IT LOOKS SO GOOD ON THE OUTSIDE.....

     When our family gathers together, someone usually brings a game.  One holiday our youngest son brought a game to play with his brothers called Jelly Belly BeanBoozled.  Now we all know that Jelly beans can be delightful, but in this game, each person has to select one of two jelly beans to taste.  Some of the delicious flavors include:  marshmallow and cappuccino.  However, the other flavors include:  liver and onions, stinky socks, dead fish, booger, stink bug or old bandage.  Watching them play the game made us all laugh as we saw the expression on their face when they got one of the nasty jelly beans.  They all looked so good on the outside that it was impossible to tell which one to avoid!

     Games like this are good, clean fun, but it also reminds us of something else we have to face in this life: sin.  Just like the bright colors and attractive promise of good tasting candy, sin comes dressed up in very attractive ways.  It is not until we bite into it that we find the taste is not what we expected.  As my husband loves to say, "It all started in the Garden of Eden." Since that time, man has had to deal with  the reality of sin in our hearts.  Jeremiah puts it very bluntly (17:9): "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?"  The Apostle Paul goes on to make it clear that "... all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  Because we have this sin nature, we are not capable of living to God's glory based on our own good works.  Instead, we are dead in our sin, but the Good News is given to us as Paul goes on to say:  "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).  Even after our hearts are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, we still have the old nature that wants to give in to temptation.  It is a struggle as Paul describes in his own battle with the old flesh (Romans 7:15-25).

     What we all have to realize is that if we want to make the right choices in order to glorify the Lord, we need to make certain we are living according to the truth of His Word.  The Bible is the foundation of our faith and in its pages we learn who God is and who we are.  Not only that, we learn God's character and His laws which teach us how to live a holy and righteous life before Him.  When it comes to His character, we know that God is immutable (unchanging).  Therefore, we know that His Word is also unchanging.  We cannot delete passages we don't like or agree with.  We cannot claim that the Bible was written for a different time and now things have changed so we can ignore certain passages.  Some have claimed these very things, but God reminds us in Isaiah 40:8 "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever."  Jesus further confirms this in Matthew 24:35 when He says:  "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will never pass away."

     In the end, we can make all the excuses we want to concerning our behavior in light of the Bible, but sin is sin.  As believers, our obligation is to obey the Lord in all He has asked us to do morally, spiritually and in our thought life.  Jesus plainly told us, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."  He did not say "some of them", "those we like", or "only those in the New Testament".  We are to keep "all" of them that we might be holy as He is holy.

     Writing to encourage believers, the Apostle John wrote that we have a remedy for sin.  He said, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9.  Therefore, we can maintain a right standing with our Lord if we confess those times that we have broken His commandments in how we live.  The beauty of redemption is that before we came to Christ, we had no choice.  We were bound by sin.  In coming to Him, we now have the freedom to choose to obey Him or go our own way in defiance of His Word.  While we may want to candy coat sin, the taste will still be bitter to our lips just like the Jelly Belly game I referenced above.  Let us instead, choose the sweet taste of obedience that our lives will serve as a light to others and a glory to the Lord.  Selah!

Finding Peace in a Troubled World

     Lately, the news has been anything but encouraging.  A shooting at a Christian school, higher inflation with no end in sight, train derailments, murders, and child abuse seem to be the headlines that are trending in our news.  How cruel this world has become where evil seems to run rampant.  It can bring anyone to despair if we let our minds dwell on these frightening events.  Yet, has anything really changed?  According to King Solomon, we should not be surprised.  He writes in Ecclesiastes 1:9:  "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun."

 

   Even in the days that our Lord walked the earth, there was violence, murder and mayhem all around.  We can only imagine the depth of evil that was unleashed upon Jesus as he was savagely flogged, beaten and then crucified.  He, who knew no sin, became sin for us and took our punishment upon the cross.  While He made clear to the disciples what would happen, they still could not fathom the awful events to come.  As things unfolded, think how their hearts must have agonized as they witnessed the execution of the Messiah.  All their hopes for the deliverance of Israel suddenly crushed because their minds had been paralyzed by what they saw played out before them.  But then, came Sunday....the day of Resurrection. Hope is reborn anew on that day not just for the disciples but for all who trust in the name of Jesus Christ. This is why the Apostle Paul is able to pen some words in his letter to the Philippians that we all need to take to heart when the gloom and doom of this evil world system seems to overwhelm us.

     In the closing of his letter to this church, Paul gives the most heartfelt instructions to believers to help them see beyond daily circumstances.  In Chapter 4:4-7, he writes:  "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.  The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Here he makes plain that if we want our minds to be at rest, we need to begin with prayer and thanksgiving.  When we release our concerns and worries to the Lord, He hears us and gives us a peace of mind that is unshakeable. Likewise, we should be rejoicing in the Lord each day because as we lift Him up we are also lifted up.  There is much to be thankful for in Christ!

     Paul goes on to write what is probably the richest instruction for all our hearts in verses 8-9:  "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."  Not only is this practical advice...it is critical in our world of high stress and devastating news.  So how do we fill our minds with good thoughts?

     First, turn off the T.V., radio, internet and social media for a while.  Read God's Word instead and keep your eyes focused on the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is true not just for the holiday celebrations of Christmas and Easter.  It is true for the whole year!  Filling our thoughts with God's Word will transform our minds and renew them.  A steady diet of tragedy, crime, political division and evil will only lead to despondency.  Instead, be proactive and as Paul said, "what you have learned, and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things".  While we cannot observe Paul in the flesh, we have the words which Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, we can learn, receive and see by the teaching of the Holy Spirit as we read the Bible.  Practicing our Christian faith, leads to God's peace in our lives.

     Secondly, spend some serious time in prayer telling God your concerns and worries.  He is sovereign and has promised to hear us when we call to Him in Jesus' name.  Then, we need to leave what we have told Him in His hands.  He is trustworthy.  He is immutable (unchanging), and He will never leave nor forsake us.  His answers are based on what we need...not on what we want.  However, giving ourselves in prayer to Him offers us a peace of mind not to be found anywhere else.

     Finally, we need to remember something which the disciples seemed to forget during the turmoil that led to the crucifixion of our Lord.  Sunday is coming!  For us, this means that Jesus is coming back for His bride, the church.  We do not know when but we know that His promises are certain.  His resurrection is proof positive and the giving of His Holy Spirit that dwells within us is a seal of the New Covenant made with believers.  As a result, stand firm.  Don't let the enemy of our soul fill our minds with negative thinking that tears us down.  Instead, follow and practice what the Lord has shown us in His Word and may the peace of God which passes all understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ, Jesus!  Selah!

A Heart Full of Christmas Memories

         Several years ago, we completed a remodeling project in our home. As we started to put things back, both my dear husband and I went through our possessions to dispose of things we no longer use or need.  As we looked through our boxes, we found pictures, news clippings and items given to us from our families.  What a flood of memories for both of us.
     In fact, I can close my eyes and see all the scenes of the snowy Christmases past.  There was the one horse open sleigh ride I had as a small child.  It had been a heavy snow day but my grandfather hitched up a horse to his sleigh and took my cousin and I on a ride of a lifetime.  Then, there were the 5 a.m. Christmas mornings when I tried in vain to wake everyone up because I wanted to see my gifts.  I remember my sister (8 years older than I) opening her bedroom door and throwing shoes at me down the hallway telling me to go back to bed.  All this and more as I think of my childhood home.  It was the same for my husband as he showed me pictures of his childhood.
     Pictures of our children when they were small made us smile as we recalled our many celebrations with them.  Now we have our grandchildren to enjoy watching.  Time grows more precious to us as we grow older, and this brings to my mind a song that has lived in my heart for many years:  "Heirlooms" by Amy Grant.  The words are simple but so meaningful at Christmas:
                                 
Up in the attic,
Down on my knees.
Lifetimes of boxes,
Timeless to me.
Letters and photographs,
Yellowed with years,
Some bringing laughter,
Some bringing tears.
Time never changes,
The memories, the faces
Of loved ones, who bring to me,
All that I come from,
And all that I live for,
And all that I'm going to be.
My precious family
Is more than an heirloom to me.
Wisemen and shepherds,
Down on their knees,
Bringing their treasures
To lay at his feet.
Who was this wonder,
Baby yet king?
Living and dying;
He gave life to me.
Time never changes,
The memory, the moment
His love first pierced through me,
Telling all that I came from,
And all that I live for,
And all that I'm going to be.
My precious savior
Is more than an heirloom to me.
My precious Jesus
Is more than an heirloom to me.
     I remember singing this song in church during the time my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimers so it has always been dear to my heart.  It reflected not only the precious gift of family but the even more priceless gift of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. This is the true meaning of Christmas and here is the invitation that God offers to each of us:  "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that Whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).  He loved us so much He sent His Son to pay the price for our sins.  All we have to do is repent (turn away) from our sin and believe in Him as our Savior.  We cannot earn salvation.  God gives it as a free gift to all who believe in Jesus Christ.

      This is the real heart of the Christmas celebration.  He came and we will never be the same.  Of all my memories, I will never forget the day that both my husband and I believed in Jesus Christ three months before we married.  It made such a difference in our life.  If you do not know Him, I pray that this Christmas you will make Him your Savior and Lord.  If you already know Him, rejoice knowing that God gave us the best gift we could ever have!  Merry Christmas from our house to yours!  Selah!

     

                               

  Several years ago, we completed a remodeling project in our home. As we started to put things back, both my dear husband and I went through our possessions to dispose of things we no longer use or need. As we looked through our boxes, we found pictures, news clippings and items given to us from our families. What a flood of ld.  It had been a heavy snow day but my grandfather hitched up a horse to his sleigh and took my cousin and I on a ride of a lifetime.  Then, there were the 5 a.m. Christmas mornings when I tried in vain to wake everyone up because I wanted to see my gifts.  I remember my sister (8 years older than I) opening her bedroom door and throwing shoes at me down the hallway telling me to go back to bed.  All this and more as I think of my childhood home.  It was the same for emories, I will never forget the day that both my husband and I believed in Jesus Christ three months before we married.  It made such a difference in our life.  If you do not know Him, I pray that this Christmas you will make Him your Savior and Lord.  If you already know Him, rejoice knowing that God gave us the best gift we could ever have!  Merry Christmas from our house to yours!  Selah!