Prairie Wind

Resurrection

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Wendy Kleker

THE RISEN

“Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” John 20:15

There was a rumble deep in the earth. The ground shook mightily. With loud cracks, huge rocks split open. People gathered on Golgotha were knocked off their feet as rocks rolled and earth crumbled.

In the tombs, graves broke open and many Godly people who had died were raised to life. They walked about, even into town, and after Jesus’ resurrection appeared to many people. (from Math. 27:52)

The centurion and guards near the cross saw the great earthquake and graves being opened and they said, “Surely this is the Son of God!” A miracle had been demanded and a miracle they received. The mighty hand of God, shaking the earth, tearing the curtain in the sanctuary and raising people from the dead. But still many did not believe.

Near the cross a group of people huddled on the ground, where they had fallen when the shaking began. Mary Magdalene rose to a sitting position. She looked up at the battered figure on the cross. The body of her beloved Teacher and Lord was limp, his head hanging slack. On the ground beside her, lay the mother of Jesus, her heart wrenching sobs and cries the only sounds that were heard. On her other side Mary, the aunt of Jesus and Salome were just sitting up.

Mary raised her tear-stained face to gaze at her Son on the cross. “He is gone!” She wailed. “It is over. It was all for naught. The years hiding in Egypt, the hours of learning in the temple, the preaching, the miracles, the suffering, all for nothing.” Her voice could barely be heard as her words carried the grief of a mother’s heart. “He healed hundreds, He saved others, why in the name of our God didn’t He save Himself?” She fell to the ground as her keening cries rose in the still evening air.

Mary Magdalene put her arms around the sobbing woman and pulled her close. “He also raised Lazareth from the dead. We can not forget that. It is not finished!”

The other women crowded around Mary to comfort and console her. They shielded her eyes when the soldiers came to break the legs of the crucified criminals so they would die before the Sabbath began. Jesus was dead however, so they rammed a spear in his side and blood and water poured out.

The woman who had followed Jesus watched as a rich man from Arimathea, Joseph, by name, took the body down, along with Nicodemus. Wrapping Him in linen cloth and spice, they laid Him in a nearby tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus sat nearby and watched as the men rolled a heavy stone across the opening.

The crowds had gone home shaking their heads. The disciples apparently had fled and were hiding. John took the mother of Jesus home and the other women ministered to her since her heart was torn in two.

All night and all the next day, despair settled on them like a cloak, heavy and dark. Visions of Jesus’ suffering played back in Mary Magdalene’s mind over and over. This was not what they expected. Jesus their Teacher was the Messiah, or God with us, but wasn’t He supposed to reign as conquering King for Israel? Wouldn’t He deliver them from their bondage and lead them to be a great nation? Wasn’t He God? And yet He let them lead Him to slaughter like a lamb. He never said a word. He did nothing to save Himself!

Mary had expected something great. Many angels coming from Heaven to take Jesus from the cross. Or even after He was dead and lying on the ground, she had expected life to come back into His battered body. She thought He would have risen again and walked with them. As He said.

Was He really the Son of God? Was He truly the Messiah? Mary had been so sure. After all He had fed thousands of folks on a few fish and two loaves. Hundreds had been healed from grave sicknesses. He had even brought a few back from the dead. How could things have gone so wrong? Mary had not expected this. Not this darkness. Not this horror. Not evil and death. No not this.

I so often think God will work a certain way. When darkness comes, when suffering comes, when death comes, I am knocked to my knees. I don’t expect it. A mighty God would not work that way. Would He? Would He allow His very own Son to die a horrible, violent death?

Well, yes He would! Yes He did. To save my soul, to save your soul, He did.

Would a loving God allow suffering and trials in our lives? Oh yes He does! To save souls. To test us. To draw us closer to Him. To train us for battle. To develop our faith muscles. So others will see His glory shining in us. So a cloud of witnesses will see our faith in Him. Oh yes, you bet, He does.

The religious leaders were not satisfied with Jesus being only dead. To keep Him in the grave, they secured the tomb by putting a seal on the huge stone at the entrance then posted guards to stand next to it. Why were they afraid of a dead man?

The day after the Sabbath, Sunday, in the predawn stillness, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of Jesus and Salome, the wife of Zebedee, walked to the tomb with spices to anoint Jesus’ body.

“How will we roll that big stone away?” Mary Magdalene whispered. The others just shook their heads.

Coming in sight of the tomb they stopped. Would the guards let them near. An eerie stillness filled the air. Not a sound was heard, nothing stirred in the gray dawn. Then a Morning Dove called. All else in the garden was silent. The women waited, holding their breath. Expectancy hung in the air like the morning mist amongst the lilies.

What is it? Mary Magdalene thought, What is about to happen?

A rumble started deep in the earth, like a low growl. It grew until it was a roar. Mary looked at her companions, their eyes were wide in fear. Like the hour when Jesus died, the ground began to shake. Violently the earth shook, the trees swayed, rocks rolled from the cliffs near by, the women fell to the ground.

With mouths open, Mary and the others watched as a glowing white figure descended from Heaven and landed in front of the tomb. An angel! Who appeared like lightening, so bright Mary couldn’t look at him, and his clothes were whiter than anything she had ever seen.

The angel took hold of the stone and with a grating sound rolled it away from the tomb. Then he sat on it. The two guards who had been standing like statues, fell to the ground in a dead faint.

Mary and her companions stayed on their knees and bowed their heads.

“Don’t be afraid,” the angel said in ringing tones, “I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, He has risen! Just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him. Now I have told you.”

Mary slowly rose from the ground and crept up to the tomb’s entrance. She peeked inside. In the dim light she could see nothing. Stepping in farther she saw a white cloth laying on the low stone bench, a scarf folded at the head, and nothing else. No body of her Lord.

With a gasp she turned from the tomb, ready to tell the others that Jesus’ body was gone, but they had left. Shocked and confused, Mary sat on a stone near by and wept bitterly. She had been strong to this point, but the disappearance of her Beloved’s body was too much.

Mary and Salome hurried excitedly to tell the descilples what the angel had said. Suddenly in front of them stood a man. They stopped.

Mary gasped. “Jesus!” .

“Rejoice!” Jesus said, with a smile. “I am alive!”

“My Son!” Mary ran to Him along with Salome and falling on the ground before Him, they held His feet and praised Him.

“Do not be afraid,” He told them, “Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee and there they will see Me.”

Mary Magdalene was sitting near the tomb and weeping when John ran up and bending over looked inside. Then Peter stormed into the tomb and John followed. After a few moments they both came out and walked quickly away talking excitedly to each other.

Mary wondered what they saw there, maybe she had missed something so, she walked to the tomb. Bending over she peered into the dark cave. Her eyes were blinded by a great light and she saw two angels sitting there. One at the head and one at the feet of where the body of Jesus had lain.

“Woman,” one angel said, “why are you weeping?”

“Because they have taken away my Lord and I don’t know where they have put Him.” Stricken by grief and shock, Mary could not grasp what she had heard from the first angel.

With head bowed and tears running down her face she turned from the tomb. A man stood before her with the rising sun glowing behind him.

“Woman why are you weeping? Who is it you are seeking?” He asked.

Shielding her eyes from the bright sun, and thinking it was the gardener, Mary pleaded, “Sir if you have carried Him away, please tell me where you have put Him and I will get Him.”

Unable to take her pain any longer, Jesus said, “Mary.”

That one word was enough. He called her name and she knew Him.

“Teacher!” she cried. She rushed to Him and wrapped her arms around Him. She clung to Him as if she would never let Him go.

Jesus pried her arms from Him and gently wiped the tears from her face. “Mary,” He said softly, “don’t you know you must not hold on to Me? I must go soon to my Father in Heaven. But what I said before is true. My Father is your Father, My God is your God. If you love Me and keep My word, My Father will love you. And We will come to you and make Our home with you always. Go tell my brethren this.” (from John 14:23-24)

Mary missed the joy because her focus was on her circumstance. Jesus was close to her and she didn’t know Him. Maybe while she sat in the garden weeping, He was standing near by. Her eyes were downcast and she never saw Him. She didn’t know He was alive.

“Just turn to Me.” He might have whispered. “Only open your eyes and look upon My face. I am here with you.”

Are you missing the joy?

Is Jesus calling your name today? Is He standing near by waiting for you to look at Him, to run to Him, to grab hold of Him?

Jesus went into the grave beaten. That first Easter morning He burst forth from the grave Victorious!

It was not all for nothing! His life, His work, His death was for a purpose. When all seemed lost, God’s plan went forward. Even sealed boulders and armed guards could not keep Him in the grave. It was NOT finished! The sacrifice was done, the price paid, but Life had just begun.

No matter what grief, no matter what pain, no matter what burdens you have, Jesus gives you Victory. Victory over darkness, victory over despair, victory over sin. Death is turned to life in our lives. Life that will go on forever and ever.

Darkness lifts, the Light is come! Life bursts forth from the grave! Justice is satisfied! Jesus is near by! All I can do is praise Him!

“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” Mathew 14:19-20

Note: I have paraphrased and dramatized “The Crucifixion” and “The Risen” which are based mostly on Mathew 27:45-66, Mark 16:1 (for which women went to the tomb) Mathew 28:1-10, John 20:1-17 and also from The Story which combines all four gospels.

Posted in Easter Morning, God's Son, He is Alive, Jesus, Jesus is Risen, Jesus is the Light, Light, Meshach, Risen, Son of God | Tagged Easter Morning, He is Alive, Jesus, Jesus is Risen, Joy, Light, Resurrection, Son of God | Leave a comment

Crucifixion

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Wendy Kleker

THE LAMB

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” Rev. 5:12

The day the Lamb of the world died, the noon sun became as dark as night. God’s Son cried out “My God, My God why have you abandoned me?”

It was a long road up to the hill called Place of the Skull. Jesus already had suffered much physical abuse. No longer able to go on, He fell with the heavy cross beam on His back and lay still.

A bystander, Simon from Cyrene, who had just entered the city from the country and had no idea what was going on, was forced by soldiers to carry the condemned Man’s cross.

What a welcome to the city! Crowds of people; some weeping, some running and some yelling insults to this condemned man who looked nearly dead. Simon must have been afraid. What if this man died on the way, would they nail him to the cross instead? Yet, Simon bent to lift the heavy beam off the beaten and bloodied back. It was then Simon gazed into the eyes of Jesus.

He was startled at what he saw there. Instead of the cold, rebellious eyes of a criminal, or the sorrowful, dead eyes of a beaten man, he saw gentle eyes, loving eyes, bright eyes full of compassion and understanding. Simon didn’t realize he was looking into the face of his Savior, but that one gaze changed his life forever. He was never the same again, but how could you be after an encounter with the Living God.

It’s hard to imagine the pain Jesus endured. Whipped almost to the point of death, hit, kicked and with blood running down his face from the long thorns imbedded in His head, He was laid on the wooden cross and nails were driven through the palms of his hands. Then a large nail was pounded through both his feet together and into the wood. The pain must have been unbearable, yet He suffered in silence.

Once the cross was pulled upright and slammed into the hole, His body weight hanging on His arms caused the air to be cut off. Automatically His legs pushed up to hold the weight on His nailed feet. The pain that screamed through his shoulders and arms was excruciating. His back already beat into hamburger ground against the roughened timber. Blood ran in His eyes, pain shot up His legs from his pierced feet, yet He looked upon the soldiers gambling for His clothing and the people gathered around who were mocking Him. And He had compassion on them.

“Father forgive them!” He cried. The One flogged, the One spit upon, the One scoffed, the One unjustly accused, the One nailed cruelly to a torture device said, “forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Two criminals were crucified with Him, One on the left and one on the right. One of them mocked Jesus, saying “If you are truly the Messiah, the Son of God who You claim to be, prove it by saving Yourself and us too!”

But the other criminal rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even have fear of God when you are dying! Unlike you and me who deserve our punishment, this Man has done NOTHING wrong!” He got it! Looking at Jesus, he pleaded, “Lord Jesus, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom.”

Jesus met the gaze of the criminal with love in His eyes, “Today,” He replied, “you will be with Me in paradise.”

If you will but ask, there is nothing Jesus can not forgive. His love for you is beyond understanding.

As Jesus. hung in agony, the people, many of whom a couple of days before had sung praises to Him, now shouted abuse. The religious leaders mocked Him saying, “He saved others but He can not save Himself. So He is the king of Israel, is He? Let him come down from the cross right now and we will believe Him.” Even the Roman soldiers scoffed at Him.

This King of Kings, Almighty God, Prince of Peace, could have, indeed, called ten thousand Angels to set Him free. I’m sure mighty winged warriors were lined up in Heaven, anxiously awaiting the command to destroy those who dared trample the Son of the Living God. To annihilate those who dared to crucify the one true, perfect Lamb on a cruel cross. To wipe out forever those who spat upon and mocked their adored Prince.

One call from those cracked lips and the world and all its inhabitants would have been blown to bits. But this God-Man, Jesus, chose to die, alone, for you and me. Only Love will do that.

They hung Jesus on the cross at 9:00 in the morning. After hanging there for several hours, He managed to raise His weary head and looking through a red haze of sweat and blood saw His mother, her sister, Mary and Mary Magdalene, weeping near the foot of the cross. Tears ran down His mother’s upturned face and her eyes were full of sorrow and grief. Jesus knew there was one more task He needed to complete.

“Dear woman, Mother of Mine,” He cried weakly, but loud enough for them to hear, ” do not be afraid. John will be like a son to you and will look after you.” To the disciple standing beside her he said, “John, from now on, treat her like your mother.”

That’s His nature, to always care for those He loves. “Do not be afraid or discouraged. I will never leave you or forsake you.” He told Joshua long ago. “I am with you always even to the end of the age” He told His disciples just before He disappeared in the clouds.

No matter what we go through, no matter how desperate our situation, Jesus is always with us. Sometimes He delivers us from the trial and sometimes He walks beside us holding us up, helping us over the rough places.

At noon the sun became as dark as night. The wrath of God poured out upon His one and only sinless Son. Jesus who had endured silently to this point cried out, “My God, why have you forsaken Me?”

You see since before the beginning of time, the Father, His Son, and the Spirit had been one, together in perfect harmony always, through all things. Until now. Now they were ripped apart. For the Son had the sins of the world, all of them that you and me and everyone else who ever lived or ever will live, placed on Him. Jesus carried the sins of all man kind and His Father could not stand to be near Him, or even to look at Him.

For a moment in time and we don’t know how long, the Son was forsaken by His Father. Jesus, the perfect Son of God was completely alone in a darkness full of evil. This I believe is what killed Him. Death on the cross is very slow and comes as the victim suffocates when the legs become too weak to hold the body weight. Jesus died after only 6 hours and even Pilate was amazed He was dead so soon.

I think the grief and pain of His loving Father’s abandonment squeezed His heart until it shattered into a million pieces. Jesus, the Prince of Heaven, could not bear being ripped from His Father’s presence where He had been for all time. His human heart could not endure the despair of being plunged into utter darkness and buried beneath the unimaginable weight of the terrible evil of all man kind.

He cried out, “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.”

Then that compassionate, merciful, shattered heart ceased to beat.

At that moment, God’s wrath was satisfied. The earth shook violently. The sun turned black the day was a dark as night. Huge rocks split in two. People who had been dead for ages came out of the tombs and walked among the living.

The heavy curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn from top to bottom. Signifying that no longer is there a barrier between man and God. No longer does God burn with wrath for His crown creation because of their bent for evil. No longer is there an inner sanctuary where God dwells that only a priest may enter and plead forgiveness for God’s people.

For now the blood of Christ flows, free. A fountain flowing to wash away the sins of the all man kind. No longer does the presence of God dwell in a temple, but now He will enter into any open heart willing to accept Him.

Now you can fall on your knees at the foot of the cross and lift your tear-stained face to the Savior. Now you can ask forgiveness from the Lamb and His blood flowing from that stained cross will wash you clean.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NLT

“But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God’s wrath.” Romans 5:8-9 NLT

Posted in Cross, Curtain is split in two, Darkness, death on the cross, earthquake, Easter, God's Son, He died alone, He died for you and me, Jesus, Jesus walks with us, Meshach, Sun is dark, Ten Thousand Angels | Tagged Crucifixion, crucify, dark, death, Easter, Jesus, Messiah, Resurection, Son of God | 1 Comment

Memories of My Son (part 3)

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Wendy Kleker

HOOKED

“In the shadow of His hand He has hidden me and made me a polished shaft. In His quiver He has hidden me. He said to me, “you are My servant, Child, in whom I will be glorified.” from Isaiah 49:2-3

Bow hunting. I was a fiend! September through November more times than not found me in camouflage hunting clothes. The reason, I guess, Stephen’s friends called me “Rambo Mom”. To which Stephen acted somewhat disgusted, but secretly, I think, he was pleased.

A friend of mine in Plains Montana introduced me to bow hunting when I was around 29. Her husband loaned me an old compound bow which had a pull that was too long for me and would not adjust lower than 65 pounds. A draw that is too long results in having to hold the bow back before it breaks over, which a compound bow will do, lessening the pounds. When in full draw, I should have been holding around 30 pounds instead of the full 65. However, I learned to use it well, practicing every day.

I learned how to bugle with a diaphragm and bugle tube by listening to tapes (and yes in those days it was a cassette tape) of bulls and cows. I became quite good in bugling which took a lot of air to get volume and the low growls and grunts, so not only did I build up my arms but my lung capacity as well.

The first time out in early September my friend and I left Plains early in the morning while it was cool and drove around the surrounding mountains, stopping now and then to bugle. This is often how we located elk, unless we knew the location of a herd. It was getting warm; climbing into the low 80’s, so we stopped for one last bugle before calling it a day.

Having had no luck so far and thinking we wouldn’t have any this time, we left the rig on the side of the road and carelessly set up not far away. We stood behind a couple of large Yellow pine trees, not giving any thought as to what was in front or behind us. Tipping my bugle tube towards the sky, I let loose with a classic bull bugle, a high trumpet-like squeal, plunging to a guttural growl and ending with several grunts.

Immediately the high tones of an answering bull rang through the timber. My heart skipped into double time and I looked at Linda, whose eyes were wide. She motioned for me to bugle again. Not a heart beat after my bugle died, the thrilling call of a bull elk sailed on the clear mountain air, coming from just below us.

“Closer!” Linda mouthed and she knocked an arrow. I followed suit.

Again, the wild call filled the air from the timber below us, closer yet. He was storming towards us. Soon crashing brush and cracking twigs reached our ears. Linda gestured with her head mimicking a bull rubbing his horns on brush. My heart pounded in my ears, my knees shook. The bull was coming in! I couldn’t believe the event I had thought about and dreamed of was actually happening! There was no need to even bugle since the bull sent his own call ringing high and long every few minutes.

Linda glanced over at me and grinned, then motioned towards my bow. I realized, I was shaking so hard the arrow that was knocked and resting on the arrow rest was rattling. I quickly covered it with my finger to hold it in place. My breath came in gasps and I fought to keep it quiet.

My eyes searched the timber and brush below. Catching movement I locked on the spot and soon spotted ears, then a head moving from side to side. Antlers flashed in a ray of sunlight. He was so close! I wanted to draw my bow, but Linda mouthed “wait”.

The bull silently moved a few steps closer. My throat was clogged with the pounding of my heart. The bull moved behind a brush screen that was 20 yards below us. “Now,” Linda mouthed and smoothly pulled her bow. I tried but my arms felt weak. Tipping it upward to get the leverage of my left arm as it came down, I managed to draw.

The bulls head moved out of the brush, his horns in plain sight. Not huge, a rag horn, as they call the smaller racks, but a bull is a bull. I had never been so close to a wild elk before and I thought my heart would wing its way out of my chest.

With head and neck in the clear, but the rest behind the brush, the bull stopped. My shaking arm held the 65 pounds, but I knew I couldn’t hold it for long. A couple more steps and his vitals would be in the open. The bull was staring at something behind us. I slowly turned my head and could see the red and black Blazer sitting on the road in plain sight. Turning my head back slowly, I looked at Linda out of the corner of my eye. She rolled her eyes and slowly shook her head.

About then the bull decided whatever that thing was, it was not a bull elk. As quick as a blink, he whirled and was gone. With shaking arms, I released my bow and watched the yellow rump flitting through the timber.

I was completely and utterly hooked! Not only did I have yellow rump fever, but now I would die to hear that wild call of a bull elk ringing across the mountains!

That year was an incredible year for bugling. I’m not sure what makes the difference but where other times were good, my first year of bow hunting was amazing! Every time we went out, we heard at least one bugle, more often several and many times had bulls coming in. I could tell story after story of trying to outsmart the wary wapiti, of crawling through grass to get closer, cows and calves all around us, bulls storming in, creeping in and coming back even after winding us. I lay behind some brush one time, and watched a spike walk right up to the other side and peek through a hole. We had bulls within 20, 30 and 40 yards, but only one time were we able to take a shot. With bow hunting the shot must be broadside and completely clear. We weren’t good enough or had powerful enough bows to take a shot longer than 30 yards.

One time a bull stalked in to stand broad side, in the open, only 20 yards away. It was in a clear cut with small trees and a few large seed trees that we used for cover. The bull marched in and stood there looking our way. “Twang” I heard Linda’s shot go and then “thud” as it hit a tree just over the elk’s back. I released my arrow and it bounced on the ground under the rag horn’s belly. He jumped straight up and whirled. I grabbed another arrow from my quiver on my bow and in one motion, knocked it and pulled straight back.

The bull disappeared in the timber. Breathing hard I released my bow and pointed the arrow to the ground, holding it against the arrow rest with my pointing finger. Looking at Linda’s big grin and wide eyes, I knew my face mirrored hers. My legs were shaking and adrenaline was pumping through my veins. I was looking around for something to sit on, when Linda exclaimed, “You’re bleeding!” She pointed to my arrow. Sure enough, blood dripped off the tip in a steady stream.

What? I hadn’t shot that arrow, how was it bloody? My eyes followed a stream of blood up the arrow shaft right to my finger. Looking at my finger, I saw a deep cut across the pad. In my frenzy I had pulled the bow all the way back, which was a draw longer than my arrows, and had sliced my finger open on the point. As I stared at the cut, it began to throb, but I had felt nothing before. Goes to show the level of excitement and adrenaline we experienced when a “playing” with the ghosts of the timber.

A small rag horn

I would go home and tell Jim and Stephen all my wonderful adventures. Jim wanted to bow hunt but couldn’t afford a bow right then, so the three of us went to a favorite hunting spot where we knew elk to be. I sat up below Jim and Stephen, who was about 7 then, and Jim bugled. A bull answered right away and started coming up the steep slope. That didn’t happen all the time. Usually we would hear them and have to work our way closer to them. If they kept talking to us, we would know their location and could work in close, using the wind in our favor. This time the bull came in fast, not even bothering to be quiet. Crashing and grunting deep as bigger bulls tend to do.

Jim, several yards above me imitated him by grunting and squealing. On the steep hillside below, was a huge patch of alder brush that grew well above my head. When I saw horns above the brush, my heart pounded against my ribs. As the bull came closer, more and more antlers came into view until a gigantic set of horns towered over the brush. I was breathing hard and my heart was pounding as if I had run up a mountainside.

The bull stopped right at the edge of the brush. I could see his head and the huge set of antlers. A magnificent creature, the essence of wildness, so close I could smell his spine-tingling scent. He was staring right at me and I dared not move. Now if only he would step out of the brush. That’s the hard part, getting them out of cover.

My legs felt weak, my arms shook. The bull circled below me, moving sideways, still in the brush. An opening was coming and I tried to draw my bow. It wouldn’t budge. I nearly grunted with the effort. The bull paused a moment in the opening, long enough for me to release an arrow. If, I’d had the bow pulled! I didn’t.

Nonchalantly he walked on. I took three deep breaths and pulled the bow, using the levering method. I got it! But the bull was in the brush. He stopped broadside, staring at me for a long time. Holding 65 pounds, I waited, seeking a hole, but there was none in the vital spot. My arm shook. I could only count points. Seven, on each side!

The big guy must not have liked the set up. With no bull elk in sight, he was suspicious, so without a sound he slowly moved deeper into the brush until the horns disappeared from sight.

I released my bow, staggered up the hill to where Jim and Stephen were standing wide-eyed and collapsed. I clasped my chest and gasped for air, literally thinking I was having a heart attack. Jim finally left off trying to entice the bull back with cow talk to make sure I was going to survive.

I don’t know if Stephen remembered that incident or not, but I’m sure he never forgot about his mom nearly dying on the mountain out of sheer excitement.

Jim, however, was completely hooked. By the time bow season rolled around the next year we both sported brand new bows and were practiced to where we could put several arrows in the center of a paper plate at 30 yards.

Do I seek after my Lord like I sought those bulls? Do I long to see His face and hear His call? Do I wait in the garden straining for the sound of His footfall?

Do I prepare myself for His service by allowing Him to polish and sharpen me? Am I in His quiver ready to fly to the mark, whatever it may be?

Do I fight the sharpening? Am I angry when trouble comes my way? Do I grumble about the steep mountain I must climb? And cry a bit when my muscles burn from the long day?

That’s it! I must think of the prize, I must run the race. His awesome, magnificent presence walking with me down the road. My eyes searching out and locking on His dear face. His nail pierced hands taking my heavy load.

“My Savior, in the silence, COME”! I call thee now. I wait for thee in the forest, by the stream, under the wide fir bow.

“They shall feed along the roads and their pastures shall be on all desolate heights. They shall neither hunger nor thirst. Neither heat nor sun shall strike them. For He who has mercy on them will lead them, even by the springs of water, He will guide them. I will make each of My mountains a road, and My highways shall be elevated.” Isaiah 49:9-11

“Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near.” Is. 55:6

“When You said, “Seek My face, Come talk to me,” my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming!” Psalm 27:8 NLT and NKJ

Stephen around 5, The sweatshirt has seen better days by now, but moose horns are the same and have traveled many miles with us to Colorado then Montana

Stephen loved his dog, Kinji, this is in the Gallatin valley near Belgrade MT where we lived for awhile before moving to Plains MT

Jim giving 4year old Stephen some pointers on hitting the ball

Stephen at about 5 playing t-ball and goofing around a bit.

Posted in arrow, Bow hunting, bugle, bull elk, elk hunting, quiver, seek His face, sharpen, son, steep mountain, Stephen, the mark | Tagged Bow hunting, bugle, bull, call, call the Lord, elk, seek His face, Stephen, Stephen hunting | Leave a comment

Memories of My Son (part 2)

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Wendy Kleker

He came by hunting naturally. This is Stephen (1) with his dad, Jim Sakaguchi, after Jim shot this Boon and Crocket moose near Talkeetna Alaska

MY SON’S FIRST HUNT

Stephen loved to hunt. Funny when he was young and just starting to hunt he wasn’t too keen on spending the whole day, from dawn to dark, on the mountain, trampling through the cold snow as his mother was want to do. Strange that after that first opening day when he was finally old enough to actually have a tag, I had to beg, plead, and cajole my son to go hunting with me.

Of course I, a die hard, completely dedicated, hunting fool who had to be out there in the woods almost every single day of hunting season, was so excited that I could take my son on his first hunt, I could barely sleep.

The evening before, I was thrilled to see snow falling and we planned our hunt; get up in the wee hours well before dawn, drive to THE spot, leave the truck just as the sky was turning gray, sneak to the edge of a clear cut, (only a mile or so) sit and watch the openings until well into day light (only a couple of hours or so)

My twelve year old son seemed excited–at first. I only had to call him three times, shove a cup of coffee laden with cocoa in his hand and lead him to the truck. And oh, don’t forget your riffle! Our packs were loaded with extra bullets, survival gear, snacks and of course lunch.

He followed me through the graying dark, stumbling now and then on a root or rock, asking me, in a whisper, how far it was. “Not far.” I assured him, ” It always seems farther going in and especially when it’s dark.”

We eased up the edge of the clear cut, and sat in the cold snow where we could see the open hillside a hundred and fifty yards away. By this time it was light enough to see dark spots that could possibly be elk, so I glassed the openings. Stephen sat with not a sound, but fidgeted now and then. I whispered to him the importance of sitting still and having no movement. Also I admonished him to keep his sharp eyes on the hillside to catch any sign of the elusive elk. Stephen had a cow tag so I was hoping to see a herd of cows, but a bull would do, both would be better.

Gray light became broad daylight and no sign of the yellow-rumped wapiti could we see. Stephen’s fidgeting grew worse and finally he hissed, “My butt is freezing!”

Oh come to think of it so was mine, in fact it was numb and Stephen’s teeth were all but chattering, so I decided we could get warmed up by walking a ways. After three hours of stealthily creeping through the timber, putting each foot down carefully so not to snap a twig, making our way up steep mountainsides, along ridges, and down, Stephen tugged on my coat and asked if we were going to “ever eat.”

Oh yeah, we hadn’t had breakfast, just a granola bar and a nut or two, guess we could sit down and eat, for a short bit anyway. So we found a log, brushed the snow off and sat chomping quietly on sandwiches.

Stephen brightly informed me, in a whisper of course, that there didn’t seem to be any elk in this area so maybe we should head back to the pickup. Oh, I told him, you never knew when you would run into a track. I had seen elk on this very hillside just a few days before. “We’ll just check out that next ridge and if we don’t see any tracks we’ll head back.”

Stephen sighed as we packed up our bags and headed out again.

An hour later on the next ridge over we did indeed run into elk tracks. A whole bunch, with no snow in them, fresh indeed. Ok here we go! My heart pounded at the sight. Stephen didn’t look so excited.

Not too far down the trail, I stopped, with nose in the air like my bloodhound, and sniffed. “Elk!” I hissed. “Do you smell them.”

“Mom,” Stephen whispered pointing, “we’re following elk, and one went pee right there.”

Oh no, I knew fresh body scent when I smelled it. We moved farther along the beaten elk trail and the scent was still in my nostrils. My blood ran as my heart pounded in my chest.

“They’re just up ahead.” I whispered excitedly.

Stepping carefully and going slow we made our way along the ridge, peering into the timber ahead. Then I saw it. A yellow rump. I stopped and eased alongside my son pointing. I slowly squatted down and brought my riffle up. Stephen followed suit, peering through his scope.

“A cow right there, do you see her?” I whispered quietly. Before he could answer they were gone. The timber exploded in crashing elk, we saw flashes of yellow rumps and heads before they disappeared over the ridge. I saw no horns, but with a cow tag in his pocket, not a problem

Stephens’s eyes were big, his mouth wide in a grin. Oh good I thought he’s catching the yellow rump fever.

It’s ok,” I told him, “we’ll follow them, they’ll stop soon enough.”

Two hours later found us huffing up yet another ridge hot on the elk trail. Twice we had seen a flash of movement above us only to come upon a place where one elk had stood and watched the back trail. I explained that once spooked they often did this.

We stopped for a short rest; when I was on hot elk tracks there never was anything but a short breather; and Stephen whispered pointing behind us, “The truck is that way, Mom.”

“Yeah your right, it is,” I whispered back, “good job.” You see when he was small , his dad and I would take him hiking and would repeatedly ask him where the camp or rig was. So now I just figured he was letting me know he knew where we were. I failed to see the sagging shoulders and ignored the loud sigh, when I said I had an idea.

My idea was to leave the tracks of the elk, which were angling up and across the side of the ridge and head straight up the top and intercept them as they crossed a clear cut I knew was ahead.

“We have to hurry though, and get up there quickly.” So we chugged up the steep mountain side through a foot of snow, slipping and sliding some, huffing and puffing and only stopping when we couldn’t get our breath. I have to say Stephen was a trooper, he never complained, maybe mentioned a couple of times where the truck was, and just kept following his yellow-rump-fever-crazed mom up the mountain.

Making it to the top of the ridge, we moved quickly while being as quiet as possible along the upward angling ridge to where I knew we could look down on the open clear cut. We sat down in the timber and I glassed the opening below.

Stephen was pretty happy to sit and didn’t seem to mind getting a cold butt. He promptly began to dig in his pack, which was irritating but I didn’t say a word seeing as he hadn’t had anything to eat in several hours.

I soon spied a deep trail through the snow that cut across the clearing. “Oh shoot!” I whispered.

“What?” Stephen mumbled around a bite of granola bar.

“I think they’ve already gone across I can see tracks. We’ll sit here for a minute and see if any stragglers come. Be ready to shoot.”

He just nodded and kept chewing, holding his riffle in his lap. After a bit I knew they were not coming. “Well we have about an hour of light left,” I whispered, pointing up the mountain, “they’re headed for the ridge top up there, we could–”

“MOM!” Stephen hissed not so quietly as he pointed down the draw, “The truck is that way!”

“Oh!” I said, finally getting the message. “Ok we’ll hunt our way back to the pickup. You never know what we might see.”

Stephen sighed and raised his eyes. “Ok, as long as we’re going in that direction.”

Small wonder, for the rest of the hunting season that year I had a hard time getting Stephen to go with me hunting. He would go only if I promised it would be a short hunt. Another hunting trip we stopped for lunch and I had him build a fire, then we ate and rested for awhile by it’s warmth. He enjoyed that and would go if I promised a fire at lunch.

As he got older, in high school, he went hunting with his friends, but would avoid, if he could, going out with mom. However as he grew into a man, he grew to love the hunt. I’ll tell another story of bow hunting with him after he grew up.

Stephen’s first larger buck when he was in high school. Shot not far from our house but Stephen and I packed it out with the horses, for the fun of it, although John said they could drag it to the truck.

Packing out Stephen’s buck on Rocket. I’m riding Sunny, Stephen rode Blue

John and Stephen dragging his buck to the horses

Posted in hunting, hunting memories, Memories, My son, Stephen's first hunt | Tagged elk, first hunt, hunting, hunting memories, memeories, mountains, Stephen | 3 Comments

Memories of My Son, part 1

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Wendy Kleker

Stephen his kids, Maci and Jacob, John and I

It seems impossible that this week, March 10th will mark the 4th year since my son flew Home to Jesus. Memories and photos are all that’s left of a loving, vibrant young man. On earth that is, Stephen Sakaguchi is vibrantly living and flourishing in a Glorious Land just beyond our sight. Not far away.

However I would like to share some of those memories of my son with you, this month. This month of death, tragedy and grief, this month of life, rebirth and victory.

This story is a memory from Stephen’s good buddy since early high school and hunting partner Jeremy Butcher.

THE BEST DAY EVER

By Jeremy Butcher

It was November 2005, I was one year removed from college at Montana Tech. Stephen was living in Helena and had been thriving in construction. We met at my Mom’s house in Plains, at the time Tommy was eight years old. The grass was green from recent melt off and the orchard had lost all of its leaves.

Stephen and I wasted no time preparing for the trip and catching up on life. It was a time of great reflection, of past memories together and of life’s memories that were not always so good. We were best friends and were open and honest with each other. There was no fear of hurting each others feelings or offending each other. There was nothing that we couldn’t talk about.

That night after hours of hanging out together our conversation led us to discussing our fathers and the memories. Both of us had lost our dads, Stephen at age ten and me at eighteen. We decided to go visit Stephen’s dad’s grave. Stephen had not gone there often which I understand. After much searching with flashlights, we found the grave of James Gary Sakaguchi, Stephens’s father. Over all it was a positive experience and I think it meant a lot to Stephen that he spent that moment.

From there it was off the bed and waiting for daylight with the typical restlessness. In the morning, we traveled to our favorite hunting spot. At the time we hadn’t hunted it much but we knew the caliber of deer that were in the area. I had harvested the biggest deer of my life there two years prior.

When we arrived, we found the hunting conditions to be extremely poor. Heavy snow, low visibility and about ten inches of hard, loud, crunchy old snow on the ground. We parked and headed out. The location was directly off the interstate, it was thick dead fall timber and extremely steep.

We were targeting a specific bench on the steep hillside and went straight for it. Because of the loud snow, we decided to step in unison only when vehicles would pass on the interstate. After two hundred yards and twenty minutes, I heard a buck grunting. Stephen argued with me that it was a crow, but I persisted. The buck continued to grunt and was heading towards the bench.

We carefully followed. As we crested the rim of the bench, we saw a large set of antlers coming straight at us through the brush. We could make out his eleven inch G2 point with a three inch kicker and the wide spread of heavy horns. We were side by side and did not move a muscle. Knowing this was a big one, our hearts were pounding.

The big boy headed into the thicket at 70 yards. Boom! Stephen touched one off and the buck stormed out of the thicket following a doe. He was moving fast but not full speed. I picked a hole in the thick timber and when he fled through it, I pulled the trigger which laid him down.

It was done. With the blood pounding in my head, we approached the mammoth Whitetail buck. I knew the monster wasn’t mine. Stephen had hit it first with a killing shot that would have brought the trophy down. He posed for pictures with the huge buck with a smile a mile wide.

I was happy and mad at the same time, so took a short loop while Stephen drug his trophy to the truck.

We then ate breakfast at a local cafe, caped the deer and took a cruise. Ten minutes into the drive a 5X6 point Whitetail buck jumped across the road and ran up on the hill. Boom! That capped the best day ever with the best hunting buddy. Ever. The end

Stephen called me later that day when on his way home to Helena. “Mom!” he said breathlessly, “you’ll never believe the buck I got with Jeremy!” He was completely jacked! He told me about the hunt in about the same way that Jeremy told it above. Stephen said he had only a small hole in the brush to shoot so he took the shot. Stephen’s bullet would have brought it down but in brush and timber like that you don’t want to take a chance of losing a trophy buck, so he was glad for Jeremy’s killing shot.

You can see from the picture that he was a happy hunter! It was the biggest buck he ever shot and his first trophy sized buck. I am so glad he had this experience with his hunting buddy Jeremy and that he got the buck.

Thanks to Maci, who wanted me to have the trophy, it now hangs in our house. One day it will go back to Maci and Jacob.

Posted in Good memories, hunting, Jeremy, Life, Memories, Memories of Stephen, My son | Tagged first hunt, Good memories, hunting memories, Memories, son, Stephen | 5 Comments

REDEMPTION SERIES 7

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Wendy Kleker

HOPE

“You covered the earth with the deep as with a garment. The waters stood above the mountains. At Your rebuke, they fled, at the voice of Your thunder they hastened away. They went up over the mountains, they went down into the valleys to the place which You founded for them. You have set a boundary that they may not pass over. That they may not return to cover the earth.” Psalm 104:6-9

This is the day the Lord has made! The day Noah, his family and all the many animals came out of the ark! I can just see it. Can’t you? The sun is shinning, if only briefly, since it is believed that the air was filled with volcanic ash and smoke for many years after the flood, which caused the ice age. But I’m sure on this great day the sun was peeking out of the clouds and shinning on the cleansed earth.

Over a year they had been in the dark, dank, stinking-like-livestock boat! Can you imagine? Five months the big ship drifted aimlessly over the waters that covered the whole earth. Exactly five long months after the flood had begun the huge ship ground to a halt, to a sudden stop on a high spot on the mountains of Ararat.

The receding had begun. God remembered Noah and all the animals with him in the boat and He sent a wind to blow across the earth. The oceans and valleys sank and more mountains rose and the waters gradually receded to the sea.

Even after the huge boat came to rest on the mountains they were imprisoned in it for another seven and a half months! I would have gone stark raving mad! Two and a half months later, Noah could see through his window more mountain peaks. I can imagine the family gathered around to get their first peek of land.

However, the waters left so very slowly. Forty days later, Noah released a raven from his window. The stubborn, tough raven did not come back to its prison but chose to fly back and forth until the waters were gone. So Noah released a dove, but the dove could not find a dry place, so it came back to land on Noah’s outstretched hand. A week later he released the dove again and this time it came back with an olive leaf in its beak. Hope at last! Trees were growing somewhere on bare ground. A week later he released the dove once more and it did not come back.

What news for the family! The dove has found a place to rest. But the saturated ground was not yet dry enough to go out of the ark. Talk about a test in patience! Ten and a half months they had been in that boat. Finally Noah took the cover off the boat. I’m not sure if it was a section of the roof somewhere or just the very center piece, but what a day! To smell fresh air instead of animal dung! I’m sure the family climbed to the roof of the great ship to feast their eyes on the vistas of a renewed earth.

But, oh the earth they looked upon was not the earth they had known. Gone were the lush trees, green growth and gently rolling hills. What they saw were jagged mountain tops, stark rocks and barren ridges. Far below they could see green valleys and not too far down the mountains were saplings just beginning their journey into the sky. There were patches of green here and there, but smoking volcanoes could be seen in the distance and the air was heavy and dark with ash and smoke. There were dark clouds and spattering rain and the earth still shook now and then. Rocks rolled down the mountains and once in a while the roar of a landslide could be heard as tremors shook the ground. The earth was pulling herself back together after the great upheaval of the flood. However, two more months went by before the saturated ground was dry enough to go out. One year they had been locked in that dark boat!

At last the door of the Redemption boat was opened! God told Noah to release all the animals and leave the boat. The day had to be gorgeous! The clouds parted and the sun shone through, perhaps the first time in over a year. What singing Noah’s family must have done! I would have been shouting Hallelujah! Praise to the King! And dancing all the way down the ramp.

The birds perched on the sides of the ark and flew in the air, singing in celebration. Animals, large and small, pair by pair scuttled, ran, walked and hopped down that ramp and on to a new earth. A cleansed and renewed earth. They flowed out and spread abroad looking for fresh food and nesting areas. I can just see a colt running with tail in the air and lambs dancing in circles.

Only the dogs stayed near as the family reverently walked down the ramp. Okay, maybe they ran and danced! When their feet touched dry earth maybe they knelt and kissed it. Then they danced in circles as the dogs yipped and leaped about. They raised their hands singing to their Lord and Savior! They were alive! They were saved! They were redeemed!

Then Noah built an altar and worshiped his God. A rainbow of many splendid colors appeared in the sky as Noah and his family knelt before their Creator and Savior. (from Genesis 8 NLT)

I know this message has been a bit harsh, but hell is harsh, very harsh. However there is hope! Not just hope as in hoping for, but hope as in knowing and waiting. Hope as in looking forward to something glorious. A blessed hope in Jesus!

There is redemption! As the earth was purged of sin and washed clean by the flood you can be washed by the Blood. The blood of Jesus purges us of sin and washes our black souls clean, like white snow.

God said to Noah, “I will never again destroy all living things or curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent towards evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things.” (from Gen. 8:21 NLT)

You see He knows how bad we are. He sees all our sins and our bent for evil. He is a righteous God, who can not tolerate evil. He can not be near sin. And yet He loves each one of us. He gave us a way of redemption just as He gave Noah the ark.

He gave us Jesus.

He made a rainbow that day as the sun shone through the rain-soaked clouds. A splendid bow of colors arched across the stark mountains. A tiny taste of the spectacular land He has made for His children. His Home and His Kingdom.

He gave the rainbow as a sign that He will never destroy the earth with a flood again. He gives us the cross where His Son died and shed blood for our sins. Where that very bent for evil inside each one of us is forgiven. Where our debt of sin is paid. The penalty for sin is death, but Jesus paid that price. Jesus shed blood in our place. Jesus took the sins of each one of us on His shoulders and will burry them deep, if we but ask.

All you need to do is accept Him as your Savior and ask forgiveness for your sins. He washes them all away just like the flood cleansed the earth. God gave us the cross all we need do is lay our every burden at the feet of Jesus.

God gave Noah the rainbow as a hope for life on earth. He gives us the cross as a hope for eternal life in His Glory.

For you see, one day this earth will be destroyed, not by water but by fire. Then there will be a new earth and all evil will be wiped away forever and ever. Heaven and Earth will be one and God will make His dwelling with mankind. And you and I who are His will be with Him in paradise where there is no pain, no tears, no death, for ever and ever.

“Now I saw a new Heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and earth had passed away. Then I saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God. And a loud voice proclaimed, “The tabernacle of God is with men. He will dwell with them and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, no sorrow, no crying. There shall be no more pain for the former things have passed away.” (Revelations 21:1-4)

Amen! And AMEN!

Posted in Ark, Global flood, Hope dawns, New earth, Noah, Noah's flood, Rainbow, Rainbow of promise, Renewal, Renewed, Wash your sins away | Tagged Ark, boat, Flood, Global flood, Glory, Rainbow of promise, Redemption, Salvation, washed clean, white as snow | 2 Comments

REDEMPTION SERIES 6

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Wendy Kleker

SALVATION

“Now I saw Heaven opened and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True. In righteousness He judges and makes war on evil. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelations 19:11,16)

Rain pounded on the roof of the ark. Noah and his family huddled together against a wall on the third deck. Tears ran down their faces, but no one said a word. Since the first tidal wave, no human cries were heard outside the salvation boat. Several more giant waves had hit, rocking and shaking the ship. They knew their friends and family were gone. Forever.

Noah braved a peek out the small window and was astounded at what he saw.

The lowlands below were washed clean of houses or any sign of life. Birds flew in the sky and the din of bird cries filled the air, but no sign of life could Noah see on the land.

No animals, no people. The land was washed clean, as if life had never existed on the face of the earth.

The sea was encroaching on the land, and before his very eyes, it crawled to the base of the hills. Inside the ark all was silent; nothing moved no one made a sound. The floor Noah stood on shook mightily nearly knocking him off his feet. A might roar coming from the sea was growing louder.

Noah’s eyes perceived what he could not comprehend. A mighty wave, much higher than the first, was roaring towards land. The wall of dark water towered so high it blotted out all light causing the world to be like the darkness of night. It was like God’s entire wrath and vengeance was piled in that terrible wave as it bore down on earth.

Noah slammed the window shut and knelt on the floor with his family.

“God above have mercy on us, Your children!” Noah cried in a wavering voice.

The roar filled the air like nothing they had heard. We would say it sounded like a freight train bearing down on the boat. The earth shook. The ship creaked and groaned.

The water pounded against the side of the great ship and it tilted with loud screeches. Noah threw his arms around his family. Would it hold? Had they built it right? The giant boat rocked back and shuttered. Oh had God changed His mind and decided to wipe them off the earth also?

The shaking quit. As if on a cushion of air the huge ship began to move. It swayed from side to side like a cradle.

“It’s floating!” Someone said, “we’re moving.”

Before Noah had a chance to look out the window another wave rolled in. The boat rocked drastically, tipping way over to the side. Creaking and groaning it lurched back. Pallets and crates slid across the floor. The dogs crept in close to the family whimpering. The cat scudded into the dark corner. Below a sheep baaed and a bird screeched.

And so they rode the mighty waves. Sometimes the huge boat careened into the gullies and sometimes it climbed the tall mountainous waves. For 40 days and 40 nights it poured torrents of rain, geysers spurted from inside the earth and the flood waters rose higher and higher.

“Finally the water covered even the highest mountains on the earth. Rising more than 22 feet above the highest peaks!” (Gen. 7:17-19)

After the first few days, the waters calmed and the boat drifted on gentle swells. The ship was built to float and drift, the weight and shape keeping it steady in the water.

There was not a lot of time for the family to get bored since they had a whole boat load of animals to feed and water. Some of the larger ones slept but many needed daily care. All had been planned out well. The rain filled the cisterns with water, which was probably piped to the decks. I would think they carted hay and grain to the animals from the upper deck. The animals probably did not eat a lot, being sedentary and kept quiet by an instinct to be calm when in confinement. Many animals have that instinct still today.

One day Noah ventured a look out the window. His eyes widened as he stared at nothing! Nothing but water as far as he could see. Can you imagine what it would feel like to know you were the only living people on the face of the earth? To know that God had wiped out thousands of lives all because they refused Him?

“All living things on earth died! All animals—-all the people. Everything that breathed and lived on dry land died. God wiped out every living thing on earth–people, livestock, small animals that curry along the ground and the birds of the sky. All were destroyed.

The only people who survived were Noah and those with him in the boat.” (Gen. 7:21-23 NLT)

Jesus came into the world the first time not to judge but to save. Don’t be fooled! There will come a time when He will come with power and in glory. Like lightening flashing across the sky, from horizon to horizon, bright, blinding, continuous, He will come. With millions of angels, Jesus, the Conquering King will descend from Heaven. He will sit upon His glorious throne.

All nations will be gathered in His presence and He will separate the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at His left. He will judge. Just like the flood. The sinful, the ones who refuse Him will go into eternal punishment. But the righteous, His followers, will go into eternal life. (from Math. 24:27, 25:31-33, 46 NLT)

Jesus said, “You can enter God’s kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad and its gate wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to Life is very narrow and the road is difficult and only a few find it.” (Math. 7:13-14 NLT)

God’s path is not always easy. The road is difficult, the way is steep, there is much training in this life to endure, but it is the way to eternal Life in Glory. The gate to life eternal with the Almighty King is narrow much like the door to the ark.

Friends, enter the narrow gate, walk through that small door into the ark of salvation. Accept Jesus as your savior and be saved. Walk on His roadway no matter how tough, no matter how steep the grade, keep to the course. “The one who endures to the end will be saved.”

So Jesus said speaking of the end times: “Nation will go to war against nation, kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

Then you will be arrested, persecuted and killed. You will be hated over the world because you are My followers. And many will turn away from Me to betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

The good news about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world so that all nations will hear it. Then the end will come.” Mathew 24:7-14 NLT

Come Jesus Come!

(Does this sound familiar? I wrote this three years ago and some these things were going on then, but now they are even more prevalent. This is happening now, my friends! We are experiencing the birth pains, so it seems. The end may be near. There is even more urgency now. Please don’t wait to turn to Jesus. He is your only hope, your ONLY salvation. Believers, there is no longer a fence to walk. We are either for Him or against Him. There is NO middle ground.)

Posted in Ark, Beleive, Global flood, narrow gate, Noah, Noah's flood, Redemption, Salvation, The end, Tidal Wave | Tagged gateway to Life, Global flood, Jesus conquering King, Jesus is coming, Judgement, Narrow way, Noah, Noah's flood, Salvation, The end, The Judge, Tidal Wave | 1 Comment

REDEMPTION SERIES 5

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Wendy Kleker

THE SHAKING

“See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from Heaven, whose voice shook the earth.” Hebrews 12:25

The shaking began deep in the core of the earth. Shock waves vibrated through the rocks, pounding the surface. Cracks began to open all over the face of the earth. Pressure built in the core. Tremors of growing magnitude spread around the globe. A low rumbling could be heard as the earth groaned.

In the middle of the sea, the ocean floor split open all around the earth. Hot lava spewed out of this giant fissure, causing the sea to boil and roil. Shock waves pounded the earth’s surface. Waves began to build and pile on top of each other. The sea surged as the land heaved. The earth rolled and shook.

Huge tsunami waves formed in the middle of the ocean and began rolling towards the land. They grew taller as they moved at lightening speed.

Noah felt the tremors as he lay sleeping on his pallet. The tremors became shaking and the ark shifted. Sitting up he listened to the ominous quiet. Nary was a sound heard from the animals in the boat. Every single creature was totally silent and still as if holding its breath.

Then the roaring reached his ears. A rumble that came from deep in the earth. Shock waves hit the ark as it shuttered and groaned. The gentle rain on the roof became a roar of pounding water.

Jumping up, Noah ran to the small window he had made on the third deck and opened the small wooden door. Peering out he saw rocks rolling down the hills and trees swaying.

“It’s started!” he yelled to his family. “Shem run down and make sure the door is still sealed! Ham and Japheth check the animals. Make everything secure!”

His sons ran down the ramp to the lower decks. “The door is tight and sealed!” Shem soon yelled.

“Animals are all in their stalls and sitting tight!” Ham called.

The women extinguished the fire in the stove and secured all moveable belongings. The three young men came back to join the frightened women huddled together on the heaving floor, as Noah continued to watch the world fall apart.

Cracks opened up and he saw whole hills disappear inside them. In the lower country, houses and barns collapsed into huge cracks. The shaking was so bad now, it was hard to stay standing. Lanterns swayed, pallets slid across the floor. Noah watched with his jaw dropping as buildings tumbled and trees fell. Huge fissures opened up and geysers shot into the air.

The rain became a torrent so he could barely see and the floor he stood on moved constantly. Way out at sea Noah thought he saw something dark and high, moving closer. His eyes grew large when he realized it was a wall of water. The huge wall blotted out the rising sun. Faster than the swiftest horse, this dark, wall bore down on the shore. As tall as a three story building, it towered over the land. The roar of the giant wave was deafening to his ears.

Then Noah heard the cries. He saw the people in the low ground below the ark, running. Running out of the homes that were still standing. With robes flapping, running across fields and sand. Some falling, some were swallowed up in fissures that suddenly opened. Animals running for the high ground. Parents carrying small children. Old people falling, many stumbling from the shaking, but all running. Running towards the hills, towards the high ground, towards the safety of the ark. But Noah knew it was too late.

Noah clung to the window ledge, his knees buckling at the sight of friends, neighbors and family scrambling up the low hills. Crawling and clawing to higher ground, as the huge wall of roiling water roared towards the land.

He saw it hit the shore and crash over the remaining buildings. Then it bulldozed over the lower hills. Covering the people. Shutting off their cries forever.

Noah shut the window.

“God save us!” he cried as he joined his family huddled against a wall. The ark shuddered and groaned as the first wave hit the base.

“Yet once more I shake, not only the earth, but also Heaven.” Hebrews 12:26

The shaking has started, my friends, and it is not the first, but it will be the last. People of the flood heard a voice on earth, Noah’s voice, but did not heed. They refused to believe. They did not escape God’s judgment, the flood.

John the Baptist said of Jesus, “He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with His winnowing fork.”

Have you ever seen threshing like this? The ancient way to winnow the wheat was to toss the heads into the air with a large fork. The light chaff blew away on the wind, or fell to the floor and the wheat fell into a bin. A shaking, to shake the wheat so hard the useless is tossed out.

“Then He will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into the barn, but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” Mathew 3:12

Yes the shaking has begun and possibly the sweeping of the barn. The first shaking was the flood, and all who refused Him all who did not heed the warning were removed. Not only removed from the face of the earth, but from God’s presence forever.

This is a tough one to write. It would be so hard to see your friends and family running and scrambling for safety and hearing their cries for help knowing it is too late.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Walking the fence is refusing Jesus. The fence will be removed. It does matter if you dip your toe into the sin of the world. It makes a huge difference for just one person to stand firm; to follow God closely; to walk in close fellowship with Jesus. Even if you are the only one walking that path.

Don’t wait until the door is slammed shut. Until your eyes close in death and you hear the great Judge say, “Depart from Me for I did not know you.”

Don’t wait! Don’t flirt with evil. Don’t laugh away the warnings. Don’t shrug off God’s voice speaking perhaps through your friend. Hell is not a fun place. Hell is not good. Hell is devoid all that is good and has only evil. Hell is everything that is evil and darkness. It is torment for ever and ever!

Do not refuse Him who speaks from His word. You will not escape. Accept Jesus today. He is calling your name.

Those who know Him, stand firm. Stand for Him, not against Him and not on the fence. He will shake and He will winnow. Some will remain and some will fall away and be burned. See that you remain. See that you are in the boat!

“Be strong all you people of the land, and work, for I am with you! Says the Lord of hosts. My Spirit remains among you, do not fear!

Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land. I will shake all nations and they will come to The Desire of All Nations. I will fill this temple with glory. Says the Lord of hosts.” from Haggai 2:4-7

Last summer, a storm moving in

Posted in Ark, Beleive in the Son of God, Believe, Flood, Get on board, Global flood, Jesus calls you out of darkness, Lost, Noah, Noah's flood, Shaking, Tidal Wave | Tagged Ark, Beleive, boat, Flood, flooding, Global flood, Jesus calls, Noah, quake, shake, ship, Tidal Wave, tsunami wave, waves | 4 Comments

REDEMPTION SERIES 4

Posted on February 6, 2016 by Wendy Kleker

THE LAST CHANCE

“After seven days the waters of the flood came and covered the earth. When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the underground waters erupted from the earth and rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky.”Genesis 10-11NLT

Seven long days they waited in the dim interior of the boat. Isn’t it interesting that it took God 7 days to create the earth, the universe and all life on the earth, and He also waited 7 days before destroying all living things on the face of the earth?

All the animals, two of each kind, seven of the clean animals, the ones used for sacrifice and later for food, were in the ship. Noah and his family, eight people were on board and God closed the door and sealed it. No one else could get in.

Then they waited seven days with nothing happening except maybe a pitter-patter of rain on the roof. Was it a time to give the people a chance to repent? To turn to God? To give up their wicked ways? Maybe.

Like the city of Nineveh when Jonah preached and said, “In 40 days Nineveh will be utterly destroyed and all life wiped out.”

Then the people believed in God. The king made a decree that all people should turn from their evil ways and cry mightily to God. “For who can tell if God will relent and turn from His mighty anger, so we will not perish?” (from Jonah 3:1-9)

Low and behold if God did relent! “He saw they turned from evil ways and relented from the disaster He had said He would bring upon them. And He did NOT do it!” (Jonah 3:10)

Could it be if the people on earth would have tuned from their wicked ways that God would have relented? Maybe if ten people had turned to God He would’ve not brought the disaster. We won’t ever know because no one believed and turned to God.

I can imagine they laughed and jeered at Noah and his family. Can you hear the jokes told around the dinner table?

“We wanted a zoo so we built a boat around Noah and some animals!” Or how about the betting going on, “I bet you ten bucks he’ll stay in there a whole month! Whacha say, huh?”

Oh yeah, I’m sure every time they saw that huge ship perched on the hills, they shook their heads and laughed. Deep belly laughs and thigh slapping guffaws. How could anyone be so stupid? Hearing a voice from Heaven, Ha! Destroying the earth with a flood! Ho! Who is this God anyway? And what’s all this water dripping from the sky?

Seven days and the sky drizzled ominous rain. The ark settled and creaked. The animals shuffled around restlessly each making their noises. Can you imagine the din? I can just see a monkey swinging from the rafters, screeching, then dropping down to share in a meal with the humans. I can imagine birds swooping through the air and hear the loud squawking of a brightly colored parrot.

Noah and his family went about the daunting business of feeding and watering the animals, stopping to listen now and then, waiting and wondering. Was it really going to happen? Was there really going to be a flood or were the others right? Maybe Noah’s wife stared daggers at him. Could be his daughter-in-laws whispered amongst themselves about how crazy Noah was to shut them away in a dark, stuffy boat claiming a flood was coming. Yet nothing was happening. Nothing at all. Except what was this water dripping from the sky?

Seven days when God gave the world another chance. Seven days when God held His breath and His anger simmered. Yet the storm was building. Dark clouds formed on the horizon, black ominous clouds like no one had ever seen.

The firmament wept. The animals sought shelter. Deep inside its core, the earth trembled. Yet the people laughed and made their jeers and went about their life as usual.

At the dawn of the eight day, the earth began to shake.

Don’t miss the last chance. Come to Jesus before the door is sealed. Believe in Him before the testing begins. Accept His salvation, turn to Him before God pours His wrath on the world. Don’t be found eating and making jokes at the wrong table. The shaking has begun, be ready to go. Keep your eyes on the sky for the King is coming on high!

For 7 years God will pour His wrath upon the sinful world. It will be a time of testing, a time of tribulation, a terrible time when God will allow sin and Satan to reign on earth. A time when God will pound the earth with His wrath, both naturally and supernaturally. Seven years when He will give sinful man one more chance to repent and turn to Him, before the final judgment when all who are against God will be sent to eternal torment.

Don’t miss the boat. Don’t wait until the door is closed. Don’t wait, you may not have a second chance. Come to Jesus now before it is too late.

Jesus said, “When the Son of Man (Jesus) returns it will be like it was in the days of Noah. In those days before the flood, people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings, right up to the time Noah entered his boat.

People did not realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.

Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill, one will be taken, the other left.

So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.” Mathew 24:27-41

Posted in Ark, Get on board, Global flood, God saved the world through one man, Noah, Noah's flood, Shaking | Tagged Ark, earthquake, Flood, Noah, Noah's flood, Shaking | 1 Comment

REDEMPTION SERIES 3

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Wendy Kleker

GET ON BOARD

“God’s light came into the world but the people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.” John 3:19

The door of the ark closed with a bang. The echoes vibrated in the darkness. Animal noises of all kinds filled the large ship.

On the third deck, just below the small opening that ran along the eves, Noah and his family waited and listened to the gentle pitter, patter on the roof above them. What was this water dripping from the sky? It had started just as they were walking up the ramp to the door.

Noah glanced around at the family’s meager belongings. They had lanterns, pallets to sleep on, a fire in a large iron stove to cook on, wood to burn, pots and pans and all the things eight people needed to live in this small space for an extended period of time. How long would they be there? Noah had no idea, but surely it wouldn’t be too long. How would they and all these animals survive an extended time in such a confining area?

The rest of the top deck was for food storage for them and the animals. Noah only hoped they had enough. God had instructed him to store plenty of food. For years the whole family had grown, harvested and loaded grain, dried grass and other food supplies onto the big boat. For water, there was the big cistern in the bowels of the ship. Noah prayed there would be enough of this stuff falling from the sky to keep it full.

A daunting job to build a ship the size of an ocean liner by hand. Most men would have given up, but not Noah. He tenaciously kept on working year after year, putting up one gopher wood board at a time. Using knowledge he had acquired in 500+ years of life and talking to friends who were ship builders, he followed the Lord’s instructions.

He and his sons had worked every day for many years on the huge ship perched way up in the hills above the coast and near the trees. Working while their friends and neighbors jeered and taunted. Working as their family walked away laughing and shaking their heads. The huge boat took shape, long, rectangular, three decks tall, it was built only for drifting and staying afloat.

Then the day came when the animals began wondering in, moseying along, scampering, hopping and slithering. They just appeared, like someone was leading them, stopping now and then to graze then walking calmly up the plank and into the dark belly of the giant ark.

Noah shook his head remembering the steady stream of creatures, two by two, male and female of each kind. Even the dinosaurs came and his eyes had widened at the large long necked pair who ambled up the ramp. Would they fit in the large compartment God had instructed him to make, the one that had no ceiling? He laughed to himself, he should never doubt God. Of course the pair had fit since they were young, as many of the animals were, and small for their kind. But would there be enough food for those large stomachs? The pair of large dragons, as they were possibly called back then, had promptly laid down with their long necks curled around their bodies and fell asleep. Would they stay asleep the whole trip? That would certainly solve the problem of feeding them.

People came from miles around and stood watching with wonder as the many animals filed out of the forests, hills, and shores and into the mammoth ship. Even birds flew in and perched on the rafters and walls. There were more kinds of animals than Noah knew existed, yet they all fit in the large boat, each pair going to a compartment with only gentle direction from one of the Noah’s sons. Some of the larger animals laying down and falling asleep right away.

Then the flow stopped. God told Noah, “Come into the ark, you and your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.” (Gen. 7:1) So Noah, his wife, Shem, Ham, Japheth and their wives walked slowly up the ramp to the yawning opening of the ark. They looked at the people gathered below and tears flowed down their faces.

Can you imagine walking up that plank gazing into the faces of your friends and family knowing they would all perish? Knowing you would never see them again?

“Come with us!” They pleaded. “Get on board and be saved!”

As his family filed through the cavern-like opening, to be swallowed by the huge hunkering ship, Noah stopped and turned around. Raising his arms to the crowd below, he called one last time, “Just believe and come with us! Trust God and be saved! Get on board!”

But to no avail. Loved ones, family members, life-long friends only laughed and shook their heads. Oh the foolishness and folly of Noah’s family to spend years building a huge boat miles from any water, believing a flood was coming to wipe out all mankind. Ha! A flood! Where would all the water come from? What was going to cause this flood? And what was this water dripping from the sky?

Why should we give up our lives as we know it and board a dirty, smelly, dark ship marooned miles from the sea?

Don’t miss the boat!

Jesus is the Light of the world. He came into the world and the world knew Him not. He came into the world not to judge the world but to save the world. Its when He comes to earth the second time that He will judge mankind.

Jesus is the boat! He is our salvation. Believe in Jesus, accept Him as your savior, ask Him to forgive your sins, confess Him as Lord, make Him boss of your life.

Jesus is calling you. “Come! Believe, be saved.”

Get on Board! Before the flood comes!

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. John 3:18

Posted in Ark, Believe, Flood, Get on board, God saved the world through one man, Jesus calls you out of darkness, Jesus is the Light, Noah, Preacher of Righteousness, Redemption, Salvation | Tagged animals, Ark, boat, Flood, Jesus, Light of the world, Noah, Redemption, Salvation, saved, ship, Son of God, two by two | 2 Comments

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