Wednesday, March 31, 2010

JOURNEY TO EASTER

Like me, most of you are busy with your day to day lives. We have our daily schedules which are overly full, then we add to that the "extra-ordinary" things that are occuring....babies being born, children getting married, people moving from one location to another, doctor visits, family illnesses, deaths, special projects we are undertaking, preparing our yards for spring....the list could go and on! All of these are just part of life. Yet in the midst of all this busyness, we need to stop and reflect upon the significance of this coming Sunday..... Easter.

That day changed MY life.........has it changed yours?


I'd like to invite you to take a journey with me this week, back to Jerusalem, back to the roots of the first Easter. Let's take a few moments for the remainder of this week and reflect upon how Jesus, the centerpiece of Easter, spent his last week on this earth. Maybe by doing that, it will help us to truly appreciate Easter and make it truly a day to celebrate.


This past Sunday was Palm Sunday. What does that mean? Well, scripture tells us that on Sunday, Jesus arrived in Jerusalem and entered the city on the back of a donkey. So why is that such a big deal? Let's look a little further:


Matt. 21: 1-7
"When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethpage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, telling them, 'Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you should say that the Lord needs them and immediately he will send them' This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled,
"Tell Daughter Zion
See your King is coming to you,
gentle, and mounted on a donkey,
even on a colt,
the foal of a beast of burden" (Is 62:11, Zec 9:9)
The disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt; then they laid their robes on them and He sat on them."

The Roman leaders (who were then occupying Jerusalem) had probably paraded through the streets earlier that day. It was almost time for Passover and everyone would be entering the city in preparation for it. It was customary for the Roman royalty to come through in a fine chariot, the red carpet rolled out before them, the colors flying, a parade of great splendor! But when Jesus comes, he comes riding on the back of a lowly donkey, with borrowed robes for a saddle. He was probably followed by a rag tag group of followers, children, lame, poor, who were all expecting Him to become their king, roust the Romans from Jerusalem and FINALLY set up his kingdom. They laid palm branches and their coats on the road for him to ride in on, it was the best they could do. They had great expectations, yet little did they know what the week would bring as they shouted Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna to God in the Highest!!

When He arrived in the city, he was not bowing and waving, cheering on the crowd and enjoying his moment of triumphal entry. No, he wept. He wept for Jerusalem. Luke 19: 41 says "As He approached and saw the city, He wept over it ..." He wept because they had hardened their hearts. He wept because they would not believe He was their Messiah. He wept for their loss.


Today Jesus comes to man and too often man does not recognize Him. They are looking for someone or something different and they fail to see Him as He really is. He has come to seek and to save that which is lost. John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that WHOSOEVER believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." Many are expecting something else from life. They are looking in all the wrong places. When what they really need is Jesus and He is right in front of them, yet they cannot see. It breaks His heart.


Even those of us who are His often miss seeing Him. We are so busy with our everyday lives that we miss the evidence of His presence all around us. I encourage you this week, TODAY...to look around, to realize how God is with you every moment of every day. He is in the small things and the BIG things! See him in the beauty of spring. See him in the blessings He loads you with every day. See him in the answered prayers. See him in the unexpected blessings that seem to just come from nowhere. It is NOT coincidence, it is NOT luck, it is your Heavenly Father who loves you and loves to give you good gifts. And even in the midst of your storms, He is there. He is holding your hand, watching over you, caring for you, meeting your needs before you even realize you have one.

This week, LOOK FOR HIM. Be aware. Do not be asleep as those in Jerusalem were! Dont' miss the blessings!! Open your heart this week. Ask God to help you SEE Him as you have never SEEN Him before. If you don't know Him, ask Him to reveal Himself to you. He will!


Easter is coming!!!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

HOROSCOPES...BEWARE!

I thought that horoscopes had become a thing of the past, but looking at FACEBOOK obviously I was very wrong. There are quite a number of followers of the age old "psychic hotline".

All of us would like to know what our future holds...or at least we THINK we would. We like to read Bible prophecy and know what God says about His future events, and there is certainly nothing wrong with studying Bible prophecy because it helps us to be prepared for His Second Coming. He tells us through it to be alert and to be ready. God had many prophets throughout the Bible such as Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Nahum and others who were used by Him for His specific purposes. But...he also warns about FALSE prophets...those who pretend to be predicting the future, but serve Satan in trying to lure people away from Christ.

So, are horoscopes purely innocent fun or are they dabbling in the occult?

Deuteronomy 18: 9-12 says ..."do not imitate the detestable customs of those nations [heathens]. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens [horoscopes], or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD." (NASV)

God does not want believers to be caught up in imitating the practices of the world nor does He want us to look to other sources, He wants us to look to Him and Him alone. God and His Word have all the answers we need and we are to look to Him for those answers. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that gives to all men liberally and upbraids not and it will be given to him." James 1: 5.

Horoscopes date back to ancient times, in fact, all the way back to the Tower of Babel. Nimrod, Noah's great-grandson, whose name literally means 'Let us Rebel", was first connected with the tower of Babel in Genesis 10: 9, 10 "and he was a mighty hunter before the Lord and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel." Babel was what became known as Babylon, a center for everything unGodly. So wicked was Babylon that Revelation 17:5 calls Babylon "the mother of prostitutes and the abominations of the earth." Israel-a-history-of.com goes so far as to suggest :

"There is plentiful evidence to suggest that all forms of paganism, meaning all forms of pantheism and polytheism, traces its roots back to Ancient Babylonia. It is no secret that the assortment of gods and goddesses from Egypt, India, Greece and Rome all find their beginnings in the original pantheon of the Babylonians. There is even evidence that Nimrod himself was later deified as Merodach, or Marduk, the chief god of Babylon. "
So what does any of this have to do with horoscopes? Plenty!
"Enough of the ruins of the Tower of Babel have been discovered to permit archaeologists to speculate on its appearance and purpose. It covered 4 acres at its base and was 153 feet tall. There were 7 stages, each one smaller than the one below, giving it the appearance of a gigantic weeding cake. Each stage was dedicated to one of the then known planets, and a tower at the top had the 12 signs of the zodiac inscribed in the walls. It was apparently intended as a combination observatory and temple to enable the people to worship the celestial bodies and practice astrology."
"The 12 signs of the zodiac are a perversion of the Hebrew Mazzaroth. By tradition Adam, Seth, and Enoch named 12 constellations of the stars in such a way as to foretell the gospel story. As shepherds lay under the stars at night fathers could use them to instruct their sons on the Lord’s plan of redemption for His fallen people (Read “The Gospel in the Stars” by J.A. Seiss). The “horror-scope” in your newspaper lists the Babylonian names of these constellations. In reading it you are inadvertently following the false religion that originated with the tower of Babel and that denies everything the Bible says about the relationship that began with your Creator at the moment of conception. These corrupt names are virtually the same in every known language except Hebrew where the true names and meanings of the 12 signs can be learned. This is why the study of astrology (observer of times KJV) was an offense punishable by death in Israel and was given as one of the causes for the Canaanites’ expulsion from the land (Deut. 18:9-11)." (1)
They were worshipping God's creation rather than the Creator. "I AM the Lord, that is my name and I will not give my glory to another" declares the Lord in Isaiah 42:8.
God put an end to the tower of Babel and scattered the people and confused the languages as His way of saying 'STOP!! Do not be involved in such things. Worship me and me alone". I believe he would say the same to those who are today looking to horoscopes and pscyhics and other occults practices. Do not get caught up in these deceitful practices. Rather turn your eyes to Jesus. He will guide you into all truth. He IS the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6)
(1) Jack Kelley; gracethrufaith.com

Saturday, March 27, 2010

A GREAT SACRIFICE

In Memory



"No greater love than this...that a man would lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13



Death comes to all men at some point in time. Yet when it comes suddenly and unexpectedly, it shocks us and brings us to our knees. Moreover, when it comes to those who have put their lives on the line in the service of others, it shatters us in a totally different way.


So it has been to the Hospital Wing family of Memphis, Tennessee this week as three of their comrades lost their lives in a helicopter crash on Thursday in Brownsville, Tennessee.


Three lives dedicated to helping others, to SAVING lives.


Most of us come and go through our daily routine with little thought of those who are laying their lives on the line for us throughout the day. Policemen, firemen, paramedics and those who fly in their "aerial intensive care units". Yet when we are in trouble, when our lives are threatened by violence, by fire, by a life-threatening accident, they are the ones we want to see and see immediately!! We do not think of the danger they themselves may be putting themselves in to rescue us or help us. It is their job. They signed up for this. But oh how grateful we are that they did !!!!!!!



I have a special place in my heart for the Hospital Wing because my son-in-love works serves as a flight paramedic with them. It was his dream job and he was so thrilled when God opened the door for him to go to work there. You HAVE to love it to do this kind of work. You have to love helping others.



Doug Phillips, Misty Brogdon and Cindy Parker also loved their jobs and they gave their lives in the service of others. They were just returning from delivering a patient to the hospital in Jackson, Tennessee when their chopper went down in bad weather.



How do you say thanks for a life given to help others? How do express to their grieving families that they did not die in vain? They were heroes. They did what they did not because they HAD to but because they CHOSE to, knowing that every time they stepped into that helicopter there was the potential for danger. They did not dwell on that fact but it was always there, in the back of their minds, yet the greater good was to be served...helping those in need.



Today as families and friends and co-workers of these begin the process of saying goodbye, I ask you to bend a knee and say a prayer for those who have been left behind by this tragedy. There are many grieving hearts today...their families and their Wing family, their friends and even those of us who never had the pleasure of meeting them personally, but feel as if we know them. I also ask you to take a moment today or in the near future to bless one of our heroes who serve us on a daily basis...whether it be a flight paramedic/nurse/pilot or a policeman, fireman, EMT....whoever you may know that serves in one of those capacities. Tell them 'thank you' for all they do and how much you appreciate them. They don't hear it nearly enough.





"Lord Jesus....we come to you today with grieving hearts. We ask you to be near to the families of these who have given their lives for others. Comfort them as only you can. Wrap your arms of love around them so tightly that they cannot escape your Presence. Send others to them to express Your love in word, in kind actions and in gentle embraces. May their hearts be lifted as they hear of how these three touched many lives, many of whom they would have never have met outside this tragedy. Thank you for Doug, Misty and Cindy and for their selflessness in serving, for the lives that they touched. Thank you for the legacy they have left. Minister also to the Wing family, those who have worked side by side with them day and night, who know what it's like to fly into face of danger for the sake of another. Comfort their hearts as they grieve as well. As the services are held in their memory, we pray for comfort, for encouragement and for peace for those they have been left behind. Minister to them, meet their needs and reassure them that you are with them and will not forsake them. Be near O Gentle Savior...nearer than breathing, closer than hands and feet. In Jesus name we pray....Amen"
















Monday, March 22, 2010

FALL OR RISE?

"This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come...." II Timothy 3:1

Yesterday was a disastrous day in the life of our country. Life as we have known it will never be the same after the passing of the Healthcare Reform Bill by Congress.

Things have been escalating in Israel for the past several weeks. The U.S., always a firm ally of Israel in the past, has been at odds with them over their strong stance to continue building settlements in Jerusalem. Our President has been making untold numbers of DEMANDS upon them and the tensions between him and Israeli Prime Minister Netayahu have grown greater and greater.

In prophetic scripture there are numerous countries that are mentioned....Russia, Israel, Syria, and other middle eastern nations. There is nothing about America. No Biblical reference to anything that could be deemed as America. The Bible is silent where we are concerned.

It makes one wonder....could possibly the FALL of America be the ushering in or at least bringing us one step closer to the RISE of the church? Specifically, the Rapture!? "For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain [on earth] shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord". I Thessalonians 4: 16, 17.

If so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!!!!!!!!! Come!!

But until then "comfort one another with these words....warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward ALL men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus conerning you. Quench not the Spirit....test all things and hold fast that which is good. Abstain from every appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit an dsoul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." I Thes. 4:18, 5: 14-23

Friday, March 19, 2010

REJOICE TODAY

"This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24


I will rejoice today because the sun is shining and it is a BEAUTIFUL day!

I will rejoice today because today is my mother's 79th birthday and we are blessed to have her.

I will rejoice today for I will be with the people I love most in the world today...my family.

I will rejoice today because I am healthy enough to carry on my daily activities.

I will rejoice today because I live in the land of the free, the wonderful USA!

I will rejoice today because I was able to open my Bible this morning without fear of being imprisoned.

I will rejoice today because I have a home to live in and food to eat.

I will rejoice today because I have a wonderful circle of friends to love and be loved by.

I will rejoice today because God has given me another day to live for Him.

Today could be the day Jesus returns or calls me to "come up".

Today is another opportunity to point others to Jesus.

Today is another day to bless the Lord. Let's REJOICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

NEVER GOOD ENOUGH

Do you ever feel like you are never quite good enough? I know I do.

It seems like no matter how hard I try...and I DO try really hard...I can never quite measure up to other's expectations or my own. In this frail, human, sin sick body of mine, I can never achieve perfection...as much as I'd like to, as much as I strive to.

I want so desperately to be

the BEST wife....

the BEST mother....

the BEST grandmother....

the BEST mother in law....

the BEST daughter....

the BEST friend....

the BEST teacher....

and yet I consistently fail. It is a miserable feeling to let down those you love, to cause hurt or disappointment, to fail to measure up in their eyes. It is even worse to feel that disappointment in failing God.

However, unlike our loved ones or our friends who may become angry, frustrated, upset or even withdraw their love from us, God never stops loving us. He constantly reminds us that He loves us no matter what!! He says:

My compassions fail not...my mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22, 23)

My thoughts toward you are precious...they are more than the sands of the sea (Psalm 140: 17, 18)

I rejoice over you with singing...(Zephaniah 3: 17)

I have redeemed you, I have called you BY NAME, you are MINE! (Isaiah 43: 1)

Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed for I am YOUR God; I will strengthen thee, yea I will help you, I will uphold you with my right hand! (Isaiah 41: 10)

There is therefore NO condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8: 1)

...neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things to come, nor things past, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate you from my love (Romans 8:38, 39)

I have loved you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)

Yes, in this life, no matter how much we try, we will never achieve perfection. Not til we shed this sinful body and gain our new glorified body in Heaven, will that occur. But be assured of this, no matter how many times you fail, God will never stop loving you, never stop pursuing you, never stop wanting a relationship with you. You are forever engraved on the palms of His hand and you are accepted in the beloved.

Monday, March 15, 2010

SECURITY

Don't you just love Andy Wise?! He goes after the bad guys head on.

A few nights ago, a teaser about his upcoming broadcast really caught my attention. He was going to be doing an expose` on a security company that was doing business without a license. I knew who is had to be before he ever gave the name.

Our daughter and her husband had gone head to head with this company the year before. She had a folder full of information she could have shared with Andy to add to what he already knew, including returned mail, unreturned phone calls and records of repeated attempts through the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Affairs to right the wrongs done by this bogus company.

So I was very interested to see what new "goods" Andy would have on them. Turns out that this company had lost their license about the time my daughter was having problems with them. They had been since ordered by the state to "cease and desist". Yet they continued doing business, billing folks for their shoddy service and dodging the law.

It made me wonder. How secure can you feel when your security service is monitored by someone you cannot reach by phone or mail or in person and who is ignoring the law??!! In fact, I wonder if those who still have their systems installed in their homes would even be serviced if they had an emergency? I seriously doubt it.

Living in the area of the city dubbed the 3rd most undesirable in the country, we all feel like we need extra security. But are we ever REALLY secure?

What about the folks who put their security in their portfolios...their bonds, money markets and stocks? Enter Bernie Madoff and ponzi schemes and all that fell apart in a matter of days. Everything some people had worked for...gone! Others put their security in the real estate market, then came the economic downturn which has wreaked havoc on it as well.

We place our security in many things, but can we really be truly secure in this life? No, not if your security is built on sinking sand.

Security systems are good, especially in this day and time. Making investments is not a bad thing. It is wise to plan for the future. But at the same time we must be aware that these things are temporal. They are not made to last.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousnes
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand.
The only TRUE security we have is Jesus. When we have Him we can rest assured that our future is secure. Though everything we own may crumble, though we may lose all that we have materially, we still have Jesus. "Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea....the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge". Psalm 46: 2, 7.
Where is YOUR security today? What are you banking on? Better yet...WHO are you banking on? If it's not Jesus, you have no real security.
All but Jesus
disappoints
misdirects
falls short
disillusions
dims
corrupts
and fades away.
Hope is not hope at all
unless it can be
anchored to that
which never fails.
Only HE is eternal.
---Chris Browning

Thursday, March 11, 2010

ARE YOU READY?

"Be ready in the morning....and come up". Ex 34: 2



When I first read this verse a few days ago, I was immediately captivated. In fact, there is more to the verse, but I never got any farther than those few words. Nor did I even read the devotional associated with it. It was as if God had sent me a telegram telling me to get ready for a journey.



Was God trying to tell me that the next day He was going to call me Home? I admit that crossed my mind. As I thought on that, I wondered 'what do I need to do to "get ready"?'



At the time I was reading this, I was preparing to go out of town for our anniversary. My sweet husband had planned a little getaway for us and I was eagerly anticipating our leaving. So of course I had been busy "preparing". I had shopped for a couple of new outfits. I had gotten down our luggage. I had been looking online for things for us to do while we were there. Had gotten someone to teach my Bible study class for Wednesday night. I was only going to be gone 3 days, but still plans and preparations had to be made.



But....if God was going to call me Home for all eternity....what did I need to do to "get ready?"



Well just as we had had to make reservations for our stay in Nashville, I have had to make reservations for Heaven. You see, I did that a long time ago when I was 10 years old. I placed my faith and trust in Jesus Christ and as a result my name is written forever in the Lamb's Book of Life. My name has been engraved on the palm of His hands and nothing and no one can ever snatch me from His grasp. So my future is secure.



So what else do I need to do to "get ready" should He call me to 'come up'?



I think I would want to say my goodbyes, if given the opportunity. To be able to tell those I love so much one last time how much they mean to me. I would want to express a huge thank you to those who have played such a part in my life, who have encouraged me, supported me, prayed for me, taught me, discipled me and been there for me. I would want to be sure there was no business left undone. I'd want to be sure my affairs were in order and I'd want to take one last opportunity to share Christ with those I know do no know Him personally.



As I thought on this, I thought all the way back to my first Sunday School teacher, Artie Jean Webb. I still see her from time to time and she is as beautiful today as she was back then. She had the sweetest smile and was so kind. She still does.



I thought of other teachers who had so impacted my life during my childhood....Marie Dixon, Sue Nolley, and Martha Apple. I think of our department director, Tim Treadwell, who had faith in a little girl's ability to play the piano and gave me the responsibility every Sunday to do so. I remember with fondness our youth leaders, Joe Clark and Tim Spencer. How many kids they touched and I wonder if they ever realized what an impact they made. They pointed me to Christ and encouraged me to stay the course. They saw things in me I never saw in myself and opened doors of ministry for me that charted the course for my life. A wonderful couple, Mr. and Mrs. Vic Palpant, were only in our church for a short time, but I will never forget them. They opened their home to us every Sunday night, giving us a place to hang out since there was no real place to do that in our small town. I have such fond memories of the time spent in their home.


These are just a few of the people who influenced MY life as a child and teenager. The list from then on could take volumes!!



How about you? What would YOU need to do to get ready? Is your reservation made? Are there things you need to do? Are there people you need to say "thank you" to? Are there people you need to express your love to? Are there those who need to hear about Jesus from you before you go?



We do not know when God is going to send us the message "come up". He may graciously give us a heads up and allow us to "get ready", but He may not and since we do not know whether we will be given that opportunity ahead of time or not, we need to be ready TODAY.



Today could be our day to "come up"...either by way of our physical death OR by way of the rapture. Either way, we need to be ready.



If you do not have your reservation made, if your name is NOT written in the Lamb's Book of Life, then now is the time. Do not wait another day. I would love to share with you how. You may contact me through the COMMENT link below. Or you may call 1-800-NEED-HIM.



If your name IS in the Book, are there things left to be said or done? If so, don't waste another minute. Do it today. Make that phone call. Write that letter. Make a visit. Hug the ones you love and tell them how much you love them. So what if TODAY is NOT your day. So what if you live another 30 years? Tell them again and again, but don't leave things unsaid until it's too late.



Because you never know when God MAY say "Be ready in the morning ....and COME UP!"