THERE'S STILL ROOM FOR YOU

 

 

 

 

 

 

THERE’S STILL ROOM FOR YOU!

As we are midweek until Easter Sunday, it is time to refocus on what the Lord Jesus has done for us and His great love.  Can you imagine, as He went through this final week, His thoughts? 

He had entered Jerusalem on the first day of the week, we call Palm Sunday.  The crowds had gathered, many people in the city for Passover and its celebrations.  The crowds must have been enormous.  Jesus comes down the Mount of Olives to enter the city on the colt of a donkey.  And our Lord and Savior was weeping! He looked out over the city and looked into the future and saw its destruction. "

 

 For you see, they rejected the very Messiah they were waiting for.  They thought Jesus was coming to overthrow the Romans and set up an earthly kingdom, but he came to offer His life as the supreme sacrifice, The Lamb of God!  “He came to His own and His own received Him not” John 1:11.

There along the pathway, they threw down their cloaks and waved palm branches to welcome their king, and His heart must have been so heavy!  And these same crowds would crucify Him just a few days later.  He came on a lowly colt of a donkey, but kings who come to conquer come on their horses. 

But someday, my friend, our King will come back, not meekly riding the foal of a donkey, but He will come back as “The Conquering King!  Oh, what a day that will be!

On Thursday, we traditionally celebrate “The Lord’s Supper.”  There He gathered one last time with His disciples to share the Passover meal and His love for them, and then they would go out and it was night.  There He would face the ordeal in the Garden before His arrest.

I think of the cross and what it stands for.  We wear them around our necks, bedeck them in precious jewels, put them up on our churches.  But the cross was the place of execution, of mockery, of horror!

The cross beams of the cross stand pointing in two directions:  One points back into history and all the hundreds of prophecies pointing to the coming Messiah.  The other one points to the day Christ died, where the price had been paid once and for all by the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!  The cross divides history in two.  And the beam of the cross points upward, up into the heavens, where He has gone to prepare a place for you, for me.

And at the foot of the cross is where the blood of Jesus dripped down.  At the foot of the cross is where we kneel and our sins are forgiven.  And millions and millions of people down through the ages have knelt there and received the salvation offered by The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  And my friend, there is still room for you there.

 Room at the Cross for You

“The cross upon which Jesus died is a shelter in which we can hide.  And its grace so free is sufficient for me, and deep is its fountain, as wide as the sea.

There’s room at the cross for you, there’s room at the cross for you.  Tho’ millions have come, there is still room for one.  Yes, there’s room at the cross for you.

Tho’ millions have found Him a friend and have turn’d from their sins they have sinned.  The Savior still waits to open the gates, and welcome a sinner before it’s too late.

The hand of my Savior is strong, and the love of my Savior is long.  Through sunshine or rain, through loss or in gain, the blood flows from Calv’ry to cleanse every stain.  (Ira stanphill)

My friends out there, where are you today?  Do you feel like you have committed so many sins, and feel so lost that there is no longer any hope for you eternally?  There is still room at that cross for you. 

There Jesus stands, His arms outstretched, waiting for you.  And as we look around our world and the events taking place, I would not want to be without Jesus!  And you do not know what tomorrow may hold for you.  It is a scary world without Jesus.  I just heard of a man my husband was acquainted with through work.  He suddenly died in His sleep, and He did not know Jesus.  And recently, we learned of a young nephew who died in His sleep suddenly, and oh, he did love and serve Jesus, and what glory He must be experiencing.  Which path are you on?

The Lord is patient and not willing any should perish. (2 Peter 3:9)  And no matter what the weather, what storms are going on in your life right now, the blood of Jesus is still flowing to cleanse your heart from sin and to give you peace and eternal life.

So, my friends, if you don’t know Jesus as your own personal Savior, take time this Easter week and give your heart to Jesus.  And what a wonderful Resurrection Sunday you will experience!  Your life will be changed, new life with Jesus now and forever.

Blessings in Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

 

 

 

 

 

 

HE DOES KEEP ME SINGING

 

 

 

 

 

HE DOES KEEP ME SINGING!

What a wonderful Lord we serve!  In spite of trials and turmoil around us, He is faithful.  And He always gives a song in the midst of the darkest night, as I have shared before.  But sometimes in the midst of a busy day, all of a sudden He will drop the following song in my heart to remind me “fear not I am with thee, peace, be still.”  And He has done that in various places and times of my life, and it is usually this song that I am going to share it with you.  It is an old song.  I remember it from my childhood.  In those days, we always had Sunday Night services and usually they were evangelistic and joyful.  And this was one of those songs I remember from those days.

But first let me tell you a story of a precious lady I encountered in the nursing home several years back, as I was making my rounds.  I was working with the hospital as a volunteer chaplain, and the nursing home was part of that work at that time.  Now my work there as chaplain is through the ministry of our local church.

I walked into a room, and there sat a lady with snow white hair, beautiful blue eyes.  And I noticed on her nameplate that she was “Irene.”  I walked over to her and began to introduce myself and my work, and she looked up at me and smiled, and in a thick German accent she began to sing to me:

“There’s within my heart a melody, Jesus whispers sweet and low, fear not I am with thee, peace, be still, in all of life’s ebb and flow.”

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know, fills my ev’ry longing, keeps me singing as I go.

I hadn’t even given any details of my visit to her or my name.  Her heart was so full of joy, and seeing the joy of the Lord in my heart, she began to sing to me.  That is what we would call a “Divine Moment.”  So I began to sing along with her the verses we both could remember:

“Feasting on the riches of His grace, resting ‘neath His sheltering wing, always looking on His smiling face, that is why I shout and sing.

Tho’ sometimes He leads thro’ waters deep, trials fall across the way, tho’ sometimes the path seems rough and steep, see His footprints all the way.

Soon He’s coming back to welcome me far beyond the starry sky; I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown, I shall reign with Him on high” (He Keeps Me Singing, Luther B. Bridgers)

How could we as believers, walking with our Lord, resting  beneath the shadow of His wings (Psalm 91:1, 4, looking upon His face, keeping our eyes on Him, how could we not just want to shout and sing?

The man who wrote this song in the last century was a Pastor/Evangelist, Luther B. Bridgers,  out preaching the Word, when he learned his wife and children had all died in a tragic fire.  In the midst of his grief, he realized the only thing he could still hold on to was “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, and the song emerged.  What a testimony!

And as Pastor Bridgers realized sometimes the Lord does lead through waters deep, and many trials come out way, and sometimes we don’t understand “why?”  As I was pondering the thought of the way being rough and steep, and I thought that in the midst of our trials sometimes we cannot see Him through the fog of our tears, or through the storm raging around us, I was reminded that if I look ahead, it might be foggy, but there in the fog, on that pathway are His footprints, assuring us that He is still there leading us on.  We may feel like we are alone, but His footprints are there, those nail scarred feet, walking and leading us on.  Oh, Praise the Lord!

And then someday soon, He is coming back to welcome all of us home.  And Pastor Bridgers had that hope, that someday he would wing His flight home and be reunited with His Lord and his family again.  Oh, friends, keep that thought in your heart this evening no matter what you may be walking through right now.  I know of many with cancer, some terminal, and Oh, the song that the Lord gives.  The Psalmist must have felt this way as he walked through a trial:

“Deep call to deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; all Your waves and billows have gone over me.  The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me-a prayer to the God of my life” Psalm 42:7-8.

He must have felt like we do at times, waves and billows are going over us, waves of pain and sorrow and deep trials.  But all day long He shows us His Wonderful love and on into the night He gives us a song, and that song will become a prayer to the Wonderful God of my life and your life. Oh, Praise His Holy Name Forever!

In the Wonderful Name of Jesus,

Pastor Sharon

 

 

 

 

 

 

IT WILL BE WORTH IT ALL!

 

 

 

IT WILL BE WORTH IT ALL!

On some days like today I am sure many of you feel like I do.  It is Friday, the skies are sunny with lovely clouds, like sometimes I feel I just can’t go on, and I couldn’t go on without Jesus in my life, holding my hand, speaking encouraging words to my heart, and to just take one step at a time with Him this day.  And yet, I see many folks out there confined to beds, seemingly in hopeless situations.  But our God has promised that someday through the trials and struggles we go through, we will look back and say “It was worth it all.”

 WHEN WE SEE CHRIST

“Oft times the day seems long, our trials hard to bear; we’re tempted to complain to murmur and despair, but Christ will soon appear, to catch His bride away.  All tears forever over, in God’s eternal day.

It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus; life’s trials will seem so small, when we see Christ; one glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase, so bravely run the race till we see Christ.

Sometimes the sky looks dark, with not a ray of light, we’re tossed and driven on, no human help in sight; but there is one in heav’n who knows our deepest care, let Jesus solve your problem, just go to Him in prayer.

Life’s day will soon be o’er, all storms forever past; we’ll cross the great divide to glory safe at last; we’ll share the joys of heav’n. a harp, a home, a crown; the tempter will be banished, we’ll lay our burden down.  (Esther Kerr Rusthoi)

And yes, sometimes those days are long, and we can be tempted to murmur and be in despair, but I meet those confined to bed, just waiting  for the day when Christ comes to take them home, but they are full of joy and excitement just in the knowing that someday soon they would be with Him. 

I, myself, sometimes am tempted to murmur about upcoming medical tests, more chemotherapy and what those effects will be, and then I remember a precious friend who has reached her reward, and her preparation in that time was one of glory.  We sang songs of heaven together, we planned her service.  It was if she had packed her “bags” and was traveling on.  It was such a blessed time in my life to see such peace and joy knowing that death was just around the corner, but her home was waiting over there.

I will share about another precious one who had just learned from the doctors that she would be on hospice care, and I asked her how long the doctors were giving her  to live.  And she said, “They told me six months, and I can hardly wait, I am going to see His face.”  For both these ladies, their tears are over, and are living on God’s eternal day, and what a reunion we will have someday!  I can hardly wait!

And sometimes the sky does turn dark, and we think that we are alone, that no one cares.  But we have our Jesus who knows all our cares and woes.  And as I stated in my last blog, when that fear comes in, one receives a bad medical report, we run to Christian brothers and sisters and cry “Help.” And they surround us in prayer, laying hands on, speaking in the Name of Jesus, and I can say that God answers prayer. 

That fearful call that I had received concerning a medical test, the Lord answered marvelously, as when the doctor’s call came through with results, there was no reason for concern, all was well, and we praised the Lord for the answer.

So how can we be joyful on such days, when they are so long and filled with pain and discouragement?

“Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.  My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me” Psalm 63:7-8.

Oh, what joy when the Lord drops a song into my heart and I can sing in the shadow of His wings!  Listen to the small sweet voice in your spirit in those times and He will give you  a song or a psalm, something to remind you to cling tightly to his hand as He upholds you.

“Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.  Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith  bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience” James 1:2-3 (AMP).

Yes, my friends, our day will soon be over,  no more storms, no more pain, tears or crying.  And we will enter that wonderful place of glory, and there will lay down the burdens that we have had to carry here.  Oh, what a day that will be!

But meanwhile we carry on, looking forward to seeing His blessed face, but continuing the work of winning more souls to Jesus, ministering to the sick and hopeless, and seeking Him in continual prayer in our prayer closets and receiving the strength we need for each day and the power from the Holy Spirit to continue the work He has called us to do.

In the Name of Jesus,
Pastor Sharon

 

 

 

 

 

UNTIL THEN...MY HEART WILL SING!

 

 

 

 

 

UNTIL THEN……..MY HEART WILL SING!

I missed writing to you last week because my walk along the pathway with Jesus suddenly became dark, storms arose in my life.  A simple hospital procedure turned into a frightful time of fighting for breath, and for a moment, I felt lost and alone.  But my God is faithful, and has promised to never leave me alone even for a moment.  He again filled my heart with songs of deliverance right there in the recovery room of the hospital and I began to rejoice in His love and even shared with nurses there of the great joy that He had given me.  So, as this song declares, “Until Then My Heart Will Go on Singing.”

 “My heart can sing when I pause to remember, a heartache here is but a stepping stone along a trail that’s winding always upwards, this troubled world is not my final home.

Refrain:  But until then my heart will go on singing, until then with joy I’ll carry on, until the day my eyes behold the city, until the day God calls me home.

The things of earth will dim and lose their value if we recall they’re borrowed for a while; and things of earth that cause the heart to tremble, remembered there will only bring a smile.

This weary world with all its toil and struggle may take its toll of misery and strife; the soul of man is like a waiting falcon, when it’s released its destined for the skies.”  (Stuart Hamblen)

When we are walking with Jesus, the trail is leading onward and upward towards our eternal home.  Sometimes there are valleys where everything is green and peaceful, and the Lord allows us to lie down in green pastures and rest.  But then as the trail grows steeper and we continue to climb, the storms do come.  But like the song says, those troubles along the way are like stepping stones along the way.  But sometimes we can trip even on a stepping stone and lose our way.  But then we are reminded that no matter what we go through on this earth, we are just pilgrims here, keeping our eyes on our final destiny, our final home.

Yes, it is easy to say that our hearts will continue to sing in spite of the terror that may fill our hearts.  But how do we react when we suddenly receive more bad news regarding test results?  I received such news just this afternoon after tests and lab work in my doctor’s office.  You have probably received such news, a phone call and test results and then the tears may come.  But, Oh, I serve a mighty God.  So I went to the Word of God and was reminded of  an incident in the life of King Jehoshaphat in the 20^th chapter of 11 Chronicles.

It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammononites came to battle against Jehoshaphat.  Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying “a great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi).  (verse 1-2).

So we see in the previous chapters that this King of Judea was a good king who brought reforms throughout the land and encouraged his people to serve the Lord.  He served Almighty God unlike other kings who had reigned before him.

So as we walk with the Lord, the skies may be bright, the Lord may be doing great things in our lives, but one day Jehoshaphat received a bad report, and now did he react?  He reacted like many of us do in these situations.

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judea.  (verse 3).

The first thing that happens is that we begin to fear, we begin to panic.  But look at what he did after he calmed himself down, “he set himself to seek the Lord.”  The first step when that panic comes is to find a sister or brother in the Lord, as I did this afternoon in my situation.  There is your strength for battle.  Then as we read further down the chapter we see him gathering the people around him from Judea and they all came to seek the Lord concerning the battle ahead.  You might call your prayer chain, get the prayer warriors praying.  As I have said before, prayer is like a covering is like an umbrella that covers the believer is prayer, surrounding like a cloud, cool and soothing.  And we can read his wonderful prayer to his God, His mighty God in verses 5-11. 

“Then we hear his pleading in verse 12: “O our God, will you not judge them? For we have not power against this great multitude: nor do we know what to do, but but our eyes are upon you.” (emphasis mine).

We sing a chorus based on Zechariah 4:6:  “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord of Hosts, not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord of Hosts.  This mountain shall be removed, this mountain shall be removed, this mountain shall be removed, by my Spirit says the Lord.”

Yes, this king faced a mighty army but when we face these mighty battles in our walk with the Lord, it is by His power that the enemy is routed and victory is won, but we have to stand our ground and walk that ground in faith knowing that He, the Mighty Lord of Hosts is going out before us.  Praise the Lord!

And he said, “Listen all you of Judea and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is your yours, but God’s” Verse 15.

The multitude of problems may look big, like a mighty army marching our way, but He calls us not to fear, it is His battle and He will route the enemy. But how do we route the enemy when these great battles come against us?

“You will not need to fight in this battle.  Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you.  O Judah and Jerusalem!  Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you” Verse 17.

As we conclude this great chapter with victory, we see the army marching out, singing and praising their God “with voices loud and high.” (vs. 19b).  They did not even take any weapons with them.  They shouted the victory as the LORD of hosts went before them and the enemy destroyed each other, and God’s people took of the spoil.  And we read in the last verses that God gave them rest all around.

So my testimony this night and your testimony too in times of great storms that come upon us, we can go on singing and praising our God until the day our God calls us home.  We can go forth in these battles with great joy knowing that someday these things will only bring a smile, as the song says.  And truly, each one of us, no matter what this life may hold, is destined for the skies, our heavenly home with Jesus.

Blessings,

Pastor Sharon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GOD'S GREAT LOVE REACHING OUT!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GOD’S GREAT LOVE

REACHING!

This coming Thursday is Valentine’s Day once again.  Valentines have been out since right after Christmas.  We see red hearts, chocolate candy, cards are sent to one another, and it is a day proclaiming love?

But as I look around at all the Valentines and displays and all the signs of affection that the season brings, my mind looks beyond the secular view of Valentine’s Day.  It has been told that Valentine’s Day is based on the story of a Christian martyr in the days of Rome, who was named Valentinus.  He had a great love for his Lord and was in a Roman prison for sharing his faith in a time of great persecution of fellow Christians.  He gave His life because of his love for fellow believers.  It is said that he helped many to escape before he was thrown into prison.

“Greater love hath no man than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” John 15:13

Oh, but there is a greater love than the giving of hearts and flowers on February 14^th each year.  The deep love of Jesus reaches much farther and deeper than all the trimmings of this one day each year.  He reaches out to a lost and dying world.  He reaches out to those going through great trials and grief.  He reaches out with His great love to all those who are suffering and in pain. He reaches out to the lonely in heart, who feel like life has passed them by.  He reaches out to those in nursing homes, those no one comes to see, and who spend their days all alone.  He reaches out to the dark world we live in with His love.

He reaches out to those in hospitals right now suffering, and he reaches out right there at their bedsides to bring His special comfort.  I had that experience in past months where He reached out to me in the dark nights of pain, and oh, the love of my Lord.  It is hard to put it into words.  I met a lady recently in the nursing home, and immediately we bonded together in God’s love.  Her suffering has been great, but oh the joy she has knowing how much He loves her, and she looks forward soon to meeting her precious Lord face to face.  What a precious hour we spent together as we shared His love and sang hymns of praise together.  Oh, the joy of knowing Jesus and His salvation when days are long and suffering is so great.  But she has had a glimpse of heaven and she knows that love truly found a way to redeem her and give her a peace that passes all understanding.  Oh, Praise the Lord!

And, my friends, He is reaching out to you right now and offering you His love and His great salvation, no matter what situation you may find yourself or what stage of life you find yourself.  If you have not received the wonderful love that God brings in the person of Jesus Christ, reach out to Him right now.  He is waiting for you with His arms of love open for you. Just ask Him to come into your heart, forgive your sins and give you hope within your heart.

So let’s look past all the hearts, flowers and candy, and look to the One whose great heart beats with the deepest love for us.  The red hearts displayed remind me of the sacrifice of Calvary, the blood my Savior shed for my sins and for yours.  The sweetest of Valentine candy could never be as sweet as the love my Lord has for me, and He is indeed the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the Valley.

This great heart of love beats with love that is beyond all human comprehension.  From the beginning of time, God’s love had a plan, a and a way to redeem man by sending the Lamb of God, His very own Son, to walk among us, to redeem us by going to the cross, sacrificing His very life, but Praise the Lord, He came out of that tomb on the third day, and is now at the right hand of His Father and still reaching out with His love to all who will call on His name. Oh, how can we fathom that our Wonderful God had a plan and saw us down the years and.  Truly God is absolute Love and He found a way!  Praise His Holy Name!

 LOVE FOUND A WAY

Wonderful love that rescued me, sunk deep in sin, guilty and vile as I could be no hope within; when ev’ry ray of light had fled, O glorious day! Raising my soul from out the dead, Love found a way.

Chorus:  Love found a way to redeem my soul, love found a way that could make me whole; love sent my Lord to the cross of shame, love found a way, O praise His holy name.

Love bro’t my Saviour here to die on Calvary, for such a sinful wretch as I, how can it be?  Love bridged the gulf ‘twixt me and Heav’n, taught me to pray; I am redeemed, set free, forgiv’n, Love found a way.

Love opened wide the gates of light to Heav’ns domain, where in eternal pow’r and might Jesus shall reign; Love lifted me from depths of woe to endless day, there was no help in earth below, Love found a way.

Avis B. Christiansen

Oh, the depths of God’s love reaching out to you!  No matter how deep a person sinks in sin, He raises us from the depths of sin and makes us whole. And when he makes us whole, we are redeemed, set free, forgiven and the gates of heaven are opened wide.  And someday we will cross that river, see the light in the city beyond, and enter the joy of our Lord all because love found a way!

Blessings,

Pastor Sharon Besler

 

 

 

 

COME, HOLY SPIRIT, WE NEED YOU!

 

 

 

 

 

 

COME HOLY SPIRIT, WE NEED YOU!

Oh, what wonderful promises we have from our Lord as we walk along this pathway as pilgrims heading to our heavenly home.  The way may be get rocky and cause us to stumble.  Or the storms of life may begin to blow and we can’t see our way clear ahead.  We may feel like we are walking in the dark, no light in the pathway that we can see.  But, oh Praise the Lord, He has given us His blessed Holy Spirit to guide us, comfort us, strengthen us in our weakness.  So we cry out to Him to “Come.”  And He does come in all His sweetness and power.  He comes when we are weary, when we are dry and  we feel like our prayers only reach the ceiling. 

If you are feeling today like you need a special touch from the Holy Spirit, read these words or sing them as a prayer to the Holy Spirit if you know this wonderful prayer chorus:

COME, HOLY SPIRIT!

“Come as a wisdom to children, come as new sight to the blind.  Come, Lord, as strength to my weakness.  Take me soul, body and mind.

Come as a rest to the weary, come as a balm to the sore.  Come as a dew to my dryness.  Fill me with joy evermore.

Come Holy Spirit, I need you now. Come, Sweet  Spirit, I pray.  Come in Your strength and Your power.  Come in Your own gentle way.

Come like a spring in the desert.  Come to the withered of soul.  Oh, let Your sweet healing power touch me and make me whole.

Come Holy Spirit, I need you now.  Come, Sweet Spirit, I pray.  Come in Your strength and Your power.  Come in Your own gentle way.  Come in Your own gentle way.  (as sung by Bryan Duncan)

As I look over the words of this song, I think of the cry of my own heart during a time when I face a great trial ahead.  But I know the Holy Spirit is there to comfort with all His grace and mercy as I walk this road that He is leading me on.

But I want to encourage you that the Holy Spirit comes in the most remarkable, sweet ways.  It does not matter what level you are spiritually, I have found that the Lord comes and meets you right where you are.  I will give you an example of how sweet our precious Lord comes in the ministry of salvation, when He draws someone to Himself, especially a precious elderly lady who could hardly speak a word, but He came.  I was visiting in the nursing home this past week and saw a very elderly lady sitting at a table, head bowed over.

I approached her, taking her hand, giving her a kiss on the forehead as I always do with these precious ones and told her that Jesus loved her.  She began to mumble and I realized that she could not really talk very clear or hold a conversation.  I asked her if she had Jesus in her heart and was ready to go to heaven when she died.  She spoke a very clear “No!”  So I very simply began to tell her how much Jesus loved her and wanted her in heaven with Him and would she like Jesus to come into her heart, and she said “Yes!”  I knew that she could not say a complete sinner’s prayer with me, and wondered how the Lord was going to come to her.  So I began to pray.  And she looked up at me and simply said “Come!”

And at that moment He came!  I saw it in her eyes, and she began to mumble, I believe it was her thanks to Jesus for coming into her heart.  So praise the Lord, another soul born into God’s kingdom of life everlasting!  Praise the Lord!

Are you weary today?  Do you feel a weight upon your shoulders, as you feel like you are so burdened that you fall beneath that heavy load?  Yes, there is healing medicine for your soul, and He comes in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

“Is there no balm in Gilead?  Is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery for the health of the daughter of my people?”  (Jeremiah 8:22).

Jeremiah asked the question in his day for his people, and we have the answer today in promise of the Holy Spirit who comes as a soothing, refreshing  balm to revive us again, to lift the darkness and bring light and joy in our lives again.

Are you dry today?  Do you feel like your soul is “withered?”  The Lord Himself promised that He would come as Living Water to the dryness of our soul, water of the Holy Spirit that would spring up like a well within us.

On the last day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.  John 7:37-39

“So come, Holy Spirit, we need you today, in this hour.  And we need you now.  Some of us feel like our souls have withered and we are dry.  And some of us need You to touch us and make us whole, body, soul and spirit.  We need your strength and Your power to walk in the days ahead no matter what the trial may be that comes into our lives.  Some of us need You to come as our Gentle Savior, to come to us at whatever level we may be in our spiritual life.  We need Him to come as our Shepherd to gather us in His arms, to carry us when we cannot stand alone, as we become like His little lambs.”  And I pray this in the Name of Jesus, who calls us to “Come!”

In His Precious Name,

Pastor Sharon

 

 

THE WAY OF THE CROSS

 

 

 

 

 

THE WAY OF THE CROSS

As we near the end of January and greet the Month of February, I realized in looking at my calendar that Easter was at the end of March this year.  And as soon as all the valentines disappear from the shelves, signs of Easter will appear with all the bunnies, eggs and colors of the season.  In working ahead on the newsletter that I send out, I am already doing the Easter issue, and again I am reminded of the cross of Christ afresh.

We are to remember all year, every day of, the cross and our salvation so freely given.  As we walk with Jesus, we look to the death, burial and resurrection of our Precious Lord.  And we thank Him for the gracious gift of Salvation so freely given.

I was reminded again of another old hymn as I was seeking the Lord on what He wanted me to share with you today.  As we walk this pathway of life, we are reminded in this great old song, that there is only one way to gain Heaven as our eternal home.  There are many voices out there today saying that there are many paths to God and Heaven.

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” Acts 4:12.

No, my friends there is no other way, only in the Name of Jesus will you find salvation.  Your works won’t save you, your possessions or any other way.  Only Jesus, who walked the way of the cross, brings salvation.

But let me share with you this song and what God’s Word says about Eternity with Jesus.  This song was written by Jessie Pound, and the music was composed by Charles H. Gabriel, who wrote several of our great hymns.  Jessie was born in 1861 in Hiram, Ohio.  Her father was Rev. Holland Brown.  In all, Jessie wrote 9 books, 50 cantatas, and over 400 hymns.

This hymn could have been inspired by a popular sermon illustration circulating during those days.  The geographical heart of London is Charing Cross, which is referred to locally as “the Cross.”  A London police officer came upon a lost child who was unable to tell him where he lived.  Finally, amid sobs and tears, the child simply said, “If you will take me to the Cross, I think I can find my way home from there.”

 THE WAY OF THE CROSS LEADS HOME

“I must needs go home by the way of the cross, there’s no other way but this; I shall ne’er get sight of the Gates of Light, if the way of the cross I miss.

Refrain:  The way of the cross leads home, the way of the cross leads home; it is sweet to know, as I onward go, the way of the cross leads home.

I must needs go on in the blood-sprinkled way, the path that the Savior trod, if I ever climb to the heights sublime, where the soul is at home with God.

Then I bid farewell to the way of the world, to talk in it nevermore; for my Lord says, “Come,” and I seek my home, where He waits at the open door.”

Oh, my friends, I must continue to walk the way of the cross, there is no other way, but that pathway that our Lord trod.  I pray that you too are walking on that narrow pathway to those Gates of Light.

“Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go by in it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few that find it” Matthew 7:13-14.

In this life we have many choices to make, but when it comes to eternity, there are only two choices, heaven or hell, or the wide way which leads to destruction or the narrow way which leads to life eternal.  Which road are you traveling, my friends?  If you miss the way of the cross, you will miss the promise of life eternal with Jesus and our Heavenly home.

Yes, the road is narrow, and difficulties will arise.  There will be times of trial, storms will come across your pathway, but Jesus has walked that way before us.  And that pathway He trod was the “blood-sprinkled way.”  He walked up that lonely hill to Calvary, bearing His cross.  He had stripes on His back, and crown of thorns on His brow, but He walked that pathway and shed His precious blood for you, for me.  And the only way to salvation is through that cross of Christ.

And oh what joy to walk that path with Jesus, and to be at home with Him forever!   I was reminded recently of a dear brother who has trod that path, climbed to the “heights sublime, and is at home with his Lord.  And during his brief illness, which shortly led to His death, he thought he would be released from the hospital and go back to his little apartment.  But as his daughter later said, “He thought he was going home, and he went "home.”  Now isn’t that precious?  And this brother in the Lord did indeed walk the way of the cross for many, many years.

And the way of the cross calls us to bid farewell to the pleasures of this world, and repent of our sin, and follow Him on that narrow pathway.  Repentance simply means to turn around and go the other direction.  It would mean leaving the wide road that leads to destruction and take that pathway that leads to home.  And there, Jesus waits with open arms, waiting for you, my friends.  And when you walk that last mile, He will invite you to come in and be with Him forever.

Oh, I pray that you will walk the way of the cross, for the way of the cross will lead to your eternal home.  And if you have not made that choice today, and you are walking on the wrong pathway, make that decision now, and walk the narrow road with Jesus on the way to your eternal home.  Just ask Him to come into your heart and He will come with all His love for you, and fill you with His wonderful joy and peace that He only can give, all because of the cross.  Praise His Holy Name!

In His Blessed Name,

Pastor Sharon