WONDERS OF HIS LOVE

Can any one of us know all the wonders of God's love?  Nothing in the universe was made or happened by accident, they were all created by Our Father in heaven...

My heart sings when I see right in my own backyard the beautiful creations that God has made...

Every creature, every tree, every flower was created by the Great One.

The very colors of the birds of the air are so pleasing to the eye...

And not least of which is man, a true miracle of the Lord.  This is my Great Granddaughter almost 3 months old.  Is she not a miracle? Perfect in every way....

The hummingbird in my yard, a miracle of wings and feathers and beauty in one tiny little body- a true wonder!  God is so good.  If he cares for all of these creatures as well as us, is it any wonder that we worship Him and His Son who gave His life so that we might live, so that we can live eternally with him in heaven.  You need only to open your eyes and look around to see all the wonders of God and grow closer to Him.

Thank you for coming today, please come again soon.

My Christian heart to yours....

Third Sunday after Easter...

I love this sermon by Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson because it is so comprehensive!  I hope you will agree.  The 3rd Sunday after Easter.  I love the symbols of bread and fish explained below:

Based on Rev 5:11-14 & Jn 21:9-14
By Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson

"In today’s gospel, the disciples start their day out right and are energized not only by their breakfast of fish and bread—but also by the provider and preparer of these, the risen Christ.

The Fourth Evangelist always writes in such a way as to give us a surface or obvious message and a deeper, often symbolic message. On the surface, this story tells us that Jesus is really alive again—he is not a ghost or a vision or a hallucination. He has a real live body and he eats real food. On the deeper, symbolic level, this story tells us that the meal Jesus prepared and ate with his disciples was special and holy. It symbolized the sacrament of Holy Communion. 

In early Christian art, bread and fish became a symbol for Holy Communion. Also, in the catacombs, the fish became a symbol of Christianity. The Greek letters for the word fish became a code word, which meant: Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior. Indeed, this symbol is rather popular in our contemporary age too; people frequently display it on the vehicles. 

Down through the ages, biblical interpreters have had something of “a field day” with the catch of 153 fish. The most sensible interpretation is Jerome’s—he simply said that they represent all of the different species of fish in the Sea of Galilee. Therefore, they might be symbolized as the mission given to the Church; to go into the whole world to fish for people of every nation; welcoming all of them into the family of God. 

Of course, for John bread was also a very important symbol. In chapter six of this same gospel, after Jesus fed the five-thousand—also with fish and bread—he referred to himself as the bread of life who came down from heaven. He also promised that: “…the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Jesus makes the very important connection between himself and the world by referring to himself as bread. It is interesting that in most, if not all, countries around the world people usually eat one kind of bread or another as a staple food. Bread in many parts of the world literally is the physical food of life. When Jesus said he was the bread of life and when he gave bread to the crowds, to his disciples the night before he died, and again to his disciples on the beach—it was as if he said: “Whenever and wherever people eat bread, I shall be present among them; I shall feed them with the gift of life. This is possible because my resurrection power and presence is at work in the whole universe!” 

We never cease learning about Jesus and our Father.  It will never be "old" news of his Death, Resurrection and how he will come again.  Yet he provided us with a Comforter in the meantime~ The Holy Spirit.  I often pray for God to send the Holy Spirit to calm my fears and comfort me....

My Christian heart to yours...

Celebrate, He has Risen!

So exciting!  Our Lord has Risen!

Can you imagine the joy when our Lord appeared to his disciples?  At first they did not recognize Him as the last they saw of him on the cross, he was battered, bruised, crowned with thorns and was unrecognizable.

But then he arose and appeared to them as he was before, only more glorious in His new body.  He promised to never forsake or leave us and to return yet again someday.  I think the words of the hymn, "Because he Lives" says it all.

Blessed and Happy Easter to you all.  ♥

 My Christian heart to yours...

HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON...

Who am I that a Savior lived and died for?  God gave us the best he had and His son was obedient to the Father when he died for our sins on the cross~the perfect sacrifice for all time... Thank you God for your Son, Thank you Jesus for dying that we might have eternal life!  

Invite Jesus into your heart that you might be born again (start a new life, a change of heart).  You will know blessings you never knew before.  Wishing you all good things in this Holy Week.

My Christian heart to yours...

Kerrie

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...