MY GOD REIGNETH...

MY GOD REIGNETH!

"Look above and dry thy tears"

"Trust In Him, He'll never fail"

"Sinful soul thy debt is paid"  Jesus paid the price on the cross once and for ALL, for you, for me.  So that we may have everlasting life.  We could never have justified ourselves so God did it for us by sacrificing His only Son.  

Each week when our praise team sings at church, I am filled with the spirit and thankfulness that Jesus died for us.  At this special time of year for Christians, we celebrate the Resurrection on the 3rd day after the death of Jesus on the Cross when he is Resurrected from the grave.  

Ask questions if you do not understand, sometimes the Bible as written, is difficult to understand.  But once you delve into God's words, all will be made clear.  We cannot ADD TO nor TAKE away anything that is written in the Bible.  It is God's word.

Remember when you were little and your Mom or Dad told you to do something and you asked, "why?"  Because I said so! would be the reply.  Well, we need to heed and read God's word because GOD SAID SO!  Listen to the inspiring video I posted in the sidebar and please worship at your church this Sunday.  Invite a friend, relative, anyone you wish to share the word of God with and be nourished in these trying times we live it.  It is difficult out there but God will carry us through...

MY CHRISTIAN HEART TO YOURS.....

                                                Kerrie ♥

EASTER SEASON

EASTER is one of my favorite holidays if not THE favorite!  I love celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord.  Palm Sunday will be here soon, where has the time gone?

MAT 21:1-11 

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

Even though Jesus wished to come into the city humbly, his followers laid palms in his pathway. 

It was a practice of people's of the east to cover the ground that someone of high honor was walking on. You can see this happening in the Bible with king Jehu when the people lay their garments before him in 2 Kings 9:13. In Matthew and Mark's gospels only tree branches and clothes are described as being laid before Jesus. John is the only author who specifies "Palm" branches. 

The idea is the same though: The people were honoring

 Jesus the way they would honor a king.  So to answer the question of why the people lay palm branches before Jesus we have to ask what the people thought of Jesus to make them honor him in this way.

So the simplest answer to the question of why is that the Jewish people who lay palms and clothes before Jesus wanted to honor him because they thought he was their Messiah.

So the best way to understand the Bible is to read it more and more.  If the formal translations confuse you, buy a copy of "THE BOOK" published by Tyndale House (any bookstore) as it is a comprehensive Bible written in plain language that you will understand.  I use it as a wonderful cross reference to bible reading as it does not take the place of the Bible but rather makes you want to read the original after reading the plain text.  The Book also has many helps such as how to prayer for specific needs which is very helpful when you are in a situation and do not know how to pray for that specifically.

God bless you friends and do come again.  Celebrate the coming of Christ on Palm Sunday.

My Christian heart to yours.

Forgiveness

Do you need to forgive someone or do you want forgiveness from someone?  Sometimes, we have done something to a family member or a friend that we did not intend to hurt or harm them but none the less, it did.  Sometimes family or friends can hurt us deeply, sometimes intentionally, sometimes unwittingly.  It is hard to forgive someone and even harder to forgive yourself.

The Bible addresses this on many levels.  In Matthew 18:15,16,21 Jesus tells us, "If a brother sins against you, go to him privately and confront him with his fault.  If he listens and confesses it, you have won back a brother.  But if not, then take one or two others with you and go back to him again, proving everything you say by these witnesses.   21: "Then Peter came to him and asked, "Sir, how often should I forgive a brother who sins against me?  Seven times?" 22: "No," Jesus replied, "seventy times seven!" 

  But if someone continues to sin against you, it eats you up inside if you do not forgive, it is always there within your heart placing a stone between you and the person and you and your heavenly father, who does not want you to hold hatred in your heart or are unforgiving.  So if there is no resolution after many attempts at reconciliation, love your enemies and pray for them but separate them from yourself if they are causing you to have these feelings in your heart or you feel they are causing you to sin because of it. 

Forgiving the squirrel for taking the bird house over
to escape the rain....

Luke 17:1-4  "There will always be temptations to sin," Jesus said one day to his disciples, "but woe to the man who does the tempting.  If he were thrown into the sea with a huge rock tied to his neck,  he would be far better off than facing the punishment in store for those who harm these little children's souls.  I am warning you!  Rebuke your brother if he sins, and forgive him if he is sorry.  Even if he wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, forgive him."

It is hard to forgive, I know and you have heard me say before that the reason we pray for our enemies is because what God has in store for them is much worse than you could ever wish them! 

Ephesians 4:31-32  "Stop being mean, bad-tempered and angry.  Quarreling, harsh words, and dislike of others should have no place in your lives.  Instead, be kind to each other , tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you because you belong to Christ."

The message is clear, forgiveness is necessary for your spiritual health.  When we attain spiritual health, we feel good health in our earthly bodies as well.  You can begin by asking God to forgive your ill feelings for this or that person.  Then at least make an attempt to make things right between you.  Remember, God is with you through all of this and together there is nothing you cannot do with His help.

This post was created as a result of a good friend asking me to do one on forgiveness.  I hope this has been a blessing to you dear friend.  If you have a request, just ask in comments and I will do my best to provide an answer.  Have a blessed and forgiving day!

♥KERRIE♥

My Christian heart to yours...

Who was the first woman to believe Jesus was the Messiah?

  Martha was the first woman to recognize and believe that Jesus was the Messiah.  Her brother Lazareth had died and she and her sister Mary were mourning their loss.  When Jesus heard of his friends all three of whom he loved, he was grieved also and went to the home to see them.  He did this even though the Jews had threatened to stone him there previously.  When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house.  Martha said to Jesus that if he had been there, her brother would not have died. And Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

John 11:24-27  "Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this:"  She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world."


Rembrandt's Painting of Raising Lazareth

 What great faith Martha had in Jesus!  She totally accepted and believed him to be the Messiah!  Jesus raises Lazareth from the dead, even though he has been in the tomb for 4 days.  Faith can overcome death.
  We as believers may lose our earthly life from illnesses, accidents or just old age, but we gain eternal life in heaven.  God is so good!

♥KERRIE♥
My Christian heart to yours...

SHEPHERDS

Jesus is the Good Shepherd because he looks after his sheep, one and all.  We are all part of the flock when we follow Jesus and like a good Shepherd, he finds us when we are lost, he carries us when we cannot walk, he tends to our every need.  He leads in in green pastures where we can be nurished and nurtured.  Follow the shepherd for he leads us in paths of righteousness.

Luke 2:8-14
"And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  And the Angel said to them, "be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you:  you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"

Just imagine these shepherds who are watching and guarding their sheep so no harm will come to them during the night, when suddenly an Angel sent from God appears to them and brings them the good news of the birth of the Savior!  They were frightened at first but they are comforted by the Angel.  The holy One that they have been waiting for, that was prophesied, is actually born!  How excited they must have been!  I can only imagine how their hearts were pounding!

Thank you Lord for the Christmas story of our Savior so that we might realize the magnitude of the event but how even the lowly shepherds were brought the good news!  The first shall be last and the last shall be first. 



During this season of joy, read the Bible account of events leading up to, during and after the birth of Christ.  Try to imagine you are there to see it all and witness the event.  How would you describe it?  In studying, your heart will grow fuller and fuller with the joy that is felt within.  Come back tomorrow for more...

♫♫Away in a manger, no crib for a bed.
The little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky look down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.♫♫

♥KERRIE♥
My heart to yours...