View Screen-Reader Accessible Site View Screen-Reader Accessible Site

Stop & Smell the Roses


Week of February 14th 2010
For God so Loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever would believe on Him would not perish, but have everlasting Life. John 3:16

Greatest Love Story Ever Told
We've watched Romeo and Juliet delare their undying love on the Big Screen.
Elvis marry Priscilla and followed the latest gossip on Brad & Angelina.
Face it We love a good romantic story.
But have you ever stopped to think of the greatest love story ever told,  
a romantic novel could never compare to it.
I never could exaggerate this love....For God So Loved...
God the Father bankrupted Heaven for you...
Some One once said "I asked God How much He loved me, then He streched out His arms and died"
No novelists could have ever written a love so amazing!
No matter how much we have resisted His Holy Spirits wooing.
No matter how rebellious you have been in the past... that same Love is still reaching out to embrace you today.
Let go and fall into His arms today He has been waiting for you to answer His love call.
Truely the greatest love story ever told!



Week of December 20th

Luke 1:11 For unto you is born this day in the city og David a Savior,
 which is Christ the Lord.

A Savior
The greatest gift ever given! Jesus Emmanmuel God with us!
A remedy for our sinful state...A way out of torment fear and despair.
Peace, Joy unspeakable all wrapped up in swaddling clothes.
Today people may ask... What do I need to be saved from? 
Why do I need a Savior?
Well let me remind you without Jesus we would be bound for Hell.
With Jesus we have an all expence paid ticket to heaven!
Today won't you receive this free gift.
Week of December 13th

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes,
and laid Him in a manger
because there was no room for them in the Inn. Luke 2:7
No Room for Jesus
Merry xmas! Santa Claus is coming to town!
I don't mean to be an old grinch about this season, but Come On!
All the season's frills are fun... but what about Jesus!
A Miracle came to earth!
And all we can tell our children about is Santa?!
I went on a search for a dvd of the first Christmas story to show my sunday school class.
They had mickey's christmas... Dora's Christmas...
They had the Grinch and hundreds of other titles but not one story about the reason for the season Jesus!
Now I know that the world will try to snuff out this great story
but it is up to us to teach our children the real meaning of Christmas!
Let's make room for Jesus this CHRISTmas season!

Week of November 30th
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our heart unto wisdom. Psalm 90:12


Wasted Days!

The Bible gives us  a warning to Number our days. Another words make every day count.
I don't know about you, but I may with all good intentions  get up in the morning and know tasks that need to be done
and yet I get side tracked and before I know it the day is gone.
Or I may have money that needs to go to a bill or something important, yet I'll stop by the mall
and the money is gone! How foolish!
We will give account when we stand before God on how we spend our most valuable commodity OUR TIME!
Believe it or not whether you are young or old, time does run out!
We can waste our precious time with our children ,by letting them spend hours of mindless T.V.  or playing video games. Just to keep them quiet. Without ever putting them to bed with a prayer or a Bible story. Before we know it they are
grown... where did the time go? It was wasted!
We may at the beginning of a new year have all good intentions on how we are going to do more for God.
More Bible time, more prayer time, serve more... yet here you are in December... no further ahead in God....where did the year go ?
But today we have a precious gift that is why it is called "The present"
Let's not waste it!

Thanksgiving Week

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In everything give thanks;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Give the Devil a Black Eye!
As a child of God, we can rest assured of this one thing: that our Heavenly Father is mindful of us.
He knows what we have need of and when we need it.
We might choose to worry and fret over things we need and want, 
Our loved ones salvation, healing for our body, even an impossible financial need. 
You can rest that God is in control. Instead of worrying, choose today to thank God ahead of time for the answer!
 Choose to Thank Him, for His word promises... 
that, All things work together for the Good to them that love God and to them that are called according to His purpose!
In my Children's church that I teach, I play a little game with the kids. 
The game is "Give the Devil a Black eye"
Revelation 12:11 says
" They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony; and they loved not their
lives unto death."
 I ask the children who hates the devil! Who wants to give him a black eye!
They are all anxious, Then I ask them for a testimony of something good that has happened to them. Each eager to
draw a scribble mark on the devil picture I drew on the chalk board. They all raise their hands to tell of things that they 
are thankful for and God has given or done for them.
They begin to clap and shout as the Devil is getting beat up as each one tells of the goodness of God!
Now that childish game has a real adult truth, a lesson we can all learn 
If you want to overcome the Devil today, 
If you want victory over worry, fear, doubt and confusion,  the devil is trying to fill your mind with today, 
The Bible tells us it is God's will for us to be Thankful In EVERYTHING!
That means ALL THINGS!
Good & Bad because God knows what we need even when we need it!
So Go ahead and Thank Him! 
&
 Give the devil a Black Eye!

Week of November 1, 2009

Jeremiah 18:1-6 & 12
The Word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2. Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3.Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4.And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5.Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 6.O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand...12.And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will everyone do the imagination of his evil heart.

Spinning Wheels

Jeremiah was instructed by the Lord to stop what he was doing and go down to the potter's house for the Lord had something to say to him. 
Jeremiah watched the potter's wheels spin around and round,he watched the clay being molded and shaped as the potter's hands formed the clay. Then something went wrong, the vessel had become marred even though it was still in the potter's hand. Then the skilled potter's hand took that marred lump of clay make it over into another vessel.

Then the Lord began to speak to Jeremiah, concerning God's people, the house of Israel,
"Cannot I do with you, as this potter?"
"As clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand."
God's word to His people was, no matter how marred you are, if you will just stay on my wheel and in my hands,
you can be made over!

God has a beautiful shape in mind for you to become. He wants to shape you into a vessel that will honor Him.
 You might feel disoriented while you are spinning on God's wheel of makeover. Not  knowing if you are going anywhere or accomplishing anything. But don't loose heart,  the Lord has you in HIs hands. Sometimes he applies the pressure to areas of our life that needs reshaping, but he is quick to follow that pressure with His refreshing water to smooth us out.
In verse 12 the children of Israel saw no hope or purpose in staying on God's spinning wheels. 
they said, We see no Hope, we might as well get off the potter's wheel and do what we want.
Is that how you are feeling today?
Are you saying to yourself, What's the purpose of serving God?
Nothing makes any sense to me. I'm still a marred lump of clay. I'm still in the same place as I was when I began this process.
You may feel like a hamster on a wheel in a cage, spinning your wheels and that you are going nowhere fast.
The potter knows the end state that he wants the clay to become, even so the Lord knows your end from the beginning when He placed you on His wheel.
So don't get discourage at your incomplete state, Look up with hope to your Potter & stay on the spinning wheel.



Week of October 24th, 2009

Proverbs 18:16 A Man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.

Season's in the Son
October is a beautiful month here in New Jersey. My Goodness the leaves are at their peak of color! The fields are full of ripened pumpkins and mums bloom in abundance!
As I began to ponder the beauty of this autumn season. I began to remember the colorful tulips of the spring. As happy as I was to see those flowers replace the winter snow, I knew in order to see my summer lillies those tulips would have to bow their heads gracefully and give place... and in order to see these mums so beautiful in bloom those summer lillies had to be cut down. You see each season has it's flowers that bloom.  Each flower has their time and season to shine in the sun. How foolish would that spring tulip look all withered next to that fresh Lilly! How out of seaon would that lilly look here among the warm fall colors!
I want to remind you as a child of God, If you remain planted in God's Garden and remain in

the light of His Son, You too will bloom in Your season!

Maybe you long to be used by God?
Or you might feel overlooked or even stepped over? 
Maybe you feel that you have so much to offer the kingdom of God but no one ever gives thought or mention of you?
Well I want to encourage you today! God has placed those gifts, talents and His word down inside of you for a special time and season.
You do not have to force your way you gift will make room for you!