Calm Before the Storm

If you haven’t noticed lately, current events are very much lining up with scripture. On top of earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, etc., our world is on the brink of an economic disaster that is going to make the Great Depression of the 1930’s look like a picnic. Take a look at what is happening in Greece: lawlessness, murder, terror. Folks, we’re not far from that taking place here in the US. In fact, American citizens who live near the US border of Mexico are being robbed, mutilated, murdered and kidnapped right out of their own homes by people who are supposedly just looking for a better way of life in America. Fear of identity theft is leading down the road to a personal ID system that will place a microchip in the hand or forehead of individuals that they will not be able to conduct every day business transactions (bank, grocery store, health care, etc.) without.

Believe me the last thing I want to talk about is judgment and Hell. It is not a popular subject. But the Lord has placed this message on my heart and will not give me peace until I share it. If you are getting this message just know that God loves you more than you could ever know. I have been studying prophecy and the book of Revelation and that is what it does is “reveal”, that’s why most people avoid it, because it’s too frightening. However, this is not a good time to ignore it.

It has come to my attention that most people are just blissfully ignorant of scripture and that my friend is because Satan has all of us very much deceived, as we have been warned. You are just hoping that since God loves you the way you are, that He expects you to stay that way and will overlook our sin. You say that a loving God would not send nice people to Hell just because they are ignorant of scripture. But here is the perfect justice of God. We all deserve Hell because of sin. Sin is anything that comes between us and a loving relationship with God our creator. And sin takes place in the heart before it ever takes on physical action. But God loves us so much that He made a way, One Way; he sent His one and only son to take our place in judgment. No one else has done that, not Mohammed, not Buddha, not the Dahli Lama, not Confuscious. And when we know that, we come to repentance because we are grateful for what He has done for us. It is something that we cannot accomplish on our own.

And you may not believe in the resurrection, but remember that the apostles and several hundred others were eye witnesses who died gruesome deaths on their testimonies. How many people do you know that are willing to do that for something they know not to be true?

And no matter how much we avoid scripture and pretend that it is not true, that will not keep judgment from happening. And if we think our good works and deeds will save us, think again for they are but “filthy rags”. It is the by the amazing grace of God that we are saved from judgment. That’s why it is called “Good News”. Here is the thing, God absolutely cannot look upon sin, that is why we need to be made clean to stand before Him, not naked, but covered with the righteousness of Christ.

You may think that I don’t know what I am talking about, but there absolutely cannot be more than one truth. 2+2 does not equal 3, nor 5, nor 10. Would you risk an eternity in Hell to stay ignorant and hold on to sin? Please take heed and read the scriptures for yourself and ask God Himself to show you the truth. Ask, seek, knock. There you will find love and hope and forgiveness. Use the information that is available to you. If you don’t have a bible, you can put any verse reference online and find it in more than one translation.

Revelation 13:16, 17

Matthew 24:7

2 Timothy 3:1, 13

Matthew 5:22

John 8:4-12

Exodus 20- Ten Commandments

Isaiah 64:6

Ephesians 2:8

Matthew 7:7

Let’s Move a Mountain

How badly do we want for God to heal this nation, our neighbors, the homeless, our loved ones, us? We, even as Christians, are putting much energy and faith in what man can do. Protests, boycotts, calling our government representatives, political movements, and voting are all good things, but where is our faith in the Lord? This country is headed for major trouble, possibly even disaster, hunger and lawlessness. Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-- the Lord, who remains faithful forever. Psalm 146:3-6
Many in our great nation claim to be Christians, but do we really know what our God is capable of and willing to do for us? If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. Jeremiah 18:7, 8 Christian people! This includes us! If we ourselves do not repent of our sins, then how can we expect our nation to be healed? We are called to be the salt of the earth and to shine the light into darkness. But we are so busy with our lives that we have little time for God. Oh yes, we attend church on Sunday and maybe some during the week, but do we spend personal time with our creator, in the word? That means reading and studying our bibles and discovering our individual purpose as well as our purpose as the body of Christ. Do we pray like we tell others we do? Do we fast? That, my brothers and sisters, is where we find answers, truth and the power of Almighty God. It is truly more important than anything else we can do. Do we wait for disaster to take place before we act?
But it seems that many of us are afraid of the truth, because we are just so comfortable with our Hi Def TV and our video games and our junk food and whatever other idols we place before God. Do we seriously believe that God will allow us to remain comfortable if we continue to ignore Him? Look around. Do we see what is happening to our nation, to our neighbors, to our loved ones, to us? If we don’t see, then we are deceived by Satan. This is beyond what we can fix by ourselves.
If we believe the One we claim to follow we need to pay attention to Him. So Jesus said to them, ".....for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." Matthew 17:20, 21 NKJV I know, FASTING? And yes, I truly believe that means food. What an unpleasant request, but it does not have to be a major thing. Begin small, maybe give up one meal per week, or sugar, or chocolate, or sodas and junk food for a period of time. This is not a weight loss plan, it is an act of faith and sacrifice for the Glory of God to move the mountains that we need moved. And we need to get a nice fluffy cushion to put on the floor and get down on our knees and ask the Father what to do next. A bible will come in handy too. Psalm 102 is a good place to begin. A prayer of an afflicted man. When he is faint and pours out his lament before the Lord. Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. Psalm 102:1, 2 I tell you if we do not get serious about the power of God in our lives then we deserve whatever we get. So I urge those of you who have not already been called to consider this request. Let us see what our Awesome God will do.

The True Source of Well Being

By Jeanette Ross

Wealth and well being: we have neither the right to keep it all to ourselves nor to demand it from others- it all belongs to Almighty God. We are facing a battle today between the “haves” and the “have nots” that is caused by the evil spirit of greed. Some of us have worked hard and earned more than enough to sustain us. We figure, we’ve earned it, why not enjoy it? We get caught up in so much busyness, between work and play that we forget to care about those less fortunate. Then there are those of us who have borrowed more money than we will ever be able to pay back to live the “good life” and now don’t know where to turn. And some of us either cannot or do not work as hard as we could, but we feel that we have a right to well being, and maybe those with plenty should be forced to share, since they have been too busy to notice the needs of many. This is ALL GREED.

What we’re truly facing in this nation though is spiritual poverty. We have taken prayer out of schools and other public places. We forget where all of our blessings come from. We have made our own gods with our possessions and our jobs and our culture and our life styles. We forget who it all belongs to. It does not belong to the government to spread the wealth and well being around to whoever feels they deserve it for whatever reason. Remember, the government is run by humans who are mostly greedy for power. They would love to have more control over our lives. Of course we hope that it is because they have our best interest in mind, but without acknowledgement of God, that is not even possible.

If we don’t all learn to humble ourselves to almighty God we could face all out war between “haves” and “have nots”. Those generally tend to not work out well. People get beheaded and most starve to death. Spiritual poverty eventually leads to material poverty for all. The sooner we realize that, the sooner we can begin to heal our nation.

Now the question is, “who is God”? We might say, “I’m religious, I go to church, I give to the needy, or I’m still needy” But why do we do these things? Do we do it to earn salvation? Or to show our friends and acquaintances how good we are? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. Isaiah 64:6 Our works are nothing if we don’t seek relationship with God, but our sin gets in the way. We want what we want and we give a little here and there-greed. God wants us to choose to love him and to love and serve others because of our love for him not because we need to earn brownie points. Only the love of Jesus Christ can cover our sin and take away the greed.

Our nation is a mess, but the answer is so very simple. We need to surrender it all to the one who paid it all. The destruction caused by greed will eventually bring us all to our knees one way or another. Jesus died on the cross so that we can all experience the power and love of God through him. And what awesome power it is! It is the true source of all genuine hope and change.

Spiritual Portrait: Nancy

"I had always yearned for a “Saul to Paul” experience, for that blinding light, for the voice of Jesus calling my name. So many believers appeared to me to have had that special feeling that I did not share. Over the course of my life, I drifted away from the church and from my belief in God. In 1998 we moved to a small community where most of the socialization was through the various churches. I decided I could tolerate a few hours a week for the benefit of companionship. We attended a few churches, but there was no feeling of belonging, no real reason to return. At Heathsville United Methodist Church, I met Reverend James B. Godwin. The first sermon I heard was a magnet to me. I started going to services and to Bible classes. I read and studied and asked question after question. Rev. Godwin graciously took hours of his time to guide me, with infinite patience he explained the answers to my questions. He and his wife Lou encouraged my ventures into liturgical art even when I was sure I was not capable or worthy- he convinced me of the concept of Grace. Gradually I came to the realization that I truly believed in redemption and that I was not able to not believe. I know beyond the least doubt that I have a Savior, who died and rose again, a God who has forgiven me ALL of my wrong doing and a spirit who lives within my soul.

On Christmas morning, my 10 year old granddaughter was playing with a gift from her uncle. She looked up at me and said “this is the best present ever, I didn’t even know that I wanted it until I got it.” I think that that moment was my “lightning” moment. I have been given a Gift that I didn’t even know I wanted or needed until I received it. Thank you. Jesus."

This is my latest Spiritual Portrait: Nancy Brannon a quilt artist extraordinaire, a dear friend and sister in Christ. She is so excited to share her testimony. The image of the cross is the quilt that Nancy did to go with her Spiritual Portrait. I incorporated it into my painting.

Spiritual Portrait: Sallie

“Battle Scars” Something For Me- poetry by Sallie Marie Tompkins

I am a representative, ambassador, and spokesperson for battle scars.

Self inflicted wounds were created by a silver spoon.

Low self esteem use to be my life rule; use to run with deceptive fools, which was cruel.

No father figure, let’s paint a bigger picture, no mother, I guess that’s why my emotions were always smothered; because she was supposed to be my cover.

My sister left earth early and gave my soul a blister and my circumstances turned into a result of a repeated twister.

Neglected, misused, and abused, stranded from life’s tune.

No past nurturing to let this constant flower bloom.

In the midst of all the self destructive tragedy grooves; I turn to Jesus.

With Christ I gain my life I lose, to his call, I can’t refuse.

He’s the answer to all life’s clues.

I must carry my own cross.

For my renewed mind, He bled over 2000 years ago, just so I could live.

They made Him carry his own dogwood tree.

Weights of pressure and rugged intentions shaved my image that was full of blemish.

Now my soul has been replenished.

He was misunderstood; they nailed Him to the cross, nails in His hands, they pierced Him in His sides, and they nailed Him in his feet.

They made the crown of thorns on his head run deep.

He put the devil in defeat.

This is how Battle Scars represent me.

All of my life, I’ve waited for a resurrecting moment like this; his love for me takes me into pure bliss.

I never knew Battle Scars could present a greater love like Him.

He has all power to change what you use to be, into who you should be.

He’s all seeing, all knowing, and full of all wisdom.

He’s omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient.

He is simply God in trinity- the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

He’s the creator of smooth, clean lyrics.

My scars have healed and now the word of God is my daily meal.

I am a warrior, no longer in chains, I can’t be killed.

Jesus erased my pain.

So are you ready for battle?

What about your Battle Scars?

What took place in your life that made you a stronger person today?

Live life the battle scars way, don’t play, run the race, and flow at God’s pace.

Now you know me a little bit.

Battle Scars….

By Sallie Marie Tompkins copyright 2007

And if you really want to feel the spirit move you, you should see Sallie perform her poems. She is awesome and I am honored to call her a sister in Christ as well as a dear friend. This was a fun portrait to paint. The joy of the Lord truly shines through this beautiful lady.

“Battle Scars” Something For Me- poetry by Sallie Marie Tompkins

I am a representative, ambassador, and spokesperson for battle scars.

Self inflicted wounds were created by a silver spoon.

Low self esteem use to be my life rule; use to run with deceptive fools, which was cruel.

No father figure, let’s paint a bigger picture, no mother, I guess that’s why my emotions were always smothered; because she was supposed to be my cover.

My sister left earth early and gave my soul a blister and my circumstances turned into a result of a repeated twister.

Neglected, misused, and abused, stranded from life’s tune.

No past nurturing to let this constant flower bloom.

In the midst of all the self destructive tragedy grooves; I turn to Jesus.

With Christ I gain my life I lose, to his call, I can’t refuse.

He’s the answer to all life’s clues.

I must carry my own cross.

For my renewed mind, He bled over 2000 years ago, just so I could live.

They made Him carry his own dogwood tree.

Weights of pressure and rugged intentions shaved my image that was full of blemish.

Now my soul has been replenished.

He was misunderstood; they nailed Him to the cross, nails in His hands, they pierced Him in His sides, and they nailed Him in his feet.

They made the crown of thorns on his head run deep.

He put the devil in defeat.

This is how Battle Scars represent me.

All of my life, I’ve waited for a resurrecting moment like this; his love for me takes me into pure bliss.

I never knew Battle Scars could present a greater love like Him.

He has all power to change what you use to be, into who you should be.

He’s all seeing, all knowing, and full of all wisdom.

He’s omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient.

He is simply God in trinity- the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

He’s the creator of smooth, clean lyrics.

My scars have healed and now the word of God is my daily meal.

I am a warrior, no longer in chains, I can’t be killed.

Jesus erased my pain.

So are you ready for battle?

What about your Battle Scars?

What took place in your life that made you a stronger person today?

Live life the battle scars way, don’t play, run the race, and flow at God’s pace.

Now you know me a little bit.

Battle Scars….

By Sallie Marie Tompkins copyright 2007

A True Giver: Thoughts on Socialism

True giving is from the heart, not by the sword. Socialism is a nice idea; we all take care of one another. Everyone pays their fair share so that we all can live healthy and happy lives. The problem is that there is not a choice in the matter. We have to take from those who do not wish to give in order to make it work. Not wanting to give is human nature which is also sin. There will always be those who do not wish to give just like there are always those who do not wish to work. Then those who don’t wish to give to those who do not wish to work will decide that they do not wish to work, because they are forced to give. The natural response is to force labor which is, guess what, slavery. It is a vicious cycle, but there is a solution. Jesus Christ was the ultimate giver. He gave his life for all of us, not just some of us. He paid the ultimate price so that you and I could have eternal life if we choose to follow his example. He taught us to give from our hearts and to take care of those in need not those in want, because everything that one wants is not a good thing. I want a bigger house and a nicer car and a flat screen TV in every room and to be able to live it up the way I feel like doing, but that would not be good for me. I want everyone to have good things and the best health care, but there are not enough billionaires in the world to pay for that even if they wanted to. Jesus said that the poor would always be with us. But even the poor are capable of giving from the heart. Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything-all she had to live on." Mark 12:41-44
True Christians give from the heart whether they are rich or poor: money, food, time, heath care. The only way to become a true giver is to turn our hearts and lives over to the ultimate giver, who is Jesus Christ. We are simply not capable of true giving without Him who gave us life. Jesus is the answer to all of life’s problems, He is The Way. He said so. Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6