KING OF THE JEWS

Posted on April 8, 2014 by atimetoshare.me

Image

The crowd made way for their promised Messiah, but did they even realize who He was?  Word of Him had been circulating.  He was preaching everywhere.  His words had authority.  He healed many.  He did amazing miracles.  He even brought life back to the dead.  He had become quite a celebrity.  This had to be the King of the Jews; the one who was promised by the ancient prophets; the one who would deliver them from their oppressors.

You would think a king would enter in a little more pomp and circumstance.  He could have chosen a magnificent stallion, with an army of guards and at least worn a crown and robes of purple.  Instead, He chose to come in a humble way, just as He did 33 years prior to this.  His birth was unassuming.  He was born in a place where animals were kept.  He did this all to show that He was the one written about.

Dear, Lord, you took it on yourself to come to us in humility.  The only ones to announce your birth were lowly shepherds, but holy angels sang for you and rich men from the East bowed down to worship you.  You came to Jerusalem, riding on a donkey and soon would travel the Via dolorosa as people mocked and spat on you.  Help me to remember your true purpose for your life – to give your life for me; to wash my sins away and to guarantee me eternal life.

Posted in Christian Devotions and Reflection, Family, Inspiration, Life, reflections, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on KING OF THE JEWS

Heroes of Faith

Posted on April 3, 2014 by atimetoshare.me

There are times when we feel attacked from all sides. Trouble continues to plague us or the world we live in. When we can’t possibly handle another test, another one comes along to add to the mix.

There are so many examples of people just like you and me in God’s Word, the Bible – people that had everything they could hope for and those with nothing. There were those who were disabled physically or spiritually and those that seemed to have it all together. Some examples of the greatest heroes of the Bible were ordinary people, living ordinary lives, filled with doubt and lacking faith at times.

These true stories help me face some of the bumps in the road of life. They allow me to see that God didn’t place only extraordinary people as examples. He writes about the average guy, facing obstacles that go way beyond average.

The Psalms are filled with the struggles of one of the greatest warriors of the Old Testament – King David. He was simply a small shepherd boy when God chose him to be King. David gained notoriety with the one stone that resulted in Goliath’s death, but his power came from God alone. His strength in battle was the result of his faith in God’s strength. He wasn’t perfect. He fell to temptation, as we all do, but he always repented of his sin and asked for God’s forgiveness.

God in His mercy forgives all of us when we sincerely repent and believe that our sins have already been paid for. Then we make an effort to go and sin no more.

This amazing best seller is filled with examples of people who faced amazing odds with faith in God. We’re much like those heroes of faith. We struggle every day, but we have the assurance of God’s presence in our lives through it. The stories are not merely fables, but words spoken by God Himself.

Posted in Christian Devotions and Reflection, Family, Inspiration, Life, reflections, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Heroes of Faith

WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY?

Posted on April 1, 2014 by atimetoshare.me

Image 

Psalm 24:7-10 “Lift up your heads, O gates!  And be lifted up, O ancient doors ,that the King of glory may come in.  Who is this King of glory?  The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!  Lift up your heads, O gates!  And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.  Who is this King of glory?  The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory!”

The thought of having a king in the United States, conjures up ideas of the American Revolution and all the blood that was shed to free our nation from the tyrannical rule of a sovereign.  In ancient days, a king would often go into battle with his people.  He would fight alongside them and would face serious injury and even death to defend them.  He wasn’t afraid to stand by his men and protect them as well as his country.  To do this he had to be physically strong and a great warrior.  He earned his people’s respect.  When he returned from war, the gates would open and he would be welcomed by cheers and honor for his bravery.

Today kings rule from the comfort of their palaces and do most of their fighting through their advisors and foreign ambassadors.  Their lives are filled with all the creature comforts befitting a king.

My King is Jesus and He was foretold in the Old Testament by the Psalmist as the King of Glory.  Jesus came to the world as a simple man, born of a lowly virgin, but His Father is the almighty God.  He proved His love for His people by waging war against sin and defeating the devil in the greatest battle of all times.  He suffered a horrendous death at my expense, but He overcame death on the third day as He came back to life.  He continues to fight for me and with me  and has defended me against all the evil that still exists in this world. 

He protects me daily with the armor of His salvation and is constantly at my side as I face adversity, fear and anxiety.  He is also with me in the good times – encouraging me, lifting me up and spurring me on.

 

 

Who is this King of glory?  He is my Lord and Savior, Jesus, Christ. 

Posted in Christian Devotions and Reflection, Family, Inspiration, Life, reflections, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY?

KING OF CREATION

Posted on March 31, 2014 by atimetoshare.me

when we think about the accomplishments of a man in his lifetime, they pale in comparison to God’s almighty work in just a short period of time. Not only did He separate the earth from the sky, but he placed every star, planet asteroid, comet and galaxy in just the right place. The sun and moon were placed in that same sky so that the world would not be in total darkness.

When He divided the waters and created lakes, rivers, oceans and streams, He knew exactly where they would do the most good. He filled those same waters with an amazing abundance of fish and other marine life. Each of those creatures were created with the instincts to find nourishment and calculate the current of the water.

He created each animal with abilities that would allow them to adapt to their environment and take care of themselves. Each of them has built-in survival skills and knows where and how to find food and shelter. The birds and other creatures were also given these attributes.

He then created His most prized of all creatures – man. He formed him out of the dust of the earth and when He knew that it wasn’t good for that man to be alone, He created a woman from one of the man’s ribs.

It took God only six days to do all of this. Look at how long it takes us to build a skyscraper or a bridge. God’s timeline is so different than ours. A thousand years is like a day to Him.

Almighty God, King of Creation, you are the master of the universe. What an awesome God you are. You not only created a perfect world, but you provided a way to fix it when
Satan tempted the first couple to make a complete mess of it. Your timing is perfect in every way.

Posted in Christian Devotions and Reflection, Family, Inspiration, reflections | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on KING OF CREATION

WHERE IS OUR KING?

Posted on March 30, 2014 by atimetoshare.me

The nation of Israel had been subjected to foreign rule for most of their existence.  The time was ripe for this small country to have a ruler of their own.  They yearned for a king who was one of them and would lead them out of bondage, just as Moses had many years ago.

The people had once again strayed from the true God and even though there were those who claimed to be zealous for the Lord, they relied on themselves and their good deeds more than Him. Their strict adherence to the law had become their way to achieve God’s mercy, but it wasn’t enough to make them clean in His sight.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people thought He was the promised king they had been waiting for. They were convinced He would solve all their problems and  give them back their lands and status.  This same crowd would denounce Him in just a few days. 

They had their king and yet they did not know it.  How could they not see that God was walking with them?  Do we accept Him as our king?  How often do we reject Him?  We do it every day with our thoughts our words and the things we do.

Jesus chose to leave His heavenly throne; to come to a sin sick world; to heal the physically ill and the spiritually lost; to teach the truth; to wake people up and show them the truth of God’s Word; to suffer a trial filled with false evidence; to endure inhumane torture at the hands of the Roman guards; to hang on a cross – bruised and spat upon; to die and be placed in a tomb fit for a king; to rise again as He promised He would; to give His great commission to His followers; to ascend into heaven and rule once more.

Lord, Jesus, you are indeed my King.  I know that full well, but you are more than that.  You came so that I could enjoy eternal life with you.  You came to wash away my sins – to be the perfect sacrifice – to take my place.  Help me to remember that you are not only a man, but true God and true man.  Help me to share this wonderful good news with many.

 

 

 

Image

Posted in Christian Devotions and Reflection, Inspiration, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on WHERE IS OUR KING?

A HANDBOOK FOR LIFE

Posted on March 27, 2014 by atimetoshare.me

 

The icy grip of the world has taken hold of many churches of our day, causing some to accommodate the politically correct or those who want nothing more than to feel good.  We must be on guard to make sure that the church is following God’s Holy Word. 

Many folks have a difficult time with some of the concepts and teachings of the Bible.  For example, no one likes to hear about their sin. Some tend to think that sin was designed to keep us in line through guilt. The idea of a world flood is unimaginable even though we see the power of God in the weather every day.   It’s inconceivable that a virgin could give birth.  It’s impossible for a man to return to life after suffering a brutal, horrendous death. We find it difficult to understand that God actually spoke to people in the early days of history.

The Bible is really a manual for life and it was written by God Himself through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament is filled with stories of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances.  It shows how man cannot save himself from damnation and a cruel punishment in hell.  It also gives hope for a Savior and has over 300 prophesies about Him which were fulfilled in the little town of Bethlehem.  

Lord, I am so grateful for a church that remains based in your Holy Word.  Each passage can take on new meaning in any of my circumstances.  Thank you for inspiring men with your Holy Spirit, keeping your words alive and the lines of communication open to you.  I know this is how you talk to us today.  By giving us this beautiful book, you have drawn me closer to you each day.Image

Posted in Christian Devotions and Reflection, Family, Inspiration | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on A HANDBOOK FOR LIFE

When your children leave the nest you acquire a new set of mixed emotions.  You’re excited to see them spread their wings and find their way in life.  You’re hopeful they’ll use the tools you’ve given them to cut through the mire and muck of being on their own.  You’re a bit fearful that they’ll have to go through some of the difficult things you had to face when you forged a new path for yourself.  You expect them to make the same mistakes you made, and that thought sends you into an extreme panic. You worry about how they’ll get by without you.  You look forward to having a little freedom yourself.

Change can be a good thing, but there is a lot to be said for stability.  I am so glad that the God that created the Universe and all that’s in it never changes.  God is the same today as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow.

Malachi 3:6  “For I am the Lord, I do not change.” 

Even though things change all around us, we can count on His steadfastness, His reliability and constancy.  Thank you, Holy Father, for always being there for us.  I know I can rely on you to guide me through all the stages of this life and prepare me for the world to come.

Posted on March 23, 2014 by atimetoshare.me | Comments Off on CHANGE IS OK, BUT CONSISTENCY IS BETTER!