One Of My Favorite Quotes....

Every time I read this quote, I smile and nod my head in agreement.  It's one of those quotes that I try to remember and keep at the forefront of my mind along with the verse James 1:19 ~ "Know this my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath."


"It is better to say nothing and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."
— Abraham Lincoln 

"Victory or Death"

I was sent this video link in an email the other day and wanted to share it with you.  Most of you may know that Newt Gingrich is a possible presidential candidate and I need to say right off that I am not endorsing him. Although I may post on different political candidates or events in the future, it does not mean that I am endorsing them.    

However, what Mr. Gingrich had to say in this video clip was really good and needs to be heard. 

Please take the time to watch this. It is only ten minutes and well worth it.

We as citizens have the responsibility to run our country and elect officials that will represent us and run our country as God desires us to.

Enjoy!

He Lives!

Matthew 28:6 "He is not here; for he is risen"


Can you imagine the joy that filled the women's hearts when they heard that Jesus had risen from the grave?  The overwhelming emotion of happiness that choked Mary's throat when she realized it was Jesus speaking to her in the garden and not a gardener?  What about the disciples when Jesus appeared to them in the upper room?
The women ran to tell the men of Christ's resurrection.  The men traveled to Galilee and prepared for Jesus' arrival. They believed what they had been told and obeyed Jesus' instructions.  They believed and obeyed.

Are we excited that Jesus lives?  Are we telling others of our excitement?  Do we believe Jesus rose from the grave and then obey Him by going into all the world and preaching the gospel?

As I sat in church yesterday for our Easter service and sang the well known hymn "He Lives", I was convicted of the above thoughts.  Am I spreading the good news with intense excitement?  Am I believing and obeying as the women at the tomb and the disciples did?

He Lives

by 

Alfred H. Ackley

I serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today;

I know that He is living, whatever men may say;

I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,

And just the time I need Him, He's always near.

(Chorus)

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.

He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.

In all the world around me, I see His loving care,

And though my heart grows weary, I never will despair;

I know that He is leading thru all the stormy blast,

The day of His appearing will come at last.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.

He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know He lives?  He lives within my heart.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian lift up your voice and sing

Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!

The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find,

None other is so loving so good and kind.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.

He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.



O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

John 19:2 "The soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head."

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

Written by Paul Gerhardt, based on a Latin poem

"O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,

now scornfully surrounded, with thorns, thine only crown;

O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine!

Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine.

What Thou, my Lord, has suffered was all for sinners gain:

Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain;

Lo, here I fall, my Savior! 'Tis I deserve thy place;

Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest Friend,

for this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?

O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,

Lord let me never, never outlive my love to Thee."

The Sacrifice

My sister and I will be singing this song on Sunday for the Easter service, with two of our friends.  It is a beautiful song both to the ear as well as to the heart :]   Soon after we heard it on the CD "God Meant if for Good" by the Wilds, we wanted to sing it for Easter.

Here are the lyrics to the song.  I hope you find it as much of a blessing as we did.

I also added a quote at the bottom that I found while I was reading for my "Life of Christ" class.  It meant a lot to me and I wanted to share it with you.

The Sacrifice

by

Darcy Stanley

"The sacrifice, a spotless lamb, was God's command.

This offering continually made.

Yet there would come one final lamb from God's own hand.

 All glory to the lamb that was slain.

  

Nailed to the cross He died willingly, bearing the weight of man's sin.

Full blood atonement at Calvary, Come now for cleansing withing.

The law is satisfied. Our Savior Jesus Christ became the sacrifice.

A crown of thorns, a scarlet robe placed mockingly.

A jeering crownd cried "Crucify!"

Without a word, He bore the stripes in agony,

as sinful man condemned Christ to die.

Nailed to the cross He died willingly, bearing the weight of man's sin.

Full blood atonement at Calvary, Come now for cleansing withing.

The law is satisfied. Our Saviour Jesus Christ became the sacrifice.

The final sacrifice."

"Who delivered up Jesus to die?  Not Judas, for money; not Pilate, for fear; not the Jews, for envy - but the Father for love." ~ Octavious Winslow



All Creation Tells Thy Fame....

"O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth." - Psalm 8:1

How Majestic Is Thy Name

by

Ron Hamilton

"When I consider the work of thy hands, the sun, moon and stars above,

What is man that thou thinkest of him who is so unworthy of thy love?

(Chorus)

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name,

Mountains, valleys, all creation tells thy fame.

Heavens declare it, all the wondrous works proclaim:

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Thy name.

Heavens are telling the glory of God, each tree points to God on high.

Why would God, the Creator of all, take the form of lowly flesh to die?

(Chorus)

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name.

Mountains, valleys, all creation tells thy fame.

Heavens declare it, all thy wondrous works proclaim:

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is the name."

Jesus, Creator and Ruler of all, left heaven to die for me,

Came to earth, laid aside heaven's throne in exchange for death on Calvary.

(Chorus)

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name.

Mountains, valleys, all creation tells thy fame.

Heavens declare it, all thy wondrous works proclaim:

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is the name."

In Remembrance

As Easter is fast approaching, I have been trying to think of something to write that brings our hearts back to the true meaning Easter and why we celebrate it.  I have come to the conclusion that nothing I write could be as meaningful as what some famous poets have written about Jesus' betrayal, trial, abuse, death on the cross, burial and ressurection.  I refer, of course, to the hymn writers.  Men and women whom God blessed with a talent for writing.  Talents that were used for His glory and have been blessings for hundreds of years to those who share in the inheritance of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Over the next few days I will post a hymn or song that has been written, in remembrance of what happened.  As we draw close to one of the most important holidays we celebrate, may we never forget how much we owe our loving and forgiving Savior.

Today I will start with an old familiar hymn that I believe most of you will know.  Please read it with a prayer that our nation will always cherish that "Old Rugged Cross."

The Old Rugged Cross

by

George Bernnard

1873 -1960

"On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame;

And I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain.

(Chorus)

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous attraction for me;

For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above to bear it to dark calvary.

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown.

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true, It's shame and reproach glady bear;

Then He'll call me someday to my home far away, where His glory forever I'll share.

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown."

Amen!



There's Room At the Cross

"Having made peace through the blood of His cross...to reconcile all things to Himself" ~ Colossians 1:20

A few Sunday's ago we sang the following hymn.  I don't remember singing it before, or if we did I wasn't paying attention as I should have been.  I thought the words were so meaningful and it reminded me that God loves us so much that He is waiting until the last possible moment to take us home, so that more will come to know Him. 

There's Room at the Cross

by Ira F. Stanphill

The cross upon which Jesus died

Is a shelter in which we can hide;

And its grace so free is sufficient for me,

And deep is the fountain - as wide as the see.

(Chorus)

There's room at the cross for you,

There's room at the cross for you;

Though millions have come,

There's still room for one -

Yes, there's room at the cross for you.

Though millions have found Him a friend

And have turned from the sins they have sinned,

The Savior still waits to open the gates

And welcome the sinner before it's too late.

(Chorus)

The hand of my Savior is strong,

And the love of my Savior is long;

Through sunshine or rain, through loss or in gain,

The blood flows from Calv'ry to cleanse ev'ry stain.

(Chorus)

There's room at the cross for you,

There's room at the cross for you;

Though millions have come,

There's still room for one -

Yes, there's room at the cross for you.  

How can you come to the cross and be saved?
1. Realize that all have sinned. You, me, everyone. We all deserve the penalty for sin. Death.
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;"
Romans 6:23 "For the wages (or penalty) of sin is death;.." 


2. Believe God gave His Son to take that penalty of death for us.  He paid the price for our sins.
Romans 6:23b "..but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth (demonstrated) His life toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Christ died for us, not because we were good enough, but because He loved us.

3. Understand that you will never be able to measure up to God's standards and that no matter how many good things you do on earth you can not earn your way into heaven.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works lest any man should boast."


4.  Talk to God.  Tell Him that you believe He is the Creator and Savior of the world and that you realize how much you need salvation and forgiveness for your sins.
Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

5. You will have an incredidible peace once you give your life to God. 
Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"

6. Once we realize what God has done for us and have accepted His free gift of salvation, we will realize how much we owe Him.  It is a debt we will never be able to repay. It is our reasonable service to give ourselves to God for Him to use.  We must work to become like Him.
Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of you mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Yesterday..

I was blog surfing this morning and found this information that I thought you may find interesting.  Although the date was yesterday, we still need to be reminded of what happened 150 years ago.

The Civil War Begins
 " When President Lincoln took office seven states had already seceded and the Confederates held Fort Sumter in a siege and demanded the evacuation of Union troops from the fort. On April 12 1861 President Lincoln sent a note to the Confederates telling them that he was going to resupply the fort with food, but not with ammunition and he expected that the Confederates would allow the supply ship through.

  Needless to say it does no good to hold a town or a fort in siege if you are simply going to allow the fort to be resupplied and President Lincoln knew this. He knew that the Confederates would fire on the ship and on the fort, but he also knew that at this point there was virtually no chance that war could be averted so he devised this plan in order to goad the south into firing the first shot. And that is exactly what they did–the Civil War had begun 150 years ago today."  
~ Steve Dennis

    

"We can become so involved in the work

of the Lord that we neglect the

Lord of the work."

  ~ Roy Irving

     

Looking Over Our Shoulders At History ~ Part 2

Why did Nicholas Romanov II lose his freedom, respect, loyalty and life?  He didn't listen to the cries of those who needed his help.  He didn't step outside of his comfort zone and help those who relied on him.  He focused on himself and not on others.  Although he may not have seen what his decisions would cost him, we can.  It cost him his life, his family, and the lives of millions of others. 

What cries do we hear and try to ignore or rationalize that someone else will take care of it?

               * The cries of the unborn children that are murdered every day

               * The cries of those still in slavery all over the world

               * The cries of those who are starving to death

               * The cries of those who are dying from diseases and injuries because there

                   are no medical facilities or physicians

               * The cries of the elderly who are fighting the darwinian frame of mind that

                  they are useless to society and should be euthanized

               * The cries of the people who work hard to support there family, but are so

                   overwhelmed with their tax burden that they are losing their homes and

                   families, while people who refuse to work are receiving money from the

                  government. (That was put in the governments hands by the hardworking

                   families)

               * The cries of free people who are having their liberties taken away

               * The cries of those who are lost and without a Savior

               * The cries of those who are persecuted for their faith

               * The cry of a Nation that was once a land of freedom and prosperity that is

                   well on it's way to being a land of oppression, tyranny, and in an economic

                                   depression.

My heart is filled with a mixture of emotions as I write this. Sorrow at the pain and death that happens every day. Anger at the causes of this pain and death. Fustration that some people value life and freedom so little. Thankful for how my Heavenly Father has blessed me.  Humble in my realization of how sometimes I take it for granted and yet He still blesses me.  Concern for a world that is turning its back on its Creator and Savior.  A world that is rejecting a free gift of salvation and doing it with pride.  A world that is disobeying all of God's commands and all to often never looking back.  It makes me long to do something but I'm not sure what to do at the same time. 

Looking for guidance should start by searching God's Word.  He calls us to be faithful....come what may.

I say this with shame..I often times "rationalize" my responsibilities by thinking, "Someone else will do it."

We are all someone else to someone else.  Yes, God gives each person unique and special abilities to accomplish the work He gives them.  But sometimes I wonder if we often miss out on special blessings because we choose to "rationalize" and think someone else will fight for that cause. 

I should state here that God did not make us SUPER - MEN OR WOMEN!  We can not do everything, however are we willing to reach out and listen to those people and situations that are around us. 

For example:  I may not be able to work at a pregnancy center or counsel women considering abortion, but I can:

               * Pray!  This is the most important - God is in control of everything and is

                  just waiting for us to ask.  Can you imagine the work God would be able

                  to accomplish in every Christian's life if we would only look to Him and

                  ask for His hand to work in different situations?!  He wants us to pray

                  specifically and truly believe when we ask, that He will answer it.  God

                  knows no boundaries or limits. 

                  He can do anything!

               * Stay up to date with what is going on in your State Legislature and U.S. Government. 

The Law is a great teacher. I believe abortion is wrong. Period. 100 years ago the majority of people would have agreed with me.  However.... the laws changed over time and people started thinking, "well if the law says it's fine, then it must be."  Abortion is still as wrong as it was 100 years ago, but the laws changed and the minds of the people followed suit.

For those of you who are able to sign petitions, sign petitions. Or better yet write them yourselves.  Go to hearings.  Be aware of what is going on around you in the government. We the people have the power and the officials we elect are supposed to represent us. If they are not representing us then they shouldn't be in office. 

               * Be well informed.  This is an area that we will have to strengthen every day

                 of our lives. We are not going to know everything about everything, but we

                 need to be aware of the battles that are being fought every day for the rights

                of those that are without them.

               * Talk with others.  Your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers even the

                   person that you see every time you go to your favorite restaurant. 

                  Obviously with some people it will be easier then with others. Some people's

                   beliefs will be in direct conflict with your own, but we can live a life that

                   speaks volumes. :]  There are so many people out there who are unaware of

                   the battles we are facing today in our society.  Many of them have been

                   raised in the public school system and have not even been taught to think

 for themselves, so they haven't even thought about the other side of an

 issue.  Some of them may at first appear knowledgeable, but they are really

 just paraphrasing what there teacher told them.  And the teachers have just been

fed the same things at a teachers college.  But we must always keep in mind that

 everything we say should glorify God.  We are to be as "wise as serpents,

and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16b)  We are to be aware of who we

 are talking to and what the situation is.  While being as gentle, loving and 

harmless (not threatening) as doves. Speaking with "meekness and fear."

 (1 Peter 3:15)  Our ultimate purpose on earth is to glorify God and bring others to

know Him.  However He has placed us in this world and we have responsibilities

to the people around us.  Jesus was the perfect of example of living for Christ. 

 He served everyone that needed help and did it all in love.

* Use your God give talents and abilities!  Get excited!  God wants you to use them! 

Do you enjoy making movies?  Use that ability to make others aware of what is

going on around them.  A few short clips in a movie can make a big difference. Do you like to write?  Write an article for your local newspaper.  Write something  on your blog :)  Do you enjoy photography? Make posters with a few words that speak

volumes!  It only takes a sentence to make people start thinking.

Do you enjoy teaching kids?  Or maybe you babysit?  The foundations that a person stands on is built very early on in life.  You can leave a large imprint on a persons life and not even realize it. 

Do you like to organize events?  Have showings of differents movies at your church, home or wherever you can, of movies that make people aware of what is going on! 

Do you like to research?  So many people would like to make a difference but have not

idea where to start.  They need something to tell them where to go and help.... Give ideas,

make pamphlets, direct them to websites, books or organizations that they can learn and be involved in. 

We need to be involved in this world.  We need to be bright lights in this world of darkness. We need to shine where God has put us!  It takes a lot of courage and determination to make a difference, but with God's help anything is possible!!  Talk to Him. Ask Him to show you where He wants you to go and use your talents. 

Most importantly though, pray.  Pray for the people around the world.  God desires us to interceed on the behalf of others.  There is nothing we can do that would be more powerful than prayer.  If nothing else, be a prayer warrior!  I have learned recently how much more I need to be praying for people all around the world.  Not just those in my family and circle of friends, not even just those in my beloved Nation, but for people, especially Christians all around the world.

Here are a few great resources that God has used to work in my life. Although I don't endorse everything about each one, they are all really good:

DVD's ~ AGENDA: The Grinding Down of America  - I recommend this movie more than anything else on 

                  this list!  You can watch the trailer here

            Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed  

            Eggsplotation

            Come What May - Trailer

            Science Doesn't Say Anything Scientists Do

            Time Changer - Trailer

            Already Gone

            Legislating Morality

Books ~ What Happened to Penny Candy?*

              Economics: The Free Market Reader*

              The Clipper Ship Strategy*

              Capitalism for Kids*                                 

              The Money Mystery*

              Are You Liberal, Conservative, or Confused?*

              Ancient Rome: How It Affects You Today*

              Glory, Duty & The Gold Dome

              The Answers Magazine - Check it out Here

              The World Magaizine - Check it out Here

               Understanding the Times

                      

* Books in the"Uncle Eric Series"

They can be found  HERE 

God Bless!