Amazing Love... by Vaneta Andrews

Amazing Love, how can it be?
That you my king would die for me.

This song brings me to tears every time I hear it! And with good reason!! Have you ever really thought about it? How can it be … that Jesus, a sinless man – God’s own son, was willing to die a horrific death … FOR ME, FOR YOU?

How can it be that God would be willing to sacrifice His only son … FOR ME, FOR YOU? I think about that sacrifice often and I’m pretty sure I couldn’t and wouldn’t sacrifice my son.

Amazing love I know it’s true
It’s my joy to honor you.

It’s my joy to honor you … or is it? I want it to be and it should be but I don’t always honor Him. I definitely don’t always find joy in honoring Him. Some of the things He asks me to do take hard work, require some form of sacrifice, or takes me out of my comfort zone. I don’t always find joy in those things until the lesson has been learned. And yet none of these things compare to the sacrifice He gave for a people so undeserving.

We are forgiven because He was forsaken
We are accepted, He was condemned.

If He is tugging at your heart to make a decision to follow Him … Don’t wait, Don’t hesitate. He didn’t. When called upon He willingly left Heaven to walk & live as man. The only difference is that He was sinless and not deserving of the death He faced.

Lord – I am so sorry you had to die for me but I am so thankful that you did!

Worship Spotlight 4 5 2010

Her husband says he loves her; that she's the most important thing in the world to him. Yet his actions speak louder than his words of love and devotion. His free time is divided between his favorite sports events, television shows and online computer games. No time is left for quiet time with his wife. No time spent enjoying life together. Does this fictional husband really love his wife more than himself?

Using this example, take a good look at your relationship with Jesus. Do you love God? Of course we would most likely all answer "Yes!" Is He the most important thing in your world? What is your time and energy spent on? There are 24 hours in a day but they seem to be filled with sleeping, working, eating and other responsibilities. What free time we have is quickly filled with other activities or just vegging out.

God can be glorified while we prepare meals for our family or patiently help with homework or other household chores. But he still desires our attention and devotion. He wants to have some quality alone time with YOU! He has written you a book of love letters, poetry and stories of the past that he wants to share. He wants to whisper words in your ear that are just for you. Are you quiet enough to hear them?

Worshiping God is so much more than attending a Sunday morning service for an hour and fifteen minutes. If we truly worship God, our whole lives will be affected by it. Our Sunday morning corporate worship is important. (Heb 10: 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.) But - it is only one small part of our worship.

Col 3:23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
Deut 11: 18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up
Psalm 46: 10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
Mark 12: 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

If we are Christians, worshiping God can not be a small part of our lives. It should be woven through every part of every day. Be intentional in your relationship with Christ and encourage those around you to do the same! God will amaze you with the results.

Spring Prelude by Dena Wilkinson

The Conductor lifts His hands
And lightning blazes in the darkness.
Anticipation shivers with electricity—
The opera is ready to begin.
A shout of thunder fills the silence of the night;
The voice of the Performer is unmistakable.
His power resonates,
Permeating an invisible moon
While creating a tympanic disturbance.
Cacophonous chords crescendo
Reaching climactic proportions.
Spellbound, immense trees gaze upward
Their limbs outstretched in acclamation.

And then…silence.

But in the distance
Woodwinds whisper in soft harmony,
"Winter is dead, winter is dead."
As their symphony fades into dark obscurity,
Spring humbly bows to a thunderous ovation.

CRUCIFY HIM by Donna (Ensign) Woods

They didn’t sing, “How Great Thou Art”.
They didn’t parise Him with a joyful heart.
Instead, they screamed, “Crucify Him!!!”
As He prepared to die for all our sin.
Barabas was released from prison, and set free,
But Jesus was led away to die for you and me.
So many laughed, and mocked His name,
As He was nailed to the cross for all sin and shame.
I’m sure He shed a tear or two,
As He prayed to God for me and you.
Jesus prayed for believers to be united as one
As the Father is united with His son.
His love and compassion is so great,
Here in the midst of so much anger and hate.
His beloved Peter denied Him three times that night.
The number of times we’ve denied Him is a terrible sight!
They cast lots for His clothes and mocked Him with sneers
While Mary and the others watched with heart-felt tears.
A King with no jewels to adorn
Only a dirty…bloody crown of thorns!
From the sixth hour until the ninth, the sun refused to shine.
As Jesus died for all sin…theirs, yours and mine…
Close your eyes and feel the awesome power of it…
“Father unto your hands I commit my Spirit.”
We were all there, you and I…
For each of us… He chose to suffer and die.
It doesn’t matter how great or small our sin and shame,
The price He paid for it was still the same.
The sights and sounds of that crucifiction day
Should make us all eager to bow and pray.
The sounds of a nail, being pounded into His hand…
We should still hear it…echo across this land.
Imagine the blood…crimson upon His face
As He hung there…in YOUR place!!!
Joseph took His body to the tomb…His burial place
Later, they found only the cloth, He was gone…without a trace.
Can you imagine their horror and dismay??
They thought someone had stolen their Lord away.
The angel said, He is not here, but do not weep.
Jesus rose from the dead to fulfill the promise to His sheep.
Then, He went to Heaven, to prepare us a place.
Through Baptism, He blesses us with His saving grace.
You are the one He loves and adores…
But, It’s Heaven or Hell, the choice is yours!!!
Imagine…looking into Jesus eyes, as He died for you.
Then search your heart and ask…”WHAT AM I GOING TO DO??”

Circle of Love by Joyce Schafer

There are flowers everywhere! Having moved into our “new” old home in the summer, I had no idea what pleasant surprises awaited me this Spring. I had carefully dug up some of my tulips and lilies to take with me but this spring I was surprised to learn that the former owners loved these flowers as much as I do. They are popping up all over the place!

Last summer we had removed a jungle of old vines and discovered an unsafe cistern in our back yard. With all the grandkids running around, we knew this was not a good thing so the cistern was filled in with lots of dirt. Over the winter the dirt settled and we were left with a sunken hole in the center of the mound . We were planning on filling in the hole again and then I was going to make a flower bed so that the grandkids would stay out of it. Imagine my surprise when I discovered flowers popping up in a horseshoe shape around this hole. A couple of days later another row of the same Spring bulbs showed up in the center of my backyard- just perfect to be moved and to make a complete circle. This will be my “Circle of Love Flower Garden” to keep my little ones protected.

When I think of all the adversity (not to mention dirt) these bulbs went through to grow, I am reminded of a lot of Christians I have known over the years. They have suffered greatly but have kept their faith alive and have continued to grow and like my flowers they have become a “Circle of Love” in my life.

1 Peter 1:24-25 “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever…”