The First Fruits....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31


The fruit we bear in our lives is the evidence of God's Spirit in us. It's not that we are perfect by any means. But on a consistent basis are we demonstrating what Galatians 5 lists as fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?

The way we treat others, speak to others, demonstrate patience with others, notice others and honor others will either validate or violate what we say we believe. The very best sermons aren't those preached from a stage but rather those lived out in everyday life.

What a needed reminder for us all today.

"Proverbs 31 Ministries"

The First Fruits....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31


The fruit we bear in our lives is the evidence of God's Spirit in us. It's not that we are perfect by any means. But on a consistent basis are we demonstrating what Galatians 5 lists as fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?

The way we treat others, speak to others, demonstrate patience with others, notice others and honor others will either validate or violate what we say we believe. The very best sermons aren't those preached from a stage but rather those lived out in everyday life.

What a needed reminder for us all today.

"Proverbs 31 Ministries"

The First Fruits....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31


The fruit we bear in our lives is the evidence of God's Spirit in us. It's not that we are perfect by any means. But on a consistent basis are we demonstrating what Galatians 5 lists as fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?

The way we treat others, speak to others, demonstrate patience with others, notice others and honor others will either validate or violate what we say we believe. The very best sermons aren't those preached from a stage but rather those lived out in everyday life.

What a needed reminder for us all today.

"Proverbs 31 Ministries"

A Very Present Help

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31



                                "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
                                                                         Psalm  46:1

     Which is harder: to do or to endure?
     I think to endure is much harder, and our Father loves us too much to let us pass through life without learning to endure.  So I want you to welcome the difficult little things, the tiny pricks and ruffles that are sure to come almost every day.  For they give you a chance to say 'No" to yourself, an by doing so you will become strong not only to do but also to endure.
     I know that each one of you is in need of continual help if you are continually to conquer.  I have splendid words to give you; they are from the first verse of psalm 46:  "A very present help."
     Our loving Lord is not just present, but nearer than thought can imagine - so near that a whisper can reach Him.  You know the story of the man who had a quick temper and had not time to go away and pray for help.  His habit was to send up a little telegraph prayer.  "Thy sweetness, Lord!" - and sweetness came.
     Do you  need courage?  "Thy courage, Lord!"  Patience?  "Thy patience, Lord!"  Love?  "Thy love, Lord!"  A quiet mind?  "Thy quietness, Lord!"
     Shall we all practice this swift and simple way of prayer more and more?  If we do, our Very Present Help will not disappoint us.  For Thou, Lord, hast never failed them that see Thee.

Patient Waiting On God

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

                                    "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage."  Psalm  27:14

     We are all so much in a hurry!  We live in an impatient age  Yet the best things that God has for us often take time to mature, and we must patiently wait on God at such occasions and not run before Him. Someone has said,  "Give God time, and even when the knife flashes in the air, the ram will be seen in the thicket.  Give God time, and even when Pharaoh's host is on Israel's heels, a path through the waters will be suddenly opened.  Give God time, and when the bed of the brook is dry, Elijah shall hear the Guiding Voice."

                                                            God's delays are not denials;
                                                                You will find Him true,
                                                            Working through the hardest trials
                                                                What is best for you.

     We are told to "run with patience" the race which is set before us.  George Matheson has a wise observation in regard to this.  He said,  "We commonly associate patience with lying down.  We think of it as the angel that guards the couch of the invalid.  Yet there is a patience which I believe to be harder - the patience which can run.  To lie down in the time of grief, to be quiet under the stroke of adverse fortune, implies a great strength; but I know of something which implies a strength greater still: it is the power to work under a stroke; to have a great weight at your heart and still to run; to have a deep anguish in your spirit and still perform the daily tasks.  It is a Christ-like thing!  The hardest thing is that most of us are called to exercise our patience, not in bed, but in the street."  To wait is hard, to do it with "good courage" is harder!

     Do not try to hasten the unfolding of God's bud of promise; you will only spoil the perfect flower.  "In patience possess your soul."

"Bread For Each Day"

EVERY TIME YOU AFFIRM YOUR TRUST...

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

EVERY TIME YOU AFFIRM YOUR TRUST IN ME, you put a coin into My treasury.  Thus you build up equity in preparation for days of trouble.  I keep safely in My heart all trust invested in Me, with interest compounded continuously.  The more you trust Me, the more I empower you to do so.

Practice trusting Me during quiet days, when nothing much seems to be happening.  Then when storms come, your trust balance will be sufficient to see you through.  Store up for yourself treasure in heaven, through placing your trust in Me.  This practice will keep you in My Peace.

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace In His Presence"