Eleventh Hour Gift

James 4:17 “Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.”

A Moral Compass

Yesterday I was reading one of my morning emails by Max Lucado, this one was titled “An Eleventh Hour Gift”. If you’re a Christian, you might know where I’m going with this and what it all means. The eleventh-hour gift was the gift of forgiveness as Jesus hung on the cross dying.

When one criminal hurled accusations at Jesus, the criminal on His other side chastised him for saying such a thing about a man who had done nothing wrong! “Yes we did something wrong, yes, but this man is innocent!” No one knows exactly what was said while three men hung bleeding to death on a cross but Jesus said something profound, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” My faith tells me that THAT is the kind of man Jesus was/and IS all about, love and forgiveness.

What? This criminal? Paradise? Full of sin gets to see paradise? Yes, people, that’s what Jesus’ death was for this tainted world, forgiving our sin-filled nature. Did these men attend church? Did they wash Jesus’ feet? Did they tithe and read scripture regularly, picking it apart word for word so they got it right with the Lord? Do they get to see paradise too? 

It gets tricky and I believe this is why we have an era stuck in a world judging God/Jesus and the moral compass. They answer to no one and forcing them to read a Bible that is full of sinners, rapist, killers, sodomy, and incest, the line of teaching gets lost and they come out on the other end with their own truth. Atheist didn’t become that way because they DIDN’T read the Bible, no, more than likely they read it and came away with their own summation.

I have a son, nieces, and nephews from blood and marriage and I know the different upbringings each of them had and what they carry with them. They define God in their own way, no matter what the Bible says, their parents said, ministers say, they come to their own conclusion of what a Moral Compass even is; they answer to no one. And even the ones that turned out to be Christians, came out believing ‘God didn’t mean it this way or that way, again, making their own truth fit what they’ve read and learned.

This is sad but when I read that email of Max Lucado’s it seemed pretty clear to me, Jesus didn’t die because we were all perfect in our moral compass worlds. He died because we are ALL sinners. So does that mean we get left behind because we’re out here with our high and mighty Moral Compass? We do everything right and honorable and fall on occasion, so does that mean we’re just going to be forgotten in our eleventh hour? I don’t believe so.

Will all of the children growing up today be forgotten because they don’t understand what the bible and the message said? No, they won’t! They are not being taught and much of what is taught is misconstrued, mixed and a jumbled up mess of laws, vows, deaths, and sins, they see no hope in the Word and are not taught of the HOPE in the Word.

People today are so vindictive, so eager to have the upper hand and smite the neighbor, it is a long line of misconceptions we teach our kids that it is okay, because of what, God forgives? TO ME, it is us, who already know that it’s a sin who will have trouble ‘knocking on heavens door.’

What I’m saying is, today is Good Friday, it is the day designated as the day Jesus was hung on the cross. I say designated because no one, and I mean NO ONE, knows of the day or hour our Lord was hung on the cross. One thing we Christians ARE certain of is that He died with one last breath forgiving a sinner who didn’t know any better all of his life, that Jesus was the God that many searches for. He forgave mankind, point blank!

I remember when I broke my femur last September and I laid crying in pain, what kept me sane at the moment was knowing Jesus suffered more as He made his way to the cross. The images of Jesus being whipped and beaten as He dragged the heavy wood to the top of ‘Skull’s Hill’ gave me something to focus on other than what I was enduring. Every drop of bloodshed, every laceration, every wail of pain from an innocent man, left my pain feeling small and petty.

As the past six weeks have been filled with pains all over my body that I DID NOT expect to feel, I thought I could handle any pain after Septembers rain of pain but this pain is just as immeasurable and I failed to conjure the images that I know might carry me through to the finish. I feel like a failure as I head into my New Year, no longer looking forward to ringing in the New Year in the fashion that I’ve done for years now. It’s all changed. Life has changed, the world has changed.

Easter Sunday will be different this year. My husband has to work, my son has to work, the family will rejoice with food and one another, sharing and caring and I’ll be left alone to celebrate my New Year in the fashion that I saw it coming, alone, with the One that forgave man, all of mankind, for being the sinners they are.

One thing I can say is that this Sunday I will RISE from my bed, and embrace the chance to live another day, basking in His glory! Another sunrise and sunset to tell the people of the world that no matter the sin, no matter the pain and shame you feel, there is the eleventh-hour forgiveness awaiting each and every one of you. Remember, it’s your magnetic moral compass that will lead you north or south

James 5:15 “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”

James 4:11 “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.”

Unknown quote: “The more fake you are, the bigger your circle will be. The more real you are, the smaller your circle will be.

These are well known facts.”

May each and every one of you have a most Blessed Celebratory Day as we remember the reason for the Season!

A Disciplined Warrior

2 Chron. 12:14 “And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.”

The Disciplined Warrior God Created

Discipline is never easy. Do you remember as a small child some parents disciplined their children? Whether it was taking something away, a smack on the fingers, or a paddle to the butt. Our parents knew we needed discipline if we were ever to learn from our mistakes.

I’m not talking abusing your children here; I’m talking about discipline. 

“Mom, can I go over to Janie’s house?” 

“Did you clean up your room?”

“I’ll do it later.”

Do it now or you can’t go to, Janies.”

Through discipline, children learn respect. They learn to respect parents, teachers and people in general. As you can see, over the years as society disintegrates it is quite obvious the reason behind the fall. Discipline. Even in the most gentle form, discipline has been left on the side of the road for some government official to come by with a sweeper to clean up the mess. Our children are not the only ones wounded by the lack of discipline in society.

Spare the rod and spoil the child comes to mind when referencing God’s plan for us to discipline. He had in mind raising the child in the way that he should go so it would change the world with each new era and generation. Change it did when discipline became an avenue for abusing the child. Now parents are being led to neglect the child and let them pretty much raise themselves with technology as a babysitter. Parents are now allowing the internet and technology to now raise our children and look how well that’s turning out! 

Prov. 13:24 "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes."

Adults need discipline also. As I look around at an overweight society, a slowly dying nation has taken shape and I see so many people who lack discipline, lack the skills it takes and forges ahead into the future on sheer blind ambition.

Job 15:35 “They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.”

Just like the child who grows to resent discipline, we as an adult species stomp our feet like children when it comes to being disciplined. Some adhere to the discipline, some shrug it off as an annoying nagging pain that will go away, some see discipline as an invasion of the ‘it’s-all-about-me-world’ in which they live.

If you see God as your Father then you should know a little bit about discipline and what He expects from us human beings. He had plans to guide us in life but instead, we became too vain and thought we could march through the world alone, live life without Him holding the reins.

When I was first diagnosed eight months ago with this disease, I turned TO God not AWAY from Him and asked Him what I should do. While he gives some women other options he gave me the option of alternative treatment but I’d need to be disciplined in my approach. I would need the full armor that he bestowed upon me; I would need the strength of little David going into a war of huge proportions. I would meet the giant (big pharma, oncologists, and surgeons) head on and it would wage war against me and I’d need to fight tooth and nail to rise above to reclaim the undisciplined life I was leaving behind.

I had in the palm of my hand faith and hope to endure the trying times that I knew I would face. There is no Awareness Month for the people FIGHTING cancer, there is only a month of awareness set aside for women who are fighting the effects of chemotherapy!

Did you know the reason behind October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Back in 1985 the pharmaceutical company pretended to need money and asked you to be aware of the growing-in-astronomical-numbers-the-deaths-from-BC or something like that. BCAM for chemo patients,  and the appearance of survivors of chemo, not for people fighting an illness.

What the pharmaceutical palace didn’t mention was that women (and men) were dying from chemotherapy drugs. No, the awareness that the pharma wants us to look at is the fear and death tied to all that they did to the millions who have perished from a drug, not a disease. Us warriors out here fighting for our life are overlooked, we’re left behind road kill to be scooped up and tossed in the dumpster because we didn’t bend to their way of doing things.

We don’t have a National Compassion Month for WARRIORS, no we have the pharma begging for even more money to be used to make an even better drug to kill cancer patients. THAT is what you support when you go out in force to support BCAM!

It all boils down to discipline. The ones who shrug off discipline because they know what’s better for them than any God are the ones who suffer from the diseases ravishing the world. We do absolutely nothing to change, we just look out at the ocean of people and declare, ‘I am one of you.’

From day one, my sword was sharpened and I went into battle. I went up against a maniacal society hell-bent on doing everything on their own, in their own way never understanding the need or demand for discipline in their lives. I often feel alone but when I look behind I see an army of women and men fighting the exact same way as I am and we’re winning. Quietly we’re winning without the fanfare of a united National Pharma Month. No, we’re alone in this war but in the end, it is disciplined spirits who will win.

All praise and Glory to God!

1 Sam. 7:3 “And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

The New World?

Isa. 25:4  “For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.”

The New World

This is the world we live in, the headline reads:

“Driver Causes Major Accident While Trying to Use a Snapchat Filter”

The young speed demon was given a simple fine for crippling a man. People drink and drive lose their licenses after too many DUI’s, texters kill people and get off of murder charges for ‘suffering from affluenza’???

People are deleting/blocking out friends from facebook for sharing political/religious posts. Twitter is inundated with pics that you have no control over removing, and YouTube is a doorway to hell that people flock to in droves to see the next hot moment in history. More and more children are sitting inside behind a techno gadget instead of playing hopscotch, basketball or jump rope. 

We have a nation fed up with political garbage and are fleeing to a non-political man for president because somewhere out there, people are tired of this crazy world we live in! We have politicians doing what they do best and that is manipulating the system underhandedly trying to oust the non-politician creature from the fold and people are going to vote for these politician shysters again? 

This is the world we live in. A non-caring, hide-behind-a-screen society and the only voices being heard are through the tapped out words on a keyboard or the sounds of gunshots taking out entire families. We’re so quick to point fingers at others but how often do we point fingers at ourselves? When was the last time you condemned yourself for being so hateful and mean toward others?

We applaud the sickness eating society, we use words on a wall to show our anger and do nothing to step outside and participate in actually changing this hellbound world. As we eagerly ignore all the signs of the fallen times we wonder why God has shaken us off as the world has utterly cut him off like severing the umbilical cord from a baby, we’re free from Him.

We all want rights but I notice the ones that are winning are the ones actually out there fighting for them. Everybody else just sits back on their computer and rages and spews what they dislike is going on getting nothing accomplished but adding more hate to the world.

Men are becoming women and vice versa, children are walking around confused slicing their wrists for attention and parents fear the transgender world is going to bring out all of the pedophiles in the world to attack their children while Hollywood can legally promote pedophilia and call it art?

I ashamedly watched a movie called Moonrise Kingdom and it was one of the worst movies I had ever seen. It looked like a theater play, the acting was generic and yet this movie had a 7.6 rating from the IMDb site. I’m thinking just because the movie had Bruce Willis and Bill Murray some higher ups PAID to get that rating.

I say ashamedly because I had to sit through two twelve-year-old children in a ‘coming of age’ plot? You know where they ‘innocently’ discover one another through their depression. Had I checked the IMDb Parents Guide, I would have never watched that movie. I was not alone in my being creeped out.

Such as it is, Hollywood glorified the innocence of children and that went a little too far for me but then I realized, this is the world we live in now. I’m a prude because I felt embarrassed watching a twelve-year-old kid touch a twelve-year-old girls breast (justified by, “It was through her training bra”) and for the said children to embrace and the girl comment on his erection saying she liked it? Prude or not, that was one sick scene. I get that this is Wes Anderson’s way of making movies, I get that this is what children experience but did it need to be as graphic as it was to get the message across?

I wholeheartedly admit that I’m a prude and that childhood sexual abuse has damaged me to where I cannot see innocence where it is intended. The world is drenching themselves in perverse behavior and no one is fighting for the innocent in all of this. I may be wrong and judgmental in this but movies like this are the very reason why my rose colored glasses seem foggy.

Eph. 4:29 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

It’s a hard job building the world up one brick at a time when satan is always one step ahead filling someone out there with the desire to topple those bricks that you’re laying. I have to understand that this is the world we live in; a land of confusion.

God help us all!

What's Going on?

Matt. 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

What’s Going On?

I wake in the morning and say my prayers. I’m into a serious prayerful phase. While that is the normal me anyway, here lately my prayerful ways have been more intense. After my prayers I go to the news and see what it has to say.

I skip over all the political jargon because let’s face it the government is a mess. Do we really need to whine and whine and do nothing about it? When is the last time YOU wrote to your leaders? Last time you went to a protest? When is the last time you actively sought change in the US? Besides a facebook rant, have you done anything? Okay then, I forego the political agenda’s of the day because I don’t see a point. I do nothing so I have nothing to say on the matter.

While I’m very vocal about ME, and not liking the blood, gore and sleaze in movies, the news is full enough of all the catastrophes movies only dream of. What’s going on? A two-year old is killed walking with his dog on railroad tracks; a twenty-two tear old burns her newborn baby to death on the side of the road, telling an onlooker that it was dog feces; a five year old shoots his infant brother lying in the crib; a two-year old shoots and kills his mother in a Walmart after finding her gun hidden in her purse!

Again I say, what’s going on? We live in an abusive, negligent, selfish, trigger-happy nation. I’m all for the right to bear arms but I’m also for the right to act responsibility while bearing those arms. We are not a responsible nation! We can’t even drive responsibly let alone have an unattended firearm within reach of a child.

Then there’s the children. We’re off multiplying like rabbits and then dispose of the responsibility of taking care of these children, tossing them out into society and allowing a pack of wolves to raise them or people choose to abuse and kill them. And we wonder why society is the way it is?

Then there’s the Earth. You know, that planet hanging out there in the solar system sustaining life? Yeah, that’s us! We’re out here destroying the very thing that sustains us and we’re doing a bang up job of keeping it spinning.

The scientists have told us what we want to hear. Their opinion is just that, an opinion, not fact. We cling to their words no different than we hold onto the lies the media feeds us. We’re going downhill in a bobsled and we have no brakes in place.

                 

Last night as I sat star gazing this January evening, I heard the sounds of…crickets. Granted it has been warm for January, crickets and flies are a fact that I see and hear with my own eyes and ear; while I know this just shouldn’t be happening.

I look at the world and see it falling down the side of a mountain and I can do nothing to stop the descent. I think I’d rather believe in the dinosaurs building the pyramids than to face the fact that we’re going to hell in a handbag.

Oh well, just another day on the planet earth. What’s going on? You be the judge.

Matt. 24:5-11 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

 

 

Do you know what I know?

 

Acts 5:11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

Do you know what I know?

Said the mighty King

to the men on earth

Do you see what I see?

A world, a world

Falling all apart

Taking Jesus out of their heart

Taking Jesus out of their heart.

Said the man to his

God and Mighty King

Do you know what I know?

The earth, the earth

Shivers at the sight

Of your Son who was born on that night

Of your Son who was born on that night

Said the Son to the

People He died for.

Do you hear what I hear?

The sound, the sound

Echoes in the land

Of a voice who knows not where they stand

Of a voice who knows not where they stand

Said the King to the people down below

Listen to what I say

I will come and catch you unaware

Listen to what I say

The child, the child, that you brush aside

He will come once again you can’t hide.

He will come once again you can’t hide!

Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

Silent Night

The Rain of Pain

By: Adam Zipp

***

Burn away countless pain

Here alone dark companion

turn to hell burn my soul

someone weeps in a corner

silent rage brings violent endings.

The voices heard no more
Laughter just a factor

Silent bells the won’t hear

Turn away and ignore the pain

Softer now it begins to rain.

Come with me and feel their pain

They had no voice,

for they were empty,

Now to hear their cries

we have to beg and pray.

Turning in our sleep

We feel alone;

at least we can

Hold our own

Turn up the night

To hear the lullaby.

They have no names

Because none are needed

Those tiny hands

Will never hold again.

Listen to their cries

And feel their pain.

Turn up the night

Just to hear the rain

Even though they weep

We only see their graves

Candles burn in the dead of night

Softened by the rain that falls

Walk so tall, just to fall

The tears can mix

Within the rain.

Even though they died

No one hears their cries

Desperate we strive

Just to fall and cry.

Maybe it’s to late

To feel the pain

No smiles

No tears

No gifts

No one hears

No pain

Just listen to the rain.

***

The above poem was written by my soon-to- be seventeen year old son. It was written on the Monday after the tragic hellish nightmare in Newtown Connecticut.

It pained me to send him to school but I know in my heart that this boy has a heart and feels. This is an expression of just one among millions of children that have to face schools again and he deals with the tragedy though writing.

I love you Adam!
***
What was written below was sent via a forwarded email. This needs to be heard too. I give the writer full rights, this is just to heavenly to let pass by:

God Bless These Families

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA

Twas’ 11 days before Christmas, around 9:30am, when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven’s gate.

Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air,

they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.

They were filled with such joy, they didn’t know what to say,

they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.

“Where are we?” asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.

“This is heaven.” Declared a small boy, “we’re spending Christmas at God’s house.”

When what to their wondering eyes did appear,

but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.

He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same,

then He opened His arms and He called them by name.

And in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring,

those children all flew into the arms of their King

And as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,

one small girl turned and looked at Jesus’ face.

And as if He could read all the questions she had,

he gently whispered to her, “I’ll take care of mom and dad.”

Then he looked down on earth, the world far below,

He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe

Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,

“Let My power and presence re-enter this land!”

“May this country be delivered from the hands of fools “,

“I’m taking back my nation, I’m taking back my schools!”

Then He and the children stood up without a sound,

“Come now my children, let me show you around.”

Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran,

all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.

And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,

“In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT.”

On another note: This was written by a dear friend from church. Thank you Mrs. Carol Roth, what a beautiful soul that God has placed in my life.

THE CHRISTMAS STORY as found in Christmas CAROLS.

Many people see the Christmas season in a far different light than those who prefer to observe "the REASON for the SEASON", Jesus. They would rather "Deck the halls with boughs of holly", have a big evening out with "Frosty the Snow man" and "Good King Wenceslas" singing "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen". Most celebrate and "Ring Those Bells", those "Silver Bells"and keep "Jingle Bells" going on and on.
But most important, remember "It Came upon a Midnight Clear", on a "Silent Night" that "We Three Kings of Orient ", following the "Star of the East", said to each other "Go tell it on a Mountain" . "Angels From the Realms of Glory" sang "The First Noel"--."O Holy Night". "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks" they paused, because of the "Angels We Have Heard On High" and "There 's a Song in the Air. They knew that they should go to "O Little Town of Bethlehem" because "A Babe is Born in Bethlehem". In Bethlehem, they found the Babe "Away in a Manger" because there was "No Room in the Inn" and there was "No Place but a Stable". They gathered around the "Newborn Babe" asked "What Child is This?" Worshipping the Child, their response was "This is Christ the King". They sensed this was "Love Beyond Measure".

"Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." (James 1:17) "O Come, All Ye Faithful", join together in praising God for His Perfect Gift. "JOY TO THE WORLD! The Lord is come. Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room, and Heaven and nature sing, and Heaven and nature sing. And Heaven and Heaven and nature sing.!"

I hope you enjoyed my compilation of our best Christmas carols!

Writing Effects...

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2

***

Did you know that writing has an affect on people? You didn’t? Well come on, you’re reading this, you’re going to gather all the info that I put in my post and use it or lose it. Either way you walk away affected by what was said here.

I recently had the pleasure of encountering yet another online hoax. It seems face book is always being pounded on with one hit after another for these hoax’s. Those spam/ forwarding emails are old news; now that nobody opens them or reads them and believes that they’re going to get millions from Bill Gates, or die because they didn’t send it to 13 of their friends. Or that their friend is stuck in England needing money FAST!

The recent uproar in hoax’s was the cartoon pic change as an avatar on FB. My blind friends are fortunate enough to be spared these childish antics, but many, and I mean many, jumped on the bandwagon of following what the words told them, all to support child abuse. Sure people have the best intentions when following these things but really, can an avatar STOP child abuse, or fight the cause, or even HELP the cause? How silly! 

The hoax debunked!

If people are so willing to end child abuse, why not support actual charities that ASSIST in aiding children of child abuse? Oh, because it might take money away from you? Are you so greedy that the thought of giving even one dollar to assist in the cause scares you? But you’ll change your avatar and think that this is helping?

Eph. 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:[9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.
 
The hoax bubble burst when people started posting that the group responsible for this uproar in cartoon characters was really pedophile’s wanting a chance to get in on the friendships that so many have come to enjoy on facebook, especially unsupervised children. So here we have someone wanting you to support a cause, then something turning it into a dark and evil cause that you’re actually supporting. When in actuality, you are just being a follower. Then the snopes site says even the pedophile post was a hoax! Even the local news reported the pedi- post as ‘truth’!!!
 
Come on, this world is just getting too crazy. I like the internet, but people,not just writers, real human beings, want to ruin it for us, and it is all through the written word!

What it all boils down to is writing affects the reader, in one way, shape or form, the reader is walking away with a feeling of either despair, fear, paranoia, or embarrassment. I like them to walk away with joy, but we writer’s can’t always hit our mark.  There will always be ten naysayers and snakes lurking where one positive seed is planted. 

Remember this next time you forward an email, or follow along because EVERYONE else is doing it.

Stand up and be a leader for a change!