The People of Haiti Need Your Help Now

Ordinarily I write about what it means to be a Christian and why we are called by God to do certain things. Today I come to you as a concerned United States Citizen and as a Christian, urging you to step up to the plate and do your part in the humanitarian effort for the Haitian earthquake victims. On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, Haiti suffered a catastrophic earthquake that left tens of thousands dead and many more injured, and without food, water or shelter. The bible states that in the end times that there will be great earthquakes and famines. Luke 21, verses 10-11 states:

¹⁰Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”

Mark 13:8 states:

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

Those of you who know the written word of God may be wondering if this particular earthquake is one of those signs. Personally, I don’t know if it is or not, and I believe that right now as Christians, we shouldn’t be placing our focus on that. We should be focusing our attention on the humanitarian effort and asking ourselves “What can I do to help the Haitian people?” This morning on CNN President Obama, along with former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton gave a speech, rallying the American people to come together as a nation in a humanitarian effort to help save the lives of the Haitian people, and help them to reclaim and rebuild their country.

The two Former Presidents Clinton and Bush have established a website where you can go to donate toward saving the lives of the people of Haiti. From a statement on their website here is what they are saying:

“Through the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, we will work to provide immediate relief and long-term support to earthquake survivors. We will channel the collective goodwill around the globe to help the people of Haiti rebuild their cities, their neighborhoods, and their families.”

Won’t you please join in this effort as a Christian, as a decent Human Being and as my Brothers and Sisters in Christ? Even if you can only donate $5 or $10, I believe that every little bit helps and we can make this world a better place - even if it is just a little bit at a time.

To make a donation and learn more about this fund, please visit: CLINTON BUSH HAITI FUND

Also, I believe that prayer can move mountains. If you find it in your heart, please pray for the Haitian Nation that God will have mercy on them and that He will bless them, making them strong. Please pray that those He has claimed as His, will come to know Jesus as their Savior.

May God Bless You,

Cindy

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Isaiah 53:5 (NIV): But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Often you will hear Christians talking about “The Blood of Jesus” or “The Blood of the Lamb”; and some of you may not fully understand what it is that they are referring to. You see, human beings are creatures that are sinful by nature, and there is only one way in which we can be reconciled to God; and that is by our sins being washed clean by the Blood of Jesus (sometimes referred to as the Blood of the Lamb). If you do not understand what this means, then I am sure that it may sound a bit far-fetched, considering the color of blood. However, in the Kingdom of God, it is only by blood that one’s sins can be washed white as snow. It is only by the Blood of Jesus that we can be forgiven of our sins and be freed from our guilt as sinners. It is only by the blood of Jesus that we are able to be reconciled to God, and dwell with Him in Heaven forever. Here is what 1 John says about The Blood of Jesus:

1 John 1:5-10 ~ Walking in the Light

5 This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.

The History of “The Blood”

Adam and Eve were the first  to introduce sin into God’s perfect and sinless world. It was in the Garden of Eden that Eve first disobeyed God and caused her husband Adam to sin as well. After this, God banished them both from the garden; and because they had eaten from the forbidden Tree of Life, they would surely die instead of spending eternity with God (Genesis 2:4 - Genesis 3).

In the days of Noah and after the flood, burnt offerings were offered up to God at the altar (Genesis 8:15-22), and this pleased God very much. Years later, but not long after the mass exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, Leviticus 17 tells us that the Israelites were instructed to provide burnt offerings at the altar for atonement (forgiveness) of their sins. Here is what it says in Leviticus 17:10-14:

Leviticus 17:10-14 (New International Version)
10 ” ‘Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood—I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people. 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. 12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood.”

13 ” ‘Any Israelite or any alien living among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, 14 because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”

It is in the book of Exodus that God spoke to Moses about redemption (Exodus 40). God redeemed his people from bondage in Egypt with His mighty hand, in order to fulfill the oath that he had sworn to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. At Mount Sinai, the covenant was established and the Law of Moses (as we now know it), was given. It was at this time that God commanded Moses to build a tabernacle to be His dwelling place in the midst of His people.

And so it was, for God to accept their sin offering (sins that were against the laws and decrees that God had commanded for the people of Israel), the Israelites were instructed to follow certain rituals and traditions (The Sin Offering ~ Leviticus 4).  In order for sins to be forgiven, the shedding of blood is an absolute requirement. Because of the sinful actions or thoughts that the Israelites had committed each year, an atonement for those sins was needed. There were more than 600 commandments that the Israelites were supposed to keep, but keeping them was impossible for them to do. Therefore, it was the High Priest who made the sacrifice on their behalf each year. The High Priest would then sacrifice a pure, spotless lamb without blemish, and it was to be slain and offered unto the Lord so that the people could be forgiven of their sins.

The Final Sacrifice ~ The Blood of Jesus

In His mercy, because God knew that it would be impossible for any human to keep ALL of the commandments of God, it was through the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 9:6-7), that God foretold of The One who would eventually come; The One who would become the final sacrifice for the remission of all sin, on our behalf (Isaiah 53). Yes, it was Jesus Christ, The One who Isaiah foretold would come to take away the sins of the world. It is only by the blood of Jesus Christ that we can be forgiven of our sins; and it is only by His blood that we are able to be reconciled to God.

How You Too Can Accept Jesus Christ as Your Lord and Savior

WATCH: Nothing But the Blood of Jesus…

We are living in the Last Days also known as The End Times or End of Days. Our world is continuously evolving into a place where God is no longer in the center of mankind. People have generally become greedy and a lover of themselves. The Last Days are a time when many will turn from their faith in God and their morals will fall by the wayside. In 2 Timothy here is a good explanation of what is to come:

2 Timothy 3:1-9 (NLT) - The Dangers of the Last Days

1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

6 They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. 7 (Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.) 8 These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. 9 But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres.

It is written in the Gospel of Matthew 24:4-8 (NLT):

Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you. For many will come in my name, saying, `I am the Messiah.’ They will lead many astray. And wars will break out near and far, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won’t follow immediately. The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.”

Jesus is referring to some of what will happen in the Last Days. I myself, love Jesus so much that I want the truth to be known to me at the right time, and I pray that most of you feel the same way. Many churches do not understand that we have entered the Last Days. Many believe that we are still in the Church Age, just as the Pharisees believed that the Messiah had not yet come. They turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the fact that a we have entered a New Season. It is great that we go to church and hear the Word of God and praise and worship the Lord; we can shout all the Hallelujah’s we want from the mountaintops, but that will not change the fact that the Church Age has passed. God is preparing His Church for something new, something BIGGER. It is called the HARVEST. I am not saying that you shouldn’t go to church by any means. What I am saying is that many priests, pastors, teachers, preachers, etc., are not preparing their churches for what is to come, something that is right around the corner.

Before making His triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, in Luke 19, Jesus spoke about how many would be blind to the fact that the Messiah was already here, that it was already too late for those who will reject the Truth. They would not be able to acknowledge that the One they were waiting for is here, and that their waiting was over; that a new season was already beginning. Here is what those scriptures say:

Luke 19:41-44 (NIV):

41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Click Here to Read all of Luke Chapter 19

You see, there is a time and a season for everything under God. Reading in Ecclesiastes Chapter 3:1-8, helps us to understand how there are many seasons that have taken place and will take place throughout time. Although God is the same always from beginning to end, our world is not. In order for the prophecies of the Bible to come true, many events must take place, therefore thrusting mankind into the ever-changing times, into new seasons as each prophecy is fulfilled. Here is how it is explained in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Ecclesiastes 3 (NLT) - A Time for Everything:

1 For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.

Click Here to Read the Entire Chapter of Ecclesiastes 3 (NLT)

The Church Age has been a time of planting, a time of Evangelism. But now much of that is changing. Many pastors are rising up preaching the feel-good ministry, teaching their congregations about self-worth and how they can be prosperous. Don’t get me wrong, prosperity is great as long as you keep it in perspective. I, like many other Christians, believe that one day, what the enemy has stolen from us, will be returned to the righteous - and then some. But that should not be the focus of what is being taught in today’s churches. What should be taught is that we as Christians, should be making disciples of ourselves and spreading the Good News to the entire world. That is my exact intention with this website. Granted, as the expression goes, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”. So be it with the Word of God. You can provide the knowledge of the Good News, but you can’t MAKE someone listen. You can plant a seed, but unless someone waters it, it will not grow and bear fruit. The time has come when it is imperative that the seeds planted during the Church Age are watered and tended to so that when the LORD swings His sharp sickle across the earth, there will be an abundant harvest of righteous souls. In Revelation 14, John talks about the vision he saw regarding the Harvest of the earth. He talks about how the Lord (someone like the Son of Man) will swing His sharp sickle first, harvesting the righteous (the ripe crop on earth), and then how the angel of the Temple in heaven will swing his sickle and gather up the unrighteous (the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth) to be judged:

Revelation 14:14-20 (NLT) - The Harvest of the Earth

14 Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

15 Then another angel came from the Temple and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud, “Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has come; the crop on earth is ripe.” 16 So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested.

17 After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20 The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse’s bridle.

Click Here to Read Entire Chapter of Revelation 14

Because the times mentioned above are not all that far into the future, it is imperative that Christians in all lands rise up and understand that we must each do our part to preach the Good News of Salvation to the lost. If given the opportunity, we as the righteous in Christ, must plant seeds in those who have never heard the Gospel. We must watch for the signs of the times and be on guard, so that we do not miss any opportunity to water the seeds that have been planted.

Visit End Times Prophecy Website

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Today as I was watching a sermon Dr. Charles Stanley was preaching on television, I felt compelled to share his sermon with all of you. Today’s sermon was regarding “Life-Changing Prayer”. I consider myself to be a very “in tune” Christian; a Christian who is very attentive to God’s Word and constantly seeking God’s will for my life. Even though I have these Christian qualities, I am sorry to say that there has been something lacking in my prayer life. Yes, I do pray each and every day, and most days several times a day, but for the most part, I feel that my prayers lack substance. After listening to Dr. Stanley, it finally dawned on me what my prayer life is actually lacking. It is lacking consistency and a set direction. Believe me when I say this, my prayers are all over the place! Because I found Dr. Stanley’s sermon today so stimulating, I would like to share with you what I feel are the important points of the sermon regarding a life-changing way to pray. This type of prayer can be for yourself or for someone else, keeping in mind that you are requesting that you or the person you are praying for, will see life from God’s viewpoint. Please note that a good part of what I write will be direct quotes from Dr. Charles Stanley and not my own personal views.

**If you would like to watch the sermon yourself, please click on this link so that you can hear word for word directly: (http://www.intouch.org/site/c.cnKBIPNuEoG/b.5462719/k.4F0E/A_LifeChanging_Prayer.htm). Again, it is entitled “Life-Changing Prayer”. The program was aired on 9/20/2009 in case you need to find it in the following archives: (http://www.intouch.org/site/c.cnKBIPNuEoG/b.4943225/k.9234/Audio_Archives.htm).

Today’s Scripture (Sunday - 9/20/2009): Colossians 1:7-14

Colossians 1:7-14 (New International Version)
7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Quoting from Dr. Charles Stanley’s Sermon outline, here is the introduction:
I. Introduction: How do you respond when people ask you to pray for them? Do you know how to lift them up before the Lord? In the first chapter of Colossians, the apostle Paul has given us a powerful model for intercession. We can have confidence that God will answer this life-changing biblical prayer.

Life-Changing Prayer (How your prayers can make a difference in yours or someone else’s life)

• Request direction for that person’s life (“Be filled with the knowledge of His will”).

• Request for them to walk in a manner worthy of Christ’s name (“In all spiritual wisdom and understanding”).

Colossians 1:9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

• Request that their life will make an impact (“Bearing fruit in every good work”).

• Request for them a desire to know God (“Increasing in the knowledge of God”).

Colossians 1:10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God

• Request that they will be given strength by the power and knowledge of God (“Strengthened with all power”).

• Request they will have the right attitude about life, joyously giving thanks to God (“Joyously giving thanks to the Father”).

Colossians 1:11-12 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

When you pray, pray in confidence that God the Father will have heard your prayers and that you trust He will answer your prayers.

Visit Dr. Charles Stanley’s Website

In Touch Ministries Life Principles Notes

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How do you feel when you know that someone has done something wrong to you or someone you care about, and they ask you for forgiveness? Most people without even thinking, will feel that if they forgive that person, they are condoning their behavior or what they’ve done. However, this is so far from the truth. Jesus said in Matthew 18:21-22:

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Why do you think Jesus would actually want us to forgive someone who sins against us? Is it because He thinks we should condone sin? No. It is because when we ask Jesus to forgive us of our own sins, He does. And if we do not forgive those who have sinned against us, God may not forgive us for our sins.

In Mark 11:25, Jesus tells us:

^{25 “}And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

You see, if you want God to forgive you for your own sins, then you MUST forgive others. Now you may be asking, how can this be done? If someone has hurt you, forgiving them is usually the last thing you intend to do, right? Let me tell you a little bit about forgiveness. I honestly think that forgiveness is one of the hardest things we are expected to do in our Christian walk. If you know that you have to forgive someone and it isn’t in your heart to do that, how can you? Did you know that when you do not forgive, that person actually has power over you? That’s right, they actually have power over you. I say this because when you are angry, feeling rejected, or you are mentally or physically wounded by someone and you hold on to that, it is constantly playing out in your mind over and over again, just like a broken record. When you don’t forgive, you are actually hurting yourself.

Here is an example about forgiveness: Let’s say that you just caught one of your friends cheating with your spouse. At this point you are feeling angry, rejected, betrayed and bitter toward your spouse and your friend. Your spouse begs you for your forgiveness, but it just isn’t in your heart to forgive them. Your friend doesn’t bother asking you for forgiveness, so in your mind you feel that you will never forgive them. A few days go by and your spouse keeps begging for forgiveness, but still you cannot forgive them. You go to sleep angry each night and wake up angry each morning. But still, you do not condone what they did, so you will not forgive. Two weeks have now gone by and you still haven’t forgiven your spouse or your friend. You are now starting to suffer with migraines and you are drained because you haven’t been sleeping well. You become irritable and your job is starting to suffer as well. Now you are at a point where something has to give - or you are going to have worse problems.

Finally. You approach your spouse and say that you need to discuss what happened and where to go from here. You make the decision that if you want to continue in your marriage, you are going to have to forgive. At this point you forgive your spouse and you find a way to work things out. Just because you forgave, does not mean that you condone. You feel better because when you forgive someone, you are no longer resisting something that inevitably needs to happen in order to maintain your relationship

However… you still have not forgiven your friend and you never plan to. Your friend has been avoiding you and has had such a bad attitude. It is as if they have no remorse for what they’ve done to you and your family. The migraines continue, the anger still hovers in the background and you are still not sleeping well. What should you do at this point? The first thing that I suggest that you do is to forgive your friend. I know, it is not an easy thing to do. But there is a way of doing this, without even saying a word to your friend. What you now need to do is forgive that person in your heart. Obviously they are not coming to you asking for you to forgive them, and they seem to have no remorse, so I would not go to them and forgive them either. BUT I would forgive them in my heart so that they no longer have the power over me, causing me to hold on to that anger and resentment. Once you have forgiven somebody for wronging you, you will be set free. You will have no reason to hold on to any of that bitterness or negative feelings any longer. Sure the anger and resentment will creep back up from time to time, but you will just need to forgive them again and again, for as long as it takes. Even though your friend (or ex-friend at this point) has not asked for your forgiveness, if you take it upon yourself to forgive them in your heart, they never need to know. You are doing this for your own peace of mind and to heal your own heart, not to make them feel better.

So remember, when someone sins against you, once you have come to your senses, you need to realize that at some point you will have to forgive them and let it go; because if you don’t, it will eat at you until you do. Believe me, after many hard lessons and many sleepless nights, I finally began to use this technique in my own life, and it really has made a positive difference in the way I interact with other people.

May God Bless You,

Cindy

The 4th of July also known as Independence Day is again upon us. Instead of writing a new article about the fourth of July, here is a link to the one written last year about this time:

Let Freedom Reign

Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy and SAFE 4th of July 2009!!

May God Bless and May Freedom Reign!!

Have you ever wondered just exactly who and what your inner spirit is? Have you ever heard anyone speak about a near-death or out-of-body experience, of how they were in a situation where they were dying or pronounced dead, and that they’d left their bodies and literally rose above the situation? How they found themselves looking down and watching as someone was working on them, attempting to save their lives?

I know that this scenario has played out in movies such as City of Angels and Ghost, but still, doesn’t that make you stop and wonder about what your inner spirit is actually capable of doing? Can the spirit leave your body and return? Is it a separate entity from your body? I myself had often wondered about this for many years. It was just recently that I had a revelation about the human spirit in correlation with God.

One day I was astounded by the abomination that I saw when I was cutting the back of my own hair. As I turned around to see the back of my head in the bathroom mirror, I was appalled by what I saw in the reflection of the small hand mirror that I held. You see I wasn’t wearing anything on the upper part of my body because I didn’t want the hair clippings to get on my clothes. When I looked at the reflection, what I saw were huge dangling rolls of fat that I obviously knew were there, but hadn’t really looked at in a long time.

Having been a hairdresser many years back, I have been giving myself haircuts for the past 20 years, because I just happen to like the way I cut my own hair. Ordinarily I cut my hair fully clothed, but this time I was cutting most of my hair off into a short bob and didn’t want to deal with the hair clippings getting embedded in my clothes. So there I was looking at the reflection of my backside and all I wanted to do is throw myself down on the floor and cry.

I had been trying to lose weight for months, but hadn’t really gotten very far, and what I saw in the mirror that day proved it. Instead of throwing myself down on the floor and crying, I did something worse; I started to mentally punish myself for looking so disgusting and letting myself go like that. I didn’t stop there. I began telling myself just how ugly I really am and that I could not believe anyone would ever say I was pretty and actually be telling me the truth, especially the way I looked now.

Only a few moments passed after beating myself up mentally, when I had a very clear revelation. I began to realize that it isn’t what is on the outside that needs to be beautiful, but it is actually what is on the inside that God truly looks at. I thought that if I could separate my spirit from my body and take a good look at it, I wondered what type of reflection I would see. When I was finished analyzing and looking my spirit over top to bottom, I was simply amazed! I then said out loud, “Now THAT’S BEAUTIFUL”!

Within moments the ugliness that I felt disappeared and I was able to focus on what is beautiful about me. I began looking at myself the same way that God looks at me, and realized that even though my spirit is in this body, my body is only a shell that houses the “Beautiful” spirit that God created for His Glory, not for Man’s glory. I realized right there and then that God does not see us in our flesh, but lovingly looks at our spirits to find our true selves. My spirit is kind, generous and loves the Lord more than life itself.

Don’t get me wrong, my spirit does have its ugly days, but even when it does, God still loves me and promises to never leave me. Even now, as I pass a mirror and am tempted to look at what is wrong with what I see, I don’t give in to that temptation any more and look beyond what the human eye can see. I see a “Beautiful Spirit reflecting back at me”, even on my worst days.

After telling this story to my dear friend Donna, and seeing how much it blessed her, I decided to write this article and share it with others, hoping it will be a blessing to them as well.

Happy Father’s Day to all you Daddies out there!

There is a saying that any man can be a father, but it takes a special man to be a Daddy.

A DADDY IS:

A Daddy is someone who loves his child more than life itself. He is a man who will go beyond all reasonable measures to protect his children and keep them safe. A Daddy is someone who is compassionate and kind, especially when his children just need someone to “listen” and not react. He is a man who is good to his wife and treats her with respect, especially in front of his children. A Daddy is caring and never judges his children. He corrects them when they are wrong and delights in their accomplishments. Like God our Heavenly Father, a Daddy loves his children unconditionally and will forgive them in the face of adversity. A Daddy is a gift to all of mankind because it is he who raises his children to be more like Jesus.

God Bless ALL You Daddies and Happy Father’s Day!

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Happy Mother’s Day to all you Moms out there!

Blessed is she who cares for her child, whether born to her or adopted from another. A mom is not always the biological mother who gave birth to the child, but the person who nurtured, cared for and taught the child right from wrong. A mom is someone who loved the child through the hurts, the tears, the heartbreaks; along with the fun, the laughter and warm moments throughout that child’s life.

May God Bless You — To ALL MOMS!

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Many people, even some Christians, do not fully understand the true meaning of Easter. Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross for for the sins of all mankind on a Friday and on the third day, the day we call Easter Sunday or sometimes called Resurrection Sunday, He rose again.

Because Jesus became flesh and lived so that He would die for our sins, all that was prophesied in the Old Testament of the Bible came true, from the beginning of the Gospel when Jesus was born to a virgin, to His baptism, to His ministry, to His arrest, to His crucifixion and finally to His resurrection, not a even a single event that was prophesied was missing.

Scripture proclaiming the Birth, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Jesus:

The Birth of Jesus

Many, many years before the birth of Christ, approximately 700 years, the prophet Isaiah prophesied about the birth of Christ:

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The Crucifixion (Also known as Good Friday)

Isaiah 53:4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.

Psalm 22:11-18, written 1,000 years before Jesus was born, describes how Jesus would be Crucified:

1 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.

12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

13 Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.

14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.

16 Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.

17 I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.

18 They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.

Although Jesus, the Son of God knew that He was put upon the earth to teach the Gospel and to bear the sins of all the world, He faced His crucifixion like a lamb being led to the slaughter.  He uttered not one word in His defense.

Here is what it says in the book of Isaiah:

Isaiah 53:7 (New International Version)
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.

Even near the end, just before He died, Jesus asked God to forgive those who crucified Him, saying “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34).

The Resurrection (Also known as Easter Sunday)

As we celebrate Easter, we need to remember that the true miracle is that Jesus Christ died for our sins; He was resurrected on the third day and today still lives on, interceding on our behalf to the Father.

Here is the account of the resurrection according to the Gospel of Mark:

Mark 16 (NIV)
The Resurrection

1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ “

8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.

12 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

Have a Blessed Easter and May You Enjoy the Fullness of God’s Love!

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