In Memory of Aunt Barbara Zavitz
(1916-02-29 to 2010-12-29)
As stated by Cousin Elizabeth in the funeral service, one of Aunt Barb’s favourite Bible texts was:
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:1-6)
Aunt Barb was graced to be born into a loving family with God fearing parents who over and over stated, (as often told me by my mother, Mae, who was Barbara’s oldest sister), that they wanted all their children to be in the ark of safety, (i.e. to trust in Jesus as Saviour and Lord, who promised to save His people from their sins as per Matthew 1:21).
As such, Aunt Barbara became heir to this promise to all Christ honouring God fearing parents:
But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. (Isaiah 49:25)
And thus … God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:4-10)
Aunt Barb often told us, (as confirmed on the day of her funeral, both by my cousin Elizabeth and my brother Richard), When you have married the best… is why she never remarried. Thus, Aunt Barbara (and children) also enjoyed this gracious heavenly promise: For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. (1 Corinthians 7:14)
Aunt Barb also leaves us all a much needed example these days of …
But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. (1 Corinthians 7:32-25)
Just as Aunt Barb’s greatest joy was to see her children, grand-children, and great-grand-children, her greatest desire now, as revealed to us by God’s Holy Word, is for all her beloved to be in the ark of safety (i.e. trusting in Jesus as dearest Saviour and most wonderful Lord).
Create in Me a Clean Heart, 0 God
(Edited from an article by A. W. Tozer)
In the Psalms, the miracle of the new birth was implicitly described: Create in me a clean heart, 0 God; and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalms 51:10)
This creation by God of a clean (new) heart points to a miracle within the human breast … not the reasoning of yourself into a position, but something happening that could only be done by God!
When we come to the Gospel of John, the necessity of the miracle of the new birth is boldly and very explicitly declared. Our Saviour said that if we come to Him and are not born again, we cannot enter the kingdom of God ... we must be (re-)born from above …
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
Note also, that the Apostle Paul reaffirmed to the Corinthians: If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
You couldn’t make it any stronger than that! Some-thing happens in a man’s nature that no mortal can explain!
Just the moment that a man’s experience in Christ can be broken down and explained by the psychologists, we have a church member on our hands - and not a Christian! For that which must happen in the new birth can never be explained by psychology or psychiatry. The professional can only stand off respectfully and say, Behold the works of the Lord. He can never explain it!
In that great and terrible day to come, many will be shocked when they find that they depended upon a mental assent to Christianity (they depended upon their own good works, baptism, prayers, and church membership) instead of upon the miracle of the new birth (with its gracious gift of God’s righteousness.)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, (Yeshua - Jesus - the Eternal Word of God), to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (The Lord Jesus Christ):
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-14)
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:22,23)
What an irreversible tragic shock that day will be the experience for needlessly far too many! Today, there may be yet time to take Jesus as Lord? But know that our every next breath is measured to us by the longsuffering hand of God!
Who is a Christian?
HEAVEN’S BEST GIFT - THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD?
Have you come to know/love Him, who created you to be His very own beloved child, and to be loved and led by His Holy Spirit?
The disciples (i.e. the students and followers) of Jesus were called Christian, (i.e. like Christ), in Antioch … almost 2000 years ago … And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Acts 11:26)
But who is this promised Christ they trusted in for salvation, and so followed, being led by His Spirit - the very Holy Spirit of God? Here is what the Apostle John, who was there with Jesus, was inspired, by the Holy Spirit given to him of God, to write for us … in John’s Gospel, (i.e. The Good-News of Jesus), Chapter 1 …
1 In the beginning was the Word [i.e. the Eternal Logos], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
…
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word [i.e. the Eternal Logos] was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.
(Please note in the above, that those who take Jesus as their Saviour and Lord ARE those who were [re-]born from above of God.)
And then John writes, near the end of his Gospel, in Chapter 20, after the death and the 3 days later resurrection of Jesus:
19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: (the Holy Spirit)
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
So, if we would be Christian, we need to take this Jesus, (Yeshua -The Salvation of God), the promised Messiah (i.e. the Anointed Son of God, the Holy One of Israel, the promised Son of King David that was filled with the Spirit of God without measure, i.e. Christ), as our Saviour and Lord and receive His Spirit into our hearts so that we might trust and follow Him.
And to encourage us to pray with real faith, please note how Jesus compares earthly parents to the Father in Heaven:
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him (Luke 11:13 … Heavens’s Best and Most Vital Gift for us to ask/receive.)
If really, we would be Christian, we’ll then truly trust in Jesus, the Word of God, and follow Him - The Lord Jesus Christ. Please note: ALL who truly call upon the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved… Note also: Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. (So let’s hear His Word and follow Him: Psalm 145:18-20; Romans 10:11-13,1-15,17; Galatians 3:2,5)
You may also like to see: http://sites.google.com/site/andeveryeyeshallseehim