Dear Friends,
I just wanted to touch bases with you about my challenges and the reasons for not keeping us with the blog more fluidly.
With my husbands illness progressing and my time being his, it has not always given me the time to attend to this blog as I should have and I want you to know it is not because I feel less inclined to share what the Lord is teaching me through His word and my life.
I am learning many things through this journey with my husband and the Lord. Patience and controlling my mouth being two of the foremost. You see the illness causes toxins to be in his brain and he doesn't always function well and I have had to learn and am still learning when it is him and when it isn't when he behaves in a certain manner. And to let God attend to my mouth no matter what the reasons. I know God wants me to rely on Him more and not on my own strength.
I believe God allows circumstances in our lives and special people as well to help us grow in the areas where we need growth to be all we can be to bring Him glory and praise. He always gives us the strength if we will only take it and use it for His glory.
I have had many challenges in my life. Polio at 3, raped and molestations, loss of family members (Grandparents, parents and step-parents, friends and other relations as well as two children and a Grandson), divorce, children who were into the worldly life styles and beliefs and believing the lies of the world. My life went down many roads I wish I had not gone on yet I have used them to grow and I use the challenges of my present life to grow as well and to bring glory and praise to God the Father who gives me everything. The best I have received is life eternal.
Abba Father thank You for so many challenges and for always being there with me as I go through them. I am heartily sorry when I fall down and do not come through those challenges bringing you glory. May I always rely on You Abba and not myself for the strength and direction I need. Show me how You want me to live my life for You and let me be a help to others by how I live my life for You. Amen
Thank you all for taking this journey with me.
Rebishka

Death in Christ means eternal life with Christ; John 11:25-26,Luke 20:36, Romans 6:5, 1 Corinthians 15:26, 1 Corinthians 15:54-55, Philippians 1:21, Revelation 2:4 & 6 & 11, Psalm 73:24, Psalm 116:8-9 & 15, Romans 8:38-39,  Philippians 3:20-21, 2 Corinthians 5:8; There is hope after death.

You don't have to look far to find bad things about death. A mere drive by a cemetery may remind you that there is a 100 percent mortality rate just because you're human. A quick scan through a historical almanac shows you that even the greatest, richest and most beautiful will breathe a final breath. Mention of the Twin Towers or a roadside bomb in Iraq can fill you with sobering thoughts of the fearsome side of death. Somehow, death goes against the very fiber of your being.

So, is there anything good about death? How does God want us to view this inevitable attack?

Receive

To look intelligently at death's good side requires you to believe what the Bible says about death, and that you know the Savior who died to free you from its grasp. Death, for an unbeliever, may free him or her from the pain of the moment--but it leads only to an eternity of further suffering, loss and remorse.
Jesus never skirted the subject of death or its consequences, and He made some personal promises that are backed up by His deity.
In John 11:25-26 (ESV) you can read: "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?'"

Reflect

Wouldn't you like to know some of the "good side of death"? Here are some Bible references. Find each of them and look for the corresponding promise below in the bulleted statements. (They are not in the same order.)
Luke 20:36
Romans 6:5
1 Corinthians 15:26
1 Corinthians 15:54-55
Philippians 1:21
Revelation 2:11
Revelation 21:4
Revelation 20:6
Psalm 73:24
Psalm 116:8-9
Psalm 116:15
Romans 8:38-39
Philippians 3:20-21
2 Corinthians 5:8

When you, as a Christian, die:

• You cannot die again and will be resurrected.
• Your death will bring gain.
• You will not be hurt by the second death.
• You will be imperishable, immortal and victorious.
• You will be united with Jesus in a resurrection like His.
• Your tears will be wiped away and there will be no mourning or crying or pain anymore.
• You will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
• Your death will be precious in God's sight.
• You will be at home with the Lord.
• You will have seen the last enemy, death, destroyed.
• You will share in the first resurrection.
• Nothing whatever can separate you from the love of God including death.
• Your body will be transformed into a body like His glorious body.
• God will receive you to glory.

Respond

Prepare for your next Bible Minute lesson by reading all of John 11. Write down the things you learn about death from that chapter. If you're a believer, thank the Lord for the sure promises He has given you. If you have not yet trusted Christ and wonder how to know Him, go to the "Meet Jesus" page, and ask the Lord to show you how to be a partaker in the good side of death.

Back To The Bible Ministries

My Comments: When ones considers the alternative how can there be another choice? Yet many make that choice daily. They make the choice to die and not have ever lasting joyous life.
When we choose life in Christ and to have him in us we choose to live forever. That is a beautiful thing. I shudder to think of those poor souls who have chosen not to accept Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and have chosen not to follow Him and thereby they have chosen not to accept eternal life with Him.
Sometimes we delude ourselves into thinking as long as we go to church or follow a way of living that harms no one than we will receive the gift of eternal life. Or we tell ourselves as long as we live a good life or .... Well none of those things will give us eternal life. Christ said, "Unless you are born again..." That means accepting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Trusting in Him, receiving His righteousness, going to the Father through the Son of God. When we receive we are born again.
So simple yet many do not take what the Savior offers so freely. Friend do you want to live in heaven with the Father forever? If so confess your sins to the Father and accept the gift Jesus gave for all so none need never taste of death.
Abba I pray all who read this will give their lives to you by accepting the Sacrifice of your Son Jesus Christ so they may live eternally with You. Thank You Father for Your loving kindness in giving us this recourse when we are such sinners and a stench in Your nostrils. Yet when we accept Your Son Jesus as our Savior we become as a beautiful fragrance. Give us knowledge and understanding of Your Word and help us to grow in all You have for us to do. Let all we do bring You praise and glory. Amen
Rebishka

At Baptixm we share our walk with Jesus to the world; John 1:6-14, 26, 29, 33/34:9/10, John 14:1-6, Romans 10:9/10, Acts 2:37-40, Philippians 2:5-11, John 13:35;

What is 750,000 miles long, reaches around the earth 30 times and grows 20 miles longer each day? Answer: The line of people who are without Christ. The Bible tells us that since so many don't know Jesus, it's our job to make Him known.

Receive

John answered them saying, "I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know" (John 1:26, NASB).
John was not saying that folks did not know Jesus as a person. He was the carpenter from Galilee, his mother, four brothers and his sisters lived in Nazareth and the people there did know Him. John was saying that people did not recognize who Jesus was. And so John made sure to tell them.
The next day he [John] saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!....this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God" (John 1:29, 33-34, NASB).
Write out a brief bio of Jesus from John's description. Then write down who Jesus is in your life.

Reflect

Do you know anyone who may not know who Jesus really is? Could you, like John, make Jesus known to them? Write down a list of those people and begin to pray for the opportunity to share with them.
Go to your Bible and find Scriptures that provide a picture of Jesus as the Son of God, the Savior of the world and the only way a person can come to God. You might check these out: John 1:6-14; John 14:1-6; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 2:37-40; Philippians 2:5-11.
We need to make Jesus known not only by what we say, but also by what we do.
"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35, NASB).
What are you doing to show love toward others?

Respond

Take time now to pray asking God to give you a deep and abiding desire to make Jesus known and to care about sharing with people who need the Lord.
Make a list of those who have helped you know Jesus and send them an e-mail or card thanking them for how God used them in your life.
Back to the Bible Ministries

My Comments: Sharing Jesus can be the most rewarding experience of your life. At first it can be nerve wracking yet after awhile you find you want to do it more and more. When we read the Word and share the Word we feel the Word more closely. Christ is the Word made flesh. Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving and giving. Joy comes in being close to Him and when we share Him we are very close to Him.
Jesus is complete joy and love, He is understanding and truth, in Him is all hope and all faith is strengthened in Him. We are complete because of Him. We are one with Him and because He is one with the Father so are we. One cannot comprehend all that that means in one life time. How can we be His and not talk about Him to others? We cannot. If we say we love Him how can we not share Him with others. We cannot!
We show our love and thankfulness to Him by sharing Him and proclaiming His Gospel to the world (no matter how big or how small our share of the world is) by what we say, and do and yes even by what we think or allow to become thought in our minds.
If you are His disciples love one another. That means forgiving and forgetting and moving on. It means not trying to get people to know you did the right thing or that you helped someone or that you read your Bible today because you want others to see how spiritual you are. It is all about Christ Jesus and the message of salvation He brought to share with he world. We love one another and share His Gospel with he world because we love as He loves us.
Abba Father grant that we may not seek to be noticed as to shine the light on You. That we will Love as You loved us and take Your refreshing waters to the world and share the truth of Your Gospel wherever You send us. May we be salt to refresh a weary world and a light to show the path to You. Thank You Father for Your sacrifice of sending Your Son to die in our place. Thank You Father for Your love of us. We praise You Father through our words, actions and thoughts and may we always bring You the glory. Amen
Rebishka

Share the Gospel and save another; 1 Corinthians 9:12, The Gospel is to be shared at all costs

1 Corinthians 9:12
"If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ."
NKJV

Paul had given up everything for the sake of the Gospel. He had been imprisoned, beaten, shipwrecked and snake-bit, but he still remained steadfast in declaring Christ crucified. Even in his letter to the church of Corinth, we see a man who is willing to continue the race even if all support falls out from underneath him. How could he do this? Simple. He knew the God He served.

When we step out in obedience to God, we don't always know what may happen next. He may lead us to share the Gospel with someone even though we don't know how they will respond. Sometimes, we may give to our church while not knowing how it will affect our budget for the week. Whatever the situation, there is one unchanging element - God. He is still the same God who provided for Paul despite the lack of those who gave. He's still the same God who protected Paul while adrift at sea. He is the same God who gave His own Son to die for our sins in the ultimate act of love. My friend, because He is God, we can step out in faith and experience a life like no other. Because He is God we have the freedom to serve Him with all our hearts.

Life Lesson: When we give our lives to God, only then do we discover maximum freedom.

Dear Father,
Thank You for all that You have done for me. Thank You for Jesus and the gift of salvation. Lord, because of that gift, I am now free to serve You with all my heart and soul. Remove the fear and doubt in my mind. Help me to give all of my life to You and use me for the work of Your Kingdom. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee

My Comments: Years ago I chose to follow Jesus and accept His Sacrifice on the Cross. I was reborn by the Grace of God a new person in Christ Jesus. Not from anything I did. It was by everything He did for me for all of us for all time. Since that time I am His and it is my will to do His will. At first it was hard reaching out to people I did not know to speak about the Lord God and all He was doing and had done for me.

I remember we had been living in Tacoma when I was saved just before 911 and then we lost every material thing we had and moved to the ocean where we still had a shack (literally falling down and rotten with black mold and shortly afterwards the roof blew off). We were given a scholarship to the “Y” and every morning I would go and exercise with the seniors. But before they came I used the hot tub to loosen up. The Lord impressed on me to Evangelize there so my time in the hot tub became my “Hot Tub Ministry”. And when people came in to the water I started talking to them and eventually talked about my best friend, Jesus. As time went on I found it easier and easier to talk about my Lord and the things He was doing in my life and my family.

Now I talk about Him wherever He prompts me and sometimes it still does not come easy yet He gives me the words as He did for Moses and I trust He will work it out for the best for those who hear even if I botch the whole thing. It is never because of what I say or do. It is because I am faithful to do and He takes care of the rest. God is always faithful and true and I trust Him and have faith He will do a good work always. Friends I encourage you to take that leap of faith and trust Him to guide you and give you the words to say whether you are in the line at the grocery store or sitting on the bus with a stranger. Wherever you are trust He has placed you there for His glory. Someone needs to see Christ in you, hear Christ from your mouth or even be comforted by Christ through you. That person could be family, friend or a stranger.

There will come a time when it will be forbidden to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in fact is against the law and punishable by death in many countries. Yet for now we still have it easy to share the Words and love of Christ and God’s message to the world. Ask God to guide you, ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit so you may share the Gospel wherever He has planted you.

Abba we pray You will guide us and place Your Word on our lips, have our lives to show Your Son Jesus the Christ in all we say and do, open our mouths with Your living truths, cloth us with Your armor and keep us ever strong and steeped in Your Word. We praise You and thank You for choosing us and always being there for us. Cover us with Your mantle, Oh Lord and grant that we will always be true to You. Amen

Rebishka                                        

Read the word of God and pray (two posting); 3:12, Hebrews 11:6, 1John 5:14/15;

Whether you like shopping or not, most of us would agree that the best way to approach a shopping experience is to make a list. Write out all the things you need and mark them off one by one as you put them in your cart. While this approach works for shopping, it doesn't work for prayer--although many of us try it anyway. Prayer is not about coming to God with a shopping list; it's about communicating and having a relationship with Him. Once we start to view prayer as a relationship, the way that we approach prayer will completely change.

Receive

"Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence" (Ephesians 3:12, NLT).

"And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him" (Hebrews 11:6, NLT).

"And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for" (1 John 5:14-15, NLT).

• What sort of attitude are we to have when we come into God's presence?
• Why is it so important that we have faith when we pray?
• How can we be confident that God will give us what we ask for?

Reflect

These verses tell us that prayer is about confidence and faith. We have to pray expecting God to answer our prayers (although it might not necessarily be the way we want them answered or as quickly as we would like). If we don't believe in the power of God to answer our prayers, we lose our confidence that He will answer them. Ask yourself:
Is there any doubt in my prayer life right now?

• Are there things that I was praying for but I've given up on?

Do I come to God every day in prayer or just when I need something from Him?

Respond

In any relationship, it takes two people to make it work. Our relationship with God is exactly the same way. God does His part in our relationship, but we must do our part. Spend some time today thinking about your relationship with God and ask yourself these questions:

Is my relationship with God one that is pleasing to Him?
Am I genuinely approaching prayer with faith and confidence in Him?

You'll find that once you're able to view prayer as a relationship with God and approach your prayer with confidence and faith, praying will be much more satisfying.

Back to the Bible Ministries


The Bible is the Word of God. Romans 3:1/2, John 8:31/32;

Romans 3:1-2

"What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God."
NKJV

A.W. Tozer once said, "If God gave you a watch, would you honor Him more by asking Him what time it is or by simply consulting the watch." God has provided us with the instruction book He authored and it is our responsibility to read it and heed it. Friend, there are places in this world where simply possessing a Bible brings a death sentence. Many Christians have been martyred and continue to be in astounding numbers across the globe for the very thing which many of us take for granted.

God has blessed you with a Bible and with the freedom to read it. What, my friend, do you do with it? Is it simply a 'coffee table' book, a drink coaster or a paperweight? Does it sit unused on a bookshelf? The Bible, which God has given you, will keep you and your family from boatloads of trouble, but only if you read, study and apply it. It is the very Word of God.

John 8:31-32 "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." NKJV

Friend, I want to encourage you to study your Bible. Make certain that you and your family faithfully attend a Bible teaching church. Get into the habit of praying and reading your Bible daily. Lead your family in prayer and devotions. Be diligent to do these things, and you will be amazed by the changes, miracles and blessings that are poured out on you and your family.

Life Lesson: There is a blessing and a responsibility in having a Bible.

Dear Father,
Thank You for giving me Your Bible. Please forgive me if I have been slack in reading and studying it. I ask You to give me a hunger for Your Word. Open my heart to receive Your counsel and do the things You tell me. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee

Cross the Bridge Ministries

My comments: I cannot remember a time in my thinking life where I did not pray to God. I talk to Him always. Prayer is not always asking Him for something or even thanking Him it is a relationship with our best friend, our Savior, our Creator, He is our everything. He loves us more than any one in the whole world could, has or ever will love us. His is a pure sweet love. He loves more than anything being in a loving relationship with us. Reading His Word shows us what He is like and what He likes and doesn’t and what He expects from us. He has written Himself into every Word and the Word was made Man.

Pastors and theologians get to sit and study the Bible continually and many of us can only get into it when there is a quiet time. When I had many children at home, and an In-Home Day Care, I did not have much time during the day to sit and read the Word of God yet I could be in constant communication with Him. I could never make it through my life without His constant companionship. Now I am able to read His Word more and reflect on what is written and what He is telling me as it applies to history, science, socially, psychologically, and personally. There is so much contained in His Words. It is truly amazing! I still keep up my dialogue with Him, yet not about children, house work and frustrations (okay those are still part of the conversations I still have with Him, lol), yet in an ever expanding way.

When I am in the car I listen to radio stations that have solid Bible teachings and music that keep me focused on the Lord and edify my soul. They are a part of my prayer life. I have the New Testament on tapes and great Christian music, and I am able to listen to them while I go about the house doing my chores or while I am painting. It saddens me when I think of people not knowing Him, not having a relationship with Him and not knowing the Word of God nor that He sacrificed Himself for us. Friends I pray you know Him and have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior and that you have life everlasting and are building your relationship with Him. He is the best friend, brother, Father you will ever have and He never disappoints if you align yourself and your thoughts with His. Read His Word and get in relationship with him and He will open your world more than you ever dreamed possible.

Abba we thank You for all You have provided to us so we can know You better and be in relationship with You. Help us to increase our knowledge of Your word, give us understanding as we read Your Word and fill us with Your Holy Spirit so we may share Your Word, knowledge and understanding with others. We praise You Father for sending Your Word and for loving us so much You placed Your Word in the hearts and minds of those who wrote Your Words in what we now lovingly call The Holy Bible. Help us to know You more and to grow our roots deep within Your living Words and may our branches bear much, much fruit for Your Glory. Amen

Rebishka