Author: living4hvn

The King is Coming!

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December is finally here! The season where we remember the entrance of our King into this world.

One Sunday, a dear brother was mentioning the arrival ceremony that took place to announce the coming of a king, during Biblical times. The King was proceeded by a band of soldiers to signify his authority. Music and praise were ringing out everywhere. The path was strewn with decorations and signs making known the importance of the event. Let’s just say, it was filled with pomp and circumstance. After the king’s arrival, there was a huge feast filled with joyous activity and entertainment. This really got me thinking about the birth of Jesus and how he was welcomed into this world.

The arrival of Jesus wad foretold by ancient prophets . Angels heralded His birth, but only to a group of lowly shepherds. Three wiseman traveled from afar to worship Him. John the Baptist later proclaimed, “I am not worthy to untie His sandals”. The King had finally come! Sadly, many people failed to recognize His entrance. He was born in a cave where the animals were kept. He grew up as a carpenter, following in the footsteps of His earthly father. When John announced His presence, He was with a band of fisherman; homeless and broke by human standards. He did not seem like a king to the people around Him. They expected him to be sitting on a throne, starting an earthly rule, ridding Israel of its enemies and freeing them from captivity. However, as they continued to watch, the complete opposite happened. He was hated and betrayed by His own people. His enemies demanded His death and then He was mocked and beaten and hung on a cross. The Roman soldiers stood guard and were in charge of His crucifixion. He was then buried in a borrowed tomb, which 3 days later was found empty. The truth is that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords was sacrificing Himself and receiving the Father’s wrath for our sins. He later rose from the dead but multitudes missed the presence of Divine Royalty. Even though prophecies were fulfilled and miracles performed, people dismissed Him because He was not the king they were expecting.

My friend, let me remind you that Jesus is coming again. His arrival seems eminent. This time, however, things will be different. Do you know who King Jesus chose to herald His coming? He did not choose angels, but you and I; mere human beings who have been saved by His blood. What an honor.. but how do we go about doing that? Let’s take our example from the ancient Roman tradition that I mentioned earlier. The king was proceeded by a band of soldiers. We are soldiers of the cross. He is our general and we are fighting on His side. He has absolute authority and we should show that by carrying out His commands. Secondly, music filled the air and the streets were decorated with signs and banners so that people had a visual reminder that the king was on his way. Dear one, our praise and worship should so invade the atmosphere that it boldly declares allegiance and love for our King and reminds people to prepare their hearts for His coming. We should spread the good news of the gospel far and wide. Remember, we are the ones announcing that His arrival is near. There is not much time left, so let’s shout it from the rooftops

The entrance of Jesus into this word, will also be completely different this time around. A trumpet will blast, the heavens will open and Jesus will come in all of His majesty. He will be riding on a white horse, the citizens of His country, right behind Him. Every enemy will be slaughtered. Death will be defeated. Satan, his demons, and His followers will be thrown into the pit of Hell. Every one, saved or unsaved , will bow the knee. Every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. His arrival will beckon a huge feast for His citizens. The table will be set and an abundance of food will be served but the greatest part of it all will be that the King, Himself, will be dining with us. Music will fill the air as we cry “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty.” Worship will not just be a song but it will be a way of life. Everything that God has planned will be filled with wonder. First of all, we will run into the arms of Jesus, kissing His feet and face, and thanking Him for redeeming us. As if that weren’t enough to bring eternal joy- those who were once lame will be dancing before the throne. Those who had been blind will be taking in all of the beauty of heaven. Those previously unable to talk (this one is especially precious to me) will be shouting praises, singing with the choirs of angels and just talking, and talking and talking… We will not be able to be silenced. Those who were unable to hear the voices of their loved ones here on earth, will take in all of the wonderful sounds…the tender voice of their Christian mother, the strong, yet soothing voice of their faithful father. The sweetest sound will be of Jesus whispering , “Welcome home my child, welcome home.” Those whose earthly lives were filled with heartache, pain, tears, and trials will be in a place where hearts are restored, pain will be no longer, every tear will be wiped away and the light and momentary afflictions will prove to be worth their eternal weight in glory.

My friend, what a day that will be! Let the world know that Jesus is on His way… the King is coming! If you are not yet a citizen of heaven, and if Jesus is not your Lord and King, please give your life to Him. Change citizenships. Yield to Him today. No matter how shattered or broken or wicked your life has been, He will welcome you as part of His Kingdom. You will not just become a citizen of heaven but you will become a child of the King.

THE KING IS COMING! THE KING IS COMING! THE KING IS COMING!

He poured- I spilt

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Matthew 26:28 ” This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Picture yourself on a hot day. Your clothes are drenched in sweat and you are longing for something cool to drink. All of the sudden a dear friend brings a pitcher of water, filled to the brim with ice, and pours it into your cup. You put your lips to your glass, take a sip, and automatically a smile hits your face . Your thirst has been quenched and your body refreshed.

Here is another scenario. You are going on a date with your husband at a nice restaurant. It has been a while since the two of you have had time alone and so you put on your nicest dress. You get seated at a table with a picturesque view of the ocean. Along comes the waiter to pour you a glass of wine and all of the sudden he trips and spills the wine all over your dress. You are horrified and have to go home because now your cute pink dress is covered with crimson. What a mess. The date was cut short, the wine was wasted, and your dress was ruined.

Let me tie in these made up scenarios to real life stories. Late last year, I was struggling with several bloody noses. They were quite severe but, with the help of my parents, we were able to get the bleeding stopped . One day, however, as I was getting out of my truck my nose started to drip blood; going from drip to a deluge. I could not get it to stop and blood was gushing out. My dad called 911 and I ended up having a 10-12 hour straight bloody nose. I had to be put on a ventilator a trach tube put in because I swallowed so much blood. It was a very traumatic and horrific experience. The point is that I could not stop the blood flow no matter what I did; It was spilling out of me. I would have done anything to stop it, but I couldn’t. I could not get that blood back, it was spilt all over the ER room. I had to have a small transfusion and I ended up spending almost a month in the hospital.

On the other hand, Jesus Christ who is God’s one and only Son, came to earth as a man. His mission was to die on a cross so that His blood could wash away my sins and I could live with Him forever. You see my friend, on that cross Jesus’ blood was not spilled out. The circumstance was not out of His control. Jesus, at any moment, could have stoped the blood flow. He chose, however, to pour out every ounce of His blood so that we could gain eternal life. He emptied His cup so that our cups could be full.

What a contrast between these situations. My blood came uncontrollably spilling out of me. It did nothing but make the ER room look like a butcher shop and put me in the hospital for way too long. Every drop of Jesus’ blood was mercifully poured out. That crimson flow did the opposite of making a mess, in fact it cleansed my heart and made it as white as snow. The result of His blood is that I am healed of my sins, perfect before the Father, and I have gained eternal life. Mine created a disaster but His made a masterpiece of beauty and grace.

We can never repay Jesus for what He did, and what He is still doing, but we can purposely pour out our all for His glory and His kingdom. Please don’t try to control your life, wasting it and making a mess of things. Let Jesus fill your cup because left to yourself you would just spill it anyways.

The Audience to the Life of Faith

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Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.”

From the moment we wake up to the moment we lay our head on the pillow, we are living out our lives in front of a cloud of witnesses. In essence, our lives are being played out as if we were on stage in front of a live audience. As you look out amongst the crowd, you see familiar and unfamiliar faces. You see smiles and you see frowns. You hear cheering along with some “boos.” Some have come to see an amazing performance, and some have come to watch a disaster. I call these the audience to the life of faith.

In the audience, you have four groups of people. You have the unsaved in your life; the people you come into contact with on a daily basis. These are the co-workers you spend 8 hours a day with or the classmates with whom you interact. These are the members of your family who do not know Christ or the people in the grocery store or the people who pass you by on the road. These people have bought a ticket to the performance of “my life.” You see, they may have come with an expectation to see you fail. They may not be cheering you on as you live your life, but make no mistake, they are watching. They are expecting you to live life differently. In their everyday lives, they know what it is like to face hurdles. They know what pain is, and they know the joys of fleeting pleasure. But what they need to see is someone who can face pain and tragedy and come out stronger because of it. They need to see someone whose joy is not based on circumstances or material gain, but is based on a relationship with the Savior who holds their lives in the palm of His hand. Yes, they may have come to see you fail or expect to watch you be pulled down, but may they come away seeing a difference in the way you live and wanting the life that Christ has to offer.

The second group amongst the audience are your sisters and brothers in Christ. This group is comprised of people who have come to cheer you on in your faith; people who have lived out similar scenes in their lives and can give you the assurance that if the Lord came through for them, He will come through for you as well. They provide a smile when one is needed and a word of encouragement when the way is tough. They can provide counsel when the way is unclear, and just a shoulder to cry on when you are feeling worn out.

Within the second group, there are also believers who have come to be inspired. They want to see someone who took the leap that faith required and made it safely to the other side. They are looking to you to provide them with an example of godly living, unselfish friendship, self-sacrificing love, and pure motives. They need someone who can become their hero of faith. May they not walk away disappointed.

Down in the lower levels of the stadium sits the third group. They came to the performance already in an uproar. According to them, you were supposed to be playing by their rules and reading from their script. They remember the time when you were bringing profit to their playhouse and were living life to bring them accolades. Now, Satan and his demons are furious that you are working for someone else. They jeer, they mock, they lie, and sometimes even throw in a word of fake flattery, all so that they can see you fall flat on your face. Satan lost the war for your soul when you gave your heart to Jesus and decided to live for Him. Now he and his army will make every attempt to get you either to go backward or stand still in your walk with Christ. Live your life in such a way as to make these guys as angry as possible. When they whisper in your ear, “You can’t make it one more step,” charge on with the Lord full force. When they say the Lord can’t use someone like you, prove them wrong with every fiber of your being. Their sole purpose in coming is to see you fail. However, may they walk away feeling like failures themselves, knowing that every attempt to make you weaker just made you that much stronger in Christ.

Your eyes are drawn upwards to the fourth group. There, in the balcony, sit myriads of angels. Along with them are saints who have gone before you. All of them have come for your support. You see, they know the writer of the play, and He has personally told them of your potential. They know that if you stick to the script, the end result will be marvelous.

Suddenly, your heart skips a beat as you focus your attention on one member of the audience. Tears start streaming down your face as you realize who is looking on. The One who sacrificed everything to give you the role of a lifetime, being a child of God, is sitting center stage. He has the sweetest look of encouragement in His eyes, and now, more than ever, you want to nail the final act. You want Him to smile as He wells up with pride seeing the one, who once was a poor blind sinner when they were cast, being used as a powerful vessel for His glory.

My friend, each night you will see the curtains close, and each morning they will opened and a new scene will begin. May we, in the way we are playing out our days, point the unsaved to Christ, encourage and be encouraged by the saints, frustrate the devil and his demons and make the angels cheer with joy. Most importantly, though, may we have made our Father proud. When the final curtain call is made, may we hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

One Way of Escape

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Public Domain: World Trade Center Attack by PH2 Jim Watson, USN (DOD 010914-N-1350W-002) | by pingnews.com

“Jesu said to him, “I am the (only) Way (to God) and the (real)Truth and the (real) Life; no one comes to the Father but through me.”” John 14:6 Amplified Version

The other day I was watching a show about the horrific events of 9/11. It was a normal day. Men and women were working hard at the World Trade Center when suddenly a plane plowed through the first tower causing debris to fall like snow all over, and flames to ignite with mighty force. It was a nightmare. Heroic firefighters rushed onto the scene knowing they would probably not ever come out. Not much later, the second tower blew up as another plane crashed into it.

People were screaming for help. Phone calls were frantically being made to friends and family. Prayers were being offered up. Men and women were jumping from the towers because they could not stand the flames and the fact that they were going to be burned to death. 911 calls were pouring in made by people crying out for someone to come and help them. Family and friends were desperately waiting to see if their loved ones would make it out.

Many of the firefighters gave up their lives trying to help these people down the endless flights of stairs. People were miraculously being saved from the lower floors but it was those upper floors that were almost impossible to reach. Besides that, the building was about to collapse. A call was recorded from a person to 911 begging and pleading for help. She said she couldn’t breathe and there were flames everywhere. She felt like her body was on fire and she was going to die. It was heartbreaking. Meanwhile, a certain fireman had stayed in the tower and had discovered one last stairwell left. That stairwell was the one and only way people could find any way of escape. Displaying immense bravery, this fireman was wiling to try and get the victims down, very likely at the expense of his own life.

In the background of the 911 call, you can suddenly hear that fireman coming into the room where the woman was. She was desperately yelling out- HELP! HELP! HELP! I’m sure any others nearby were crying out as well, praying he would be their savior. The tower ended up crashing before this man could lead them down the stairs, but he was crowned a hero because he was willing to stay until the end.

What a senseless tragedy. Men who hated our country committed suicide so that they could destroy thousand of lives. It was a day like no other. Families would forever be changed. Children would now be growing up without a parent. Wives and husbands would now live alone. Loved ones would be lost.

My friend imagine this scene in a different way for a moment. Picture the building being engulfed in flames. There was is no way out. However, there is one firefighter left and he has found the one stairway down. As he enters the room he cries to the desperate that he was there to help. He knows about the only way down and if they follow him he is 100% sure they will come out alive. Some people jump at the chance and run into his arms for help. On the other hand, there are others who were sitting in their offices , ignoring the fact that the building is burning down around them. As the firefighter once again makes known his presence and his offer to save them, some say, “well the building hasn’t collapsed yet and maybe it never will, and so we will wait for a while and see what happens.” Still others cry out in hatred, “you say you have found the only stairwell down; you are nothing but a narrow minded, non-loving fool. I will find my own way out.” Still others are dancing around chanting, “at least we will go down with our friends and continue the party forever.” The fireman is crying not wanting any one of these people to die

Can you imagine that? People not wanting to be saved from the fire; acting as if it were a joke and ignoring, or actually hating the only one who could save them. Well, it has happened and is happening still. The Bible has warned us of an even greater horror ready to strike at any time. It also , though, gives The Good News that The God man, Jesus Christ, has shed his own blood so that a way of escape could be created. Some are flee to the feet of Jesus, admitting they need to be saved from their sin and that He is the only way of salvation. Others say that they have more time so they will just “see what happens”. Some ignore Jesus. Others laugh. Some actually hate and despise Him, calling Him a liar for saying that He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. They believe that there are many ways to heaven and eternal peace. Those who follow Jesus are also disdained as well because they are considered narrow minded, ignorant and full of hate.

Today, we have two choices, and two choices only. We follow the blood stained path to the cross and cry out for help, or we don’t and are senselessly caught in the flames for all eternity. The cry has been given. The Savior has come. Jesus poured out every ounce of blood that was in Him to make a way of salvation. He also took our sins on Himself at Calvary so that the righteous judgement of the Father could be satisfied. All we need to do is just choose to follow Him and admit He is the only Way to the Father. Then, we will spend eternity in heaven with Him. (FYI, He died but He rose again three days later and ascended into heaven to sit with the Father at His right hand) He eyes are filled with tears because he does not want any to perish. His nail pierced hands are open wide, ready to accept anyone who will come. He will not, however, force His offer of salvation.

My friends, we would be fools not to take the offer of Jesus and be given life forever. Not just life, but eternal bliss in heaven with Him and forgiveness of our sins. Please, if there is anyone reading this who has not run to the arms of the Savior and admitted they needed to be forgiven, by all means do not put it off or reject the most precious gift ever to be offered. Yes, there may still be time left, but we are not guaranteed tomorrow. The tower could fall today. Will you be ready? For those of us who have accepted the free gift of salvation and fallen at the feet of Jesus, admitting our sins; may we forever be grateful. When that day comes and we see our Savior face to face, let us place our crowns at His feet and claim Him our Ultimate Hero.

C

Each Piece Has a Place

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“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.” Psalm 133:1

My mom and I used to watch T.V. as a time to be together, but now there is so much filth on, that you can’t even watch a commercial without hearing foul language or seeing homosexuality. We decided we had to find a new way to have togetherness time. Therefore, we started a new hobby… puzzles. Man, once you finish your first puzzle, you are hooked. Sometimes we stay up until super late just to find “that one more piece.” We have come to love it.

The Lord kept giving me nudges to write a blog about how the puzzle pieces parallel the Christians that make up the body of Christ. So here I go….. Let’s get into the mind of puzzle pieces. Ok, Ok.. it takes a lot of imagination, but just hang in there with me.

Puzzle Piece #1- Why do I have to be a background piece? All I am is pure white. I wish I had the vibrant colors of the other pieces. No one is ever going to notice me.

Puzzle Piece #2- Why do I stand out so much? I would rather be in the background where I just blend in.

Puzzle Piece #3- Man, this piece next to me is really rubbing me the wrong way! I wish I could move somewhere else where my neighbor has smoother sides.

Puzzle Piece #4- Why do I have to be in a puzzle where the one putting it together gets to choose where I go? I would do better choosing my own spot. Actually I would be better just being a piece that doesn’t connect with any other piece.

Puzzle Piece #5- I don’t see anywhere where I fit in. There are so many other better pieces. How could a plain piece like me have a place in this beautiful picture?

My friend, I hope that you can see how many times we, as part of the body of Christ, have the same thoughts and feelings. Let’s break it down piece by piece 😉

Christian #1- Why do I have to have a ministry that is not really noticeable. Sara gets to sing, Paula gets to preach, Yolanda gets to be a youth group leader and and William gets to be on the worship team. Here I am cleaning the bathrooms. Who is ever going to appreciate that. No one ever is going to see me doing this.

Christians #2- Why do I stand out so much? I wish I could just blend in with the crowd. Everyone is looking at me and I feel they are going to find out that I am not perfect at what I do.

Christian #3- Man this person in the church is really irritating me. They are rough around the edges and they are poking me on every side. Let’s just say, the best of me does not come out when I’m around them. I’m going to move somewhere else so that I don’t have to deal with ‘Poky” people.

Christian #4- Why does God have to choose where I am put. I know myself, and I would be much better off choosing my own place. Actually, I will just worship on my own out in nature. There I will find quietness and serenity.

Christian #5- I am such a failure compared to these other Christians. They are so much farther in their faith. They never fall down in the Christian race. I am constantly tripping up. They have a beautiful testimony and mine is so average. I will never catch up with them and I don’t deserve to be in their circle. I just don’t have a place where I feel like I fit in.

I think we all have felt at least one of these things, if not more. The church of God is truly like a puzzle. We are not always chosen for the limelight; some of us are given background jobs. We may be asked to do something outside of our comfort zone where others are looking on. There are going to be people in the church who irritate us in some way or another. Others may not share any of our interests. You may look at a brother or sister and see how far along they are in their walk with Christ, and feel like you can never attain that in your life. They are super power saints and you are just the average person with no real gifts.

The creator of the puzzle has chosen where every piece is to go and how they fit into the picture. Jesus is our Creator and the one who gets to choose where we are put. If we kick against Him and try and be someone else or something else, the whole church will be thrown off. You see every one of us is serving a special purpose, even if we are just someone who comes and serves Christ in what they think is just an average thing. You may not be chosen first, but many times it is the last piece that completes the beautiful picture.

So, let’s stay in the spot that Jesus has chosen for us, knowing that each individual plays a part in His body. No one is more special to the Lord than anyone else. If we all work together and support each other in love, then we will show the world a beautiful picture of what the Christian life can be, and the power of unity in Jesus name.

Lessons From an Eagle

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“Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40;31

I was reading this well known verse from Isaiah today and I was curious about what is meant by the term, “mounting up”. I looked it up on the web and, needless to say, I got fascinated by the world of the Eagle and was absolutely amazed at how many spiritual analogies you can take away from this majestic animal. I want to share with you just a few of them that really caught my attention.

Why do Eagles mount up to the sun?

They get so close to the sun’s rays that its heat begins to burn up the debris that’s been weighing them down and incinerates the film that has been built up over their eyes and their strength and vision is renewed.

Ok…wow! There is so much just in that alone. When we, as christians, get close to the Son of God, the power that He radiates begins to burn up the debris and burdens that have so easily weighed us down: things like doubt, anxiety, fear, depression, jealousy, anger, pride, idolatry, thinking too far into the future, comparing our lives to others…… just to name a few. Also, it clears up the film that keeps us from seeing things from God’s perspective. So many times we are not looking to Jesus and therefore we see things in the totally wrong way.

We feel like we can never have victory over sin. We think our way is the best. We get anxiety over circumstances that may or may not hit our lives. We feel like nothing good will come out of our trials. We complain about the mundane and, on the other hand, we whine when we have too much on our plate.

Seeing things from a heavenly perspective completely changes our lives and our attitudes. For instance, we know we can have victory over sin because the Holy Spirit indwells us. The Bible says that “He has given us everything we need for life and godliness.” (2 Pt 1:3) What is the opposite of sin? It is godliness. That means that we have the power to have victory because the Lord has already given it to us; we just need to use it.

We will know our way IS NOT the best way, because His word says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Is. 55:8-9). So, in looking to Jesus, we realize that we know absolutely nothing in comparison to Him. He knows what will bring us joy and what will glorify His name.

When looking at our future we tend to get fearful. What will come tomorrow? What if I lose my health? What if Iose my job? I’m not going to be able to pay my bills. What if a natural disaster happens? What if people turn on me? What if I fail the test? What if can’t gain approval. What if?…………

Once again the heavenly perspective is that we may never know what the future holds, but we know that we do have the precious nail scarred hands of the Saviour, holding our future. “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” (Matthew 6:34)

We will see clearly that the Lord can make the most hideous of circumstances into the most beautiful blessings. We will remember that following the Lord in the every day things is BIG to Him. We can wash the dishes day after day, and if we are doing it as unto the Lord, we are bringing Him glory. We can get tired of the kids making noise and the house having to be cleaned up after them, but when we remember that one of the greatest jobs ever given is to be a parent and train up a child in the ways of God. We should then feel privileged to do those mundane tasks. We will also know that we have the same power that raised the Lord from the dead living in us and that will help us face the impossible.

My friend, let us look to the Son of God, so that the filth of this world and the haze of sin that has covered our eyes, are burnt off by the light of His presence. He will renew our strength and our vision will be cleared. Soon we will find ourself soaring on wings like eagles toward the goal of the prize in Christ Jesus.

How do Eagles rise above storms?

They use the winds, especially the strong winds, as well as updrafts coming off mountains and hills. This helps them to gain the altitude and sets them up for a long flight from one location to another, especially when they have a long way to fly.

How can we rise above the turbulent storms that hit our lives. Well, there are many mountains and hills that we have to face as Christians; mountains of hardships that look insurmountable and hills of circumstances that are beyond our control. If we let the Lord use those things to help us gain altitude in our Christian attitude, then it will make it easier for us to get over those rainclouds. Instead of going down in the storm we will sore even further and higher than we ever could have without those mountains and hills of difficulties.

In the winter, Bald Eagles often gather at communal roosts where they are relatively sheltered from the wind and are usually near some source of food. Many of these roosts are used year after year and are thought to serve as a social time for communication among eagles.

The Lord gave me the comparison between the communal roosts and the church. Church should be a place where, at least for a time, we are able to find shelter for our minds and hearts from the things of the world along with others who are close to the Savior. Jesus is the Bread of Life; the One who sustains us. We should be able to enter there and find a place where we can commune and share with each other our joys and our burdens; a place where we can lift up our prayer requests and rejoice, as a body, when we get the answer.

To find Bald Eagles, head for water, where the birds are likely to be looking for fish. During winter times they are especially found along coasts, lakes, rivers, etc.

As followers of Christ we should be found near the Water of Life- Jesus. We should make it our job to be fishers of men. Our focus should be on finding the souls that are lost and giving them the good news of salvation. Our world is getting darker and colder moment by moment and so we need to cling tightly to Jesus and witness, by our words and our lives, to those who need the hope of the Savior.

The biggest enemy of Eagle is humans.

Speaking for myself, my biggest enemy is not satan, nor the world, it is myself, my flesh. I often times choose disobedience over obedience, holding grudges over complete forgiveness, disbelief over faith, screen time over time in the Word. I can say harsh words or think wrong, sinful thoughts. All of these things come from the flesh. I often feel like Paul who said, “For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is in my flesh (my human nature, my worldliness- my sinful capacity.) For the willingness (to do good) is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very thing I do not want to do…….Wretched and miserable man that I am! Who will set me free from this body of sin and death?” (Romans7:18-19 & 24)

If we were left with that thought alone, the situation would be totally hopeless. Our flesh would rule the day and we would live a life that did not glorify God. Paul, however, has an answer to his heart’s cry. “Thanks be to God (for my deliverance) through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7: 25a) Jesus, alone, can give us the power over our flesh. He can help us to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 For 10:5b). He can lasso that tongue of ours and keep it from spitting out cruel words. The power that we need to have faith over unbelief comes from the Author of Faith Himself. Getting closer to Him, makes us love Him more, and therefore want to spend more time with Him in His Word.

So, my dear friends, may we mount up on wings like eagles and soar towards the Son. May we, through His power, rise above the storms of life. May we learn from our trials to trust Him more and may we always remember that Jesus is the sustainer of all things; the Living Water and the Bread of Life. May we find fellowship and shelter in church. May we crucify our biggest enemy, our flesh, and may we always be on the lookout for souls who need to hear about salvation.

One day we will mount up on heavenly wings to our final destination and we will be able to rest for all eternity, in the presence of Jesus. We will find out that we were never flying alone but were actually being borne on His wings all along.

Faith when time is running out

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Recently a Bible character has been on my mind. The more I think about him, the more I am amazed by his faith. The man I am talking about is Jairus.

His daughter was on the verge of death and so he went to where Jesus was and begged Him to come to his house and heal her. Jesus, being touched by the father’s cry, got up and started following the man towards his house. A crowd was gathered and so I’m sure they weren’t moving very fast, but they were making progress. Suddenly, Jesus stopped and said “who touched me?” At this point in the story Jairus could have spoken up and said, “excuse me Master, I was the first in line. My daughter is gasping for breath and every moment matters. Please, please Lord, deal with this situation later. My daughter is dying Lord, don’t you understand? You are her only hope and we have absolutely no time to stop!! ” We do not, however, hear anything about Jairus raising his voice to contest.

Jesus stoped and a woman falls before him who had been bleeding for years. She had touched the hem of His garment and was healed. “Daughter”, Jesus said, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be free from your affliction.” While Jesus was still speaking, a group that had been at Jairus’ house, came by. “Your daughter is dead”, they said, “why bother the Teacher any more?” I’m sure at this point Jairus’ heart sank. His little girl was gone, and they might have made it to the house had this interruption not taken place. His friends were were telling him to give up hope and let Jesus go on His way. Again, however, we hear nothing about Jairus blaming Jesus or even telling Him He was too late.

Jesus turned to him and said, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” Jairus then could have said, “thanks Jesus, but my daughter just died. Belief, will do me no good at this point.” Instead we see the man continuing to lead Jesus to his home.

Outside of his house a crowd was already gathered. They were weeping and wailing loudly. Do we see Jairus joining the crowd at this point and mourning the loss of his daughter. Does he put on sack cloth and ashes and tell the Master to go His way. Nope, none of that.

Jesus then says that there was no need to cry because the girl was not dead; she was only sleeping. Jairus could have laughed in disbelief along with the crowd. He could have said in anger, “ok Jesus, now you have gone too far. My daughter is no longer breathing and her little body is stiff. She IS dead Jesus and You missed the boat”, but we don’t. Next, Jesus went into the house and took one look at the little girl. “Get up!” He said. In an instant she got up and began to walk. I imagine Jairus began weeping with joy to see the smile on his little girl’s face as she jumped into his arms and gave him a giant hug.

Jairus faced many obstacles to get to his miracle. He faced a huge, time devouring, interruption. The fact is, someone else was receiving the very thing he was asking for. Others were trying to convince hime to give up; that it was too late. He faced having to trust in the impossible. He saw his dead daughter, but he chose to believe that Jesus could defy all odds and bring his daughter to life. What faith this man had!

My friends, in the face of our dire situation, may we choose to believe as Jairus did. May we be happy for the miracles others have gotten, even if it delays ours. May we not listen to the voice of the crowd telling us to give up crying out to Jesus because all hope is gone.

“Lord, even when expectations are shattered and our dreams die, may we trust that You can bring life to the situation and turn it for our good. Thank you for being a good and loving Father. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray – Amen.”

Battered, yet still standing

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Last Sunday, at our 4th of July celebration, we watched a short video about how much our flag has been through. It has been tattered and abused; trampled on and treated as worthless. It has been through wars. People have tried to destroy, it yet it still stands proud, representing our country. How touching it was to see the depth of what it cost for our freedom.

On this independence day, I realized that there is a great parallel between what the church has been through and what our flag has been through. Just as the flag stands for America, the church stands as a symbol of the heavenly country and the One who paid the price for its freedom.

Many enemies have tried to destroy the church of God. People have been martyred, blood has been shed, homes have been destroyed, family members threatened, livelihoods have been taken away. Those on the side of evil have mocked the church of God, they have trampled it under foot, and have done everything to see it wiped out completely. They hate what it stands for and Who it stands for. Others have pledged allegiance to it, only to turn their backs on it, in the midst of the spiritual battle. Those who hate the church have shot at it from every side, yet it still stands proud; representing the heavenly country and the One who gave His everything for its freedom from sin and death. The blood of the martyrs has been the seed of the church. What the enemy has meant for evil, the Lord has turned for the good.

The flag flies the highest and stands the proudest when it is at home. The horrible things it has been through were worth what it means to represent its people’s freedom. It is the same with the church of God. When we reach our heavenly country, we will then realize, even more, that the light and momentary trials have been worth the eternal weight of glory. Also we will be thankful to have represented the One who gave His all to set us free from sin.

My friend, what a day that will be when we enter eternity and are able to say to Jesus, face to face, You were worth every battle wound. Thank you for dying that I might live. I pray that I represented you well. If you have not yet pledged your allegiance to the Lamb of God, please do it while there is still time. You want to be standing on the right side when the battle is over.

Going Forward

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“Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to Him, so He stepped forward to meet them….” John 18:4

Today I want to share with you one of my favorite verses. It is John 18:4. “Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to Him, so He stepped forward to meet them…”

I want everyone to pause for a moment and really take in what this verse means. Jesus was being confronted by a group of soldiers who were about to arrest Him. He knew in minute detail what was going to happen to Him next. He knew He was going to be arrested, mocked, spit upon by His own creation. He knew His beard was going to be plucked out. He knew how many times He was going to be slapped in the face, and not only that, He knew every person who was going to do it. He knew His flesh was going to be torn to pieces and every ounce of blood was going to be poured out of HIs body. He knew that His hands and His feet were going to be pierced through and that a crown of thorns would be dug into His precious head. He knew the disciples were goin to flee and that Peter was going to deny Him three times. He knew Judas had sold Him for the price of a slave. He knew the weight of the sins of the whole world was going to be placed on His shoulders and He knew that His Father, with Whom He had perfect fellowship from all eternity, was going to turn HIs back on Him in His deepest hour of agony.

Knowing all of this Jesus stepped forward. These words are overwhelming to me. Jesus stepped forward because He knew that His pain and His agony was going to save a wretch like me. He stepped forward out of love because He wanted so badly to have a personal relationship with me and He knew that the only way to do that was not to shun the cross but to step forward to endure the cross for my sake and yours. Oh, the depths of love!!!!! He didn’t even just stand still and wait for the soldiers to come and get Him… He went forward.

I believe that if the Lord chose to show me all that I was going to face in my life, which is absolutely nothing compared to the sufferings of Jesus, I would run the opposite direction. I would say, “No Lord, this is too much for me to handle. I can’t do this.” However, the Lord in His wisdom and mercy, just asks me to walk forward one step of faith at a time not knowing what the future holds but knowing Who holds my future.

In light of what Jesus did for me I pray that I can go forward and, in His power, endure the cross that He has so lovingly chosen for me to bear. I pray I will never look back, nor turn back, but “keep my eyes of Jesus the Author and Perfecter of my faith Who for the joy set before Him endured His cross, despising the shame and is now sitting at the right hand of glory.” (Her 12:2)

My friends, Jesus went forward for us. Is it too much to ask that we go forward for Him?

The Invasion

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Exodus 8:10 Then Pharaoh said , “Tomorrow”…

Imagine waking up tomorrow with a slimy creature on your face.  You pop up, half awake, so you can shake it off and the second you do another one hops on. The booming sound of “ribbit, ribbit, ribbit” reverberates off of every surface of the house.  Your eyes pop out of your head as you see frogs hopping on your floor, on your furniture, in your pantry, and in every room. Not just one but hundreds.  You run outside to find an escape and to your horror the whole land is filled with these disgusting, hopping creatures.  You can’t even jump on your horse to ride away because the horse itself is being tortured by the same thing you are.  There is no escaping the situation.  You are trapped. Your life is being invaded by frogs, which you used to try and catch as a child.  Your heart is pounding out of your chest by this time.  You realize that your only hope is mercy, so you call the man of God to intervene on your behalf.  In comes Moses and his brother Aaron.   They can fix things just like they have before.  As they approach you despairingly cry out “ok, I’ll do it.. I’ll let your people go and sacrifice to your God, just make these darn frogs go away.”  Moses replies , “sure, I am at your disposal, just tell me when you want me to call on God for you!”  You take a deep breath and the word…”tomorrow” comes out of your mouth.  Tomorrow, not instantly, not even today but tomorrow.  Now you are probably thinking to yourself, “I would NEVER do that .” If my whole world is being invaded I would do anything  to make them go away today.  But tomorrow?!!!!!!! My friend, you may think you never would make that crazy call but so often it happens.  As you are sleeping, you feel the slimy feeling of sin creeping into your heart.  It’s ok, you say, it’s just one little sin.  So you flick it away only to find that another comes to take its place.  Before you know it,  sin has taken over your whole being.  You feel dirty and you are being hurt by the sin you’ve let invade your life.  There is no escaping it now except to plead with God.  The Lord appears and you cry out.. “ok God.  I’ll obey, just take away this plague”.  “Ok, the Lord says, I’m ready any time.  In fact I’ve been waiting for you to say those words.  When do you want me to do it?” and you find yourself saying tomorrow.  You will put up with the horrors of the present just to enjoy sin for a bit more time.

Christians put off obedience and the unsaved put of surrender just to enjoy their sinful life for just one more day.  They could have their relationship with Jesus restored instantly or their eternal fate changed from hell to heaven yet they cry out tomorrow.  Please do not let sin invade your life only to one day wake up and find, if you’re a Christian, that your relationship with Jesus is nearly non-existent.  If you are not saved, don’t put repentance off until tomorrow. You wake up or you may not wake up at all, and find yourself completely cut off from the chance of salvation, and regretting for eternity that you didn’t act immediately.  God can save in an instant my friend, it’s just your choice when or if .