Great Explanation...

originally posted by Reformed Voices.

Good Reminder

...shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in you charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. I Peter 5:2-4.

This is a wonderful job description for parents and teachers. Children need loving parents and teachers to recognize and respect that they are persons too. We must not use force or manipulation(grades or stickers?), fear or intimidation to teach them; rather, we guide and train them in the ways of the Lord gently with patience for their shortcomings (especially since we ourselves have not attained perfection). We must not expect an earthly reward for our service; rather, we must strive to please our own Authority and be content with that. We must be vigilant and never weary of doing good because the children are watching and following our example. We rely on the aid of our Counselor and Comforter to accomplish these tasks with hope of our glorious heavenly reward.

Kids DO Get it and Want It

In my preschool class I strive to teach truth to the children. During the holidays I may tell them stories of the historical St. Nicolas or St. Patrick, but I cannot find one for Easter. I usually just avoid the subject of magical rabbits and Easter eggs and tell my parents that they may explain those stories according to their own family traditions.

Interestingly (to me, at least), one of my 5 year old preschool students, whom after hearing the true story of Easter in class, informed his mother at home, "I do not believe there is a talking rabbit who goes around bringing eggs to us."

Kids DO get it, they want it....tell them the truth of the resurrection even with the gruesome details. The truth pricks their hearts. They know how important the truth is to us also. Do we model the truth for our children? Upon who do we place the most importance: the Reality and glory of the cross or on a talking rabbit who brings colored eggs? The children are watching and learning from our example.

Resurrection Garden

Just as the first Adam "died" in a garden, so the last Adam was made alive in a garden; where Adam "fell," Jesus "rose." ~Christian Reader

My Resurrection Garden was inspired from here.

My sweet friend Carol shared her daily devotional. It spoke deeply to me and I just have to pass it along....

Arise shine; for thy light is come, and the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Isa 1:1
"The call comes on this My Day for all who love Me, to arise from earth-bands, from sin,and sloth and depression, distrust, fear, all that hinders the Risen Life. To arise to Beauty, to Holiness, to Joy, to Peace, to work inspired by Love and Joy, to rise from death to Life.Remember that death was the last enemy I destroyed. So with death My Victory was complete. You have nothing then to fear. Sin, too, is conquered and forgiven, as you live and move and work with Me. All that depresses you, all that you fear, are powerless to harm you. They are but phantoms. The real forces I conquered in the wilderness, the Garden of Gethsemane, on the Cross, in the Tomb.Let nothing hinder your Risen Life. "Risen with Christ," said my servant Paul. Seek to know more and more of that Risen Life. That is the life of conquest, Of that Risen Life was it truly said: "I live yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." Fear and despair and tears come as you stand by the empty Tomb. "They have taken away My Lord and I know not where they have laid Him."Rise from your fear and go out into the sunlight to meet me, your Risen Lord. Each day will have much in it that you will meet either in the spirit of the tomb, or in the spirit of the Resurrection. Deliberately choose the one and reject the other."

~From the book titled God Calling

To Him be glory and dominion forever & ever.

"You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."

~2 Cor 8:9

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obdedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has exalted him and bestowed upon him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father."


~Philppians 2:5-11

(Pause Playlist to listen to this song)

Musings: Jesus Wants the Rose

Please visit my dear friend's place to view:

Musings: Jesus Wants the Rose

After watching it, all i could say was, "wow."

We know what we should do, but we do not do it...

"These, then, are the two points I wanted to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in."

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book 1, Chapter 1, pg. 8

Paul, the self-proclaimed "chief among sinners," encountered this very dilemma:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I
hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.
As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know
that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the
desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the
good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if
I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living
in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do
good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law;
but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the
law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my
members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 7:15-25

We Have Guests!

I am happy to announce that we have, not only one but, two bird couples who feel comfortable enough to set up housekeeping in our very own backyard! After much commotion and considerable negotiation, it was decided quite amicably in the end, that Mr.& Mrs. Black-capped Chickadee would reside in the Crepe Myrtle Bluebird Birdhouse.

Look fast and you'll see Mrs. Chickadee running errands, gathering more household items.

Furthermore, Mr. & Mrs. Carolina Wren, for reasons unbeknownst to us, decided and are satisfied to build their home in between our chimney and recycling bin.

We are more than happy to accommodate their choice and will be using a temporary alternate bin while they are in residence.

This unfortunately blurry shot shows Mrs. Wren with a mouthful of fresh twigs.

An electric Mr. Eastern Bluebird was spotted perched upon our out-building scoping out the birdhouse. He soon discovered birdhouse was presently occupied and flew off to inform his wife the old adage IS true, "Early bird DOES get the worm," or, rather in this case, the house, and that they would be required to make arrangements for shelter elsewhere.

We will be keeping a close eye our new guests to insure their safety from the scaredy cats who have resigned themselves to a life indoors because they spook too easily. Nevertheless, the windows will be open wide so our furry friends may no doubtedly enjoy daily entertainment from our feathered friends' sights and sounds.

Suffering

I'm reading Chapter 3 of my Women's group Bible study, Peacemaking Women. The first part deals with WHY we suffer. It is not an exhaustive list, nor a mere simple response. The authors wish to provide an overview of this topic and resources for further study:

1. Much of our suffering is a result of being fallen creatures in a fallen world. Our world is cursed, and illness, calamities and struggles can often be attributed directly to this fallenness. (Genesis 3, Romans 8:20)

2. God disciplines us as beloved children so that our lives will produce a 'harvest of righteousness and peace.' (Heb 12:7-11) Even though a Christian may be disciplined by God due to sin, she is not eternally separated from God. The punishment for all believers has been dealt with fully on the cross of Christ. Even though our suffering may be terribly painful, we are called to resist the temptation to think that God is punishing us out of hatred and to instead remember that he only disciplines us out of love: 'Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.' (Rev. 3:19).

3. One reason God allows suffering is so that we might reflect on him more profoundly in our lives by being more conformed to Christ. 'Before i was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.....it was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees' (Ps. 119:67-67, 71).

4. God sovereignly rules over our suffering for the strengthening of our faith (see Heb 12:3-11 & 2 Cor 12:7-10).

5. Do you want to know Christ? Then you must be prepared to suffer (Phil 3:7-14). In fact everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Tim 3:12).

Spurgeon

April 4

Morning
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” - 2 Cor 5:21

Mourning Christian! why weepest thou? Art thou mourning over thine own corruptions? Look to thy perfect Lord, and remember, thou art complete in him; thou art in God’s sight as perfect as if thou hadst never sinned; nay, more than that, the Lord our Righteousness hath put a divine garment upon thee, so that thou hast more than the righteousness of man-thou hast the righteousness of God. O thou who art mourning by reason of inbred sin and depravity, remember, none of thy sins can condemn thee. Thou hast learned to hate sin; but thou hast learned also to know that sin is not thine-it was laid upon Christ’s head. Thy standing is not in thyself-it is in Christ; thine acceptance is not in thyself, but in thy Lord; thou art as much accepted of God to-day, with all thy sinfulness, as thou wilt be when thou standest before his throne, free from all corruption. O, I beseech thee, lay hold on this precious thought, perfection in Christ! For thou art “complete in him.” With thy Saviour’s garment on, thou art holy as the Holy one. “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Christian, let thy heart rejoice, for thou art “accepted in the beloved”-what hast thou to fear? Let thy face ever wear a smile; live near thy Master; live in the suburbs of the Celestial City; for soon, when thy time has come, thou shalt rise up where thy Jesus sits, and reign at his right hand; and all this because the divine Lord “was made to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

The Greatest Mystery

J.I. Packer begins the fifth chapter of Knowing God examining difficulties people have with the Gospel of Jesus, such as the atonement (How can one man put away the world's sin?), or the resurrection (Isn't it easier to believe he just fainted or his body was stolen?), or, again, the virgin birth (How can anyone possibly believe this biological anomaly?), or Christ's miracles (Stories of Him walking on water and feeding five thousand are surely quite incredible.).

Packer goes on to explain that the greatest mystery is not the Good Friday story, nor the Resurrection story, but it is, in fact, the Christmas story. He says, "Here are two mysteries for the price of one--the union of Godhead and manhood in the person of Jesus."

He goes on to say the reason many have difficulties with the virgin birth, the miracles, the atonement, and the resurrection start from a misbelief about the Incarnation.

Perhaps rhetorically, he ponders an even better question:

"It is not strange that he (the Son of God), the Author of Life(italics mine), should rise from the dead. If he was truly God the Son, it is much more startling that he should die than that he should rise again.
'Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies,' wrote Wesley; but there is no comparable mystery in the Immortal's resurrection. And if the immortal Son of God did submit to taste death, it is not strange that a death should have saving significance for a doomed race. Once we grant that Jesus was divine, it becomes unreasonable to find difficulty in any of this....The Incarnation is in itself an unfathomable mystery, but it makes sense of everything else that the New Testament contains."

From Knowing God, chapter 5, pgs 52-54. by J.I. Packer