Bad Memory  

Posted by Rita Martinez in

This is why we should always write every new idea down on a paper or somewhere, last night as I tossed and turned in bed not being able to sleep I kept thinking of something I wanted to write about on my blog, since I have ashamedly abandoned it, but I didn't write it down I just went to sleep. Now, I've been trying to remember but I simply forgot, so I'll just have to wait t'ill it comes back to me again.
But I will share that I have neglected this blog because of a series of situations that happened to me but by God's grace all is well and I'm ready to get back to writing :)

Grace Gems: You Can Never Lose Your Mother  

Posted by Rita Martinez in



You can never lose your mother!
(J. R. Miller, "The SEEDS We Are Scattering" 1896)

Though all are born "dead in trespasses and sins;" in another sense, when a baby is born--its life is only a patch of soil in which, as yet, nothing is growing.

A mother's hand is the first to plant seeds there--in the looks of tender love which her eyes dart into the child's soul, in her smiles and caresses and croonings, and her thousand efforts to reach the child's heart and shape its powers; and then in the lessons which she teaches.

All the members of the household soon become sowers also on this field; as the life begins to open, every one is dropping some seed into the mellow soil.

In a little while, hands outside the home begin to scatter seeds in the child's mind and heart. The street, the playground, the school; later, books, papers, and pictures contribute their portion.


As the years advance, the experiences of life--the joys, temptations, tasks, trials, sorrows--all bring their influences. Somewhat in this way, the character of the mature man--is the growth of seeds sown by a thousand hands in the life from infancy.

All our thoughts, words, and acts--are seeds. They have in them a quality which makes them grow where they fall, reproducing themselves. This is true of the good we do.

The mother's teachings enter the mind and heart of her child as mere seeds; but they reappear in the life of the son or daughter, in later years--in strength and beauty, in
nobleness of character, and in usefulness of life. Not only is this strange power in the mother's words; her acts, her habits, her tones of voice, the influences that go forth from her life--are also seeds, having in them a vital principle. Where they lodge--they grow.

You can never lose your mother! She may die, and her body may be buried out of your sight, and laid away in God's acre. You will see her face and hear her voice no more; no more will her hand scatter the good seeds of truth and love, upon your life's garden. But you have not lost her! Your mind and heart are full of the seeds which fell from her hand along the years. These you never can lose. No hand of death can root them out of your life. They have grown into the very fibers of your character. They reappear in your habits, your dispositions, your feelings and opinions, your modes of thought, your very phrases and forms of speech! You can never lose your mother; the threads of her life are woven inextricably into your life!

All the noble things that fall from your hands, as you travel along life's paths, are seeds, and will not die. The good things we do, with the true words we speak, with the faithful example we show, with all the influences of our life that are Christlike, are living seeds which we sow in the lives of others. They will not fall into the ground and perish. They will stay where they drop, and you will find them again after many days. They will germinate and grow, and yield a harvest!

Go on doing the little things, no matter how small, only making sure that you breathe love into them. Let them fall where they may, no matter into what heart, no matter how silently, no matter how hopeless may seem the soil into which they drop, no matter how you yourself may appear to be forgotten or overlooked as you do your deeds of kindness, and speak your words of love. These words and deeds and influences of yours are living seeds, and not one of them shall perish!

The same is true, however, of the evil things we do. They, too, have in them the quality of life and reproductiveness. If only our good things were seeds, this truth would have unmingled encouragement for us. But it is startling to remember, that the same law applies to the evil things.

The man who writes a wicked book, or paints an unholy picture, or sings an impure
song
--sets in motion a procession of unholy influences which will live on forever! He, too, will find his evil words again in the hearts of men, long, long afterwards; or see his unclean picture reproduced on men's lives, or hear his unholy song singing itself over again in the depths of men's being!

The evil that men do--lives after them! "Bury my influence in my grave with me!" said a wicked man, dying with bitter remorse in his soul. But that is impossible. Sometimes men who have been sowing evil, wake up to the consciousness of the harm they have been giving to other lives, and go back over their paths, trying to gather up the seeds of sin which they have cast into human hearts. But the effort is unavailing, as no one can take out of men's minds and hearts--the seeds of evil he has dropped there!

We are not done with life--when we die! We shall meet our acts and words and influences again! "Do not be deceived! God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows--he will also reap!" Galatians 6:7. He shall reap the same that he sows--and he himself shall be the reaper!

There is a law of divine justice, in which God requites to every man according to his deeds. We are not living under a reign of mere chance. But sometimes it seems as if the law of justice did not work universally--that some who do wrong, are not requited; and that some who do good, receive no reward. But this inequality of justice is only apparent. Life does not end at the grave! If it did, we might say that the Lord's ways are not always equal. God's dealings with men, are not closed in this earthly life! The story is continued through eternity!

In this present life--wrong often seems to go unpunished, and virtue unrewarded. But our present lives, are simply unfinished life-stories. There are other chapters which will be written in eternity. When all has been completed, there will be no inequality, no injustice. All virtue will have its full reward--and all sin will receive its due punishment.

Grace Gems: Christ is our Jonah  

Posted by Rita Martinez in

This is why Grace Gems is Grace Gems:


Christ is our Jonah!

(William Dyer, "Christ's Famous Titles")

"Then they picked up Jonah and threw him
into the sea--and the sea stopped its raging!"
Jonah 1:15

Christ is our Jonah, who threw Himself
into the sea of His Father's wrath--to save
us from everlasting perdition!





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Evangelism: Why Bus Stops?  

Posted by Rita Martinez in

A really good post on evangelism:


"Why bus stops? Good question. Let me explain. Let me give you a brief history on how a stumbled across the idea. Two summers years ago I did my first internship at GFC. I was hired as a part-time summer evangelist (12 weeks long). How should I start? I had no idea. The elders suggested that I begin going door-to-door to invite people to church; this would give me a better feel for the dynamics of the community, and it would remind people that there is a church in the neighbourhood which they are welcome to. I was nervous, but by God’s grace I went. Indeed, going door-to-door certainly helped me get a much better grasp of the demographics of our church neigbourhood.

Going door-to-door was a very interesting experience to say the least. To this day I still have good relations with many people in the church neighbourhood, which came as a result of simply getting out there and introducing myself (and the church) in a friendly manner. Some people are genuinely interested in a church which is in their own neighbourhood. They are more likely to come to your Christmas and Easter services if you are that friendly person who stops in every now and then to say hello and to see how they are.

I would sometimes try to talk to people at their door (lawn/porch) if I sensed they had time to talk. Sometimes I would eventually try sharing the Gospel with them. I think I only had the door slammed in my face a few times. I recall being swore at only a few times (in English). Most people were polite, but not interested. Once in a while the Lord opened doors for the spread of the Gospel (which was great!), but the opportunities seemed far and few between....Continue reading the rest"

Together as One  

Posted by Rita Martinez in

"There's nothing that can't be done if we raise our voices as one" M.J.


Let me tell you the story of the Tower of Babel...turn to Genesis 11:



Genesis 11
"Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”
And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth."

Life is but a vapor  

Posted by Rita Martinez in ,


"Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." James 4:14



Today could've been my last day on this earth. Frankly, I would've died happy after having spent half a day praising God, being edified by His Word, having communion with Him and my brethren in the faith; after having finally gotten my devotional/prayer life back in order, but I think of what I would've left behind:
- My family, that have yet to know God
- My Monday School children, still struggling to learn those Big Truths of the Bible and whom are not yet saved
Moreover, had they died, where would they have gone?
Thankfully, it was not God's will to call us to His presence today, which means there is still a work that needs to be done in us and through us. And He has given them an opportunity to not wait another second and humble themselves before their makers.
Tomorrow could be your last day, your last opportunity to consider the cost of rebelling against God.
"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love."
Micah 7:18
The Lord our God is one whom delights in showing Mercy and Grace, and that was what He showed all four of us this evening in sparing our lives. Even though we have sinned greatly against him, Romans 3:23, "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. Christ died and bled for us, he bore our sins on the cross and received the punishment we deserve, so please do not wait another second, repent of your sins and trust in Him who delights in showing mercy, who went to the cross so that by Grace we would be saved.

Grace Gems: 'Tis a Point I Long To Know  

Posted by Rita Martinez in ,

Today's Grace Gems is a beautiful poem by John Newton about certainty, so for those who doubt their salvation here's John Newton's 'Tis A Point I Long To Know; but before you do read it I can tell you that one can know for sure if one is saved or not, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life." writes John in his letter, 1 John 5:13, after he has written this practically manifesto of what God has done in sending Christ the Son, "offering him up as a sacrifice for sins, and sending forth "the word of life"(1 John 1:1) that is causing this world's darkness to pas away and the true light of the coming age to shine."1

'Tis a point I long to know

(John Newton)

'Tis a point I long to know,
Oft it causes anxious thought;
Do I love the Lord or no?
Am I His--or am I not?

If I love--why am I thus?
Why this dull and lifeless frame?
Hardly, sure, can they be worse,
Who have never heard His name!

Could my heart so hard remain,
Prayer a task and burden prove,
Every trifle give me pain,
If I knew a Savior's love?

When I turn my eyes within,
All is dark, and vain, and wild;
Filled with unbelief and sin,
Can I deem myself a child?

If I pray, or hear, or read,
Sin is mixed with all I do!
You who love the Lord indeed,
Tell me--Is it thus with you?

Yet I mourn my stubborn will,
Find my sin a grief and thrall;
Should I grieve for what I feel,
If I did not love at all?

Could I joy His saints to meet,
Choose the ways I once abhorred,
Find, at times, the promise sweet,
If I did not love the Lord?

Lord, decide the doubtful case!
You who are Your people's sun,
Shine upon Your work of grace,
If it is indeed begun.

Let me love You more and more,
If I love at all, I pray;
If I have not loved before,
Help me to begin today!



1: ESV Study Bible. Introduction to 1 John. Purpose, Ocassion, and Background. Pg.2426

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