It Started Here in Baltimore Maryland

Fifty Years Ago
Bible and Prayer Removed from our Schools
courtesy free clip art

Our missionary Martha Wright, full time children’s minister in Maryland reports:

It was in 1960 that Madalyn Murray walked into her son's classroom at Northwood Elementary school, Baltimore Maryland and heard the children reading the Bible and praying.

As a proclaimed Atheist, she became furious, and immediately launched her own crusade to get Bible reading and prayer taken out of our public schools.

On June 17, 1963 the Supreme Court in an overwhelming 8-1 decision ruled that the opening of schools with Bible reading and prayer exercises was unconstitutional.

This coming June it will be fifty years that the Bible and prayer was removed nation wide from our schools.

You may know about the Supreme Court decision of June 11, 2001 where the justices voted 6-3 that the Good News Club must have equal access to public school facilities like any other club.

This has been a window of opportunity God has given us to teach the Bible unfettered to today's children.  We have 90-120 minutes per week to teach the Bible, teach the kids to pray, teach them to memorize Scripture, sing songs about God and the Lord Jesus and to teach them about missions!

But we don't know when this privilege will be taken away. In the meantime, we need to aggressively challenge every Bible-believing church in America to adopt its local community school to take the light of the Gospel to this vast mission field.

A half-a-century has gone by since that horrible decision, and the moral decay of our country is evident.

It all started in Baltimore -- NOW LET'S GET THE BIBLE BACK INTO EVERY SCHOOL IN BALTIMORE AND ACROSS MARYLAND!

Right now, on this 50th anniversary, we have put together a team of experienced teachers who are ready to establish a Good News Club at Northwood Elementary School, where the ban on the Bible first took place.

For me, getting the Bible back into that school will be like placing an American flag on the moon! Please pray as we meet with the principal, that she will give permission.

The vice principal attended two workshops we recently held at our state headquarters! She retired February 28 but will be an advocate for the club! Thanks for your prayers for open doors to this school.

The Good News Club at Lockerman Bundy Elementary has been going for five weeks. I was at the first club and 48 children were eagerly waiting to hear about Jesus.

Four teachers from the school are teaching their children God's Word each week. (Is that amazing, or what?) They know more than anyone how needy these children are. They know it's only by God's power that the lives of these kids will be transformed! The enrollment is now over 60!

Keep praying that many of these children and their families will come to Christ Jesus! I see a revival coming in that school!

We launched two more clubs in inner city Baltimore, also in needy schools and bad areas of the city. God is doing something special as these children memorize His Word, sing songs about God, learn Bible lessons and make decisions that will change their lives forever.

Corporal Holifield, a Baltimore City police officer who oversees security for over 40 schools in his district, was anxious to get a club going at Barrister Elementary.

 

We pulled a team together and had our first club last week. It was a joy for me to witness the enthusiasm of these children.

However, it was sad that when the teacher asked the children "Do you know what sin is?" that not one child in the group knew the answer. That was a new one for me! But kids here in the United States of America are so Biblically illiterate that it's amazing.  May the Lord continue to bless you richly as you serve Him!

Send all missionary support to: Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF)

Box 348 Warrenton, MO 63383

Please designate for account HQ 000 9753 00

Dr. Martha J. Wright,  Executive Director CEF of Maryland   (410) 944-6435

This post is Linked up with Michelle’s Hear it on Sunday

 

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What Do the Palms Say?

Hosanna courtesy Google search

 

Zechariah 9:9 reminds us of the prophesy;

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.

Today we celebrated Palm Sunday, and were reminded of the children waving palm branches, and the people placing cloaks in the pathway of Jesus as he entered Jerusalem.

Pastor Jerry was reading from Luke 19: 28-40 about the triumphant entry of Jesus

The people assumed that Jesus was ready to restore the kingdom, and to rescue them from Roman rule.  Usually a king would enter on a charging white horse as if coming to war, but Jesus had chosen to humbly ride a young colt, the foal of a donkey.

The people were reminded that 400 years earlier, a wicked Syrian King had desecrated the temple by bringing a pig into the temple and setting up an alter to Zeus.  An Israelite priest and his sons formed a coalition to over throw the king.  It took time, but finally they were victorious and the people cheerfully waved palm branches and shouted Hosanna and praises to the Lord God as they cleansed and rededicated the temple.

On this day as Jesus rode seated on the donkey, the people shouted Hosanna, but their cries were short lived.  In a few days they would change their shouting to “Crucify Him.”

What do the palm branches say to us?  “We are tired of oppression and unfair treatment.”  They are a cry for help and deliverance.  “Save us now,” they say.

No, Jesus did not come to conquer Rome.  Jesus came to save the world.

If you are standing with a shouting crowd who are crying “crucify Him,” it might be time to separate yourself from those who are against Jesus.  

Are you tired of those who tell you to believe lies and want you to settle for their way of thinking that evil is good. 

So many of our leaders today have twisted thinking and are making laws that mock God.   Let us lift our Bible high and accept it for what it says.

If push comes to shove, are you willing to perhaps stand alone, and wave your palm branch while singing your own song of; “Victory in Jesus!”

This post is shared with Charlotte’s Spiritual Sundays

Street Meetings

Pump Organ courtesy Google Search

 

Being a shy teenager, I was a bit embarrassed but went along with the others in our church to hold a street meeting.  My mother must have coerced me into attending.  She said the experience would be good for me and would help me later in life. 

I think it must have helped me, because I am no longer afraid to speak out.

The church owned an old fold up organ that one of the men carried to our site, and in order to play it, you pumped it with your feet.  The rest of us had song books and we set up on the corner a couple blocks away from our church.   

We began to sing, The Old Rugged Cross, and other old hymns.  Several of the group gave testimonies how Jesus had “saved them,” and then our Youth leader invited the small crowd to come to our church for special services that would be held that evening.

There was one man who followed us back to church, and from what I could tell he was a bit tipsy. 

When we arrived at the church, our Pastor took the man aside and talked with him and invited him to receive Jesus. 

 

Suddenly the drunken stupor left him and he was as sober as any of us.  Apparently he had been raised in a Christian home but was far from the Lord.  He made a new commitment that evening and was rejoicing.

Except for that one time, I don’t remember anyone following us back to the church, but when you fish and catch one, that is good as a net full.

That evening at church we must have sang that old hymn, “Bringing in the sheaves, I shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Matthew 4:19  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

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Fresh Chard

Fresh Chard
photo by Hazel

 

Last spring as we planted our garden, my daughter gave me a packet of chard seed.  She knows I love fresh chard, so we planted two rows in our garden spot.

At first I blamed it on the soil, because we had not added fertilizer last year and failed to do a deep rototill, only a shallow dig.  Our chard was miserably stunted.

That did not daunt me, so with my handy knife, I dutifully cut off the tiny leaves and managed to have a few small “messes” of chard for our dinner.

Then fall arrived and with it some rain and the season changed.  Around Thanksgiving, low and behold there were large leaves on my chard rows. 

After all, chard is an early winter vegetable, so the fault was with me planting my nice vegetables too early.  Through this winter, I have been able to take my trusty knife along with a plastic bag, and carefully taking each plant, cut down to the bottom of the plant.  Moving on to the next plant until my bag is full of that dark green “good for you,” vegetable.

Chard is rich in vitamin C, K, A and B vitamins, plus minerals such as iron, copper, calcium, sodium, potassium, zinc, which are important for your system.  It also has Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Benefits which is good for your heart.

Preparing the chard is not that much trouble when you consider stringing fresh green beans or opening fresh pea pods to gather your green peas.

Place chard in the largest bowl or pot that you have, run cool tap water over your chard and bounce it up and down several times.  Then transfer to your largest colander.  Dump the water and begin to wash again until you have washed at least 4 (four) times.  Next break off the long stems and then rinse a final time and you are ready to cook your chard. 

Use your largest pot, and understand that the chard will shrink, so go ahead and cook it all.  The water still clinging to your chard from your last rinse will probably be enough, but my husband likes to add a bit extra water.  Simmer around 15 minutes and your chard will be ready to enjoy. 

We like to pour a dash of apple-cider vinegar on each serving, but season to your taste.

The more you cut your growing chard, the faster it will multiply, so keep up the good work and continue harvesting your healthy green.

I am reminded that when we give our gifts to God, he returns to us more than what we originally gave.  That is a spiritual law and it will work for you.

This post is linked with Ann Kroeker’s  Food on Fridays  

 

 

Do What Pleases you

Teens
courtesy photobucket

Are there times when you just do what ever suits you?  Times when you merely do what ever you please?

 
I Corinthians 15:1-10.  “We are created as His Workmanship,”

The people at Corinth were from every nation, a diverse group of persons, worshiping numerous gods, and countless wicked immoral individuals were living there.

Much like any city in the world, and the same as many of our cities here in the United States. 

Just as people in any city need to know the true gospel; Paul began to preach and teach them about Jesus, His love, His mercy and His grace.  Many in the city began to follow Jesus but it was difficult for some to leave their old manner of living. 

They misunderstood the message of grace and took it to mean that they could, “Do anything they pleased,” and grace would cover their sin.  Paul explained that it did not work that way, and they were NOT to sin so that grace could much more abound.

Martin Luther, when he was asked by a listener, “Does God allow us to do anything we please?”  Martin Luther asked the person, “Just who is it that you please?”

If we have received Jesus as our savior, then we can do what ever we please, because we will only do those things that please God.

We do not earn our salvation by feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, building homes for the homeless, or other worthy projects.  After we receive Jesus as our Lord, then we may desire to feed the poor, visit the sick and other worthy projects, because we do those things which please God.

We all have a choice, and we can do as we please, NOT the rebellious, stubborn, willful having our own way attitude, but it is because we do that which pleases God.

We are to let our light shine in our sinful city showing others by our lifestyle, and our actions that we are pleasing God, because we are called according to His purpose.

Are you doing those things that Please YOU, and are those things pleasing to God?

This post has been shared With Ramona at:  Create With Joy

And also shared at Wednesday Wanderings

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She Came Bearing Gifts

Gifts of Hope
courtesy photobucket.com

 

Her arms were filled with plastic bags full of assorted soaps, shampoo, toothpaste, band-aids, candy, bottles of water and other items of personal care.

My daughter Judie is a bargain shopper, and she is a coupon collector and usually is able to purchase most items by only paying the tax. 

Honestly I don’t know how she does it, because coupons in my newspaper are not that good.

She has made this a ministry and she often takes school supplies and other items to homeless shelters, and schools that can put this merchandise to good use.

She loves to get a bargain; in fact all my girls are happy shoppers when they can get something for half price or less.  Less is better.

Robert and I can only use so much of these wonderful items, so with her permission, after she left, we took bags and boxes to our local “Hope Center” where they are carefully distributed to the needy.  

Hope center also has a community kitchen set up on their premises to feed the many volunteers, and hungry neighbors.  We viewed the busy cook preparing a hot meal for the lunch hour.

On Sunday, more bags and boxes of items went to church with me.  Our senior citizens members at church might be embarrassed to seek help with their budget, at the Hope Center, but are happy to take a few items from a “free” table set up at church to “help your-self.” 

Judie was on her way to Oregon to visit her daughter Ali who is attending college in Portland.  On her way she planned do more bargain shopping and leave items at a school where she enjoys stopping at in Redding, CA.   (More about Bethel Redding church later)

During the week her husband, Chuck works, so when Judie who likes to drive for these trips, when work is over, he flies and meets her at the destination, and together they visit their daughter.

Then they spend the week-end, at their second home in Oregon that they purchased from Chuck's brother. When Chuck’s mother passed away, he and Judie purchased her home from Chuck’s brother, and the thought is eventually they may retire in Oregon.

Their plans include attending a church there on Sunday. Then Chuck will again fly home and Judie hopes to stop by here for another short visit as she heads for home.

In our life, we may not be able to secure these type of gifts for others like Judie does, but we can extend our hands to help in what ever way God shows us. 

One of my friends makes it a habit to reach out and touch others when she prays over them.  Most persons will welcome the gentle touch of a concerned person.

When a hug is appropriate, or a hand on the shoulder, perhaps a kind touch can go a long way to lift sagging spirits.

 

This post is linked with Jennifer Dukes Lee at: Tell His Story

Good Grief !!

This post was shared at Peter Pollock’s “One Word Carnival.”  The Word is GRIEF

Grief
courtesy photobucket.com

 

Tears flowed down my face as I received the telephone call from my mother, and I realized my father had passed away from his long illness.

Although I knew he was in heaven, it did not stop me from grasping the fact that I would not be able to visit and speak to him any longer, here on this earth.

My husband, Robert told me, “Hazel, those tears are because you are ‘feeling sorry for yourself,’ and they are not tears of grief.”  You must change your thinking,”  He continued with some other words of wisdom that caused me to consider what he had said. 

How often do we enjoy a good “pity party, and get pleasure from feeling sorry for our-self,” and we call it grief for what ever reason. 

Honestly I have seen some people weep and wail more over one of their animals who died then they did when one of their own family members passed on.

There is a time to weep, according to the Bible, and a time to rejoice.  Our grief time is sadness usually because we will miss the person here on earth.

God does not want us to STAY in the mode of grieving, for how long, I can’t say, but it should be temporary.  A short time to grieve is okay, but then there comes a time to wipe away the tears. 

There are moments to remember the person for who they were to us and the memories of happy times together.

Even if there were sad times, those can even yet be forgiven whether the person is with us or not.  Speaking out the words “I forgive you,” is healing.

If the person was Hell bound, then we should really grieve.  We can no longer help them, but we can do what we can to give and live the gospel to those who are still with us. 

 

The rich man in hell wanted someone to warn his brothers to repent and come to God, because he knew Hell was real.  His was true grief.

 
As we live here on earth, may we do our part to show others who a Christian is, by our example and by reaching out to others with kindness and encouraging words.

When it is our time to cross that river between earth and heaven, may our friends and loved ones, grieve for a few moments, and then rejoice with us that we are with Jesus.

Isaiah 53:3  He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

This post is shared at: Tell Me a Story

A New Thing

Fire by Night
courtesy photobucket.com

Isaiah 43:18,19  “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Pastor Jerry was reading the prophesy from Isaiah about the children of Israel returning to their home land after being in exile for many years. 

God promised to do a New Thing and told them not to look back at the old.

Pastor questioned, “Can we go home again?”  When we return, we do not find things the same as before.  Changes have occurred.

College students find it difficult to support themselves, and often they return home, but now they are expected to contribute and there are new rules.

When the children of Israel worshiped God, and obeyed his laws they prospered, and when they turned their back on God, it was not so, and bad things happened. 

We question if that is part of the problems of today that in general the people of our Nation and other Nations are not serving the True God.

When the Israelites returned to their land, their needs were many.  Vineyards needed to be planted, and water was important.  God promised to help as they put their hand to the plow and worked.

During the 40 years the children of Israel were in the wilderness, God provided for them.  His presence was continually shown with a cloud by day that protected them from the sun and heat, and by night a pillar of fire that created warmth from the evening chills.

The cloud was moving each day and they needed to move with God.

At times we find ourselves in a rut and it is difficult to change and put aside old ways.  We may need to lay down some old traditions and discover what New Thing God is doing and follow Him.

What is God doing in our city and in other cities?  He promises to do a new thing as we agree to get out of our rut and move with Him.

May we expect God to do miracles among us and minister to our needs?  We have many needs, physically, financially and spiritually.
 

Let us be willing to reach out and allow God to do a New Thing in us as a people and as individuals.

 

What’s Up? Repost

Image courtesy photobucket.com

Hey!  How are you doing?  Hi there!  What are you up to these days?  What is going on?  How have you been?

These and many other short sayings are common everyday expressions used to open up a conversation. 

Some would take you wrong, and think that you were prying into their private life.  Offence is often made unwittingly and certainly not intended.  Why do some hold their feelings attached to their coat sleeves?   

Another common expression for those easily hurt is:  “Get Over it!”

Then there are others who would be happy that you cared to ask, and even speak to them.

Usually you will get a short answer that lets you know they are fine, or doing good.  Some would even answer that they are “Blessed.” 

Honestly you would prefer that you do not get a detailed report of their last physical examination, but that could happen too. 

Others might let you know they would appreciate prayer regarding something going on in their family. 

Use caution yourself not to relate all your woes and troubles, for your sad story may fall on deaf ears.

Ecclesiastes 5:2  Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter  any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and you upon earth: therefore let your words be few.

Instead let your listener leave feeling they have been encouraged to have spoken with you.

How did the Gospel writers greet their friends?  Usually they said, “Greetings to all the saints.”   Simply stated that means if you are a Christian, then you are a saint.

Romans 1:7  To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 
May all you Saints be greatly blessed !! 

This post has been shared With Ramona at:  Create With Joy

 

 

Don’t Lift Your Head

Crystal Chandelier
courtesy photobucket.com

You have heard it said; those were the “Famous Last Words.”  This is what happened many years ago at the new home we were building that overlooked the Pleasanton Valley. 

We had carefully selected the lighting for each room, and for our dining room table we wanted a crystal chandelier to suspend over the table. 

The fixture was a special order and had to come from Europe where these gorgeous hanging lights were beautifully crafted.

Everything was going smoothly, and although the carpets were not yet installed, our lovely chandelier arrived. 

The electrician installed it and warned us that it needed a chair placed under it and a sign not to raise your head while under the light.

We were staying in a motor home on site while the construction was going on, so we had a careful watch for each phase of the building.

A truck from the carpet supply arrived the next day, and we rushed out to instruct the installer about the dining area.  “Please do NOT lift your head while you install the carpet in that area.”  

The gentlemen said he understood and would be careful not to do so.

By now you have guessed what happened soon after.  Yes, for some unexplained reason, the installer forgot all about the warning as he reached to answer his cell phone. 

The entire chandelier was not completely damaged, but several of the crystals were broken, which resulted in needing to replace the order, and wait many more weeks.  Finally we were pleased and happy to be able to move into our new home.

In life there are many warnings of danger, some are written, some are verbal and many are simply known by our inward conscience. 

The answer as to why these warnings are not heeded is simple in that, we believe we are the one who these bad things will not happen to.  It will be the next person, not us.

Many foolishly believe if they do enough good deeds, it will out weigh their bad behavior and God will allow them into heaven.  They fail to go to the Bible and seek for truth.

Moses gave us Ten Commandments but Jesus gave us one; to Love the Lord our God with all our heart, and to love your neighbor as much as you do yourself.  If we obey this one, we will automatically be obeying the ten. 

 

Yet this will not give us access into heaven!  Jesus proclaimed that HE was the way to the Father.

Paul reminded us to believe on Jesus and all that he did for us, and we would be saved from destruction.

Believe on Jesus and be saved - - how simple is that?  To many those will be the “Famous Last Words,” that they will hear. 

A wise person will pay attention now.

This post is shared at: Tell Me a Story

 Also linked with Joan Davis at: Sharing His Beauty