More Than Just Another Day

February 2nd for some is just another day and nothing to be excited about. For others it is the day they root for a oversized rodent to get pulled out of his home  and see if he sees his shadow or not. If he does , that means we have 6 more weeks of winter. If he doesn't, it means we have 6 more weeks of winter. Strange how that works out! Hey at least it gives some people a reason to party and enjoy themselves at the groundhog's discomfort. But I digress!


Many of us have a day that means so much to us and for me February 2nd is one of those days. You see two things had taken place on this day that that have had a dramatic impact on my live directly. And now its not because some groundhog did or did not see his shadow. You see the first thing that happened on this day was that my father was born. So yes it did have a very great impact on my life and continues to do so. Had he not been born then neither I nor my siblings would be here today. I will let it up to you whether that has been a good thing or a bad thing! Unfortunately, I never got to know my father  because he left us when I was very young. My mother took ill and she was forced to put 3 of us in foster care and the oldest were given up for adoption to a family in the church which turned out to be a bad choice for us a family. So although I grew up without a dad, the day is still significant for me in that the man who shared in bringing me into the world was born.


The second thing about this great day was what God did for my mother. She was invited to a faith healing service on February 2nd 1969 at Enola Assembly of God in Enola, PA. a wonderful friend Winnie King invited her to go so she went not knowing her life was going to change by  the night's end. My mother had been living with MS since its onslaught and never seemed to be showing any signs of improving, she went to church that night in her wheel chair. It was during the service that she shared how she heard a voice tell her to get up and walk. She wasn't sure who told her to do it but she started to reach for her crutches but the voice said no she let them go and began to stand up. I would have loved to been there when she started to walk around and before she knew she was running. She eventually jumped over the altar and then onto the platform. God healed her of the MS that night and that changed all of our lives. God had done what medical science could not and still cannot do today. Not only did he change my mother's life, who has since gone on to her heavenly reward, but each one of us kids lives were not changed as well. By that October, Kathie, Doug and I were again living with our mother as a family. That is not to say we didn't have our share of struggles because we did but we were still blessed because e of what God did that one glorious day at a faith healing service 48 years ago at a small Pentecostal church that still believes in a God that loves us and is still in the healing business.


I am sure many of you have such a day in your life that has dramatically touched your life be it a sad one like 9/11 which claimed a friend of mine's life or a wonderful one such as the birth of a child. We can be sure of one thing for certain. The same God that healed my mother on Groundhog day 48 years ago is still the same God today as He was then and will be the same God in the future because He never changes. So it may be a different day or year but we still serve the same Almighty GOD who is our loving heavenly Father. So what is your day that changed your world? I hope you have a great Groundhog's day

The Last Vestage Of Winter

Today I watched as rain has been melting away some snow piles that have been created from the snowstorms we had a couple of weeks ago. I also saw the river flowing and rising as it melted the ice pack that has built up from the severe cold temperatures. The temperatures have come up and the weather is warming up to early spring temperatures. I even saw some tulips popping through in our flower garden. Winter has wanted to hold on but slowly the season is drawing to a close. Many are thankful to see spring finally come including myself. But as I thought about it, I was also thinking about something else that seems to ebbing away much like the winter,


I have been watching the news on television and radio and even some newspaper articles that serve to tell me that the godly principles on which this nation was founded on are disappearing quickly today. God was very much at the heart of this nation's founding. He has blessed this nation abundantly over the years because we have remembered that it was His plan for this nation. The sad thing is that as we turn our back on God as a nation we are losing that blessing and beginning to face His judgments. We not only tolerate those things that God hates and calls sin but now we are told to embrace these things. As believers we have always stood for those things that God and His Word said were righteous and worthy. Now even some churches are taking His Word and stripping it of any and all power to transform this world into the image of His Son! Now they want to openly embrace the world's morality and embrace it thus allowing the world to transform the church into it's image! We are hated when we take a stand for righteousness and refuse to accept the world's distorted view. believers have been called to change the world not the other way around. It has to break God's heart when He sees people taking away the very thing that will change peoples' hearts and ultimately change the world. Paul stated it very clearly that the gospel is the power of God for Salvation! Nothing can ever make this world into what it was designed to be by God except God and His power. I believe that it is time we stand up and say with Paul that "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ because it truly is the power of God for salvation". As the days come to an end before God sends His Son to come get His bride, we need to boldly stand up in this dark and dying world and share this powerful Gospel no matter what it may cost us!


I am reminded of the movie "Independence Day" when the president addressed the men who were about to fight the aliens. He said if this was the day they would cease to be that they would not go quietly into the night. Our enemy wants us to go quietly but we need to stand up and shout out we will not go quietly. Let's take back this nation for God and say enough is enough! Remember that we know had the story ends!

When the Christmas Lights Go Dark

I love Christmas and all it represents. I don't even mind the busy schedule and all the things that take up our time. There are family gatherings, office parties and various church activities which take place during this time of year. It can sometimes be stressful and hectic yet still a wonderful time of the year. It just seems that it takes a long time for Christmas to get here then it is all over before you realize it. New Years comes and goes and the holiday is over. It is when I see the lights in the neighborhood go dark after the final night that makes it real that Christmas is over. I go through the neighborhood and no longer see any lights that makes me aware that I now have 11 months before I see them light up again.


As I thought about Christmas and the sadness I feel when things go back to normal, I give thought that Christmas isn't really a season that last for a few weeks but it is more of an attitude that we should have all year long. Why should we only celebrate Christ coming to this earth as a baby only at Christmas? Shouldn't we be doing that all year long? We should be giving thanks to God for sending His Son to the Earth to become our Savior. The greatest gift we could ever have received is for God to allow Jesus to come to this earth to take away our sin and give us forgiveness and redemption. We can celebrate His coming each and every day we live. The light of Jesus needs to bring light to a lost and dark world. Scripture tells us that the world has seen a great light. That light is not like the Christmas lights that go dark a few weeks. The lights of Christmas are only a reminder of the light He brings to this dark and dying world. He came to this world to bring the light of love and grace to world in need of salvation. .


So yes the lights of Christmas may shine only for a few weeks then go dark until next Christmas season but we can always choose to celebrate because the Light of Christmas will brighten up our hearts and lives each and every day as long as we have Christ in our hearts. When Jesus came to this Earth over 2000 years ago, there was no room in the inn for Him . So the question I have for us today is "Is there room in our hearts for Him today?". I hope each of you who read this have chosen to light your hearts up with His light. Have a blessed New Year in 2015!

Peace in the Middle East- Really?

Everyday you hear more and more news from the Middle East about conflicts and terrorism. You also hear folks talking about the fact that they would love to see peace come to this region. But the longer it goes the more violence and unrest that comes out of this area. The US government always like to think that it can bring the different factions to the peace table and walk away with some lasting peace accord. Sadly this something that we will ever see happen. Not yet anyway! There will be only person that will bring peace to this region! That is Jesus Christ!


As Americans we are naïve to think that we can bring these different groups to a peace conference and walk away smiling holding some kind of a peace agreement. Many times we have thought that we were successful in doing just that only to find that the peace didn't last very long. The groups were soon back to their fighting. Just look at the war between Israel and Hamas several weeks ago. They would agree to a ceasefire but in no time at all Hamas was firing rockets back into Israel. The whole problem in the Middle East is not just a political issue but is more importantly a spiritual issue. These groups have been at odds for thousands of years. It started Isaac and Ishmael. It was carried on by Jacob and Esau. This is not something new. The truth is that there will be conflict there until Christ returns and comes to rule and reign from Jerusalem. When He does, He will rule with righteousness and justice. The nations will have no choice but to serve and obey Him. After the church is raptured and the Antichrist gains his power, there will be a false peace in the Middle East. But as with as everything man does, it will be broken and God's judgments will fall on this world. When the 7 years are over, this world will see Jesus return to take His place as the rightful King of the world. What an awesome thought! For once this world will see and experience true peace not just in Israel but in the whole world for 1000 years. Once the nations revolt and Christ triumphs over them, then will this world finally enjoy true peace. Oh to see that day come!


Until that time comes, we are commanded to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We need to pray for the nation of Israel and also for the nations around her. We need to pray for the Muslim people that they would come to know the true God and come to Christ. This spiritual problem will only be solved when God's Holy Spirit draws them into a personal relationship with Christ. So until all these things come to pass as the Scriptures have foretold, lets continue to pray for the peace that the angel announced to the shepherds so many years ago in a field outside of Bethlehem. Glory to God in the highest and on earth Peace and goodwill toward men!

Its Time to Take a Stand

I make it a habit of listening to the news in the morning before I go to work. Lately I am hearing more and more of news about people who are trying to shut Christians up and keep them from sharing their faith. The atheists tried to prevent the cross found in the rubble of the Towers from being displayed at the 9/11 museum. Others have been told that they can't wear T shirts with any type of Christian message because it is considered offensive. Graduating students who are giving speeches are told they can't mention God by school districts. We are being forced to be quiet while those who are opposed to us can run rough shod  over us. They say we are intolerant when in actuality they are the ones that are intolerant.


I believe it is time that we as believers stop giving in and remaining quiet. We need to step up and tell them in a loving way that we will no longer be quiet and give into them so they can go unopposed and take away our religious freedoms. The founding forefathers would cringe at what they would see today. This nation was founded on religious freedom. The Pilgrims came here to escape religious persecution. Other groups followed as well. So the freedom that this country was established on is the same freedom that allows groups such as Freedom from Religion and others to protest and to try to silence us and keep us from being able to affect our society. Students in school have the right to share their faith with other students. We have the right to express our beliefs and to push the government to do those things that will benefit this nation. We need to stop being afraid of the enemy and begin to stand up against him. I love what the Apostle Paul states in Romans 1. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation first to the Jews then to the Gentiles." We as believers serve a mighty God who gives us the power and the victory to proclaim the Gospel. I believe it is time that we stop cowering and start standing up when it comes to our faith. It is because we have the truth and the words of life that we must share our faith. If we do not speak up and witness to those who are lost, they will enter eternity without Christ. If we do witness and they refuse to believe, it is their responsibility for their choice. If we don't share Christ with them, we must take responsibility for their souls.  When we share our faith, it needs to be genuine and should always match up with our actions. Lets walk the talk and talk the walk!


I realize that the time is coming when we may face persecution for our faith here but for now we can still publically profess our faith in Christ. So lets work while it is still today and allow God to us to change lives though the power of the Gospel. Let us pray that the Spirit of God will indeed give us the courage to be the men and women of God that the lost and dying need to see so they will not only hear but also believe in the loving God we serve.

Passion in the Midst of Pain

Today I checked on FaceBook to see how our friend Gayle was doing. She has been moved to a Hospice facility as she is facing her mortality because of cancer. She had been diagnosed with cancer and had been fighting the fight to be victorious over it. She said in a post that she wasn't giving up but she was now tired and was ready to go home. Someone had posted on her facebook page that she was in pain last night and she needed help. I loved her response to the pain she was experiencing.


She was waiting for the nurse to come and give her some medication to relieve her pain. As she waited, she did what was natural for Gayle. She raised her arms and began to pray in the Spirit. She was not allowing the pain to keep her from going to her source of strength. She knows that she serves a God who is always there for her and loves her with an everlasting love. As she began to pray in the Spirit, she was speaking aloud in tongues as she laid there in her bed. The nurse came into the room to give her some pain medication and realized that something was happening. It is my understanding that the nurse was familiar with speaking in tongues as she was with the Assemblies as a child. God is so in control of every situation we will ever face! As Gayle prayed her pain began to decrease allowing her to become more relaxed and comfortable. What a God we serve!

The question for us then today is how do we respond to the storms or circumstances that we face in our lives. Do we allow emotions to dictate how we respond or do we choose to praise God even when faced with our mortality? We have to make a choice when faced with such things. As the team said in "Facing the Giants", if we win will praise Him, if we lose we will praise Him! We do not always know how things will turn out when we begin to go through a situation. God knows and that should be our source of strength because nothing catches Him unaware. He knows the plans He has for our lives and the path we will walk. When we walk life's path, He walks with us every step of the way. We are never alone even if sometimes we feel that way. We simply have to allow our faith in God to rise up within us and begin to praise Him. When we do that, His presence will always surround us and allow us to experience the peace that only He can give!


As we wait for Gayle to experience a healing either here on earth or she goes to be with her Savior, we can be thanking God that we have indeed been blessed to have known this woman of God and to have been touched by her life and ministry. She will missed here but we know that she will be rejoicing with all the saints who have gone on before her. But take heart! Those who are in Christ will see her again soon when Christ returns for His bride!

An Empty Cage

Downstairs in our house there is an empty cage. Actually there are now 2 empty cages in our basement. You see in November of last year we had to put two of our bunnies down, Stewart and Goliath, because of old age and health issues. That was expected but recently our other beloved bunny, Daisy Boy, past away suddenly from something affecting his breathing. We are heart broken because of his passing. We loved those bunnies. Some folks understand while others who aren't pet owners were less sympathetic to our loss. Unfortunately life does come with its good times and its bad. The question we need to answer is how do we deal with those times when they come whether good or bad.


We have lost other bunnies over the years all due to age and health issues from old age. We never liked to have to take them to the vet but we loved them too much to make them suffer. But the loss of our bunnies is only a small portion of pain that has come or will come to us in our lives. We do mourn their loss but life continues and we end up with new bunnies for pets as we will again. We have lost loved ones such as my mother and her grandparents. We have faced other things that could make us want to be bitter at God and others if we chose to do so. We also have the choice to allow God to use these difficult times to shape us and makes us more into the image of Christ. I am reminded that diamonds are nothing more than coal but look at the price difference between a diamond and a lump of coal. What is the difference? Simple. The diamond is a piece of coal that has been exposed to a lot of pressure. We are diamonds in the rough when it comes to our spiritual life. It is the trials we face that God uses to change and transform us. Our faith will only grow when it is tested. The more it is tested the stronger it becomes. Only people who refuse to face reality think life is free of pain and is nothing bad ever happens. If that were only true! But we all know that it isn't and we will all deal with hurt and pain. We are told that mourning comes in the dark but joy comes in the morning. So as we are facing these times of difficulty we are assured that we will overcome if we are in Christ and we remain there. We are the ones who must decide if we are going to be bitter or better because of our trials. We make the choice.


As we think about our poor bunnies that we have lost, we remind ourselves of the great times we had with them. We are going to a bunny show next week to look for new bunnies. We miss having a bunny or two running around the basement and chasing them when it is time for bed to get them in their cages. So as life continues we will always be reminded of the time we had with all of them. But even more importantly, we look forward to the time we are in Heaven with all our loved ones who went on before us. As the old hymn goes, "It will be worth it all" !