PROSE

      From the death of a loved-one, to the loss of a job, or even to the sudden impact of learning we have a serious illness, we often tend to retreat from the Father. In truth, those are the times when we should become more open to His love and mercy. There is nothing He cannot do if we just turn to Him and trust in His son, Jesus Christ. Many of us feel we are alone in dealing with our trials. Nothing could be further from the truth. When we are faced with insurmountable odds and are at the end of our ropes, it is then that, through prayer, we must raise our voices and submit ourselves to God and hand our burdens over to Him. It is there, at the foot of the cross, where we must leave them.

      Through those prayers, we humbly and reverently ask for His guidance and mercy. His healing grace will draw us closer to His side during such times of trial and hardship. God loves each one of us. But we, as His children,  need to experience pain. That realization sounds harsh, I know, but life is full of the crosses we all must bear at one time or another. He never promised us a primrose path. (God made His own son carry the ultimate cross.)

     Our Father does not give us anymore than He knows we can handle. Through such trials we will grow stronger in our faith. God does not desire us to suffer alone.  In our suffering, God beckons us to His side and requires us to depend on Him for all our spiritual needs. His mighty acts of grace bestowed upon us assure our hearts and souls that His unending love and mercy will withstand any and every burden we will ever face.

      As we come to discover His will for our lives, we will begin to understand His unconditional love for us. He will never turn His back on us or forsake us. It has been said that God is always at the other end of our trials waiting with open arms, ready to embrace and hold us close to His heart.

     Trust in Jesus. Live for God. Be assured that He will always be there for us. Always.

     Jesus summons us to trust in Him and to have faith that He will dispose of any, and all, of our sinful baggage. Why would we want to carry around unwanted weight that would just keep us from experiencing His abundant blessings? Jesus desires us to come to Him in prayer, daily. We need to lay our burdens down at the cross and He will set us free. Trust in Him to be our Savior.  He loves us all unconditionally and will deliver us from all our sins. He will turn those crimson red sins to snowy white with the pouring on of His precious blood.

    Lay your troubles at the foot of the cross.

   Repent and ask forgiveness for your transgressions and there they will forever reside at Calvary's cross.

      How would you spend your last full day on earth? Would you climb into bed, pull the covers over your head and worry? Would you go out and make the best of what you have left? Would you try to right as many wrongs as possible? Or would you simply not care and say...whatever happens, ...happens.

     You know, each of us fall into one of those categories. What would YOU do? Would you meditate and pray your last day, would you do His work in the lives of as many people as need be, or would you turn your heart and life over to Him expressly for that day- - thinking of nothing else,.. or of yourself? Thinking only of Him.

     Those are choices we all must make on the last day. God wants us all to know His Son, Jesus, and what He did to save us from an uncertain future. Believing in Jesus and the redemptive power He possesses, assures us a way to everlasting life. Kneeling at the foot of the cross becomes paramount at this point... for we all fall short of His grace and glory.

     Father, we have not loved you wholeheartedly, and we have not done your will. We have wasted our days not concerning ourselves with who you are. You are love!! Your grace and mercy are immeasurable. Your love is endless and your truth is forever.

   Let us not wait for the last day to arrive. TODAY, we must devote ourselves fully to God's word and follow in His will as we venture out into this wonderful world He has blessed us with.

     We must live each day, as if we knew it was our last, fulfilling His word in our lives. When we realize that is the only choice to make, we will be able to face the last day knowing that God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, will welcome us into His kingdom.

    Let us all make the right choice. AMEN.

     In Hebrews 13:5, it states: "I will not desert you nor will I forsake you." 

      Whatever choices we make in life, God, who may not like them; will still be there to guide us through those trials. His love for His children is boundless and unceasing. He is a merciful, loving and gracious Father. Throughout time, we have always strayed far from His side journeying down the narrow path. We have veered off into sinful endeavors. He is always patient and ever waiting for us on the other side... once we realize our error and come back to Him asking for forgiveness. When we feel He is not with us in our weakest moment, we are wrong..for He is ALWAYS with us.

       His eternal plan will never be realized in our mind during our lifetime. His time will never be parallel with ours. He works in His own time frame for our good- -whether we are patient in waiting for Him, or not. Once we look deep into our hearts, we will come to see the truth of God's promises and then we will fully understand our place in His eternal plan.

   Always know that He is with us and will never leave us. God is omnipresent.

While reaching the heights, don't forget the depths.

While laughing heartily, remember that tears flow easily.

While there's a song in your heart,

don't forget how pain and heartache can eat you up.

While you are happy and in love,

remember what loneliness was like.

While you are among friends who care,

don't forget that despondency is but a gleam away.

                                       ********

   As you enjoy a healthy life, be aware that an illness is only a diagnosis away. When good luck and fortune are yours, don't forget what debt and despair felt like. When we enjoy the blessings God has bestowed upon us, we then realize He only desires the very best for us.

     Through the hardships we must endure, we learn of God's love and mercy. God is our teacher. His lessons are lessons of love and obedience. He will only present us with responsibilities, that in His infinite wisdom, He knows we are able to manage. And with His undying love wrapped around us for security, we are able to accomplish them. 

       Our Lord  is aware what is in our best interest. He has already planned our lives to conform to His will. Let us not be dissuaded, in any way, while attempting to fulfill His provision in our lives.

     Often the anguish we have suffered, provided the strength and determination we sorely needed. We somehow embraced the conflicts one-by-one. Unwittingly, I might add. The tendency to dismiss the unseemly landscape of our past will indubitably skew our perception as we forge ahead into the future. In turn, we may thus create the unfavorable recurrence of that explosive mind field of emotions we once meandered through.

      Those who do not care to, or refuse to learn from the past are surely destined to repeat it. In remembering from whence you came, you receive the assurance of where you are headed. Learning from the past plants you sturdily on the path of an uncertain, but fulfilling future.

      Taking a backward glance, you see where you have trod thus far. Continuing onward, the glimpse you recently afforded yourself will enhance your journey even more. You will find yourself well-equipped to manage life's little disturbances as they present themselves. Foregoing this advice carries with it, self-indignation. No one wants to feel that way.

       Remember, hardships are hidden blessings. Count them among yours. Know that Almighty God has provided for us the blueprints for an everlasting blessing unequaled on this planet. Our rich rewards are waiting for us at the conclusion of our discipleship here, on earth.

      He knows what we need daily. But unlike the merchant's business, we do not need any currency to obtain any of them. These Heavenly goods can only be gained by just opening the outer leafs and reading what is inside. Only then will you receive what you need to live a healthy, spiritual life. The best promise of all is that: It was already purchased and paid in full by Jesus.

   The bill has been taken care of forever. Praise the Lord.

         Most of us, at one time or the other, needed that same guidance and reassurance that God does love and need us to enter back into His fold. The times we have lived through have been filled with uncertainty, false hope and doubt. Now, the times we will enter from this day forward will not have to be filled with that same uncertainty as long as we trust in the Lord. He will never lead us astray. His love and guidance are ours for the asking. We just have to be open to it and seize it.

       What voice should we listen to? The voice of God speaks louder than any audible words of temptation- -if only we will stop and listen for it.

       No one sect is as important as another. For we all are loved and adored in our Father's heart. Must lines of division be drawn and boundaries set to realize one's true calling? Our journey of faith, through our Lord Jesus Christ, should start, continue and finish with one resolve in our hearts.

      That resolve being- -to gather at the foot of the cross as one, through God's word, doing His will and bringing others unto Him as one. That's all that should really matter here, shouldn't it?

         And like a tributary that receives nourishment from the great ocean, we too, must receive nourishment from God, through His son, Jesus Christ. Allow our love to overflow from the many blessings He has bestowed upon us. We must not allow the creek of salvation to run dry. We must forever thirst for the power of knowledge that will in turn become our own stepping stone to redemption through Jesus Christ.

     On the contrary, the Bible's facts and figures are anything but unimportant. Every movie or television program, every historical event, every famous person and every book has some linkage to a trivial fact or figure. The Bible, God's word, is no exception.

        Let us begin at the beginning. The Bible consists of 66 books, total.

              The Old Testament has 39, the New has 27. The way you can remember those numbers is to take the number of letters in the words Old and Testament. The word Old has 3, the word testament has 9. Just put the 3 and the 9 together and you get 39. The way you figure out the total number of books for the New Testament is to take the word New, it has 3 and Testament has 9. This time you multiply the 3 and the 9 and get 27. That was obvious, wasn't it?

        Some trivial facts are not as clearly defined as those fore-mentioned. The shortest book of the Bible is: 2 John ( 1 chapter, 13 verses). The longest book is: Psalms ( 150 Chapters). The total number of chapters in the Bible: 1189. 929 chapters in the O. T., 260 in the N.T. The shortest chapter in the Bible is: Psalm 117. The longest chapter is: Psalm 119. The middle chapter in the Bible is: Psalm 118. The middle verse in the whole Bible is: Psalm 118.8. Now this is really something here- - There are 594 chapters before Psalm 118 and 594 chapters after Psalm 118. If we add those two numbers (and not add Psalm 118 into the equation) we get 1188. Thus making this ironic sum out to match the middle verse number of 118.8.

      That center verse of the Bible is one of the most important, if not, the most important one ever. It states: "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man." What a verse to center yourself into.

     The number of total verses in the Bible is: 31, 173. The Old has 23, 214. The New has: 7,959. The shortest verse is in John 11:35 (Jesus wept.) The longest verse is in Ester 8:9 (78 words in the KJV verse). The number of words in the Bible top off at: 773, 692. The Old has: 592, 439. The New has: 181,253. The number of times God is mentioned is: 3,358.

      The number of times the Lord is mentioned is: 7,736 The number of times Jesus and/or Christ is mentioned is: 1,281. The person who is mentioned second (in number) after Christ in the Bible is: David. There are 40 different authors in the Bible. The number of languages the Bible has been translated into is: 1,200.

     Well, how did you do on knowing some of those facts and figures in the Bible? I pray you were amazed as I was to learn them all. Now you can say that, besides reading and studying the scriptures, you know God's word even more than you did before reading this. As you can see, it was all planned by God- -even down to the last known fact and figure.

   Our God is a great God. He knows all and plans all for our good. Praise the Lord!

    Compassion is defined as the act of helping another out of mercy and love, and can mean a multitude of things in varying situations. The most common type is shown by a parent to their child. Compassion shown to the child who's hurting or experiencing troubled times is one of the most personal and loving acts ever, between humans.

   A parent, who's loving and nurturing, never wants to see their children in any kind of pain. A pair of loving arms and a kiss, along with kind and supportive words heal all doubt and suffering in a child's mind. Compassion and empathy for our fellow man who seems he is without hope is the type of compassion our Father, God gives to us each day. When we act on that emotion, we show God to them by what we do and how we do it. Through those expressions of His love, grace and mercy of which we convey, our fellow man gains the strength, knowledge and assurance in the fact that we are all of one family.

    We are all of God's children. His compassion is infinitely more abundant and widespread than we ever imagined it could be. Our role in this life is to show our compassion as God wants us to....to everyone who needs it. That's God's love at work in our lives. Pass it on.

           As it states in 1st Peter, our faith will always be tested in the fires of : discredit and skepticism, from our fellowman. And like precious gold, we are, too, thrusts into the furnace by our Lord in order that all of the impurities are slowly burned away. We then, over time, are as that piece of gold, refined in the image of our God.

           God never promised us that our lives would be spared pain, conflict or sorrow. Such trials make us more well-rounded followers of His word. If we seem to complain about minute inconveniences from time-to-time, we need to examine the life of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As perfect as he was, he most certainly had more than His share of trials and temptations, as well as pain and sorrow. We, as sinful people, have no right to expect any favorable allowances.

       By the grace of our Lord, we live as well as we do. When we do feel that heat in our lives, let us be reassured that we are being molded in the great smelting furnace called life, by our creator, as he is polishing our hearts and souls to mirror His son's. Only after coming through the fire can we be an example of a shining gem in the crown of our Lord.

  In all truth, to be His disciple, I would certainly need to carry the cross. For Jesus once stated, "Unless you take up your cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple."

   Many people believe that we "must" carry the cross. In actuality, no one is forced to carry it. Our heart needs to be in accordance with Jesus.And in order for that to occur, we need to focus on His word through the scriptures and drink it in to the fullest... through silent meditation. Once we educate ourselves in His teachings and follow in His way, our dispassionate heart becomes a heart overflowing with compassion and understanding toward our Lord and Savior.

     And only then may we have the right mind set to humbly state: "I would be honored to carry the cross for Him."

    In the reading, studying and understanding of God's word, we can receive all the blessings and spiritual truth we humans so desperately need.

    Must we make Jesus carry His own cross?

     Must we always take an apathetic approach to how we carry out our daily lives?

     Such disregard for the obvious choices we must truthfully make is a recipe for spiritual implosion. The clear cut choice in the issue of walking with the Lord is to obey and trust in His word while following in His path. By taking up the cross and walking with Him, we realize the sacrifice He made for us. To praise Him is to know Him, and to know Him is to love Him.

    Let us all be willing to reverently stop, reach down and take up thy cross, then carry it for Him from this day forward. In Jesus' name. AMEN.

    Pleasures that only last a fleeting second in God's view, but bring dyer consequences in our afterlife. Just as our Savior was tempted numerous times by Satan, we too, are tempted daily by that unseen adversary. Either by greed, lust, pride or any other number of snares, we are tested in our faith everyday.

    When confronted by these trials, we have the obligation and responsibility to, as followers of Jesus, stop, think and listen to what that still small, but powerful, voice is telling us. Using our Savior as our Holy example, we need to remember these four initials: WWJD- - "What Would Jesus Do"?

     That question should resinate in our conscience as to what our response should be. Just as our Lord withstood temptation over and over again and triumphed, we too, can become victorious.

 It's all up to us.

      Rebellion of the heart toward God's word is destructive to our lives. That disobedience brings inner conflict, pain and regret later on. Humility, with praise and forgiveness, are the essential characteristics to possess in order to act as Jesus did when confronted with sinners. Rise above the boastful and lost as they try to dissuade you from your path to upcoming glory in Jesus Christ. Rather, forgive and pray for their repentance in Jesus' name.  

     In our walk with the Lord, we should practice this command and fervently hope and pray we can win new believers for Him, through Christ Jesus.

    This is a wonderful assurance, indeed. To be promised such a reward and know that it's true and that it came from our Savior, we know that that salvation is from grace alone. Our devotion to God should be our main focus in all we do and say. Having a high moral compass enables us to walk proudly with our Lord. Learning and believing in His word, then following it keeps us closer to Him throughout our spiritual walk. Belief and faith have both played such monumental roles in the life of God's followers.

       For example, Noah, with his unwavering faith, followed God's plan and built an ark that would withstand the impending flood. Noah and his family, because of his faith, were spared. God's son, Jesus, exemplified faith. That faith and obedience were destined from the beginning by His Father. In John 3:16, it says, "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."

     Jesus's love for us nailed Him to a cross, not metal spikes. Such faith, obedience, and love are second to none.

    Jesus's reward is being at the right hand of His Father. Are we in such good standing with our faith and witness for God? Do we show our love and express our beliefs to those out there who do not know Him? Are we bringing more people to God by proclaiming His word through His Son, Jesus Christ? These questions should make us look at ourselves more closely. All we can do is declare the truth of Jesus and His love and pray that someone's unbelieving heart will be turned toward God. We need to be realistic....we will not be able to convert everyone. Hopefully, we can reach a sizable number and make a difference in their lives, as well as ours.

      For a believer to know God, he must first know Jesus. In John 14:6, it says, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." In order to bring believers to God, we must first sacrifice and obey His will, completely. Luke 9:24 says, " For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever loses his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

      We must never lose sight of the cross in our daily communion with God. By believing with faith and trusting in our ability to bring others to God, through Jesus Christ, we become examples of Christianity to new believers. As Christians, Jesus was our perfect example. Devoting our life to God's word will bring many rewards in this life and in the next.

   Go out and be fishers of men.

     However, when the scarlet red blood of Christ and the crimson red stains of our sins are mixed together, the color turns white. In fact, as white as snow. We've all heard and/or sung the verse: "Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin has left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow."

          The blood which was shed at Calvary, by our Savior, did pay our sin debt in full.

         On the tapestry outside the side door of our church, it states: "It wasn't nails that held Him to the cross, it was His love for us."

          Jesus knew what the will of the Father was to be. He knew He had to carry it out. He could have called 10,000 angels to save Him, but Jesus knew what His destiny was going to be. That destiny was to be at the right hand of the Father, watching over us and blessing us with His grace and mercy everyday. We owe our lives to Jesus.

       Our prayers, our obedience, and our devotion are to be given up to Him. Let's live to glorify His name and walk in His way. We need to live for Jesus because He died for us. So the next time we all see the color red, let us remember that the scarlet color, along with our crimson stains, will be turned to white each and every time.

 He cleanses. He forgives.

          The 12 Disciples came to Him and requested that He please teach them how to pray. They had witnessed Him pray many times. His solution to our problems, along with our desire to seek Him, is our true purpose in our time alone with Him. He will listen to our hearts while we pray.

        Fervently and honestly, it is prayer that transcends us from our world to God's world. The most powerful tool we possess in dealing with our disappointments, our problems and our demons; is prayer.

            It is said that the distance between success and failure, or victory and defeat, is about 6-12 inches- -( the distance it takes to drop to our knees ). It is best for us to pick a certain time and place to pray each day. Reserve quiet time for Him. He already knows what we will ask before we do. We need to meditate, then concentrate in silence listening for His word.

      His powerful, yet still quiet voice will speak to our heart when He feels it is time. Wait for His word. ( Time spent waiting on Him is Not wasted time.) He is waiting to talk to you.

    Jeremiah 33: 1-3 states: "Come to me, I will answer you, I will tell you great and mighty things which you do not know." The answer may not be what you expected, but He still replies just the same.

         There are 3 possible answers to any request.. Yes, no, or wait.

   In James 4:8: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." Humble petitions offered up in faith and trust to our Father are always acknowledged, and in time, they are answered.

        Prayers should be detailed and specific in order to easily discern the answers. After fervent prayer and meditation, we should not expect huge revelations, just be content that He will provide the answer needed. It is a sin to carry heavy burdens of worry alone.

      We must surrender them all to Him and free ourselves to receive His blessings and His grace and love. Let go and let God. Get to know His serene peace in our hearts.

        When we dedicate our lives to Christ, we become His disciples. We are commanded to spread His word throughout the world. By turning our hearts toward Him, we receive a total transformation from the soul, outward. He is our redeemer, our shepherd who guides our way, and our teacher of all things from the Father. His persona is of warmth and gentle love and mercy. He gathers His children into Himself and holds them tightly against His breast. What a glorious Savior we have. Only through Him can we gain entrance into God's kingdom. If we turn our back on Jesus and forsake Him, we will lose out on all the wonderful blessings he bestows. We cannot love Jesus and serve other idols (masters), too.

       In Matthew 6:24, Jesus preaches this: "No man can serve two masters: for he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other."

     Let us each day, in some way, try to profess the name of Jesus. In Matthew 10:32, 33, Jesus tells His disciples: "That whoever confesses me to men shall, in turn, be confessed to my Father, but whoever does not confess me to men, shall not be confessed to the Father." T

     hose are mighty strong words from our Savior, and Jesus means it, too. If you think about the whole concept of living in Christ, you will come to the stark realization that you will come out way ahead of those who decide to forsake Him. If you give up your earthly life to follow Jesus, you will ultimately gain eternal life afterward, but if you reject Him and all He stands for, you will never possess eternal life through Him. I perceive it as a double-or-nothing issue. You follow Jesus and have everlasting life with Him, or you reject Him and live in utter despair eternally. All or nothing at all.

    Through the grace of Jesus, we are received into His fellowship.

    Through His sacrifice at Calvary, we are saved forever.

    Through His blood, we are cleansed and redeemed.

    We have the wonderful privilege of laying down our worries, our fears, and our sorrows at the foot of the cross, thus giving them to Him to bear for us. Without Jesus, we are lost. We would be wanderers in the wilderness of desolation without Him. Submitting our lives to Christ (or not ) will be the most important choice we will ever make. It is a choice that will impact us for eternity. Let us not wait until the 11th hour to give your life over to Jesus.

 What happens if we expire at 10:30? Then it will be too late.

      We all have commitments in our lives, our job, our family, our friends. We should always keep them, too. That's what keeps us grounded. But the most important commitment we should keep is the commitment to our Heavenly Father. For that, we should not only take one knee, but take both. Both in prayer, in silent communication to our Lord.

     German Linguistics Professor, F. Max Mueller once said,."To think is to speak low, to speak is to think aloud." This quote is quite relevant to this piece.

        When we think, we speak to ourselves internally. In our mind, we are composing and rationalizing our thoughts which will become vocalized to our intended party. Our Father needs us to think more of Him and on His word. We need to then tell Him what's on our heart. And yes.......it's true, God does know what's in our hearts and minds even before we do. But He still wants us to tell Him. He needs us to take both knees in reverence to Him, then speak (thinking aloud) our feelings, while giving praise for His abundant blessings.

     We should all take two knees and speak to our Father. Remember, God answers knee-mail.

     In Jn. 14:6, it states, "No man cometh to the Father, but by me." We are unworthy to stand before our Father if we do not have Jesus in our lives.

     We were born into and live in sin, the Bible says. In Romans 5: 8, it states, "God commandeth His love toward us...while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us." Without the blood atonement for our sins, by the death of Jesus at Calvary, we are without redemption in the eyes of God. Without the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, no one would ever gain entrance into heaven. Through Jesus, we are all saved, if we believe and trust in Him. Works will never gain us reward into heaven. It is only by the shed blood on the cross we are made clean and worthy of entrance into God's kingdom.

    Ephesians 1:7:  " In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."

     Grace alone, from our Father, keeps us from perishing forever without hope. It's been said that on earth, there are secret sins, but in God's kingdom, they are open books. Sin hidden by man, against man, can never be hidden from our Father. He is omniscient. He sees all, He knows all, and He hears all. He can even see and hear what's in our hearts. There is nothing we can hide from Him. He knows what we are going to do before we do it. As long as we sincerely repent and ask for forgiveness for our sins through His son, Jesus, we will be forgiven. For He is a loving God who cares for all of us. He wants us all to seek Him.

      But we can not seek Him if we have disobedience and sin taking over our lives. He wants us to express to Him, with a clean heart absent from sin, our willingness to follow His son in bringing others to Him.

   What does our heavenly Father want from us?

    Simple: He wants our love, trust, obedience and the willingness to walk in His way. What are we willing to give Him? Are we willing to take up our cross and follow? It is time for us to search our hearts and souls and look to His word to find the answer. His Holy Book will point us to the truths we know, only too well. We simply need to surrender to Him and begin to live a more godly life as exemplified by His son, Jesus. For Jesus lead by example.

 We must now follow His example.

      I think back to when I was a youngster looking up to my father. He seemed 10 ft. tall to me. (My father died when I was 7). I know that my father is looking down on me for he is with Our Father now. I just wish I could have had more time with him before he went to be with the Lord.

      Some people have a father most of their lives and may not get to really know them, sadly to say. When it comes to knowing our Heavenly Father, do we really know Him? Just as Jesus said to His followers:   "To know the Father, you first must know me."

     Do we know our Father?

Do we show that we know Him? Do we show it to our fellow man and woman?

   Our Savior, Jesus Christ, is the guidepost on our walk of faith. Following His teachings and His word brings us closer to knowing our Father. We, as disciples of Christ, are to be the guideposts to others who do not know about God. We are to make sure that when they view our actions, we do not send the wrong messages or the wrong motives. Our Father is all powerful, all mighty and yet compassionate. We see evidence of this through His son, Jesus. God's hand is always at work through Jesus' actions. And just as Jesus follows His Father's example, we as sons and daughters, should emulate our earthly father's ways, also. That would be the best way to honor our father here on earth just as the fifth commandment states we should.

    Throughout the Bible there are  a number of references to great father-figures.

        In Genesis 6:8, we see the story of a just and God-fearing man named Noah. Now Noah, being a trusting follower of God, builds the Ark soon as he was commanded by the Lord to do, down to the last cubit. And because the vessel was constructed the right way, it withstood the 40 days and 40 nights of constant rain and flooding.  Noah, his wife, their three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japeth, their wives and two of every creature boarded the Ark for the duration. And for following God's edict, Noah was blessed by God and given the promise of the covenant.

     In Genesis 12:22, we see another great father-figure in the form of Abram. Later, God changed His name to Abraham, the father of all nations. At 100 yrs. old, Abraham became the father of Isaac. As it came to pass, Abraham's devotion to God would be tested to the limit. A limit a father could not even begin to imagine in these times. God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son as a burnt offering in the city of Moriah.  Abraham, Isaac, and a couple of his young men helpers saddled a donkey and headed there. Leaving the two young men at a resting point, Abraham, Isaac and the donkey headed up the mountain at which the sacrifice was to take place. After building the altar and tying Isaac upon it, Abraham began to, with knife in hand, kill his son.

      As we know, the angel of the Lord spoke to Abraham saying:, "Abraham, Abraham, lay not your hand upon the lad.. For I know now that thou fearest God." Just then, Abraham sees a ram caught in a thicket. He takes Isaac down from the altar and places the ram up there to sacrifice instead.

       Joseph, the father of Jesus is the most famous of the father-figures in the Bible.  Even though he was not Jesus' biological father, he still became the figure Jesus would learn the most from in His early life. Jesus learned the trade of carpentry from Joseph. He worked in his father's shop. He learned about life from Joseph, also. Teaching Him the basics of life, Jesus would carry that into His preaching and later, into His travels. The story of Joseph just goes to show us that any man can be a father. It does not take being half of a biological union to be one. Throughout the stories of these three famous and important father-figures, we see a common thread. That common thread  being trust. Noah, Abraham and Joseph all trusted God. Isaac trusted his father, Abraham. Noah trusted God. And it came to pass that Jesus trusted both Joseph and God as His mentor / father-figures.

       When we were children, we grew to trust our parents. They would not knowingly allow us to get hurt or have anything happen to us. They love us and they wanted the best for us, no matter the cost. Now we as parents want the same for our children, also. It is in our moral fiber to want that. Also, these 3 stories show another common thread... that being the question I raised earlier. Do we show we know Our Father? Noah, Abraham and Joseph, along with numerous other father-figures in the Bible, showed that they knew their Heavenly Father and trusted Him.

   In other words, do we know our Father like we should? Do we know His abounding love and compassion for us?

       Do we know His son, Jesus, our Savior? Remember, Jesus told us that to know the Father, we must first know Him. To get to the Father, we must first go through Jesus. Jesus needs us to emulate Him in our daily lives just as He emulated God, His Father; during His life. And just as our earthly father is here for us to listen to our needs, to teach us right from wrong, to protect and guard us from harm, and to raise us in a Christian manner; Our Heavenly Father is always here to do the same. All we need to do is take the time to pray to Him daily, alone; and tell Him what is in your heart and trust His answers.

     Like the song states, Trust and Obey, for there's no other way. For if you trust in Him, He will take care of you. Give Him that opportunity to come into your heart and into your life. Let us all praise Our Father everyday.

AMEN.

      Those who have God and not the world, gain it all. To gain so much in material goods and yet not know thy God, is surely a tragic mistake. Worshiping the creations and not the creator speaks of selfish pleasure. (It is not wrong to have such things--it is merely a question of how much importance one places on them, daily. Do they overtake their lives?) If we place the same importance on knowing our Lord as we do on collecting more and more things for our pleasure, we would surely be true servants of His kingdom.

        To know God is to have a close, personal relationship with Him. He is, after all, the source from which all possessions come. If He sees such idol worship overtaking someone's life, He works to break the individual so He can bring him closer to His side. God wants us to bless, praise and worship Him.. not what He blesses us with. He wants us to love our neighbors as ourselves, also. Loving another more than yourself and your possessions will grow you in an understanding that is based upon His word.

       We need to cry over those who will, one day, cry over us when that time comes. The Lord cries for us when we do not wish to follow Him and His son, Jesus Christ. I hope that statement up above moves you as it moved me when I first heard it. Quite a profound declaration, I would say. Wouldn't you? It's food for thought. May God Bless You and Yours.

      Just as he demonstrated his ability in the minds of the terror- ists, he will, if given the chance; work in our minds and hearts to carry out his evilness. Everyday we are constantly inundated with negative images of what we are to say and do, and how to act in our culture. From the printed word to the flickering images on a TV screen that invoke Satan and his influence, it will be up to us all to make the right choice(s) as to what direction we are to follow in our lives. Satan's hold over us is more powerful than the bomb, itself.

       What he can make us do may inflict hatred upon others and thus, we end up hurting ourselves. Our tongue can be the most destructive tool of all. It can be used to belittle, slander and deface others- -sometimes without a second thought. With Jesus as our ally against Satan and his hold over us, we have the assurance of righteousness and might on our side. Two strong shields that Satan can never penetrate. In these times of uncertain and conflicting messages, we must all turn to our Heavenly Father for the guidance and security we will need in order to turn away from Satan.

     With us all joining the fight, we, with Jesus' love and grace and His strong presence; will defeat all evil. As the saying goes, Strength in numbers while battling Satan. For Jesus, our Savior, will be our "weapon of mass attraction". Praises to our Lord.

    As our Lord listens intently to our heart, He will begin to shed His grace and mercy upon us. We must first believe on His Son, Jesus.

    The scriptures tell us that in order to reach the Father, we must go through the Son.

      Believing on Jesus and what He did for us on the cross makes communicating with the Father much easier. Through Him all things are possible. God's extended arms are ready to enfold us in a loving embrace. His desire is for us to come to Him daily. He already knows our every wish and request long before we do.  Even so, He still wants us to talk with Him. Whatever sorrow, guilt, or pain we possess, our Heavenly Father is always ready to unburden us.

    The phrase, "Let Go and Let God", speaks of that truth. God sent His only Son to Calvary to pay our sin debt in full so that we may live. He wants us to bring our heavy hearts and place our burdens at the foot of the cross. Through our acts of prayer and supplication, we can begin to heal.

  Oh what grace our God supplies..... for once we kneel we begin to heal.

        I recently heard a Christian radio program that briefly discussed 5 simple prayers that would help us start our day. I will elaborate on them. These are simple, 2-word prayers that will serve to encompass our daily walk (and talk) with the Father.

       The first prayer states: Lord, Slay Me. Here, we are asking God to daily mortify our old nature. That is, to kill my old ways and refresh me anew by His grace. This prayer will instill in us a renewal of our attitude as we begin to welcome the new day ahead.

     The second prayer states: Lord, Cleanse Me. In this prayer, we are requesting that God cleanse us through His righteous blood. Washing our sins away is His atonement for our transgressions. Being cleansed in the blood of His precious son, Jesus Christ, is sorely needed everyday. For Jesus paid it all, and all to Him we owe. This cleansing power enables us to start our day under a banner of purity from our Father.

     The third prayer states: Lord, Fill Me.  Here, we are praying to God to fill us with His Holy Spirit. His Spirit will empower us to live by, and follow His word daily. His Spirit will also fill us with the blessed assurance that He will never leave us or forsake us. This pledge will grant us the power to reach out and witness to our fellow man, with confidence. His Spirit will supply us with an enabling ability to be for Him as He commands us to be.

    The fourth prayer states: Lord, Lead Me. In this prayer, we are asking for God's Holy Spirit to lead us on our journey of faith as we walk in His word. Each day will bring something new in our lives. Our Lord wants us to experience it through His grace. We need to follow the Lord's lead through His son, Jesus. For, through the Lord, all things are possible. While following Christ, we then submit to His will for our lives and trust in the faith we have in Him. For He will never lead us astray.

     The fifth prayer states: Lord, Use Me. In this prayer, we are praying that the Lord will use us as living vessels of His word. Allow the Lord to use us as He wishes, for His glorification. He desires to use us as fishers of men, thus bringing them to His side. God entrusts us to spread His word to all we come in contact with on any given day. We pray that He will use us to fulfill His glorious purpose, here on earth. While fulfilling His purpose, we will be able to walk closer to His side on our pilgrimage to eternal life in Jesus.

     We will certainly know that by taking the time to pray to our Lord, our walk with Him will become richer and more satisfying. Permit the Father to: slay us, cleanse us, fill us, lead us, and use us to His glory and we will notice His blessings abounding in our lives. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Surrender yourself to Him. Let Him work in your life. We do this through Him who empowers us. Live for Him, as He lives in you.

            One such passage is: II Corinthians 5:10-14. It is our biblical duty to do so. We certainly want to be able to face God and know that we tried our best in becoming fishers of men for Him. In order to do this effectively, we need to follow 3 basic steps.

       The first being, we will have to be accountable for ourselves. That includes our deeds as well as our misdeeds, in Christ. This step ensures that our complete obedience to His word has been followed to the best of our God-given abilities. When we truly love the Lord and want to show that affection, we do so by walking in His word, thus becoming His earthly disciples. In doing His will, we become the benefactors of His wonderful and gracious blessings, daily.

       The second step in spreading His word is in a healthy fear of the Lord. When we know of His mighty power and His glorious acts of grace, we must then submit to Him. This fear is not the same fear we would have if we were encountering a large animal in the wild, or if we were scared of heights, or of the darkness. This fear is a sign of respect and devotion to our sovereign God who created us and everything around us. With this type of fear, we become reverent and worshipful to our Lord. He never intends to scare or intimidate us. He wants us to love and respect His authority and majesty. That is what He deserves. We can convey this fear of God to our fellow man by sighting His mighty acts throughout the Bible through our witnessing.

      The final step in spreading His word is for the love of Christ. Once we love Christ and praise Him for what He did for us, we then can truly tell others about His Father. It is paramount that we always convey the love of Christ in our witnessing to others. We earnestly need to speak of Christ's ultimate sacrifice on the cross at Calvary, also. Because we know that, we will become more efficient in the bringing of others to God. The knowledge of scripture and biblical facts always serve to strengthen our reserve in this purpose. Showing Christ's love as we witness gives others some much needed insight into who God really is to us, as well as who He will be to them.     

       These 3 steps, I have just mentioned, will always motivate us to do our best in spreading the Word. While following them closely, we become true disciples of our Lord. To tell others of the love of God is truly a blessing from above. Thanks Be To God! God's Word- -Pass It On!

      Like the literary character, Johnny Appleseed, we too will need to plant seeds along our journey. The seeds we plant will one day flower and spread to others. It will be like the ripple effect on a pond. These seeds we plant may not be realized as soon as we sow them, but they will eventually take root later after we have long gone. For we may not personally see the fruits of our planting, but our Father will. That is what really matters, anyway.

      God molds hearts in His time, not ours. His working in the life of one we have ministered to will sprout fruit when He wishes it..not when we do. Striving to please and serve our Father should begin with daily prayer and meditation on His word, through His son, and by asking Him to use us in His service. This is a major step in our discipleship for the Lord. Bringing others to Him makes us true servants of His word.

    Through giving our hearts and minds to Him, while in service to His will here on earth, we will realize the redeeming of our souls from the power of the grave through His grace. For He will receive us with open, loving arms into His kingdom where we will praise Him eternally.

      In James 4:6: "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." He can work His will in a person who has a contrite heart. A heart full of humility will be more receptive and open to His will. That makes for a disciplined disciple in the Word.

     One author, who remains anonymous, states: "It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help."

        I believe part of that line can be altered to say, God qualities, and still convey even more in its meaning. Do we show God qualities? Are our lives living testaments to His glory?

      A quote by another anonymous author states the following, "Our lives may be the only Bible some people ever read."

      We should mirror His Commandments and His Beatitudes to our fellow man.

     Jesus shows us, by example, how to possess a humble heart. May we never forget the ultimate price He paid to set us free from sin, forever. That act of supreme love should, in itself, humble our hearts to always live for Him. For He humbled Himself as a baby born in a manger. From there, He then worked as a lowly carpenter in His father's shop. As He became an adult, He served unselfishly to the masses in preaching His Father's word. And of course that led to His commending His Spirit to the Father on the cross at Calvary. I would call that humility personified.

    When we look at our lives, let us begin by looking inward and asking our Lord to cleanse our spirit with His humility and grace so we may continue our walk of faith in His word. If we are to wear but one garment on our walk of faith dear Lord, may that garment be humility.

      God wants us to live for Him and follow His word, always. God, through His word, became flesh and dwelt among us.

     Born in a lowly manger, made of wood, in Bethlehem, Jesus would come of age learning the carpentry craft from Joseph, His Father-figure- being that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jesus would also learn from the prophets and preachers of the day about the scriptures and spreading God's word. He would spend many hours in the temples drinking in all that He could about the things of Heaven.

      When Jesus grew a little older, He would speak in parables to His followers. These stories would end with moral lessons to be learned about life and loving your neighbor as yourself. Aside from the parables He taught, Jesus performed many miracles to the amazement of the people watching. Most importantly, He taught us about God and His love. While all of this was happening, God has His son's life and death planned out through prophetic truths.

      As we know, God's word has come to pass in many instances. There are some yet that haven't occurred.

       Most of the 300-plus prophecies have transpired through ironic circumstances- -such as happenings relating to certain numbers (i.e. 3, 7,12, 40). There was no shortage of irony in Biblical times. For Jesus, who started His life out with His hands in wood (carpentry), would tragically have His life ended with His hands in wood (the cross). What a sobering thought for anyone to comprehend. Jesus died to set us free from the bondage of sin. He lives to lead us in His paths of righteousness.

     We must follow His example in our daily lives, always. Let not Jesus' death at Calvary be in vain. We must live for Him, for He died for us.

    "Knowing the Scripture is one thing, knowing the author is another."

   How well do we know God, Almighty? By reading His holy word and meditating on it, we will come to know Him and His wisdom and authority. He who fears God, gains wisdom. (That is written in His word.) Through that wisdom, we will come to know more about God each day. We will never really know all about Him. His being is vast, and we in human form, will never fully know God.

  "The Bible is a window through which we look at eternity."

 Through the pages of God's word, we see more clearly the narrow path to His kingdom. His word guides our steps on our journey to eternity. Each verse, each chapter, and each book brings us closer to His side. He provides, through His word, the view of which we partake thereof on our upward ascension.

  "The value of the Bible is not knowing it, but obeying it."

  "Knowing the Bible is of little benefit unless we practice it."

   Both of these quotes can be applicable in this section. God's holy word is only of great value if we only obey it. Knowing it does not really constitute an understanding of it. Obeying it and practicing it is what really brings about true understanding on our part. It is this  practice what it preaches scenario that we may really gain a grasp of its true meaning.

"The Holy Scriptures teach us the best way of living, the noblest way of suffering, and the most comfortable way of dying."

   From Genesis to Revelation, our Lord teaches us the best way to live out our lives. That way is by following His word and believing on His son, Jesus Christ. By honoring that, our best living is ahead of us. That same living may not be the easiest. God shows us, through the Scriptures, that we will suffer in our noble quest to profess His truth, through Jesus. We will be mocked, ridiculed and even forsaken, for His name's sake. His son, who suffered until death, is our shining example of living out the word. For Jesus paid it all. Through Him, He redeemed us, that we would live free from sin, forever.

     We must sacrifice for our Lord, as well. We need to pick up our cross and follow Him daily. And lastly, God leads us into an understanding that dying in Him will be as comforting as anything could ever be on earth. For He will remove all weakness and illness in our earthly bodies and renew our souls in Heaven when we meet Jesus face-to-face. There, we will forever praise and rejoice in Him.

   There is no other way all of these wonderful things can happen except by living out the word. These are but a few choice, anonymous quotes concerning God's word. I pray they will inspire and enrich your life, daily. Read the Bible. Live the Bible. Praise the Lord.