Psalm 19 & "Of the Glory of God in the Starry Heavens"

 

NASA Image GSFC_20171208_Archive_e002074 

You can pick up any Bible and turn to Psalm 19's opening verses:

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. (Psalms 19:1-3)

If you've been to numerous church services, you might have heard the open words to one of my favorite hymns:

The spacious firmament on high,

with all the blue ethereal sky,

and spangled heavens, a shining frame,

their great Original proclaim.

Nature speaks of God in so many ways. There is a in the makeup of human beings an urge, a species memory, a need to seek explanations. One primary explanation we seek is whether or not there is a Creator (as mentioned by Paul in Romans 1:25 and Peter in 1 Peter 4:19), the center of Pascal's Wager by a seventeenth-century French mathematician, philosopher, physicist, and theologian. We don't have to have that much intelligence to understand that all people make a choice whether or not to believe there is a Greater Power. Judaism is based on such a belief, as is Christianity, Islam, and a number of other religions who exist to worship the creative deity.

Over millennia, thousands of other deities have been worshipped. Several are mentioned in the Hebrew Torah, both Greek and Roman histories, along with tribes around the world who had no written word to write down a name. Each group believed their deity was the right one. That's the step beyond Pascal's Wager - once you determine a deity exists, which one is the One. 

I'm here encouraging Bible reading because the One who inspired Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1 is the choice I made after decided there is a (singular) God. Part of Psalm 19 outlines what I believe to be true:

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: 
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: 
the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: 
the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. (Psalms 19:7-10)

I've read the Law, and its confirmation in Matthew 22:35-40. I've read the testimony God inspired in men. I've read the results of living by His statutes and know His Commandments are enlightening. I do fear - I've read what happens to those who hate and disobey - Him, but believe His judgment is true righteousness. I've read of examples where He kept promises that resulted in good for people, and promises that resulted in judgment even to death. As Paul, I, too, know who I believed:

. . . for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. (2 Timothy 1:12b+)

And:

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

(As an "Aside": I wrote a poem using those last two verses and included them in a blog. Now I need to look that up and exchange this paragraph for a link to that blog. Wonder when I'll get around to that?)

Hope - Keep It Always

 "Light at the end of the tunnel" This tunnel takes Glasgow-Loch Lomond Cycleway under Glasgow Road

There are beautiful Bible verses that discuss hope. That was Sunday's message from David Webb, now a visiting pastor for our revival, from Walker Springs Road Baptist Church in Jackson, Alabama. When we first visited First Baptist Church of Cottondale, he was our Assistant Pastor/Youth Director.

Sunday morning, he spoke to us about hope and was inspired Brother Webb began with:

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)

Read through to:

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? (Romans 8:24)

If you'll read through the verses 17-23, it may be difficult to see what there is to be hopeful about. The words paint a picture beyond our ability to live through, and no thought of what we might do the "fix" the problems in our world.  There we discover we were created with vanity 

For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, (Romans 8:20)

That "vanity" is found often in the Old Testament, but only nine times in the New Testament. The Greek, from Strong's lexicon on line is:

ματαιότης mataiótēs, mat-ah-yot'-ace; transientness; morally, depravity:—vanity.

Yes - God made us to where we make the choices between good/evil, moral/immoral, love/hate - all those antonyms that show us to separate, but never equal paths we might follow. God has provided both to each one of us and the choices are ours to make under every circumstance. 

How do we know God made us and not millions of years of an uncertain, unthinking universe we can only see as stars in the night or scientific discoveries displayed graphically on a screen - or words in a scientific explanation that has words we always need to research before pronouncing? Back to the Bible telling us so. First chapter in Genesis pretty much lays out the basics, but my favorite verses come from John's first chapter:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:1-5)

What are we in the scheme of things? Just a little lower than the angels:

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: (Psalms 8:3-6)

Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-17 describe the fall of a cherub who wished to take God's place. Whether we call him evil incarnate, the devil, Lucifer, Satan, or the snake in the Garden, he lost his place in heaven. A third of the angels were very much like the worst of us, Revelation 12:4 is thought to mean that a third of the angels lost their place in heaven, too.

If we want to discuss lost hope, Brother Webb introduced us to the hopeless estate of Job. In the beginning of the book he lost everything - his wealth, his home, his children, his wife - but some friends who only made matters worse. He even lost his hope with God:

What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life? (Job 6:11)

This is when so many loved ones despair to the point of believing there is no hope - why wait for death to solve all their problems. It takes a lot to destroy the last remaining piece of hope. That's only Job's sixth chapter. There are a total of 42. Job never lost the reality of his life with God. 

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)

If you read Job's 42 chapter, you'll learn that everything that he lost was returned, doubled, except his wife. Remember, he had ten children in God's hands as well as the younger ten.

We have hope. We have it through everything written in the Bible about God and Jesus. Jesus seemed to be without hope on the cross - his followers certainly lost hope, but only one took his own life. The others maintained a hope in life, a time to find what comes next, to learn why:

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

That is our hope, our faith, that we will see Him - and the others who know who kept their hope alive and have firm belief we shall join them in God's perfect timing, not in a loss of hope.

What Would Do To Achieve Your Goal?

 

From Commons.Wikipedia

This from 2016, and  I doubt there has been much change.It really isn't a good shot, but it was better than the other dataset I found from 2001. A little concerning are the gray (Not Reported) and the white (Not Applicable) areas. Leprosy is still with us, and basically curable if caught early.

Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. (2 Kings 5:1 KJV)

The Pulpit Commentary gives a little background about who Naaman could have been:

Benhadad, [King of Syria at this time] who had been wont in his youth and middle age to lead his armies into the field in person, seems now in his old age to have found it necessary to entrust the command to a general, and to have made Naaman captain of his host. ... Probably he had commanded the Syrian army in some of its encounters with the Assyrians, who at this time, under Shalmaneser II; were threatening the independence of Syria, but did not succeed in subjecting it.

And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. (2 Kings 5:2 KJV)

A child was considered the spoils of war, and moved into slavery. She must have been well treated, because she was concerned about her master's horrible infection of leprosy. Every instance where leprosy is mentioned in the Bible tells of suffering and outcast from society. This little maid in waiting offered a solution that reached the king of Syria, who obviously thought highly of his captain:

And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. (2 Kings 5:3-5 KJV)

I suggest you read the whole story, because there are so many different lessons in this one chapter that I could fill a week of blogs. Read it, see how many you find, but this blog is on what would we do to get what we want. That depends on how important it is. The prophet Naaman went to didn't even see him:

So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. (2 Kings 5:9-10 KJV)

We don't have to wonder what Naaman thought:

But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. (2 Kings 5:11-12 KJV)

Pick out your least favorite politician, place him in Naaman's place, and imagine his consternation when told to take a bath in a non-important river, in a place he disliked. Imagine his wrath and rage. And imagine the best of friends giving him advice:

And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? (2 Kings 5:13 KJV)

An easy solution, no huge undertaking, nothing impossible, all that is lost is a piece of time during the day. Reason won out and Namaan followed directions, became cleansed of his leprosy. When we really want something so badly that we would ... just what would we do to obtain what we want? How far would you travel? How much would you spend to gain your goal? What is your goal? One unnamed little maid is remembered for thousands of years because of her faith in God and His prophet. She spoke of that belief, a king took her word for it and sent a company in belief. 

In the middle of the story, Naaman decided it was well worth his time to believe God and His prophet. Stay in the chapter to read the rest of that story - a gift refused, an opportunity for gain, and the consequences unexpected. God has a lot to show us, but what does He want us to do?

What does God ask of us?

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30 KJV)

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:7-8 KJV)

There pages of verses that I could add here, but I ask that you seek them out in the Bible. Ir's not what a denomination says, it's not what one church says, it is what God has inspired for all of us to read, understand, and believe:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

Read the Bible - there are free apps online for your smart phone, and links on line to read, compare, and study, as in this link for John 3:16-18,

Jesus and the Woman at the Well

 

Last Saturday our ladies at the First Baptist Church of Cottondale (Texas, that is - there are two others, in Florida and Alabama) held the usual Mother/Daughter Banquet before Mothers Day - only this one was a Ladies Luau.

I do have to say that these are always memorable occasions and we have from one to four generations of ladies attending, enjoying great food, seeing an uniquely fitting skit, plus a biblical message applicable for the ages.

Our pastor's wife gave our devotional. It is a well known story, so often referred to as The Woman at the Well, and is found in John's fourth chapter. In the first four verses we learn that the religious Pharisees had learned that more people had been baptized after hearing Jesus than had been baptized by John. We also learned that Jesus had not done any of the baptizing. 

When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. (John 4:1-3 KJV)

The fourth verse sets an interesting stage:

And he must needs go through Samaria. (John 4:4 KJV)

The Bible mentions Samaria several times. The Samaritans worshipped the same God as the Judeans, but were located in the northern kingdom of Israel, separated from Jerusalem, the center of Jewish worship. Oxford Bibliographies has a page on Samaria that includes:

'The name “Samaria” was applied to the region when the city of Samaria became the capital of the northern Israelite kingdom under King Omri in the 9th century BCE. In the biblical period, the majority of the population in the region were Yahweh worshipers (even after the Assyrian conquest in the late 8th century BCE), just as the Judeans to the south of them. Those Yahweh worshipers of the region of Samaria who eventually rejected Jerusalem and its temple as sacred centers are the Samaritans. For them, Mount Gerizim in the vicinity of ancient Shechem (modern Tell Balatah, near Nablus) and the temple on it became the focus of religious life.'

Jesus gave the parable of the Good Samaritan, but the woman at the well was a real person, and they had an interesting exchange. Samaria was on the way from Judea to Galilee, and along the way they stopped for food and water at Jacob's well - yes, the Jacob who was renamed Israel, who had twelve sons:

Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. (John 4:5-9 KJV)

As I understand the culture at the time, it was not unusual for a man to ask a woman to do something for him, but unusual for a woman to not only answer the man, but to question him. Just as strange was His answer to her:

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. (John 4:10 KJV)

Do you know that "gift of God" that Jesus referenced? Following their discussion the woman did, described who she thought He was, and He confirmed it:

The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. (John 4:25-26 KJV)

If you know that same Jesus, you know that He is the gift of God. Paul knew it when he wrote the church at Corinth:

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. (2 Corinthians 9:15 KJV)

We cannot say what the townspeople said at the end of this story:

And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. (John 4:42 KJV)

Moses and multiple writers in the Old Testament wrote of Him, for the woman at the well knew those stories. We read of Him through others. Here we read John's story. Matthew, Mark, Luke, Paul, James, and Jude give us more of Him, but still second hand to us. 

Please do your own reading, but also join groups such as our ladies at the celebratory Luau. There are many churches that use the Bible for their doctrine, their lesson, and as the inspired Word of God that convinced us as Jesus did the woman at the well. 

A Reason For Reading in Context

 

I've done a couple of blogs  on the reason my readers should not take my word for it that what I copy from the Bible and insert here is God's message. It has to be "taken in context." As Google's AI explains:

Context is the situation in which something occurs or exists, and it can help explain it. For example, "It is important to see all the fighting and bloodshed in his plays in historical context". 

Context can also refer to the parts of a written or spoken statement that come before or after a specific word or passage, and usually affect its meaning or effect. For example, "You have misinterpreted my remark because you took it out of context".

Let me sshare an example that occurred today. It happened in a prayer group of scattered people, with one person in the group, whose husband is experiencing serious health problems, certainly in need of prayer from believers in God's ability to help His children. The group utilizes a social media that allows them to cross time zones and international boundaries to join in specific prayers. That's a blessing in so many ways.

One sincere believer wrote to "name and claim" a specific verse that she believed carried a promise from God:

Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. (Job 22:27-28 KJV)

That does sound good, doesn't it? It's easy from these two verses to assume God is speaking to Job, telling Job that all he has to do is pray, giving a decree of what he wants, and it will happen. That is taking it out of context.

Job's story is about tragedies he endured, costing him his family and all he had worked for his entire life. He was left sitting in ashes, with four friends who came to keep him company, and to convince him of his sinfulness for God to have punished him so strongly. The person speaking in verses 27-28 is introduced in verse 1, and continues well beyond verse 28. The chapter heading is: Eliphaz Speaks: Job's Wickedness Is Great:

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment? Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? (Job 22:1-5 KJV)

I really wouldn't want a friend such as Eliphaz to tell me how deeply I have failed God, even ignoring widows in need or breaking an orphan's arm. In veres 27-28, Eliphaz is encouraging Job to pray for God's mercy, God will hear when Job prays then pays for what he has done wrong. Job then can ask God for something good and expect it to happen. 

Trust me, bad things happen to very good people. They are inexplicable, beyond making sense out of what is happening. There are many tragedies we will not understand in this world, but a good deal of them simply occur because we live in an imperfect fallen world that does have active evil doers. Job was a good man. Get to know him at least in the first chapters of his book.

Also know there are promises spoken by God where He is specifically identified as the speaker. Our lesson in last Sunday's sermon from Habakkuk was such a promise - to allow Israel to fall to the Chaldeans:

Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you. For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs. (Habakkuk 1:5-6 KJV)

God kept his word there and Jerusalem fell, the people taken into captivity. For what life was like there, read the book of Daniel, a young man who purposed in his heart to do what God expects. Does God allowing Israel to be captive mean God is vengeful? Actually, He is just. Israel turned away from Him, forgot Him, ignored Him. The Chaldeans served as a reminder that from people given much, much is required.

To know God in context, the entire Bible is necessary. Don't treat is a buffet where only the gifts are shown. Remember that there are responsibilities, and communication is one. Search the Bible for God's interaction with mankind, not for verses that appear to fit the moment, especially when they are easily shown to be out of context. Open the book with a prayer that God's Holy Spirit will provide what you need.

 

Inevitable

 

That's a screen capture of a template document available free to use in Word for a single person's will. I'm using it as an example to be certain my hand-written will (just as legal) has all the right legal information. I need to do this even though my husband and I have a simple and conjoint will done almost twenty years ago. Things change. But needing a will is inevitable because death is inevitable.

One of my past hobbys was genealogy - a deep look into family history. I've blogged on that several times, and have a link to a website I used for several years, leaving it up in case someone searches. My parents, their siblings, their parents, their siblings, and all generations previous, died. All humans have in the past and continue to do so today. We've lost extended family in our generation, and within my children's. Dear friends have passed, too.

A will simple lays out what I want done with my real and personal property - my name on a deed is real property, my wedding ring is personal. There are specific people I would like to have what I have now.

That goes for knowledge and faith. That's nothing new - Beloved Husband's grandfather mentioned such in his will. The legalese pages were properly written, then he added:

January 21, 1932

To my dear family survivors; the greatest asset I can hand down to you is to commend you to the Lord Jesus Christ whom I have tried to serve from childhood. He is the only rock or foundation you can safely build or rely upon and you should love Him with all your Might.

In writing my will I could have made disposition of various small things but I recall that at various times I have given some of the children things, therefore after I have passed away I desire that whenever any child says I gave them certain things to let that be final. Any other personal things of mine let my beloved ones select time about, but reverse the old order of things, having the youngest select first, and then up the line instead of down the line.

M T Blickensderfer

That first paragraph reminds me of verses that means a great deal to me:

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:1-3 KJV)

All religious beliefs can be taught, from childhood or later, but every individual has the ultimate responsibility to choose which one to accept as willed by a deity. MT made a personal choice to include Jesus Christ as Lord in his own life. He felt sufficiently strong about it to include what he had shown them in life in his last words to them. John knew how MT felt:

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (3 John 1:4 KJV)

John's reference is to brothers and sisters in Christ. Both MT and I felt the same about our children. And others that we know can benefit from the love of God Jesus taught, the Apostles who saw/heard Him wrote about, and the people we know who serve Him in our world today.

I cannot prove to anyone what I accept on faith, but I read Hebrews chapter 11 and I can see faith lived in people who carried it through millennia. A study of historial references confirm a great deal of both the Old and New Testament, but it still comes down to faith:

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. (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

Christians cannot be truthful in boasting of their works. There is a marvelous combination:

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (James 2:17-19 KJV)

Neither fear nor dwell on any inevitable event. Be aware, and understand your obligations - one of which is leaving a will. It will help your family, as anyone whose loved one died without a will can explain.

"One may edify another"

 

Jerusalem Gate, Stephanstor, Zwischen, 1900 (Wiki Commons)

There is good information from Paul as he writes a letter to each church, that is inspired by God for Christians - without time nor geographic limitations. One I've been thinking about for some time is in Romans 5, and a conclusion is reached after an example, and before more:

For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. (Romans 14:18-19 KJV)

Before we get into what these "things wherewith" are, let's clarify what "edify" means. As usual, I go back to the Greek, where Strong's Concordance has been a help to me in comparing what we think a word means, and how it is defined in use. You can get your own look at Strong's Concordance on the internet. I've checked multiple times, and the e-Sword app on my phone offers the same information. Here's the meaning of "edify" as used biblically:

G3629: οἰκοδομή

pronounced: oikodomē ((oy-kod-om-ay'))

Feminine (abstraction) of a compound of G3624 and the base of G1430; architecture, that is, (concretely) a structure; figuratively confirmation: - building, edify (-ication, -ing).

Wait! What G3624 and G1430 mean:

G3624: οἶκος

Pronounced: oikos (oy'-kos)

Of uncertain affinity; a dwelling (more or less extensive, literally or figuratively); by implication a family (more or less related, literally or figuratively): - home, house (-hold), temple.

G1430: δῶμα

Pronounced: dōma (do'-mah)

From δέμο demō (to build); properly an edifice, that is, (specifically) a roof: - housetop.

Sometimes edifying is just lifting up a friend. A note can do that for years. I just ran across one from my dear friend of close to 30 years, though our lives have changed and we may not see each other for five or so. In 1998 Empee gave me a gift she knew I would love, use, and retain:  Forgotten English, Jeffrey Kacirk, "A Merry Guide to Antiquated Words." 

Words are important. They all have meaning. When we use them, we select them based on what we want the person hearing (or reading) to know. In our current era, some people are changing the meaning of words. But Empee's words in the note have deep meaning to me:

"I think of you as a precious thread in my life, everlasting, at that."

We are everlasting friends.  Both of us. While we spent a dozen or so years in the same company, I reached retirement and she found greater opportunities for her skills. We not only live in different cities, but in non-adjacent counties in the same state. That will change one day, for we shall be in the same country:

But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. (Hebrews 11:16 KJV)

As co-workers - for a while the same title on the same project - we had enough in common to enjoy spending time together. Once we exchanged information on our relationships with Christ, we knew the bond would be unbroken. I so often pray for people I've found to be close to accepting God's plan of salvation simply because I would love to see them (literally) forever.

There are also people I've met that it was obvious there was a need for Christ in their lives. It's not judgmental to see a person living with a soul-rending sadness, or with deep-rooted bitterness, or even with raging hatred, and know the eternal answer for them is accepting the love of God to restore them to what they could be. I'd love to spend eternity with them, too.

It truly is simple, as explained in Romans. You can use the "Roman Road" any time one asks:

Sirs, what must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:30b KJV)

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23 KJV)

Before that verse, Paul does a good job explaining why all have sinned by drawing scenes from life. No one escapes from sinfulness except innocent children. Too soon we find ourselves envious, desiring and/or taking what seems right in our own mind. So often, it isn't.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23 KJV)

The same choice faces every one ever born on this planet, choose between death and eternal life.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 KJV)

Jesus said so in John 3:16-18, while He was discussing questions from Nicodemus.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10 KJV)

In fact, Romans 10:8-17 is outstanding!! But this is a good summation of the Road:

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13 KJV)

Once done, we have help along that strait and narrow way:

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:13-14 KJV)