It's not yet 7am. Jeff and I woke up with his alarm clock (although we ignored it through a few snoozes). The baby seemed to wake up from it too and was dancing away in my belly so much so that I couldn't really fall back asleep between the alarms. I told Jeff I thought the baby could hear the alarm but he didn't think it would be able to hear that well. I'm not sure what can be heard from the womb with little baby ears... but I suspect our little munchkin's hearing is quite excellent, and that it was indeed reacting to the song coming from Jeff's phone.
Once up, I made us oatmeal and packed Jeff his lunch and snacks for the day. After reading the daily Bible devotional he was off to work. Now here I sit pondering the course I should pursue for the day. I have lots of things on my mind. My friend is coming with her one year old for a photoshoot. It's actually going to be a smash cake session so that should be all the more exciting and challenging. It's the last day of January and I'm already trying to figure out what I should write about for the newspaper this coming month. The end of January also means I'm that much closer to the end of pregnancy and the beginning of mothering a child. I've spent a lot of time around babies yet I still suspect I'm in for a lot of surprises. Not only the mothering aspect but I will also be experiencing labor and birth for the first time. A part of this is exciting while on the other hand I worry that I won't be strong enough, fit enough, or calm enough. Yet worrying won't help me be prepared so I try to avoid focusing on the difficulties I may face and instead try to think of ways I can get through and overcome the challenges.
In the back of our daily devotional there's a poem that I quite like.
Why Worry?
Worry never climbed a hill.
Worry never paid a bill.
Worry never dried a tear.
Worry never calmed a fear.
Worry never darned a heel.
Worry never cooked a meal.
Worry never led a horse to water.
Worry never did a thing you thought it oughta.
-Author Unknown
It's so true. Most of our worries never become a reality and just knowing that fact, worries are so much easier to dismiss. Not to mention we have our Father in heaven who we can call upon at any time and cast all our cares upon Him. We are to be anxious for nothing but give thanks in everything, thereby allowing the peace of God to rule in our hearts and minds. This sounds like a much better alternative to the stress and fear that worrying brings.
Well, it won't be too long before the sun creeps up. There's a blue-gray light making the out of doors visible. I see we had a little sprinkle of fresh, fluffy snow last night. I look forward to what the rest of the day may bring. I hope yours is fruitful and full of the blessings and peace of God.
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Saturday, January 16, 2016
The Day of the Lord
I read the book of Amos this morning. It's been a while since I sat down and really read some scripture so it was good to be in the Word. A verse in particular sticks in my mind:
Amos 5:18 says,
Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.
It was an interesting verse to me because I have known so many people who were constantly watching the world news and dwelling on every dark event to make the claim that the day of the Lord is going to happen soon. I doubt you could count the number of times theories have been made for which exact day the "world as we know it" would come to an end, but turned out false.
Now, it's not that we aren't living in the last days. Every day that passes brings us closer to the prophesied catching up of the Church and the days of tribulation.
I simply do not understand how people could consider the times we live in now to be much worse than any of the ages of old. Throughout history there has been horrific events, dark times and ungodliness and evil men. As Solomon said, " Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us."
Events like the WWII, the Holocaust and Holomodor, the medieval crusades, nuclear bombs, communist regimes, genocide, apartheid, slavery, plunder, rape, terrorist attacks, ethnic cleansing, martyrs ... it's been happening since before God flooded the earth in the days of Noah.
I'm not saying those last days won't come. I'm not even saying that we aren't living in them. I just think that it's sad to dwell on the evil when every hour that the Lord has not come back is one more that we have to share His goodness and grace with those who've not yet trusted in Christ.
Amos 5:20 says,
Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
It'll be a sad, though very righteous day, when God returns to bring judgement to the earth. It is something we believers can look forward to as it will be the end of our mortal sufferings and we use the knowledge of Christs return as a comfort (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Titus 2: 13
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Philippians 3:20-21
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
The day of the Lord isn't going to come at any predictable time. Matthew 24:36 says, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."
It will come like a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
We serve an amazing God. As the scripture says we don't need to worry about the coming end because we are children of the day. We don't need to flee to the hills, stock up on food and ammunition supplies. We can rest in the eternal blessings we have in Christ and live by the faith of God. We live in an age of grace... it's a time to walk in joy and peace and show the love of our savior to an world that is in desperate need of what we have.
My simple point is this: The material things in this life are fleeting. Let's focus on the eternal.
Amos 4:13
For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, The God of hosts, is his name.
Amos 5:18 says,
Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.
It was an interesting verse to me because I have known so many people who were constantly watching the world news and dwelling on every dark event to make the claim that the day of the Lord is going to happen soon. I doubt you could count the number of times theories have been made for which exact day the "world as we know it" would come to an end, but turned out false.
Now, it's not that we aren't living in the last days. Every day that passes brings us closer to the prophesied catching up of the Church and the days of tribulation.
I simply do not understand how people could consider the times we live in now to be much worse than any of the ages of old. Throughout history there has been horrific events, dark times and ungodliness and evil men. As Solomon said, " Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us."
Events like the WWII, the Holocaust and Holomodor, the medieval crusades, nuclear bombs, communist regimes, genocide, apartheid, slavery, plunder, rape, terrorist attacks, ethnic cleansing, martyrs ... it's been happening since before God flooded the earth in the days of Noah.
I'm not saying those last days won't come. I'm not even saying that we aren't living in them. I just think that it's sad to dwell on the evil when every hour that the Lord has not come back is one more that we have to share His goodness and grace with those who've not yet trusted in Christ.
Amos 5:20 says,
Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
It'll be a sad, though very righteous day, when God returns to bring judgement to the earth. It is something we believers can look forward to as it will be the end of our mortal sufferings and we use the knowledge of Christs return as a comfort (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Titus 2: 13
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Philippians 3:20-21
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
The day of the Lord isn't going to come at any predictable time. Matthew 24:36 says, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."
It will come like a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
We serve an amazing God. As the scripture says we don't need to worry about the coming end because we are children of the day. We don't need to flee to the hills, stock up on food and ammunition supplies. We can rest in the eternal blessings we have in Christ and live by the faith of God. We live in an age of grace... it's a time to walk in joy and peace and show the love of our savior to an world that is in desperate need of what we have.
My simple point is this: The material things in this life are fleeting. Let's focus on the eternal.
Amos 4:13
For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, The God of hosts, is his name.
Monday, July 20, 2015
So much can happen in a moment.
I think that's the worst title ever. Rules.... Sentences aren't titles... and you should never start a sentence with "so". LOL but I'm feeling a bit worn out as there's been so much happening lately. This Summer has been busy, full and fun. Lots of work.... lots of play. I've been tubing with friends, taken road trips to visit friends... been to a Bible conference, and then I've put in a lot of hours at work to make up for all the fun. I can't complain. Even now the clock seems to be ticking the time away from me and I have so much to accomplish today. Therefore I will share a few photos that will give you a picture of the events that have occurred lately:
My friend, Kay Lee had a birthday so we made sure to celebrate with lunch at Red Lobster, pedicures, tubing down a river and a movie!
I've been learning how to use my big, new Canon camera... but till I get adjusted I keep my powershot handy. :)
I went down to a Bible conference in Chicago with a bunch of friends! It was so much fun!!!
Some of my wonderful friends....
So my car broke down on the way home. A cop helped us out... we got a tow to a truck stop... where we waited for two hours till my dad could come pick up my car, and give us a ride home. Didn't get to bed till 2:30 AM!!!! =S
AND..... my cousin Julianne got married on Friday. Which also happened to be my Grammy's birthday. So it was a big celebration... and the wedding was planned in ONLY 48 hours, as the groom was visiting on leave from military and they decided to just get married!!
I was privileged with the responsibility of taking the photographs.... which proved to be tricky since we had a lot of evening sun and shadows.
I also had the opportunity of baking the cake.... with a little inspiration from a friend and the flowers they gave me to use, it turned out pretty nice for the short notice I had to prepare it and being that I'm not a professional cake baker. ;)
We'll see what the rest of the summer....
Late night snacks at IHOP!!!
AND..... my cousin Julianne got married on Friday. Which also happened to be my Grammy's birthday. So it was a big celebration... and the wedding was planned in ONLY 48 hours, as the groom was visiting on leave from military and they decided to just get married!!
My uncle, Julianne and my Grammy...
Roman & Julianne
My brother, Isaac, read some scriptures and spoke some words...
My daddy did the marrying. :)
We'll see what the rest of the summer....
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
faith is THE substance
Faith has been in the forefront of my thoughts lately. Conversations with friends, articles, Bible passages have all turned my attention to this great subject.
What is faith?
Faith is one of the first things we learn as babies or children. Trial and error. You learn that if you get up from the ground you will fall down if you do not use balance. Up and down you try and try again. Then comes the day when you let go of your mommy's hand and take your first steps towards your daddy. Faith. Granted a baby has no idea that it is being subjected to the laws of gravity or faith. A baby simply reaps and sows or acts and reacts, always taking in new information and learning from the world around it and applying it to it's personal walk.
John 1:10
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
Not surprisingly, it seems that God knew that man would be a stubborn being. A little baby falls down over and over again before it learns to use it's legs, and God put in place physical laws so that we could understand spiritual laws.
The world would not have you believe in God. How could there be a God? You may as well believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. "Do not worry," they tell us, "we will find a different explanation for all of these questions. We just know that there can't be a God." And the little atoms, molecules, electrons, thoughts, emotions, and every part of their being start working together to tackle the universe. Defiance.
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Romans 1:20
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
People have created a deep science and have produced an explicandum of the world around us. Micro and macro discoveries enlighten us daily to a world far beyond our ordinary assumptions and teach us of the intricate workings of life. We can look into the night sky and watch satellites perusing through space. We keep watching and see a shooting star. We spot a plane as it blinks it's signals on it's way to some destination. We can explain all of these things.
Yet, in spite of all of this, science has not grasped the human brain in it's entirety, the mind.... the grey matter. They can tell us from which parts of the brain we have certain emotions like pain or pleasure. ....but what exactly is a thought? What does it look like? Or must it look like anything? Studies and research are en route to find the answers. Stimulating neuron after neuron, jotting down incoming information in organized statistics as they attach wires to heads, hearts and our fleshly parts and ask, "How do you feel?", "What did you think?", "Do you understand this?" and so-on.
All of this yet there are still no confident conclusions to explain the complexity of this single aspect of life: the grey matter where the physical world melds with the spiritual world.
The universe carries on: Scientists to their research, civilians to their work ...and those of us who believe in Jesus Christ continue to live by faith as we operate on things not seen. Operating on simple things like faith.
Vanity is to our soul as gravity is to our body... it eventually humbles us. God, knowing how conceited, foolish and stubborn mankind would be, created a force that would always bring man back to his own useless, empty, nothingness. Why did God do this? Mr. Peterson, one of the men in my church, ventured through the book of Ecclesiastes and I like how he summed it up: "God has subjected man to vanity that all might seek him."
We can build aircraft and fly in the clouds because we understand gravity and respect it and work with it. Once we understand God's plan for the universe and how He works through the Body of Christ in the church today we can be effective humans. Our life, our work, our passions are not in vain when we have the full knowledge of the kingdom of God. And it's not because of our own goodness or strength but because He can work through us.
Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Even more, it is His faith that we have.
I can be 100% sure of creation, sure of my salvation, sure of the rapture of the church the body of Christ... because the Bible tells me so, and the Bible is the Word of God, ...it IS God... (John 1:1) perfect and preserved through and for every generation.
Gal. 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
And yet, even more that this, I have a substance in my being. One that no sort of scientific scope can detect. It is faith. Not just the faith I have where if I cross a bridge it will hold, or that if I slide my credit card my money will 'come forth', or that if I jump in the air gravity will surely bring me down.
No, this is not my faith, but the faith of my Father.... where when I look at the night sky and witness the dancing of Northern Lights or see a sunset that has caught the clouds on fire... I know that He is the Author of this universe and of the faith in my spirit. His faith is the substance. Even though the creation is enough to confirm that there is a God, the faith of the saints is yet more evidence.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
What is faith?
Faith is one of the first things we learn as babies or children. Trial and error. You learn that if you get up from the ground you will fall down if you do not use balance. Up and down you try and try again. Then comes the day when you let go of your mommy's hand and take your first steps towards your daddy. Faith. Granted a baby has no idea that it is being subjected to the laws of gravity or faith. A baby simply reaps and sows or acts and reacts, always taking in new information and learning from the world around it and applying it to it's personal walk.
John 1:10
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
Not surprisingly, it seems that God knew that man would be a stubborn being. A little baby falls down over and over again before it learns to use it's legs, and God put in place physical laws so that we could understand spiritual laws.
The world would not have you believe in God. How could there be a God? You may as well believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. "Do not worry," they tell us, "we will find a different explanation for all of these questions. We just know that there can't be a God." And the little atoms, molecules, electrons, thoughts, emotions, and every part of their being start working together to tackle the universe. Defiance.
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Romans 1:20
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
People have created a deep science and have produced an explicandum of the world around us. Micro and macro discoveries enlighten us daily to a world far beyond our ordinary assumptions and teach us of the intricate workings of life. We can look into the night sky and watch satellites perusing through space. We keep watching and see a shooting star. We spot a plane as it blinks it's signals on it's way to some destination. We can explain all of these things.
Yet, in spite of all of this, science has not grasped the human brain in it's entirety, the mind.... the grey matter. They can tell us from which parts of the brain we have certain emotions like pain or pleasure. ....but what exactly is a thought? What does it look like? Or must it look like anything? Studies and research are en route to find the answers. Stimulating neuron after neuron, jotting down incoming information in organized statistics as they attach wires to heads, hearts and our fleshly parts and ask, "How do you feel?", "What did you think?", "Do you understand this?" and so-on.
All of this yet there are still no confident conclusions to explain the complexity of this single aspect of life: the grey matter where the physical world melds with the spiritual world.
The universe carries on: Scientists to their research, civilians to their work ...and those of us who believe in Jesus Christ continue to live by faith as we operate on things not seen. Operating on simple things like faith.
Vanity is to our soul as gravity is to our body... it eventually humbles us. God, knowing how conceited, foolish and stubborn mankind would be, created a force that would always bring man back to his own useless, empty, nothingness. Why did God do this? Mr. Peterson, one of the men in my church, ventured through the book of Ecclesiastes and I like how he summed it up: "God has subjected man to vanity that all might seek him."
We can build aircraft and fly in the clouds because we understand gravity and respect it and work with it. Once we understand God's plan for the universe and how He works through the Body of Christ in the church today we can be effective humans. Our life, our work, our passions are not in vain when we have the full knowledge of the kingdom of God. And it's not because of our own goodness or strength but because He can work through us.
Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Even more, it is His faith that we have.
I can be 100% sure of creation, sure of my salvation, sure of the rapture of the church the body of Christ... because the Bible tells me so, and the Bible is the Word of God, ...it IS God... (John 1:1) perfect and preserved through and for every generation.
Gal. 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
And yet, even more that this, I have a substance in my being. One that no sort of scientific scope can detect. It is faith. Not just the faith I have where if I cross a bridge it will hold, or that if I slide my credit card my money will 'come forth', or that if I jump in the air gravity will surely bring me down.
No, this is not my faith, but the faith of my Father.... where when I look at the night sky and witness the dancing of Northern Lights or see a sunset that has caught the clouds on fire... I know that He is the Author of this universe and of the faith in my spirit. His faith is the substance. Even though the creation is enough to confirm that there is a God, the faith of the saints is yet more evidence.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Monday, September 22, 2014
A Jew Died For Me Too
A friend posted this article on Facebook a while back. I've been meaning to post it for a while on my blog but things were very busy for a while. Here it is now. Read in on the original website if you'd like (there are some beautiful pictures!)... or read it here.
This is not my article. It was written by Ann Voskamp, author of the book, One Thousand Gifts. This is a post from her blog!
It’s like an awakening.
That right in the middle of the Sunday sermon, while the pastor’s preaching what salvation really means —
I can see a woman in a pew ahead of me flipping through the pages of an Avon catalogue.
I can only bow my head.
Because there are a thousand ways to be lukewarm and there’s a reason I know that.
I’ve been apathetic about grace and casual about Christ and you can lose your First Love faster than you can lose the 100 meter dash.
And when you lose your First Love, you don’t just lose your way — you lose your mind.
And that’s why on the way home from Sunday services, I tell the six kids what I remember of the story.
“I don’t know if I ever told you, how at the very end of July 1941, WWII, a man escaped from Auchwitz. And the Nazis’ protocol to discourage attempts at escape was simple: One man escapes — ten men were executed in his place. So after the escape of this one man, all the men, looking like bags of bones, are called out of the barracks.”
“What are barracks?” Shalom leans forward. I explain. We pass a field lined with round bales.
“So in front of the barracks, one man is standing: Franciszek Gajowniczek.” I always struggle with the pronunciation of his Polish name. “And Gajownicszek, he’s thinking: Out of hundreds, I just have to escape being one of the 10 names.
The Nazi commandant calls the first name, second, third, fourth. Franciszek Gajowniczek hopes hard that he would live to see 42… live to hold his children close again…seventh, eighth, ninth names…”
He’s only a few years older than I am. And he’s only one name away from seeing the sun rise tomorrow. We turn at Bobby Johnson’s corner.
“And then they barked the tenth name: Franciszek Gajowniczek. And Gajowniczek — he falls to the ground. Near starving, he peels back every shred of dignity and he flat out begs, ‘No, I am married! I have children! I am young! I beg of you!’
The kids are quiet.
“And behind Gajowniczek, a man breaks rank… And he steps forward so all can see his face —- Maximillian Kolbe — a Christian.
A Christian who was known to give up his food rations to those less hungry than he was. A Christian known to give his blanket to those not as cold as he was. Maximilian Kolbe, he was known to these incarcerated Jews as the Christ of Auschwitz… and he steps forwards silently, takes off his cap, and before the commandant he says,
“Let me take his place. He has a wife and children. I am not married. I am not a father. He is young. I am old. Take me.” I turn around so that I can see the kids’ faces. “Maximilian Kolbe was only 6 years older than Gajowniczek — 47.”
Hope turns from me, looks out the window. Rain drops start to splat the windshield loud.
“And Gajowniczek, laying there on the dust on a July morning, he would later say, ‘I could only thank him with my eyes. I was stunned and could hardly grasp what was going on.’
And Kolbe, he was dragged off to a wire box like a dog kennel with the nine other men, left to starve.”
This is always the part of the story that gets hard, when the lump grows too large in my throat.
The children say nothing and I push the words past the stinging in my throat.
“Kolbe spent the next 14 days singing hymns and praying with those nine other men, as one by one, all of them starved to death… And only one month prior to Kolbe being dragged off to starve, on June 15, 1941, — Maximilian Kolbe had written this to his mother:
How can I believe anything different when the house is loud and mothering wears and obligations pile and I’m buried and a friend tells me the doctors have given her 60-90 days to live and even breathing can cause this pain in your chest?
If Maximilian Kolbe could stand in Auschwitz and write “Be tranquil — because the good God is everywhere and provides for everything with love” — is there ever really anything that should make one lose tranquility? It could be like a song for all the doubters and anxious: The good God is everywhere and provides for everything with love.
I say it quiet into a silent van, only rain thrumming on the roof.
“At the end of the 14 days, when Kolbe was still alive — still alive and still singing and breathing and giving thanks to God — the Nazi’s plunged a lethal injection into Maximillian Kolbe.”
What line did we sing this morning in that Matt Redman song, the whole congregation singing it like a rising?
“Let me be singing when the evening comes — Bless the Lord, O my soul, Worship His holy name…”
We sing it — but who lives it? Kolbe had.
And the Nazis had tossed his body into a mass grave. “Let me be singing when the evening comes…”
Maximillian Kolbe was the first man who had ever offered his life for another man in the history of Auschwitz.
He would be the only man.
The man who saw that a good God is everywhere and provides for everything with love.
And Gajowniczek? Gajowniczek would live to be released from Auschwitz. His sons were all killed. But he found his wife and a small home in Poland.
The Farmer turns in our laneway, parks the van.
I tell the children this. That Gajowniczek would put a rock in his back yard with a brass plate affixed to the rock. That brass plate had just two words engraved into it: Maximillian Kolbe.
“And Gajowniczek? He said this:
‘Because of Maximilian Kolbe, every breath that I take, every thing that I do, every single moment, is to me — -like a gift.'”
I say it to the kids, to the Farmer, to the rain coming down, but mostly to me.
“We are Gajowniczek — a Jew died for us.
We who were once sentenced to death have been offered the shocking gift of salvation, of being flat out rescued, of being saved.
If we believe we’re the lost who are saved — how can we lose our First Love? How can our bones not burn with thanks, with love, with the message of Who saved us? How can anything after His rescuing — be anything but appalling gift?“
It’s time to be tired of being the living dead.
There is breath still in my lungs.
And rain on the window and people I love and a Bible right here in my lap and there is today and the life of Christ right in the dead bones and there is resurrection happening right now and who doesn’t unwrap all these gifts with utter thanks?
The rain’s falling harder now. That’s what Gajowniczek had said:
“Because of Maximilian Kolbe, I can’t act frivolously — because every single moment is pregnant with meaning.
Because it was a gift to me from that one who died that I might breathe this breath, that I might act today, that I might embrace this moment — I could never take another moment for granted.”
That lump in my throat.
Forget the glossy catalogues and the mindless distractions and the frivolous frittering away!
Because One died for me that I might breathe this breath… It’s all a gift.
And I turn and touch a child’s cheek and when you are saved —
it can startle you into really living alive.
This is not my article. It was written by Ann Voskamp, author of the book, One Thousand Gifts. This is a post from her blog!
It’s like an awakening.
That right in the middle of the Sunday sermon, while the pastor’s preaching what salvation really means —
I can see a woman in a pew ahead of me flipping through the pages of an Avon catalogue.
I can only bow my head.
Because there are a thousand ways to be lukewarm and there’s a reason I know that.
I’ve been apathetic about grace and casual about Christ and you can lose your First Love faster than you can lose the 100 meter dash.
And when you lose your First Love, you don’t just lose your way — you lose your mind.
And that’s why on the way home from Sunday services, I tell the six kids what I remember of the story.
“I don’t know if I ever told you, how at the very end of July 1941, WWII, a man escaped from Auchwitz. And the Nazis’ protocol to discourage attempts at escape was simple: One man escapes — ten men were executed in his place. So after the escape of this one man, all the men, looking like bags of bones, are called out of the barracks.”
“What are barracks?” Shalom leans forward. I explain. We pass a field lined with round bales.
“So in front of the barracks, one man is standing: Franciszek Gajowniczek.” I always struggle with the pronunciation of his Polish name. “And Gajownicszek, he’s thinking: Out of hundreds, I just have to escape being one of the 10 names.
The Nazi commandant calls the first name, second, third, fourth. Franciszek Gajowniczek hopes hard that he would live to see 42… live to hold his children close again…seventh, eighth, ninth names…”
He’s only a few years older than I am. And he’s only one name away from seeing the sun rise tomorrow. We turn at Bobby Johnson’s corner.
“And then they barked the tenth name: Franciszek Gajowniczek. And Gajowniczek — he falls to the ground. Near starving, he peels back every shred of dignity and he flat out begs, ‘No, I am married! I have children! I am young! I beg of you!’
The kids are quiet.
“And behind Gajowniczek, a man breaks rank… And he steps forward so all can see his face —- Maximillian Kolbe — a Christian.
A Christian who was known to give up his food rations to those less hungry than he was. A Christian known to give his blanket to those not as cold as he was. Maximilian Kolbe, he was known to these incarcerated Jews as the Christ of Auschwitz… and he steps forwards silently, takes off his cap, and before the commandant he says,
“Let me take his place. He has a wife and children. I am not married. I am not a father. He is young. I am old. Take me.” I turn around so that I can see the kids’ faces. “Maximilian Kolbe was only 6 years older than Gajowniczek — 47.”
Hope turns from me, looks out the window. Rain drops start to splat the windshield loud.
“And Gajowniczek, laying there on the dust on a July morning, he would later say, ‘I could only thank him with my eyes. I was stunned and could hardly grasp what was going on.’
And Kolbe, he was dragged off to a wire box like a dog kennel with the nine other men, left to starve.”
This is always the part of the story that gets hard, when the lump grows too large in my throat.
The children say nothing and I push the words past the stinging in my throat.
“Kolbe spent the next 14 days singing hymns and praying with those nine other men, as one by one, all of them starved to death… And only one month prior to Kolbe being dragged off to starve, on June 15, 1941, — Maximilian Kolbe had written this to his mother:
‘Dear Mama, I am in the camp of Auschwitz. Everything is well in my regard. Be tranquil about me and about my health, because the good God is everywhere and provides for everything with love.'”I had memorized that line of the letter. Because if a man in the midst of one the most hideous scenarios known in the history of the world could write a line like that — not from a bad day at the office or a hard day with the kids, but from the death stench of Auschwitz — how can anyone deny this ultimat,e iron-clad testimony : A Good God is everywhere — and provides for everything with love.
How can I believe anything different when the house is loud and mothering wears and obligations pile and I’m buried and a friend tells me the doctors have given her 60-90 days to live and even breathing can cause this pain in your chest?
If Maximilian Kolbe could stand in Auschwitz and write “Be tranquil — because the good God is everywhere and provides for everything with love” — is there ever really anything that should make one lose tranquility? It could be like a song for all the doubters and anxious: The good God is everywhere and provides for everything with love.
I say it quiet into a silent van, only rain thrumming on the roof.
“At the end of the 14 days, when Kolbe was still alive — still alive and still singing and breathing and giving thanks to God — the Nazi’s plunged a lethal injection into Maximillian Kolbe.”
What line did we sing this morning in that Matt Redman song, the whole congregation singing it like a rising?
“Let me be singing when the evening comes — Bless the Lord, O my soul, Worship His holy name…”
We sing it — but who lives it? Kolbe had.
And the Nazis had tossed his body into a mass grave. “Let me be singing when the evening comes…”
Maximillian Kolbe was the first man who had ever offered his life for another man in the history of Auschwitz.
He would be the only man.
The man who saw that a good God is everywhere and provides for everything with love.
And Gajowniczek? Gajowniczek would live to be released from Auschwitz. His sons were all killed. But he found his wife and a small home in Poland.
The Farmer turns in our laneway, parks the van.
I tell the children this. That Gajowniczek would put a rock in his back yard with a brass plate affixed to the rock. That brass plate had just two words engraved into it: Maximillian Kolbe.
“And Gajowniczek? He said this:
‘Because of Maximilian Kolbe, every breath that I take, every thing that I do, every single moment, is to me — -like a gift.'”
I say it to the kids, to the Farmer, to the rain coming down, but mostly to me.
“We are Gajowniczek — a Jew died for us.
We who were once sentenced to death have been offered the shocking gift of salvation, of being flat out rescued, of being saved.
If we believe we’re the lost who are saved — how can we lose our First Love? How can our bones not burn with thanks, with love, with the message of Who saved us? How can anything after His rescuing — be anything but appalling gift?“
It’s time to be tired of being the living dead.
There is breath still in my lungs.
And rain on the window and people I love and a Bible right here in my lap and there is today and the life of Christ right in the dead bones and there is resurrection happening right now and who doesn’t unwrap all these gifts with utter thanks?
The rain’s falling harder now. That’s what Gajowniczek had said:
“Because of Maximilian Kolbe, I can’t act frivolously — because every single moment is pregnant with meaning.
Because it was a gift to me from that one who died that I might breathe this breath, that I might act today, that I might embrace this moment — I could never take another moment for granted.”
That lump in my throat.
Forget the glossy catalogues and the mindless distractions and the frivolous frittering away!
Because One died for me that I might breathe this breath… It’s all a gift.
And I turn and touch a child’s cheek and when you are saved —
it can startle you into really living alive.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
All About Jake - Part 2
Can you imagine the first conversation your doctor has with you about your baby being about terminating the pregnancy?
Jake's parents told us that because the ultrasound predicted that he would be born with problems that the doctor informed them that they could get a late-term abortion in Colorado, the most liberal state in regards to pro-abortion policies.
Jake was going to be, what some would call, a "likely damaged fetus" due to spina bifida. His parents were mortified by the doctor's information and weren't about to terminate their baby because of some physical defect.
Therefore, Jake was born on March 30th, 2013, and lucky we are that he was, because the loss of such a beautiful soul would have been unfortunate, indeed!
Jake's parents told us that because the ultrasound predicted that he would be born with problems that the doctor informed them that they could get a late-term abortion in Colorado, the most liberal state in regards to pro-abortion policies.
Abortion laws in the U.S. prior to Roe.
Illegal
Legal in case of rape
Legal in case of danger to woman's health
Legal in case of danger to woman's health, rape or incest, or likely damaged fetus
Legal on request
Jake was going to be, what some would call, a "likely damaged fetus" due to spina bifida. His parents were mortified by the doctor's information and weren't about to terminate their baby because of some physical defect.
Therefore, Jake was born on March 30th, 2013, and lucky we are that he was, because the loss of such a beautiful soul would have been unfortunate, indeed!
Thursday, May 8, 2014
The Kingdom of God - Part 3
In the beginning God created man, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..."
(Gen. 1:26). The key word here is "our" because as mankind we have a
triune makeup like God: spirit, soul and body. At the fall when Adam and
Eve sinned their spirits died and we know this because they did not
physically die when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil (Gen. 2:17, Rom. 5:12). They did become wise to good and evil (Rom.
1:20-21), but their spirits were separated from God. Before someone is
saved they have a body, a soul, and a dead spirit. When a person becomes
saved their spirit is "quickened" (Eph. 2:1) or made alive and God
instantly performs a spiritual operation/circumcision where he separates
their flesh from their soul and spirit (Col. 2:10-15). That's why we
can still sin and grace will abound even though it is not expedient or
helpful for our walk with the Lord in this life (Rom. 6 and 1 Cor.
10:23). When the rapture comes (1 Thess. 4:14-18) we get new,
uncorrupted, heavenly bodies. Read 1 Corinthians 15:38-58... It is very
helpful to get the context but verse 50 is the especially important, "Now
this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom
of God..." So we have two personalities during this life: that of the
flesh and that of the Spirit. This is evident in Romans 7:22-25 and Romans chapter 6.
Corinthians 3:13-15 "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall
be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
When we sin those sins won't be held against us in eternity but we won't have anything to show for those parts of our life. Of course the neat part is that when we do good works that are worthy of reward they are really thanks to God working in us: Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
The glory is always to God!
Corinthians 3:13-15 "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall
be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
When we sin those sins won't be held against us in eternity but we won't have anything to show for those parts of our life. Of course the neat part is that when we do good works that are worthy of reward they are really thanks to God working in us: Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
The glory is always to God!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
The Kingdom of God - Part 2
Here are the verses from Paul's
epistles, if you want to look them up for yourself:
Rom. 14:17, 1 Cor. 4:20, 1 Cor. 6:9-10, 1 Cor. 15:24 and 48-58, Gal. 5:19-21, Eph. 5:5, Col.1:13, Col. 4:11, 1 Thess. 2:12, 2 Thess. 1:5, 2 Tim. 4:1, 2 Tim. 4:18
What is the kingdom of God? Here are a few things that I noted while reading through some of the verses listed above. ...I may have missed some? If you read through them and notice more attributes of the kingdom of God please let me know.
The kingdom of God is....
- righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
- in power
- heavenly
- not flesh and blood
- incorruption
- immortal
- light
Rom. 14:17, 1 Cor. 4:20, 1 Cor. 6:9-10, 1 Cor. 15:24 and 48-58, Gal. 5:19-21, Eph. 5:5, Col.1:13, Col. 4:11, 1 Thess. 2:12, 2 Thess. 1:5, 2 Tim. 4:1, 2 Tim. 4:18
What is the kingdom of God? Here are a few things that I noted while reading through some of the verses listed above. ...I may have missed some? If you read through them and notice more attributes of the kingdom of God please let me know.
The kingdom of God is....
- righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
- in power
- heavenly
- not flesh and blood
- incorruption
- immortal
- light
Saturday, May 3, 2014
The Kingdom of God - Part 1
Growing up understanding that there are different dispensations in the Bible has really helped me avoid confusion and be confident with who I am in Christ. However there were a few verses that I couldn't really explain and seemed to contradict the idea of eternal security.
1. I understood that Jews were a part of the Kingdom program and that today Jews and Gentiles alike are a part of the Body of Christ/ the Grace program.
2. I understood that a Jew had to lead a righteous life and follow the law in order to go to heaven (e.i. faith and works), whereas today we are saved by faith and not by works.
3. I understood that even if we sin we will not go to hell if we have accepted Jesus Christ's payment for our sins.
I didn't understand why Paul would refer to "the Kingdom of God" in verses like Gal. 5:21 and Eph. 5:5 and say that people that do the sins mentioned will not inherit the kingdom of God. Though a lot of Christians strive to be righteous, godly people there is no one that is perfect and I would dare to say that all Christians struggle or have struggled with one of the sins mentioned below.
Galatians 5:19-21
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
Ephesians 5:3-5
"But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
I wondered, what did these verses mean? Wasn't "the kingdom" a Jewish term?! Did they state that if you do any of these evil things you weren't going to heaven? That idea didn't line up with scripture so I'd always explain it away or just read through the verse without dwelling on that part of the scripture. I was glad to know what the works of the flesh were but I could explain the "shall not inherit the kingdom of God" part so I would just ignore it.
....but what did these verses mean?
The question burned quietly in the back of my mind begging to be answered. Finally, a couple months ago, a friend asked me the same questions and so I knew it was time to study it out.
I took my dad's copy of Strong's Concordance of the Bible.
As Wikipedia says about the concordance, "Unlike other Biblical reference books, the purpose of Strong's Concordance is not to provide content or commentary about the Bible, but to provide an index to the Bible. This allows the reader to find words where they appear in the Bible. This index allows a student of the Bible to re-find a phrase or passage previously studied. It also lets the reader directly compare how the same word may be used elsewhere in the Bible. In this way Strong's Notes provides an independent check against translations, and offers an opportunity for greater, and more technically accurate understanding of text."
I looked up the word "kingdom." The phrase "kingdom of heaven" is found throughout the old testament but never in Paul's epistles. The phrase "kingdom of God" however is found throughout the Bible.That excluded "the kingdom of God" from being just a dispensational/grace term or from only being in Paul's epistles.
After this discovery I went to the next step and just read all of the verses and the context of the verses. The verses outside of Paul's epistles were definitely different from the Pauline verses. That is they were obviously written for and about different programs.
Here is a summary of what I learned:
The kingdom of heaven is when God will set up His earthly kingdom and it is where the Jews will spend eternity. The kingdom of God is more of a broad term meaning that if you are a part of God's plan period (whether it be through Israel's program or through the Body of Christ/the dispensation of grace), you are a part of "the kingdom of God." One friend of mine described it simply like this, "The kingdom of heaven pertaining to Israel and the kingdom of God being universal."
1. I understood that Jews were a part of the Kingdom program and that today Jews and Gentiles alike are a part of the Body of Christ/ the Grace program.
2. I understood that a Jew had to lead a righteous life and follow the law in order to go to heaven (e.i. faith and works), whereas today we are saved by faith and not by works.
3. I understood that even if we sin we will not go to hell if we have accepted Jesus Christ's payment for our sins.
I didn't understand why Paul would refer to "the Kingdom of God" in verses like Gal. 5:21 and Eph. 5:5 and say that people that do the sins mentioned will not inherit the kingdom of God. Though a lot of Christians strive to be righteous, godly people there is no one that is perfect and I would dare to say that all Christians struggle or have struggled with one of the sins mentioned below.
Galatians 5:19-21
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
Ephesians 5:3-5
"But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
I wondered, what did these verses mean? Wasn't "the kingdom" a Jewish term?! Did they state that if you do any of these evil things you weren't going to heaven? That idea didn't line up with scripture so I'd always explain it away or just read through the verse without dwelling on that part of the scripture. I was glad to know what the works of the flesh were but I could explain the "shall not inherit the kingdom of God" part so I would just ignore it.
....but what did these verses mean?
The question burned quietly in the back of my mind begging to be answered. Finally, a couple months ago, a friend asked me the same questions and so I knew it was time to study it out.
I took my dad's copy of Strong's Concordance of the Bible.
As Wikipedia says about the concordance, "Unlike other Biblical reference books, the purpose of Strong's Concordance is not to provide content or commentary about the Bible, but to provide an index to the Bible. This allows the reader to find words where they appear in the Bible. This index allows a student of the Bible to re-find a phrase or passage previously studied. It also lets the reader directly compare how the same word may be used elsewhere in the Bible. In this way Strong's Notes provides an independent check against translations, and offers an opportunity for greater, and more technically accurate understanding of text."
I looked up the word "kingdom." The phrase "kingdom of heaven" is found throughout the old testament but never in Paul's epistles. The phrase "kingdom of God" however is found throughout the Bible.That excluded "the kingdom of God" from being just a dispensational/grace term or from only being in Paul's epistles.
After this discovery I went to the next step and just read all of the verses and the context of the verses. The verses outside of Paul's epistles were definitely different from the Pauline verses. That is they were obviously written for and about different programs.
Here is a summary of what I learned:
The kingdom of heaven is when God will set up His earthly kingdom and it is where the Jews will spend eternity. The kingdom of God is more of a broad term meaning that if you are a part of God's plan period (whether it be through Israel's program or through the Body of Christ/the dispensation of grace), you are a part of "the kingdom of God." One friend of mine described it simply like this, "The kingdom of heaven pertaining to Israel and the kingdom of God being universal."
Friday, November 22, 2013
A Blog of Thanksgiving
Last year, whilst I was still "camped out" on Facebook, I decided to try to post a Bible verse about thanksgiving every day. I really enjoyed looking up the scriptures and passages! What an edifying study! A fellow, named Curt, commented on facebook and said, "So I
looked up the words formed from 'thank' and 'rejoice'. Turns out they
are mentioned 399 times in 378 verses. One for every day of the year,
and them some. Some insight for our daily walk eh?" ...insight, indeed! If you ever get the chance to study all of the variations of the word 'thank' in the Bible, do so!
(On a side note: I'm not gonna lie... I wish people would spend more time on Thanksgiving instead of skipping right to Christmas. I like both holidays but it would do folks good to dwell on their blessings. Truth is, how cool would it be if Christmas were in January or February?! Just think, we have all of these great holidays at the end of the year (Hunting Season, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day), and then the new year hits and there's nothing. And the weather sucks. Talk about a good way to make everyone depressed. I vote that they move Christmas to the beginning of the year!!! It's a win-win situation! LOL
Also, I have nothing against great sales or going shopping... but this is a thought provoking perspective... )
For the sake of time I'm not going to go through my posts and edit anything, so you will find out-of-date comments about the presidential election and such. Anyways, I hope you are as edified by God's blessed wisdom and words on thanksgiving as I have been.
My Facebook posts on Thanksgiving from November 2012:
Since Thanksgiving is coming up at the end of this month I am going to try and post a Bible verse about thankfulness everyday!
Psalm 100:4-5, Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
----
2 Corinthians 4:14
Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man parish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
----
...and so it is Election Day! I'm guessing that a whole lot of American's will be sitting on the edges of their chairs, twiddling their thumbs as the results come in tonight. Whatever way the coin lands it is a comfort to remember who is really The Power:
Revelation 7:12
"And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen."
----
I doubt many people have suffered like Paul the Apostle did, but life sure does take us all on a journey:
Acts 28:11-15
And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.
And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli: Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome. And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.
----
1 Corinthians 15:55-58
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
----
Absolute Truth:
Psalm 136:1
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good:
for his mercy endureth for ever.
---
I am really thankful to have a bountiful supply of meat right outside the door. Homegrown Jersey meat is amazing!
"Eat beef... the West wasn't won on salad."
1 Timothy 4:3-5
Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
----
What a blessing to be complete in HIM.
Colossians 1:12-14
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
----
Lately I've been discussing the love of God with my brother Isaac.
Ephesians 5:1-4
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
----
I know that some people mistake the meaning of this passage to say that God will answer our prayers. What it does says is just as wonderful (if not better?).... because peace and understanding for the many issues that we deal with in life is what we need to carry on and serve the Lord.
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
----
On the flip side of the verses I have shared about thankfulness:
There are so many people in this world who refuse to acknowledge God. They know the truth but they do not glorify Him, they are not thankful and their hearts are so very dark.
Romans 1:20-25
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
----
Psalm 75:1
Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.
----
What a privilege to be a part of the Body of Christ...
Romans 1:8
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
----
Whatsoever ye do, do unto the Lord? ....this includes hunting deer, methinks. ;)
Colossians 3:12-17
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
----
Always a good reminder....
1 Timothy 2:1-4
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
----
I am so very thankful to know so many brothers and sisters in Christ who are encouraging and refreshing because of their love and faith in Christ Jesus! What a fellowship!
Philemon 1:4-7
"I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother."
----
In case you've ever wondered what God's will for you is, this is it:
1 Thessalonians 5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
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1 Thessalonians 2:13
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
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Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving day!!!
I was going to suggest that you comment here below and tell me what One thing you are most thankful for.... however it seems that our time would be better spent counting our Many blessings!!!
This sums up my Thanksgiving posts (for the moment at least).
This passage couldn't fit this holiday better....
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;
And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
(On a side note: I'm not gonna lie... I wish people would spend more time on Thanksgiving instead of skipping right to Christmas. I like both holidays but it would do folks good to dwell on their blessings. Truth is, how cool would it be if Christmas were in January or February?! Just think, we have all of these great holidays at the end of the year (Hunting Season, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day), and then the new year hits and there's nothing. And the weather sucks. Talk about a good way to make everyone depressed. I vote that they move Christmas to the beginning of the year!!! It's a win-win situation! LOL
Also, I have nothing against great sales or going shopping... but this is a thought provoking perspective... )
For the sake of time I'm not going to go through my posts and edit anything, so you will find out-of-date comments about the presidential election and such. Anyways, I hope you are as edified by God's blessed wisdom and words on thanksgiving as I have been.
My Facebook posts on Thanksgiving from November 2012:
Since Thanksgiving is coming up at the end of this month I am going to try and post a Bible verse about thankfulness everyday!
Psalm 100:4-5, Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
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2 Corinthians 4:14
Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man parish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
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...and so it is Election Day! I'm guessing that a whole lot of American's will be sitting on the edges of their chairs, twiddling their thumbs as the results come in tonight. Whatever way the coin lands it is a comfort to remember who is really The Power:
Revelation 7:12
"And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen."
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I doubt many people have suffered like Paul the Apostle did, but life sure does take us all on a journey:
Acts 28:11-15
And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.
And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli: Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome. And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.
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1 Corinthians 15:55-58
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
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Absolute Truth:
Psalm 136:1
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good:
for his mercy endureth for ever.
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I am really thankful to have a bountiful supply of meat right outside the door. Homegrown Jersey meat is amazing!
"Eat beef... the West wasn't won on salad."
1 Timothy 4:3-5
Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
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What a blessing to be complete in HIM.
Colossians 1:12-14
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
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Lately I've been discussing the love of God with my brother Isaac.
Ephesians 5:1-4
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
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I know that some people mistake the meaning of this passage to say that God will answer our prayers. What it does says is just as wonderful (if not better?).... because peace and understanding for the many issues that we deal with in life is what we need to carry on and serve the Lord.
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
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On the flip side of the verses I have shared about thankfulness:
There are so many people in this world who refuse to acknowledge God. They know the truth but they do not glorify Him, they are not thankful and their hearts are so very dark.
Romans 1:20-25
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
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Psalm 75:1
Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.
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What a privilege to be a part of the Body of Christ...
Romans 1:8
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
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Whatsoever ye do, do unto the Lord? ....this includes hunting deer, methinks. ;)
Colossians 3:12-17
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
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Always a good reminder....
1 Timothy 2:1-4
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
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I am so very thankful to know so many brothers and sisters in Christ who are encouraging and refreshing because of their love and faith in Christ Jesus! What a fellowship!
Philemon 1:4-7
"I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother."
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In case you've ever wondered what God's will for you is, this is it:
1 Thessalonians 5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
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1 Thessalonians 2:13
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
----
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving day!!!
I was going to suggest that you comment here below and tell me what One thing you are most thankful for.... however it seems that our time would be better spent counting our Many blessings!!!
This sums up my Thanksgiving posts (for the moment at least).
This passage couldn't fit this holiday better....
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;
And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
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