New Christmas Blog Tradition

This is so great...  This is what Christmas is all about.  I posted this last year.  Lord-willing, I will post it next year, too...



Christmas, the celebration of the Creator of the universe putting on flesh, the One Who forms each human life as He weaves it in the womb, undergoing that same great miracle, so He could grow up and step into our place, bearing the crushing fury of God's wrath...making peace for us with God.  Tell someone this good news.  Fall on your knees, raise your hands and voices, and worship and adore Him, this Christmas season.

Trying to Decide on a Passage to Memorize?

How about one of these...

• Psalm 1 - The benefits of dwelling in the Word
• Psalm 19 - Creation glorifies God
• Psalm 23 - He is the Great Shepherd
• Psalm 100 - Thanksgiving psalm
• Psalm 139 - God intimately knows you
• Isaiah 40:28-31 - He slumbers not, nor sleeps
• Isaiah 53 - The suffering Messiah
• Matthew 6:25-34 - Anxiety teaching
• John 14:1-6 - Comfort passage
• John 15 - The Vine passage
• Romans 8:28-39 - The believer's security
• Romans 12:17-21 - Practical Christian living
• 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - Love passage
• Ephesians 4:17-32 - Practical Christian living
• Ephesians 6:13-17 - The armor of God
• Colossians 1:15-20 - The greatest description of Jesus Christ
• 1 Peter 2:19-25 - Suffering like Christ

Rejoicing is a Safeguard to Sin

Rejoicing in the Lord always,

leaves no room for anxiety...

Rejoicing in the Lord always,

leaves no room for complaining...

Rejoicing in the Lord always,

leaves no room for gossiping...

Rejoicing in the Lord always,

leaves no room for bitterness...

Rejoicing in the Lord always,

leaves no room for jealousy...

Rejoicing in the Lord always,

crowds out sin..

Rejoicing in the Lord always,

does not allow sin to take root...

To rejoice in the Lord always, 

is a safeguard for us.

When we are delighting in Jesus,

we are choosing not I, but Christ and 

we are being changed into His likeness.  

He is glorified and our Heavenly Father is honored.

Something to think about, 

confess where we have been falling short,

 and then get started doing, faithfully.

Rejoicing Joy

"Finally, my brethren, 

 in the Lord."

Philippians 3:1a

Rejoicing is the outward expression
of a joy that we have,

a joy in the Lord.

Jesus, You are the One who saved me,
in love You came,
bearing all my sin and shame,
You were crushed in my place,
pouring Yourself out in death for me,
silently,
and You gave me Your righteousness -
I delight in You!

God at Work Story

"Oh give thanks to the LORD,

call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples.

Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;

Speak of all His wonders.

Glory in His holy name..."

Psalm 105:1-3a

We had small group tonight and we had the best time.  We haven't been able to meet for awhile and everyone was really missing it so when I got the text two days ago that we were meeting Saturday night, I was really glad.  We always have dinner together.  I had made four pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving and still had one left.  Perfect!  I love to bake so I whipped up some rolls and threw together a salad, too.

After dinner, we heard Dan's testimony.  Dan is a dog trainer and Jim, who is in our small group, took his dogs to Dan for training.  They soon developed a friendship.   A year and a half ago, Dan had a stroke.  The stroke caused a blood clot to form on his brain.  They did an MRI and a cat scan and also found a tumor and a cyst on his brain.  Jim was with Dan and his wife as he was wheeled into surgery.  Jim gave him the gospel clearly, and Jim told us that though he could barely talk because of the stroke, Dan clasped Jim's hand and said, "I believe," three times.  Dan told us that while in surgery he had a very vivid dream or vision.  He saw a massive rock, and a man was sitting in an area carved out in the rock.  The man turned out to be Jesus.  Jesus told Dan to invite Him into his life.  And Dan did.  Jim and Dan's wife testify that Dan came out of surgery a completely changed man.  It was dramatic.  He was a heavy drinker and had a foul mouth.  All that stopped, immediately.  Here's the part of the story that I love.  After the Father rescued Dan from the domain of darkness and brought him into the kingdom of His beloved Son, Dan cannot get enough of the Word.  He is in it, constantly.  He craves the Word and constantly acts on that craving.   The peace of God was written all over this dear man's countenance.  He wants to be an elder in his church someday.  And there is even more wonder to Dan's story.  The surgeon spent two hours looking for the tumor and the cyst, they were gone!  The Great Physician had removed them!

I love God at Work stories, don't you?  Jesus died to save us and to change us and if our faith doesn't change us, we are probably not saved.  He clearly began a good work in Dan, a year and a half ago.

If you missed this previous post of mine a couple of posts ago, there is another wonderful God at Work story at the end of the song...Hallelujah for the Cross happens to be one of my favorites and oh the joy in heaven when a sinner repents and lays down their life at Jesus feet, at the cross!

Seven Reasons to Memorize Scripture

1)  It makes meditation possible when a Bible is not available - you can mull over, ponder and digest the Word as you memorize - what does this say about God?  How does this affect my life?

2)  It shapes how you view the Word because you are conforming your mind to God's viewpoint.

3)  It makes God's Word more accessible when battling temptation.

4)  It guards your mind, making it easier to detect error.

5)  It enables you to defend against the devil with a weapon he cannot stand against.

6)  It provides the strongest and sweetest words for ministering to those in need.

7)  It provides fellowship with Christ because He speaks to us through His Word.

A friend recently sent me this list - also, check out this blog for more ways it benefits us to memorize scripture.  (You cannot use the excuse that you are too old to memorize.  I am old, and a grandmother of three.  Yes, it is harder than when I was younger, but the benefits are so worth the effort!)

I'm Gonna Sing!

I'm gonna sing, sing, sing -
I'm gonna shout, shout, shout -
I'm gonna sing, I'm gonna shout,
Praise the Lord!
Heaven's gates are open wide,
We are loved by the Father and Jesus Christ,
I'm gonna sing, I'm gonna shout,
Praise the Lord!

Do you know this song?  It's an oldie.  I changed one line of the words (third from the bottom).  I woke up this morning with my heart full - we have so much to be thankful for, but this morning I am thankful for those wide open, approachable, gracious, forgiving arms of our Abba Father.

Happy Thanksgiving!  (And do a little singing today as you give thanks to our Heavenly Father and enjoy spending time with all your loved ones!)

"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God; and such we are..."  1 John 3:1

Hallelujah For The Cross

Thankful - Part Two

Out of Colossians 1 -

  Transferred to the kingdom of the Father's beloved Son
       CHrist in me, the hope of glory
       Hope lAid up in heaven
Prayers of the saiNts for the
                    Knowledge of His will
                  Fruit bearing for Jesus
           Spiritual wisdom and Understanding
                                The GospeL

Thankful for...

    The cross
     His precious blood
My right stAnding before God
        Jesus iN my place
        His Kindness and mercy 
           Forgiveness of all my sins
        Being United with Him
         His everLasting love

Jesus, The One and Only

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything."

Colossians 1:15-18

If Jesus is to have first place in our lives, He must be our first thought, and His Word is the first place we will go...