"How Much I Owe"

How Much I Owe

When this passing world is done,

When has sunk yon glowing sun,

When we stand with Christ in glory,

Looking o’er life’s finished story.

Then, Lord, shall I fully know ---

Not till then --- how much I owe.

When I stand before the throne,

Dressed in beauty not my own,

When I see Thee as Thou art,

Love Thee with unsinning heart,

Then, Lord, shall I fully know ---

Not till then --- how much I owe.

When the praise of heaven I hear,

Loud as thunder to the ear,

Loud as many water’s noise,

Sweet as harp‘s melodious voice,

Then, Lord, shall I fully know ---

Not till then --- how much I owe.

Even on earth, as through a glass

Darkly, let Thy glory pass,

Make forgiveness feel so sweet,

Make Thy Spirit’s help to meet

Even on earth, Lord, make me know

Something of how much I owe.

                     Robert Murry McCheyne

The effect of sin in your life.

WOW!! It is a relief to finally see a release of winters cold hand on our part of michigan. For the first time in to long I can see grass in our yard. However, If you look hard at winter you can learn a thing or two from it. Sometimes the cold of winter can be compared with coldness of our own hearts concerning the conviction of the Holy Spirit. After only a short period of time in sin, we can make the spirit of none effect because we won't listen to God's guiding voice. However, where there is cold there is a chance at thaw. We can always pray for forgiveness from God, confess our sins and start serving God again. Now I'm not at all saying that things will not be different. Concerning the sin, there is a chance you have ruined your testimony and are of little use to God. That doesn't mean you can't serve, it just means it will be an uphill battle, and he might not be able to use you like he could have.
If you look at the outcome it isn't worth even going in that direction, but God will always accept you back into his fold. Just remember, Your sin will always find you out.

Going Home

"Stepping Ashore"
Oh, think to step ashore,
   And find it Heaven;
To clasp a hand outstretched,
   And find it God's hand!
To breathe new air,
   And that, celestial air;
To feel refreshed,
   And find it immortality;
Ah, think to step from storm and stress
   To one unbroken calm:
To awake and find it Home.
                             Robert E. Selle

Beautiful, isn't it. To think of a day like that. Oh, to step from the sin and strife of this world to the calm of forever. To me this poem means peace, everlasting peace. From this vantage point its hard to imagine a world like that. A world of perfect peace in an everlasting state. Always being able to talk face to face with the most wonderful and awesome Friend that ever has been and always will be.
I think of the song "What A Day That Will Be" when my Jesus I shall see. Jesus gave us a glimpse of Heaven when he said "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:4 ¶ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Sounds great doesn't it? I can't wait.

Christmas and New Years -The aftermath

Hey everybody. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, I know I did. My grandparents came over and my Grandpa made his always amazingly good stew for Christmas Eve dinner. On Christmas night we went to church and heard an amazing message from our pastor. After the service we went back to my grandparents hotel room and  finished the night playing Skipbo and talking about the wonderful day we had. For New Years we went to our church and had a haystack supper. (For those of you who don't know what a haystack is, let me explain. First you layer your plate with tortilla chips or a single soft tortilla shell. Then you lay on the nacho/taco meat like never before. Now you have multiple choices you can have nacho cheese sauce, shredded cheese, guacamole, salsa, and everything else you can think of to put on a mexican meal. Usually the shredded cheese is last and if you do it right it looks like a haystack. One of the best meals on earth) After we ate, we started playing a few games my mom had prepared and had a great time. At about 10:30 we went into the auditorium and prayed in the new year. I thank the Lord for such a wonderful church family to go into the new year with. To face trials and triumphs, as well as temptations to either overcome or fall into to. As we go into the new year I think it would be good to realize that no matter what you have a decision to make. In this new year it is all to easy to just give up and take a the wrong path away from the wonderful God who loves you more than you can imagine. Don't turn away. I've seen to many people just up and walk away, never to walk through the church doors again. You could reach so many people for God if you would just give everything to Him. Don't become another spiritual casualty. Do something for God this year. Merry CHRISTmas and a happy New Year.

Tommorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book
Write a good one.    
                                              Unknown

New Year's Wishes

What shall I wish thee?
Treasures of earth?
Songs in the springtime,
Pleasures and mirth?
Flowers on thy pathway,
Skies ever clear?
Would this ensure thee
A Happy New Year?

What shall I wish thee?
What can be found
Bringing thee sunshine
All the year round?
Where is the treasure,
Lasting and dear,
That shall ensure thee
A Happy New Year?

Faith that increaseth,
Walking in light;
Hope that aboundeth,
Happy and bright;
Love that is perfect,
Casting out fear;
These shall ensure thee
A Happy New Year.

Peace in the Savior,
Rest at His feet,
Smile of His countenance
Radiant and sweet,
Joy in His presence!
Christ ever near!
This will ensure thee
A Happy New Year!

–Frances Ridley Havergal

Patriot or Politician

I  know its out of season but that's okay.

A POEM WORTH READING AND COMPREHENDING He was getting old and paunchy And his hair was falling fast, And he sat around the Legion, Telling stories of the past.   Of a war that he once fought in And the deeds that he had done, In his exploits with his buddies; They were heroes, every one.   And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors His tales became a joke, All his buddies listened quietly For they knew where of he spoke.   But we'll hear his tales no longer, For ol' Joe has passed away, And the world's a little poorer For a Veteran died today.   He won't be mourned by many, Just his children and his wife. For he lived an ordinary, Very quiet sort of life.   He held a job and raised a family, Going quietly on his way; And the world won't note his passing , 'Tho a Veteran died today.   When politicians leave this earth, Their bodies lie in state, While thousands note their passing, And proclaim that they were great.   Papers tell of their life stories From the time that they were young, But the passing of a Veteran Goes unnoticed, and unsung.   Is the greatest contribution To the welfare of our land, Some jerk who breaks his promise And cons his fellow man?   Or the ordinary fellow Who in times of war and strife, Goes off to serve his country And offers up his life?   The politician's stipend And the style in which he lives, Are often disproportionate, To the service that he gives.   While the ordinary Veteran, Who offered up his all, Is paid off with a medal And perhaps a pension, small.   It is not the politicians With their compromise and ploys, Who won for us the freedom That our country now enjoys.   Should you find yourself in danger, With your enemies at hand, Would you really want some cop-out, With his ever-waffling stand?   Or would you want a Veteran His home, his country, his kin, Just a common Veteran, Who would fight until the end.   He was just a common Veteran, And his ranks are growing thin, But his presence should remind us We may need his likes again.   For when countries are in conflict, We find the Veteran's part, Is to clean up all the troubles That the politicians start.   If we cannot do him honor While he's here to hear the praise, Then at least let's give him homage At the ending of his days.   Perhaps just a simple headline In the paper that might say: "OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING, A VETERAN DIED TODAY."

 

"Just What is Amazing Grace" Part 2

Now that you have heard that Jesus died for you, let me tell you how to attain eternal life. You can't. All the power and riches in all the universe can not even come close to price you would have to pay because it is not bought with money. It has already been bought by Jesus with the blood that
He shed. Even though it came at such a high price, He is offering it to you now. All you have to do it is take it. In God's word it says "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."(Ac 16:31) I don't think I have to tell you what that means. If you believe in your heart that God came to earth in the form of a man, suffered rejection and finally died for your sins and then was raised from the dead in His own power, all that is left is to ask God to forgive you of your sins and come live inside of you as the Holy Spirit. It doesn't matter what you have done what crimes you have committed because God's word says Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. (Ro 5:20)
Jesus' blood covers all your sin so that when God looks at you He doesn't see your sin, He sees Christ's blood. If you want you sins forgiven, ask Jesus to forgive you of all your sins and to cover you with his blood. That is God's Amazing Grace.


Salvation

Not what these hands have done
  Can save this guilty soul;
Not what this toiling flesh has borne
  Can make my spirit whole.

Not what I feel or do
  Can give me peace with God;
Nor all my prayers, my sighs, my tears
  Can bear my awful load.

Thy work alone, O Christ,
  Can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
  Can give me peace within.

        Horatius Bonar

(All verses quoted from the 1611 King James Bible)

Just What is Amazing Grace

When Adam sinned in the garden six thousand years ago man was separated spiritually from God. There was now a wall there that no human effort can break or climb or go around. The only hope man had was a promise made by God that he would make a great nation from Abraham's descendants and from that nation a Saviour, a Christ. Four thousand years later man is still waiting for the fulfillment to that promise even though they never did anything to deserve it. Then, at God's perfect time, a Saviour came down to man and subjected himself to the worst possible living conditions, His name was Jesus. Now let me tell you what he went through here on earth. When his mother was about ready to give birth they were away from home and could not find a hotel room, if you will, and a citizen of that city was kind enough to let them stay in his barn. That night the baby was born, wrapped in swaddling clothes, which were rags used to wipe down newborn calves I believe, and placed in a manger which was basically a feeding trough. growing up as a carpenters son, he didn't exactly have the best things in life. He had nice sized family with a few brothers and an unknown number of sisters. When twelve years of age he went with his parents to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast. After the feast was complete his parents went home guessing he was in the group of people they were traveling with. Once they had gone a days journey they started to look for Him. When they could not find him, they returned to Jerusalem and found him in the temple talking with the priests. He then went home with them and even though he was God in the flesh he submitted himself to their authority and became obedient to them. Once grown he was baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist, and then went into the wilderness for a forty day fast. While fasting he tempted greatly by the devil himself but came out with the victory. During his three and a half year earthly ministry he faced physical hunger and fatigue, was rejected and scorned of all men including friends and family. He was criticized and questioned many times by the hypocritical upper class of religious rulers. Then He was rejected a final time, taken to court illegally and sent around to different royal governors and officials. Finally Pontius Pilate, trying to make himself look good decided to give them their wish and condemned Him to be crucified on a cross. He was then whipped, mocked, slapped, spit on, and had his beard torn off. Then they placed a crown of thistles with thorns 3 inches long on his head and beat them down into his skull. When they finished that they put a cross (three rather large wood beams nailed together) on his shoulder and told him to walk up a hill. when they saw he was just to weak to do it, they called a guy of the street named Simon and told him to carry it up the hill. Once at Golgotha they layed the cross on the ground, put Him on it, and began to secure Him to it. They drove one big spike through one hand and into the wood, another big spike through the other hand and into the wood there, and one big spike through both His feet and He was nailed to the cross. While, then they picked that cross up with him in it and dropped the bottom of it into a 4 foot hole; dislocating every bone in His body. Then they watched, for six, long hours they watched him suffer. Blood pouring out of his wounds. Then He died. After thirty-three years of suffering, He died. After a while the Roman soldiers came by to see if the prisoners were dead. Usually the manner was, to make sure they were dead you broke their legs. They did that to the other two crucified men, but when they got to Jesus they saw he was dead so they they didn't do the normal thing. No, they stabbed him in the side with a spear. Then they took him off the cross and layed him in a borrowed tomb. There He lay. The promised Messiah, the Christ, the Saviour of the world in a tomb sealed with tape and guarded by soldiers. But that's not the end. No, not by a long-shot. Three days later he appeared outside the tomb with the keys of death and Hell in his hands. No longer was he a dead man laying in a grave. He was alive! Then He took the blood that He shed on Calvary and placed it on the mercy seat in heaven and I can picture him saying these words of life; "This is the sacrifice for mankind. From this day forward a wicked hell-bound sinner can come to me and receive life eternal in heaven to reign with me forever." That is love untold, ladies and gentlemen. That God did all that for you and me is just unfathomable for the mortal mind. We will never be able to understand just how much He loved his dear creation even though we could never pay him back for it. That is Amazing Grace.

Was it for me He bowed His head,
Upon the cross, and freely shed
His precious blood—that crimson tide
Was it for me the Saviour died?

It was for me...yes all for me...
O love of God.. so great, so free...
O wondrous love...I’ll shout and sing...
He died for me...my Lord and King!
—J. Danson Smith