Interactive Flash presentation of the Gospel:
www.thekristo.com

Monday, December 16, 2013

The Bell

THE BELL
I KNOW WHO I AM
I am God's child (John 1:12)
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )
I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)
I am bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
I am a personal witness of Christ.  (Acts 1:8)
I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)
I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27)
I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)
I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3 :20)
I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)
I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor. 5:17-21)
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)
I am established, anointed, sealed by God  (2 Cor. 1:21-22 )
I am assured all things work together for good  (Rom. 8:28 )
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13 )
I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)
I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16).
   I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor. 6:1). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)
I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col 1:14). I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)
I belong to God
Do you know who you are?

Saturday, November 30, 2013

I must have fleas

I must have fleas
Creepy
Crawley
Buggy
Itchy
I must have fleas
Day in
Day out
Everywhere
I find irritation
My nose
My ears
My head
My arms and legs
and in between
I must have fleas

Too too hot
The room’s too hot
The bath water streams water too hot
The car’s too hot
The coat’s too hot

Oh woe
what to do
I must have fleas

But alas
I don’t
No
No
No, I don’t
Although it seems
I must have fleas
I don’t have fleas

But, I do have
dry, dry skin


P.S. and for that I use Renew Lotion, a Melaleuca product

Monday, October 14, 2013

Shine Jesus! Shine on me

I have been reading / studying the Chronological Bible for the past year and have just finished the Old Testament. The other day I was reading Daniel 9:17-19 and the word "shine" jumped out at me. I read the verses as a prayer and paraphrased it a bit as follows: 

We are desolate.
Hear my petition(s)
O Lord
Cause Your face
to shine on
Your sanctuary
O my God
Incline Your ear and hear;
Open Your eyes and see 

It is because of Your great mercies
that we present these petitions,
not because of any righteous deed
on our part. 
O Lord, hear!
O Lord, forgive!
O Lord, listen and act! 

At church this past Sunday, Oct. 13, we sang "Shine Jesus Shine." How appropriate. Shining was already on my mind.

I thought
Where is Your sanctuary? Is it the place in which believers meet?
Is it within the believer's heart? 

Shine Jesus!
Shine on my heart
in this place
Hear! My Lord God
See!
the miseries
that dwell within us
that we fail to overcome
O Lord hear me!
See me! 
Forgive me!
Show me Lord
the way that is true
Hear my petition(s)
O Lord
Cause Your face
to shine on Your sanctuary
on me
show me the way
to follow You

Allow Your wisdom
to settle on my bones
within every part of me
Give me understanding
Cause the glories of Jesus
to shine upon me
and to another.

(c) October 12/14, 2013 





Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Jesus is knocking

"When they set their threshold by My threshold, and their doorpost by My doorpost, with a wall between them and Me, they defiled My holy name by the abominations (sins) which they committed; therefore I have consumed them in My anger." ~ Ezekiel 43:8

When we refuse to obey the God of the Universe, the God of our souls, our created bodies, when we defy His name and all He commands of us, when we separate Him from us and do only that which we personally desire,  all that is an abomination to Him, the time will come when His anger will be upon us. We will be consumed. All of our cries will be to no avail.

God has said:
"You shall have no other gods before Me." (Deuteronomy 5:7)

"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain."  
(Deuteronomy 5:11)

But we do and we have. We do not, we did not and we continue to not obey.

The time will come. His time.

All, except a few (a remnant),  will be no more. A few will remain faithful and true to the Holy One. A few will live in the Kingdom of Heaven with the Almighty Lord Jesus Christ.

Will you be among the faithful and true? Will you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?

It is your choice.

Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. He wants to be part of your life. He knocks only for so long. There will come a time when the knocking will cease and the opportunity is gone.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receive, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."  ~  Matthew 7:7-8

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."  ~ Revelation 3:20

It is still your choice. The choice remains yours as long as the door is open. But no one knows how long that will be. No one knows when the Lord will return, only God the Father knows.

I bid you come. Come and see, and receive. All you who do not know, who wait for a more opportune time. There is no better time than now. He has your best in mind always. In the midst of every hardship, the Lord will be with you, to encourage, to listen, to give us hope and so much more. The struggles do not go away, but the Lord walks with us, He lessens the load.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

a bitter sweet day



A bitter sweet day
it is today

We mourn the loss of
our sweet little bunny
BeeJay Bunny Boy
12 years, 11 months, 1 week old
Three weeks shy of 13.
He passed away
2:57 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, 2013.
A loving member since he was 5 months old.
He is gone from our presence
but no longer in pain
The joy he gave will never be forgotten.


Charlie "Tuna" Noodle Casserole Orrick Luders
May 21, 1976 ~ Sept. 3, 1992

This day too
we remember
an obstreperous cat
Charlie “Tuna” Noodle Casserole
whose life spanned 16 years
He came into my life at 10 weeks old
lived to “give his blessings”
to another male in the house ~
my husband Jimmy
and died over Labor Day weekend 1992.

Forever etched in our hearts and minds.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Jesus said, "It is Finished" ... is it finished for you?


Jesus’ death is not where it all ended.
One would, one might think it so, but it is but a chapter.

In the next chapter, 3 days after his body lay buried,
Jesus arose. Up from the grave He rose.

He conquered death.
Satan, with all his pathetic promises and conniving schemes
did not, could not and cannot defeat The One who is above all.

Jesus took upon Himself all our shame and guilt, all of our sins.

“It is finished,” Jesus says. But it is not the end.

It is only the beginning; the beginning of a new life.

Jesus gave up His spirit, took upon Himself our every  sin  to bring us to The Father. Jesus became the peace offering, our peace. His blood for ours. Through Jesus we are accepted.
Through Jesus all is made right.

It is Finished.
Jesus did the will of His Father.

How about you?
Can you say the same?
Have you finished …. Have you turned away from a life that has only caused heartache and pain for yourself, for your family, for all your loved ones?
Have you turned away from misery and abuse, remembered promises that did not come true, lies?
Jesus died for you. Each and every one of you.
Can you come to Him and die to your old self?

We all have something that imprisons us or has at one time or another. Something that oppresses us, hinders us from moving on, forging ahead. We want to conquer, to destroy those walls that keep closing in tighter and tighter on our homemade prison, that bring physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual anguish.

We don’t know how.

Is it so hard?   
Or is it so easy? 
Some say it is.
Just do it.
Make the choice and do it.

God hears our cry. He hears our distress. Every day, every minute He sees what we undergo, how the prison we have built draws us into ourselves and we try to hide from our misery by finding another misery to wallow in.
We want to be free, but how?
Jesus gave His life to save yours. Why oh why do we insist on destroying the life He so lovingly yearned to be one with Him? He gave His all and we … What do we do? What do we give?

Have we accepted His love?

Do we seek His guidance?

Do we believe ….
He is Jesus Christ, Son of God, Son of Man?
Born of the the Virgin Mary?
He died for our sins?
He gave His life for ours?
He was buried?
He rose again after 3 days?
He lives?

Do we pray?

Do we ask for His forgiveness?

Are we studying His word?

Are we gathering with others who follow the teachings of Jesus -- follow and obey?

Do we friend ourselves with others who build us up, encourage us, show us how to live the life God desires for us?

Do we say NO!
to that which brings us done, which undermines our worth, drags us down into a pit of sewer mud?

Do we say NO! to online pornography?

NO! to homosexuality and promiscuity?
NO! to husbands and wives cheating on each other physically and/or emotionally?

NO! to verbal and physical abuse?

NO! to abortion and other senseless murderous acts?

NO! to relentless putdowns?

NO! to overindulgence in food and drink?

Do you think food and drink help build you up? Think again. It’s a mechanism we use to hide from our fears, but it doesn’t work. We get sick and then sicker. Our life is not going up, not improving, but going down. We are destroying ourselves and those around us.

Do you think it doesn’t matter? Does another say  “It’s okay. I still love you.”
But it’s not okay. And do you love yourself?

The decision to change lies within yourself.

You alone have to determine what is right, but remember it is not just you and your life, but those around you that factors in with your decision. 

You can’t straddle the fence. You can’t have it all. You can’t keep what you have and look for something else too.  Life on the other side of the fence is not always as green as you fathom it to be. It can be quite muddy.

So your mind wanders and then it stops and sits awhile and you remember other times with other people and you start thinking that was good and you want it again.

You can’t go back. If it was meant to be, then that chapter of your life would not have closed.

No, you can’t go back. You may stop briefly, you may remember, but you shouldn’t stay there. You need to bring yourself back to the present, back to reminding yourself what you have now and how your life is so much better.

You have a new life …  and if you open your heart to Jesus and accept His gift of eternal love, eternal salvation, He will create in you a far better life.

No one is perfect. We have all sinned. We have all wandered down paths that caused undeniable pain and heartache. But none of us have to stay on the path that leads to destruction. We can move past the thoughts that keep us captive. We can ask God to help us. We can confess our need to be rid of this agony. We can surrender our lives to Him. We can rid ourselves of the desire to sin and instead live in the way of Christ. We can follow the path Jesus chooses for us. We can be free.

You may feel a certain way and sometimes that feeling makes us think negatively, but it doesn’t  have to. We don’t have to stay in that feeling. We can change our thinking and the thinking will then change the feeling.

For example, you are hurt over something someone said … that’s a feeling …. So you start thinking you’ll resort to your usual method of dealing with pain – and that might be excessive eating of chocolate or some other sweet or drinking an alcoholic beverage – but then you remember how you feel afterward – and decide it would be better for you to do  something else less detrimental to you.  We changed the thinking of our original feeling and turned it to good. That is what we must do with every negative feeling – think positive and change the feeling. Become free.

Face forward, put one step in front of the other, search for positive ways to go forward.

“It is Finished.” Jesus’ final words before He died. But like I’ve said before, life was not over. For Jesus conquered death. He overcame the powers of evil and sin. He overcame death. Hope remained.

He said He would be back. He would return.

In the tomb 3 days, and then the tomb was empty. Jesus was alive!

Through Him you can be alive – you can overcome that which holds you back and holds you down.

Jesus lives! He sits at the right hand of The Father. He is our mediator. He lives within us – as Spirit when we accept Him as Lord and Savior.

Unhappiness comes because we forget where we are and what we have. We become remorseful over a past life that seemed so promising yet was going nowhere. We miss what we had. What did we have? What indeed? Was it better than what you have now? Is your life today lacking something that you had before – whether it be a person or an activity?

Have you allowed the feeling of happiness you thought you had in a previous life supersede what you have now? Is what you have now not better, not more filling, not more loving, not more satisfying?

God will help you. He is not a cop out. His love is eternal. He will help you. He seeks only your best, never your worst. He offers you calmness, quietness, peace.

Only the enemy – the mindless wandering – beats on you, berates you, makes you think you can do better, have better. You are already there. You have better. You are better.

Come to Jesus. His love endures forever. His love is perfect. His love is sufficient.

Come to Jesus. And if you have come and wandered off (again), return to Jesus. Listen for His voice. Return to His word. Return to His fellowship of believers. Return to His promises. Live in His promises.

He saves us. He heals us. He rescues us. He revives us. He loves us.

Don’t go back to selfishness, to the pit of deep despair.
Lift your head, lift your eyes, your soul, your heart, give your all to Jesus, who will fill all the empty places, all the unmet needs.

It is not easy. Nothing in life that is worthwhile is easy. It takes work, perseverance. Focus on Him. Believe and Trust in Him, Meditate, study, consider His word. Pray, ask for answers He alone can give you. He is there. Always. He will never leave you.

We must surrender all parts of our lives to Him. That does not always come all at once. Sometimes it takes many years. But the end result is very much worth it.

Invite God into your heart – invite Him to fill the empty places. Do not listen to the reasoning that you need others to fulfill you or that you need their approval.

Jesus
is
the
answer.
Jesus
Come to Jesus
and Be Free.

In conclusion, I give you this poem I wrote Oct. 29, 2012, titled “Choose … Believe … His Love”

failure to thrive
we die

failure to believe God's unfailing love
we die

death surrounds us
within and out

There is death
We don't know how to live!

it is sin
it is sickness
it is disturbing
we feel it
we think about it
yet we don't understand it
we don't recognize the problem
for what it truly is

we remain burdened
trapped within our bodies
and our minds
unable to break free
and get past
our hurts, our anxieties,
our unbelief

For God so loved the world
the world of you and me
the world of people burdened
and lost, roaming here
and there, seeking,
searching for love

It is there, here
in our midst

God has said it
We must turn away from all
that comes against us and
turn to The One who brings us
truth and hope and love

and believe.

The freshness of life
and goodness
cascading upon us

Christ overcame the darkness
to bring us to the light
because of God's love
given
today
tomorrow
and forevermore

Choose to accept
Choose to believe
Choose to be His child
Choose to be loved
Choose to know His love

or

Choose not
and remain shackled
in the chains
of unbelief.
 
(c) Cathy Orrick Luders

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The world may collapse, but the work of Christ will endure

The world around us is falling apart. Jesus said it would be so. Why do we seem so surprised, so worried?

Yet even so and still, we, His followers, are to go on, to endure, to continue His work, until Jesus returns. And He will return.

"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." (Matthew 24:6)

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14)

The gospel will be preached to every nation ... and then the end will come.

You have been called. Do not be discouraged. God has called you to Him to do His will, to be His hands, His feet, His mouth.

Do not be misled into thinking there are no opportunities here. You are here, in this place, at this time, because this is where the Lord God has placed you. Do not think another place would be better. There would be more opportunities. Opportunities exist everywhere. You cannot sit back and say to yourself, "No, there is nothing. I am not asked to come." Jesus was not asked to come. He just went, everywhere and wherever. So go. Don't become complacent.

The end will come. And when it does, when you face your Maker, will all you have to say for yourself be "I tried. I tried Lord. But no one asked me."

Bull.

To try means to go out and do, to speak, to share, to give, everywhere, anywhere,, always. The opportunities are around us. The opportunities do not limit us. Our fears do.

The Lord tells us not to fear. Fear is not of God.

Do not retreat.

"Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10)

The challenging times are upon us and more is yet to come. They are but the beginning of much sorrow. We must not give in nor give up. We must press on.


Monday, April 8, 2013

God's message is just as relevant today

II Chronicles 36:16 states, "But they (citizens) mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words and misused (scoffed at) His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people till there was no remedy!" 

But thanks be to God! He has provided a way! And that is through His Son Jesus! This is the word that must be proclaimed - yet far too many scoff at this wonderful message. God is patient. I just wonder how long He will wait - my God is loving, but yet He is the final judge.

America needs to wake up. God's message is just as relevant today as in the past.
~ Jim Luders

Monday, March 25, 2013

Paradise awaits!

Death did not become our destined end until sin entered life and we became disobedient to The One who created all of life.

The Creator God gives and takes away. He has the True Right.

But sin permeated our being, first with Adam and Eve, and then with Cain, and it continues down through history to today.

"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying,Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17)

The Lord God rules.

The serpent, representing Satan and all that is evil, suggested God was not All Knowing, All Powerful.

The woman, Eve, questioned and considered. And then she determined to check it out for herself.

"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate." (Genesis 3:6)

And she gave to her husband, who freely ate.

And then their eyes were opened and they knew they had sinned.

FEAR
DECEPTION
HOPELESSNESS

It all came down around them.

Life in Paradise, where sin did not lurk and conquer, where death was not the distasteful end, was no more.

The promise God declared, "you shall surely die,"  became the curse for every man, woman and child, for every creature that was created by The Lord God.

The curse of pain and sorrow, of exhausting labor, of thorns and thistles, rocks and sandy soil.

The Lord God rules,

This Will Be Your Life

"till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:19)

The Lord God pronounced sentence. Judgment was made as Adam and Eve were driven from God's glorious world of Paradise to the world of selfishness.

It was not until God came to mankind in the form of a human - Jesus Christ, that a way to return to Paradise was made.

Paradise came at a heavy price. Jesus came to save our souls from the damnation of sin we carry and live under each and every day.

He bore the weight of every sin we possessed - past, present and future. He who knew no sin, went to the cross to redeem you (and me), to set us free to live a life of Love and Peace and Everlasting Life.

His death came and He was buried, but three days later, His body was resurrected.

He Arose! He Lives! He Reigns! Paradise is His.

Paradise can be yours too.

Come to the Father.
Come to the Lord Jesus.
Seek His forgiveness.
A New Beginning.

Accept His Love for you.
Believe He died for you.
Confess your sins to Him
and live

Paradise awaits!

Thursday, March 21, 2013

a prayer for less fear, more faith

I understand worry accomplishes nothing. So I strive to have less of it. I have conversations with God about my concerns. It seems I have these conversations  almost daily.

I am reminded of who is in charge and what I don't gain by worrying. Of course, by taking it to the Lord first I am at least on the right track. And when I take it from him, I at least return it. I know He can. I guess my fear is He won't.

Our resources, our financial resources, are pitiful at best. I'm sure there are others who are shouldering similar burdens or worse. Being surrounded by others in a similar boat doesn't really ease the concern however.

I pray. The Lord hears the heartfelt words I pour out, written on paper and shared now with the few who may read these lines.

Oh Lord, I have sought Your help. I came first to You. I wondered what to do, how will we make it work. We do not have enough funds. We would have IF we hadn't spent some of it earlier, a few months ago. You provided. Perhaps you are angry with us, with me, and now You are showing us exactly what that means. You know we needed the money when we took some out of savings. Were we not to take it? Now we are $320 short and taxes are due. Plus we had the brakes replaced on the car. The cost is astronomical. How will it be paid?

Some say just right a check. Hah! Write a check and watch it bounce. I think not.

Do you want us to borrow from one place to pay in another? I somehow do not think so. But perhaps you do. Please tell us.

We've been given 6 months to pay for the car repair. A payment needs to be made every month. How we do that will be a testimony to You. Please Lord I ask that funds be made available.

I don't know where to start. Perhaps I am only scared to start because of what I know will be revealed. I need guidance Lord. Show me how to accomplish this.

If there are items in our house we can sell, please tell us what and where, how much and to whom we should sell. If there are products we currently pay for that we do not need, show us, show us both, not just me, but Jim as well. Show us what we need to discontinue.

Lord, help me place all my anxieties with You and then, help me to rest in Your promises that You will help.

You have helped before. Why would you not help again? Yet we perhaps presume too much?

We have fallen and in our struggle to get up, we fall again.

Oh Lord, I so want to do Your will and be in Your will always. I want our respective desires to be in agreement with one another.

Do we rely too much on income tax refunds? Should we not use those funds for longer trips, special places? Should we not go to the Cedar Falls Bible Conference this year? Should we see if we could stay with friends or family instead of renting a cabin? Should we drive back and forth? When do we go out East? When to Boone - Des Moines area? Everything is in an uproar and my mind is full of when's and what if's.

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire,and it shall be done for you." - John 15:7

"Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." - Mark 11:24

Believing, without doubt, that God can do all He says.

Lord, I pray it is Your will, more funds will become available to pay what needs to be paid when due. Lord, I believe in You. There is no doubt that You can and have and will. You are the master of the universe. I seek Your wisdom, Your advise, Your aid. Guide me, show me the way. Bring me peace. Take my anxiety, my fearfulness away. Bring me rest from the endless thinking and rethinking. Bring me peace. I have peace. I know You will deliver. I am a witness, a recipient of Your undying love. Help my unbelief Lord!

I pray in Your Name.

Amen.

Friday, February 8, 2013

a good word

"Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad."  Proverbs 12:25

There is much to cause anxiety, frustration. For one, pain can make us anxious, concerned over what to do for a given moment. The moment can escalate and we are so distraught. We are powerless. We cry out -- show me Lord how to deal with this! We don't have answers and our anxiety increases. So we head down a path of depressed thoughts - negativity - because we can't see a way out of the darkening darkness. We can't see there are others praying or that God is right there with us.

But a good word makes our heart glad.

A positive note lessens the pain ... I don't know how. We see light, a bright shining star. We know God is with us, is always with us. He reminds us He is right there, surrounding us, even in our sorrows and pain, when all we undergo seems futile and worthless.

To see the positive in the midst of anxiety - that is the key. That is the hard part.

I pray for positive moments as often as possible.
I pray for endurance to get through each and every day.
I pray for funds to not dry up before there is more to fill the coffer
I pray others will express good words, positive and uplifting words and the anxious negativity of pain encountered will diminish.
I pray this in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen.


"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6