THE LORD ADDED...

...three more inches of reminders last night!

A blessed Christmas All as you ponder on the wonder that the Lord became man so He could become sin so we could become the righteousness of God in Him!

WHITE AS SNOW

I wasn't planning on writing any more posts this year but since my sister has graciously allowed me access to her beautiful new laptop I thought I'd bring you up to date on our exciting weather.

My husband and I left just before the "arctic blast" hit the Pacific Northwest. My daughter has been sending me updates and reports that there is now 15 inches of snow on the ground on our Gig Harbor property. Absolutely unprecedented for our neck of the woods! You can view pics of all our snow at my daughter's blog. Even my son who spent three years in Fairbanks is in awe of all the snow and is ready for it to be over! He reported to me today that he witnessed people cross country skiing in Tacoma, the city where he works.

There's nothing more beautiful than a fresh snowfall. I love how the Lord uses His creation to teach spiritual truth. Snow is a substance that is naturally white and portrays what is clean. Isaiah spoke of sins as being as white as snow. Before being sealed into the body of Christ we are spiritually dead in our sins. The Lord reaches down with His great love, draws "non-seekers" to Himself, opens our eyes to our lostness and sinfulness, grants us repentance, redeems us with His blood, so our sins can be washed as white as snow.

He's been piling on the reminders at my house of this magnificent truth!!!

THANKS...

...to all my faithful visitors, for all your kind words and good discussion over the last year. I'm taking off for a month. My husband and I are headed to Southern California to spend the holidays with my family and to shoot my twin sister's oldest daughter's wedding. We are looking forward to those sunny skies and warm temperatures! My mom already has several handy girl projects lined up for me. I will be helping my sister with last minute wedding preparations. I plan to just enjoy visiting with my family. Therefore, I probably won't be posting until I return. Have a blessed Christmas as you celebrate the first advent of the Prince of Peace.

A single star announced His arrival two thousand years ago. Now we watch for the signs that will signal the end of the age and His glorious return to gather His elect! (Mt. 28:20b - "...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.") If I were to ask my granddaughter Daisy what the biggest sign of all is, that will signal His return is near, she would flash me that big grin of hers and say, "The abomination of desolation Grammy!" (If you're like me, you check periodically at The Jerusalem Post for any development in regards to the building of that third temple!) And if I asked, "Where would we find more of the signs and instructions from Jesus to know what to do after Antichrist exalts himself (2 Th. 2:4) in the temple?" She would reply, "Matthew 24!" And when the sun goes dark and the moon turns to blood, and not just one but all the stars fall from their places, then we know His return is imminent! Then we are to look up, for our redemption draws near! (Luke 21:28)

What an announcement that is going to be because the whole world is going to see it, and Him! (Rev. 1:7)

Take encouragement in these words Jesus spoke right before He told the Father of His desire to have us be with Him...

John 16:33 - "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

THE TESTIMONY OF JESSE ARMSTRONG'S WIFE

A few entries ago I posted the testimony of Jesse Armstrong. Jesse is afflicted with ALS and speaks from a perspective that few have. Here are his wife Lisa’s comments. She penned these at the same time Jesse penned his testimony. May they also be a blessing and a reminder to us all...

"When we are faced with life-changing and devastating circumstances, and there's nothing we can do to change the situation no matter how badly we may want to, we must cling to the truth that God is sovereign and that He allows all things for our good. Although we don't understand how a loss of a loved one can be a good thing, we must trust that it is. What is incomprehensible by our feeble minds is seen in perfect clarity by our Heavenly Father. The promise that carries us through the suffering is that God bestows on us enough of His love and grace to make it through each day. I have had the following words displayed in my kitchen for the past year: "Tried for a season, pure for eternity: When God permits His children to go through the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat. His loving heart knows how much and how long." I Peter 1:6,7 (Warren W. Wiersbe)

While Jesse understands that God has called him to be a sign post that life is just a vapor, that we always need to live expecting to meet the Lord tomorrow, I believe Lisa is going to be one of those sign posts of leviathon faith that is gained through passing the stormiest of seas.

Our congregation is truly blessed.

PAUL’S PRAYER FOR THE EPHESIANS

“…to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (1:19)

Compare that with David’s words in Psalm 16:11 – “…In Thy presence is fullness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever more.”

To be filled up to all the fullness of God is to be filled up with joy, and to be filled up with fullness of joy is to be filled up with God, and it’s the love of Christ for us that allows us to experience this!

What tremendous love by which we are loved!

A SPURGEON NUGGET

"Untried faith is always small in stature; and it is likely to remain dwarfish so long as it is without trials. There is no room in the placid pools of ease for faith to gain leviathan proportions, she must dwell in the stormy sea if she would be one of the chief of the ways of God."

May we print on our minds and hearts that the Lord is not trying to drown us when allowing storms to come into our lives; rather, He desires for us to gain leviathan faith!

The mind who views God as worthless...

...God gives over to a worthless mind - Romans 1:28