Saturday, June 30, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA


Many Canadians do not know the whole song
of "O Canada"

It is so beautiful!

O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North, strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.


O Canada, glorious and free!
We stand on guard, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada! Where pines and maples grow.
Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow.
How dear to us thy broad domain,
From East to Western Sea,
Thou land of hope for all who toil!
Thou True North, strong and free!


O Canada, glorious and free!
We stand on guard, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada! Beneath thy shining skies
May stalwart sons and gentle maidens rise,
To keep thee steadfast through the years
From East to Western Sea,
Our own beloved native land!
Our True North, strong and free!


O Canada, glorious and free!
We stand on guard, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our dominion within thy loving care;
Help us to find, O God, in thee
A lasting, rich reward,
As waiting for the Better Day,
We ever stand on guard.


O Canada, glorious and free!
We stand on guard, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
Cristina

Monday, June 25, 2007

IN THE STORM



"Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I obey Your word." Psalm 119:67


In Scripture, the afflictions of believers are represented as . . .
appointed,
numerous,
transient,
and when sanctified, beneficial.

Afflictions . . .
wean from the world;
work submission;
produce humility;
excite to diligence;
stir up to prayer;
conform us to the divine image.

To bear afflictions with patience, we should consider . . .
our own unworthiness;
the design of God in sending them;
the promises of support under them;
the real good they are productive of.

The afflictions of a believer never come without
a cause, nor are sent but upon a divine errand.

Let us, therefore, quietly submit to God's Providence.

Let us conceive this life to be the winter of our existence.
Now the rains must fall, and the winds must roar around us;
but, sheltering ourselves under Him who is the "shelter from
the tempest," let us wait with patience until the storms of
life shall terminate in an everlasting calm.


"In faithfulness You have afflicted me." Psalm 119:75

Charles Buck

We can always find strength in the Storms!

Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. (KJV)
Cristina

Saturday, June 23, 2007

ONE OF THE MANY ROADS TO DESTUCTION

The Roman Catholic Church is leading many, many folks down the path of destruction. It has its idol worshipping, Its works idology, it Sacraments and so much more. It is a church that is growing quickly , and many folks are steeped in their Catholic traditions. I find when talking to a Catholic , they put up a thick wall when you try to share the true gospel with them. If we are not prepared to answer their questions, we don't have much hope of them hearing the gospel from us. Many are brought up in Catholic families, and they taught from a very young age what dogma the Catholic Church teaches. God wants us to study His word so that when confronted with the lost we are ready to answer the questions they are asking. The Catholic Church has probably led more folks to hell then most religions.

C. H. Spurgeon says it very bluntly here.....

Give no glory to this rubbish!

Alas! alas! It makes a Christian's blood boil to see
glory given to a pack of scamps who call themselves
priests!

Does it not make a man feel, when you see pictures
of 'his holiness' and the cardinals, and so on, scattering
their benedictions at the Vatican, or at St. Peter's, while
admiring crowds fall down and worship them, that it were
infinitely better to bow to the devil himself?

We give glory unto God, but not a particle of glory to
anything in the shape of a man, or an angel either.

Have I not stood and seen the crowds by hundreds fall
down and worship images and dressed up dolls? I have
seen them worship bones and old teeth; I have seen
them worship a skeleton, dressed out in modern costume
said to be the skeleton of a saint.

I have marveled to see people so infatuated as to think
that such idolatry was pleasing to the most high God.

We, brethren, the people of God, who know Christ, can give
no glory to this rubbish, but turn away from it with horror!

Our glory must be given to Christ, and to Christ alone!

Christ and Christ only must be the grand object of the
Christian; the promotion of His glory must be that for
which he is willing to live, and for which, if needs be,
he would be prepared to die.

Oh! down, down, down, with everything else--but up,
up, up, with the cross of Christ!

Down with your baptism, and your masses, and your
sacraments! Down with your priest-craft, and your rituals,
and your liturgies! Down with your fine music, and your
pomp, and your robes, and your garments, and all your
ceremonials!

But up, up, up, with the doctrine of the naked cross,
and the expiring Savior!

C.H. Spurgeon

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

THERE IS NOTHING......

"There is nothing -- No circumstance, No trouble, No testing that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ. Right through to me if it has come that far. It has come with great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment - but as I refuse to panic, as I lift my eyes up to Him and accept it as come from His throne for some great blessing of purpose of blessing to my heart. No sorrow will disturb me, no trial will ever disarm me, no circumstance will cause me to fret, for I shall rest in the Joy of what my Lord is - that is the rest of Victory." Unknown - on I Cor 15:57

Sunday, June 17, 2007

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY


The Man on the Shore

Walking around a small lake, I watched the butterflies flutter before my eyes. I smelled the clean air and sat down on the roots of a grand old tree. The roots of this tree had "popped" out of the ground just like the veins in my hands had "popped" out from old age. Off in the distance, I could hear two voices. The first voice was gruff, much like my own, speaking pleasant words in an overtone that would have frightened away most creatures of the lakeshore. The other voice, small and timid, was incessantly inquiring about the rhyme, reason and reality of everything in the lake. To get a better look, I moved closer to where the water met the land and saw two people in a small boat out on the lake. It was a father and his child, with fishing poles hanging over the sunny side of the boat. The child looked very sad, because no fish had taken his bait all day. Of course, the young, ever-questioning voice was asking why the fish did not like THESE worms. The father said, as gently as he could, that the fish are picky, very much like some children are picky about eating all of their green veggies. I could still hear the father's voice, straining in the pain and frustration of not being able to help his child catch a fish.

Taking pity on the father's predicament, I yelled over to the people in the boat, "Throw your lines over the shadowy side of the boat, under the shade of the tree." I thought I heard the child ask why there was an old man on the shore that they had not seen before, but the father was too busy dropping his line in the water on the shadowy side of the boat. Only a few minutes after their hooks hit the water, the father began feeling a tug on his pole, and exclaimed, "Looks like it's going to be a big one!" He handed the pole to the child and guided him through the motions of catching the fish successfully. I watched as they pulled the large fish out of the water and put it in a net. The child smiled gleefully at his fish, the one for which he had been waiting all day. The father and his son then looked for me, to express their thanks, but I was already walking in the brush surrounding the water, out of their view. I could see their smiles from a distance as they rowed the boat into the dock. I remember the "old" days of taking my own son to the lake, teaching him how the fish moved and why they sometimes did not like the worms. I remember teaching him that it is not always up to the worms; sometimes the fishermen just need to know where to drop their lines.

Jesus, when He lived on earth, guided His associates, (John 21:1-14) much like the man on the shore guided the father and his child in the above parable . Today, Christ stands at the shores of our lives and asks the fathers and their children, "How's the fishing? Any luck? Are you catching the worthwhile abundant life I intended you to have when I created you?" Christ stands ready to show us where to "drop our lines" and how to find joy in our lives through the guidance of His Word and local congregations. What a difference it makes! Fathers, to experience the joy of Christ's leadership, keep looking for the guidance of "the Man on the shore." He stands ready to give you direction that can bring awesome results and joy to both you and your children. Our love and best regards to you this Father's Day.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

DOES THE WORLD HATE YOU?


The world hates John MacArthur…
Keith Olbermann from a show called Countdown called John MacArthur the second
“Worst Person of the World” on his June 8th show. Why? Because he said God would be just for destroying an entire city in America. Olbermann’s response? “Just let God speak for himself, pal.”

OLBERMANN
said “Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, whose sermon, broadcast by those fine, tolerant folks who work for the Father Coughlin of the 21st century, James Dobson, says that because America has, quote, “illicit sex, adultery, every form or immorality”, and, quote, “you know a society has been abandoned by God when it celebrates lesbian sex,” therefore, quote, “God would be just in any calamity that he brought on us”, including, quote, “the destruction of an entire city.”


"Then you have Rick Warren, from the book "The Purpose Driven Life" The world loves Rick warren….He is so popular in the world and in the church. He preaches a message that draws the seeker friendly folks. In The Purpose-Driven Life book He writes, "We obey God, not out of duty or fear or compulsion, but because we love him and trust that he knows what is best for us. "So we do not fear God?
Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear. (Hebrews 5:7)
Let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28-29)
Rick Warren makes the gospel look like everything is so simple. Everyone that enjoys his books lift him up high, that includes the lost and the saved. They love what he represents.
So you have a man like Mr. MacAruthur that the world hates, and you have man like Mr. Warren who the world seem to love, whowould you say was following the Word of God?
Jesus said, John 15:18, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you."
" Mt 28:19 , "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."
Mr. MacArthur is not a perfect man, but he is a man that will preach all of the gospel even if it offends people because he know truth offends.
Mr Warren does not preach the true gospel at all, at least not according to the Bible. He preaches what folks want to hear, "Seeker friendly" messages. He knows that the truth offends, so he thinks, why offend people? Hmmmmm

Friday, June 15, 2007

I would like you all to meet my Grand daughter
Jessica. She is one my greatest joys!

Cristina

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

WHAT AWAITS US

When we loose a loved one that is a brother or a
sister in the Lord .... these are some comforting
words to meditate on

"TODAY you shall be with Me in paradise." Luke 23:43
The same moment in which I close my eyes on a
world of sin and suffering, I open them in glory!

The gate of death, and the gate of glory, are one!

The uncaged spirit will all at once fly upwards
to nestle in the golden eaves of Heaven!

Let me look forward, then, with bounding heart,
to the hour of death, as the hour of my entrance
into endless bliss; the birthday of eternity!

Oh, if there was "joy in heaven among the angels
of God" at the hour of conversion, what will it be
at the hour of glorification!

If God the Father even on earth has joy in seeing
His returning prodigal; what will it be when He
welcomes him to his everlasting home!

"He will rejoice over him with joy; He will rest in
His love; He will rejoice over him with singing!"
(Zeph. 3:17.)

The Redeemer utters His intercessory prayer over
the death bed on earth, "Father, I will that this
one whom you have given Me be with Me where
I am, to behold My glory."

The prayer is heard; the angels are sent down;
and,swift as lightning leaps from the cloud,
THAT HOUR,and forever,he is "with Jesus in paradise!"

"TODAY you shall be with Me in paradise."

-John McDuff

Saturday, June 09, 2007

ABOVE ALL

I woke up at 4 this morning and I found this on "You Tube" and as I listened to it I thought to myself, HE took the fall for me. I am so unworthy of such love. Even now as a Christian I can be such a disappointment. I do not always walk a perfect walk yet HE died for me, even now when I fail HIM. I am sit here with tears in my eyes and a humbled heart thinking there is no greater love then the love of Christ.
I do not deserve such love.

Some songs just say it all......


Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature
And all created things
Above all wisdom
And all the ways of man
You were here
Before the world began

Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders
The world has ever known
Above all wealth
And treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure
What You're worth

Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature
And all created things
Above all wisdom
And all the ways of man
You were here
Before the world began

Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders
The world has ever known
Above all wealth
And treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure
What You're worth

Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all
Like the rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

LOVE THAT WILL NOT LET GO

Love That Will Not Let Me Go

1. O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

2. O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

3. O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

4. O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

George Matheson(1842-1906)

http://www.igracemusic.com/hymnbook/authors/george_matheson.html

This my husbands favorite Hymn. It is so beautiful.

Cristina

Sunday, June 03, 2007

AT THE CROSS



I think we should always remind one another about what He did on the cross for us....

"For God bought you with a high price."
1 Cor. 6:20


Refresh in your souls a sense of the fact
that you are "bought with a high price."

There in the midnight hour, amid the olives ofGethsemane, kneels Immanuel the Son of God;he groans, he pleads in prayer, he wrestles.See the beady drops stand on his brow, dropsof sweat, but not of such sweat as pours from men when they earn the bread of life, but the sweat of him who is procuring life itself for us.It is blood! It is crimson blood! Great gouts of it are falling to the ground! O soul, your Savior
speaks to you from out Gethsemane at this hour, and he says: "Here and thus I bought you with a price." Come, stand and view him in the agony of the olive garden, and understand at what a cost he procured your deliverance.

Track him in all his path of shame and sorrow until you see him at Gabbatha. Mark how they bind his hands and fasten him to the whipping-post. See, they bring the scourges and the cruel Roman whips; they tear his flesh; the ploughers make deep furrows on his blessed body, and the blood gushes forth in streams, while rivulets from his temples, where the crown of thorns has pierced them, join to swell the
purple stream. From beneath the scourges he speaks to you with accents soft and low, and he says, "My child, it is here and thus I bought you with a price."

But see him on the cross itself when the consummation of all has come. His hands and feet are fountains of blood, his soul is full of anguish even to heartbreak; and there, before the soldier pierces with a spear his side, bowing down he whispers to you and to me, "It was here and thus, I bought you with a high price."

O by Gethsemane, by Gabbatha, by Golgotha, by every sacred name collected with the passion of our Lord; by sponge and vinegar, and nail and spear, and everything that enlarged the pain and increased the anguish of his death, I implore you, my beloved
brethren, to remember that you were "bought with a high price," and "are not your own."

C. H. Spurgeon

I'VE BEEN TAGGED

Literary MeMe

How it works:
1.grab the book closest to you
2.open it to page 161
3.find the fifth full sentence
4.post the title of the book and the author's name
5.post the text of the sentence to your blog
6.don't search around for the coolest book you have, use the one that is really next to you
7.tag five people to do this meme

"If the Resurection never happened, what power or experience transformed that small band of terrified disciples into men and women who were willing to suffer torture and horrible deaths because of their refusal to renounce the Resurrection?"

The Author's name is Ronald H. Nash.
The title of the book is WORLD VIEWS IN CONFLICT
(Choosing Christianity in a World of Ideas)

I will tag

Beverly
http://highcalling.blogspot.com/
and
Connie
http://connies-thoughts.blogspot.com/

Cristina