“The RoseBouquet”

As Jesus and His three closest disciples came down the mountain after that transfiguration experience, He warned them not to talk of it until after He was raised from the dead.

It’s like they didn’t hear that!

Instead they asked about the prophecy that Elijah was to come before the Messiah.

Patiently, Jesus answered that he had already come, but the people hadn’t recognized him, and done to him as they pleased. What’s more, the Son of Man, (Jesus’ favour name for Himself), is going to suffer at their hands too.

At this the three disciples caught on that John the Baptist was really Elijah. But they still didn’t register that Jesus was saying He Himself would die, and then be resurrected.

I’m asking myself now, was God trying to blind them to that information for the time being, or were they really so obtuse, so dense, that they didn’t hear what Jesus was trying to tell them?

Ah-ha. How many times have I been too dense to get the most obvious things God is trying to tell me? Either through His Word, or through lessons in nature, and in common sense. There are times I think of myself as quite a bright person, a quick study; but there are times I can recall when I really didn’t get the truth.

Are you ever blind and deaf to what Jesus is trying to tell you? Not just about Him needing to die so He could take away our sins, and rise again to give us a new and holy life, but also things about how to live our daily lives?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I’m sorry, for the times I’ve been too blind and deaf to get Your message. Open my eyes, and unstop my ears, and clear my mind and focus, so I can truly “get” the messages You are trying to give me. Help me to hear and recognize Your voice, and to be quick to obey and do Your Will. Amen.

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. What high school grad would skip her banquet to dash away to help a friend in a crisis? Would you? Ruthe does this right at the beginning of this story. She can be quite daring for a shy, small town girl, when it is for others’ sakes. You’ll like her spunk! Get “Ruthe’s Secret Roses.” the softcover at Booklocker.com

Jesus took His three closest disciples with Him up on a high mountain for a special worship retreat. There they got to see Jesus glorified - the way He would look in Heaven. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes were white as light. Suddenly they saw Moses and Elijah there too, and they were in conversation with Jesus! That impressed the disciples all right!

Peter, who was never at a loss for words, even in a new experience like this, blurted out, “Hey, this is great! I’ll build a separate shelter or tabernacle for each of You, and we’ll just stay here forever!”

Before it was fully out of his mouth, a bright cloud enveloped the transfigured ones, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”

Well, that corrected Peter’s thinking, don’t you suppose? This passage reports that the disciples all fell face-down to the ground, absolutely terrified.

After a while, Jesus came and touched them and told them to get up, and not be afraid. When they looked around, they only saw Jesus, and He was as they knew Him before.

There’s more than one lesson in this passage, but I’m convicted today to focus my prayers and my spiritual intimacy more on Jesus. Didn’t God Himself just say to listen to Him? Maybe I need to do more listening than talking!

In the past that Jesus has encouraged me to share whatever is on my mind or heart. Telling Him everything is VERY therapeutic for me. I do sometimes pause to listen for answers He may be trying to give me to my barage of questions, but I see I need to do that much more, and to read the Word more, for there is where I find His thoughts on many topics that I can identify with.

PRAYER: Yes, Lord Jesus, I want my prayer trysts to be with YOU. I want to walk and talk with YOU, and to listen for what YOU want to say to me in Your Word.

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. How can you be sure you would like an e-book before you pay for it? In a store you’d stand and read a couple of chapters first, right? Sit down, take your time; READ eight chapters of Ruthe’s Secret Roses for free!

Here’s Jesus prescription for how to follow Him, and be just like Him. We must deny our own selfish desires, take up our destiny or life’s work, and be prepared to lose or give up our lives for Him. If we do that, we’ll find that we have a real and exciting life bound up in Christ Jesus. It will have meaning and value, and we’ll never have a dull moment. As Jesus says, we’ll find our lives!

He adds, what good will it do a person if he gets everything he wants, yet loses his own soul in the process? What could he possibly give to buy his soul back?

For the Son of Man - Jesus Christ - is going to come again with His Father’s glory and angels (Wow! What a sight!) - and at that time He will reward each person according to what they have done. Hey, yes! It DOES matter what we do with our lives.

Some people are so very possessive. They clutch what little they have and are constantly afraid someone is going to snatch it away. That makes for miserable and unhappy living.

If they don’t trust God with their lives, things will get worse sooner or later. If they appear to be self-made successful individuals - remember, it is a fading sham.

On the other hand, if we cast our souls upon God with an utter abandon, believing He knows what’s best, and will only do us good in the end; we will begin to grow like a plant forcing its way up through a rock, and nothing shall stop the beautiful, blessed thing our lives are to behold. We give ourselves away to do God’s will, and in the end receive glory, joy, love and many other priceless, appropriate things.

PRAYER: Lord, when I weigh the options like this, it is crystal clear what is the best choice. I cast myself upon You, and trust You to guide me and make me a good and worthy servant. You meet my needs so that I may be an instrument of blessing and peace to still others, and cause people to worship Your name! Yes, Lord, I’ll stop clutching it, and give You my soul. 100%. Gladly.

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. Do you eat novels like chocolates? Here’s one with both weight and excellent flavour! For a satisfying treat, read Ruthe’s Secret Roses

From Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Christ, the promised Saviour, Jesus began to explain to the disciples how He was to suffer many things at Jerusalem at the hands of the elders and chief priests, and He would be killed and raised on the third day.

Somehow they didn’t hear that last part. Their minds balked at the idea of Jesus going through all that bad stuff, and finally Peter pulled Jesus aside and whispered hoarsely, “Never! All this is never going to happen to You!” Implying, he’d see to that!

Jesus recognized his concern as a temptation from Satan to deviate from the plan of God for His life. He answered Satan directly there, telling him to get out of His sight! He said to Peter, “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” In other words, you’re thinking from a human perspective, not from God’s.

Ouch. How often do you or I do that? We think just like everyone around us, instead of viewing things from God’s perspective.

Okay, so I would much rather always have God’s view as my normal pattern of thinking. How do I get that?

I haven’t arrived, but in striving for this over the years I’ve discovered that it helps to get saturated with the Word, and to spend hours in conversation with the Lord, sorting out how the things in my life look from His viewpoint, and then lining up my will to want what He wants in each area. It’s not an instant transformation - not for me, but it grows on us, and keeps increasing, like a growing maturity.

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord God, that You have even made it possible for us to think like You and to have a mind pattern like Yours. By myself I could never attain to that. I drift far too easily into the mindset of the world around me.

Come, and transform my mind to think and react the way You do. Welcome, Holy Spirit, as You take up residence in my mind. Sanctify it, and fill it with Your wisdom.

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. You’ve heard of power naps at work, right? You rise refreshed, bright and alert. Take a break to refresh your spirit with a good inspirational story.

P.P.S. My Dad is dying and I’m spending more and more time at the hospital. If you should find the devotional not coming through for a day or so, you’ll know it is not that I have forgotten, but I’m at the hospital.

As I indicated last week, the time has come for just a short update, as caring for Dad is now pretty well a full-time occupation. Basically, I’ll give you much the same report as I’ve just send off to our immediate family circle.

Let’s see, my last report was last week when Dad ended up in the Rosthern hospital, right? On Tuesday.

Well, by Thursday he was feeling much better and asked the doctor to let him go home. Dr. Bishop was happy to agree if I would.

I said I would if he could order a commode from Homecare, so Dad wouldn’t have to make the long distance to the .bathroom. We picked that up right after I had Dad in the car.

My sister Elsie, from Hope, B.C., came late that afternoon, and has been a huge blessing to us.

The next morning Elsie suggested getting a hospital bed for Dad.to cut down on his coughing fits at night because of lying flat on his bed. After a number of phone calls with Homecare and church friends, a man from church went to pick it up for us from the city. It was delivered by 4 pm.

Elsie had gone to the airport to pick up Jasel. They arrived minutes later, so big, strong Jasel, (age 24 and designing big expensive houses in Penticton, B.C.) and Elsie and I got Dad’s double bed put away, and the hospital bed in its place.

On Sunday morning Dad had a fall but Elsie and Jasel were right there to pick him up and put him in bed. Dad complained of a headache all day, and didn’t really want to eat He asked for the morphine twice and I gave it to him.

In the afternoon our cousin, June, and her husband Steve, were here for a while.

On Monday I took Jasel back to the airport, and Elsie did some baking for Dad’s birthday and after. (Kringle, which are knotted buns, cake, and a smooth custard). However, Dad still wasn’t eating and often said that he was “waiting for Jesus.”

That night was rough for him, as the morphine had made him constipated, and he kept wanting to “try.” So of course, we had to help him on and off the commode. About 5:19 am. he wanted to go to his recliner in the living room. He found that more comfortable than the hospital bed, even though we could crank the head end up. So there he slept his best hours.

About 7 I went down for my shower, and when I came up, Dad wanted breakfast! Since he hadn’t really had much to eat the last two days, it was a nice surprise. He ate it all too. However, as Dad, Elsie and I discussed it over the morning we decided that it would be best to take him back to hospital. Especially as he’s swelling up in his hands and feet, and it looks like his kidneys may be shutting down.

We took time for a birthday lunch so he could enjoy the angel food cake and the pear sauce Elsie had made. Then we packed things up and took him to Rosthern. His favourite nurse welcomed him back to the same room as he had last week. (He says when she gets a hold of him, he KNOWS he’s not going to fall).

Also, we stopped at the post office on the way out, and so at the hospital he was able to look at the birthday cards he’d received in the mail. He had a good snooze and ate pretty well at supper.

In the evening I took Elsie back to the airport, and replenished some groceries, but when I got home I fell asleep any time I sat down for a few minutes.

I’m awake tooday, and am doing laundry and catching up here with emails before I go back to spend time with Dad.

I’ve just resized 3 photos from Dad’s 91st birthday yesterday. I’ll add those here.

Elsie and Dad cutting his Birthday Cake.

Dad enjoying a big piece of his cake

Dad eating his birthday supper in hospital

So they finally came to a quiet area in Caesarea Philippi, and it was just Jesus and His disciples. They could talk privately. Jesus began by asking them what folks were saying about Him. They started tossing out answers; some thought He was John the Baptist come to life again, some thought Elijah, or Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets. Then He zeroed in on them. “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter, who did most of his thinking aloud, blurted out his answer, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

Jesus did not say, “Slow down, Peter!” Instead, He told Peter he was blessed and that God in Heaven had revealed this to him.

He added this well-known, controversial line, “I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

The Catholic church is founded on the understanding that the church was to be built on Peter, and thus they have had a succession of Popes to follow in his place.

Most protestant, evangelical churches teach that it was Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ, that was the rock on which He would build His Church universal, the one that is to be His Bride. This is what I read in this passage too.

Jesus next gave them a wonderful, marvelous teaching that is often skipped or misunderstood, namely that those who believe in Him as the Christ receive power to loose or bind on earth just as it is done in Heaven. Oh, that all true believers would grasp and know how to use this authority!

PRAYER: Yes, Lord Jesus, I do glimpse this from time to time, but often forget that You have delegated this privilege to those who truly believe You are the Christ, and who abide and walk with You in the light. Help me to do that from this day forward! Help me to know how You want it in Heaven and to do it here too, binding evil, and loosing Your glorious power here!

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. You don’t really have time to read on the couch, but if you’re like me, you do read snatches on the run, and somehow make time to read a GOOD book completely.

So how can you be sure this Ruthe in the book is not some kook? Read the eight sample chapters.

You know how some conversations go; it starts with an ordinary comment, that makes someone else think of something different, and then that goes off into a new direction for the conversation.

Someone noticed as Jesus and His disciples crossed the lake, that they had forgotten to take along bread. It caused Jesus to say, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

The disciples assumed He was referring to the forgotten bread, but aware of their discussion, He charged them with ‘little faith’ and asked why they didn’t understand. “Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, or how many baskets full you gathered up afterward? Or how about the seven loaves for the four thousand and all you gathered up after?”

Come to think of it, that bread was not multipled by yeast. It was by Jesus’ own power and His blessing it. He was not talking about bread. Rather about how the teachings of their religious leaders were like yeast. Suddenly the lights went on for the disciples. Yeah! The danger of those honoured teachers of the law was that it crept into the lives of the listeners like yeast.

Nowadays we often hear that sin is compared to cancer in the body. The Bible doesn’t mention cancer, but it does describe sin as yeast in more than one place. In fact, the Jewish people were to search their homes for every crumb of yeast bread before a certain holy day, and to sweep it clean. Yeast was not dis-allowed all year, for it did make bread more light and tasty, but sin was described as a growing organism, just like yeast cells which multiply quickly.

So, whose teaching today in our lives might be like a yeast to avoid? Could some of our religious self-help books have ungodly yeast? What of our favourite TV preachers?

PRAYER: Oh God, help me to spend plenty of time in Your Word, drawing out Your truths and counsel, so that when I hear false teaching that doesn’t match up, I can recognize it for yeast, and refuse to have further to do with it. Make me a pure example too.

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. Wish you could have a heart-to-heart talk with God?

Ruthe does. All the time, where ever she goes, she’s having a running conversation with the one she calls Lord, or my Best Friend. You’ve got to meet Ruthe! AND her Secret Roses.

Both Pharisees and the Sadducees, who had different theological viewpoints, came to Jesus and asked Him for a sign from Heaven. He replied that they could predict the weather for the next day by the signs they saw in the sky; why couldn’t they predict the future by the current events?

I get the impression that in Jesus’ mind, that should have been just as easy.

He added, a wicked and adulterous generation such as theirs wouldn’t get any other sign then the story of Jonah.

When we look at the story of Jonah in a spiritual sense, it does foretell what is going to happen in their very near future. For all their learnedness in the Scriptures these religious scholars missed the most obvious of signs. Many others have written and preached on this picture of Jesus’ death and resurrection in three days.

Today my attention is caught in the comment Jesus made that we should be able to interrept the signs of the times as easily as we forecast the weather. I don’t think just anyone can do that, but those who have studied the prophecies in the Bible, and who see how they all interlink, really don’t have any problem with recognizing prophecies that are being fulfilled in our very daily news. It follows then, that we can see how God’s plan for the human race is progressing.

All prophecies that need to be fulfilled before the Rapture of the Church have been fulfilled, and are. Every time I hear of another natural disaster, such as a tsunami, hurricane, earthquake, etc., I remember that Jesus said Himself, these would multiply just before the end times. Even the organization of the European Common Market and seeing which nations line up and which ones leave - that’s all part of the confederation of nations Daniel wrote about.

PRAYER: Yes, Lord. If we have studied Your Word, and believe it to be true, we can look around at current events, and cheer up for it points to Your coming! Our redemption draws closer; I rejoice!

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. You will love Ruthe’s Secret Roses if you like;
* walking and talking intimately with God
* stories of compassion and dramatic conversion
* have a bleeding, caring heart of your own
* are a caregiving older sister
* love designing clothes and make-overs
* love giving gifts and surprises
* are a mentor or counseling kind of friend.

When Jesus came back into the Sea of Galilee area people began to follow Him again, so He wound His way up into the hills nearby, and found a nice location where He could sit on a hillside and the people would sit in a ring all around Him. Some sat to listen, but many crowded closer to Jesus wth their sick loved ones in their arms.

I’m thinking now about all the compassion Jesus gave and gave, as he talked with each one, expressed His love and touched or spoke healing to the sick ones. Many times I’m sure He forgave sins too.

The people were amazed as they watched the dumb speaking, the crippled and lame walking, and the blind seeing. It turned into a time of worship and praise to God.

This was not like our one-hour Sunday morning service in church. Nor an all afternoon festival in a public venue. It lasted three days!

Jesus suggested to His disciples that they feed them before they sent them home, as they’d be too weak for the distance.

The disciples were astonished. With what? We can’t even buy that much bread for everybody here, forsooth-! Hey, with all they just witnessed for three days, and after how they worshiped, I’m astonished that they were astonished.

Jesus asked what they had on hand, and worked with that. Seven loaves of bread was enough to feed four thousand men and their families. Seven baskets of leftovers were picked up in the clean up.

PRAYER: LORD, I’m afraid I do that far too often too, without realizing it. I watch You do some miracles of healing or whatever, and then when I need some ordinary daily need, like bread, then I think in terms of the impossible again. Please help me to “get it” that You are more than able and willing to meet ALL my needs. And when You’re done, there will be leftovers again for days to come, or to share with friends and strangers. Open my spiritual eyes Lord, and help me to trust You more completely.

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. So you love clothes, eh? I bet you’ll love Darlin’ Bonne’s Shoppe in my book, Ruthe’s Secret Roses. Ruthe helps a friend in need by sharing her dream of a dress designing shop. Oh the fun and experiences they have there! You ought to order this novel! e-Book edition Softcover edition.

This little story is written as true fact, not a parable. Jesus and His disciples had withdrawn to the region of Tyre and Sidon on a retreat. This was away from their own country.

The people from that area must have heard about Jesus, for a woman came to Him and begged mercy, for her daughter suffered from demon-possession.

It doesn’t say that Jesus ignored her, just that He didn’t answer her a word. She kept up calling out to Him for help, and the disciples got fed up and asked Him to send her away. Her crying was getting on their nerves. Jesus answered them, that He was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.

The woman was close enough to hear that and to improve her tactics. She knelt before him and begged, “Lord, help me!” Jesus explained to her that it was not right to take the children’s food and give it to dogs. She knew what it meant; as neighbours of the Jews, she was used to being called dog in derogotory way.

However, this gave her leverage. She also knew that family pets are quick to eat whatever drops from the children’s table. All she wanted was a crumb, just like a dog. She saw her request as a very small thing compared to what Jesus could do for His own people.

I think this was what Jesus was expecting, hoping for all along. He answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” From that hour on her daughter was healed.

What does this have to do with me or you today?

1. Anything we ask of Jesus is but a crumb compared to all He CAN do. 2. Even if we’re not in right standing with God, we can beg, and we should watch for ways to improve our prayers. 3. It’s faith that Jesus is looking for. Believe in Him and His power.

PRAYER: Oh Lord God, I de believe You can. Help me to ask passionately, and to believe You will answer and meet me at my point of need today!

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. Ruthe is afraid to tell her family back home for reasons of her own, and this leads her to live a double life. The pressures build. Sooner or later she has to take some of the advice she gives others, for she’s getting into serious trouble! Ruthe’s Secret Roses.