"Cry Out To Jesus"

"But Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with Healing In His wings." ~ Mal. 4:2 To everyone who's lost someone they love Long before it was their time You feel like the days you had were not enough when you said goodbye And to all of the people with burdens and pains Keeping you back from your life You believe that there's nothing and there is no one Who can make it right Chorus There is hope for the helpless Rest for the weary Love for the broken heart There is grace and forgiveness Mercy and healing He'll meet you wherever you are Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on They lost all of their faith and love They've done all they can to make it right again Still it's not enough For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains You try to give up but you come back again Just remember that you're not alone in your shame And your suffering Chorus When your lonely (when you're lonely) And it feels like the whole world is falling on you You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus Cry to Jesus To the widow who suffers from being alone Wiping the tears from her eyes For the children around the world without a home Say a prayer tonight Chorus

God Never Moves Without Purpose Or Plan

There is much sorrow in my heart regarding my Grandmother's passing. I feel I must be strong for my whole family. I see my mother and my heart mourns for the "what ifs" she must be facing. Yet in the distance in my distraught heart, I hear "Where there is no more pain or sorrow." That is where my dear Gram is. How faithful the LORD is to us His children. God gives strength to the weak. And dear friend, I feel very weak and through it all I can feel God's hand guiding me. He has given me the ability to be strong. I believe that God is going to use my Grandma's passing to touch my Pop's heart. What an opportunity to speak my Savior's name and purpose to those around me. In truth, I am sad that my Gram has left us on my Birthday. However, she is HOME! Home with a sound mind! Home with no more pain! Home with Jesus! I miss her greatly, but there is no better place that she could be. No better place than at Jesus' Feet. Thank you all for your prayers. You will never know until perhaps in glory how much your prayers and concern have touched our hearts. Mrs. Rogers said God was going to do something great today and to let her know what that is. Well, My dear Mrs. Rogers it is this: that God has given us so many people that Love us and Care about us. All of your prayers have been that special something that has helped bring us through this day!

My Testimony

I grew up in a Religious home but there came a point in my life when though I was religious I realized that my life was not any different from anyone else. My first year out of my “religious bubble” is when I went from a Christian School to a public school. We had moved from New Jersey to Pennsylvania. Since we did not know of any Baptist Church in the area, we were out of Church for a year. During my Seventh grade year, I found myself making fun of others who said they were a Christian. I started doing the things I had been taught that were wrong. I had no conviction or guilt over the things I did. What good was my religion if I had no change in my heart? My parents realized that my brother and I were not acting as we should. We both started cursing and though we hid it, there were times when we would slip and curse around our parents. My mother began looking for a Baptist Church for us to attend. She came across a sign for a Baptist church which also had a school. We began attending church services regularly and my siblings and I were enrolled into the school. I was again able to “blend” in. But something seemed to be missing. I made a mental check list of all things I needed to do as a Christian. I was doing all those things on my list but still there seemed to be emptiness in my heart. There came a point when I realized what was missing. I had gone to church all of my life and yet there was a vital ingredient missing. Being a good person, going to church and even being a “Baptist” was not enough to fill the emptiness in my heart. My problem wasn’t with the things I did or didn’t do. My problem was with my heart. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” ~ Jeremiah chapter 17, verses 9 & 10. In the Word of God we are told that God puts it in every heart to know God. God wants a personal relationship with each one of us. But our sin causes a breech between God and ourselves. When I was eight, I knew I needed to be saved. (Note: “saved” and “salvation” are Biblical terms referring to the forgiveness of sins by God and the rescue of a person from the power and penalty of that sin. This is God’s requirement for everlasting life.) On Sunday, February 24, 1986, I was sitting in my Sunday school class and I wanted to be saved. So I was taken in the back room with a handful of kids. Someone prayed over me. I went away believing that I was saved. However I wasn’t. My life was empty. Empty means containing nothing; having none of the usual or appropriate contents. My so called Salvation testimony did not have any of the appropriate ingredients. For a person to be truly saved, they must have brokenness over their sin. I had never realized the greatness of my sin. If I was the only person on this earth, Christ still would have come and died for ME! My sin put Christ on the cross! “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” ~ Psalms chapter 51, verse 17. On October Twenty-ninth 1992, I yielded my life to God. I went into my room and tried to sleep, but could not! My heart was so heavy. I finally admitted that I was not saved and that I indeed was lost. I began to think of what Christ went through for me, and realized He did all these things so I could be saved. All those “good things” I had been doing were nothing but filthy rags. My little check list meant nothing to God. My being a good person meant nothing. I was a good person destined to spend an eternity separated from God in Hell. “But we are all as a unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags.” ~ Isaiah chapter 64, verse 6. In Bible days, a filthy rag was hung on a post outside the gate of the city. A leper then would use that rag. He would take the rag and wipe away his puss, and hang the rag backup on the post for someone else to use. If that is what my righteousness or good works looked like, how did God see my wickedness? “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” ~ Romans chapter 5, verse 10. I was an enemy of God. My sin caused a great gulf between myself and God, and my good works could not bridge the gap. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” ~ Romans chapter 3, verse 23. And the ONLY thing that could save me was the Christ’s death on the Cross! Before this His death held no value to me. It was just something I knew HE had done but it never meant anything to me. I NOW wanted God and I was ready to give Him everything… every area of my life I turned over to Him. I finally could not pray anymore. All I could do was look up and trust. It finally became clear; I had not been placing my trust in God. I had been asking God to save me and forgive me, but at the same time I was trying to think of everything that I had to do. Again I was using a mental check list, and this is not how God wanted me to come to Him. Finally, I saw Salvation as a gift, and not something I had to work to receive. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” ~ Romans chapter 6 verse 23. I had been making Salvation very hard, when it is really quite easy. Once I stepped out by faith, and admitted that I was lost, I then had godly sorrow over my sin. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” ~ 2 Corinthians chapter 7, verse 1. When I finally saw myself as God saw me, then all I needed to do was trust. “That if though shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” ~ Romans chapter 10, verses 9 & 10. After I had stopped praying, I looked up to the ceiling and I knew that the LORD had saved me. A peace rested in my soul. My prayer was not a perfect prayer, but my heart attitude was the one God required… a broken contrite heart willing to yield everything to Christ. Since that day I have had a personal relationship with God. I can talk to Him daily and hear from Him through His Word. I do not have emptiness in my heart, but rather my heart is full with Peace. I now want to do things that please the LORD and not because someone tells me to do them. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” ~ 1 John chapter 5, verse 3. I have personal convictions which I never had before I received Christ. I am so very glad the LORD saved my soul!!!

"What Are You Thankful For?"

A few weeks ago, we handed out a flier in Master Club. The flier was an announcement for a special night coming up on November 18th. On the flier, I asked the kids to write something they were thankful for. They then were to bring it back on that night. Last night, we had our special thanksgiving night. Most of the kids brought back their paper and those who didn't filled out one when they arrived. Here are some things that the kids wrote: I am thankful for... "Family, Friends, Shelter" "God" "Jesus Christ" "My Home" "My Mommy" "My Mom and Dad" "The Food that is provided for us" "Friends" "Master Club" "The True God" "For the Soldiers that support our Country" I am very thankful for the Master Club kids. And to The Parents that bring their children to Master Club, so that they can learn more about our Blessed Savior, who gave His life for them. Dear Master Club Parents, You know what I am thankful for... your kids. Each one of them holds a special place in my heart. It takes a lot of work to get these games ready for your kids. And I'll admit sometimes I get a little overwhelmed, but then I see the look on your kids faces when they step up those stairs, and I realize that a little effort goes a long way. So to you parents I say thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to serve your kids. They are truly a delight! Are you thankful for your kids? Have you told them? Praying for your kids, Miss Jen Byerly Ps. There is a bulletin board in the Peter Room with all your kids "Thankfuls" on it. Take time to take a look.

"Thankfulness"

I am thankful for my friends and family For all the Things God's Given to me. I'm am thankful for Life that's free. I am thankful for My salvation. I am thankful for God's creation. I am thankful for my Heavenly mansion. Are you Thankful my friend, As Thanksgiving day is near? Have you Thanked The LORD the creator for all that's dear? For the ONE who died for you have you shed a thankful tear? Remember this: God has been so good to us. He has given us many promises. He promises never to leave us nor forsake us. He promises to keep us in His hand and no one shall ever pluck us out of it. When things look to hard, and life has you down, look up my dear friend! God wants good things for us. He truly loves us! "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." ~ John 15:12-14.

Trust and Obey

Read Jeremiah 32 to better understand this Devotional. Jeremiah did what God said and bought his cousin's field. Only to find out that the land was shortly to be overthrown by the Chaldeans. Jeremiah cried out to God. He told the LORD that he did what God had asked of him. It was almost like Jeremiah was saying "Why God?" God's Answer to Jeremiah's cry was this: "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?" ~ Jeremiah 32:27. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you had obeyed God, but it wasn't turning out like you thought it would? And you found yourself asking God why? It is almost as if we obey God because we believe He is going to reward us for our obedience. Yet we should be obeying Him because we love Him. We shouldn't question God. However, we are fallible. Even Jeremiah questioned God. God knew this would happen. Look at the LORD's Reply. He said, "Behold, I am the LORD." The name Lord or Jehovah means the Existing One. God was telling Jeremiah, "I am the one in charge." God then said, "The God of all flesh." The LORD was reminding Jeremiah that He is the creator and that Jeremiah was nothing but flesh. The LORD went on to ask a rhetorical question. "Is there any thing too hard for me?" He told Jeremiah basically this, "Look, I am the LORD, the Existing One. Do you think you know more than me? You are nothing but flesh and I Am the One who created all flesh. Do you really think there is anything too hard for me to do?" How about you child of God? Are you asking God why? Are you obeying Him because of what He will give you? Or are you obeying because you love Him? All The LORD wants from His own is for them to Trust and Obey!

"The Past"

I cannot go back and undo wrong deeds done. Looking back I find that I'm dwelling under the sun. We cannot turn the clock to become young again, None can change their past, no not even one man. Remember Lot's wife, who with one glance she died. Don't reflect on hurts or the tears you have cried. Remember God promises He will with us dwell, He is by my side and I know all is well. Know this little heart, God Loves THEE! Our God will forgive all your iniquity. Set thine heart on His Highway! Cleave to God's Hope this very day. "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." ~ Jeremiah 31:3