A TOWN CALLED GROOM

Anita, a friend of mine, sent this. Please pray for her. 

The following is a display in Groom, Texas near Amarillo.  Please check the links but also read what is written. 

Who wrote it I don’t know.

Link -     http://www.crossministries.net/index.htm

               http://myforwards.com/item.php?id=154

WHO IS JESUS?
WHO IS HE?

IN CHEMISTRY, HE TURNED WATER TO WINE;

IN BIOLOGY, HE WAS BORN WITHOUT THE NORMAL CONCEPTION;

IN PHYSICS, HE DISPROVED THE LAW OF GRAVITY WHEN HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN;

IN ECONOMICS, HE DISPROVED THE LAW OF DIMINISHING RETURN BY FEEDING 5000 MEN WITH TWO FISHES & 5 LOAVES OF BREAD;

IN MEDICINE, HE CURED THE SICK AND THE BLIND WITHOUT ADMINISTERING A SINGLE DOSE OF DRUGS;

IN HISTORY, HE IS THE BEGINNING AND THE END;

IN GOVERNMENT, HE SAID THAT HE SHALL BE CALLED WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, PRINCE OF PEACE;

IN RELIGION, HE SAID NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH HIM;

SO. WHO IS HE? HE IS JESUS!

JOIN ME AND LET'S CELEBRATE HIM; HE IS WORTHY.

The Greatest Man in History
Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
He had no army, yet kings feared Him.
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
I feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us!

  

2015 LENT DAY 39 OF 40 FAMOUS LAST WORDS! 2x2A

Luke 23:32-34

Right before he died, singer Frank Sinatra said, “I’m losing it.” Former British Premier Sir Winston Churchill’s last words were “I’m bored with it all”.  

Actor Humphrey Bogart loved his liquor. His last words were “I should never have switched from Scotch to Martinis.” Circus owner P.T. Barnum last words were “How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?” Up to the last minute, he was concerned with ticket sales.

A grammarian’s last words were “I am about to -- or I am going to – die; either expression is correct.”  Another famous grammarian said “I die” and then he died.

Many people like to say nice words to their family members. French Philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre said to the woman he loved, “I love you very much.”

By now you must have noticed the pattern. All of the famous peoples’ last words were about themselves and/or their interests. Now there are some people who made sublime deathbed statements. For example Thomas Becket the Archbishop of Canterbury, said, “I am ready to die for my Lord, that in my blood the Church may obtain liberty and peace.”   At first those words sounds great but note the emphasis in Becket’s  “I” and “my”.

Now the last words of a man can teach us about his life, likes and loves.  On the other hand, Jesus’ seven words on the cross are not about himself. They are about his love for you and me.  Beginning with his first word “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” all his words on the cross show his love for us sinners. Some of you might ask –what about the fifth verse “I thirst”?  In fact the complete verse says, “After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” By stating that He thirsts Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of Psalms 22:15 and 69:21.

Dear brother and sister in Christ: all of the Jesus’ actions and words are focused on two aspects– Jesus’ obedience to His Father and His love for YOU.  Jesus’ birth, life, passion on the cross, blessed death, His rest in the tomb and His resurrection from the tomb are all for YOU.

Even his ascension is for you. You ask how? Let me remind you what Jesus tells his disciples in John 16:7 “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to YOUR advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to YOU. But if I go, I will send him to YOU.” Even right now Jesus is working, preparing a place for YOU as he tells you “I will come again and will take YOU to myself, that where I am YOU may be also.” (John 14:2).  

So let us rejoice on this Good Friday that God died on the cross loving us. Also, let us obey his new commandment “… love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34)

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving me. Please help me abide in you and love you with all my heart, soul, strength and mind, and my neighbor as myself. Amen.

DAY 38 BUT WHY SHOULD I LOVE MY ENEMY?

John 13:21-30

According to the ESV Bible, verses 21 to 30 are subtitled ‘One of You Will Betray Me’.  The passage begins,  “²¹After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, "Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." ²² The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. ²³ One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus, ²⁴so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. ²⁵ So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, "Lord, who is it?" Now up to here the narration is clear. And then John’s narration becomes strange (to us) - ²⁶Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it." So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 

Now that does not make sense -Jesus could have pointed to Judas and said – he is the man! He is the traitor! (Remember “A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!” from Esther 7:6) Jesus does not do that. John writes, “when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.”

Coming to Maundy Thursday, some churches observe a Christian Seder on that day. During the Seder, the host of the meal makes a Hillel sandwich by breaking a piece of matzo and dipping it into a bowl of haroset* and he gives the first Hillel sandwich to anyone he chooses. To be given the first Hillel sandwich is the greatest honor a person could receive at a Seder.

In John’s narrative, Jesus gives the first morsel of food, the first sandwich to Judas.  That demonstrates that Jesus still cared for Judas despite what he was about to do.  

Dear brother and sister in Christ, if Jesus can love his betrayer Judas, be assured that He loves you too. And it’s because of Jesus’ grace, mercy and love you are blessed and invited to “the marriage supper of the Lamb.”(Revelation 19:9)

So tell everyone about Jesus’ love.  And love your enemy (Matthew 5:44) just as Jesus loved Judas to the end.

Dear Lord Jesus I am grateful that you loved me before I could love you and you chose me before I chose you. Help me love others just as you command. Amen!

·       * Haroset or charoset is a dish or paste made from apples, cinnamon, dates, and nuts and it is delicious! The matzo bread is dunked into a generous portion of haroset, and also into some horseradish and then eaten. Some people call it the ‘Hillel sandwich’ named after Rabbi Hillel.   For the householder during the Passover meal to dip a piece of bread in the haroset and give it to the first to the favored or special guest was a customary token of affection.

DAY 37 I DON’T KNOW HOW, BUT MY DADDY WILL TAKE CARE OF IT (OR) “GRACE, MERCY, AND PEACE FROM ...” Part 3

1 Timothy 1:2 & PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7

In both of his epistles, Peter greets his readers “ May grace and peace be multiplied to you...” Paul begins most of epistles with “Grace to you and peace from...” Coming to his two epistles to Timothy, Paul’s greeting is “Grace, mercy, and peace from...”.

In the last two posts I wrote briefly about grace and mercy. Today we will look at ‘true peace’. True peace is not absence of violence or conflict. Nor is it this type of peace -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1ZOWwW2agQ. Many say peace is tranquility, serenity etc., but they talk mostly about superficial peace. 

True peace is peace that comes from God our Father. Paul talks about this in Philippians 4. Paul first tells us not to be anxious, but pray to God.  And then he says something astounding “The peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.(v.7)”

So what is this peace? Let me explain this way. Think about the time when you were young. You always had confidence that your father will take of matters remember? In the same way the ‘peace which passes all understanding’ will give you the faith that - come what may – your Abba, Father will take care of everything. Yes peace – shalom- is peace that God will speak to his people, to his saints (Psalm 85:8). It is a peace that comes from being in the relationship with God through Jesus.  It is a peace that is gift from Jesus – ^“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”(John 14:27)

So the next time your heart is troubled, and when you are afraid – just remember who you are – a child of the one and only God. And tell/remind yourself – My Abba, my Father will take care of it.   

Thank You Jesus for giving me your peace. Aid me to remember that and cling to You. Also, equip me to live in peace with my brother and my sister. Amen.