My Grandmother/My Sister

A week ago I went to visit my grandmother who lives in a nursing home. She turned 99 this past May! She still gets around by herself in her wheelchair, albeit rather slowly. But her hearing has been gone for sometime and her sight is severely diminished. So when I visit, I always give her a kiss on the cheek and run my hand across her hair to let her know it's me. Her voice is weak and cracked. She still loves to talk, but her thoughts are disconnected and at times very foggy. That's perfectly fine, because so are mine and I have no excuse!
When I have to leave her, it's hard, because she does not want me to go. And I know that each time I leave, could be my last visit. If she were to pass away before my next visit, how would I feel? I can tell you....elated! Not because she died, but because she lives! Her eternal life is placed securely in Christ! So when she takes her final breath on this side, her next breath will be in Heaven! She'll have perfect vision and hearing! And she'll be experiencing the most blissful time with her Savior! She had told me the story of how she came to salvation in Christ many times. During one of those times a few years ago, she asked me to recount her salvation story at her funeral. She also asked me to take a pen and paper and take notes, as she recounted memories of her life here on earth. She then asked me to give a eulogy of that life at her funeral . I was surprised by her request, but it didn't take me a moment to accept the privilege! Each week, I'd visit and she'd recount wonderful times that transpired in her nearly 100 years on earth. One day as I visited, she was feeling rather weary and just wanted to go home. She asked me, "Nancy, why is the Lord keeping me here? I can barely hear, I can barely see. I can't do anything but sit in this chair and watch the days go by. I wonder what His purpose for it is ?" I took her hand and rubbed her arm, and answered, "Grandma, maybe he's leaving you here on earth for a while longer, because you are such an inspiration to me!"
She smiled and replied, " I never thought of that!"

National Security

My pastor spoke again this evening on this, the third day of our "Hot Topics" revival. I was so energized by this session! The topic tonight was National Security.
He shared from Scripture the way in which Jesus said we should look at national security. He used the Temple as an example, and said, (paraphrased from Luke) "Don't marvel at the Temple, with it's gold and cedar and all its other fineries. It's going to be totally destroyed! His disciples asked when and what would be the sign. He told them nation would rise against nation. There would be wars and famine and your own family members will offer some of you up to the government to be killed for my name's sake! But those of you who endure for my name, will see Heaven. Jesus also said Christian persecution will come to all nations at some point. And then, in the book of Peter, He really gives it to us straight about national security. We have been called out and set apart from the world. We are a holy nation. A royal priesthood! (And here is where I almost jumped to my feet shouting Halleluiah! I say almost, because I had my grandson asleep on my lap! )
Anyway, Jesus reassures us, the state of our national security is strong because He is king of it! Our national security is eternally stable and strong due to the fact that we who are in Christ, are no longer part of any earthly nation, but a Christian nation! The German who becomes a Christian is no longer part of the German nation, but the Christian nation. The same goes for the Iraqi Christian. And the Russian Christian. The Christian nation does not begin after we leave this earth...we are already a nation, and every Christian from every tribe, tongue, and earthly nation now belong to the holy nation of God! They are closer to us in bond, than any earthly family member or any nationality of people could ever be! Is that truth not so awesome, it just makes you wanna go home and be with Jesus right now?!
Someday we will get to see all of those others who are part of this royal nation called out from the world. And when Christ returns, He will deliver His holy nation to it's proper destination, where we will come face to face with our King! Do not worry about the security of America. God has already determined it's fate. America is the greatest nation on earth, but in the end, it too will lose the real war.
Rejoice if you have been called out and are part of the Christian nation, because that's the only nation that's gonna win! Halleluiah!
I realize there may be someone reading this who has not yet been called out of the darkness and into His marvelous light. Take hope in knowing that God saves all who put their trust in Christ alone for the atonement of their sin, who call on His name for their salvation, and follow Him as their Lord. You too, can know what it really means to belong to that holy nation of God!
(Now if you are at all interested, please listen to these sessions in their entirety at: www.cayaf.org
Blessings!

Who Is My Neighbor?

Tonight, I listened as my pastor explained immigration as determined by Scripture. At the end of the message, I came away realizing I'd spent far too much time being critical of a certain group of people, so much so, that I couldn't see them as my neighbor whom I am to love as myself. We send missionaries to Mexico, because we see a need there, to witness the love of God to them. How does our need to share the love of God with them change, when they come here illegally? It doesn't, yet we see them and cry out "Criminal" ! Am I not a criminal as well, every time I break the law? While I may have an opinion about how my government should deal with the issue of legal American citizenship, I must remember that my true citizenship is no longer America, but Heaven! My allegience is owed only to the Maker of the country He was pleased to place me in temporarily! I can vote for elected officials that I think will uphold values and principles as close to the Word as possible, and even be proud of all that the men and women in this country have acheived to make it the greatest country on earth. But I'm only in America, because God chose it for me. I didn't earn it! There is a song that goes, "This world is not my home. I'm just a passin' through". Do I believe that? I'd better, because I sing that song a lot! If this world is not my home, then neither can America be. I've got a far better home waiting than any country on earth could give me! I'm still on route! And while I'm traveling the road that leads there, I may come upon a person who Jesus says is my neighbor. That illegal immigrant.....
" The fields are ripe for harvest, but the workers are few..."
What a perfect opportunity the Lord has laid in the laps of His people! A chance to do that very thing the Church is supposed to be about, loving my neighbor as myself! And who knows? Someday, that person may be my "eternal" neighbor, having a mansion right next door to mine!

This Is My Song

I cannot imagine life without music. Many on my dad's side of the family either played an instrument or sang, or both! My dad had his own dixieland band and played for many years, so I grew up singing along to Mitch Miller and Lawrence Welk. As an adult, I followed along the same path. My husband and I made a living at music for 25 years! We played in bars, nightclubs, motel lounges and fraternal clubs around the midwest. Our music was a mix of country, big band and light Rock & Roll. But in February 1995, something happened that changed my whole life! I found Jesus, and from that moment on, nothing would ever be the same! My desire for smoke filled barrooms and nightclub lounges were gone. So was my desire to sing songs about cheating and drinking, or any other vice. One thing that remained was my love for music and my desire to sing. Only now, instead of singing songs to the devil, I want to sing songs to the Lord! The Bible says, "Sing to the Lord, a new song", and that's what I'm doing!