ENGLISH ONLY EDITION. Light is sown like seed for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Psalm 97:11
Monday, May 12, 2025
Friday, May 9, 2025
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Resurrection Day´s Update - The Eternal Spring of Joy, Peace and Hope from the Heart of God
Written and published by Jean-Louis Mondon
I always do every year not even intentionally. It is the hope that faith renews in my soul after a long winter of germinating reflective thoughts on the wonderful birth of the Holy seed of God made flesh and dwelling with us. The soul as well has its own calendar and cycles and if one is feeding the soul and spirit on the Word of God, we cannot help but being wonderfully affected by the inner life that is growing inside of us that manifests itself in joyous and glorious spiritual songs of remembrance punctuating our walk through the seasons of life toward our ultimate destination.
I added to the Christmas reflection paragraphs on the symbolism of the almond tree in the Bible with links as good reading resources.
Have a wonderful resurrection day. Our Lord Jesus is risen! Halleluyah!
Note from the author: This is a Christmas message that I repost every year because of its timelessness. I hope that it will bless you and that the seeds of love, truth, hope and joy planted in your heart by the Lord will flourish as Aaron´s almond rod of authority and service and nurture the hungry and thirsty around us.
As people celebrate Christmas with all its symbols, regardless of what they think the exact time and year of God's divine condescension among us are, this is what this season represents to me as a spiritual reality.
As I was reflecting upon the incarnation of our Savior Christ Jesus as the supreme gift of our Heavenly Father to mankind, I could not help but think of the limited perspective that we sometimes have of the infinite measure of all of God’s attributes and works in the vast universe He created but also in each of our lives.
The first thing I consider when I ponder the miracle of the supernatural birth of Jesus-Christ is that God chose to manifest His presence in the flesh as a seed of the Holy Spirit in the chosen womb of Mary.
Imagine a little! The creator and sustainer of the endless universe becoming a frail human being Himself subject to the natural law of human birth and physical existence.
As the mature tree is essentially contained in the seed just waiting to develop through the different stages of growth, so was the life of the Lord Jesus and so is every one of our lives.
An illustration from the sharing of presents on Christmas day comes to mind. Imagine one of the present being a huge box with someone’s name on it. The person feverishly tears off the paper hoping to discover a big present that will provide a level of satisfaction commensurate to his perceived size. But as the box reveals another smaller box hidden under the packing peanuts, he suspects someone is playing a joke on him as he realizes from the sheer weight of the box.
As he keeps on opening another box, then another one, he finally opens the last tiny box and no matter what the value of the present, it leaves him or her with a sense of unfulfilled expectation and diminished satisfaction. Here in brief is how the acquiring and enjoying of material things which are supposed to fulfill our lives from the cradle to the grave end up being a great disappointment and a snare in the end. Not so with the present from our God, the free gift of salvation available to anyone willing to accept and receive it.
Conversely, imagine that you received the gift of God, salvation by grace in a small box. After receiving and opening the gift, once your life is changed by that spiritual tiny seed, you realize that as you grow, the gift keeps on growing as you learn and mature into eternal everlasting life, the box of our life, so to speak, getting bigger and bigger.
Now considering another angle to giving and sharing presents.
Jesus talking about greed said that life doesn’t consist in the abundance of things. Luke 12:15.And He told the people to not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21.
Jesus is not only talking about treasures, but incorruptible treasures! What is He talking about? He is talking about treasures that have their beginning as an intangible seed beginning here on the earth and continuing in Heaven and/or enjoying all the stages of the growth of the seed in two dimensions simultaneously, in the physical body while at the same time in the invisible realm of the spirit.
He means treasures like the Christian virtues, generosity of spirit, goodness, mercy, humility, faith, wisdom, spiritual knowledge, love, patience, fruits of the Spirit, all intangible, but whose effects are felt when translated into good works and service to our brothers, sisters and fellow man. And of course, included are all the material gifts that he has blessed us with in superabundance to share with those less fortunate than us and to provide the means to advance the Kingdom of God, through preaching of the Gospel through gifts to missions throughout the world. Everything that will become the stones building the foundation of our sphere of influence in the coming Kingdom.
In I Timothy 6: 18, Paul tells Timothy to "Command those who are rich in this present world... to put their hope in God who richly provide us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up for themselves a firm foundation for the coming age so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life". It is obvious that one can build a house or a building only as tall and as large as the dimensions of the foundation supporting it, otherwise the building collapses.
In the Bible we can find several mentions of this manifestation of life as encapsulated in the title of Our Lord who is the Alpha, the beginning and Omega, the end and of course everything in between.
We can find the image of the seed in I Peter 1:23. “For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is through the living and abiding Word of God.” Isaiah 9:6-7 promise of the coming Messiah follows this development: "for a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, and the government will rest upon His shoulders … there will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace."
This salvation which starts as a spiritual seed planted by the Holy Spirit Himself in the hearts of men who have received Him on His terms is ever expanding and revealing the loving heart of our Heavenly Father at this time of the year and all year long. "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us". Romans 5:5
Paul prays for the Ephesians in Ephesians 3:14-17 that: "He would grant you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with power through His spirit in the inner man so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God." This is also my prayer for all of us today and for the coming year.
Contrary to the philosophy of this passing and dying world, the present of eternal life in Christ Jesus started as a tiny seed, first the human seed inherited from our natural father and then the Holy Spirit seed that contained all that is necessary to fulfill the purpose for which our Father and Creator put us on this earth. See I Corinthians 15. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. (NIV)
So this Christmas season until the beginning of 2018 and beyond, I invite you to remember with grateful and humble hearts, that the tiniest and most humble manifestation of life, a human seed, a tiny baby in his or her mother's womb is infinitely precious and worthy of protection and nurturing because it was made in God’s image. Psalm 139.
I invite you also to let your hearts and minds expand onto other amazing dimensions of life and consider all the stages of the life of the Savior in His birth, His death, His resurrection, His going back into the glory of Heaven and His coming back to give us glorified bodies, for we have already been resurrected (spiritually) if we have been born again, starting as a tiny seed wrapped up in a small and fragile package that we all are, as pilgrims on this earth.
This season Jesus offers us hope, joy and peace in a world sadly lacking theses blessings.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13.
Lord God, our loving Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you for the gift of life present and eternal in Our Lord Jesus-Christ.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Sunday, December 1, 2024
Finish What you Started - Part 3
Written and published by Jean-Louis Mondon
This is my testimony of one of the experiences with my Heavenly Father´s provisions that he promised to keep in our time of need. After all one of his “names” is “Jehovah Rafah” God our Provider.
I had the blessing and privilege of translating several books, articles and booklets from English to French for a christian creation ministry. It was a gift from God to be involved in such a task that was going to share the truth of the Gospel of Grace with the french speaking countries fulfiling my desire to help with missionary services around the world when I came to the USAs in 1965.
It was around 1997 when this story took place. I had already been translating 2 books and divers booklets for a year. While I had finished one half of the third book I was working on, I received a letter telling me to stop working on the translation because the ministry had run out of money alloted to the language translation department.
I was disappointed and was left with questions about how to proceed. I felt that it was my duty to finish the book and that God would provide a way for me to complete the task.
Waiting patiently with faith in silence
So I waited until I would hear from the Lord what to do.
About that time as I was finishing the Pauline epistle of Colossians, my mind still waiting for an answer from God, I read the following:
After this letter has been read among you, make sure that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. 17 Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.” 18This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.… Colossians 4:17
The answer comes
Here was the answer I had been waiting for. I love these little and big surprises from our Heavenly Father who rewards his expectant children an who keeps his promises. Go up on a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news. Raise your voice loudly, O Jerusalem, herald of good news. Lift it up, do not be afraid! Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and His arm establishes His rule. His reward is with Him and His recompense accompanies Him. 11He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.… Isaiah 40:10
Let the unrighteous continue to be unrighteous, and the vile continue to be vile; let the righteous continue to practice righteousness, and the holy continue to be holy.” 12 I am coming and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”… Revelation 22:12
I believe the emphasis here is “according to what he has done”. Can we imagine an omnipotent creator God who just thought of, imagined and talked about creating the universe out of nothing but never achieved what he had set out to do.
To do or not to do, When what we do shows who we are.
… So
they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither
will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 28But
what do
you think?
There was a man who
had two sons.
He
went to the
first one and
said, ‘Son,
go and
work today in
the vineyard.’
29‘I will not,’
he replied. But later he changed his mind and went.… Matthew
21:27-29
James
1:22-25
Be doers
of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving
yourselves. / For
anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who
looks at his face in a mirror, / and after observing himself goes
away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ...
Some time passed when one day, I got a financial windfall that was welcome at a time when the family budget was tight. I had counted on the extra income from my translation to keep afloat.
Here was the expected answer to my quandary. I wrote the ministry to ask them if I could continue to translate and finish the book at my own expense as a gift to them which they gladly accepted.
Our God has creative ways of finding solutions to our problems that turn difficulties into blessings. This is one of the reasons why christians are grateful for life and God´s impartiality who makes rain fall on the unjust as on the just.
We christians are blessed to understand some of the ways of God as Psalm 25 declares: Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. 5Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation;
All day long I wait for You.14The LORD confides in those who fear Him,and reveals His covenant to them. 15My eyes are always on the LORD,for He will free my feet from the mesh.
In conclusion
to those who make resolutions for the New Year, here is a suggestion: try your hardest to keep your word and act on what you say you will do, test to see that God is good, that he is faithful, that his promises are sure and his Word is true.
18 “I have all I need and more, now that I have received your gifts from Epaphroditus. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. 19 my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ And 20To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.…” Philippians 4:19
Wonderful blessings on your life.
Jean-Louis.
Finish What you Strarted - Part 2
Written and Published by Jean-Louis Mondon
I finally got to it after much hesitation. Can you guess why?
This sequel might as well been entitled “7 years later”. It seems that my personal clock is set on big moves that alter my life drastically, not always tragically but certainly in a way that expands my horizon and bring new breadth and the chance to start a fresh new beginning, to learn new useful skills that help me navigate this tough and dangerous world. I wonder how I was able to survive until now if it had not been for the love of God and his providential hand.
1995 was rough year for me personally. My mother living in France had an accident in her apartment and needed to be under care in a retirement home. I felt bad to let my elder brother who took care of her since she was living in Montpellier in Southern France and he in Paris.
When I was in a catholic boarding school at the tender age of seven, I didn´t miss one occasion to thank my mother profusely for all the dedication and loving care she showed us four boys. So I could not wait for Mother´s day to come so I could prepare a nice card to prove that I was capable of showing the filial gratitude that I genuily felt for all the years of being away from my family. Especially missing the times we did to spend together as often as we could to make up for all months we were apart.
One of the Leit Motiv in my life was my desire to show her all the love I could express when I was writing the cards so as to seal forever in my mind why I sounded so melodramatic at the anticipationI imagined she was feeling when she would read the forever promises of eternal gratitude and love a 7 year old could muster to compensate for all the bad behavior he showed while back home and the bad grades he brought to display the lack of gratitude in exchange for all the wonderful things my parents did for me and my brothers.
I could not understand all the reasons they had to keep us separated from the country we loved, from our friends, at that precious young age when one still has not yet formed the undertanding that comes with the maturaity and wisdom acquired later in life when adults expect that someone else will teach learn young boys and girls have to deal with their rough and tough environment. A heavy load of guilt added to the psychological problems and melancholy nature that had built up along my formative years.
I just could not understand why my parents sent me to a foreign land across the sea where I felt rejected by my peers and the very religious figures that were supposed to show me the love of Jesus and the exemple of a life dedicated to service of God and other needy people around the world. I had to be confronted by the severe and real lessons of life that can make or brake the most basic relationships.
A young heart and mind are not prepared to fight back and stop the bullies of this world. That was the conclusion I had reached when confronted with the pain and suffering that was my lot in life. It pushed me to become sulky, rancourous and vengeful in times of despair and with the inability to control my reactions.
So here it is after many years of learning, trying and failing again. In spite of the rough terrain in front of us, I can see that there is hope in this world for those who while being afraid of the unknown can trust in God and know deep inside that there is redemption for the human race and life in a wonderful dimension that is awaitng us that will surprise us with more than we can imagine or dream of as the Word of God says.
All we need is to share the deep and durable lessons we have learned in this life that we experienced so we may pass it on to someone who need a touch from the living God as he has graciously brought us in contact in the most miraculous way, even if at the itme we didn´t even think that it would be possible because we did not think ourself worthy of such love.
Help from above
One of the most helpful passages in the Old Testament is found in Joshua 3:5. “ But keep a distance of about two thousand cubit between yourselves and the ark. Do not go near it, so that you can see the way to go, since you have never traveled this way before.” This seemed very paradoxical to me! You might ask: How can a man know his way if he has never been there before?
This is the wonderful work of our gracious God and Father. his Son Jesus Christ through the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit.
Our Adequacy from God
Definition of adequacy: Adequacy is the state of being sufficient for the purpose concerned. The meaning doesn't suggest abundance or excellence, or even more than what is absolutely necessary. Adequacy is simply the state of sufficiency.
Jesus said to Paul:Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. 10That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.…2 Corinthians 12:9.
Such confidence before God is ours through Christ. 5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God. 6And
He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter
but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.…2 Corinthians 3:5.
The only person that keeps you from taking the first step of faith toward being a new creation with a new abundant life is yourself. But there is hope.
Hope
"1
We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak,
and not to please ourselves. 2 Let every one of us please his
neighbour for his good to edification. 3 For even Christ pleased
not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that
reproached thee fell on me. 4 For
whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our
learning, that we through patience
and comfort
of the scriptures might have hope." Romans 15:1-4.
Hope is what you and everyone needs.
Faith
The
Faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah
…5By faith Enoch was taken up so
that he did not see death: “He could not be found, because God had
taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one
who pleased God. 6And
without faith
it is impossible to
please God, because
anyone who
approaches Him
must believe
that He
exists and that
He rewards those
who earnestly seek
Him.
7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear
built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and
became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Hebrews 11:6.
So my friends, here we are. Will you seek him while you can. Fear, shame and guilt are the real enemies of your soul keeping you prisoners unable to free yourself from their grip. It´s up to you.
Nobody else can make that decision for you.
To read part click on the link: https://lightnseed.blogspot.com/2024/12/finish-what-you-started-part-3.html
A Short Single Sentence that Saved my Life
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