YES, HE IS RISEN INDEED!

YES, HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Easter Sunday, here in our part of the country it is chilly and a bit on the cloudy side, and we may even get a few snow showers.  But it is always sunshine in my heart when we sing those glorious songs of our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I remember those days when I was a child when we dressed up for Easter Sunday.  There were bonnets, new shoes and pretty dresses.  And we always had our Easter baskets to collect those beautiful colored eggs which were hidden in the lawn in the nearby park.  Then there were Sunrise Services, remember those?  We met out in the park as the sun was rising remembering our Lord and His glorious resurrection.

I carried those traditions over with my own children, but now times are different, but some of the old traditions remain.  I do miss the Good Friday Services and the Sunrise Services, but there is still a time to rejoice in the old hymn s as we sing on Sunday morning.  And these old hymns seem to be ageless, sung by the generations past.  As you know, I love to share the history of the old hymns.  And these stories are unique in the message they bring and the circumstances in which they were written.  I remember this one in particular from the days of my childhood, and we continue to worship our Lord today with this hymn, “He Lives.”

“By training, Alfred Ackley was a cellist who had studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London.  But he was also a minister of the gospel, serving churches in Pennsylvania and California.

The gospel song, “He Lives” was written after a question was posed to Ackley by a young Jewish student: Why should I worship a dead Jew?

Ackley answered quickly, “He lives! I tell you he is not dead, but lives here and now!  Jesus Christ is more alive today than ever before.  I can prove it by my own experience, as well as the testimony of countless thousands.”

Ackley talked to the man further and then went home to reread the Resurrection stores of the Gospels.  As he read, the words “He is risen” struck him with new meaning.  Then, from the combination of the scriptural evidence, his own heart, and the experience of the innumerable cloud of witnesses, he sat down at the piano and wrote the song.  He once said, “The thought of his ever-living presence brought the music promptly and easily.”  (HYMNS by Petersen)

HE LIVES

I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today;

I know that He is living, whatever men may say;

I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,

And just the time I need Him He’s always near.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.

He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.

In all the world around me I see His loving care,

And tho’ my heart grows weary I never will despair,

I know that He is leading through all the stormy blast;

The day of His appearing will come at last.

Rejoice, rejoice O Christian, lift up your voice and sing

Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!

The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find,

None other is so loving , do good and kind.

Alfred H. Ackley (1887-1960)

This wonderful hymn truly is a song of great joy and hope.  In all the seasons of life, we can rejoice in the glorious Resurrection of our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ.  We live in a world that seemingly is growing darker and darker and sin and evil abounds.  But we know that our Savior lives no matter what the world may say.  Many have rejected the message of the Gospel,  but the message is alive and well.  We continually hear testimonies of changed lives, of miracles of answered prayer.  And we serve a Savior that is always with us, never leaving nor forsaking His people (Hebrews 13:5).

All we have to do is look up into those clouds, see those beautiful trees and mountains and see those beautiful birds and animals He creates, and our hearts are filled with wonder.  I could go on and on here as His creation is boundless. 

My own heart does grow weary with continued trials and sometimes the storms seem to hit with a “stormy blast”.  Sometimes those trials seem to go on and on and we wonder when we will be able to stand on the mountain top in the sunshine again.  But there is coming a day when He will come again.  The days seem long and we look to the heavens wondering when He will come back, but His Word promises a day when the sky will roll back and our King Jesus will descend and call His people home.  What a glorious day that will be!

So He calls us to “Rejoice, rejoice O Christian, lift up your voice and sing!”  Worship the Lord, shout His praises, and sing to Him in joyful song.  He is the One who brings us hope, is our help in all our struggles, as we seek His face continually, no matter what the days ahead may hold for each of us.  Praise God, He Lives!

“O Come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.  For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all Gods” Psalm 95:1-3.

Blessings on this Easter Day,

Pastor Sharon

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

As I have just celebrated another birthday, another year passed.  And as my senior years progress my mind goes back to the years past and wonder where they have gone.   I have had so many blessings in my life and yes, there have been struggles along the way, pain and sorrow. 

But the Lord has been so good to me, sending me a wonderful husband, who loves and cherishes me daily, and my beautiful daughters and their love and now five grandchildren and even one great grandson.  And how thankful I am for my Christian brothers and sisters in the Lord, as we uphold one another in prayer.  And like the Word says, “when one suffers we all suffer.”

And then there are my precious sisters, who I love and cherish and so many memories of our childhood and later years.  I am so thankful for my precious mother, now with Jesus, who taught me about Jesus, giving me back to the Lord at two weeks of age, and then marrying into a Christian family, with a godly husband.  I am truly blessed!

But over my life down through the years, even in those times when I strayed, was the shadow of the cross.  And the tears come as I think of how the Lord has walked with me through tough times, because He has been there and He knows our pain.  It is all because of the cross of Calvary.

That “Old Rugged Cross” points back in time to the promises of coming redemption, to His death on the cross, fulfilling those prophecies and then on into the future, pointing to a glorious future with Him for eternity.  I have tears just singing this song or reading the words, they mean so much to me.  And I remember so well hearing this often as a child.  I wish we would sing it more often to remember that it is all about the cross and our salvation and the sacrifice of our Precious Lord.

It is Easter time once again, the world is seeking bunnies, eggs, new clothes and the like, but it is time we get our mind off those things for a moment and go back to the cross, “The Old Rugged Cross.”

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,

The emblem of suff’ring and shame;

And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best

For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain:

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it someday for a crown.

Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,

Has a wondrous attraction for me;

For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above

To bear it to dark Calvary.

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,

A wondrous beauty I see,

For ‘twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,

To pardon and sanctify me.

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;

Its shame and reproach gladly bear;

Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,

Where His glory forever I’ll share.

(George Bennard-1913)

In our latest Bible Study, the ladies and I are studying the scenes of our Lord leading up to the cross, and our minds are trying to comprehend what Jesus was going through as He sat with His disciples at the Last Supper and then His agony in the garden, knowing what was ahead.  He took the Cup of Redemption at that supper and passed it around but did not partake as He would take that cup and drink of it in the garden.  He asked His Father to take that cup away from Him if possible, but He would drink of it for you and for me.  He knew the agony that was ahead on the cross, but He bore that agony for this world of lost sinners.  We cannot comprehend the agony He must have gone through and knowing exactly what they would do to Him, but oh, He loved us so much!

When I think of the cross, I also think of the crosses we bear each day.  Remember what Jesus said in Luke 9:23: “And he said to them all, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” What is the cross you are bearing today?  Is it a body filled with pain, a troubled marriage, unsaved children, financial worries.  Some of us senior adults have lost our hearing or part of it, our bodies are stiff with pain and we have faced illness and loss of strength.

But someday, after we have walked with Jesus, and daily carried our “crosses” to the Lord, whatever they may be, we will lay those down, after all the years of clinging to that “Old Cross.”  And He promises His faithful ones a Crown of Life! (James 1:12).  And I look forward to that day, a day of joy, when old things pass away and our new life begins forever with Jesus.

So at this Easter season, look to the Cross.  Yes, it was an emblem of shame and suffering, but our Lord bore it all for you and for me.  And remember it was Friday, but Sunday was coming, His glorious resurrection!  So celebrate “Resurrection Sunday” with joy in your heart and Praise His Wonderful Name for the cross of redemption and our salvation.

In the Name of Jesus,

Pastor Sharon

SINCE JESUS CAME INTO MY HEART

SINCE JESUS CAME

INTO MY HEART

What a beautiful day here in our part of the country, and what a beautiful day to serve the Lord.  He makes everything beautiful in my life.  Whether rain or snow, Jesus comes and brings peace and joy in spite of circumstances in our lives.  Yes, sometimes the path is narrow, rocks in the road, storms, but at the end there will be continuous rainbows of love.

I heard a testimony just yesterday of a man who was raised in an anti-God home, and his parents are still very anti-God.  But this man was turning the station on his radio and heard a pastor repeating the sinner’s prayer for any listener who would like to receive Jesus into their hearts, and he was convicted of his sin and said the prayer with the pastor.  And his life changed dramatically. Now this man had never been to church, heard a gospel song, or read the Bible.  But at that moment, Jesus came into his heart and life.  Now he faces persecution from his parents, but his life has turned around completely and serves his Lord with joy, and from what I understand, his brother has also come to the Lord.  Oh, what a testimony of the Lord’s saving power!

I remember so well the night I received Jesus as my Savior at 8 years of age, and the next day everything looked and felt different and I could not get enough of the little Bible that was given to me.  I have led many to the Lord and have seen the joy of the Lord light up their faces.  It is like seeing a light being turned on.  I can’t explain it only to say, it is the Spirit of the Lord entering their lives, and now there is hope and a wonderful  joy of knowing that they have an eternity with Jesus.

Let me tell you the following story of a very old hymn.  We used to sing this when I was a child and I still enjoy this song.  The writer of this story faced great tragedy in his life and could still write and sing of the hope he had since Jesus came into his heart.

“It’s hard to think that this joyful gospel song was written after a father had buried his youngest son.  Rufus McDaniel’s son Herschel was greatly loved by his parents, so when his life was taken away at an early age, it was heart-wrenching for both mother and father.

But Rufus McDaniel felt the best way to honor his son was to write a gospel song full of joy and hope.  Such a song would not only lift him and his wife out of their melancholy but also be a suitable remembrance for their son Herschel.

So Rufus McDaniel, a pastor in southern Ohio, wrote this gospel song that speaks of a hope that is steadfast and sure, as well as a light in the valley of death.  The joy was there for Rufus because Jesus had come into his heart.” (Hymns by Petersen).

SINCE JESUS CAME INTO MY HEART

What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought since Jesus came into my heart!  I have 

light in my soul for which long I had sought since Jesus came into my heart!

Since Jesus came into my heart, since Jesus came into my heart, floods of joy o’er my soul like  

sea billows roll, since Jesus came into my heart!

I have ceased from my wand’ring and going astray, since Jesus came into my heart! And my 

sins which were many are all washed away, since Jesus came into my heart!

I’m possessed of a hope that is steadfast and sure, since Jesus came into my heart! And no dark 

 clouds of doubt now my pathway obscure, since Jesus came into my heart!

I shall go there to dwell in that City, I know, since Jesus came into my heart! and I'm 

happy, so happy as onward I go, since Jesus came into my heart.  (Rufus McDaniel (1850-1940).

Let me tell you of another experience of seeing the light of joy come into a life in an instant.  I was

visiting in the nursing home and walked into a room where a very elderly lady was sitting in her

wheelchair and I stopped to talk to her.  She noticed a cross I was wearing and asked me about it and

it opened a door to share Jesus with her.  She had been in a church all her life and had never heard the

gospel story and that Jesus loved her and died on the cross for her. 

I asked her if she would like to say a prayer with me and ask Jesus to come into her heart, and she 

said she would.  After the prayer, I saw the light come into her eyes and she started screaming, “All

my life I have been in this church and no one ever told me and now you come and told me about 

Jesus." She was so excited that I thought she would come out of her chair!  She had her hands raised 

and we had a wonderful time praising the Lord!  I never saw her again, as she left the facility the next

day,but I will meet her in heaven someday and what a time of rejoicing we will have.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, 

all things become new” II Corinthians 5:17.

Oh, my friends, when Jesus comes into our hearts, everything becomes new, the old desires pass 

away. Jesus washes away all our sins and we have hope, blessed hope.  As we walk this pathway 

no doubt and unbelief can obscure our pathway. Our hope is now eternal life with Jesus and we 

know that someday we will dwell in that city with Jesus.  And for some of us it is just over the hill, 

beyond the next sunset.  Some of us have to walk the pathway with Jesus just a little longer, but he 

has promised to never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5).

Has Jesus come into your heart?  He is waiting, waiting for you to ask Him in.  And you will

experience joy and peace and hope for everlasting life with Him.  And you too can sing the song, 

Since Jesus Came Into My Heart.”

Blessings, in Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

BLESSED QUIETNESS

 BLESSED QUIETNESS

As I again sit here and asking the Lord what I can bring to you today.  The news headlines have been very troublesome lately and the world seems to be getting darker with terrorist threats and the horrible murders of our fellow believers in Jesus.  My heart has been heavy and sought the Lord as to what He would have me share with you today.  I read an article from a noted evangelist stating to be prepared as “A Storm is Coming.”

 Are you ready for those storms as this earth seems to be winding down, getting ready for the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Many, many people, especially in Mideast countries and other places are coming to Jesus.  The enemy knows he has but a short time and as my pastor stated to me: “The enemy has his back up against the wall.”  He is angry and on the rampage it seems.  So where do we run in these times?  We run to those quiet places with Jesus, where the Holy Spirit brings His comfort and peace, for the Comforter has come.

On the stormy Sea of Galilee, Jesus commanded the winds and waves, “Peace, be still” (Mark 4:39, KJV), and immediately there was calm.  Later in the upper room, as Jesus told His disciples that He would leave them, He promised them the Holy Spirit and peace.

Manie Payne, born in Carlow, Ireland, was a Christian, but she did not know peace.  She struggled with her sinful nature until she began to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit. This is the “blessed quietness” that she wrote about.  Now, she was so happy she could hardly contain herself.  Indeed, joy was flowing like a river in her life.  Later she married T.P. Ferguson and founded Peniel Missions, with branches in Egypt, China, and the United States.  (“Hymns” by Petersen).

BLESSED QUIETNESS

Joys are flowing like a river since the Comforter has come.  He abides with us forever, makes the trusting heart His home.

Blessed quietness, holy quietness, what assurance in my soul! On the stormy sea He speaks peace to me, how the billows cease to roll.

Bringing life and health and gladness all around this heav’nly Guest, banished unbelief and sadness, changed our weariness to rest.

Like the rain that falls from heaven, like the sunlight from the sky, so Holy Ghost is given, coming on us from on high.

See a fruitful field is growing, blessed fruit of righteousness; and the streams of life are flowing in the lonely wilderness.

What a wonderful salvation, where we always see His face! What a perfect habitation, what a quiet resting place.  Manie Payne Ferguson (1850-1932).

Yes, the Comforter has come speaking peace to His people.  As we walk this path with Jesus, these storms will come upon us and as I stated earlier, the storms coming in this world can bring terror to our hearts, but He comes and abides with us forever.  And when we simply put our trust in Him, He makes our heart His home.  The Comforter has come, and He is the one who brings that blessed quietness.

This world is a noisy place.  I find it so being hearing impaired and my hearing is distorted sometimes, and I can’t understand what people say, all I hear is a roar of noise, so I have found I need some “blessed quietness.”  I need a place where the distractions of the world are stilled and I can listen for the sweet Holy Spirit to come.

And as we hear the news reports or read the papers, we need to run to that blessed place of quietness with our Lord.  There He banishes unbelief and sadness, bringing joy to our hearts.  And sometimes He comes down like rain, or the warm sunshine.  As I minister in the nursing home I have seen the joy that comes into a face when He comes to bring them comfort.  I have seen the light come on in weary faces when I touch them in the Name of Jesus.  Oh, such joy!

Oh, but we have assurance in these days of terror and strife and struggles in our own lives.  Because of Jesus and His love for us and His sacrifice on the cross we have assurance of His wonderful salvation, the assurance of His presence within our hearts by the indwelling Holy Spirit. And we have assurance that someday He is coming again in clouds of glory.  Oh, what a wonderful day!  We have assurance in the fact that when we die and go home to be with Him that “to absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” (II Corinthians 5:8).  There is so much to say here, I couldn’t begin to share the wonderful assurances we have, by faith, in our Lord Jesus.

So when those billows roll around us, we look to Jesus to calm the storm and bring peace to the waves of conflict around us.  We see fear and dread coming upon this world, we look to Jesus and to a place of Holy Quietness deep within our souls.  Do you have that peace, my friends?  Come to Him and simply ask Him to come into your heart and life, repenting of your sins.  And then thank Him for the cross and for giving us new life in Him, in the name of Jesus.

Pastor Sharon

ARE YOU ALMOST PERSUADED?

ARE YOU ALMOST PURSUADED?

I awoke this morning praising Jesus and thinking how absolutely sweet our Lord is and how grateful I am to be born again, walking with Jesus day by day and looking forward to eternity with Him.  Oh, what a thought!  There will be no more pain, sickness or sorrow or tears.  An eternity of everlasting joy!

We live in a world that seems to be getting darker spiritually every day.  Violence fills our land and the nations.  We hear of wars and rumors of wars.  We hear of our Christian brothers and sisters in other lands suffering horrible persecution because of their faith in Jesus, and many are dying for that faith. Could we be that strong in intense persecution for our faith?

So my heart is heavy for the lost and dying people of this nation, my city, and this world.  We need Jesus, He is our only hope.  He is your only hope, my friend.  This world cannot bring you peace.  Possessions will not bring you peace.  There are only two roads to eternity, one the straight road to eternal hell and the narrow road which leads to eternal salvation in Jesus Christ.

“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 in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” Matthew 7:13-14.

 Which road are you walking on, my friend?  Do you feel an emptiness inside which nothing seems to fill?  Jesus went to the cross for you and shed His precious blood for the forgiveness of your sins.  Are you almost persuaded?  Have you walked with Jesus in the past and wandered away from the things of God?  Please read the words of this great old hymn and let the Holy Spirit stir your heart.  First let me share the story of this hymn:

When the apostle Paul was on trial before King Agrippa, he gave a strong witness to his faith, and Agrippa responded, “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”  He was almost persuaded.

Philip Bless, the author of this hymn, heard a preacher end a sermon with the words, “He who is almost persuaded is almost saved, and to be almost saved is to be entirely lost.”  Bliss couldn’t forget those words, and he soon wrote the hymn “Almost Persuaded.”

It has been used an invitation hymn in bringing many to Jesus Christ.  One young man in London said, “God used that song in drawing me to Jesus.  I had been afraid . . . For six weeks that hymn was ringing in my ears, till I accepted the invitation.  I came, and am now rejoicing in the Lord, my Savior.” (HYMNS by Petersen).

ALMOST PERSUADED

“Almost persuaded,” now to believe; “Almost persuaded,” Christ to receive; seems now some soul to say, “Go Spirit, go Thy way, some more convenient day on Thee I’ll call.

“Almost persuaded,” come, come today; “Almost persuaded,” turn not away; Jesus invites you here; angels are ling’ring near, prayers arise from hearts so dear, O wand’rer come.

“Almost persuaded,” harvest is past! “Almost persuaded, “doom comes at last! “Almost” cannot avail; “Almost” is but to fail!  Sad, sad, that bitter wail, “Almost,” but lost.  (Philip Paul Bliss-1838-1876)

What a powerful message to those who are lost without Jesus.  Have you turned Him away, thinking I will think about this and when it is convenient I will come to Jesus.  You don’t know what tomorrow holds or even the rest of this day.  He is inviting you to come, angels are waiting, and people are praying for your eternal soul.

Someday time will end, Jesus will return, as the song says “harvest is past.”  The day of salvation will be over, no more opportunity to accept Christ, and those who reject Him will be lost forever.  What a sad day!

But there is hope.  I want you to walk with me down the “Romans Road” to Salvation . . .This comes from the book of Romans in the New Testament.

*  Because of our sin, we are separated from God.  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

*  The penalty for our sin is death.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).

*  The penalty for our sin was paid by Jesus Christ!   But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

*  If we repent of our sin, then confess and trust Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will be saved from our sins!  For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13).

. . .lf you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10).

Are you almost persuaded or are you persuaded now to make the most important decision of your life for eternity?  What a wonderful life it is to walk with Jesus!  He brings such peace and joy even in the midst of great trials.  I can’t explain it, but it is a life with Him at my side, walking with me on the path to eternal glory.  Won’t you come today down the “Roman Road” to salvation?  Just pray a simple prayer asking Him to come into your heart.  Pray with me:

“I confess to God right now that I am a sinner, and ask you to forgive my sins, and believe in my heart that Jesus Christ died for my sins on the cross and was raised from the dead to bring me eternal life with Him forever.  I now ask you, Jesus, to come into my heart and receive you as my personal Savior, and now believe that I am now born again into the kingdom of God.”

If you have prayed that prayer with me, I will pray that you find a Bible believing church and Christian friends to help you grow in the Lord.  And your heart will be filled with praise for your God, and you, too, will want to sing praises to His Wonderful name.

Pastor Sharon

WHISPERING HOPE

WHISPERING HOPE

As I sit here today I am remembering that exactly one year ago I fell and damaged my shoulder, and it has been a year of pain and surgery, and am now finally coming to the end of this time in my life, this storm cloud that I have walked through with Jesus.  I don’t know what this coming year will hold for me or for any of us, but we have our hope in Jesus, Praise the Lord!

So many of our fellow believers in Jesus, brothers and sisters in the Lord, have gone home to be with their Savior recently and in the last months, and I think of the families who have lost their loved ones and the wives.  But, oh, they have that blessed hope and know that someday, because of the resurrection of our precious Lord, their loved ones are home with the Lord and someday they will be reunited again and what a wonderful day that will be!

The following song, Whispering Hope, came to my memory recently.  I recall attending a Memorial Service for the husband of a dear friend.  He had been lost on the river and his body was never recovered.  This song was her testimony of hope.  Hope whispered comforting words to her and that the sunshine would shine again after the storm had passed.

There is very little information regarding the circumstances of the writing of “Whispering Hope” other than the fact that the song was written in 1868.  But one thing is certain, the song was written by prolific songwriter Septimus Winner who released much of work under the pseudonym, Alice Hawthorne.  The text of this song appears to be based on the scripture from Hebrews 6:19 which refers to the anchor that keeps the soul steadfast.  That anchor is also the “Whispering Hope” of the Christian.

“That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil: whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec” Hebrews 6:18-20.

WHISPERING HOPE

Soft as the voice of an angel, breathing a lesson unheard, hope with a gently persuasion whispers her comforting word; wait till the darkness is over, wait till the tempest is done, hope for the sunshine tomorrow, after the shower is gone.

Refrain:  Whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice, making my heart in its sorrow rejoice.

If in the dusk of the twilight, dim be the region afar, will not the deepening darkness brighten the glimmering star?  Then when the night is upon us, why should the heart sink away?  When the dark midnight is over, watch for the breaking of day.

Hope, as an anchor so steadfast, rends the dark veil for the soul, whither the Master has entered, robbing the grave of its goal; come then, oh, come, glad fruition, come to my sad weary heart; come, O Thou blest hope of glory, never, or, never depart.  (Septimus Winner, 1868)

I am so thankful for Jesus and that I belong to Him.  I can’t imagine what life would be like without Him.  It would be an empty life, a life with an eternity without Him and a life without any hope, no glimmer of light in our darkness.  Are you walking that path?  Remember there are many choices here on earth, but only two choices in eternity, eternal life, or eternal darkness, lost forever.  What will you choose?

 And in our difficult days, when the clouds cover our sky, we know that behind those clouds the sun will shine again.  And hope is indeed an anchor of the soul.  Hope keeps our focus on Jesus and on what is in store for each of us who love Jesus.  We know our hope is in an eternity forever with Him.  And our hope is in Him watching us and caring for all our needs as we tread down this road toward heaven.  When the dark midnight of our trials are over, we look ahead to the breaking of that eternal day, where there will be no more tears, sorrow, pain, or separation from those we love.

Since Jesus has conquered death, and we look forward to His soon return, our hopeful hearts look upward.  We see the signs around us.  It seems our world is falling apart and darkness abounds.  But someday the clouds will part and our Lord will light up the sky.  And we can cry with the song writer, “come to my sad weary heart; come, O Thou blest hope of glory.”

“Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” I Corinthians 15:51-52.

So, my friends, let His Word whisper hope in your heart.  We have a glad day coming, when the struggles we go through will all be just a dim memory.  And we shall look on His face, and bow in grateful praise for how far He has brought us, and that we have finally reached the end of the road.  And we may look back and see how far we have traveled, and that every step brought us closer and closer to home, all because of our hope in Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross and His glorious resurrection. 

Let Him whisper hope in your heart just now.  And you can then look ahead and see the sunrise just over the hilltop, and heaven awaiting you.  It could be today or tomorrow.  We don’t know just when He will come back or when each one of us will go home to be with Him.  As I get older, I realize that heaven is just getting closer.  So let that hope reign in your heart, in the name of Jesus.

In His Name,

Pastor Sharon

ALL IN THE NAME OF JESUS

ALL IN THE NAME OF JESUS

It’s a cold foggy day in our area, and we hope the sun comes out soon to shine upon our world here.  My heart is heavy today due to a situation I faced, and had to depend on the power of the Holy Spirit and my faith and love for my Lord Jesus to get me through this phone call which I received.

There are those in our world today and in our city here who don’t want the name of Jesus mentioned or hear a call of salvation.  This was in regards to funeral services for a precious lady who I have been seeing in a nursing home.  She is finally home, free of her tired body, and singing again with her lovely voice, giving praise to her Lord.

I was asked, as Pastor, to open in prayer, give a welcome and blessing to those gathered there.  But I was given a couple of stipulations, not to pray or mention the name of Jesus or give a call to salvation, as I might offend someone.  So I had to decline.  In past funerals, I give a message of hope to those attending, hope in eternal life with Jesus, to make sure their hearts are right with the Lord.  And give them the promise that if they know Jesus, they will see their loved one again.  It is a promise of the resurrection and new life with Jesus forever.  How can one pray or bless a gathering unless it is done in the name of Jesus? 

Do you love Jesus today?  I hope your life and all that you do is centered on Him alone.  This is a precious chorus centered on the name of Jesus.  No matter where we go or what we should do, His name is to be exalted.  His name should be first on our lips before our day begins and when it ends.  And, Oh, what blessing comes just whispering the name of Jesus. 

ALL IN THE NAME OF JESUS

Truth and beauty and happiness

It’s all in the name of Jesus.

Health and heaven, peace and rest

It’s all in the name of Jesus.

Joy and gladness, forgiveness too,

Life everlasting and free,

All that I’ve longed for and

All that I need,

It’s all in the name of Jesus.

Chorus

Jesus, Jesus, He’s here

And He’ll show us the way.

Jesus, Jesus He’s all

That we need today.

Care and comfort, healing and grace,

It’s all in the name of Jesus.

Warmth and sunshine, friendship too,

Fulfillment and blessing untold,

Hope for tomorrow and help for today,

It’s all in the name of Jesus.

Words and Music: Stephen Adams

What do you need today?  Everything is in His name.  It was mentioned to me that there are many roads to Christ, which many believe today.  Jesus saith unto him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me” John 14:6.  There is only one way to heaven and that has to come through Jesus Christ.  And He made that way possible by going to the cross, shedding His blood for our sins.  And we come into the Truth, He is the Truth, by repentance of our sins, and then we begin to see the beauty and happiness that He brings, with hope of eternity with Him.  It’s all in the name of Jesus.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” John 14:17.

The world and its pleasures cannot give you peace and rest.  All our “treasures” will someday melt away.  We take nothing with us when we die.  Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Jesus is all that I long for and all that I need, and it’s all in the name of Jesus.  His loving care and His comfort in the time of grief, it’s all in the name of Jesus.  Even the warmth of the sunshine, our wonderful Christian brothers and sisters in the Lord, and our hope for the days ahead and the needs that we have this day, it’s all in the name of Jesus.

“Wherefore God hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” Philippians 2:9-11.

There is a day coming, my friends, when every knee is going to bow to at the name of Jesus.  Those who have rejected Him down through history and today and those who have denied His name, will bow at the name of Jesus and proclaim Him Lord.  Are you ready for that day, my friend?  Oh, He has so much love for you and is not willing that any should perish without Him.  Be ready, my friends, because that day will soon be upon us and please don’t be one who is lost for eternity because you didn’t acknowledge that it’s all in the name of Jesus.

In the Name of Jesus,

Pastor Sharon