Jesus Christ

Happy Resurrection Day!!!

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

TERRY'S BLUE TREES WITH SUNRISE & BURST

We don’t have to do anything to earn acceptance and love from the Creator of the universe.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemned the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believes on Him is not condemned.”  (John 3:16-18).

“Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ.  … God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.  … For He has made Him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us … that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).

Jesus Christ already paid for the whole package with His perfect life, his sacrificial death, and His victorious resurrection.

All we need to do is acknowledge that He has done it all for us and make Him our Lord.

Will we change?    Yes.

Will we need to struggle to do so?    No.

Will life become an instant bed of roses with no thorns?    No.

Will we be filled with a peace and joy like we’ve never known before?     Yes.

Will the Lord then hear us when we pray and rush to help us?   Yes.

Will we have the security of knowing our eternity in His glorious presence is guaranteed?  Yes, absolutely.

Overall, it’s the best deal  we’ll ever be offered.  If you haven’t taken Him up on it yet, my advice is  DO IT!

 

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‘Wise Men Still Follow’ – for NaPoWriMo, 2015 – Day 2

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

Day 2 of the ‘National Poetry Writing Month’ Challenge prompts us to write a poem about the stars. We can use any form and take the poem in any direction we choose. If you’d like to join in the effort to write 30 poems in 30 days (or any number of poems at all) click on the logo and learn how easy it is.

NAPOWRIMO NEGATIVE

STAR & PATH OF LIGHT
WISE MEN STILL FOLLOW

Wise astrologers did travel from the East.
“We saw His star and followed to His place of peace.
We bowed ourselves before Him there on bended knees
And offered homage to the Babe, Creation’s King.”

Throughout the heavens multitudes of brilliant stars
Have burned for centuries and led men near and far.
But only one celestial light can guide the heart,
And men who would be wise still follow Jesus’ star.

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Writing 201: Poetry – Day 3 — Two Trustworthy Acrostics

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

The word “trust” is an enormously powerful word — at least to me. It embodies a complete surrender of self-protection and puts one in a vulnerable position. As a result, I don’t trust easily. I’m grateful to say that there are a few people I feel safe in trusting, and although “few” may sound like a negative number, I’ve learned that it’s sometimes rare to have even that many.

However, there is one Person I trust implicitly: my Lord Jesus Christ. And it seemed only natural, when given the word “trust” as our prompt today, that my heart and mind would turn towards Him as I wrote my poem for the challenge. I offer two poems, both of them meeting the challenge of the acrostic form. But since what I wanted to say did not lend itself easily to much internal rhyme, and since I didn’t have much more time to devote to scouring for different word choices, I have opted to let that technique wait for another time.

CROWN OF THORNS ULTRA MODERNTRUSTWORTHY

There is but One whose love and help are sure.
Renewed each day as surely as the sun.
Under His wings of grace I find the cure:
Sin and hate, sorrow, sickness – done.
‘Tis Jesus Christ, the sole trustworthy One.

PROVEN

Tiny babe: He took that form in Bethlehem.
Relinquishing Heaven’s privileges, became a man.
Upon Himself, He took my sin and all its curse.
Secure in Love’s omnipotence, He took the cross.
Then surely I can trust myself into His hands.

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Ever Wondered What You’re Worth?

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

Exif JPEG
You can find a hint in the words of this Christmas Carol:

“Long lay the world,
In sin and error pining,
‘Til He appeared,
AND THE SOUL FELT ITS WORTH.”

The most significant carols of the Christmas season have something important to say that goes beyond the adoration of a baby in a manger. Jesus Christ came to earth as a babe, but He did not come to remain so. His whole purpose in being born a man was to be able to live a life of perfect obedience on our behalf and then take the punishment that we deserved for not living that life ourselves.

Christmas is not a season that lasts a week — or 12 days — or for the month of December.  Christmas is about the life-long celebration of our salvation from our sinful nature and our free admittance back into right relationship with our Creator so that we can live with Him forever.

This lovely carol, “Oh Holy Night,” by Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure, explains the situation so well.  We (the human race) had degraded ourselves by rebellion, selfishness, hatred, greed, and all manner of immorality. We had become weak and insignificant – without power to give ourselves value. As a result, we were without worth and without any hope for this world or the next. We sat in darkness and in bondage, enchained by our own sin and error and by the death that resulted from that sin.

It took a God who was, in and of Himself, beautiful, valuable, and unutterably holy to offer Himself in our stead – paying the ultimate price for our degradation and sin – transposing us from a mass of worthless matter into a priceless treasure. And with that one merciful act of God, the human race became worth more than all that lay in the storehouses of Heaven.

Jehovah is God – all by Himself. And, in the person of Jesus Christ, He gave all of Himself for you and me.

Our souls now recognize our worth because we were bought with the life of Him who is worthy of all honor, praise, and glory forever.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold … but with the precious blood of Christ ….”  (Holy Bible, 1 Peter 1:18-19)

 

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The Treasures of Christmas

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

CROSS, MNGR MESSAGE -- NEG BLUE BCKGRD
Gingerbread and stockings …
Christmas trees and holly …
Loving friends and family …
Peace and hope and laughter —
These belong to Christmas.

God’s rich love for mankind …
Word made flesh incarnate …
Coming for one purpose:
Dying that I could have life.
Christmas belongs to me!

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My First Venture Into YouTube Posts

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

Well, this week, I finally took the plunge to learn how to set up a YouTube account and channel — and then start posting videos. I began with the audio of healing scriptures read by my father. Of course, I had to add still pictures and convert them into what YouTube calls a “movie.” It took a while, but I finally jumped through all the hoops successfully.

Unfortunately, on my old operating system and browser, some of the YouTube videos sound scratchy, and this one does as well. However, on my laptop, with a newer operating system and browser, it sounds great. So if any of you do hop over and listen to it, let me know what you found as far as sound quality.

Thanks a lot. I’m believing the Lord to use it to minister to many people.

http://

 

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The Real Hallowe’en Is A Holy Day

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

STAINED GLASS CROSS - w. hallowe'en text
October 31 is a holy day. It is not a day to celebrate witches, goblins, vampires, and Satanic rituals. It is technically the eve of All Saints Day (November 1) — also known as “All Hallows” and “Hallowmas” — from the root word “hallowed” or “holy.” As the eve of “All Hallows,” October 31 came to be called “Hallowe’en, which is the abbreviation of “All Hallows Evening.” And in many churches throughout the world the celebration begins on the evening of October 31 and runs through November 1. It is a day to celebrate the faithful believers who serve and have served the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the Catholic Church, the celebration focuses mainly on those believers who have already gone into the presence of the Lord But in most protestant churches, it focuses on celebrating all true believers both on earth and in heaven — since the New Testament calls true believers “saints.” I’m going to be celebrating “Hallowe’en by celebrating Jesus and all his saints who share His truth, His love and His mercy with a sighing, crying, dying world who are desperate for His saving grace.

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Poems of Passion Week – Day 8 – ‘In Me’

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

 

EMPTY TOMB - BEAUTIFULFREEPICTURES - credits
Are you buried deep in sorrow
Over past and hurtful wounds?
Has the weight of your own failures
Left you feeling failure-doomed?

Has the peril of the systems
Of the economic sphere
Left you beaten down and overwhelmed
And buried under fear?

Has the rampant spread of sickness,
Diagnosis of sure death,
Left you reeling in confusion,
Condemned to draw your final breath?

Then look away: from all the darkness,
From the death and fear and pain.
Hear the rumble of the tombstone
As it rolls from off the grave.
See the lightning flash of glory
As the Son begins to rise,
As He steps from death’s dark dungeon:
The successful sacrifice.

Hear Him say, “The curse is broken!
I have come to give you life.
Ask of Me, and I will answer;
I have victory for your strife.
I’ve a storehouse of provisions;
I have healing for your pain;
I’ve forgiveness for your sin,
And I can make you clean again.

“For as surely as I died for you,
Took all your sin on me,
So My resurrection power is yours;
Enough to set you free.

There is no price;

It’s for the taking.

But the only place you’ll find it
Is in Me.”

 

 

~

 

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Poems of Passion Week – Day 7 – ‘The Price is Paid’

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

 

SATAN CAST DOWN - red - for blog
How deep and dark the grave in which they laid the Lord.
And naught to give Him hope except the Father’s Word.
But ’twas enough, for God had said, “When day three comes,
You’ll rise with life anew and come again to Home.”


Throughout the vigil, silence reigned and men did mourn.
And in the halls of Hell, the demons, they did groan:
This man from off the cross had stormed their barriers staid.
Hell panicked at the word from Heaven: “The price is paid!”


Then Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, stepped forth
And grasped the keys of Death and Hell with violent force.
Then rose through realms beneath to burst from earth and grave.
His shout of victory rang abroad: “Mankind is saved!”

 

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Poems of Passion Week – Day 3 – ‘Sufficient’

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

 

CRUCIFIX - FOR YOU - GOSPEL GIFSSeized and stripped and slapped and spit upon,
Scornful salutations; sorrow; shame;
Satan stalks the Son of God and Son of Man:
Scarlet stripes, scalding tears, searing pain;
Search the scriptures; surely they the story tell:
Insatiable evil strikes; the Lamb is slain.
But surely, it’s my sins He bore, my sorrow,
My sickness, my distress, my grief, my pain.
Submitted Sacrifice: He sealed the promise;
Sufficient, He bought me peace with God again.

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Poems of Passion Week – Day 2

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

 

 

CROWN OF THORNS ULTRA MODERN

 

 

 

BARABBAS

My heart pounded
As they dragged me out.
They stood me close beside Him,
And I looked about.


The crowd was frenzied:
With rage and raw disgust.
I wasn’t sure the real cause–
Why they fumed and cussed.


I glanced beside me
To catch a glimpse of Him,
But what my eyes saw in His
Convicted me within.


When guards shouted,
“Who is it going to be?”
Then I understood they’d choose
To set one free.


“Free Barabbas!
Set Barabbas free!”
I could not believe my ears:
They chose, not Him, but me.


“What of Jesus?”
Then asked the guards.
“Crucify Him! Crucify Him!
He is not our God!”


My shackles fell off:
By law a free man.
Pilate called for water then
And there he washed his hands.


The day grew dark
As He hung there,
Upon a cross with thieves each side,
Then He said a prayer.


He prayed, “Forgive them.”
Did that include me?
When He said, “It is finished!”
I knew He’d died for me, Barabbas.

 

 

(Scripture Reference: Matthew 27)

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Here Comes Jesus!

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

 

JESUS ON DONKEY - WIKIPED.“Here comes Jesus!”

“Jesus of Nazareth is coming!”

“Do you see Him yet?”

“Here He comes!”

“Here comes Jesus!”

Excitement was rampant, and cries of “Hosanna” filled the air. Shouts of joy and triumph could be heard for miles along the road, and people rushed to lay palm branches and their personal garments as a carpet of welcome. Jesus of Nazareth was coming to Jerusalem.

This carpenter-teacher who had journeyed among them for nearly three years, teaching them, healing them, feeding them, forgiving them, raising their dead. This miracle worker, this wise man, this man who was gentle enough to draw crowds of children to his side yet bold enough He would soon drive money-changers from the temple with a whip — this man whom many claimed was the prophesied Messiah of Jehovah — this man was coming again to Jerusalem! I’m sure, had we been there, we would have heard the message repeated over and over again for miles: “Here comes Jesus! Here comes Jesus!”

We in the Christian world celebrate that event on one special day out of the year, and we call it Palm Sunday. We have special services and some of us wave palm branches in the air to commemorate the day that is often referred to by church historians as Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. But that event happened over 2000 years ago. One could say it’s all history now; it’s been said and done;  it’s over.

But not so, my friends! I am thrilled beyond words to be able to tell you that Jesus is still coming to anyone and everyone who would like to receive Him. He’s a living, vital, right-now Jesus. He is the I AM (The self-existent one who causes all other things to be; the one who is and becomes whatever He desires to become — Hebrew definition). And the great I AM desires to become everything that His creation needs.

Jesus of Nazareth is alive today, and He’s still loving people, teaching people, feeding people, forgiving people, delivering people, healing people and making  them whole. And, yes, He’s still raising people from the dead. He’s the same Jesus who fulfilled the words of the ancient prophets by riding  into Jerusalem on a donkey that day.  He’s the same Jesus who worked myriads of miracles for the people. He’s the same Jesus who went to the cross to pay for the rebellion and sin of all the human race.

He’s the same Jesus who rose from the grave and took His throne as Lord of the universe. He’s the same Jesus who promised that if we would call on Him and receive Him as Lord, He would freely fill us with His own eternal life and with power to serve Him. He’s the same Jesus who promised that after our life of service to Him on this earth, we would move on to Heaven and live with Him forever. No questions —  no if’s, and’s or but’s. No struggling to get there, no sacrifice, no hard work, no price to pay. Jesus did the work. We receive the benefit.  And the Word of God,  Hebrews 13:8, says “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.”

So I can tell you confidently: “Here comes Jesus!  He’s coming to you today! He’s coming because He sees your need; He sees your trouble; He sees your sorrow; He sees your pain; He sees your desperation; He sees your hopelessness; He hears your questions; He hears your confusion; He hears your private crying. He’s coming to you because He loves you.

Did you know that you don’t have to be a Christian for Jesus Christ to love you? Sometimes we who call ourselves Christians tend to flock together so tightly that we become almost like a clique, and the rest of the world feels as though they can’t break through the wall to become a part. But my message to the “rest of the world” today is that you don’t have to become a part of the “clique of Christianity.”  All you have to do is get to know Jesus, the real person.

And did you know that you don’t have to be a Christian to call on Jesus? That’s right. Jesus isn’t listening just for the call of the Christians. Certainly, He’s attuned to their cries and He rushes to their help when they need Him, but Jesus the Christ is listening — intently — for the cries of all the millions of  His creation in this world who don’t know Him at all. His heart is waiting expectantly for their voice to call out His name. And He’s ready to answer that call swiftly. He’s ready to come home with you at any time.

When Jesus walked the earth, He was often found in the homes of those who were not active believers. People whom the scriptures refer to as “publicans” and “sinners” found that Jesus was more than willing to spend time with them and teach them the truth about God — and show them God’s love by healing their sick and delivering those in demonic bondage. In fact, He often received hateful criticism from the religious leaders of His day because He gave Himself so freely to those who did not have a relationship with the true God. But Jesus’ response was simply that His main reason for coming into the earth was to find those who did not know Him and offer Himself to them.

Zacchaeus was one such man. (His story is told in the Word of God, the book of Luke, chapter 19.) Although technically a descendant of Abraham, Zacchaeus was chief among publicans — which means he made his living working for the Roman government, collecting taxes from his fellow Israelites — and, by his own admission, cheating them. He had heard about Jesus, but he was no believer. However, he was curious, and as Jesus passed through Jericho, right before his entry into Jerusalem on the donkey, Zacchaeus, a short man,  climbed into a tree so that he could see and hear Jesus easily. Jesus called him down from the tree and invited Himself to Zacchaeus’ house.

Zacchaeus recognized Jesus as the Messiah and opened to Him his home and his heart. We know that he invited Jesus in with his whole heart, because, after spending only a short time with Him, Zacchaeus voluntarily confessed his sin of cheating and promised to make restoration of everything with interest. Jesus did not ask Zacchaeus to do so. The man simply opened his heart to Jesus, and a changed nature was the result.

So, I will say once more: You do not need to be a Christian to call on Jesus. No matter what religious tag you wear — including that of “Atheist” —  that tag will not keep Jesus from coming to you if your heart is reaching out for Him and inviting Him in. What will happen to that religious tag after you meet Jesus? Who cares?  I can guarantee you — without qualification — that if you ever meet the real Jesus, you won’t care.

Here comes Jesus!  He’s coming to us today — Christian and non-Christian — He’s coming. With words of comfort and reassurance to destroy fear — with delivering power to destroy the yokes of the devil — with healing and wholeness for body, mind, and spirit — with wisdom and direction that leads to successful solutions — with the power of His Holy Spirit and all of the anointing for service — with eternal life to overcome death once and for all and forever.

Jesus is coming!  He’s coming to you!  Right now! Open your heart to Him and let Him meet all of your needs today.

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Picture courtesy of Wikipedia commons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jesus_entering_jerusalem_on_a_donkey.jpg

 

 

 

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