Category Archives: Faith

God’s All-Encompassing Grace

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There’s protection in these days from plague, danger, storm and flood;
And it’s found through faith in Jesus Christ and the mention of His blood.
Remember to use the authority that God has given you–
Resist the devil before, or even as, adverse things try to break through.

We’re to imitate our Lord who commanded the stormy sea, “Be still!”
It’s not a time to doubt He’ll back you up–but to know He will!
Psalm 91 and other covenant promises of God are yours to claim;
You’ve got His power; you’ve got His authority; and you’ve got His mighty Name!

The gift of righteousness through Christ is yours, most importantly to know of all;
The more we realize this, the more we’ll believe we receive answers when we call.
Despite our failings, when God sees us, He sees the righteousness of His own Son;
And the Bible says God will perfect the good work in us that He’s begun.

We gain in faith through hearing God’s Word, our sure foundational base,
Which helps us to grow strong in assurance–about His all-encompassing grace.
Just trust Him now though it’s not been taught to the necessary extent;
His blood, His Name, His Word, His authority–for our well-being these were meant!

P. A. Oltrogge

“And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33

“And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ (right up to the time of His return), developing (that good work) and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.” Philippians 1:6 (AMP)

“For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.'” Luke 10:19-20 (KJV)

“Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18

“So be subject to God. Resist the devil (stand firm against him), and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 (AMP)

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!’” Psalm 91:1-2

“No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.” Psalm 91:10 and all of Psalm 91

Hebrews 12:24; Hebrews 13:20-21 (the blood of Jesus)

Acts 3:6; Acts 3:16; Acts 4:7, 10, 12, 17, 18 (the name of Jesus)

Ephesians 6:10-17 (the armor of God)

“Only believe!”
(from Mark 5:36 and Luke 8:50)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

(It’s easy to become that new creation through a simple, heartfelt prayer–just confess you are a sinner and receive God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, asking Him to be your Savior and Lord)

A Paralytic and Four Faithful Friends

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Jesus had been back to Capernaum for some days, and the news of this became known; Many people gathered at the house to hear Him speak, and the crowd had really grown. In fact, there were so many who wanted to come inside that you couldn’t get near the door; But there was a paralytic, with four friends who had a goal–to hear Jesus say, “Restore!”

So fervent were they in their earnest goal, that though it didn’t seem possible to get through, they weren’t downcast, but instead looked up–gaining entrance through the roof was what they’d do. Their faith in the Lord, their tenacity to attain, moved them to hoist their friend and his pallet up; They made a rooftop hole and let him down to the Lord–it didn’t matter to them to interrupt.

Jesus, seeing their faith, immediately was moved. “Son, your sins are forgiven,” He then said. This prompted thoughts in some scribes who were there, that He was blasphemous and clearly misled. Jesus knew in His spirit the things they were reasoning and confronted them before they could talk. He asked which was easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or “Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk”?

But so that they would know He really did have this authority, He further went on to say–that the man who’d been paralyzed should get up and take his pallet and be free to go on his way. Immediately, the man arose and picked up his pallet and walked out in the sight of all who were there; The people were amazed and glorified God, saying they’d never seen anything like this anywhere.

After that, Jesus went out to the shore of the sea, which can bring to mind the “waves” of God’s grace; The people followed Jesus to the shore, as well, and He continued to teach them at that place. A fitting scene it was to conclude this narrative, for God’s grace does come in wave upon wave. If a problem seems insurmountable, look up, not down–He’ll help you, just be bold and be brave.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.”
Psalm 43:5

“And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33

(Story from the Biblical account in Mark 2:1-13)

Shining Through with “the Son”

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Photo by Kevin M Klerks

Photo by Kevin M Klerks

The devil wants to rain down on our lives, turning what he can to be sour;
But we don’t let that stop us from retaining faith in Jesus’ power.

No, by the Lord’s peace, we know that there are blue skies up ahead;
Despite any storms, we trust for showers of blessing from God instead.

Jesus came and He won the battle and secured the devil’s defeat;
Now we enforce it by the Word of faith, confirming that Christ’s victory is complete.

Yes, there are many showers of blessing with rainbows rolling in…
We have fully-persuaded faith, embracing the truth that through Jesus Christ we win!

P. A. Oltrogge

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” 2 Corinthians 2:14

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:6-8

“And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform.” Romans 4:21 (KJV)

“…Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” Romans 14:5 (KJV)

“Loving God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.  For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.”  1 John 5:3-4 (NLT)

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith.” 1 John 5:4

“But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’–that is, the word of faith which we are preaching….” Romans 10:8

Jesus took of the sour, that we may have abundant life:

“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” John 19:30 (NKJV)

An Invitation from Jesus, the Good Shepherd

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“Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.'” John 8:12

I invite you to permit Me…to be your Good Shepherd,
I’ve seen your sometimes unsuccessful tries.
I know and see ahead the highest and best pathways
In answer to every one of My children’s cries.

When lives draw to a close, I’m surely there–
And the Way to enter heaven’s gate, for you, I’ll be.
But don’t simply think that is all that I have to give,
For your welfare here and now means so much to Me.

Just as an earthly parent wants to see that all goes well
For their beloved children as they learn and grow,
So I desire that to an even greater extent for you;
Therefore, look to Me for the goodness of God to freely flow.

Factual it is that life presents things at times that are adverse;
There is an adversary to which that word’s connected.
The devil is the one who brings destruction and the curse;
But I came for you to have an abundant life and to be protected.

So permit me to be your Good Shepherd–
I’ve a Covenant of love and grace for you.
Those who follow Me will have the Light of Life–
To light the way to heaven, yes, but here on this earth, too.

P. A. Oltrogge

Jesus is the Good Shepherd!

“Jesus therefore said to them again, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy. I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees, and the wolf snatches them, and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling, and is not concerned about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.'” John 10:7-15

“Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (AMP)

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!'” Psalm 91:1-2

“No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.” Psalm 91:10 and all of Psalm 91

“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NKJ)

Reference: See “About the Porch”

A Painter, and the Light of the World

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(Likely, you’ll recognize the identity of this person of whom I’m writing.
If not, then I hope you’ll enjoy this brief “story” of an artist’s life.)

From a majestic mountain to a quiet glade,
paintings that featured light were this artist’s trade.
Inviting, lighted cottages by peaceful lakes or streams,
became sweet reflections of all of our dreams.

Churches, gardens, or a bridge that was quaint,
came into being through his brushes and paint.
A cabin in the woods; a lighthouse by the sea;
an American flag waving in the land of the free…

And famous landmarks or an old-fashioned street
were the many scenes that made his gallery complete.
Hidden in his paintings were initials he would write,
revealing the heart of this painter of light.

A tour filmed in Israel, where Jesus had walked,
came alive to the viewers as he painted and talked–
of Gethsemane’s Garden, where Jesus had prayed
that the way of the cross might not have to be paid.

His artistry placed the cross of Jesus Christ high,
which spoke of God’s love against a splendorous sky.
He spread the Lord’s peace, through scriptures quoted
by his kind voice; and, in books, they were noted.

An impact for good was made by this man–
a big splash on this world was his part in God’s plan.
But don’t look to the imperfect artist, he had said,
just look to the cross of Christ instead.

P. A. Oltrogge

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Pexels

“The Lord is my light and my salvation….” Psalm 27:1

“Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.'” John 8:12

“But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14

Pathways Walked With Mom

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Pathways of love,
pathways where you guided–
sweet memories of those pathways,
dear Mother, you’ve provided.

Much like a gardener,
you tended to my care–
weeding out some tendencies,
while cultivating those that were fair.

And if there were problems
at school or at play,
the pathway to Mom’s door
would help them go away.

Best of all, we walked pathways
which caused my spirit to be fed
with the truths in God’s Word,
so that by His Spirit I’d be led.

Now as I go about, on my own pathways since I’ve grown,
I’m grateful for the pathways that together we’d known.

P. A. Oltrogge

(The white stone borders along the flowers in this photo brought to mind the concept of the pathways in the poem. Hope you enjoy the blooms in the photo, which was taken by my daughter!)

Photo by B. Oltrogge

Photo by B. Oltrogge