PALM SUNDAY

PALM SUNDAY

Palm Sunday definition

The Sunday before Easter. It is celebrated by Christians to commemorate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem five days before his Crucifixion. On that occasion, the people of Jerusalem laid palm leaves in his path as a sign of welcome. Palms are carried or worn by worshipers in many churches on Palm Sunday.32 So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They said, “The Lord needs it.” 35 Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, 38 saying,
   “Blessed is the king"

Luke 19:28-40 (NRSV)

28 After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 

    

Why Does Jesus Ride a Colt into Jerusalem?

As is fairly well known, by choosing to publicly mount and ride a “colt” into Jerusalem in the midst of the procession of so many Passover pilgrims into the city, Jesus is performing what scholars refer to as aprophetic sign—a symbolic act which is meant to both symbolize and set in motion some major event in the history of salvation. In this case, Jesus’ act of riding the colt into Jerusalem harks back to Zechariah’s prophecy of the advent of the Messiah—the long-awaited king of Israel—to the city of Jerusalem (see Zechariah 9:9). However, there is more here than simply an implicitly messianic public act. we go back to the prophecy of Zechariah and read it in its full context, we discover several other important features of this particular messianic king.

The King Who Rides the Colt will be a King of Peace

First, notice that  according to Zechariah, the messianic king who will come riding on a colt into Jerusalem is not just any kind of king: he is a king of peace. He will not be coming to wage earthly warfare, but to make the chariot and the war horse cease from Jerusalem.en we go back to the prophecy of Zechariah and read it in its full context, we discover several other important features of this particular messianic king.

The King Who Rides the Colt will be King of the World

Second, notice also that according to Zechariah’s prophecy, the king that will come riding a colt will also be a universal king; his dominion shall not be just over the people of Israel, but to the ends of the earth (Zech 9:10).

Once again, this Old Testament background of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday ultimately points forward to what he will accomplish in his Passion.

I remember as a child getting the Palm frond from Church on Palm Sunday.  Usually, people would place the frond behind a holy picture and it stayed there until the next year when a new one would replace it. 

 

I hope you learned something new about Palm Sunday.  Celebrate at the church of your choice this weekend when we celebrate this holy day.

My Christian heart to yours...

HANGING OUT WITH GOD (why we need church)

"Truly, Jesus Christ, the Christ of the Gospels, the Christ of history, the crucified and risen Christ, the divine-human Christ, is the most real, the most certain, the most blessed of all facts. And this fact is an ever-present and growing power which pervades the church and conquers the world, and is its own best evidence, as the sun shining in the heavens. This fact is the only solution of the terrible mystery of sin and death, the only inspiration to a holy life of love to God and man, and only guide to happiness and peace. Systems of human wisdom will come and go, kingdoms and empires will rise and fall, but for all time to come Christ will remain "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." (History of the Christian Church, Philip Schaff)
The Greek term ἐκκλησία  (pronounced ek-kan-noy-a), which is transliterated as "ecclesia", generally meant an "assembly",^[1] but in most English translations of the New Testament is usually translated as "church". This term appears in two verses of the Gospel of Matthew, twenty-four verses of the Acts of the Apostles, fifty-eight verses of the Pauline Epistles (including the earliest instances of its use in relation to a Christian body), two verses of the Letter to the Hebrews, one verse of the Epistle of James, three verses of the Third Epistle of John, and nineteen verses of the Book of Revelation. In total, ἐκκλησία appears in the New Testament text 114 times, although not every instance is a technical reference to the church.^[2]

In the New Testament, t

he term ἐκκλησία ("church" or "assembly") is used for local communities as well as in a universal sense to mean all believers.^[3] Traditionally, only orthodox believers are considered part of the true church, but convictions of what is orthodox vary.

The four traditional "notes of the Christian Church" or descriptors of the church, first expressed in the Nicene Creed are unity, holiness, catholicity (meaning Universal), and apostolicity.^[4]

  It is true that God can and will hear you if you pray in your closet and you have heard me say this many times before. But the need for the church is necessary for reinforcement of our faith in a corporate manner.  Are you not fortified for the week ahead and nourished when you attend church with other believers?  I feel a physical filling in my chest when I attend church.  We are nourished, educated and counselled when we hear the minister's message. 

   The Bible is called the "Living Bible" because it is ageless, it is applied to modern day just as it was in Bible times.  The teens had the same problems, the people had to deal with the same kinds of sins, it has all been said and done before.  So we have over 2000 yrs. of history and God's word in regard to the way we should conduct ourselves in all situations. The mighty Rome fell due to its lack of morals.

  You no doubt have heard the saying, "you are known by the company you keep."  Who are you hanging around with?  Are your friends sinners that you try to ignore and overlook their shortcomings, sins, fowl language,drinking to excess, using the name of the Lord in vain, etc?  Or do you try to impart the Word to them so that they might enjoy the joys of salvation? It is as simple as maybe just saying when observing their behavior, "I will pray for you."  

   Sometimes, people laugh at me when I say that to them.  But sometimes, they think about their life and how they live it.  I once said that to an employer, a doctor, and at Christmas time, his wife gave me a little gift and a thank you that said, Thank you for praying for ______.  So you never know how powerful that setting a Christian example of behavior is, no matter how small.

  So attend church whenever and as often as you can because the warmth and love of God and Jesus will keep your light burning until you meet again.  Alone, your spark will go out without the support of others to keep the fire going...

 Thank you for coming and I hope you take away a blessing with you today and come back again soon.  God bless you and thanking God for all of you and for all the blessings He has given to me as I "hang out" with Him and the Son.

My Christian heart to yours...

What is Lent?

What is Lent?

 

 My Crown of thorns plant that was started from a clipping from my Mom's plant and is now at least 3 feet tall.  It blossoms continually.  The thorns represent Christ's crown of thorns and the red blossoms, His drops of blood.  I love this plant as a daily reminder of our Lord.

• 
  
• Lent is the period from Ash Wednesday to Easter
• Sunday, during which Christians purify themselves
• by praying, fasting, repenting of their sins, and
• making changes and sacrifices in their lives. 
• The final week of Lent is called Holy Week; during
• this period, observant Christians reflect specifically
• on the last days of Jesus Christ's life.
• 
  
• 
  
• It is a good thing to repent of sinful activities, but that’s something Christians should do every day, not just during Lent. It’s a good thing to clearly identify oneself as a Christian, but, again, this should be an everyday identification. And it is good to remember that no ritual can make one’s heart right with God.
  
  LENT. The word "Lent" is derived from Old English lencten, meaning 'spring', the lengthening of days after winter is over. This was a period of spring fasting known in Old English as Lencten-Fasten, or in its abbreviated form, as Lencten or Lent. The ecclesiastical name for this once mandatory period of fasting is the Quadragesimal Fast, or the fast of the Forty Days, in imitation of the forty days of fasting performed by Jesus in the wilderness.

Yoder, Don. "Lent." Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 25 Feb. 2013<http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

My hubby used to tease me by saying he was giving

up stewed hummingbird wings for lent.  It is pledge to

yourself and to the Lord that you are giving something up for 40 days in His name and is a very good discipline for our mind and bodies.  

Many years ago, I was a light smoker and knew I 

should stop.  I quit for 3 yrs. twice but then went 

back to it again when stressed.  Well on the third try, 

I promised God I would not smoke any longer and you 

cannot go back on a promise to God.  I was 

successful and do not smoke to this day,giving it up 

at least 30 years ago.  I am grateful that Lent gave me 

the choice of giving up something that was not good 

for me.

   Making a small sacrifice for our Lord is easy to do

and very gratifying.  It is insignificant in comparison

to what Jesus gave for us, but large in a show of our

faith.

   I will not share what I have given up for this Lenten

season as the Bible instructs us not to wear our

fasting as a burden, to be cheerful.

  Thank you for coming and I hope you have been

blessed today.

My Christian heart to yours...

The Great Commission

Today I am thinking about the Lord's Great Commission.  Do you know what that is?  I hope so but many do not know.  Before our Lord came to earth as a man and flesh, the Jews were taught that they were God's chosen people and that God and the Messiah, if and when he came, was only to be shared with their own people. And they were God's chosen people but they did not accept Jesus as the Messiah.

Matthew 28:16-20

New International Version (NIV)

The Great Commission

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

But After the Son came, we were taught that the gospel should be preached to ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD, even the Gentiles (persons of non-Jewish heritage and beliefs).

Luke 24:46-48  "And he said, "Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day; and that this message of salvation should be taken from Jerusalem to all the nations: There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me.  You have seen these prophesies come true."

John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.
  There is no eternal doom awaiting those who trust Him to save them.  But those who do not trust him have already been tried and condemned for not believing in the only Son of God."

When I did my 2 year Bible Teacher's course back in the early 1980's, I had trouble memorizing the important points, (there are so many!) in John as there was so much material to cover.  So I made up a song of the concepts:

I cannot write music so you will have to wonder at the tune to this-ha!

♫The Word was made flesh
    I am the bread of life
    I am the Light of the World
    I came so that they might have life.
    I am the good shep-herd.
    Washing the disciples feet
    Love one another as I have loved you

   The Spirit will guide you into all truth,
   The high priestly prayer. ♫

The chapter of John is often called the "I Am" Chapter because it tells exactly what Jesus is.  What a blessing!  Read John and see how many of the concepts in my little song you can find.

So much in this gospel touches my heart!  Bread of Life-Jesus sustains us and nourishes us.  Light of the world-we do not have to dwell in the darkness of sin, we can walk in His light that shines everywhere!  I came so that they might have life- Jesus came not to punish but to guide us to eternal life with the Father in Heaven.  I am the good Shepherd- Jesus watches over us just as the shepherd watches over his flock, night and day, and searches for a lost lamb until he finds him and returns him to the fold.

Washing the disciples feet--I love this one.  Jesus in the role of the Servant.  He is showing the great love he has for the disciples, that he serves them because he loves them by the act of washing their feet even though He is the Son of God!  It was a custom in bible times to wash a visitor's feet when they came into the house after walking a long distance on dusty roads.  It was a humbling experience.  I used to wash my husband's feet sometimes at Easter time and he was both surprised and humbled by the experience as I felt filled with the Spirit performing such a simple act and taking the role of a servant for a few moments.....

As we approach the Lenten season, I hope you take something away from my blog today, food for thought, an inspiration, a yearning for the Word, the desire to be closer to Jesus and the Father.

Praying for you all and please write if you have special needs for prayer. God Bless and love, 

My Christian heart to yours...

Babies are miracles...

Sofiah was born Monday 1/28/2013, my first Great Granddaughter!  What a miracle, a perfect little girl.  Her parents, granddaughter Jessica and Christopher are proud as punch and enjoying their little bundle from heaven.  I am so thankful for this new life.

God performs miracles every day and if we look, listen and learn, we will find them.  Counting my blessings today:
I survived a year without my Sweet Bill.
My first Great Granddaughter arrived.
I am thankful for all of my children and grandchildren.
I have learned 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus ♫
The beautiful sunshine and a Merganser duck couple          swimming in the little lake behind my home.

For all of my friends and family.

For my little Chi, Lilly who helps with my loneliness.

For blog friends...

And for our Lord and savior Jesus ♥

Psalm 40:1-3 "I waited patiently for God to help me; then he listened and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire, and set my feet on a hard, firm path and steadied me as I walked along.  He has given me a new song to sing, of praises to our God."

Psalm 34:17,19 "Yes, the Lord hears the good man when he calls to him for help and saves him out of his troubles-he has them too.  But the Lord helps him in each and every one."

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and he will give you peace and comfort.

My Christian heart to yours...

GOD IS GOOD and COPING WITH LOSS

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.”1 Chronicles 16:34a 
“The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” Psalm 145:9 
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.” Psalm 34:8

God is so good!  I have not been posting lately as this is a significant month marking the passing of my Sweet William 1 year ago on the 25th of January.  I can hardly believe the year has passed.  I went through and am still going through the stages of mourning but I am gaining ground.  The Lord has been with me through this journey and faith plays such a large part of my healing.

Bill's last Birthday age 72

John 11:25,26  Jesus told her, "I am the one who raises the dead and gives them life again.  Anyone who believes in me, even though he died like anyone else, shall live again.  He is given eternal life for believing in me and shall never perish.  Do you believe this Martha?"  For we know that when this tent we live in is taken down-when we die and leave these bodies-we will have wonderful new bodies in heaven, homes that will be ours forevermore, made for us by God himself, and not by human hands.  How weary we grow of our present bodies...We want to slip into our new bodies so that these dying bodies will, as it were, be swallowed up by everlasting life.  This is what God has prepared for us and as a guarantee, he has given us his holy spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:1,2,4,5  Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.  Romans 8:18

My faith in God has sustained me through a difficult year learning to live as one.  I feel as though half of me was severed abruptly and I was scarred.  But the Lord has been healing the wound and taken the scar replacing it with love and goodness, patience and strengthened my faith with his daily presence to help me through.  I take comfort in knowing that my husband now lives with the Lord and that one day we will be re-united in a new way in God's Kingdom.  We are all saved by grace alone.

Are you facing loss, changes, difficulties in your life that you feel no one understands?  Turn to Jesus and the Father, invite them into your heart so that you might have a change of heart (be born again) and start anew in Christ.  God's arms are always open to welcome you in no matter what your past.

Hebrews 8:12  "And I will be merciful to them in their wrongdoings, and I will remember their sins no more." One of God's greatest gifts, forgiveness!  He thinks of your sins no more and you are unburdened by them also as Christ His Son has already died for your sins so that you might have everlasting life.

I pray for each and everyone of you to grow closer to God, to attend a church of your choosing, to share the Lord with your children, your friends, family and yes, even strangers.  Every kind act you perform is a witness to His name and existence.  Let all see His light in your eyes and in your heart.

Much Love and God's blessing to all of you, enjoy every blessed day God give's you.

In Love, Kerrie
My Christian heart to yours...

Beginning a New Year in Christ

How sweet it is!  To begin a new year in Jesus Christ!
Almost a year has passed since I lost my Bill when God took him home.  Losing a loved one is probably one of the most painful emotions that one will ever go through.  It was like that for me and for many others who have lost loved ones to cancer, accidents or other illnesses in this last year. Another wife has lost her husband right before Christmas to Multiple Myeloma.  How blessed I was to have my Bill for 7 years before he succumbed.

   "And now, dear brothers, I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he dies so that when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him all the Christians who have died. 1 Thesalonians 4:13, 14" 

  "The Lord is close to those whose hearts are breaking. Psalm 34:18a  But I am telling you this strange and wonderful secret: we shall not all die, but we shall all be given new bodies!  It will all happen in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown.  For there will be a trumpet blast from the sky and all the Christians who have died will suddenly become alive, with new bodies that will never, never die; and then we who are still alive shall suddenly have new bodies too.  For our earthly bodies, the ones we have now that can die, must be transformed into heavenly bodies that cannot perish but will live forever.  When this happens, then at last this Scripture will come true- "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory: Where then your sting?" 1 Corinthians 15:51-55

The anniversary of Bill's death will be January 26th. My new great granddaughter is due January 27th.  Co-incidental?  I think not.  I told the family when God takes a life a new life is given and I will see it come to be.  How happy Bill would have been and how happen I will be when a new life will begin in Christ.  What a joy, what a gift.  God bless all of you and maybe you cannot see a blessing in your loss as yet, but you will dear heart, you will.

Granddaughter Jessica with soon to be born, "Sofiah"  God is so good!  Wishing you all blessings in this year of 2013.  Look forward to all that God will do in this year, to the excitement, open your heart, invite Him in...

♥Kerrie♥

My Christian Heart to yours...