LIGHT FROM THE GRAVE

God loves you and me even in our sins He would not give us up but came to rescue all who would just turn around to face our dying Savior on the cross at Calvary Absorb the depth of love Jesus radiates from His heart as the loving Savior and Creator Who died for you and me Christ knew not how it would end For the Father had made Him to be all humanity's sin so heinous in God's sight The Father withdrew and Jesus feared this separation would become His permanent lot Our dear Jesus laid in the grave His friends thought that was the end They didn't yet understand His mission But Jesus was destined to rise from the dead in living glory honored by the Father and adored by those who would love Him back When we are faithful to Him through the end He gives us His righteousness Our passport to eternity earned by Jesus at Calvary
GOD’S BLESSINGS

Jesus gave us the Beatitudes, recorded in the Bible , Matthew 5:1-12. When I read through them I find joy, hope and comfort. They are promises to you and me and all those who want to prepare for heaven.
Jesus declares those who are “poor in spirit” and “who realize their need for Him” (v. 3) will surely enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus promises that His Father blesses those who mourn, giving them comfort. This promise of God is most applicable to our pandemic. We have pretty much all lost someone or something of value and great meaning to us that cannot be replaced. Yet God will comfort us as no one else can.
Also, God blesses those with a gentle and lowly manner. They know how to treat others with love and compassion. They are the meek of heart whom God promises will inherit the earth. Wow!
God will bless those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (v. 6).
“God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (v. 7).
As a gift to those whose hearts are pure, God promises they will see Him and live with Him forever.
God blesses the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God, worthy of heaven.
God blesses those who are persecuted because their lives are dedicated to God, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
God blesses everyone who is mocked and persecuted and lied about because they are Christ’s followers, for they are promised a great reward in heaven.
Scripture quotations taken from the New Living Translation of the Bible
SURRENDER OF SELF

Jesus Christ is beckoning you to walk with Him Everyday A relationship with Him will nurture you Come what may Everyday He'll ask for complete surrender of self to follow His Way Everyday Surrender your heart in growing relationship Surrender your mind to always please Him His Being is love He'll draw you closer to reveal His heart You'll just want to stay close to Him Be aware Your deeds point others to Jesus Christ You've become a light to the dying world Convicting others of their need to repent and follow Jesus our Lord and Savior He can transform the worst offender Melt the heart of a callous criminal Jesus can turn their affections to Himself His love embraces and transforms Jesus Christ is calling you Take a step toward Him today For He loves you with an everlasting love and wants to guide your journey toward life in His glorious Kingdom Be joyful of Christ's imminent return
A PRAYER

I give my being to You, O Lord Center me in Your love Surround my heart with Your goodness Keep me uplifted with Your lovingkindness Be gentle with my petitions In my sorrow, comfort me If sin freezes my walk with You Woo me with Your mercy and love I don't know all You've planned for me I'm conscious You will never hurt me but bring me safely into the harbor of Your love and help me share with others the Good News of salvation in You alone
OUR LIFE IS IN HIM

His promise was sure A virgin gave birth to the Christ Child The infant of the ages Immanuel A plan set forth before time began to save humanity Proclaimed by God Himself to our parents of the Fall Then endless generations looked for a Savior When God sent His only Son He was born in a stable amongst a donkey, cattle, and sheep His Mother, Mary named Him Jesus as spoken by the angel Gabriel His father, Joseph whisked them to Egypt for King Herod, Satan's agent plotted Christ's death On the Holy Family's return Mary taught the growing toddler in the knowledge of God's own Word God and Man intertwined as One Jesus swept human error aside Confirmed all Ten Commandments He healed the sick Brought sight to the blind And raised the dead to life He taught us how to live Christ set a new standard by which one could be measured: To die for our friends as He did for us Indeed the highest expression of love He became sin for us and died in our place that we could attain to life everlasting with Him We kneel before the Christ Child today The Word made Flesh born to free the captives of sin To draw us close to Him May we put our faith in Him For Jesus is the only Way, the Truth, and the Life Amen
HE GIVES ALL GOOD GIFTS

Mercy and goodness shower from heaven Those who open their arms will be blessed God is our Provider He sustains us through life Our outlook comes from Him When crisis strikes we put our faith in Him He brings stability when we work together Happiness, when we love each other All good things come from God Let us not reject His gifts But pause to consider how blessed we are as on this Thanksgiving Day
OPEN OUR HEARTS
Why would you die? Turn to Jesus and live. Our hearts become corrupted with our worldly endeavors. We naturally don't seek God We strive for merit and success. Our natural inclination leans toward comfort and selfishness. When we come to Jesus He unlocks our chained up hearts. He interests us in others needs and opens wide our fledgling hearts. Jesus directs us toward those who weep, comforting these whom Jesus loves. He leads us to the lost and weary to rescue them from Satan's lies, pointing out his deadly deceptions. We give them hope in Jesus' promises, directing them to the Word of God. Christ puts us on a better path bound for heaven's pearly gates. He leads us through life's struggles together Our lives bound up in Him -- Our God, our Savior, and our King.
STEP OUT
The intruding thought
Another stressful task to perform
You turn it off
like silencing Christian Radio
A preacher broadcasting your pass to Heaven
then airing your sins
reigniting in your mind
a fear of Hell
STOP.
You will not be threatened
anymore
You’ve journeyed far
with your mind fixed on Jesus
aware the Holy Spirit
will be with you
when you tackle witnessing
You’ll tell your peers
that Jesus saves
and how He’s changed your life
A friend comes to mind
One who needs the assurance
Jesus can save them, too
A stressful task?
Not at all
for your help comes from God
He will empower you
with the Holy Spirit
Give you words as you speak
His work is to strengthen you
to know Him
and to bring others
into His presence
So, go ahead
Step out
For He lives
WHEN WILL WORLD PEACE COME
Are we meant to achieve peace on earth in our own strength and human wisdom? Don’t we have to value every human life, including the fetus and the elderly, before we can attain status to rule the world in peace and safety? Do we have within us the moral fiber to embrace peace, or are some of us so diseased with iniquity that it will take divine intervention to bring this whole mess to order and a lasting peace?
Humanity tends to flatter itself, looking forward to a day when all is brought under control by man’s wisdom. The Apostle Paul writes, “For the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God” (1 Cor. 3:19).
The perfect plan for man lies in God’s heart. Only He can draw us to Himself, recreating us in His image. Only the Holy Spirit can bring us to our knees in confession. Only God can forgive us of our sins, as He prepares us for our right place in His Kingdom.
There would always be the dark stain of sin against all of us without a Savior, our precious Jesus. His love for us is vast and led Him to give His life for us, even a cruel death on the Cross. We cannot save ourselves, but must believe in Jesus and trust in His sacrifice to save us.
How, then, is world peace going to be established in a world where leaders and many clergymen trust that man can bring lasting peace to this broken planet?
The Gospel of what God has done to save us is being preached to the whole world. The Bible is being opened for the first time before many everyday. You might ask whether God devised a plan to make sure all people who come to love and obey Him are finally reunited with Him.
Jesus promised He would come back to take His faithful to heaven. He said there will be signs on the earth and in the heavens heralding His imminent return. But will mankind have established peace on earth before Christ’s Second Coming, or will Christ need to come, rescuing the world from an impending global disaster we cannot extricate ourselves from?
Jesus said the Last Days will be like the days of Noah, when there was much evil and violence fomented by men having little interest in God. Christ’s coming will be an overwhelming and unexpected event to those who don’t have a relationship with God. When He comes, He will usher in the perfect peace of His Kingdom for all who love Him and obey all of His Commandments.
GOD’S WORD OFFERS PROTECTION
Everyone loves a story with danger, suspense, and romance. Some of you are aware Christ’s soon Second Coming is in dispute. My novel, “The Casting of Crowns” relates world events in the End Times as well as the fervor of God-fearing young adults as they are introduced to Bible truths most pertinent in the End Times.
Not all students accept Bible teachings that are clear and unambiguous. Only those willing to accept the truth embedded in the Word, stick with the Bible study Carissa and her friends attend, longing to follow Jesus fully.
The characters all bring to the story different beliefs, lifestyles, and priorities. Living in the End Times brings to Carissa, the protagonist, an urgency about aligning her beliefs with God’s Word. These beliefs compel her to actions having everlasting consequences.
What would you do if you were ordered to bring your Bible(s) downtown to burn them? This event and other plausible scenarios occur as the New World Order clamps down.
Would you trust another person (a priest) to tell you what to believe? Or would you want to study the Bible for yourself, so as to know you have eternal life?
Do you think it’s OK to follow your conscience in matters of faith, or be told what to believe, following blindly? What about Carissa’s wanting to please God? Wouldn’t she be a desirable character for young women to emulate?
If your heart is with the Lord and you want to be prepared to overcome Satan’s deceptions in these Last Days, you’ll want to pick up a copy of “The Casting of Crowns” by Betsy O. Borchardt, available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble online, and any online bookseller.