Saturday, January 24, 2026

WHAT JESUS DID FOR US

WHAT JESUS DID FOR US  


 Karen Huang-  Andres, the owner of an electronics company, was giving employees with outstanding sales records a day trip to a beach resort. Andres was also taking his seven-year-old-son Jimmy.

   Before departure, he excitedly held his dad's hand as everyone boarded the van. "You're joining us? How many sales have you had?" one employee jokingly asked Jimmy. "None!" he replied, motioning to his dad. "He's letting me join!"

   Jimmy didn't have to work to earn his inclusion on the trip because his dad was paying his way. As believers in Jesus we also don't rely on our good works as the basis of our inclusion in heaven. We're granted access because of Jesus' death and resurrection on our behalf.

   "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), and Jesus' own blood was the "payment," releasing us from our debt to Him. "In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Eph.1:7). He opened the way for whoever believes in Him to "not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Christ's work and our trust in that work allows us to be with Him for eternity.

   When we believe in Jesus as Savior, we become God's children. Such is His "glorious grace, which he has freely given us" (Eph. 1:6). Like Jimmie, we can look to our heavenly Father and say with confidence, "He's letting me join!"


Let's pray-  

    Father, Thank You for opening up the way for us to be saved through Christ's blood, and the forgiveness of our sins, so we don't have to rely on our good works to earn the privilege of going to heaven when we die. He opened the way for whoever believes in Him to not perish but have eternal life. Our trust is in His glorious grace, which He has freely given us! In the name of Jesus we praise and thank You for this amazing provision You've given us! Amen


#121 Testimony- R. A. Torrey 

    "The Holy Spirit guides the believer in prayer. ". . . Building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost" (Jude 20).

   The disciples did not know how to pray as they ought so they came to Jesus, and said: "Lord, teach us to pray " (Luke 11:1). "We know not what we should pray for as we ought" (Rom. 8:26), [But we now have another Helper at hand to help us (John 14:16-17). "The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities" (Rom. 8:26). He teaches us to pray.] 
   True prayer is prayer "in the Spirit," that is the prayer which the Spirit inspires and directs. When we come into God's presence to pray, we should recognize our infirmity, our ignorance of what we should pray for or how we should pray, and in the consciousness of our utter inability to pray aright, look up to the Spirit of the Lord and cast ourselves utterly upon Him to direct our prayers, to lead in our desires, and to guide our utterance of them. We must wait and surrender ourselves to Him, for the prayer that the Holy Spirit inspires is the prayer that God the Father answers.
(Taken from the Herald of His Coming  newspaper, pg. 3 of Jan/Feb 2026)


My weekly advice from the book, "We All Married IDIOTS, by Elaine W. Miller:

(p. 102, 103) "God created your marriage, and He continues to grow it. Your life together today, is not what it will be five or twenty years from now. As God nurtures and prunes, things change. You and your spouse mature, learn from each other, and grow closer as lives' experiences are shared. We all want a deep-rooted relationship now. We don't want to wait and allow God to grow it, but sitting tight can reap beautiful harvests."


1656-1660 One-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted- 
 
1656-  Jer. 42:6b "That it may be well with us, when we obey the Voice of the LORD
           our God."
1657-  Ps. 119:46a,c "I will speak of thy testimonies . . . and will not be ashamed."
1658-  Is. 65:18a "Be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create.
1659- Prov. 4:20 "My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear to my sayings."
1660- Lam. 3:24 "The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him."


 #121 Hymn- Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed
 
The information about this song,  is taken from the book by Robert J. Morgan, THEN SINGS MY SOUL   (pg. 33)
 
Isaac Watts Joined Mark Lane Independent Chapel and was asked to be a teacher in the church, and in 1698, he was hired as associate pastor. There, on his twenty-fourth birthday, he preached his first sermon. In 1702, his Hymns and Spiritual Songs was published. Included was a hymn ever written in the English language. Originally the first stanza said: When I survey the wondrous cross/Where the young Prince of Glory died . . . In an enlarged 1709 edition, Watts rewrote the lines to say, "When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride."
  This hymn later played a major role in the conversion of a great American hymnist. In 1851, Franny Crosby, 31, attended a revival service at John Street Methodist Church in New York."After prayer was offered," she recalled, "they began to sing the grand old consecration hymn, 'Alas and Did by Savior Bleed' and when they reached the third line
of the fifth stanza, 'Here, Lord, I give myself away' my very soul was flooded with celestial light."
   How right that Watts should, long after his death, play a part in winning to Christ the author of a new generation of hymns and gospel songs!

 Some encouraging words-

"Our embracing what we know is true about God strengthens our heart, gives understanding and peace to our minds, and keeps us focused on God—especially smack dab in the middle of a storm." (Karen Girl Friday). 

Church Notes:   HEAVENLY DECLARATION

    Shepherds attending their flocks, were visited by a host of angles, proclaiming the birth of Jesus! They went into Bethlehem and found the Babe in a simple manger, as there wasn't room in any Inn for them. 
   After seeing Him, they left, proclaiming the Good News, that the Christ was born: the One who would bring salvation for mankind!
   When we have this peace through our personal salvation experience with Jesus, we can now have peace with others and ourselves! Mankind had fallen short of this peace which Adam and Eve had before they sinned, so God sent His Son, Jesus, to provide the way back into His Presence through the Salvation provided through His death on the cross, burial and resurrection to New Life!
   We now can have peace with God and experience New Life on a daily basis while we await our deaths, or Christ's appearance some day in the sky with trumpet blasts and surrounded by the angles who had announced His birth! Praise God!


Upcoming posts:

 31st- THANKFUL FOR EVERYTHING- Brienne Barrett
2/7th-  THE SANCTIFYING WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT- Charles Spurgeon
14th-   Part 1 of THE CHRISTIAN'S DNA- Richard Sinclair and friends

The North Country Christian Fellowship Center Churches,

located in the St. Lawrence county of NY,

broadcast their Sunday services at 10 or 10:15

You can view past services too.

Sermon listing:https://www.cfconline.org/sermon-library 


  

 

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Saturday, January 17, 2026

JESUS AS A FRIEND


 

JESUS AS A FRIEND  
Do you know Jesus as friend?

   Karen Girl Friday- "Friend is such a wonderful and endearing term. And we all long for friends because they make our lives richer. I still keep in touch with friends from high school and college. Also, over the years, the Lord blessed me with new friends. 

You see, we moved a lot when my husband and I were in church ministry. So I prayed for at least one friend in every new town. Picture of Karen Girl Friday

Early in our marriage, we moved to a small farm town in a new state. Our daughter was only eighteen months old at the time. Gracious ladies from the church brought us dinner for a few nights.

Still, I’ll never forget the Sunday when a young woman approached me after a church service. “Do you need anything?” Her sentiments seemed honest and heartfelt. I politely thanked her and continued with: "No, we are fine."

But as I started to walk away, I felt the Lord nudging me to turn back around and tell her I needed a friend. With the Lord helping me to be brave, I walked toward her: "I thought of something I need, I really need a friend."

And you know what? We formed a wonderful friendship and kept in touch when my family moved again. It was a God-thing."

Let's pray-  

“Lord, give me the desire to grow my friendship with You daily. Help me not to befriend the world’s ways, beliefs, and perspectives, because they are contrary to Your truth and glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.” Karen Girl Friday

My weekly advice from the book, "We All Married IDIOTS, by Elaine W. Miller:

   (p. 86) "God says love does not demand its own way. When we become angry and impatient and rude, most likely it is because we have not gotten our way. If we had, there would be no reason to act this way." (Phil. 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.")

#120 Testimony- by Bruce "Do you want to be healed?" 

In 1970 – I was home from college for Christmas break and became bed

bound with pneumonia. I was not allowed to go after Christmas with my

college friends to the largest student mission’s convention ever held. 


This special event was to last for four and one-half days at the end of 1970,

where over 11,000 students from forty-eight states, every Canadian

province, and seventy foreign countries came together at the Assembly

Hall of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana to sing and pray,

talk, and listen about “World Evangelism”.


People had been praying for my healing so I could go with my friends on

this trip. My Uncle, Dr Bob, stated I could not go on this trip and I was

too sick to return to college in January.


It was during this time I had an experience with God. It was either a

vision or a dream, yet I believe strongly I was awake when I walked with

a man who brought me to Christ. This person asked if I wanted “to be

Healed”.


I responded, “No, not yet.” The one who brought me to speak with Christ,

then “snickered."


You see, I had been enjoying the attention of the pretty girls from my

church who were coming to visit me.


After I responded “No, not yet,” Christ then had a serious talk with me. 

I do not remember anything we talked about. I do know after this talk I

became extremely remorseful for my selfish and ungrateful attitude and

prayed long and hard, begging God for forgiveness.


My lungs suddenly cleared and I was able to return to college in January.

This incident was a catalyst that sparked a lifelong strong passion in me

to understand and find God’s best ways to help people come to know

Christ and to help see ways for them to become productive members in

the body of Christ.


Psalm 51:10-13 (NKJV): “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew

a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of

Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be

converted to You.”


Today's prayer- "I pray for you today that you will overcome all things. As you fight the good fight of faith, it is not that your confession will be perfect, or that issues that are weighty will not flow out of your heart, but you will overcome because Jesus has overcome. The battle may come but I declare that you shall be fine in Jesus’ mighty name." (Darren Canning)



1651-1655 One-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted- 
 
1651-  Jer. 39:18a, c "For I will surely deliver thee . . . because thou has put 
           thy trust in me , saith the LORD."
1652-  Is. 61:1b "He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim
           liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are 
           bound."
1653-  Dan. 10:5a "Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked."
1654-  Is. 51:4a "Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me."
1655-  Jer. 36:27a "Then the word of the LORD came."


 #120 Hymn-   All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
 

    Edward Perroner's hymn, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name, has earned him an indelible place in the history of church music. It also has a place in missionary history, being greatly used in evangelistic endeavors. Rev. E. P. Scott, for example, missionary to India, wrote of trying to reach a savage tribe in the Indian subcontinent.
Ignoring the pleadings of his friends, he set off into the dangerous territory. Several days later, he met a large party of warriors who surrounded him, their spears pointed at his heart.
Expecting to die at any moment, Scott took our his violin, breathed a prayer, closed his eyes, and began singing, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name!"
When he reached the words, "Let every kindred, every tribe," he opened his eyes. There stood the warriors, some in tears, every spear lowered. Scott spent the next two years evangelizing the tribe!


 Some encouraging words-

"Faith is confidence in the trustworthiness of God. It is the conviction that what God says is true and that what He promises will come to pass."
(pg 8) of James H. Cagle's booklet WHAT IS TRUE TRUTH?)

Church Notes:      FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT!

1 Tim. 1:1,2  "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope: 'To Timothy, my true son in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.'"

1)- The Apostle Paul was Timothy's spiritual father, and he also 
      had a grandmother and mother with faith in Jesus. [His heritage]
   2)- Timothy was being sent to minister by Paul.
       3)- God would supply his needs with grace, mercy and peace.

1) Remember who you are. [Your personal faith in Jesus and your 
    spiritual heritage through your relatives and spiritual training].
   2) Who is sending you to accomplish a ministry for Christ.
       3) God's provisions of grace, mercy and peace, to enable you to be                         victorious, and to do His bidding!

Paul assured Timothy of his calling, that he would be where God wanted him to accomplish His will, and that God would enable him to be victorious!


Upcoming posts:

 24th-  WHAT JESUS DID FOR US-Karen Hueng
31st-   THANKFUL FOR EVERYTHING-Brianna Barrett
2/7th- THE SANCTIFYING WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT- Charles Spurgeon

The North Country Christian Fellowship Center Churches,

located in the St. Lawrence county of NY,

broadcast their Sunday services at 10 or 10:15

You can view past services too.

Sermon listing:https://www.cfconline.org/sermon-library 



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Saturday, January 10, 2026

THE TOWER GARDEN

 A TOWER GARDEN

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:4-5, NASB).

   
Mary Southerland- "Anyone who knows me well also knows that I can kill any plant. If you are thinking you have some foolproof gardening tips that can help me, think again. Trust me when I say that I have already heard and tried whatever tip or technique you believe will transform me into a master gardener. It won’t. Tower garden (Not her garden)
 
But I am not a quitter! What some might call stubbornness, I prefer to call perseverance. And that perseverance has finally paid off! I am now the proud owner of a tower garden.
 
A tower garden is a vertical aeroponic growing system that allows me to grow up to 20 vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers in less than three square feet—indoors or out. So it’s the perfect solution for people like me who do not have a green thumb. You simply fill the basin with water, add the liquid nutrients that come with the garden, and pop in seedlings that sprout and grow within a matter of weeks. No dirt. No digging. No green thumb required!

When my tower garden arrived, I quickly put it together and placed it on our deck. As Dan inspected my new adventure, he smiled and said, “Well, good luck, honey.” I could hear the doubt in his voice, but refused to let it deter me from my goal to become a real live gardener.
 
I was so excited that I even took pictures and sent them to our children. Our son texted back, “Seriously, Mom?” Our daughter at least tried to be a little more encouraging with, “Interesting! Good luck, Mom.”
 
I read and carefully followed the step-by-step directions as I planted my first set of seedlings, giving each one a loving little pat while praying they would flourish. The thought that I could actually provide food for my family was mind-boggling! Every time I walked by the tower garden, I prayed that the seedlings would grow.
 
After one week, the seedlings doubled in size! What? And then they took off, growing and producing tomatoes, peppers, squash, lettuce, and various herbs. The cherry tomatoes confiscated an entire corner of the deck. We couldn’t eat them fast enough, so I used them to make salsa and marinara sauce! Me! I did that! At long last, my dream had come true! I was a gardener!
 
I sat on the deck one evening, listening to the water flow through the tower, bringing nourishment to the roots of each plant. It occurred to me that I am much like that tower garden … or I can be.
 
When I plant the seeds of God’s Word in my heart and mind, He promises to make them take root and grow. My job is to pray, while lovingly and faithfully tending those seeds of truth with prayer and service to Him. And one day, they will produce fruit that will not only feed my heart, mind and soul, but the heart and mind of those God chooses to place in my life as well.
 
Kansas summers can be brutal. During a particularly hot stretch of days with temperatures soaring into the upper nineties every single day, a summer storm rolled through our neighborhood. We lost power for several hours. It did not occur to me that a loss of electricity would turn the water pump off - until I saw the wilted leaves hanging from the tower. I scrambled to get the water pump going again and managed to save most of the plants. But I lost some. The same principle applies to my life.
 
When I fail to nourish my life with God’s Word or time spent in prayer, my spiritual roots will begin to whither and my life will bear little fruit.
 
Scripture tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. When we hear those words, we assume the Bible is describing the kind of faith we read about in the lives of the disciples as they healed the sick, made the blind to see, and performed miracles in the name of Jesus. It is! But that faith began with a tiny seed.
 
Jesus tells us that we don't need a lot of faith to produce great results. We just need to be sure where that faith is planted. And once planted, it will grow if we faithfully feed and water it. The Power of Prayer

Today's prayer- 

   Father, I want to learn how to plant Your truth in my heart so that the roots grow deep and strong. Teach me how to nourish that truth through time spent in prayer and in service to those around me. Let them hear You when I speak. Let them see Jesus in me as I yield to the Holy Spirit’s work in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

#119 Testimony- Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill is also known for telling people to never give up, as he urged people on October 29, 1941, during World War II. As his words ring true in fighting evil, too, when it comes to prayer: “This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”


 My weekly advice from the book, "We All Married IDIOTS, by Elaine W. Miller:

    (p 93) "God never intended one of you to live on the moon and the other to live here on earth. No, you are to be each other's oasis in the desert of life. . . When one of you is down, that is when the other needs to step it up a notch. There is no competition because you work as one. When you encourage your mate, you build up the team. When you slam your spouse, you both fall down."
 

1646-1650 One-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted- 
 
1646- Ps. 11:4 "The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven: his
          eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men." 
1647- Ps. 119:162 "I will rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil."
1648- Is. 14:27a "For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall prevent it?"
1649- Prov. 14:2a "He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD."
1650- Jer. 51:36a "Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause."


 #119 Hymn-   Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

    Robert Robinson had a rough beginning. His father died when he was young, and his mother, unable to control him, sent him to London to learn barbering. What he learned instead was drinking and gang-life. He suggested that he and his buddies go to the evangelistic meeting being held by George Whitefield.
   Whitefield was one of history's greatest preachers, with a voice that was part foghorn and part violin. That night he preached from Matthew 3:7: "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"
   Robert immediately sobered up and sensed Whitefield was preaching directly to him. The preacher's words haunted him for nearly three years, until December 10,1755, when he gave his heart to Christ.
   Robert soon entered the ministry, and three years later at age 23, while serving Calvinist Methodist Chapel in Norfolk, England, he wrote a hymn for his sermon on Pentecost Sunday. It was a prayer that the Holy Spirit flooded into our hearts with His streams of mercy, enabling us to sing God's praises and remain faithful to Him. "Come, Thou fount of Every Blessing," has been a favorite of the church since that day.


 Some encouraging words-

   "In prophetic prayer one does not passively resign oneself to the will of God, rather, one actively seeks to discover God's will in heartfelt supplication. There is a time for submission, but this is viewed as an active surrender rather than a passive compliance. The Christian places himself at God's disposal and asks how he can best fulfill the divine imperative." (p. 114)  The Struggle of Prayer by Donald G. Bloesch 


Church Notes:         TODAY!

Do not harden your heart!
Jesus was and is better and superior to Moses.
Moses dealt with disobedient people.
Jesus leads a faith-generation to a rest, present and future.
The 40-years the Hebrews spent in the wilderness was because of their unbelief.
They provoked God, so they weren't allowed to rest in the promised land.
They were tested, and went astray because of their hard hearts.
They died in discouragement, as, where their hearts went, it was their destiny.
Where are our hearts? Beware, be careful, be obedient.
We're to exhort one another daily.
Christ was faithful to God. 
We're to hold onto our confidence through difficulties and not give up!
Eternal rest starts now: Sabbath rest in Jesus.


Upcoming posts:

17th-  JESUS AS A FRIEND- Karen- Girl Friday
24th-  WHAT JESUS DID FOR US- Karen Heung
31st-   THANKFUL FOR EVERYTHING- Charles Spurgeon


The North Country Christian Fellowship Center Churches,

located in the St. Lawrence county of NY,

broadcast their Sunday services at 10 or 10:15

You can view past services too.

Sermon listing:https://www.cfconline.org/sermon-library 


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