The Greatest Gift!

The verdict from the Judge came.

The courtroom was silent, as the Judge spoke.

Guilty. 

My heart sank into my chest and panic overcame me as my body began to shake with fear. What was I going to do now? I knew I was guilty and had to pay for my crimes. But somehow I thought, it wouldn't turn out this way. I thought I could get out of it. I thought I had time to undo all the bad I had done. I wanted to change, really I did. But I couldn't erase the things that I had done. 

The police began to escort me out the door. Death was  my punishment.

I knew people died young and old but never thought I would one day die. Not like this. 

I pleaded with the Judge, "Please, another way! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to let it get this far. I can work off my wrong doings and do good things in place of them. Can't I fix what I've done?" 

My plea fell on deaf ears. The verdict was final. 

Then from the back of the courtroom came a voice. A man came forward.

"I will take her place." 

The Judge halted in his steps and looked back at the man. "Her sentence is death, are you sure?"

"Yes, I will take her place."

Before I could stop him, my chains were set free, and this innocent man was taken in my place. How could he? How could the Judge agree to this? Tears streamed from my eyes, as guilt flooded my every being. I deserved to die. I committed the crimes not him. How could he pay such a high price in my place?

That man was my Father.

Why would a Father sacrifice his own life for his daughter? Unconditional love. 
What parent in their right mind wouldn't do anything to save their own child?

      *********************

As simple as this made up story is to understand- why is it that people today make the story of Jesus coming, his life, burial and resurrection so complicated to accept and believe? Why do we reject such simple truth.

Although this story was made up, it's a very real picture of our sin and the price that we owe-eternal separation from God, an eternity in hell. There will come a day when we will stand before God and give an account of our life.

Hebrews 9:27 - And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

We are all guilty of our sin. There is none righteous no not one. 

But God sent his son, Jesus to this earth for one purpose, to redeem us.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Just like in my story- Jesus, took our place. He tasted death so we don't have to spend an eternity separated from God. On our own it's impossible to erase our sins. No good deed will undo what sin we have already committed. Hell was made for Satan and his angels, but God can not let sin enter into Heaven because Heaven is a perfect place.  

Matthew 25:41 - Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Hope in the Cross of Calvary:

Romans 8:1 - [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The Bible says in John 3, that God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on Christ is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already.

If you've never placed your faith in Jesus Christ, then you fall into the condemned already category. Death- eternal separation from God- is your punishment. But God doesn't want you to die and spend an eternity separated from Him.

God sent his son, Jesus, born of a virgin, to this earth to save us. That's why we celebrate Christmas. We celebrate the birth of Christ because it is a reminder of God's ultimate sacrifice to us- His Son. Jesus willingly left Heaven to be born of a virgin, to be made human, a helpless baby, to die in our place. If that isn't Love then I don't know what is.

What is it that keeps a person from accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior? I believe whole heartedly, that it's pride. Thinking that they don't "need" Jesus because they can make it on their own- pride. 
 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  We must humble ourselves as little children.
Thinking they have time and can do it later- stupidity.  We aren't promised tomorrow. Our life is but a vapor that is here for a little while and then vanisheth away (James 4:14). Think about it. Eternity-is endless time. Our 80 years that we have on this earth compared to even 1,000 years is just a tiny drop in the bucket. Time is precious. Don't wait to make this decision.

Will you accept God's gift of salvation this Christmas? And no matter where you are in the world, you can celebrate Christmas for it's real meaning.

If you want to accept Christ as your Lord and Savior please read on to the verses I have attached below. There's nothing magical about it- it's a simple step of faith and putting your trust in God's hands.
I'm so thankful someone told me about Christ and salvation. It is the single most important decision a person can make. I feel so unworthy that Jesus would take my place on the cross of Calvary. I deserved death not him. But I am justified by the blood of Jesus. Won't you put your faith in Christ today?

To all of you, I wish you a very
Merry Christmas!

Each year my heart is burdened for one or two people God has placed in my life and for their salvation. It is my prayer that just one soul might come to know Him this Christmas season. What a great gift that would be! Don't forget to share God's love to all those around you during the hustle and bustle of Christmas!

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;- Romans 3:23

1. We are all sinners.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Romans 5:12
 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. I John 1:8
I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am [he], ye shall die in your sins. John 8:24

2. We need a Savior. 
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12 

3. Christ paid the penalty for our sin. 
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Ephesians 2:8

4. We must confess our sins. 
 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9

5. Simply accept God's gift of salvation. Put your faith in the One who loves you the most. Give your life to Christ. I promise you won't regret it. 

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Pray to God and ask Him into your heart. 
If you've never prayed or don't do it often-it's simple. Just talk to God like you would a friend but maybe a little more respectful ;). Tell him from your heart that you accept his free gift of salvation. That you are putting your trust in Him completely and fully.  Confess your sins that you have committed. 
God will forgive you of all your sins, past, present and future. Salvation is a one time gift and decision. God promises his eternal gift of salvation to all who believe. 

If you've just accepted Christ as your Savior, I beg of you to let me know through email or a comment. I would love to rejoice with you and pray for you. jnapranger@yahoo.com is my email address. Isn't God good?! Merry Christmas!! 

Together Tomorrow

As some of you know, our family has had to say goodbye to a very special little boy, Gabriel Michael Pranger. The world was blessed on June 10, 2012, with his arrival. And early on June 29, 2013, the Lord saw fit to call him home to heaven.

Lately, I have been reading a lot about the promises of God.

Promise "ground for hope, expectation, or the assurance often specified of eventual success." or "A declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that guarantees that a particular thing will happen."

II Kings 8:56 "...there hath no failed one word of all his good promise." 

 The Bible is often called God's Word, in other words it can also be called "God's Promise". God always keeps His word, He can not lie. Simply, what He says, He will do. I'm so thankful that God keeps his promises. It's from His Word, His book of Promises, we find hope and strength in our daily needs. Our family has definitely experienced God's grace and strength in a mighty way this past week. We have clung to many of His promises this week, that have given us hope and peace. 

Gabriel was born with a genetic disorder called Nonketotic Hyperglycinemia. (NKH) is an inherited condition in which the body is unable to breakdown and process some of the building blocks of protein (amino acids). Gabriel and his daddy, Amos Pranger, went to Cincinnati Children's Hospital in hopes to find out some answers as to why he would go a few seconds without breathing. His sister, Annabeth, also has the same genetic disorder, and it wasn't uncommon for them to make trips to the hospital. We had all thought, this was just going to be another trip to the hospital and then he would be back home. 

The doctors concluded Gabriel was having small seizures but they couldn't find out what was causing them. By Saturday, the had him stabilized and he seemed to be doing better. However, over the next 48 hours his little body took a drastic turn for the worst. 

His brain activity had gone down to almost nothing, and he wasn't able to breath on his own. When we heard the news of his sudden decline, we began to pray even harder for his healing. We knew God could heal our little Gabriel if He choose to. 

Tuesday came, and I was praying so hard for our little nephew. His mommy, Liberty Pranger, was on her way to be with her son. He was making some improvements, but not much to make a difference in his fragile condition. The doctors were clueless as to why he was declining so quickly. They could only assume one of the seizures had lasted longer than a few seconds and caused the brain damage. 

By Thursday, his kidneys and liver were shutting down. We were losing our little Gabriel. My in-loves, Jim & Laura Pranger, were on a flight back from Hungary in hopes to see Gabriel before God called him home. Their plane was scheduled to land on Friday. (Unfortunately, a bad storm kept my in-loves from making it on time to see him.) 

Friday came, and we were told if we could, to make our way to Cincinnati to see Gabriel one last time. James and I immediately packed up the car and headed to Cincinnati. I had hopes to take some family pictures for them and to capture little Gabriel's last few moments. 

We pulled into the hospital, and went up to Gabriel's room. There were many friends and family gathered around and nurses in the room. One of the nurses was making "sweet memories" with Gabriel and his three sisters, Annabeth, Deborah, and Breanna. They made some hand prints, and molds of Gabriel's hands and feet. And she was finishing up by taking some photos of the family all together. I was right behind her with my camera. When the nurses all left, the kids were a little restless, so we agreed to take more photos in the morning. I went about taking candid photos of everyone with Gabriel. 

His oldest sister, Annabeth

Breanna, Jacob and Deborah

I got to have some time with Gabriel, kissing his sweet face, holding his hand and talking to him. James came over and was playing with his ear, as he loved on him. Later that night, I went back in the room with Liberty and her sister, Bethany. Everyone else was now gone or in the waiting room. I wanted some photos of Jacob and Gabriel, like the ones we had taken back in December when they first met. I'm so thankful I did, because the opportunity to take more photos in the morning never came. 

As we left that night, I said good night to Gabriel and kissed his sweet face. I told him Grandma and Grandpa were on their way to see him, and to hang in there. 

That was the last time we saw our sweet Gabriel. A phone call later that night told us Gabriel had gone home to be with Jesus. 

My heart felt relief and peace when I heard he had gone home to heaven. Relief in knowing he was no longer suffering, his body was now made whole. Peace in knowing that we would see him again in heaven.

When Gabriel took a turn for the worst, the Lord flooded my heart with promises from God's Word. With those promises I found hope, peace, and strength.

One of the verses God gave me on Tuesday was from Isaiah 40: 29, 31

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. 

In our darkest of days, we don't have to have strength- God will be our strength. I know this has been true for Liberty and Amos as they said their goodbye's to their son this week. How can someone go through a trial so hard? With God, that's how. 

"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is the victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God!! (this gets me excited) which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." I Corinthians 15:55,57

Death has no victory over God's children! Death is merely a stepping stone to heaven for all those who have put their faith and trust in God. God has given us the victory over death through Jesus Christ. How?

"But God commendeth his love toward us, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Jesus Christ paid the penalty of death for our sins so we can spend an eternity in heaven. 

"...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10
"Every good gift and perfect gift, is from above..." James 1:17a

Our Gabriel was truly a special and perfect gift from the Lord. He is now experiencing life more abundantly with Jesus Christ. He has whole and perfect body now and is leaping on the streets of gold. Sure our hearts still hurt from losing him here on earth. "...weeping may endure for a moment, but joy comes in the morning." Psalms 30:5b 

We rejoice in knowing that we will see our Gabriel again in heaven. We will get to spend an eternity with him which far outweighs any time here on earth. Gabriel along with his mommy and daddy would want nothing more than for his death to bring about life more abundantly. If you have never placed your faith in Jesus Christ, won't you make sure of that today? Gabriel's short life is a testimony, that we are not always promised tomorrow. Death may come at any moment. Are you ready for eternity?  

We would love to share how you can know for sure that heaven is your home. Please feel free to email me or message me. 

Lastly, this is my favorite promise. 

"...one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." 2Peter 3:8

It's because of this promise, that we can say to Gabriel, We sure do miss and love you but we will see you tomorrow. 

Together Tomorrow. 

Here is a post I wrote about when little Gabriel was first born. May it be a blessing to you. 
http://simplysiberia.blogspot.com/2012/06/uphill-battle.html

Gabriel when he was just a couple weeks old. 

Before it's too late...

As I was out on my morning run, my mind reflected on all that God has done in my life this past year. What an incredible life changing year this has been. Who knew becoming parents to the most adorable little boy would be the highlight of 2012 for us! That little 7 pounds 7 ounces that was placed in my arms on October 31, has changed my life in the best way possible. I would do anything for my son! I would give my life for him in a second without thinking twice. Unconditional love, I believe is what they call that. As a parent, I desire God's best for his life and well being. I never knew my heart could hold such love. I believe I now know a small portion of God's love for His children.

Our finite minds will never know just how much our heavenly Father cares for us. I believe if we did, we would all be much more motivated to give our lives completely to Him. How could One give His only Son to such a wicked world. A world that was created by Him and for Him. I wonder how God could create a beautiful perfect world knowing that one day it would become filled with wickedness. God knew that His very creations would reject Him and yet He still created mankind. (If I were God, I think I would have left mankind out of the equation! What heartache that would have saved Him!) But God still gave each of us life and a chance to choose Him.

As Christmas has come and gone, may we not soon forget the true meaning of it all. God knew that mankind needed a Savior. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" Romans 5:12 Sin had entered into this world. The punishment for our sin is "death" not physical death but a spiritual death- separation from God. "For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 3:23a God can not let sin enter into heaven because heaven is a perfect place. God knew that a perfect spotless sacrifice was required. "...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 3:23b That gift is the very reason we celebrate Christmas, Jesus Christ. The Bible says that eternal life is through  Jesus Christ our Lord. We can not obtain eternal life through our own good works or through church or through the priest but only through Christ. We are imperfect and nothing we do can take away our sins. That is why we need a Savior to save us from an eternity separated from God. (Insert God's unconditional love for us yet again.)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16 

A very "familiar" verse to most of the world, but do those who read the reference "John 3:16" really know the truth behind it? I would hope so. Maybe they do but they choose to reject its meaning. They think if they choose to ignore the truth of God's Word that they will be fine. To many the story of Christ birth, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection is nothing more than a nice story or a fable. However, rejecting the truth won't change it. Truth remains true whether you believe it or not. There will come a time when Christ will return to this earth to call His children home. There will be a judgment day where we will give an account for our sins and our life.

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10


God's gift of salvation and eternal life in heaven is simple. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:9,10,13

First acknowledge your sinful condition and need of a Savior. Next, confess your sins to God and repent. To repent means to turn from your old way of living and to put on a life lived for Christ. Believe  in all that He did for you on the cross of calvary. Put your faith fully and completely in Christ alone to save you. Simply call upon Christ to save you.  

What do you have to lose? Nothing in comparison to what you will gain- eternal life, hope, peace, true joy... Won't you accept His free gift of salvation before it's too late?


May those of us who know Christ as our Lord and Savior live each day for Him. Before it's too late, may we go and make sure thy friend. Our life is but a vapor that appeareth for a little time then vanisheth away. 

It is for this reason we are going to Russia. To spread the gospel of Christ to those who have not heard and give them a chance to accept or reject Christ. Won't you pray with us that God would prepare the hearts of the Russians even now before it's too late.

From the heart,
Amber