Trust God to Judge!

Good morning to all from Atlanta, GA! Boy did it rain here yesterday. The heavens opened up and down came the rain ans washed all the spiders out! Waine's brother Earl is here visiting their Mom. He is from Seattle and stated he had never seen rain like this. That's saying something when you are from Seattle. Freddie is in town getting oriented to his new job; we haven't seen him yet but hope to break bread with he and Aleron on Wednesday. ET finished his 4th course of chemotherapy yesterday and we are all praying that his CT scan will demonstrate shrinkage of his tumor with clean margins so that they can go in and cut it out. Keep ET in your prayers.

Medical  Note: 8 ounces of water within 30 minutes of awakening will get your bowel working and your metabolism going.

I am moving forward in Romans this morning, chapter 2 verses 1-16, "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 1or God does not show favoritism. All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. Amen and amen.

You can really tell that Paul was trained as a religious scholar--he was schooled in basic Judaism and understood the laws of Moses! We are not to judge, lest we be judged! I am convicted. I must judge others 100 times a day and through my own, flawed vision and it is usually because I feel grieved by the behavior of others. Practically, how do your order your day so that you are not judging others. Do you ignore the behavior of others? Do you not even pay attention? Do you constantly pray when interacting with others? do you give the other person the benefit of the doubt? Do you keep those "rose colored" glasses on? I am sure Jesus had to pray constantly for the behavior and doubt of His disciples and yet without judging. I am sure He was in constant prayers for the multitude of people flocking to Him because they had needs and wanted them filled. Jesus continued to give despite the lack of gratitude and compassion from His followers. A friend of mine and I were talking yesterday about the behavior of a 3rd person and it dawned on me that when people are acting in a manner that grieves you, you should immediately begin to pray so that the confusion caused by sin can be neutralized through your prayers. I am going to practice that today, so pray for me because it is much easier said than done. If Christians really appreciated the LOVE of God we would indeed stop sweating the small stuff. The whole world needs Jesus and then this "mess" we find ourselves in would be neutralized and we could experience PEACE.

Have a GREAT and FORGIVING day!

Stephanie

The Truth of God

Good morning to all on this glorious Friday morning. God is in His Heaven and all is right with the world. Waine and had have had a restful couple of days at home and it was good to be out and about in our own environment. Waine and I are working on a substantial project and need your prayers. Pray that God will guide us in this decision making process and bring all the resources to bear for us to go forward. Continue to place ET and his family in your prayers and pray for our President. When you see the type of confusion you are witnessing, then you know that the Hand of God is not in the mess that is being played out. Prayer will change things though and will set our feet on solid ground!

Medical Note: 12 minutes of any exercise daily will go along way to increase of your endurance and cardiovascular tone. You don't need a gym membership to stay healthy.

I am continuing my journey in Romans, verses 18-31, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." May God add His blessings to the reading and understanding of His Word.

"They exchanged the truth of God for a lies, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator."  These words of Paul are as true today as they were 2,000 years ago! what struck me is the phrase "they exchanged"; these are action words. What it means to me is that as creatures created in the image of God and from God, out natural nature is to be obedient to the laws of God just as Adam and eve were  until they willingly exchanged their spiritual nature to obtain the temporary fulfillment of the flesh. This is the GREAT LIE! We are not meant to be disobedient to the principles of God but sin blinds us from what is natural and then we become confused and wicked! Paul is very direct about describing the confusion and wickedness that comes from the act of exchanging the truth of God for the lies of the evil one. We are then given over to un-natural acts of sexual impurity--women desiring women and men desiring men. Satan would have you believe that people are born with desires and lusts for the same sex. God created man and woman to be his helpmate and these are the scriptures who should refer to when someone asks whether you believe that people are born as homosexuals. According to Paul, the answer is NO! Sin blinds us from our true nature and the fruits of the evil one then prevails, wickedness, greed, depravity, boastfulness, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossiping and slander. These are not the fruits of the Spirit and when you are confronted with people who exhibit the fruits of the evil one, then pray for them. Don't try to match their wit for THEY ARE NOT IN THEIR RIGHT MIND! We are not able to defeat Satan in an of ourselves. we have to be in the God zone to defeat the evil one. Do not lose hope when confronted with the wickedness of men; instead pray for them that they not continue to EXCHANGE the truth of God for the lies of the evil one who seeks to destroy us all. We are the child of the King! Our true nature is to live in the abundance of God. Never lose hope waiting for God's timing. Hallelujah and amen! Look for your abundance today.

Stephanie

The Righteous Shall live by Faith!

Good morning to all from Atlanta, GA! Waine and I made it safely back from Jamaica and a good time was had by all. We were able to catch up with Aleron last night and had a wonderful dinner. He is working hard and is sleep deprived but no worse for the wearing. Freddie and his family have landed a job in Atlanta. Waine and I can't believe that we will soon be living in the same city as one set of our grandchildren! This is a dream come true! To have little people in our house again. Continue to pray for ET and his family and pray that God's Hand of blessings and grace continue to support ET's healing.

Medical Note:  Drinking 6-8 ounces of water as soon as you get up in the morning, gets the gastric juices working and your metabolism wakes up. Keep a glass of water by the bedside and partake of water as soon as you awaken.

Well we finished Matthew and what a great accomplishment that was. I am starting on a journey in Romans and I am looking forward to all the wisdom that God has in store for me. Romans was written by Paul, the Apostle, to the Christians in Rome which at the time was the seat of power of those who opposed Christ and this new movement, Christianity. This journey in Romans should be just as exciting as the journey through Matthew. I can't wait to start! Verses 1-17 read as thus, "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— the gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son, who as to His human nature was a descendant of David (through His mother Mary), and who through the Spirit of Holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Him and for His Name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you. I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." Amen and amen! The righteous will live by faith!

As you know, Paul was born after the death of Jesus, around AD 10. He was a Jew who was also a Roman citizen. He studied to be a Rabbi and persecuted the early Christians. He was at the stoning of Stephen although it is said he, Paul, did not take part but encouraged the crowd none the less. He was traveling to Damascus when he was visited by Jesus! Paul had a vision of Jesus which blinded him. Jesus confronted Paul about his persecution of Jews and Paul was convicted and accepted Christ as his savior and became a Christian. Christ also gave Paul, a Roman and a Jew, the commission to spread the Word of God to the Gentiles. All the letters of Paul are to the pockets of Christians in the early church of God. As a Roman citizen, Paul was able to travel freely which provided Gentiles and Jews access to this great man of Christ.

Paul starts his letter to the Christians of Rome with a salutation that reminds them and us about the Deity of Christ. Paul refers the Christians of Rome to the prophesies of the Old Testament which was the scriptures that the Jews were familiar with. He reminds the Roman Christians of the Resurrection of Jesus which is the defining moment that established Christ as the Son of God. Remember, in the Old Testament, many great prophets were born, lived and died--Jesus the Christ however was born, lived and died and then was resurrected! Hallelujah! The resurrection is what set Jesus apart in His Deity and the belief in His resurrection sets us apart from the world. Paul goes on to encourage the Christians in Rome to continue their ministry because their faith and proclamation that Christ is Lord had been spreading throughout the known world. The Roman Christians were constantly being persecuted and killed because of their belief in Christ and Paul is writing to them so that they would remain faithful and encouraged. He is also reminding them how important they are to him and that he longed to be with them. Isn't that just like Jesus to send an encouraging Word just when you think you have hit your last straw. Just when you feel the loneliest and feel that all hope is lost, Christ will send a Word your way to encourage you. Paul is telling the Christians to hold fast to their faith even in the absence of his presence because their mutual faith will allow them to be bonded. Our faith transcends time and space. Our faith will repel the evil one who through fear will try and diminish our faith. Paul was telling the Roman Christians that it is our faith that allows the Power of God to flow through our lives so that His Will and plans for our lives can be realized. Faith and not fear is the order of the day. Live in faith and not fear today. Fear is what Satan uses to paralyze us and keep us stuck in the mire of our own self doubts. It is hard at times to visualize the banquet table that God has for us because of FEAR. If you have fear in your life--in any portion of your life-- I guarantee you as I write this Blog, you are looking into the future and not in the present where all your blessings lie. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. We have this moment and I thank God that in this moment my focus is on the Cross and my faith. We are righteous when we live in Faith and not fear. You are not delusional when you don't pay attention to fear. You are RIGHTEOUS. Remember the Love and Sacrifice of Jesus for all of our sins and have a great day finding all of your blessings.

Stephanie

Freedom and not Fear!

Good morning to all on this bright and beautiful Wednesday morning. Waine and I had a great experience last night. We had dinner with the Japanese Ambassador to Jamaica and his lovely wife, Yoko. I had never been to a state dinner so the ceremony surrounding the meal was just as fascinating to me as the meal itself which was prepared by a Japanese chef who was trained in the culinary arts in Italy. We had a little Asian-Italian fusion thing going on. The company was delightful and their Koi pond was also wonderful. The Ambassador and his wife actually built it themselves to bring a little bit of home to this assignment. I was blessed among measure and thanked my husband profusely for this opportunity he created on the golf course.

Medical Note: The fat around your waste is called toxic fat. That is the fat that will kill you. Not the fat on your thighs or your butt but the fat around the middle. Do what you can to get rid of that fat.

We are going to finish Matthew today and it has been a labor of love for me. Matthew ends with verses 16-20 which is the Great Commission, "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  Amen! And SURELY He promised to be with us always, always, always EVEN to the end of the age!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What are we to FEAR? No man and no situation because He lives and will be with us always.

Jesus made a promise to His disciples. They had disappointed Him, abandoned Him, denied they even knew Him and YET He promised to never abandon them. What merciful love the Savior has for us. I read something yesterday that said we should ask God through Christ daily to release our imagination so that we are FREE to be bold in our vision for our lives and the lives of others. Even as Christians, we become trapped in the FEAR of the day-to-day and more importantly in the TOMORROWS that may never come. The death and RESURRECTION of Christ has freed us from the FEAR we experience. When we allow fear to rule our hearts and minds we are then at that time an instrument of satan. Can't clean it up for you. When you fear you are allowing satan to rule your life and limit your vision. You are not just being practical--you are being an instrument of satan. No one will see the love of Christ in your life when you are ruled by fear. We will not be able to witness the Fruits of the Spirit in our lives when it is ruled by fear. The death and resurrection of Christ has paid the price for us to be FREE to IMAGINE our lives as God through Christ intended. Be at His banquet table today because you are the child of the King. Let His love rest, rule and abide in you today so that you can be about His business of Kingdom building.

To Know Him is to love Him. To love Him, is to serve Him. Be blessed today with unlimited imagination for the abundance that is yours.

Stephanie

In Holy Supplication!

Good morning to all of you from Kingston Jamaica. God is in His Heaven and truly all is right in this world! Yesterday Waine and I attended the funeral of our friend's 17 year daughter. She was a budding golfer and was in Montego Bay finishing 3 weeks of training before heading back to Connecticut for her senior year. She was going to the golf course for an afternoon round of golf and fell out of the golf cart hitting her head. She never woke up on this side of Jordan. How do you comfort someone with that type of loss; parents never expect to bury their children and I tell you my soul was convicted! Waine and I have four healthy and happy children and we are blessed beyond measure. They are the jewels in our crown! If you have children love them today no matter how much they get on your one-half last nerve. Hug and kiss them. Be an example for them today and everyday you draw breath. Our friend recounted a conversation she had with child. Our friend was a teenage mother and her 17 year old asked if her mother regretted having her. Our friend said, "are you kidding I began to live the day you took your first breath and it is me that has grown up with you!" What a beautiful sentiment. There are so many children lost to poverty, crime, violence, drugs and neglect. We don't have to do anything major in our daily life to affect change. Just grab someone today and hug them. It will make a difference. God bless you in Jesus name and this is my spiritual hug for you.

A medical note: Every little bit hurts a little and every little bit helps a little. True of behaviors! Make changes incrementally starting today and stop looking for home runs.

Let's finish Matthew 28, we are very close. I am continuing with verses 11-15, "While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole Him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day." Deceit begets deceit.

Even when confronted with the truth from the soldiers, the chief priests couldn't bring themselves to accept the Deity of Jesus the Christ. There are folk today that have the same problem - they can't bring themselves to trust in the Name and Power of Jesus the Christ. They would rather believe in their own limited power and struggle even though its easier just to believe in Jesus. We are some of "them" folk on a daily basis I am sad to admit. We fret and struggle even when reminded just how far Christ has brought you and me. This is the subtleties of sin and satan. Satan's biggest lie is that you are sufficient in yourself to overcome the world. That is the lie he told to Eve and the lie she told to Adam. Don't believe the hype--the God of the universe is what you need to be sustained which is the lesson He tried to teach Adam. Obedience to His Word is a requisite of our daily living the chief among His commandments is that you look to Him for your sustenance in each moment. That is all I could comfort by dear friend with. God would take care of her grief and sorrow if she commits her being to Him. We neither know the hour or the day which is why God tells us to quit fretting about the future and enjoy this moment with Him! Hallelujah!

Thank you Lord. Keep falling in love with Jesus today!

Stephanie

Sunday Always Comes!

Good morning to all on this beautiful Friday morning. I awoke to Joyce Meyers this morning so I have been having a Praise Fest for the past 2 hours. There were certainly more things I could have been doing that seemed more practical but/and I couldn't think of anything I'd rather be doing than praising God for His infinite mercies and His healing spirit. Continue to pray for ET and his family and continue to pray for his healing.

I am continuing my journey in Matthew 28 verses 1-10 "After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.' Now I have told you." So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," He said. They came to Him, clasped His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see Me." Hallelujah and amen!

Wow, wow, and wow!The Power of God and the timing of God is what struck me about these verses. God sent His angel to open the tomb of His Son because death no longer had dominion over Jesus. He had conquered the grave and died that we might live, then as now. The angel stayed at the tomb and sat on the rock that had sealed the grave. He was not in a hurry. He was not shocked by the soldiers, however the representatives of Rome who were there to guard the grave were "afraid until death"; what the passage didn't say was that they even saw Jesus leave and its because they continued to see with their "worldly eyes". Some of us are in "graves" of fear, worries, illness, lack of finances, broken relationships, errant children, under appreciation --and I could go on and on. Well if you know Christ then you need to leave those fears in the grave that Jesus has conquered. Go on to your Galilee where Jesus is waiting for you today. Do it now. Run don't walk for He is risen and is no longer among the dead.  God loves you and wants you to cast your cares on Him so that you will be free to live the life abundant that He has planned for you.

Have a blessed day.

Stephanie

Are you on the Road Less Traveled or are you a crowd pleaser?

Good day to all and I trust each of you had a restful and enjoyable holiday weekend. Waine and I had some good bonding time with Kai and Hailie and a good time watching the US Tennis Open. You got to love Venus for that costume? Please continue to pray for ET and his family. ET has completed his second round of chemotherapy and his spirits are up and he is trusting and believing. Pray traveling mercies for Waine as he heads to Jamaica today.

Medical Tidbit- A positive attitude in the morning get's your organs working correctly and your mind functioning on all cylinders. A negative attitude has the exact opposite effect.

I wanted to continue my journey in Matthew 27 today verses 45-66, "From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah." Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, "Now leave Him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save Him." And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely He was the Son of God!" Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for His needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb. The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. "Sir," they said, "we remember that while He was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal the Body and tell the people that He has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first. "Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard." Lord Jesus thank you and amen and amen!

All of us know the story of the Crucifixion of Christ however when I read this account in Matthew today, I picked up some things that I had not been previously blessed with.

1. When Jesus said He was thirsty, someone in the crowd IMMEDIATELY ran and got a sponge and filled it with vinegar to offer Him. Isn't that like humans to resist being kind to a suffering human being. This person is probably regretting that decision today, even as we speak. That person now knows that Christ is Lord, because that person is in hell with Satan the great deceiver. That Vinegar-Sponge Bob was probably trying to be the "big man" showing the crowd and the Centurions that he was one of the "group"--the in crowd as it were. Sometimes it is better to stand up for your beliefs than to be a crowd pleaser who is usually not remembered after the crowd has had their of the crowd pleaser.

2. Jesus cried out to God and asked why God had forsaken Him. Many theologians believe that when Christ took on our sins and became sin, Christ could not longer be in the presence of God. God and sin can not exist physically or spiritually in the same space, Hallelujah! When we rebuke sin, we are immediately in the presence of the God Almighty. When you rebuke fear you are immediately transmitted to the land of hope and assurance whether you realize it or not. Rejecting fear rejects Satan. Embracing hope, embraces the Jesus who sacrificed Himself so that we can live. SIN is serious! So serious that God turned His face from His beloved Son, Jesus the Christ. That should provide us with some incite.

3. Jesus GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT AND THEN HE DIED. As a physician I believe that we willingly give up our spirit before we die. Most people GIVE IN to death. I have worked many emergency room hours where people come in looking like train wrecks and they look at me and say "Doc, I am not ready to die and I will fight with you to get me out of this medical crisis." and they walk out of the hospital. I have conversely taken of people who look perfectly fine and they look at me and say "Doc, I'm not going to make it." and they don't. People have to have their spirits aligned with death to die and all of us will align our will to death AT THE APPOINTED HOUR however we should never give in to death until that appointed hour comes. Likewise we need not give into despair just because the physical evidence is stacked against us. We serve a God that HAS overcome all despair and calamity! Remember that.

4. The chief priests and their crew were so afraid of Jesus and His truths that they thought they could buy insurance to keep the prophesies from happening. These den of vipers thought that Rome could prevent the resurrection of Jesus. This is a great example of what we see today. People trying to fix spiritual matters. They are on TV constantly tell the public what "good Christians" should do. I can tell you some of them do not demonstrate the Fruits of the Spirit that Jesus talks about and neither did the religous rulers of Jesus' day. We have no power in the spiritual realm other than through intercession through Christ. We have no power over Satan other than the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. We have no influence with God other than through Christ. These chief priests, Sadducees and Pharisees truly were seeing through a glass darkly as Paul described and then they saw the Truth face-to-face but it was too late.

It is hard to say whether the Centurions and other Jewish spectators confessed their sins and accepted Christ. I am sure some did. I am equally sure that some people are so blinded by the lies that they tell themselves daily that they will never see the truth. It is only important that we, I and you, see and execute the truths as revealed by God on a daily basis. He does reveal truths to all of us daily. The question is whether we are able to accept the truth and let truth work in our lives.

To know Him is to love Him. To love Him is to serve Him. Amen and be blessed today through God's Word.

Stephanie

And they mocked Him!

Good morning to all from Orlando, Florida. Waine and I are being Nanna and Poppop to Kai and Hailee while their Mommy and Daddy have some R&R at a wedding. Waine is out playing golf and will bring the kids home around 1 pm as I anxiously await the wet kisses and hugs. I have been on the road for a week and have not been able to keep my postings going but am determined to finish Matthew and start another journey. I also want to tell you how good God is. Waine's BMW received a brake replacement about a month ago and the mechanic that replaced his brakes failed to put the lug-nuts back on one of the wheels. Waine called me yesterday to tell me that the car was driving sluggishly and then just stopped. We found out later from the BMW dealer that the lugg-nuts were not on the one wheel. God is good all the time and protects us through all types of calamity and I just praise Him today for protecting my Waine specifically and all of us collectively! Continue to pray for ET and his family as he continues his chemotherapy and I thank God for each of you.

Let's continue our journey in Matthew 27, verses 27-44, "Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt in front of Him and mocked Him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on Him, and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again. After they had mocked Him, they took off the robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him. As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it. When they had crucified Him, they divided up His clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. Above His head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right and one on His left. Those who passed by hurled insults at Him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked Him. "He saved others," they said, "but He can't save Himself! He's the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue Him now if He wants Him, for He said, 'I am the Son of God.' " In the same way the robbers who were crucified with Him also heaped insults on Him." May the Lord add a blessing to the reading, hearing and understanding of His Word. Amen and amen.

As you know, Cyrene (now Libya) is on the continent of Africa so an African was made to carry the cross for Jesus when Jesus was being led to His crucifixion. There were Jews, Greeks and Africans that occupied Cyrene however most Biblical scholars believe that Simeon was an African. The fact that he is mentioned by name probably means he was a follower of Christ and if you talk to most African Americans there is little doubt that Simeon was an African and that African Americans have been carrying the "Cross" for Jesus ever since. One of those questions I will ask Jesus when I see Him.

 

What struck me about this passage is that the Roman soldiers felt a need to ridicule Jesus and the Jewish observers had a need to mock Jesus. This is how sin works when you are standing for Jesus. You will be ridiculed for your faith and as you stand firm, Satan will continue to send those in your path to challenge your faith. Just know that you are not alone in this challenge. Christ faced the same challenges BUT without sin! Our conversion does not promise that we will be free of challenges; our conversion and faith only promises that we will be without fear when challenged. Christ was definitely without fear; His silence was not fear it was sadness because of the sin and disbelief of the very people (Romans and Jews) that He was giving His life for. He could have sent angels to defeat the mocking Romans and Jews and then you and I would not have this prize, ETERNAL LIFE WITH JESUS. There is a lesson here. We will be challenged by doubt and fear, just remind yourself that these emotions are not of God but from the father of lies and hate, Satan himself. Faith is a gift from God; Fear is the result of the hate and sin of Satan.

 

Never doubt that you are the child of the King and you are loved beyond measure. Have a safe and wonderful weekend.

 

Stephanie