Taste and See That The Lord Is Good

“Teach me, Father, to value each day, to live, to love, to laugh, to play.”

--Kathi Mills

Taste and See That The Lord Is Good

Christmas is two weeks away and almost everyone’s "To Do" list is full. This weekend try not to do everything yourself. Remember, God has blessed each of us with gifts that put our best dreams to shame. What does your soul hungry for? Most everyone whether they know it or not are actually seeking holiness, contentment, joy and inner peace. If your unsure what it is your soul seeks, why not ask God to show you? Life is not about achieving power, fortune, or fame. Instead we're suppose to be focused on serving God and serving others; while giving Him the credit. So stop worrying about what you can't do and focus instead on what you can do. Because anything is possible when God is in control.

When shopping remember to treat yourself to a gifted moment? When was the last time you spent a few moments in the mall watching someone child other than your own having their picture taken with Santa?

If you planning to decorating your tree this weekend don't forget the Christmas music and the eggnog. And if the thought of Christmas is still just a tad bit overwhelming --don’t fret and don’t overdo. The purpose of decorating for Christmas is to create a peaceful home in which to celebrate Christ’s birth. Remember to always keep your heart pliable and open to accepting the life-changing truths of Christ and the holiness of his presence. And isn't that's the best gift of all?

Christ in Me

"As it is written,

"What no eye has seen,

nor ear heard,

nor the human heart conceived,

what God has prepared for those who love him"

--these things God has REVEALED to us through the Spirit."

1 Corinthians 2:9-10

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Christ in Me
by Max Lucado

Like Mary, you and I are indwelt by Christ.

Find that hard to believe? How much more did Mary? No one was more surprised by this miracle than she was. And no one more passive than she was. God did everything. Mary didn't volunteer to help. What did she have to offer? She offered no assistance.

And she offered no resistance. Instead she said, "Behold, the bond- slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).

Unlike Mary, we tend to assist God, assuming our part is as important as his. Or we resist, thinking we are too bad or too busy. Yet when we assist or resist, we miss God's great grace. We miss out on the reason we were placed on earth-to be so pregnant with heaven's child that he lives through us. To be so full of him that we could say with Paul, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." (Gal. 2:20)

What would that be like? To have a child within is a miracle, but to have Christ within?

To have my voice, but him speaking.
My steps, but Christ leading.
My heart, but his love beating
in me, through me, with me.
What's it like to have Christ on the inside?

To tap his strength when mine expires
or feel the force of heaven's fires
raging, purging wrong desires.
Could Christ become my self entire?

So much him, so little me
That in my eyes it's him they see.
What's it like to a Mary be?
No longer I, but Christ in me.

From Next Door Savior
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2003) Max Lucado

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REVELATION

"All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." Matthew 11:27

"The first and most important thing we know about God is that we know nothing about him except what he himself makes known." Heinrich Emil Brunner

"Every revelation of God is a demand, and the way to knowledge of God is by obedience." William Temple

"Revelation consists of the initiative of God, who personally came to meet man, in order to open with him a dialogue of salvation. It was God who began to talk, and it is God who carries it forward." John Paul II

"As prayer is the voice of man to God, so revelation is the voice of God to man." John Henry Newman

"Man cannot cover what God would reveal." Thomas Campbell

Golden Cradle a Christmas Lullaby is todays Pixtal Peep

My First Christmas Tree

Paper Santa Ornaments
Photo credit: Keith Scott Morton. Country Living Magazine

My First Christmas Tree

"Beauty is also to be found in a day's work." -- Mamie Sypert Burns

As the years change and we mature our taste changes. One of my fondest memories centers around my very first Christmas Tree. When I was twenty something I was clueless about the expense of decorating a Christmas tree. It didn't take long for me to quickly discovered that decorating a tree in the style and manner of my choosing would actually cost a petty penny something I had little of at the time.


While lamenting to my Mother over the high price of German hand blown glass ornaments. She sweetly suggested that maybe this year I should consider buying a small and pre-decorated table top tree instead. For in her opinion that would be a simple solution. Good grief I thought to myself, that certainly wouldn't do. Because in my opinion a Christmas tree should be at least higher than just a few inches off the ground!


So with a major in fine art and a good sense of design; I set out to create my own personalized ornaments but out of what I hadn't a clue. As I pondered the problem of exactly what I should create, a moment of creative genius struck, as I remembered that my Mother saved Christmas cards.

So with a quick visit home and sweet "pretty please," my Mama graciously agreed to share her cherished holiday greeting cards that she had long been saving. That day as we sat around the kitchen table, sorting through piles of old greeting cards and going down memory lane playing, do you remember so and so? It wasn't long before I had a brown paper shopping bag full of greeting cards of all shapes, sizes and sentiments in which to create my own special ornaments.


The next two weeks with scissors in hand, I spent transforming holiday greeting cards into handmade ornaments, adorned with glitter and pretty red ribbons for hanging on a branch. Then I promptly went out and purchased the most reasonable small four foot artificial Christmas tree that I could find in which to hang my concoction of personal handmade creations upon. My first Christmas tree was actually born out of necessity. Loved for it's delightful simplicity and paper wishes. How simply divine.

Count Your Blessings - Ali Matthews

Ali Matthews is a Canadian Contemporary Christian singer and songwriter.

This song is from her "Looking For Christmas" CD.

The Voice of Advent

Words of LIFE - Weekly Devotional

The Voice of Advent
by Joan Chittister

“‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’ Jesus told them, ‘Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.’” (Matthew 11:3-5, NLT)

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This week's devotional comes from The Liturgical Year: The Spiraling Adventure of the Spiritual Life

When the first small flame of the Advent wreath lights the monastery chapel and the soft, clear voices of those who have song the chants and haunting melodies all their lives open the first of the Advent vigils, there is no doubt that we have begun a moment out of time. It is the beginning of the liturgical year: Christmas is four weeks away. We are at the moment in which a new cycle of old ideas will be stirred up again within us. We are beginning a spiritual crossing on dark waters led only by an ancient sailing chart marked by a star. Here in the dark we will begin the search for light in the soul.

Advent is not the oldest season in the church. Easter, the Pasch or Passover, is far older, by at least two hundred years. Advent did not begin in Rome. In fact, the earliest mention of a period of preparation for Christmas didn’t exist until 490 in Gaul, what is now modern France.

We are not here in this dark chapel tonight, then, because Christmas is the high point of every church year, and Advent its most profound season. The church year does not start here because Christmas is coming. The church year starts here to remind us why Jesus was born in the first place. Most of all, it starts here to call us to determine why we ourselves are here at all.

Advent, from the Latin, means “coming.” But Advent is not about one coming; it about three comings. The great spiritual question the season poses for each of us is, which coming are you and I waiting for now? At this moment in our lives, at this present stage of our spiritual development, what we’re waiting for surely determines how we will wait for it.

Each of the three comings of Advent is very different. The first coming is the remembrance of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth in the flesh, based on the infancy narratives in the Gospels that give its historical context. But if our expectation of Christmas remains on this level, the birthday of the “baby Jesus” becomes at best a pastoral attempt to make Jesus real. This Jesus is a child’s Jesus that, too often – if our definition of Christmas is simply a child’s story about the birth of a child – will remain just that. It is a simple, soothing story that makes few, if any, demands on the soul.

This coming too often leaves us, whatever our age, at the stage of spiritual childhood. The baby Jesus captivates our hearts, true. But the birth date of this child is not one of the great mysteries of the faith. As Augustine pointed out, “The day of the Lord’s birth does not possess a sacramental character. It is only a recalling of the fact that he was born.”

The next coming to which Advent calls our attention is a coming greater than the simple fact of human birth. This is the coming of the presence of God recognized among us now in Scripture, in the Eucharist, in the community itself. This coming makes Jesus present in our own lives, eternally enlivening, eternally with us.

The final coming to which Advent points us is the Second Coming, the Parousia. It is this coming that whets the desire of the adult soul. At the end of time, Jesus has promised and the Christian believes that the Son will return in glory. Then the reign of God for which we strive with every breath will come in all its fullness. This is the coming for which we wait. This is the fullness for which we long. This is what we really mean when the choir sings into the dark, “Maranatha.” “Come, Lord Jesus, come” is one rendering of the word. But taken from the Greek, as maran atha – two words – “The Lord has come” is another equally acceptable translation. Then the comings – past, present, and future – all live together in one long sigh of the soul.

Over the centuries and out of many traditions, Advent as we know it now has emerged to center us in these multiple layers of awareness, in these many levels of faith, in these varied plies of spiritual maturity. We grow from one to the other, realizing as we do, that life is about more than the past, even about more than the present, and certainly, in the end, about the fullness of a future that is far longer than even our own.

Advent is a period of preparation for Christmas but, unlike Lent, it is not a period of penance. It is a period that focuses us on joy. We prepare ourselves to understand the full adult meaning of the feast. We come to realize more each year how great are our blessings, how beautiful is a life lived in concert with the Jesus who came to show us the way. We learn the joy of anticipation, the joy of delighting in a sense of the presence of God all around us, the joy of looking for the second coming of Christ, the joy of living in the surety of even more life in the future.

This Week
Are you preparing for Christmas by focusing on joy? Prioritize your time and thoughts this year and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas through advent.

Prayer
“Come, Lord Jesus, and center this season around You. Thank You for Your birth, life, death and resurrection. Help me to focus on the true meaning of Christmas and the joy of Advent.”


Sister Joan Chittister is a Benedictine nun and international lecturer. Her book The Liturgical Year: The Spiraling Adventure of the Spiritual Life - The Ancient Practices Series is available at Amazon and Christian Book Distributors. This excerpt has been reprinted with permission from Thomas Nelson, Inc.

There's A Light - Beth Nielsen Chapman

Where's My Eraser?

FROM THE HEART OF DR. REXELLA VAN IMPE

Where’s My Eraser?

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I’ll never forget my first day of kindergarten. I was barely five years old, but I remember it as vividly as if it had happened yesterday.

Making new friends with all my classmates was exciting, the bright and cheery decorations in our homeroom were beautiful, and my teacher seemed very nice.

But the thing that caught my attention and completely fascinated me was...the blackboard.

Watching the teacher take chalk and draw simple pictures and write letters on the board was interesting. But then she took something in her hand, wiped it back and forth across the surface of the blackboard, and instantly every mark she had made disappeared! I watched in wide-eyed astonishment, absolutely intrigued.

Before my kindergarten year was over, I had the opportunity to try it for myself. I made some chalk marks on the board, then used the eraser to make them go away. I never tired of it. The eraser was my favorite discovery.

Although I’m normally not a person who dwells on the past a great deal, I do often reflect on the blessings and good things God has sent into my life. My husband, Jack, and I make it a point to recall and give thanks for the ministry opportunities, friends, and victories the Lord has given us-and continues to bestow upon us. Somehow it seems my mind is like a recorder.

Your life, the movie

An article from Smithsonian Magazine written by Dr. Wilbur Penfield, director of the Montreal Neurological Institute, explains why I felt that way. He wrote: "Your brain contains a permanent record of your past that is like a single, continuous strip of movie film, complete with sound track. This film library records your whole waking life from childhood on."

Do you ever have "home movies" from your past running in your mind? Sometimes that’s a good thing, but it can also be painful to be reminded of events and people that have hurt us, or things we have done to injure others.

Perhaps there are incidents in our past that we hope nobody else knows about, and sometimes the devil will replay these hidden shames to torment us.

"Oh, you’re such a bad person," he says. "Just look at what you did. How can you pretend to be so good when you’re really so rotten?" Revelation 12:10 exposes the devil as the "accuser of our brethren" who accuses us before God day and night. But the good news is that we don’t have to worry about his accusations.

Jack refers to Dr. Penfield’s article in one of the devotionals in his Soul Food book. His comments there certainly helped me better understand the concept of the "book of remembrance" mentioned in the Bible. Truly God is the great Bookkeeper. He has a record of my life in a heavenly book that has my name on it-Rexella Shelton Van Impe. God has kept a record book on all of humanity-every single person who has ever lived.

But just as He has written everything down, good and bad-every failure, fault, and sin-He also has the ability and divine desire to erase everything bad on my record. Oh, praise God for a heavenly eraser that deletes every wrong word or thought or deed!

That eraser, of course, is the blood of Christ. And it washes us clean! It wipes everything off the blackboard!

God’s heavenly eraser leaves no trace behind. Isaiah 1:18 declares, Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. And Psalm 103:12 says, As far as the east is from the west-and they never meet-so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Forgiven and forgotten

When our sins are forgiven, they are forgotten. God promises in Hebrews 10:17-And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. In fact, the prophet Micah rejoiced that God will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19). Then, according to D. L. Moody and Billy Sunday (I don’t know who said it first), He puts up a great-big sign that says, NO FISHING ALLOWED!

God doesn’t want us to go fishing there, looking for and finding the past. He wants us to forget it just as He has. Yet I think that sometimes after God has erased the blackboard of our lives, we keep bringing up events and things that

God doesn’t remember any more. Our human nature has a tendency to go back and keep rerunning the old mental home movies of what we were like before God saved us and made us new creatures through Christ Jesus.

We must learn how to forget the past and look to our future in Christ. The apostle Paul, acknowledging that he was not perfect, cried out, But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14).

Of course, the devil will try to remind us of our past. One of his tools of deception is to keep us looking back. He knows if he can make us feel that our past sins make us unworthy to do anything for God, we cannot be effective in the present.

But we can overcome the devil with our testimony of erased sins through the blood of Christ.

Then God can use our life story-our testimony-to reach other people who need to be set free from the shackles of sin. When others see us walking in victory, it gives them hope.

I heard a story about a little girl who said to her pastor, "I want you to know that I am saved."

"That’s wonderful, honey," he said. "Can you tell me which one of my sermons brought you to Christ?"

The little girl replied, "It wasn’t anybody’s preaching-it was my Aunt Mary’s practicing!"

Living the life of Christ day by day is not always easy, but there is such power in our testimony. In Romans 7:19, Paul talks about the struggle he faced every day in doing what was right. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Yet, just a few verses later, he declares, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (8:1).

What’s the secret? Being willing to say, "Where’s my eraser?" Jesus came into the world for a purpose-not only to set the example of a perfect life and to show us God on earth and what we can be though Him, but also to erase the blackboard of our lives again and again! I often find myself saying in my prayer, "Lord, thank You for that eraser."

Let me make it clear that I certainly am not suggesting that we nonchalantly fail more and sin more, expecting God to erase whatever we do. That’s not what I mean at all. The truth is that even when we do our best to live righteously, there are times when we will not make the right choices. And in those times we can and should say, "Where’s my eraser?"

God is much better at forgiving than we are at sinning!

Eugene Peterson, the pastor who produced The Message a contemporary language version of the Bible, observed that "God is much better at forgiving than we are at sinning."

Even when we think that we have absolutely gone too far, that we’ve really done it this time, or that what we have done is totally unforgivable, God stands waiting for us with open arms. No matter how "good" we have been at sinning, He is much better at forgiving. No matter what we’ve done (or failed to do), it’s never too bad to be forgiven...and to be erased!

Sin brings shame, but confession brings confidence. The Bible says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). We can be victorious in the Lord. We can live a life like Aunt Mary that draws others to Jesus. We may have failed yesterday. We may fail today. But we can ask Him to erase our failures and sins.

Then we can begin anew each day.

There’s a beautiful old hymn called, "An Evening Prayer," that captures the idea of asking God to erase the blackboard of our lives at the end of each day. It says:

If I have wounded any soul today,
If I have caused one foot to go astray,
If I have walked in my own willful way,
Dear Lord, forgive.
Forgive the sins I have confessed to Thee,
Forgive the secret sins I do not see,
O guide me, love me, and my keeper be,
Dear Lord, Amen

Recently I was witnessing to an acquaintance about accepting God’s forgiveness and beginning a new life in Christ. Oh, how this person wanted to do it, but he kept struggling with some really bad sins-truly evil practices-that he feared had ruined his chance for redemption and taken him beyond forgiveness.

God hates sin...but loves sinners

I shared the amazing truth of Romans 5:6-that Christ died for the ungodly. "It’s true that God hates sin," I told this friend, "but that does not diminish His love for sinners. He died for the very sins that He hates.

"There is nothing in your life that cannot be forgiven-no stains that He cannot erase," I said. "When God erases your sins and you begin a new life, not only is your future clean, but your past is clean also. That means every mention of your past failure is erased in God’s book. It will never again be found in those heavenly pages where the greatest Bookkeeper of all records your deeds. "

So far the person I’ve been witnessing to has not given his heart to God and accepted Christ as his Savior. I am praying that the Lord will continue to deal with his troubled heart and love him into His kingdom.

The world we live in today is so troubled and filled with strife, so confused and far from God that many people are filled with fear and anxiety. From a natural standpoint, it would be easy to get our blackboard filled up with worry and dread.

If we as believers study and understand the Word, we see that prophecy is coming true. Every day the news points to the coming of the Lord. But those without the Lord-those who do not know that today’s news points to Christ’s coming-must get dreadfully discouraged. There is no hope outside of Christ.

But we do not have to be sad or fearful because Jesus said, Let not your heart be troubled...I will come again (John 14:1, 3). He also declared, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).

If we take our eyes off the Lord and start looking at the world around us, then we’re going to falter. The Gospels tell how Peter started walking on the water to Jesus, and then was distracted by the stormy seas and began to sink. The same thing can happen to us. When we get that sinking feeling, like Peter, we need to cry out to the Lord for help. We need to ask him to erase the turmoil and lack of faith in our hearts. The only cure is to say, "Lord, I missed the mark again. Please erase it, forgive it, and help me start again."

No regrets! No fear!

You know, because of God’s heavenly eraser, we don’t have to regret the past or fear the future. God has forgiven our past, and He is already in our future. But the only way to get to the future is to live today.

We have absolutely no control over what happened yesterday-and to a large extent, we can’t determine what will come tomorrow. The only time we can really use is now, today, where we are living this minute. We wake up every morning to a clean, fresh page God has given us that is labeled TODAY. And, as I’m sure you’ve heard, it is a gift-that’s why it is called the present!

I challenge you to start living your life to the fullest. Because we know the Lord, this is the most exciting time to be alive since the dawn of creation. Give your best to the Lord. Do your best to make a difference in your family, your neighborhood...in your world. Who knows if God has brought you to the world for just such a time as this?

Yes, there will be challenges. There will be times when you don’t know which way to turn or exactly what you should do. But keep on going with your hand in His. Don’t look at the challenges-just keep your eyes and heart on the Lord. The Bible says, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee (Isaiah 26:3).

That’s where I want to live from now on-how about you?

Remember; don’t be afraid to ask for the eraser when you need it!

You Are My King(Amazing Love)

-Candi Pearson

The Passion of the Christ - Mel Gibson

Today's Pixtal Peep

One Small Child

Avoid the Escape Mentality

ESCAPE ATTEMPT post by SA

Avoid the Escape Mentality
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman
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"Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle" (Ps 144:1).

One of the best-selling American books of all time is a fiction series that focuses on the end times called Left Behind. It deals with the rapture of Christians from the earth before the final end-times crisis takes place and the anti-Christ rules.

If we are not careful we will fall into a mindset that we are simply buying time until Jesus calls us home. No matter what the end-times scripture teaches, it is clear that believers should model a behavior that is more like a soldier in battle desiring to take the land, than a person awaiting an airlift.

When God placed man on earth, He desired man to rule the earth. "God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground" (Gen 1:28). The intent was not dictatorship, but to express the love and care of God throughout all of creation in order to know and experience the creator in all things.

Today, we often have a cruise ship mentality in the Church of Jesus Christ instead of a battleship mentality designed to engage the enemy of our souls. Our army is often ill-equipped to know how to take the land that God has provided through His Son. This is why believers in the workplace must see their work and calling as an assignment from God to demonstrate His power in all of society in order to restore His rule upon the earth. That is the key reason Jesus died on the cross - to restore that which was lost (Lk 19:10).

Are you engaged in the battle?

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, I just want to thank You Lord for helping me make it through another day. Thank You for guiding my way, for keeping me safe, and for blessing me and my family. Heavenly Father, please give me strength for yet another day of life. Help me to walk in the paths of righteousness for Your name's sake. I want to lift up my friends who are suffering with cancer and illness and for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Reach into their lives and provide a peace and comfort that only You can give. Fill that hurt and emptiness they feel with Your presence. Be their help in their times of trouble and give them strength. In Jesus' precious name I pray, Amen.

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For John - Happy Anniversary!

"Do You Hear What I Hear" Mannheim Steamroller

Praying in the Spirit

Our Helper in Prayer

Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 8:26-27

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Christians need the Holy Spirit's help in prayer. At times in our faith life, we will find that we cannot:

• Find the right words,

• Discern God's will,

• Recognize what He is doing, or

• Grasp the complexity of a situation.

Periods of struggle in prayer are normal for believers. Few of us are as eloquent as the psalmist David—especially when we are confused, distressed, or weary. Today we'll look at two biblical examples of prayer in challenging situations.

First, notice that in today's Scripture, the apostle Paul admits to feeling weak in his prayer life. His well-known request was for God to remove a "thorn in the flesh" (2 Cor. 12:7). Paul pleaded desperately—and probably with great effort—for relief. With the Spirit's help, he came to understand the Lord's call to endure in spite of pain.

And second, Jesus Christ agonized over the divine call to sacrifice His life at Calvary. Although He was committed to doing God's will, He dreaded the immeasurable spiritual suffering that lay ahead. As He lay on the ground, the Savior uttered this urgent sentence: "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will" (Matt. 26:39).

God knew we'd need help in prayer. With our limited human perspective, we cannot know all aspects of the situations facing us. But the Holy Spirit understands our needs and burdens—as well as the "big picture." He carries our requests to God even when we can't adequately express them

Praying in the Spirit

Dr. Charles Stanley

John 14:16-21
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I am convinced that if Christians truly understood what takes place during prayer, they'd call upon the Lord more often and with greater results. The believer's prayer isn't simply spoken into empty space; the Holy Spirit is there to guide us in offering God-centered requests, fill in the words we cannot say, and carry our needs before the Lord.

The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity, so He knows the mind of God intimately (1 Cor. 2:11). Since He is as omniscient and omnipotent as the Father, He fully grasps the circumstance we are praying over—even the parts that remain unseen or utterly confusing to us. Also, the Spirit dwells within every believer and knows each one's mind and heart. With this full knowledge, the Holy Spirit can carry out His responsibility to make our petitions match God's desires. Toward that end, He speaks in our spirit and opens our mind to Scripture.

The fact that God gives His Spirit to all believers reveals the value He places on communication between Him and His children. Our Father provides the best possible Helper to ensure that we can be prayer warriors—wise, strong in faith, and fully yielded to Him. But we are none of those things unless we are habitually talking with the Lord.

Christians need never feel guilty for being uncertain about how to pray. The indwelling Holy Spirit knows our needs and desires—as well as the mind of the Father and the details of every situation. He speaks to God on our behalf while teaching us to pray in accordance with His will.

For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.

"THE PRAYER" CELINE DION & JOSH GROBAN

Adorned by the Doctrine of God

"Give me such a love for God and men,

as will blot out all hatred and bitterness."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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Adorned by the Doctrine of God
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman

"Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things" (Titus 2:9-10 NKJV).

The island of Crete was known for its corruption and many false gods. It was also the center of the jewelry trade. Thus, the use of the word "adorn" in the above passage may have been intentional by Paul due to this fact.

Titus and the believers in Crete were challenged by Paul to adorn their lives with the doctrine of God. Whenever you are challenged by an environment that is corrupt and ungodly, you have an opportunity to let your light shine before those in that culture. The greater the corruption, the greater your light can shine. It is not a time to flee, it is a time to shine brighter.

Paul addressed five unique things believers could do: 1) Be obedient to their masters. They were to submit to their authority structures, 2) Be well pleasing in all things. This meant doing their work with excellence, 3) Not answer back. They were to handle conflict with wisdom and courtesy, 4) Not pilfer. They were not to steal, but model integrity, 5) Show all good fidelity. This meant demonstrating loyalty and dependability.

Do you find your environment difficult to work in? The answer is to live to glorify the Lord in the midst of your culture. The way you live your life will be viewed by many others. An industry survey revealed the average person will come in contact with 300 people over the course of a year through their work. What better opportunity to let your life be adorned by the doctrine of God. St. Francis Assisi agrees: He encouraged believers in his day to "preach the gospel always and when necessary use words."



Today's Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father. This day I look up and remember how it is you who created all and who owns the cattle upon the hills, the water that springs from the earth, the skies that span our view, and everything good. It is you who can provide for and bless the earth and the inhabitants thereof. Today I pray for the many people who are in difficult circumstances right now and need a touch to help them with their basic needs. I pray for those who need financial income to pay their living expenses, those who need jobs to bring in that income, who need good health to be able to do those jobs; and for those whose jobs do not provide sufficient income for their needs. I pray also for those who have the income, but do not know how to properly manage it for the best outcome.

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Also I pray Father for those who have much and can give much. Please, connect the right people with jobs, and the right people with the right people, to do what needs to be done. I pray that you will meet every need; that you will bless the lives of those who follow your guidance and those who are thankful for what you provide. Hear the cries of the needy. I pray you will bless those who give from the abundance you have allowed them to have, for sharing and ministering in ways that others cannot. Thank you, Father, for hearing my prayer. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

A Prophet without Honor

A Prophet without Honor
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman

"Where did this man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands? Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house" (Mark 6.3, 4).

Have you ever noticed how difficult it can be to spiritually impact your immediate circle of relationships and family? Jesus warned us of this phenomenon. We often relate to family and friends differently because they have a history with us that no one else has. They most likely have not had the privilege to witness the spiritual transformation that you have experienced and is evidenced by others in your life.

The spiritual authority that others may recognize in you is not there with your own family and friends. "After all, you're just my sister or brother, with whom I fought, played, and lived everyday life," is what is thought. Jesus was more qualified to be a carpenter than the Son of God in his own family and community's eyes. It was too difficult to change old perceptions of someone they knew so well. So too, is it for your family members.

The sad result of this mindset is that we often do not experience the same fruit of ministry in our family's lives that we do outside this circle. It is an unfortunate truth. "Jesus still healed a few sick people," meaning there is still a remnant of faith that can receive from you and I. Ultimately, God determines the fruit of our lives. Do not allow spiritual pride to prevent you from freely giving to your family and friends when they do not receive you in the way you think they should. You don't know which "few" God will choose to touch through your life.

Many did not receive Jesus. Therefore, many will not receive you. Nevertheless, allow God to touch the few in your circle He chooses to touch through you.

Today's Prayer

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Dear God, I may not have excellent speech or be as educated or wise as some people, but this one thing I know, that Jesus Christ gave Himself as a sacrifice for my sin and has risen to sit at Your right hand, so that I may receive Your forgiveness, a new life, and eternal life with You. Though I may be weak and fearful at times, I can be strong through the power of Your Spirit. God, please speak through me and live through me that I might touch the lives and hearts of the people I come in contact with each day. May You be glorified. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.

A Homeless God

CHURCH IN VILLAGE of NORWAY post by jchip8

Words of LIFE - Weekly Devotional

A Homeless God

by Frank Viola

"As you come to Him, the living Stone -- rejected by men butchosen by God and precious to Him -- you also, like livingstones, are being built into a spiritual house…" (1 Peter 2:4-5a)


Part of my roots are in the Charismatic movement. In that experience, I was repeatedly encouraged to seek God for a "visitation" from heaven. As a result, I harbored the illusion that if God visited our church, He was pleased with it. I later discovered that God is not looking for a place to visit. He is looking for a place to dwell.

The pages of history are littered with the sobering fact that God is no longer present in the places He once visited. Go to the landmarks of past revivals, and you'll quickly discover that the crowds have diminished. The joy is gone. The life has evaporated. In many cases, those places are but hollow shells today.

For me the intriguing question is: Why does the Lord leave? The answer is telling: because he was not completely welcomed.

He was allowed to visit, but He was not permitted to be head. That is, He was not granted the right to make the decisions.

Visitations bless us for a short season. But a dwelling place for God is something for His interest and His desire. Blessing is merely a byproduct. It's not the prime product.

Contemplate this thought: If God "visits" a church, it betrays the fact that it doesn't belong to Him. A homeowner doesn't visit his own home. He lives in it. In a divine visitation, God will bless His people. But He will eventually move on and search for a home that He can call his own. Thus if the headship of Jesus Christ is not fully yielded to any given place, the best of Lord can do is visit. He cannot take up residency.

Our Lord is in a quest for a place to lay His head, a place where His headship is operative, a place where He does what He wishes, a place where he can feel comfortable and find rest. This is the indelible mark that a particular church is in fact His house. Anything else is but a layover for Him.

Like any homeowner, God builds His house in His own way. If the home is His, He arranges the furniture the way He wishes, for He is the master of His own home.

In this connection, I want you to imagine countless living stones scattered all over the earth. I want you to see innumerable living stones living their own individual Christian lives. I want you to see scores of living stones who loved God, but who are isolated and independent of other living stones. Many attend religious services, but there is little to no "building together" among the members.

That is precisely the situation we find ourselves in today. And what is the net effect? God is still homeless.

The burning intent of your God is that all of His living stones be built together with other living stones to form His house. Not for themselves, but for their Lord. To be the house of God, by God and for God.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)
“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." (Ephesians 4:16)
Jesus Christ did not die and rise again just to forgive you of your sins. He died in order that His father could obtain a home. The Lord saved you and me for a high and holy purpose.

Without people who are being assembled together, God is a wandering, homeless God. And we are wondering, homeless Christians. Your Lord wishes to build Himself into a people, and He wishes to build a people into Himself. He is after a building, not a rock quarry. He wants a house, not a heap of stones nor group of scattered rocks. The Lord Jesus Christ is looking for willing vessels who will abandon their Western-style individualism and live a shared life with others under His exclusive headship. This is our high calling.

This Week
Make a home for the Lord in your life. Each day, give Him complete headship to arrange your life as He wishes. Then begin to connect with other “living stones” by building relationships with fully committed believers.

Prayer
“Lord, take complete control of my life. Dwell with me so that I can be yours. Be with me and be my God. Amen”

Frank Viola is a speaker and author. His other books include Pagan Christianity (with George Barna), Reimagining Church, Finding Organic Church and The Untold Story of the New Testament Church. Learn more about him at www.FrankViola.com.

Simple Gifts - Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss

Dealing With Difficult Relatives

Dealing with Difficult Relatives
by Max Lucado

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Does Jesus have anything to say about dealing with difficult relatives? Is there an example of Jesus bringing peace to a painful family? Yes, there is.

His own.

It may surprise you to know that Jesus had a difficult family. If your family doesn’t appreciate you, take heart, neither did Jesus’.

“His family … went to get him because they thought he was out of his mind” (Mark 3:21).

Jesus’ siblings thought their brother was a lunatic. They weren’t proud—they were embarrassed!

It’s worth noting that he didn’t try to control his family’s behavior, nor did he let their behavior control his. He didn’t demand that they agree with him. He didn’t sulk when they insulted him. He didn’t make it his mission to try to please them.

Each of us has a fantasy that our family will be like the Waltons, an expectation that our dearest friends will be our next of kin. Jesus didn’t have that expectation. Look how he defined his family: “My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants” (Mark 3:35).

When Jesus’ brothers didn’t share his convictions, he didn’t try to force them. He recognized that his spiritual family could provide what his physical family didn’t. If Jesus himself couldn’t force his family to share his convictions, what makes you think you can force yours?

Having your family’s approval is desirable but not necessary for happiness and not always possible. Jesus did not let the difficult dynamic of his family overshadow his call from God. And because he didn’t, this chapter has a happy ending.

What happened to Jesus’ family?

Mine with me a golden nugget hidden in a vein of the Book of Acts. “Then [the disciples] went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.… They all continued praying together with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’ brothers” (Acts 1:12, 14, emphasis added).

What a change! The ones who mocked him now worship him. The ones who pitied him now pray for him. What if Jesus had disowned them? Or worse still, what if he’d suffocated his family with his demand for change?

He didn’t. He instead gave them space, time, and grace. And because he did, they changed. How much did they change? One brother became an apostle (Gal. 1:19) and others became missionaries (1 Cor. 9:5).

So don’t lose heart. God still changes families.

From He Still Moves Stones
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1999) Max Lucado

Amy Grant - Our Father's Eyes

It is Good to Give Thanks to God

It Is Good to Give Thanks to God
Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalm 92

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Throughout the Psalms, we are reminded and even commanded to give thanks to the Lord. Thanksgiving Day should never become a substitute for the daily expression of gratitude to God for all that He has done.

Because our culture is largely characterized by ingratitude, we need to work at developing a grateful heart. Even in prayer, we can become self-centered and drift from one petition to another without a word of praise to God. Giving thanks refocuses our attention onto the Lord as we remember His love and faithfulness and praise Him for who He is and what He has done.

Thanksgiving refreshes our souls as we spend time with God, concentrating on His goodness and grace. Anxiety is replaced with peace, and despondency with joy. If you wake up each morning and thank the Lord for deliverance from the power of sin, provision for all your needs, and guidance for the day ahead, what is left to cause worry or discouragement?

Gratitude to God for His faithfulness in the past increases faith and strengthens trust in Him for the future. Remember how He carried you in times of pain, helped you in periods of weakness, and supplied all your needs. You can trust Him with whatever lies ahead.

To establish a habit of thanksgiving, recall God's lovingkindness in the morning, and recount His faithfulness at night. Thank Him for blessings—and also for the deep work He is doing in you through difficulties. As you start to see situations from His perspective, your gratitude and trust will grow.

Extra On Thanksgiving

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, that my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever" (Ps. 30:11-12).

"Then you will say on that day, 'I will give thanks to You, O Lord; for although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me'" (Isa. 12:1).

"And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me'"(Luke 22:19).

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Cor. 9:15).

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6).

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness" (Col. 2:6-7 niv).

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Col. 3:15-16).

For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit http://www.intouch.org/.

Discerning Road Blocks

PRAIRIE FIRE NEAR OKLAHOMA post by hungryghost



Discerning Road Blocks
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman

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"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised" (Heb 10:36-37).

How do you know when God has placed obstacles in your path to protect you or that Satan is hindering God's purposes in your affairs?

I was in California traveling four hours to a speaking engagement when terrible fires had broken out in Southern California and many of the highways were being shut down. Such was the case about an hour into my journey. I had to detour to a small town and was questioning whether I should turn around and go back. I stopped at a convenience store. A woman pumping gas next to me said the interstate was closed down ahead and if I was going north I would never get there and even if I did get there I'd have difficulty getting back.

Suddenly, fear struck me with the prospects of being stranded in a strange place. I quietly prayed, asking the Lord whether this was a warning for me to turn back or Satan's hindrance. I went into the convenience store to inquire about a map. While I was standing there a man walked up to me and said, "Where are you trying to go?" I told him my dilemma and he explained that the interstate was open just north of where we were and that he had to go to this exact spot and would be glad to guide me there. He took me through all sorts of side roads in very unfamiliar areas. I would never have gotten there by myself, nor would I have made the attempt.

We came to the interstate ramp just above where the fires were. He waived as he sent me on my way. I had no more trouble. I arrived at the luncheon on time and ministered to the businessmen.

I often look at that situation and wonder if God sent his angel to lead me to where I was to go. Immediately after I had prayed at that convenience store - the man approached me and gave me the answer.

Do you have a situation that is difficult to discern whether God is protecting you or Satan is hindering you? Ask God to show you.

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Today's Prayer

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Oh God, most gracious heavenly Father, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain (to You, my loved ones, my church family, to those who stand in need of your love, mercy, and salvation--or to myself). May You be glorified, Oh lovely and loving One. Thank You in Jesus' name, Amen.

Lead Me Lord by Gary Valenciano

Faith, Risk and Diving Boards

Words of LIFE - Weekly Devotional

Faith, Risk and Diving Boards
by Dave Hackbarth

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your
God will be with you wherever you go."
(Joshua 1:9, NIV)

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“It’s not possible,” I thought as I peered over the edge of the diving board. My heart beat wildly in my chest and my knees felt more like jelly than bone and muscle.

“I have no idea why on earth anyone would want to do this! What’s wrong with people?” My thoughts were doing a great job at giving me the courage to take that risk and jump. If I could get them to shut up for five seconds, I just might do it.

I slowly moved up toward the edge again and looked down on my mom, who was encouraging me to jump. But she didn’t see what I saw: the water. It looked like solid glass or transparent concrete. I swear a mysterious breeze started to blow and shake the diving board. Did I mention this was an indoor pool?

I don’t remember how old I was at that point in my childhood, but I do remember the timidity and fear that seized me as I failed to bravely conquer that diving board. I don’t really think it was the diving board or swimming or scaling heights that was at stake. It was my trust.

Earlier this year, I attended a leadership conference at my home church, Gateway Church in Austin, Texas. Neil Cole delivered most of the content for the weekend, which focused on empowering and equipping organic leaders . On the second day of the conference, I vividly recall him saying, “If you don’t have a good story, it’s because you’re not taking enough risk.”

That statement echoed throughout the auditorium. I immediately recalled months earlier asking God to give me opportunities to take risk and have faith without any solid proof or clarity. No more pillars of fire by day or writing on the wall or dew-soaked fleeces. Just faith.

Then I started reading Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning as part of my residency at Gateway and I was again hit with this picture of what it means to trust God:

faith + hope = trust
I have always understood the faith part. It is essential to knowing God through Jesus. But what about the hope part? Have I really trusted God?

These questions bombarded my soul in an all-out assault on my heart. I wrestled with the answers and found more questions. I reviewed my life and saw multiple times where faith was evident and hope was somewhat present.

To be honest, hope in what has yet to happen often seems so insubstantial and elusive. I recalled instances of having hope, but they seemed to only appear in the storms of life when uncertainty surrounded me. It was as if the valleys of life offered more hope than the hills and peaks. You may know exactly what I am talking about.

The Bible offers us story after story to illustrate this, but I think that we often gloss over the reality of hope in the midst of a faith story. One story that came to mind during the war between my soul and heart was that of Peter’s hike on water. Let’s set the scene…

The disciples, following Jesus’ orders, are crossing the lake by boat while Jesus seeks several hours of solitude. Trouble arrives in the form of a squall and treacherous waters. These seasoned fishermen are having a hard time getting to the other shore, indicating the severity of the storm. (Matthew 14:22-24)

Life is like that, isn’t it? The storms of life hit us and, though we’ve been through several storms, each one can rock our world. We struggle to gain control, just as the disciples were struggling with their boat.

Jesus, now done with his solitude, sees that the disciples are in a bit of trouble and far from land. So, he charters a boat to sail to their rescue. Right?

No. Jesus strolls out into open waters, straight into the tempest! The disciples see Jesus, assume he is a ghost and immediately panic.

“But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.’
‘Lord, if it's you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’
‘Come,’ he said.” (Matthew 14:26-29a, NIV)
Did you notice a subtle, but important, element to this story? The disciples knew Jesus’ voice! They had enough faith that they knew that Jesus would save them. After all, the last time this sort of thing happened Jesus’ words alone calmed the storm. (Matthew 8:23-27)

Even more than having the storm calmed, Peter immediately wanted to be like Jesus. He wanted to do what he saw his master, his teacher, his mentor doing. Peter initiated and Jesus approved. Faith is like that because it always takes action. Faith always takes initiative.

“Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” (Matthew 14:29b, NIV)

I almost wish the story ended there. What a great Hollywood ending! Fortunately for us, it does not.

“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’ And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’” (Matthew 14:30-33, NIV)

Most of the time when I read this story, I criticize Peter for his lack of faith. Think about it. Peter just saw Jesus feed 5,000 people with only 5 loaves and 2 fish!

How many times do we think something like, “If Jesus was right in front of me, I would have done it.” When I read the Bible, I am always the one who obeys or the one who loves well or the one who is daring and risky. How about you?

Truthfully, I am rarely that person. The reality of my life is more akin to the other disciples than Peter. Notice I said “other disciples.” In this story, they are only referred to as “those who were in the boat.” They aren’t even mentioned by name! That would have been me. I would not have even had the intestinal fortitude to try getting out of the boat. I would have most likely been the wanna-be protégé sitting near the edge of the boat with one hand firmly gripping the center of the boat, pretending to be fearless. Then Peter gets all hopped-up on seeing Jesus and gets all heroic.

Even Peter’s lack of faith was more faith than the rest of the disciples. In that moment, Peter was not only exercising his faith by taking initiative, but all of his hope was in Jesus. He trusted Jesus with his life. Just look at the evidence. When Peter began to sink, who did he call out to? Who did he trust to save him? His faith, combined with hope, allowed him to trust that Jesus could do what Peter was incapable of doing for himself. He trusted Jesus to save him.

This leads us back to my childhood diving-board experience. In life, I have had many diving-board opportunities. Heroic moments where my life could have been defined by great trust in Jesus. Divine moments that could have taken my comfortable life and propelled me into a life of unleashed faith. Too often, I chose the lesser life. I chose not to risk; not to trust.

What about you?

This Week
How is God asking you to trust in Him through your struggles or storms? What must you do to choose the heroic life Jesus called you to live, like Peter? What can you do at work or in your neighborhood to exercise your faith?

Prayer
“Jesus, forgive me for choosing the comfortable, lesser life by not fully trusting in you. Give me the strength I need to respond to your Spirit, not with timidity, but with heroic trust. Help me step out of the boat. Amen.”

Dave Hackbarth is a CARES team leader and Spiritual Entrepreneur at Gateway Church in Austin, Texas. You can learn more about him at www.coveredindust.com.

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Big Daddy Weave - Hold Me Jesus