being refreshed...

December 30, 2011

Acts 3:20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord

I think I’ve forgotten this or I guess the more honest answer is that I have allowed my situations to cloud this realty. I have not sought God’s presence merely for the benefit of Him but more as a way to seek help or just to make it through a situation. Yet, I’ve been reminded that we are to be refreshed when we come into His presence. He is to overshadow any problem that we may be experiencing. I needed to be reminded of this!

Growing Pains, hurt!

December 29, 2011

1 Corinthians 5:7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump

I suppose as we sit and look back at our lives the object is to see growth; we should be able to notice that we are much stronger in our faith than we once were. We should see that our trust in our Savior is stronger than it used to be. If we are growing in our personal walk with God then we will absolutely see this; in those quiet moments with God we grow. Yet, sometimes our growth is more dramatic but it is also more painful. I remember as a child having horrible pains in my knees; they hurt with what I was always told was growing pains. I’m not sure what goes into having growing pains all I know for certain is that it hurts. This past year I had spiritual growing pains. It was a hard year for our family in many ways and many areas. It tested what I had learned about God and showed me many areas of failure in my life. It put each and every truth that I have learned to the test and God never failed me. He kept every promise that He had showed me, and even in the bad situations He answered my prayers for the best. I grew but it was painful. For many years I have heard the saying that growth comes from pain, and this I can attest to is true. I can also say that even knowing what I know, and how hard it was to walk through this year, I would do it again. I would do it again just to feel God holding me up. Just to know Him like I have this past year, just to have no one else to turn to and to know He was enough. He never failed me and He made me new; He made me grow.

Prayer Magnified...

December 28, 2011

Proverbs 15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked but He hears the prayer of the righteous

I have for several years kept a prayer journal. Its basicly a binder that I write my prayer requests in; I have different sections for the different people in my life. I believe wholeheartedly that it enhances my prayer life to have my requests written down. There is just something about seeing it. A couple times a year I have to re-write it because as God answers the prayers my notebook just becomes congested. This is also an overwhelming experience to have such evidence that God answers prayer. We know it and we believe it because God’s word tells us so; yet, there is again something about holding tangible evidence in your hands confirming it. Seeing really is believing. This year for Christmas from a sweet dear friend I received a beautiful journal. I have decided to make this journal my “My Journal of Answered Prayer”. I will write in it as God answers my prayers. This will be a reminder to me and my children that “…He hears the prayer to the righteous” even when those prayers don’t end like I think they should they always end up the best.

Always Remembering...

December 24, 2011

Matthew 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins

Matthew 1:24 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel!” (which means God with us)

May we remember this and be thankful for it during this Christmas season and each day of our lives!

Promises...

December 23, 2011

Numbers 23:19 God is not man that he should change his mind. Has he said and will he not do it? Or has he spoken and will he not fulfill it?

Doesn’t sound like a typical Christmas verse, does it?  Well maybe not, but I think it fits. It fits because God kept His promise to send a savior. He promised Eve that her offspring would crush the serpent under His heel, and that’s what Jesus did. Every Messianic prophecy was fulfilled at the manger. We can know that God keeps His promises; so when His word says “for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you…(Jeremiah 29:11) we can believe that’s exactly what He will do. He keeps His promises!

For the love of Christ...

December 22, 2011

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us…

As I have said before, probably many times, I love Christmas and that is primarily because I love Christ. How can a believer love Christmas without thinking on and reflecting on their Savior? His main purpose for coming to earth as a helpless baby was of course the cross, and His willingness to die for the sins of many; that and His obedience to His Father. All of that and much more, is what is wrapped up in pretty paper each Christmas for us as believers. We get to reflect on our love for Him and what that love motivates us to do for Him at this time of year, every year. What a great gift, but one so easily squandered as we are busy with other things. How sad that we allow this season pass us by without even a thought for the Savior it represents. Like everything else in life we must be deliberate in our choices to think on Him, we must decide to make this special time of year completely reflect all He has done for us, and lastly we must teach our children our love for this wonderful Savior.  

tender ruler...

December 21, 2011

Matthew 2:6 …for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel

According to John MacArthur’s Study Bible, this is a quote from an ancient prophecy found in Micah and a reference of God’s words to David when He first established the kingdom of Israel. I like it because it really seems to embody who Jesus is to me. He is my ruler. To me being a ruler means you have authority; it means you are in charge. It means that He can even sometimes be stern. I have experienced this; the discipline that God gives to His own. While on the one hand you are glad that you are disciplined because that means you are His, but really, who likes discipline. Yet, even in His discipline He is caring and tender. He is my shepherd. Shepherds by definition must care for their sheep. They must do everything for their sheep; they must guide them, they must protect them and they must rule them. Jesus is both He rules and he tenderly cares for those that are His.  

knowing is not always believing...

December 20, 2011

Matthew 2:4 and when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born

When Herod wanted to know how to find the new-born king, he went to who would know. He went to the Sadducees and Pharisees; the authorities of the Jewish law and they knew. They knew exactly where the messiah was to be born; yet, they didn’t accompany the magi to find him. I find this hard to believe really; I mean here are these men who have spent their lives studying this. Was their faith so weak they couldn’t believe? Never doubt that this could be me. I could know so much about God; yet, when the time comes can I really believe what I know. It’s not the amount of knowledge that we have but how much we believe what we know!!

He Leads Us...

December 19, 2011

Matthew 2:2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him”

Some have claimed the “star” wasn’t really a star but a supernova or a conjugation of the planets. Sometimes people look to find ways to explain the miracles of God without having to give that credit to Him. However, since this “star” moved and settled right over the specific spot, the spot where Jesus was born, the only way to explain it is a supernatural act of God. This star was very similar to another supernatural act of God that is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. In Exodus 13:21-23 God’s word tells us how He lead the children of Israel; how He went before them and guided them: “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.” God guides His people He sometimes uses pillars of smoke and fire, He sometimes uses huge stars in the sky, and sometimes He uses His word, but in either case He never leaves His children to flounder without a direction.

The City of Bread...

December 16, 2011

Matthew 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem

The Hebrew scholars of the day knew and expected the Messiah to be born in Bethlehem. This was known and was not a surprise. Yet, when Christ presented himself to the world His birthplace didn’t matter at all. The fact that He was born in the city of Bethlehem did not sway them to believe that the miracles He preformed were further proof of His being the messiah. Recently I learned that Bethlehem means “The City of Bread” which is interesting since Christ referred to Himself as “The Bread of Life”.  Considering, that He is the bread upon which our lives depend it is very fitting that His birthplace be the city of Bethlehem.

fortold...

December 15, 2011

Matthew 1:22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet saying…

Matthew in his writings    quotes the OT more than 60 times; in his account of the events surrounding Christ’s birth he quotes it a dozen times. He goes above and beyond to point out that Christ’s birth was known about many many years before it actually occurred. God’s plan before the foundation of the world was that His Son would come to give His children salvation. That all started with a baby in a manager. I have always loved that!

being useful...

December 14, 2011

Matthew 1:5-6 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab

I mostly just skim through the genealogies when I come to them. Mostly because I am unfamiliar with who they are and that’s my fault; I should be more knowledgeable. Not this one. This one is one of my favorite genealogies in scripture. Mainly because it mentions Rahab, who is by far one of my favorite women in God’s word. Rahab was a harlot who lived in Joshua’s time. She was a fairly successful one at that because her house was big and located along the Jericho wall. Through a series of events she repented of her sins and believed in the God of Israel. Rahab was also instrumental in helping Joshua and the Israelites defeat the people of Jericho. Rahab then lived among the people of Israel and found herself in the line of Christ. She is the perfect example that our pasts do not in anyway dictate how our futures must be. No matter what is hiding in our pasts we can be of use to God in our futures.

Experiencing God's Good Will...

December 13, 2011

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will toward men

This is what the angels declared to the shepherds. Which in itself is a miraculous event, I mean you are calmly tending your sheep just like an average night, and Pow! out come a host of angels. Yet, what I find wondrous about this statement is the last part of it. “…good will toward men” the good will here is speaking about God’s Sovereign good pleasure. God gives us His peace not as a reward for some good thing we have done, and not because we deserve it. He gives His peace as a gift to those who are in His will. In those of whom He finds pleasure. How wonderful a feeling to know that I can enjoy that peace!

He is mine...

December 8, 2011

Luke 2:10 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord

In all of scripture, Christ is only called Savior two times, and this is one of them. He is our Savior. What does that mean to us? Well, for sure it means different things to different people. Depending on your relationship with Him; or if you even have one with Him. What does it mean to me? Well, for me it changes, it grows deeper with time and with the circumstances I go through. I am not where I was yesterday and hopefully I will be farther along tomorrow. I grow more dependent on His guidance. I know that without it I would drown in the sorrows of just the everyday business of life. I know that He guides me in my choices. I realize more and more that what some would just call our genetic make-up or our personality are really choices we choose to make. I realize that I can’t use the excuse of that’s just who I am; instead, I must admit that these are choices I make. My relationship with Christ taught me this. My relationship with Him changes me; it makes me into the image of Him. He is my Savior. Hopefully He is yours too…

the baby...

December 7, 2011

Luke 2:7 and she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn

The Jewish people had known for hundreds of years about the coming Messiah. The Old Testament is full of words telling of His arrival. Yet, a stable, a manger, and a full inn isn’t what most Jew’s had in mind when they thought of their Messiah. They had a picture of a grand king coming to make the Jewish people rulers of this world. This baby wrapped in swaddling cloths could not be their king. Yet, He is. We cannot ever put God in our box and only accept Him on our terms. He’s God; He’s much bigger than that. His ways are higher; His thoughts bigger. We must accept Him on His terms; we must accept that sometimes He does things in ways we wouldn’t have chosen or that are sometimes hard to accept, but He is God and we are not.

God's Plan...

December 6, 2011

Luke 2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered

It was absolutely no accident that at this precise time in history Caesar decided to take a census. It was not simply happenstance that caused Joseph and Mary to have to travel to Bethlehem. No, this was God’s plan. This was God’s work to fulfill all of the prophesies that had been told about the coming Messiah. In this one verse we can easily see that God uses all things to bring about His will. He is in complete control. For me this is a calming peace to know that God has such control; for others maybe not so much.

Being Blessed...

December 5, 2011

Luke 1:46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed.

I marvel at this young woman, who was really just a young teenage girl, how she was so grounded in her faith to be chosen for this great honor. In Luke 1:42 the angel says to her “blessed are you among women…” when God looked upon this girl He saw in her a heart that loved and praised him. In her Magnificat, which is a song of praise (Luke 1:46-55) she recites several Old Testament passages from memory. This was a young girl who loved God and believed that He would accomplish all that He said He would. Unlike Aaron who didn’t believe the angel when told his wife would conceive, Mary knew that the words the angel spoke would happen. She knew this because she knew God, and she knew that in Him all things are possible. She did not let the hardships that her situation would bring upon her stop her from worshipping. Instead of concentrating on how hard it would be to do what God was asking of her, she worshipped. I wonder when faced with a difficult task we must do in order to obey God’s will for our lives how many times do we grumble and complain instead of worship.

Angel #1...

December 2, 2011

Luke 1:19-20 And the angel answered him, “I am Gaberiel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will remain silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time”

Angels play a huge role in the story of Christ’s birth. Interestingly enough they are always men, and yet, none of my nativity sets have men angels; Oh, well just an interesting side note! Anyway, this visit of the Angel Gabriel was to Aaron. He and his wife Elizabeth had been unable to conceive children. In this day in age that would have been looked upon as a bad thing; it would have placed an unbearable stigma upon Elizabeth. Yet, the Angel Gabriel tells Aaron that his wife would conceive a son that they would name John. Aaron doesn’t believe the words of the angel standing in front of him and suffers from his unbelief with the loss of his voice.  The baby that Elizabeth will conceive and give birth to is John the Baptist. I think that Aaron’s and Elizabeth’s part of the nativity is an interesting one. I think it teaches us about waiting and trusting in God’s timing. God’s plan was for them to have a son, yet, it wouldn’t happen when Elizabeth wanted it to, and it happened in spite of Aaron’s unbelief; it happened in God’s timing and that timing was perfect. John the Baptist had a special role to fill and the timing of his birth was important. As we pray for things, one of the hardest things to do is realize that God’s timing might not be our own, and finding the faith to be alright with that.

God's Role and Jesus Sets...

December 1, 2011

Psalm 111:9 He sent redemption to his people

How can you talk about the Christmas Story or explore the characters of the nativity without talking about God? You can’t really or at least in my opinion. It was His plan all along; to send His Son, as a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths to save a dying people from their sins. It was His Angels who heralded the coming King, and it was His Star that led to the baby. It was His compassion, love and justice that commanded the sacrifice of Jesus. Although He isn’t represented with a figurine in any of my many Nativity Sets (or Jesus Sets as Jackson calls them), God is a part of the story.

He Came...

November 30, 2011

Matthew 3:17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, “This is My Beloved Son in whom I Am well pleased.”

He humbled himself, left His throne in Heaven to come to earth as a lowly child. As a baby who was totally dependent on the help and care of His earthly parents, He came. As a Son who knew the road set before Him, He came. I love Christmas, it’s no secret, it makes me happy to see the smiles on the faces of my children. I love the lights and tinsel. Yet, what I truly love the most is thinking that my Savior chose to follow His Fathers’ will and come to Earth as a baby. I think that is yet another wonderful picture of Christ’s love for us.

His Birth was Known...

***I've had some internet issues for the past couple of days, so I'm a little late. Don't you just hate technology sometimes!***

November 29, 2011

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign, behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel

Since today starts the Advent, I’m going to do a little study on what the bible says about the birth of Christ. In this verse from Isaiah, we see that Jesus’ birth was predicted. It was known to the Jewish people that a Messiah was coming. However, He would not fit into the mold they had created for Him. He would not be what they wanted Him to be; so, they denied Him. Yet, here in Isaiah we see exactly the sign that Jesus was going to give them, and if I’m not mistaken, and I’m not, this describes Jesus’ birth exactly. God has no desire for us to be confused by what He gives us; instead, He wants us to be able to see Him, and know Him. He made it easy; told us exactly what to look for.

He is Worthy...

November 28, 2011

Exodus 15:11 Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds doing wonders?

When I began my journey into Thankfulness, I assumed that I would spend the month thanking God for what He has given to me. I did do that, however, it was just not in a manner I had first thought it would be. I discovered that the things I have to be thankful for mostly revolve around who God is. His discipline, His faithfulness, the fact

that He always keeps His promises, His strength, His unshakeable kingdom, just to name a few. No doubt that God has been good to provide me with all manner of great things: an amazing husband, great kids, a beautiful home, a thriving business, a calm environment to raise our children. All of those things are worthy of praise and thanksgiving too, of course. However, what is even greater is the attributes of Himself that God has shared with me.

He is Fatihfull...

November 23, 2011

Psalm 145:13 The Lord is faithful to all His promises

Oh, the peace that comes from knowing, and more importantly believing, this. The knowledge and belief that no matter what storms may come we are held. To know is one thing yet to believe is another. Maybe we don’t recognize the difference; maybe we are scared to believe. Yet, He is worthy of our belief. Every word in the bible is a promise written from God to us, and we can believe on it. We should examine ourselves to see if we believe or if we just have knowledge. I think it’s important to how we live our lives. If we spend today worrying about tomorrow or if we leave tomorrow to God; I believe, I know that God’s promises are kept, always.

Grateful Worship...

November 22, 2011

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe

Our gratefulness is expressed in our worship; our worship is how we show others that we are thankful. Worship, what is it; well some think it’s just the singing portion of your church service. No doubt that is part of it, but worship is much more. We worship God in how we give to Him; whether it is in the aspect of our monetary gifts or our service; giving to Him the first fruits of our labor. We worship Him when we raise godly children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. We worship Him when we follow His commandments; even when the world will never understand why. We worship Him every day, in every aspect of our lives. If we know that we are His and we believe that His kingdom is firm and unshakeable, then we must worship. It must be our natural reaction.

Thankfull in Weaknesses...

November 18, 2011

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities, For when I am weak, then I am strong

What an odd concept, to be glad of our weakness. Many today work so hard to cover up a perceived weakness or flaw, that we never stop to think why God would give it to us; or maybe we never acknowledge that He gave it to us in the first place. Our weaknesses aren’t things to brag about to be sure, but they are areas in which we can see God’s work in us. And if we are willing to allow Him to change us; we can see His power. And if we are willing to be transparent others can learn through our weaknesses and can see God’s power. So, today I am thankful for my weaknesses because I can look back and see His power through them. I can see where He has grown me and where I have been changed by His power. I am also ever mindful to try not to cover up those weaknesses, so that I can show that Power to those around me.

He is Faithful...

November 17, 2011

Deuteronomy 32:4 “…a God of faithfulness and without iniquity just and upright is he

I am thankful that even when I am unfaithful and full of iniquity, He is faithful. I am thankful that even though I doubt His will or am angry at the paths I walk; He is faithful and is always right. I am thankful that He never fails even when I do.

He has done far more...

November 16, 2011

1 Chronicles 16:34 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.

If He did nothing else for us beyond salvation; He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving forever. If He did nothing else for us but give us mercy; He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving forever. If He did nothing else for us but give us His steadfast love; He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving forever. But He has done far more…

Being Held...

November 15, 2011

Psalm 139:10 Your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me

I am thankful that I am held. I am thankful for the comfort that gives me. I am thankful than nothing will ever take me from the hand that holds me. I am thankful that the hand that holds me also gives me rest, mercy, strength, patience, kindness, and love. I am thankful to be held.

The Love in Discipline...

November 14, 2011

Hebrews 12:6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives

I am thankful for the times that the Lord has disciplined me. Weird right, I mean who really wants to be disciplined. Well I wouldn’t say I wanted it, but I did learn from it. I learned that I was His. I learned that God did not want me to continue on in my sin because that would have resulted in greater problems. I learned that I was wrong. I learned that I was not living out the principles that I so love. I am thankful for the lessons God showed me. I am thankful that I can look back on it and see His hand in my discipline, and see were I was wrong. I am thankful that this lesson will help me to NOT repeat it in the future!

...living my fairytale!

November 11, 2011

Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh

I have one of those marriages. You know the kind were people say I’m married to my best friend, but the difference between me and someone else is…I really am. I absolutely adore Terry. He is the other half of me. I know and believe whole- heartedly that God created me for Terry. I love to help him, I love to make him happy, and I love to do the little things that I know will put a smile on his face. Most importantly, I know he does the same for me. I know without a doubt that he would do anything for me. He has always worked so hard, sometimes more than one job, to make sure that I got to stay home with our children because we both felt that was important. I love him because he is the best Daddy; I melt when I see him hugging our babies. Honestly, I thought marriages like mine were only in fairytales, but turns out there not, they can be real! Terry and I are living proof we are living my fairytale!

from the other side of the world...

November 10, 2011

James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this; to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world

Today I am thankful for adoption. Mine, into the family of God; I am thankful that God saw me and saved me. I am thankful that although I had done nothing deserving of it; He gave me salvation. I am also thankful today for the earthly adoption of my two sweet nephews, Eli and Gateon. I have the wonderful privilege of loving on these little guys all the time. They are the sweetest two boys and I love them like I do all my other natural born nieces and nephews. Funny thing is, I usually don’t think of them as adopted; this is how tightly God knits together families. Eli was adopted first from South Korea and a few years later came Gateon from Hong Kong. I look at them and see family; just like I look at all the other McCormick clan. Its really awe inspiring how God can take two little boys from the other side of the world and knit them so tightly into a family in Tennessee that we don’t really remember a time when they weren’t with us!! I am blessed beyond measure to be called Aunt Kirstie by these two sweeties!! (and yes, I love my other 10 nieces and nephews too!!)

Children, a reward and a....mirror??

November 9, 2011

Psalms 127:3 Behold children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward

I love my children; even though they sometimes drive me crazy, even though I sometimes live for bedtime, I just love my children. I know without any doubt that the greatest thing I will ever do is be their mom and that’s enough for me. I am constantly laughing at something they do, I am ferociously protective, and I am always learning from them. It has been said that children are the mirrors of our behavior, and that’s true. I have and do learn everyday something about me and mostly it’s not the good stuff. They help me; they show me areas of myself that I must change and work on. I am beyond blessed to be called Momma by these precious gifts from God. I am so thankful! I am so excited to see the men and woman God will make them into; I know that He has great plans for them.

Being Thankful for Answers...

November 8, 2011

Psalm 116:1-2 I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my supplications. Because he has inclined his ear to me, therefore I shall call upon him as long as I live

I am so thankful for the absolute knowledge that when I call upon my God HE will answer. How wonderful? Now, of course, the harder part of this blessing to come to terms with is how He answers our prayers. It may not be in the manner that I desire, but I can rest in knowing that there will be an answer. Also, I can rest in knowing that my answer will be the best for me. As I sit here this month and ponder all the things I have to be thankful for, I realize how very many answered prayers I have been give.

The Habit of Thanksgiving...

November 7, 2011

Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name

Continually is defined as, “Very often; at regular or frequent intervals; habitually. This is what Hebrews is telling us about thanksgiving. This is how often it should be on our lips. So, since God’s Word is telling us to praise his name continually; it would lead me to believe that God knew we would have plenty of be thankful for. I’m sure that the reason that our thanksgiving may be lacking is not because we have nothing to be thankful for, but that we fail to recognize it.

Refuge...

November 4, 2011

Psalm 84:1-2 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts. My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God

Psalm 5:11 but let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you

I am thankful that when the pressures of this life get me down or when grief is heavy on my heart or when I think I can not walk the path set before me; I can call upon the name of the Lord. I can call upon my God who is ever before me, and He will hear me and He will answer me. I can take refuge in the shadow of His grace, and I can mount up on the wings of His strength. I am thankful that He has taught me all these things about Him. I am thankful that He taught them to me before I actually had to use them!

remeber not the sins of my youth...

November 3, 2011

Psalm 25:7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me. For the sake of your goodness, O, Lord!

I am thankful that God through His plan choose to remember not the sins of my youth or my yesterday as a matter of fact. I am thankful that no matter how many times or how big I mess up God’s forgiveness is there for me. I didn’t deserve it and could never pay for it own my own; it is what it is, purely a gift from God. Having been saved late in my life (my early 20’s) there is as I say, “Lots of water under the bridge of my life.” There are lots of things for which I am ashamed of having committed. Yet, here in Psalms it is clear that God does not remember the sins of my youth, and how happy and thankful I am that He doesn’t.

And be thankful...

November 2, 2011

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Sometime in the summer I read a blog post about a gal who was rediscovering her thankfulness. She did it often, almost every week, she would list all kinds of things for which she was thankful. I was convicted to do the same; so I did, over on my other blog. While I was doing this I discovered something, I have so much more to be thankful for than I ever dreamed possible. How sad is it that our days go by and we never notice the little things God grants to us. Those little things that happen in our day to day lives that we should be thankful for are what pass us by unnoticed. I must admit that I have gotten out of the habit of writing them down lately. So in honor of Thanksgiving Day, I will spend November writing about something I’m thankful for.

Who has your love?

November 1, 2011

1 John 2:15

V 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him

If asked this question I’m satisfied that the majority of “Christians” would say that they absolutely did not love the things of this world. But really that’s a lie, right…I mean we all do. We all want things; we want better cars or bigger houses or great outfits. We do and what’s more important we know it, even if we never admit it. Instead of denying what we know to be true, we should be trying to minimize the love. We should be always watchful that our love for the world never exceeds our love for the things of God. That we never allow anything to take precedence over God’s Will for our lives. We need to live lives that show others it is possible to not allow our love for the world to control us because it will, if we allow it. Take a look at what takes up the majority of your time, look at what you talk to your children about this will show you where your love is. Like Paul urged us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith; we must examine ourselves to see if our love for the world is out of control.

her children will rise up and call her blessed...

October 28, 2011

Psalm 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken

As I sat yesterday listening to my brother-in-law give the sweetest eulogy to his beloved grandmother, I was once again amazed at the hope and peace we have in Jesus. I know that Tom was hurting, I know that every one of her three children, her six grandchildren, and most of her sixteen great-grandchildren (some are too young) were hurting. Yet, I know without a doubt they were comforted by the Hope they have in Christ. They were comforted mostly, of course because they knew Nannie’s testimony; she was saved and going home as she said often. They were comforted in the fact that although God says it’s ok to cry but do not be grieved because Jesus will come again, and when He does we shall see her again. They were comforted because of the legacy that she left with her family. Nannie was a woman whose children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will rise up and call blessed. I am blessed to have known her. What greater legacy can a mother ask for?

God is near to us...

October 27, 2011

Psalm 84:10-11 …the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly

How great is it that we have a God so near to us that He knows what we need? His Word says that He will not withhold it either. As I watch my children try to understand death and the sorrow that is attached to it, I am sad, but I know that God will give them and us what we need to walk this path. It’s a hard lesson to learn so young. The lesson that God determines the steps of man and how long we can live on this earth, and that sometimes there is peace found in death. Yet, what a gift to my children; they will see that He also provides us with the strength, and peace necessary to deal with our hurts. How great is that?

love in abundance...

October 25, 2011

Lamentations 3:32 but though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love

I love this verse simply because it shows us the overwhelming and abundant love of our God. Even if tears are necessary in our lives they are not given in vain; there are reasons for them! Not only are there reasons but they are given to us by a God who keeps track of every single tear and gives us comfort for each hurt. In this life, we all experience grief. It will at times devour us. It will hurt but we can rest in the knowledge that God’s steadfast love never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, and He will wipe every tear from our eyes. He holds us and He comforts us through the necessary hurts of our lives. I’m glad.

Nannie, you were loved and you will be missed greatly!

Deciding to Commit...

October 24, 2011

1 John 2:11-14

V 14… the word of God abides in you…

As I learned, or perhaps better stated, as I was reminded yesterday, while teaching small group; the Word of God will only abide in you if you put it there. There is no such thing as learning God’s word through osmosis. Instead, we must make the choice to put it there. Every day we must wake up put our feet on the floor and decide to commit ourselves to learning more from His word. Spiritual maturity comes in the good times to prepare you for the bad times; don’t wait until your world is crashing around you to learn from God’s Word, it will be too late. Learn now so that when your are hurting you can wrap it around you like a comforting blanket.

Stumbling...

October 21, 2011

1 John 2:9-10

V 10 whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling

I’ll admit to being lazy this morning, too lazy to get up to get my bible commentary, so I don’t know exactly who John is talking about. I don’t know who is (or is not) doing the stumbling here in verse 10. I don’t know if it could be those around us in response to something in our lives; or us because we are actively loving our brothers. I guess it really doesn’t matter does it. Since, we are called to love our brothers as our self; it should be as important to keep them from stumbling as it is to keep ourselves from doing the same.

The Tracks of our Tears...

Revelation 7:17 and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes

                             

Ever wonder if anyone sees our tears; ever wonder if anyone listens to the weeping of our hearts when we are broken. Ever wonder if anyone sees the sadness behind our smiles. The answer to that is, of course, yes. God sees and knows every tear track that is on our face and heart. He knows the sorrow that hides behind our smiles and in our hearts. And He will comfort us…

How Lovely...

October 19, 2011

Psalm 84:1-12

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in you house, ever singing your praise!

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools,

They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer give ear, O God of Jacob!

Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed!

For a day in you courts is better than a thousand elsewhere I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in You!

Hate...

October 18, 2011

1 John 2:7-9

V 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in the darkness

Hate is such a strong word, and I think that it’s also a word that has lost some of its true meaning because we toss it around a lot. Sort of like love; we say we love a TV show or we love a pair of shoes, or we Hate brussel sprouts. We cheapen their meanings by using them to describe the mundane. Hate is perhaps too strong a word to attach to a vegetable!  But the Bible here says we can’t attach the word or the emotion to other people either. And that’s hard. There will be people who mean us harm; there will be people who will mean those we love harm. According to John Macarthur’s Study Bible, he says that these people would have had a lifestyle of habitual hatred; while at the same time, professing a great love for the things of God. This, of course, is contrary to what God teaches us. When asked what the greatest commandment was Jesus answered…To Love the LORD God with all your heart, soul and mind and the second is to love your neighbor as your self (not word for word but you get the meaning!) How many of us hate, I mean really hate, ourselves?

we may be sure...

October 17, 2011

1 John 2:4-6

V 6 …by this we may be sure that we are in him

We can, I think, become complacent in our Christianity. We can assume because we make it to church most Sundays and even some Wednesdays; we may even teach a class on occasion or sing in the choir. Any manor of activities that we could participate in at church could convince us that we are Christ’s. We can assume that because we are active in the place of God we have a place in the family of God. However, they are two different things. Unless you, as it says here in verses 5 & 6, “…whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected” and in verse 6 “…whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” keep God’s commandments you are not in him. I like how we can know for sure; there isn’t any need to wonder or worry we can know. As we live our day to day lives our steps should be guided by God’s word. We should live them as if we were sitting in the pew at church. So often we try to compartmentalize our lives, this is my dealings with work, this is my dealings with friends, and finally this is my dealings with church. When in actuality God and His word should permeate all of the aspects of our lives; that is if we are His.

my yoke is easy and my burden is light...

October 14, 2011

1 John 2:2-3

V 3 by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments

What a seemingly impossible task ahead of us as believers? We already know that our normal inclination will not be to obey God’s commandments, but rather our sinful flesh. So, not only are we going to be in constant battle; we will also have to know what those commandments are. Some are self-explanatory (you can’t kill everyone who annoys you!) while even more are unknown to us and we must read and meditate on God’s word to find them. However, I’m reminded of what Jesus said in Matthew 11, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” God hasn’t set us up for failure, instead, He has given us a yellow-brick road to follow. He wants us to succeed, on His terms true, but He doesn’t want our lives to be filled with turmoil. That of course, doesn’t mean we won’t have trials and tribulation, but what it does mean is that we won’t be going alone through them nor will we be going on our own strength, but His.

at the mercy of...

October 13, 2011

1 John 2:1

V 1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

I think that I sometimes have the attitude that my sin is bigger than me. That I have no control over whether I sin or not; like my sin is too strong for me to resist. I have no choice but to sin. Not all sin of course; I have managed to not kill anyone today! But that sin that plagues our steps, the sin that always seems to be present around every corner; that’s the sin I sometimes think I’m at the mercy of. Yet, that thought is not only not true, but it’s unbiblical. The only thing that controls us, as believers, is God’s Holy Spirit. That’s it; we are able to resist sinning. It’s not easy and will require constant attention to our “self” but we are capable of not sinning.

Confessing....

October 12, 2011

1 John 1:8-9

Confessing sin…not all that fun right? First it requires that we be honest with ourselves about the areas of our lives we try to hide from everyone, even ourselves. I’m sure we get defensefull as we try to justify the areas in our lives where sin prevails. Or we try to cover it up with the blanket of, “forgive us for our sins” without ever really naming the sin that plagues us. Mainly, I think, because we want to sin; our flesh desires sin over all else. It’s fun for us. Yet, here clearly God’s word tells us we are to confess our sin; we are to acknowledge to God and ourselves the areas in which we have failed to uphold God’s statues. The great thing about it is that when we do, God is faithful to forgive us. He forgives us all the time, every time. Now that’s not a free ticket to sin; we, as believers, should mourn when we sin. We should endeavor to try to rid ourselves of our sin, but when we are unsuccessful God will forgive!

Having Fellwoship...

October 11, 2011

1 John 1:7

v 7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sin

Having fellowship? What’s that mean really? Fellowship is defined as, “friendly relationship; companionship; communion…” Having companionship with God the Father is possible when we fellowship with him. When we choose to turn away from sin and walk in the light of Him. True we are and will always be, till resurrection, sinful but we can choose to fight it, and thankfully we have His strength in which to fight or we would be lost with just our own. We, when empowered with His power, can choose to not sin, when what our flesh really wants is to sin. I think the fact that we can have fellowship with God is an amazing thing. When you think of who God is, and who we are; it’s pretty incredible that it’s possible. Maybe I will do a word study on “fellowship” to see what God has to say on the topic!

Walking in the Light...

 October 10, 2011

1John 1:5-6

V 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice truth.

Do we do this? Do we fool ourselves into thinking we are ok? Just because we go to church, sing our worship songs loud and proud, teach a class, keep the nursery, even manage to have a some-what faithful quiet time, does not in any way mean that we don’t walk in darkness in some areas of our lives. In fact, the darkness we tread upon might be keeping us from fully enjoying the light that is in God’s presence. So, how to know if we are treading in darkness; Paul tells us to examine ourselves daily to see if we are in the light. I’m sure Paul meant more than the basic, “Lord, forgive me from my sins!”  I’m sure that it was a heartfelt desire to know and rid our lives of specific sin. Do we share Paul’s desire to know if we walk in darkness or light?

We Proclaim...

October 5, 2011

1 John 1:1-4

V3 …that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you…

John was writing about what he and the other apostles were doing. He was relating to us all that he saw while accompanying Jesus; he tells us all that he learned at the feet of Jesus. And can you imagine how that might be… He and the other apostles were given the mission to tell everyone, to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. But couldn’t we say that we are given a somewhat similar mission. Haven’t we seen and heard from God. Haven’t we learned things at the feet of Jesus through His word? Haven’t we seen Jesus work in our lives; sometimes even in miraculous ways? Yes, of course we have. Now shouldn’t we also proclaim?