A Message from Franklin Graham - Heaven is not for cowards!

The following is an article from Decision Magazine. It is written by Franklin Graham. I feel it is a very important message to the church today. Please take time to read this article. You can link to the article here: Cowards or Overcomers?

Cowards or Overcomers: Standing Strong

By Franklin Graham

Franklin Graham

Heaven is not for cowards! Recent comments I made while speaking at an event in Washington, D.C., have drawn some controversy. In a challenge to those who are afraid to speak out on moral issues addressed in the Bible, I referenced a chilling passage—a warning from God about the most catastrophic indictment the world will face someday:

“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone” (Revelation 21:7-8).

Christians cannot ignore parts of God’s Word because they are unpopular or cause division. Our commission is to proclaim Christ and all He stands for. This is what the church’s presence in the world is all about. We cannot sincerely proclaim the truth of God’s love while ignoring what He hates, and God hates sin. His love pours out the remedy for sin that holds mankind in bondage. It is found in His unmerited grace—the gift of salvation. For this reason, the whole Gospel must be preached, as demonstrated by the Apostle Paul.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes … For in it the righteousness of God is revealed” (Romans 1:16-17). What immediately follows this bold declaration demonstrates the importance of God’s entire message to the human race.

Paul wrote in connection to the Gospel: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them … so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God … but became futile in their thoughts. … Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for a lie” (Romans 1:18-21, 24-25).

Followers of Jesus Christ, and especially pastors and church leaders, have a responsibility to speak the truth of Scripture, calling sin what it is, and acknowledging that it has always reigned in the hearts of the human race. It is not any worse today than it was “in the beginning.” After all, sin brought about the Great Fall and then the Great Flood because “the wickedness of man was great in the earth” (Genesis 6:5). It is not just a debate about abortion or homosexuality; all sin is immorality—and all immorality is evil. In America today we are experiencing an epic drought. It is not just the basic misunderstanding of the Word of God; it is the absence of God’s complete Word.

Christians are called to shun acceptance of sin in all forms, not because we are perfect people but as a testimony to the transformation God brings about in a life surrendered to Him; washed clean by the blood of Christ and clothed in His righteousness. We must be people of endurance in the face of criticism or any form of persecution. If we do not exhibit godly courage to stand strong in the faith, we cannot overcome Satan’s seducing spirit that grips the world. The Bible says:

“Now the Spirit [of God] expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared. … If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:1-2, 6).

If we as God’s people refuse to speak about sin because it will make others uncomfortable, we are cowards. We are called to sound the alarm, warning them that God demands obedience to His perfect law, which is designed for the good of the human race. Do not miss the staggering truth that God’s law brings about contentment. “The law of the Lord is perfect … rejoicing the heart” (Psalm 19:7-8). Those who reject this truth reveal that they do not know Him. “Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God. … His commandments are not burdensome … and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 3:10, 5:3-4). True faith is what empowers us to speak God’s Word and live it before an unbelieving world.

Someone has said: “To sin by silence when they should protest turns people into cowards.” The definition of a coward is one who refuses to do the right thing for fear of consequences. This certainly falls short of possessing godly character.

We are soldiers in God’s army, and we cannot stand down on biblical issues out of fear of being labeled a homophobe or judge. People make judgments every day. The world’s system passes judgments accepted by governments and citizens. But the world considers Christian judgment to be biased, judgmental and intolerant. Christians have only one standard on which to base judgments—it is called the Bible. Without its instruction and authority, we cannot possibly know how to live, so we are told to “judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24). It does not matter how mankind defines sin; the ironclad Word of God has already laid it bare, and it is unchangeable.

“If anyone … does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words” (1 Timothy 6:3-4). Twisting God’s Word leads to rejecting God’s message. We must guard against handling the Word of God in a cowardly fashion but rather preach the entire Word of God because His grace and His judgment flow from His love.

Sin is at the very heart of all that is against Almighty God; it is bowing the knee to worldly living, serving selfish desires so that the things that we used to call sin no longer seem to be sin to us. Some pastors I know say they just want to preach the Gospel and not become targets by speaking out on specific issues that Jesus Himself did not address. Sadly, this reveals a lack of basic Bible knowledge. That would be like suggesting that because Jesus never preached a sermon about jealousy it is not a sin; however, the Bible states clearly that jealousy is a serious sin against God (Galatians 5:20).

Jealousy is the very sin that caused Lucifer to rebel against God. The point is that God’s servants cannot preach part of the Gospel. They must preach the entire Word of God, regardless of how it may impact church attendance or trigger unfavorable tweets! Those who say they stand on biblical principles need to understand that persecution will come in some form, even if only losing popularity, the least of all maltreatment.

The Lord Jesus was certainly a target. Yet He willingly went to the cross and suffered for us. He died, was buried, rose from the grave and ascended to Heaven. That was more than 2,000 years ago, and still today He is a target. He is hated. He is rejected. How can we fear rejection by the world when He gave His all for us? But still He extends His salvation to all who will come to Him. He is the One who empowers us to stand strong in the face of persecution for what the world does not affirm. He gives us the power to overcome sin, and that includes cowardice, triggered by ignoring all that God proclaims.

“Many are my persecutors and my enemies, yet I do not turn from Your testimonies. I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, because they do not keep Your word … The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever” (Psalm 119:157-158, 160).

If God’s people do not stand strong, who will? Many in the church have accommodated worldliness (a devotion to temporal interests and pleasures to the neglect of spiritual things) in order to be relevant and increase attendance. This approach has desensitized the conscience.

There was a day when God’s messengers was preached against drunkenness. Unfortunately, this is seldom heard from the pulpit anymore; rather, there is widespread acceptance of the intoxicating drug. When preaching falls short of God’s whole truth, it becomes easier to overlook or redefine evil behavior. The result is that we get our worlds mixed up. We are not to become like the world; we are to illuminate the world with the light of Christ and distinguish ourselves from the darkness. There are those who minimize this astounding message in an effort to make sinners comfortable in their sin.

This is egregious to Almighty God, and He has prepared a lake of fire for those who reject His truth. In other words, there is grave danger in not preaching, as the apostles did, the whole Gospel.

Just as our nation has drifted from the strict interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, so has the church seriously drifted from taking God at His Word. Sin is destructive to people, to families, to nations and to the church. Sinful behavior that is excused and repackaged as personal choice is Satan’s greatest deception. His greatest victories today take place within the church by those who remain silent; who are not aware of his divisive presence. The Body of Christ must recognize that we have allowed Satan to distract us with non-essentials. It is time to get back to the basic teaching of God’s Word. It is cowardice to excuse sin by claiming we have no right to judge what God has already judged. There is only one personal choice that decides where we spend eternity; if we choose Christ and all He stands for, we gain Heaven; if we deny Christ’s Word, we are cowards and deserve hell.

“Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their insults. … You have feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor” (Isaiah 51:7, 13). We can be fearless when we stand strong on the Word of God because as Joshua proclaimed, “The Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you” (Joshua 23:10).

What are the characteristics of God’s people? Have we become so accustomed to the worldly system that we fear we cannot overcome it? Or do we draw strength from the One who has overcome? Can we stand with the believers at Thessalonica who did not seek comfort and fulfillment but endured hostilities because of God’s Word? Paul wrote to them: “So that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer” (2 Thessalonians 1:4-5).

Who does not remember the cowardice of Peter, the salty fisherman—the sea-walking but fainthearted follower—who denied Jesus Christ? Out of his anguish he overcame his greatest failure, and a bold and mighty faith emerged. He became a soul-winning fisher of men—the disciple who instructed others in serving as effective shepherds of God’s flock (1 Peter 5:2). He wrote: “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles [the very Word] of God” (1 Peter 4:11). We must understand that the very Word of God is the Bible.

Let’s overcome cowardice with courage. Let’s be fearless ambassadors of Christ and stand strong for the glory of God our Savior, pulling others from the fire of eternal judgment (Jude 23).  ©2014 BGEA

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version.

Remembering Darcy Renne....

April 20, 1995

But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.

Darcy ..... Safe in the arms of Jesus

my picture

photo from democraticunderground.com

my picture

I love you my baby...we shall see you in the sweet by and by!

http://sharingthefaith-northernsparrow.blogspot.ca/2012/04/baby-darcy.html

The Kristin Tract ( Tracts Part 1 )

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.

You may have heard of the Kristin tract. I would like to encourage everyone to take time to read the story of this beautiful young girl and then order some tracts for yourself to share with your family and friends. None of us knows how much time we or our friends have left here on this earth.
Please go to their website to read more and to order your tracts. Click the  following link:
http://www.kristinsfriends.com/blog/?attachment_id=16

Here is a glimpse of the Kristin tract as written by her parents:



The Kristin Tract - ( http://www.kristinsfriends.com/blog/?page_id=6 )




Questions & Answers about heaven...

One of the Bible teachers that I listen to on a regular basis is James MacDonald. His teaching approach is a very down to earth and practical style. So recently I was listening to him teach about heaven. I took notes as I listened and so I'd like to share them with you here.I will also be adding a bit of my own commentary as I write.

Questions and Answers about Heaven


1) Will we know each other in heaven?
Short answer is - Yes
In Matthew 17 we find the story of the transfiguration. Jesus took Peter, James and John onto a mountain top and there He was transfigured before them. It says Jesus's face shone and his clothes became white as the light. It was here that Moses and Elias ( Elijah ) came to talk with Jesus. Pastor MacDonald pointed out that there was no need for introductions as this time. Moses and Elijah knew Peter, James and John and likewise the disciples knew Moses and Elijah though though they had never met before. This indicates that in heaven, not only will we know the people we have known on earth here in our life time but we will also know everyone from other generations and people whom we have never met before. There will be no need for name tags in heaven!
Matthew 17: 3-4 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

2) Will we be married in heaven?
Short answer is - No
In Matthew 22 is the story where the Sadducees came to Jesus with a trick question - If a woman has been married to seven husbands- whose wife would she be in the resurrection?
Jesus answered them very well. Read Matthew 22: 28-30 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
There will be no need for people to be married in heaven. A man will not need a helper and a woman will not be in need of a protector. There will be no procreation in heaven.
You will know your spouse in heaven though - you will be united in perfect friendship . The focus of heaven will be on the Lord - not on each other. Heaven will be a place of perfect relationships.

3) What about angels - what will they do?
Here on earth, the angels are messengers, they instruct people, they protect and comfort believers.
In heaven the angels will still be messengers - Luke 1:19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
And they will be worshippers as well - Revelation 5: 11-13  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

4) Will there be pets in heaven?
Short answer - No
Many people like to joke around and say there will be dogs in heaven but no cats - but we all know that is not actual truth. I remember Billy Graham saying that people would sometimes ask him if their pets would be with them in heaven - Billy's response was that heaven will have everything that you need to make you happy. But James MacDonald says no, no pets.
The Bible teaches there will be some animals in heaven but they are not the animals that we have in our lives today.  Ecclesiastes 3:19 - 21 NKJV says  For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.  Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?
Here we see that the spirit of man goes upward while the animals have no soul and thus do not live on after death.
Isaiah 11:6 talks of animals in heaven - The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
We also see animals mentioned in the book of Revelation.

5) What will we do in heaven?
Short answer - We will serve the Lord, worship the Lord, rule with the Lord, have fellowship with the Lord and with others.
This reminds me of my husband's grandmother. As she was nearing death and looking forward to her going home to be with the Lord, someone asked her this question - "What do you most look forward to about going to heaven?" Her answer was "visiting". She was longing for the fellowship that will be ours in heaven - fellowship with Jesus and with everyone else there!
While we are here on earth, we often feel like we do not fit in or we do not know where we fit in or exactly what to do - it can be hard to find your place here on earth. But in heaven that will not be the case. We will fit in, we will know our place and our job. We will do what we were created to do. It will be fruitful work.
Revelation 22: 3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

6) What will we get - will there be rewards?
Short answer - yes
 Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Here is a good description of heaven found in Revelation 22. I want to post the entire chapter.
 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Wings in the Morning...

Psalm 42:1  As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

I feel so blessed to wake up in the middle of the night with a song from the Lord in my heart. Thank-you Lord Jesus!!

Wings in the Morning ( by Johnny Cash)

Wings in the morning and license to fly
Straight to the portals of nevermore die
Nevermore pain in them old aching bones
Wings in the morning to carry us home

 

The Message of Salvation..

Revelation 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

The most important decision we will ever make is that of salvation. It is the decision that will determine our eternal destiny. The choice to accept God's offer of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ will lead to life everlasting in Heaven. The choice to never accept this offer to salvation will lead to the place called hell. The choice is up to each of us as individuals. We have to make the choice here in this life. When death has come, we no longer have the opportunity to choose. Since each of us has no idea when our life here will be over ( many die suddenly through accidents or illnesses), it is not wise to leave this decision undone for another day. So I urge everyone reading this to choose Jesus and be saved today!

The Way of Salvation
1) All have sinned and are in need of the Savior Jesus Christ. There is no person who is good enough to go to Heaven without having come to faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3: 9 - 10  What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one

2) God loves each of us and does not want anyone of us to be lost to hell.
2 Thessalonians 2: 16  Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
1 John 4:9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

3) God requires the blood sacrifice of His own Son Jesus as payment for our sin. Nothing else will do.
Hebrews 9: 22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Hebrews 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
1 John 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

4) In order to be saved we must put our faith completely in Jesus alone and believe that He is the only way to be saved, and that He shed his blood for our sin, paid it in full there on the cross where He died, He rose again on the third day, ascended to Heaven and will return to earth at the appointed time. Good works do not save, Jesus is the only One who can save.
Acts 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Isaiah 64: 6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away
Acts 16: 30-31  And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
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.

5) Confess to God that you are a sinner, in need of the Savior Jesus Christ, that you want to be saved now.  Repent of all known sin, turn from it, to live in it no longer. Ask Jesus to save you now.
1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Don't leave this most important decison for another day. Come to Jesus today!

Heaven - Eternal Life!

John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
 It is eight years now since my Dad left this earth - around 9:10 AM on July 21, 2004 he passed throught the door of death and into Heaven. We wonder what will Heaven be like?  We know that being with Jesus in the presence of God the Father will make it so awesome - we cannot really even begin to imagine what it will be like. I'd like to post a few Scriptures about Heaven as I remember my Dad today. 



Jesus will welcome us home to Heaven!

My Dad as a young man.  I imagine how Jesus will have welcomed him home to heaven eight years ago. "Well done, good and faithful servant".
Below is a picture of my Dad reading to my twin boys ( his grandsons) years ago. He did so love his family.

So what can we know about Heaven?
1) Jesus is preparing our heavenly home for us - John 14:2   In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
2) We will dwell with God - Revelation 21:3 - and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God
3) There will be no more pain, tears, sorrow or death at all! - Revelation 21:4 -And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
4)  The Glory of God and the Lord Jesus will be the light in heaven - Revelation 21:23  And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof
5) No evil of any kind will be allowed into heaven - Revelation 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
6) The throne of God is there and we will be serving God - Revelation 22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
7) There is no end to heaven -a gift given and it is eternal, we are safe there - John 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand
As I think about heaven, I find myselft longing for heaven more and more. This earth really has nothing to offer in comparison at all. Try to think of the most exciting thing here on earth that you like to do - then put that up against being with Jesus in the Presence of God at His throne serving Him, no pain or sorrow of any kind forever! -  we see that there is no earthly pleasure here that can even begin to compare. So let us fully and whole heartedly commit our lives to the Lord Jesus and let us be ready to meet Him.
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.

The New Jerusalem and Blessings to the Gentiles

The New Jerusalem -The Holy City Revelation 21:1-8  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
² And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
³ And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
⁴ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
⁵ And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
⁶ And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
⁷ He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
⁸ But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

                                 

Blessings to the Gentiles
Isaiah 56: 1-8
Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
² Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
³ Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
⁴ For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
⁵ Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
⁶ Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
⁷ Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
⁸ The Lord God, which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.

Happy Father's Day to my Husband!

Happy Father's Day to my husband! You are a pretty lucky man to be the Dad to our four amazing children plus one already up in heaven with the Lord. You have taught them so much throughout the years and we have all been blessed because of you.
Thank-you for the way you provide for the family and for your love for each one. God bless you!

Phillipians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Dad in Heaven.......

Sunday June 17th is Father's Day. I wonder if they celebrate Father's Day up in heaven? If you have been following my blog you will know that my Dad is in heaven as I have written a couple of posts about him. But on Father's Day, even though he is in heaven,  I like to remember him since hey - he gave me life plus he also  had a very positive influence in my life. Since he has been gone, there have been times when I have wished he were here so that he could give me advice or that he could see the accomplishments of our children. He did dearly love his grandchildren. In those times when I have felt I needed my Dad, God has reminded me that He is here and that He wants to be my Daddy and fill every void that is there due to my Dad not being here any more. I praise and thank God that He is my Daddy. He is my Heavenly Father.  2 Corinthians 6:18 says:

 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty

This is a picture of my Dad.

I found the lyrics to a song my Dad really liked. It was sung by Jim Reeves and written by Kathryn Twitty.

Daddy my Daddy Teach me how to Pray

One night a sleepy little boy knelt beside my bed
He smiled and looked into my eyes and this is what he said
Daddy, my daddy, you've taught me lots today
So daddy, my daddy, teach me how to pray.

You brought me home a brand new kite showed me how to fly
And there ain't no wonder kid who's dad can knock a ball so high
I'd like to thank God for you, but I don't know what to say
So daddy, my daddy, teach me how to pray.

I'd had to turn and leave his room, he began to cry
I didn't want my boy to know but so did I
His best pal forsaken him but what was there to say
For daddy, yes daddy, had forgotten how to pray.

(Daddy, my daddy, teach me how to pray.)...

A Beautiful Song - The River

In our home during my years growing up, our family had an old pump organ. One of my sisters was very gifted on the organ. As a child, I wished that I could play like she did and I would often stand by the organ and watch her play. I watched her fingers move across the keys and slowly with time I began to memorize the movements of her hands and I tried to play as she did.  She tried to teach me and I was able to learn to read some of the right hand notes while the left hand notes remained more of a struggle for me.  As I continued to try to learn, I was able to learn to play many hymns from our old hymn books, reading some notes and playing some by "ear". One of my favorite songs to play was Shall we Gather at the River. It is a song written by Robert Lowry in 1864. Robert Lowry was  a baptist pastor. Now as I have matured more in my faith and my longing for heaven is ever increasing, I realize even more that I love this song.
So with that, I would like to pick up a few highlights and thoughts from the song.

Revelation 22:1,3 - And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb... ³ And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

Shall We Gather at the River   
Shall we gather at the river,
Where bright angel feet have trod,
With its crystal tide forever                     
Flowing by the throne of God

As Christians, we look forward to the day that we will be with the Lord in heaven - no more sorrow, tears or pain.  We will worship Almightly God at His throne in His presence. We will be walking where the angels have walked for so long a time before us.

Refrain:
Yes, we'll gather at the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river;
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God.

Together with the saints of the Bible days, the saints who have lived in the past, those living now and those still to come - together we will gather by the river that flows by the throne of God.

On the margin of the river,
Washing up its silver spray,
We will talk and worship ever,
All the happy golden day.

Isn't that a blessed thought to think that we will talk and worship all the happy golden days! To be with Jesus forever- Oh what an exciting blessed thought!!

Refrain

Ere we reach the shining river,
Lay we every burden down;
Grace our spirits will deliver,
And provide a robe and crown.

We lay down our burdens at the Cross and Jesus bears our burdens, our sins. Jesus shed his blood on the cross for us and by his grace we are saved. Through Jesus death on the cross we receive the righteousness of Christ. We are robed in His righteousness and we will worship Him. The crown belongs to King Jesus!

Refrain

Soon we'll reach the silver river,
Soon our pilgrimage will cease;
Soon our happy hearts will quiver
With the melody of peace.

Years go by so quickly and it certainly won't be long till we reach that beautiful shore. Like one of my favorite preachers, James MacDonald, often says - it will seem only like ten minutes till we all get over there. Time is very short. Peace and lasting joy will be ours eternally.

My Vegetable Garden - Sowing and Reaping

I enjoy having a garden and seeing it grow. This picture here is of my vegetable garden. Among other things I planted potatoes, tomatoes, peas, beans, corn and onions. My garden doesn't look quite as good as I had hoped since we got frost here about two weeks ago and it damaged a lot of the plants. Then last Sunday we got a big rain mixed with hail so the garden is now regrowing from both the frost and the hail. I am hoping to get a better picture of my garden in a couple of weeks or a month when the plants have had time to mature. The Bible says our lives are somewhat like a garden and that we will reap what we sow.

 Galatians 6: 7-10 says :
⁷ Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
⁹ And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
¹⁰ As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

If I make the comparison to my garden, I can expect that in the later part of summer I will be able to pick peas from the peas plants, beans from the beans plants, and tomatoes will grow on the tomato plants. I do not expect to harvest any beets or zucchini since I have not planted that kind of seed in my garden.
If we sow good seed in our lives, that is we walk in the Spirit, we fill our minds with Scripture, truth, pure and lovely things, we will reap, the fruit of the Spirit.  Galatians 5: 22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

On the other hand if we fill our minds with evil and with things of the world, that is we live in the flesh and fill up on the sinful desires of the flesh, we will reap pain and misery like it says in Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption

Galatians 5: 19-21  Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,  fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,  idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,  envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 The works of the flesh can respresent weeds, the unsaved person which Jesus says will be reaped at the end of the world.
 Good seed represents the people saved by the blood of Christ, those who will reap life everlasting with God in the heavenly kingdom. ...but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Matthew 13:38-40
³⁸ The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
³⁹ The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
⁴⁰ As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.



I added a picture of my garden today July10, 2012. It has been really dry and hot out here for quite some time now.

The Beauty of Nature

The beauty of nature constantly reminds me of God. God who created everything in six days and rested on the seventh day. Whether you consider the beauty of the mountains, large oceans, waterfalls, or the stillness of white fluffy clouds floating across the blue sky, it is all breathtaking in beauty. Psalm 19:1 says - The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. I am one that enjoys nature - watching animals, birds, winged creatures, or the flowing of a river.  I find it all quite intriguing. Growing up on my parent's farm I could sit  by the chick incubator for hours and watch the baby chicks wiggle their way out of the eggs. Or to see a baby calf try to stand up on his wobbly legs for the first time. Or to watch kittens fight and play. God has made it all so interesting and it all fits together exactly.
We live out in the country here with our two dogs and a cat. A small river runs by our property and there is bush. My husband has made a trail through the bush so that we can walk or ride through it to see the river and just enjoy the quietness of being in a bush. Together with our dogs, I often go walking on the trail and make my way around through the bush and see the river. It gives me a chance to become quiet and reflective before the Lord and commune with Him with very few distractions.  It's not always equally  easy or peaceful as right now there are some little green worms that have spun a web and they dangle down from the smaller tree branches. I try hard to avoid them.  Sometimes the mosquitoes get bad and there are woodticks as well. One day recently as I was walking and singing praise to the Lord, I noticed how the birds in the trees were also singing their praises to God as well. It almost seemed like we were in a band together praising God. Sometimes there are geese or ducks on the river or flying gracefully overhead above the trees. One day as we were riding the trail together we saw a black bear down by the river bank but thankfully it hasn't been back though it was beautiful to see. 
One thing that I have specifically noticed and delights my heart is the detail of it all. If I pick a wild flower perhaps even from a weed such as a thistle or a pink wild rose flower, God has made even the wild flowers with perfection. Even if no person will ever see it, there it is, every petal formed perfectly. It seems as if God has made it for His own delight. Now compare all that with how He loves and cares for us His children. He has created us each one special in his or her own way, and He has a plan and purpose for each of our lives. Not only that but Jesus died in our place so that we can be saved and someday share in the beauty of Heaven. I often think that if God has placed so much care and detail  and beauty into creating things in this world that will pass away -think of  How Beautiful Heaven must be!

Isaiah 61:¹¹ For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Psalm 146:2 ² While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.I found this Wild Rose so I snapped a picture! So pretty!

Dad's final message to the family

In this post I want to share about my Dad's final message to the family. It was Christmas 2003. None of us knew that this would be our last Christmas together but it seemed that Dad knew it. We were all gathered together to celebrate Christmas at my parents home. Everyone had been able to make it out to be together for Christmas, that being all  24 of us in total. The dinner meal was finished and we all gathered in the livingroom for an afternoon of visiting and sharing and giving gifts.
Dad's health had been slowly deteriorating since the diagnosis of cancer a year earlier. He had been through surgery for the cancer  and many chemotherapy treatments. Combine that with a  heart attack that  had weakened his heart and having battled diabetes for years, he was not a strong man any more. He was getting weaker and walked with a cane. We all loved him very dearly and we hoped that he would be able to regain his strength and health and perhaps live to see his grandchildren grow up.
As we were all sitting there, suddenly Dad rose to his feet and it was clear it was time for all of us to stop visiting and listen up. It was sort of frightening because with him being so weak, any stress that he placed upon himself could trigger another heart attack. But leaning on his cane, he began to speak from the book of Joshua chapter 24: 14-15 where it says :
¹⁴ Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

¹⁵ And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Dad specifically wanted to stress that we as his family were to serve the LORD.  It was his desire that after he would be gone that we should all continue to live for Christ. He was choosing that for all of us though it is a choice we must each make as individuals. In a sense it was a challenge to us but it seemed more like a "gathering in of the flock".  Somewhat like if a hen gathers her chicks together to safety under her wings.
Tears flowed freely as he spoke to us. We all knew how hard it was for him to give that message to us in his condition but we are so thankful that he left us with those words and that memory.
A few weeks later in January, the cancer broke his leg and he was not able to walk anymore. He spent most of the next six months in the hospital in paliative care, where they had to increase the pain medication and his mind was not nearly so clear  anymore.  His love for all the family continued especially making an effort to bless  his grandchildren  who were very precious to him and he would always say goodbye to each one by name when they visited him in the hosptial. He passed away in July of 2004.
 It's been a while Dad, but we'll see you up there in glory when we all get to Heaven. We'll be together again.

What really matters?

Sometimes people will say that God seems so far away or that they feel like God doesn't really speak to them. The truth is that God is interested in us and that He does care to speak to us. The main way that He speaks to us is through the written Word of God which is the Bible. It is God's Word to us. He speaks to us through the Bible. We just need to get to a quiet place and begin to read. God says that His Word will not come back empty.
In Mark chapter 8 verses 36 -37, Jesus speaks these words - He asks these questions.
³⁶ For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
 ³⁷ Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
What is the point that Jesus is getting at here? We know that each of us is a body and we each have a soul. Our soul is the part of us where we think and reason - the "real" part of us and the soul is eternal. The body is the part of us that gets old. Sometimes when a person has a birthday especially a more elderly person, you will hear them say -" I feel like I should only be 30 yet" when in fact the birthday is more like maybe 70's. A person will feel this way because the soul doesn't get old. We only feel age in our bodies.  It is only the body that begins to show age and as much as one may try to hide the aging process, no one can escape it.
The body will die but the soul never dies. At death, the soul is released from the body and goes straight to eternity. If we have accepted Christ as our Saviour from sin through the finished work that  He did for us on the cross, then the soul goes directly into the presence of God and Heaven.  If on the other hand a person has rejected Christ and one has never commited his or her life to Jesus, then that soul will face eternal condemnation in the only other place and that is hell.
So Jesus is asking us to consider - is there any point at all to trying to gain the world here and not take care of our eternal destination. A person may have the best richest house in the world,a mansion  or the biggest farm or business, drive the most expensive car, you could be a famous actor, or a  celebrity of sorts, maybe an NFL football player or the President or Prime Minister of a country or the Queen of England. The list of possibilities is endless. BUT if you have all these earthly possessions or power, whatever possible thing there is out there in this world  and if you don't have Jesus as your Saviour, all is lost. Riches and position in life will not be enough to get anyone into Heaven. The only "ticket" so to speak that will get you into Heaven is Jesus - that you commit your entire life to Him, nothing held back. So we need Jesus, Jesus only! There isn't anything in this world that is any value at all in comparison to the value of our soul. Make your decision for Jesus today and let's be ready to meet Him.

My friend Nettie...

In this post I would like to tell you about my friend Nettie. We became friends at school when we were in grade 8.  After finishing grade six at Graysville, I had now moved on to a bigger school in the next town. My friend Kathy stopped coming to our school after grade 7 so the Lord knew what he was doing when He sent Nettie into my life as a school friend. We shared a locker, and were together all the time at school. Together we endured the teasing/bullying of the older boys. I suppose we were teased because of us being Christians -it was then just as it is in today's world Christians are often not popular. Nettie came from a large family with many struggles. So when I got to know her she was living with her foster family. Praise God for all the Christian foster parents out there that open up their homes to children in need.  She would tell me of her time spent on weekends with her Dad and siblings. She knew even as a young teenager how to make homemade bread from scratch which she did whenever she would go home to her Dad and brothers and sisters. She had done it for them so often she didn't even need a recipe anymore. She loved going to church with her foster family. They went to the Pentecostal church. Her faith was real and it challenged me to become real with the Lord in my own faith. She would often talk about how she so was longing to be raptured and to go and be with Jesus. She was a dear friend indeed. As school was drawing to a close for us and we knew we would be parting ways, we made a promise to each other - a very girl-type promise. She promised me that no matter where life would have taken us in our different paths we would remember each other. She promised to invite me to her wedding if she ever got married and I promised her that I would invite her to my wedding if I ever got married. Neither of us were in a relationship with any guy at the time.
As time passed, she moved to the city and I stayed closer to home and got a job at the local nursing home. This was well before the time of texting, or emails so we did not stay in touch. Then one day ( we were in our twenties then) I got a terrible phone call from one of Nettie's sisters. She had been murdered by an x-boyfriend in the city and so Nettie's sister was inviting me to her funeral. That was very shocking. We had promised to invite each other for weddings but now she was gone and I was being invited to her funeral. I honestly cannot remember much beyond that. I know my parents came to the funeral too as they had got to know her as well.
In high school already,  Nettie was waiting for Jesus, but now she was taken way too soon in such a senseless and cruel way. Someday in Heaven, I'll see Nettie again. We'll sit down and talk "friend to friend".

Baby Darcy...

April 20 - Today is the birthday of my baby named Darcy. Darcy was born in 1995 but went to be with Jesus before being born. You see Darcy passed away while within my womb and was born a couple of weeks later.
Darcy was loved and would have been a much welcomed gift into our family here on earth but that was not God's plan for our baby.
Here is some of our story - My husband and I were blessed with twin babies in 1992 and what a joy and blessing that proved to be.  The twins were soon to be three years old so I was excited to learn that I was pregnant again. But the excitement slowly faded after a while as I realized things were not going so well and wondered if perhaps the baby was gone. I knew needed to get to the doctor. The doctor checked and made sure baby was still in the womb and asked me a few questions. He wanted to know what I was thinking and I answered that I think my baby is dead. Then he asked " Why do you think that?" to which I responded - "I feel so empty inside."  To the mothers out there reading this, you will understand what I am saying. When you have a living baby growing inside of you, it is an indescribable satisfying feeling. So now since my baby had died, I felt empty. I could feel that the soul of my child had departed. The doctor immediately sent me for an ultrasound test which proved my fear true. My baby had died but was still in my womb. Next arrangements were made to induce the baby to be born. So baby Darcy was born at 12 weeks into the pregnancy. And so the grieving process began. We were fortunate to have the hospital give the baby to us to take home with us and we were able to give it a proper burial in a safe place.
Many people will say that it is only fetus, some kind of tissue and not a real baby. I will be bold to tell you that without a shadow of a doubt, it is a baby. From the point of conception it is a baby. We got to see our baby born at 12 weeks but having died possibly at least 2 weeks sooner ( the time of death remained unclear). We could clearly see the baby's eyes, little nose, chin, arms, legs. It's all there right from the very start but grows and matures with time.  So I would like to encourage anyone considering abortion to definitely not have the abortion. That would be taking a life which God has tenderly created with purpose. The commandment of God is that we do not put to death another person.
Family and friends were very kind to us in our grief. As I was in the process of grieving, one day I remembered the ultrasound that the hospital had done and I started to wonder if it would be possible for me to obtain the pictures of it as a tangible memory thing for myself. I contacted the hospital and they agreed to allow me to have the ultrasound pictures for a small fee. I treasure those pictures.
Job 1:21 says - Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Heavenly Father, Thank-you for baby Darcy. Thank-you that Darcy is safe with you and someday we will meet our precious baby. Blessed be the Name of the LORD! Amen.