My family and I are sky watchers! On my first birthday, celebrated in this century, our oldest son ran into the house shouting, "Mom, God has given you an amazing birthday gift - get the camera and come quickly!" The picture above was my "gift"! #GIGATTAATTGIG
God continues to remind us of His presence and His goodness through the storms of life: tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, drought, death, disease... tragedies of all kinds...
Today, I take heart in the incredible stories that I have heard over the last few months as I am continually reminded that GIGATTAATTGIG. Here are links to a few that I believe will inspire you. These are of people who I know... friends... My goal is to be more consistent at posting more over the next few weeks... months...
1. Greg and Kim Spink have led an amazing relief effort in the Joplin, MO area over the last few days, feeding and clothing over 1,500 at the Mt. Hope church of Christ's facilities. Today, the semi trucks continue to arrive, as donations pour in from all over the country. Read here to learn what happened just a few hours before... GIGATTAATTGIG...
2. Jon and Michiko Straker have kept thousands of us connected to the heart of the relief effort in Japan.... so has Dwight Albright... their FB page and this website have brought together people from all over the globe to serve... see how we must continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus showing that GIGATTAATTGIG to the people of Japan...
3. Stephen and Joy Colwell's baby girl, Maggie, was born a few weeks ago. Stephen has kept a blog about their journey since before Maggie's birth. Today, they are saying their goodbyes to Maggie. Thank you, Colwell family for modeling that GIGATTAATTGIG.
Jesus entered Jerusalem (21,11,19,12) to much praise
Jesus spent the night in Bethany (21,11,00)
MONDAY:
Jesus cursed the fig tree in His 33rd recorded miracle (21,11,0,0)
Jesus cleansed the temple the 2nd time (21,11,19,0)
Jesus healed in the temple (21,000)
Jesus left Jerusalem in the evening (0,11,00)
TUESDAY:
Fig tree dried up (21,11,00)
Jesus taught in the temple and His authority was questioned (21,11,19,0)
Parable #40 - Two sons - Will & Won't (21,000)
Parable #41 - Two husbandmen - (21,12,20,0)
Parable #42 -Marriage of King's sons - (22,000)
Discourse #28 - on the 8 woes against Pharisees (23,12,20,0)
Discourse #29 - on the necessity of Faith (000,12)
Discourse #30 - on the destruction of Jerusalem (24,13,21,0)
Parable #43 - leaves of fig tree and other trees (24,13,21,0)
Parable #44 - householder watching (24,13,00)
Parable #45 - ten virgins (25,000)
Parable #46 - talents (25,000)
Parable #47 - sheep and goats (25,000)
Jesus knew that it was the week! He was on a MISSION OF MERCY! He must continually die to Himself... His needs... His wants... His desires... so that He might rescue others. There was a planet full of people (past, present, and future) depending on Him.
I am so thankful that His focus, His love for the Father, His work ethic, His persistence, and His endurance kept Him, that week, on His MISSION OF MERCY... a mission of healing that would reconcile us to our Heavenly Father. After all, it was God's idea! Brightly beams our Father's mercy! Brightly beams the love of our Savior! GIGATTAATTGIG
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NOTE: In 1978, my mother-in-love, Robbie Sikes and family friend, Johnnie Luker, published a booklet entitled THE GOSPEL TRAIN. The idea originated with Johnnie in the 60's. Further years of prayerful study and development by Robbie (transformed mom of 13 children) birthed a graphic organizer to help others in studying the life of Christ and put it to memory. Within this study is the concept of GOSPEL ZIP CODES. Above, in parentheses, you see different strings of numbers. Here are some examples to aid you in the meaning and use of GOSPEL ZIP CODES:
25,000 means the story is found in Matthew chapter one, but not in Mark, Luke, or John
24,13,00 means the story is found in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and not in Luke or John
24,13,21,0 means the story is found in Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, and not in John
0,11,00 means the story is only found in Mark 11
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Join me, the remainder of this week and into Sunday on this blog as we follow the CROSS WALK of Jesus Christ during the week that He was crucified.
Our friends in Japan need our mercy. They will continue to need it for many days to come. Those who have survived face much loss, destruction, and sorrow..
Our Japanese friends have been rescued from one or more storms. Who will rescue them from the over the top storms of life that so many are now experiencing?
Who will provide comfort for the broken hearted of Japan?
Who will give a hand-up to so many who are down and out in Japan?
Who will patiently wait, pray, work, and stand in the gap for the lost of Japan - who are in need of a Savior?
Who will help to heal their hearts, minds, bodies, and souls in the face of so much loss?
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True, complete, eternal healing comes with the cross of Jesus! May the living breathing body of Christ, the church
show the people of Japan the love and mercy of our LIVING LORD. There are so many people worldwide who worship the created instead of the Creator. There are those who pray to a statue because they don't understand the height, depth, and breadth of the love of Jesus Christ.
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In the past few weeks, christians have worked tirelessly as the hands and feet of Jesus to run with mercy to the people of Japan. We are the body of Christ! A big thank you to Jon, Joel, Ben, Chad, Dwight and their families! Thank you for getting us jumpstarted; for keeping us informed!
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The children in our church family are leading the way in collecting thousands of dollars to care for the Japanese.
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Please join us in working together to continue to run with mercy as the body of Christ! As a mother, lead your children in missions of mercy! Lemonade stands, hot chocolate stands, selling toys or services, and asking for donations are all ways for your children to participate. One of our elementary school girls told her grandmother, in another state, about our effort to collect money for Japan. The grandmother collected $2,000 from her church and sent it to us. Another of our girls spoke to her principal and the principal is on board for the school to now help. These young girls have been the hands and feet of Jesus... voices crying out to prepare the way for the LORD...
Colossians 1:15-18 says,
15 He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created:
things in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers
or rulers or authorities;
all things were created
by Him and for Him.
17 He is before all things,
and in Him all things hold together.
18 And He is the head of the body,
the church;
He is the beginning and
the firstborn from among the dead,
so that in everything
He might have the supremacy.
.. It is not just Japan who needs the loving mercy of our LORD! It is every people, every tribe, every nation... Recently I received an email from a sister in Christ who had been on business to India. Her message read:
See attached photo.
I am guessing you can find a way to use this. :)
Now here is "the rest of the story."
I have seen a lot of "religious" bumper stickers
but had never seen this before -
displayed on the back of a car window.
(It does not belong to anyone at Pitman!)
Unusual?
Well, considering this was on a car window in....
INDIA........
YES!
India is...
80% Hindu
13% Muslim
only 2% Christian (primarily Catholic).
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Oh, how this message needs to be understood by the people of the world. Today, I pray especially for the people of Japan and India... that they come to know the love and mercy AND goodness of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.
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Link here to see ways you can help in taking Christ's love and mercy to Japan:
. My thoughts for today were the heart of our worship time together, as a church family, on Sunday. As our son, Jordan, who was visiting from out of state, led our congregation in song and my husband, Steve, spoke from God's word - the message was clear:
No matter what we're going through - CHRIST IS ENOUGH!
For any challenges within me - CHRIST IS ENOUGH!
For challenges within my family - CHRIST IS ENOUGH!
For challenges within my neighborhood - CHRIST IS ENOUGH!
For challenges within my workplace - CHRIST IS ENOUGH!
For challenges beyond comprehension -CHRIST IS ENOUGH!
For Japan - CHRIST IS ENOUGH!
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As you meditate on the words above and connect them with the scripture below, I encourage you to praise the LORD. .
Colossians 1:15-23
. 15 He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created:
things in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;
all things were created by Him and for Him.
17 He is before all things,
and in Him all things hold together.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church;
He is the beginning and
the firstborn from among the dead,
so that in everything He might have the supremacy.
19 For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in him,
20 and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and
were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
22 But now He has reconciled you
by Christ's physical body through death
to present you holy in His sight,
without blemish and free from accusation-
23 if you continue in your faith,
established and firm,
not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.
This is the gospel that you heard and
that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven..."
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We thank You, Jesus, for the privilege of being part of Your body, the church.
May we be
Your hands,
Your feet, and
Your heart
as we serve our families, our neighbors, and the people of Japan.
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The website, linked to here, is being designed by current and former missionaries to Japan and those in love with the LORD and the people of Japan. We work and pray because we know that as the body of Christ that GIGATTAATTGIG.
I cannot think of a better way to truly know that GIGATTAATTGIG. It is described by these words of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 22:
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"'Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and
with all your soul and
with all your mind.'
This is the first and greatest commandment.
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And the second is like it:
'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
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All the Law and the Prophets hang on
these two commandments."
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The eyes of the world are focused on Japan.
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. My "real world" connections are deep and go way back. I lived in Okinawa for three years in the 60's. My best friend's family were missionaries first to Japan and to the island south - Okinawa. The Joe Cannon family was originally from Canada.
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Years later, as professors at York College, my husband and I got close to several Canadian students who knew the Cannon's well. A seed had been planted in the hearts of these students to go to Japan to continue the work, of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, that the Cannon's and others had started. With much prayer and preparation, a team of missionaries was formed and they headed for Sendai, Japan. The stories of transformation, of Japanese lives and of the many who have gone via LST, have been many.
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As you probably know, Sendai, Japan is very much in the center of last week's devastation. One of those Canadian mission students, Jonathan Straker, has been back in the states working on his Master's degree at Abilene Christian University. He and his wife are mobilizing efforts to help Japan via FB.
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That is one of the 3 things that I am very grateful for today. All 3 have a similar theme:
I am grateful when christians band together and allow God to work through them in a powerful way to help others who are in the midst of one of life's storms.
GRATITUDE #1:
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Back several months ago, I shared with you about Jenny Marcum Reyes' who grew up as a missionary kid in Ecuador. Then, after marrying Eric, they went as missionaries to Bolivia. Jenny, a very healthy young mother of two (and my niece), had a massive tumor on her thigh.
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So, in November, she was rushed back to the states and a christian medical team volunteered their services to do the surgery in Austin, Texas. It's been a long, hard road! Many who have this must have the leg amputated. Because of fervant prayer and God's intervention, Jenny's leg was saved. I'm so thankful that this medical team's lives are about L1 and L2: Loving God and Loving Others (specifically the Reyes' family).
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One month later, Jenny wrote, "...was diagnosed with cancer 31 days ago, and I praise God for one of the best months of my life." Yesterday morning, after much rehabilitation and 30 radiation treatments, Jenny tried out jogging for the first time since surgery. She ran a couple miles! So full of thanks!
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I'm so grateful that Jenny's life is about L1 and L2: Loving God and Loving Others.
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GRATITUDE #2:
I was literally numb last night when I learned of the death of Gary Miller. What a blessing His life in Christ has been to so many of us. Humble, sweet, servant of Jesus Christ would begin a description of Gary. Steve has corresponded with Gary several times, since we've been in Jersey, about him bringing his group Vocal Union here to sing. Gary won't be singing in Jersey, but I cannot wait until heaven to hear that voice sing through the ages!
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The last time I saw Gary was several years ago at the Tulsa workshop. As I was going into our motel room, I heard a voice say, "Is that you, Patti Sikes?" I turned around to see that Gary and some of his Vocal Union buddies were in the next room to us. What a treat! He was a man who lit up his world! I'm so grateful that his life was about L1 and L2: Loving God and Loving Others.
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We need his music and his family needs our help. So, those who knew him best have rallied around his family to help. I'm so grateful that Acappella ministries and Vocal Union are about L1 and L2: Loving God and Loving Others (specifically the Miller family). Click on both of these links to see how you can do both:
. I am also convinced that Gary could explain more about the words to this song today:
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. GRATITUDE #3:I began this blog post today talking about Japan. I am so thankful for the initial mission team to Sendai, Japan of Ben Berry, Joel Osbourne, Crimson Runke, and Jonathan Straker whose lives shine L1 and L2: Loving God and Loving Others. . Please join us on the FB page that Jonathan and Michiko Straker have begun as they want us all to join together in L1 and L2: Love God and Love Others (specifically Japan). I am grateful we can all help! . .
Through our troubles, challenges, and even devastation we learn and grow. God provides comfort. . 1. This week, more people from our congregation are in Haiti letting God use them for His glory. There are nurses in the group. There are seamstresses. There are those who are there to work... to serve... to provide comfort... . I am confident that this group will be BLESSED beyond measure by what they did last week and are doing this week. . 2. I just heard of more good... more comfort that has come out of the terrible tragedy in Tucson, Arizona. Christina Taylor Green, the 9 year old who lost her life was an organ donor. Her father, John Green, shared that they know her corneas have given sight to two children who were blind. - In the midst of tragedy, COMFORT... BLESSING....
. 3. Recently, after watching the memorial service in Tucson, I shared with my husband, Steve, that I was so excited that God was given a voice on this nationally televised service watched by millions. Later, Steve wrote this on his blog. He has given me permission to share it with you. . “Comfort, O Comfort My People”
. On January 12, 2011, four days following the shooting spree in Tucson, Arizona, the President of the United States exhorted us as Americans to “expand our moral imaginations” and “sharpen our instincts for empathy.” “I believe we can be better,” he said.
. President Obama’s speech was one of comfort and consolation and strong encouragement for national unity in spite of our many differences. I believe, however, the most poignant moment of the night was the nationally televised reading of Isaiah chapter 40!
. God is good! Isaiah 40 begins with God’s exhortation, “Comfort, O comfort My people.”
. Comfort – how? Tell them…
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Captivity is about to end.
Yahweh is coming as a gentle shepherd.
He will come ‘with a strong hand’ – able to save.
Take confidence in a God “who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand” and in comparison “the nations are like a drop from a bucket… (Isaiah 40:12 & 15).”
Wait on the One who can and will renew your strength! This world will continue to have its tragic events; God help us! But to the Christian, no matter our nationality, our present comfort and hope is in a God who “so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).”
At the end of the video below, the following verses from the book of Job are quoted. They are the verses immediately following when Job learned that his sons and daughters had died when their house collapsed on them. . Job 1:20-22 . 20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said,
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. BLESSED be the name of the LORD."
22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God. . Before beginning the video, pause the playlist over on the right sidebar. .
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