Thursday, April 23, 2009

Miss California is a winner to me!

Perez Hilton is a homosexual blogger, a self proclaimed queen of gossip...his words, not mind. For whatever reason, he was one of the judges for the Miss U.S.A. pageant.
He asked Miss California if she thought all states should follow Vermont in allowing same sex marriages. She said she believed that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
She knew when she spoke those words that the likelihood of her becoming Miss U.S.A. flew right out the window. But she has no remorse and says she would say the same thing again if she had it all to do over again.

Now for those of us who feel that way are called intolerant. We are narrow minded. We are called haters and now even extremist.

So Hilton was so angry at Miss California's answer that he called her a stupid (word I will not repeat here) . He says she had no right injecting her politics and Christianity into the Miss USA pageant.

Unbelievable... where is the tolerance in this case and any case that has to do with people of faith.
What amazing hypocrisy!

Thank God for people like Carrie Prejean...what a brave young lady. God will bless her in ways she would have never known had she won the pageant.

I'm happy for Miss N.C. and I wonder if she would have taken such a stand.

Believers must take a stand... Carrie did... God is honored.

Monday, April 13, 2009

A great day on Easter

I am so thankful for our folks at Fellowship Baptist Church. As we were preparing for a record crowd on Sunday, I asked that people would volunteer to go to the earlier services to allow room for visitors at our eleven o'clock service and they readily complied.
We had almost identical numbers in all three services and fell just a small family short of 500 in total worship attendance for the morning.
Two young boys asked Jesus into their hearts after the first service and 11 adults responded to receive Jesus in the eleven o'clock service.
What a wonderful day God blessed us with.
The music was great in all services.

Let's pray that many of these people will return next week and the next and so on.

Hallelujah, What a Savior!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Holy Week...Sunday...Resurrection Day!!

Just outside the city...a garden expressing it's beauty
Early in the morning...the song birds fulfilling there duty

Shadows running across the ground
As the light was coming around

Dew glimmered in the flowers and the grass
Earth's longest night ever, has passed

Ladies lift up their heads in surprise
They simply could not believe their eyes

The stone has been rolled out of place
Revealing what was now an empty space

Two angels stood shining with Glory
Shared with them the resurrection story

He is not here, He said He would rise
They're story was received as nothing but lies

But Peter and John to the tomb did race
There they found as stated, an empty place

Now one certain Mary returned to the grave
And asked the gardner for His body to save

Mary said He, Please do not cry
Go and tell the others that it is I

I told you I would suffer in Friday's shame
But now ...as promised...SUNDAY CAME!


I have stood at the tomb...IN the tomb that many believe is THE actual tomb... as I stood there, I could not help but notice HE WASN'T THERE!!!
Actually that is not true...He was there, but this time He was there as a permanant resident in my heart, Praise the Lord.
To see that slab carved out of the hillside where the grave clothes were folded and laid that morning as Jesus no longer had a need for the tomb...the original owner could have it back as it was no longer occupied...

The darkness of Friday has passed...Saturdays cloud of despair was cast...Sunday is here at last... Hallelujah what a Savior!

Happy Easter!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Holy Week...Saturday

In front of several churches on my way to the office today, I saw crosses with the black shrouds hanging over the cross beam. The imagery is that of the death of Christ. Taken down from the cross only after they were certain he died and wrapped in clothes and placed in a tomb...a borrowed tomb. A hole carved out of the side of a hill. A stone rolled in front of the opening. He is dead...He is buried. It's over.
Well, we know the rest of the story so we already know that it is in fact not over. Yes, Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross, speaking to the fact that He had done what He had come to do...take upon Himself the sins of the world. Now He must carry them to the grave and He must deal with the dead both good and evil.
As for the living, they did not know. What they knew was the Carpenter, teacher, preacher, healer, changer of life was dead and His body was now in that tomb.
The rock that He Himself had created now encased His body... Saturday...dark indeed.
A crowd of men and women with no idea what to do now...dark.
A mother, who watched her son brutally killed and saw the stone slam into it's place to conceal her son in a grave...dark.

Have I mentioned yet... Sunday's Coming! Shout it with me through the darkness...

SUNDAY'S COMING!!!!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Holy Week...Friday...part two

I know I've already posted today but I had another thought or two.

Imagine how defeated everybody must feel right now... in the context of Holy Week.

It's night...the beginning of Sabbath and Jesus is now in the tomb...

What went wrong? How could he have been so knowledgable and so powerful and it all end this way? What do we do now... all of the religious people are alienated and we have left everything to follow Him...now what?

They were after Him...now will they come after us?

How could this happen? How disappointing....how discouraging...

Wait, has anyone thought about the things he had said... the temple will be destroyed but will be rebuilt again in three days. He told them he had to die but he would rise again. Did they forget?

The enemy didn't forget...that's why they sealed the tomb and placed soldiers there.

I wonder sometimes if we, His people, forget His promises at the most crucial times.

He is in the grave...and I repeat from my earlier blog...It is Friday, but Sunday's coming!

Holy Week...Friday

Today is Friday...
Jesus has endured several trials during the night and morning, all of which were illegal and unfair.
He has been mercilessly treated by arrogant handlers throughout the ordial.
His power was demonstrated once again in the garden when all the soldiers fell to the ground, yet He submitted to the plan.
Beatings...spitting...and that horrible picture that we have all been reminded of by "The Passion of Christ" The sad truth is Jesus was likely unrecognizable by the time the beatings were over.
The long painful walk down the Via Dolorosa (Way of suffering) carrying that cross.
As if all that's not enough...the nails in the hands and feet...the thorns on His head and the spear in His side...
It's a dark moment... in fact it was dark for several hours as the Father was forced to turn His face from the Son. Wow! What sacrifice.

It's Friday......... But listen carefully.... SUNDAY IS COMING!!!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Holy Week...Thursday

I have stood in a room that some believe is the upper room where Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples that Thursday night.
I have knelt in the garden of Gethsemene near a tree that very likely was there that night that Jesus prayed there. From that garden I could see the Eastern gate to the old city.
I slipped off my shoes and socks and walked bare foot up the stone stairs to Caiaphas' porch where Jesus walked that night.
I have stared at the stone floor of the place where some believe Jesus was condemned to death.

I closed my eyes at each place and tried desperately to imagine what it was like that night. Jesus had so very much to say on that last day with His disciples. The promise of the Holy Spirit...the Vine and the branches... that His joy may remain in us and that our joy might be made complete.

Maunday Thursday, as we call it, oh what a day... my life is enhanced because I have been in those places where Jesus was, but my life is enriched because the Jesus of those places is in me.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Holy Week...Wednesday

Wednesday was the day before celebrating Passover. If you study the week that Jesus was crucified you will find something recorded each day from Palm Sunday to Friday except for Wednesday. Nothing is shared with us about Jesus' activity on that day. I have always wondered about His activity on Wednesday.

I truly believe that most, if not all, of that day was spent in prayer. I believe Jesus was spending the day with His Father. Maybe He spent a little of personal time with each disciple. Maybe He spent some time with some children. Maybe He spent some of that time making arrangements for the passover supper on Thursday.

Well, I don't know but I feel pretty comfortable with the idea that much of the day was spent in prayer.

I spent some time in prayer this morning for a dentist... exactly at the time he was wrestling with the root system of one of my teeth.

The pain has been pretty intense today but once again nothing like what Jesus would experience in just a few hours.

My Jesus spent lots of time in prayer ... leaving us an example of how to face our every day.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Holy Week...Tuesday

Tomorrow morning I am having a tooth pulled. I hope pulled and not cut, yanked and jerked out of there. I have a feeling the roots will fight to stay put. But I genrally do not do well with teeth extractions and such. So, I have battled to not stress out, reminding myself of the scripture that says "Be anxious for nothing..." but I think my translation says "...except for tooth extractions"

Just a moment ago when I was silently whining to myself and then telling my oldest daughter Toni (I know that's gonna mess with some of you) about my appointment, something pretty heavy occurred to me.

It is Tuesday of Holy week and in a few hours I am having a tooth pulled which may produce some pain and discomfort. I cannot imagine how Jesus was feeling on Tuesday. Just a couple more days to really reach out to the world around Him.... then pain and suffering that has no measure... and why... for me! and for you!

The Bible says in the night he went into the Mount of Olives to pray.

It's Tuesday and the time is indeed short.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Holy week...Monday

The Monday after the Sunday of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. What must Jesus be thinking today. Yesterday he declared the stones were capable of crying out praises to Him if men did not. Some times, I'm afraid I can almost hear stones clearing their throats.
The Lord inhabits the praise of His people. Oh, how we should praise Him!

Yesterday the temple was cleansed as Jesus turned over the money tables. Is there something in my heart ...in your heart... that Jesus needs to turn over, to cleanse you...me...of.
He is teaching every day... can we learn from Him?

His disciples, what are they thinking, they seemed so dazed. His Father, anticipating the hours of turning His face from His Son.

It is Monday and just a few days left before the world is turned upside down.

For you & I, is it much the same? Only a few days left? How much longer, Lord Jesus? How many more days?
Work while it is yet day, for the night is coming!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Happy Atheist Day

So, Just wanted to wish every body a Happy Atheist Day!!!

What, you didn't know atheist had their own national day? Well, it is today, April 1st.
Today is "April Fools' Day" right?
And Psalm 14:1 says "The fool has said in his heart, There is no God."

Hope you all have a great day!