TJIFA’S BOOK SHELF:
HOLY BIBLE
We are leaving the Book of Joel. This Prophet’s name means: ‘Jehovah is GOD.’ He prophesied from the southern kingdom of Judah, the City of Jerusalem, according to his writings (v. Joel 3: 20). He evidently was the first of the writing Prophets, and refers to ‘The Day of the Lord’ six times in his text, which is the predominant theme of this book. “That Day” is the Day of the Lord, or the Day of Jehovah. Joel looked down from the mountain of prophesy and saw farther than any other prophet, when he saw ‘The Day of the Lord.’

Joel makes it very clear that it starts with the Great Tribulation Period. It does not include the period that the Church is in the world.
Brief Outline of the Book of Joel:
Chapter 1: – 1-14; A literal local plague of locus
Chapter 1:15 to Chapter 2; Looking to the Day of the Lord. (Prelude)
Chapter 3: Looking Back. (Postlude)

On the Bible Bus we learn that the plague of locus is a phenomenon that will never be equaled. It is to be told to the generations that follow. There was never one in the past, nor will there ever be in the future a plague to equal the one of which Joel spoke. It is interesting to realize that we must always have a point of reference, and Joel tells the old men to tell the generations that follow that the old men have never seen or heard of this type of destruction, and the young ones should tell their generations that this plague has or never will be duplicated.

Jumping forward to where Jesus is on the mount of Olives, He tells his disciples:
Matthew 24:20-22; (KJV)
20”But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day:
21For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”

Today, we look around and ask the elders, if the Great Depression was the Tribulation, we even ask if the days of this Recession and economy uncertainty is the Great Tribulation; but Dr. McGee puts it well, when he said, “The Lord Jesus said that there is nothing like it in the past. Well, we’ve had times like this in the past, and they can all be duplicated and I have a notion that what we’re in today is going to get worse not better; so that it couldn’t be said that there is nothing like it in the future.”
NOTE: We’re all looking for signs. Why? When a sign slaps you in the face, because it isn’t within your normal way of thinking, you ignore it. When the animals started running for the high ground just before the great waves of the 2007 Tsunami, the owners of the animals tried to coerce them back to their tasks; but the animals knew the strong prompting from within, and they ran for the hills. Our strong prompting and signs are the loud voice of the scripture . . . The Word of GOD. Jesus has told us how to escape the tribulation. In fact, He came and lived an exemplary life so that all you have to do is “ . . .pick up your Cross and follow Me,” but it is easier to follow your foolish friends. We live in finite bodies, and our brains deduct with finite reasoning. If we have never seen or heard of a particular situation; we then, deem it improbable or impossible to accomplish in this life time. The very fact that GOD has withheld the Great Tribulation, we place its actuality in a position of improbability. (Maybe someone misunderstood GOD. Let’s eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow . . . )
TER
REVELATION? IRRITATION AND SUFFERING “Life on earth would not be worth much if every source of irritation were removed. Yet, most of us rebel against the things that irritate us, and count as heavy loss what ought to be rich gain. We’re told that the oyster is wiser, that when an irritating object, like a bit of sand, gets under the mantel of his shell, he simply covers it with the most precious part of his being and makes of it a pearl. The irritation that it was causing is stopped by encrusting it with the pearly formation. A true pearl is THEREFORE simply a victory over irritation. Every irritation that gets into our lives, today, is an opportunity for pearl culture.
The more irritations the devil flings at us the more pearls we may have. We need only to welcome them and cover them completely with love, that most precious part of us and the irritation will be smothered out as the pearl comes into being. What a store of pearls we may have if we will.”
From: “Book on James” by Leamon Strauss
This quotation comes from a man who has suffered and not just a preacher who is giving his theory, according to Dr. J. Vernon McGee. On Radio Broadcast ‘THROUGH THE BIBLE.’
QUICK QUOTES:
“Knowledge is proud that she has learned so much;
Wisdom is humbled that she knows no more.” Author Unknown.
“He that falls into sin is a man.
He that grieves at sin is a Saint.
He that boasts of sin is … a devil” Author Unknown. “The truth of Scripture demolishes speculation.” R.C. Sproul
From: Dr. David Jeremiah’s On Line Newsletter “Turning Point On Line.”
“The purpose of being a Christian, actually is not to be happy, it’s to obey Christ; to love and serve Him, then we’ll be happy. Happiness just happens to be a by-product. That’s all.”
Dr. J.V. McGee – TTB study on the Book of James. “We’re not home yet!” Author unknown Submitted by: BMcC

MILL STONE…FORBID THEM NOT!
JELLY BEANS . . .
One guarantee in your Easter Basket was the faithful ‘Jelly Bean.’ They contributed to the overall weight of the basket thus making it seem like a grassy preponderance of temporary wealth. I remember that when we were very young we’d all have our own individual baskets; and then one year, Mom placed a huge basket in the middle of the table with overwhelming loads of sweet goodness . . . to be shared.
Everyone had their own chocolate (hollow) rabbit, and we had colored the hard boiled eggs the night before, so they also contributed to the weighty wealth of the basket.

Can you imagine children eating the gooey, gooey goodness in those baskets, and thinking of the tomb of Christ? Well, we really didn’t. We were only interested in the type of wealthy goodies in the basket, and how to trade for your favorite, something that didn’t suit your fancy taste. By the second or third day, there was nothing interesting, in the basket, except the jelly beans. All of the chocolate was divided and dispersed. The hard boiled eggs were used in potato salad, or placed in a bowl in the refrigerator to be eaten for breakfast.
After careful scrutiny we knew that the only type of candy left in the large ‘center piece’ basket was jelly beans. The adults seemed to really enjoy reaching into the artificial grass and pulling out colored jelly beans. It was as if they found great pleasure, like fishing for a certain kind and size fish, that they dove into the now languishing basket.
We were blessed to have a wonderful auntie, who watched us when our Mom was out. She loved jelly beans . . . black jelly beans. (Yes, I am going to write this story, because it must be told.)
Our Auntie played the piano, and sang quite beautifully. We loved her. She had gone by the basket and fished for jelly beans. She made the mistake of telling us that she just loved black jelly beans. We, being so fond of our wonderful, happy Auntie, volunteered to find the black jelly beans for her. She agreed. We searched through the artificial grass thoroughly, and found approximately 4 or 5 black jelly beans. When we gave them to Auntie, she would delightfully stop singing for a moment savoring the sweet morsel; but continued to play the piano, smacking and chewing on the jelly beans. She was so happy. We loved our Auntie.
We saw that the black jelly beans were going fast . . . so, search as we did, there were no more. But . . . we had a solution. We began a manufacturing line of . . . Black Jelly Beans.
We loved our Auntie. We had to prepare them quickly, because Auntie was chomping them down with a vengeance. These specialty black jelly beans were tedious to prepare, it was hard for us to keep up with the momentum; but finally the ability to mass produce the sweet beans broke down, and we announced to our Happy Auntie. “Auntie, we ran out of black jelly beans. Do you want a red one, or a green one?”
Dear Auntie replied. “No, the black jelly beans are my favorite. There sure were a lot of black jelly beans in there, and you found all of them. Thank you.”
Our reply, “There were only five black jelly beans left; but we made them.” It seemed as if Auntie became real interested in what we were saying, when we told her that we made the jelly beans. She quizzically asked, “What do you mean that you made them? Don’t you mean that you found them?”
Simultaneously we answered. “No, Auntie, we made them; but we ran out of black crayon.” If I remember correctly, the music stopped, and our favorite Auntie seemed to turn as green as the crayon, with which we were about to start coloring the remaining jelly beans.
NOTE: Our favorite Auntie is still alive and well, she has out lived all of her sisters, and brothers. Her mind is sound, and she still remembers the above situation, and we still laugh. If you really love black jelly beans . . . 1. Buy a bag of all black jelly beans. And 2. Don’t tell your little ones; because they always have crayons.
Have a wonderful and sacred Resurrection Day.
TER

TESTIMONY TIME: “PRAYER IN AMERICA”
Matthew 10:32, 33; (KJV)
32”Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
The following testimony was sent to TJIFA via Internet; and because of its origin, we cannot support the validity of its author. However, the content of this message is so powerful that we wanted to share it with our Readers. TJIFA’S question is; “Are you ashamed of your Creator? Is that why we coward behind limp laws regarding praying in public?”

Jesus said: Mark 8:37,38; (KJV)
37”Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
38Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

PRAYER IN AMERICA
“I don’t believe in Santa Clause, but I’m not going to sue somebody for singing the Ho-Ho-Ho songs in December. I don’t agree with Darwin, but I didn’t go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his ‘theory of evolution.’
Life, Liberty, or your pursuit of happiness will not be in danger because someone says a thirty second prayer before a football game. So what’s the big deal? It’s not like someone is up there reading the entire Book of Acts. They’re just talking to the GOD they believe in and asking Him to grant safety to the players on the field, and to the fans going home from the game. But . . . it’s a Christian Prayer. Yes! And this is the United States of America, a country founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian Churches out-number all others better than 200:1. So what would you expect?
If I go to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear a Jewish Prayer. If I go to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim Prayer. If I go to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone praying to Buddha. This would not offend me, I would not be bothered one bit. When in Rome . . .
What about the Atheist? This is another argument. No one is asking them to be baptized… Just humor us for thirty seconds, and if that’s asking too much, bring a Walkman, or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom, visit the concession stand, or call your lawyer. Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I do not think that a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world’s foundation. Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek, while our courts strip us of all our Rights. Our parents, and Grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to Pray without ceasing. Now, a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying. Dear GOD, help us! . The silent majority has been silent too long It’s time that we tell that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority doesn’t care what they want. It is time that the majority rules. It’s time that we tell them that you don’t have to say the Pledge of Allegiance; you don’t have to believe GOD, or attend services that honor Him; that is your right; and we will honor your rights. But . . . By Golly! You are no longer going to take our Rights away. We’re going to win!
GOD Bless us one and all . . . especially those who denounce Him.
GOD Bless America, despite all of her faults, she is still the greatest Nation. GOD Bless our Service Men who are fighting to protect our Right to Pray and Worship GOD. Let’s make 2010 the year that the Silent Majority is heard and we put GOD back into the foundation of our families and institutions, and our Military Forces come home from all the wars. Keep looking up.
If you agree with this message “Pass it on; but if not, delete it.”
Submitted by: DG
NOTE: This message was edited for TJIFA Readers, and magazine. FRIDAY’S WORD: “SUFFERING”

SUFFERING Enduring undesirable pains and experiences. The Bible does not treat suffering systematically nor philosophically. It relates how people and nations experience suffering in various ways for a variety of reasons. Clearly an understanding of suffering introduces the problem of evil. Suffering follows the entrance of evil into the universe. The Bible does not attempt to explain the origin of evil. It accepts evil and suffering as givens in a fallen and sinful world. The various writers present multiple perspectives on the causes of suffering and how it can be endured.
Old Testament The Semitic mind dealt with concrete situations rather than abstract forms. Their perspective was not to treat the issue of suffering as an intellectual one. The Old Testament writers, accordingly, sought to identify the causes and purposes of suffering when it happened.
The Hebrews regarded suffering as punishment for sin against the divine moral order. The wicked would surely suffer for their evil ways (Pss. 7:15, 16; 37:1-3; 73:12-20; 139:19), even though they might prosper for a time (Job 21:28-33). Some writers expressed consternation that God stayed His hand of judgment against the offenders of His will (Jer. 12:1-4; Hab. 1:2-4; Mal. 3:7-15). They often interpreted their own suffering as a sign of God’s wrath and punishment for sin in their lives. The highly developed sense of corporate identity in Hebrew thought meant that suffering could come as a result of parents’ sin (1 Kings 21:20, 22, 29; an idea reflected by Jesus’ disciples in John 9:2, the story of the healing of the man born blind) or the wickedness of the king (2 Kings 21:10, 11).
The suffering of the righteous posed a problem. It was explained variously as a way for God to gain peoples’ attention (Job 33:14; 36:15), to correct sin into obedience (2 Chron. 20:9, 10; Mal. 3:3), to develop or refine character (Job 23:10; Ps. 66:10). Ultimately, the writers consigned themselves to trust in God’s sometimes hidden wisdom (Job 42:2, 3; Ps. 135:6).

The prophet gained a vision of a greater purpose in suffering—carrying the sins of others (Isa. 53). As eschatological hopes matured in late Old Testament and intertestamental times, the righteous looked forward to the Day of the Lord when they would be vindicated and justice would reign (Dan. 12:1).
New Testament Into an evil world God sent His only Son. God is Himself touched by the suffering of Christ on the cross. Christian writers in the New Testament incorporated the trials of Christ into their existing Old Testament understanding of suffering. The purposefulness and necessity of suffering in the life of the Son of God (Matt. 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22) aided them in coping with their own.
The early Christians recognized the inevitability of their suffering. As Christ suffered, so would they (John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Rom. 8:31-39; 1 Cor. 12:26; 1 Thess. 2:14; 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 Pet. 4:12, 13). Continuing His mission, they would incur tribulation (Mark 13:12, 13; Rev. 17:6; 20:14) because the world hates the disciples as much as it did their Lord (see John 15:18; 1 Cor. 2:8; 1 John 3:11, 12). Suffering for His sake was counted a privilege (Acts 5:41; 1 Cor. 11:32; 1 Thess. 1:4-8).
New Testament writers realized there were other types of suffering than that incurred as they lived on Christian mission. These are to be endured patiently rather than rebelliously (1 Thess. 3:3; Jas. 1:2-4) because God is working His purpose out in His children’s lives (Rom. 8:28-29). Satan would tempt believers to be defeated in their suffering (2 Cor. 4:8-12; Rev. 2:10). Instead, Christians can grow stronger spiritually through trials (Rom. 6:4-8; 1 Pet. 4:1; Heb. 12:11) and share Christ’s ultimate triumph (Mark 13:9; John 16:33; 2 Thess. 1:5; Rev. 5:5; 20:9, 14, 15) even now as they experience daily victories (Rom. 8:37; 1 John 2:13-14; 1 Pet. 5:10). Therefore, sufferings give rise to hope (Rom. 12:12; 1 Thess. 1:3), for no present suffering compares with the rewards that await the faithful follower of Christ (Rom. 8:17-18).
T. R. McNeal
From: Holman’s Bible Dictionary

IN THE MIRROR:
I received this e-mail on Sunday January 17, 2010
Arlington Cemetery

In relationship to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier:
Reads as follows . . .
“On Jeopardy the other night, the final question was, “How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns?” All three missed it.
In small caption underneath, it was written, “This is really an awesome sight to watch if you’ve never had the chance, Very fascinating.”
(Then the articles goes on to ask and answer other interesting facts about the ‘Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.’)

#1.) How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns, and why?
A. 21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.
#2.) How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?
A. 21 seconds, for the same reason as answer number one.
#3.) Q. Why are his gloves wet?
A. His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing grip on the rifle.
#4.) Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and if not, why not?
A. He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.
#5.) How often are the guards changed?
A. Guards are changed every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
#6.) What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?
A. For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5'10' and 6'2 inches tall, and his waist size cannot exceed 30 inches.

Other requirements of the guard:
They must commit two years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives.
They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives, and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The Guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin. The shoes are especially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lent on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full length mirror. The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch T.V. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery...
A guard must memorize who they are, and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft; Joe E. Lewis {the boxer} and Metal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most decorated soldier of WW11} of Hollywood fame.
Every guard spends 5 hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.
Three guards are pictured, with the words underneath . . .
ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, our US Senate/House took two days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, ‘No Way, Sir!’ Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson.
The Tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7 since 1930.
God Bless and keep them.

‘I don’t usually suggest that many e-mails be forwarded, but I’d be very proud if this one reached as many as possible. We can be very proud of our young men and women in service no matter where they serve. IN GOD WE TRUST . . .’”

This is one of those articles that I hope, and I pray that you will read over and over again about the, ‘Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.’ For me, even as I begin sitting here at this keyboard, the reality for me is that, I don’t care how much I’m able to put on ink and paper, it will never match what reading of the ‘Unknown Soldier’ did for me on, not only a personal level, but there is so much Christian perspective that can take us to an higher height in Christ Jesus.

Hopefully, that can get us started . . .If my metaphors, or analogies, parallels or similes are less than perfect — that’s good because I have you out there to complete any and every idea in which I may fall short of illustrating and illuminating to the Glory of God.
I would like to begin by saluting every Armed Forces individual, now serving, and has ever served our Country. They are a brave men and women that do deserve all the highest honors given them. I believe this is a ‘calling’ like so many other professions in the eyes of God.
“Commit” was an attractive keyword for me. “They must commit two years of their life . . .” It’s something Jesus makes very clear in scripture, that you really have to put a lot of effort into misunderstanding; Mark 8:34 - 37 (KJV) 34And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Commitment is what those soldier’s lives are about, and personally, I’ve always had this notion that commitment is something that Jesus was referring to when He spoke of my life.

An interesting thought along the way is that, “What if we could just spend ‘two years’ of our lives totally devoted to Jesus?” I’m willing to believe that after such a period of devoted time, it would be virtually impossible to ever turn again to that which we turned from when we gave Him our lives.

Do you wonder, really wonder in your heart why, “. . . and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. ” may have been applied to this honor given to the guards? I hope one of the more obvious reasons are that, ‘moral excellence’ will always be found when and where God is being honored, and He’s always honored in our ‘fallen.’ He is God over life, and death. Are you looking for, ‘thou shalt not drink’ in the Ten Commandments? That’s how some would like to think in terms of being offensive to such high standards. What about the first Commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me?” Have you ever heard alcohol referred to as “spirits?” No-one should be offended by this idea because it’s so easy to see God’s preservation in anything that would alter what we are to stand for.

“On or off duty” means to me that when it comes to the man or woman in uniform, the military desires that a certain level of integrity is retained in the person who has ever been given a certain privilege of serving their Country.
Agree, or disagree? — “ . ..for the rest of their lives.” sounds like a long time? I have difficulty thinking in terms of disagreeing with such a concept; only because something only takes place (arduously) for a ‘long time’ when your whole heart is not involved in it. The good news here, about Jesus, is that our loyalty to Him is infinite. It only starts here, but ends in Eternity. John 3:16; (KJV) 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

“They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives, and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way. . .” As I go along, this just seems to make more and more sense. I hope you are also seeing this experience, and giving praise and honor to the God who established these standards in the hearts and minds of the Military leaders before the year 1930. That’s how long this has been in place, and if we’ll be honest, most of us know that before this noble act is over with, someone’s going to try and change the Godly principles in which it is founded upon.

Note: The standards and constitution in which God made and designed from the beginning of time will, and cannot be lost or forgotten, no matter how our society finds itself today. That’s why God moved upon the heart of the man responsible for circulating this through the Internet, and it may further may explain why the Holy Spirit moved upon my heart to stimulate your minds because once God’s message reaches its intended target, it can never be lost.

The “wreath pin” is such a coveted item, and maybe small in size, but oh what grandeur stands behind it. Ever think about how God allows us to wear the title, “Christian?” It’s Jesus who has gone before, facing every conceivable trial and circumstance, suffering for our good, and giving us a sure foundation in which to place our fullest trust. As you read through your scriptures, don’t miss some of these;
John 13:15 (KJV) 15For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
John 16:33 (KJV) 33These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
John 1:12; (KJV) 12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Where the Bible is replete with the message of Jesus Christ, and especially for the purpose of what we will be celebrating on April 4th “Resurrection Day,” I also want to make a point of saying this, and that is that the ‘Bible Verses’ you read about here, or in any Christian literature for that matter, are only “Bible Verses” until the Spirit of the Living God gets a hold of your heart, and it is in that time that they go from ‘mere words of scripture’ to — ‘Precious Promises’ for every believer in Christ Jesus.
John 6:44; (KJV) 44No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

What comes to your mind when you read the words, “The Guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.” – Are they strong, harsh, demanding, or even abusive words? – Not at all! But, let me tell you why I have to disagree. Because I believe the answer comes in the single word, “volunteer.” These are men who read the rules, had every opportunity to decline the position, but instead said something like, “Hey, I think I would like to have such an honor like that which is presented to me.”
God draws by LOVE, and these men are apparently men so devoted to a cause, that their love for that cause continues to affect their every movement and decisions along the pathways of their remaining lives and lifestyle.

This is repeated from the above, but I feel it should be reviewed again to support my previous statement:
“In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, our US Senate/House took two days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, ‘No Way, Sir!’ Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson.”

The Christian life is so much more than an “assignment,” but the commission Jesus told of in:
Matthew 28:18 - 20 (KJV) 18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
We are still in that dispensation of time. We cannot escape it because we feel that this is 2010, and that was then. Matthew 28: was God speaking in Christ for all eternity, we cannot, and will not escape this mandate.

It’s my prayer that in some way you will take something you just read into account on the upcoming Resurrection Sunday, and in realizing what Jesus has done for us on the Cross, the commitment He asks of us is only minor by comparison, but will yield Eternal rewards.
God Bless, SLC

O TASTE AND SEE!
ROASTED LEG OF LAMB

INGREDIENTS:

1 SIX POUND LEG OF LAMB
2 TSPS. SALT
1 TSP. FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER
1 TSP. DRIED WHOLE ROSEMARY
¼ CUP BUTTER OR MARGARINE MELTED
MINT SAUCE OR COMMERCIAL MINT JELLY
FRESH MINT LEAVES

DIRECTIONS:

PLACE LAMB, FAT SIDE UP, IN A SHALLOW ROASTING PAN.
COMBINE SEASONINGS & BUTTER; BRUSH BUTTER MIXTURE EVENLY OVER LAMB.
INSERT MEAT THERMOMETER, MAKING SURE THAT IT DOES NOT TOUCH FAT OR BONE. BAKE AT 325 DEGREES F. FOR 2 ½ HOURS OR UNTIL MEAT THERMOMETER REGISTERS 160 DEGREES.
LET STAND 10 MINUTES BEFORE CARVING. SERVE WITH MINT SAUCE, OR AND GARNISH WITH FRESH MINT LEAVES. YIELDS 8 SERVINGS.

O TASTE & SEE
MINT SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

¼ CUP CHOPPED FRESH MINT LEAVES
¼ CUP LIGHT CORN SYRUP
1/12 TBLSP. VINEGAR
1 ½ TSP CORN STARCH
¼ CUP WATER

DIRECTIONS:

COMBINE THE MINT LEAVES CORN SYRUP, AND VINEGAR IN A SMALL SAUCE PAN.
COMBINE CORN STARCH AND WATER, STIRRING UNTIL BLENDED. ADD TO MINT MIXTURE.
COOK OVER MEDIUM HEAT UNTIL MIXTURE THICKENS AND BUBBLES, STIRRING CONSTANTLY. STRAIN SAUCE, IF DESIRED.
YIELD APPROXIMATELY ½ CUP.

IT IS AN AMERICAN TRADITION TO HAVE LAMB DURING THE PASSOVER/RESURRECTION HOLIDAYS. THIS IS AN EASY RECIPE TAKEN FROM “SOUTHERN LIVING COOKBOOK.” WE PRAY THAT YOUR HOLIDAY IS BLESSED AND FRUITFUL.
ENJOY!