Is Anything Sacred Anymore?

In a world of trouble and turmoil, there is peace, a peace that comes from God Himself.  

Where it seems like nothing is sacred anymore, in the midst, there is peace.  

From the abortionists to the bombers, from sending a family back to their homeland to be persecuted, in reality, because they are Christian, to the many rights of Christians being stripped from our honorable military forces, from the renaming of what marriage is, 

                            and how do you rename something God put a name to? 

                   Can you call an orange an apple or a cat a dog?  

How dare we claim to have enough power in ourselves to say something should now be something else just to suit our selfish and power hungry selves?                        How does that happen?  

                           

                    Then, I remember the thoughts I had, the temptations that lay before me, how my mind, my "old nature," just hangs around the corner waiting for any opportunity to rear its ugly head, and how so often, too often, I allow my mind to stay there, to wander. I am disgusted by how I cannot stay in complete control of all things going on in and around me, 

                                           and I seek Him.  

                         Yes, the One who gave me a "new nature," and still I am troubled.

As I sit and listen and read, I am appalled and torn, I want to cover my head, hide because of what I hear, I want to jump through the screen and say, "listen to what God says, listen to the many accounts of obedient hearts when following the paths He has chosen for us," oh, to be able to make them see, and then, I read Romans...      

                         "He gave them over..."  

I see this beauty around me, everywhere I go, new eggs in a little nest hidden away in a tree, which we just happened upon, oh, the small joys of our Creator. The colors, blue, green, brown and gray, so amazing is our God that He would care for this, for me, for even me.

A precious rabbit hanging around our house, under the trampoline, God brought the animals to Adam "to see what he would call them, and whatever the man, (Adam) called a living creature, that was its name." Gen. 2:19

God's promises, as shown in the afternoon sky, a covenant between He and us, between the Living God, the Creator of all things, The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and us, of me,
                                 who fail Him daily.
                   Thank You for Your great promises, and a reminder of Your love for us.

"Then they will see The Son Of Man Coming In Clouds with 
great power and glory." 

 Mark 13:26  Luke 21:27

Gathering fresh eggs is such a delight, even more so when my father-in-law passed on to us his mother's egg basket.  How can one get pleasure from going out to gather eggs, to be content with what God gives, to be satisfied, bowing down on bended knee and be grateful, simply grateful for all things, in all things, to have a eucharisteo heart.
                             To have a repentant heart, a truly, fall-down prostrate, on your face before the High King of Kings, and worship, and ask for forgiveness we so desperately need, so need.every.single.day.

And I read Romans...

Romans 1:16-32

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 

¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

Unbelief and Its Consequences

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 

Do you see the Truth trying to be suppressed every day?  The media? 

Government leaders?

¹⁹ because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 

"God has sovereignly planted evidence of His existence in the very nature of man by reason and moral law. (1:20, 21, 28, 32; 2:15) (John MacArthur)

²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 

"God holds all men responsible for their refusal to acknowledge what He has shown them of Himself in His creation." (John MacArthur) 

Through God's nature and creation, people have a deep sense of right and wrong, they are without excuse, they "have suppressed it," as MacArthur says. 

²¹ For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

Oh, what a heart of eucharisteo can do to a soul, giving thanks in ALL things, or we can choose to allow our souls to be darkened by not honoring the One who gives ALL things.

²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, 

²³ and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Man will find something to worship, this is "the inward cause of their idolatry. They are therefore without excuse, in that they did know God, and from what they knew might easily infer that it was their duty to worship Him, and Him only.  Though some have greater light and means of knowledge than others, yet all have enough to leave them inexcusable." (Matthew Henry)

²⁴ Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 

"Those who dishonored God were given over to dishonor themselves.  A man cannot be delivered up to a greater slavery than to be given up to his own lusts." (Matthew Henry)

²⁵ For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

We see people wanting to worship everything and anything except the One true God, Jesus Christ.  They do not want to admit that He truly is the One who has the answers to the questions we seek.  
Everywhere we look, we see people exchanging the Truth to anything except Christianity, and the ONLY exception is Christianity.  And once again, God gave them over...consequences for disobedience.

²⁶ For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 

"Paul mentions women first to show the extent of debauchery under the wrath of abandonment, because in most cultures women are the last to be affected by moral collapse." (John MacArthur)

²⁷ and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

Homosexuality abounds.  The 12th state in our once great country of America has just legalized gay marriage; we are now calling apples oranges, and much more is the LGBT, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, (it hurts me to even type that out) culture who God has given over to their degrading passions, and they do not look at the ensuing consequences and the penalties of their errors as they have abandoned the natural functions God has given them.

AIDS is only one evidence of the penalty and consequence of their error.

²⁸ And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 

They do NOT "acknowledge God any longer," just read the news...they are attempting to take Him from courthouses, have already succeeded with the public schools, are in the process of taking Him out of our military; can you imagine how unprotected our men will be if God is not there to protect, cover, and shield them?  This is our great country, America.  As we see with Israel, countries, even great countries do not last when the people rebel; God will show His mighty hand. 

²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 

Greed?  Envy?  Deceit?  Gossips???  It is easy to see the evil, the murder and malice around us, but how guilty am I of greed, envying others, being deceitful or a gossip.  How guilty I am...

³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 

Listen to the news; we are sending a family back to Germany to be persecuted because they love their God, by those in power, haters of God; they slander, are insolent, arrogant and boastful to the things of God.                        

                              Oh.Forgive.Us.Lord.  

These have been given over to do those things which are not proper...read the list...again...arrogant, boastful, yes, even, disobedient to parents.  "When duty fails on one side, it commonly fails on the other." (Matthew Henry)  Parents, so much responsibility relies on us, will we step up, will we take up the charge and lead?

³¹ without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 

They are without...

³² and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

They "know," therefore, it is "not ignorance, but blatant rebellion." (John MacArthur)
Other religions give approval for the sins committed and celebrate those who have committed some atrocities, as martyrs.  As such is the rebellion against the God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who loved and died and rose again for ALL.  We should be in much prayer and petition for the way our country is heading.  God will not linger with such outward and blatant defiance.

Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God. (John Bradshaw)

(biblegateway.com)

"See what wickedness there is in the nature of man.  How abominable and filthy is man!
                                                Lord, what is man?  says David;
                    what a vile creature is he when left to himself!
How much are we beholden to the restraining grace of God for the preserving any thing of the honor and decency of the human nature!
                          For, were it not for this, man, who was made but little lower than the angels, would make himself a great deal lower than the devils."  (Matthew Henry)

In this world of trouble and turmoil, with sin so blatant and exposed and celebrated, are you willing to stay true to the Truth, the real Truth?  Can you find peace?  A peace that passes all understanding?  Are you willing to stand for Truth, to stand for Jesus, to stand for all He reveals in His Holy Word, and teach your children so they will teach their children, until He comes again?

                             "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

                                                                                               Rev. 1:20

He is our hope!

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 15:13

In His Grace,

Jody

Happy Mother's Day!!!

God made mothers, beautiful, tired, dependent on Him, with humble hearts, a listening ear, a loving hand, a firm hand, sometimes harsh words, repentant hearts, forgiving hearts, messy days, laundry overflows, and sinks too, dirt on the floors, but a smile as she watches her children. 

God made mothers, and through Him He has redeemed us, and yes, through the mess we are beautiful once again. 

God Made a Mother 

(by Ann Voskamp)

God looking down on the Farmer loving His land and God needed someone to love the least and the little, into real whole people, and He knew that to love is to suffer so God made a mother.

That God had made technicians and programmers and supervisors and salesmen and God had said –

I need someone to get up at midnight and scoop the most fragile of humanity close to her warmth and rock though she can hardly stand and nourish though she’s mostly sleep-starved and change the diaper and the sheets and the leaked on, leaked through, and leaked down clothes though she’ll have to change them in the morning and next week and that won’t change for years.

So God made a Mother.

That God had said I need somebody with a strong heart.

Strong enough for toddler tantrums and teenage testing, yet broken enough to fall on her knees and pray, pray, pray.

Someone who knows that in every hard place is exactly where you extend grace, who looks a hopeful child in the eye and says yes, even though she knows every yes means a mess but this is how you bless, who has the courage to keep letting go because she’s holding on to Me.

So God made a mother.

God said I need somebody who can shape a soul and find shoes on Sunday mornings and get grass stains out of Levis.

And make dinner out of nothing and do it again 79, 678 times, and keep kids off the road and out of the toilet and in clean underwear and mainly alive though she’s mainly losing her mind and will put in an 80 hour week by Wednesday night and just do one more load of laundry.

And one more sink of crusted burnt pots.

And keep on going another eighty hours because raising generations matters and weaving families matters and tying heart strings matters and these people here matter.

So God made a mother…

It had to be somebody who could comb back pigtails and tie up skates just-right tight.

Who could pretend she remembered algebra and how to get home from here and that really, she was just fine, that it must just be the silly onions.

Somebody who would run for the catch, jump on a trampoline and play one fierce game of soccer and not give a thought to all those labors and her weak pelvic floor. Somebody who’d stay up late with a science project that never ends, who’d get up early for the game in the rain, somebody who’d wave at the door until the taillights were out of sight and still be smiling brave.

So God made a mother.

It had to be somebody willing to keep loving when it made no sense because that’s what love does.

Somebody who knew that patience is a willingness to suffer.

That joy is always possible because there is always, always something to be thankful for.

And that life is not an emergency but a gift — so just. slow. down. There are children at play here and we don’t want anyone to get hurt and the hurry makes us hurt.

Somebody willing to feed and lead, lay down her life and pick up her cross, give of her time because they have her heart. Someone who knows that we all blow it — and what matters is what we then do after.

Someone who could humble herself into the tender sorry that covers a multitude of sins.

And who’d bow her head at night over the girl asleep with the doll in the crook of her arm — and thank her Father for this hidden life that’s the turning gear for the whole spinning world.

So God made a mother.

And when the Farmer rolled over in sleep, there was this deep settling in — I could feel it — of not getting out of here, but of the grace that we *get* to be here.

That there was soil to till and numbed, hard places to break up, and there were seeds to be planted in the dark and the hope.

And grace to be cultivated everywhere.

That it was same down every back road and every side street and we aren’t very different, the Farmer and the mother and all-the-faithful-that-God-made-everywhere.

All of us people known to just Farmer on.

(Ann Voskamp)

Happy Mother's Day to my Mother!!!

How are you celebrating your Mother's Day?

What did you do for your mother?

In His Grace,

Jody

For the Beauty of the Earth

So much we are unsure of, devastation, young men who have not found Christ yet and kill, kill others who make them afraid; everywhere we turn, cancers and tumors and death, fear for some and worry...prayers for all.  Then, Gosnell, I cannot even call him Dr., a real Dr. saves lives, not kills, he helps, builds up, not tears down; earthquakes where buildings fall and collapse, more lives lost, a 12 yr. old dies because no one knew he was diabetic, a mom with no sleep because she is with her 2 yr. old she knows is diabetic, a mother who "regrets she had children?" friends who lose a baby before he is complete, yet, he is complete in Christ.  That is the secret.   

"The Lord by wisdom founded the earth,

By understanding He established the heavens."

Proverbs 3:19

"As the light of the morning when the sun rises,

A morning without clouds,

When the tender grass springs out of the earth,

Through sunshine after rain."

2 Samuel 23:4

"Who is like You among the gods, O Lord?

Who is like You, majestic in holiness,

Awesome in praises, working wonders?"

Exodus 15:11

"As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes."

Psalm 103:15

"For he will be like a tree planted by the water,

That extends its roots by a stream..."

Jeremiah 17:8a

"I will sing to the Lord,

for He is highly exalted;"

Exodus 15:1a

"The Lord is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation;

This is my God, and I will praise Him;

My father's God, and I will extol Him."

Exodus 15:2

"Day to day pours forth speech,

And night to night reveals knowledge."

Psalm 19:2

Jesus never said our lives would not see trouble, calamity, sickness, strife, worry, fear, but He did say He would give us the strength to make it through, to carry on, to be a witness to His Name, and to bring glory to Him in ALL things.

"Then say, "Save us, O God of our salvation,

And gather us and deliver us from the nations,

To give thanks to Your holy name,

And glory in Your praise."

1 Chronicles 17:35

"And if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, 

if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be 

compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

Romans 8:17-18

You see, when Christ is our hope, there is a hope, because "our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort" (2 Cor. 1:7); there is a peace that transcends all understanding, a courage, a confidence, there is strength in the name of Jesus, that He will be with you, He will walk alongside and will guide and hold when you begin to fall.  

For our neighbors who lost their husbands, neighbors who lost their dad and a mom, those we know and don't know with cancers and tumors, a great aunt with hip replacement surgery, church friends awaiting tests or surgeries, others simply struggling to hear where God wants them to be, to live, to worship, to serve, we pray.right.now.for God to fulfill His promises as we wait.patiently.for.Him.yes.just.Him.to work.

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, 

so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  

Romans 15:13

Always giving thanks for you dear readers, I pray in some small way you are touched by the mighty hand of God today. 

Let me know how God has richly blessed you.and.give.thanks.

In His Grace,
Jody

Your Grace Still Amazes Me

Everything is growing and changing to the most beautiful green right now.  As I sit and listen to the thunder, watch the lightning that was displayed before my ears and eyes, and now, sit back and hear the glorious sound of the rain coming gently down, I am in awe and amazed at how our God blesses us and chooses to continuously give us the beauty of the earth.

It is a gentle rain, a good soaking rain, one to make the grass grow and the flowers and trees to bloom.  A lovely sounding rain to relax a tired soul, an anxious soul, and as I see the grass turning green almost before my eyes, I am grateful.  

Grateful for His Grace, 

      Grateful for His mercy, 

            Grateful for His love, 

                   Grateful for His provisions,

                          Grateful for His blessings,

                                 Grateful for His salvation.

How can we not delight in our God, the Lord Jesus Christ?  How can we not throw ourselves before His throne, to worship Him in reverence, in song, in dance, on bended knee, prostrate before Him, with words of love, of kindness, of adoration, of praise, of confession, of adulation, of obedience.  

"Bless the lord, O my soul, 

And all that is within me, 

bless His holy name."

Psalm 103:1

"My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You;
And my soul, which You have redeemed."
Psalm 71:23

"Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.

So I will bless You as long as I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

My soul is satisfied...

And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips."

Psalm 63:3-5

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,

That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever."

Psalm 30:11-12

"I will rejoice greatly in the Lord,

My soul will exult in my God."

Isaiah 61:10a

"These verses and many others command us to worship God in ways that express deep gratitude, longing for Him, and joy for our salvation.  This gratitude, longing, and joy should overflow our hearts, causing praise for His character and nature.  We are not free to praise God in any way we decide; we are to worship Him in the ways that He has prescribed.  God has told us how to praise Him.  We are to do so with all that is within us, with shouts of joy, with songs of thanks and gladness, with faces and hands uplifted!

Should not we, who know the mercy of redemption, be filled with more praise than the angels who have worshiped since the beginning of time?  God recounts how all the 'morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy' (Job 38:7)  How much more should we, who have been forgiven, redeemed, adopted, and made heirs of His kingdom, praise Him and shout for joy?  

(Excerpt from Idols of the Heart by Elyse Fitzpatrick)

As I see the beauty before me, and hear God's beauty around me, I stand in awe, and I bow on bended knee to give thanks for all He has done.  

We give our obedience, not out of fear, yes, there is a reverent fear of who God is, but we give it because He commands it; He has called us out, to be different, to shine, to walk differently.  It is when you see no difference, we must question if we are truly walking with the One who gives life, who is Truth, who gives and who takes away; it is then, my confession must come before Him, of whom else am I glorifying if others do not see me as one who obeys only my Lord and King, Jesus Christ. 

My Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, I pray for those around us, right around us;
the farmer with 2 brain tumors, 
my cousins who lost their mother at the age of 80
a friend with prostrate cancer
a man with  a tumor on his kidney 
a friend who lost her mother and her father-in-law
a friend whose nephew died at the age of 12
my dad has pleurisy
my mom who has pulled a back muscle
neighbor with breast cancer
my sister's son with Type 1 diabetes at 8 months old, he's 2 now
friend who miscarried - looking to God who said "Be fruitful and multiply"

Oh, how Your grace still amazes me in times of need!  These dear friends are looking and leaning on You Lord.  Give them Your grace, and thank You for sustaining us in our lives here.  Jesus, we thank You for using all things to bring glory to Your Name.

In His Grace,
Jody

The Morning and New Life!

Resurrection Sunday

"Now after the Sabbath, 

as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, 

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary 

came to look at the grave."

Matt. 28:1

 "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.  

Come, see..."

Matt. 28:6a

A new Life in Christ, "baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit..."  Matt. 28:19

"Buried with Christ in baptism,

Raised to walk in a brand new life"

(Pastor Wayne - Sarah)

(from the archives - Sarah's Baptism)

Have a blessed Easter and Resurrection Day celebrating our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with friends and family!!! 

                                He is Alive!!!
                                     He is Alive!!!

This Holy Week has been about - 
                   Jesus Christs' Resurrection!  
         Without it, the Blood, 
              the Cross would have been incomplete, 
                           but oh, with it, 
                                       we have New Life, 
                      New Hope, 
          a New Name,  
                               we are New Creations in Christ, 
                                      who have accepted Him and 
                            called Him by Name.

Thank You, Jesus, 

for Your Birth, 

Your Life, 

Your Death, 

Your Burial, 

and Your Resurrection!

The Tomb is Empty!!!

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who according to His great mercy 

has caused us to be born again 

to a living hope 

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

1 Peter 1:3

Always Experiencing Him,
Jody