Crosses on a hill

 

 

Everything is showing signs of spring - peach and apple trees blossom, daffodils and tulips pop up everywhere. Even the pine trees are sporting new growth. But wait! What is that I see?

 Today

 This morning, a pair of hungry house finches searched

 the wreath on the door.

 At noon, a wren sang a song from the dogwood tree.

Black, against the evening sky, three geese flew in form, 

What did I do today?

Was I hungry for God’s Word this morning?

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Did I search for the Truth I need to hear?

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Did I sing a song of rejoicing at noon?

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

Did I work in unity with the brethren?

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

What did I do today?

References: Matt.5:6; John 8:32; Psalms 100:1; John 17:21

Hey Kids:

April is Poetry Month so I thought I'd get a jump on things.
I wrote a little free verse about birds.
Each bird I observed reminded me of something the Lord wants us to do.
What are you observing this week?
How is the Lord using your observations to direct you?

Hope my attempt at poetry inspires you to write a little too. Let me know how it turns out.

Together

 

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. ~Hebrews 10:25 (ESV)

My apple tree stood alone this year during bloom time. Lots of pretty blooms covered the tree but no baby apples grew. We had to cut down the two trees that stood on each side. They were rotting and produced poorly. I intended to replant but it just didn't happen. Apple trees need one another to pollenate and produce apples. 

Churches need their members to produce fruit. They need people to faithfully do the necessary jobs of preaching, teaching, disciplining, singing, making music, and just faithfully encouraging one another. If the members forsake meeting together, who will invite, who will greet, who will instruct, who will sing and make a joyful noise? Who will encourage us? How will the church produce the fruit of the next generation? 

Maybe we can start here.

• Pray for those we noticed who weren't there this week.
• Let others know they are missed by sending a card, visiting, or making a call or text.
• Reach out to co-workers and friends who do not attend a church. 
• Volunteer to do something, sing, play an instrument or put together a family night.
• Volunteer to teach a class.
• Clean the bathrooms (everything is an important job).

Just like apple trees, to produce fruit, we need one another. May I encourage you to go stand beside someone at church this week?

Heavenly Father, help us to encourage one another by inviting others to your house, by participating, and volunteering to do the scary and necessary jobs. Please help me to be present to greet those who have come to worship you. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

What kind, or encouraging words can you share with others? How can you be helpful at church, at school, and in your neighborhood?

Even a child is known by his deeds,

Whether what he does is pure and right.

~Proverbs 20:11 (NKJV)

Even a young person can do many of the things in the bullet list above. How will you stand with others to help your church produce fruit? 

To Tell the Truth

 

 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting;

and his truth endureth to all generations. Psalms 100:5

"What is truth?" Pilate asked Jesus this question. He didn't wait to hear the answer. 

The picture on this blog of the apple blossom with the bee inside tells us a truth. An apple blossom opened and its sweet fragrance drew a bee. The bee is pollinating the apple blossom by dusting the pollen from the stamen (the male part of the flower) onto its body and dusting pollen from other apple trees onto the pistil (the female part) of the apple blossom. From this pollination, an apple will form which will be food for many creatures and people. It will also form seeds that will grow more apple trees. 

That's not the end of the picture. What about the bee? It will return to the hive with pollen to be made into honey to feed the hive and allow the queen to produce more bees to replenish the hive. The honey will also be food for other creatures and people. 

This is a very simple explanation of both processes, but it is plain that there must have been a plan for this to work so perfectly in tandem. Would we just pour liquids into a vial and wait until it exploded and expect to make something? We would never attempt even the most simple of tasks without first having a plan we expect to succeed. 

Pilate asked the same question many people ask today. "What is truth?" Earlier Jesus, while praying to the Father declared "thy word is truth." (John 17:17).

So why is it that we ask "What is truth?" when we have the truth probably in our own homes. Suppose we don't have a copy of God's word in our homes. Romans 1:20 says we are without excuse. That creation itself shows us the Godhead and His eternal power. You may say, "nature has evolved over millions of years." Why not consult the truth?

 Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created...

So many people today are rejecting the truth in the name of equity, love, tolerance, etc, etc, etc. The truth is no one wants the truth because it doesn't approve of their sin. Excuse me for the politically incorrect term. I should have said agenda. Sin is sin and I called it what it is. Anything that is the opposite of truth is a lie. A lie is a false witness. The Bible has said Do not bear false witness. Again, truth is God's word. What other truths are found from the beginning?

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. ~ Genesis 1:27

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. ~Genesis 2:23,24

Heavenly Father, Help others not to think I am unkind. My desire, Lord, is to speak the truth in love so that no one is deceived by believing a lie. In Christ Jesus's name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

Spring is showing up more every day. What a special time of year Life is being resurrected from the dead of winter. We discussed some of God's special plan for creation in the devotion above. 

As the weather warms, go out and try spotting bees. 

Count how many flowers a bee visits in a minute.

What type of flowers are the bees visiting?

If you're not allergic, see how close you can get. Can you spot the pollen sacs on the back legs?

Honey bees won't usually sting because once they sting they die.

Try journaling your observations. Draw some pictures of the bees you've spotted.

Thank Jesus for His marvelous creation. 

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1:16

I borrowed some of the Hey Kids ideas from my friend's new devotional Quirky Critter Devotions by Annette Whipple. Check out her devotions and activities for an adventurous summer. 

What Does the Holocaust have to do with Purim?

       

No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD 

 ~ Isaiah 54:17 NIV

One of the saddest times in recent history is the Holocaust. Since the beginning of creation Satan has attacked God's people thinking he could win. When God provided the first sacrifice He not only showed Adam and Eve there is forgiveness of sin through the coming of His Son but He told Satan he would be defeated by His Son. So all through history Satan has dreamed up plans to stop the coming of the Messiah Jesus. When Jesus was crucified Satan thought he had won until Jesus came forth from the grave, alive again forever more. So what is Satan trying to do now? 

Satan knows one day he will find himself eternally in the bottomless pit, not in control but in eternal punishment of hellfire. His last ditch effort is to destroy God's people, the Jews. Psalms tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Peace is not an absence of war. It's not happiness gained with money. No one can have peace without salvation that gives a peace past finding out. In other words you can't understand the peace God gives without knowing Him in a personal relationship. Scripture says before the great and terrible day of the Lord Israel will come to know their Messiah (Zechariah 12). So we see over and over in history how Satan tried to destroy the Jews. 

In the 1930's a man named Julius Streicher began publishing a newspaper Der Strumer (The Attacker). It was propoganda against the Jews. He also published a children's book, Giftpilz (The Poisonous Mushroom). It too was propaganda to turn the children against their Jewish schoolmates and neighbors.  He was vehemently anti-Semetic, so much so that after the World War II he was charged with war crimes. He was convicted and sentenced to death. A gallows was built. As he was led to the gallows to be hung he said, "Purim 1946". 

Purim the day the Jews were to be destroyed by Haman. Esther had intervened for God and her people. Now there is the feast of Purim to celebrate the saving of the Jews from destruction. 

It seems strange that someone who knew the scripture well enough to know he was a modern day Haman would be willing to be used in such a horrific way. In our times many in government are trying to destroy our faith. They are trying to silence us just as Haman and Streicher tried to do. But as Esther and others stood firm in the face of death, we too must stand firm in proclaiming the gospel even if it comes to death. Satan cannot prevail against Christ and his church. 

on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 

~Matthew 16:18 ESV

Father, we know you are the good and perfect God. Though we may go through trials and may even face death, you have promised us a place of eternal peace. A place of no more dying, no more tears, no more pain. Father God, help us look to you for strength in our times of need. May we rejoice in your salvation. In Jesus's name. Amen.


Hey Kids:


Do others make fun of you when you don't go along with their sinful actions?
Are you asked to read books that are against scripture?
These things are happening in many public schools across our country. How can you stand against these things? First and foremost you have to have a personal relationship with Jesus. 

• There has to be a time and a place where you know you are a sinner, you have done wrong things, like telling a lie, disobeying parents, taking something that doesn't belong to you. 
• There has to be a time and a place where you ask Jesus to forgive you and save you.
• There has to be a change in your life, the way you live and behave that is different than the way you were. It doesn't mean you will never sin again but it does mean that when you sin you will feel sorry and ask God's forgiveness so that you stay in the right fellowship with Him. 

God is a powerful helper to those who have come to Him for salvation.  If you've never heard or read the stories of Daniel, Esther, and David, let me encourage you to begin learning about these true heroes/heroines of the Bible.