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March 27, 2005
He is Risen !
Why do you look for Him amongst the dead?
He is Risen!
Posted by Dennis at 07:28 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 26, 2005
Holy Saturday
Here I go again.
Tod over at It Takes a Church, brings out a concept I've never thought about. Holy Saturday. He said that Saturday is like the Christian life in miniature. The cross is behind us, but Sunday isn't here yet. We are living in that in-between time. He says it much better than I can go read.
I would put a little different tilt on the what to do on this Saturday. If it is a picture of the time in-between the I need to be about cutting my grass and cleaning the house. All the time remembering that when I crawl under the covers tonight, morning will be here before I know it. To sleep, per-chance to dream of those sweet times to come. Maranatha Dear Lord Jesus and Glory to the Lamb who was slain.
A blessed Resurrection Day to you all, and thank you for coming by.
Posted by Dennis at 12:51 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Sunday Morning
Hello brothers and sisters
Sunday morning get up a little early and take a couple minutes to listen to this before you start your day.
http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/audio/play.php?chapter=20&book=50&aid= 3
No peeking now, I'll know if you cheated!
In our commemorations He is still in the grave, But God..., Sunday is only hours away. Bless Him
Dennis
Posted by Dennis at 12:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 20, 2005
The Next Greatest Generation
We received a letter from our pastor who is stationed at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center as a Chaplain. His letter was a real blessing and I have included a couple paragraphs below. Once your done reading the letter come back here and watch this.
His name is Billy. His unit is a surgical support unit and they have been sent to the Army hospital in Landstuhl Germany. He is one of the Chaplains serving our men and women who are in harm's way. Here is a couple of paragraphs from his letter to use.
"It is very apparent to all of us here, and especially to the soldiers from down range, that the severity of the conflict is being under-reported. We hear this consistently from the soldiers themselves. It is not that they are complaining or suggesting we shouldn't be there. Almost without exception the wounded soldiers who are here say they would rather be back there. They want to complete their mission and return safely with their comrades in arms. They just think people ought to know, and their assumption is that if they did, the public would only be more supportive. Given the bias of the press it is a very curious thing to me that the extent of the injuries is being underreported. It seems that the only soldiers who make the news are the very occasional ones who are not supportive of the effort. Believe me they are the exception. From everything we see here there is another "greatest generation" in the making. These brave young men have already on many occasions filled my eyes with tears. They are really something.
It is very clear that what all of this is about, ultimately, is the gospel. God is at work. Lives are being changed. Forever. God is very much in the midst of this. Whatever your view of war, and whatever your view of this war in particular, I can personally testify that where there is suffering and death God is very really present, and very really making Himself known."
Billy goes on to recount an email he received from a soldier who had been injured and through a miraculous series of events survived and ended up back in his homeland of South Africa. The young man wrote Billy to tell him of the wonder of a God who in spite of all his sinful ways, spared his live and showered His love upon him.
God bless you all and remember all those who serve, the next, "greatest generation"
Posted by Dennis at 06:41 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
March 13, 2005
Assurance of Salvation
You may have recognized that several of my post start out
Tod
That is because I spend a lot of my blogging time reading Tod Bolsinger's posts at It Takes a Church. He has been having a discussion lately about "passing the peace." A ritual of greeting everone each Sunday in worship.
He has mentioned another ritual that I became familiar with at the PCUSA church I used to attend. It is the assurance of salvation or forgiveness. It has been some time since I've been a part of this ritual, but it bothered me at the time that we might be inoculating people to the need for confession and repentance of sins through faith in Jesus Christ. To publicly announce freedom from the penalty of sin to a group of people seems dangerous to their spiritual health. I know we are not to be fruit inspectors but, a blanket pronouncement? Am I wrong?
Posted by Dennis at 05:39 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
March 10, 2005
The Subjects Food and its not Friday
I'm sitting here eating dinner Thursday night, reading Pastor Tod's piece about eating.It Takes A Church...: Babette Goes to Emmaus I have not seen the movie he is talking about, but I guess it must have received some good press along the way. Go give it a read and then join me in watching the movie this weekend. Bring your own popcorn! I'll supply the ice tea.
Posted by Dennis at 06:32 PM | TrackBack
March 06, 2005
Pocket Change
This story was sent to me this morning. It is a reminder of how easy and how often we sell our inheritance for pocket change.
Several years ago, a preacher moved to Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he arrived, he had occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, "you better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it." Then he thought, "Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a gift from God and keep quiet."When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me to much change" The driver with a smile replied, "Aren't you the new preacher in town? I have been thinking lately about going to worship somewhere. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday"
When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, "O' God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter."
Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read.
Have a great Lord's Day! I'm off to worship the King.
Posted by Dennis at 08:22 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 05, 2005
Jehovah Tsidkenu
I was cleaning out the back bedroom this evening and came across a poem my dear friend Bob Lukens gave me. He had hand written this poem out on legal size yellow tablet and put it in a sheet protector for me.
Bob is in glory right now and is one of the dear souls I long to see again. He had a used book store/booth at the Roseville Auction for many years. We had some great times talking about our dear Saviour.
Enjoy!
“Jehovah Tsidkenu”
( Jeremiah 33:16 )
“The Lord Our Righteousness”
by
Robert Murray McCheyne
I once was a stranger to grace and to God,
I knew not my danger; and felt not my load;
Though friends spoke in rapture of Christ on the tree,
Jehovah Tsidkenu was nothing to me.
I oft read with pleasure, to soothe or engage,
Isaiah’s wild measure and John’s simple page;
But even when they pictured the blood-sprinkled tree,
Jehovah Tsidkenu seemed nothing to me.
Like tears from the daughters of Zion that roll,
I wept when the waters went over His soul,
Yet thought not that my sins had nailed to the tree
Jehovah Tsidkenu — ’twas nothing to me.
When free grace awoke me by light from on high,
Then legal fears shook me, I trembled to die;
No refuge, no safety in self could I see —
Jehovah Tsidkenu my Saviour must be.
My terrors all vanished before the sweet name;
My guilty fear banished, with boldness I came
To drink at the fountain, life-giving and free—
Jehovah Tsidkenu is all things to me.
Jehovah Tsidkenu! My treasure and boast,
Jehovah Tsidkenu! I ne’er can be lost;
In Thee shall I conquer by flood and by field—
My cable, my anchor, my breastplate and shield!
Even treading the valley; the shadow of death,
This “watchword” shall rally my faltering breath;
For while from life’s fever my God sets me free,
Jehovah Tsidkenu my death-song shall be.
Posted by Dennis at 09:40 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
What a Resource!
Rebecca has posted a real treasure today at Rebecca Writes. She gives credit to seeing it on the Baptist Bulletin Board. It is going to the top of the pile here.
Posted by Dennis at 05:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 04, 2005
Friday Night Eats #7
Well if it's Friday night this must be Friday night eats. You've no doubt heard of people live blogging Presidential debates, elections, and I'm sure more than one person live blogged the Academy Awards. I'm live blogging Friday Night Eats. As I type I'm chewing on Trader Joe's Chicken Perogi, Russian Style Chicken Dumplings.
BTW, while I'm thinking about it, I am not AT THIS TIME a shill for Trader Joes. (Hint, Hint).
I thought I could best, hold on, had to get another bit, convey the essence of the taste by not trying to remember, but actually eat and post at the same time.
Allow me to set the stage, or dinner table. The aforementioned Perogi with a slice of processed cheese, a cup of TJ's Super Sweet Organic corn, two slices of Potato Rosemary bread and the ever present glass of cold ice tea, aaahh.
If you've been following these Friday Night Eats you probably know I'm no gourmet. I like my food simple; I'm a meat and potatoes kind of guy.
I prepare the Perogi per the directions, boiled and then pan fry in butter. The Perogis are very good. I will probably do them again, but they need a sauce of some kind. I know CHEESE! The Super Sweet corn was sweet indeed and very good. I'm just finishing up the last slice of toasted Potato Rosemary bread, just a hint of Rosemary, very, very good. The tea was vintage 3/04/05 with just the right amount of Sweet and Low.
I'm thinking of having a little game. Catch me at T/Js sometime picking out my Friday Night Eats meal and I'll buy you the fixings for your own Friday Night Eats. Bon Voyage!
Posted by Dennis at 07:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 02, 2005
Heroism
Major K reports a story that probably will not make the news tonight. Four Iraq policemen gave their lives protecting a US convoy today. They intervened betweena suicide bombers car and the convoy. Go to his site and read more about it. Let me know if you here anthing about this except on the blogesphere.
Posted by Dennis at 06:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 01, 2005
Church, I Like It!
Well here goes, I'm about to hurt someone’s feelings. I hate doing that. It all started this morning at a prayer meeting. One of the gentlemen in attendance related a story, supposedly true, about a priest that was lying on a beach on the shores of Lake Michigan with his eyes closed. He sensed someone's shadow cover is face, opening his eyes, sure enough two people were standing over him. They asked him if he had ever accepted Jesus has his personal Savior. He said, "Unfortunately yes." Then the guy at the prayer meeting said he could understand the fellow saying that. Now I know this guy and have prayed with him before. He knows Jesus, his prayers are real. I just can't comprehend people having that attitude. I know that the Lord's scalpel can hurt sometime, but come on!
I come home tonight and what do I read about over at Tod's site, but a quote from one of the main men on the Christian blogging front. He doesn't like church! Agh! the evangelical outpost: Deadwood in the Pews; The Trouble with Church Now I have to applaud his honesty, but doesn't like church?
I admit, I have only been a Christian since 1993, and have only had two church homes in that time, but, doesn't like church! I also admit I have at times thought more about lunch and the coffee after the service than the pastor's words, but, doesn't like church!
I don't want to sound condescending or holier than thou, but, ...well you get the idea. What's wrong with this picture? Church is where my family is. When it is time to leave, I'm sad. Shouldn't we be rejoicing to be in the company of the redeemed? Shouldn't we be rejoicing to belong to the Lamb? There is something very, very wrong about not loving the church, its His body. No one ever hated his own body. I heard that somewhere.
I am truly sorry if I have hurt anyone's feelings or stepped on any toes, but this is serious stuff. This is face in the dirt serious.
Posted by Dennis at 07:00 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Submission
This "Tod" guy just keeps hitting the nail on the head with his questions. Go on over and check out his questions on submission.
Posted by Dennis at 12:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack