Category Archives: Heaven

Mar29

The Rocks Will Cry Out…

Posted on March 29, 2013 by sagescenery

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If We Won’t Praise Our King!

Luke 19:28-40 NIV

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

^“After Jesus had said this,

He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

As He approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives,

He sent two of His disciples, saying to them,

‘Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there,

which no one has ever ridden.

Untie it and bring it here.

If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as He had told them.

As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them,

“Why are you untying the colt?’

They replied, ‘The Lord needs it.’

They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.

As He went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

^‘Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord!^‘

‘Peace in Heaven and Glory in the Highest!’

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus,

‘Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!’

‘I tell you,’ He replied,

‘If they keep quiet,

the stones will cry out.'”

Don’t wait for the rocks to cry out!

Mar28

It’s Finished! Once And For All!

Posted on March 28, 2013 by sagescenery

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Celebrate Easter and the Resurrection!

Once and for all
The Father’s love
He is the light in the darkness
Who took on flesh
And took our place
The weight of the world on His shoulders
The weight of the world on His shoulders

We believe our God is Jesus
We believe that He is Lord
We believe that He has saved us
From sin and death
Once and for all

Once and for all
Our debt is paid
There on the cross it is finished
The Lamb of God for us was slain
Up from the grave He is risen
Up from the grave He is risen

Jesus, Jesus
God from God
Light from Light
You are our salvation
Jesus, Jesus
God from God
Light from Light
Your kingdom is forever

It’s Finished!

Once And For All…

For All Of Us!

Accept The Father’s Love…

Believe…

Jesus is God!

Mar13

This is Just Duckie!!

Posted on March 13, 2013 by sagescenery

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The sun setting on the pond on the golf course…

The warm breeze blowing on the water…

Causes moving ripples of light and color…

And shadow reflections and mirrors…

He almost doesn’t look real…

But he is!

“…It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth…

Salvation is found in no one else,

for there is no other name under heaven

given to mankind

by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:10-12 ESV

Don’t let anything distract you…

From seeing that Jesus is real, too!

Feb17

Sitting On The Fence? Ouch!

Posted on February 17, 2013 by sagescenery

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(I received this photo through e-mail…photographer unknown!)

Who owns this adorable dog???

The people in the brown house?

Or the people on the other side of the fence?

Is this dog coming home?

Or running away?

Who owns you?

Jesus or satan???

Are you coming home?

Or are you running away?

Get off the fence!

Sitting on the fence hurts!

It hurts us, and it hurts others…

Lack of commitment to Jesus holds us back!

We can’t help anyone…

Or disciple people from the fence…

Satan keeps us bound to it!

We can only help others from a position of total freedom…

Of true liberty in Jesus…

From our position at the foot of the Cross!

Are we too complacent to make an effort to get off the fence?

Choose Jesus!

Encourage others to get off the fence, too!

Help them see Jesus’ glorious face…

At the gate ahead in Heaven…

Show them His love in you…

Point them to Heaven…

So they can turn their back on hell!

It’s the right direction to receive abundant blessings…

From our Lord and Savior.

Jump off the fence!

Today!

All the way off!

For once and for all!

Into the arms of Jesus!

And stay as far away from the fence as you can!

Stop trying to run away!

And go home!

*Based on my previous post Straight To The Gate

Jan31

Hiding From God???

Posted on January 31, 2013 by sagescenery

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You Can’t!

So Don’t Try!!

You can run, but you can’t hide!

He’s everywhere!

That’s bad for you if you’re trying to hide from Him,

But good, because you can be assured that He’s always there!

He’s already found you…

Now stop, turn around, look up, and there He is!

He loves you!

It’s like “Lost and Found” to Him!

His love embraces you…

Wraps around your hurts, your pain, your despair, your scars, your mistakes…

It wraps around everything!

“…because love covers over a multitude of sins.” I Peter 4:8 NLT

Come out of hiding…

If He loves even me…

He can love even you, too!

What are you hiding behind???

Your job? Your family? Your health? Your money?

Your wants and desires? Your reputation?

I assure you, He knows who you are and where you are!

Look up!

Or, if you knew Him in the past…

Look inside!

To that place in your heart that can only be filled with God’s Holy Spirit…

Where it can be refilled…

And ready to overflow again with His Joy…

Even in life’s difficult situations with your job, family etc.!

Adam and Eve tried to hide, too!

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God…

As He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day…

And they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’

He answered,

‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked;

So I hid.’”

Genesis 8-10 NIV

In Bible study, while watching the DVD series called Frequency by Robert Morris…

Pastor Morris talked about God feeling sad when Adam said…

“I heard your voice and I was afraid.”

God created Adam and Eve to have a relationship with Him in Paradise…

He did things with them…

He walked with them in the garden…

He was always anxious to spend the day with them…

But, one morning, He finds them hiding…

They’re afraid of Him…

How it saddened God…

To lose that close intimate relationship…

Their sin had separated them from their God!

Jesus can restore the relationship…

Between you and God!

Don’t hide from God…

Even when going through a difficulty…

Come back…

Ask for forgiveness…

Do what it takes to be in a right place to hear His voice…

Don’t fear God’s voice…

Draw near to God!

You’re perfect together!

Psalm 139:1-18 NIV

“You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts,God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.”

Don’t hide from Him

You’re Beautiful!

You’re Loved!!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Jan31

If This Is All There Is, It’s Not Enough!!

Posted on January 31, 2013 by sagescenery

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What’s Our Purpose???

What’s Our Destination???

Who’s Going To Say, “Well Done!!” At The End???

Jan21

“Behold, He Is Coming With The Clouds…”

Posted on January 21, 2013 by sagescenery

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“And every eye will see Him…” Revelation 1:7

“Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds

to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”

I Thessalonians 4:17

“…and they will see the Son of Man

coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.”

Matthew 24:30

“Jesus said to him,

‘You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter

you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power,

and coming on the clouds of Heaven.’”

Matthew 26:64

“And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above;

and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

Daniel 12:3

“When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars,

which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him,

and the son of man that You care for him?”

Psalm 8:3-4

“To Him who made the great lights,

for His steadfast love endures forever.”

Psalm 136:7

“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it,

for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.”

Revelation 21:23

“And the street of the city was pure gold…”

Revelation 21:21

Jan13

“Up On The Roof”

Posted on January 13, 2013 by sagescenery

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“Hoo…Hoo!”

The way the sun’s shining, makes this dove seem as if it’s made of clay, like our roof!

But, it’s very real!!

Looking up…I caught these black birds perched on a neighbor’s roof!

They have a great view of the Heavens!

And not a care in the world!

Jesus, if we would just learn to look up, too!

And stay fixated on You…

I know you’d care for us, also!

Amen!

When I look up (fix my eyes on You!)…

I see some amazing things!

I remember all your promises…

I see all Your faithfulness…

Help me in this new year to do just that!

“…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2 NIV

Dec29

The Gifts…

Posted on December 29, 2012 by sagescenery

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I heard this song on the radio last week, and immediately thought of the precious children…

And others in the tragedy in Newtown…

And those grieving for them…

“The Gift” by Brenda White

Here are the lyrics…

Please insert your loved one’s name in “Grandpa’s” place!

“Grandma spilled some water…

When she fed the Christmas tree…

She said her eyes were blurry…

But she’d been crying seemed to me…

‘Cause of all the gifts God gave us…

One’s no longer here…

You see, Grandpa is the gift…

They got in Heaven this year!

So you might hear an angel singing now..

A little bit off-key..

But Grandma says his shirts stay white…

And his skin is wrinkle free…

And when Jesus opens this one…

She says Heaven’s gonna cheer!

Because Grandpa is the gift…

They got in Heaven this year!

Grandpa loved the snow…

Because he loved the snowball fight…

And Grandma says that Jesus knows…

What He got Himself alright…

Grandma said the reason…

We didn’t get much snow down here…

Is that Grandpa is the gift…

They got in Heaven this year!

Now someone else is gonna wear…

The cotton-ball beard…

I remember he used shaving cream…

Instead of it one year!

And Grandma says that Jesus gives…

Everything we pray…

So us kids got together…

And asked if Grandpa had to stay!

So you might hear an angel singing now…

A little bit off-key…

But Grandma says his shirts stay white…

And his skin is wrinkle free…

And when Jesus opens this one…

She says Heaven’s gonna cheer…

Because Grandpa is the gift…

They got in Heaven this year!”

Also, a dear friend of mine forwarded this e-mail to me...written by her friend's daughter who lives in Newtown, Connecticut. I have her permission to share it with you! It's very powerful!

“I thought I’d share some experiences here in town…

In case you were curious…

It’s been a hard (almost) week here…

Initially, filled with utter shock, fear…

Then sadness and grief…

I spend most of my days either working from home…

Or tootling about getting to other destinations either in town…

Or in neighboring towns…

Thereby going through town…

Not necessarily Sandy Hook proper…

Just town…

I ventured out a few times earlier in the week…

And was met in the grocery store with utter silence…

Except for some light Christmas music on their intercom system…

Which is normally fun 60s and 70s music…

There weren’t many people there…

And those who were…

Were visibly numb…

Looks of shock…

Just staring…

Moving in slow motion…

Then there was the ride back from walking the pups in Field Hills…

Which is a staging area for therapy…

And overflow of police officers from the state and neighboring areas…

I didn’t realize that ’til I walked past a field with literally lines of cars…

All the same make and model…

And realized they weren’t starting a used car lot…

They were housing all the undercover cop cars there…

And, of course, all the yellow crime scene tape…

Then there’s the sirens…

Or helicopters…

Take your pick…

But essentially if it’s not one…

It’s the other…

We don’t know if they are further “events”

Or some sort of escort…

Recently, on the ride back from Field Hills…

I was greeted with stopped traffic on RT. 25…

And decided to take a short cut that runs parallel (by a cemetery….)

I turned and started up the side road…

And ran into a blockade ahead…

Which was allowing a funeral procession to enter the cemetery…

It hit me like a wall…

That everywhere I went in town…

There was evidence of the massacre!

Not just TV evidence…

But palpable, touchable, hearable, physical, experiencable evidence!

And this realization that some parent’s…

Some “neighbor’s” child was being buried just then…

Was overwhelming!!

I found myself shrouded in such overwhelming sadness…

I questioned if we really could continue to live here!

Then it changed…

We realized that unlike 9/11, or Columbine, or any of the other widely known events that have changed our history…

We can’t turn this off!

We can’t choose to just watch a different channel…

Avoid the news, ignore the newspapers, etc.!

We are living in it!

I have a new empathy for the people who have experienced these other disasters…

And what it is like to not be able to just turn away…

So I decided, if we can’t avoid it, and I really didn’t want to…

Then let’s immerse ourselves in it!!

So, last night after a light late dinner at a local place in town…

We drove into Sandy Hook center, at about 9:30 at night…

We drove past the memorial site where the large Christmas Tree is…

We went right, came back, drove past the display of Angels on the hillside, turned around, went back to the left,

Turned around again, and decided, “We can do this!”

We parked, got out, and went and experienced it!

As I sit here sobbing…

And trying to put into words something that cannot be put into words…

I will tell you this…

It was probably the most moving human moment of my life!

The beauty that is there…

The LOVE…

The overwhelming love, the poetry, the symbolism, the words of peace, all the candles, toys…

All the things any 6 or 7-year-old child would adore…

It’s just unimaginable!

It is sad…

But sad in a different way…

Sad that they are no longer here with us…

And that they were taken away far too early…

But what is even more prevalent, is the LOVE!

I cannot even express it…

That and the sense of peace…

There’s not a stitch of anger there…

No one writing of anger or resentment or hostility…

None…

Just a huge garden of peace, harmony, tranquility, joy, and spirituality.

It’s not something I think everyone can do…

But if you’ve ever wanted to be a part of something so much bigger…

And feel beyond your own needs/wants/feelings…

It’s an experience I won’t ever forget!

We both said we felt so at peace walking through the display…

It was cold and windy out…

And neither of us ever felt cold, hot, nothing…

We just felt in the moment…Peace!

Sadness for the loss, but more peace than sadness…

Today is another day full of funeral processions…

I see so many people dressed in their funeral black best…

And the police presence is huge…

Cops from everywhere!

Yesterday there were about 5 cops on bikes from Yonkers!

We’ve seen them from North and South, all over…

I just got word that every Newtown Police Officer will spend Christmas Day at home with his/her family…

As neighboring departments have tons of volunteers to stand in for their shifts…

So they can be with their families…

But these funerals will be over soon.

I think people can truly begin the healing process thereafter…

So, I no longer feel like we can’t call Newtown home…

Now I feel proud!

I don’t want to leave….

In fact, I’d like very much to get to know more of my neighbors…

And be a part of this community!

I hope more and more people feel touched…

I personally have decided to take an oath with myself to try to do more random acts of kindness…

To have more patience with people…

To realize everyone is going through something…

Everyone has a story…

So when someone is in such a hurry they cut me off…

Or if someone is grumpy to me in a check-out line…

Maybe it’s for good reason…

Maybe they just need a warm, understanding smile…

Or maybe that person is rushing to pick up their sick child…

If I can be more understanding…

Maybe someone else can too…

If we all were a little more caring and understanding…

Can you imagine how much nicer our world could be?”

Yes, I can!!

Amen!

Dec5

Give Birth In A Stable!

Posted on December 5, 2012 by sagescenery

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Re-posting of my previous post called “Living In The Stable”

Part of the glorious Christmas Story…

Involves living in a stable!

How do we go from “Living in a Stable” to

“Sitting in the Heavenly Throne Room with Christ?”

How do we get from the hardship of the stable to the glory of the throne?

We trust and wait!

What do we do when there’s no room in the Inn?

We give birth in a stable!

Here’s my definition of a stable:

“A Stable is a place we find ourselves physically, emotionally, or spiritually, where we don’t want to be!”

Mary & Joseph wanted to be back in their home in Nazareth in Galilee, or at least in the Inn in Bethlehem…

Especially when Mary was ready to give birth!!

But, they found themselves in the stable!

It’s a mistake to label someone in a “stable” situation as:

A transient…

A fugitive…

A drifter…

An orphan…

Often a gradual process of circumstances got us there.

I know my All-Powerful God…

Could have delivered…

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph…

Out of the stable…

Kept them in Nazareth in Galilee…

And not sent them to Bethlehem in Judea…

But there was a purpose…

And a prophecy that had to be fulfilled!

What is the prophecy concerning us…

And our families?

What is our promise from God…

That needs to be fulfilled…

Because we’re in a stable right now?

Are we…

Like Jesus…

Headed for the throne room?

We are…

If we know Christ!

How did baby Jesus get from the stable…

To the throne?

Through suffering and trials…

’Til He went back to the Father…

True for us, too!

Suffering and trials…

‘Til we return to our Father in Heaven!

But, we can bless our Father through our trials…

Jesus did!

How long did Jesus, Mary, and Joseph stay in the stable?

One day?

Two days?

A while…

What were the conditions?

Stables are smelly…

Loud with animal sounds…

Uncomfortable…

Lacking the simplest comforts…

Lacking family support…

And it’s a lifestyle…

That is at the mercy of strangers!

Have we ever found ourselves in a stable?

Was there stress?

Mary glorified God…

Even after submitting to a pregnancy…

She could never explain…

Months of village criticism…

And all God’s requirements for bearing the Son of God!

Our belief…

And obedience…

Is what magnifies God!

From The Fruit Of The Spirit Bible, we read:

“It is always the heaviness of the burden…

That teaches us the best song.”

Mary was faithful…

Which I define as:

“Always doing what God tells us to do…

Exactly when He tells us to do it!”

Amen!!

Patience never argues with God,

And it has a habit of praising God…

While it waits for miracles to take place!

There’s never any reason to hurry God!

“May it be to me as God has said!” Mary prayed…

And then she sang as she waited!

Who was there with them in the stable?

No family…

But God knew where they were!

And He blessed Mary and Joseph…

With the birth of their son…

Jesus…

In a stable!

And worship…

And support…

Came to the stable from everywhere…

Even Shepherds need a Savior!

He knows where we are, too…

Even if we’re in a stable…

And, He will bless us with birth, too!

Perhaps, the birth of a needed job…

The birth of a home of our own…

The birth of a long-held dream…

The birth of a vision…

And the birth of a purpose!

What was the result of Mary & Joseph’s stable experience?

Christmas!

Jesus’ birth in a stable…

Brought joy…

Brought faith…

Brought hope…

Brought vision…

And brought a promise for us!

It got the attention of angels…

Kings…

Magi…

And shepherds!

In our stable experience…

We can’t discount the enemy at work…

But don’t give him any glory either!

Satan’s a liar!

We shouldn’t ask…

“Why are we here in this stable, Lord??”

We need to ask…

“What are You trying to birth in us, Lord…

Right here in this stable?”

We must know that God plans…

To take us from the stable…

To the throne…

Just as He did for His Son…

Jesus!

But, we’ve got to let Him!

Hope is here!

We’re children of God!

And, this is the season when God reminds us…

Of His Love!

Christmas is for those of us in the stable…

So God can show us…

That His purpose…

Is to bring us out of the stable…

To His throne!

We’ve got to go to God…

And want everything He wants for us!!

We need to be faithful…

To God’s favor and guidance…

Even in the stable…

Of small beginnings…

To get to the glorious ending…

The throne!!

Even if we’re in a “stable” situation right now…

We must accept the gift of Jesus…

Because even in the stable…

God’s right there with us!!

Remember!

His Son was born there!

And, once we’re out of the stable…

Don’t look back…

Just look up…

To where the throne is!

Amen!!

I preached this sermon last year when our Drama Team ministered at our local Homeless Shelter…

I preached it for me…

And I needed to hear it again…

Thanks for letting me re-post it!

From Pastor Ron Gray’s Christmas Newsletter:

“One of the great truths concerning Christmas is that Christ came to us.

So many times we tend to think that we came to Him.

It was the love of God for His creation that caused Him to send His Son.

He came to redeem us.

He came to bring us abundant life.

He came to be our Savior, Lord, and King.

Today…

Jesus comes and brings light, hope, and a future…

I believe that God will come to you today in the middle of whatever you are going through.

You may think He is not interested,

but I believe He cares,

and He knows what you are dealing with.

Jesus is making Himself real to you today.

Give Him an opportunity to work.

Stop for just a moment and talk to Him.

He has come to you to bring you joy.

I trust Him today to work a miracle in your life.”

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself RESTORE you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.” I Peter 5:10

You can’t have Christmas without Christ!

Christ is the heart of Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

And God’s Abundant Peace to all of you!