Dear Praying Friends and Family,
I hope you all had a really good 4th of July and were able to celebrate with friends and family. After a wonderful morning of worship at church our family had the blessing of being invited to my Uncle Mick's house on Elk river where my Daddy's side of the family gathered. We enjoyed barbecue pork and chicken,corn on the cob, squash casserole, peas, and a bunch of stuff i can't remember now, cakes and pies of all kinds, and homemade vanilla and banana ice cream. Everything was yummy! My Mom and Dad made the vanilla ice cream...just like we grew up on eating in the backyard on hot summer nights. After we ate and visited, Uncle Mick took us for a ride down the river on his pontoon boat. Uncle Mickey is the one who gave his life to JESUS about three years ago. GOD drew Uncle Mick to him, and broke his heart over his sins. GOD saved him , made him a new creature, and CHRIST continues to renew, revive, and restore his life and family. We sure do appreciate Uncle Mickey, his sweet wife Pat (they're still newlyweds just married since Jan.) and his family's hospitality to have our family over for the 4th.
The next day we had the wonderful blessing of driving down to Lake Martin, near Alexander City, Al and spending the evening and next day with our dear friends from seminary, David and Rhonda Irby, their two kids, Russell, 20, and Alex 16, David's parents, and his sister. David and Rhonda came from Ft. Worth, and his parents and sis from the Tampa, Fl. area to meet at the lake house that has been in their family for many, many years. The last time we went several years ago, it was the original lake house, just as you picture a cabin on a lake, and this time when we returned, they have built a much larger, rustic home, and it is filled with the love of JESUS. Mr. and Mrs. Irby's hospitality was so very gracious, and Mrs. Irby spent her time, preparing us wonderful meals and making it look so easy and pretty! We all gathered around the big table on the screened in porch and enjoyed her delicious sirloin roast, green beans she broke while we played in the water, squash, home grown tomatoes, and home made oatmeal raisin cookies. The first night my husband loaded us up with Barbecue ribs and chicken he had brought with us from our restaurant, and he picked up a watermelon, peaches, and a batch of hot fried pies, Peach, Apple, and Strawberry at "Peach Park," our favorite place to stop and get ice cream when we're traveling down I-65 through Clanton. It's the third Clanton exit going South if you've never stopped, and the first exit for Clanton if you're coming from Montgomery. The fried pies were a special treat, as we sampled them, and Mrs. Irby served them up for breakfast the next morning with butter and confectioner's sugar on top...Yummy! She also had all kinds of fruit cut up...strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, with yogurt on top served in parfait glasses. This dear lady knows knows how to show loving hospitality!!! In between eating, the lake was the main attraction. David and his sister who was on the University of Georgia water skiing team, took to the water first with Dave's Dad driving. Janet at 50, popped right up on one ski and slalomed around the lake. After she skied, David showed us his tricks on the "wake board." He was really good, turning around backwards, going in and out of the wake, and enjoying every minute of his turn to show off his "skills." Well, after that, i decided to try and see if i could get up. It has been about 4 years or so since the last time i skied and then it had been about 15, so i wasn't sure if "the old gray mare," could still do it. But GOD surprised me, and I got up first time! I held on for dear life, and after a loop around the lake, I got really tired, and fizzled. Tried to get back up, but couldn't do it...and retired for the day. But i was thrilled to have skiied! HB skied the next day, a long ways, along with Rhonda skiing on the wake board. I was impressed, with Rhonda on that wakeboard...i tried to get up on the wake board, but wasn't able to stay up too long before i lost my balance...and flipped over getting a head full of water and other parts i don't guess i should mention here.
What a special blessing from the LORD to restore me to be able to do that after not hardly being able to walk in years past. "Pain turns the simple pleasures into immense joys," and if you ever wonder why i get so excited doing things that others may take for granted, it's because GOD has restored, renewed, revived me and brought so much healing to my body after my being very sick for a long, long time. Yes, i get excited when i'm able to do things i never thought i'd be able to do again..."I know that my Redeemer lives," Job 19:25, and in addition to redeeming me from my life of sin when i was 19, "HE inclined to me, and heard my cry, HE brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; and HE set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. And HE put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our GOD; Many will see and fear, and will trust in the LORD." Psalm 40:2-3. And yes, i'm going to praise HIM as long as HE gives me breath for I am that person that Audrey Hepburn was talking about when she said,
"People, more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed, never throw out anyone."
Last week, after i sent the email out about "Crisis in the Gulf," it wasn't too long after I sent it, that GOD began bringing more thoughts about how the oil gushing out into the ocean is "like a black flood" of our sin. I read an article that night in Answers magazine http://www.answersmagazine.com/ which is like a Biblical worldview National Geographic, that reminded me that to fully understand our fallen nature that needs to be restored to it's original form, we have to go back to Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. GOD created Adam and Eve perfect, and they only had one thing they were forbidden by GOD to do in the Garden- to not eat the forbidden fruit. Satan in the form of a serpent tempted Eve, and she gave in, through her lust of the flesh and pride of life and the Adam followed suit. After that, Adam and Eve were no longer perfect, but sin from that point on, entered into them, and each one of us since then...we became toxic with sin, and the punishment for that sin is eternal death.
"By Adam came all sin and pain, in CHRIST shall all men live again.
Behold our GOD and SAVIOR thus!
See what HIS love will do for us!
-Hannah Hurnard, Mountain of Spices
GOD could have left us in our sin filled, sickly, deathly state. But instead, our CREATOR loves us so much that HE sent HIS perfect sinless SON to pay the penalty for our sins...to "Redeem," us from that sin, and restore, renew, revive and reclaim us from death and destruction. Hallelujah, what a SAVIOR!"
"If the many died by the trespass of one man...how much more will those who receive GOD's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, JESUS CHRIST." Romans 5: 15,17
As i was reading Charles Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening" Devotion for July 6, the words GOD has inspired him to write in the 1800's jumped out at me, as to what GOD keeps trying to show me about our sins through the toxic oil spill...how our sins are like the "black flood,' of oil gushing out in the Gulf:
Evening: The Guilt of the Righteous
"How many are mine iniquities and sins?"
--Job 13:23
Have you ever really weighed and considered how great the sin of God's people is? Think how heinous is your own transgression, and you will find that not only does a sin here and there tower up like an alp, but that your iniquities are heaped upon each other, as in the old fable of the giants who piled Pelian upon Ossa, mountain upon mountain.
What an aggregate of sin there is in the life of one of the most sanctified of God's children! Attempt to multiply this, the sin of one only, by the multitude of the redeemed, "a number which no man can number," and you will have some conception of the great mass of the guilt of the people for whom Jesus shed His blood.
But we arrive at a more adequate idea of the magnitude of sin by the greatness of the remedy provided. It is the blood of Jesus Christ, God's only and well-beloved Son. God's Son! Angels cast their crowns before Him! All the choral symphonies of heaven surround His glorious throne. "God over all, blessed for ever. Amen." And yet He takes upon Himself the form of a servant, and is scourged and pierced, bruised and torn, and at last slain; since nothing but the blood of the incarnate Son of God could make atonement for our offences.
No human mind can adequately estimate the infinite value of the divine sacrifice, for great as is the sin of God's people, the atonement which takes it away is immeasurably greater. Therefore, the believer, even when sin rolls like a black flood, and the remembrance of the past is bitter, can yet stand before the blazing throne of the great and holy God, and cry, "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died; yea rather, that hath risen again." While the recollection of his sin fills him with shame and sorrow, he at the same time makes it a foil to show the brightness of mercy--guilt is the dark night in which the fair star of divine love shines with serene splendour."
GOD's perfect, sinless, SON, who is our CREATOR, humbled HIMself, left HIS home in heaven, and came to earth to die on a wooden cross, to be the ATONEMENT for the "black flood," of sins in each one of our lives...for the sins of the whole world. "For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only SON that whosoever believeth in HIM shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
I looked up the word, "atonement," in the Noah Webster 1828 dictionary, and this is what it says:
1) agreement; concord; reconciliation, after enmity or controversy.
2) Expiation; satisfaction or reparation made by giving an equivalent for an injury, or by doing or suffering that which is received in satisfaction for an offense or injury
3) In theology, the expiation of sin made by the obedience and personal sufferings of CHRIST
Expiation-the act of atoning for a crime; the act of making satisfaction for an offense, by which the guilt is done away, and the obligation of the offended person to punish the crim is canceled; atonement, satisfaction. Among CHRISTians, expiation for the sins of men is usually considered as made only be the obedience and sufferings of CHRIST.
Reparation-the act of repairing; restoration to soundness or a good state as in the reparation of a bridge or highway. Supply of what is wasted; as the reparation of decaying health after disease or exhaustion. Amends; indemnification for loss or damage. A loss may be too great for reparation, satisfaction for injury.
Indemnification-to make good, to reimburse to one what he has lost.
Every time we hear the news, or read the news on the Internet or newspaper, we are hearing of how BP is paying out billions to restore and bring reparation to those who are suffering loss from the "black flood," gushing in the Gulf. No matter how much money BP pays, they will never be able to fully restore and bring satisfaction to the environment, wildlife and people who are suffering death and loss of health, jobs, way of life, etc. due to the injuries caused by the oil gushing in the Gulf.
Unlike BP and the Gulf oil spill, JESUS did pay the full price to fully atone for the "black flood," of our sins, and HE satisfied the wrath of our HOLY GOD. In our culture, it is hard for us to understand the holiness of GOD, because we are surrounded by the acceptance of sin all around us and in us. GOD is not like us. HE cannot be in the presence of sin. HE hates sin, and the injury and death that it brings to each and every one of our lives. The punishment for that sin is everlasting death in the burning flames of hell. But HE loves us so very much that HE HIMself paid the price with HIS own blood that our sins might be paid for, forgiven, washed as white as snow...fully restored and fully redeemed to our original state before HIM.
"While we were still sinners, CHRIST died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by HIS blood, much more shall we be saved by HIM from the wrath of GOD." Romans 5: 8,9
"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life." Lev. 17:11 "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." Heb. 9:22
"If the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of CHRIST, who through the eternal SPIRIT offered HIMself without blemish to GOD, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living GOD." Hebrews 9:13,14
This gift of love from GOD to us is ours, free, for the taking..."For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of GOD is eternal life through JESUS CHRIST our LORD." Romans 6:23 "But as many as received HIM to them HE gave the right to become children of GOD, even to those who believe on HIS name." John 1:12. JESUS calls us to come to HIM, to surrender our lives to HIM, repent of our sins, and "take up our cross and follow HIM."
Sadly, most say, "Thanks, but no thanks," to GOD's gracious offer to us of saving us from the "black flood," of our sins. Earlier this week i received an email from "The Heritage Foundation," (www.heritage.org) and in it, they were describing how many countries had offered their services to the United States to help clean up the oil. Our government in essence said, "Thanks, but no thanks." Thankfully, the team from the Heritage Foundation put together a team to get legislation passed, and now the "skimmers," are flowing in the Gulf to help clean up the oil.
What is even much more sad and lasting for eternity, or those who say, "Thanks, but no thanks," to GOD's gracious offer of HIS SON to pay for their sin. They try every way in the world to get to heaven but the ONLY way that GOD has provided...through faith in HIS SON and repentance of their sins. "JESUS says,
"I am the Way, the Life and the Truth, no man comes to the FATHER except through ME." John 14:6
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12
What about you my dear friend who has taken your time to read this? GOD created you, and HE loves you so much HE sent HIS SON to restore you to your original sinless state before HIM. Have you accepted HIS wonderful, eternal gift of salvation, and been restored into the family of GOD. Only those who have called on HIS name in faith and repentance, who belong to HIM will rule and reign with HIM for all eternity and be saved from the burning flames of hell. The SAVIOR is waiting to enter your heart, why don't you let HIM come in...time after time HE has waited before, and now HE is waiting again." Please listen prayerfully to "The Savior is Waiting" and open the door of your heart to HIM..."Oh how HE wants to come in" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4Mbcob2R2M&feature=related.
GOD bless you for taking this time to spend with me and the reflections GOD is giving me of the oil gushing in the Gulf. The SAVIOR is waiting for our country to repent and turn back to HIM from the sin that is gushing like a "black flood" out of the souls of the people in our country. HE has been "longsuffering," with us but that time may be drawing to an end and we will experience the full wrath of HIS judgement if we don't repent and turn from our wicked ways. Dr. Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries out of Atlanta, is asking us to commit to pray for our country for 140 days. I made this commitment earlier in the week to pray for our country for the next 140 days. I ask you to do that, and ask others to join with us. http://intouch.org/resources/140-days-of-prayer. In II Chronicles 7:14, GOD promises,
"If MY people who are called by MY name will humble themselves and pray and seek MY face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land."
HE also promised in the verses following II Chr. 7:14, that if they didn't turn from their sin that HE would uproot them from the land HE had given them and that is exactly what HE did...as the Jews were led into captivity by the Babylonians and the Romans and others through the course of history. They were punished because they turned away from GOD's statutes and commandments and followed other gods and served them. If GOD did this to HIS chosen people, the Jews, how much more will HE do this to America? I think the oil spill and some of the other things we are seeing in our country are already GOD's judgement. May we not, as an individual or country, say "Thanks, but no thanks," to the great salvation and healing that GOD is offering to us and our land if we will walk in HIS ways in holiness and follow HIM in obedience to HIS WORD.
"How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?"
Hebrews 2:1-3
With all HIS love,
mitzi
In the pictures:
My Uncle Mickey
HB, Rhonda Irby and daughter Alex
The Irby Clan...
--
"I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day." President Abraham Lincoln, during the Civil War
"I will rejoice and be glad in YOUR steadfast love, because YOU have seen my affliction; YOU have known the distress of my soul." Psalm 31:7
--
No comments:
Post a Comment