A Letter to Mom....

Dear Mom,

     I never realized until I wrote in your Mother's Day card that motherhood never ceases.

I always thought that once we children were out on our own, that your "job" was done. Maybe it was, as far as cooking and laundry and cleaning goes. But, motherhood didn't cease; it simply shifted gears.

     I cannot envision a time when you might not be there for us. Even fighting through life together as a family, you have been at the heart of it.

      I am glad you are helping Sammy [ a younger brother, aged 45 ] to survive. I think you will have no regrets on your heart for assisting him however you can. What he does with it is not your responsibility nor accountability; it is his.

So, when you give him --- food, funds, truck, or laundry services --- he stands accountable to The LORD for his use ( or abuse ) of what he has been given. You have done your part as a conscientious mother. If Sammy wastes your gifts, do not worry about it. Your part is to give as wisely as possible in order to help.

     The LORD sees it all. HE+ is like a good parent. HE+ gives to each one of us. Our family in particular, and for no reason of our own, has been blessed with health, enough funds, and many creature comforts of this life. We have never lacked daily food, clothing, schooling, nor many fun things in life... not to mention a roof over our heads.

     The LORD has blessed dear Dad with strength over the years to provide plus a conscientious heart to take care of us all. Many, many families do not have a Dad like that.

   The LORD gives and gives. But, what do we do with His+ gifts? Do we do like Sammy often does and squander it all away ? 

     Like a good parent, HE+ fulfills His+ role in leading, guiding, and providing... even through adulthood if we never leave His+ house. It is not His+ responsibility nor accountability what we do with what HE+ has given us: it is solely ours. Remember the Parable of the Talents, Mom ?

    It brings joy to your heart when Sammy turns to thank you sincerely, with tears in his eyes for helping him, doesn't it ? Your heart rejoices when you see him spend his money on good things: his food, heat and electric bills, paying off obligations.

     How sad you are when he uses your funds for self-indulgence! How sad Our LORD is when we do the same !

You would be over-joyed to give our youngest brother even more... if you could be assured that he'd use it profitably, wouldn't you ?  Our LORD is like that, too. HE+ gives us gifts no money can buy when HE+ is assured we will use them profitably. Otherwise, HE+ simply cannot entrust us with very much.

     Just think about this. We have eyes to see: do we use our vision to read His+ Word ? We have ears to hear: do we listen to His+ music, His+ sermons, His+ words every chance we get? Are our minds given over to His+ thoughts ? 

We have communication skills: do we use our voices to glorify Our LORD JESUS throughout our day ? 

HE+ has granted us family: do we tell them of His+ love through our love, through our kind words, through our yielding to each other? HE+ has granted us a home: is it filled with His+ HOLY SPIRIT and thanksgiving --- especially when things vex us --- throughout the day? Are we training our selves as well as our children to handle disappointment with thanksgiving when things do not go our way ?

Indeed, what have each of us done with His+ gifts to us that no money can buy nor replace should our vision, voice, hearing, or mind be gone ? 

What, indeed, have we done with Our LORD JESUS CHRIST each day... this day ? 

     Like thoughtless, untrained, unruly children have we all behaved, thinking His+ gifts were granted because... well, because we are great. HE+ 's the great one ! HE+ gives when we think it is our own prowess that has obtained what we wanted... giving when we "drink it up" and abuse His+ gifts, using them to support our self-indulgent quest for that elusive "happiness." 

     However, that happiness will never be fulfilled that way. Mom, we will never feel good about ourselves until we "feel good" about Our LORD in a very personal way... so personal that we would rather have JESUS than anything this world has to offer. ( Remember that song ?)

When we would rather have JESUS, then we will have that assurance of a berth in Heaven when we fly away. And, fly away we all must, some day. 

So, do not be weary in well-doing, Mom, even though you are not thanked very often for it... even though your well-doing is used to promote Sammy's bad habits instead of his right living.

You are in good company because Our LORD JESUS CHRIST does the same with our family, and indeed, with all mankind. 

A Man+ of Sorrows

and acquainted with grief

and we hid

as it were

our faces from HIM+

and we esteemed HIM+ not. 

No, HE+ is not shown in Scripture to be a laughing man, but a sorrowful one. 

But, there is coming a day when all that is going to change, Mom ! There is hope for tomorrow and wayward sons repent and return home everyday, like the prodigal that they are. Then there will be time for rejoicing with the angels when one lost sheep is found. 

Hold on to HIM+, Mom. HE+ will never let you down! Walk with HIM+ , His+ way.

Love to you, now...

In JESUS, Who+ alone is life, both here and beyond the grave ....   

RESURRECTION VICTORY... It's Worth Repeating !

I+ , I+ AM

The Resurrection

and

The LIFE:

he that believeth

in ME+,

though he were dead, 

yet shall he live.

John 11:25 Green's Greek Interlinear

How could those already dead believe in JESUS the CHRIST ?

Some, we know, did: Simeon the devout man awaiting the Consolation+ of Israel and Anna the prophetess of great age, who were both present in the Temple at His+ Dedication, John the Baptist, Joseph, the guardian ( Gowra, Aramaic)  and husband of Mary. Perhaps Lazarus also, Mary and Martha's brother, believed in HIM+ since his sisters evidenced a strong belief in HIM+ as MESSIAH+. These all died knowing HIM+ ...but before Our LORD'S own death and resurrection.

Here, as recorded in John 11:25,  Our LORD is looking ahead at what happened in those 3 days and 3 nights HE+ spent in the heart of the earth. (Mt. 12:40) 

Well, what DID happen

down there? 

Sheol, the Old Testament word for "hell," was divided into 2 parts in the heart of the earth. One part was for the unrighteous ones who died in their sins. The other part was called "Abraham's Bosom" (See Luke 16:22).

[ Now, just a note on Abraham's Bosom. In the Old Testament, the bosom was configured as a CAVITY, a carrying-place. It was where one held to his chest things of value. Womenfolk would carry food and other precious items in their aprons, wrapping up the corners of their aprons around the items like a sack and carry the load CLOSE TO THEIR BOSOM. Thus, "Abraham's Bosom" in the heart of the earth was a CAVITY in the earth, filled with precious souls who had died in RIGHT standing with GOD.]

Our LORD  spent 3 days and 3 nights down there, in the heart of the earth PREACHING to the DEAD who had died long before JESUS Our LORD was sent to the earth.

How do we know this?

Scripture tells us this

in 1 Peter 3:18, 19:

For CHRIST also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that HE+ might bring us to GOD, being put to death indeed in the flesh, but made alive in the SPIRIT; In which also HE+ went and preached unto the spirits in prison.

This Scripture tells us that JESUS Our LORD died a natural death in the flesh.  When HE+ died, HE+ left His+ physical Body on the cross to be buried.

Now, we know The LORD JESUS never went into a jail, a prison, to preach. HE+ preached in many places, but never in an actual civil prison run by the Roman government, who had the authority over the prisons in Israel.

But rather,  HE+ HIMSELF+ went in His+ SPIRIT into the heart of the earth... to preach to the dead !  

Now THIS tells us some interesting facts:

• "Death" was a prison from which no-one EVER left
• it was located in the heart of the earth 
• the dead are simply gone unto ANOTHER PLACE ( either pleasant or bad)
•  the dead are not obliterated even though their bodies of clay are buried in the ground as "lifeless"
• nor is their consciousness erased
• nor have their emotions ceased
• nor is their intellect diminished

Some OTHER Truths of GREAT interest are here also:

• JESUS was  intensely ALIVE the instant HE+ closed His+ eyes in death because HE+ said... "It is accomplished, FATHER; into Thy HANDS I+ commit My+ SPIRIT."  
• HE+ left His+ dead, physical Body for 3 days and 3 nights
• HE+ descended into the heart of the earth, into Sheol ( hell )
• HE+ was not punished in hell but entered as a VICTORIOUS SAVIOR sent by The FATHER
• HE+ asked no-one's permission to ENTER into the realm of the dead
• HE+ asked no-one's permission to LEAVE the realm of the dead...
• HE+ was busy for 3 days and 3 nights, as The FATHER sent HIM+ down there to preach.

Well, what did HE+ preach to this captive audience ?

HE+ preached

the Good News !

I Peter 4:6 continues from the above Scriptures cited:

For unto this cause ALSO THE GOSPEL WAS PREACHED TO THE DEAD that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but MIGHT LIVE according to GOD in the SPIRIT. Green's Greek Interlinear

O Great REDEEMER+, O THOU+ Who+ had and still has the keys of Death and Hell, I thank THEE+ for dying on that mean Cross in order to break down the gates of Sheol, Hades, and hell in order to bring Life to those who had not the chance to hear the GOOD NEWS before they died. 

Forgive me for forsaking the task of sharing this GOOD NEWS of victory over death with others. Please forgive me of burying this "talent" entrusted unto me and keeping the GOOD NEWS locked up within my smug heart.

Help me , LORD JESUS, to proclaim this Victory to the Un-saved, the Lost, the Un-Redeemed amongst my family, friends, acquaintances, and even to strangers. Forgive me for fleeing from my responsibility before GOD and man.

Cleanse me of the sin of Self-Preservation and help me instead to labor to Preserve those heading into Eternal Torments in hell and from thence, into the Second Death in the Lake of Burning Fire.

LENTEN MEDITATION 27 ~ ~ ~ Well Done

LENTEN MEDITATION 27 ~~~Well Done!
For the Year of Our LORD, 3.3.2008

And so he that had received five talents came
and brought other five talents,
saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents:
behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

His Lord said unto him,
Well done, thou good and faithful servant:
thou hast been faithful over a few things,
I will make thee ruler over many things:
enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

He also that had received two talents came and said,
Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents:
behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

His Lord said unto him,
Well done, good and faithful servant;
thou hast been faithful over a few things,
I will make thee ruler over many things:
enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
Matthew 25:20-23

Talents, money or other items of value, come to us from the appointment of or will of The LORD… for what do any of us have that we did not first receive? Not one baby is born on this earth “owning” anything, even babes born into the richest families. The riches must be given to him.

Furthermore, if we have put forth labor and time to hone a skill, develop an ability, or earn money… where did we obtain the eyesight, the hearing, the strength of body and mind, the wherewithal… to accomplish anything? For behold, it is written:

All things come of THEE, and of Thine own have we given THEE.



Let us therefore remember that naked we came from the womb and naked shall we return to the dust. Let us become true stewards of ALL those items we possess that we cannot keep nor take with us… those items of earthly value and ONLY earthly value. Let us become a funnel through which these goods and valuables pass… from GOD’s provision through our hands to further His+ Kingdom in some way.


Let us take stock of our abilities, our labor, and our time that we may use these to also further His+ Kingdom, according to His+ leading. They too will flee away as swiftly as the weaver’s beam moves.

Let us so live our lives so that we might hear those words in our own ears:

Well done, thou good and faithful servant.
Enter thou into the joy of Thy LORD !

In all, let us make certain we REMEMBER that we are servants… and Whose+ servants we are… and to Whom+ we must give an account of the goods entrusted to us.

Dear Heavenly FATHER, unto Whom all hearts are open, all desires, known… I thank THEE for life and for every breath I take. I’m sorry for my selfish existence. Please forgive me for keeping your goods for my life. Help me to re-commit my valuables… my goods, my labor, my time… unto THEE to be used to further Your Kingdom. Teach me how to be a steward of all these things you have entrusted me to handle for your Glory.
Thank you, dear LORD, for leading me in this. Amen.