"Easter -- A Season For God And Family" By Rev. Barbara Sexton Dear Ones Healing Ministry

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Dear Ones:

     We live in a hustling, bustling 'work-a-day' world...And it's not always easy to take time to 'smell the daffodils and tulips'.

     But today is a special day.  Today is the most important day for Christians all over the world, because it heralds the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus.

     We take time out from our busy lives today to worship and spend the day with family and friends.

     We pray, we hunt for eggs, have fun with the children, enjoy a wonderful Easter meal together....And, more likely than not, eat way more chocolate than we ought to!

     Yet, amid all this 'fun', there are times when true 'spiritual breakthroughs' occur, for the very fabric of this day lends itself to discussions and meditations of all that is God-breathed.

     In fact, Easter is a time when some may even decide that they wish to be baptized.
     And here I have some interesting information for you:  Did you know that any baptized Christian may baptize another with 'full authority'?  It's true.
  (Disclaimer: I realize that certain denominations do not consider laity to be 'qualified' in this regard, except in emergencies, and that certain denominations and individuals do not feel that a 'woman' (myself) is qualified to be clergy and speak as I do, but for those who are other-minded, please read on.)
 

The Great Commission

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mt 28:16-20 (NIV)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+28&version=NIV

 

     My message to you is this:  one need not necessarily use 'Jordon River water' to baptize a person seized by the Spirit of the Lord and asking for a fellow Believer to baptize them.

     Any Believer may take pure water and 'bless it' for Holy use and then proceed to use it to 'baptize'.

     ALL Christian Believers are qualified and, are indeed, 'commanded' to GO FORTH and baptize others in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit!

     From a 'private baptism' in a family bathroom on Easter Day to a heart-wrenching, yet life-affirming one performed in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) on a precious infant in an 'Isolette' (using sterile water and a sterile eye-dropper), one never knows when the need to baptize may appear.

     So, dear ones, if someone should ever ask you to baptize them, proudly proclaim your 'authority' as a Believer and do it!

     Whether it be a 'normal day', at an 'accident scene' or other disaster or when clergy are simply unavailable, step up and fulfill that request.

       Do it and live, so that the person you baptize can 'live', just as Christ lives and bids us to be his 'hands, feet and hearts' on this earth.

May Your Easter Be Especially Blessed,

Rev. Barb

www.DearOnesHealingMinistry.blogspot.com 

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"It's Easter And We Are Blessed" By Rev. Barbara Sexton Dear Ones Healing Ministry

It's Easter and we know we are blessed...
for Christ has arisen!



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"Today Is Good Friday" By Rev. Barbara Sexton Dear Ones Healing Ministry

courtesy www.witnessed.wordpress.com

courtesy www.theChristianwallpapers.com

courtesy www.theChristianwallpapers.com

           But before the Glory, there shall be pain...

"Christians Are Still Being Crucified This Holy Thursday" By Rev. Barbara Sexton Dear Ones Healing Ministry

courtesy http://hiswordinpictures.blogspot.com.au

 Dear Ones:

     Tonight is the night we celebrate 'The Last Supper', and we do this in remembrance of Christ on the night before he is arrested, prosecuted, sentenced and crucified. 
     For those who live in a place where they are free to practice Christianity in relative peace and safety, let us give thanks that they are free to worship. 
     Yet, as we reflect this Easter-tide, may we also be acutely aware of and remember Christians in parts of the world where they are persecuted, tortured, reviled and literally crucified, themselves, to this day. 
     And so we pray:

  
Dear Heavenly Father:
      We come to you this Holy Thursday with heavy hearts, as we remember what befell our beloved Jesus. 
     Yet we can't help wondering how different our lives would be, had you not allowed your Son to be sacrificed for us.  Who would 'lead' us?  Who would sustain us and give us hope in the world today? 
     We thank you, Father and are very grateful for this day of remembrance and humility, even though this night anoints us with great sadness. 
     Please reconcile this for us, Lord, so that we can best serve you.
Please give our hearts more courage and understanding as we celebrate today's Last Supper in remembrance of our Lord. 
     It grieves us that in this day and age, there are those who are yet so very persecuted for worshiping our Savior and that Christians are still being crucified.

courtesy www.GospelGifs.com  God Bless Jim Sutton

     Thus, we pray for all Christians, near and far.  God, shield them and frustrate their tormentors.      Remembering that our brother Jesus will return, we are at peace as we await upon this. 
     We pray these things in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
AMEN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Brothers & Sisters:
     I believe that those who die at the hands of Christianophobes all over the globe shall receive a special place in Heaven.
     They shall be close to our Heavenly Father, Jesus, Mary, and all the Saints and with kith and kin through the ages who, also, fought and died for that 'carpenter's boy'.
     So let us be fearless today and ever more, as we await the final return and a joyous reunion. 
     Be of good cheer this holy night, dear ones, even in the darkness of this night.

With Love in Christ,
Rev. Barbara Sexton
www.DearOnesHealingMinistry.blogspot.com

"Maundy Thursday Blessings To You" From Rev. Barbara Sexton Dear Ones Healing Ministry

courtesy http://www.thechristianwallpapers.com

courtesy http://hiswordinpictures.blogspot.com.au

"A Blessed Palm Sunday Healing Message For You" From Rev. Barbara Sexton Dear Ones Healing Ministry

above courtesy http://www.praytherosaryapostolate.com/palmsunday.htm

Dear Ones:
     I relay to you a most heartfelt Palm Sunday greeting with a message of healing for you during this Holy Week.
     Palm Sunday is, traditionally, a day of 'triumph'.  It heralds a joyous reception of our Savior Jesus, replete with cheers and shouts of joy as he passes by the crowd.
     But, even with all the happiness this day brings, there is an undercurrent of not only sadness, but of anticipation and even 'dread', as well.
     Those who know this Gospel story, know that Jesus will soon be arrested, sentenced and crucified before long.
     So, too, do our modern day Christian celebrations sometimes become 'marred' and mired in sadness as relatives and friends, of different denominations (or of no denomination at all, meaning agnostics and atheists) gather for holidays like Easter and Christmas.
     We know that no matter how much 'joyous fun' we are supposed to have, there is bound to be a 'thing or two' that sets our loved ones 'on edge' and causes strife during the holidays.
     Sometimes, the controversial subject causing discord is interpersonal in nature.
     But, sometimes, religious and denominational differences also rear their heads and this is where my message comes in.
     It is this:  when loved ones debate about 'interdenominational differences', remember that, in Christ, there is only one way.
     And that is the Way of Jesus!
¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not treat prophecies with contempt ²¹ but test them all; hold on to what is good, ²² reject every kind of evil."   1Thessalonians 5:19-22  (NIV)
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Thessalonians+5&version=NIV 
     So my suggestion for you this Easter, however you choose, as a Christian, to celebrate it with family and friends is this:
     Celebrate that which you hold sacred in common.  Cast aside that which divides you.  And, above all, remember to 'celebrate the good' this Easter.
     Yes, Holy Week is rift with agonizing sadness.
     But, like a spring bulb hunkering just below the surface of sweet dirt, we know that we are on the brink of 'witnessing' the amazing Resurrection of Christ.
     It's spectacular, it's a wonderment and we stand in awe of spring life, and in awe of eternal life.
With Love in Christ,
Rev. Barbara Sexton
www.DearOnesHealingMinistry.blogspot.com

courtesy www.GospelGifs.com

"Happy Shrove Tuesday & Mardi Gras To You!" From Rev. Barbara Sexton Dear Ones Healing Ministry

courtesy http://hipish.free.fr/graphics/holiday_comments/mardi_gras/?p=2

"Blue Pointe Shoes" By Rev. Barbara Sexton Dear Ones Healing Ministry

These ballet photos are for your personal, non-commercial use.  COLLECT THEM ALL--as wallpapers, for crafts, for slide shows on your pc, etc.  A LINK-BACK to www.DearOnesHealingMinistry.blogspot.com would be greatly appreciated!  All Lenten Blessings to you, Love-Rev. Barb       Questions/comments: email BarbaraKSexton@aol.com

"Pretty Yellow Pointes-FREE WALLPAPER" By Rev. Barbara Sexton Dear Ones Healing Ministry

This FREE BALLET WALLPAPER is for your personal, non-commercial use.  COLLECT THEM ALL!  A link-back to www.DearOnesHealingMinistry.blogspot.com would be appreciated.  Love, Rev. Barb

"Ash Wednesday-The First Day of Lent" By Rev. Barbara Sexton Dear Ones Healing Ministry

 

courtesy www.TurnBackToGod.com

Dear Ones:

     Today is Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of 'Lent'.  Lent is a period of 40 days during which time Christian believers typically 'give up something' as a spiritual reminder or 'act of devotion' to help them 'focus' on God in Christ during this time.

     Some Christians 'do something' (i.e. volunteer work, of some kind) in lieu of abstaining from something.  The point is to 'honor that which is much larger than our individual selves'.

     We become 'unified' in all the world at this time.   As a 'body of believers', we strongly remember that we are 'one' in the 'Body of Christ'...not just today, but on each day of the year, of course.  But this time is definitely special for us.

     Incidentally, the 'Sunday's of Lent do not 'count' as one of those '40 days of Lent', for each 'Sunday' of Lent is considered to be a 'little Easter'.

     It seems that even during a time of 'self-denial', the Lord gives us 'constant reminders' of the glory that awaits each of us regarding the 'Resurrection Story'!

     Whether or not a Christian continues to deny him or herself on these 'Sundays of Lent' is a matter of individual discernment.  If your heart has a question, pray on it and you will receive your answer at once.

     But the Kingdom of Christ, of course, is more than a collection of mere 'rules and regulations' and of 'does and don'ts'.  In fact, rich tradition colors all the days of our liturgical lives.

     For example, Christianity is replete with 'numerical significances' and in overlying 'themes', such as the 40 years of the Israelites in the desert:

^"35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan."  Ex 16:35  (NIV)

the 40 days and nights during which Elijah fled to Horeb bolstered by an 'angelic meal':

 "⁷ The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” ⁸ So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. ⁹ There he went into a cave and spent the night."   1Kings 19:7-9  (NIV)

^{the 40 days that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness:}

 ^"1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted^[a] by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”  Matthew 4:1-3  (NIV)

among others examples where the number '40' figures prominently, as it does during Lent.

     I am not suggesting that anyone become overly-focused on 'numbers in the Bible'...but, rather, that we can enjoy our shared foundation with generations past, with an eye towards those believers yet to be born on this earth--our children, our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren!

     If your faith life does not ordinarily include a Lenten commitment, won't you join us this year?

     Won't you join us on this 'faith journey' as we travel onwards towards the blessed triumph known as Easter?

I pray you do!

Love, Rev. Barb

Rev. Barbara Sexton

"The Biblical Biochemist-Where Science Meets the Cross"

www.DearOnesHealingMinistry.blogspot.com

 www.ChristianImageSource.com

"Have A Blessed Ash Wednesday" By Rev. Barbara Sexton Dear Ones Healing Ministry

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"The Story Of Mardi Gras" By Rev. Barbara Sexton Dear Ones Healing Ministry

The Story Of Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras came to New Orleans through its French heritage in 1699. Early explorers celebrated this French Holiday on the banks of the Mississippi River. Throughout the years, Orleanians have added to the celebration by establishing krewes (organizations) which host parades and balls. Carnival quickly became an exciting holiday for both children and adults.

Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" and of course is celebrated on that day of the week. The date can fall between February 3 and March 9 depending on the Lunar calendar, used by the Catholic Church to determine the date of Easter. Mardi Gras is always 47 days before Easter Sunday.

Read the rest here:  http://www.holidays.net/mardigras/story2.htm

"King Cake For Mardi Gras-What Is It?" By Rev. Barbara Sexton Dear Ones Healing Ministry

King Cake (ABOVE)

Read about it here: http://www.holidays.net/mardigras/cake.htm

"The History Of Mardi Gras-Carnival" By Rev. Barbara Sexton Dear Ones Healing Ministry

The history of Mardi Gras-read it here: http://www.holidays.net/mardigras/story.htm

"Just the name Mardi Gras conjures up images of drunken, bead-wearing revelers dancing through the streets of New Orleans. But how, and when, did this huge mid-winter party get started? Here's a look at the history of Mardi Gras throughout the ages and across the nations.

Historians tell us that the ancient Romans probably kicked off the Mardi Gras celebrations. Their mid-February festival known as Lupercalia honored the god Lupercus, alternately known as the god of fertility and the god of agriculture and pastoral shepherds. In either case, his party definitely had Mardi Gras-like qualities, including days of feasting and drinking. And a little enjoying the "pleasures of the flesh", probably, too -- in fact, the term Carnival, often synonymous with Mardi Gras, is derived from the Latin expression meaning "farewell to the flesh." Read the rest here:
The history of Mardi Gras-read it here: http://www.holidays.net/mardigras/story.htm