Waxing on 2009

2009? The 10th year of the New Millineum and I still think it sounds weird...guess I still have alot of the 20th century in me. Ah but time...no way to stop it. So what will 2009 bring? We will have to wait and see.

As always, I look forward to the New Year knowing that along with blessing will come trial, maybe more than ever. But the more I search the scriptures, the more I see the promise of trials and tribulations for the believer and the incredible value found in such tests. Looking back on 2008, I realize that the trials are what strengthened my faith. I pray for His grace to endure whatever comes our way and I pray that the tested genuineness of my faith will result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ my Lord! Happy New Year!

1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Waxing on Ancient and Strong

"It came to pass back in those days that Caesar, he decreed

A census would be taken of the Roman world, you see

So everyone packed up and headed back to their home towns

And this couple up from Galilee to Bethlehem was bound

So it came to pass this man named Joe was with his fiance

Back when her pregnancy began to show he planned to go away

But it came to pass that in a dream an angel of the Lord

Said, "Joseph, don't you be afraid to marry Mary for

The little baby in her womb it is the Holy Spirit's work

You may have read the prophet said a virgin would give birth

So it came to pass that Joseph was the noblest of men

With a woman on a donkey on their way to Bethlehem

And I wonder whether either was aware enough that day

To know the child would bring a Kingdom and the old would come to pass away

Yes, it came to pass that Joseph was the noblest of men

With a woman on a donkey on their way to Bethlehem"- Andrew Peterson

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.And he shall be their peace. (Micah 5:2-5)

Praise the Lord that what He says will be, will be! He shall be great to the ends of the earth! Little Yeshua came into the world that night and was layed in a manger but His Kingdom is eternal and of the increase of His Kingdom there shall be no end! Merry Christmas!

This Saturday Night,December 13th at 7 pm Community Christian Fellowship will be having our 4th Annual Christmas Coffee House. All are invited. We will have music, drama and some sweet stuff to eat (maybe some coffee too).

We will also be collecting clean clothes to benefit the ministry of The ROC of Petersburg. So fill a sack with clothes and come on out to Matoaca Middle School West Campus at 20300 Halloway Avenue in Matoaca for a fun night of Christmas celebration with us!

The Glory of the Blood

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26)
We had our annual Thanksgiving Service yesterday. It is a time when all are given an opportunity to come forward and voice their thanks to the Lord. It is always a special time. There were many testimonies of God's faithfulness to individuals but the best part of the service was the end.
We all joined in remembering and declaring His death as the greatest gift of all through observance of the Lord's Supper.
Oh, the glory of the blood!! Oh, the beauty of His indescribable gift!! He is the Just and the Justifier!! Our God...who is like Him?? There is no other!! Hallelujah Jesus!! Praise His name!! Let all the earth stand in awe!! Let all men bow to Him!! He is KING of Kings and LORD of Lords!!

Repent of your sins and believe on Christ without delay!! Your eternity hangs in the balance!! He is The Awesome God and He has completed the great work of atonement but you must believe! You must cry out to Him for mercy!! Do not harden your heart against Him and trample on the precious blood of Christ!! Seek the Lord while He may be found!! The Day of the Lord is coming when all will answer for their sins and rebellion against Him!! Do you have an answer? Your only hope is the blood of Christ!! Your only hope of justification is the work of Jesus on the Cross!! It is the power of salvation!! There is no other name given under heaven by which men might be saved then the name of Jesus!! He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and NO MAN comes unto the Father but by Him!! Come to Jesus!! Come to Jesus!! Come to Jesus!!

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 4:1-3)

Waxing on Weakness

So I know I seem to have an opinion about everything, and I know I talk pretty confidently about things but don't misunderstand me....I have absolutely no confidence in me and sometimes my weakness is all that I see.
Sometimes I am very aware of the heaviness and I feel like I am being crushed under the weight. Ever feel like that? I had one of those days today so I went to the Lord. I love Him! He is so good!
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” - Jesus Christ

"A Place on the Earth" - Fernando Ortega

Find me a place on the earth
Where a weary man can rest
And listen for your voice
In the turning seasons
A quiet place in the world
Where I can bow
And confess that I fear
Where you have brought me,
Mysterious God

All of my life You have been with me
My comfort in loneliness My hope in the dark
All of my life Lord, please stay with me
Be my sustaining breath
Guardian of my heart

My days are passing by
Like falling stars
That blaze across the night sky
Then they are gone
But Father, at your side I will never be afraid
For you have held all my days
In the palm of your hand

Waxing on His Unchanging Ways

I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work,and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy.What god is great like our God? (Psalm 77:11-13)

While our moral climate is declining, protestors demand the "right" to be officially wicked and the move is on to remove even the simplest mention of God from Government buildings, it has not moved Him at all. God does not change. In Him there is no shadow of moving. He is the same yesterday, today and forever and while it may seem that the whole world has turned from Him, that is not true. Don't let the loud activists convince you that the majority is on their side. Take hope in Him.

Tonight Becky and I drove Jordyn about an hour north to attend a Bible Study. This was her choice. A Bible Study on Friday Night. My daughter has made the choice to remember God's great wonders of old and to meditate on His mighty deeds. This study was pretty serious. The book of Daniel, verse by verse. These teenagers have been going through Daniel for a year and they all go because they want to. Jesus said:

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”