Friday, March 29, 2013

The Cost and More Than Enough



     It is Easter weekend. This is a special time for Christians. If it were not for the death of Christ on the cross where would we be today? Take time to think about what Christ means to you, what he has done for you in your life and what it cost Him, to die in your place. May those we love and care about find Christ and accept the debt he paid for them, that they may have eternal life. Let this be a time of remembrance for all that God has done in our own life.



                                                              The Cost

     Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Could we not get to heaven another way? When mankind rebelled against God and entered into sin, God required a sacrifice of blood for the redemption of man. It was a debt that man could not pay. Through his love for us, God made a way, he provided the Holy sacrifice.
     Our Lord gave up being God for you and me. A humble man he became, setting aside his glory and power. He became the man that Adam failed to be. The shed blood of the son of God is what it cost to purchase freedom for you and me.
     He paid the debt that we could never pay. For all our affiliations, he bore the stripes at the whipping post of man. Beaten and abused he accepted our shame and disgrace. Nailed to the cross he was covered with the sins of mankind. Broken and grieving but the worst was yet to come. MY GOD, MY GOD, why hast thou forsaken me. The horrors of sin, God would not look upon.Total separation from God, as he turned away from his only begotten son. Our Savior understood what man never can, the cost of total separation of God from man. In that moment of time we faintly can see the devastation that sin has brought to you and me. Our relationship with God broken by the sins in our lives. It was the blood, the life of the only begotten son of God that was required for the redemption of you and me.

     John 10:17-18
     Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.



                                                            More Than Enough

    Is there any way to have to much of God? Never! He is all we need. He is the calm in the storms of life that we all go through and he is our guard in the daily wars we fight. When we are the weakest, he is our strength.Only God can bring peace in times of sorrow. When we can no longer walk, he carries us. He is reason in times of confusion. He is more than enough for all our needs.
         He is our healer in times of sickness.
         He wipes away the tears of the broken and heavy heart.
         He is our courage and strength to face each day.
         He loves us, though hated by many.
         He is our encourage'r when we are down.
         He knows our every sin, yet forgives, when we ask.
         He gently corrects us when we do wrong.
         He gives us peace and joy for our sorrow and pain.
     On the day he died, on the cross, he thought of you and me, and freely gave his life, that we might be free. He took our sins and made them his own, so that he could pay the debt, that we could never pay. Can we have to much of God, NO! When we allow him to have all of us, we will become a reflection of Him.




(c) Copyright 2013 All rights reserved.









Saturday, March 23, 2013

The Warrior Awakened



                                                       The Warrior Awakened


     As I read the newspaper and watch the news on TV, I am reminded that there is a war being fought for
the human race. The war started in the Garden of Eden and the lines were drawn. Throughout history God
has called his own to stand and fight. A war is won, peace is restored and man goes back to business
as usual and forget to teach the lessons learned, to the next generation. Then, it starts all over again. What
does it take to awaken the warriors of God? Some are called to prayer, some to provide finances and the
supplies needed. Others are called to serve on the front lines of the war and some to working in secret as they protect and guard the helpless and weak. God is calling today for his own to take their place n this war that we fight. Many believe the final battle will soon be fought. We must ask, are we ready? To what area are you being called, to serve as a warrior of God?


                                                          The Warrior Awakened


     For the soul, the battle we fight. Drawn to the battle, we wear mercy and grace. Trained for the battle, God has awakened the warrior in us. Standing firm in the battle, not an inch will the enemy freely take. He believes we will not stand. In war, the angels assist, they carry the orders from heaven above. Our orders accepted, we now are on guard. God has awakened the warrior in us.
     Full of pride, Lucifer a war in heaven did fight. Now those cast down from heaven to earth and the minions of evil, destruction and death is what they have planned. A war they will fight till time on earth will be no more and the judgement of God they will face.
     Firm in our faith, being filled with truth and love. The kingdom of God, the death of our Savior, we carry the message of salvation to all. Not a single man will be denied a message from God. The armor of war we gladly wear.Taking captive our enemy, the enemy of God, with fierceness we fight for truth and life. With cunning and strength from our Lord, with courage we march.
     The accuser of man, destruction has planned, an invasion he leads. Lies of the enemy brings heartaches and pain. His minions strike out wherever they can. From the day of our conception will they enemy strike, till the day of our death, he will not stop. The enemy of God, has only hatred for man. Death is what the enemy plans for the children of God. This war he will fight until his judgement day.
     The armor of God we wear with pride and with praise for our father above. To our bosom the wounded we raise, to our Lord of all healing we will carry each one. The King of Kings now stands as their guard. No enemy in arrogance will threaten, for fear of the warrior now awakened in us.



     Ephesians 6:11-12
     Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
     For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.


(c) copyright 2013 all right reserved




Thursday, March 14, 2013

Our Prayer Life Changes

The last couple of weeks it seems there has been a great deal more to pray about. Our Pastor has had a double lung transplant and is going good. My cousin Mike, we are waiting to see if his surgery for a liver transplant will be today. Other family will bury on member this week, others are facing cancer concerns and decisions to make. The church family has had deaths, illness, cancer, jobs needed and places to live for some. How do we pray or how should we pray? We are told in the bible (God's Holy word) to pray without ceasing. We should be in constant connection to God every day for the needs of others and the concerns in our lives. When I put things in perspective, I find my prayer life does change. Hope this will encourage you to take a look at how you pray.


                                                        Our Prayer Life Changes


     When we put our prayer request in priority order, prayer for ourselves change. Pray first for those closest
to you. You know the tough times they are going through. Your own needs may seem a little selfish in comparison.
     Next pray for teachers, doctors, all medical care, ministers. All of those you know who have huge responsibilities. Pray not only for them and their families but for all who come under their care. Lives sometimes in jeopardy and often a future at stake. Put the foster parents here. Suddenly your own burdens don't seem quite so heavy.
     Then pray for our leaders, at every level of government. From the city to the national level, what a weight they carry. Put church leaders here. they care for the souls of mankind. Decisions they make affect not only those they serve but it can at times have world wide consequences. We have only our small corner of the world to be concerned with.
     Pray for the weak, those with heartaches and pain. Pray for the hungry and the homeless, they often have no resources at all. Put our military man and women here and their families. They have little to say about when, where, why or how, those decisions are made for them, with no concern for their family life, but for our benefit. They put their lives on the line daily for people they have never met and many are ungrateful. They give up family, comfort, safety and often warmth, for our freedom. Our demands for three meals a day, electricity, fun and entertainment seems rather self centered, when you see how much we have to be thankful for.
     Now we can pray for self. When all the rest are covered, then we can pray for our needs, wants and desires. In the proper perspective we find that we pray differently. It becomes more of a prayer of praise to God for all that we have and who we are in Christ. We can look and see all the things he has done for us. Our hearts attitude is more thankful and less selfish. The things we thought we most important, suddenly have no place at all in our prayer life. Yes, when we put our prayer life in priority order, our prayer life changes.


(c) copyright  2013 all right reserved

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Why Grace


     Dear Family and Friends, I decided to post this today after all the love, prayers and miracles of the past few days. Gary one of our church members, working on a roof, came in contact with power lines. 10,000 volts of electricity went through his body, throwing him off the ladder. Grace was in the mud. Gary landed on his back in a mud puddle. No broken bones. I believe God's amazing grace was in that mud protecting him. He had surgery yesterday to repair his foot. The electricity went through his hands and out his foot. No bone or deep tissue was affected. Hole in his foot about the size of a stamp. They did a skin graft and praying that it will all heal with no more surgery required. God meets us where our need is and for Gary, I believe it was in the mud.
     Yesterday afternoon the message went over the internet. Our Pastor, Craig Fields was notified they had a match for lung transplant. This is the second transplant. Everything was a go and he went into surgery about
midnight last night and the doctors talked to the family about 7 AM this morning. I was amazed reading the post through the evening and this morning on Face Book. I can't imagine how many thousands of prayers were going up to heaven last night. I saw one that said Prayers from Japan. How great is our God. What would our world look like if we reached out for those prayers in all our needs. How different our world and our Americas would be if we turned to prayer as we did last night. There is power in prayer and we need to learn to apply it for all our needs.Our needs is why we need God's amazing grace in our lives. All praise, honor and glory goes to our Lord and Savior, the God of all Grace. May His Grace be with each of you.


                                                             Why Grace
     If we have no purpose in life, then we have no need for Grace. But, we do have purpose and we need Grace in our every day walk. It is especially needed in these tough times, we live in, that are often filled with conflicts and doubts
     Women of God are bathed in Grace. Devoted and faithful, with the ability to overcome hardships and defeats. They have a desire to make the world a better for everyone.
     Men of God are also bathed in Grace, to be protectors and providers for those under his care. They are the warriors and hunters, seeking to be conqueror and hero.
     We must remember all things come from God. It is God's Grace that goes with us throughout each day. The grace of God heals, provides and sustains our life. Grace brings peace in times of heartaches and worry. Safety and courage in times of fear and disaster. Sufficient Grace is the umbilical cord that keeps us connected to God.


     Psalms 145:8-9
    The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion: slow to anger, and of great mercies. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.




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