THE SEASONS OF LIFE

It is mid-autumn as I write, and another year is dying before our eyes. The greenery of June has faded and changed into the colors of decay. At the merest breath the leaves loosen and fall to the ground like rustling rain. The wind gathers them in circles on the lawn, or scatters them in the clouds, or drive them along the open road. Helpless and worthless-the remains of the glory of summer soon to be buried out of sight-the withered leaves affect one with sadness and sympathy. They are a parable of human life, which also has its fleeting seasons and its final disappearance. First comes the spring-time, when the buds burst on the the branches, and life is a boundless possibility; then follows summer, when life rises to its fulness and strength; by-and-by autumn checks the flow of sap, and begins to detach us from life; and, last of all, winter, with a timely kindness, covers our lives and our faults beneath the cold pure snow. For a day our neighbours speak of us; for a short while man who served with us in the great enterprise of life miss our presence; for a longer time our friends will recall us; and all her life, till the faithful heart grows cold in death, a woman will keep our memory green. Then the last who knew us will also be covered by the snow, and our remembrance will cease the earth.

While we was in Grand Rapids, we visited a store called "Bakers". It is a wonderful christian book store that I could easily get lost in and not mind one bit,there are books apon books, the best part is the used sections. As I was checking out all the authors, I came across a book Called "The Life of the Master", by John Watson. The book is 100 years old and still in pretty good shape. I paid $8.50 for it, Thank You Lord!

What I posted above is from the book and I wanted to share with you all. As I read it, I thought to myself that I guess I am in the Autumn, of my life. I have fewer days ahead of me, then I do behind me and realizing this, I have fewer days ahead of me to share Christ Crucified, fewer days to be that example that Christ wants me to be, fewer days ahead before I meet my Maker, my Lord, My Master. When it is time for the winter to come, I want to be the child of God that the Lord will say Well done my fine servant, well done. I would like to have folks that knew me, know that I knew Christ and know that I loved Him with all my heart.

Thank you Lord for taking this wretched soul and making me your child. May I honor you for the Season, I have left in my life.

Cristina

TRUSTING

Lord I need thee every hour...



I think we all have a time or times in our walk with Christ where we have a hard time trusting in the Lord. I hope I am not coming across like I am looking for attention, or any pity, I am not…
I have to be honest about my prayer life, I use to have a hard time asking folks to pray for me because I felt I was seeking attention, when the truth is Attention is the last thing I ever enjoyed. I have always been shy, the funny thing is my husband is the total opposite of me, he is very out going…anyway back to praying and trust. There has been a lot going on in my families life this past 6 months with illness and it has been hard on the family. We are a close family and when one is hurting, we all hurt. As far as I know I do not think anyone in my family knows the Lord, my youngest sister says she does but I am not 100% sure.

Also, my husband and I have been feeling a lot of stress with our jobs in the past year, my husband is a Traffic Manager for a Medical company and also the Facilities Manager. Also when the Warehouse Manager is away from the office (Vacation, out of town, on courses etc) my husband is expected to fill his position. In the past year my husband is getting more stressed and tired and it worries me. My job has got stressful this past year because one of my families is a single parent family and the father, who has the children, had to go on Afternoon shifts and so I have his children from 12 noon Monday until Friday each week. And I have to be honest I am really feeling so tired. I am doing this because the mother of his children is not in the picture very much. I finally had to tell him today that I can not do this anymore come September and that was so hard to do because I've had these 2 children in my care since they were babies. The boy is almost 10 and the little girl is 6.

With all this going on, my husband and I are starting our vacation this Friday and we had planned to go Grand Rapids for 4-5 days and we really do not know what to do? It is so hard to go away with problems happening at home. I know my family and friends tell us GO, GO, but I am going to be honest, it is so hard to go…..I know I have to trust the Lord, but in situation I am really finding it hard to go and enjoy myself and not worry.
Please pray for me and my family and about our time away, Jim and have not been away together since we were first married, 24 years ago, I know we both really need this so much..and the trials that have faced my family this past week have made me realize How much I need to draw strength from the Lord..I am so tired.

Cristina

SURRENDING TO GOD

When we surrender to God, we are are saying that what we "own" actually belongs to Him. By surrendering to God, we are saying, "He is in control of our every move."
We can not do it on our own.


Romans 8:7-8 "For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law; indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

Every Christian faces two very deadly enemies each and every day. The first enemy is our carnal nature and the second enemy is the devil. Every day our carnal nature is a self resurrecting monster which begs for attention. And the devil knows this. Our carnal nature demands to be first and the devil preys on this. And this happens each and every day of our lives. That is why Paul said he had to put his carnal nature to death every single day.1 Corinthians 15:31, "I die every day." We can only do this by surrending to Christ.

1 John 1:5. "God is light, and there is no darkness at all when in union with him."

Psalms 85:13 "Righteousness will go before the Lord, and he will make a path for my steps."

I surrender all

Spurgeon, "Weak Hands and Feeble Knees"

Bring all you have and give it
entirely unto God, and say,
"There, Lord, I surrender all to you;
do with me as you will;
take away from me what you will;
give me what you please;
or withhold what you choose.
I leave all in your hand;
I can trust you entirely;
I know you will make no mistake;
I know you will not treat me harshly;
I leave all to you;
without word, or thought, or wish,
I surrender all."


Christians who love and obey the Lord will be led to the joyous certainty that, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."
For those that fully surrender, verses like Psalms 143:10 become very important. "Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God.

Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:13 "For I, the Lord your God, am grasping your right hand. I am the one saying to you, Do not be afraid for I myself will help you."

Andrew Murray quoted in his book "Absolute Surrender" ...separate from the world; we are called to come out from the world that hates God. Come out for God... given up... by divine grace... acknowledge that you have grieved the Holy Spirit by your self-will, self-confidence, and self-effort. Bow humbly before Him in the confession of that, and ask him to break the heart and to bring you into the dust before Him. Then, as you bow before Him, just accept God's teaching that in your flesh "there dwelleth no good thing," and that nothing will help you except another life which must come in. You must deny self once for all. Denying...Isn't that the truth..

John 5:30,states, "I can do nothing on my own".

Romans 6:13 Nor must you surrender any part of yourselves to sin to be used for wicked purposes. Instead, give yourselves to God and surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes

...humble ourselves. ...There is deliverance. ...death was the path to glory for Christ... --death to self, and fellowship with Christ

Cristina

JUST A LITTLE HUMOR

THE PAINTER

There was a painter named Wayne who was very interested in making a penny where he could, so he often thinned down his paint to make it go a wee bit further.

As it happened, he got away with this for some time, but eventually the Baptist Church decided to do a big restoration job on one of their biggest buildings.

Wayne put in a bid, and, because his price was so low, he got the job.

So he set about erecting the scaffolding and setting up the planks, and buying the paint and, yes, I am sorry to say, thinning it down with turpentine.


Well, Wayne was up on the scaffolding, painting away, the job nearly completed, when suddenly there was a horrendous clap of thunder, the sky opened, and the rain poured down washing the thinned paint from all over the church and knocking Wayne clear off the scaffold to land on the lawn among the gravestones, surrounded by telltale puddles of the thinned and useless paint.



Wayne was no fool. He knew this was a judgment from the Almighty, so he got down on his knees and cried:

"Oh, God, forgive me; what should I do?"



And from the thunder, a mighty voice spoke...



(you're going to love this)



"Repaint! Repaint! And thin no more!"


Cristina

DO YOU SEE A DIFFERENCE?

John Angell James (June 6, 1785 - October 1, 1859) wrote this.I look at the church today and think, this is what is needed to be heard, today.

"For I have given you an example that you also should
do just as I have done for you." (John 13:15)

It has long been my conviction, that there is a great
deficiency in evangelical churches--of the practical
enforcement of Christian duties in detail; especially of
what may be emphatically called the Christian virtues
--the passive graces of the Christian character, the
exercise of brotherly kindness and love.

It is not so acceptable to have all the special and difficult
duties of the Christian's life, or man's conduct to his fellows,
set clearly before the understanding and enforced upon the
conscience. Men do not like to be followed through all the
labyrinths of the heart's deceitfulness, beaten out of every
refuge of lies, and made to feel the obligation to love where
they are inclined to hate; and to forgive where they desire
to revenge.

And we ministers pander too much to this taste. The pulpit
has not done its duty. We have preached to the intellect, to
the imagination, and to the taste--but not enough to the
heart and to the conscience. In our endeavor to please, we
have not been sufficiently intent upon the greater object--to
profit. We have not preached justification too much--but
sanctification too little. We have urged faith--but not love. We
have descanted upon the evil of licentiousness, and falsehood,
and dishonesty, and covetousness--but have said far, far
too little about malice and bitterness. We have urged men to
zeal and liberality--but not enough to humility, forbearance,
and forgiveness. We have rightly led men to view the cross of
Christ--but we have not sufficiently urged them to take up their
own cross. We have properly entreated them to view Jesus as
their Righteousness--but not sufficiently as their Example.

O, Christians . . .
study that wondrous character,
contemplate that illustrious pattern,
dwell upon that beautiful model,
until the frosty incrustations of your cold, hard
heart have all melted, like icicles before the sun!
How wonderful and how ennobling is the conception, and what an ambition should it raise in the mind of the Christian, to consider and say, "Men may see something of God in me!" Yes, we
can teach them what God is, as to His moral character, and let them see in 'our merciful disposition' a ray of the infinite sun of His own glory.

These sweet relentings of our nature, these soft and genial currents of our soul, these effusions of love--these, we can remind them, are but the overflowings of His goodness, His own love, into our hearts, and the reflection of His infinite mercy to us.

"The one who says he abides in Him should walk
just as He walked." (1 John 2:6)

"Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example,
so that you should follow in His steps." (1 Peter 2:21)

HOPELESSNESS WITHOUT CHRIST

There is so much pain throughout the world and hopelessness-without Christ.When I open up the Newspaper or go to the New's Site on the internet, all I see is hopelesness. Wars, Famine, Murder, Forest Fires, Floods, Earth Quakes etc.

There are so many folks wondering why is this happening? What am I going to do if it happens to me? Who is going to help me? Christ is the only answer, in HIm we will find comfort and safety, only in HIM will we not feel all alone, Only in HIM will we find Eternity.

There is so much happening all around us, so many folks suffering and are in need of Hope....only found in Christ.

Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, and blood, support me in the whelming flood.
When every earthly prop gives way, He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.

My heart broke watching this clip, there are so many hurting people...


Cristina

I was thinking of doing a Post on self-reliance and the effect it has on a believer, when I came across this and thought how appropriate....I encourage you to read this, it is very, very good.

Disappointment With God

Many church people seem to be saying with their actions what they would never admit with their mouths. Even the expressions on their faces suggest that they are unhappy and bored. Their behavior makes it difficult to believe that their faith gives them any real satisfaction. How can others be expected to trust a God who hasn't lived up to the expectations of His followers? One answer offered by the Bible is that some who claim to be followers of Christ are not authentic. For a while they look genuine. But they are not (Matthew 7:21-23; 13:24-30; 1 John 2:18-19). The infiltration of impostors, however, is not the whole story. The Bible does not hide the fact that real people of faith also have been disappointed with God. Both Old and New Testaments give examples of people who were distraught and even angry with God because He allowed them to suffer circumstances they expected Him to protect them from (Numbers 14:1-4; Psalm 73 ).

Distraction

Under pressure, and even in times of prosperity, real Christians can be distracted from the confidence that their ultimate well-being doesn't lie in the hands of other people or circumstances. Because of ever-present diversions and distractions, the Bible urges the people of God to renew their minds continually by remembering what God has done for them (Romans 12:1-2). The Scriptures urge believers to keep their hope and faith alive by stirring up the memories of what they already know (see 2 Peter 1:1-15). The reason is clear. A lack of basic Christian behavior can often be attributed to a critical lapse of memory (Deuteronomy 6:10-12).

Dangerous Relationships

Jesus was known by the company He kept. He ate and drank with people other religious leaders wouldn't think of associating with. But Jesus did not eat and drink with such people because He was attracted to their way of life. He did it to be the best friend a sinner ever had. With the wrong motives, the relationships He cultivated would have been dangerous. Without His strong and loving purposes, the accusation that He was a "friend of sinners" would have been more damaging. His own apostle Paul would later write, "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.' Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning" ( 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 NIV ). Even the wise King Solomon paid dearly for such forbidden relationships ( 1 Kings 11:1-13). The resulting confusion caused him to act like someone who had never known God ( Ecclesiastes 1-12).

Unchanged Tendencies

Genuine Christians have made decisions of faith that signal a change of direction in their thinking about God and themselves, but they have not overcome their struggle with self-centeredness. Neither are they morally superior to non-Christians. Their capacity to be self-centered remains unchanged (Romans 7:14-25). The downward pull of desire remains as predictable as the law of gravity. When real Christians stop living under the influence of the Spirit and the Word of God (Galatians 5:16-26), it becomes as natural for them to revert to self-interest as for a kite to drift slowly to earth when the wind stops blowing.

Self-Reliance

The God of the Bible asks His people to trust Him on His terms rather than their own. He urges them not to rely on their own understanding but to use their best judgment and sense of reason to rely on Him. He invites His children to let Him live His life through them. Those who forget this principle of God-dependence fail in practice to distinguish themselves as genuine Christians. Even the original disciples of Christ learned about the danger of self-reliance the hard way. On the night of Jesus' arrest, one of His closest followers, a tough-minded fisherman named Peter, announced that he was ready to follow his teacher to prison or to death (Luke 22:33). But within a few hours, he found himself denying repeatedly that he even knew the man from Galilee.

Prayerlessness

His mistaken confidence was recorded for our warninLook-alikes have a reputation for being hypocritical in their prayers (Matthew 6:5-8). People of genuine faith use prayer, not as a means of impressing others but as an honest means of giving thanks, confessing sins, and asking for direction and help. They know that prayerfulness is not optional for anyone who wants to develop a personal relationship with God. When followers of Christ do not show their dependence in prayer, they can end up acting like anyone else (James 4:1-6). Jesus warned His disciples about this likelihood on the night of His arrest. Pausing from His own struggle in prayer, He urged, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). They didn't understand. They slept instead of praying, and within a few hours all had abandoned Him.

Carelessness

King David was a man of authentic faith. By his love for the law of God, he distinguished himself as someone committed to avoiding moral and spiritual failure (Psalms 1; 119:11). The Bible itself acknowledges that he was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). His record of spiritual accomplishments, however, did not keep David from becoming an adulterer and murderer. One night, as others fought his battles, and as he stood in apparent security on his own palace rooftop, David used the power of his office to pursue another man's wife. In an unguarded moment, David discovered the meaning of the statement, "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12).

An Unexamined Heart

As a teacher of the heart, Jesus reminded us that unexamined motives can result in complicated forms of self-deception. Many years earlier, the prophet Jeremiah acknowledged the dangers of "inner darkness" when he wrote, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). Modern psychology has confirmed our tendency to avoid emotional pain through subtle forms of transference and denial. It has documented habits of the heart by which we attempt to blunt the pain of real or false guilt. Psychology, however, cannot change the heart. We all have reason to join King David in his prayer: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalms 139:23-24).

An Unseen Enemy

The people of Christ have a spiritual enemy who is attempting to confuse them and neutralize their impact. This adversary is fighting a war of attrition. There are many casualties. Countless numbers of real Christians are rendered ineffective by one who is far more subtle and clever than they think. While he can't make Christians sin, he and his demons are constantly looking for weaknesses that give him an inroad into the lives of genuine believers (Ephesians 4:27; 6:10-20). Like a predatory animal, he looks for vulnerable prey (1 Peter 5:8).

A Lack Of Accountability

People don't develop into spiritually mature persons by doing what comes naturally. Neither do they grow in Christlikeness by being left to themselves. Even the strongest Christians were never meant to go it alone. Jesus taught His disciples not just to make converts, but to train them thoroughly in His ways (Matthew 28:19-20). A few years later, the apostle Paul likened followers of Christ to a human body where all members are dependent on one another (1 Corinthians 12). While many in our day have developed a spirit of independence, such an attitude does not reflect the original intent of Christ for His church. He made it clear that He calls people not only to Himself, but also to one another.

You're Not Alone

You're not alone if you doubt the genuineness of church people who do not act like followers of Christ. Keep in mind, however, that it's wrong to assume that people who claim to be Christians aren't authentic just because their current behavior doesn't measure up to their claims.
The good news is that God saves people by grace (undeserved kindness) on the sole condition of faith in His Son (Ephesians 2:8-10). While there is never a good excuse for any genuine Christian to live in sin, the fact that God saves people who sin against Him both before and after they believe in His Son is good news for all. If God can save people like this, He can save us as well. He offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who will acknowledge how wrong they have been to live independently of Him. He offers heaven to all who will believe that Christ died for their sins, and that He rose from the dead to live His life through anyone who believes (Romans 4:5).

RBC Ministries

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Cristina

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

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

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

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

HOPE

Rejoice in the hope of that glory to be revealed, for it is no uncertain glory that we look for. Our hope is not hung upon such an untwisted thread as, "I imagine so," or "It is likely," but the cable, the strong tow of our fastened anchor, is the oath and promise of Him who is eternal verity. Our salvation is fastened with God's own hand, and with Christ's own strength, to the strong stake of God's unchangeable nature. Samuel Rutherford

I always wonder what hope someone has without Christ in their lives? A lot of the times when problems seep into the lives the of lost, they will resort to prayer, I know I did when I was not saved. Even though I did pray I still remember feeling at some sort of loss. I remember the only time I really reached out to God, is when I was down and out and when things turned around I felt it was God that fixed those problems. I know the bible teaches that God does not hear the prayers of the lost but I know He uses certain things or certain people in our lives to draw us to Him. I just know one thing is that that before I was saved there was a feeling of hopelessness in me. . When the Lord drew me and I was saved life seemed so much different. I had hope, I had someone that I could go to anytime and I know He listens to my pain and hurts and shared in my joy. My Father, My Teacher, My Lord loves me like no one else will love me. He knows me for who I am and still loves me. He is slowly molding me into His image.

"Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain you." Psalm 55:22.

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. -- Ps. 71:20

"Child of My Love! Lean hard! Let Me feel the pressure of your care. I know your burden, child! I shaped it- I poised it in My own hand and made no proportion of its weight to your unaided strength. For even as I laid it on, I said I shall be near, and while she leans on Me, this burden shall be Mine, not hers. So shall I keep My child within the circling arms of My own love. Here lay it down! Do not fear to impose it on a shoulder which upholds the government of worlds! Yet closer come! You are not near enough! I would embrace your burden, so I might feel My child reposing on My breast. You love Me! I know it. Doubt not, then. But, loving me, lean hard!"

"I could never myself believe in God if it were not for the cross......In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in different Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statute of Buddha - - his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agony of the world. But each time, after awhile, I have had to turn away. And in imagination, I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross -- nails through his hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in God-forsaken darkness. That is the God for me ! He laid aside his immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in light of his. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross, which symbolizes divine suffering. The cross of Christ is God's only self justification in such a world as ours." John Stott

I am so thankful I have eternal hope, thanks to what Christ accomplished on the cross for us.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." Revelation 21:4

Cristina