A Prayer for all Seasons, A Prayer for all Weather

January, 2011

A Prayer for all Seasons, A Prayer for all Weather:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Forgive us for our “fairweather” joy and faithfulness, that is so easily up and down and as changeable as the weather. But thank You that You have compassion on us, and remember that we are “dust”. You understand our human frailty perfectly because You made us and know exactly what “makes us tick”. You know how easily we are affected by our environment, and how desperately we need You! And thank You that not only do You know us and understand us because You are the all-wise, all-knowing, omnipotent Creator of all, but also because You took on skin and entered the human race Yourself for a while. So You have personal experience of what it’s like to be a human being in this fallen world! Thank You so much Lord Jesus, that You can identify with us………

When the sun shines and it’s a beautiful day, help us to rejoice and be thankful, not just for its beauty and warmth that You have created, but for You. May we be reminded that the sun is merely a pale reflection of Your infinite glory, and may we rejoice in You!

When it’s a grey and dreary day and we can’t see the sun, help us to remember that You are still there, shining as gloriously as ever, even if we can’t see You or feel You at the moment. May we thank You and rejoice that You are the same yesterday, today and forever. You never change! May we keep turning to You in repentance and trust, and bask in the light and warmth of Your love.

When the rain comes, may we be reminded of Your faithfulness, and that You always provide what we need to grow and flourish, both physically and spiritually. May we thank You for the refreshing rains of Your grace, the Living Water of Your Spirit that You pour out on us to fill us and flow through us to refresh others!

When it’s dark and stormy and scary, may we be reminded of Your infinite power and sovereignty, and that You are always in control, doing what is best according to Your infinite wisdom, unfailing love, and perfect righteousness. May we cling to You and rejoice that You are our Solid Rock and Anchor, and always strong and safe Shelter. May we rest and trust in You alone! (Thank You that the wind and the waves obey You!)

When it snows and we see the beauty of a white blanket covering the earth, may we be reminded of Your purity, and of the blood Jesus shed to wash us white as snow. May we repent and rejoice in Your forgiveness and cleansing! (And when the snow in the city turns grey and gross and dirty, may we remember that we continually need your grace to keep us clean!!)

When the wind is cold and bitter and winter seems to never end……or when it’s so hot and humid we think we can’t stand it a moment longer…….please forgive our complaining and help us remember that as surely as the seasons change, You will keep Your promise to return, King Jesus, and one day we and all creation will be restored to the fullness of Your original intention. Amen, come Lord Jesus!!

When it’s so foggy we can barely see anything, may we give thanks that You are the Light of the world and have overcome the domain of darkness! May we take Your hand and walk by faith. May we shine as lights in the darkness for others, because You have shone Your Light in our hearts.

When it is icy, please teach us to be careful. What is sparkly and dazzling can also be deceptively dangerous, destructive and deadly, and can so easily trip us up. Help us to choose every step wisely, avoiding the “slippery slope” of sin, and walking confidently in the footsteps of our Good Shepherd, who always leads us safely in paths of righteousness.

When it is slushy and messy, or muddy and yucky, may we remember and rejoice that You were not reluctant to enter the mess of our world to rescue us!! Thank You, Lord Jesus! (We love You, because You have loved us first!)

In Jesus’ precious and holy, strong and matchless Name we pray….. with thanksgiving, Amen.


Jane. E. McGrath

Fools rush in...

The gates of hell are open wide and only fools rush in,
The gates of heaven much narrower be, but oh the joy within.

Can the pleasure of sin for a season be, really that much fun?
The cost for you is heaven, and all that God has done.

Jesus our sin penalty paid, and took our sorry place,
Please don't be the fools some are, and throw it in His face.

For you He died and rose again, His love it knows no bounds,
He'll save a sinner by His grace, I love the way that sounds!

All that's left for you to do is simply bow and ask,
That Jesus cleanse you from your sin and thank Him for that task.

The choice is yours and it's plain to see, there is a coming day,
Don't be a fool in this regard, or there will be hell to pay.

c. mcgrath

Will Christians ever learn?

The recent Koran burning threat is just another example of how some Christians have lost touch with their Redeemer. When are Christians going to start acting like Christ? I'm not exempt, I include myself in that too.

Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." Matt 5:9. We are to be salt and light in the world. We are to love our enemies, and pray for those who despitefully use us. We are not to resist evil people. We are to turn the other cheek. We are to give to the needy in secret, and forgive so we can be forgiven. We are not to store up treasures on earth, but in heaven. We're not to love the world, but love God, no one can serve two masters. We are not to worry. We are to trust in God for our provision.We are to seek God and His righteousness and all we need will be given to us. We are not to judge others, for we will be judged by the same measure we give out.

Matt 7:12 says: "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. For this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

In Romans 12-13 we're told to be law-abiding upstanding citizens. We are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. " Love does no harm to its neighbor.Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." Love must be sincere. We are to hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

 Honor one another above ourselves. Never lack in zeal, but keep our spiritual fervor in serving the LORD. We're to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need, and practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute us and not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another, not being proud or conceited. Live at peace with one another as much as it is possible. Do not take revenge, let God handle it. If your enemy is hungry feed him, if thirsty give him a drink. Overcome evil with good...

That's enough for now. It's certainly not an exhaustive list. I'm already feeling more than convicted of my own shortcomings. How many people do you know that measure up to this?

 Maybe if we did, people would feel welcomed in our churches. Maybe if we did, we wouldn't be threatening to burn someone else's holy book. Maybe if we did, people would take us seriously and see that Jesus is really who He claimed to be...
We don't live in a theocracy. What if we just spread the Gospel, and let the Holy Spirit do what only He can do best ....

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."  Romans 12 : 18

Law fulfilled!

 I've been sticking close to home during "allergy fest" these days, and as I was flipping through the channels this morning looking for some good Christian programming, I caught the last 5 minutes of Reinhard Bonnke while waiting for the next program to come on. I'm glad I did. I love it when God reveals a truth when we least expect it!

He was talking about the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. (John 8:3-11) He asked the question, "Why did Jesus not have her stoned for her actions? The law stated that she must be put to death for her act of adultery. It's in our Bibles today!"

Leviticus 20 :10 says: " If a man commits adultery with another man's wife- with the wife of his neighbor-both the adulterer and adulteress must be put to death." It was the law of Moses!

I always thought as the story goes, when Jesus said, "Let he who is without sin, let him cast the first stone", that was the answer. We're all guilty of something, so who are we to condemn anyone?

But Jesus was guilty of nothing. Is it possible that He did not have her stoned as the Pharisees requested, because He knew He was on His way to the cross to pay for her sin?  Not only her sin, but all of our sins! In doing so He knew He would fulfill that law, taking her place and ours in His death.

( I wonder too, and this is just pure conjecture on my part, if what He bent down to write in the sand that day could have been the sign of the cross...)

Jesus said in Matthew 5:17,  "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

That's why believers are not condemned by that law today. Jesus fulfilled it for all of us with His death on the cross! The law still stands as our school master, teaching us right from wrong, but we're not condemned by it anymore.

Praise God for His amazing love!

Hell of an experience now or later?

Something came up in conversation today. I'm not sure where it came from originally. It doesn't really matter, the facts remain the same.

              The facts are:
                                   - For those who don't know Jesus Christ as their LORD and Saviour, the only heaven they will ever experience, is the best this world has to offer.

                                   - For those who do know Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior, the only hell they will ever experience, is the worst this world has to offer.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather experience my hell here now, while time passes quickly. To have it later is to have it forever ...

" .....God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life: he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."  .... 1 John 5 : 11-12

 So....how about you?

One minute sermon! u gotta see, Inspirational!!!!

It's a scorcher out there!

That's what we've been hearing the last 2 days here in Ontario. It's only been 2 days and people are going nuts with the heat. In fact the radio said yesterday here in Peterborough, it was so hot, the squirrels were collecting their nuts with oven mitts!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news and this will not be a popular blog I expect, but it's a message that needs to be heard. In fact it's a message that's been told over and over and over again yet so many people will not listen.
There are much hotter days coming for those who do not know and love the LORD Jesus Christ, and those days will have no end. They will be eternal. I know it's not popular or politically correct to speak of, but the Bible speaks of it, and not in flattering terms.

Hell is a place Jesus spoke of often. He did that for a reason. He doesn't want anyone to go there. It's a place that was created for satan and his angels, not man. But, all mankind who will not accept the sacrifice of Jesus's life on their behalf will have to pay their own sin debt. They will take their place among satan and his angels(demons).
Jesus gave His life for you so you wouldn't have to go there. That's how much He wants to keep you out of there. He knows the horrors that await all who are there and will go there. But, the choice is yours. He also loves you enough to let you make your own choice. He will not force Himself on you.

The Bible has stood the test of time. It has been scrutinized to death. Pulled apart, trashed, burned, laughed at by many a scholarly intellectual mind. Called out dated, old fashioned, not applicable to us anymore. After all, we're all so smart now. So enlightened by our own knowledge. Which by the way, the Bible calls  "foolishness unto the LORD".

 Many have set out to prove it wrong, but in the process have come to know the Living Christ who lives in and through its pages. Their lives have been changed completely and they have become followers of Jesus.

People like:   C.S. Lewis, an Oxford professor and author of many books, including the Narnia series. Phillip Yancey and Lee Strobel investigative journalists. Lawyer Frank Morrison who wrote the book " Who moved the stone?" set out to disprove the resurrection account of the four Gospels, ended up writing a much different book and coming to the logical conclusion after an exhausting study, that the accounts were the truth.

 Josh McDowell is another. After starting out persuing a legal career with political ambitions, he was challenged to examine the evidence in the Bible by a group of college students. He considered himself an agnostic then. He is now a Christian apologist, teacher, evangelist and author of at least 77 books.
I mention these people because they're not just a bunch of imbeciles who swallowed what someone told them about the Bible. They are all intellectually sound intelligent people who put their best efforts into exhausting studies to prove the Bible accounts wrong, and every one of them met the Living Christ in the process. Their lives were completely changed!

I just started reading a book I received today written by Mark Hitchcock. " The Amazing Claims of Bible Prophecy". I wanted to leave a couple quotes here from the first few pages.

"The Bible is a book of prophecy. It contains about 1000 prophecies, about 500 of which have already been fulfilled down to the minutest detail." .... and a bit further on he writes, " Think about it: If hundreds of biblical prophecies have been meticulously and accurately fulfilled, then it stands to reason that what the Bible has to say about other things --- such as the nature and character of God, creation, the nature of man, salvation and the existence of heaven and hell ---- are 100 percent accurate as well. Fulfilled prophecy also demonstrates that the Bible's content is not man made, but rather has it's origins outside our own time-space continuum."... Mark Hitchcock.

Mark holds a law degree, along with a ThM and PhD degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary and serves as a senior pastor in Oklahoma and an adjunct professor at DTS. Kind of sounds like another intellectually sound intelligent person.

Not one word of the Bible has ever been disproven. And, in my humble opinion, never will be. Simply because it is the very Word of God. It is historically accurate. It is a living book. It applies to every generation, because it's HIS-STORY!

Now, having said all that. What does the Bible say about a place called hell? It says it's a place where the worm dies not. It says it's a place of everlasting torment. It is a place of memory; you'll remember all the times you laughed at the prospects of ending up in hell. That in itself will be torment enough. It's a place of outer darkness. The complete absence of light. It's a place of much weeping and gnashing of teeth, so you'll be able to hear the agony.
 It's devoid of anything good. It's eternal separation from God. It's never-ending torment that has been prepared for satan and his angels. It's a place prepared for evil. You will experience tremendous unquenchable thirst. You will not be there with all your buddies partying it up. They may all be there, but there will be no partying going on. Remember you'll be in total darkness, thirsty and without drinks. There are lots of  "good" people there too. The Bible says all our good deeds are as filthy rags in God's sight. The Bible says the final destination for death, hell and the grave, will be the lake of fire. Doesn't sound like a partying atmosphere to me.

I've heard it said that the best evangelists this world would ever see are in hell today. If they could get back here to tell of the horrors they're experiencing. The sad part is, they can't, and we have an example in Luke 16 where Jesus talks about that very thing. He said :  "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." The rich man in hell wanted God to send Lazaras back to warn his brothers of their impending doom.

We're the same today. We're being warned, but we're not convinced. Better to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season we think. How stupid are we as people anyway, who wouldn't be convinced even if someone came back from the dead to warn us?

A loving God wouldn't send anyone to a place like that you might say. Well, He doesn't. You send yourself. Our loving God paid the supreme price so you wouldn't have to go. He gave His life, the rest is up to you. He's ready and waiting to welcome you with open arms, regardless of what you've done.

Jesus said : "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him , and he with me. Revelation 3:20

Notice it's says "anyone". If you're still living and breathing that includes you!

Unfortunately this is not a popular message today. It's a message that you won't hear in many churches anymore. It's not politically correct, and it offends people. And, we can't have people offended because it affects what's put in our offering plates. That's just so sad on so many levels, but especially because eternity and where we'll spend it, is at stake.

".....What will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

 But, take heart there is hope! All is not lost. The hope rests in Jesus. A simple genuine heart-felt prayer asking His forgiveness. Giving your life over to Him to do as He pleases with it.

There is a cost to believing in Jesus though. The cost is, your agenda is replaced with His agenda for your life. There must be evident change in your life to validate that this is happening. It's a life long process. It won't happen over night. But, He will change you from the inside out and take you places you never dreamed of in the process.

When Jesus met with the woman who was caught in the act of adultery, after all her accusers left, He told her He didn't condemn her either, but said "go and sin no more". He expected her to change. He expects the same from us.

You will not be disappointed. Jesus created you. He knows you better than anyone else. He knows what you're capable of and what He can accomplish through you!

So ... if the last couple days have been uncomfortably hot for you ...