GOOD FRIDAY....

GOOD FRIDAY...It is raining, how appropriate for Good Friday!!

Jesus was made to carry His own cross, Would you have dared to help Him??
Matt 32-37  "As they were on the way to the execution grounds they came across a man from Cyrene, in Africa-Simon was his name--and forced him to carry Jesus' cross.  Then they went out to an area known as Golgotha, that is, "Skull Hill," where the soldiers gave him drugged wine to drink; but when he had tasted it, he refused.  After the crucifixion, the soldiers threw dice to divide up his clothes among themselves.  Then they sat around and watched him as he hung there.  And they put a sign above his head, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."

 And His Mama cried to see the agony of her son on the cross....because she could not help him....

Matt 45-52  "That afternoon, the whole earth was covered with darkness for 3 hours, from noon until three o'clock.  About three o'clock, Jesus shouted, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me."  Then Jesus shouted out again, dismissed his spirit and died.
And look!  The curtain secluding the Holiest Place in the Temple was slit apart from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and the rocks broke, and tombs opened, and many godly men


 and women who had died came back to life again."


 ON THIS DAY He died for you and for me.  The "perfect lamb" was sacrificed so that our sins would be forgiven forever more, that we would have eternal life with Jesus and His Father in heaven!!  No greater sacrifice was ever made!

Meditate on the cross today. I am fasting until 3:00p.m.  The rain and dark sky remind me of how it must have been that dark day when they crucified our Lord.  Imagine His pain and feel the words of the hymn, "When I survey the Wondrous Cross."  To hear, click on the video in the sidebar at the right.

What are your thoughts this Good Friday??  Share with others and with me by commenting today.


THANK YOU JESUS FOR DYING ON THE CROSS FOR US.  MAY WE ALWAYS SHOW OUR GRATITUDE AND LOVE FOR SUCH A WONDROUS GIFT.  Amen.

All Biblical quotes are taken from "The Book" published by Tyndale House Publishers.

The Folded Napkin...

My Pastor sent this to me this morning and I was so touched that I had to share with you all.  I had never heard the reason for this before and it is so significant!

Why Did Jesus Fold the Napkin?

   Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this....
The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.
   The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.  Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.  She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!'
   Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple out ran Peter and got there first. He stopped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.  Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside.  He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.

Was that important? Absolutely!  Is it really significant? Yes!

   In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.  When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it.
   The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.
  Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.
The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant,  "I'm finished.."  But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because..........
 The folded napkin meant,
"I'm coming back!"


AND  SO  HE  SHALL!

I love this account!  That is why knowing the Old Testament is important as we learn to think in Hebrew instead of western culture.  I remember when I did my 2 year study to become a Bible Teacher that our teacher kept emphasizing that we think in Hebrew.  That is because he wanted us to be very familiar with the the old customs and traditions of the Jewish people so that we would understand their behavior and the old laws before Jesus set us free!  It is just like tracing our roots for a family tree.  We need to understand where the people of Jesus time were coming from in their beliefs and traditions.  It helps us to understand why the Jewish people did not think Jesus was the Messiah.  They are still waiting.  Rejoice, we do not have to wait any longer!!

♥KERRIE♥

My Christian heart to yours...

Palm Sunday

Luke 19:38
ON THE MORNING AFTER the supper at Bethany, Jesus called two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the next village, and at a place where two roads cross, and there you will find an ass tied, and a colt with it. Loose them, and bring them to me. And if anyone says to you, 'Why do you do this?' say 'The Lord has need of them,' and they will let them go."They went to the place, and found the ass and the colt, and were loosing them, when the owner said, "What arc you doing, untying the ass?" And they said, as Jesus had told them to say, "The Lord has need of it!"

Then the owner gave them the ass and the colt for the use of Jesus. They brought them to Jesus, on the Mount of Olives, and they laid some of their own clothes on the colt for a cushion, and set Jesus upon it. Then all the disciples and a very great multitude threw their garments upon the ground for Jesus to ride upon. Others cut down branches from the trees and laid them on the ground.

And as Jesus rode over the mountain toward Jerusalem many walked before him waving branches of palm-trees. And they all cried together, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord! Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

These things they said because they believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Anointed King, and they hoped that he would now set up his throne in Jerusalem. Some of the Pharisees in the crowd, who did not believe in Jesus, said to him, "Master, stop your disciples!" But Jesus said, "I tell you, that if these should be still, the very stones would cry out!"

And when he came into Jerusalem with all this multitude, all the city was filled with wonder. They said, "Who is this?" And the multitude answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth in Galilee!"

And Jesus went into the temple, and looked around it; but he did not stay, because the hour was late. He went again to Bethany, and there stayed at night with his friends.
These things took place on Sunday, the first day of the week; and that Sunday in the year is called Palm Sunday, because of the palm branches which the people carried before Jesus.
  Just think how much everyone was hoping that Jesus was going to rule as an earthly ruler, even the Jews thought that he would be an earthly King.  And little did any of them know that in another week, their Savior would be murdered on a cross though he had done nothing wrong!  But the good news was yet to come, the resurrection!  Though Jesus had taught that the scriptures must be fulfilled, I don't think his disciples or others truly knew what this meant.  And facing death, Jesus went willingly and obeyed the Father to fulfil the scriptures that he would rise again on the third day....
    Thank you Jesus for dieing for us.  We can never thank you enough!  God Bless and take time to read the Bible this holy week and learn more about our Savior.

Thank you for coming and I hope you will come again soon.  Hugs and blessings to you all!

God does have a sense of humor!!

♥KERRIE♥

My Christian heart to yours...

When I survey the Wondrous Cross...

I am having a hard time fathoming the pain of our Lord during the Easter Season.  His suffering and death was so horrifying and despicable and yet it has saved us all.  A Grace, a Gift like no other.  But my chest physically hurts when I ponder his suffering.

I bought this bag of jewelry in a thrift shop a couple of weeks ago to recycle into crafts and among the little treasures was a rosary made of wood.  The figure of Christ was gone and immediately, I thought, "of course he is gone, he's risen".  We celebrate the Risen Christ, not Christ on the Cross.

Even though it was Christmas time, the last time I sang in the Singing Christmas Tree (My fifth and last year), we sang, "When I survey the Wondrous Cross".  I felt so emotional singing the line, "see from His head, His hands, His feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down", I wanted to cry that the savior was dying of his wounds and bleeding for me, a sinner.  His blood was mingled with his love, "love so amazing, so complete, demands my soul, my life, my all!"  You can meditate on the words to this hymn forever!  What a lesson in love and sacrifice!  And the writer of this hymn felt such love for the Lord!

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

When I survey the wondrous Cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain would seem but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

See from His head, His hands, His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Love so amazing, so complete
Demands my life, my love, my All...

  A cousin sent me this beautiful cross for my birthday last month with a house blessing on it.  Perfect! I have it in my kitchen and love it because it is an outward symbol of my faith and belief and because I love the giver, also.

Have you surveyed the Wondrous Cross?  Have you comprehended what a sacrifice it was for God to give his only begotten Son so that you may have eternal life and dwell in heaven with him?  Should we not be forever grateful?  We are so blessed!

The Rosary was lying on my computer desk next to a rock and I thought, how appropriate!  "On Christ the solid Rock I stand".  We had a little Chahuahua when we moved to SC 22 yrs. ago and unknown to us, she brought her favorite rock with her.  It was buried in the blanket in her bed.  She is long gone but I still have her rock with its bite marks on it.  She loved it so much that she would even fall asleep with it in her mouth!  The Rock gave her comfort as Our Rock, Jesus gives us comfort. 
   Isaac Watts wrote "When I survey the Wondrous Cross" in 1707 and the music was written by Edward Miller.  For more information his Isaac Watts life, put his name in search in your computer.  His life is very interesting.

Thank you for visiting today and I hope you take away with you a Blessing!  Come again soon and celebrate the love of the Lord with us!

♥KERRIE♥
My Christian heart to yours...

PS: Forgot to say that the music of this hymn was also adapted to a love ballad, "The River is Wide".

Get up in the tree!

LITTLE MAN WHO MADE IT BIG

Luke 19:1-10     Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but because of of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because Jesus was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."

   Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. He wanted to see him really bad. Although he was a government official, he didn't care if it was embarrassing. He climbed into a tree to see Jesus. His efforts were rewarded. Not only did he get to see him, but Jesus stopped, and told Zacchaeus that he would come to his house to spend time with him. Zacchaeus was thrilled. He went home to prepare.
But others were upset. Tax collectors were not respected people. And the Jews thought it was shameful for Jesus to spend time with a sinner. But Zacchaeus repented. He not only

vowed to give away half his wealth, but to repay anyone he had

cheated. Jesus said this was why he had come, to seek out and

 save the sinner.

   Sometimes it is difficult for people to separate the sin from the sinner. It is important for us to disapprove of sin while trying to save those trapped in sin.  How do we approach people today whose lifestyles we cannot condone?  Do you speak out when you are offended by what people say or do?  Do you let places like Face Book use your page for their own agendas and care not what they write even though young eyes may see and be influenced?  I speak out.  I do not want my Christian friends or my grandchildren to see offensive things on anything that I as a Christian am lending an ear or eye to.  Yes, it is hard to fit into today's world but you can even if you do show your love of the Father and Son and Christianity.  God will show you the way and what he wants you to do.  Just listen with your heart....  You are your own conscience.   

Zacchaeus sought Jesus, and got closer to him than he had hoped. God says if we seek him, we will find him. He that hungers and thirsts after righteousness shall be filled. Many people wonder where God is in their lives, but never go looking for him. What are some ways we can seek after God in our lives?

Zacchaeus didn't use his shortness as an excuse to quit looking for Jesus. What obstacles do we have to overcome to see Jesus? Are any of these obstacles great enough to separate us from Jesus?

    SCRAMBLE UP THAT TREE, DON'T YOU WANT TO SEE JESUS??

I climbed trees all the time growing up much to the dismay of my poor Mother!  But I never fell, God was there to protect me.   I am short of stature-ha!  But in H.S. it did not stop me from playing basketball, baseball and standing tall for Jesus!  I still stand tall for Jesus, more so, the older and shorter I grow-ha!

Thank you for coming today and I hope your heart and spirituality were nourished.  Come again soon.  Let the light of Jesus shine in your heart, be on your lips and in your eyes.  Blessings!

♥KERRIE♥
My Christian heart to yours.....

Religion dying out?

 I woke very early this morning and while watching CNN news channel, they announced that according to polls, religion is dying out and they polled among others, Ireland, Netherlands and Australia.  I am wondering who they asked in these countries, the devil? The news media must be desperate to even spend time on such a poll.  Did they poll and ask how many people have great faith and believe in God?  Probably not, they would never do that.  Sometimes it is frustrating for all of us as they take religion out of our schools, our government (even though our country was founded by people who wanted religious freedom to worship!).  Who are these people who want everything to be politically correct and do all these things supposedly, as not to offend?

The chief priests were offended because Jesus was called "King" when they brought him to Pontius Pilate.  (Mark 15:10)  "For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy."  They were offended because they saw the power Jesus had over the crowds of his followers that were ever growing.  Was the Governor, Pontius Pilate able to squelch the believers by "washing his hands" (Matt 27:24) of Jesus Crucifixion?  No!  Jesus rose from the dead undefeated to lead all of us to the Father, to lead us to an abundant life and after life to spend eternity with Jesus and His Father in heaven.
  As Christians we are given the great commission (Matt 28:16-20) of spreading God's word.  Now more than ever, we need to speak up, to bring the word to unbelievers.  Set a good example of your life in Christ.  I once wrote on an earlier post that people who have Jesus in their life have a light in their eyes, there is something there that is so apparent that it shines through. Other people want and crave to have that completeness that only comes from the joy of salvation and in knowing the Father and Son.  You never know what an influence you have on others just by the way you look, speak, or act. Be certain that what others see in you is your love of Christ.
  If you were "polled" today and asked if religion is dying here in America, what would you answer?

Thank you for visiting today and I hope you take away with you a blessing.

♥Kerrie♥
My Christian heart to yours...

Recommended reading for today:  In touch Ministries, message by Charles Stanley http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/in-touch/ pertinent to today's discussion.

The Praying Woman....

Are you a praying woman?  I can also ask, Are you a praying man?  But today I am asking the women as last year I was given this Prayer Journal.  Knowing that I love books, the Lord and writing, it was a perfect gift.  I have many journals, even written in shorthand notebooks with illustrations doodled here and there and they number much more than a few.
   When I was growing up, I wrote poetry, I wrote when I was mad and when I was sad and also when I was filled with joy.  The paper and pen has always been a comfort to me and now the Lord has made it a blessing.  I found my "Power of a Praying Woman" journal today and wanted to share it with you.  Sometimes, when I have not read one of my poems for a long time, I cannot believe I wrote the words myself.  Surely God was guiding my hand.

If you have read entries in my sidebar,  or any other of my blogs, you know that my husband is in the 6th year of fighting the devastating Multiple Myeloma cancer in his spine.  It changed our lives a lot and sometimes I really miss that other us before the illness came.  I pray more than once a day that God will lay his healing hand upon my sweet husband and make him whole again...

Talking with God and writing down my thoughts and prayers are theraputic for me and so I will share with you my poem of 11/22/10:

      I Walk Alone

©Kerrie O'Hearn Marquart

Sometimes, I walk alone~

even though I know you  are there.

It is hard for me to open my heart

To let you in when I despair

And I know you are beside me

No matter how hard the walk.

And all I really need to do,

Is talk to you, just talk.

To lift my voice in prayer

To a heavenly Father who cares.

Even before I speak, you know

My every need when I am low.

You pick me up when e'er I fall

You dust me off and I am tall,

To meet each new day I see,

Thank you Lord for being there for me.

             11-22-10

And God is always there for us!  Sometimes don't you just need to talk with someone intimately, who understands you completely without judgement like a lifelong friend?  Well the Lord and his Son Jesus are your life-long and beyond friends!  You can open your heart to them, tell them anything you want to.  You can confess your sins and they shall be made white as snow and God will never think of them again!  Your heart will be a clean slate, wiped clean.

2 Corinthians 5:17 If any man is in Christ, he is a new being.  The old is gone, the new hath come.

That is comforting, is it not?  I send hugs to you through time and space and invite you to become friends with your Creator and His Son Jesus who died on the cross so that we might have life everlasting.  Thank Him now that he loves you and me so much that he made this sacrifice like no other.

Are you willing to get on your knees?  I get on my knees in humbleness by my bedside at times and my heart is filled with joy.  God Bless and do come again soon, thank you for letting me share some of my personal talk and walk with Jesus today.

♥KERRIE♥
My Christian heart to yours...