Happy Blessed Easter everyone. This is my most loved time of the year. This is the time that really starts Christianity. The death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I never get tired of hearing how much our Savior loves us. He took all the sins of this world upon his sinless body and bled over them becoming the final sacrifice and saving us. We are so very blessed to be born with such a great, loving Savior watching over us and loving us so very much.
Please, sometime this Sunday take a few minutes out of your busy day and reflect on what Christ has done and is still doing for us every day. Please thank him.
Good morning world. I remember a a little boy many years ago in America that was a title of a famous comic strip that my late father followed in the local news paper. I never understood the title way back then.
Nowadays at my older age and the news has expanded beyond our small town newspapers, our world seems in such a worse place than it was all those years ago. I don’t believe our world is much worse. It is just that we see more news from around the world these days.
Some say we are better informed. But, I believe we are simply more stressed due to this more knowledge thing. Back then we still had problems but they were more localized.
People are always talking bout the good old days. We had problems then like we do today. We were just more localized than we are now. Nowadays if we have a local problem it seems that the whole world gets involved. It causes lots of stress that we used to deal with differently..
Nowadays if a criminal does something bad our news tends to make a hero out of the bad guy on a very public platform. This, encouraging others like them to copycat the bad guys. I remember a time bad guys were dealt with at a very local level and much more quietly. We seemed to have a lot less stress.
I pray daily wishing to go back to thst world, alas, it seems gone forever. Each morning I arise and say Good Morning World what are we in for today? Each day I look forward to that place described in our Bibles. That place of Peace and Love
When you witness to someone about Jesus, or if you help someone in need and they are not even a little bit thankful. If you help them improve improve something in their lives and they don’t seem interested in keeping up the improvements,no matter how simple it would be keeping up, do you just give up? Do you get frustrated and throw up your hands?
Do you get so frustrated that you even forget pray for them? It is always amazing how fast that we as humans can forget how much God has given us in our lives,how many times he has picked us up when we fall, how many opportunities he has put in front of us and how many times we fail to grab hold of these opportunities.
Yet, we tell ourselves that we will pray for, or help some down trodden person one time and when it doesn’t seem to help we just give up on them.
Oh: how soon we can forget how God is faithful with us day after day. We expect God to be there anytime we seem to need him but we don’t have patience for another one of his children that is just important to Hod as each one of us are.
When we say “AMEN” after we pray are we hanging up on God?
Jesus seldom said “AMEN”.
John 16:33 AMP I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]
John 17:1-26 AMP When Jesus had spoken these things, He raised His eyes to heaven [in prayer] and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify You. [2] Just as You have given Him power and authority over all mankind, [now glorify Him] so that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him [to be His—permanently and forever]. [3] Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true [supreme and sovereign] God, and [in the same manner know] Jesus [as the] Christ whom You have sent. [4] I have glorified You [down here] on the earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do. [5] Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory and majesty that I had with You before the world existed. [6] “I have manifested Your name [and revealed Your very self, Your real self] to the people whom You have given Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept and obeyed Your word. [7] Now [at last] they know [with confident assurance] that all You have given Me is from You [it is really and truly Yours]. [8] For the words which You gave Me I have given them; and they received and accepted them and truly understood [with confident assurance] that I came from You [from Your presence], and they believed [without any doubt] that You sent Me. [9] I pray for them; I do not pray for the world, but for those You have given Me, because they belong to You; [10] and all things that are Mine are Yours, and [all things that are] Yours are Mine; and I am glorified in them. [11] I am no longer in the world; yet they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, so that they may be one just as We are. [12] While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and protected them, and not one of them was lost except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. [13] But now I am coming to You; and I say these things [while I am still] in the world so that they may experience My joy made full and complete and perfect within them [filling their hearts with My delight]. [14] I have given to them Your word [the message You gave Me]; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world and do not belong to the world, just as I am not of the world and do not belong to it. [15] I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but that You keep them and protect them from the evil one. [16] They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. [17] Sanctify them in the truth [set them apart for Your purposes, make them holy]; Your word is truth. [18] Just as You commissioned and sent Me into the world, I also have commissioned and sent them (believers) into the world. [19] For their sake I sanctify Myself [to do Your will], so that they also may be sanctified [set apart, dedicated, made holy] in [Your] truth. [20] “I do not pray for these alone [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for [all] those who [will ever] believe and trust in Me through their message, [21] that they all may be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe [without any doubt] that You sent Me. [22] I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one, just as We are one; [23] I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected and completed into one, so that the world may know [without any doubt] that You sent Me, and [that You] have loved them, just as You have loved Me. [24] Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given to Me [as Your gift to Me], may be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, because You loved Me before the foundation of the world. [25] “O just and righteous Father, although the world has not known You and has never acknowledged You [and the revelation of Your mercy], yet I have always known You; and these [believers] know [without any doubt] that You sent Me; [26] and I have made Your name known to them, and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them [overwhelming their heart], and I [may be] in them.”
John 18:1 AMP Having said these things, Jesus left with His disciples and went across the ravine of the Kidron. There was a garden there, which He and His disciples entered.
Wow! Once again we reach the anniversary of Our Lord’s Ascension. How did we get here? When I study our Bible it can seem like only yesterday that he actually returned to heaven. He left us some great instructions that he needs us to carry out for him. He asked us to go throughout this old world teaching everything that he taught us, bringing people into the family of Christ by teaching them. When they accept Christ as their Savior then we are to Baptize then in the name of The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit. Only then can they receive God’s Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit is how Jesus and God talk yo us every day. What a wonderful thing to be able to talk to Jesus whenever you need to and even expect an answer from him! Wow!
It has been a busy but rewarding weekend. Wife and I went to county fair and worked concession booth with Lions Club then visited with a little girl from our church as she was exercising her show pigs. That was Thursday then we went back to fair on Friday and watched pig judging where our little friend earned 3 custom belt buckles for her pigs placed so high in the competition. Then Friday nite we attended the Rodeo as the same young girl participated in the All Girls Horse Drill Team. She was fantastic! Was so much fun but this preacher is very tired! I am resting today then two church services tomoro. God gives me the energy that I need to keep up.
This pastor is constantly amazed at God’s handiwork. Even though I know that God can do anything he so puts his mind to. This week is so amazing, sometimes I just have to sit back be quiet and do what Psalms 46:10 says; BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD!
This week we have a new family coming to church. The first day the mother gave her life to God. So awesome seeing this family’s lives changing. Also, another mom of one of our members committed to begin attending regularly and learning more about God. Three of our elderly church sisters are better medically and back in church.
Our Sunday adult Bible Class teacher is away in Washington state where his father I a ailing and near death. We keep his family in prayer. After dad passes into the hands of God’s protection our teacher will be coming home to Texas and more good news! His brother and sister in law will be moving here to Texas to be near all of us and hopefully joining us in church. GOD IS AWESOME!
I pray that today has felt blessed for all our readers wherever they may be. I would like to share a story of God answering prayer here in Texas last nite.
Some Dear Friends were coming home from shopping about 25 miles from home. Their mini van blew a steer tire and found themselves sitting on side of the highway with their 2 year old son in the van. This couple found that they didn’t have a jack. They begin praying for help from God( keep in mind this couple have only recently begun attending church and they both work hard at learning God’s word and applying it to their family and personals lives.)As I said they began praying for help and a matter of a few minutes a gentleman came out from his house to check on them. About the same time a tire company tire service truck stopped to help. Needless say the tire was changed out and this family got home safe.
This couple is telling me ( and anyone that will listen) that if you really believe on Christ Jesus and his Father they do and will take care of you( in this case they sent help to a stranded family).
This coming Sunday I will be preaching( with God’s help) on 4 main lies that people have been continously are the Truth. It should be very interesting. Please join us.
t4christ 