Martha page 8

 Martha page 8 by ric gustafson

Martha was sleeping. Mary shook her awake.

" Martha". She began to cry. " Abba's gone".

They ran to his pallet. He had fallen asleep during the night. His face was peaceful.

The next morning, Lazarus told Nathan.

Ephraim's body was prepared for burial.

He was laid in a tomb. The family mourned for seven days.

One day, Lazarus spoke to Martha in private. " Nathan has told me what you have been doing in the olive garden".

Martha was scared. " Does the whole village know?".

" No". He frowned. " Just Nathan and I".

" He has asked me to marry him".

" What did you tell him?".

" I promised him an answer when he returns".

" I will pray for both of you".

" Thank you Lazarus".

research help: ' Martha' by Diana Wallis Taylor

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Martha page 7

 Martha page 7 by ric gustafson

Martha sat under a tree in the Mount of Olives. She heard a noise. She looked up to see Captain Flavious.

" Captain, do you come here often?".

" Yes". He grinned. " I come here often to pray".

Martha looked puzzled. " To pray?".

" Yes, I am a Godfearer".

" So you pray to the one God Jehovah?".

" Yes". He smiled. " You are not married".

Martha gave him a strange stare. " How did you know that?".

" I have my sources".

" How long have you been in the army?".

" Almost twenty years". His voice hesitated. " I plan to retire at the end of the year".

Martha thought for a moment. " I should go".

" Meet me here next Sabbath".

" Okay". She smiled. " What is your name Captain?".

" People call me Thaddeus".

research help: ' Martha' by Diana Wallis Taylor

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Martha page 6

 Martha page 6 by ric gustafson

The soldiers approached Ephraim's donkey. The donkey sensed danger balked and threw the elderly man to the ground. Lazarus ran to his father. The soldiers quickly left except for an officer. He dismounted and knelt by the old man.

" He needs help".

Lazarus looked at the officer. " May you be blessed by your kindness".

Martha's eyes met the officer's. She felt something stir inside her.

" I am Captain Flavious".

Martha spoke up. " Lazarus, lead the donkey with father on it to our house".

After their father was safely resting on his pallet, Martha went outside to talk with the officer.

" We owe you a great debt of thanks".

" And what are the names of your family?".

" My father is Ephraim my brother and sister are Lazarus and Mary".

" And your name?".

" My name is Martha".

" Happy to make your acquaintance".

He quietly rode away.

She blushed.

research help: ' Martha' by Diana Wallis Taylor

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

difficult times: Psalm 41: 9-13

 difficult times: Psalm 41: 9-13 by ric gustafson

Sometimes in life people will betray us. It could be a spouse, friend or family member. It hurts. We are fallible and human. It is natural to let each other down. We feel it is betrayal. We thought the relationship was secure. When this happens, we doubt ourselves and our own worth. 

God says bring your pain to me. We need to ask God to restore our security and balance. 

God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' the 5 minute bible study for difficult times' by Barbour Publishing

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Martha page 5

 Martha page 5 by ric gustafson

One day while she was weaving, Martha heard some big news. Lazarus asked his father to arrange a betrothal. His choice for wife was Shua a daughter of the village potter. She noticed that her father's health was getting worse.

Passover neared and the family got ready for it's annual trek to Jerusalem. An elderly cousin named Hanniel agreed that they could stay with him and his wife in the Holy City. Nathan joined them. Later, they found Esther and her family.

That afternoon, Lazarus prepared to bring a sacrificial lamb to the Temple. Martha and the other women prepared the lamb.

At one point, Lazarus ran back to the women.

Martha became worried. " What's wrong Lazarus?".

" A Rabbi caused a ruckus in the courtyard".

Mary frowned. " What did he do?".

" He overturned the tables of the moneychangers".

" You never know about these Rabbi's". Martha shook her head. " First John the Baptist and now this Rabbi".

Later, Lazarus told her his name was Jesus.

research help: ' Martha' by Diana Wallis Taylor

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

difficult times: Luke 24: 36-43

 difficult times: Luke 24: 36-43 by ric gustafson

We all have doubt. Do we doubt God's reality?. Do we feel guilty when we have doubt?. Having doubt is normal. It's not a sin to doubt. It can cause us pain if doubt continues for a long time. It can rob us of peace and joy. It can affect how we feel as God's children. Like all human beings, we doubt. Jesus did not scold the disciples for doubting. Jesus will not scold us.

research help: ' the 5 minute bible study for difficult times' by Barbour Publishing

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Martha page 4

 Martha page 4 by ric gustafson

When Martha and her family went to Esther's wedding, she knew she would miss her friend terribly. She gave her a blue shawl as a wedding gift.

The next morning, Martha woke up early and prepared breakfast for the family. Then she ran to see Micah and Esther before they left for good. After they left, she spent her free time weaving woven cloth and rugs.

One day, her father and brother came back from the marketplace.

" Martha, first of all we sold all of your rugs". Her father smiled. " We also heard new news".

" What news is that?".

" There is a new prophet named John the Baptist" exclaimed her father. " He is baptizing people in the Jordan River".

Lazarus spoke up. " He wears a garment of camel's hair and eats locusts and wild honey".

Martha chuckled. " How can you survive eating that?".

" They say". Her father grinned. " He is preparing people for someone who is coming soon".

Martha shook her head. " We shall see".

research help: ' Martha' by Diana Wallis Taylor

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Martha page 3

 Martha page 3 by ric gustafson

The next day, Martha found out Phineas had picked Leah the daughter of Zebulon. She began to cry.

" I will find another". Martha's father held her close. " I will find a man worthy of my beautiful daughter".

A few days later, Martha found out that Simon the husband of Judith had leprosy. His fate was sealed by a priest in Jerusalem.

Simon's daughter Esther told her friend Martha she was to be married to Micah who was a distant cousin from Bethlehem.

" You will be moving to Bethlehem?".

She smiled. " I will come back and see you at Passover".

On the day of her friend's wedding, she studied Micah. He was tall, thin, bearded with dark eyes.

It was a small but beautiful wedding.

research help: ' Martha' by Diana Wallis Taylor

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

difficult times: Numbers 23: 19-23

 difficult times: Numbers 23: 19-23 by ric gustafson

Sometimes it is hard to bear disappointment. We expect God to do something for us and he doesn't. We feel disappointed. People let us down. We feel disappointed. The truth is that God will never disappoint us. When God makes a promise, he always keeps it. When he says he will bless us, he will. Are we relying on God and his promises?. Sooner or later, people will disappoint us. God will never disappoint us. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' the 5 minute bible study for difficult times'  by Barbour Publishing

Merry Christmas to all. Love Ric

difficult times: Matthew 26: 51-54

 difficult times: Matthew 26: 51-54

Does your emotions control your actions?. The Apostle Peter drew his sword and cut off a servant's ear. Peter acted impulsively. He had good intentions. But he let his emotions control him. There's nothing wrong with having emotions. We can even have bad emotions. But we must not let them control us. They could hurt others or destroy us. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' the 5 minute bible study for difficult times' by Barbour Publishing

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

difficult times: Romans 8: 1-4

 difficult times: Romans 8: 1-4 by ric gustafson

Do you remember times when you drifted away from God?. Was there something else that replaced God in your life?. Shame is different from guilt. Guilt shows us that we did something bad. Shame believes that we are bad. Everyone has done things they regret. As Christians, we make mistakes. God does not condemn us. We should not feel shame. The Holy Spirit lives in us to make us more like God.

God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' the 5 minute bible study for difficult times' by Barbour Publishing

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

difficult times: II Corinthians 10: 3-5

 difficult times: II Corinthians 10: 3-5 by ric gustafson

It is our human nature to worry. We cannot trust in God and worry at the same time. At times, we let worrying control our thoughts. We struggle with worrying. The apostle Paul compares struggling to warfare. This struggle is real. The truth is we can control our thoughts. When we do think negative thoughts, we need to replace those negative thoughts with positive ones.

God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' the 5 minute bible study for difficult times' by Barbour Publishing

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

difficult times: Proverbs 3: 8-12

 difficult times: Proverbs 3: 8-12 by ric gustafson

Physical health ties in with spiritual commitment. The passage from Proverbs promises us physical blessings. This includes good health. This does not mean we will not have physical trials and challenges. Because we will. We need to honor God and give him everything. This includes our sickness. When we are sick, we feel lifeless and dull. Depression and discouragement can settle in. We need to give God our health and everything else. God will always bless us. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' the 5 minute bible study for difficult times' by Barbour Publishing

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

difficult times: Philippians 3: 12-16

 difficult times: Philippians 3: 12-16 by ric gustafson

It is hard to have goals when you are exhausted and confused. Goals are destination points that we have chosen for our lives. Our best goals are clearly defined and spelled out in concrete terms. We must have goals in our life. As Christians, we need to follow Jesus. Jesus should be our goal. We start to sink when our eyes divert from Jesus. God gives us hope and encouragement. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' the 5 minute bible study for difficult times' by Barbour Publishing

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Martha page 2

 Martha page 2 by ric gustafson

Lazarus walked into the courtyard with twigs. He put them on the fire. Martha watched her younger sister put fresh milk on the table. At times, she has gotten too cross with Mary. She regretted that. 

When sunset came, Martha lit the Sabbath candles. When the shofar blew three times, the Sabbath began.

The next morning, the family walked to Jerusalem for Sabbath prayers. There they met their friend Nathan the blacksmith. Nathan and his wife Rhoda had no children.

That night, Martha closed her eyes for a good night's sleep.

The wheat harvest was to start the next day.

research help: ' Martha' by Diana Wallis Taylor

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Advent 2020: the Christmas Santa

 Advent 2020: the Christmas Santa by ric gustafson

Santa Claus is based on Saint Nicholas who lived in Turkey in the 3rd and 4th century. His parents died in an epidemic when he was young. Young Nicholas spent his inheritance helping the sick, needy and those suffering. 

God sent his Son into this world to be with us and save us. Immanuel means God with us. With Jesus, we have the chance to have eternal life. While we were still sinners, God loved us and shows grace to all. God's grace comes to us through Jesus our Immanuel. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: LCM Advent devotional 2020

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Martha page 1

 Martha page 1 by ric gustafson

Martha danced around her father. " Good news Abba?".

" Possibly". Ephraim smiled at his daughter. " Where is your sister?".

" She was helping me in the garden". She smiled. " Is there good news today?".

" Gera is considering my offer".

Martha was fifteen and her father was trying to arrange a marriage.

" When will me know?".

Ephraim sighed. " We will talk after the Sabbath".

" Ok Abba".

research help: ' Martha' by Diana Wallis Taylor

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

difficult times: Revelation 21: 3-5

 difficult times: Revelation 21: 3-5 by ric gustafson

This bible passage proclaims that he will wipe every tear from their eyes. What in these difficult times are bringing tears to your eyes?. Death and loss are unavoidable. One day we will die. Tears are a part of human life. God is always with us. God wants to be in an intimate relationship with us. When we go to heaven one day, there will be no more tears. Why because in heaven there will be no more pain and death. Our tears here will be comforted in heaven. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' the 5 minute bible study for difficult times' by Barbour Publishing

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

difficult times: II Timothy 2: 23-25

 difficult times: II Timothy 2: 23-25 by ric gustafson

Conflicts occur when we make biased and unfounded assumptions. These assumptions could be leading to the conflict. So what are quarrels?. Quarrels start from small irritations. Then they magnify. A quarrel is also called a misunderstanding. Sometimes we leap to conclusions. From these trivial problems come major issues. God does not want us to think that way. God wants us to replace those negative feelings with patience, kindness and gentleness. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' the 5 minute bible study for difficult times' by Barbour Publishing

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

difficult times: Proverbs 3: 21-26

 difficult times: Proverbs 3: 21-26 by ric gustafson

Does fear and anxiety keep us awake at night?. In this bible passage, the author wants us to pursue wisdom. We need to keep wisdom around us constantly. When we cannot sleep, wisdom will help us relax. We can be confident that God has everything under control. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' the 5 minute bible study for difficult times' by Barbour Publishing

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

difficult times: Philippians 4: 6-7

 difficult times: Philippians 4: 6-7 by ric gustafson

Praying and worrying are opposite actions. God wants us to pray not worry. Sometimes we worry about paying bills. We feel like we cannot change things. We dwell on everything that could go wrong. The apostle Paul tells us that instead of worrying that we pray instead. When we do this, the peace of Christ will push the worrying away. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' the 5 minute bible study for difficult times' by Barbour Publishing

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

the Lord's Prayer: deliver us from evil

 the Lord's Prayer: deliver us from evil by ric gustafson

We cannot escape evil on our own. We will be swayed by choices, people and our own actions. Jesus is asking his Father for protection from evil. We cannot help but stray without divine help. We can easily put God aside and choose our way instead. Jesus asks his Father to be delivered from evil not to be spared. The truth is that God loves us more than anything else. Praise God's name.

The End.

research help: ' walking the Disciple's path' by Linda Perrone Rooney

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

the Lord's Prayer: forgive us as we forgive others

 the Lord's Prayer: forgive us as we forgive others by ric gustafson

Will God forgive us?. Of course. But forgiveness will change our lives. God wants us to forgive others. No matter who it is or what they have done to us. God wants us to forgive like he forgives us. Forgiveness is beyond what is humanly possible. God is merciful. God is also just. When we ask for forgiveness, God will give us mercy. God wants us to forgive others as much as he forgives us.

God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' walking the Disciple's path' by Linda Perrone Rooney

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

the Lord's Prayer: give us our daily bread

 the Lord's Prayer: give us our daily bread by ric gustafson

We need to have trust in God that he will provide for our care and providence. We need to have faith that God will provide what we need for each day. We need to pray that God will provide for our body, spirit and mind. We need to pray daily. We need to place before God each day our needs. We need actual bread for our basic food. We also have basic needs like shelter and clothing. We must depend totally on God each and every day. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' walking the Disciple's path' by Linda Perrone Rooney

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

the Lord's Prayer: your Kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

 the Lord's Prayer: your Kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven by ric gustafson

God wants a world in which he rules now. He wants us to make heaven on this earth. God wants us to glimpse heaven right now right here. We experience Kingdom living when we help those in need. When we are in God's will, we will experience peace from heaven right here right now.

God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' walking the Disciple's path' by Linda Perrone Rooney

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Advent 2020: the Christmas gift

 Advent 2020: the Christmas gift by ric gustafson

The gifts of the Magi were gold, frankincense and myrrh. The most important gift of all was God giving his Son as a sacrifice for us. We can show grace and mercy through service, prayer and witnessing to neighbors. When we are given a gift, we can say thanks for the gift. We can give thanks to God for the gift. We can discuss how the gift was from God. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: LCM Advent devotional 2020

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

the Lord's Prayer: who are in heaven holy is your name

 the Lord's Prayer: who are in heaven holy is your name by ric gustafson

Heaven is a real place where God's fullness resides. In heaven, we will obey God and praise him day and night. We will come to heaven eager to meet God and obey him. So we pray and we wait for that day. In Jesus his Son, we see God the Father. We want a deeper relationship with Jesus. We want to be Kingdom people. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' walking the Disciple's path' by Linda Perrone Rooney

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Disciple: be not afraid

 Disciple: be not afraid by ric gustafson

Being a disciple of Jesus means we must deal with fear. Jesus tells us " take heart it is I do not be afraid. Jesus desires us to be fearless for him. Jesus says trust me. One night in a storm, the disciples were afraid. They saw on the water what they thought was a ghost. It was Jesus. He told them not to be afraid. We are on a spiritual journey. Jesus is always with us. Jesus is always protecting us. Sometimes life is a struggle. Jesus says trust me be not afraid. God loves us more than anything else.

The End

research help: ' walking the Disciple's path' by Linda Perrone Rooney

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Disciple: heal all you meet

 Disciple: heal all you meet by ric gustafson

Jesus gives healing to anyone who asks. Jesus says I will come and cure. Jesus wants us to be his witness and agent of healing. Jesus has authority and power over us. God is the source of all authority. God is the Creator and sustainer of all life. Jesus submitted to his Father's authority. God's power creates healing. Jesus had the power to heal. Jesus will heal those who ask for it. We need to cultivate our faith. We have been sent into the world to heal all you meet. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' walking the Disciple's path' by Linda Perrone Rooney

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Disciple: see the good

 Disciple: see the good by ric gustafson

Jesus talked a lot about judgment. Jesus says before you judge, would you judge yourselves. Do we judge by earthly or kingdom standards. Is anyone a worthy judge?. Jesus formed the character of his disciples. They were ordinary everyday people. Jesus wanted his disciples to develop kingdom attitudes. Jesus asked hard questions and challenged his disciples. God wants every human being to have dignity and respect. Lastly, Jesus says do not rush to judgment. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' walking the Disciple's path' by Linda Perrone Rooney

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

the Lord's Prayer: Our Father

 the Lord's Prayer: Our Father by ric gustafson

God is Jesus's Father. God is our Father. Our Father God created us and loves us. Jesus calls his Father Abba. This means daddy. God wants to be known as a daddy who is loving and approachable. God our Father loves us more than anything else. Jesus loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' walking the Disciple's path' by Linda Perrone Rooney

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

the lonely fruitcake page 2

 the lonely fruitcake page 2 by ric gustafson

I watched as the cranberry salad was passed around.

People were still pointing at me.

What's wrong with me?

After dinner, the ambrosia cheesecake was passed around.

Then the table was beginning to get cleaned off.

I began to panic.

I was still sitting there.

Then I heard the word.

" Open Door Mission".

I was put into a container with other leftovers.

I smiled.

I was not lonely any longer.

The End

research help: original story

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Disciple: pray like Jesus

 Disciple: pray like Jesus by ric gustafson

As his followers, Jesus wants us to pray to him. So how do we pray?. Jesus wants our whole being in his presence. He wants us to be quiet and open our hearts to him. Prayer can change us. Jesus's life was a prayer. As far as prayer, we need to be unafraid and unashamed. Jesus spent a lot of time teaching his disciples about prayer. Jesus put importance on solitude and community. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' walking the Disciple's path' by Linda Perrone Rooney

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Disciple: a generous spirit

 Disciple: a generous spirit by ric gustafson

Love involves giving. Giving is part of being poor in spirit. Love and giving go hand in hand. Giving of ourselves creates new life in us and in others. God does not want us to judge people. God wants us to be a generous giver. Giving is an individual matter. To give takes determination and commitment. When we give out of our heart, grace and blessings come our way. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' walking the Disciple's path' by Linda Perrone Rooney

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

the lonely fruitcake page 1

 the lonely fruitcake page 1 by ric gustafson

I sat in the middle of the elegant dining room table.

I was sitting next to the mashed potatoes. Surely I will be picked.

The family said grace.

The pork tenderloin was passed around.

The mashed potatoes were passed around

Someone snickered and pointed at me.

What's wrong with me I thought to myself.

I'm full of candied fruit, nuts and spices.

The glazed carrots were passed around.

The family was eating and enjoying each other.

Sitting there, I was lonely.

research help: original story

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Disciple: love your enemies

 Disciple: love your enemies by ric gustafson

One core of Jesus's teaching was about the concept of love. God wants our total love and to follow his Son. Jesus proclaims love your neighbor. This includes our enemies. It is our sinful human nature to not want to love our enemies. God is love. Loving God and others will bring us inner peace and union with God. Gospel love is a choice. Jesus came into the world to save us. He died on a cross to save us. God wants us to love and pray. We need to pray for those who hate us.

God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' walking the Disciple's path' by Linda Perrone Rooney

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Advent 2020: the Christmas tree

 Advent 2020: the Christmas tree by ric gustafson

The origin of the Christmas tree is complicated. A green branch was a sign of life and eternal life. Jesus used the Passover meal to talk about saving people from slavery in Egypt. Bread and wine points to God's saving action on the cross. Jesus's death saved people from the slavery of sin. Advent shows us that Jesus's mission was to redeem the entire world. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: LCM Advent 2020 devotional

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Disciple: live as a blessing

 Disciple: live as a blessing by ric gustafson

In Matthew 5, Jesus begins his teaching ministry. He teaches so others can teach. Jesus taught the disciples so they can teach others. Jesus has a vision of life. He teaches that that to be happy they must be poor in spirit. The poor in spirit expose the truth of their heart. A relationship with Jesus involves behavior, values and motives. The heart of Jesus is in full union with God his Father. Jesus wants our inner surrender a surrender of the heart. The poor in spirit approach Jesus on their knees. Three qualities of poor in spirit involve humility, trust and vulnerability. We need to live simply and depend on God's mercy.

God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' walking the Disciples path' by Linda Perrone Rooney

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Disciple: surrender your nets

 Disciple: surrender your nets by ric gustafson

Jesus wants his followers to be fishing for men. How do you become a fisher of men?. We are to proclaim the good news, witness by word and use Jesus as our example. We as disciples are being sent to call more disciples. We are ordinary people. We are not wealthy or people of influence. We are laborers. We understand our environment. We take risks. 

One day, Jesus comes to us. He says follow me. Do you accept his call?. We need to respond to his call. Jesus knows we are ordinary sinful people. Do we accept his call?. He says come follow me. My prayer is that we will say yes.

research help: ' walking the disciples path' by Linda Perrone Rooney

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric