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By now I’m sure that regular readers of this blog are aware that my wife Lura who created and wrote in this blog went home to be with the Lord last December 30th, 2008. You may also know that in a final posting that I put on several of her other blogs that I said that intend to keep this one going because it while she didn’t post here nearly as much as she wanted to, she felt that this was the most important of the blogs that she wrote in.
Several times I’ve sat down with the intention of starting this task but I’ve always found myself at a loss for words and ended up putting it off again. I’ve come to the conclusion that perhaps the best, most fitting way for me to begin posting here is to start with the basics. Later I’ll be referring to her notes and posting things in them that I know she intended to post here. I’ll probably throw in my own two cents here and there as well.
I guess the best place to start is that while I miss her terribly and wish very much that she was still here, I have not actually lost her. I know exactly where she is and fully expect to see her again someday.
You see, Lura accepted Jesus as Lord many years ago. Because she did, I know that she’s with Him now and that when my turn comes to leave this mortal world I’ll be joining her. And that’s the message that I know she wanted to get across.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the world we’re living in is, in many ways, getting worse every day. Evil is showing up more blatantly and more severely in more ways and places than ever before. All it takes is reading Matthew 24 & 25 and taking a good look at the world and people around us to see that we are in fact living in the last days. Because of this it’s more important than ever to make sure that everyone accept Jesus as Lord and claim the forgiveness that He died to give us.
We have to recognize that God exists, and that there is an eternity waiting for all of us. We each have the ability to choose how we’ll spend that eternity.
If a person makes the choice to ignore or reject God then they are in fact choosing to spend their eternity in a place of eternal condemnation that was NOT made for humanity. It’s important to note that God never damns anyone. He want’s us to come to Him. It’s up to US to decide to obey Him or not.
If that same person chooses to Accept Jesus as their Lord then they are able to become citizens of the Kingdom of heaven.
God does not force us to obey Him, he’s given each of use the ability to decide for ourselves what we’ll do. If he made the choice for us or forced us in some way then our accepting Him would have no value. He’s not after mindless automatons or robots, He wants us to come to Him freely.
So what do you have to do?
Believe that God exists and that He will reward those who diligently seek Him.
Understand that Because God’s standard is one of absolute perfection. Sin cannot exist in His presence and will never enter the kingdom.
Admit to yourself and to God that you cannot “save yourself” or by your own efforts meet this standard of perfection and qualify to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Believe that Jesus died to pay for your sins and that he rose from the dead on the third day.
Accept him as your Lord and accept the gift of salvation that he died to give you.
After that it’s a really good idea to get a Bible and begin to learn about Jesus and His teachings (start with the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.), get connected with other Christians (in person and online) that can help you understand the scriptures, spend some time every day both praying and studying His Word.
Then, when you see the things that are going on in the world you can rejoice in the knowledge that Jesus is going to return some day, probably sooner than most would like to think about, and that when He does you’re going with Him to an eternal reward.
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Ξ August 21st, 2008 | → Comments Off | ∇ Family, Prayer Requests |
I know. It has been a long time. I will tell you quickly that I have been in the hospital two times starting the first of August. Just got out the second go round on Monday. I am blessed to be back and writing here again. On to the prayer requests.
1) Vickie–in stage three cancer of the breasts. She can have an operation to remove both breasts but the doc only gives her a 50/50 shot of surviving the operation.
2) Donna–stage four cancer of the throat and lungs. She is terminal. Was offered chemo to give her a couple of extra months but she declined and will live out her life without that. She is a believer ready to go home. However, her husband is angry at God for other problems associated with dishonorable so-called Christians. He is now even angrier because of his wife.
3) Carol–who will need housing soon. She is unable to live by herself since her social security is not great. Please pray that she is able to have that housing.
4) Sonny–who will be undergoing chemo next month.
5) Harold–has pain in his shoulder but is reluctant to get an operation on it. Please pray for the pain to leave him so that he does not have to have that operation.
6) A family–they have little income but need a water pump for their car. Please pray for that to be fixed in a timely and inexpensive fashion.
7) A couple–who need to learn how to be married, to get jobs and begin their lives together. If God did not put them together, then God…please work this out. The man is probably not a believer. His wife is but is leaving it behind just to be with him.
8 ) Nancy–who has COPD.The weather is making it quite difficult for her. Please lay Your healing hand upon her so that she will no longer have this dreadful disease.
Father, we come to you with many prayer requests, some not mentioned here. We ask that You touch each and every person and family who is needing Your help tonight. We plead the blood of Jesus over each person and family that needs You tonight and through the day tomorrow. Lord, there are so many who have health problems, so many dealing with life threatening diseases and conditions. Please help each and every person who needs You this moment.
Lord, I ask You to touch those who do not believe in You so that they can see who You really are.Thank You, Lord, for each and every day we are alive and breathing. We are so thankful to You for blessings upon blessings. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
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Ξ June 22nd, 2008 | → Comments Off | ∇ End Times, Family |
So many people these days are looking for and likely dreading the end of the world. Some are trying to set dates on when this or that thing will occur as according to the scriptures. The latest person in the news to do so was a man named Hawkins who predicted that the beginning of the end would come on a Thursday this month. That beginning was to include war and destruction. He was wrong. Why is that so important to note?
In Mathew 24, one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, it says that no man shall know the day or the hour. Only the Father knows this for certain, not even Jesus has this information.
(Mat 24:36) But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not the angels of Heaven, but only My Father.
Now I suspect that if the Father is not telling Jesus then it is probable that we humans aren’t going to have a clue until right before it actually occurs. So, date setting seems to be the wrong thing to do. See, if a person is all focused on the one date, their whole life revolves around that date. When it comes and goes and nothing happens, what happens to their faith…in God, in themselves, in what they believe? It is imperative that we live our lives as though Jesus is coming back today but plan for the future as if He may not come back for another hundred years. Do you see this?
We live in perilous times, of that there is no doubt whatsoever. If you do not believe it, look around you. Gas prices are at an all time high and people are struggling to put fuel in their tanks just to go to work. Sometimes, it pays to stay home because the price of gas plus the cost of child daycare exceeds the paycheck. The housing market is reeling from the unwise lending and the loss of so many homes to foreclosure. Security is an issue in this country now that we have been vulnerable to attack on our home ground. Crime is at an all time high. Natural disasters are increasing and intensifying all over the world. For those who say that we have had all this before, do not be hiding your heads in that. This is more and worse than ever before and it is unlikely to change for the better any time soon. That small relief at the pump is going to be gone in a few days. Count on it.
Once again, in Mathew 24, Jesus was clear that all these things do need to come to pass but that we would see an increase in intensity. This is that time.
(Mat 24:6-8) And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must occur; but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in different places.
All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Did you see that? All these things are the BEGINNING of sorrows. That does not mean the end of all things. It means that this too is a sign for what is about to come.
In the past, when people thought the end was near, not all of the conditions were met for that to happen. Could Jesus have come back in those days? Of course, He could have. The conditions will be there when it is necessary for them to be there. Remember, God is in control here. He is co-ordinating everything. Yes, we do have sorrow and pain. That’s because we live in this sin natured world and as long as it is that way, we will have that. The future must play out in the way intended.
(Mat 24:14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all nations. And then the end shall come.
One of those signposts to what will come is this scripture. Only through the system of satellites can we now see that this particular prophecy could come to pass. And it is. With all the television ministries plus the Christian networks we are in the days of the whole world seeing the Gospel preached to all the world. One thing that has really made me a bit mad is all the griping and complaining about the television ministries. There are countless news stories about how they are ripping people off and having lots of wealth. Sigh. Has anyone at all thought about the fact that Solomon was the wealthiest person in the world and that only through God was he so blessed? Now, I do not say that all of them are like that but many honorable and honest ministries are doing the things we cannot or won’t do; feeding the hungry, spreading the Gospel.
I suggest that each of you read Mathew 24 over and over again. This is not to be a stand alone chapter but it does give amazing insight to what is about to occur. No, it has not yet happened. But look at the things that have. Read that chapter and try to deny that things are happening as if they were reading that chapter.
Folks, now is the time to get back to the Lord, seek His face, gather together in one accord. Believe and have faith in the Lord Jesus and the Word of God because there is where your answers lie, not in preachers who are human and can get things wrong. Go to the Source of all things and seek Him. Read your Bible, pray and listen to Him. He will tell you the path He has for you in these very perilous times. Now more than ever, we must get in line with God’s Word and live the life He has set for us.
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I apologize for not being on here more to write the devotionals that I am given to write. As I wrote in a past post, the world has gotten in and taken my focus away from this blog. It is very wrong to allow that to happen. Then I receive the news that a state judge has ruled in a homeschooling case and I am horrified of that outcome.
The state of California and the state judge who heard the case concerning homeschooling by parents has ruled against the parents and for the state. It means that he told the parents they were violating the law by teaching their OWN children without a teaching certificate which is incredibly pricey and, of course, takes a number of years to complete. Naturally the state wants it this way.
Many Christians have homeschooled their children for years. I do believe that this is an attack directly affecting those parents and children…possibly an attack directed AT those people. Here is a part of what the judge said:
Justice H. Walter Croskey wrote his ruling on February 28, 2008:
“Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children… parents who fail to comply may be subjected to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition of fines or an order to complete a parent education and counseling program.”
Did you see that? If a parent homeschools their child are criminals. People, we are so close to the end of the age! This will directly affect many Christian parents. The children will end up going to public schools where they will be subjected to the inadequate teaching in inadequate schools just because some judge in a state that is power hungry and greedy wants to make sure that the state has control over the kids. They will be indoctrinated with the views of the teacher and the curriculum of the school system the parents have been trying hard to avoid.
We are here for such a time as this. Please pray for these parents, children and all parents and children who will eventually be affected by this ruling. When the other states see this, they will begin to do the same things. Our freedoms are being lost, one by one. And now we are not allowed to teach our children in the manner we see fit. Oh Lord, come quickly!!!
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I have believed for years that the Lord is so very merciful to me because of the many times that I have come through things that should have killed or injured me, especially those times that I was out on the road driving the eighteen wheeler. But tonight, once again, I have been shown God’s amazing grace and mercy.
We live in the northern part of Arkansas in a little town near Hardy. We had been hearing all day that there was the possibility of severe weather coming our way. Now, there have been times that weather goes right around us and hits other areas. Not so tonight.
My brother-in-law had stopped by our house at around 6pm. We were watching a large storm coming our way. He had to go home quickly or get in the middle of a super cell. They were predicting tornado outbreaks all around us. My Mom lives about 18 miles from us almost due west and that was where my bro-in-law was heading. He left at about 6:25. I was in contact with my sister, who is his wife. When I called again, I found out that he had not yet gotten home. We were praying for his safety as well as all of the area because that super cell was headed straight at us.
Around 6:50 or so, my sister calls to tell me that her husband had been IN the tornado. He was driving a minivan. It was tossed through the air, rolling it over and over. The next thing may be hard to believe but it is the reason we are praising God tonight. The van landed on it’s wheels and my bro-in-law got out of it. He had a few scrapes and scratches, a head wound that was bleeding but simple to bandage. The van apparently is a total loss. He is all right.
This reminded me just how much our Father protects each of us through many things. He is an awesome God!!! His mercy is awesome. His grace is awesome. I do not think that I could actually think of enough things to say that would cover how I am feeling at this moment. God spared my bro-in-law!!!! He was transported to his home by a driver who was helping out.
See, our area got hit quite hard by a tornado. The small town of Highland, Arkansas is damaged severely. Small town of Ash Flat has a good deal of damage. Many homes, businesses and church are all either gone or damaged. A church, a fire station, a shopping mall are all just gone plus numerous homes. Our area needs much prayer but we have survived.
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The blog, Topshelf, is moving to a new webhost and is getting a new name! But you won’t notice much of a change except the name and, of course, the url. Isn’t that great! Because the name I gave this blog is taken, we decided to change the name to “God’s Topshelf”. I really like that! I pray that God likes it too!!
When it gets up and running again, we….God and I…will be back talking again. Do I hear voices? Well, yes. There is, of course, God’s Voice which does not come in loud and clear but in a small, very gentle Voice that I have learned is also very powerful. Then there is my own voice inside which is constantly trying to get things I want. LOL! And the third voice is sometimes very loud, very intrusive and always wanting it’s own way. You know who that belongs to? The enemy.
So, I will be seeking my Father’s Voice and be back when the blog is once again up and running. God bless you richly!!!
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Today, I am sharing my blog with a friend of mine who lives in Texas (I live in Arkansas). She has been a good friend of mine for over 33 years and she is an amazing prayer warrior in her own right. Her name is Pat G. She sent me this by mail since she is not online. I am giving it to you because the message is important and comes through loud and clear. Here is her message:
Limits, Chains or Freedom
*Don’t walk under a ladder
*Do not let a black cat cross your path.
*Don’t thank someone for the gift of a plant or you will die.
*Don’t just give a knife to a friend unless the friend gives back a penny or it will cut out the friendship.
*If you spill salt, you have to throw a pinch over your shoulder or have bad luck.
*If you break a mirror you will have seven years of bad luck.
*You can’t eat fish and drink milk in the same meal or you will die.
*You can’t have a cat in the house when you have a baby because the cat will suck the baby’s breath and it will die.
*Don’t step on a crack or it will break your mother’s back.
I think I have a headache! Those were some superstitions that I’ve heard at various times in my life. I have no idea where they’ve come from. I can understand the one about not walking under a ladder. Someone could be standing on it painting or fixing something. If you walk under it, you might get paint on your head or get a tool dropped on you.
Why do people believe those things? Why do they accept being chained down? Why do people accept limits in their lives that don’t make sense? Where in the Bible does it say that we have to accept and superstitions?
John 8:32–And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:36–If therefore, the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.
The Bible mentions freedom and liberty, especially freedom in Jesus:
2 Corinthians 3:17–Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
The Lord came to set us free. Free from sin, free from all condemnation. I don’t have the words that are needed to express what I’m thinking. I will let God’s Holy Scriptures say what needs to be said:
Romans 8:1-2–There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are now in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit, of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
Please accept that the Lord wants us free from of condemnation. He doesn’t want us chained and limited. Superstitions are chains. Unnecessary chains on our daily lives, on our spirits.
John 8:36–If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed!!
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As the day for the new year approaches, most people like to start working on their New Year’s resolutions. Others feel they do not need to do so. And still others realize that even though they make them, the resolutions will be broken before the end of the month anyway. Today, I watched a pastor on television talk about what we, as Christians, are to be doing here.
This was not a new idea by any means. In fact, it’s a rather old idea but was needed again. He said that about 20% of the church attendees do about 80% to 90% of the money giving and work at the church and for the Lord. Then, 80% of the people give little to no money and do almost nothing to nothing at all. He began to challenge us to decide what we must do to change that.
The first idea and really the only one is to get into your Bible for at least a half hour a day. I doubt that would be too much to ask considering what the Lord has done for you. I agree wholeheartedly that the half hour a day will do more for you than any other possible cure. Included in that half hour would be reading the Bible, meditating on the verse or verses and praying to the Lord about them. If you will do that, you will find yourself in a better mood, find more enlightenment concerning the Bible…things will become clearer to you….and it will be a relaxing time as well. This becomes a de-stressing agent as well.
I have to admit that I do not do as much of the reading and studying that I should. In fact, the last few weeks have been much less than usual due to the holidays that were coming up. How ridiculous can I actually get here???? We were honoring the Lord Jesus’ birth. This is the time to be more in the Bible, more interested in praying, more interested in study. I was less so. Hence the gap in the postings on this blog. I am ashamed of myself and am sorry to my readers who come to see what God has taught us today.
So, in the interest of making a commitment to the Lord, I do resolve to be in the Bible more, studying more, praying more and, therefore, writing more. It is a blessing to be a servant of the Lord!!!! Thank you for reading this blog. I hope to give you more inspirational postings in the future!!
Happy New Year to you all!!!
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For some of us the answer is quite obvious but to others, not so much. Is it about the gifts, shopping? Is it about family get togethers whether we get along or not? Is it about the depression that runs rampant at this time of year? No to all of those. While there is some question about the actual date of the birth of Jesus Christ, it has been decided by some “they” somewhere that the day in December, the 25th, is the official day to celebrate that birth.
The thing is, usually that part gets lost in the shuffle of the gifts, family reunions, the shopping for specific presents and the depression that lingers regardless of what we do because of some loved one who is not with us anymore or the loved one who is alive but gone to other places.
But this birth, above all others, was prophesied and proclaimed by those who understood the significance of the child lying in a manger or in a house after that very important night. There were those who believed that they had come to see a King and brought gifts fitting a King. They somehow knew that this child above all others was more important than they, the wise men who came to honor Him.
Although the wise men and shepherds that did visit were most important visitors, those who lived with the Child and taught Him as He grew up were the ones that had stories to tell as well. Two such stories are these fictional accounts of what could have happened through the eyes of Mary and Joseph, Jesus’ human mother and father. Though we know that these are not the real stories, read them with an idea of putting yourself in the place of the mother or the father of this most precious Child. When you do, please do not forget to thank the Father Who made all this happen!
Merry Christmas to all!
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Yes, it’s that time again. It came so fast that I really did not believe it was about to be Christmas again. What a year this has been. I want to remember a few things here before I talk about the season. My husband knew about blogging in 2006 and tried to convince me that it would be a good thing to do. I disagreed since it was essentially a diary online for everyone to see. In January, I took the plunge and here I am. This blog started up a bit later but here we are.
It seems that at this time of year, the reason for the season is often lost in the race to get the best presents or the best vacation spot. We tend to focus on the material things as well. We get wrapped up in trying to find that special thing for this child or that one. And the kids are looking for Santa to fly across the sky because their parents told them that and they trust the parents not to lie to them.
This is truly the time of year to look at yourself and see what is there. Often, we would rather not do that especially right now because, if we did that, we would be more depressed than ever before. No, I do not suggest that. But if we can look inward to see the One Who has sacrificed Himself for us, then we can find the love He has given so that we can also give that love to someone who desperately needs it. I do not agree with the idea that ONLY now is the time to feed the hungry but I do agree that now IS the time to do so.
Now is the time to spread the love of God to each person that you meet, to show them that God lives in you and that He is love. This is the time to give from your heart to someone who needs that from you. Do you have someone in your life that you have ignored or had a fight with earlier in the year? Take the time today and heal that situation. Bring God into their lives. Show them what it means to be a loving, compassionate Christian.
Please see the actual reason for the season, Jesus Christ, and do the right thing by giving of yourself to those who are in need today. This is the true spirit of Christmas.
Merry Christmas from Topshelf!!!
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