Christ is Risen—Happy Easter!

 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

 (Matthew 28:5-7 KJV)

This is a slightly edited version of the Easter post I shared the last two years. Please enjoy and take some time to meditate on the significance of this special day for Christians.  What a joyful day this should be for all us who have Jesus as our Savior and Lord!

“Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!” Listen here: 

These majestic opening words to the wonderful Easter hymn by Charles Wesley captures the essence of Easter for Christians.  If it was not for Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection we would be in utter deep darkness—spiritual darkness.   

Image from Pixabay

The somber mood and darkness of Good Friday gives way to joy—great joy—when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus three days later.  A tragedy turns to triumph. Darkness turns to light. Death turns to life—ever lasting life.  Consider this:  Good Friday would not be good if Sunday had never happened.   

Reflect on this:

Grief turns to joy…

Darkness turns to light…

Death gives way to life…

Empty Tomb--image from Pixabay

What do you suppose it would have been like to have seen the empty tomb? Would we have understood any better than Jesus’ followers, what He told them about His coming death and resurrection?  How would we have reacted to the empty tomb in our grief?  Would we have recognized Jesus?

Image from Pixabay

 

Like Mary and the other women and the disciples who grieved the death of their Teacher and Friend; our grief can turn to joy, when we fully realize that we serve a risen Savior and what it means.  This is good news, indeed; news that we should share!  The world needs to hear what we have to share.  Yes, not everyone will want to hear—and yes we will face rejection and ridicule.  However, if we keep in mind that it is Jesus who is being ridiculed and rejected, not us; our perspective can change.

Image from Pixabay

It is not too late to receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord!  He is ready and waiting for you to turn to Him with open arms!  Be assured there are no age limits for salvation—a person cannot be too young or old.  For more information, please refer to my previous posts: Salvation; A New Creation; Counting the Cost.

Take time this week to reflect on the hymn He Lives.  

Remember, we can face many things because He lives!  If Jesus is not alive our faith and hope would be in vain!  Jesus gave us victory over death and the grave!  For those of us in Christ Jesus, we have a future to look forward to with great excitement!

 

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your only Son to die in our place—to redeem us from our sins—even though we did not deserve it.  With great joy, we exclaim, on Easter and every day, “HE IS RISEN”!!  He is risen, indeed!  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Happy Easter! May God Bless you richly today and everyday!

Christ is Risen—Happy Easter!

And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.  

(Matthew 28:5-7 KJV)

This is a slightly edited version of the Easter post I wrote for last year. Please enjoy and take some time to meditate on the significance of this special day for Christians.  What a joyful day this should be for all us who have Jesus as our Savior and Lord!

“Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!”  Listen here: 

These majestic opening words to the wonderful Easter hymn by Charles Wesley captures the essence of Easter for Christians.  

The somber mood and darkness of Good Friday gives way to joy—great joy—when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus three days later. A tragedy turns to triumph. Darkness turns to light. Death turns to life—ever lasting life. 

Reflect on this:

Grief turns to joy… 

Darkness turns to light… 

Death gives way to life…

What do you suppose it would have been like to have seen the empty tomb? Would we have understood any better than Jesus’ followers, what He told them about His coming death and resurrection? How would we have reacted to the empty tomb in our grief? Would we have recognized Jesus?

Like Mary and the other women and the disciples who grieved the death of their Teacher and Friend; our grief can turn to joy, when we fully realize that we serve a risen Savior and what it means. This is good news, indeed; news that we should share! The world needs to hear what we have to share. Yes, not everyone will want to hear—and yes we will face rejection and ridicule. However, if we keep in mind that it is Jesus who is being ridiculed and rejected, not us; our perspective can change.

From http://www.govtedu.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/he-is-rises-easter-wallpaper.jpg 

It is not too late to receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord! He is ready and waiting for you to turn to Him with open arms! Be assured there are no age limits for salvation—a person cannot be too young or old. For more information, please refer to my previous posts: Salvation; A New Creation; Counting the Cost.

Take time this week to reflect on the hymn He Lives. Listen here:

Remember, we can face many things because He lives! If Jesus is not alive our faith and hope would be in vain! Jesus gave us victory over death and the grave! For those of us in Christ Jesus, we have a future to look forward to with great excitement!

From http://i.123g.us/c/eapr_easter_religious/card/110744.gif 

   
Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your only Son to die in our place—to redeem us from our sins—even though we did not deserve it. With great joy, we exclaim, on Easter and every day, “HE IS RISEN”!!  He is risen, indeed!  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Happy Easter! May God Bless you richly today and everyday!

Victory in Jesus: Part 2

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

(1 Corinthians 15:57 KJV)

This week’s post continues where I left off last week.  Now we will consider some of the verses and the chorus of Victory in Jesus.  For the first post in this series, please see Victory in Jesus.

I’ve heard an old, old story, how a Saviour came from glory,

From the opening pages of the Bible in Genesis to the closing pages in Revelation, we read of God’s redeeming love and His plan to redeem us from our sins through sending His Son, Jesus. God’s love is a costly love, yet He gave so freely—by accepting Jesus as our Savior we can win the victory!  Jesus willingly left so much in heaven to become one of us—He understands us and cares about us.

How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me.

Have you considered how willingly Jesus gave up His life for people, for sinners like you and me? He didn’t have to do this; however, His love for us was so great and strong that He gave His life as a ransom for you and me.  It is in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone that we are saved! It is in Jesus that we have the victory!

I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood’s atoning. Then I repented of my sins and won the victory.

While on the cross, Jesus groaned, He cried out—feeling the full weight of each one of our sins and our diseases.  It was through His precious blood and its atoning power that each person can receive forgiveness of sins—it’s a personal decision—a decision no one can make for us. What is your decision?  Have you repented of your sins? It seems to be a process of sorts—a process of fully surrendering to God the whole of our life.

Until about ten or eleven years ago, I had religion, (even though I had asked Jesus into my heart at age six or seven) but I did not have a living, vital relationship with the Lord, and I certainly did not understand a thing about the Holy Spirit.  (And I grew up in a Bible believing church!) Just because my church believed the Bible that did not mean we knew the Bible.  Once I understood the need for relationship and learned the truth and accepted the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, living a Christian life became so much easier. It became less an effort of the flesh, instead it was relying on the Lord’s empowerment through the Holy Spirit.

There is still a struggle; there is still the need to take off the old man.  I am not the same and I do not want to go back to the way things were.  What I watch on TV has changed and what I read has changed—that is what a true, vital relationship with Jesus has done for me.  I do not miss my old life!  My desire is to be more like Jesus each day.  What about you; have you experienced the life saving and life changing impact of a relationship with Jesus?  It is not too late, why not invite Jesus into your heart and receive forgiveness of your sins? 

Let me ask you to search your heart—have you gone to the cross and poured out everything that needs to come out—the sin, the burdens that we cannot bear and are not meant to bear?  Leaving all the old sin, the “yuck” of our lives at the cross when we surrender all to Jesus and ask Him to be our Savior and Lord; it changes everything.  Victory is won! Jesus won the victory for us!

What victory is won?  In Jesus we are set free from being enslaved to sin—we can have victory over sin.  We also have victory over death and the grave, because Jesus gained victory over death and the grave.  Death for those of us in Christ is not something to fear.  We have a glorious future awaiting us!

I’ve heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory, And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea;

In John 14 Jesus comforted His disciples and all believers with the assurance that He was going to prepare a place for us in heaven and then would return for us.  There are many mansions in heaven being prepared for those who are saved.  In Revelation we read of the beauty of heaven. Heaven is beyond anything we can begin to think about or describe.  Streets of gold, a crystal sea, a tree with leaves that heal.  Best of all, we’ll see Jesus, our Savior and Lord!

And some sweet day I’ll sing up there, the song of victory.

Just imagine the glorious reunions we will have in heaven with those who have gone ahead us, as well as meeting Brothers and Sisters from every tribe, every tongue, and every nation.  What an amazing song of victory that will be—singing the song of the victorious in Christ! Beyond meeting family (some I know and some I do not), there are many people that I have “met” through books that I anticipate meeting in heaven.  What a glorious time that will be—to be with our Lord forever—worshiping and serving Him.  O, what a glorious day that will be!

Chorus

Can you sing the words of the chorus with the assurance they are true for you? What are you waiting for—it is not too late to turn to Jesus and ask Him to forgive your sins.  Today is the day to decide.

Oh, victory in Jesus, my Saviour, forever! He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood.  He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him. He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.

Victory in Jesus is possible!  In what ways have you experienced victory?

How can you live out your victory in Jesus each day?

How can you share that message with others?

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Lord, Thank You for giving us the victory in Jesus.  Encourage us to look to Him as we go through our daily lives.  May we always keep our eyes and heart focused on things above rather than on things on earth—that is where our hope lies.  Deepen our spiritual hunger and thirst for things of You Lord; it is clear that earthly things clearly do not satisfy.  

  

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Victory in Jesus

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

(1 Corinthians 15:57 KJV)

A few weeks ago, I had the honor and privilege of sharing God’s Word in a small church while the pastor was gone; this post is based on part of that sermon.

Victory in Jesus is a beloved hymn of many and is one that has stood the test of time.  Hymns can become more meaningful when we learn the story behind them; in fact, hymns can be useful in our daily worship.  It is with this in mind, that I would like to take some time to explore Eugene Bartlett’s hymn Victory in Jesus.

The composer of Victory in Jesus, Eugene Monroe Bartlett was born in Missouri on December 24, 1885, and grew up in Arkansas. He was musically gifted and used that gift to help others, primarily in the area of worship.  Bartlett was college educated and worked in the business field.  He used the gifts God had given him to benefit those around him.

Eugene Bartlett was a devout Christian—for nearly his entire life.  He wrote several hundred hymns and gave much to the field of music, making it accessible even to those who could not read music (though shape notes).  In at least one of my old hymnals there are some hymns with shape notes instead of the traditionally shaped notes. 

Many times, his hymns took him mere minutes or hours to compose!  Victory in Jesus was his most famous hymn and also his last.

After suffering a stroke Eugene spent the last few years of his life fairly incapacitated and spending most of his time in one room.  Despite not being able to work in his calling, or even speak, he continued to immerse himself in God’s Word and in worship.  From that time, as well as a lifetime of study and relationship, he composed this hymn.  This last hymn, Victory in Jesus, a hymn that took him longer to write than any other, has not been lost to the past.  He saw a lasting victory, a victory that is not a fleshly one—such as winning a game or a war—but a spiritual victory that is ultimately won when we get to heaven. 

Have you experienced this type of victory?    

Victory in Jesus is one of my favorite hymns; it holds some precious memories for me.  This hymn was a favorite of a beloved pastor from my childhood. Although I was young when Blaine was pastor at my church (Free Methodist), I knew he loved Jesus and he loved me.  That in and of itself is a testimony!  This hymn was a favorite of Blaine’s; therefore, we sang it frequently! Even though I missed this as a child, I was told that his face glowed when he sang this song. May the same be said for us!  

Each one of us should search our heart and determine if the words of this beloved hymn are true for us. In 1 Corinthians 15:57 we are reminded that:  “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

For many of us, we have heard the Scripture read and expounded on a nearly weekly basis for years—for some of us that would encompass the whole of our life.  It is so easy to relax and not really hear the truths contained in the Scriptures, because of how well we know them or think we know them. Familiarity can be dangerous.  Think about all the things we do and places we go that become so familiar, so routine that we miss some important sites—sometimes including a turn we need to make.

It is tempting to think we can relax, thinking we are okay because of what we do (or do not do!), because of our church membership/attendance, because of our baptism, or because of our parents/grandparents.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  We cannot get to heaven in any other way than through accepting Jesus—nothing else saves. Jesus and Jesus alone saves!  We are saved, cleansed by the atoning blood of Jesus!

Spending time on our own prayerfully reading through the whole of God’s Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us will show us new insights, as well as point us to our need for Jesus as our Savior—the only way to heaven.  The more we read and study God’s Word and allow it to “read” us, we will see just how well many of the beloved hymns written decades ago really do capture scriptural “nuggets” for our edification.  The same is true of many of the contemporary Christian songs.

Have you experienced victory in Jesus?

What is your favorite hymn?

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the victory that is possible in Jesus and His shed blood.  Remind us that we already have the victory.  Cause us to call to mind all that Jesus did for us and continues to do for us as we live on this earth.  Grant us the words we need to share our story of how Jesus came into our lives.  Empower us to live each day, keeping our eyes, heart, and mind focused on You alone.  It is not by our power or might but by Yours that we overcome the one who seeks but to kill, steal, and destroy.  Thank You Jesus for all You did for each one of us to be victorious!  In Jesus’ precious name.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Happy Easter—Christ is Risen!

And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

(Matthew 28:5-7 KJV)

“Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!" Listen here These majestic opening words to the wonderful Easter hymn by Charles Wesley captures the essence of Easter for Christians.  

The somber mood and darkness of Good Friday gives way to joy—great joy—when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus three days later. A tragedy turns to triumph. Darkness turns to light. Death turns to life—ever lasting life.

Reflect on this:

Grief turns to joy…

Darkness turns to light…

What do you suppose it would have been like to have seen the empty tomb? Would we have understood any better than Jesus’ followers, what He told them about His coming death and resurrection? How would we have reacted to the empty tomb in our grief? Would we have recognized Jesus?

Like Mary and the other women and the disciples who grieved the death of their Teacher and Friend; our grief can turn to joy, when we fully realize that we serve a risen Savior and what it means. This is good news, indeed; news that we should share! The world needs to hear what we have to share. Yes, not everyone will want to hear—and yes we will face rejection and ridicule. However, if we keep in mind that it is Jesus who is being ridiculed and rejected, not us, our perspective can change.

It is not too late to receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord! He is ready and waiting for you to turn to Him with open arms! Be assured there are no age limits for salvation—a person cannot be too young or old. For more information, please refer to my previous posts: Salvation; A New Creation; Counting the Cost.

Take time this week to reflect on the hymn He Lives (listen here). Remember, we can face many things because He lives! If Jesus is not alive our faith and hope would be in vain! Jesus gave us victory over death and the grave! For those of us in Christ Jesus, we have a future to look forward to with great excitement!

    

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your only Son to die in our place—to redeem us from our sins. It is with great joy, we exclaim, on Easter and every day, “HE IS RISEN”!!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Happy Easter! May God Bless you richly today and everyday!

Salvation

From http://www.riversofjoychurch.org/images/salvation.jpg

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23 KJV)

My message is different than the world’s message; that is exactly what I want, because the truths clearly outlined in the Bible provide our guide—a plan showing us the path to heaven. The world seems to indicate that all good people will end up in heaven. What exactly defines good? How good is good enough? How many good things much we do to achieve heaven? How can we find peace when our thoughts our focused on being a good person, doing good things?

God’s Word is clear, our good deeds are nothing more than filthy rags (see Isaiah 64:6 Read here.) FILTHY RAGS! That realization should be sobering. On our own, we cannot be good enough to merit heaven. This is true for each and every person who is alive or who has ever lived; a hard truth to grasp.  

Therefore, I ask you: Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If not, why not? What are you waiting for? God loves you deeply and desires nothing more than a relationship with you. God is waiting with open arms for you to come to Him. You can take comfort, because everyone has sinned (see Romans 3:23 Read here). Where will you be spending eternity?   

Sinners (and that’s all of us!) are worthy of death, as we can see in Romans 6:23 Read here. The only way we can be saved is by calling upon the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13 Read here).

From https://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/74/de/74deca34e675298b0fb8d95672d19929.png?itok=KcfKC0Ix 

Being Christian does have a cost, however, for those of us who believe and said “yes” to Jesus—the cost is more than worth it. As Christian, we shouldn’t expect wealth, health, and beds of ease; in fact, sometimes it is the exact opposite. Our relationships change, our activities change, our friendships change. Despite the cost, I believe it is worth the price I have paid and so do many others.

What are you waiting for? Jesus accepts us just as we are. Allowing Jesus to come into our hearts and lives changes us.  “Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come!  I come!” Listen to "Just as I Am"

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Jesus, we come to you humbly admitting that we are sinners and that You died for us, to pay our penalties for our sins.  We need Your forgiveness and we turn from our sins.  We open our hearts to You and invite You to come in to our lives as our Savior and Lord.  Thank You, Jesus, for humbling Yourself to come to earth and live among us, die upon a cross for us and then rise again.  In Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen. 

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

P.S. Be looking for another post in the near future that will take another look at salvation.

Firsts

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

 (John 1:1-5 KJV)

The beginning of a new year seems to be an appropriate time to consider some firsts, some beginnings in the Bible and in the life of Jesus. 

Our lives are full of beginnings—first tooth, first steps, the first day of school, or the first day on a new job.  The list is endless.  What are some firsts you’ve experienced throughout your life?  What are some firsts for this year?    

Likewise, in the Bible there are many firsts.  For example, there is the creation story in the first two chapters of Genesis; Israel’s first king—Saul (1 Samuel).  In addition, there is the beginning of Jesus’ life on earth (see Matt. 1:18-2:23 see here; Luke 2:1-52 see here) and the beginnings of His earthly ministry (see Matt. 3:1-4:25 see here; Mark 1:1-13 see here; John 1:15-5:15 http://www.biblestudytools.com/kjv/john/passage.aspx?q=john+1:15-51;john+2:1-25;john+3:1-36;john+4:1-54;john+5:1-15). 

What is it that makes beginnings so special?  Could it be the potential of things to come?  There seems to be a freshness to beginnings as well.  What can you begin this year that will have a lasting impact on you and those around you?  What about reading the Bible from cover to cover (a variety of plans exist)?  You’ll discover Jesus revealed from Genesis to Revelation.  It’s an experience you won’t regret; it gets better every time you read it. 

Dear Lord, we lift up holy hands to You in prayer and praise.  Guide us in our daily lives throughout this year.  Help us to reflect Your light in this dark world—we pray for strength.  Guide us to fresh new revelations of You.  Grant us ministry opportunities that will allow us to share our gifts with Your people and a watching and waiting world.   Thank You for Jesus who is the Light and the Word, who has been since the beginning.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

From my heart to yours,

Kim

God’s Faithfulness

Webster’s Dictionary 1828 defines faithfulness (dictionary link) as: “1. Fidelity; loyalty; firm adherence to allegiance and duty; as the faithfulness of a subject.

2. Truth; veracity; as the faithfulness of God.

3. Strict adherence to injunctions, and to the duties of a station; as the faithfulness of servants or ministers.

4. Strict performance of promises, vows or covenants; constancy in affection; as the faithfulness of a husband or wife.”

God’s faithfulness is all around us, if we would just open our eyes and soften our hearts.  If we can somehow see the unseen through understanding how God deals with His people, we can praise God even in the midst of pain, as well as the good times.  It is a part of God’s character and nature to be faithful—He cannot be anything but faithful.  We can fully trust God in all things.   

If we can focus our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (see Hebrews 12:2 see here), we’ll find ourselves able to honestly proclaim the words to the hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness.

God is faithful to provide for His children; think about how God has provided for you when you thought all was hopeless.  Perhaps, the most difficult time to grow in our faith is during the times of calmness and good—when things are going well. Being faithful in all circumstances is important.

In fact, Paul, the apostle, talks about this in several of his letters. Paul was able to be joyful and content in all things, no matter what his circumstances.  In fact, he wrote his letter to the Philippians (“the book of joy”) from a jail cell—where he was awaiting to learn his fate.  Paul was martyred for his testimony in Jesus.  

How do we react when we face trials?  What about good times?  When is it easiest for you to grow in faith and relationship with God?

     

“It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning:  great is thy faithfulness.”  (Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV)

 Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to see your faithfulness to us in our daily lives, so that we can truly sing the words to Great is Thy Faithfulness.  Thank you for your great faithfulness to us.  We acknowledge our powerlessness without you to live our lives.  Teach us to grow in our relationship with you.  In Jesus’ precious name, we pray, Amen.

From my heart to yours,

Kim