Marcia's Poem of the Week

  Marcia's Poem of the Week 10-13-2023 “THE WORD”  I Thessalonians 2: 9-13 NLT 9. Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you. 10. You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers. 11. And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. 12. We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory. 13.  Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe. “THE WORD” There is a code of behavior, Made by the Lord for use

  Marcia's Poem of the Week 9-30-2023 “OBEDIENCE”  Jonah 4:1-11 NLT: 1. This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. 2. So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. 3. Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” 4. The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?” 5. Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. 6. And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant. 7. But God also arranged for a worm! The next morn

  Marcia's Poem of the Week 9.23. 2023 “ANOTHER CHANCE”  Jonah 3: 1-10 NLT 3 Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.” 3 This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. 4 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” 5 The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. 6 When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. 7 Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city: “No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. 8 People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone

  Marcia's Poem of the Week 9-15-2023 ANCHOR OF MY SOUL  Jonah 2: 1-4 and 6 b-10 Jonah’s Prayer. Our pastor's messages have been helpful. Delving into this one about hope was especially interesting to me. I realize that hope prompts every move in my life. At times when I feel down, or feel dread, or worry about sickness or just facing old age and my declining body, as well as the crazy world we live in, I wonder about the future; and then this four letter word comes to my rescue. HOPE is knowing that my God is a  "Good God." And as the title says He is the Anchor of my Soul. Scripture reading taken from: Jonah 2: 1-4 and 6 b-10 Jonah’s Prayer “2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. 2 He said, “I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead,  and Lord, you heard me! 3 You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea.The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried

  Marcia's Poem of the Week. “A CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP”   John 17:6-10 NLT 6 “I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, 8 for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me. 9 “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10 All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. 11 Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. A CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP God planned a Nineveh trip, But Jonah decided to rebel, And climbed on a sailing ship, To go as far as he could sail. Jonah was unwilling to submit,

  Marcia's Poem of the Week “UNDIVIDED DEVOTION"  Scripture NLT: 1 Corinthians 7:32-35: “I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.” Ezekiel 11: 19-20 19 And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, 20 so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. “U