Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
Today, I want to take a pause from the scriptures in 1st Samuel to focus in on the Thanksgiving holiday and specifically, the matter of giving thanks.
Now we can (and do) give thanks for many things in life. We give thanks for life…for loved ones and friends…for our jobs and the money we make from working…for the food we eat for the nourishment of our bodies…and for the shelter we have as well as what we have within that shelter. Truly we could go on and on about all the things we should be thankful for but we could save ourselves a lot of time and space by just giving thanks to the One through which all things come from. In other words, our thanks, first and foremost, need to be directed toward the Lord.
God’s word has a lot to say on the matter of giving thanks to the Lord and I will use just a few of the many verses available to highlight just some of the reasons why we are to show Him our full gratitude and praise.
1. Give thanks to God for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 107:1
As we seek to associate with others in life, we want to make sure we affiliate with the right people…those who are good and trustworthy…loyal, faithful and loving. The problem is that it’s very difficult (and actually impossible) to find someone in this world who can be perfectly good and loving all the time. That’s why we need to turn our attention away from the world and to the One and only One who is perfect, not only in goodness and love, but in all things…not just today and tomorrow but forever. For this we are to give Him our thanks.
2. Give thanks to the God for His strength, His presence and for all the wonders and miracles He performs.
Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.
Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts.
Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.
Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced…
1 Chronicles 16:8-12
Paul summed things up when it comes to our reliance on the Lord’s strength saying, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) Left to our own strength and power, we are limited to what we can achieve and endure. But when we turn to the Lord in our lives, then we find the strength to do all things…to carry out His will…to handle any form of affliction or persecution…to deal with life’s difficult circumstances when they arise. And for this we give thanks.
We also give thanks because we serve a Lord who is ever in our midst. He is Emmanuel…God with us…though all of our life. And since He is always in our midst, He is always ready and willing to teach, guide, heal, correct and love in accordance with His perfect will for us. We need only seek His face always…asking, seeking, knocking and knowing He is there for us when we need Him.
This God who is ever present and all powerful is consistently performing great wonders and miracles. Indeed He is the Author of all miracles and wonders, having put them on full display when He created everything in just six days, beginning with the heavens and the earth. Think about that for just a minute and then ask yourself if there is any difficulty you will go through in life that God cannot work a wonder or miracle…in accordance with His will.
Friends, there is nothing beyond the power and work of God’s holy hands. Indeed, we should make known among the nations what He has done, telling all of His wonderful acts. Indeed, we should sing praise to Him. Indeed, we should glory and rejoice in His holy name. And in doing all this, we should ever and always give thanks to the Lord.
3. Give thanks to the Lord for He has given us the victory in Christ Jesus. His strength, His presence and for all the wonders and miracles He performs.
"Death has been swallowed up in victory."
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:54b-58
Just think that before Jesus, perfect fulfillment of the law was the requirement for salvation. Unfortunately, keeping the law perfectly was an impossibility that even the most devout Jewish believers, the Pharisees and Sadducees, couldn’t maintain even though they did try and make everyone believe they were perfectly righteous…a hypocritical attitude exposed by Jesus.
No, all mankind was doomed to sin with no sacrifice suitable enough to atone unless there were a perfect unblemished Lamb that could be slain to pay the price. God gave all of us that Lamb in the way of His only Son Jesus who suffered and died for you and I so that the sting of death might be taken away…so that death might be “swallowed up in victory”..a victory that not only Jesus enjoyed but we can as well if we believe and trust Him to be our Savior.
Indeed, thanks be to God, not just this Thanksgiving, but on every day that we are allowed to go forth and fully give ourselves to the work of the Lord. For in Christ Jesus, we are set free to do as He commanded, making disciples of all nations while knowing that our eternal future is sealed by the atoning blood He shed for us on Calvary’s cross.
Yes…let us give thanks to God and to His Son Jesus...now and forever.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
OUR PROTECTOR
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.
Psalm 116:5-7
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
For those who read my blogs regularly, you know that there are times when the Lord speaks to my heart through experiences that I feel led to write about in place of my daily walk through the scriptures. Today is one of those days.
I am currently in Sasebo, Japan…my fourth stop on a five stop Japan swing through command media detachments. I’m here to visit my Sailors but have the weekend off before doing so.
This morning, I went out for a walk to pick up a few items from the mini-mart. It was a rather hot, overcast and muggy morning but the rain had stopped at least for the moment and for that, I was grateful given that it rained the whole first day I was here.
As I was walking past the base exchange, I heard a bit of a commotion ahead…two very large black birds (looked like crows) loudly squawking as they were on the ground in the grass ahead. At first glance, it looked like the birds may have been mating. Often, nature isn’t very prudent about these actions. But as I drew nearer, I looked with immediate concern as the real actions revealed themselves.
For one of the black birds jumped as I approached, spooked by a large human coming and I could see that there was a smaller bird underneath it. Just then, the other bird struck out at the smaller bird with its long sharp beak. It was then that I quickly figured out what was happening. The smaller bird was injured and the larger birds were taking advantage of it, attacking the helpless bird on the ground. I picked up my step and scared the larger birds away, coming onto the little, injured bird who was still alive but looking very scared as it sat still right where the attacking birds had left it. Meanwhile, the attackers weren’t about to give up. They flew only a short distance and perched, still looking toward where I now stood, squawking and, I assume, waiting for me to pass so they could return and finish the injured bird off.
Well, I just couldn’t allow that to happen so I went toward the larger birds and spooked them some more. They flew a little further away and it was then that I returned to the bird in need of help. As I approached the bird, it suddenly flapped its wings and flew, albeit not far off the ground. It then landed and was able to walk. I felt the bird was weak and needed to find a safe place to recover so I walked behind it and coaxed it around the corner of the building. And then the attacking birds returned.
They sat and looked to see if they could get their bearings back on the injured bird now that I had helped him move from where he was prior. I quickly spooked them twice more and once again they flew off. It was then that I quickly coaxed the smaller bird to run underneath a group of dumpsters where he would be concealed and would be able to rest and hopefully recover.
As I left the area of the dumpsters and crossed the street, once again the foreboding, black birds returned. There were three of them now. I stood across the street and watched to see if the black birds would be able to find the smaller bird now that it was safely hidden. They didn’t. Unable to see him, they gave up and flew off. The little bird was safe.
As I walked back to my room after the experience, I couldn’t help but think about myself…about all of us…about how vulnerable we are and how Satan often swoops in like the big, attacking black birds and attacks us…not letting up unless we are rescued by someone bigger and more powerful that him…like the Lord. I then felt saddened as I thought about the many people in the world who don’t know the Lord…and thus don’t know who to turn to as they are being assaulted. It only underscored the critical importance of the ministry…and how each believer needs to be exhausting their energy to help others discover the Lord in their own lives…and in doing so, finding their source of protection and salvation. And when we discover this, we too can echo the words of the Psalmist:
“The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.”
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.
Psalm 116:5-7
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
For those who read my blogs regularly, you know that there are times when the Lord speaks to my heart through experiences that I feel led to write about in place of my daily walk through the scriptures. Today is one of those days.
I am currently in Sasebo, Japan…my fourth stop on a five stop Japan swing through command media detachments. I’m here to visit my Sailors but have the weekend off before doing so.
This morning, I went out for a walk to pick up a few items from the mini-mart. It was a rather hot, overcast and muggy morning but the rain had stopped at least for the moment and for that, I was grateful given that it rained the whole first day I was here.
As I was walking past the base exchange, I heard a bit of a commotion ahead…two very large black birds (looked like crows) loudly squawking as they were on the ground in the grass ahead. At first glance, it looked like the birds may have been mating. Often, nature isn’t very prudent about these actions. But as I drew nearer, I looked with immediate concern as the real actions revealed themselves.
For one of the black birds jumped as I approached, spooked by a large human coming and I could see that there was a smaller bird underneath it. Just then, the other bird struck out at the smaller bird with its long sharp beak. It was then that I quickly figured out what was happening. The smaller bird was injured and the larger birds were taking advantage of it, attacking the helpless bird on the ground. I picked up my step and scared the larger birds away, coming onto the little, injured bird who was still alive but looking very scared as it sat still right where the attacking birds had left it. Meanwhile, the attackers weren’t about to give up. They flew only a short distance and perched, still looking toward where I now stood, squawking and, I assume, waiting for me to pass so they could return and finish the injured bird off.
Well, I just couldn’t allow that to happen so I went toward the larger birds and spooked them some more. They flew a little further away and it was then that I returned to the bird in need of help. As I approached the bird, it suddenly flapped its wings and flew, albeit not far off the ground. It then landed and was able to walk. I felt the bird was weak and needed to find a safe place to recover so I walked behind it and coaxed it around the corner of the building. And then the attacking birds returned.
They sat and looked to see if they could get their bearings back on the injured bird now that I had helped him move from where he was prior. I quickly spooked them twice more and once again they flew off. It was then that I quickly coaxed the smaller bird to run underneath a group of dumpsters where he would be concealed and would be able to rest and hopefully recover.
As I left the area of the dumpsters and crossed the street, once again the foreboding, black birds returned. There were three of them now. I stood across the street and watched to see if the black birds would be able to find the smaller bird now that it was safely hidden. They didn’t. Unable to see him, they gave up and flew off. The little bird was safe.
As I walked back to my room after the experience, I couldn’t help but think about myself…about all of us…about how vulnerable we are and how Satan often swoops in like the big, attacking black birds and attacks us…not letting up unless we are rescued by someone bigger and more powerful that him…like the Lord. I then felt saddened as I thought about the many people in the world who don’t know the Lord…and thus don’t know who to turn to as they are being assaulted. It only underscored the critical importance of the ministry…and how each believer needs to be exhausting their energy to help others discover the Lord in their own lives…and in doing so, finding their source of protection and salvation. And when we discover this, we too can echo the words of the Psalmist:
“The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.”
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Sunday, June 15, 2008
FATHER'S DAY...EVERY DAY
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Well, Father’s Day is upon us once again. I was blessed to be able to spend the last several days with my parents in Pennsylvania and celebrate Father’s Day with my Dad a few days early. I also was in my hometown to participate in my 30 year high school reunion. It was these two events that collided and began to conjure up memories in me…memories of times past when I was home and under the nurture and mentorship of my father and mother.
The day after Grace and I arrived in Pennsylvania, we went to a baseball game in Pittsburgh to watch the Pirates play the Nationals. As I drove down to the game with my father sitting next to me, I couldn’t help but reminisce about my younger days when he would drive me to games…first at Forbes Field and then to Three Rivers Stadium. It was always great to watch the games and listen to Dad not only teach me the basic intricacies of the game but also tell me about the games he used to go to when he was my age. Oh how I cherish those memories.
I also cherish the memories of a father who taught me the importance of hard work and an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay (my mother did as well…smile). I cherish a father who wouldn’t hesitate to correct me when I needed it, especially if I would become disrespectful either to him of my mom. I cherish a father who would bend over backwards to help anyone in need…a father who was a cheerful giver. And I cherish a father who never ceased to love me…a father who has bragged about me as I have become an adult and embodied much of what he was…and even more. I only pray my own daughters cherish me half as much as I do my own father.
Today, as I drove first from Pennsylvania to Virginia Beach and then turned around and drove from Virginia Beach to my rental in MD in advance of my two week trip to Japan (leave tomorrow AM), I had a lot of time to think about my dad and my own experience as a father. And as I thought about it, I was drawn to one conclusion: we both knew how to be blessed fathers because of our Divine Blessed Father in Heaven. It was because He first Fathered us that we could ever father the children He entrusted to our care.
Indeed, our (my father and my) Heavenly Father is the Father of us all. No one is void of the greatest Father known. We are all His children and thus no one is fatherless. For I understand that not everyone has a great testimony to tell about their worldly father. Many dads have shirked the responsibility placed upon them by the Lord. But this doesn’t mean that one is without a Father. We only need turn to the heavens and find the Father who will never leave us nor forsake us…the Father who will never cease to love us. Truly, how great is the love the Father has lavished upon us that we should be called children of God! Friends, is this not good news for us all…not just on Father’s Day but on every day.
For when we recognize and acknowledge our Father in Heaven as being our one true Father, every day becomes a celebration of Him and what He has done for us, what He is presently doing for us and what He is yet to do for us. Every day becomes a day of praise and rejoicing…another day that He has blessed us with so we only need to be glad in it.
So as we go through each day of life, let us take a moment to pause and thank our Father for His goodness, grace, mercy and love. For every day should be Father’s Day because our Father gives us each day we live. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Well, Father’s Day is upon us once again. I was blessed to be able to spend the last several days with my parents in Pennsylvania and celebrate Father’s Day with my Dad a few days early. I also was in my hometown to participate in my 30 year high school reunion. It was these two events that collided and began to conjure up memories in me…memories of times past when I was home and under the nurture and mentorship of my father and mother.
The day after Grace and I arrived in Pennsylvania, we went to a baseball game in Pittsburgh to watch the Pirates play the Nationals. As I drove down to the game with my father sitting next to me, I couldn’t help but reminisce about my younger days when he would drive me to games…first at Forbes Field and then to Three Rivers Stadium. It was always great to watch the games and listen to Dad not only teach me the basic intricacies of the game but also tell me about the games he used to go to when he was my age. Oh how I cherish those memories.
I also cherish the memories of a father who taught me the importance of hard work and an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay (my mother did as well…smile). I cherish a father who wouldn’t hesitate to correct me when I needed it, especially if I would become disrespectful either to him of my mom. I cherish a father who would bend over backwards to help anyone in need…a father who was a cheerful giver. And I cherish a father who never ceased to love me…a father who has bragged about me as I have become an adult and embodied much of what he was…and even more. I only pray my own daughters cherish me half as much as I do my own father.
Today, as I drove first from Pennsylvania to Virginia Beach and then turned around and drove from Virginia Beach to my rental in MD in advance of my two week trip to Japan (leave tomorrow AM), I had a lot of time to think about my dad and my own experience as a father. And as I thought about it, I was drawn to one conclusion: we both knew how to be blessed fathers because of our Divine Blessed Father in Heaven. It was because He first Fathered us that we could ever father the children He entrusted to our care.
Indeed, our (my father and my) Heavenly Father is the Father of us all. No one is void of the greatest Father known. We are all His children and thus no one is fatherless. For I understand that not everyone has a great testimony to tell about their worldly father. Many dads have shirked the responsibility placed upon them by the Lord. But this doesn’t mean that one is without a Father. We only need turn to the heavens and find the Father who will never leave us nor forsake us…the Father who will never cease to love us. Truly, how great is the love the Father has lavished upon us that we should be called children of God! Friends, is this not good news for us all…not just on Father’s Day but on every day.
For when we recognize and acknowledge our Father in Heaven as being our one true Father, every day becomes a celebration of Him and what He has done for us, what He is presently doing for us and what He is yet to do for us. Every day becomes a day of praise and rejoicing…another day that He has blessed us with so we only need to be glad in it.
So as we go through each day of life, let us take a moment to pause and thank our Father for His goodness, grace, mercy and love. For every day should be Father’s Day because our Father gives us each day we live. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Monday, May 26, 2008
MEMORIAL DAY
Can I pray for you in any way?
Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com.
In Christ, Mark
Nearly 141 years ago, the United States was recovering from a long and bloody Civil War. Those who survived returned home weary and battle scarred, many severely wounded or disabled. Many never made it home with over 646 thousand Union forces and nearly 134 thousand Confederates losing their lives, all this within the boundaries of this great nation.
Our nation’s participation in armed conflict didn’t stop there. The Spanish-American War, World Wars 1 and 2, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq would follow and approximately another 625,000 would give their lives. And the death toll has not stopped yet…every day our servicemen and women continue to die in service to God and country.
While looking at these figures, it’s important for us to not lose sight that those who have died in conflict are more than just mere numbers. Each person had a life, a future they looked forward to, and a family back home that they loved and missed while in the midst of war. There was a human being just like you and I behind every casualty…and it would be inhumane to reduce them to a statistic. For their value was far greater than a number…their act of courage and sacrifice deserving of greater recognition, remembrance, and honor.
This was the mindset of Harry Welles, a small town drug store owner who worked and lived in Waterloo NY in 1886. He had watched those tired, wounded Civil War veterans come home and had listened intently to their stories as they shared their first-hand battlefield accounts. He marveled at their bravery and devotion to duty and felt impelled to do something to ensure that these courageous soldiers would not become an afterthought…to ensure they would always be remembered and honored.
And so he sprang to action, rallying local businesses and government leaders to close all shops in town each May 5th in memory of the soldiers who lost their lives in the war. On that day, flowers, wreathes, and crosses were laid on the graves of the Northern soldiers in Waterloo’s cemetery.
Elsewhere, retired Major General Jonathan Logan was putting together a separate ceremony, this one honoring all veterans who had survived the war. On May 30th, 1868, the ceremony involved a parade through town that stopped at the cemetery where flags were placed at the graves of fallen soldiers. It was a solemn occasion that residents named "Decoration Day". In his address that day, General Logan would state, "The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country and during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, hamlet, and churchyard in the land. In this observance, no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit."
From that day on, the northern states paused for commemoration annually on May 30th while the southern states would remember their dead on a different day. These ceremonies evolved to include children reading poems and singing civil war songs while veterans would go to schools wearing their medals and uniforms to tell students about their war experiences. Then the veterans would take their traditional march through the streets followed by all the town’s people, still stopping at the cemetery and decorating graves. Photographs of soldiers were taken standing next to the graves of fallen comrades and rifles were shot in the air in salute.
Fast forward to the 20th Century and 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed Waterloo, New York, the birthplace of Memorial Day, exactly 100 years after the first commemoration. Since that time, just as they had done before, town’s people still walk to the cemeteries and hold memorial services, decorating graves with flags and flowers. Then they walk back to the park in the middle of town near a monument dedicated to Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines and listen to the reading of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address followed by Retired Major General Logan's Order # 11 designating Decoration Day.
In 1971, President Richard Nixon declared Memorial Day a federal holiday and changed the day of celebration to the last Monday in May. Since then, cities and towns across the United States have followed the lead of Waterloo, establishing special ceremonies to not only pay respect to the nation’s servicemen and women but also to loved ones who have died. Church services, visits to the cemetery, flowers on graves or even silent tributes mark the day with dignity and solemnity.
All and all, it’s a day of reflection…a day of remembrance for those who have passed, some having paid the ultimate sacrifice…protecting and securing our nation’s freedoms by laying their lives down for others and a cause greater than themselves.
In reflecting on this matter of sacrifice, I can’t help but also remember what happened 2,000 years ago, long before the United States came into existence…long before our Civil War. It too was a time of conflict and hardship…a time of turmoil and change…a time where people battled against one another within a promised land that God gave His chosen people…a time and place when one man was sent from heaven to earth to step forward and freely sacrifice Himself in service to humanity, paying the ultimate of all ultimate sacrifices.
This man, Jesus, was the very definition and model of the word service, never hesitating to teach, preach, heal, guide, and love anyone He encountered. His life wasn’t about what He could do for Himself, what gain He might enjoy, what success He might find, or what wealth He might amass. Empowered by God, His Father, He was all powerful and almighty, doing all things with the special authority placed within Him. Yet, He made Himself poor so that through His poverty we might be made rich, showing us it is much better to give than receive. Through His willingness to die for us, He showed us that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for His friends…and He did see us as friends even though our sins led Him to His demise.
Remembering Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, all seemed to be well. Honor and respect normally shown toward kings were being lavished on this Messiah that everyone had been eagerly awaiting since the days of the prophets. Who could have guessed at that point, that the same people who waved palm branches while shouting, "Hosanna, Hosanna!", would soon be shouting "Crucify, Crucify!"
Indeed, Jesus found few friends on the day of His crucifixion…no thanks for all He had done for His beloved people. After he had been arrested, wrongly convicted, bloodied, beaten, and sentenced to death, He was forced to participate in His own death march to Golgotha. The crowds that gathered were not there to pay homage or show gratitude. They were not ready to follow Him to His death to adorn Him with flowers of sympathy and respect. They were there to witness His execution…to see that the death sentence they demanded from Governor Pilate was carried out. They lined the streets that Jesus struggled to navigate, spitting on His blood stained body and hurling words of insult and derision. The depths of human failure were on full display as Jesus carried His cross to the place where they would drive nails through His hands and feet…the place where He would hang in agonizing pain inching toward death…a place where He would display His absolute mercy, compassion, and grace in the ultimate act of forgiveness as He asked His Father to forgive those who assailed Him, for they knew not what they were doing.
Jesus, our Savior, lived, loved, and served and He did so willingly,well knowing His coming fate… knowing that pain, humiliation, betrayal, sadness, and death awaited Him…and yet, He carried on. He could have saved Himself…He could have chosen to desert His mission – but He didn’t. For He had an incomprehensible love for something greater than Himself – us. Saving all mankind meant far more than saving Himself…the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the one. Jesus gave up His breath in death on the cross so He could breathe life into a people who were walking down the path of sinful self annihilation…three days later. His resurrection ushered in hope and the very opportunity for eternal life that we enjoy today.
In the end translation, Jesus’ crucifixion and subsequent resurrection was the greatest victory in the greatest battle ever fought. His victory over the world, over sin, over death, and over Satan provided us with the opportunity for victory as well…all He requires is that we place our trust and belief in Him.
So we must never lose sight that all that we are today, yesterday, and tomorrow is because of Jesus Christ. We love because He first loved us. We serve because He first served us. We understand sacrifice because He showed us what true sacrifice is all about. We’re free because He paid the price for us. We live because He died.
Not only this Memorial Day but every day, let us ever remember that Jesus was the One who first showed us the value of sacrificial service...service filled with courage, bravery, valor, and heroism. Thanks be to God for the indescribable gift of His Only Son.
Amen.
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com
Sunday, May 11, 2008
THE LOVE OF A MOTHER, A LOVE LIKE NO OTHER
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
*** I wrote the following devotional in 1996. I am pulling it out to honor not only my mother but all mothers today.
Mothers. Where would we be without them?
I guess we could jokingly say that we wouldn't be here if it weren't for them, for they had the anatomical pleasure of going through that nine month metamorphosis we more commonly know as pregnancy. Have you ever thought of the sacrifices a mother makes even before a child is born? The morning sickness, changes in diet and body shape, numerous trips to the doctor to ensure all is progressing well, and all the planning and preparation for our arrival into the world. We often tend to forget about the readiness that took place before our birth.
Sure, Dad had a stake in the whole process as well, but seriously folks....who was picking out the drapes, the blankets, the outfits, etc...so the baby would look adorable and presentable…like the most, beautiful baby on earth? Mom...that's who.
Face it guys, we have a brief moment to get the conception train rolling, but ladies handle the rest unless we start to talk about demanding duties such as assembling the crib, the stroller, or the walker. We could even talk about a man’s penchant for driving like a veteran NASCAR star when it comes to getting the wife to the hospital. Frankly, these pale in comparison to having a living, breathing child within you…a child who brings out the best (and sometimes worst) in the soon-to-be mom as she goes through delivery. And it’s during delivery that a mother makes her greatest sacrifice, bearing great pain and physical strife to bring not just their child but God’s child into the world. Oh, the love of a mother.
Upon our birth, we enter a world, strange and foreign. Our existence depends on the care given us by our parents. We are fed, nurtured, loved tenderly, taught to walk, to talk, to know the difference between right and wrong, hopefully to know how to say a prayer where we come to know God. We certainly would go nowhere after birth without the guidance and instruction of Mom and Dad.
And although both parents are involved in this process, the mother has that extra special bond with her child. Somehow, a mysterious connection is made during a pregnancy that draws the mother and child together in a way that transcends reason...something far beyond a physical connection. This link is almost spiritual in a sense. A mother seems to have that ability to hold you just the right way, to give you that sense of security and safety. Again guys, how many times has junior just been screaming his or her little head off and nothing seems to please him or her enough to get them to stop. But just hand the child to mom and immediately........almost automatically ... mysteriously, dare I say magically....the child stops crying. Ever happen to you? I just have two questions ladies...how do you do it? I’m convinced that the answer can be found in their unique connection to the baby....that bond…that special love. Oh the love of a mother.
As we grow, we tend to more and more gain our independence. We go to school...we develop relationships outside the home and apart from our parents...we learn to exist on our own, apart from our mother and father. But even though we may have learned a lot about branching out into the brave new world we saw outside the home, we were too often slow in developing independent living skills around the house. Our rooms often were hazardous zones to enter into, we rarely picked up after ourselves, we left a lot of dirty dishes in the sink (confident I think that they would clean themselves and be back in the cupboard in the morning). All along, our moms worked very hard cleaning up our messes…cooking for us…doing our laundry…taking care of us so we could experience that place which we learned to call "home". Question: How often did we take the time to say thanks then?
Probably not near enough. That's why I feel that in this hectic world in which we live, it's a real blessing to have a day to remind us of our mothers. For their job is too often a thankless one and we don't realize it fully until we've moved away and mom isn't there anymore. Or maybe we gain our own experience of having a child or two. Then, we definitely start to relate to what our parents went through and appreciate all that our mother did for us. Oh, the love of a mother.
The more I think about mothers, I can’t help but think of Jesus as well for they have a lot in common. Let me explain..................
You see just as our mothers endured pain and suffering to deliver us into this world, so Jesus endured the pain of being nailed to the cross, suffering a slow, agonizing death so that we might find our salvation. Mom delivered us into the world, but Jesus delivered us from that point forward...not just to life but life eternal.
And just as we moved away from home, we too often move away from Jesus. We sometimes come to realize a spiritual independence and begin to live like we can do it without Him. And we too soon discover that just as we found it was hard to live without mom taking care of us, we learn that’s it’s impossible for us to live without Jesus.
Just as we don’t show enough gratitude to our mothers we sometimes don't take the time to stop and give the Jesus thanks as well. He blesses us so much and too often gets nothing in return. I've come to learn from experience, that just as we didn’t appreciate our mothers until we moved away, so too do we fail to fully appreciate Christ and all He does for us until we try to live without Him. The good news for me and I'm sure countless others as well is that Jesus had left the key under the mat so I could come back home. I give thanks daily for that. The Lord's love is so great that he will never turn his back on you, even if you do on him. Is there a greater love than that?
And just as our mothers nurtured and fed us to help us grow, so does our Jesus. Through the study of how Jesus lived as found in the Gospels, we satisfy a different brand of hunger, a need for direction as to how we should conduct ourselves in a world just as indifferent as the Israel that Jesus walked. He is the ultimate role model, a blinding ray of light in a dark world. He is a security blanket for each of us. Just as we found a special comfort physically in Mom, we find that same peace and serenity spiritually through Jesus Christ who one day we’ll reside with.
Although we are distant from our heavenly home, our faith in Jesus works to bridge the gap and bring us closer to our Savior. Asked to give the greatest commandment, Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." If we’re not sure how to do that, we need look no further than our mothers and Jesus and the way they have loved us. For when I think of Mom, I see that Jesus placed in her a special love...a part of Himself.
Truly, we’re blessed with the love of a mother, and the love of Jesus....a love like no other.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
*** I wrote the following devotional in 1996. I am pulling it out to honor not only my mother but all mothers today.
Mothers. Where would we be without them?
I guess we could jokingly say that we wouldn't be here if it weren't for them, for they had the anatomical pleasure of going through that nine month metamorphosis we more commonly know as pregnancy. Have you ever thought of the sacrifices a mother makes even before a child is born? The morning sickness, changes in diet and body shape, numerous trips to the doctor to ensure all is progressing well, and all the planning and preparation for our arrival into the world. We often tend to forget about the readiness that took place before our birth.
Sure, Dad had a stake in the whole process as well, but seriously folks....who was picking out the drapes, the blankets, the outfits, etc...so the baby would look adorable and presentable…like the most, beautiful baby on earth? Mom...that's who.
Face it guys, we have a brief moment to get the conception train rolling, but ladies handle the rest unless we start to talk about demanding duties such as assembling the crib, the stroller, or the walker. We could even talk about a man’s penchant for driving like a veteran NASCAR star when it comes to getting the wife to the hospital. Frankly, these pale in comparison to having a living, breathing child within you…a child who brings out the best (and sometimes worst) in the soon-to-be mom as she goes through delivery. And it’s during delivery that a mother makes her greatest sacrifice, bearing great pain and physical strife to bring not just their child but God’s child into the world. Oh, the love of a mother.
Upon our birth, we enter a world, strange and foreign. Our existence depends on the care given us by our parents. We are fed, nurtured, loved tenderly, taught to walk, to talk, to know the difference between right and wrong, hopefully to know how to say a prayer where we come to know God. We certainly would go nowhere after birth without the guidance and instruction of Mom and Dad.
And although both parents are involved in this process, the mother has that extra special bond with her child. Somehow, a mysterious connection is made during a pregnancy that draws the mother and child together in a way that transcends reason...something far beyond a physical connection. This link is almost spiritual in a sense. A mother seems to have that ability to hold you just the right way, to give you that sense of security and safety. Again guys, how many times has junior just been screaming his or her little head off and nothing seems to please him or her enough to get them to stop. But just hand the child to mom and immediately........almost automatically ... mysteriously, dare I say magically....the child stops crying. Ever happen to you? I just have two questions ladies...how do you do it? I’m convinced that the answer can be found in their unique connection to the baby....that bond…that special love. Oh the love of a mother.
As we grow, we tend to more and more gain our independence. We go to school...we develop relationships outside the home and apart from our parents...we learn to exist on our own, apart from our mother and father. But even though we may have learned a lot about branching out into the brave new world we saw outside the home, we were too often slow in developing independent living skills around the house. Our rooms often were hazardous zones to enter into, we rarely picked up after ourselves, we left a lot of dirty dishes in the sink (confident I think that they would clean themselves and be back in the cupboard in the morning). All along, our moms worked very hard cleaning up our messes…cooking for us…doing our laundry…taking care of us so we could experience that place which we learned to call "home". Question: How often did we take the time to say thanks then?
Probably not near enough. That's why I feel that in this hectic world in which we live, it's a real blessing to have a day to remind us of our mothers. For their job is too often a thankless one and we don't realize it fully until we've moved away and mom isn't there anymore. Or maybe we gain our own experience of having a child or two. Then, we definitely start to relate to what our parents went through and appreciate all that our mother did for us. Oh, the love of a mother.
The more I think about mothers, I can’t help but think of Jesus as well for they have a lot in common. Let me explain..................
You see just as our mothers endured pain and suffering to deliver us into this world, so Jesus endured the pain of being nailed to the cross, suffering a slow, agonizing death so that we might find our salvation. Mom delivered us into the world, but Jesus delivered us from that point forward...not just to life but life eternal.
And just as we moved away from home, we too often move away from Jesus. We sometimes come to realize a spiritual independence and begin to live like we can do it without Him. And we too soon discover that just as we found it was hard to live without mom taking care of us, we learn that’s it’s impossible for us to live without Jesus.
Just as we don’t show enough gratitude to our mothers we sometimes don't take the time to stop and give the Jesus thanks as well. He blesses us so much and too often gets nothing in return. I've come to learn from experience, that just as we didn’t appreciate our mothers until we moved away, so too do we fail to fully appreciate Christ and all He does for us until we try to live without Him. The good news for me and I'm sure countless others as well is that Jesus had left the key under the mat so I could come back home. I give thanks daily for that. The Lord's love is so great that he will never turn his back on you, even if you do on him. Is there a greater love than that?
And just as our mothers nurtured and fed us to help us grow, so does our Jesus. Through the study of how Jesus lived as found in the Gospels, we satisfy a different brand of hunger, a need for direction as to how we should conduct ourselves in a world just as indifferent as the Israel that Jesus walked. He is the ultimate role model, a blinding ray of light in a dark world. He is a security blanket for each of us. Just as we found a special comfort physically in Mom, we find that same peace and serenity spiritually through Jesus Christ who one day we’ll reside with.
Although we are distant from our heavenly home, our faith in Jesus works to bridge the gap and bring us closer to our Savior. Asked to give the greatest commandment, Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." If we’re not sure how to do that, we need look no further than our mothers and Jesus and the way they have loved us. For when I think of Mom, I see that Jesus placed in her a special love...a part of Himself.
Truly, we’re blessed with the love of a mother, and the love of Jesus....a love like no other.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Sunday, May 4, 2008
CARRIED THROUGH THE TOUGH TIMES
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of his life. This really bothered him and questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. However, I noticed that during the most troublesome times of my life there was only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me." The Lord replied, "my precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you during your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints it was then that I carried you."
Carolyn Joyce Carty
"God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5
Sometimes I take a break from my Old Testament writings when the Lord speaks to me on another subject that needs highlighted. Today is one of those days.
I don’t know if you heard about it this last week but last weekend something truly remarkable happened on a softball field in Washington state where two Division II schools, Central Washington and Western Oregon squared off in a doubleheader. Western Oregon had won the first game, 8-1, and there was no score in game two as Western Oregon came to bat in the second inning. They got a couple of runners on when a diminutive, part-time outfielder, senior Sara Tucholsky, came to bat and did the unexpected…she hit a home run. Excited and thrilled because she had never hit a home run before, she missed touching first base and as she turned to go back and touch it, she tore her ACL in her knee. She crumpled to the ground, unable to get up and run the bases.
The umpires said that it was against the rules for any of the Western Oregon coaches or trainers to help the injured player go around the bases. They could only put a player into the game in her place and the home run would get changed to a single. It appeared that Sara’s special moment was going to fade as quickly as it happened. But then the improbable happened.
Central Washington senior, third baseman and home run leader, Mallory Holtman, asked the umpires whether she could carry Sara around the bases so she could score and her first home run count. The umpire said there was nothing in the rules that would prevent it. So Mallory and the Western Washington shortstop, Liz Wallace, picked up Sara and carried her around the bases, pausing momentarily at each base to allow Sara to gingerly touch her foot to it. When they reached home plate, Sara’s teammates were waiting for her and took Sara from the Western Washington players. Sara might have hit the home run but the real scoring came in the way the Western Washington players displayed such incredible sportsmanship and humanity in helping someone in need. Western Washington would go on to lose the game 5-2 but they weren’t losers in anyone’s eyes this day.
(full article on this can be read at http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=3372631)
I couldn’t help but think about the Lord when I heard of this story. For how many times do we fall down in the course of life, sometimes in the midst of what were good times and then in the blink of an eye, hardship or tragedy strikes. I have always loved the writing titled "Footprints in the Sand" penned by author Carolyn Joyce Carty because it reminds us that we truly do serve a Lord who never leaves us nor forsakes us. When we feel like we might be walking alone with only one set of footprints visible, we need to be reminded that the Lord is the Owner of those sincle set of footprints and is right there with us, carrying us through times of difficulty and helping us get to home plate…just as Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace did for Sara Tucholsky.
My prayer is that we all can learn a lesson from the selfless, loving actions of these college girls and others. For in doing what they did, they truly reflected the Spirit of Jesus, a Spirit that has told us that when we do unto the least, it is as if we are doing it unto Him. (Matthew 25:40) Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
"One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of his life. This really bothered him and questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. However, I noticed that during the most troublesome times of my life there was only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me." The Lord replied, "my precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you during your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints it was then that I carried you."
Carolyn Joyce Carty
"God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5
Sometimes I take a break from my Old Testament writings when the Lord speaks to me on another subject that needs highlighted. Today is one of those days.
I don’t know if you heard about it this last week but last weekend something truly remarkable happened on a softball field in Washington state where two Division II schools, Central Washington and Western Oregon squared off in a doubleheader. Western Oregon had won the first game, 8-1, and there was no score in game two as Western Oregon came to bat in the second inning. They got a couple of runners on when a diminutive, part-time outfielder, senior Sara Tucholsky, came to bat and did the unexpected…she hit a home run. Excited and thrilled because she had never hit a home run before, she missed touching first base and as she turned to go back and touch it, she tore her ACL in her knee. She crumpled to the ground, unable to get up and run the bases.
The umpires said that it was against the rules for any of the Western Oregon coaches or trainers to help the injured player go around the bases. They could only put a player into the game in her place and the home run would get changed to a single. It appeared that Sara’s special moment was going to fade as quickly as it happened. But then the improbable happened.
Central Washington senior, third baseman and home run leader, Mallory Holtman, asked the umpires whether she could carry Sara around the bases so she could score and her first home run count. The umpire said there was nothing in the rules that would prevent it. So Mallory and the Western Washington shortstop, Liz Wallace, picked up Sara and carried her around the bases, pausing momentarily at each base to allow Sara to gingerly touch her foot to it. When they reached home plate, Sara’s teammates were waiting for her and took Sara from the Western Washington players. Sara might have hit the home run but the real scoring came in the way the Western Washington players displayed such incredible sportsmanship and humanity in helping someone in need. Western Washington would go on to lose the game 5-2 but they weren’t losers in anyone’s eyes this day.
(full article on this can be read at http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=3372631)
I couldn’t help but think about the Lord when I heard of this story. For how many times do we fall down in the course of life, sometimes in the midst of what were good times and then in the blink of an eye, hardship or tragedy strikes. I have always loved the writing titled "Footprints in the Sand" penned by author Carolyn Joyce Carty because it reminds us that we truly do serve a Lord who never leaves us nor forsakes us. When we feel like we might be walking alone with only one set of footprints visible, we need to be reminded that the Lord is the Owner of those sincle set of footprints and is right there with us, carrying us through times of difficulty and helping us get to home plate…just as Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace did for Sara Tucholsky.
My prayer is that we all can learn a lesson from the selfless, loving actions of these college girls and others. For in doing what they did, they truly reflected the Spirit of Jesus, a Spirit that has told us that when we do unto the least, it is as if we are doing it unto Him. (Matthew 25:40) Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Sunday, April 20, 2008
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER...GUARDIAN AND PARENT
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
Since I finished the Book of Leviticus yesterday, it seemed like a good time to share with you a message the Lord imparted on my heart last week while I was in worship at my home church, Bayside Baptist Church in Virginia Beach (and I hope you might visit us in worship if you’re ever in the neighborhood).
I was sitting in the pew holding my precious little grandson of less than a month, Maddox, during the pastor’s sermon. He was asleep and laying there in my arms so peacefully…his face almost angelic. This was a markedly different Maddox from the one my daughter would tell me about. The Maddox who when awake yearned to be cared for nearly non-stop. The Maddox who seemed to never stop eating. The Maddox who cried out loudly and consistently if he didn’t get what he needed.
Indeed, many things were rushing into my mind as I sat there, listened to the sermon which discussed the wonder of our salvation and looked into the sleeping face of my grandson.
I began to think of how absolutely helpless babies are when they are so young. They can’t do anything for themselves and are totally dependent on the care of another. Little Maddox left alone anywhere would not survive long if he had no one to care for him. He would cry only to have no one to come and comfort him. He would hunger only to have no one to feed him. He would lie completely vulnerable only to have no one to protect him. Truly, his very survival and existence relied on the care of his parent.
As the pastor continued to talk about salvation and the sad truth that there are many in this world who are lost and hopeless because they don’t know or accept Jesus, I couldn’t help but see a parallel to baby Maddox and his vulnerability.
For those who have no relationship with Jesus have no relationship with the Father for Jesus Himself said that no one comes to the Father except by Him. And with no relationship with the Father, a person is helpless and hopeless. Without the Father’s care, they stand vulnerable with little chance against the attacks of Satan. They cry out in their lives for help and guidance only to find no real help or guidance because they don’t have a relationship with the only true Parent that can help them and guide them. They find themselves hungering for wisdom and understanding only to slowly starve without the Daily Bread that comes from the Word of God, their Father. And through all this, they fail to see that their survival and existence relies totally on the care of their Heavenly Father.
Friends, we need to never tire in seeking out the lost and helping guide them to spiritual survival and revival. Just as we would never walk past an innocent baby who might be lying unattended, so too should we never just walk by someone who doesn’t have a relationship with the Lord. My prayer is that this week and beyond, we approach our evangelistic efforts with a different sense of urgency, understanding fully what’s at stake. For it truly is a matter of life or death…survival or demise.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Since I finished the Book of Leviticus yesterday, it seemed like a good time to share with you a message the Lord imparted on my heart last week while I was in worship at my home church, Bayside Baptist Church in Virginia Beach (and I hope you might visit us in worship if you’re ever in the neighborhood).
I was sitting in the pew holding my precious little grandson of less than a month, Maddox, during the pastor’s sermon. He was asleep and laying there in my arms so peacefully…his face almost angelic. This was a markedly different Maddox from the one my daughter would tell me about. The Maddox who when awake yearned to be cared for nearly non-stop. The Maddox who seemed to never stop eating. The Maddox who cried out loudly and consistently if he didn’t get what he needed.
Indeed, many things were rushing into my mind as I sat there, listened to the sermon which discussed the wonder of our salvation and looked into the sleeping face of my grandson.
I began to think of how absolutely helpless babies are when they are so young. They can’t do anything for themselves and are totally dependent on the care of another. Little Maddox left alone anywhere would not survive long if he had no one to care for him. He would cry only to have no one to come and comfort him. He would hunger only to have no one to feed him. He would lie completely vulnerable only to have no one to protect him. Truly, his very survival and existence relied on the care of his parent.
As the pastor continued to talk about salvation and the sad truth that there are many in this world who are lost and hopeless because they don’t know or accept Jesus, I couldn’t help but see a parallel to baby Maddox and his vulnerability.
For those who have no relationship with Jesus have no relationship with the Father for Jesus Himself said that no one comes to the Father except by Him. And with no relationship with the Father, a person is helpless and hopeless. Without the Father’s care, they stand vulnerable with little chance against the attacks of Satan. They cry out in their lives for help and guidance only to find no real help or guidance because they don’t have a relationship with the only true Parent that can help them and guide them. They find themselves hungering for wisdom and understanding only to slowly starve without the Daily Bread that comes from the Word of God, their Father. And through all this, they fail to see that their survival and existence relies totally on the care of their Heavenly Father.
Friends, we need to never tire in seeking out the lost and helping guide them to spiritual survival and revival. Just as we would never walk past an innocent baby who might be lying unattended, so too should we never just walk by someone who doesn’t have a relationship with the Lord. My prayer is that this week and beyond, we approach our evangelistic efforts with a different sense of urgency, understanding fully what’s at stake. For it truly is a matter of life or death…survival or demise.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
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