Diggin' Deeper

Rest

2010-02-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

I woke up last night feeling like I was in a fog...like a bear waking up from hibernation with that groggy feeling like I was awake and aware of things, but not fully.

What was on my heart was rest...Rest in the Lord and what that looks like.

The picture in my mind was of the "path of rest" with 2 ditches on either side. One ditch was "striving" and the other was "laziness."

And then I began to think about the pits. Striving is the one I fall into most often and am most familiar with. It has it's roots in pride! I want everything to look perfect-my house, my kids, my life. Why? So that others will admire ME.

Most recently, my striving has come at the expense of my kids. I cannot shake the thoughts of getting them prepared for college, and there is never enough that can be done to get them to that point. These thoughts are always at the forefront of my mind.

But the other pit of laziness is just as deadly. Waiting for things to "just happen" and not acting can be just as sinful. And God has strong words for the lazy. God says the sluggard is worthless and wicked in Proverbs 6.

God wants us to rest. He modeled it for us when He rested on the 7th day of Creation. He commanded the children of Israel to rest one day out the week. And He tells us that Christ is our rest and to rest in Him.

So how does that practically work out? I will be the first to say that I'm just learning and taking baby steps. But here are some ideas for me:

1. Keep my eyes focused on the Lord and His rest. Recognizing the pits is helpful, but focusing on not falling into one of them is only going to land me in the mire.

2. When I am feeling overwhelmed or anxious, I should cry out to the Lord for help. Only by His grace can I keep on the path.

3. Examine my heart and repent of sinful motives and actions--whether they be striving or slothful.

4. Continue to work as unto the Lord, but leave the results to Him--for He alone knows the path that we have before us. And also the path of our children.

So how about you? Would you like to join me on God's path of rest?

Be encouraged as God's Word reminds us in Psalm 116. "Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you."

22 years old today!

2010-01-22T09:12:00.000-08:00

Some of you may be surprised to find that I'm 22 years old today. Some may think I'm lying. Or delusional! But I assure you--it's true!

22 years ago today-January 23-I was born again! So it's my spiritual birthday. Today, I am 22 years old in the Lord.

For those of you who do not know my story, here's the short version....

In January of 1988, I was a freshman in college. My mom called me and told me that my father was in the hospital in a coma and was going to die of cirrhosis of the liver. I had not seen him for about 10 years. But I was hoping that he would come back, be changed, and save me from the difficulties of life.

Needless to say, my dad was not going to save me from anything. But God had a different plan to reveal my True Savior.. He put me in a dorm on a floor with about 10 girls who happened to be in Campus Crusade for Christ. They had been witnessing to me and my roommate. They explained to me about my need for Christ.

I repented and put my trust in my true Savior, Jesus Christ. And life has never been the same. I have an abundant life--full of God's wonderful blessings. It's not always easy. But I know He is always with me. And I'm so thankful for the most wonderful gift I could have every received.

Time Management: What's Your P.L.A.N.?--Part 1B

2009-07-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

Three Pitfalls than can keep us from our purpose

Last time we talked about glorifying the Lord in managing our time.

Today, we are going to uncover 3 pitfalls that can keep us from our purpose.
1. Laziness
2. Pride and
3. Legalism

Laziness
The first is laziness. There are different degrees of laziness. And in all honesty, I've never seen a mom who sits on the couch, eating bon-bons and watching soap operas all day. No doubt there probably are some out there that fit that description. But this is not what I'm addressing. The laziness that I'm describing is more subtle.

First let's take a look at the Bible as our source of truth. Proverbs 18:9 tells us that "A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things." This verse says to me that when I am lazy, I'm just as guilty as the one who takes a hammer and destroys things. And we can look at this very practically as well. When we don't fix broken things right away, sometimes the situation gets worse so that it truly becomes unfixable or at least harder to fix.

So what kind of laziness is it that can plague us and keep us from our ultimate purpose?

I like how Vicki Norris of restoringorder.com describes this syndrome. She names this person the "Low Effort Man." The "low effort man" doesn’t want to change toilet paper roll or empty the dishwasher. She puts the empty container back in refrigerator or pantry instead of throwing it in the trash. She delays grading papers and writing lesson plans. You get the picture. Essentially, she doesn't do things right away, but leaves them for others to do.

So how can we avoid this pitfall? It all starts in the heart. Purpose to not be the "low effort man" in your family. When you find yourself falling into this temptation, repent and ask the Lord for help. And then trust Him to help you. Also, watch for this in your children and encourage them to give 100% as they are working.

I fall into this pit (and the others I'll be describing) often. The goal is not perfection. For we will never achieve that here on earth. But we want to be getting better. And so we look to the Lord who is the author of our faith, and who is the one who will finish it. And let's purpose today, to not be the "low effort man."

Pride
Next up is pride. Oh that I could be relieved of this awful sin! And I look forward to the day when I will be. But for now, I struggle and fight with this insidious power that overtakes me all too often.

A good look at the Word may help me. Proverbs 21:4 reminds me that "A haughty look, a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked are sin." If we consider that plowing was a very mundane normal kind of job in an agrarian society, then we can compare plowing to things like washing dishes, vacuuming the carpets, cleaning the bathroom. Even when we are doing everyday tasks if our heart is proud and haughty, then we are in sin.

Matthew Henry, the famous theologian, gives this commentary, “They do all to serve their lusts, and have no regard to the glory of God in it, and therefore their plowing is sin.” Here is the attitude that I want to being organized for others to admire ME! This can be a very tiring and unfulfilling way to live. Don't ask me how I know. But let's just say that it's much easier to live for the glory of God for "his yoke is easy and his burden is light."

Legalism
And so we come to our last pitfall--legalism. Here is the person who makes a schedule and follows it to a T. Legalism is defined as a strict adherence to the plan without regard to context or the spirit of the plan. I would also add here that it is important to have time for resting relaxing. For even God rested on the 7th day as an example for us to follow. So be carefu to not overschedule or to be so devoted to your schedule that you are married to it.

Life happens and you may not be able to follow a schedule perfectly. A schedule is a tool, not a law. In fact, I prefer the term routine. A routine can be defined as a regular pattern reinforced by habit. It gives us a flow to our day, but helps us to be flexible when life happens and as opportunities and situations arise. On a given day, who knows what will happen? Perhaps a friend will call and need your help or prayers. You may have a sick child or lots of doctor appointments. A particular child may need extra help with an assignment or with their attitudes. All these "interruptions" in life are just more opportunities to glorify God in how you respond.

So let's encourage one another to avoid these pitfalls and to seek to glorify the Lord. We will all fail at various times, but the Good News is that there is "therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Next time, we will look at Logistics. What all is there to fit into our days ? And what shortcuts can we employ to help us accomplish it all?

May the Lord be glorified in us today!

Time Management: What's Your P.L.A.N.?--Part 1A

2009-07-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I left you with our road map to coming up with a P.L.A.N. for managing our time.

To recap, here's where we are going:

1. P--Purpose
2. L-Logistics
3. A--Application
4. N-Negotiate

In this post, I'd like to start with the first step. The "P" in our P.L.A.N. stands for purpose. We need to have a purpose if we are to get the most out of managing our time.

But to start out I'd like for you to pause a moment and consider what your purpose is for what you do on a daily basis.

Is it to get more done in the day? Is it to be more purposeful in the things you are doing or that you want to do? Is it to be a blessing to others? Let's dig even deeper...Why is it that you want to get more done in the day? Or to be a blessing? Is it for your children? Is it for your husband? Is it for you? While these can be noble purposes, I'd like to suggest an even nobler one. In order for our time to be truly meaningful, it must be for the sole purpose of glorifying of God.

I'm afraid that in my own life, my purpose has drifted to another god--that of self. And so in the next 2 posts, I'd like to direct our attention to what God's Word, the Bible, tells us and some common pitfalls that we can fall into.

The first scripture that comes to my mind is I Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. In other words even in the everyday, mundane things of life, we are to bring glory to God. This task is much more difficult than it at first seems. For me, a look into my thought life helps me to see what my true purposes are. Am I worried about my kids and how they will fare in life? Am I worried about what others think about what I am doing? Am I looking for the approval or praise of men? Am I looking to others because they seem to have it all together and so I'm trying to make their plan work for me? Far too often I find myself, looking for the approval of man or trying to glorify myself instead of bringing glory to God alone. I pray that He will help us all in our weakness.

Next, Proverbs 16:3 says "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. And so in this verse, we see that the Lord wants us to commit our work to him and He will establish our plans. Most homeschooling moms that I know of have plenty of work to do. Everyone that I know wishes they had just a few more hours in their day. And would like to be more purposeful so that they can squeeze in a few more things into their already busy lives.

So how can we do that? A good place to start, if we are truly wanting to work on time mangement, is with prayer. Ask the Lord to help you as you consider the plans that He has for your family. Ask Him to help you to establish the plans that He has for each of your children, for your husband, and for yourself, then expect Him to help you. And just so I don't forget to mention this, your husband should take an active role in this process. Pray together. Work together. And watch the Lord establish your plans together. I know that many times, Todd has helped me to see things that I would have missed and would have later caused me grief. I'm so grateful for the way the Lord uses Todd to compliment me. And together we are a much better team!

Finally,Ephesians 5:15-16 tells us to "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." Here we have a warning to be wise and make the best use of our time. So obviously, the Lord knew that sometimes we don't hit that mark, and encourages us to keep focused.

In the next post, I'll talk about some common pitfalls that cause us to lose focus from our ultimate purpose of glorifying God.

But today, I'd like to encourage you to spend some time considering what your purpose is in managing your time. If it is not for the glory of the Lord, then I urge you to repent, to seek Him and to commit your plans to the Lord.

May the Lord alone be glorified!

Time Management: What's Your P.L.A.N.?--Intro

2009-07-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

I recently spoke to a group of homeschooling moms about time management and thought I'd share here what I shared with them. I hope this blesses and encourages you.
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Being a homeschool mom is no easy task. As a homeschool mom, you wear numerous hats and have lots to accomplish in a day. And no matter how much we wish it were different, we all have only 24 hours in our day. But we can learn to make the most of those 24 hours. And by learning how to effectively manage out time, we can bless our families and make an impact on our own lives, in our family's lives and ultimately on the world!

By way of introduction, I'm a homeschooling mom of 4 children--2 teens boys, 1 preteen boy and a toddler princess. We have always homeschooled and are active in numerous extracurricular activities. We are involved in competitive sports, competitive speech, music, and church. We have a very rigorous academic standard. We have a busy toddler. And on top of all that, I can't stand clutter. It is a huge distraction for me! And keeps me from really concentrating on the things that matter most in life.

So in order to manage all that I have to do in a day, I've had to learn over the years to have a plan. And throughout the course of these posts, I hope to share my P.L.A.N. with you.

So let's get started....

One of my favorite radio personalities is Dave Ramsey. He is a personal money management expert, who talks to literally millions of people on a daily basis about personal finances. I like how he shoots straight and tells it like it is. One of the very first things he counsels for those who want to manage money wisely is the need for setting up a budget. He says if you want to lose weight, then you need to track calories. If you want to want to manage your finances, then you need to come up with a written game plan. Likewise, I say if we want to make the most of our time we need to have a plan.

Over the next few posts, I hope to share 4 steps to developing a P.L.A.N. for managing time.

1. Purpose--What is our purpose for managing our time?
2. Logistics--What are all the things that a typical homeschool mom needs to accomplish in a day?
3. Application--How can we find a workable solution to fit everything in?
and
4. Negotiate--changing our plan as the seasons of our lives and life circumstances dictate.

That's it in a nutshell and if you stop reading I hope you'll at least consider these few points. But if you decide to stay and read a few more posts, then I'll go into a bit more detail on how to walk through each of these steps. And hopefully, we'll all be encouraged in the end.

Lessons from the Houston Warm-Up

2009-02-02T15:11:00.000-08:00

We went to our first speech qualifier this past weekend. It was great. As always, lots of lessons learned. Here are just a few....

1. Speech is subjective. You never know what people will like or dislike. Interestingly, what I really thought may be offensive, was not. In fact the only comments about that element were very positive. OTOH, what I thought was obvious turned out to be the weakest element of the boys' DUO speech. So there you have it...don't assume anything.

2. I learned something about graciousness. In one of the limited prep events that I was judging, the timer did not give adequate hand signals. The competitor was very gracious and gently instructed the timer in front of the judges. This allowed us (the judges) to know that there was a reason why she went over time. And at the same time, she was able to instruct the timer for the next round.

3. Don't add or subtract anything from your topic without stating in your thesis why you are doing so.

4. For apologetics, we are on the right track! Just need some polishing!! Content is good, just need to relax and keep at it.

5. Finally, enjoy the process. I had a lot of fun just meeting people at this tournament and there was a lot of peace about the results. BTW, the boys (Z and J) went to semi-finals in DUO and JJ got 2nd place in his Oratory. It was fun reading the ballots! The things that need to be fixed can be fixed with a little work. We got some great feedback.

My favorite comment from Z's ballots was: "If I was not a believer, you would have given me something real strong to think about."

Favorite comment from J's ballots: "You have real public speaking talent!" --from a Professor of Speech Communication

Favorite comment from JJ's ballots: "Very interesting! I didn't know all that about the moon!"

I'm so very grateful for this opportunity to develop these skills in the boys. They are improving by leaps and bounds!!

New Year 2009

2008-12-31T17:53:00.000-08:00

Here it is New Year's Eve. 2008 is almost over and 2009 is about to begin.

2008 was an interesting year.

Here are some highlights.

1. Todd and I celebrated 17 years of marriage. I am so very blessed to have my best friend as my husband. He is the BEST! And my love and respect for him continue to grow as the years go by. Every year I think--"How could I love him any more than I already do?" And every year, I love him all the more!

2. Z. played baseball for HSAA. He had a great season and will be playing again this coming Spring. I love baseball and can't wait for the games to begin. He has been growing in the Lord and in character. He excels in school. And is getting more and more proficient in speechifying!

3. J. turned 13. He also is doing well in his studies. He played HSAA football this past fall and had a blast. He is a natural in speech and was blessed to perform at the Lone Star Storytelling Festival. I can't wait to see how the Lord uses him for His own glory.

4. JJ is doing very well with violin. He is my sensitive and sweet child--always considering others. He still wants to be an astronaut. I'm still not sure I'm up for the adventure. But the Lord knows.

5. K. turned 2 and continues to bless us all. She brings much laughter and sweetness to our family. And she's all girl! Pink, lace and frills. She already learning how to be a hostess. At our ladies' tea I overheard her telling the guests as they were leaving, "Bye. Thank you for coming!" It was so cute!

6. We went to Disney this year with our extended family. We had fun with the family. But had some trouble with the hotel and we lost our camcorder on the trip home. So it was a hard trip. We hope to return soon to have a better experience. K. wants to see "Cinderelli."

7. I have been blessed to teach apologetics to the kids in our speech club. I have grown so much myself as I've studied. And I look forward to continued growth as I study more this year.

8. In November, we decided to look for a local home church. We were travelling too far and it was hard to maintain relationships. So we are in the process of looking for a church now. I think we have found one. But we want to go through the member's class first.

I can't wait to see what 2009 brings. I pray that we all grow closer to the Lord in 2009. May He alone be glorified in everything we think, say, do and feel!

Fairness and the Sovereignty of God

2008-11-17T09:10:00.000-08:00

Many times we look at our circumstances and from our perspective things seem unfair.

But when we take a step back we can see that God is trying to teach us a bigger lesson.

This past weekend at the speech tournament I was in the TAB room. Let me tell you first off that those ladies back there are AMAZING! You have no idea how many things they are juggling to get everyone to the right place, to be fair and above reproach and to keep things running as close to time as possible.

I had the privilege of filing ballots so I knew how my children were doing after each round and who would be in his room each time.

Z did very well (even amongst top competitors) in the first round. But 2 things happened in the second round to off set those initial good rankings...

1. He was placed in the exact same room with the same competitors (only one new competitor) and
2. The judges asked the students to choose their topic at the judges table before going to their card box.

This 2nd thing threw Z off. And when he couldn't find the card he had chosen in his box, he had a choice
1. To give up
2. To make an appeal.

2 years ago, he would have given up. But this time, he made an appeal to the judges. They accepted it and he was able to continue. He didn't do as well in that round. BUT....I can tell you that I am more proud of him for making that appeal than any award that he could have won.

On Sunday morning I was reading through his ballots and was so blessed. When we started 2 years ago, every one of his ballots said "More eye contact" or "Don't read your card". This time everyone of his ballots said "Great eye contact" and "Confident and sincere."

What a long way we've come since the beginning.

So why the title Fairness and the Sovereignty of God? Because looking at the situation in the natural, I could focus on how things might seem unfair, but in the bigger picture and in the Sovereignty of God we learned a more valuable lesson!

I pray that the next time we are tempted to complain about fairness in any aspect of life that we will take a step back and remember that God is in control and look for the bigger lesson he has for us.

2 Natures

2008-08-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

I thought this was a neat poem. And aptly describes the war within us. The war between flesh and sprit.

TWO NATURES WITHIN MY BREAST.
ONE IS CURSED, THE OTHER ONE BLESSED.
ONE I LOVE AND ONE I HATE.
THE ONE I FEED WILL DOMINATE!

May the spirit dominate today!

Happy?

2008-07-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

One of the most precious things that I love about my dear sweet K is how she always wants everyone to be "happy".

This morning, JJ was spinning her in an office chair. When he stopped, she was dizzy and fell off the chair and bumped her head. We were all very sad. But JJ was especially sad that he had a part in her getting hurt. He is my sensitive child and would never hurt a flea.

But when K realized that JJ was sad, she wanted him to be happy. So she said, "JJ happy?"

It made me cry to think that even in her own hurt, she was concerned about others and their happiness. She truly is a blessing!

Aunt Shirley

2008-05-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

My husband's aunt died last weekend. The memorial service was last Saturday. This is my favorite picture of her because it captures her personality.

Here are some of my thoughts from the weekend.

It is a great comfort to Christians to know that a loved one is with the Lord. Most of my extended family is not walking with the Lord and I do not have that comfort for them. I pray the Lord will touch them and open their eyes.

I was also just blessed by my family. All of my boys participated in some way. And they blessed many. It is such a blessing to see them grow!

I was also just blessed by my in-laws. It is amazing the sacrifices they made for Aunt Shirley. I pray the Lord will richly bless them for all that they did for her. I'm sure there will be plenty of jewels in their crowns.

Finally, I just kept thinking about how we wait to say what we really think until it's many times too late. I hope to do better. But only by the Lord's strength. I'm not good with words even though I FEEL very deeply.

J turns 13!!

2008-03-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

Oh my! I have 2 teens now! It seems like only yesterday that J was born. He's always been inquisitive with such energy and enthusiasm. And such faith. He never gives up. I love him dearly and pray the Lord will continue to lead and guide him.

K turns 2

2008-03-31T19:43:00.001-07:00

K's bday party. Blowing out the candles with her 3 big brothers. So cute!

My 4 favorites....

2008-03-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

When I tuck the kids in bed at night I always say, "You are one of my 4 favorites." Or "You are my favorite ___ year old."

They are ALL true blessings!

Baseball season has started

2008-02-23T16:10:00.001-08:00

Z had his first baseball game on Friday. The Angels won 7-0. It was a great first game. He was the DH.

K has the yuk-yuks

2008-02-18T07:50:00.001-08:00

Poor K woke up from her nap after church yesterday and had a bad tummy. So all throughout JJ's party I was taking care of a sick baby wiht plenty of help from the rest of the family.

But she was so cute...everytime she felt sick she would say--"Yuk-Yuks comin'"

I think she's better today. So we are hoping for no more "yuk-yuks"

JJ is 10!

2008-02-18T07:48:00.001-08:00

My sweet JJ turned 10 yesterday. I can't believe it!! Where has the time gone.

He is a wonderful son full of joy and smiles. And always so eager to help.

I am so blessed to have him as my son!

Speech

2008-01-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, our boys participated in an NCFCA speech tournament.

All 3 of the of boys did very well and we are excited about how much they are learning as they become more effective communicators for Christ.

Z--His topic was on the dangers of using movies as a main topic in preaching. It was a relevant message on getting back to expository preaching. How encouraging to hear such a strong message from a 14 yo!!

J--Placed 2nd in Open Interp for his version of The 3 Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig.

JJ--Placed 3rd in Jr. Oratory for his speech on Funding for NASA.

Homeschooling to the Glory of God

2008-01-15T08:41:00.000-08:00

2007 was a year of new revelation for me. I got a glimpse of my true purpose in life...To glorify God in everything that I say, do, think and feel.

Now this may seem simple and trite. But I assure you that this is no small task and I fail frequently. But I am being transformed by the renewing of my mind. And I am ever more mindful of of my sinful ways and my sinful motives.

I am constantly asking myself, "Why are you acting that way?" "Why are you feeling that way?" "Why are you doing things that way?" and "Why are you saying things that way and with that tone?" and finally, "Are you bringing glory to God with that thought, word or deed?"

And bottom line is if it not for the glory of God, then to me it is sin .

So, I've been digging deep into my heart even in regards to homeschooling. And I thought I'd share some food for thought:

Why am I homeschooling?

In all honesty for me, it has always been to avoid the negatives of traditional schools and gain the positives of homeschooling. The positives were close family relationships, better character, ability to train my kids in the way we thought best (using the Bible), and academic excellence. The negatives were avoiding peer pressure and accessibility (and frequent contact) to sinful attitudes, behaviors and actions (disrespect, rebellion, drugs, promiscuity, etc),

And if I look even further into my heart, I would see some even uglier things--like wanting my kids to be a trophy of some sort (better, smarter, kinder, with godlier character). And I find that in the end it all leads to sinful pride.

So what is the remedy? Christ alone! You see Jesus is not interested in what's in it for me and how He can make me look better (or even my kids to look great). It's all about the glory of God. When I teach my children, it should be to the glory of God. What am I teaching them? How am I acting towards them? What am I saying to them?

On a daily basis, I need to put away such futile and fleeting thoughts about how great my children are. Of course I love them and think they are great. But what is the purpose of my training? It HAS to be for the glory of God, so that He can use them to bring glory to Himself. Otherwise, I'm just teaching them to be prideful, arrogant, haughty, self-righteous, and even lazy. And these attitudes will do nothing but lead them astray.

When we focus on ourselves and what's in it for us and how we are better than others, we are only following our sin nature and our flesh. And I would even venture to say that when we compare ourselves to other kinds of schools, many times we are doing that as well. We need to be careful of such thoughts and words for we do not know the paths of others that God will use to bring glory to Himself.

So my question to you today is why are you homeschooling? Search your heart and see what's really in there. And if you, like me, are convicted by what you see, I pray you will repent and ask the Lord to change you from the inside.

May we always seek to honor and glorify the Lord in everything we do, say, think and feel.

Pictures from our 1st Tea

2007-12-29T11:19:00.000-08:00

Pictures from our first tea. First picture is all of the ladies in attendance. Second picture of me and K.

Traditions

2007-12-26T17:54:00.000-08:00

This year the ladies of our clan are beginning a new tradition--an annual Christmas Tea. Our tea will be in a couple of days at my house and I'm busily preparing for everyone to come and enjoy a relaxing time. I so love having everyone over! It is one of my greatest joys in life.

And as I've been physically preparing my home, I've been thinking on the idea of traditions. Why are they so meaningful and when did the idea of traditions start?

I think if we look back to the Bible we can definitely see the traditions that God instituted during the time of Moses (i.e. the feasts and festivals, as well as the oral tradition and the rituals of the Levitical priests, etc.)

But upon further reflection, I think the idea of traditions started when man did--at the beginning. You see, Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8). It was their practice to meet with God--to fellowship with Him and to learn from Him.

And when I think of this new tradition that is exactly what I hope for my dd, K--that she would cherish this tradition as a time to fellowship with the wonderful godly women of our family and to learn from them.

For me traditions, bring comfort, security, and identity. They hold a special place in my heart as all that was good in my childhood. We had many traditions in my family at Christmas--hanging up our favorite ornaments from year to year, then hanging icicles on all of the branches making sure that you put just the right amount on each branch. We made Christmas cutout cookies every year. And on Christmas Eve, we always had one present to open. You guessed it--Jammies! Grandma always gave us a new ornament for our tree every year and I still use most of them for my tree today.

Christmas Day was all about the food and being with family. Grandma was the best cook in town and she even let my cousin and I help set the table and put garnish on the food. Then after dinner my cousins, my brother and I would put together a Christmas play using our favorite gifts from that Christmas.

My children have many of these same traditions and some new ones from their Daddy's side of the family and others that we've incorporated over the years. As a funny aside, this year I asked the boys if we could change a few things. They were shocked that I would even mention it and told me in no uncertain terms that they'll have the traditions like they are--thank you very much!

I pray that the traditions that we have as a family will give them a sense of family identity and truly fond memories of our family. And as they grow up and leave the nest, they will have a strong sense of identity that will carry them through the seasons of their lives.

Christmas Reflection

2007-12-25T08:28:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about Christmas this morning while I was making breakfast and before everyone was up.

All the preparation up to "the event." The decorating, putting up the Christmas tree, purchasing gifts and wrapping them and putting them under the tree, Advent devotionals, the Advent calendar, buying the food for Christmas breakfast and Christmas dinner. Each thing a sign that Christmas is getting closer.

And how we all anticipate the moment-- The kids waking up and sitting on the top step, then coming down to open stockings. The excitement is so real. It's even hard for the kids (and me) to sleep on Christmas Eve cause we are so excited.

And I had the thought that that same anticipation should be how I feel about the Lord Jesus returning. As the signs get closer my heart should leap and the return of my King. And as I think on that moment when I see my Lord face to face and reflect on his return I am filled with that same anticipation that I felt this morning. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. For your bride has made herself ready!

Memorizing Scripture

2007-12-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

I've decided it's time to get serious about memorizing scripture. I've gone back and forth with memorizing a verse here and there. But I've been challenged how JJ has memorized James 1 and is working on James 2.

I just read this article by Dr. Davis on the Value of Scripture Memorization and intend to put this into practice.

Since our church is going through Colossians, I figure that would be a good place to start.

So my start date for memorizing Colossians is December 12th. And my goal for finishing is April 9th.

May the Lord bless the meditation of His Word and help me to accomplish this goal.

Worship

2007-11-03T18:12:00.000-07:00

I was recently challenged by this sermon by Rick Gamache on worship.

You can download it from Desiring God here.

In it he gives this quote, "Pleasure is the measure of our treasure." And goes on to expound that what we take pleasure in most is what we treasure most. How do we spend our time? What do we think about most? On what do we spend our money?

Sadly, I shudder to think how much time I spend thinking on all kinds of things--what my plans are for the day, the week and the month, what the children need to be doing, how am I gonna get everything that I need to do accomplished? What do others need from me? Etc.

I wonder if this is idolatry? For the end of all of this thinking doesn't really seem to lead to glorifying God.

Now I'm not saying that every thought needs to be only on the Lord with my head in the Bible and all money only applied to Christian pursuits. But...I'm praying that my pleasure will be more and more found in the Lord and that this will be reflected more and more in my actions, throughts, words, deeds (and expenditures. :-))

Spiritual Spaghetti

2007-10-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

Spiritual Spaghetti
By Debbie Lindstrom
Oct 30, 2007

Ahh…spaghetti! Just the thought of it makes one’s mouth water. The soft and chewy pasta cooked to perfection—al dente, of course. The rich savory tomato sauce laden with spices and tender veggies. And don’t forget the meat! It’s not real spaghetti unless there’s meat in it. Each part is essential to the making of a meal that is one of my family’s favorites and I’m sure yours as well. Today I’d like to take a different look at spaghetti and show how this favorite meal can remind us of our Christian walk.

Spaghetti has 3 essential parts: the pasta, the sauce and the meat. Together these 3 ingredients give us a wonderful nutritious meal that helps us to be healthy and strong. In the same way there are 3 aspects of our Christian walk that if we will be faithful to do, we will be spiritually healthy and strong.

The first ingredient in spaghetti is the pasta. Pasta is a carbohydrate and useful for quick daily energy. Carbohydrates are filling and quickly satisfy cravings and hunger pangs. But as Christians, we also need quick energy for our daily walk. We have a hunger for the things of God that daily needs to be satisfied. How can we get this quick spiritual energy? By praying, worshiping, and thanking God. As we turn our hearts to focus on the Lord in these acts of worship, our energy is renewed. As we sing songs of praise even when we don’t “feel like it,” somehow our outlook on life is changed. What seemed so big at the moment now seems so small in light of an infinite God and eternity. Instead of focusing and worrying about our problems, we can turn them over to God and trust Him to help us endure through to the end of that trial. We can pray for others and lift up their needs as well. And by doing so, our problems seem to diminish. And instead of looking at our lack, we can praise God for all the blessings that we have in Him. So the next time, you are feeling low and need some energy in your day, grab some spiritual carbs and start worshipping, praying and thanking God. But carbs by themselves are kinda bland and usually need something to give them some flavor.

Gong back to the spaghetti, it’s the sauce that gives it its flavor and spice. And we need flavor in our spiritual lives! We tend to get in ruts and routines. We tend to just go through the motions. But God is so good to spice up our lives by giving us daily opportunities to glorify Him. It may be by serving others, helping someone in your family, calling a friend to offer encouragement, sharing a bit of wisdom from God’s word to a hard situation, sharing the Gospel with a stranger, working through a conflict in a godly way. The list is endless and unique to each individual. Look for opportunities that God gives to spice up your life! And purpose in your heart to glorify Him! This is no small task and many times we fail. But the good news is that the recipe is not spoiled by our failures. We usually get the opportunity to try that test again to gain victory in our lives. What joy there is in serving the Lord! There is such pleasure in knowing that the Lord has somehow used us to bless someone else. So like every good spaghetti sauce, don’t skimp on the spices. Use every opportunity that God brings your way to glorify and enjoy Him.

Now pasta and sauce are delicious. But if our meal doesn’t have any meat, it won’t stick with us. Meat is a protein to give us strength and build muscle. And just as we need to exercise our physical muscles, we also need to develop our spiritual muscles. Our spiritual lives need meat too, and God has provided through the meat of His Word. As we feed on His Word, we will be strengthened. Through the Word, God shows us what He requires of us. We find out what displeases Him. We gain wisdom for walking our daily lives. We learn to trust Him because of His faithfulness throughout the generations. We learn how to solve problems and how to relate to others.

Oh the depth of the Word! Libraries of books have been written on what the Bible contains and yet there is still more that we can glean from it. It is the best selling book of all time and for a reason, because it is God’s love letter to us--full of love, encouragement for daily living, and wisdom. It shows us where we’ve failed and how to get back up. When all else fails, we can go to the Word and there are words of life to spur us on. And as we daily feed on His word, we are strengthened in our faith. We need the Word to have the stamina to make it through each day. And by disciplining ourselves to read the Bible daily, we develop spiritual muscles to fight the battles that come our way. Battles such as laziness, contentment, laying down our lives for others when what we really want is for others to lay down their lives for us. We learn to emulate Christ, our Lord, by laying down our lives for others instead of satisfying our own fleshly desires. The Word is essential to our walk and our spiritual food. It satisfies our souls, just as spaghetti satisfies our palette.

So the next time you eat a plate of spaghetti, I encourage you to think about your spiritual walk. Are you incorporating a good balance of all the ingredients necessary for your spiritual health? Spaghetti that is lacking just one of these ingredients just isn't the same. In the same way, we need all these disciplines for our daily walk with the Lord. And as we learn to glorify Him, our lives will be more enjoyable just like a well-balanced plate of spaghetti! Bon a petit!

Glorifying God

2007-09-21T10:22:00.001-07:00

The first question in the Westminster Confession is:

What is the chief end of man?

And the answer is:

Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

And so I am learning that this is much deeper than I at first thought.

It seems easy to glorify God. To praise Him daily in all circumstances whether good or bad.

But at all times of the day? Am I glorifying Him in every thought, word, and deed?

I've even been thinking on my motivations for deeds. If I had to give one motivation for most of my good deeds, it would be to bless others. And while this may be a good motivation, I'm afraid it's not the best. You see, when I am looking to bless others, my heart may still be off the mark. What benefit is there to me for wanting to bless others? While I think my motivations are mostly pure, I'm wondering if I do not derive some benefit in blessing others--a good reputation, kind words, expressed appreciation, etc. And I admit some pride that comes from those things and some amount of self-gratification. There is some of ME in the equation.

Instead, I think my motivation in every thought, word and deed should be to glorify God. This is a huge paradigm shift for me. For if I am looking only for God's glory, then when the accolades do not come, when I am overlooked or unappreciated, then I can just trust the Lord that somehow He is getting glory--instead of wanting even some small part for myself.

Now how to live that out, that is another story. But I pray that the Lord will help me! For truly I cannot do it on my own! And may it be all for His glory!!

Who do you turn to?

2007-09-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

Both of my J's have a stomach bug. We've been passing it around our home for the past few days.

I caught a glimpse of JJ in his bed reading. And just had the thought, "Who do you turn to when you're not feeling well?"

What a precious sight to see a glimpse of your children seeking for truth.

Ephesians 3

2007-09-12T17:06:00.001-07:00

In Chapter 3, Paul reveals a hidden mystery that:

That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

That the wall of separation that has existed between Jew and Gentile has been removed through Christ and there is now no Jew or Greek (Rom 10:12), nor slave or free, nor male or female in Christ (Gal. 3:28).

And Paul was given grace to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

I know that non-Christians cannot understand the depth that is contained in the Bible. But when I read it, I am amazed at how much I learn. NO matter how many times I've read a particular passage there is still more that I can learn as the Holy Spirit illuminates it to me. And no matter how much grace and how many blessings I've received as a result of following Christ, there are still more blessings tomorrow. It reminds me of the passage in Revelation 4 where the elders (after the the 4 living creatures proclaim God's holiness) fall down to worship Him. They are constantly proclaiming God's holiness--night and day, 24 hours a day! It seems like at some point they would know everything about God. But the elders continually get new revelation that causes them to continually fall down on their faces and worship!

And there's more! We have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

Just thinking in the natural. But not everyone has access to the President or king of a country. You have to have certain security clearances and a reason to be in His presence. When we come to know Christ, we have access to the King of Kings! The God of the Universe! And not only that we can come boldly and with confidence. We are his children and He delights in us and desires for us to come to him as we would a loving father. With our joys, triumphs, victories, defeats, struggles, needs, EVERYTHING.

Then Paul asks for 3 things:

1. That he [God] would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

2. that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;

and

3. that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

In other words, that we would be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, that Christ would dwell in our hearts and that we would understand the depth of Christ's love.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen

What more can be said. He is so much greater than us. His ways are so much higher than ours. He is infinite, transcendent, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. I am not. And so I cannot even begin to comprehend Him. The small grain of sand of knowledge that I have of Him is so precious and I pray that maybe someday I'll have 2 grains. But it will never compare to the ocean full of sand that He is. And to know that He loves me and desires to reveal Himself to me is such a wonderful thought! To Him be the Glory forever and ever. AMEN

Ephesians 2

2007-09-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

You HE made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

These are strong verses. We were dead and Christ made us alive. I don't see how a dead man can do anything. He doesn't move, he doesn't say anything, and he doesn't breathe. So I don't see how a dead man can choose God. I think that it is God who does the choosing and then once our eyes are open then we choose Him. In other words before the foundation of the world, God elected us. We were dead in our sins and unable to choose Him. Then at some point in the lives of the elect, when God deemed the exact right time, their eyes are opened to His goodness and they are given the choice to choosing him or to continue in their sin. And then it's kinda like choosing life or death. Who would be foolish enough to reject life? It is our nature before God opens our eyes to choose things that lead to death. But once God opens our eyes we have the ability to see the greatness of God and the ability to choose life.

we were children of wrath.

We had a discussion about this in our apologetics class. And according to these verses I believe that this is saying before we were saved we were children of wrath. And even though we are of the elect, before we are justified we are enemies of God and deserving of His wrath.

But God (even when we were dead in trespasses) made us alive together with Christ.

Again, we are dead, so we have no ability to choose. It was God who made us alive with Christ.

That He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.

And why did He do it? To show the exceeding riches of His grace. So that all of creation can marvel that He chose a sinner like me. So that He can get ALL the glory. And when God chooses a sinner such as me, then there is no glory that I can claim for myself. I did absolutely nothing to merit His mercy or grace.

For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Could this be a nail in the coffin for Open Theism? (The idea that God doesn't know the future. He only responds to it as it happens.) This verse is saying that not only did He choose me before the foundation of the world. He also had good works prepared for me to do.

Now I don't believe that I am some robot that has no choice in the matter. It's kinda like this--when I come to a fork in the road, God can block the ways he doesn't want me to go and then the choice is mine. There may be some ways that are better than others. And depending on where I am in my spiritual walk, I may choose better or worse. And through it all God is in control. He already knows what decisions I'll make and what temptations I'll face. And He teaches me and helps me to learn lessons and to grow in godliness even when my choice is not the best one or I am choosing sinfully.

An example from my life is my dear K. Oh how many lessons I have learned through that situation. But I believe God gave me the choice to submit to my husband for another child. And I chose correctly. But...had I not chosen correctly, God could have intervened and given us a child miraculously regardless of my choice. And I would have failed the test and had regrets. But knowing that I passed that test only makes my sweet K only more dear to my heart.

Now you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

Citizenship was a great privilege during the Roman Empire. If you were a Roman citizen, you had more opportunity, protections and privileges that those who were not citizens. But we are not earthly citizens. We are citizens of God's Kingdom. And not only citizens, but members of the household of God. What it must have been like to be a member of Augustus Caesar's family. The riches, the privilege, the power, the protection of the emperor, and stature. But God's family provides us with His riches in Christ, the same power that raised Christ from the dead, the protection of God Himself, and the stature to be called a Son of God!! Awesome!

The NEA vs. Homeschooling

2007-09-11T08:22:00.000-07:00

I found this recent information interesting...
========================
The National Education Association recently held its 2007 convention in Philadelphia and passed a number of resolutions, including one on home schooling. Below is the national teacher's union's position on what should be adopted by each state regarding home education. This is a reminder of why we must be actively on guard to defend our freedom to homeschool.

"B-75. Home Schooling. The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience. When home schooling occurs, students enrolled must meet all state curricular requirements, including the taking of assessments to ensure adequate academic progress. Home schooling should be limited to the children of the immediate family, with all expenses being born by the parents/guardians. Instruction should be by persons who are licensed by the appropriate state education licensure agency, and a curriculum approved by the state department of education should be used.

"The Association also believes that home-schooled students should not participate in any extracurricular activities in the public schools...."
=========================
As my children near high school, I've been questioning myself about the homeschooling journey.
What if they could get better academics in a different institution? (Public or private)
What if they could have access to better extracurricular activities?
Is homeschooling the BEST option for where we are in our lives right now?
Should we continue to homeschool through high school?
And the ultimate question-- why are we homeschooling?

As I've been searching my heart, I've had to figure out what is most important to me. Do I just want smart children? Or do I have a higher goal?

The NEA doesn't seem to think that we (homeschool parents) can provide everything that our children need for a "comprehensive education experience." And I wonder what they mean by that. Perhaps I won't be able to provide the absolute best academics in every subject or access to all extracurricular experiences. But what I can provide is much greater! A stable home environment where they can learn to love God and serve others. A place where they can learn more about our Lord and where they can learn how to defend their faith against the attacks from the world instead of having to fight those fights before they are ready.

In 2003 NHERI (National Home Educators Research Institute did a study and found that 75-85% of CHRISTIAN youth who attended public schools renounce their faith and/or quit going to church within 2 years after high school graduation. While 93% of homeschooled students continued to attend church and 94% of homeschooled adults strongly agreed to the statement: "My religious beliefs are basically the same as those of my parents."

And for me, I realized that my ultimate goal is to raise children who love the Lord and want to glorify Him in everything they do, say, think and feel. Not that they always attain that goal, but that they want to. And homeschooling provides the best odds of them succeeding in the ultimate goal of knowing God and learning how to serve others.

And so I've been asking myself, questions like "So in light of my ultimate goal, does it matter that they may not get the latest, most-up-to-date Science with fabulous labs? Does it matter that they may not have access to multitudes of opportunities for extracurricular activities? Does it matter that I don't have time to do everything that I want to do with them? And how can I make my priorities line up with my ultimate goal?

And I don't have all the answers yet. But I did talk to my dh about this and we are in agreements that our ultimate goal is to raise warriors for the Kingdom of God and that homeschooling is the BEST option for us to accomplish this goal. Of course we don't know what tomorrow will bring, but best case scenario we will continue to homeschool through high school despite what NEA or anyone else may think.

And lest anyone, think that I am slacking on academics...ask my children or my friends. ;-)

Ephesians 1

2007-09-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

This book is written to the saints at Ephesus.

Grace be to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This indicates the equivalence of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, The Lord Jesus Christ = God.

We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

The blessings are for those in Christ. These blessings include righteousness, resources, privilege, position, and power. (Romans 8:16-17) Wow! We are so blessed in Christ and sometimes we forget. We live our lives with no joy and gloomy faces. And yet, if there was no other blessing other than salvation from eternal damnation, we should rejoice! Oh help me, dear Lord, to remember your blessings and to be grateful (and joyful) for all you have done!!

He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.

I know that not everyone will agree with me here and I'm not trying to convince, just put down in words what I believe. I believe that God chose His elect before the foundation of the world. God chose me before the beginning of the world. The choosing was determined by him and those who are chosen are called the elect. There is nothing that I can do to merit that choosing. He did it all! He gets all the glory. And that makes me grateful. If it were any other way, then one would have to ask, "What makes me different than the soul who did not choose?" "What was in me that made me choose and someone else not choose?" Andthat begs the question, "Was there something special about me that caused me to choose Him while someone else didn't?" And it sort of leads to a view that man initiates his own salvation. I will speak to this more when I get to Chapter 2. But for now, I'll leave with this thought if there was something in me that would cause me to choose and someone else not to choose, then that would make me special and would be the cause of God choosing me. And then God would be choosing based on something that I did which would make him a respecter of persons which is contrary to Acts 10:34 and I understand it.

He chose us ... to be holy and without blame before Him.
Our purpose is to be holy. The result is that we are without blame.

In love, He predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself.

Again, my soteriology says that the predestination happened before the foundation of the world and it was God who chose the elect to be adopted as sons. And when we are adopted into God's family we are given us His own nature. Earthly adoptive parents cannot pass on their traits to the adopted child. But God is able to change us into new creatures who now desire to glorify Him.

Predestined according to the good pleasure of HIS will

It is not our will that makes us predestined, but HIS will. These next few verses also underscore that it is God's work and not ours.

In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace when HE made to abound towrad us in all wisdom and prudence. HE made known.. He purposed in HIMself. In Him we also have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of HIM who works all things according to the counsel of HIS will.

My understanding here may be very simple. But it seems that there are too many HE and HIMs to overlook the fact that HE did it all.

You trusted after you HEARD the word of truth--the Gospel. You believed and were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

People need to hear the Gospel and it is our job to proclaim it. I fear that I have fallen very short of this lately and need to get back to sharing the Good news with others. Also, here is the progression mentioned. First you hear, then you trust. When you believed, then you were sealed with the HOly Spirit. Can a true believer (one of the elect) be unsealed? I do not believe so and therefore I think this verse points to the perseverance of the saints.

I have heard of your faith and love for all saints.

Throughout the epistles, true faith is accompanied with love for the brethren. If one does not have love for the brethren , then he should examine his heart.

[Paul's] Prayers [are] that God may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.

We need to have more of a revelation of who God is in our lives. When we really know Him, it gives us strength, courage, love and patience for others, joy, and everything else we need to live a life that is pleasing to Him. I pray that this would be manifest in my life. Help me to learn more and to know you better, dear Lord!

So that we know the hope of our calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance, the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.

If I were to focus on knowing Him more, I would understand the hope in my calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance and the exceeding greatness of His power towards me. Oh how often, I look at myself, my struggles, my shortcomings, how I'm being treated in certain situations. I have been convicted lately and asking myself--who are you thinking about? And most of the time, when I'm defeated, struggling, angry and upset, frustrated, I'm thinking about ME. I hope that someday this will change in my life. That I can always look to Christ and know these things are true and take hold of the knowledge that His has blessed me beyond what I can imagine.

This same power is the power that raised Christ from the dead.

When I think of the power that raised Christ from the dead, I think of an awesome power. And that is the power that He has in my life. Wow!! Now if I only I can remember!

Ephesians --Background

2007-09-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

Our family was able to take a trip a few years ago to Greece, Rome and Ephesus in the footsteps of Paul. I hope to be able to look back over the video of that trip to gain more insight. But here is what I remember.

Ephesus is in modern day Turkey. And on the day we went there it was extremely hot! 104 degrees if I remember correctly. I wasn't feeling well on that day as it was toward the end of our trip and we had just gotten off the cruise so I didn't have my "land-legs" back. So I was in the words of Madame Blueberry, "Feeling woozy."

Ephesus was a commercial, port city. They were VERY wealthy and pagan. There were many prostitutes and they advertised their brothels in the concrete sidewalks. There was a large library in Ephesus. And they were known for their worship of Diana. Statues of her show her as a many-breasted goddess. And in reading Acts 19, one can see the encounters that Paul had with the Ephesians. In fact, the men of Ephesus got mad at Paul for preaching against their idol and ruining their business. They got together and shouted for 2 hours "Great is Diana of the Ephesians."

I think one thing that I find amazing in the day in which I live is that they would persist in that activity for 2 hours. We live in such a time that no one does anything for any lengthy amount of time and we get our information in 30-second sound bites.

There were 2 large gathering areas in Ephesus--one was an audion, the other was a great amphitheater. We were told that where Paul most likely met with the Ephesians was at the smaller audion.

I Corinthians 6-Unrighteous Living, Glorifying God

2007-08-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

Do not sue a brother. If you have a matter against a brother you should
take it before the saints. It is better to be wronged or cheated than to sue a brother in the Lord.

The unrighteous will NOT inherit the Kingdom. Neither fornicators,
idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards,
revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

I'm amazed at how the church is infiltrated with people who claim to be Christian and yet they continue to wallow in sin. I'm not talking about falling. But diving in the mud and filth. This verse seems very clear that we cannot just continue to behave in these ways and be partakers of the Kingdom of God. There are times when I don't "feel" close to the Lord. And perhaps I am in sin (whether knowingly or unknowingly), but I can't stay there for long and I pray that my response time will become shorter and shorter and I am cleansed more and more by the Lord and the washing of His Word.

You were washed. You were sanctified, you were justified.
Washed=regeneration, cleansed
Sanctified=New behavior, pattern of obedience and holiness
Justified=right standing before God

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful
How true!! Just because my flesh wants to drink Coke everyday (and it's lawful) doesn't mean that it's good for my body. And there are numerous other ways that this verse can apply.

Flee sexual immorality.
It is so easy to fall into temptation and society is inundated with explicit images and bombards us with continual sexually immoral messages. This is an area in which we must protect ourselves. For me, I do not hug or touch any other man but my sweetie. Also, I think it is important to not put oneself in a situation where you are alone with a man...even a Christian man. I think avoiding the appearance of evil in such cases is just as important as protecting yourself and the man from any temptation. Also as women of God, I think it is important to keep your sweetie's love tank full so that he is not tempted.

Glorify God in your body and spirit, which are God's.

This is our ultimate goal...to glorify God in everything we DO, SAY, THINK and FEEL.

Thoughts on Marriage

2007-08-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

I recently had a sweet mom email me and ask for wisdom on improving her marriage.

Below are excepts of an email I sent to her.

T is my bestest and dearest friend in the whole world---other than Jesus. And the only way that I can possibly love T is to love the Lord more. So my first bit of advice is to seek the Lord and ask Him to help you make your sweetie a priority. Ask Him to give you creative ideas on how you can improve your relationship.

Here are some things that I do or have done in the past:

1. NEVER speak poorly of your husband. Always speak only kind and uplifting things about him. This comes easy for me cause I really can't think of anything negative. :-) But on our wedding day, the pastor who married us said to us that we should cover one another. That others should not see Todd's flaws because I was there to cover them and show only his good side and vice versa. And so I made it a practice to only speak highly of him. When friends would say bad things about their husbands, I chose not to enter into those discussions. This means even little side remarks that may be true, but don't need to be said like "Oh, he's not a handy-man." Always be an encourager and he'll trust you with his heart. Todd knows that I speak highly of him and he trusts me in that area. And I trust him that he would only speak kindly about me. I guess the main thing is to make that a practice if you haven't already. And it will become easier and easier. And I imagine it'll change your attitude towards him if you are focusing on the positive and not the negative.

2. Allow him to lead you. I am a strong personality. And T is more reserved. The way he leads is very different from the way I lead. And I've had to learn to submit to his leadership style. For me that means, to wait patiently which is not easy for my personality. I just want to get things done. But T is very wise and methodical. And when he does something, he does it with excellence. I remember hearing a speaker talk about family devotionals and allowing your husband to lead without interrupting and making corrections. It was soooo convicting to me. So, I've had to learn to take more of a back seat role.

3. Pray for your husband as much as possible. I think we often forget how hard it is to be a man--to have daily challenges at work, to have problems at home, to have to make all the family decisions, to be financially responsible, and spiritually responsible for your family etc. I pray throughout the day for T and I "Instant Message" him and ask him at least once a day how I can pray for him and how things are going at work.

4. Pray with your husband daily. We pray right before bed. This has been our practice since we got married. T's prayers are usually pretty short and sweet, mine can be longer. But this is a time that we bring all of our concerns and requests to the Lord together.

5. Have a good girlfriend. :-) OK this sounds weird, but it's important to have someone else to talk to besides your hubby. A good girlfriend will listen and help you work out things too. It doesn't all have to fall on your husband. It's not about keeping secrets here. Just trying to spare him from saving all the problems of the world. :-) Just want to make it clear that I am not talking about going to your girlfriend with problems about your husband. This is really more about having someone else to talk to about issues of your heart and practical advice.

6. Have a white board in a prominent area where your husband can write things that need to be done. Like errands he's needs to you to (get stamps, have a child shred papers, get something he needs at the grocery store, etc) And then make it a priority to get those things done.

7. Ask him "How can I be a better wife for you?" And then listen without justifying or getting angry about his answer.

8. Another good question, "Is there any area in which you feel I am not submitting to you?"

9. Be honest and share your feelings with him. If there is conflict, don't allow it to fester. Pray and go to him quickly. Most of our squabbles are just quick things like "Did you mean that the way I'm hearing it?" The answer is usually "No, will you forgive me for not choosing my words wisely?" And the response is "Of course." Then we move on with life.

10. Be quick to forgive and don't hold grudges! Forgiveness means choosing not to replay the hurt and not letting it damage the relationship. Stomping around, slamming doors or silent treatment is not forgiving.

11. Go on dates!! You need time to recharge and fill that relationship cup.

12. Not for little eyes. But make sure you are fulfilling his need for intimacy. It is important that his love tank is full. If not, it can lead to second glances and other temptations. You can do your part by keeping that tank full.

13. Don't assume that he knows what you need. I need a lot of encouragement. So every night I ask T, "Why do you love me?" If I especially need lots of encouragement, I may say, "Give me 5 reasons why you love me today." I don't mind asking, and he doesn't mind giving me answers.

14. Do everything you can to make him happy. You will be more satisfied in your marriage if you are seeking to satisfy the needs of your hubby--not your own needs.

15. Respect him! Don't correct him in front of others (including the children). Don't belittle. Do those things that he asks you to do. Honor him with your words and actions.

16. Ask him, "What one or 2 things can I do that would be a blessing to you?" And then try to do those things.

17. If there is an area where you are not submitting, pray and repent. Remember that it is easier to submit, than it is to lead. He is responsible for all the decisions, you are just responsible for following with a good attitude. When you get our from under his protection by not submitting, you are in danger. There is protection when you stay under the umbrella of your husband's authority. AND many times blessings!! My sweet K is a testimony of God's faithfulness and blessings when I submitted to T's desires.

.

Piggy Bank for K

2007-08-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

K putting plastic coins in her piggy bank. She's smart and cute! I'm hoping to start doing some Montessori type activities with her. The boys have started school. So she needs a few things to keep her busy! She is a busy girl!

Life gets hard

2007-07-31T16:28:00.000-07:00

There are times when life gets hard and other things take precedence over blogs...

Right now I've got 2 loved ones who are facing serious illness. My grandma and my adopted mom.

What's hard for me is that these 2 women have affected my life in profound ways. And the thought of losing one or both of them is a bit overwhelming at times. But I try to focus on the Lord and pray.

I need to be in the Word more. As I've fallen behind in my reading. I pray the Lord will draw me near to him.

I Cor 5--What to do with sinners in the body

2007-07-13T13:26:00.003-07:00

There was sexual sin among the Corinthians. Corinth was a port city--very wealthy and full of all kinds of temptations. As you can see on the map, Corinth is located at the point where the land masses come to at point in the middle. There was a one mile strip of land where the boats could not go through. At firs they carried the boats across this strip of land. But later they dug a canal. Quite an amazing feat!

This was a very lucrative business for the Corinthians. And because all kinds of people were there on business, sin abounded. Many of the rebukes from Paul were related to the sexual impurity that was prevalent.

One such judgment was on a man who was committing adultery with his step-mother. Paul passed judgement of the sinner. And the church was asked to do the same.

I think in the day that we live in, we tend to tolerate all kinds of sin in the name of not judging others. But Paul did not let sin continue in the body without addressing it. Of course, confronting sin should be done with the utmost humility and kindness and spoken in much love with the intent on bringing a brother or sister back to fellowship and right standing before the Lord. After all we all tend to have blind spots. And is it not kinder to tell someone that that they are in sin than to allow that sin to destroy and hurt them and others?

When you are gathered together (assembled in church), along with my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver the sinner to Satan for the destruction of the flesh (sickness, even death) that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Sin affects the whole church body. It should be purged from the body.

I Cor 4--Faithful stewards, Praise, What we do

2007-07-13T13:26:00.001-07:00

It is required of a steward to be found faithful.

This is an interesting verse. We live in such a time that many feel that they can just say a Sinner's Prayer and then live how they want and sin how they want without consequence. After all, their sins are forgiven. But this verse seems to suggest that it is required of true believers to be found faithful.

Judge nothing before the time. The Lord will bring to light hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the heart. Each one's praise will come from God.

We should be looking to please the Lord, not men. Oh how often, I fail at this. For me, it's not so much that I want men's praise, as much as I fear their hurtful and unkind reactions. I do so want to be "liked." But I know I must get over this and desire the Lord's praise and pleasure! For only then will I be truly fulfilled.

We shouldn't be trying to make affiliations (Paul or Apollos). We are Christ's and He is the head.
Paul rebukes the Corinthians for being self-satisfied that they had already achieved spiritual greatness. We should be humble and that is not so hard when we focus on Christ's righteousness and our own sinfulness. And the cross. Or is it? Why do I fail so miserably thinking that I'm doing great one week--only to fail the next. Help me to be humble, dear Lord.

Paul urges the Corinthians to imitate him. Going back to v 12, we find that they should be working with own hands, blessing those who revile, enduring persecution, being made filth.

Working with hands--This reminds me of the old saying, "Idle hands are the devil's plaything." Certainly keeping busy with your hands will keep one from too much mischief.

Blessing those who revile you--Oh how difficult it is to bless those who are hurting you! But by God's strength it can be done.

Enduring persecution--I tend to be one who avoids persecution. I just want to be liked. But I'm realizing more and more that it is more important to obey the Lord and follow His ways and be faithful to speaking the truth in love than it is to be liked. I pray the Lord will continue to help me here.

Being made filth--Living in humility. Thinking of others as more important than myself. Someday I'd like to read CJ Mahaney's book Humility. Sounds like a good one!

The kingdom of God is not in word but in power.

Spiritual character is measured not by the impressiveness of words, but in the power of the life. It's easy to say things, but much harder to do. I find that I often times fail at implementing new behaviors and attitudes. But I think it's just as important to get up, dust myself off, and continue. I'll never succeed if I don't try. And I know the Lord will help me as I continue to pursue Him. I pray my life will be more than just words, but be an example of God's power in my life. For I know I can do nothing on my own.

I Cor 3--Carnal, Essential Doctrine, True Wisdom

2007-07-13T13:25:00.001-07:00

Paul describes the Corinthians as being carnal. They were characterized by envy, strife, and divisions. They were being immature. They seemed to be worried about insignificant details and factions (reputations & associations). I am of Apollos. I am of Cephas. I am of Paul.

Sounds a bit like the modern-day church doesn't it. I belong to this church. I belong to that one. I am so privileged to have friends from many different churches. Oh sure, we don't agree doctrinally on every point. But as long as we have the 5 essentials, and we are seeking to love and serve the Lord, then unity can exist, because "we are of Christ."

So what are those 5 essential doctrines:
1. Inerrancy of the Bible
2. The Diety of Christ--this includes the Trinity, and the Hypostatic Union (Christ is fully God and fully man.)
3. Salvation by Grace through Faith
4. The Resurrection of Christ
and
5. The Gospel

Our foundation must be Jesus Christ. Then we are to build on that foundation. There are many materials that we can choose to use-- gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and straw. But when we come to the Judgment Seat of Christ, the quality of our work will become clear, for it will be revealed by fire. If it endures, that person will receive a reward. If it burns, he will suffer loss but will still be saved.

A few years ago, our family took a trip with our church to Greece and Rome to follow in the Footsteps of Paul. We stopped in Corinth. And one of my vivid memories was that of the Bema seat. Imagine a marble stage with steps going up. The floor of that stage is several feet about your head. And upon that stage is a seat where the Governor would sit and pronounce judgment. I can imagine laying on my face waiting for my King to judge my works. And I hope to have some that last. But I fear that many will be burned to ashes because of wrong motives and attitudes (seeking my own glory instead of God's glory, complaining, wanting man's praise and not God's, unwillingness and disobedience in my heart, pride, and many other disrespectful attitudes toward God and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.) Oh Lord, I pray I'll have something left! Help me to glorify you with my life!

The Wisdom of the world is foolishness with God.

How much of what we call wisdom today is the wisdom of this world? I'm afraid to even guess. But so much of what we learn today in our modern world of instant information is foolishness. Opinions change from day-to-day. One study says that this food is harmful, another says it's OK for you to have it in moderation, and another says it is beneficial. Parenting advice is child-centered. We are inundated with commercial advertisements for the latest and greatest of every product possible that can improve your life. And frankly the church is no different. We try to make the Gospel less offensive by stripping it of the power it has to save sinners! And we pick and choose messages so that the least number of people will be offended. We so need God's wisdom! And yet most people don't even read their Bibles. According to a Gallop poll from 2000, the percentage of Americans who read the Bible at least once a week is 37%. And I'd venture to guess that the percentage has gone down in the last 7 years. How can we possible know Wisdom if we never read it for ourselves?

I Corinthians 1-2

2007-07-13T13:24:00.002-07:00

God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Notice that it is God who is faithful and has called us into fellowship with His Son. And if He has called us, then He will keep us! What blessed assurance that brings. Knowing that it is not up to me, but to my gracious heavenly Father!

The message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing
The Jews requested a sign and it became a stumbling block to them.
Greeks seek wisdom and instead the message is foolishness.

John MacArthur wrote a wonderful book on this topic called Hard to Believe: The High Cost and Infinite Value of Following Jesus. I'd highly recommend this book. What Jesus did was not some simple task. He was crucified in the most inhumane way imaginable. According to Cicero, respectable Greeks should not even mention the word. It was a horrific death! And yet Jesus died in that way for the joy set before Him and in obedience to the Father. Oh how I wish I had more obedience!

But back to the verses, it is foolishness to those who are perishing. Why would an innocent man suffer such a horrific death for mankind. After all to the average person, they are not that bad. In fact, they are pretty good. But not by God's standards! And because we are totally depraved, wicked, evil, lawbreakers and have committed high treason against the King of the Universe, He has every right to punish us eternally. But by His grace, He has chosen to provide a way of escape from the Judgment to Come. We will all face judgment. And how will you fare? Are you good enough to get into heaven? Will the Great, Holy, and Just God of the Universe overlook your overt and prolific transgressions of His law? Look into your heart and see what's there.

But we preach Christ crucified.

If Christ was not crucified, then we would have no hope! He died to pay the penalty for our sin. He is the propitiation (satisfaction of God's wrath) for our sin. You see, a wise and good judge can't just let lawbreakers go free. He must punish the guilty for their crimes. Otherwise, he would not be good. And because God knew that we could not pay the fine ourselves, He sent Jesus to pay our fine for us.

We can't come to God by human wisdom. It is all up to God. He opens our eyes to see.

And so there is nothing in us that makes us in our fallen state want to know God. He opens our eyes to see. And then gives us a choice. Will you repent and believe?

I Corinthians 2

Paul did not come with excellence of speech. His speech and preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom.

This gives me hope as I share my faith. I don't have to be eloquent or perfect in knowing all the arguments I may face. I just do it by faith.

Faith should not be in wisdom of men but in power of God.

My faith is not in man's wisdom, but in the power of God, and there is no one that is more powerful!

II Thes 3--Faithful & Loving God, Work

2007-07-13T13:24:00.001-07:00

The Lord is faithful who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.
I love the fact that God is my protector. I used to think that the devil was always out to get me and that every bad thing that happened to me was a result of the devil behind every bush. And it is true that he is out to get me, but he doesn't have free access to me. The Lord allows certain things in my life to teach me and to help me to grow. To build character so to speak. My 1 year old daughter runs to me (or her daddy) when she needs protection. May I be quick to run to my Savior as well.

May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and the patience of Christ
It seems odd to hear people talk of God as a hateful and harsh dictator. And perhaps I used to think that as well. But as I read the Word, I find the Father to be so very loving. Yes, He chastises His children and sometimes quite harshly. But it is for their benefit and according to His sovereign plan. And oh how sweet is the patience of Christ. I can not tell you how many times He has patiently put up with me and my slowness to understand and my disobedient and prideful nature. But I am so very grateful that He hasn't given up on me. And He won't ever. May my heart rest in God's love and Christ's patience toward me.

Withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition you received from us.
This again is talking about a brother who is in sin. We are to withdraw from him with the hope that he will turn from his sin and back to the straight and narrow path. It is for his benefit, not to be hurtful or unkind.

If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.

I think my boys have missed a lunchtime or 2 because of this verse. But they know that if they don't work, neither shall they eat. Fortunately, their tummies are great motivators for them to get moving and start working harder. And food is quickly provided as soon as the work is complete. I believe it was John Smith of the Jamestown settlement that had the policy that if the settlers did not work, they would not eat. And the settlement was the first to survive and thrive. Work is a part of being in a family. We are a team and each person is needed for the team to do well. And even my little K. is starting to help by picking up her toys.

For some don't work and are busy bodies. They should work in quietness and eat their own bread.

I'm reminded of the old saying, "Idle hands are the devil's playthings." Many bad things happen when we are idle.

Do not grow weary in doing good.

This is a favorite verse, especially in childrearing and homeschooling. And it is repeated in Galatians 6:9. There are times when I am discouraged or frustrated with the fruit in my children's lives. But I pray that as I continue on in this journey of motherhood and continue to seek the Lord for wisdom that He will capture my children's hearts. And in due season, I will reap what I've sown in their lives.

II Thes 1-2--Last Days, Sanctification

2007-07-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

II Thes. 1
Paul gives thanks to God because:
1. Your faith grows exceedingly
2. Your love abounds toward each other
3. Your patience and faith in persecutions and tribulations

Paul was kicked out of Thessalonica fairly quickly. But he heard reports of the church. And the reports were encouraging to him. Their faith was growing. Their love for each other was growing. And their patience in the midst of persecution was unwavering.

Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the Gospel.

This describes a far different Jesus than the one who loves everybody.

II Thes 2

That Day will not come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition who opposes and exalts himself above that which is called God or that is worshipped so that he sits as God.Then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth.The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan with all power signs and lying wonders and unrighteous deception.

More verses about the end times. I really need to study this more. But as far as I can understand at the moment, there will come a falling away in the church. I'm guessing that it will be a turning away from the true gospel. And that is already happening. And this lawless one with power from Satan himself will perform with signs and lying wonders and unrighteous deception. And people will willingly believe. We need to be so careful in these days. There are so many men who profess to be godly, but are not teaching rightly from the Scriptures. I don't know much myself and I need to grow in knowledge of the Lord. Miracles alone are not enough to prove that someone is of God, we must listen to the message and see if it lines up with Scripture.

God will send them (those who do not love truth/unbelievers/have pleasure in unrighteousness) strong delusion to believe lie.

God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the spirit.
Another verse on election. God chose us for salvation from the beginning. And He will sanctify us by the spirit. If we are not growing in the Lord and being sanctified, we really must ask the question--Are we really saved?

Stand fast. May God establish you in every good word and work.

It is God who establishes the good words and work we are to do. I just need to be obedient to do it. Increase my love and desire for you, dear Lord! So that my heart will be more obedient!

I Thes 5--Christ is coming! Words to Live By

2007-07-13T08:06:00.001-07:00

The Day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. When they say "peace and safety", they shall not escape.

It is important that we keep watchful! For Jesus could come back at any moment. Am I anticipating that it could happen today? Unfortunately, I find too often that I'm wrapped up in the happenings of today and what's happening tomorrow and never even stop to consider that He could come back today. I wonder how different my life would be if I lived everyday with that kind of anticipation. Lord, help me to remember! Help me to seek to live as if you were coming back today!

Let us (Christians) watch and be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

So what shall we do as we anticipate the Lord's coming? Put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of hope of salvation. My faith is in His righteousness and the propitiation for my sins. My love is for the Lord Jesus and because of my love for Him, I should love others more and more. And my hope is in His promises that if I repent and trust in Him, I will be saved from the wrath of God and made an heir to the Kingdom of God.

Recognize those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you (pastors). Esteem them very highly in love.

I thank God for our pastor! He has the heart of a true shepherd and I praise God for how we are all growing in the Lord! I can't imagine how difficult it is to be a pastor. But I know God's grace is there when you need it and for the calling that He's given.

Be at peace among yourselves:

Oh, how we tend to fuss and argue with one another over trivial things. Lord, help your children to get along. I'm reminded of my own children and how they fuss and argue over little things that they should overlook. I pray for my brothers and sisters at church that we would all be at peace among ourselves. I cherish the unity we share. But I know how wily the devil is. Protect us, dear Lord.

Words to live by:
Warn those who are unruly (Those who are out of line.)
Comfort the fainthearted (Those engulfed in worry/fear)
Uphold the weak
Be patient with all.
Don't render evil for evil to anyone
Always pursue what is good for yourself and for all
Rejoice always
Pray without ceasing (persistent and regularly)
Give thanks in everything
Do not quench the Spirit (sin)
Do not despise prophesies (MacArthur says scripture. But I'm not sure about that.)
Test all things
Hold fast what is good
Abstain from every form of evil.

I think I would do well to memorize this list. If I did all that, I know the Lord would be glorified. And that is my goal.

May God sanctify you completely. He who calls you is faithful and also will do it

Another verse on perseverance of the saints. It is God who sanctifies His elect, and because He is faithful, he will preserve them to the end.

I Thes 2-4--Fruitfulness, Love One Another

2007-07-13T07:19:00.001-07:00

I'm combining my notes from I Thes. 2, 3 and 4 into one post.

I Thes. 2/3
Paul talks of how he was separated from the Thessalonians, why he is authentic and his message is authentic. In other words, why they should believe him and his message over others. Paul is encouraged by their faith in spite of his short time with them.

I Thes. 4
Paul encourages the Thessalonians to abound more and more- to be more and more fruitful.

We have a little peach tree that was so fruitful this year. The branches were hanging to the ground with all of the fruit! We gave bushels of peaches away and ate plenty ourselves!! It was a good reminder to me to be fruitful and to continue to be more and more fruitful.

We have another peach tree right next to that one that has fruit that never gets ripe. I hope my life is not that that little tree. Seeming to bear fruit that never gets ripe.

For this is the will of God--that you should abstain from sexual immorality.

God did not call us to uncleanness, but to holiness.

Another verse on personal holiness. It saddens me to think of how many people out there think they are Christians and continue to wallow in sin. I pray that will examine themselves in light of the Scriptures to see if they are truly in the way before it is too late.

Love one another--increase more and more.

Loving your brothers and sisters in Christ is evidence of your salvation according to I John. I'm so grateful for the brothers and sisters that He's brought into my life and I pray that I will love them more and more.

I don't have earthly siblings that I'm close to, but I watch my dear children and see the love they have for one another. They don't always agree. And yes there is conflict when fleshly desires prevail, but they do love and learn from one another. I need my Christian brothers and sisters. They help me along this life and point me towards Christ. I hope for them that I do the same.

Aspire to lead a quiet life (don't generate conflict), to mind your own business, to work with your own hands, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside and that you may lack nothing.

I think these verses speak for themselves--being busy in the Lord and not in other people's business. I often think that "ignorance is bliss." And I'm a certified conflict-avoider. Not that that's a good way to handle things either. But I continue to grow in this area. Praise you, Jesus!

The rest of this chapter was about eschatological stuff which I've never really studied much. Although I need to so that I can understand it better.

I Thes 1--Election

2007-07-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

I Thessalonians 1

Paul give thanks for the Thessalonians. He mention them in his prayers and remembers their works, labor and patience.

I pray that the fruit of my life will pleasing to the Lord and a blessing to others. And patience would continue to grow. I still have far to go in this area, but I see growth and I am encouraged!

Knowing your election by God
God initiates our election. He is the one who first loves and foreordained. But once was the veil is removed, the choice becomes ours. This is also known unconditional election. My sweetie likes to put it like this. Once God opens our eyes to our true state, then it's like choosing between filet minon and a plate of dung. You can still choose the latter, but why would you?

One Christmas, we did a devotional with the boys that was neat. On Christmas morning, we gave them each a little piece of coal in it. Then we read Psalm 51 where David repents of his sin with Bathsheba. He says, "Against you and you alone have I sinned." As they held the coal, it got all over their hands and everything they touched was dirtied. And that it was our sinful lives are like. But Jesus died to pay the price for our sin if we will repent and trust in Him. And then we put the choice before them in this analogy--Would you rather choose a piece of dirty coal or Christmas morning?

Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
There is a wrath to come! So many teach that God is so loving that He wouldn't send someone to Hell. And many believe they are good enough to get to heaven. Are you sure? Take this test to find out.

Colossians 4--Prayer, Witnessing

2007-07-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

Masters give your bondservant what is just and fair.

Continue earnestly in prayer being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

Walk in wisdom toward unbelievers redeeming the time.
I continue to seek the Lord for help in this area--to have more of a heart for the Lost and to have more boldness to witness for Him. I pray He will help me to overcome my fears

Let your speech always be with grace seasoned with salt so that you know how to answer.

I need to stop worrying about results and learn to love the Lord more. Perfect love casts out fear.

Colossians 3--Submission, Lord-pleasers

2007-07-07T20:16:00.001-07:00

Wives submit to own husband.

My testimony here is sobering. I used to be proud that I was soooo submissive. But 3 years ago the Lord got my attention and showed me that I wasn't as submissive as I thought I was. Long story short, my sweetie wanted another child and in my heart I was all done. Well...the Lord won and I'm so glad He did because now I have my sweet K. (15 months old)

Husbands love wives--do not be bitter.

One thing that I know for sure is that my sweetie loves me. He's the best!!

Children obey your parents in all things for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.

Bondservants obey masters, not with eyeservice as man pleasers but in sincerity of heart.
I think this could apply to employees. That they should work for their employers with sincerity of heart, not just giving lipservice (external service).

Whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to man.
It's good to remember that we should do everything for the Lord and not man. I know I have much to learn here. But I hope to see growth in this area.

Colossians 3--Put off and Put on

2007-07-06T19:49:00.001-07:00

Set mind on things above not on things on the earth.

I'm reminded of this verse in Philippians 4:8:

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is
excellent or praiseworthy–think about such
things.
Keeping my mind on things above is not always easy though. I find myself succumbing to the things of the world often--schedule for the day, what's going on with the children, what food needs to be planned and cooked, what school needs to be done. Of course in and of themselves, these are not bad things, but too often I find myself just thinking on these kinds of things and mulling over them instead of just focusing on the Lord. I hope to get better in this area.

Put to death:
--fornication
--uncleanness
--passion
--evil desires
--covetousness
--idolatry

The wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.
Another verse on habitual sin.

Put off:
--Anger
--Wrath
--Malice
--Blasphemy
--Filthy language
--Do not lie

Elect--holy and beloved

Put on:
--tender mercies
--kindness
--humility
--meekness
--long-suffering
--bearing with one another
--forgiving one another

Above all
--put on love
--Let peace of God rule in your hearts
--be thankful
--let the word dwell in you
--Teach and admonish in songs, hymns and spiritual songs
--Sing with grace in your hearts

Colossians 2--Daily Conduct, Salvation is His alone

2007-07-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith.

Our daily conduct should be centered around Christ and what He has taught us, and we should be growing in holiness. This is not to say that we won't fall. But that we can look back on our Christian lives and see that we have grown in Him.

To walk means to live a life patterned after HIS! This is so different from what those who teach that we can go on living like we want and still be a Christian teach.

In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh.

Through Christ our hearts have been circumcised. The desire for only sin has been cut off and there is a desire for righteousness. I believe that this also directly relates to perseverance of the saints. If God has circumcised out hearts, can we be uncircumcised?

And you being DEAD in trespasses and uncircumcision of your flesh, HE has made alive...having forgiven you all trespasses having wiped out the handwriting that was against us. He has taken it out of the way having nailed it to the cross.

This relates to total depravity in that we were dead. There was absolutely no life in us to choose Him. It was God who made us alive and forgave us ALL our trespasses. He wiped out all the debts that we owed. And He alone will get all the glory for saving sinners such as I.

Praise you Jesus!! I cannot imagine how long of a list you have against me. But I'm so grateful that I am yours and that through You, I have been granted mercy and have been reconciled to God.

Colossians 1--Once was lost, Now I'm found

2007-07-06T19:47:00.000-07:00

And you who were once alienated and enemies by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled...through His death to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight if you continue in the faith grounded and steadfast.

In this verse, I find the essence of my salvation. I once was alienated from God and His enemy because of my wicked works. I was a traitor to all of His ways and there was nothing in me that desired God. I was dead in my transgressions.

BUT....

Jesus did it all. He reconciled me to God by the blood that He shed on Calvary. He chose me before the foundation of the world. I don't know why. There was absolutely nothing about me that was lovable. But for some reason, He picked me. And I am eternally grateful!

And not only has He cleaned me from all past unrighteousness, but He continues to cleanse me and perfect me. Not that I will obtain pure righteousness in this life. But when I see Him face to face in His glory, the process of sanctification will be complete.

Those who continue in the faith are truly His. They are true believers and WILL be saved from the judgment to come. God alone knows a man's heart and knows if he is truly one of His elect. But I believe that those who are truly His will persevere, because He will sustain them. This does not mean that they can consistently and habitually sin. For the Bible would say that those who profess Christ, but continue in such a lifestyle are not truly His. We must examine our hearts to see what our response to sin is.

I like this analogy about a swimming pool. One man falls into the pool, but gets out and has remorse that he has fallen into the pool. He is disgusted that he fell into it and purposes in his heart not to fall again. His response to the sin is one of anguish and sorrow that He has sinned against a holy God. But another man purposefully dives into the pool of sin. He enjoys it and doesn't care about the consequences or that it is an offense to a Holy God. This is no true believer--no matter what this man professes.

Colossians 1--Christ is First!

2007-07-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

He is the image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation.

In Christ, we see an image of God. He is God, but He came in the flesh. This blows my mind. It is hard for my finite mind to handle that the God who can fit the span of the universe in the palm of his hand came to earth as a baby. But when we look at Christ we see God.

By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible.
All things were created through Him and for Him.

Christ created everything in heaven and on earth. Everything we see and everything that is invisible. And everything was created for Him.

He is before all things and in Him all things consist

He is eternal. He existed before anything else. And everything is held together by Him.

He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning the firstborn from the dead that in all things He may have preeminence

He is the leader of the church. He was the first to rise from the dead. He is first in everything.

Lord, I pray that my life will reflect you as being first. Not my own desires. Help me to glorify you in everything!

Colossians1--Focusing my Prayer

2007-07-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

As I pray for others I want to remember these verses

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long suffering with joy;giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

And remember to pray
1. That they would be fruitful. They would increase in good deeds as evidence of the change Christ has made in their hearts.

2. That they would increase in knowledge of God.

3. That they would be strengthened and empowered by God to live a godly life.

4. That they would joyfully give thanks to the Lord in everything.

II Tim 4--Word, Finishing Well

2007-06-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

I charge you:
Preach the Word
Be ready in season and out!

The Word can be used to:
Convince--Apologetics/Evangelism
Rebuke--Correct
Exhort--Encourage

There will come a time when men will not listen to sound doctrine because of the OWN desires.

You should:
--be watchful
--endure afflictions
--do evangelism
--fulfill your ministry

Paul says, "I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith."
I pray I will be able to say such some day as well.

The Lord stood with me and strengthened me.
When times are tough and it seems impossible to persevere, we can look to the Lord to stand with us and strengthen us.

II Tim 3--Evil Men, Persecution, Scriptures

2007-06-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

In the last days, perilous times will come.

Men will be:
--lovers of themselves
--lovers of money
--boasters
--proud
--blasphemers
--disobedient to parents
--unthankful
--unholy
--unloving
--unforgiving
--slanderers
--without self-control
--brutal
--despisers of good
--traitors
--headstrong
--haughty
--lovers of pleasure
--not lovers of God
--having a form of godliness
--but denying it's power.
And from such people, TURN AWAY.

These men lead gullible women loaded down with sin astray by their false teaching.

All who desire to live godly in Christ WILL suffer persecution.
I suppose the question is if we are not suffering some kind of persecution, what should that tell us?

Knowing from childhood the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
It is the scriptures that teach us about salvation through faith in Jesus.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work.

II Tim 2--Depart from Sin, Characteristics of Servants

2007-06-29T13:57:00.001-07:00

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of truth.

The Lord knows those who are His.

Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
We should be pursuing holiness. Fleeing from sin. When we fall, we should hate it and be disgusted, not be diving into sin and reveling in it.

Avoid foolish disputes knowing that they generate strife.

A servant of the Lord must
--not quarrel
--be gentle to all
--be able to teach
--be patient
--in humility correct those who are in opposition.

God grants repentance.
It's all by God's grace and He will get all the glory!

II Tim 2--Grace, Hardship, Denial

2007-06-29T13:36:00.000-07:00

Be strong in the grace that is in Jesus.
Grace...I like what someone once said that grace is giving you what you DON"T deserve and mercy is NOT giving you what you DO deserve. Through Jesus we have been given an awesome gift! Not only are we not condemned to the hell we so justly deserve, but through grace He has given us eternal life as heirs and sons and daughters of His inheritance. Oh wretch that I am! I am so undeserving of His rich love towards me. But He has called me His child and I am so grateful. Help me to live in such a way that I would reflect the mercy and grace you have bestowed upon me.

You must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus. Don't get tangled in the affairs of this life.

Hardship doesn't seem like an option here. And yet we are continually bombarded with the message that if we "accept" Jesus, then our lives will be better. And indeed they will be for we will be saved from the wrath to come. But I think as American Christians and because of the prevalence of the prosperity gospel, we somehow equate knowing Jesus with having more stuff, less strife and happy days. This is the exact opposite of taking up our cross, denying ourselves and laying down our lives others, and dying to ourselves.

If we deny Him, he will deny us.
This is a final denial at death. Peter denied Christ 3 times, but this was a temporary denial. After being filled with the Spirit, he was used mightily by God and died for the sake of the gospel. IN the end, he glorified Jesus and did not deny Jesus, but fed His sheep.

II Tim. 1--Gifts,Fear and Election

2007-06-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

Paul wants to "Remind you [Timothy] to stir up gift which is in you."
Was he faltering or wavering in his gifting?)

God has not given you a spirit of fear, but power. love and sound mind.
How many times have I not used my giftings because of fear. I need to remember that the context of this verse was in relation to stepping out with your giftings. In particular, I feel the need to be more courageous in sharing my faith with others. I still struggle with fear. But my desire is for my love of God to overcome my fear of man. Cowardly fear is caused by a weak and selfish character. Only thinking of self. It is not glorifying God or edifying the body.
Love is focusing on pleasing God and seeking the welfare of others before one's own.
Sound mind means focusing on the sovereign nature and perfect purposes of God

He has saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works (we can't earn by doing works) but according to his purpose and grace which was given in Christ before time began.
Another verse related to unconditional election. That God saved and called us before time began.

I Timothy 6--False Teachers, Money, Pursuing God

2007-06-28T13:25:00.001-07:00

Let bondservants as are under the yoke could their own masters as worthy of honor so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed.

I think this could apply to an employee. Each employee should give honor to their employer so that God is not blasphemed. Blasphemed is a pretty strong word, but a reminder of how important it is for us to show honor to those who are in authority over us.

Characteristics of False teachers
1. Teach otherwise--different doctrine
2. Do not consent to wholesome words
3. Reject doctrine which accords with godliness.
4. Are proud
5. Know nothing
6. Obsessed with disputes and arguments over words
7. Envy
8. Strife
9. reviling
10. evil suspicions
11. useless wranglings of men
12. of corrupt minds
13. destitute of the truth
14. use "godliness" as a means of gain. (Pretend to be godly to get what they want.)

WITHDRAW from such men!

Godliness with contentment is great gain.
Be content with what the Lord has provided. With your food, clothing, etc. We in America are so blessed and so rich! It is so foolish for us to be ungrateful and discontent with what the Lord has provided.

If you desire to be rich, be careful for you may fall into temptation and snares and into many harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some have strayed from faith in greediness and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
This isn't saying that they've lost their faith. Just wandered to pursue greed and money and with it many sorrows. It's so much better to pursue the Lord!

Flee greed and pursue:
1. righteousness
2. godliness
3. faith
4. love
5 patience
6. gentleness

Command those who are rich not to be haughty not to trust in riches, but in the living God.
Let them do good. Be rich in good works, ready to give and willing to share.

Again we in America should not trust in our riches (houses, money, stocks, etc), but in God. He is our true provider and sustainer! Help us, dear Lord, to be rich in good works!

Avoid profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge.
I'm reminded of the quote by Socrates--"One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing. " The more I learn, the more ignorant I learn that I am. Lord, I need to know what you say is true. And help me to discern true from false.

Reformed v. Arminian--Historical Background

2007-06-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try to attempt to explain these 2 camps by giving historical background and then comparing and contrasting the 2 views. This will take several blog posts. And I'm not convinced that I will do this justice. But I want to try:

First, I would like to give some historical context. And then in later posts, I would like to define and touch on the differences in the points of the 2 camps.

It was 1618 and a controversy had arisen in the Dutch church over the teachings of Arminius and his followers who had raised some objections to the Belgic Confession and to the teachings of John Calvin. These objections were formulated into a document called The Remonstrance of 1610.

The Remonstrance had 5 points.
1. Partial human depravity
2. The election on the basis of foreseen faith
3. Universal atonement
4. Resistible grace and
5. The possibility of lapse from grace

A council convened at Dordrecht to settle the controversy. This council is known as the Synod of Dort. The Council concluded with the rejection of these views and set forth 5 points to answer the 5 points of The Remonstrance. These 5 counter-points have also been called the 5 points of Calvinism.

Here are the 5 points as spelled out in the response to The Remonstrance
1. Total human depravity
2. Unconditional Election
3. Limited Atonement
4. Irresistible grace
5. Perseverance of the Saints.

Together they form the acronym T-U-L-I-P.

I Timothy 5--Rebukes, Elders

2007-06-14T11:34:00.001-07:00

Do not rebuke
--an older man, but exhort as a father.
--a younger man, but exhort as a brother
--older woman, but as a mother
--younger woman, but as a sister.

I think the main thing here is to be kind. It's so easy to use our words harshly. But when we do need to correct, it should be done with prayer and kindness as if it was someone we love.

Elders counted worthy of double honor. Accusations should be by 2-3 witnesses. If they are sinning, rebuke in front of all.

YIKES! That's kind of scary! To be rebuked in front of everyone. But they are examples and I could see that if a few people saw someone in a high profile position sinning that they may try to justify sinning themselves. And then it could spread throughout the body. Lord, I thank you so much for men of God that you have put in the position of elder of their church body. Lead and guide them and help them to have wisdom that comes from you alone!

In choosing elders be patient, fair, impartial and pure!

I pray that our church would listen to this passage as they seek elders. Lord, help those making the decision to be patient, fair, impartial and pure.

I Timothy 4--Falling Away, Exercising Faith

2007-06-14T11:33:00.001-07:00

In latter times, some will depart from faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, conscience seared, forbidden to marry, commanding to abstain from certain foods.

Depart from the faith doesn't mean that they will be saved and then unsaved. Just that some professing to be believers will leave true faith. They will be deceived and give heed to false doctrines. They will speak lies and be hypocrites. Their consciences will be seared. Their hearts will not be able to be pricked and stirred to repentance over their sins 'cause they won't care that they are sinning. And they will have external legalistic rules that will take precedence over what truly matters. It's sad to me that we are not far from this scenario in these days. But our hope lies in that He's coming soon!

Exercise yourself toward godliness.
Exercise is work! Actually, I hate exercise. It's just no fun. But it is necessary in order to be strong and not flabby. In the same way, if we are to be spiritually strong and fit, we must exercise ourselves towards godliness. This is daily living--making the right choices to glorify God instead of self, being disciplined to study the Word and pray, to do good deeds and bear good fruit, and to love even when we don't feel like it.

Let no one despise your youth but be an example in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Timothy was in his 30's when given this admonition. I guess that means I'm still youthful. :-)
But the call is to be an example in everything we say, do, think and feel. Much harder to do than to say. Oh, I pray I will continue to grow in this area!

Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

I'm of the opinion that much of what's wrong in the church at large is that we don't follow this command. Most of the church doesn't read the Bible and therefore does not know what it says or how to apply it to their lives. They are simply blindly following eloquent leaders who are leading them down dangerous paths.

Do not neglect the gift that is in you.
I'm not sure what my gifts are. I've been told hospitality and exhortation and prophecy. If so, then may it all be done for the glory of the Lord. May I be found faithfully serving you, Lord Jesus, when you return!

I Timothy 3--Qualifications of Elders and Deacons

2007-06-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

If a man desires the position of Bishop, he desires a good work.

Characteristics of Elders
1. blameless
2. husband of one wife
3. temperate
4. sober minded
5. of good behavior
6. hospitable
7. able to teach
8. not given to wine
9. not quarrelsome
10. not covetous
11. rules his own house well
12. having children in submission with all reverence
13. not a novice (new believer)
14. have a good testimony among those outside

Characteristics of Deacons
1. reverent
2. not double tongued
3. not given to much wine
4. not greedy for money
5. holding mystery of faith with pure conscience
6. blameless
7. Wives reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things
8. husbands of one wife
9. rule children and houses well

I Timothy 2--Salvation for all men? Women in the Church

2007-06-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

Exhort that supplications, prayers and intercessions be made for all {kinds of} men: kings, all in authority. For this is good and acceptable in sight of God, our Savior who desires all {kinds of}men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth.

Here is another verse that is used by some to say that all men can be saved.
I looked up two popular teachers from the reformed view and here is what they had to say:
John McArthur--God's desires are not the same as God's sovereign plan.
James White--From the context of the surrounding verses, the text reads that God desires all (kinds of) men to be saved.

I think I like White's reasoning better. It seems weird to think of God wanting something that He doesn't do. But I could be wrong. I just logically like Dr. White's explanation better.

I desire that men pray everywhere lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. McArthur says the word "doubting" could be better translated as dissention. That makes sense that we should take care of all anger, sin, and any other thing that could cause disunity before coming before a holy God.

Women adorn modest apparel with propriety and moderations, not with braided hair or gold pearls or costly clothing.

What does our dress say about us? What distractions are we creating for those around us who are trying to worship God?

Let women learn in silence with all submission. Not leaders in the church.
Do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man.

I take this literally and believe that it is saying that women should not teach men in the church. The reason as given in the scripture is because women are more susceptible to deceit. This goes all way back to garden. Therefore I think we have to say that it is still applicable today.

Saved (from reproach) in childbearing when she continues in faith, love and holiness with self-control.

A woman is not saved from hell by bearing children. But is was a woman who led mankind into sin, and Christian women have an opportunity to lead many out of sin to godliness through the joy of raising godly children.

I pray that the Lord will continue to give me wisdom, love, patience and everything else I need to raise these 4 blessings that He's entrusted to my sweetie and I.

I Timothy 1--Using the Law, Why Jesus came

2007-06-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

The Law is good IF one uses it lawfully, knowing this that the law is NOT made for a RIGHTEOUS person, but for the LAWLESS and INSUBORDINATE for the UNGODLY and for the SINNER, for the UNHOLY and PROFANE, for MURDERERS of fathers and mothers, for MANSLAYERS, FORNICATORS, SODOMITES, KIDNAPPERS, LIARS, PERJURERS, and any other thing that is contrary to false doctrine.

This reminds me a lot of the Way of the Master teachings...again Law to the Proud (self-righteous) and Grace to the Humble. The law should be used to expose those who are in sin. When they humble themselves and recognize that they are guilty before a holy God, then we present them with the gift of God through Christ Jesus. If they continue to justify their sin and would rather be gratified by the flesh, then they are not ready to hear the Good News that through the blood of Jesus they can be redeemed.

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to seek and save sinners.

This was the Primary Purpose of Jesus coming. Here's a question I've been asking myself:

If Christ's primary purpose was to seek and save sinners, shouldn't that also be ours as his disciples (students)?

I just really like this verse:

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible to the God who alone is wise , be HONOR and GLORY forever and ever! AMEN!

(AND AMEN!)

Nailed!--Part 2

2007-06-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

So now that I had come to the conclusion that I was more worried about MY reputation instead of God's. What was I to do? I figured that I just needed to trust the Lord that He would help me through my fear and to thank Him for this trial.

BUT...I only had part of the solution.

On Wednesday evening at church our pastor talked about intimacy, control, and sin.

He gave the following definition of true intimacy, "The ability to real (genuine) with another person." How can I be real with someone if I'm holding back because I'm afraid of hurt?

Then he led us through this passage in Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We are to rejoice always! When things are tough and when things are easy. When we are being blessed and being cursed. When we are at peace with everyone, and when we are in conflict.

When we are fretting, we are in sin! We are not trusting God and taking matters into our own hands. And here was where I was nailed! I needed to recognize that this was not just an area of weakness, but also of SIN!

I was in sin! I was trying to control the outcome of my conflict. It was more important to me to have everyone like me (i.e. not reject me) and so my worry came from putting man's opinion over God's. And trying to do everything right so that the results would be favorable.

But what I must learn is that it is more important to be obedient to the Lord than to be anxious about man, conflict and the results.

As long as I am being kind, speaking the truth in love and humble, then when He asks me to speak up in a situation I need to be obedient and trust in Him for the results whether they are favorable or not!

Help me, dear Lord! I want to follow You! So when these overwhelming feelings of fear come, help me to cast my cares upon You, to pray and be thankful and to trust You more! And then, let me experience Your peace that surpasses all understanding! And when I'm fretting, help me to repent of that sin and to seek You all the more!

To God be the glory! (Even in conflict!)

Nailed!--Part 1

2007-06-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

Last night, our pastor nailed me to the wall during our weekly Bible Study.

A little background is in order before I get to the convicting part.

I grew up in a home where there was constantly the threat of abandonment. Anytime something was wrong, I heard these words, "I'm leaving." My father and eventually my step-father would pack their suitcases and leave the house. This all left me feeling scared of my future. What would become of me? Where would I go? etc.

This carried through to my marriage. There was a transition period during the first few years of my marriage where I wondered if there was anything I could do to make my sweetie mad enough that he too would abandon me. Fortunately, the Lord knew that I needed someone stable and who could show me His unconditional love. And I've healed a lot in this area. I've come to the place where if I know someone loves me and will not abandon me, I can trust them more. I can speak up when hurt and the conflict is resolved immediately.

BUT....

Over the past couple of years, I've struggled with conflict outside of my immediate family. The Lord has allowed several instances where He has brought me to a place where I needed to resolve a conflict. Previously, I had I managed to escape (overlook) most of the conflict in my life until the Lord allowed some deeper hurts that could not be overlooked.

I tried to resolve those in Biblical ways according to Matthew 18. But not all of the instances were resolved in the way I would have liked.

At any rate, last week I was confronted with 2 opportunities for growth in this area. Let me say upfront that these 2 opportunities were resolved beautifully. And I rejoice that they were.

BUT....

I saw something new in my heart that I had not seen before. FEAR!

I recognized that I feared conflict to the point that I lost sleep over it. It consumed my thoughts. I worried and fretted over responses and reactions. It affected my relationships with my family.
I realized that I was worrying about the responses of men over obedience to God.

So what was I to do with this revelation? (See Nailed! Part 2)

Titus 3

2007-06-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

Remind the believers:
--to be subject to rulers and authorities
--to obey
--to be ready for every good work
--to speak evil of no one
--to be peaceable
--to be gentle
--to show humility to all men

We used to be (before salvation):
--foolish
--disobedient
--deceived
--serving various lusts and pleasures
--living in malice and envy
--hateful and hating one another

Those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are profitable to men. (for salvation).
I'm reminded of Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

We should avoid:
--foolish disputes
--genealogies
--contentions
--strivings about the law
For these things are unprofitable and useless.

Reject a divisive man after 2 warnings (See Matthew 18 for conflict with a brother)

Titus 2

2007-06-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

All Christians, regardless of age and gender, need sound doctrine!

Older Men (60+)
--be sober (sensible)
--reverent
--temperate
--sound in faith
--sound in love
--sound in patience

Older Women (60+/ past child bearing/raising)
--reverent
--not slanderous
--not given to much wine
--teachers of good things
--admonish young women
--to love husbands
--to love children
--to be discreet (pure)
--chaste
--homemakers
--good
--obedient to own husband

I've always desired to have a mentor, but it has never really materialized. But I have a heart to mentor those who are younger than I am. The problem is that I am many times feeling my way around trying to figure out what I'm doing. The older I get the more I realize how much I don't know and how little I have to offer. But I do desire to be a good wife and mother and all that other stuff mentioned.

Young men (12+)
--sober minded (sensible)
--pattern of good works
--in doctrine showing integrity
--showing reverence
--showing incorruptibility
--showing sound speech that can't be condemned (Daily conversations are beyond reproach)
--So that opponent has nothing evil to say of you.

Bondservants (Could this be applied to employees? I think it fits.)
--obedient to master (boss?)
--well pleasing in all things
--not answering back
--not pilfering
--showing all good fidelity

We are to :
Speak (Proclaim) the Word
Exhort with the Word (Apply)
Rebuke with the Word (Correct)

This reminds me of II Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

I need to know the Word better and to understand it more, especially during the times that we are living with so much false teaching.

Baseball

2007-06-04T13:15:00.000-07:00

Baseball season is over!

The tournament that was scheduled was rained out and they've decided not to continue.

But I just wanted to take a moment to brag a bit on Z.

He far surpassed my expectations of his physical abilities. I had no idea that he was such a consistent pitcher. During the last game, he pitched 4 innings and only walked one guy. And kept the score at 0-1 for three of those innings. During the fourth inning, his team started hitting and finally came back to 7-1 and ended up winning the game 11-1.

But better than his performance were the words of the coach about him at the end of season party. He said that Z always did what he was told and was respectful to all of the coaches and players and is an all-around great kid. (And also he was an ace pitcher).

Z, I'm proud of you!

Titus 1--Elders and False Teachers

2007-06-04T09:58:00.001-07:00

God cannot lie. He has promised eternal life to the elect that were chosen before time began. His promise is true and will come to pass.

Qualifications for Elders of Church
1. Blameless--beyond legitimate accusation and public scandal
2. Husband of one wife
3. Having faithful children (saved)
4. Children not accused of dissipation or insubordination (debauchery or rebellion)
5. Steward of God--manages spiritual truths
6. Not self willed
7. Not quick tempered
8. Not given to wine
9. Not violent
10. not greedy for money
11. hospitable
12. lover of what is good
13. sober minded
14 just
15. holy
16 self-controlled
17. holding fast the faithful word
18 able to exhort and convict those who contradict

Characteristics of False teachers
1. insubordinate
2. idle talkers
3. deceivers
4. believed salvation required circumcision (adding to the simple Gospel)
5. subvert whole households
6. for dishonest gain
7. defiled
8. unbelieving
9. mind and conscience defiled
10. profess to know God, but in works they deny Him. (Could this mean that they are self glorifying?)
11. They are abominable, disobedient and disqualified (cannot please God.)

2 Peter 3--Last days

2007-06-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

Scoffers will come in the last day walking according to own lusts saying, "Where is the promise of His coming?"

Yikes! Do we not already see such scoffers? How many books are out on the market and even best sellers which are written by atheists claiming that there is no God? Come quickly, my Lord, come quickly!

But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

In these verses, ANY and ALL refer to His elect, not any and all of the people in the world. If it was anybody and all people, then logically one would be saying that God is not willing that anybody should perish and all should come to repentance. Then one would have to conclude that either He is not powerful enough to accomplish His will and therefore not God or that all men must be saved. Also, looking at the context of the verses. "Beloved" denotes who the "us" is in the verses. It was also given at the beginning of 2 Peter as those who" have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ." So in context these verses refer to the Beloved, who are defined as true Christians or the Elect throughout the ages.

The Day of the Lord will come suddenly. Heavens will pass away with a great noise, elements will melt. The earth and the works in it will be burned up. Look for and hasten (eagerly desire) the coming of the day of GOD (eternal state)

What we should be doing while waiting for His coming:
Look forward to His 2nd coming.
Be diligent to be found in Him
In peace (with assurance)
Without spot and blameless (obedient)

Beloved beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness being led away with error of wicked. But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The believer can get off track and led down a wrong path by error, but if he is truly God's sheep then God will deliver him. But to avoid this we should grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Lord, help me to keep on learning!

2 Peter 2--False Teachers

2007-06-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

False teachers are among YOU (in the Church). They will bring destructive heresies--denying the Lord.

There are 5 Essential Doctrines of Faith commonly accepted throughout the church
1. Inspiration and Infallibility of Scriptures.
2. Virgin Birth
3. Deity of Christ (can also be Trinity)
4. Bodily resurrection of Christ from dead.
5. 2nd coming of Christ.

These doctrines should be upheld by true teachers of the Word.

Characteristics False teachers
--speak evil of things they don't understand
--carouse in DAYtime (in full view--blatant open sin--don't care about getting caught)
--they feast with you (They are in the church)
--eyes full of adultery
--cannot cease from sin
--entice unstable souls
--heart trained in covetous practices
--forsaken the right way
--gone astray
--speak great swelling words
--allure through lust of the flesh
--lewd
--slaves of corruption

Lord, give us discernment in these times to recognize these false teachers who are among us.

2 Peter 1--Fruitful living, Inspired Word

2007-06-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

This book was written to those who have obtained (received) like precious faith by righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

We start with saving faith, which is a gift from God. Then add virtue (deeds of excellence), then add knowledge (understand truth, study), then add self control (control fleshly passions), then add perseverance (patience, endurance), then add godliness (live reverently, loyally, obediently), then add brotherly kindness (sacrificial love), then add love (I Cor. 13, I Pet. 4:8)

If you have these things, you will be useful and effective and fruitful.

If you lack, then you are shortsighted and have forgotten you were cleansed from old sins.
Make your call and election sure, by doing the above.

Scripture is not of private interpretation. Prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
It wasn't men who wrote the Bible, but God through those men.

I Peter 5-Pastors, Attitudes

2007-06-04T09:40:00.000-07:00

Elders (Pastor/Overseer)

They are told to shepherd the flock of God. The main job of a shepherd is to feed (teach). They are also to protect sheep.

How are they to shepherd?
Not by compulsion but willingly (avoid laziness)
Not for dishonest gain but eagerly (not overly concerned about money)
Nor as being lords over those entrusted to you (avoid demagoguery)
But being examples to the flock

Attitudes of Christians
--Submit
--Humility
--Trust God

Younger people should submit to elders. All should submit to one another and be clothed in humility. God resist the proud, gives grace to the humble. Casting all your cares upon Him for He cares for you.

I Peter 4--Suffering

2007-06-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

Since Christ suffered, arm yourself with the same mind that you should suffer in the flesh and cease from sin.
We should put to death that old dead man and make the flesh suffer by abstaining from those things that it takes pleasure in (lusts, pride, etc) and cease from sinning.

As nonbelievers, we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. Non believing friends (once you've converted) think you should continue in this behavior and will speak evil of you. But they will give account to the Judge of the living and dead.

Be serious and watchful in your prayers.

Above all things have fervent love for one another. Love will cover a multitude of sins.
The pastor who married my sweetie and I admonished us that we should live in such a way that no one will know his faults through me. And vice-versa. I've always tried to live by those words. Of course, I can't think of anything negative about him anyway. He's just perfect for me!

Also we had friends who used to say "Love Covers." They especially would say this when they heard someone exposing the sin of someone else. The issue is not confronting sin for in other passages we are encouraged to to that. But there is an appropriate way to confront sin, and initially it is not publicly or to those who are not a part of the solution.

Be hospitable without grumbling. I love to have people over, but sometimes stress out right before they get here--trying to make things perfect. Unfortunately, the grumbling comes when the kids are not helping me reach that goal. I pray the Lord will help me to overcome and help them to be more helpful.

Use your gifts.
If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen

Pastor said all spiritual gifts could be broken down into 2 categories : speaking gifts and serving gifts.

Rejoice in trials that you are partaking of Christ's sufferings.

4 Attitudes we should have during Trials
--Expect it
--Rejoice in it
--Evaluate the cause
--Entrust to God

If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you!

Don't go looking for trouble by being a murderer, thief, evildoer or busybody.
It's interesting to me that a busybody is as bad as the others.

Judgement begins at the house of God

Praying for Others

2007-06-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

Last week I heard neat sermon on the radio by Mike Faberez of Focal Point Radio on Colossians 1:9-12

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long suffering with joy;giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

This passage contains 4 verbs that can help us as we pray for others. Just to preface, I don't think of this as a formula as much as part of an outline to help me as I pray for others.

So how can we pray for others?
1. That they would be fruitful. They would have good fruit as they grow in godliness. That they would increase in good deeds as evidence of the change Christ has made in their hearts and as they grow in Him. This is not a striving, but the outpouring of what He's done in our lives. Remembering that faith without works is dead. If there are no works in our lives, then we should examine ourselves to make sure that we are in the faith.

2. That they would increase in knowledge of God. This would include reading and studying the Bible, listening to sermons and applying them to our lives. Mentoring relationships, Bible studies, memorizing the Word, that each person on your prayer list would not be a hearer only, but a doer who acts, etc.

3. That they would be strengthened. Empowered by God to live a godly life. To overcome temptation and sin. To make it through trials and tribulations. To have the courage to stand up and face their fears. To overcome the flesh and its desires. To make it through each day. To obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit

and
4. That they would live joyfully, giving thanks to the Lord in everything. Not grumbling and complaining, but content and at peace.

These prayers have been added to my prayer list and I pray the Lord will use them to His glory!

I Peter 3-Christian living and the Good Life

2007-05-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

I love these first verses. I'm considering committing them to memory.

Be of one mind, having compassion for one another, love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous, not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, know that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

Blessing means to speak well of, find ways to serve, pray for salvation or spiritual progress, expressing thankfulness, speaking well and desiring well being.

If you want to love life and see good days:
-refrain tongue from evil
-refrain lips from speaking lies
-turn away from sin and do good
-seek peace and pursue it
-pray

Who will harm you if you act in such a way? But even if someone does, you are blessed.

Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks a reason for the hope in you with meekness and fear.

I Peter 3--Wives and Husbands

2007-05-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

Wives, be submissive to your own husbands.

Well, I have a story about being submitted. So I won't go down the road of pride and say that I am so submitted. I said that once, and the Lord tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me of an area I wasn't. But I try.

Do not let adornment be merely outward. Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

Gentle = meek and humble
Quiet= character of her action and reaction to her husband and life in general.

Perhaps I could learn to be more quiet in my reactions to life. My dh and I have very little conflict. Unless you count that once a year argument that we used to have over how to hang the lights on the Christmas tree. But we've handled that one, last year we bought a prelit tree! Hee! Hee!

Husbands dwell with wives with understanding, giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel ...so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Understanding = sensitive to needs, fears, and feelings of wife.
Physically weaker--in need of protection, provision and strength.

All I could think when reading this is how grateful I am for my sweetie and what a wonderful husband he is. And how hard it must be to dwell in understanding with me when I flip-flop emotionally. Also, he is so great to be my source of protection, provision and strength, especially as a homeschooling mom. He encourages me to persevere even when I'm at my wits ends, which fortunately is not too often. I am so grateful to the Lord for the best hubby in the world!

I Peter 2-Submit to Authority, Words to Live by, Suffering

2007-05-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

Beloved abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.

Submit yourself to every ordinance of men for the Lord's sake.

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Words to live by:
Honor all people
Love the Brotherhood
Fear God
Honor the King

But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. I've done good and suffered before, but can't say that I took it patiently. Oh well...I still can grow by God's grace! :-)

I Peter 2-Lay Aside, Jesus is.., Who you are

2007-05-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

Lay aside
~malice
~deceit
~hypocrisy
~envy
~ and evil speaking

And desire the milk of the Word that you may grow.

I think we have to lay down the bad stuff and focus on desiring the Word. As we feed on the Word we grow and those evil traits lessen.

To those who believe, He is precious. But to those who are disobedient, He is a stumbling block and a rock of offense.

You are:
-a chosen generation
-royal priesthood
-holy nation
-His own special people.

That you may
-proclaim the praises of Him
-who called you out of darkness
-into His marvelous light.

I Peter 1-Trials and Holiness

2007-05-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

Genuine Faith
The genuineness of your faith is tested through trial.
When a believer comes through a trial with his faith intact he is assured that his faith is genuine.

Prophets of Old Testament
The Old Testament prophets inquired and searched carefully for this salvation. They looked forward with faith. They prophesied of the grace that would come to you. The spirit of Christ testified through the prophets. This is an encouragement to us as New testament believers that hundreds of years before Christ came, it was prophesied that He would come. And even back to the beginning of time, Adam and Eve were told of the Messiah that would come.

Here's an interesting thought:

In his book, Science Speaks, Peter Stoner writes of the probability of just 8 of the prophesies of Christ coming to pass. However, there are many more that were prophesied and came true!

"Let us try to visualize this chance. If you mark one of ten tickets, and place all of the tickets in a hat, and thoroughly stir them, and then ask a blindfolded man to draw one, his chance of getting the right ticket is one in ten. Suppose that we take 10 to the 17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote using their own wisdom. Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just wrote them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one chance in 10 to the 17th power of having them come true in any man, but they all came true in Christ."

Holiness

As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in ALL your conduct. If you are a Christian, conduct yourself while on Earth in the fear of Lord.

You've not been redeemed with money, but with the precious blood of Christ. You have been foreordained before the foundation of the world. Since you have purified your souls in obeying truth through the Spirit, then you should love one another fervently with a pure heart. Fervently means stretched to the limits, going the extra mile, going above and beyond the call of duty!

I'm reminded in these last few verses of I John. John speaks of basically 3 essential for a true Christian:
1. Love your brothers
2. Obey God
3. Know God--sound Biblical doctrine, Truth.

I Peter 1-- The Elect

2007-05-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

The Elect
This book is written to the elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.
Elect means to pick out, to select. Those chosen by God to salvation.

I know there is a great debate in the church over what Elect means. And just for sake of clarification, I'll say that I lean reformed and therefore hold to the position that it's all God's doing. He chooses to bless those whom He wants to and elects them for salvation. At some point in the future as I have time. I'll try to go into the reformed position. Although I know that this has been debated for centuries and greater minds than mine have discussed, debated, and argued this subject. There have been books and lengthy debates and councils throughout church history that have discussed at length the Remonstrance and TULIP. So I'm not sure that my feeble attempts at a synopsis will do justice. But I may try sometime, just for the sake of trying.

Foreknowledge is the foreordained, predetermined relationship in knowledge of God

Why were some elected? For obedience! They are set apart from sin to obey Jesus. True salvation produces obedience to Christ. So why is it that so many in the church are willfully sinning? Perhaps it's because we do not know what the scriptures say.

Psalm 119:11 says--Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Or perhaps we are not looking in the mirror of God's word and being cleansed

Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

But in order to grow in the Lord, we must be in the Word. I Peter 2:1-2.

We are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation. (verse 5) This is a good verse of the P in TULIP. Perseverance of the Saints.

James 5--IF, Confess and a Difficult Passage.

2007-05-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

What to do IF:
If you are suffering ==> pray
If you are cheerful ==> sing
If you are sick ==> call for elders to anoint with oil in the name of the Lord.

I love to sing. Sometimes I just catch myself subconsciously singing a praise chorus or hymn. But when I'm suffering or sick, I sometimes forget to pray. Fortunately, I don't get sick very often. Nor have I had to endure much suffering. I do have a question about what it means to anoint with oil.

Confess your sins to one another that you may be healed.
The main point here is the need to confess to one another. We have tried to develop this as a habit of our family. Some of us still have a ways to go. But we continue to press on...

v. 19-20 were hard for me.
Here are the verses in the NKJV.
Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

I had to do a bit of study, but here's what I've come to.
If a brother in the Lord (true believer) is sinning, someone should turn him back (tell him the truth that he is sinning). The one who helps him to see the error of his ways will save his soul (life) from (physical) death and cover many sins (of the one erring).

I lean reformed. I was confused at first as the reading seemed to suggest that a believer could lose his salvation. But I know other passages where it talks about a true believer should be assured of his salvation--also known as perseverance of the saints (the P in TULIP). So it makes sense to me that the word "soul" (psyche in Greek) can be translated as life.

Here's a definition from Strong's (5590)
Psyche--
1) breath

the breath of life
the vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing
life
that in which there is life
a living being, a living soul

James 5--Rich, Grumbling, and Plain Speech

2007-05-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

Oppressive Rich people:
~cheat workers/employees of wages
~live in pleasure and luxury
~have fattened hearts
~condemned
~murder the just

Be patient under this oppression. Be patient.
Establish your hearts on the Lord. Be committed to the Lord.

Do not grumble against one another, lest you be condemned and forfeit your full reward

(2 John 8)
Don't look at your circumstances and grumble, BUT remember the Lord is compassionate and merciful. He has a plan for good and not for evil. All things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Not that all things are good in the sense of fun or pleasurable. They may even be difficult and painful, but God can turn even our hard times to something for our ultimate good. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Later, he was falsely accused and put in jail. But God used all of that to teach and train Joseph and prepare him for the task of being 2nd in command of all of Egypt and to preserve his family. In his words, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good."

Don't swear. Let your yes be yes and no, no.

Speak honestly and plainly. Don't beat around the bush. I tend to be a say-it-like-it-is kinda person, which many times gets me into trouble. But, I'd rather people know the truth than to sugar-coat and lead them to believe that I think something differently. Of course, discretion is in order and we should always speak the truth in love.

James 4--Salvation, Slander and Sin

2007-05-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

This next section sounded alot like teaching that I have received through Way of the Master Ministries.

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

According to John McArthur there are 10 commands in v 7-10. But I could only find 9.

How to receive God's gift of salvation
1. Submit= line up under. Willing submission to God's authority. Obey commands. Follow His leadership.
2. Resist=Take a stand against the devil and he will flee
3. Draw Near=pursue God. A true convert will long for communion with God.
4. Cleanse your hands=recognize and confess sin
5. Purify your hearts-inner thoughts, motives and desires of the heart
6. Lament--afflicted wretched and miserable
7. Mourn--inner response of brokeness
8. Weep--outward manifestation of what going on inside (Laughter turned to mourning and joy to gloom) Amazing how the truly humble stop laughing and joking when confronted with the sin in their life and by their countenance show their brokeness.
9 Humble yourself--make oneself low

Is it possible that those who shortchange these steps may be shortstepping their conversion? I'm not sure. But I do think one must examine their life in light of the great sin they have committed before a holy God to understand why HIS grace is so amazing!

Receiving this precious gift entails more than just saying a prayer. It requires a change in your life. Repentance is turning from your own ways to God's. I wonder how much of the church in America today is truly repentant, and therefore truly saved. It's hard to say, but when the divorce rate among churchgoer's is higher than that of the general public, something is wrong.

Do not slander/speak evil of brother.
The issue is slanderous condemnation, not confronting sin. We are told in other places to confront sin so that we can be healed, restored, and even saved from death. (Matt 18, I John 5).

To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
All I can say is help me to do good even when I'm too tired, too busy, and too focused on other tasks. If there is an opportunity to help someone or to do good and You bring it to my mind. Help me, dear Lord, to obediently respond to your command.

James 4--Conflict and a solution?

2007-05-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

Where do quarrels and fights come from?
I've heard these verses presented before from Peacemaker Ministries in regards to Christians and conflict resolution. I have learned much about conflict resolution from their ministry. I tend to be a peace-faker, stuffing in my emotions and pretending all is well. But since learning about Biblical conflict resolution, I've come a long way in that regard. To provide a brief summary, there are 3 ways to solve conflict. You can be a peace-faker, a peace-breaker, or a peace-maker. Peace-faking and peace-breaking are unbiblical and do not leave to resolution.

Our pastor used these verses in his sermon last Sunday. I found his take on the verses profound. Have you ever noticed how many "you"s and "your"s are in these verses? It would seem to imply that the problem of conflict is directly related to how much of "YOU" is involved. When we are thinking of ourselves and not others, then conflict is more prevalent.

I realize that most of my conflict comes from my evil desires (my daily agenda, placing my own desires above those of others, immediate gratification, etc.) Fortunately, my hope rests on the "more grace" He gives to believers in v. 6. For His Glory, he has chosen to save a wretch like me! May I remember to place His desires and others before my own selfish and evil desires. One thing that helps me though is to train myself to serve others. If I am serving others, then I am less apt to pursue my own selfish desires.

James 3--Works of Wisdom

2007-05-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

Works should be done in meekness (gentleness) of wisdom.

I know there are times that I have not done my works in gentleness of wisdom. I have been pride-full. And wanting to gain a good reputation or acclaim from man. One of my favorite hymns is "Be Thou My Vision". And I love this verse

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise.

Thou mine inheritance, now and always.

Thou and thou only, first in my heart.

High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.

It is the cry of my heart to seek only the Lord and for Him to be first in my heart. And that the things that I do would bring glory to Him alone. That I would be invisible. My dear husband is the epitome of this--a humble man who seeks first the Lord. I learn much from him. But I have much farther to go!

Bitter, envy, self-seeking hearts that are boastful and lying are not from above. They are earthly sensual and demonic. And bring confusion and evil. Wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy.

May I seek wisdom that is from above. It seems almost impossible to live that way 100% of the time. But I know there is nothing that is impossible for You. I have seen growth though in this area of my life. To consider what I was like before knowing the Lord (i.e #1 above) and to see how far I've come gives me hope that He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it! Soli Deo Gloria!

Notes from Death of Death by John Owen

2007-05-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

I've just started reading The Death of Death in the Death of Christ by John Owen. I imagine that this book will take me quite some time to get through, but from time to time I'll share some notes from the book that are noteworthy. So here goes:

Why did Christ come into the world?

The Son of Man came to save that which was lost. (Matt 18:11)
Paul says of the Savior, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (I Tim 1:15)

Who are these sinners that He came to save?

Matt. 20:28 He came to "give His life a ransom for many".
Gal 1:4 He "gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father."

That was the will and intention of God, that He should give Himself for us, that we might be saved, being separated from the world.

He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:14

What is accomplished and fulfilled by the death, blood-shedding of Jesus Christ?

1. Reconciliation--removal of the enmity between God and man
2. Justification--right standing with God
3. Sanctification--renewing us to the image of God and supplying us with the graces of the Spirit of holiness
4. Adoption--given the glorious privileges which appertain to the sons of God.
5. An eternal redemption and heavenly home

If Christ died to redeem everyone, then either:

1. God and Christ failed to accomplish their end and Christ's death was not a fit means to the end goal.
OR
2. All men must be saved, purged, sanctified and glorified.

James 3-Teachers and Tongues

2007-05-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

Teachers will be judged by stricter standards. Therefore, they must be careful about what they are teaching.

As a former professional teacher and a homeschool teacher, boy do I understand why. It's more difficult to re-teach than to teach it right the first time. And how many aberrant and heretical teachings are there in the church today. They keep growing and gaining more followers, because people continue to teach these false doctrines. Lord, help me to study your Word, so that I will know You and Your ways and not fall into these false doctrines.

The Tongue

The tongue is evil. James compares it to a bit in a horse's mouth and the rudder of a ship. It is a small piece of the body. But it is powerful. What comes out of the mouth defiles the whole body!Proverbs says, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." What's in our hearts comes out of our mouths. And Jesus talked of the cup being clean on the outside, but dirty on the inside. We may look neat and clean on the outside, but our hearts are full of wickedness and deceit. It is the Lord only who can clean the inside and make us new. Yet even as Christians, our tongues are unruly evil full of deadly poison. Lord, help me and "set a guard over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips." The mouth blesses God and curses man. God says it shouldn't be that way. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." Psalm19:14

James 2-Con't

2007-05-20T17:45:00.001-07:00

Mercy triumphs over judgment

There have been many times that I have heard this verse misquoted to say that we should not judge the sins of others, but instead show mercy by overlooking sin. In reality, this verse is about God's mercy overcoming the judgment we deserve. Think about it! We deserve hell. We are lawbreakers! There is no one-not one who has lived a holy life free from sin. All we like sheep have gone astray. God, as the great Judge, has every right to throw us into the lake of fire.

Some may say, "Oh that's not a loving God. My sins are not THAT bad. I don't deserve hell." But think about it. How many times have you transgressed just today? Or even this week? Then multiply that by 52 weeks in a year and then by 75 years. It adds up! The list of grievances that God has against us is long. He is a righteous Judge and cannot just overlook our offenses. We would not expect an earthly judge to let a criminal go free. If an earthly judge let a murderer go free, we would be offended and cry, "Foul!" How much more so does the Righteous and Holy Judge deserve to pronounce judgement upon us for our numerous violations of His Laws.

But...

He is also merciful! He provided a way for our fine to be paid. Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of those who repent and trust in Him, and He satisfied the wrath of God. He was our propitiation. He took all of our unrighteousness when He suffered and died on the cross. And credited His righteousness to our account. So when God looks at believers, He sees Christ's righteousness. The penalty for our sins has been paid by Christ and we are no longer under judgment! But He goes even furthur than mercy by giving us grace! And, guess what? He receives all the glory for it!

The mercy that we show towards others is based on the mercy we have received from him. If one does not show mercy, then he must not know how much mercy has been shown towards him.

I'm thinking of the parable of the wicked servant. This wicked servant begged for mercy for a HUGE debt that he owed the king. The king forgave his debt. But then the wicked servant turned around and called the loan on a person who owed him mere pennies. His fellow servants told the king. The king was mad and threw the wicked servant into prison to pay every last cent of his debt. He was deserving of judgement. Oh, the mercy that has been shown towards me, let it pour out to those who have offended me so little!

True Christians serve and have righteous behavior (obey God's word).

Mere mental assent to God's salvation is not enough. I'm reminded of a debate our family attended on the Ordo Salutus (the order of salvation). One debater's postition was that a Christian can live a life of sin after praying to receive Christ and still make it to heaven. Wow! I do not see that in the scriptures and think this is a very dangerous teaching! But what was amazing was after the debate, we took the boys for a treat at McDonald's and several of the audience members that were partial to this debater were discussing what a great job he did. I came away with the exact opposite thought. There are so many within the church walls who have said a prayer and yet lead a life of hypocrisy. I am not saying that one cannot stumble. But if a person is willfully sinning, he ought to do as scripture exhorts--Examine himself to see if he is in the faith. II Cor. 13:5 A good test is to look at one's reaction to sin. Do you excuse it by comparing it to other sheep? Do you justify? Ignore? Or even become defiant and willingly sin? Or do you humble yourself and recognize your shortcomings and bring them to the God who loves you so much that He died for you?

Saving faith is not merely intellectual it requires obedience.

We were made in the image of God. All of creation is looking to us to see what God is like. And when we lie, we are telling them that God is a liar. When we steal, we are telling them that God is a thief. When we have unrighteous anger, we are showing the world that God is angry and hateful. That is why He hates sin! It defames His holy nature and character. When we walk in obedience to God's ways, we show the true nature of God to all of creation! And we are being true image bearers! Wow! Help me Lord to bear your image today!

A true Christian's fruit will be evident in his works.

It takes more than a sinner's prayer to get you to heaven. There are many in the church that would say that they've said a prayer and now they can live like they want to because all of their sins have been forgiven. Not so! Our lives should reflect the change of our hearts. Good fruit will follow those who truly believe. Faith without works is dead. Faith comes first, and out of that faith, God works in us and through us to do good works. It is a result of our faith! We want to do good things for the glory of God! How can one be compassionate without doing acts of compassion? It's the same as faith without works. It's phony!

James 2-Part 1

2007-05-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

Be careful of showing partiality. Do not look at outward appearance and make judgments.
Showing partiality is a sin. When we show partiality we are not loving our neighbor. Think of the Good Samaritan. The important people who ought to have stopped and helped this dying man were too busy or too self-consumed to lift one finger to help him. And yet the least assuming one, the man who had been hated by Jews his entire life, was the one to help this man. He even went out of his way and above and beyond the call of duty to take this man to an inn and to pay his bills.

But let me preach to myself a bit...

I am guilty of looking on the outside. I am guilty of wanting to be with the clean and neat. And not just with myself, but also with my children. I don't want my children to be around bratty kids. Help me Lord to look past the outward appearance to the heart. Oh how filthy and vile I was before I knew you. But you sent someone to reach out to me. Use me, dear Lord to reach out to the lovely and unlovely alike. To the hurting--no matter what their outward appearance. Help me to set aside those things and to see the hurting heart. Ignite my love for the lost.

And help me Lord to see those who are hurting and dying right around me. Let me not be too busy or self-consumed to even stop to lend a hand. May your agenda be higher than mine.

If you stumble in one point of the Law, you are guilty of breaking all. Most of us cannot even name 5 of the commandments much less all 10. So a refresher is in order.

Have you ever lied (9th commandment)? Have you stolen (8th commandment)? Have you murdered (6th)? Jesus said that if you have hatred in your heart for a brother it is the same as murder. Have you committed adultery (7th)? Jesus said that if you have looked at another with lust then you are guilty of adultery. How about loving the Lord with all of your heart (1st)? Does every thought and deed begin and end with Him? Are you doing everything to the glory and honor of God? How about making an idol (2nd)? Upon reading the Bible, have you ever thought, "Oh God wouldn't do that?" Have you created in your mind god who suits you better? Have you ever taken the name of the Lord who created you in vain (3rd)? That's is called blasphemy and the Lord will not hold him blameless who takes His name in vain. Or just as bad, are you living a life of hypocrisy-saying that you love the Lord, but your life is not showing it? Have you always honored your father and mother (5th)? Done everything they've asked you to do with a good attitude? Have you always remembered to keep the Sabbath (4th)? To set aside one day for worshipping God and gathering with other saints? And finally, have you ever wanted something that belongs to someone else (10th)? Who in American can say that they have not coveted something? Advertisers get rich by promoting their products to entice us to want more.

If you're honest, you, along with me, know that we've broken these Laws numerous times. But even if we've only broken one. Then we are guilty before a holy God. He is holy, holy, holy and sin offends Him--so much so that He WILL punish sin because He is a righteous Judge. And according to the Bible, we've all offended Him. We are lawbreakers by nature. BUT..

He has made a way for us to be made right. Jesus came to pay the penalty for the sins we've committed. He took the punishment that we deserve. He suffered, bled and died to take away the sins of those who will repent and trust in Him. Turn away from your sin. Cry out to God and ask Him to forgive you by the blood of Jesus. Confess your sin before Him and ask Him to cleanse you. There is no sin that He can't or won't forgive. Nothing too big that can't be forgiven. Lay your heart before Him. He already knows it all anyway. And then trust that by the blood of Jesus you are forgiven.

Then read your Bible and do what it says. Live to glorify God. That's what you were created to do.

James 1-Con't

2007-05-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

God's perfect gift is regeneration. We should lay aside sin and receive the Word which is able to save souls. Unregenerate man does not have the capacity to do good. His sole desire is for how he can benefit. When God gives us His perfect gift of salvation, we are changed. Our heart of stone is turned into a heart of flesh. He gives us the capacity to do good. To work for His glory and not our own. But it will be even more awesome when upon death or resurrection we are sanctified fully and made to sin no more!

As far as laying aside sin and receiving the Word which is able to save souls, I picture putting down the trash to pick up the treasure. And the more trash that I let go of, the more treasure I'll be able to hold!

We need to bridle our tongues. We should not just say everything that comes to mind. I need to have more self-control in this area OR my religion is useless. Unfortunately, I have the personality that has a hard time letting things go and really desire to have the last word. Lord, help me to have discretion and to speak only when it glorifies you. Plato once said, "A wise man speaks when he has something to say. A fool speaks to say something." Oh help me to be wise!

Pure and spotless religion is selfless and sacrificial and forsaking sin. This is so important. We can't just go on living in sin, we must forsake it. And our service to the Lord should be selfless and sacrificial. Serving others without the thought of what we will get from them--love, admiration, kudos, kind words, reputation, etc. In fact, perhaps it is even better to serve those who we know are not capable of reciprocating.

James 1-Part 1

2007-05-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

Here are my notes from James 1

Trials produce endurance which produces maturity which makes us complete. So we should rejoice in trials because they bring us to maturity. Trials are a test of our faith and are allowed to strengthen us. Oh how I can attest to this. It seems that I grow more when I am experiencing trials. Through the pressures of the fires in life, I have learned to trust my Lord more and more. And I long to trust Him with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. To never question His commands. To serve Him even when I don't feel like it.

Wisdom is knowing God's will to live a godly life. To daily seek Him for direction for each day. To learn to glorify Him in all I think, say, do and feel. Sadly, many times I've believed the notion that wisdom is something that is required for big decisions and on special occasions, but not according to these verses. Wisdom is needed daily just to make it through my day.

Trials show our inadequacy and should drive us to our knees to ask for wisdom. Help me, dear Lord, to come to you daily, even as I wake, to ask you for the wisdom that I need for that day. Show me my inadequacies.

When we do not believe, it shows our distrust of God. Lord, help my unbelief! I need to trust you more!

Blessed are we when we endure trials for we will receive a crown of life, namely eternal life in Christ. When we become a Christian, we are not set free from trials. In fact, these verses seem to promise that we will have trials--and many of them. But when we persevere til the end, we will receive a crown of life.

God is not the author of evil. He allows trials in the life of a believer in order to strengthen him.
Many people stumble over this question of the origin of evil. Did God create evil? Absolutely not! He allowed sin because He had a better plan. I love what RC Sproul says in his book, Chosen by God: "Because God is sovereign, we must conclude that God foreordained sin. We must conclude that God's decision to allow sin to enter teh world was a good decision. This is not to say that our sin is really a good thing, but merely that God's allowing us to do sin, which is evil, is a good thing. God's allowing evil is good, bu the evil He allows is still evil. We must assume that God knew in advance that man would fall. We also must assume that He could have intervened to stop it. Or He could have chosen not fo create us at all. Bottom line, we know that He knew we would fall and that He went ahead and created us anyway. He also knew in advance that He was going to implement a plan for redemption for His fallen creation that woudl include a perfect manifestation of His justice and a perfect expression of His love and mercy." The purpose of the trials and temptations that we face is to strengthen us! For we we fall, He is there to pick us up and set us back on the proverbial horse. And when we overcome, we can rejoice in the work that He has done in us! Soli Deo Gloria!

We sin because of our evil desires. In thinking on my own sin, I would have to agree. I choose my comfort over that of others. I choose my rights over those of my brothers and sisters. I choose my plan over that of my Lord. Oh, wicked wretch that I am!

When that evil desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. And sin leads to death. And what death is that? Death of a dream, death of hope, frustration to those we love, and even possibly our own physical death.

What's in a name?

2007-05-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches. Proverbs 22:1

Of course I realize that the context of the name is more related to reputation rather than the actual name. But I figured by way of introduction that the name of my first blog ought to describe who I am.

I am a seeker of truth. Constantly questioning. Constantly wanting to know more. And wanting to go deeper. I'm not satisfied with who I am today, but hope by God's grace to grow in knowledge, understanding and wisdom. I pray I will become more like Jesus in the process. So, my hope for this blog is that I would learn to dig deep. Deeper into the scriptures and deeper into the depths of my own heart.

My hope is that I will be able to share the nuggets of wisdom that the Lord shows me in His Word. And to encourage others in the process.

May we truly be blessed as we seek Him and get to know Him better.