Tag Archives: Serving the Lord

Witness “The Resurrection!”

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“The Resurrection”
A 12 x 40 mural, oil on canvas.
Painted by Ron DiCianni
It’s a depiction of the precise moment
Jesus emerges from the tomb!
This mural was commissioned by the
Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas,  Texas.

The doctrine of the resurrection is one of the most fundamental teachings of the Christian faith.

“…But now is Christ risen from the dead …

even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

1 Corinthians 15:19, 22  KJV

“Our salvation and justification before God

is based upon our belief

in the resurrection of

Jesus Christ.” 

Hebrews 6:1, 2  KJV

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth

the Lord Jesus,

and shalt believe

                               in thy heart                                

that God hath raised him from the dead,

thou shalt be saved.” 

Romans 10:9  KJV

 

Witness…Alive…Faith…Believe…Confess…Be Saved

                       

Who God Is!

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Cry “I Am!”

And He Is!!

Maker of the Heavens!   

Bright and Morning Star! 

Breath of All Creation!

Who Always Was!

And Is To Come!

One Who Walked on Water!

One Who Calmed the Seas!

Miracles and Wonders!

So Come and See!

And Follow Me!

You Will Know!

Fount of Living Water!

Risen Son of Man!

Healer of the Broken!

When You Cry!

I Am!   

Your Savior and Redeemer!

Who Bore the Sins of Man!

Author and Perfecter!

Beginning and the End!

I Am!

Spirit Deep Inside You!

Word Upon Your Heart!

One Who Even Knew You!

Before Your Birth!

Before You Were!

Before the Earth!

The Universe!

In Every Heart!

Where You Are!

The Lord of Lords!

The King of Kings!

Holy Lamb!

Above All Things!

Almighty God Your Father!

Risen Son of Man!

Healer of the Broken!

When You Cry!  I Am!

Your Savior and Redeemer!

Who Bore the Sins of Man!

The Author and Perfecter!

Beginning and the End!

Yes, I Am!!

Is He All This To You????

Happy Easter! Your Savior Is Alive!

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Give Him All Your Love!

Fall In Love

His Love Will Make You A Believer!

Illuminating Blogger’s Award!

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Thank you!

I’ve been nominated by http://seasonsgirl.wordpress.com/ for the Illuminating Blogger’s Award!  It’s my first nomination…and I’m so excited and honored!  Seasonsgirl’s blog has been an inspiration to me since I started my blog in July last year.  Her posts are kind, gentle, and lovely…she honors God in all that she does!  I feel warm and fuzzy…welcomed and loved…when I read her posts…you’ll love her blog, too!

So thank you Seasonsgirl for reading, liking, and commenting on my posts…and for the nomination for the Illuminating Blogger’s Award!  I know we’d be great friends…if we ever meet in person…you could teach me all about your awesome life on a ranch!

I love all your photos, your life, your pets, and your animals!!

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So now the rules for the Illuminating Blogger Award…

The Rules:

Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you (see above)

Say a few words of gratitude on your blog and follow the link (see above)

Share a few words about yourself and pass on the award to 5 other bloggers

About Me!

Christian, Wife, Mother, Minister, Teacher, Drama Team Director, owner of a Crazy Siberian and a California King Snake…Italian from NJ living in FL with lots to say…who loves to serve the Lord with JOY, write-write-write, and take beautiful photos of God’s awesome scenery!!

Anything I do is a ministry to Jesus, so I pray you’re blessed by my blog…whether it’s a Scripture, my favorite contemporary Christian music, a kid’s Bible object lesson, teaching a life lesson, my photographs, or something humorous to get the outrageous JOY out of life that God meant for us to have!

I love sharing it all!!

Five Worthy Nominations For The Illuminating Blogger’s Award:

1.  I love author Bella Grace’s blog, http://walkingonwaterwithgrace.org/  Founder of Walking On Water Ministries, Walking On Water, or WOW…a ministry built on faith, hope, trust, and more importantly LOVE.

She loves the Lord, she’s my sister in the Lord…I feel loved when I read her posts, and also when she comments on mine!

2.  I love OverwhelmedByJoy, http://overwhelmedbyjoy.wordpress.com/about/  She’s a wife, mother, friend, and more…also a patient, who makes a conscious decision to choose joy, even though permanently disabled.  She’s a caretaker for her mother.  She chooses joy because this is the best option.  Because the other option. . . is not an option.

She’s so inspirational, wise, and caring…I love her blog!

3.  I love Adam J. Holland’s blog, http://unorthodoxepicure.com/  because he’s so opinionated, and makes me laugh, laugh, laugh every day…by making me think about everyday things in a funny way!

He doesn’t consider himself to be any quirkier than the next guy, but his family, friends and fellow bloggers disagree. He’s a chef, so his recipes are awesome!  Check it out!

4.  I love this new blog I just found…or maybe Kimmy found me! http://kimmyg01.wordpress.com/ Her blog includes spiritual topics that interest me…women’s ministry, Christianity, Christian living, and inspirational poetry…I’m lovin’ it!

5.  I love http://becomingcliche.wordpress.com/about/ because she talks about teaching topics that interest me!  She has a snake…and…ya gotta love her writing!!

She said, “Since my “About Me’ portion is getting more hits than my actual blog, I may as well not waste an opportunity.  I am a snake-keeping, thrift-store loving mother of three. I work as an educator in a zoo and do a bit of free-lance writing. My pet peeves include wet clothing buried in the hamper and little popcorn kernels that get stuck in my teeth. Most days, I have the attention span of a gnat!”  Check out her blog…you’ll have fun!!

I love all my blogging friends!  Thanks so much for making this a joyful journey for me!!  God Bless!!

Free As A Bird!

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“So if the Son sets you free,

you will be free indeed.”

John 8:36  NIV

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“Jesus said, ‘You will know the truth,

and the truth will set you free.'”

John 8:31-32  NIV

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“because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit

who gives life

has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

Romans 8:2  NIV

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“For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord

is the Lord’s freed person;

similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave.”

1 Corinthians 7:22  NIV

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“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

Stand firm, then,

and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Galatians 5:1  NIV

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“In my anguish I cried to the LORD,

and He answered by setting me free.”

Psalm 118:5  NIV

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“The LORD lives!

Praise be to my Rock!

Exalted be God,

the Rock, my Savior!

He is the God who avenges me. . .

who sets me free from my enemies.”

  2 Samuel 22:47-49  NIV

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“But thanks be to God that,

though you used to be slaves to sin,

you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching

to which you were entrusted.

You have been set free from sin

and have become slaves to righteousness.”

Romans 6:17-18  NIV

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“Be sure of this:

the wicked will not go unpunished,

but those who are righteous will go free.”

Proverbs 11:21  NIV

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“But now He has reconciled you

by Christ’s physical body

through death

to present you holy in His sight,

without blemish

and free from accusation.”

Colossians 1:22  NIV

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“For this reason

Christ is the mediator of a new covenant,

that those who are called

may receive the promised eternal inheritance–

now that He has died

as a ransom to set them free. . .”

Hebrews 9:15  NIV

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“Set me free from my prison,

that I may praise your name.”

Psalm 142:7  NIV

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“He upholds the cause of the oppressed

and gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets the prisoners free,

the LORD gives sight to the blind,

the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,

the LORD loves the righteous.”

Psalm 146:7-8

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“Sin is no longer your master,

for you no longer live under the requirements of the law.

Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.”

Romans 6:14 NLT

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“We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare;

the snare has been broken,

and we have escaped.”

Psalm 124:7  NIV

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“The Spirit and the bride say,

‘Come!’

And let him who hears,

say, ‘Come!’

Whoever is thirsty,

let him come;

and whoever wishes,

let him take the free gift of the water of life.”

Revelation 22:17  NIV

Yipee!!  We’re free!

Freedom in Christ…

It’s a free gift!!

Take it!

This is Just Duckie!!

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The sun setting on the pond on the golf course…

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The warm breeze blowing on the water…

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Causes moving ripples of light and color…

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And shadow reflections and mirrors…

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He almost doesn’t look real…

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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!

Who’s Got The Power???

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Jesus is your power source!!

Hey Kids!

Our Kids Church is called “Kidtricity!”

Here’s one of our object lessons…

“Plug In To The Right Power Source”

From:  http://www.calledtokids.com  July 19, 2010 by Marla   Filed under God’s Power, Holy Spirit

“‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

Zechariah 4:6 (NIV)

Props needed for this object lesson:

A variety of electrical/battery operated items,

and power supplies (cell phone charger, batteries, extension cords, etc.)

Lesson:  I brought several items with me today to help demonstrate God’s power.

Let’s see…

I have a flashlight, a fan and a cell phone.

None of these things can operate by itself;

all of these items require power to work.

And we all need power and strength to do what God has called us to do.

He has called us to do great things in life…

but, we will never do those things without power.

            So let’s see if I can get these items to operate.

(Attempt to plug cell phone charger into flashlight, then turn the switch to “on.”)

Something’s wrong.

The flashlight isn’t working.

I plugged it in, but I still can’t get it to turn on.

Well, let me try the fan.

(Put batteries on top of the fan and turn on switch).

I don’t understand.

I put the batteries on the fan,

and it’s still not working.

The flashlight isn’t working and the fan isn’t working,

so maybe I can get the cell phone to work.

(Attempt to plug the cell phone into the extension cord).

Nothing seems to be working for me today!

What am I doing wrong?

(Allow kids to respond).

Oh, did I get things a little mixed up?  

(Rearrange the items and plug them into their correct power sources).

Now things seem to be working!

            Everyone is created to do a special work for the Lord.

Work requires power and strength.

The problem is,

many people try to rely on their own power.

They think they can do the work themselves.

That’s like plugging in the cell phone to this extension cord.

If you’re working in your own power,

you’re tapped into the wrong power source.

Your power won’t get you very far.

God’s power working through you will get the work done.

When you trust in Him,

you’ll work just like these items

when they have the right power source.

            Remember to work in the strength of God’s Spirit.

Kids!

 Connect to the right power source!

 God’s got all the power!

 He’ll flip the switch…

 And leave the dark behind…

 So light up and let it shine!

 You’re in the dawn of your finest hour

 So get wired to the highest power

 He gets the praise…

 He owns the show

 Walk in His footsteps

 For a brighter day

 Follow His Word…

 He lights your way!

 Lift up His banner…

 Raise it high…

 Light up the sky! 

 Just be the conduit…

And give Him all the glory!

Amen!!

Nope! Face It! He’s Never Gonna Change!

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His Love will never fail you!

Nothing can separate you from His Love…

Even if you run away…

Even if you make mistakes…

He stays the same through the ages…

His Love for you never changes…

Your pain in the night…

Becomes joy in the morning…

When oceans rage…

Don’t be afraid…

Know that He loves you…

And that’s never gonna change!

When the wind is strong…

And the water’s deep…

Trust in Him!

You’ll see…

You’re never alone in the open seas…

The chasm’s wide, but…

Jesus is the bridge…

So, you’ll reach the other side…

Because…

“…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28  NIV

Love like that can’t fail!

Amen!

Things Of This World Grow Strangely Dim…

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How can Christians stay so focused in this world???

They’re eyes are fixed on God!

All the things of this world suddenly grow strangely dim…

Things they loved to do, or say, no longer matter…

No longer entice and ensnare them…

Worldly things fade in God’s light!

Doubts and worries go…

His Peace embraces…

All that He is…

Is all that’s important!

They seek His face…

And don’t look around…

They know who’s holding them…

Safely in His arms…

And they know the world…

Can’t offer anything that compares to that!

The Sower And The Seed…

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The Parable of the Sower

Luke 8:1-14  NIV

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“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another,

proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God…

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The Twelve were with Him…

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While a large crowd was gathering

and people were coming to Jesus from town after town,

He told this parable:

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 ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed.

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 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path;

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 it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.

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 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.

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Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.

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 Still other seed fell on good soil

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It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.’

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When He said this, He called out, ‘Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.’

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His disciples asked him what this parable meant.

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He said, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you,

but to others I speak in parables,

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 so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see;
though hearing, they may not understand.

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This is the meaning of the parable:

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‘The seed is the word of God.

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Those along the path are the ones who hear,

and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts,

so that they may not believe and be saved.

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Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it,

but they have no root.

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They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

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 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear,

but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures,

and they do not mature.

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But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart,

who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.'”

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The summary…

A sower dropped  seed on the path, on rocky ground, and among thorns, and the seed was lost;

but when seed fell on good earth, it grew, yielding thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.

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Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit,

while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes

so that it will be even more fruitful.”

John 15:1-2  NIV

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“I am the vine; you are the branches.

If a man remains in Me and I in him,

he will bear much fruit;

apart from Me you can do nothing.

If anyone does not remain in Me,

he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers;

such branches are picked up,

thrown into the fire and burned.”

John 15:5-6  NIV

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“Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit,

so you can identify people by their actions.”

Matthew 7:20  NLT

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Our goal is to persevere, grow, reach maturity, and produce more fruit!

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The person who thoughtfully hears the gospel,

understands its implications,

and then consistently grows and matures,

bears much fruit as a result!

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This parable must encourage us to desire and depend on Jesus to plant us in good soil,

where we can persevere through adversity to maturity and fruitfulness,

Anything else is unacceptable!

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“But their minds were made dull,

for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read.

It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.

Even to this day when Moses is read,

a veil covers their hearts.

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord,

the veil is taken away.”

2 Corinthians 3:14-16

Amen!