VERY POWERFUL MESSAGE
David Platt from InterVarsity twentyonehundred on Vimeo.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
SHRIMP, SNAILS, SLEDDING & SKATING
These words describe our day today.
SHRIMP, ESCARGOT
JESUS' BIRTHDAY CAKE
We woke up to two fresh inches of snow... just enough for some sledding!
And... the neighbor's pond had some beautiful smooth ice for some skating!
Merry CHRISTmas!!!
PONDERINGS FROM 1 JOHN 3 -- Part 1: Love
1 John 3:1 "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God."
"Bestowed on us" can also be translated "lavished on us". It has the idea of a one-sided giving, not a return for something. Spurgeon says this about it... "I have published it before heaven and earth, and made the angels know it, that you are my children, and I am not ashamed of you. I glory in the fact that I have taken you for sons and daughters."
Guzik says, "If we are truly children of God, then it should show in our likeness to God, and in our love for our 'siblings'."
Being the Christmas season, I have been pondering a lot about this holiday as of late. I have been asking myself, and inquiring of the Lord as well, about what glorifies Him through this holiday. How much of what I do as we celebrate "Christmas" brings Him glory, and how much grieves Him? These are questions we all should be asking ourselves and going to the Word to find answers for & then walking in obedience when He shows us.
Today, Christmas Day 2012, I have been pondering His love. It has brought me rest today as I thought so much about His birth.... and His death. We sang a song at church a few weeks ago that said, "He was born to die." His sole purpose for being born was to bear the wrath of God for my sin, so that I can in turn receive life that only Christ deserved. Not only do I deserve death, but I deserve God's wrath. But, because He was born, instead of wrath and death, I get love and the title "child of God". That is love.
To be a child of God, we must have regenerated hearts. We must be "born again" as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3, and be made "new creations" as Paul talks about in 2 Cor. 5:17. We are saved by grace through faith. It is a gift of God -- the greatest gift ever given. If you are truly His child, you will bear a likeness to God.
"Bestowed on us" can also be translated "lavished on us". It has the idea of a one-sided giving, not a return for something. Spurgeon says this about it... "I have published it before heaven and earth, and made the angels know it, that you are my children, and I am not ashamed of you. I glory in the fact that I have taken you for sons and daughters."
Guzik says, "If we are truly children of God, then it should show in our likeness to God, and in our love for our 'siblings'."
Being the Christmas season, I have been pondering a lot about this holiday as of late. I have been asking myself, and inquiring of the Lord as well, about what glorifies Him through this holiday. How much of what I do as we celebrate "Christmas" brings Him glory, and how much grieves Him? These are questions we all should be asking ourselves and going to the Word to find answers for & then walking in obedience when He shows us.
Today, Christmas Day 2012, I have been pondering His love. It has brought me rest today as I thought so much about His birth.... and His death. We sang a song at church a few weeks ago that said, "He was born to die." His sole purpose for being born was to bear the wrath of God for my sin, so that I can in turn receive life that only Christ deserved. Not only do I deserve death, but I deserve God's wrath. But, because He was born, instead of wrath and death, I get love and the title "child of God". That is love.
To be a child of God, we must have regenerated hearts. We must be "born again" as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3, and be made "new creations" as Paul talks about in 2 Cor. 5:17. We are saved by grace through faith. It is a gift of God -- the greatest gift ever given. If you are truly His child, you will bear a likeness to God.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
THE LIGHT
"Do any of us shun the light? I know some men slight the privileges they ought to prize. They do not want to know him whose going forth is as the light of the morning when the sun riseth. They never read the Bible, or search into the history, the prophecy, and the promises. They do not like an earnest ministry. They have a sort of happy-go-lucky style of religion; they take in whatever anybody else tells them; they attend their place of worship as a matter of habit, and observe all the proprieties of fashion; but as to doing right or seeking light, they seldom or never give it a thought. They do not count it desirable. Too much light could expose much that would not bear inspection. Dear friend, if you are afraid of light, be suspicious of yourself, for it is deceit that dreads detection. " (Spurgeon)
Following Christ is light. Light shows us where we are going, what is around us and helps us see clearly. We can see beauty and avoid danger. We do not stumble when there is light. I desire this Light to radiate life for me as I walk, and oh, how I desire to show others this Light.
Merry Christmas to all! JESUS is this LIGHT. If you do not walk in it, cry out to God today. Maybe you are one described in this second paragraph by Spurgeon who has the "happy-go-lucky" religion. Repent and believe the Gospel! There is nothing more important than a soul transformed by the power of God and made into a new creation for all eternity. It changes everything. What a gift God has given us in Jesus Christ, the Light of the world.
Monday, December 03, 2012
Colored Canvas & A Joyful Bank Account
As a homeschool family, there are a lot of kinks to work through.... regularly. I believe we figure some out, and as the children grow, new ones pop up. The short attention span of a 4 or 5 year old grows into learning how to work through the struggle of a difficult attitude when that child is older. While I know that God is working on their hearts while we teach them truth from the Word of God, and I beg Him to give us wisdom in our training along the way, we still have to wade through some things and be patient as that work is being done!
We have been struggling on and off here with different issues. I know God desires to do a TRUE work in the heart of each of my children. I know He is teaching my children what it looks like to walk in His statutes one step at a time, and in every detail of their lives. I trust Him to be doing these things!
On occasion, I feel He gives me a concrete way to help this work being done in their hearts. One thing we have done is individual paintings based on the verse, "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." We talked about how our lives are sort of like a canvas where God continues to make us more beautiful as we grow in sanctification.
Hobby Lobby had canvasses on sale, so I picked some up. I asked the kids to assign colors to a certain area of their lives where they see God working on in them (or needing to!) For example, yellow may represent obeying the first time. Red, being patient, etc. Then, when they recognize God working in their hearts in a certain area, they can go and add that color to their painting. It's given them a concrete way to see what areas of their lives God is working on.
Lately, I have constantly found myself repenting of my own attitude and lack of joy as I walk through my day. My own canvas had much of the same color on it -- RED, demonstrating that God was working on me living with a joyful countenance throughout my day. The Lord showed me I was reacting to and being fearful of the difficulties of parenting instead of trusting Him to walk me through them, which was zapping all my joy.
It dawned on me that our family has a bank account -- not one with money, but something so much more precious. In this account is joy, peace, fun, laughter, kindness, etc. When a child makes a poor choice, instead of letting it rob from our bank account (& me feel like a failure as a parent --> zapping my joy!) the Lord showed me that the child is responsible for the theft taking place. So, every time something is said or done that stole from our family bank account, that child (or me if I did the stealing!) is responsible to make the wrong right to that person by doing an encouraging thing specifically to the person they hurt or wronged. If a child is slow to obey, which always causes frustration, there are consequences. They need to put something back into the family bank account by doing an extra chore or something that will bless the family.
The verse we have been focusing on is Romans 14:19.
We have been struggling on and off here with different issues. I know God desires to do a TRUE work in the heart of each of my children. I know He is teaching my children what it looks like to walk in His statutes one step at a time, and in every detail of their lives. I trust Him to be doing these things!
On occasion, I feel He gives me a concrete way to help this work being done in their hearts. One thing we have done is individual paintings based on the verse, "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." We talked about how our lives are sort of like a canvas where God continues to make us more beautiful as we grow in sanctification.
Hobby Lobby had canvasses on sale, so I picked some up. I asked the kids to assign colors to a certain area of their lives where they see God working on in them (or needing to!) For example, yellow may represent obeying the first time. Red, being patient, etc. Then, when they recognize God working in their hearts in a certain area, they can go and add that color to their painting. It's given them a concrete way to see what areas of their lives God is working on.
Lately, I have constantly found myself repenting of my own attitude and lack of joy as I walk through my day. My own canvas had much of the same color on it -- RED, demonstrating that God was working on me living with a joyful countenance throughout my day. The Lord showed me I was reacting to and being fearful of the difficulties of parenting instead of trusting Him to walk me through them, which was zapping all my joy.
It dawned on me that our family has a bank account -- not one with money, but something so much more precious. In this account is joy, peace, fun, laughter, kindness, etc. When a child makes a poor choice, instead of letting it rob from our bank account (& me feel like a failure as a parent --> zapping my joy!) the Lord showed me that the child is responsible for the theft taking place. So, every time something is said or done that stole from our family bank account, that child (or me if I did the stealing!) is responsible to make the wrong right to that person by doing an encouraging thing specifically to the person they hurt or wronged. If a child is slow to obey, which always causes frustration, there are consequences. They need to put something back into the family bank account by doing an extra chore or something that will bless the family.
The verse we have been focusing on is Romans 14:19.
"Let us PURSUE the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another."
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