Gail Cartee: Ready, Willing, and Able

Gail Cartee: Ready, Willing, and Able: Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. John 17:17 (NASV) Jesus prayed for us to be made holy through the truth. His word ...

Ready, Willing, and Able

Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. John 17:17 (NASV)

Jesus prayed for us to be made holy through the truth. His word is truth.  

The other day I saw two ladies get out of a car and head for our door. I thought, that's witnesses for a cult. It's suppertime. I'm tired and I don't want to talk to them. They knocked. I whizzed into the laundry room out of sight. I wasn't ready.

Peace, Be Still

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? Mark 4:39-40 

Ann Voskamp in One Thousand Gifts suggests we look for gifts in our daily lives. This week, the wind blew like the Lion of March. Trees whipped against each other scrubbing branches and waving away the birds. There is suppose to be dangerous thunderstorms tonight. After weeks of spring weather in February, the storm clouds are gathering. The wind has calmed and the stillness quiets the hillside. The smoke of the wood stoves drift low and slow through neighborhoods.  

Celebrate!

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: Matthew 11:25 KJV

Here at Easter we see lots of eggs and bunnies, but how did a bunny replace the Lamb in the Easter story? Easter is actually a celebration of a pagan goddess, Eostre. Hares are symbolic of her. Her celebration coincides with our celebration of the resurrection of the Savior.  

The other celebration is Passover. Passover has everything to do with Easter. What is Passover? Simply, it is the remembrance of the night the Death Angel passed over the houses of the Hebrews who had the blood of a lamb on the doorposts and lintel. The blood placed on the outside caused all in the house to come in under the blood to safety. This was the night Pharaoh finally released the Israelites from bondage and allowed them to leave Egypt. It is also the meal Jesus ate as the Last Supper just before He was arrested.

Jesus the Messiah, fulfilled the Passover when He was sacrificed for our sins. As the Israelites were freed from Pharaoh on that night, so we who allow Jesus to cover our sins by repenting, asking His forgiveness and receiving that forgiveness by faith are freed from the bondage of sin and death by His blood.

Christians as well as Jews celebrate Passover with a Seder meal. As part of the meal, a piece of matzoh  (unleavened bread) is broken, placed in a cloth and hidden somewhere in the house. At the end of the meal, the children are allowed to search for the matzoh. During the meal, children ask questions about the celebration with bitter herbs, salty water tears, and a lamb shank. The search for the bread brings the celebration to an end. To Christians, this is the resurrection of Christ's body, The Bread of Life, wrapped and hidden in the tomb three days.

What are your Easter celebrations? How are they meaningful to you and your family?

Blessings for the Easter season,

Gail

Hey Kids:

Do you know about Passover?

Would you like to have a Christian Seder?

Start by reading Exodus 12.

You will need:

motzah bread (found in the specialty aisles of most grocery stores)

Parsley
Grape juice

Horseradish

Leg bone of a lamb or chicken.

You may want to check out these sites for a detailed version of how to have your own celebration.

http://www.crivoice.org/seder.html

http://annvoskamp.com/2012/03/the-best-easter-dinner-with-a-free-printable-start-a-christian-tradition-messianic-seder/

What is Truth?

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

When Jesus was brought before Pilate, Pilate asked if He were a king? Part of Jesus' answer was that He had come to bear witness to the truth. Pilate responded with the question "What is truth?" 

We all seem to hold to our own truth. We often base "truth" on 

• feelings - this just feels right, it's a good opportunity

I remember a song when I was growing up: "If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right." Feelings get in the way of the truth.

• experiences - from life

Well, that's just the way I was raised. Culture gets in the way of truth.

• personal perceptions - our own reasoning

Well, I think... points 1., 2., 3. and we feel we've won the debate. Our perception of our own intelligence gets in the way of truth. 


In Jesus prayer for the disciples and us, He asked the Father to sanctify them through the truth, to make us holy. Then He says thy word is truth.

Satan uses several ploys to tempt us into believing a lie. 

• Lies
• Lusts
• Murders whether real or in thought or character assignation

Temptations lead us away from the truth and into sin that Satan will use to accuse us to the Father. (Rev. 12:10)

So how do we combat Satan's temptations? Ephesians 6:14 tells us to be gird about with the truth. When putting on armor, the girdle or belt holds all the rest of the armor together. Prov 3:5-6 tells us not to lean on our own understanding. 

As we see the new life of spring beginning, may we begin anew pledging our lives to the Truth. How?

• Hear it.
• Read it.
• Memorize it.

Finally humble ourselves beneath its authority. 

Can you think of ways our feelings or experiences, or our personal perceptions get in the way of our following the authority of the truth? What verses could we use to combat these lies from Satan?

Hey kids:

Where is your favorite quiet place? 

Yeah, that's a good one. 

Now, what's your favorite Bible verse? 

Do you have it memorized? 

Try this. 

• write the verse on a card
• take it to your favorite place
• take a stick and copy it in the dirt or sand or use chalk to write it on a rock
• make up a song using the verse

Can you read it with your eyes closed? 

Congratulations, you've memorized it!!

Blessings,

Gail