"Joy To The World The Lord Has Come...

     ...Let Earth Receive Her King".

    I recall as a small girl singing that chorus to a Christmas carol.  Little did I know the significance of that statement.  Today I am thinking of my King Christ Jesus and his rule over this earth and I would like to share my feelings of gratitude and love for him with you my readers.
     For most of my life I lived in what the Bible refers to as darkness alienated from Jehovah God (Isaiah 42:7), unable to see the truth about Jesus.  Jesus was depicted in many different ways to me, for instance, during Easter and for most of the year I saw Jesus hanging on a cross looking down at me with a saddened and agonizing stare.  However, by the end of the year at Christmas he became an angelic helpless infant lying in a manger in the nativity scene.  So I never gave it much thought as I sang along with others the Christmas carol mentioned at the beginning.  I imagined as most do that the composer was referring to Jesus miraculous birth to the earth, and he or she probably was.  Thanks to Jehovah I have learned through a personal Bible study that Jesus is not hanging on a cross or any object and that he is far from being an infant, he is as the Bible teaches a mighty King in Heaven who is sitting on a throne over the earth. Since learning this bible truth, I have been actively involved in a worldwide teaching campaign.  I go door to door wholeheartedly teaching others about the rightful leader of humankind.  The world is looking for superhuman leaders and refuses to acknowledge Jehovah's appointed leader Jesus.  Why is it they miss the true significance of Jesus rulership over the earth?  When did his rule begin?  and Where is he ruling from?
     First, what is the true significance of Jesus rulership over the earth?  Believe it or not it was promised by Jehovah to King David known as the "Davidic Covenant" that Jesus would be a King in the manner of David to time indefinite.
     Jehovah went on to make this covenant with David: “Your house and your kingdom will certainly be steadfast to time indefinite before you; your very throne will become one firmly established to time indefinite.” (2 Samuel 7:16) Plainly, God was thus establishing a kingly dynasty for Israel in David’s family. It was not to be just a constant succession of Davidic kings. Eventually, someone in David’s line would come to rule “to time indefinite, and his throne [would be] as the sun in front of [God].”—Psalm 89:20, 29, 34-36; Isaiah 55:3, 4.
      It is evident, then, that the Davidic covenant further narrowed down the line of the Seed. Even the first-century Jews realized that the Messiah would have to be a descendant of David. (John 7:41, 42) Jesus Christ, the primary part of the seed of the Abrahamic covenant, qualified to become the permanent Heir of this Davidic Kingdom, as an angel testified. (Luke 1:31-33) Jesus thus gained the right to rule over the Promised Land, the earthly realm over which David had reigned. This should increase our confidence in Jesus; he rules, not by illegal usurpation, but through an established legal arrangement, a divine covenant.  (Refr. w89 2/1 pp.14-15 para. 21-22).
     Also, Jesus rulership is referred to as a heavenly government or the Kingdom of God.  This brings me to another point, most of us can recite the Lord's prayer (Matt. 6:9-13)by memory.  How many of us though can identify the Kingdom Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray for? Honestly I never gave it much thought myself until I studied the Bible and learned that the Kingdom of God is an actual government.  It has a designated ruler or in this case a King Jesus Christ who will bring about peaceful conditions to the earth.  Jesus rulership is not visible to earth's inhabitants in a physical way, since he is ruling from heaven.  In other words Jesus is affecting the affairs of humankind from the spirit realm.  No one nor any enemy including Satan can thwart his rulership.  He is out of their reach, yet they are not out of his. Soon he will administrate his authority over all the affairs of mankind and will demonstrate his God-given power over all the governments ruling on the earth.  They will all have to submit to his rulership or be annihilated forever at the Great War of GOD Almighty Jehovah the war known as Armageddon.  It is at Jehovah's appointed time that he will give Jesus the command to go conquering all who refuse to obey and submit to Christ rulership.
     Surprisingly, many are unaware of Jesus rulership and that he has been ruling for some time now since 1914, 96 years.  He has more power now than when he lived on earth as a human.  At that time he controlled the natural forces, he cured the sick and resurrected the dead, how much more can he do as a spirit Leader in Heaven.  Furthermore, Jesus rules out of love for humankind and desires to give them true peace and security forever.  He loves and always obeys Jehovah his Father and Exemplar.  What a beautiful King Jehovah has given us to lead us to eternal life, my heart is full of love for Him and His Son my Lord and King Christ Jesus. 
     Sadly though many today do not recognze Jesus as thier Leader and ignore the visible signs given to the disciples by Jesus found at Matt. 24:3-14.  They are fulfilling the prophecy that Jesus himself made at Matt.24:37-39, not caring and overly consumed with their own selfish lives to pay any attention to the world scene around them.  They are presumptuous and expect a miraculous delivery from Jesus whom they think they are worshipping. ( note Matt. 7:21-23).  In addition, they have ignored the will of Jehovah the God and Father of Jesus Christ whom they do not know nor desire to know.  The visible signs of Jesus rulership are not visible with the naked eye as many suppose, no they are visible only with the eyes of discernment.  In order to understand and see the presence of Jesus as King one must come to an accurate knowledge of Jehovah and HIS inspired Word.  If you would like to learn more of Jesus role as King of God's Kingdom contact the nearest Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses or visit them at www.jw.org.  Taking in this true knowledge about Jesus present identity is vital and it means coming out of the darkness and into the light of truth, please do not delay!  


   

..."The Wisdom From Above Is

     ...first of all chaste, then peaceable, reasonable, ready to obey, full of mercy and good fruits, not making partial distinctions, not hypocritical."-James 3:17    
     CHASTE: syn. Pure, Modest, Decent-implies a refraining from acts or even thoughts or desires that are not virginal or sanctioned by marriage vows; it may imply avoidance of anything that cheapens or debases.
     PEACEABLE: disposed to peace-to be, become, or keep silent or quiet; quietly behaved; marked by freedom from strife or disorder.
     REASONABLE: agreeable to reason; not extreme or excessive; moderate, fair; having the faculty of reason: Rational; possessing sound judgment.
     READY TO OBEY: prepared mentally or physically to follow the command or guidance of; willingly disposed-inclined to comply with: Execute.
     FULL OF MERCY AND GOOD FRUITS: Mercy implies compassion, syn. Charity stresses benevolence and goodwill shown in broad understanding of others and generous forgiving or overlooking of their faults or failures; good fruits imply kind and benevolent acts; full implies possessing or containing an abundance.
     NOT MAKING PARTIAL DISTINCTIONS:  Partial implies inclined to favor one party more than the other: Biased; Distinction implies division, class, the act of distinguishing a difference: Discrimination.
     NOT HYPOCRITICAL: Hypocrite an actor; one who affects virtues or qualities he does not have, syn. dissembler-to put on the appearance of: simulate-to put on a false appearance, conceal facts, intentions, or feelings under some pretense: Disguise.
     Ref.-Websters Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary copyright 1976
     Genuine Christians must reflect the wisdom from above but how? Jehovah helps us he gives us the tools to learn how but we have to put forth the effort to study.

 Here is an exerpt from the publication "Draw Close to Jehovah"  Chapter 22 page 220-221,para. 4-8; published by Jehovah's Witnesses and an be downloaded at www.jw.org, it provides us with the answer.

                                    “Acquire Wisdom”—How?

     Must we have great intelligence or be highly educated in order to receive godly wisdom? No. Jehovah is willing to share his wisdom with us regardless of our background and education. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29) But we must take the initiative, for the Bible urges us to “acquire wisdom.” (Proverbs 4:7) How can we do so?

     First, we need to fear God. “The fear of Jehovah is the start of wisdom [“the first step to wisdom,” The New English Bible],” says Proverbs 9:10. Fear of God is the foundation of true wisdom. Why? Recall that wisdom involves the ability to use knowledge successfully. To fear God is, not to cower before him in terror, but to bow before him in awe, respect, and trust. Such fear is wholesome and powerfully motivating. It moves us to bring our life into harmony with our knowledge of God’s will and ways. There is no wiser course that we could take, for Jehovah’s standards always promote the highest good for those who follow them.
    Second, we must be humble and modest. Godly wisdom cannot exist without humility and modesty. (Proverbs 11:2) Why is that? If we are humble and modest, we are willing to admit that we do not have all the answers, that our opinions are not always right, and that we need to know Jehovah’s mind on matters. Jehovah “opposes the haughty ones,” but he is pleased to grant wisdom to those who are humble at heart.—James 4:6.
    A third essential is the study of God’s written Word. Jehovah’s wisdom is revealed in his Word. To acquire that wisdom, we must put forth the effort to dig for it. (Proverbs 2:1-5) A fourth requirement is prayer. If we sincerely ask God for wisdom, he will be generous in giving it. (James 1:5) Our prayers for the help of his spirit will not go unanswered. And his spirit can enable us to find the treasures in his Word that can help us to solve problems, ward off danger, and make wise decisions.—Luke 11:13.
    As we noted in Chapter 17, Jehovah’s wisdom is practical. Hence, if we have truly acquired godly wisdom, it will be evident in the way we conduct ourselves. The disciple James described the fruits of divine wisdom when he wrote: “The wisdom from above is first of all chaste, then peaceable, reasonable, ready to obey, full of mercy and good fruits, not making partial distinctions, not hypocritical.” (James 3:17) As we discuss each of these aspects of divine wisdom, we might ask ourselves, ‘Is the wisdom from above at work in my life?’

New Beginnings...

    ...a new month and a new life was added to my extended family a grand-nephew born on the 2nd.  He is adorable and I can't wait to meet him!  Also a new baby girl was born to a sister in our congregation on the 6th, she is so cute and she and Mommy are doing very well, thanks and praise to Jehovah.

    This past weekend was very pleasant I spent it with my beautiful girls and my so sweet and lovely grand-girl.  She is such a delight and a breath of fresh air, I can't get enough of her.  It's an incredible and wonderful feeling to experience a grand-child.  I took her shopping and bought her some new toys and some new books.  I found three different rubber play mats for her to crawl on.  Here she is sitting on the animal mat.

I think they are soft and very colorful, she really enjoys it!  Oh, if only she and her Mommy lived in the same town as I do then I could see them more often. I'll leave that in prayer to Jehovah and His perfect will. 

     As far as my worship to Jehovah there is plenty of good news.  I was re-contacted by three former students.  The first is from Nepal, he and his wife are visiting relatives here in the states.  I was able to have a brief conversation over the phone with him and it was so nice to here his voice.  Sadly, they will not be able to visit me personally since their visit is brief and doesn't include Texas maybe on their next visit.  As for the other students there is a strong possibility they might resume their Bible study of Jehovah's Word, praise Jah! 

Serving Jehovah my GOD and  my Father is a wonderful privilege and brings me great joy!
     One last thing, I had a wisdom tooth extracted on the 7th, all went well and I feel much better.  Thanks to the oral surgeon's skill, the double dose of local anesthetic, and of course my complete trust in Jehovah's protection and reliance on Him in prayer.  I should be back to eating normal with in a few weeks.
     This month has started out on a good note and I'm looking forward to ending the month on one as well.  My girls will be back for another visit plus our C.O. and his wife will be visiting our congregation the last week of the month.  Lots of spiritual up building to look forward to,  I can hardly wait!

"Look! How good and how pleasant it is...

...for brothers to dwell in unity!"-Psalms 133:1

     Wow! I am so amazed and in awe of how much Jehovah loves his servants and showers us with knowledge and wisdom.  He is certainly preparing us for the Great Tribulation by instructing us and warning us of what to expect.  I am determined to make a thorough self-examination of my worship to Him looking for defects and weaknesses that I can correct with His help and guidance.  This weekend was the very anticipated District Convention and it exceeded my expectations.  I have been fed an exquisite spiritual meal and want to go back again and again!

     Thankfully, with the help of a tiny Mp3 flash player, I was able to record almost the entire Convention on audio.  Therefore, at my leisure I will be returning for more tasty tidbits.  Technology can be such a blessing!

     Unfortunately, I am unable to share every morsel with you my readers nor any of the secret recipes you will just have to attend for yourselves.  However, I can and  will share a few of  my experiences and of course some pictures I took of some of my friends before and at the event. Bon Appetit!

     The convention for myself and others began on Thursday morning.  Every year we all have an opportunity to volunteer if our circumstances allow by helping get the facility ready.  For some this means setting up the stage and the sound system, for others it means  sweeping and cleaning the facility including all the bathrooms and main auditorium.  This opportunity is also available during the event and immediately after the event on Sunday afternoon.  I am happy to report that my circumstances allowed me to willingly and joyfully serve my brothers and sisters by taking part of this wonderful and enjoyable volunteer work.  Jesus himself said 'There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.'-Acts 20:35.  If your own circumstances permit you to participate by all means please do.  Here is a few pictures I took as you can see there is no age limit as long as you have the desire and ability.

Additionally, the convention allows ample opportunity to visit with friends from other congregations especially during lunch break.  I really enjoy having lunch out on the lawn it reminds me of the promise of the paradise earth.  All of us are instructed to bring a small cooler with food for our family, I am pleased to find that our dear brothers are always willing to share with those who for whatever reason didn't pack a lunch.  This year the weather cooperated with us and we had a great time visiting with one another.  See for your self.

 

Every year we have some who publicly dedicate their lives to Jehovah by water baptism.  They have been taught Jehovah's standards and His purpose for mankind by having a personal  Bible study with one of Jehovah's Witnesses.  They exercise faith in the ransom sacrifice of our dear lord Jesus Christ by repenting of their sins and by participating in the preaching of God's Kingdom.  I am thrilled that we had more than forty get baptised this year, one from our very own congregation.  He was so happy and his mother was overwelmed with joy, all of us were, especially our heavenly Father Jehovah.  I was able to take pictures of this happy and memorable event. 
"Welcome to the worldwide brotherhood !"

Jehovah is inviting all people to his earthly organization, he desires all to draw close to Him while He can yet be found.   When we accept his invitation He continues to  help us remain close to Him by providing timely reminders and a wealth of instruction for he is our Grand Instructor! and Provider of Escape!  May we listen, obey, and be blessed!

"Look! This Is Our God"

One more week left in the campaign work and I will be attending the Convention here in Amarillo.  I am so excited! and eager to visit with my friends, some who have travelled along way.  I pray that you join us to learn how you too can draw close to God.  Today I am going to post an excerpt from one of my favorite books published by Jehovah's Witnesses and available to download at http://www.jw.org/ entitled Draw Close To Jehovah.  I'm doing this to give you just a taste of what you can expect to learn about our heavenly Father Jehovah at the Convention. 
     "...Have you ever seen a small child point out his father to his friends and then say with innocent joy and pride, "That's my daddy"?  God's worshipers have every reason to feel similarly about Jehovah.  The Bible foretells a time when faithful people will exclaim: "Look! This is our God".  (Isaiah 25:8,9)  The more insight you gain into Jehovah's qualities, the more you will feel that you have the best Father imaginable.
     This Father is not cold, aloof, or distant--despite what austere religionists and philosophers have taught.  We could hardly feel drawn to a cold God, and the Bible does not portray our heavenly Father that way.  On the contrary, it calls him "the happy God".  (1 Timothy 1: 11)  He has feelings both strong and tender.  He is "hurt at his heart" when his intelligent creatures violate the guidelines that he provides for their well-being.  (Genesis 6:6; Psalm 78:41)  But when we act wisely according to his Word, we make his "heart rejoice."-Proverbs 27:11. 
     Our Father wants us to be close to him.  His Word encourages us to "grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off for each one of us."  (Acts 17:27)  How though is it possible for mere humans to draw close to the Sovereign Lord of the universe?..." (pp.15)
     Hope you enjoyed this excerpt  and that it inspired you to gain more "...knowledge of the only true God..."  (John 17:3), and to attend the "Remain Close to Jehovah!" District Convention near you to learn how to "Draw close to God..." -James 4:8.

The Seventh Time...

      Hello everyone!  Thank-you for dropping by and welcome back to my world of green.  I have so much going on a around here.  As you may already be aware of I am campaigning for God for the next few weeks until the day of the convention.  I love participating in this never to be repeated work that will be accomplished all over the world and all to the glory of God Jehovah who deserves all our praise and worship. Campaigning is going door to door giving all our neighbors the beautiful invite to be our special guest to the annual Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses.  We do this every year and enjoy so many blessings.  During this time we are not focused on leaving magazines or books just the special invite.  So far I have left more than fifty and expect to personally invite more than a hundred by the end of the campaign.  With Jehovah's help I hope to meet some special people who are friendly and who desire to have a personal relationship with God this of course includes you as well.
     The other important project I am involved with is planning and hosting a baby shower for a very special niece.  I enjoy doing this because I'm a creative person and decorating allows my creative juices to flow freely.  I will be posting pictures of my creation after the shower, so some time next week expect to see the finished results. She is expecting a boy in July and the theme is a combination of rubber balls and animals.  I can't wait to shower her with love!

Dear Neighbor...

please prayfully consider attending this years summer Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses near you.  Be our welcomed guest and experience true brotherly love of followers of Christ.

God's Word tells us:  "Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you." (James 4:8)  Appropriately, then, Jehovah's Witnesses have selected " Remain Close to Jehovah!" as the theme for their annual three-day conventions that will be held worldwide during 2010/2011.

Among the highlights of this convention will be an audio dramatization of a Bible account on Saturday afternoon and a full-costume Bible drama on Sunday afteroon.

Additionally, these are some of the questions that will be answered on the convention program:

Who is Jehovah, and how are his qualities revealed in creation and in the Bible?

How does God endeavor to draw close to you?

Why should you desire to draw close to God?

How can your family be strengthened by drawing close to Jehovah?

How will being close to God help you to cope with everyday problems? 

Make plans now to attend.  To find the location nearest you, contact the local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses or visit the Web site www.jw.org for the list of convention locations in the United States.

"Your knowledge God...

...is wonderous, fear inspiring; Of this my soul is very well aware."(Sing to Jehovah p.110; Ps. 139:14) 
     Everyday I'm reminded of God and His love for me.  This morning while sitting out on my porch I saw the beauty of His knowledge and I wanted to share it with you.

     Kirby has been in our family for close to 11 years.  We found him abandoned on a secluded country road.  Why someone would do that to him I will never know but I thank God we found him because their loss was certainly a blessing for us.  Kirby is a well mannered laid back kind of guy, he was that way when he came to us definitely out of puppy hood.  For that reason I estimate that Kirby is around 12-13 years old.  If you have ever owned a Lab, you know how it feels when they look at you with their big soft brown eyes it really pulls on your heart strings. 

     R.C. Cola, one of our many cats, is also a gentle soul.  Whenever I'm upset she'll come up to me and gently tap me with her paw.  As if to say 'Don't cry it will be alright' what a beautiful reminder of God's love for me.  Her coat is as white as snow and her eyes are blue but sometimes appear pink like her little paws.  She is also up in age 13-14 years.  My husbands son brought her home when he was 10 and now he's 24.  We have been blessed with more of Gods beautiful creatures and I'll introduce them to you in time, until then may you enjoy the beauty of Gods knowledge around you:)

The greatest and first...

Jesus answered:" the first is, 'Hear, O Isreal, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah, and you must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with your whole mind and with your whole strength.' (Mark 12:29,30)

heart:  feelings, desires, in most thoughts, fervently desire to please Him.

soul:  our whole being; the life we possess; our assets and our means to serve and praise Him.
            
mind:  devotion not blind; have come to know Jehovah's qualities, standards and His purposes.

strength:  with all our vital force, a life time of service.

"The Father"...

     When I first learned of GOD that is how I viewed Him as "the Father".  For many years that is as far as my relationship with Him went.  "The Father" was merely a title I bestowed on GOD but not how I really felt about Him.  My feelings for Jesus were different he was not impersonal.  Jesus wasn't like the "The Father", an unknown or a mystery.  I felt close to Jesus after all he was human like me plus I saw images of him every Sunday in church.  I was taught Jesus loved me and he loves all little children.  Also, that he gave up his perfect human life for me and all humankind.  I really wanted to show Jesus that I loved him and wanted to be like him.  My love for Jesus and my desire to follow him has never changed he continues to be the model I pattern myself after (1Peter 2:21).
     Thankfully, in time, my view of "the Father" changed.  I began to learn that GOD is a real person not in a physical sense like me but a spiritual one (John 4:24).   The first time I found His name in the Bible (Ps. 83:18) a strange but very powerful thing occurred.  It was like reading my birth certificate for the first time and learning the name of my natural Father.  Learning His name made me feel close to Him and since then I've  had an intense desire to have a relationship with Him(James 4:8).  I wanted to meet Him, so I called out to Him in prayer,"Jehovah, my Father in Heaven", I would say," hear my prayer".  The more I prayed to Jehovah the more I beheld His presense and felt His love for me (1 Peter 5:6,7). 
     Today I have a personal relationship with GOD and when I refer to Him as"The Father", that is exactly how I feel about Him.  He is and will always be the Best and Most loving of all fathers.  My hope and deepest desire is to always  praise GOD and refer to Him by His name, Jehovah, "my Father" forever.  When I read verses in the Bible where Jesus speaks about his Father (John 17:3); (John 7:15-18), I know he's referring to Jehovah GOD.  Like Jesus I speak to everyone I meet about my Father, Jehovah,  including you, after all He is your Father too.  When you read in your Bible and everywhere you find the title GOD or LORD in all caps replace them with Jehovah because that is His name and you deserve to know it.  GOD's enemies have tried in vain to conceal Him from you and from me but Jehovah is "the Most High" and "the Almighty" they can not keep Him and His love from us.  There is so much I would like to tell you about our Father but I will only say this much for now: "He has four main attributes they are Love (1John 4:8), Justice (Ps. 37:28), Wisdom (Romans 11:33) and Power (Isaiah 40:26).   The more you learn about  GOD's qualities the closer you will draw to Him and you will come to love Jehovah as your Father (Jer. 31:3).

My Love...

for Jehovah is greater than my battles!  My goal is to be beautiful in Jehovah's eyes because he is searching my heart and my inner most thoughts (Jer.17:10).  Also, to have His blessing and His gift of Holy spirit that produces beautiful fruitage in me, qualities that will aid me in pursuing an obedient course (Acts 5:32).
Love moves others to love you in return.
Joy gives you strength to cope with challenges.
Peace helps you to keep your relationships free from strife.
Long-suffering enables you to stay happy even when you are under trial.
Kindness draws others to you.
Goodness on your part makes others respond when you need help.
Faith will assure you of God's loving direction.
Mildness will bring you calmness of heart, mind and body.
Self-control means that your mistakes will be fewer.

The First Time....

Hello to everyone that ventures my way and welcome to my world of green. My day so far has been very constructive despite this west texas wind. Although I wasn't able to plant my african daisies http://www.gardenguides.com/ outside like I had planned or refurbish this neat piece of art that I found at a vintage store the other day.  I was able to read and meditate on GODs spiritual word of truth to my hearts delight. The Bible is truly my greatest joy! I love talking about its wonderful message of hope and I love learning about its Author. There isn't a day that goes by that I am reminded somewhere somehow of something I read in GODS Word. For this reason my blog is dedicated to all those like me who believe the Bible is a letter from a loving Father to his human creation.  It's simply the greatest book or should I say collection of books ever written.  If you haven't read the entire Bible, start today. Read just 3-4 chapters a day and within a year you will have read it all. Start anywhere, the Gospels, the Letters of Paul, the Minor Prophets or at the beginning in Genesis just get started. I promise you are going to meet the greatest person ever and He will reveal himself to you in three ways: through His Word, through His Son, and finally through His wonderful creation all around you. Enjoy the journey.