The Conservative Christian Family

As I was sitting at my desk and thinking on the things of the Lord a great sadness came upon me. I love Jesus Christ with all my heart and I will always follow him because He is the way, the truth, and the light of the world. The sadness came upon me when I thought of how this nation is turning its back on our Savior. The fact that we have a president who in his first 100 days in offices has nearly destroyed all that the Christian Conservatives stand for and have stood for with just a stroke of the pen. He has his liberal agenda but there is also a dark cloud that is consuming the white house and congress. It is evil. There is no other way of putting it. That dark cloud has been there but now it is growing by leaps and bounds. Those of you with spiritual eyes can see it as well as I can. There is a darkness spreading over our land. A evil satanic darkness that must be realized by all people.

Christian conservatives have toiled for more than a generation to make small, step-by-step

breakthroughs in boosting and promoting pro-life and pro-family programs and ideas. They have prayed, spoke out for the cause of protecting human life and its values. In the first 100 days in office, Barack Obama, with the help of strong left wing majorities in Congress, has done more to weaken those advances than any other president or politician during a similar time period. People who promote pro-life and pro-family ways have faced hard times in the past. Now we are called by some members of his cabinet extremist. These radical social policies started under Presidents Jimmy Carter. But there’s something different about Obama’s agenda. Look closely and it’s clear that Obama and his allies want much more than to secure more rights and handouts for their liberal voters. Their goal is they also want to compel all Americans to pay for and accept these policies. We as Christians can not set aside our core values and beliefs. We have to keep on the firing line and fight the good fight against this evil that goes against the word of our God. We must never except these polices.

Consider “homosexual rights.” Obama wants to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which allows states not to recognize same-sex marriage performed in other states. In other words he is trying to get a law passed that says we have to recognize homosexual life style as a excepted way of life. Obama and his congressional allies also are pushing hard the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. This would punish employers who differentiate against homosexuals in hiring practices. Is this government control or not? Then there are so-called hate crimes laws, which would criminalize “hate speech,” including speech critical of homosexuality. The White House states that Obama “will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation…and increase hate crimes protection…” Congress is now at work on hate crimes legislation that could lead to prosecuting those who speak out against homosexuality. Christian pastors and conservative politicians in Europe and Canada have been fined and jailed under similar laws. Where is our freedom of religion? Has it gone out the door when Obama came in? As Christians our stand should be this: We hate the sin of homosexuality. It is a sin, But we have a love for the homosexual. They have a soul that will spend eternity somewhere. How is that a hate crime? The word of God plainly condemns that sin. I will firmly stand behind what the word of God says about homosexuals, not what the government says is right. I will believe what is Biblically correct, not what is politically correct. I firmly believe with all my heart that any nation that promotes and condones this sin is in its last stages of decay. Obama wants us to condone homosexuals but at the same time says that we are not a Christian nation any more, but we are a nation of citizens. This sounds exactly like the old Roman empire in Jesus' day. Barack Obama’s assaults on the family have been felt most deeply by its most least protected members of our society: the unborn and the elderly. Not many days into his presidency, Obama overturned by executive order, the policy, which said organizations receiving taxpayer funds could not promote or perform abortions overseas. He also said he “looks forward” to giving taxpayer dollars to the United Nations Population Fund which promotes abortion overseas and supports China’s sinful one-child policy. In early March Obama overturned President Bush’s executive order limiting federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research. While Obama’s decision was expected, it was also curious in that it came at a time when effective and moral alternatives are providing treatments and cures to scores of ailments. In a memorandum issued on the day he overturned Bush’s limitations, Obama stated that his move would restore “scientific integrity” to government decision-making. While he is restoring that he is destroying the Christians morals of this country. But, due to the advances of alternative and ethical forms of stem cell research, many leading scientists believe there is no longer a need to have human embryos for research. Obama’s decision showed that without that he does not intend to allow ethical science to get in the way of advancing his radical anti-life agenda. Nor will he allow taxpayers off the hook for paying for it. President Obama’s most blatant assault on the family was his decision to get rid of a regulation that gives the right to doctors and other health workers not to take part in abortion or sterilization, a move that is opposed by the overwhelming majority of Americans, including most doctors. This will mean if you are a Christian it will come down to your profession or your salvation. How sad that this nation has gone that far. I believe with all my heart that we are just a stones throw from the coming of the Lord. Even so come Lord Jesus! On physician-assisted suicide, the Obama administration has quietly taken steps toward forcing all Americans to comply with its liberal view of human life. The stimulus bill included $1 billion for research into creating guidelines to direct doctors' treatment of difficult high cost medical problems. You know what that means and what that will lead to! This created an Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology within the Department of Health and Humans Services. Part of the new office’s duty will be to “reduce health care costs resulting from inefficiency, medical errors, inappropriate care, duplicative care, and incomplete information.” Thanks to the Obama , government employees may soon have more to say about your medical treatment that you receive than you or your doctor. This is wrong and should not be but it is coming. The most extreme elements of President Obama’s agenda involve compelling all Americans to conform with the Left’s radical views on the meaning of sexuality and human life. But there are a host of other actions that Obama has taken that should concern anyone who cares about the family. Few things have been as hard hit by the recession as charitable organizations. But Obama recently reduced in the Fiscal Year 2010 budget the amount that some families can deduct from their income taxes for charitable giving. Never has this been done before! This move disproportionately affects religious organizations and nonprofit organizations , many of whose existence depend on charitable giving. By transferring wealth and power from religious and community-based programs to the government , our community organizer president cuts away vital lifelines for those vulnerable citizens who depend on the community help he at one time endorsed. This is not all the list of Barack Obama’s assaults on human life and family during his first 100 days in power. This is no time for Christian conservatives to stop standing up for what is right. We need to be in must prayer about these things. Millions of Americans who oppose Obama’s radical agenda either failed to vote last November or voted for Obama with the false belief that he would govern as a moderate. We must pray always for God to intervene in these matters. The prayers of a righteous man avails much. We must put our faith 100% in Jesus Christ. He is the answer to these problems. Given the speed and determination of attacks on these issues important to conservatives, not to mention the important battles that are coming, and possible Supreme Court appointments -- pro-family conservatives need to step up efforts to educate Americans on what is happening and on the importance of voting their values and their faith. We must realize the importance of calling on God in prayer. It is beyond me how any professing Christian can vote for and support a man that goes against everything that a Christian should stand for. True Christians do not do that. The love of many will wax cold! The true Christian will stand up for what is right and moral. A question that all Christians can ask their self is this: "WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?" I can tell you this he would be against the polices in this article and if you call yourself a Christian then you must take a stand against the very things that would tear down our country and goes against the teachings of Jesus Christ. No matter what our race, sex, or age is we must stand for the Christian principles that we believe in. We can not hate Obama but we as Christians must hate the ungodly things that he stands for and is promoting. We must pray for this man that he might be saved and turn from the way he is going. With God all things are possible! Only believe!

'I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.' - Ronald Reagan

'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.' - Ronald Reagan

The Real Roots of This Nation

It is amazing to me how the family unit has changed over the last fifty years. As I sit and think about it I realize that a lot of our countries internal problems revolve around the structure of the family. It is the family unit(s) that form our communities, it is the communities that form the counties, it is the counties that form the states, and it is the states that form our Republic which is called THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Just like a tree that is rooted and grounded in fertile moist soil brings forth much fruit, so will a nation that is rooted and grounded in traditional family values bring forth much fruit. Now that I laid out the ground work for this article here is the rest of the story. Children can be trained in the home better than anywhere else. The church, schools and other organizations may have a supportive role in assisting, but not supplanting or superseding the family. The godly teachings of a mother and father are the most important because the children look to them for guidance. In the history of our country the family unit was and still is one of major importants because in that unit we were taught the ideas that would last a life time. We were taught to honor our mothers and fathers, to care for them in their old age, to respect the police officer, to respect adults, and to be obedient to our parents. We were taught to conserve, to be resourceful and to honor our country. We were taught at a early age how to work, how to save for the things that we wanted. We took care of our fathers, mothers, and grandparents. We gave them honor. We did for them and cared for them. We lived by a decent code of conduct that made America what it was and still can be. Most of the time there was a trade, a craft, or some type of working skill passed down to the children. What children learn in the family unit will last their life time. But most of all we were taught how to pray and to put our trust in God. Now we are told we are no longer a nation of Christians. In todays world we, for the most part, have no family structure or discipline in the family unit. Everybody does what he or she wants to with no respect for others. Now a lot of fathers, mothers and grandparents are put off into nursing homes and just forgot. For the most part there is no respect for our police officers, or the general public. We now live in a throw away society that for the most part wants someone else to keep them. Someone else to pick up the check and to pay the bill. This is what our society has come to. Those principles of hard work and honesty have fell by the way side. All because there is for the most part no family structure and no more family unit. We are even told by some of our government leaders that: "It takes a village to raise a child". My friend all it takes is a father and mother who will take the time to raise their kids the right way. One of the problems is that nearly half of the homes have no father in them. No roll model for kids to pattern their life by. No one is there to say this is wrong or this is right. There is no one in most homes anymore to tell their kids "GOOD JOB, GREAT REPORT CARD, GOOD GAME" or to give the encouraging words that most kids want to hear. when children are young they look for guidance from someone and if the parent does not give it then someone else will and most of the time it is not good, because it will come from the street and what they are getting from the streets will and is now destroying the future of this country. When you are not taught the very basic ideals of how to work, why you have to work, how to take care of yourself, the right way to do things, and to give honor were honor is due, you will always depend on other people and the government for your daily needs. This is not the Bible way and this was not the American way. There is only so much wealth that this country can spread around. Instead of spreading the wealth around lets start spreading the concept of good work habits and not getting our wants and needs mixed up. Let us teach the concepts of the traditional family as it was years ago. That will make for a better America and a safer America. What ever you are taught in the early stages of life will always be with you. If you are taught Christian principles, good work habits, good moral habit, and what responsibilities are then you will be better off in the later years of your life. You will not want hand outs when you can work because God will supply your needs. The "GREAT SOCIETY" that was started in the 1960's was and still is one the the biggest factors that is causing the family unit to crumble. Food stamp programs, government relief checks, free housing, and many other benefits that was put into place by the great society has caused people to grow up expecting the same hand outs with no thoughts of working and getting a job. Please do not get me wrong there should be help for the people that need it, but the problem is 90% of the people who get these benefits are capable of working and providing for their self. This is all they know because that is what was taught in the family home. If you are sick, elderly, or disabled then you should be helped. This program of a "GREAT SOCIETY" has caused undue hardships for the working Americans and caused a great amount of problems for the family and its structure. If we want to chance the direction that America is headed in and have a stronger America then the change must start at the roots of this nation and that is the family unit. A father and mother who teach their Children what is morally right, the concept of personal responsibility, a love of God, country, and a love for man kind will produce much fruit. This is what America needs and must have to stop the decay of our nation. We need to look no farther. We take care of this problem and all the other internal problems family of this country will take care of their self. The enemy from within will always be your greatest adversary.

When the family and this country as a whole realize that it is not the great society that is going to help them, but the great "I AM" is the one who will provide then we will see a turn around in this country that will shock the world. All of this starts with the right training in the home. Just like a family without Christ, a country without Christ will not stand. It will be like the house built on the sinking sand, it will not stand.

For one last thought before I end this article I would like to give you an example of what I'm writing about. I want to use my family as an example. Not to put them or myself on a pedestal but for only an example. My great grand mother and grand father instilled into my father how to work, and what was right, moral principles, and my grandmother taught him about the Lord. These principles were handed down to me and from me they were handed down to my children and now my grand kids are being taught the same thing, because for over four generations and even longer our family has been rooted and ground in values that make good and moral Christians with good work habits. For this country to be great we must train up a child in the way they should go and trust me if you do it will always be with them.

Having A Form Of Godiness

2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying its power: from such turn away. This is a important scripture that is often by passed by most Christians and also most church denominations. However no matter how you look at this verse it is all important and much more so in today's world. Not only has most of the world denied the power of the cross and the resurrected Savior but some modern day churches that call them selfs Christians do the same thing. They deny part if not all of the power of that old cross. I'm not speaking of the piece of wood that Christ was crucified on, but of the symbol and the act that took place that day nearly two thousand ago. It is our faith and the faith that moves mountains out of the way! The truth of the matter is the modern church is a "outward resemblance" of "True Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ" You can not say that you believe in the power of The Holy Spirit and The Cross of Christ if you believe in and promote the works of human psychology. They are totally against each other. If a person would only read what both stand for and what they both teach you would quickly see that psychology goes against the teaching of the Bible. But nearly all churches, including Pentecostal, will go the way of psychology. My thought is this: "Jesus is the answer to the problems of this world and not man made psychology. He went to the cross for not only our salvation but for all the problems of man kind. That includes you and me. Salvation is an all inclusive word. We can read in many different places in the Bible where Jesus went to the cross for our healing, our well being, and to grant us to forever to be with him in eternity. How much better can that get. We can read in the scriptures a lot of faith building verses that if they are believed and acted on will be a ever lasting delieverance:

• Jesus said, "I come that you might have live and more abundantly"
• We are told by His strips we are healed.
• We are told that: My God will supply all our needs by His riches in Glory, by Christ Jesus. In other words Jesus has already paid that price on the cross. It all comes by Him.

Not only do a lot of churches deny the cross, but they also deny the presents of the Holy Spirit and in doing that they become powerless and only have a form of godliness. No great work or answered prayer to any degree will be answered in a church that denies the power of the Holy Ghost. From all the reading and studying that I do (and I say that not to brag, but to say there is nothing better) find that faith in the cross is our guarantee that we will get the help of the Holy Spirit in the time of need, no matter what that need is. Making psychology the object of our faith as well as other things is denying the power of The Holy Spirit. In one of the gospels Jesus said that the sick are the ones that need the physician. How can most churches help the sick today when they will not allow the Great Physician in to do his job? Most churches today are like a hospital with no medicine and how can you help some body like that? Denying that power is a bad thing, a bad way to go because there is no other help that will save, heal, set free, and provide because He is the great "I AM"

These Troubles Times

In Troubled times such as theses many people are forced to scale back, to take jobs that pay way less (if they can be found), do with out certain things and just live a lot different in order to survive. There is no exception to the pressures of this day and time. The only exception is the way a person handles these uncertain times. Some people will resort to violence and crime, some families will split up over money and bills. It will bring confusion in many homes turning man and his wife against one another. Many a hurtful words will be spoke.These kind of things ought not to be and they always happen in times like we are experiencing now. Some Christians will be sorely tested and some will come through these troubled times with a mountain moving faith. But what happens if you do not have that mountain moving faith? Then that mustard seed faith will provide, Because that is were all mountain moving faith comes from. It starts as a grain of mustard seed. All great men of faith went through trying times and they all started with that mustard seed faith. Until Jesus comes and makes me whole I will not be denied! That means health, finances, food, shelter, and all my needs. He is my great provider and yours! I believe that all Christians should keep their thoughts in perspective and rely on the teachings that we find in the Bible and remain solidly focused on them. The scriptures plainly tell us in Philippians that "Our God will supply all our needs." With that in mind our focus on the times that we live in today should be steadfast and not change as long as the Lord tarries no matter how difficult the economic times may appear to be. We must be true to our faith through it all. In other words in times like theses we must not only talk the talk, but we must walk the walk. God said in his word that He "would not fall thee or forsake thee" Let us remember this that He is a God in the valley as well as a God of the Mountains. Now is the time to draw nigh to God and call upon His name. I believe that time is winding up and it is near the coming of the Lord. Who knows what we all must face before Our Lord appears. I can say this with all confidence my eyes is on Jesus for I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand. I, with all my heart, firmly believe that we are living on the fringes of the tribulation, in the time when we are to look toward heaven for our Lords Coming. All we have to do is read the many prophecies that are in the Bible, ones that are full filled and the ones that are yet to be full filled to know that our Lords coming is soon and very soon.

A Pastor with GUTS!

A Pastor with GUTS! Thought you might enjoy this interesting prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some people. When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard: Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition . We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen! The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India , Africa and Korea . Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,'and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. This Article was contributed by Debbie Shelton

A Message From A Brother

This article comes from a brother in Christ who lives in Africa (Richard Sempala) and I believe with all my heart that the Lord moved on him to write and send this. Please pray for his ministry as I know his prayers are for the Christians in this country.

Have you ever been the only in the position to speak encouragement to those around you? Paul was , (Acts 27:10)  So Paul warned the men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also."
 
When you speak courage, to others, it enables them to move mountains of stress before them , One day a partially deaf four year old boy came home with a note in his pocket from his teacher, Your Tommy is too stupid to learn, get him out the school. His mother read the note and answered, My
Tommy is not too stupid to learn, I will teach him myself, and that Tommy grew up to be the great Thomas Edison with three months of formal education. That was courage from his Mama

(Acts 27:22) But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed, these were unshakable words of hope, assurance to the sailors from
Paul. In 1914, Thomas Edison. Lost his factory to fire, it had little insurance; Edison watched his life
time effort go up in smoke and said "there is great value in disaster, all our mistakes are burnt up," Thank God we can start a new, three weeks later he invented a photography it shows courage.
In life, there I’ll be always a critical moment when you are needed most as spiritual father, mother, Daddy to a family or a mama or a grand father ,to speak hope to a younger man or a stranger or loved ones, Let God give you wisdom in times like these, you I’ll definitely be blessed as you bless someone .

Stay Blessed  Richard Sempala  Africa Life Youth Foundation Inc.  www.alyf.spruz.com

I find these as encouraging words to all and I think we should really get the thoughts of this message that is found there in those few, but well chosen words of Brother Richard's. As things around us seem to be falling apart we must remember that we are serving a God that will never forsake or leave us.Everything around us may fall but we will come through. I would like to add some scriptures to this message from Richard. Read from your Bibles Psalms 107: 27-30

Consider The Lillies

This world's economy is not looking to good right now. We have bank failures, mortgage foreclosures, people losing jobs, companies going out of business, life savings being lost, the government going crazy with their pork projects, and troubles from within and without that makes things even harder for the person who is trying to live a normal life. People are asking their self these questions, Where will we turn? What will we do? Who is going to help us? How will I pay for this? What is going to happen to us? theses are truths that everyone must face and act upon. As Christians we must remember that we have a source of power that for centuries has never been tapped out nor can it be. That power source is never ending. That source had no beginning and has no ending. We must have a unwavering faith that says "I BELIEVE GOD". We must believe the Word of God and live by it. Faith can still move the mountains in you life. We must put God first and everything else will work out. Did not God provide for Noah and his family in the ark. They were safe in that ark. The storm raged around them, but they were safe, sheltered in the arms of God. Even though the storms of this life are raging about us we also can be in that ark of safety, sheltered in the arms of God. The problem with a lot of Christians in todays world is their belief has turned to doubt and the mustard seed of faith has gone. I believe God! I believe the same God that Rolled back the waters of the mighty Red Sea, The God that feed and protected the Hebrew Children for 40 years, The same God that fed Elijah by the brook and gave him water to drink, The same God who Saved the three Hebrew Children from the fiery furnace, The same God who delivered Daniel from the lion's den, The same God who fed the multitudes and the same God who turned the water into wine can also turn our problems into gladness. We must only believe. All things are possible to those who believe.

What is your Destination?

Have you ever took stock of your life? Where you have come from and where you are going to? That is something that everybody one day thinks about. What road are we taking in our life? Are we on that broad road to destruction or are we on the narrow road that leads to Heaven and eternal life. This is a decision and a choice that all will have to make. "CHOOSE THIS DAY WHO YOU WILL SERVE" We have this choice to make. That broad road of sin leads to the destruction of your soul. It will take you to a eternal hell were you will be tormented for ever and ever. Some people will say that this is very strong words but that road to destruction is widening itself more everyday and more people are on that broad way to destruction. Hell is enlarging itself and I do not want anybody to go there. One of the most important decisions in our lives is where we are going to spend eternity. I want to travel that narrow road that takes me to Glory.

We all have to walk the pathway of life. It is how we walk that path is what makes the difference in the end. That way starts with believing that The Bible is the very word of God and in this Book of Books is found the way (the only way) to eternal life. It tells us that Jesus is the way. We must believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. It is our road map for our journey and we must believe that it is He who holds our hand. As we travel down this narrow road we will know:

• Jesus is the master of the sea.: He is the one who can calm the storms in your life.
• Jesus is the bread of life: He is the source of all our spiritual needs
• Jesus is the living water: In Him we will never thirst again.
• Jesus is the great "I AM": He always was and always will be
• Touching Jesus is all that matters: No matter what the problem
• Jesus will supply all your needs: No matter what they are
• To trust and obey: For there is no other way
• When God said, THOU SHALL NOT: That is what He means
• He has gone to prepare a place for us: His word tells us so
• He is our soon coming king: A righteous king
• There is a Heaven to gain and a hell to shun: The Choice is ours

The problem is most people in this world do not realize these truths that come from God's Word. They are on that broad road to destruction which is caused by not believing in the truths found in the scriptures. Most people have the attitude that: Let us eat, drink, be merry, for tomorrow we may die.

They give no thought of what happens after they die. But this is something that all people must think about and realize there is a judgment day coming. There is no high road or low road to heaven. It is only the narrow road that will get you there. There is only one door and one way to heaven. That way is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Trying any other way will put a person on that broad road to hell. If You want "PEACE IN THE VALLEY", no more sickness, no more sorrow, no more sadness, then take that narrow road and enter into the rest that is promised to all those who believe.

He Is Not There! He Has Risen!

                     He Is Not There! He Has Risen!

As I sit here this Saturday morning  I remember what my mother would always say when the lilies would break the soil and bloom. She said it reminded her of Easter and Jesus rising from the dead. She always wanted lilies on Easter. She is like a lot of other Christians that depicted the lily as the emblem of the  Resurrection. White lilies bloomed where religious events took place, such as the Garden of Gethsemane, the Crucifixion, and the tomb of Jesus. What a honor this flower has and rightly so to be called the EASTER LILLY. Jesus is the lily of the valley.

I think about the pain, the sadness, the hurt,of knowing that my savior was beat, spit on, His hair pulled out, falsely accused, made fun of, it grieves my soul and I weep. Here these people, of that day, were in the very presents of God and denied Him. How sad! Near Easter every year I always remember, with great emotion, the Easter play,  by the youth,  at my church . It was over twenty years ago and I still remember it as it was yesterday. I have told this in a past commentary but I feel that it needs to be repeated. I can still feel the presents of The Holy spirit as I did that very day in that old country church!

My oldest son had the part of Christ and as he carried the cross on his shoulders down the isle he was being beaten with a whip by his cousin who was playing the part of a roman soldier. {There was no real hard and hurtful blows to my son}  As I watched my son being beat with the whip in this play I thought to myself; This is my son and it is only a play, but how Our Heavenly Father  must have felt as he watched from Heaven as His only begotten Son was being whipped, beat, and then crucified.  I cried uncontrollably and it was not just a few tears. I felt the spirit of the Lord all over me and to this day I’m always in remembrance of that day and that play. That was the day it hit me like a ton of bricks and I was greatly moved by the Holy Ghost. Some people might call it emotions, but I call it The Holy Ghost moving on me. It always feels so good when the Spirit quickens you. That play and The Holy Ghost moving on me will stay with me for the rest of my life. This was the punishment that Jesus took for you and me. Oh what joy it will be on that day when my Jesus I will see. The One who died for me {and you}. I want to fall at His feet and tell Him how much that I love him.

 By His strips we were healed, no kind of disease or sickness has no authority over The Lord’s child, He was wounded for our transgressions, {for all those past sins that was in our life He was beat and spit upon}, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. { In other words He took our punishment and correction so we might be reconciled to God.} He was bruised for our iniquities, { The Hebrew meaning for bruised is: To crush and beat to pieces.} This my friend is what Jesus did for us. Don’t you love Him? That Old Rugged Cross made the difference.

 I’m reminded of three other events that took place that day of long ago. They happen for a reason. I like to get all the details of what ever I’m studying and it helps me to see all the picture. The first event was Pilate’s wife who told Pilate to have nothing to do with that just man because she had suffered many things in a dream about Him. { That word suffered means: To feel pain or distress, sustain loss or injury} did you ever stop to really think what that pain and distress or that loss was? What ever it was it was placed there by God. According to ancient history books her name was Claudia Procula and she later became a Christian. I’m sure that it was because of the Holy Ghost inspired dream that she became a believer.

Then there was the thief on the cross next to Jesus. A man who robbed and stole. Now what caused this thief to ask Jesus to remember him? He was not a follower of the Lord, but yet it was something there with in this man that caused him to call out to Jesus. Was it The Holy Ghost? I believe so. This thief believed and accepted Jesus as his savior and was that day is in paradise with our Lord.

Lastly there was The roman soldier {a centurion} who was guarding the cross on that sad day. This soldier, after seeing the earth quake, and the other things that where done, said along with the other people that were there: “ TRULY, THIS WAS THE SON OF GOD” He did not say a son of God, but The Son of God. According to ancient history books from that period of time this centurions name was Longinus. He became a devoted follower of Christ, preached the gospel, and died a martyr’s death. He was one who choose to suffer death rather than renounce the Lord. Once Again I believe it was the Holy Ghost that caused this soldier to come to Christ.

It does not make no difference what your station is in life. You may be like Pilate’s wife, who was someone of importance. You could be like the thief on the cross, who stole, or else you might be a person of authority as the roman soldier. It makes no difference. Jesus went to that cross for us all, no matter what our station in life is. It is the Holy Ghost Conviction that causes us all to come to Christ same as it was with these three in Bible times. We serve the same Jesus, as we did yesterday, we serve the same Jesus today, and forever we will serve the same Jesus! We must remember that “He is not there {in that tomb}, He has risen. We as followers of Christ have something to look forward to, that is this, we are going to live forever with our Lord, to sit at His feet, and to serve Him for ever and ever. We will be in a place where there will be no more sickness, death, no sadness, no pain, no sorrow, just peace and joy in The Holy Ghost. We will be in a place where a day will be as a thousand years and a thousand years will be as a day. Oh what a day that will be!

As with almost all Christian Holidays Easter has been secularized and commercialized. Each spring the excitement of Easter fills the air. Many churches prepare special Easter programs  and their egg hunts. Little is said about our Savior. At home mothers color Easter eggs, and parents hide the brightly colored holiday symbols around the house and lawn so that, come Easter morning, their children can excitedly hunt for them. What do colored eggs and the Easter rabbit have to do with Jesus Christ's resurrection? How did these seemingly irreligious symbols come to be associated with that event? As this Easter approaches there will be people in their Easter bonnets, new clothes and shoes going to church for the very first time this year. There will be Easter egg candy, colored eggs, and Easter egg hunts in every town and city. This is okay with me as long as the children are taught the true meaning of Easter.  There comes a time that we must separate the real from the unreal. It is okay with me as long as the parents tell their kids who and what to search for first and that is Jesus, not the Easter eggs. It is not for them to look for the bunny rabbit hippy hopping down the bunny trail, but to look for the return of the one who died for them. Kids will be kids and it is the parents place and responsibility to teach their kids the truth. If you claim to be a Christian it is your duty to do this. You can eat your Easter eggs with your kids {but save the jelly beans for me} as you tell kids and grand kids the true Easter story about a Savior who died for them.

We live in a time and age that the world grows spiritually darker every day. There are people losing their jobs, people going hungry, people losing their homes, bank accounts, and all their worldly processions. People are alarmingly turning their back on God and things does not lot good. Our nation’s leaders for the most part have turned their back on God. I believe with all my heart that Our Savior’s return is emanate. All the signs are there. We must put our faith in Jesus, The Cross, The Resurrection, and The promise that He will come again. The fact that He has gone to prepare a place for us and where He is we will be also. This is our hope and our faith. All other hope is sinking sand. As I close this commentary of mine for this Easter I want to leave you with a few lines of a old hymn of the church;

 My Hope is built on nothing less,

than Jesus’ Blood and righteousness,

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus Name

On Christ, The Solid Rock, I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.