically states, "It is God's way or no way!" My friends that is how it was meant to be from day one. Why do we even as Christians still want to put our self first? Sometimes we don't even give our Creator the #2 spot in our lives. I can tell you for a fact being one of them for a long time, it was "if I need you God, I'll let You know!" Our pastor has always told us, "God chose us long before we chose Him."
In A. B. Simpson's devotional above he states that God wants us to be in a position of being stripped, stunned, disarmed, disabled, helpless for this is when all we have left is God. I agree for I was there. As I once heard or read, "when you are lying on the ground, all you can do is look up!"
Now again the human being is trying everything in his/her power to not get to this point. Yet Mr. Simpson states that's where we should be for this is where Jesus can work with us and we are ready to be worked with. He is the potter we are the clay!
I truly believe for some it doesn't have to be like this but this sinful world we live in makes it easy to get into that point of helplessness. Loveless relationships, addiction dependency, greed, selfishness and lack of God's knowledge that will bring us at the feet of Jesus saying, "Help me oh Lord for I can not do anything without You!"
As those words flowed my heart to my lips I heard His reply, as is found in Joshua 1:5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you.
How could I not now fully understand as it states in Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
We really need nothing else. Why worry about what is happening in the stock market? Why worry about what our government is or isn't doing? What we all should be worrying about is how can I bring my family, friends, and all the non-believers to know and feel as we do once we understand about His loving Grace.
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
From an A. B. Simpson devotional
[The literal translation of this phrase is, all things are stripped and stunned. This is the force of the Greek words. The figure is that of an athlete in the Coliseum who has fought his best in the arena, and has at length fallen at the feet of his adversary, disarmed and broken down in helplessness. There he lies, unable to strike a blow, or lift his arm. He is stripped and stunned, disarmed and disabled, and there is nothing left for him but to lie at the feet of his adversary and throw up his arms for mercy.
Now this is the position that God wants to bring us to, where we shall cease our struggles and our attempts at self-defence or self-improvement, and throw ourselves helplessly upon the mercy of God. This is the sinner's only hope, and when he thus lies at the feet of mercy, Jesus is ready to lift him up and give him that free salvation which is waiting for all.
This, too, is the greatest need of the Christian seeking a deeper and higher life, to come to a full realization of his nothingness and helplessness, and to lie down, stripped and stunned at the feet of Jesus.]
Hebrews 4:13 (The Message)
12-13 God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it—no matter what.
I love this verse in the Message translation. It basically states, "It is God's way or no way!" My friends that is how it was meant to be from day one. Why do we even as Christians still want to put our self first? Sometimes we don't even give our Creator the #2 spot in our lives. I can tell you for a fact being one of them for a long time, it was "if I need you God, I'll let You know!" Our pastor has always told us, "God chose us long before we chose Him."
In A. B. Simpson's devotional above he states that God wants us to be in a position of being stripped, stunned, disarmed, disabled, helpless for this is when all we have left is God. I agree for I was there. As I once heard or read, "when you are lying on the ground, all you can do is look up!"
Now again the human being is trying everything in his/her power to not get to this point. Yet Mr. Simpson states that's where we should be for this is where Jesus can work with us and we are ready to be worked with. He is the potter we are the clay!
I truly believe for some it doesn't have to be like this but this sinful world we live in makes it easy to get into that point of helplessness. Loveless relationships, addiction dependency, greed, selfishness and lack of God's knowledge that will bring us at the feet of Jesus saying, "Help me oh Lord for I can not do anything without You!"
As those words flowed my heart to my lips I heard His reply, as is found in Joshua 1:5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you.
How could I not now fully understand as it states in Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
We really need nothing else. Why worry about what is happening in the stock market? Why worry about what our government is or isn't doing? What we all should be worrying about is how can I bring my family, friends, and all the non-believers to know and feel as we do once we understand about His loving Grace.
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Get thee, behind me, Satan
This is a devotional by A. B. Simpson.
Albert Benjamin Simpson was born December 15, 1843, in Bayview, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Albert was an answer to the prayer of his mother. She had lost her firstborn son when he was just a toddler. In prayer then she asked the Lord to send her another son, and asked that he would be a minister or missionary "if the Lord so wills, and he lives to grow up, and is so inclined." A missionary brother baptized him shortly after his birth and dedicated him to the ministry.
Albert’s parents exercised a great influence upon him in his younger years. His mother, being a reader and very poetic cultivated in him a love for books. His father was the industrious, religious, and capable disciplinarian. He made sure that Albert grew up learning the catechism of the Presbyterian Church.
Despite his rigorous religious training, no one ever shared with young Albert the way of salvation. By the age of ten, he had some secret yearning to become a minister. Since he was not saved this was a difficult decision. After a period of time he made a decision that that is what he would become. As he grew into his teens this desire stayed with him. Eventually he requested permission of his father to enter the ministry, telling him he would get his education at his own cost without any expense to his family. His father granted him permission for this.
To learn more about A. B. Simpson and to read his full bio go to http://www.churchinwestland.org/id270.htm
This is from his “Days of Heaven Upon Earth Devotionals"
Matthew 16:23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Satan, get away from me! You're in my way because you think like everyone else and not like God." (CEV)
[When your old self comes back, if you listen to it, fear it, believe it, it will have the same influence upon you as if it were not dead; it will control you and destroy you.
But if you will ignore it and say: "You are not I, but Satan trying to make me believe that the old self is not dead; I refuse you, I treat you as a demon power outside of me, I detach myself from you"; if you treat it as a wife would her divorced husband, saying: "You are nothing to me, you have no power over me, I have renounced you, in the name of Jesus I bid you hence,"--lo! the evil thing will disappear, the shadow will vanish, the wand of faith will lay the troubled spirit, and send it back to the abyss, and you will find that Christ is there instead, with His risen life, to back up your confidence and seal your victory.
Satan can stand anything better than neglect. If you ignore him he gets disgusted and disappears. Jesus used to turn His back upon him and say, "Get thee behind Me, Satan." So let us refuse him, and we shall find that he will be compelled to act according to our faith.]
I love reading these devotionals from men of God from years past. What always comes to mind is how true they are today. The reason is the same as for the Bible that they all quote from. It is God’s Word to us;
Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth
Satan is as real today as he was when Jesus walked the earth. How many times in our lives trouble is right there speaking to us saying, “Go ahead, try it”, “Go ahead, do it”, “Go ahead, take it”, “Go ahead, say it!” That is when you grab your instruction manual that God has made available to each of us and tell Satan, “It is written” and quote Matthew 16:23. Tell Satan, “Get out of here, you are not wanted here!”
Trouble will always be there but do not focus on it but focus on the love of Jesus. Lift up your troubles to Him. I truly believe it all comes down to giving permission to God to get involved in our daily lives. He wants too, He’s waiting too! I like that title of A. B. Simpson’s devotional, Days of Heaven Upon Earth. We do not have to wait until we get to Heaven to enjoy the Father’s blessings, we can enjoy them now, right now! Remember in the Lord’s Prayer; “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven!” If you read a few verses prior to Matthew 16:23 and go to verse 19 Jesus says, ” I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven…”
From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Albert Benjamin Simpson was born December 15, 1843, in Bayview, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Albert was an answer to the prayer of his mother. She had lost her firstborn son when he was just a toddler. In prayer then she asked the Lord to send her another son, and asked that he would be a minister or missionary "if the Lord so wills, and he lives to grow up, and is so inclined." A missionary brother baptized him shortly after his birth and dedicated him to the ministry.
Albert’s parents exercised a great influence upon him in his younger years. His mother, being a reader and very poetic cultivated in him a love for books. His father was the industrious, religious, and capable disciplinarian. He made sure that Albert grew up learning the catechism of the Presbyterian Church.
Despite his rigorous religious training, no one ever shared with young Albert the way of salvation. By the age of ten, he had some secret yearning to become a minister. Since he was not saved this was a difficult decision. After a period of time he made a decision that that is what he would become. As he grew into his teens this desire stayed with him. Eventually he requested permission of his father to enter the ministry, telling him he would get his education at his own cost without any expense to his family. His father granted him permission for this.
To learn more about A. B. Simpson and to read his full bio go to http://www.churchinwestland.org/id270.htm
This is from his “Days of Heaven Upon Earth Devotionals"
Matthew 16:23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Satan, get away from me! You're in my way because you think like everyone else and not like God." (CEV)
[When your old self comes back, if you listen to it, fear it, believe it, it will have the same influence upon you as if it were not dead; it will control you and destroy you.
But if you will ignore it and say: "You are not I, but Satan trying to make me believe that the old self is not dead; I refuse you, I treat you as a demon power outside of me, I detach myself from you"; if you treat it as a wife would her divorced husband, saying: "You are nothing to me, you have no power over me, I have renounced you, in the name of Jesus I bid you hence,"--lo! the evil thing will disappear, the shadow will vanish, the wand of faith will lay the troubled spirit, and send it back to the abyss, and you will find that Christ is there instead, with His risen life, to back up your confidence and seal your victory.
Satan can stand anything better than neglect. If you ignore him he gets disgusted and disappears. Jesus used to turn His back upon him and say, "Get thee behind Me, Satan." So let us refuse him, and we shall find that he will be compelled to act according to our faith.]
I love reading these devotionals from men of God from years past. What always comes to mind is how true they are today. The reason is the same as for the Bible that they all quote from. It is God’s Word to us;
Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth
Satan is as real today as he was when Jesus walked the earth. How many times in our lives trouble is right there speaking to us saying, “Go ahead, try it”, “Go ahead, do it”, “Go ahead, take it”, “Go ahead, say it!” That is when you grab your instruction manual that God has made available to each of us and tell Satan, “It is written” and quote Matthew 16:23. Tell Satan, “Get out of here, you are not wanted here!”
Trouble will always be there but do not focus on it but focus on the love of Jesus. Lift up your troubles to Him. I truly believe it all comes down to giving permission to God to get involved in our daily lives. He wants too, He’s waiting too! I like that title of A. B. Simpson’s devotional, Days of Heaven Upon Earth. We do not have to wait until we get to Heaven to enjoy the Father’s blessings, we can enjoy them now, right now! Remember in the Lord’s Prayer; “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven!” If you read a few verses prior to Matthew 16:23 and go to verse 19 Jesus says, ” I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven…”
From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Repent until your dying day!
“Godly sorrow worketh repentance.”
- 2Corinthians 7:10 When God makes you feel sorry enough to turn to him and be saved, you don't have anything to feel bad about. But when this world makes you feel sorry, it can cause your death. (CEV)
This is a good morning devotional. What I have found as my walk with Christ strengthens is that my repenting becomes fewer but as Charles Spurgeon writes, is still there and will always be there.
[Genuine, spiritual mourning for sin is the work of the Spirit of God. Repentance is too choice a flower to grow in nature’s garden. Pearls grow naturally in oysters, but penitence never shows itself in sinners except divine grace works it in them. If thou hast one particle of real hatred for sin, God must have given it thee, for human nature’s thorns never produced a single fig. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.”]
What I have found in my life, to help keep sin out of my life is I ask the Lord to make these things distasteful to me. I am human and sin is all around, especially in today’s times with everything at our fingertips. All the good, the bad and truly ugly stuff.
[True repentance has a distinct reference to the Saviour. When we repent of sin, we must have one eye upon sin and another upon the cross, or it will be better still if we fix both our eyes upon Christ and see our transgressions only, in the light of his love.]
Powerful paragraph Mr. Spurgeon!
[True sorrow for sin is eminently practical. No man may say he hates sin, if he lives in it. Repentance makes us see the evil of sin, not merely as a theory, but experimentally-as a burnt child dreads fire. We shall be as much afraid of it, as a man who has lately been stopped and robbed is afraid of the thief upon the highway; and we shall shun it-shun it in everything-not in great things only, but in little things, as men shun little vipers as well as great snakes. True mourning for sin will make us very jealous over our tongue, lest it should say a wrong word; we shall be very watchful over our daily actions, lest in anything we offend, and each night we shall close the day with painful confessions of shortcoming, and each morning awaken with anxious prayers, that this day God would hold us up that we may not sin against him.
Sincere repentance is continual. Believers repent until their dying day. This dropping well is not intermittent. Every other sorrow yields to time, but this dear sorrow grows with our growth, and it is so sweet a bitter, that we thank God we are permitted to enjoy and to suffer it until we enter our eternal rest.]
Please read this part one more time, “True mourning for sin will make us very jealous over our tongue, lest it should say a wrong word; we shall be very watchful over our daily actions, lest in anything we offend, and each night we shall close the day with painful confessions of shortcoming, and each morning awaken with anxious prayers, that this day God would hold us up that we may not sin against him.”
I pray to the Lord above He will make that real to all of us.
The Lord blessed me with this poem a few years ago and have used it in His outreach ministry. If you focus your life on Him, then you will be leaving no room for sin!
May This Day
May this day be about You, Lord
May my thoughts be of You
May each action that I take, Lord
be just like You would do.
May I strive to be less selfish
May my words just come from You
May my life be a living sacrifice
in all that I do.
May each person that I meet
May I plant a tiny seed
May it nurture in their heart Lord
and bring them closer to You indeed.
May they understand as I do
May their hearts be filled with love
May this day be about You, Lord
as we give praise to our Savior above.
E. P. Shagott
9/29/2007
From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
- 2Corinthians 7:10 When God makes you feel sorry enough to turn to him and be saved, you don't have anything to feel bad about. But when this world makes you feel sorry, it can cause your death. (CEV)
This is a good morning devotional. What I have found as my walk with Christ strengthens is that my repenting becomes fewer but as Charles Spurgeon writes, is still there and will always be there.
[Genuine, spiritual mourning for sin is the work of the Spirit of God. Repentance is too choice a flower to grow in nature’s garden. Pearls grow naturally in oysters, but penitence never shows itself in sinners except divine grace works it in them. If thou hast one particle of real hatred for sin, God must have given it thee, for human nature’s thorns never produced a single fig. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.”]
What I have found in my life, to help keep sin out of my life is I ask the Lord to make these things distasteful to me. I am human and sin is all around, especially in today’s times with everything at our fingertips. All the good, the bad and truly ugly stuff.
[True repentance has a distinct reference to the Saviour. When we repent of sin, we must have one eye upon sin and another upon the cross, or it will be better still if we fix both our eyes upon Christ and see our transgressions only, in the light of his love.]
Powerful paragraph Mr. Spurgeon!
[True sorrow for sin is eminently practical. No man may say he hates sin, if he lives in it. Repentance makes us see the evil of sin, not merely as a theory, but experimentally-as a burnt child dreads fire. We shall be as much afraid of it, as a man who has lately been stopped and robbed is afraid of the thief upon the highway; and we shall shun it-shun it in everything-not in great things only, but in little things, as men shun little vipers as well as great snakes. True mourning for sin will make us very jealous over our tongue, lest it should say a wrong word; we shall be very watchful over our daily actions, lest in anything we offend, and each night we shall close the day with painful confessions of shortcoming, and each morning awaken with anxious prayers, that this day God would hold us up that we may not sin against him.
Sincere repentance is continual. Believers repent until their dying day. This dropping well is not intermittent. Every other sorrow yields to time, but this dear sorrow grows with our growth, and it is so sweet a bitter, that we thank God we are permitted to enjoy and to suffer it until we enter our eternal rest.]
Please read this part one more time, “True mourning for sin will make us very jealous over our tongue, lest it should say a wrong word; we shall be very watchful over our daily actions, lest in anything we offend, and each night we shall close the day with painful confessions of shortcoming, and each morning awaken with anxious prayers, that this day God would hold us up that we may not sin against him.”
I pray to the Lord above He will make that real to all of us.
The Lord blessed me with this poem a few years ago and have used it in His outreach ministry. If you focus your life on Him, then you will be leaving no room for sin!
May This Day
May this day be about You, Lord
May my thoughts be of You
May each action that I take, Lord
be just like You would do.
May I strive to be less selfish
May my words just come from You
May my life be a living sacrifice
in all that I do.
May each person that I meet
May I plant a tiny seed
May it nurture in their heart Lord
and bring them closer to You indeed.
May they understand as I do
May their hearts be filled with love
May this day be about You, Lord
as we give praise to our Savior above.
E. P. Shagott
9/29/2007
From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Sunday, October 11, 2009
God’s Calling
“Whom he did predestinate, them he also called.”
Romans 8:30 But whom He predestinated, these He also called; and whom He called, those He also justified. And whom He justified, these He also glorified.
This is another excellent devotional by Charles Spurgeon.
For past 3 ½ years since my retirement I wasn’t exactly sure what God had planned for my life. Was this ministry I have been pursing a calling I put on my heart or was it a calling from God? As I read this devotional my eyes stared at Spurgeon’s statement, “As he that hath called you is holy, so must you be holy. If you are living in sin, you are not called, but if you are truly Christ’s, you can say, “Nothing pains me so much as sin; I desire to be rid of it; Lord, help me to be holy.”
[In the second epistle to Timothy, first chapter, and ninth verse, are these words-”Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling.” Now, here is a touchstone by which we may try our calling. It is “an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.” This calling forbids all trust in our own doings, and conducts us to Christ alone for salvation, but it afterwards purges us from dead works to serve the living and true God. As he that hath called you is holy, so must you be holy. If you are living in sin, you are not called, but if you are truly Christ’s, you can say, “Nothing pains me so much as sin; I desire to be rid of it; Lord, help me to be holy.” Is this the panting of thy heart? Is this the tenor of thy life towards God, and his divine will?]
Yes, I cry, Yes! As I was reading the ending to this great devotional I found myself saying this more and more to my Lord and Savior!
[Again, in Philippians, Phi_3:13, Phi_3:14, we are told of “The high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Is then your calling a high calling? Has it ennobled your heart, and set it upon heavenly things?]
Yes, yes!
[Has it elevated your hopes, your tastes, your desires? Has it upraised the constant tenor of your life, so that you spend it with God and for God?]
Yes, yes!
[Another test we find in Heb_3:1-”Partakers of the heavenly calling.” Heavenly calling means a call from heaven. If man alone call thee, thou art uncalled. Is thy calling of God? Is it a call to heaven as well as from heaven? Unless thou art a stranger here, and heaven thy home, thou hast not been called with a heavenly calling; for those who have been so called, declare that they look for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, and they themselves are strangers and pilgrims upon the earth. Is thy calling thus holy, high, heavenly?]
Praise God Yes!
[Then, beloved, thou hast been called of God, for such is the calling wherewith God doth call his people.]
My friends this calling from God on my life is not a calling for works for Him, which I gladly obey and do, it is God’s calling to me to Him, that through His Son’s love and sacrifice, the Father cares for us today!
To Him be the praise and glory!
The Lord blessed me with this poem a couple years ago,
I‘m Talking To You
Why are you so down?
What can it be?
I raised my eyes above and asked
“God, are You talking to me?”
He said, “Everything that is,
and all you see,
was made just for you
and it all comes from Me!
The blood I shed,
the tears I cry,
is all for you
and still you doubt, why?
All I ask,
since you don’t seem to see.
Is that someday you will choose
to believe in Me!
My Word was left
so you would know,
I am always here
and love you so!
So don’t be so down
And to My name always be true
Yes, my child
I’m talking to You!”
From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Romans 8:30 But whom He predestinated, these He also called; and whom He called, those He also justified. And whom He justified, these He also glorified.
This is another excellent devotional by Charles Spurgeon.
For past 3 ½ years since my retirement I wasn’t exactly sure what God had planned for my life. Was this ministry I have been pursing a calling I put on my heart or was it a calling from God? As I read this devotional my eyes stared at Spurgeon’s statement, “As he that hath called you is holy, so must you be holy. If you are living in sin, you are not called, but if you are truly Christ’s, you can say, “Nothing pains me so much as sin; I desire to be rid of it; Lord, help me to be holy.”
[In the second epistle to Timothy, first chapter, and ninth verse, are these words-”Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling.” Now, here is a touchstone by which we may try our calling. It is “an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.” This calling forbids all trust in our own doings, and conducts us to Christ alone for salvation, but it afterwards purges us from dead works to serve the living and true God. As he that hath called you is holy, so must you be holy. If you are living in sin, you are not called, but if you are truly Christ’s, you can say, “Nothing pains me so much as sin; I desire to be rid of it; Lord, help me to be holy.” Is this the panting of thy heart? Is this the tenor of thy life towards God, and his divine will?]
Yes, I cry, Yes! As I was reading the ending to this great devotional I found myself saying this more and more to my Lord and Savior!
[Again, in Philippians, Phi_3:13, Phi_3:14, we are told of “The high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Is then your calling a high calling? Has it ennobled your heart, and set it upon heavenly things?]
Yes, yes!
[Has it elevated your hopes, your tastes, your desires? Has it upraised the constant tenor of your life, so that you spend it with God and for God?]
Yes, yes!
[Another test we find in Heb_3:1-”Partakers of the heavenly calling.” Heavenly calling means a call from heaven. If man alone call thee, thou art uncalled. Is thy calling of God? Is it a call to heaven as well as from heaven? Unless thou art a stranger here, and heaven thy home, thou hast not been called with a heavenly calling; for those who have been so called, declare that they look for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, and they themselves are strangers and pilgrims upon the earth. Is thy calling thus holy, high, heavenly?]
Praise God Yes!
[Then, beloved, thou hast been called of God, for such is the calling wherewith God doth call his people.]
My friends this calling from God on my life is not a calling for works for Him, which I gladly obey and do, it is God’s calling to me to Him, that through His Son’s love and sacrifice, the Father cares for us today!
To Him be the praise and glory!
The Lord blessed me with this poem a couple years ago,
I‘m Talking To You
Why are you so down?
What can it be?
I raised my eyes above and asked
“God, are You talking to me?”
He said, “Everything that is,
and all you see,
was made just for you
and it all comes from Me!
The blood I shed,
the tears I cry,
is all for you
and still you doubt, why?
All I ask,
since you don’t seem to see.
Is that someday you will choose
to believe in Me!
My Word was left
so you would know,
I am always here
and love you so!
So don’t be so down
And to My name always be true
Yes, my child
I’m talking to You!”
From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Spotless
“Faultless before the presence of his glory.”
Jude 1:24 Now to Him being able to keep you without stumbling, and to set you before His glory without blemish, with unspeakable joy;
Jude 1:25 to the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty and might and authority, even now and forever. Amen.
[Revolve in your mind that wondrous word, “faultless!” We are far off from it now; but as our Lord never stops short of perfection in his work of love, we shall reach it one day. The Saviour who will keep his people to the end, will also present them at last to himself, as “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but holy and without blemish.” All the jewels in the Saviour’s crown are of the first water and without a single flaw. All the maids of honour who attend the Lamb’s wife are pure virgins without spot or stain. But how will Jesus make us faultless? He will wash us from our sins in his own blood until we are white and fair as God’s purest angel; and we shall be clothed in his righteousness, that righteousness which makes the saint who wears it positively faultless; yea, perfect in the sight of God.]
What a wonderful way to start my Saturday, with this devotional. If we can just have our minds wrap around what Charles Spurgeon quoted so many years ago. How can we as humans, living in this world of sin think about being “without a blemish?” What can wash my sins away? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
[We shall be unblameable and unreproveable even in his eyes. His law will not only have no charge against us, but it will be magnified in us. Moreover, the work of the Holy Spirit within us will be altogether complete. He will make us so perfectly holy, that we shall have no lingering tendency to sin. Judgment, memory, will-every power and passion shall be emancipated from the thraldom of evil. We shall be holy even as God is holy, and in his presence we shall dwell for ever.]
If that doesn’t get you excited, check for a pulse! Can you imagine being “perfectly holy?” Praise God for the cross!
[Saints will not be out of place in heaven, their beauty will be as great as that of the place prepared for them. Oh the rapture of that hour when the everlasting doors shall be lifted up, and we, being made meet for the inheritance, shall dwell with the saints in light. Sin gone, Satan shut out, temptation past for ever, and ourselves “faultless” before God, this will be heaven indeed! Let us be joyful now as we rehearse the song of eternal praise so soon to roll forth in full chorus from all the blood-washed host; let us copy David’s exultings before the ark as a prelude to our ecstasies before the throne.]
The Lord blessed me with this poem almost a year ago, when I was thinking how at times we always take life for granted without saying “thanks!”
Thank You Jesus for because of your love for me I am now, faultless, unblameable, unreproveable and perfect in the sight of the Father!
Did I Tell You Thank You Lord
Did I tell You, “thank you Lord”
when I first awoke from sleep?
Did I tell You, “thank you Lord
for in my heart your presence I keep?
For all the many blessings
because of Your Grace I do receive,
did I tell You, “thank You Lord”
for in me You do believe?
Did I tell You, “thank You Lord”
for never giving up on me?
Even when friends and family
seemed content to just let me be.
For all those minutes, hours, and endless days
that could be empty as can be,
did I tell You, “thank You Lord”
for being that special one to me?
Well if for some reason I didn’t
please forgive me once again!
“Thank You Lord, for the beginning,
the in between, for with You there is no end!
E. P. Shagott
10/15/2008
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Jude 1:24 Now to Him being able to keep you without stumbling, and to set you before His glory without blemish, with unspeakable joy;
Jude 1:25 to the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty and might and authority, even now and forever. Amen.
[Revolve in your mind that wondrous word, “faultless!” We are far off from it now; but as our Lord never stops short of perfection in his work of love, we shall reach it one day. The Saviour who will keep his people to the end, will also present them at last to himself, as “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but holy and without blemish.” All the jewels in the Saviour’s crown are of the first water and without a single flaw. All the maids of honour who attend the Lamb’s wife are pure virgins without spot or stain. But how will Jesus make us faultless? He will wash us from our sins in his own blood until we are white and fair as God’s purest angel; and we shall be clothed in his righteousness, that righteousness which makes the saint who wears it positively faultless; yea, perfect in the sight of God.]
What a wonderful way to start my Saturday, with this devotional. If we can just have our minds wrap around what Charles Spurgeon quoted so many years ago. How can we as humans, living in this world of sin think about being “without a blemish?” What can wash my sins away? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
[We shall be unblameable and unreproveable even in his eyes. His law will not only have no charge against us, but it will be magnified in us. Moreover, the work of the Holy Spirit within us will be altogether complete. He will make us so perfectly holy, that we shall have no lingering tendency to sin. Judgment, memory, will-every power and passion shall be emancipated from the thraldom of evil. We shall be holy even as God is holy, and in his presence we shall dwell for ever.]
If that doesn’t get you excited, check for a pulse! Can you imagine being “perfectly holy?” Praise God for the cross!
[Saints will not be out of place in heaven, their beauty will be as great as that of the place prepared for them. Oh the rapture of that hour when the everlasting doors shall be lifted up, and we, being made meet for the inheritance, shall dwell with the saints in light. Sin gone, Satan shut out, temptation past for ever, and ourselves “faultless” before God, this will be heaven indeed! Let us be joyful now as we rehearse the song of eternal praise so soon to roll forth in full chorus from all the blood-washed host; let us copy David’s exultings before the ark as a prelude to our ecstasies before the throne.]
The Lord blessed me with this poem almost a year ago, when I was thinking how at times we always take life for granted without saying “thanks!”
Thank You Jesus for because of your love for me I am now, faultless, unblameable, unreproveable and perfect in the sight of the Father!
Did I Tell You Thank You Lord
Did I tell You, “thank you Lord”
when I first awoke from sleep?
Did I tell You, “thank you Lord
for in my heart your presence I keep?
For all the many blessings
because of Your Grace I do receive,
did I tell You, “thank You Lord”
for in me You do believe?
Did I tell You, “thank You Lord”
for never giving up on me?
Even when friends and family
seemed content to just let me be.
For all those minutes, hours, and endless days
that could be empty as can be,
did I tell You, “thank You Lord”
for being that special one to me?
Well if for some reason I didn’t
please forgive me once again!
“Thank You Lord, for the beginning,
the in between, for with You there is no end!
E. P. Shagott
10/15/2008
From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Measure of Faith
R. A. Torrey a close associate and friend of D. L. Moody once wrote "Why God Used D. L. Moody," stated this “I shall not seek to glorify Mr. Moody, but the God who by His grace, His entirely unmerited favor, used him so mightily, and the Christ who saved him by His atoning death and resurrection life, and the Holy Spirit who lived in him and wrought through him and who alone made him the mighty power that he was to this world. Furthermore: I hope to make it clear that the God who used D. L. Moody in his day is just as ready to use you and me, in this day, if we, on our part, do what D. L. Moody did, which was what made it possible for God to so abundantly use him.” Torrey also stated this, “But God does not give His power arbitrarily. It is true that He gives it to whomsoever He will, but He wills to give it on certain conditions, which are clearly revealed in His Word; and D. L. Moody met those conditions and God made him the most wonderful preacher of his generation; yes, I think the most wonderful man of his generation. But how was it that D. L. Moody had that power of God so wonderfully manifested in his life? Pondering this question it seemed to me that there were seven things in the life of D. L. Moody that accounted for God's using him so largely as He did.”
(1) A Fully Surrendered Man
(2) A Man of Prayer
(3) A Deep and Practical Student of the Bible
(4) A Humble Man
(5) His Entire Freedom from the Love of Money
(6) His Consuming Passion for the Salvation of the Lost
(7) Definitely Endued with Power from on High
If you are interested in reading in detail click here http://www.eaec.org/faithhallfame/dlmoody.htm#Torrey
What makes certain individuals want and thirst for Christ? What did D. L. Moody have that I didn’t or don’t have? I believe we are the same. What we all have is summed up in Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to every one who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. But set your mind to be right-minded, even as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Each and every one of us has that same measure of faith. It is what we decide to do with it. As a friend of mine once said, “faith, prayer, these are all like a muscle, you must exercise them for them to be effective.” Just recently I had a complete physical. When I was told that my cholesterol and blood pressure was high, I had to make a decision to do something about it. Of course exercise was one that I was getting a lot of from being active for God in His Outreach Ministry. But for changing my eating habits I could either do it or not. Luckily for me I am not a picky eater. So I can enjoy eating healthy almost as much as eating the things that will bring me to a life of medication. Faith and a life in Christ is basically the same principle. We all have a choice to make.
My prayer is that we all make the right choice and exercise our faith and let God work through us to do His will. Do you match up with any or all of the seven things that D L. Moody had?
From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
(1) A Fully Surrendered Man
(2) A Man of Prayer
(3) A Deep and Practical Student of the Bible
(4) A Humble Man
(5) His Entire Freedom from the Love of Money
(6) His Consuming Passion for the Salvation of the Lost
(7) Definitely Endued with Power from on High
If you are interested in reading in detail click here http://www.eaec.org/faithhallfame/dlmoody.htm#Torrey
What makes certain individuals want and thirst for Christ? What did D. L. Moody have that I didn’t or don’t have? I believe we are the same. What we all have is summed up in Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to every one who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. But set your mind to be right-minded, even as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Each and every one of us has that same measure of faith. It is what we decide to do with it. As a friend of mine once said, “faith, prayer, these are all like a muscle, you must exercise them for them to be effective.” Just recently I had a complete physical. When I was told that my cholesterol and blood pressure was high, I had to make a decision to do something about it. Of course exercise was one that I was getting a lot of from being active for God in His Outreach Ministry. But for changing my eating habits I could either do it or not. Luckily for me I am not a picky eater. So I can enjoy eating healthy almost as much as eating the things that will bring me to a life of medication. Faith and a life in Christ is basically the same principle. We all have a choice to make.
My prayer is that we all make the right choice and exercise our faith and let God work through us to do His will. Do you match up with any or all of the seven things that D L. Moody had?
From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Troubles to try our faith
Numbers 11:11 He prayed: I am your servant, LORD, so why are you doing this to me? What have I done to deserve this?
I wonder how many times us Christians have made this statement as in the above bible verse? As I read Charles Spurgeon’s morning devotional I think of the people that the God’s Love Outreach Ministry ministers to almost daily that might ask this question.
I was at DeGraff Skilled Nursing yesterday presenting a program called Seeds of Tradition from the Seeds for Christ series. One woman out of the (17) in attendance was so different than all the others. Her hands and feet were strapped together so that they could not freely move sitting in a bed chair. As I was singing I would look over at her now and then, and I asked the Lord to give her a special peace and comfort. As you read this devotional I have highlighted what I pray was this woman’s faith.
[Our heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles to try our faith. If our faith be worth anything, it will stand the test. Gilt is afraid of fire, but gold is not: the paste gem dreads to be touched by the diamond, but the true jewel fears no test. It is a poor faith which can only trust God when friends are true, the body full of health, and the business profitable; but that is true faith which holds by the Lord’s faithfulness when friends are gone, when the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father’s countenance is hidden. A faith which can say, in the direst trouble, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him,” is heaven-born faith.]
Now for this next part of the devotional I am not sure if I fully agree with Charles Spurgeon that the Lord afflicts anybody. I truly believe everything that was created was made to bring Him glory. Yep, you and me. Are you bringing Him glory today?
[The Lord afflicts his servants to glorify himself, for he is greatly glorified in the graces of his people, which are his own handiwork. When “tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope,” the Lord is honoured by these growing virtues. We should never know the music of the harp if the strings were left untouched; nor enjoy the juice of the grape if it were not trodden in the winepress; nor discover the sweet perfume of cinnamon if it were not pressed and beaten; nor feel the warmth of fire if the coals were not utterly consumed. The wisdom and power of the great Workman are discovered by the trials through which his vessels of mercy are permitted to pass. Present afflictions tend also to heighten future joy.]
Now here is an excellent statement;
[There must be shades in the picture to bring out the beauty of the lights.]
That woman that was in that bed chair was in her condition a shade to the others and myself in the room. Our loving Father was ministering to her spirit through myself His loyal servant. This made that picture just beautiful. This woman was hearing songs like "Jesus Loves Me", and "What a Friend We Have in Jesus!"
[Could we be so supremely blessed in heaven, if we had not known the curse of sin and the sorrow of earth? Will not peace be sweeter after conflict, and rest more welcome after toil? Will not the recollection of past sufferings enhance the bliss of the glorified? There are many other comfortable answers to the question with which we opened our brief meditation, let us muse upon it all day long.]
From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
I wonder how many times us Christians have made this statement as in the above bible verse? As I read Charles Spurgeon’s morning devotional I think of the people that the God’s Love Outreach Ministry ministers to almost daily that might ask this question.
I was at DeGraff Skilled Nursing yesterday presenting a program called Seeds of Tradition from the Seeds for Christ series. One woman out of the (17) in attendance was so different than all the others. Her hands and feet were strapped together so that they could not freely move sitting in a bed chair. As I was singing I would look over at her now and then, and I asked the Lord to give her a special peace and comfort. As you read this devotional I have highlighted what I pray was this woman’s faith.
[Our heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles to try our faith. If our faith be worth anything, it will stand the test. Gilt is afraid of fire, but gold is not: the paste gem dreads to be touched by the diamond, but the true jewel fears no test. It is a poor faith which can only trust God when friends are true, the body full of health, and the business profitable; but that is true faith which holds by the Lord’s faithfulness when friends are gone, when the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father’s countenance is hidden. A faith which can say, in the direst trouble, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him,” is heaven-born faith.]
Now for this next part of the devotional I am not sure if I fully agree with Charles Spurgeon that the Lord afflicts anybody. I truly believe everything that was created was made to bring Him glory. Yep, you and me. Are you bringing Him glory today?
[The Lord afflicts his servants to glorify himself, for he is greatly glorified in the graces of his people, which are his own handiwork. When “tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope,” the Lord is honoured by these growing virtues. We should never know the music of the harp if the strings were left untouched; nor enjoy the juice of the grape if it were not trodden in the winepress; nor discover the sweet perfume of cinnamon if it were not pressed and beaten; nor feel the warmth of fire if the coals were not utterly consumed. The wisdom and power of the great Workman are discovered by the trials through which his vessels of mercy are permitted to pass. Present afflictions tend also to heighten future joy.]
Now here is an excellent statement;
[There must be shades in the picture to bring out the beauty of the lights.]
That woman that was in that bed chair was in her condition a shade to the others and myself in the room. Our loving Father was ministering to her spirit through myself His loyal servant. This made that picture just beautiful. This woman was hearing songs like "Jesus Loves Me", and "What a Friend We Have in Jesus!"
[Could we be so supremely blessed in heaven, if we had not known the curse of sin and the sorrow of earth? Will not peace be sweeter after conflict, and rest more welcome after toil? Will not the recollection of past sufferings enhance the bliss of the glorified? There are many other comfortable answers to the question with which we opened our brief meditation, let us muse upon it all day long.]
From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Are they not all ministering spirits?
“Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”
Hebrews 1:14 Are not the angels all ministering spirits (servants) sent out in the service [of God for the assistance] of those who are to inherit salvation? (Amp)
I like the quote; “Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous!” How many times that probably all of us have had near bad accidents but just barely missed by a few seconds or minutes. A lot of times we say we were just lucky. Well, I am now at that point in my life that I don’t use the word lucky anymore. I have replaced it with blessed. I thought this morning devotional by Charles Spurgeon talks of how loved we are that God sends His angels to watch over us.
[Angels are the unseen attendants of the saints of God; they bear us up in their hands, lest we dash our foot against a stone. Loyalty to their Lord leads them to take a deep interest in the children of his love; they rejoice over the return of the prodigal to his father’s house below, and they welcome the advent of the believer to the King’s palace above. In olden times the sons of God were favoured with their visible appearance, and at this day, although unseen by us, heaven is still opened, and the angels of God ascend and descend upon the Son of man, that they may visit the heirs of salvation.]
Now as I read this devotional I must admit it talked about the angels attending to “the heirs of salvation”, believers that is. What about the non-believers? Well, the Message translation states it this way, 14 Isn’t it obvious that all angels are sent to help out with those lined up to receive salvation? My friends we are all lined up from when we first were born. In John 3:16 it says this;
For God so loved the world
that He gave
His only
begotten
Son,
that whoever
believes in Him
should not perish
but have everlasting life.
Please look at that word whoever. That is you and me "valentine", and the ones that have been in that line, or are either in line now waiting to say the sinners prayer, or waiting for someone to tell them about that line, called “salvation”!
[Seraphim still fly with live coals from off the altar to touch the lips of men greatly beloved. If our eyes could be opened, we should see horses of fire and chariots of fire about the servants of the Lord; for we have come to an innumerable company of angels, who are all watchers and protectors of the seed-royal. Spenser’s line is no poetic fiction, where he sings-
“How oft do they with golden pinions cleave
The flitting skies, like flying pursuivant
Against foul fiends to aid us militant!”
To what dignity are the chosen elevated when the brilliant courtiers of heaven become their willing servitors! Into what communion are we raised since we have intercourse with spotless celestials! How well are we defended since all the twenty- thousand chariots of God are armed for our deliverance! To whom do we owe all this? Let the Lord Jesus Christ be forever endeared to us, for through him we are made to sit in heavenly places far above principalities and powers. He it is whose camp is round about them that fear him; he is the true Michael whose foot is upon the dragon. All hail, Jesus! thou Angel of Jehovah’s presence, to thee this family offers its morning vows.]
Thank You Lord Jesus! Praise Your Holy Name!
From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Hebrews 1:14 Are not the angels all ministering spirits (servants) sent out in the service [of God for the assistance] of those who are to inherit salvation? (Amp)
I like the quote; “Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous!” How many times that probably all of us have had near bad accidents but just barely missed by a few seconds or minutes. A lot of times we say we were just lucky. Well, I am now at that point in my life that I don’t use the word lucky anymore. I have replaced it with blessed. I thought this morning devotional by Charles Spurgeon talks of how loved we are that God sends His angels to watch over us.
[Angels are the unseen attendants of the saints of God; they bear us up in their hands, lest we dash our foot against a stone. Loyalty to their Lord leads them to take a deep interest in the children of his love; they rejoice over the return of the prodigal to his father’s house below, and they welcome the advent of the believer to the King’s palace above. In olden times the sons of God were favoured with their visible appearance, and at this day, although unseen by us, heaven is still opened, and the angels of God ascend and descend upon the Son of man, that they may visit the heirs of salvation.]
Now as I read this devotional I must admit it talked about the angels attending to “the heirs of salvation”, believers that is. What about the non-believers? Well, the Message translation states it this way, 14 Isn’t it obvious that all angels are sent to help out with those lined up to receive salvation? My friends we are all lined up from when we first were born. In John 3:16 it says this;
For God so loved the world
that He gave
His only
begotten
Son,
that whoever
believes in Him
should not perish
but have everlasting life.
Please look at that word whoever. That is you and me "valentine", and the ones that have been in that line, or are either in line now waiting to say the sinners prayer, or waiting for someone to tell them about that line, called “salvation”!
[Seraphim still fly with live coals from off the altar to touch the lips of men greatly beloved. If our eyes could be opened, we should see horses of fire and chariots of fire about the servants of the Lord; for we have come to an innumerable company of angels, who are all watchers and protectors of the seed-royal. Spenser’s line is no poetic fiction, where he sings-
“How oft do they with golden pinions cleave
The flitting skies, like flying pursuivant
Against foul fiends to aid us militant!”
To what dignity are the chosen elevated when the brilliant courtiers of heaven become their willing servitors! Into what communion are we raised since we have intercourse with spotless celestials! How well are we defended since all the twenty- thousand chariots of God are armed for our deliverance! To whom do we owe all this? Let the Lord Jesus Christ be forever endeared to us, for through him we are made to sit in heavenly places far above principalities and powers. He it is whose camp is round about them that fear him; he is the true Michael whose foot is upon the dragon. All hail, Jesus! thou Angel of Jehovah’s presence, to thee this family offers its morning vows.]
Thank You Lord Jesus! Praise Your Holy Name!
From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
Thursday, October 1, 2009
My Lord protected me!
Psalm 28:8 You give strength to your people, LORD, and you save and protect your chosen ones.
I can really relate to this Bible verse, especially today. For it started out like most of my days, saying good morning to the Lord and expressing how I want to serve Him and love Him. I had a God’s Love Program where I presented the first program for October, Seeds of Tradition from the Seeds for Christ series. As always God was there, blessing the people with older hymns and Christian songs that they grew up with and are grounded in. How can you go wrong with a Jesus melody of, “Jesus Loves Me” and “What a Friend We Have in Jesus!” Amen to that.
Like usual after the program I visit with each of the residents, share some encouraging words to help let them know that God and I truly love them and want the best for them. Also I hear from a lot of them, “Stay safe and come back and see us soon!” I really don’t think too long or hard on the “stay safe” part for I have been blessed in this area and also consider myself a cautious person.
Today it was a little different though. When I left the house I never thought I would have a refrigerator fall on me! I guess that’s almost like getting hit by a piano. But it happened.
My brother, who was in from Massachusetts and is still trying to sell his house, called me earlier. I told him I would try to get out to see him there after the program. When I got to his house he and a young man was loading a refrigerator into his truck. Now my brother is older than I am so moving large items is not something we can do with ease, especially me. What we didn’t know was the young man, who the refrigerator was given to, did not show up at the place it was going to, so we didn’t have his youthful strength to help.
So here we are two aging gracefully gentlemen trying to do a good deed and left to unload this monster and put it where we were told to put it. Luckily there was a small ramp that we could roll the refrigerator on the dolly up to and put it in its place. As I was pulling it up the ramp my feet slipped on the wooden ramp and I went down with this refrigerator on top of me. All I could hear was my brothers voice on the other side saying, “are you alright?” All he could hear was me yelling “get this off of me!”
Now go back and read the bible verse again. My friends though I know I had a refrigerator on top of me, I was perfectly all right. Praise God for the strength He gave me and protecting me from any harm. Now how awesome is that?
From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
I can really relate to this Bible verse, especially today. For it started out like most of my days, saying good morning to the Lord and expressing how I want to serve Him and love Him. I had a God’s Love Program where I presented the first program for October, Seeds of Tradition from the Seeds for Christ series. As always God was there, blessing the people with older hymns and Christian songs that they grew up with and are grounded in. How can you go wrong with a Jesus melody of, “Jesus Loves Me” and “What a Friend We Have in Jesus!” Amen to that.
Like usual after the program I visit with each of the residents, share some encouraging words to help let them know that God and I truly love them and want the best for them. Also I hear from a lot of them, “Stay safe and come back and see us soon!” I really don’t think too long or hard on the “stay safe” part for I have been blessed in this area and also consider myself a cautious person.
Today it was a little different though. When I left the house I never thought I would have a refrigerator fall on me! I guess that’s almost like getting hit by a piano. But it happened.
My brother, who was in from Massachusetts and is still trying to sell his house, called me earlier. I told him I would try to get out to see him there after the program. When I got to his house he and a young man was loading a refrigerator into his truck. Now my brother is older than I am so moving large items is not something we can do with ease, especially me. What we didn’t know was the young man, who the refrigerator was given to, did not show up at the place it was going to, so we didn’t have his youthful strength to help.
So here we are two aging gracefully gentlemen trying to do a good deed and left to unload this monster and put it where we were told to put it. Luckily there was a small ramp that we could roll the refrigerator on the dolly up to and put it in its place. As I was pulling it up the ramp my feet slipped on the wooden ramp and I went down with this refrigerator on top of me. All I could hear was my brothers voice on the other side saying, “are you alright?” All he could hear was me yelling “get this off of me!”
Now go back and read the bible verse again. My friends though I know I had a refrigerator on top of me, I was perfectly all right. Praise God for the strength He gave me and protecting me from any harm. Now how awesome is that?
From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott
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