Devotional Praises

For the moss that grows on the wood.

For the birds that call to each other.

For the paths which are rocky and smooth.

For the trees that bend and lean

and those that reach up to you.

 Lord, We Praise You.

For the creatures that rustle in the leaves.

For the breezes that sway the trees.

For the foliage that covers the hills.

For the stepping stones that help your children

make their way down your wondrous paths.

Lord, We Praise You.

For all the natural little surprises we find along our way.

For the humming, buzzing and chirping our ears always hear.

For the splendor of the landscapes our eyes truthfully see.

For all the textures and surfaces we touch

while exploring your glorious creation.

Lord, We Praise You.

     The sun which, by the way is 93 million miles away from earth, is all well and good for our positive outlooks, but it cannot bring us as much joy and contentment as we seriously lack in our lives. The sun does invigorate our bodies, but does nothing to stimulate our souls.

      There is only one son that can revitalize our souls and make us truly contented. That's God's son, Jesus Christ. With the son of God in our lives, nothing is impossible. With Jesus in our hearts, his powerful loves radiates through our souls and is magnified through our thoughts, words and deeds. His brightness is shone through in every aspect of our lives.

        With Jesus, we sense a new beginning each and every day. He can fill all voids we allow him to fill. Christ is eager and willing to enter our hearts. He will begin to shine his everlasting light of love, hope and grace throughout our future discipleship in His word.

     Jesus can turn any sadness into gladness, turn doom and despair into hope and reassurance, and more importantly; hate into love.

     His abundant gifts of mercy and love can transform any lonely den of darkness into a palace of brightly lit possibilities. Ask Jesus to enter your life and transform it into a splendid garden where hope and love spring eternal. The next time we gaze out the window and see clouds forming, let us not forget that the Son always shines. As long as we believe and carry Him in our hearts and minds, no day will be gloomy and downcast. God's Son shines in our lives everyday.

       His blessings come in all shapes and sizes. As small as a newly-born butterfly floating on a crisp, spring day; to a massive, colorful rainbow after a summer shower...God blesses us in numerous ways.

         When we take the time to stop and settle into a peaceful mode, our Father speaks the loudest to us. He will not try to speak over our daily distractions. That is not His way. He commands our full and undivided attention in order to communicate with us.

    Quiet time in prayer each day grounds us in the ways of God.

    They say that no one can stumble-- while on their knees. We should be thankful for our life, our health, loved ones, a place to live, and  food and drink to sustain us. Freedom to live and worship as we wish are two more very important blessings to be thankful for.

   Most of all, we are thankful to God for His son, Jesus Christ... our Lord and Savior. Thru Jesus, the bearer of our sins, God grants to us all a Holy mediator-  thru which we can voice our heartaches as well as our joys to Him.

     We are more fortunate than others in this world, for they do not have the chance to know God and His love, thru Jesus. And thru Jesus, God teaches us all to love everyone as we love Him. So all praise be His... now and forever more.

Why did you allow them to falsely accuse you?

Why did you allow them to beat you?

Why did you allow them to mock you?

Why did you allow them to spit on you?

Why did you allow them to force you to carry

that heavy cross?

Why did you allow them to nail you to that cross?

Why did you allow them to hang you from that cross?

Why did you suffer through such an agonizing death ?

Jesus, why did you die for me?

I am such a wretched person.

 I do not deserve such a loving act of grace.

While looking down upon me, Jesus replied,

 "Because I Love You."

I then fell to my knees, with my face

downward, weeping from guilt.

"My Savior loves me," I said, through my tears.

Jesus, I will forever faithfully follow you

all the rest of my days.

 Praises to my Lord.

AMEN.

   Compassion is defined as the act of helping another out of mercy and love, and also 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 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 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 God's compassion to all who are in need.  That is God's love at work in our lives. Pass it on.

     We have all heard that verse before. Even the game, "Hide & Seek", that we used to play as children, asks us to seek out one another. It wouldn't be a game if the other children came out of hiding and presented themselves. That is how it is in real life. Nothing just appears without first seeking it.

      When you lose or misplace something, for instance your keys, the object is to seek them out. They aren't going to reappear in front of you just by wishing for them.

       In Luke 19:2-10, we see Zacchaeus, a man small in statue, wanting to seek out Jesus in the crowd. As he tried to gain a clearer vantage point, the other citizens blocked his view. Not to be outdone, Zacchaeus then climbed the sycomore tree to see Jesus as he entered the city of Jerusalem. Jesus, seeing Zacchaeus in the tree, asked him down saying:  "Make haste, and come down, for today I must abide in thy house."

     Jesus, knowing that Zaccheaus was a sinner, still wanted to dwell under the same roof with him that night. As we see throughout the Bible, Jesus was constantly in the company of sinners, either breaking bread with them or just talking with them. His profound influence on all these people was the guiding force in their lives. Do we seek Jesus? Do we actively seek His teachings in our lives? Do we seek Him as fervently as we seek out: a new car, a new house, or any number of material things? Do we put any emphasis on looking into our hearts and souls, and seek out our Savior? 

     The Lord is my shepherd. And as my shepherd, he seeks to bring me into his fold everyday. Just like the sheep that wanders away, he will not forsake us. He will seek us out until He heads us in the right direction. For we know that the Lord is our way to salvation.

 I revel in your omnipotence daily and

your grace and mercy are omnipresent in my daily life.

How else could I survive without you?

I lift up my voice in praise to you

 for all your mighty acts.

Lord, I try to love like your son, Jesus.

I yearn to become more like Him

in my walk with you.

 Father, I will praise your everlasting name

throughout the rest of my days.

Teach me to come to you each time I need you.

 Guide me, Father, to follow your righteous path

on my journey to the cross.

God, I do know you are: all knowing,

all powerful and ever present.

Let me not falter in Thy ways.

All praise is yours, Father in Heaven.

         When we commit ourselves to Christ, we give all we can to the ministry, the church, and to our fellow man. These gifts we raise - be it a Sunday School teacher, an Usher, the Sexton, or even a Missionary - are all gifts each of us are capable of giving to our Lord. We must all think of the talents we are blessed with, and use them the way God wants us to use them. Each and everyone of us can give to God's ministry to make this a stronger, unified family. Just as a football team has different positions working together, all Christians should work together to reach a common goal -- to serve the Lord with gladness.

        You may ask yourself what gift or token do I have to present to the Lord. We ALL have inbred gifts that are hidden. Sometimes, by accident, we come to realize them. And with the right encouragement, and the right direction, we can use them to the advantage of helping others and to the Lord's Ministry.

        Each of us is an important piece in the puzzle of this church. Without everyone's participation, we lack the full picture of Discipleship. We are all important in the eyes of Christ. In the  lyrics to the hymn: We are the Church, it conveys the Church is not a building, it is not a steeple, it is not a resting place. The Church....is its PEOPLE. The people are the fabric of this ministry. Each one holds a special key to its success.

     And though we minister at church, we also need to take it out into the community for all to witness. We should not be bound by the walls of this sanctuary, but instead make it a starting point to venture out, committing ourselves to Christ. In the example of the Methodist Church founder, John Wesley, or the Rev. Billy Graham, who is out among the masses preaching God's word, or by Mother Teresa, who spent her life helping others in need --- each committed themselves to Christ.

     Open Hearts: to welcome ALL who come to experience the richness of God's word and thus bring others to the truth and light of our Savior.

     Open Minds: to clearly receive and comprehend what our Lord is teaching us through his word in scripture.

   Open Doors: the opening of the churches' doors to others ushers them into the fold, thereby leading them to the Cross. And by leading them to the foot of the Cross, we show them our purpose for living- -to love one another with the same love and compassion Jesus loves us all with... on a daily basis.

       When we start to put into practice this motto, we will all become stronger in our faith and, more importantly, honor our Lord with the obedience and reverence he fully deserves.

       Father, teach us to open our hearts to an understanding and compassion we sometimes forget to show our fellow man. Lord, help us to open our minds to all the opportunities you afford us thru your blessings. And Father, show us how to open our church doors to others, and thru your love, bring them into your presence so that they to will come to know you and your word. Amen

     You know that after every storm, there appears a rainbow. As humans, we cannot begin to fathom what our Lord has in mind for us and we each have our life to live according to God's will.

       As we read in the scriptures,: .."I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." This passage could relate to any situation where loss or heartache is involved.

      We all have been faced with sorrow, loss, & devastation at some point in our lives. Being human, we all question God and question our faith. We all have considered that course of action during those times. But should we? Or should we be more like Job- -unwavering in our faith. We must be assured that our Lord's hands are shaping our lives and leading us toward our eternal reward. In order to gain such a reward, we must first devote our life to God and His word and place ALL of our faith in Him. That's easier said than done, we agree.

       We know it's easy to have faith when everything is going smoothly, but when adversity arises, we seem to quickly forget how to use that said faith.

 Here is a Rule of Thumb to help us through all of our adversities.

   1) GOD IS WITH US DURING OUR HARD TIMES. It may not seem like God is there among us when we are at our lowest, but be assured, He is. Believe that God is with all the displaced in New Orleans, Miss. & Ala. As they try to pick  up the pieces of their shattered lives and make some kind of sense of it, we, as loving, caring disciples of our Lord, are used to do His work- - helping them to rebuild their lives. Through us, God is with them.

  . 2) GOD HAS A PURPOSE FOR OUR HARD TIMES. As mentioned earlier, we are not capable of knowing what God's purposes and plans are in our lives. This is where a strong faith, (or the term blind faith), may come into play. Ours is not to question God, or faith. Ours is to trust HIM, trust in faith. Our Lord knows exactly what he's doing. So "Let Go, Let God."

   3) DARKNESS WILL LAST AS LONG AS NECESSARY FOR GOD TO SHOW HIS PURPOSE TO US. Just as our Savior, Jesus experienced darkness, literally, on the cross before he died, we too, experience darkness in our lives. And just as Jesus cried out to his Father at the apex of his pain, we too, cry out to Him when darkness and pain have both shrouded our lives. God did not forsake his son, and he Will Not forsake us. We seem to believe that God wants us to suffer and experience misery. No, the exact opposite. He Does Not want us to suffer. He Needs us to, so we can learn from it and become better for it. Thus making us depend on HIM to show us His way, through His Son, Jesus Christ.

 4) WE WILL LEARN MORE IN THE DARKNESS THAN WE WILL LEARN IN THE LIGHT. Nothing, of any lasting value, is gained through only experiencing good times. We all want to live carefree lives, free of hardships & disappointments & strife, but we were never promised the primrose path. What we are promised is life eternal, thru Jesus. Through those hardships, and pain, we must learn from it, then we move on to what life and God have for us, next.  When one door closes, God opens another. One where the blessings are more bountiful. What we take with us from those sorrowful events in our life is the knowledge we use to build on our faith in God.

 5) EVEN IN THE DARK TIMES, WE ARE WALKING TO THE LIGHT. We are unable to look beyond the immediate darkness we are experiencing. But God, through His grace and mercy is leading us to the light of peace and contentment beyond the now. Our strong faith in Him must play that important role in keeping us on the path to God's light. We must continue to keep our unwavering faith intact, so we can ultimately experience ALL that God has planned for us. Do not relinquish yourself to the darkness. Strive for the light of God's truth and path. That will bring true joy and peace forever.

 6) WHAT WE LEARNED IN DARKNESS, WE NEED TO SHARE WITH OTHERS IN THE LIGHT. This step is so important in the healing from life's tragedies. When we come through an adversity such as: "9-11", Hurricane Katrina or any other life-altering hardship, and are able to view it from the other side, we need to share with others; those who were not directly affected, our feelings, thoughts and emotions from the start, the experience itself, and its aftermath. Through those shared feelings, we can begin to heal ourselves inside and begin to enlighten others to the goodness and mercy of God. Faith in Him assures that for us. We are to express to others how our faith played the most important role of all, in that adversity.

    Keeping faith in our Heavenly Father needs to be an ongoing mission we must embrace and practice everyday. Like Job and, more importantly Jesus, let us be their examples of unwavering faith that leads us to God's blessings and grace.  Our Father, who is our Creator, and who has delivered us from past adversities, will bring us through any future adversities.

With our steady faith in God, He will take care of us. 

  Let's Remember Faith this Way:

 F-Father

 A-Almighty

 I-Instructs

 T-Teaches

H-Heals

     The figure was of a glorious nature. Radiant in light and majestic in stature. I was positive it was my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He motioned  for me to sit on the nearby rocks with him. I sat and I listened to his wonderful stories of faith and reassurance.

    And in that glorious time, He taught me so much about the Father and about His own mission, here on earth. I felt saddened and ashamed, as I listened, because I knew I wasn not the type of Christian He knew I could be. Jesus knew that already. I didn't have to tell him. He knew my shame and loved me regardless. He knows more about all of us than we could ever imagine. He knew the kind of person I could become if I just walked closer with Him and learned as I went .

      He asked me to follow him up a  hill. It wasn't just any hill. He lead me to the place where He was once crucified.

     When we arrived, I gazed upon the cross. I turned to look at Him but He had disappeared. His mission was accomplished on this day as well as on that fateful, lonely day so long ago. He brought me (here) to the place where all people should come...not just in the physical sense, but in their hearts.

     We should all view the spot where unconditional love was once nailed to a cross.

     Without ever speaking of the act itself, He had lead me to view the hill where it happened. He really didn't have to say anything about it. The vision I saw, spoke for itself. My eyes began to fill with tears and I started to weep. I was finally learning why I was put here on earth. That being to spread the Good Word of my Lord to all I come in contact with.

      As I fell to my knees in praise and prayer, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Jesus, once again. I knew he had returned. I could feel the impression in His hand where the nail was once driven.

    As I looked up, He smiled and nodded, then vanished once again.

      I felt, at that moment, a warm and loving sensation travel through my body. I knew then that I was prepared to start my newly-found journey- -to spread the word of God and tell of his Son's life, death and resurrection.

    We all have had times of doubt and questions about our purpose on earth. When we turn to the cross, we are quickly reassured of our bearings. We then realize what our true purpose is on this earth.

  Let us be reminded of who we need to look toward.................. Look toward the Son.

      Drops of blood rain down upon us from His brow as He breathes His last. These droplets of blood start to cleanse our sins even as we stand there in awe of this sorrowful event. Jesus' sacrifice will forever pay, in full, the monumental debt we all owe for our selfish and sinful ways. We drop to our knees in prayer, and praise, to our Savior with hearts full of guilt and shame. We cry out to our Lord and ask for His forgiveness and mercy.

     Each of us have our own personal demons we need to cleanse from our lives. As long as we truthfully repent and are willing to turn our hearts and lives over to Him, we will reap the benefits from His many blessings.

     The first thing we need to do is believe and trust in Him. We also must love Him just as He showed He loved us, on the cross.

    Secondly, we should love one another and follow His Commandments.

     If we can achieve those commands, and bring others into the fold as well, we are on that glorious path to righteousness. Living His word will bring us closer to our Savior. Let us not leave this spot of sorrow without first committing ourselves to accomplishing His will for us. If we do depart from here without first making those commitments, then we need to ask, "Was His death in vain?"

   I hope we all commit to live for Christ. For if we do, it will turn this day of sorrow into a day of victory, forever. I pray, one day, we all will come to Christ and thus be blessed by His word, through His shed blood at Calvary.

 Praise the Lord above, always. AMEN.

   There are 3 stages to answered prayer that you instill in us to always follow. They are: be persistent, be purposeful, and be personal.

   In Luke 11:9, Jesus states: "And I tell you, Ask, and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

    These are comforting words indeed. Prayer is an open expression of faith to our Father. Through prayer, we establish our personal relationship with Him.

  In the first of the 3 stages - being persistent, we need to hold fast and true to God's promises that through fervent, faithful prayer, we will gain an answer in time. It will ultimately be in God's time, not when we want or need it. As disciples in His word, we must be faithful to wait on Him.

    While being patient, we must continue to be persistent in our prayers and supplications. Hold tightly to your faith that He will answer your prayers. When we pray in this manner, we must not lose sight of the fact that some trials (as in the case of a sick friend) may suffer the darkest period before the fulfillment of answered prayer has come. It is always darkest before the dawn. God's blessed answer is the light of dawn to our night of sorrow and pain. Be patient, but be persistent in your prayers.

   The second of the 3 stages is: be purposeful. Have a stated purpose in mind before you kneel before God, in prayer. Tell Him what is on your heart in detail. Whether it be a concern about a financial problem, a personal relationship in trouble, or any request on your heart, state it to Him in honest, forthright supplication. We must also come to Him about the needs of our fellow man, our nation, this world; and any other concerns He lays upon our hearts.

     When we bring forth the needs of others before ourselves, God is faithful to uphold His promise of answered prayer. Be direct, but be purposeful in your prayers.

     The final stage is: to be personal. To become personal with the Father, we must first form a regiment of getting to know Him. Reading the Bible, meditating, and prayer are the essential building blocks to forming a personal relationship with God, but it takes time.

     Start to involve Him in your daily activities by praying to Him for guidance and support in important decisions and trials that come your way. Lean on His faithfulness to lead you through His word. The Lord does love us enough that He gave us the gift of prayer as that open expression of faith to Him. He wants us to be for Him in all that we say, do and think.

     If we follow these 3 simple stages to answered prayer, we will find that He will bless us mightily. We must not forget to give Him praise and thanks for answered prayer, also. A faithful heart must also be a thankful heart.

    On a more personal note, my wife and I rejoice for answered prayer for a sick friend of ours who has started on the road to a full recovery after a time of dark uncertainty.

We thank you Lord and we praise you with unending praise!

                                                                                                                                 Inspired by the writings of Craig Von Buseck

    I thank you, Lord Jesus.