Hospitality Is A Commanded Trend

Over the last year, our family has made a conscious effort to get together with other families between two and three times every week.  Hosting people in our home has become a great joy for us, as we share a meal and fellowship together.  When we first married, we might host a family once or twice a month, and over the years it has increased to 3 times a week, most weeks.  

We regularly fellowship with 8 to 10 families and we'll have other families over as our schedules allow.  And a wonderful thing has happened!  Those 8 or 10 families that we get together with, now more deliberately practice hospitality in their homes!  What a wonderful, behind the scenes, influence the Lord Jesus has made through us!  We are blessed to see the community of Christ enriched, commitments developed and deepened, as Christian families informally gather together.  When the Body of Christ gathers informally, it makes the formal (church worship) gatherings that much more meaningful.

It is difficult to have a deep, personal conversation one-on-one immediately before or after the Sunday morning worship service.  There are several reasons for this: other brothers and sisters also wish to talk with you; there are other ears that may hear your comments because it's a public setting; your watching your children expend their energy after sitting for so long; etc.  However, when you have another family in your home to share a meal together, you can expect at least 2 hours or more of time to mutually edify, encourage and pray with each other.  After two or three hours with one individual, you can really begin to know more about who they are.

It's always such a joy to have people in our home and to be invited to the homes of others to share a meal.  The fellowship is so sweet!  I'm always encouraged to press on toward the goal of the upward call in Christ - to endure another day or week of the trials of homeschooling my children, submitting to my husband and allowing God's sovereignty to determine our family size.

There are a lot of logistical reasons why some don't practice hospitality.  There are many things we do daily that make hospitality easier and joyfully anticipated, but that would be another blog post.  I commend it to you.

Let love be without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. 

Romans 12:9-13

Christ: Our Friend in Prayer

Oftentimes I very strongly and urgently desire to talk to someone.  Whatever my burdens are, I am seeking godly, Biblical counsel from someone I can trust who will be able to understand what I'm trying to communicate even if my language is deficient.  This person must be trustworthy because many times my burdens involve individuals whom I do not wish to defame, myself included.  I'm looking for someone who understands me without rushing to judgements or incomplete conclusions who will empathize, offer solutions, and intercession to God on my behalf.  But I feel like I don't know such a person.

Perhaps it is because I'm an only child that I have always felt like I've never had a best friend, someone who fits this description.  My entire life, I've been looking for someone who could meet these requirements, for whom I could reciprocate this same level of trusted friendship.  But I still feel alienated and alone.  I scan through the list of names in my Contacts list on my phone and there is no one on whom I feel comfortable unloading the weight of my burdens.

But there is always Christ.  He meets all of these requirements, just as the Scriptures testify.  No matter what our burdens are, or whom they involve, no matter how deficient our ability to communicate the problem, Christ is there.  He understands our burdens and intercedes for us.  We can go to Him as often as we need and not burden Him with our constant requests.  It doesn't matter where we are or whether our phones are charged, He is always there.  Christ desires that we go to Him first and that we listen to the counsel He gives us in His sufficient Word. 

"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:15

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:31-39 

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:6-7

This past week as my children's health began to decline, I prayed earnestly for three specific things while I laid in my bed one sleepless night.  Moriah and Joseph had been vomiting with a loss of appetite, lethargy and fever, Joseph was also congested, all the children were coughing and sneezing and I was becoming suspiciously anxious that they might have walking pneumonia.  I had to wait until morning before I could take them to the doctor's office.  Several times that night I brought my anxiety to the Lord.  Specifically I prayed that God would grant the children grace to survive the night without dying.  I prayed that all of the children could be seen by the doctor, as their usual policy only allows me to bring two of my children at a time.  I prayed that I could get at least a little sleep to be alert enough to handle the busyness of the next day.  The Lord graciously granted all three requests.  Sometimes when we pray general prayers, it is difficult to see how and when God answers them.  But, as He has reminded me in this case, as I pray for specific things, I can see how He answers them specifically.

So, let us all be encouraged to pray to God for all things, no matter how big or how small.  Let's pray generally and specifically, taking our burdens to Him first and seeking His counsel from His Word knowing that we can trust Him with anything and everything.  To God be the glory.

The Rod

"He who withholds his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him diligently."
Prov 13:24

"Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of discipline will remove it far from him."
Prov 22:15

"Do not hold back discipline from the child,
Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
You shall strike him with the rod
And rescue his soul from Sheol."
Prov 23:13-14

"The rod and reproof give wisdom,
But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother."
Prov 29:15

We receive a lot of criticism for our use of the rod. But Scripture has made it clear that this is the instrument used to "rescue his soul from Sheol," to impart wisdom and to drive foolishness far from our children. We do not use the rod with anger and malice, but out of love. The more consistent I am to use it, the more infrequent my anger interferes with our discipline sessions.

When Jeramy answered phones for the police department, he would often get calls from the same parents wanting the police to come and discipline their misbehaving children. One child in particular was around 8 or 10 years old! What will happen when that child becomes older? Those parents will live with the shame of a lawless, disrespectful, insubordinate adult child who may end up dead or in prison. What a disservice Christian parents show their children when they don't discipline as the Scripture mandates, as often as needed. I love my children. I spank my children.

Provocative Parents

Currently I'm reading a book by Lou Priolo entitled, "The Heart of Anger: Practical Help for the Prevention and Cure of Anger in Children." This work is endorsed by John MacArthur and Jay E. Adams, it's really very good and easily applies to every family. This is one of the best parenting works I've ever read. I highly recommend it to every parent.

Based on Ephesians 6:4, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord," Priolo gives parents practical ways that they wittingly and unwittingly provoke their children to anger. After reading this I see how most every parent provokes their children to wrath, how I provoke my children and how my parents and grandparents provoked me. Now I understand better the phrase, " . . . visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and on the third and fourth generations . . . " (Ex 20:5, 34:7, Num 14:18, and Deu 5:9).

1. Lack of Marital Harmony. (Gen 2:24 and Heb 12:15) Children can be angered when parents do not live in Biblical harmony.
2. Establishing and Maintaining a Child-Centered Home. (Prov 29:15) "The child perceives that the entire family exists essentially to please and make him or her happy. Mother, Father and siblings exist only to serve and meet the child's needs and desires." (28)
3. Modeling Sinful Anger. (Prov 22:24-25)
   
4. Habitually Disciplining While Angry. (Ps 38:1, Eph 4:26-27 and Jas 1:19-20) When parents are angry, it is tempting to over-discipline. Your child might perceive this as a vindictive personal attack.
5. Scolding. (Eph 4:29 and Mark 14:3-5) "To snort with anger" or it "is always an expression of a bad spirit and of a loss of temper . . . the essence of the scolding is in the multiplication of hot words in expression of strong feelings that, while eminently natural, ought to be held in better control." (34)
   
6. Being Inconsistent with Discipline. (2 Cor 1:17-18 and Ecc 8:11) Either by differing parental standards or vacillating from day to day on what is punishable and/or how severe the punishment should be.
7. Having Double Standards. (Phil 4:9) Hypocritical parents who do not practice what they preach.
   
8. Being Legalistic. (Matt 15:8-9) Failure to discern for the child the difference between God's Rules and Parent's house/family rules.
9. Not Admitting You're Wrong and Not Asking for Forgiveness. (Matt 5:23-24 and Jas 5:16) It's difficult for parents to admit when we're wrong, but we must swallow that humble pie and point our children to Christ as the perfect example.
10. Constantly Finding Fault. (Job 32:2-3 and Prov 19:11) This is a "critical, condemning, accusing, judgmental attitude" where the child ends up believing that there is nothing he or she can do to win the parents approval.
11. Parents Reversing God-Given Roles. (Eph 5:22-24) "Wives tend to become embittered over husbands not managing their homes as the Bible directs. Husbands tend to become embittered and lose respect for wives who are not fulfilling their God-given roles." In other words, male headship and wifely submission.
12. Not Listening to Your Child's Opinion or Taking His or Her "Side of the Story" Seriously. (Prov 18:3 and 17) Parent and child may not agree but in order for the parent to correct the child, you need to understand his perspective to guide him to the truth.
13. Comparing Them to Others. (2 Cor 10:12) Don't compare them to other children. You may compare them to Biblical standards of maturity in Christ or to their former manner of living to demonstrate 'how far they've come'.
14. Not Making Time "Just to Talk". (Jas 1:19 and Ecc 3:7) Build your relationship with honest and open communication.
15. Not Praising or Encouraging Your Child. (Rev 2:2-4)
16. Failing to Keep Your Promises. (Matt 5:37, Ps 15:4-5 and Col 3:9)
17. Chastening in Front of Others. (Matt 18:15) Some parents think humiliation helps modify their child's behavior, but over time, it will provoke them.
18. Not Allowing Enough Freedom. (Jas 3:17 and Luke 12:48) Children need to demonstrate responsibility, faithfulness and trust.
19. Allowing Too Much Freedom. (Prov 29:15, Gal 4:1-2, and Heb 12:6-9) Problems develop if children habitually practice sin, don't demonstrate appropriate levels of responsibility and maturity or live an undisciplined life.
20. Mocking Your Child. (Job 17:1-2 and Ex 4:11) Teasing about "inadequacies about which the child can do nothing" and joking about sinful behavior are both unbiblical.
21. Abusing Them Physically. (1 Tim 3:3 and Num 22:27-29) Children are not to be treated like animals and parents must control their anger.
22. Ridiculing or Name Calling. (Eph 4:29)
23. Unrealistic Expectations. (1 Cor 13:11) Children are not adults and need time to develop.
24. Practicing Favoritism. (Luke 15:25-30)
25. Child Training with Worldly Methodologies Inconsistent with God's Word. (Eph 6:4) This refers to man-made pop psychology, behavior modification and cognitive therapy techniques which replace Christ with human wisdom.

I'm Late

Two and a half weeks late, that is.

Baby #4 is at 6.5 weeks gestation and already has eyes, nose, fingers, toes and a beating heart! Completely human from start to finish! It's amazing!

For You formed my inward parts;

You wove me in my mother’s womb.

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 139:13-14

Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.

Ecclesiastes 11:5

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb,

"I, the LORD, and the maker of all things,

Stretching out the heavens by Myself

And spreading out the earth all alone . . .

Isaiah 44:24

Forgive Because You've Been Forgiven

There is no better way to harbor bitterness than to nurse an attitude of unforgiveness.

There is no clearer demonstration of an unrepentant person

than that he or she always bears a grudge.

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other,

just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:30-32

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you,

so also should you.

Colossians 3:12-13

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ So his fellow slave fell to the ground andbegan to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

Matthew 18:21-35

Snake in the Den!

Late Friday night, after putting Shiphrah down to sleep, I saw what I thought was a broken shoe string on the floor. When I got closer I saw what it really was! Click on the picture to see it larger. It was probably about 8 inches long.

Jeramy killing said snake with a 10 ft. pole, no shotgun.

Yep, it's dead now. But anxiety still looms. I'm sure there are others out there, ready to enter our home. And how did it get in? We only have best guesses.

The LORD God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,

Cursed are you more than all cattle,

And more than every beast of the field;

On your belly you will go,

And dust you will eat

All the days of your life;

And I will put enmity

Between you and the woman,

And between your seed and her seed;

He shall bruise you on the head,

And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Genesis 3:14-15

"Where Do You Work?" Asks the Young Man

Answers the middle-aged mother of three, "I stay home."

"Whew! That's a full-time job."

"Yeah. Full-time. Over time. All the time."

..........

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

Galatians 6:9

But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.

2 Thessalonians 3:13

Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one's labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; fir this is his reward. Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-19

There Is No Silver Bullet

The deepest need that you and I have in weakness and adversity is not quick relief, but the well-grounded confidence that what is happening to us is part of the greatest purpose of God in the universe – the glorification of the grace and power of his Son - the grace and power that bore Him to the cross and kept him there until the work of love was done.

~ John Piper

In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.

Ephesians 1:8b-10

Be Angry & Do Not Sin, part 2 of 2

The following is the second portion of notes given from Brian Dempsey, the teaching elder at Christ Reformed Church, Lawrenceville GA. This study has impacted me and I just wanted to share. :-)

What Makes Us Angry That Shouldn't

• Violation of rights
• Disappointment with station in life
• Blocked goals
• Irritations
• Feeling misunderstood
• Unrealistic expectations
• Pathological/Psychological

Responding to Anger

• Keep control. "A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back." Proverbs 29:11, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23
• Overlook offenses. "A man's discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression." Proverbs 19:11
• Avoid angry men. "Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man, Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself." Proverbs 22:24-25
• Appease anger. "A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1

In what ways do we sinfully express anger?

A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.

Proverbs 29:11

A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.

Proverbs 29:22

A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.

Proverbs 14:17

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.

James 4:1-2

Bitterness, fits of anger, sullenness, harsh words, overreactions, striking out, argumentativeness, profanity, resentment, withdrawal of affection/presence, etc.

How do we keep from sinning when we are angry?

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

James 1:19-20

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

Proverbs 19:11

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

Colossians 3:8

A soft answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:1

Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Proverbs 16:32

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

Proverbs 25:28

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Ephesians 6:11

When anger is present, no matter if the cause is offense from personal, selfish motives or holy, righteous ones, the response/expression of anger should be righteous. Our anger should propel us to do something righteous that will glorify God. We must learn to act with wisdom, discretion and self-control.

Do not let the sun go down on your anger. It doesn't mean that the issue must be resolved before bedtime - but to check the status of your attitude so that you are not responding with a sinful attitude even if the dispute/discussion continues for some time. Your attitude before God must be one that pleases him.

Venting anger and frustration only exacerbates the habit and practice of responding sinfully in anger. These are the fits and outbursts of wrath that are deeds of the flesh listed in Galatians 5:19-21. Those who practice these things do not inherit eternal life. Christ came and died to sin that we would be free from the bondage of sin.

Be Angry & Do Not Sin, part 1

The following is a portion of notes given from Brian Dempsey, the teaching elder at Christ Reformed Church, Lawrenceville GA. This study has impacted me and I just wanted to share. :-)

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Ephesians 4:26-27

This verse is quoted verbatim from Psalm 4:4.

What makes you angry?

How often do you get angry?

With whom do you get angry?

How do you express your anger?

Where do you get angry?

Are there places where your anger is restrained?

Be Angry - it is a command. Some see it as a "when/if" but it's better to see it as a positive recognition that anger is a God-given emotion that is not, in and of itself, bad. It's okay to be angry. You will get angry and you should get angry at those same things that anger a holy God.

Anger is (not) in itself sinful, but . . . it may be the occasion for sin. The issue of self-control is the question of how we deal with anger. Violence, tantrums, bitterness, resentment, hostility, and even withdrawn silence are all sinful responses to anger. ~R.C. Sproul

And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

Mark 3:5

Do Not Sin - Here is the qualification. Notice, the command is not, "Do not be angry." We are not commanded to destroy our anger, but to sanctify it.

Pride is one chief cause of undue anger. It is because men are proud, and exalt themselves in their own hearts, that they are revengeful, and are apt to be excited, and to make great things out of little ones that may be against themselves. Yea, they even treat as vices things that are in themselves virtues, when they think their honor is touched, or when their will is crossed. And it is pride that makes men so unreasonable and rash in their anger, and raises it to such a high degree, and continues it so long, and often keeps it up in the form of habitual malice . . . If men sought not chiefly their own private and selfish interests, but the glory of God and the common good, then their spirit would be a great deal more stirred up in God's cause then in their own; and they would not be prone to hasty, rash, inconsiderate, immoderate, and long-continued wrath, with any who might have injured or provoked them; but they would in a great measure forget themselves for God's sake, and from their zeal for the honor of Christ. The end they would aim at, would be, not making themselves great, or getting their own will, but the glory of God and the good of their fellow-beings. ~Jonathan Edwards, The Spirit of Love the Opposite of An Angry or Wrathful Spirit

Before & After

Psalm 123

To You I lift up my eyes,

O You who are enthroned in the heavens!

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,

As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,

So our eyes look to the LORD our God,

Until He is gracious to us.

Be gracious to us, O LORD, be gracious to us,

For we are greatly filled with contempt.

Our soul is greatly filled

With the scoffing of those who are at ease,

And with the contempt of the proud.

Psalm 126

When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion,

We were like those who dream.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter

And our tongue with joyful shouting;

Then they said among the nations,

"The LORD has done great things for them."

The LORD has done great things for us;

We are glad.

Restore our captivity, O LORD,

As the streams in the South.

Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.

He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed,

Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Mommy-couragement

Last week Jeramy and I heard a sermon that really encouraged us from Mark 6:31-44. (The sermon is not yet uploaded on the website, but check back HERE to listen to this great message from God's Word.)

What I noticed in this passage is that Christ recognized their need for rest. Notice that they could not even eat in peace and they were constantly on the go. They were so physically and emotionally drained that they were crying out for rest and Christ recognized that. He even commanded that they go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to rest. But instead of getting a much needed rest, they were met (or bombarded) with a great group of people. Instead of getting angry or bitter, it says that Christ had compassion on them!

When I need a break from the demands, whining and complaining of raising my children, finding compassion for them when my own physical needs are being neglected is difficult. (And I know that I'm not being pushed nearly as much as they probably were.) But the Holy Spirit encouraged me this afternoon with this passage from John chapter 14:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.

Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

Because Christ has regenerated my heart and allowed me to have faith in Him, I am able to have compassion in those really tired draining moments. And I will be able to do works "even greater than these"!

Oh Lord, give me grace so that I may obey Your word and glorify Your name.

A Giveaway!

Sometimes, I get frustrated listening to Christian radio. Does that ever happen to you? You hear, what seems like, the same songs over and over and you have to deconstruct the text in order to be somewhat edified by it or worship through it. Then after about 30 minutes you get mentally and spiritually tired of working so hard that you just shut it off and go with silence.

The contemporary Christian music (CCM) on the radio is entertaining, but not really edifying. We get into the beat and bump along. We like the soaring strings and the wailing guitars. We like to make our voices sound like the artist and even use our hairbrushes or cell phones for microphones. :-) But are such songs appropriate for corporate worship? A song is only as good as the theology it reveals in its lyrics. The power behind the song is in the words, not the rhythm, not the melody, not the harmony, not the "strings that make you cry," and not the voice of the artist.

As believers we are commanded to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. How many congregations sing the Psalms? Are there psalters available in our pews? Are our song sets filled with rich texts on which we can meditate on the vastness of God?

Great songs and hymns are Biblical. They use Biblical language, are not sensual, nor are they vague. An example of sensual language would be, "I'm so in love with you." Yes, there are times when our affection for God just soars and we cannot adequately put into words what we are trying to express -- but let's just try and find something specific for God, not something we say to our boyfriend, fiance or spouse.

Biblical language and phrases call the Scriptures to remembrance and cause us to go searching for them and their context. For instance,

Speak, O Lord as we come to You

To receive the food of Your holy Word. (Matt 4:4)

Take Your truth, plant it deep in us. (Jer 31:33)

Shape and fashion us in Your likeness (Rom 12:2, 2 Cor 3:18)

That the light of Christ might be seen today (2 Cor 4:4)

In our acts of love and our deeds of faith. (1 Thess 1:3)

Words of power that can never fail. (Josh 23:14, Is 55:11)

Let their truth prevail over unbelief.

Great hymns and songs also communicate and teach Truth, help our memory, encourage, edify, and focus on God and His attributes.

Do you choose to listen to great hymns and songs?

Well, here's your chance! In honor of this, my 500th post, I'm hosting a giveaway! I'm excited to give away some of these great hymns older and more modern in two CD's. The first is the album, In Christ Alone, by Keith and Kristyn Getty. These are modern hymns and most of them we sing in our church. This CD is like the best hits of the Getty/Townend combo. The second CD is from Sovereign Grace Ministries headed by Bob Kauflin. The Upward album features several older hymns rich in encouragement and edification with a modern, up-to-date sound! The Songs for the Cross Centered Life album is awesome too! You can choose between the Upward album or the Songs for the Cross Centered Life album if you win. Anyone, anywhere can enter except my Mom or Jeramy -- even you closet readers.

To enter my giveaway you can:

1. Post a comment and tell me which Sovereign Grace album you want if you win.
2. Post about this giveaway on your blog and give me the link in a comment.
3. Write about a great hymn or song with the Scripture references and how it impacts you (either in a blog post or in a comment on this post) -- no limits. :-) You get one entry per song or hymn you submit.

This giveaway contest is open through Friday 15 October. Then I will randomly select a winner. Not luck but God's providence to you.

Yay! Spread the good Christian music!!

Great Hymns Challenge Us

When Trials Come

When trials come no longer fear

for in the pain our God draws near

to fire a faith worth more than gold

and there His faithfulness is told;

and there His faithfulness is told.

This song has come into my remembrance lately as our family is still making adjustments to our newest addition. I was meditating on this verse the other night around 3 a.m. or so and considered this: God's faithfulness.

What is God faithful to do?

Or, to whom is God faithful?

God is faithful to Himself -- to His own will. It is by the nature and virtue of His perfect being and character. His wisdom is infinite and perfectly holy.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Corinthians 1:25

So then the question is: what is God's will, as He is faithful to perform?

For this is the will of God, your sanctification . . .

1 Thessalonians 4:3

And since God is jealous for His own glory and in everything He does, He discloses some aspect of His glory, how is it that He would sanctify us? Not by our will and our way, because then we could have some room to boast in our own holiness. No. God is faithful to sanctify us using His means, His methods and according to His will, not ours. It's not about us. We are not in control. We do not have all power; if we did, we would not rely on Him at all for anything. There are no excuses we can make that give us a license to behave in an unholy, ungodly manner. We are still commanded and expected, as children of God, to obey our heavenly Father. "God says, "Obey."

God's Grace on a Tuesday

Last Tuesday, Mom planned to drive back up to Virginia for one more visit before beginning work at her new job. All the preparations were made and she set out early in the morning. As she was driving up the highway, not more than 50 miles, she began to feel dizzy and noticed some kind of visible fumes coming out of her air conditioning vents. She also realized that she had been following a carbon monoxide truck for quite some time.

After turning the A/C off and opening the windows, she decided that she needed to pull over when she could no longer read the writing on the road signs. She pulled off at an exit near Jefferson into a Waffle House parking lot. After resting a few minutes in the car she realized that her condition was not improving and she needed an ambulance. She was able to step out of the vehicle and enter the Waffle House before collapsing on the floor with a fully conscious seizure.

The employees called an ambulance which came and took her to the hospital. We met her in the ER and she appeared, in all respects, to be normal. The EMT personnel did not give her any medication and she seemed to recover on her own. After only a few hours of collecting blood work and performing other tests, the ER discharged her and we took her home.

The next day the mechanic found nothing wrong with her vehicle and concluded that it was safe to drive. The day after, Friday, Mom's follow-up appointment with the doctor indicated that her episode was consistent with carbon monoxide poisoning and should not produce any long-term side effects.

Praise the Lord!

So many other things could have happened! This situation could have ended much, much worse than it did! God's grace is great and amazing! We know that He still has some work for my Mom to do, more time to learn, be sanctified and to glorify our God in heaven! He is sovereign, even if the circumstances were drastically different. Let us trust in Him.

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."

James 4:13-15

A Quote on Contentment

Contentment is an inward grace given by God that results in a mindset of being satisfied to stay in your circumstances for as long as God wills.

Biblical Principles on Contentment

1. We can learn to be content no matter how tough things are because God will help us. Phil 4:11-13
2. We are to be content with the necessities of life. 1 Tim 6:8
3. Be content with what you have today. Focus on seeking God and pleasing Him. Matt 6:25 and 33
4. A person who is content does not complain. 1 Cor 10:9-10 and Phil 2:14-16
5. True contentment means we do not have to sin against God. Job 1:20-22 and Job 6:10

Martha Peace. Attitudes of a Transformed Heart. pp 165-167.

Multitude Monday

Bring my soul out of prison,

So that I may give thanks to Your name;

The righteous will surround me,

For You will deal bountifully with me.

Psalm 142:7

Reasons to be thankful:

476. Four more weeks of potentially uninterrupted nighttime sleep before the baby comes.

477. No pain or discomfort in my swollen feet/ankles.

478. The swelling has decreased over night.

479. Willing little people who pick up things off of the floor.

480. A husband who doesn't complain about bathing our children.

481. Complete contentment in the atoning sacrifice of Christ no matter the current life circumstances.

482. After 13 months my Mother FINALLY has a job!

483. The opportunity as a black woman to vote.

484. Mandates from God's Word that tell me what to think about. Ps 143:5, Ps 145:5, Phil 4:8

485. That I'm not the only parent with whining, disobedient toddlers.

What are you thankful for?

Lies in July

Here is a recent video produced by The Radiance Foundation. The proclamation that life only begins when the mother wants it to is one of the great lies of our time. The truth is that life begins when God wants it to - at conception. He opens and closes the womb as He sees fit.

The original mandate made through Moses: an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, life for life - was first in the context of a woman with child. If she were injured and the child died, whomever was the responsible person(s) were to be executed! God values life in the womb the same as any other life out of the womb. That's the truth.

When will there be justice?

Lord take your vengeance quickly.

Whoever sheds man's blood,

By man his blood shall be shed,

For in the image of God He made man.

Genesis 9:6

Martha Peace on Thoughts & Attitudes

If you struggle with a bad attitude more often than you would like (like me) then the following excerpt may put it in perspective. One of the most impacting things I've learned from this book is that our thoughts have a direct correlation to our attitudes. (That should be a no-brainer, right?!) If our thoughts are holy, good, pure, honorable, positive, etc, then our attitude will follow suit. If not, then the opposite happens. Taking our thought lives captive to the obedience of Christ is the first crucial step toward gaining victory over our attitudes. Remember, God is HOLY and for just one, single, solitary sin Adam and Eve were cast out of God's presence and we find ourselves in our current sinful, "dead in trespasses" state and pass it on to our progeny. It is a serious matter to honor and obey God in this way and if you haven't committed your thought life to the Lord Jesus Christ, I commend you to repent now.

The battle that God's soldiers fight is for their minds to think the way that God would have them think - taking their wrong thoughts captive out of respect and obedience to their Lord, Jesus Christ. Thoughts, ideas, speculations, reasonings, philosophies, and false religions are our battle. It is a battle that is daily and ongoing until we go to be with the Lord. It is a battle that is fought by means of God's power through prayer and study of the Scriptures. The results are a renewed mind that thinks rightly, thus taking "every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

One of the ways that, by God's grace, we develop a renewed mind is by preparing ahead of time what we are going to think during a difficult situation.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:13, emphasis added

The apostle Peter wrote his letter (1 Peter) to Christians scattered throughout various Roman provinces. The persecution against Christians had heated up and would eventually become extreme. There is tremendous hope in Peter's letter that must have sent their emotions soaring as he wrote about the "precious blood, as of a Lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:19). There is also a very sobering call to prepare mentally for the coming persecution and in the meantime to live a holy life entrusting their souls to their "faithful Creator in doing what s right" (1 Peter 4:19). Peter was trying to prepare them ahead of time so that when the trials came they would think righty through them and give God great glory. It was as if Peter was telling them, "I have some really bad news and you need to prepare yourself for it - great persecution is coming and God will test your faith to see if it is genuine. He will give some of you a great privilege to suffer for His sake. You need to think about this now so that you will honor our Lord when the time actually comes."

Fearful people do not trust God. Instead of thinking through a possible future difficulty "fixing their hope completely on the grace to be brought to them," they let their thoughts wallow in the negative what-ifs (1 Peter 1:13). "What if this happens? What if that happens? I won't be able to bear it. I can't take it! I just know something horrible is going to happen!!" They worry and fret and panic about things that usually don't happen. Instead they should think that if a difficult or even extreme circumstance occurs, God is all powerful and faithful to keep His promises. Therefore, they can trust God completely knowing He would give them the grace they would need if such a difficulty arose. He is so good. He will not let His children be "tempted beyond what [they] are able to bear" (1 Corinthians 10:13, adaptation added). Therefore (as Peter said), prepare your mind through trusting God, and in the meanwhile live a godly, righteous life.

Excerpt from Attitudes of a Transformed Heart by Martha Peace pages 134-135. Copyright 2002 Focus Publishing, Inc. ISBN 1-885904-28-2. 134-135.