KNOWING JESUS|MORE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2017
Life in Christ
ARE YOU THIRSTY?
Castles in the Sand
Special Note God has set a new day {Hebrews 3} calling it "Today" — "Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart." Do we hear Him speaking, will we obey? Or will we seek our own pleasure? Everyday, He desires us to seek His will and be filled with His Spirit, rather than humbling ourselves for a day to pray for our own wants. He desires we enter into His new Sabbath Rest — those who do not doubt Him and follow where He leads will enter, if we do not seek our own. I see in these verses how much the Lord doesn't like it when we seek our own.Let's not harden our hearts and seek to please Him in everything. Amen Isaiah 58:1-14
S Anne
Knowing Jesus|More has published a few editions of magazines to encourage others to press on in their daily life, following Jesus with their whole heart. It started out with one, but now a few young ladies contribute to the magazines.
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S Knowing Jesus|More
LIFE - IN CHRIST
IN THE DESERT
LITTLE GIFTS
His love
are you thirsty?
of His love
CASTLES
FULLNESS
GIVING THANKS in everything
in the sand
empty to be filled
LIFE - IN CHRIST S HIS LOVE T
Life in Christ - a beautiful way of life - filled with His love. As we abide in Him, His life will be abundant in us. As Christ dwells in our hearts through faith, are we seeking to be rooted and grounded in His love? It is only
Does Christ’s love control us? Is this our desire to live for Him who died for us? We see this love, laying down His life for us now we ought to lay down our lives for one another. When we desire to live our lives in Christ, we must go to His life for an example to us. The one I want to share today is on His love. Jesus lived here on earth, He loved things, yet what was it He loved? He loved people, He cared about animals {not even one sparrow falls to the ground unnoticed}. “And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” Luke 2:43-46
His love which goes beyond all understanding. His love is what we should be seeking to comprehend in order to know the length, height, depth and to know Him who is love that we may be filled with all the fullness of God. ”For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” 2 Corinthians 514-15
Imagine, going a days journey, not realizing someone was missing? This reminds me of our daily lives, we can become so caught up with life around us we don’t notice Jesus is missing. Where has He gone?
This love of the Father, to do whatever He wants for us? During Jesus time here on earth, His greatest love was for His Father. Shouldn’t this be the same for us also? “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” John 6:38 This should be our life also, if Christ is dwelling within us. Are we searching for Him, to find what His interests are? Do we seek Him like Mary and Joseph searched for Jesus? They came to saying, “Son, why have you treated us Do we notice something is different? We were so
so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in
encouraged until suddenly - we notice - Jesus is gone. His
great distress.” {vs. 48} Do we search for Him in great distress?
love for the Father controlled Him, He desired to be doing
Longing to find where He is, seeking to know what His
His Father’s business.
interests are? When we search for Him with all our heart, He
We can easily get caught up with life around us
will reveal the way.
the Father’s business is often forgotten, or not even searched for. A day goes by and we are busy doing the things we are planning on accomplishing in a day.
“You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
After three days they finally find Jesus, listening to the teachers and asking them questions. He was involved in His Father’s interests. “Why were you searching for me?” he asked them. “Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house {be involved in my Father’s interests}?” Luke 2:49 I find it interesting He is asking His parents “Why were you searching for me?” Have you searched for the Father? Why do you search for Him? Are you desiring for Him to dwell with you once again? It’s almost as if He’s also saying, don’t you know where I would be, doing what my Father is interested in, participating in His business? Jesus desire is to do the will of the Father, who sent Him. Do we find this same desire within ourselves?
As we see this way of life from Jesus, may we hunger and thirst for the same view on life, seeking to always be about our Father’s business. He will show us the way. His life controlling our thoughts and actions, even the places we go to will change as He reveals to us His heart. Rather than making obedience to the Father something dreadful, we can have the same heart Jesus had towards His Father - one of deep love and devotion. By His strength, we can walk as He walked. “…whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” 1 John 2:6
IN THE DESERT S ARE YOU THIRSTY? T Thirsty for m o r e of H I M "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Matthew 4:1 Are we thirsty? What are we thirsting for? I believe many of us are thirsty, but for the wrong things. Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit His Father had just said of Him, "with You I am well pleased." Then right away after, Jesus was led into the desert to be tempted. He was led by the Holy Spirit.
If Jesus was led in this way, how much more shall we, be led into the desert to be tempted also? In this way, He can teach us. He can give us His grace for endurance through every hardship in the "desert". He allows the desert places to reveal a deeper need and hunger in our lives. Are we truly hungry? Are we truly thirsting for more of Him? What is it that we truly want? Do we desire Him or what we can get from Him? The Lord knows everything, and He allows each time and season for us to enter into at the proper time. We can look to Him and find encouragement and hope, knowing He is right here allowing it to happen for a greater good, which we don't see at the time. After the forty days are up, we hear of a few temptations given to Jesus. This reminds us of His sympathy towards us, for He Himself was tempted just as we are, yet without sin. He is able to come to the aid of those who are being tempted. He was tempted to be selfish, and think of Himself, which we often are tempted in and we often take it lightly I think. Instead this reminds me of how serious thinking of ourselves actually is and we must instead be willing to give this up and seek what the Father would want. Do we hear His voice? How important it is to live by what He says than by what you think is best. We need our ears awakened to hear His voice, guiding us in the way we should go. Have we been in this desert places, with no food? Do we find ourselves hungry as Jesus was? We can be tempted to be hungry for the things which will not last. We all are seeking after something, we can easily be tempted for those things which do not last, they don't truly satisfy. Will we desire for something more, denying our hunger for those things (which look so good at the moment)? Will we instead seek for what will be like rivers of living waters, flowing within us and as we pour out to others, it will continue to pour into our lives. He is faithful, He will satisfy our longings. Will we continually hunger for Him? When we are distracted, will we once again turn to Him, so He may fill our hunger with"every word that proceeds from the mouth of God"? Is this what we will choose rather than all those things which are only perishing? As we go through life, we will notice everyone is hungering and thirsting for something.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” - Matthew 5:6 When we hunger now, we will be filled. When we thirst now, we will be satisfied. Do we hunger and thirst for more of Jesus? We will be satisfied. He promises us this. When we find ourselves seeking after the things of the world, let us remember Jesus words to those who worry about having enough here on earth, those who hunger after the things the earthly people seek after. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:30-34 When we seek first and continually after His Kingdom, we need not worry about the things the gentiles hunger and thirst after for He will take care of us. He knows what we need better than anyone else, doesn’t He? Why should we be seeking after perishing things? When we seek first and continually after His Kingdom, we need not worry about the things the gentiles hunger and thirst after for He will take care of us. He knows what we need better than anyone else, doesn’t He? Why should we be seeking after perishing things when He has promised to supply all our needs?
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. “ Philippians 4:19 The gentiles hunger after these perishing things, but they will never be truly satisfied because they do not want God. Only His life which flows from our innermost beings will truly satisfy. We must thirst continually, seeking Him continually. We have little pleasures, comforts and desires which we may thing they are huge but they will all be melted away. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ”But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!” 2 Peter 3:9-12 Are we thirsty after the things which will never burn up?
LITTLE GIFTS S OF HIS LOVE T The Lord is faithful to encourage us each day if we go to Him and seek Him earnestly. We will find Him, He will draw near to us as we seek to draw near Him each day.
Then another was singing and I whistled to it too, when not before too long another sweet chickadee came flying up to the bird feeder, cocked its head to look at me, then picking up a seed vanished from sight.
What a joy it is when we keep our eyes and ears open, awakened, listening for His voice.
When I went out again a different time, a sweet hummingbird was eating at the feeder. It was beautiful with a dark red colour on its chest.
The Lord brought a sweet surprise for me during the day. A chickadee was singing it's call song while I was on the deck near the flowers and bird feeder. We whistled back and forth until suddenly it fluttered to the tree branch near the feeder. It cocked its head, looking straight at me. What a sweet blessing my heart melted, "Thank you Lord!" Fluttering to the bird feeder, it grabbed a seed from the one side and hopped closer to me on the other side which was only a few feet away. Again it cocked its head, looking at me. It flew away with a seed in its mouth.
When I went to take something for Mom to the car, I paused as right then a cute little birdie flew up on the branch. It stayed for some time just looking at me. Cocking its head this way and that I wondered if the Lord wanted to say something to me. I started praying for friends when suddenly it seemed the Lord wanted me to be quiet just to listen. To quiet my heart from all the noise and take in the quiet and listen for His voice. The birdie flew to another branch while I decided to wait quietly. I was in no rush and had time. Then it flew to another. It was high enough I could walk underneath him. I headed to the car to finish the errand.
When I returned my Mom was there also so I told her my story. The little guy was in the same tree!! He looked at us and looked away, catching flies and other little bugs. That night was Bible Study night and since it's a drive over an hour I thought to fetch a book to read. My thoughts wandered here and there, it talked about the Lord isn't that good enough? She prayed to Him but did other funny things. She had her own mind and thought pattern demanding me to think her thoughts. As it got exciting I put it down, we arrived. Stepping inside we began and the Lord hadn't finished with that book yet. If it's not benefiting me in my walk with the Lord or encouraging me in Him why am I taking time to read it? Can I not put it down, because I love Him. Again He confirmed He didn't want me to read it even if I had the time. Couldn't I be storing up treasures with Him? He would enable me to put it down, if I made the decision to. If I was in need of Him to help me He would give me grace to obey Him in faith for He knows what's better. As I sat in the back, another little blessing crawled by. Little Silas sat and played with me for a while. He soon grew tired of the toys their and Jane coaxed him back to where he was with her again. As he went back his smile was big while laughing in such a sweet way. During the sharing Anna walked behind the chairs to where I was. She didn't stay as long but for the time she did it was sweet. Her favourite thing to do was to try to pick off my toes.
At the end she came again to me, my eyes were shut but she touched my hand with her little fingers and I was surprised to see her. With a tea cup in her hand she looked up at me. While she was there again my heart melted. At each time these little sweet things came by I knew the Lord was showing His love in these ways. I enjoyed watching each gift He brought by. Blessings also come through hardships too, but I was thankful for what He allowed in the day. Even watching Anna and her Pappa play, was so sweet. The tenderness and joy of a child is so special to see. Their trust and dependance on their parents is so real. Arriving back home, while I was getting ready for bed the Lord impressed something upon my heart. You know how many times we can doubt, is this really His voice? I had done this often and even just a few days ago when the Lord impressed something on my heart. I doubted it was really Him, what if it was myself speaking in my head? I wanted to know His will and follow Him from what He says to me. After all, aren't we supposed to seek God for the answer and follow Him above what others say? Yet how do I know it's Him? ”Well I'll just keep asking Him." I thought to myself hoping maybe the answer will change. But If he has said He has something else for me, why do I think my prayer will change that?
After talking with Him yet being pulled by my flesh as my dear sister texts me all the plans she's hoping to do when I visit, He confirmed it even through my parents later on. I still had the odd little seed in my heart, "Maybe I'll get to go." They aren't bad plans, they're all things I'd love to do, but the Lord said it wasn't time. Anyway as I was getting ready for bed, I had this thought of a sister who I'd texted a few days back, wondering how she was doing. It seemed like I was talking to myself but then the Lord reminded me not to doubt Him. He reminded me of what Mary said, "May it be done unto me according to your word." He could do what He brought to mind, that I would hear from her. I right away began thinking, "Oh yeah this will be the test if this is truly you or not." It was then He reminded me about Mary and not doubting, not to test God but to believe He actually can do what He says. I started listening to a message from the sister in California, she was bringing up about me visiting them there. I turned it off and went to my home screen. The inbox had a little one on it. Who could that be? I opened it and found an email from the very young lady the Lord had previously impressed upon my heart that I would hear from. I was stunned. No, I was excited! What God has said He will do, is there anything too hard for Him? I know it was just a little thing, but He wanted me to pray for her. He had allowed it for a reason and another was also to encourage me, He is working in my life,
my heart and speaking to me through every life situation. Praise God He is so good. Oh for Grace to trust Him more. That's my goal, to trust Him more and believe Him at His word obeying Him wholeheartedly out of love. As the days went on, I soon heard from another sister who moved away after she was married, thus I had not seen her for months. She texted me mentioning the days she was planning on visiting during the summer. They were the very days I would have been gone if I would have gone ahead and done my own thing. Isn’t our Father so amazing? He has His own plans for us, they are beyond understanding, but they are His perfect ways. I pray we trust Him more in the days to come.
For several months, at the end of each day I would think about it, asking the Lord what would please Him and what didn’t please Him. This edition’s is:
“to give thanks in everything and praise His Name out of a heart truly giving thanks because He is worthy and we can trust Him. Look for the ways and things to thank Him for” When you talk to the Lord, asking Him to help you with anything and you expect an answer - your answer may not be what you expect. Even if you ask Him to help you give thanks in everything and praise Him, He will answer you - He will help you - but it will be in His own time and way. This summer, my sister was sick with something like a cold. It was warm out and a hard time of year to be stuck
GIVING THANKS S IN EVERYTHING T A journey of surrender "Finding out what pleases Him..." {Ephesians 5:10} "We make it our goal to please Him..." {2 Corinthians 5:9} This journey will last a lifetime, finding out what is pleasing to Him - making that the very goal of our life. What is pleasing to Him? Is this important to us, so important we seek it as though it is some hidden treasure? How important is our Father to us? If He is important, how much time do you think we will spend seeking for Him and what pleases Him?
inside feeling yucky. Saturday was drawing near and we had planned to go swimming before our girls encouragement sharing time. Perhaps it was time for me to get sick again, yet I so badly wanted to go swimming and have the time with all the girls. We were hoping for a larger group than normal, which was usually only the four of us. As the day approached we grew more excited. We were working so hard to plan it all. My sister was still sick, she had also wanted to come. I prayed and knew the Lord had something in store to teach me. It was my prayer, to learn to give thanks and praise Him for whatever happened. I wanted to grow in truly being thankful and knowing He is worthy and that I could completely trust Him for whatever He had. I wanted to give thanks and praise Him even if I was sick, truly believing He is a good Father. Saturday came and was a very warm day. After being outside for a few hours, my head was feeling funny but I wasn’t sick. As the day wore on, more of the girls were cancelling. They weren’t able to come that day. Nevertheless, we were still going to have it if possible.
There was one last job needing to be finished before I
through this? He was answering my prayer, He was teaching
left. It seemed to take me forever to do it, despite the easiness of
me how to give thanks - even in a difficult situation like this.
the task. Finally I was done, and on my way.
My neck was beginning to feel funny, but I didn’t want to go
After I picked up the first young lady, together we drove
in the ambulance. It would be okay. I drank some water from
to the next. When we arrived, she told us another one canceled.
my bottle I had brought with my and some of it spilled on the
Instead she had asked her sister to join, with persuasion, she
ground below me. The water fell into the perfect shape of a
agreed to come as well.
heart. Swallowing, I knew the Lord was with me - He sent a
The four of us jumped in the car and made our way to my favourite place. It was along drive, but we had only just
special reminder of His love. How good He is! I had been going my own way, to my favourite place
started when I stopped at the stop sign. Creeping forward, I was
to have our sharing time, yet the Lord had other plans. He
sure I didn’t see anyone. When I was at about the middle of the
needed to work deeper in my heart. He uses each piece of the
road, from the corner of my eye I saw a blue van headed my way. I
puzzle for His greater purpose.
thought I would have enough time to make it, but I still pressed on the gas to be sure. Before I knew it, a felt a thud. Blacking out I discovered we were on the other side of the road with a large van facing us. A
In the moment, I was still shocked, but He was still there with me. He was still working, giving me faith to believe that He did have a plan. What a good Father! The struggle didn’t end there, a new battle was
man was looking down shaking his hands, I thought he was
around the corner. Yet He was answering my prayer, to learn to
upset. Immediately I went into shock mode not knowing what to
give thanks and praise Him because He is worthy, He is good.
do - hardly understanding what had just happened. The sister
He is planning all these things for a greater purpose, why
lost her breath, but was soon breathing normally again. I had
should I be discouraged?
never experienced anything like this before. Another man ran up to us, asking us how we were
The way the Father leads each person is different, the way He answers your prayers will be different than how he
doing. We got out of the car, and headed to the sidewalk. It was
answers others - but He is still answering them. They may not
going to be a long afternoon. The hopes and plans I had been
be in the ways we think or expect or even hope - but He is
looking forward to smashed to the cement into little pieces.
working in our hearts through whatever situation He is
I wasn’t really thinking about them though, I wasn’t sure
allowing. If you ask Him to grow you in giving thanks and
what to think, except the Lord was giving me a desire. He was
seeing Him as more worthy - you will find that He will. It may
placing a burden on my heart. How could I please Him in this?
bring forth various trials to test your faith, to mould you in
How could we live what we believed? This world is passing away,
these areas, but it will be worth it. He is worth it. He will show
these things didn’t matter. Despite my desire, I felt as though I
you, do you believe?
just stood there, dazed, not knowing what to do. Simply standing. Glancing at my car, I saw it was damaged. The tow truck
This is what is pleasing to Him, giving thanks because He is worthy. Praising Him because we can trust Him.
driver said it was finished. The Lord gave me joy, I wasn’t worried
Can we look for all the ways we can give Him thanks? He’s
about my car and not having anything to drive.
using all these things - thank you Jesus!
The question again came up, how can I please the Lord
CASTLES S IN THE SAND T My castles in the sand Built by my childish hands Are nothing compared to your kingdom in Heaven Away from the water I built them For they would collapse so easy For though such care I put in them They were made only of sand But your waters still reached my castles And how quickly they crashed down My work that had no meaning Came tumbling to the ground
For these castles in the sand Built by childish hands Are nothing compared To your Kingdom in Heaven And time as sand runs out But with You it endures forever So take all of this dirt and mud So with Your time I’ll measure ~Bonnee Irene~
EMPTY S TO BE FILLEDT "The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." {John 4:13b} "And to know the love of Christ, which surpasses all understanding that we may be filled with all the fullness of God” He is able to fill us with His fullness, when we are empty of ourselves seeking to know His love which goes beyond all knowledge. It's not enough to know it in our heads but to have it abide in our hearts. We must be empty so more of His fullness can fill every gap within us. "You send the rich away empty handed but full the poor with good things." Luke 2:1
The Father wants us to be poor in spirit, which is also being empty, obtaining nothing in our spirit having a sense of need. Do we hunger and thirst for more of Him? For more of His love? Are we empty of all we think we are, our goodness, the things "we've attained" or do we find ourselves throwing all those "things" in the rubbish pile, they're good for nothing except to be thrown out. The Lord will allow situations for us to undergo, revealing our hearts, showing us how empty we truly are. He shows us how incapable we are without Him, we need Him so much. We need those living waters flowing from deep within our innermost beings. He desires that we would go boldly to Him, seeking for grace and mercy in our time of need. He will give us the power He knows we need in whatever trial we endure if we go to Him in humility, this emptiness of all our own ideas, or ways and earnestly seeking Him for life. He will certainly fill us with His life in abundance. “Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us — to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21