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...

2nd Sunday in Lent

Mark 9:2-10 Transfiguration of Christ, the 2nd Sunday in Lent.

"Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James and John and led them on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  (Ref. also Matt 17:1-8) (to change outside appearance, to transform so as to exalt or glorify)  His clothes became shining exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. (Ref Dan.7:9)

  And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, It is good for us to be here; and let us make 3 tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah"- because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.
  And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"   (also ref. Ex. 40:34)

Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.  Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had see, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
  So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant."  (Ref also John 2:19-22)

  Wow!  What would you have thought if you were there??  What questions would you have for Jesus?  Would you want to run back home and tell everyone what you had seen or could you obey and tell no one of what had transpired?  The disciples had such great faith in Jesus and they obeyed.  Don't you wish we could all follow Jesus with such great faith? 
  Each week we are leading up to the Death and Resurrection of our Lord.  These few weeks will be the last time that the disciples will see their beloved leader before he rises again to fulfill the scriptures.  Even though they do not understand the whole message, they are willing to trust and obey, just like the old hymn says. "Trust and obey, for there is no other way...."

    TRUST AND OBEY

Hymn writer-John H. Sammis, 1846-1919

Hymn Music - Daniel B. Towner, 1850-1919

When we walk with the Lord

In the light of His word,

What a Glory he sheds on our way!

While we do His good will,

He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

There are 3 more verses and to view them all if you do not have a hymnal, just search on line: lyrics for Trust and Obey hymn

Thank you so much for visiting and I hope you will take away a blessing! God Bless and have a wonderful Day!

♥KERRIE♥

My Christian heart to yours....

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Source:  Wikepedia

Saint Patrick
Born	387
Died	17 March 461
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodoxy Anglican Communion Lutheran Church
Major shrine	Glastonbury Abbey; Armagh
Feast	17 March (Saint Patrick's Day)
Patronage	Ireland, Nigeria, Montserrat, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, Boston, Loíza, Murcia(Spain), engineers, paralegals, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, invoked against snakes, sins, witchcraft[1]

Two authentic letters from him survived, from which come the only universally accepted details of his life.^[6] When he was about 16, he was captured from Britain by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. After entering the Church, he returned to Ireland as an ordained bishop in the north and west of the island, but little is known about the places where he worked. By the seventh century, he had come to be revered as the patron saint of Ireland.
Most available details of his life are from later hagiographies from the 7th century onwards, and these are now not accepted without detailed criticism. Uncritical acceptance of the Annals of Ulster would imply that he lived from 340 to 440, and ministered in what is modern day Northern Ireland from 428 onwards. The dates of Patrick's life cannot be fixed with certainty, but on a widespread interpretation he was active as a missionary in Ireland during the second half of the 5th century.^[7]
Saint Patrick's Day is observed on March 17, the date of Patrick's death.^[8] It is celebrated both in and outside of Ireland, as both a liturgical and non-liturgical holiday. In the dioceses of Ireland it is both a solemnity and a holy day of obligation and outside of Ireland, it can be a celebration of Ireland itself.

Sowing the Mustard Seed....

Matthew 13:31-32

To the left is an illustration of the Black Mustard Plant said to be the kind of Mustard plant that Jesus is referring to in his parable.  The Mustard seed, though only a speck, germinates immediately when it falls to the ground and spreads prolifically.  And when it grows into a tree it is refuge for birds to nest in or persons to find shelter under.

Spreading the word of God is like that.  If we plant the tiniest seed, it will flourish and grow gathering in others into the word of Christ so that others may be blessed by the Good News of Salvation.  Have you ever have someone do a small, kind thing for you in the past and marvel at their demeanor and the peace that seems to surround them?  Then finding out they are a Christian and thinking, ah, yes, I should have known by their actions...  When we plant the tiniest seed of faith such as telling someone, "I will pray for you", we are planting a thirst for God's word.  We cannot help but be effected by the kindness and concern of others, we want that happiness and faith that they have because of their faith and belief.  Go forth this day and sow Mustard seeds of Faith and Christ and watch the fruits of your labor grow to maturity...

Matt:13:31-32  "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."
 
Blessed to be a blessing!

Thanks for visiting and do come again soon, we love having you visit and reading your comments.

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

Living above circumstance...

Good Morning dear Christian hearts...

This message from In-Touch ministries, with Charles Stanley was so meaningful, I needed to share with you this morning --Just in case you are having a blue Monday!

Pls. note that underlining is my own emphasis:
    "Surely, if anyone had a right to gripe, it was Paul, who’d endured persecution, shipwreck, and beatings for the gospel. Yet he never once complained. His letter to the church at Philippi is filled with rejoicing, as focusing on God let him live above his circumstances (Phil. 4:8).

    The more we talk and complain about a situation, the worse it looks, until the problem looms larger in our mind than our faith does. Conversely, carrying challenges straight to God keeps matters in perspective. The Lord is bigger than any hardship. On His strength, we rise above the difficulty.    Problems can look so big and unwieldy that they distort our perspective. God invites us to live above our circumstances by fastening our eyes upon Him. The trials of this life shrink when compared to our loving, powerful Lord, who exercises His might in defense of His people."

(For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit

www.intouch.org )

    I have certainly found in these last 6 years specifically, how hard it is to cope with catastrophic illness with my Husband's Multiple Myeloma Cancer.  And at times our cash flow has been a cause of stress as well.  Then there are grown children with their problems and grandchildren and, and, and....  If I were to let all of these things weigh down my life, my joy and my heart would parish from lack of nourishment!  But I choose to react differently to the many obstacles in our lives.  And above all, Hubby and I have each other for support, for our daily "dose of Love" from each other and the Lord.  And it does help to talk with loved ones or that one great friend about your concerns as we are only human though we strive to be God-like.  Just remember that Jesus is our one great Friend above all others, talk to Him.

   Too often we "overdose on ME" saying, "why is this happening to ME?  Why do I not have riches and health and a happy-no-problem life??  Why is my old age not the "golden years" that we always heard about?  Because that is not reality.  God never said we would not have stress and strife in our lives, but he did promise to be there with us through the storm.  Again, note the video in my side bar, it says it all.  "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face.  And the things of the earth will grow strangely dim...In the light of His Glory and Grace......"☺

Just as the little creatures in our back yard look up to us for a morsel to sustain them, we look up to the Lord for our spiritual nourishment and support. 
Thank you for visiting with me today and I hope you found something meaningful in today's shared message as well as my own.  If you have prayer concerns, please comment or e-mail and I will add you to our prayer list.  You matter to us, You matter to Jesus...

♥KERRIE♥

My Christian heart to yours...

I Bought a New Bible today....

I BOUGHT A NEW BIBLE TODAY!  I have at least ten in the house, so why am I excited??  It has large print, a soft cover and spine so it will lay open without weighing it down-ha!  I love the feel of the leather and the ease of reading the print and....It was 40% off at Books-A-Million! Yes!

I have several because I am constantly cross referencing and studying.  My Dad had a Schofield Study Bible from the 1800's (He was born in 1907) that he passed on to me and while its cover is crumbling and the print is tinier than an atom, I find so much more information printed right in it's margins that I continue to handle it with tender care.

I have a Catholic Bible that I like because before each Gospel, there is a  preface that tells me something about the writer, what kind of a person he was, what his occupation was before he became a follower of our Lord.

Another was given to me when I did my 2-year Bible Course for teachers and I have written notes in all of the margins and can find my way around readily in it.  Another was presented to me from one of the churches that I sang special music in all the time and I treasure that as I was blessed to receive a gift that was so meaningful to me.

This is the print on the one that I bought today and while you cannot see from this picture, it is larger than average and very readable.

And see how it will lay open without my weighing down the pages so that if I am working my blog, I can easily glance at the pages to reference while typing without wishing I had a third hand-ha!

        In the Bible it describes a book as a set of written sheets of skin, paper or tablets.  And in TIM 4:13 Paul asks Timothy to "....and above all bring the parchments." The written word and the recording of what was happening was so important to document and to spread the word.  And in 3 John:13, Paul mentions, "I had much to write to you but I would rather not write with pen and ink;"  We also know that history was written on scrolls and of course the Ten Commandments were written on tablets by etching. 

    Not every language was written so it is indeed fortunate that the writer's of the Gospel were educated and able to record what happened.  Also, the Lord wrote on the wall in the Old Testament.   In Luke 24:44-47 Jesus is speaking to the disciples after his resurrection saying, "These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled."  Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem."         There are well over two hundred references to books in the Bible an the written word. This is why my Bibles are so important to me and should be cherished and important to you, also.  Because someone recorded biblical history, we are able to follow our roots all the way back to Adam and Eve to see from whence we came....  By reading the history in the old testament, we learn what led up to the necessity of God sacrificing his only Son.  We also have a reference for every problem under the sun because nothing is new.  It has all happened before and if you read about the troubled youth in Biblical times, or in the history of Greece or Rome without knowing the time frame, you could apply it to today's youth and problems of life today as well.  That is why it is called the LIVING BIBLE.

And so sweet believers and non-believers, read your bibles.  There is a special message in there that only you will recognize and understand when the Father is speaking to your heart.  Shhhh! God is speaking......

♥KERRIE♥

My Christian heart to yours....

TGIF

"Thank God it's Friday!"  That's how the saying goes as sometimes because people dislike working so much that they are relieved this is the last day before freedom and the weekend!  Or if you are a stay-at-home Mom, you are happy that you have relief from getting up early, sending everyone off to school and work, cleaning house, making supper, cleaning up, running kids to sports, dance lessons, etc. and plopping exhausted into bed each day!  But seriously, we really can praise and thank God for every precious day he gives to us!

  What happened on Friday in the Bible??

   Our precious Lord and Savior was crucified, died for us, and was buried...  So we should be thanking God for Friday, that the Lord loved us so much, he gave his only begotten son so that we might have eternal life.  Jesus took our place and paid dearly for our sins.  Shouldn't we thank him?

   John19:23-30   When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garment and made four parts, one each for each soldier; also his tunic.  But the tunic was without seam, woven from top to bottom; so they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.:  This was to fulfil the scripture, "they parted my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."  So the soldiers did this but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple who he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son!:  Then he said to the disciple, Behold, your mother!"  And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
  After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), "I thirst."  A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth.  When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished"; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."

   John's account is not as detailed as was Matthew's, Matthew27:27-50 But even in Matthew's detailed description, we cannot imagine what pain and suffering our Lord went through that Friday.  I once saw a sculptor on television many years ago who at Easter time every year, sculpted a likeness of the Savior's head, a bust on a pedestal while we watched.  He worked swiftly with great skill and the beauty of the likeness was amazing.  Then as the story was told of Jesus suffering: beaten by soldiers, crowned with thorns, blood running down his face, welts, he recreated the terrible abuse of Jesus precious head.  He was no longer recognizable.  I had never seen anything so graphic and the tears streamed down my face to watch this lump of clay........what must it have been like for Mary to see her son suffer so?

  After 3 days, Jesus rose from the dead and when he appeared to his disciples, they did not know him at first, they had seen him at the last and now this Jesus was whole as he was before he suffered....When they finally believed it was Jesus, how filled with joy they must have been.  My chest swells with emotion just to think of it!

  This is not a story, it is history.  The history books record that the man named Jesus was born and was crucified by Pontius Pilate and the Jews.  BELIEVE!

Thank you so much for coming to visit today and I pray you took something special away with you!  Do come back soon and if you have prayer requests, just e-mail me or state in your comments and I will add your request to the prayer list in the sidebar.

♥KERRIE♥
My Christian heart to yours...

Please visit our other blog sites to see God's wonderful creations in our wildlife photos, original poetry, crafts, how-tos and just plain living every day and sharing...

TWO HAPPY http://beaver-kerrie.blogspot.com/
KERRIE'S KORNER, SC http://kerrieskorner.blogspot.com/
KERRIE'S KRAFTS 3 http://kerrieskrafts3.blogspot.com/

Anxiety...

ARE YOU ANXIOUS?  Life got you down in one way or another?  Do you worry about material things of this earth and your anxiety is keeping you from enjoying God's precious gift of each day that you rise?  Meet the day with yearning to see what God is going to do!  Reach for his hand to greet you and guide you through your day.  He will be there for you... See words to the hymn featured to the right of this post, at the bottom of this page.

 MATTHEW 6:25-34  "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air:

they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  27: And why are you anxious about clothing"  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?  Therefore, do not be anxious, saying 'what shall we eat? or 'What shall we drink, or What shall we wear?'  For the gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.  Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day."

It is indeed hard to trust in the Lord and let go of your anxiety but you will know great peace when you do.  Many times in my life when I felt I could no longer stand the stresses of life, I GAVE IT ALL TO JESUS AND THE LORD because, I can't, He can.  And He would pull me up by the boot straps and set me firm again-let me stand.  I am so grateful!

  Precious Lord, take my hand....what a meaningful and beautiful hymn!

Precious Lord Take My Hand

Words & music by Thomas A. Dorsey

            Precious Lord, take my hand

            Lead me on, let me stand

            I'm tired, I’m weak, I’m lone

            Through the storm, through the night

            Lead me on to the light

            Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

 

            When my way grows drear precious Lord linger near

            When my life is almost gone

            Hear my cry, hear my call

            Hold my hand lest I fall

            Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

 

            When the darkness appears and the night draws near

            And the day is past and gone

            At the river I stand

            Guide my feet, hold my hand

            Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

 

            Precious Lord, take my hand

            Lead me on, let me stand

            I'm tired, I’m weak, Lord I’m worn

            Through the storm, through the night

            Lead me on to the light

            Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

Come back soon!

♥KERRIE♥

My Christian heart to yours....