Honoring Those who gave their lives for our Freedoms

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Before the Throne of God Above

Before the throne of God above 
I have a strong and perfect plea 
A great High Priest whose name is love 
Who ever lives and pleads for me 
My name is graven on His hands 
My name is written on His heart 
I know that while in heav’n He stands 
No tongue can bid me thence depart 
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair 
And tells me of the guilt within 
Upward I look and see Him there 
Who made an end of all my sin 
Because the sinless Savior died 
My sinful soul is counted free 
For God the Just is satisfied 
To look on Him and pardon me 
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there, the risen Lamb 
My perfect, spotless Righteousness 
The great unchangeable I AM 
The King of glory and of grace 
One with Himself, I cannot die 
My soul is purchased by His blood 
My life is hid with Christ on high 
With Christ my Savior and my God

One with Himself, I cannot die 
My soul is purchased by His blood 
My life is hid with Christ on high 
With Christ my Savior and my God 
With Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God

--C. Bancroft

With all the sacred throng at His feet!

All hail the power of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all!

O seed of Israel's chosen race
now ransomed from the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all.
Hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all!

Let every tongue and every tribe
responsive to his call,
to him all majesty ascribe,
and crown him Lord of all.
To him all majesty ascribe,
and crown him Lord of all!

Oh, that with all the sacred throng
we at his feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song
and crown him Lord of all.
We'll join the everlasting song
and crown him Lord of all.

--E. Perronet

A sinner rejoicing in His abounding grace!

"Lord Jesus, I sin.  Grant that I may never cease grieving because of it, never be content with myself, never think I have reached a point of perfection. Kill in me all that is displeasing to You, all that is contrary to the spirit of love and holiness!  And though we ever mourn for our sin, grant that we would also always rejoice in Your abounding grace!"

HEC, PCA

May God grant them repentance

2 Timothy 2:24-26
"The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, 
but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,
with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, 
if perhaps God may grant them repentance 
leading to the knowledge of the truth,
and they may come to their senses 
and escape from the snare of the devil, 
having been held captive by him to do his will."

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The evil one is pernicious and sneaky. 

The deceiver's snares are shrewd. 

You could be easily deceived by the adversary 
and have not realized you are his willing captive doing his will.

Satan is the father of lies. He is clever, cunning, and crafty.

The father of lies has no truth in him. He is a murderer.

Possibly, you have believed you are following the LORD, but in reality, 
you are actually caught in the adversary's destructive snare.

If you are in his snare, there is a way out! Cry out to God, repent, 
shun the tethers of the evil one, stop listening to the people who
are telling you lies! 

There is a way which will lead you to the knowledge of God's truth! 

God can grant repentance to you! 

The LORD has the truth which can help you come to your senses!

1 Corinthians 10:13
"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; 
and God is faithful, 
who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, 
but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, 
so that you will be able to endure it."

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John 8:34-44
"Jesus answered them, 

“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 

I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”

They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” 

Jesus *said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father.”

They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.” 

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 

You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

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Precious Memories

ROSE is ROSE
by Brady

In sweet memory of my precious Mary Nell.

Precious Jewels, Bright Gems for His Crown

So many years ago I began my walk with Jesus as my Savior. At that time I could not even fathom what real life in this sinful world would be like.  Instead, I lived on the "mountain tops" with the "valleys" only a mist to me. We lived a blessed and precious life, giving God all the glory.

As life went on the troubles of life began to touch us, even so, these difficult times we experienced were nothing compared to what lay in store for us way, way down the road. 

All through these years we have made friendships, treasured brothers and sisters in the LORD who broadened our view of what real life in this sinful world meant. We learned to run to the LORD in all things, praying for others all along the way. All of this drew us closer and closer to the LORD as we learned to trust Him with the small and the big traumas.

Eventually the gross, ugliness of real life in this evil world crashed into our lives. Our lives shattered, but we were held tightly, so tightly by the LORD from the beginning of the agonies. 

We have literally lived in the LORD's comfort and strength.  In Him we get up and do things in life we would never have imagined ever doing.  Even though we have no strength--it is His strength we live in.

Lately, I have been thinking of the treasured people we know who love the LORD. They are so precious to us! So many, many are now with Him! and we miss them, but someday we will be united again when we meet the LORD in glory! Meanwhile, we who remain in this world continue living for Him.

As I contemplated all of this I thought of the handfuls of dear sisters and brothers who are His Jewels.  

Glory to God! Praises to His Name!

Malachi  3:16-18

"Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, 
and the Lord gave attention and heard it, 
and a book of remembrance was written before Him 
for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name. 
 “They will be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, 
“on the day that I prepare My own possession* , 
and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.” 
So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, 
between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him."

*(KJV: in that day when I make up my jewels)

Jewels

When He cometh, when He cometh

To take up His jewels

All His jewels, precious jewels

His Loved and His own.

Like the stars of the morning

His bright crown adorning

They will shine in their beauty

Bright gems for His crown.

He will gather, He will gather

The gems for His kingdom

All the pure ones, all the bright ones

His loved and His own.

Like the stars of the morning

His bright crown adorning

They will shine in their beauty

Bright gems for His crown.

Little children, little children

O love their Redeemer

All the jewels, precious jewels

His loved and His own.

Like the stars of the morning

His bright crown adorning

They will shine in their beauty

Bright gems for His crown

William O. Cushing

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Let us continue to be bright gems for His crown!

Letting endurance have its perfect result

 "Consider it all joy, my brethren, 

when you encounter various trials, 

knowing that the testing of your 

faith produces endurance. 

And let endurance have its perfect 

result, so that you may be perfect 

and complete, lacking in nothing.

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Happiness is a special Surprise Party!

Momma Bears know what is needed

ROSE is ROSE

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Pasquale has just announced he can put himself to bed from now on, 

but is just now rethinking this decision.

Meanwhile, Mom knows to touch base.

Be a Momma Bear.

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It's Wednesday

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Thanks to Charles Schulz

Praise God, You Servants of the Lord

Praise God, you servants of the Lord,
And bless His name with one accord;
O praise the LORD, His name adore
from this time forth forevermore,
from this time forth forevermore.


From rising unto setting sun
praised be the LORD, the Mighty One;
He reigns o’er all, supreme in might,
above the heavens in glory bright,
above the heavens in glory bright.


On whom but God can we rely,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
who condescends to see and know
the things of heaven and earth below?
The things of heaven and earth below?

God lifts the poor and makes them great;
With joy He fills the desolate.
The barren come to motherhood.
Sing hallelujah! God is good!
Sing hallelujah! God is good!

From Psalm 113
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YIKES!

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1 Corinthians 13

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 

If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,

does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 

bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part;

but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

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You're the Word of God the Father

You're the Word of God the Father
From before the world began.
Ev'ry star and ev'ry planet
Has been fashioned by Your hand.
All creation holds together
By the power of Your voice.
Let the skies declare Your glory;
Let the land and seas rejoice!

You're the Author of creation;
You're the Lord of ev'ry man;
And Your cry of love rings out across the lands.

Yet You left the gaze of angels,
Came to seek and save the lost,
And exchanged the joy of heaven
For the anguish of the cross.
With a prayer You fed the hungry;
With a word You stilled the sea;
Yet how silently You suffered
That the guilty may go free!

You're the Author of creation;
You're the Lord of ev'ry man;
And Your cry of love rings out across the lands.

With a shout You rose victorious,
Wresting vict'ry from the grave,
And ascended into heaven,
Leading captives in Your way.
Now You stand before the Father,
Interceding for Your own;
From each tribe and tongue and nation,
You are leading sinners home!

You're the Author of creation;
You're the Lord of ev'ry man;
And Your cry of love rings out across the lands.

-Getty and Townend

The Third of May

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Second Day of May

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Happy May Day!

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