Majesty

The heavens are telling the glory of God; they are a marvelous display of His craftsmanship.  Day and night they keep telling about God.  Psalm 19:1-2

How can anyone look around this great planet of ours and not believe there is a God?  God has blessed us with so much!  He created all this beauty for us to enjoy and take care of.  I will never get tired of driving around and taking it all in.  I can travel the same way each day but each day I will see something new that I had never noticed before.

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

by Henry J. van Dyke, 1907

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,

God of glory, Lord of Love;

Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee,

opening to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;

drive the dark of doubt away;

Giver of immortal gladness,

fill us with the light of day!

Reflections

 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 

Galatians 2:20

Just as this pond of water reflects the trees and the things around it, I want my life to reflect Christ living in me!

Let Others See Jesus In You
B.B. McKinney, 1886-1952

 

While passing thro' this world of sin, and others your life shall view,
Be clean and pure without, within; Let others see Jesus in you.
Let others see Jesus in you, Let others see Jesus in you.
Keep telling the story, be faithful and true; Let others see Jesus in you.

 

Your life's a book before their eyes, They're reading it thro' and thro'
Say, does it point them to the skis, Do others see Jesus in you?
Let others see Jesus in you, Let others see Jesus in you.
Keep telling the story, be faithful and true; Let others see Jesus in you.

 

Then live for Christ both day and night, Be faithful, be brave and true,
and lead the lost to life and Christ.  Let others see Jesus in you.
Let others see Jesus in you, Let others see Jesus in you.
Keep telling the story, be faithful and true; Let others see Jesus in you.

True Love Means Sacrifice

Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.  
Matthew 27:30-31

So many years ago Christ died for our transgressions.  He did nothing wrong but showed His love for us by giving the ultimate sacrifice by laying down His life for us. Where would we be without His forgiveness for the wrongs we have done?  His death and resurrection gave us the opportunity for eternal salvation and life with Him and our Heavenly Father.  All we need to do is believe, say I'm sorry and ask for forgiveness for our sins.

 How many of you remember the move Love Story?  There was a line in that movie that so many people began quoting, "Love means you never have to say I'm sorry."  This couldn't be further from the truth.  We do need to say I'm sorry when we hurt someone.  We do need to ask for their forgiveness.  If we don't we can never move forward in our lives.

Is there someone in your life that you need to say those two little words to?   If so take the step and go to them and say I'm sorry.  That is all Christ asks you to do.

Cleanse Me

by J. Edwin Orr

Search me, O God, and know my heart today;

Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.

See if there be some wicked way in me;

Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free.

I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;

Fulfill Thy Word, and  make me pure within.

Fill me with fire, where once I burned with shame;

Grant my desire to magnify They name.

Offerings For The Tent Of Meeting

 

And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.  Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. Exodus 35:20-21

How many times have we failed to give our tithe to the Lord?  How many times have we said I will give more next month due to a shortage of funds?  How many times have we said our church doesn't need the little we have give?  We can always justify why we don't give but what does God's word tell us?  Everything we have comes from our Heavenly Father and all He has is that we give a 10th of it back to Him to further His Kingdom.

When God laid out the plans for the Tent of Meeting the hearts of God's people were stirred.  They left behind their selfish desires and gave of their gold and their gemstones.  They used their time and talents to make the things that were needed.  Just as they surrendered their time and talents to God's work we can do the same today.

I am so proud of our little church!  We support several missionaries and a team of eleven just returned from Panama.  While in Panama they built a home for one of the families and that family has now said this home will be a place of worship, a place to study God's word.

God created each of us with different talents to be used to further His Kingdom.  How are you using your time and talents in your local church?  

Freely, Freely

by Carol Owens

God forgave my sin in Jesus' name
I've been born again in Jesus' name
And in Jesus' name I come to you
To share His love as He told me to

He said: 'Freely, freely, you have received
Freely, freely give
Go in My name, and because you believe
Others will know that I live.'

All power is given in Jesus' name
In earth and heaven in Jesus' name
And in Jesus' name I come to you
To share His power as He told me to

Before he Set The Heavens In Place

Photo by Marianne Burgess

 "The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.  From everlasting I was established, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth."  Proverbs 8:22-23

Everyday we are bombarded with how things were created, that we are all here because of a big bang that happened somewhere along time and that we just evolved from something else.  I choose to believe what my Bible, God's Word, tells me.  I was created in God's image and I am unique.  He knew me before He knit me together in my mother's womb.  God designed, planned and implemented all that we are, all that we see, and everything we can't comprehend.

God is still in charge of this universe not us.  He causes the sun to rise each morning and to set each night and He keeps the stars in sky.  I for one am very glad He is!!!

He's Everything To Me

by Ralph Carmichael

In the stars His handiwork I see,

On the wind He speaks with majesty,

Tho He ruleth over land and sea,

What is that to me?

I will celebrate Nativity,

for it has a place in history;

Sure, he came to set His people free

What is that to me?

Till my faith I met Him face to face

And I felt the wonder of His grace

Then I knew that He was more 

than a God who didn't care,

That lived away out there

And now He walks beside me day by day,

Every watching over me lest I stray,

Helping me to find that narrow way

He's everything to me.

Remember The Sabbath

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work..."

Exodus 20:8-10

Growing up Sundays were a day with family and as a family we attended church together.  My Dad did not always go with us but Mom never failed to find us a ride to Sunday school and church.  After church families would gather on the lawn of church and everyone would have "dinner on the ground" together or you invited another family home with you for Sunday dinner.  I miss these times as today we don't invite someone over for Sunday dinner but head to a restaurant for our meal.

I remember one year, I think it was 1987, my sweetie and I had traveled across country visiting with family and friends.  We were heading back west, had spent the night in Elk City, OK, got up early to get back on the road and had driven as far as a Liberal, a small city in Kansas.  We were both getting hungry so we decided to stop for a bite of lunch.  There was no food to be had as everything was closed.  It was the Sabbath day and not even a gas station was open to get a soft drink and a bag of chips.  We both commented that it was really great to see businesses closed so their employees could spent time with family and attend church together.  

Today it is a rarity to see businesses closed on any holiday much less on the Sabbath.   The almighty dollar and what it can buy rules our lives.  Spend time with your family this Sabbath and go to church as a family.  I promise you won't be sorry!

Take Time To Be Holy

by William D. Longstaff, 1882

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;

Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.

Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,

Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.

 

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;

Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.

By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;

Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

 

Take time to be holy, let Him be thy Guide;

And run not before Him, whatever betide.

In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,

And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.

 

Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,

Each thought and each motive beneath His control.

Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,

Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

An Invitation To Dine

"The Kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king, who gave a wedding feast for his son.  And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come."

Matthew 22:2-3

Have you ever planned a big dinner or get together and have everyone you invited to cancel at the last minute?  You have spent hours/weeks with preparation putting together what you thought would be a fantastic time for all.  I have and it hurts big time!  You make a promise to yourself that you will never do it again.

God is doing the same thing for us only it is a wedding feast.  All we have to do is accept His invitation to become part of the Church, the Bride of Christ.  God's Son is our Bridegroom and for whom the wedding feast is prepared and He has laid the groundwork in our hearts to respond to His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Oh what a celebration it will be when we put on our "wedding clothes", 

the clothes of Jesus Christ righteousness.

Wedding Music
 by Phil Cross & Kirk Talley

Is that wedding music I hear

The brides adorned and ready to appear

And there's heavenly preparation 

For the wedding celebration

Is that wedding music that I hear

The family is preparing for a wedding

All have been invited to attend

The bride is standing ready

Waiting for the signal when the groom says

Thanks my children come on in

Soon we'll rise to leave this land of sorrow

For that ceremony in the air

The Father then will lead us

Through that Holy land of splendor

Have you made your preparation to go there

Is that wedding music I hear

The brides adorned and ready to appear

And there's heavenly preparation 

For the wedding celebration

Is that wedding music that I hear

And there's heavenly preparation 

For the wedding celebration 

Ia that wedding music

Is that wedding music that I hear