Getting Old

Scripture:

"Where there is no vision, the people perish."
(Proverbs 29:18) KJV

Reflection:

Someone once said, " Most people die from the
the neck up at age twenty-five because they stop
dreaming." Too many people, when they begin to
get older, loose their dreams, they have no
vision, they have no interest anymore. What
does it mean to get old? You know your getting
old when you begin to feel old, it's when you
feel that tomorrow holds no promise. You take
absolutely no interest in the activities of youth,
and you begin to long for the good old days.
By these definitions, I know a lot of people who
are old at the age of twenty five. General
Douglas McArthur once said: "Nobody grows
old by merely living a number of years. People
grow old only by deserting their ideals. Years
may wrinkle the skin, but to give up interest
wrinkles the soul. Worry, doubt, self-distrust,
fear, and despair. These are the long, long years
that bow the head and turn the growing spirit back
to dust. You are as young as your Faith, as old
as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence,
as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old
as your despair".
You know something I choose to be young and
choose to have vision. Staying young is a sign
you are capable of growth. I choose growth,
I choose Jesus Christ!

Prayer:

Oh Lord keep me young, keep my Spirit young,
keep my heart filled with love and compassion,
keep my mind filled with ideal. Give me strength
to be a dreamer, Give me hope in the vision of
eternal life with You. THANK YOU GOD FOR
BEING GOD

Running With The Horses

Running With The Horses

Scripture

"If you have run with the footmen, and they
have wearied you, then how can you contend
with the horses" Jeremiah 12:5

Reflection:

Have you been dealing with a lot of
minor issues lately, "running with the
footmen". How will you handle it when
the really tough stuff comes along,
"running with the horses."
Perhaps you've run into some real problems.
Maybe with a boss, or co-worker, or you've
been sick lately, maybe a lot of problems
with your friends or family. You've literally
pleaded with the Lord for some relief, for
some help. You know sometimes His
response is to let us know to "toughen
up. Dig in. It may get worse." When He
does do this and this is in reality telling us
to run with the horses, I can promise
He will be with you to strengthen and
sustain you. Because you see:
"That's what God does."

Prayer:

Thank you God for more grace when
my burdens grow greater, Thank you
for sending me more strength when
labor increases. Thank you when
there is affliction You add your mercy,
And finally thank you for your peace.

Moving Towards God

Scripture:

"It is good for me to draw near to God. (Psalm 73:28)

Reflection:

In verse 26 the Psalmist says: God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever". It seems to me that any kind of
spiritual progress that is to made in our lives should be towards
knowing and loving God. I know that sure makes life better
at least for me it does. I think it is really good to be near to
God. You know when I'm close to God my life is so much
richer. I've discovered something, that any kind of pain and
suffering that has taken place in my life has become a means
by which I have come to desire God even more. Because
when I'm close to God, my suffering is removed. I can
give you this one promise that when you are near to God,
you will discover God loves us too much to let us stay as
we are.

Prayer:

O Lord I'm pressing on the upward way. New heights I'm gaining
every day. Still praying as I'm onward bound. Lord plant my
feet on higher ground. (Oatman)

Quote for the Day


Mother Ann Lee
Founder of the Shakers
(1736 -1784)

"O Holy Father, I will be a child of peace and purity. For well I know thy hand will
bless the seeker after righteousness."

Prayer for Trust in Jesus

O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things.

- St. Ignatius of Loyola

Quote for the Day

Jessie Wallace Hughan
Founder of the War Resisters League
(1876-1955)

"War, rather than any foreign state, is the supreme enemy of country
and mankind. One day citizens will covet for this nation the prestige
of being the first to escape the shackles of war."

HE IS RISEN (PART 4)

HE IS RISEN (PART 4)

Scripture: The Resurrection (Matthew 28: 1-20


Reflection:

The believer must never lose sight of the significance
of the resurrection...There are 2 questions we should
ask as a result of the resurrection: Do our lives
demonstrate that we serve a risen Lord and Savior?
and Do we possess the hope, peace, and strength
that the reality and power of His resurrection gives
to the Christian? I look at my life and I ask these
questions. You see that is what makes our faith
so unique. We do not serve a mere prophet, a
teacher, a king who are all dead. We serve a
risen Savior, a risen prophet, a risen teacher, a
risen king. We serve the Son of God! He is not
dead but alive. Can people look at us and know
we are serving a living, breathing, loving God. Do
we demonstrate our Savior in our lives. Do we
have the hope, peace, and strength that the very
reality of the Resurrection gives to us as Christians.
Is your life filled with this hope and peace and do
you have the strength to carry on. You see we
we receive all of this from the fact that our
Savior Jesus Christ died and was resurrected.
In His final time on earth Jesus Christ told us
to go and preach the Gospel to all people. Does
your life posses the power of the resurrected
Christ to proclaim to all the love and power of
a risen Savior?

Prayer:

Resurrection Prayer

O Risen Lord,
the way, the truth and the life,
make us faithful followers
of the spirit of your resurrection.
Grant that we may be inwardly
renewed; dying to ourselves
in order that you may live in us.
May our lives serve as signs
of the transforming power of your love
Use us as your instruments
for the renewal of society,
bring your life and love to all
and leading them to your Church.
This we ask of you, Lord Jesus,
living and reigning with the Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God forever. Amen

Let's Talk About Forgiveness

Scripture:

Luke 6 41 Why do you see the speck in your
brother's eye, but do not notice the log in your
own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your
brother, "Friend, let me take out the speck
in your eye," when you yourself do not see
the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first
take the log out of your own eye, and then
you will see clearly to take the speck out
of your brother's eye.

Reflection:

Has somebody come along and changed
the rules? Has the teaching's of Jesus
some how changed? Aren't we Christians
because we belief in forgiveness? We are
all aware of the stupid and prejudice statements
of Don Imus, it has some how become a priority
on the news. Don Imus and his producer said
some terrible things on the airwaves. I think
everybody agrees. He has apologized and
asked for forgiveness a number of times. And
I personally think his requests have been
sincere. Then where is the forgiveness. I have
never been so embarrassed as to watch some
of my brother minister's, you know the ones' who
have the Rev. in front of their names, get up
in front of the news media and pass judgment.
I guess they forgot about the logs in their own
eyes. It sure is easy to pass judgment on others
isn't it. Well I got news for these "brothers", I know
of the logs in my own eyes and I remember the logs
in their eyes. I'm taking care of the logs in my eye's,
I refuse to pass judgment on their logs, and I hope
we are outraged but forgive Don Imus. Above
all it's passed time to change our own attitudes.

Prayer:

Let us love one another, and leave the judgment
to you. THANK YOU GOD FOR BEING GOD!

HE IS RISEN (PART 2)

What if Christ had not been raised from the dead?

Scripture: The Resurrection (Matthew 28: 1-20)

Reflections:

What if Christ had not been raised from the dead?
a. All that is within the Gospels would be empty and
meaningless (1Corinthians 15:14). All the proclamations
would have been lies, fairytales, myths, stories of fiction.
b. Our faith would also be empty and meaningless
1Corinthians 15:14). Our faith would be a lie, a
fairytale, non fiction.
c. The disciples were liars( 1Corintians 15:15). Either
they told the truth or they were liar. They swore He
was alive, they even stated that Christ was with them
for 40 days after His death Acts 10:39-41).
d. We would still be lost to sin. There would be no
recovery, no redemption (1Corinthians 15:17). Jesus
Christ would have been a liar and mentally ill to die on
the cross.
c. Believers would die, there would be no eternal life
1Corinthians 15:18).
DO YOU BELIEVE?

Prayer:

Resurrection Prayer

O Risen Lord,
the way, the truth and the life,
make us faithful followers
of the spirit of your resurrection.
Grant that we may be inwardly
renewed; dying to ourselves
in order that you may live in us.
May our lives serve as signs
of the transforming power of your love
Use us as your instruments
for the renewal of society,
bring your life and love to all
and leading them to your Church.
This we ask of you, Lord Jesus,
living and reigning with the Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God forever. Amen

HE IS RISEN! (PART ONE)

It’s Easter! It’s Easter! Christ lives once again!

It’s Easter! It’s Easter! Christ lives once again!

It’s Easter! It’s Easter! God’s loudest “Amen!”

We sing “Hallelujah,” we sing “Praise the Lord,”

Who raised up our Jesus and spoke the last word.

After the night comes the morning, and the world
comes alive. There is no more beautiful story in
all of history than the account of the empty tomb.
It is unbelievable but true!

It is a historical fact that Jesus Christ lived on earth
for a given period of time. His ministry and death are
recorded by historians as facts. It is also a historica
l fact that Muhammad was a religious leader whose
followers are Muslims. And if you visit the Topkapi
Palace Museum in Istanbul, there you will see a
carefully displayed tooth of Muhammad. The Muslims
are very proud of that artifact. It is a piece of their
prophet. They have tangible proof that Muhammad
lived and died.

But Christians have no such shrine. Not a tooth,
not a bone, not a single cell of Christ’s body to
display—only the empty tomb. Those who follow
Muhammad know that he is dead. But we who
worship Jesus Christ know that our Lord is alive.

Because of the resurrection there is an open door
to heaven and eternal life with our Lord and Savior,
and because he lives, we who believe shall live
eternally with him.

The four gospels record at least ten appearances
of Jesus Christ in the forty days after his resurrection
Over 500 people saw him. The risen Lord showed
them his pierced hands and feet. They had proof that
Jesus Christ was alive. Then and there was released
the mightiest power in human history, and today,
nearly 2,000 years later, the same power of the risen
Lord is alive around the world in countless numbers
of believers.

Let us who call ourselves Christians—followers of
Jesus Christ—rise up and roll away the stones of
doubt and fear and proclaim that Jesus Christ, our
risen Savior, lives!

Hallelujah!

Reprinted from the Church Herald, March 2002. Copyright
© 2002 by the Church Herald Inc.