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Following Jesus

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 24, 2026 Respond

“The Lord reigns let the earth be glad.”  Psalm 97:1

 

This one statement, Lord—short, clear, to the point—expresses powerfully why knowing you is enough for joy.

You are in charge!

You are good!

You are powerful!

You are wise!

You are righteous!

You are loving!

You are faithful!

What more could we want?!!!!

 

Well, humanly speaking, we do want more.

We want

comfortable,

non-painful,

suffering-free,

self-centered,

non-stop-pleasure living.

That’s us ruling, not you.

Such an existence is like living in a Tupperware box.

It doesn’t take long before oxygen depletion begins to set in,

followed by decay and death on every front:

spiritually, intellectually, emotionally and finally physically.

In contrast, life with you is

out in the open,

in the fresh air of freedom flowing from Truth

with wonderful views from your Word

and endless possibilities before us.

You we can trust, for you reign with

wisdom and purpose,

power and grace,

firmness and gentleness.

You have the big picture.

You know where history is going

You have a plan

and are taking us with you.

Help us lot follow you every day,

all the way,

so we can stay,

with you in the play

of life.

Picture: following Jesus into the future He knows!

No photo description available.

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LET GO, HOLD ON, RISE ABOVE

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 23, 2026 Respond

Here is a most useful phrase which I use every day

 iFor i recalibrates my mind, will and emotions!

 “LET GO, HOLD ON, RISE ABOVE”
Let go of: what we can’t keep or control,
Hold onto: what is eternal
Rise above: the challenges of life.
 
It comes from Colossians 3:1&2
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,
set your hearts on things above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things above, 
not on earthly things.”
 
Since we are now in the Kingdom of God,
we can focus on what is above, not just on things on the earth by
letting go, holding on, rising above.
 
Some examples:
Let go of people’s negative comments
Hold on to Jesus’ love for me,
Rise above the conflicts of life
 
Let go of my anger
Hold onto Jesus power to protect
Rise above the hurtful events of life.
 
Let go of my disappointments
Hold on to Jesus’ wisdom and goodness
Rise above the failures of others.
 
Let go of my idols (whatever I demand to be happy),
Hold onto the God who knows what I really need,
Rise above the pettiness and disappointments of life.
 
Try it!
May be an image of text that says 'Let go... of what is temporal, 全りの焼！ 495 Hold on... to what is eternal, Rise above... every situation.'
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Joining God

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 22, 2026 Respond

Some days are better than others, from a human point of view.

What about God’s point of view?
He says, “some days are more challenging than others…
because I am developing your character!
James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
 
Well, we may know that, but our tendency is to  complain
rather than to join God’s view, calling us to embrace and grow:
 
“…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thes 5:18
 
“…giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Eph 5:20
 
“… I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Cor. 12:10
 
“He who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving, honors me and opens the way that I may show him the salvation of the Lord.” Psalm 50:23
 
Looks like a pattern! And it is not just a suggestion:
Note that statement: “this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you!”
So let’s embrace the trials by thanksgiving and turn them into growth!

May be an image of text that says 'PS 107:1 Give to the Lord, Thanks for he is GOOD; his love endures forever.'

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How Great is HE?

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 22, 2026 Respond

“For GREAT is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.”  Psalm 96:4

 

You, O Yahweh, are great beyond comprehension:

great in wisdom,

in power,

in patience,

in creativity,

in knowledge,

in holiness,

in love,

in mercy,

in justice,

in strength,

in kindness,

in faithfulness.

You are truly most worthy of

praise

and honor a

nd glory

and exaltation,

Help us to live in your greatness,  Lord God

to walk  in obedience because we love you.

Picture: God towers over every created being.

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Help the Persecuted

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 20, 2026 Respond

Acts 11:29 “The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide

help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea.”

380 million. That’s the estimated number world wide of Christians

living under active persecution, in places like

China,

through out Central Asia,

in the Middle East

and especially across Central Africa.

They experience persecution ranging from

restrictions on worship, having a Bible, and sharing their faith.

to being beaten, jailed,

losing their homes, animals, crops and income

to being Martyred—in Nigeria a Christion is murdered

every 2 hours on the average.

Why do I bring this up? Because

we as believers have a responsibility to

help our persecuted fellow believers..

First and foremost is to pray for them.

Ask God to protect them, to provide for their needs

spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically,

financially, educationally, community-wise.

Pray that God will give them endurance and encouragement,

that He will help them stand  firm

and be a good witness in the midst of their persecution.

Second is to give towards helping them.

Two good organizations that actively help the persecuted are:

Voice of the Martyers 

https://vom.com.au/

 Global Christian Relief  

https://globalchristianrelief.org/

So let’s join Jesus in caring for our suffering brothers and sisters

with prayer and giving.

Picture: aftermath of attack on a church in Central Africa that left 24 Christians dead

May be an image of fire and foundry

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Why Suffering?

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 20, 2026 Respond

In the midst of tragic situations, like wars, earthquakes and storms, it is hard to see what God is doing.

But the truth is, He always has a plan and a purpose,

which primarily is to see as many as possible come into His Kingdom.

 

The verses that clarify this are Revelation 9:20,21which speak about the aftermath of some plagues:

“The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands;

…Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.”

God seeks repentance and surrender, but some are too stubborn and proud,

so He does what is necessary to bring them to their senses and surrender..

 

Now, what about the war with Iran? What is God doing there?

Just today I got a letter from a friend who works with Iranians:

In the midst of the suffering, danger, deaths and destruction,

many are coming to Christ! God is opening eyes, bringing understanding.

 

It is ironic that the oppressive Islamic theocracy is the impetus of this awakening!

Satan usually goes too far, and God is very capable of using Satan’s plans  to advance His own!

Let’s pray for more to come to Christ in this war and the others going on.

 

Picture: aftermath of Iran’s attacks on Israel

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Unite my Heart

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 17, 2026 Respond

“Unite my heart to fear your name…” (Ps. 86:11b).

You are the only One who can
heal and unite our hearts,
making us single-minded,
whole-hearted,
completely committed.

You are the only One who is worthy of that commitment,
for you are the great God,
the obedient Son,
the willing Sacrifice,
the Healer of the broken creation,
and the Bridegroom dying for your bride.

You bind up our wounded hearts and
move masterfully,
tenderly,
to unite them to yourself.

Help us, Lord Jesus, to walk in your Truth
to praise you from a united heart
and to obey you in all we know to be true.

Picture: the beauty of a rain-kiss daffodil He wants to share with us!

May be an image of grass

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The Truth and The WaY

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 16, 2026 Respond

“Teach me your way, O Lord; I will walk in your truth;” Psalm 86:11

 

Praise be to you, Lord Jesus,

that you came to:

be the Way,

to teach the way,

to be the Truth,

to teach truth.

It is wonderful that in you we can now know truth,

see what is right and wrong,

be aware of what is hurtful before we act,

of what is good before choosing.

Help us, Lord, to walk in your way

to live in your Truth,

to choose what you want!

May be an image of text that says 'I AM The Way, the Truth and the Life John John14: 14:6'

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Seeing the hand of God

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 15, 2026 Respond

The Turks don’t talk about God sightings; t

hey have a different descriptive saying:

Seeing the Hand of God!
I saw His hand several times today.
First I lost my wallet; it fell out my pocket while I wast working on my car in my driveway,
and when I turned around, there it was on the ground! This could have happened in a
number of places on the farm, and it has no “find me” function. The Lord intervened.
My garage overhead door fell out of its track this morning and is hanging sideways. Fixing it is too big a job for me.
Just then my neighbor called and asked a question and I remembered that he had put in such a door,
so I asked if he would come to help me. “Sure,” he said. There was the hand of God in my day!
Also, I had to move a dumpster, but it was too big for my tractor. But the same neighbor had something to move
and got my old Lull (like a large forklift) going. And when I asked him to move the dumpster with it, he immediately  did so.
Again, God’s hand moving things for  me.
And last, I noticed that some white daffodils and little purple flowers and blossomed by the pond.
This is a flashpoint of beauty heralding Spring, and fit in with our 80 degree weather.
A touch from God, sharing His love of beauty with us.
How do these events affect me? I see God’s love, His help, His grace
leading me to trust Him more, worship Him better and rest in His care.
Come join me.
May be an image of scorpion grass
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Notice God Sightings

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 14, 2026 Respond

Is God involved in our every day life?

If He is busy running the universe, how could he deal with details in my life?
But He does! He is deeply, intimately   involved and wants us to know that.
So He gives us power to know Christ’s love beyond knowledge.
One main way is to give us God sightings.
We just need to  learn to recognized them. Here are some in my life.
A young friend told me He was driving home from work
when he had a strong impression to stop, so stepped on his brakes.
Just then a deer jumped out of the woods. If he hadn’t braked he would have hit it!
A significant God sighting.
I wanted an office chair for Barbara to make her more comfortable.
Later in the week I went to our transfer station, and there it was,
exactly the kind of chair I wanted! A God sighting.
I needed some help with a construction project.
A young friend called, out of the blue, and offered to help.
After a long period of weakness, inability and being a recluse,
today Barbara announced that she wanted to go with  me to a meeting!
A big God sighting, a big answer to prayer.
Look for God sightings  in your own life, they come every day.
Notice them and learn to “know this love that is beyond knowledge.”
Picture: An “oh deer” God sighting.
May be an image of deer and road
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