A Forgotten Promise: Part Two

If It Were Not So: A Forgotten Promise – Part Two

John 14:15

 “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

The second argument that people will site for not keeping the Sabbath is that keeping the Sabbath is legalistic and no one can “work their way to heaven” so it doesn’t really matter which day we go to church.

I agree that no can work their way to heaven. The only thing that makes us righteous before God is Jesus’ blood covering our sins. HE is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is the only way.

Our belief in Him, our relationship with Him, is all that can ultimately save us from eternal death. However just because we are saved by grace does not give us license to break God’s holy law. One would never say it was okay to kill or steal or commit adultery, so why would anyone say it is okay to break God’s fourth commandment?

What did Jesus say? The Bible says:

 “If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15

 “He who says, ‘I know him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

1 John 2:4

 

     And that is not all the Bible says about commandment keeping. God never changes and so,  He promises:

 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding you own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.”

Isaiah 58:13,14

     The third argument that people use when trying to justify not keeping the Sabbath is that Jesus’ death on the cross did away with the law. When Jesus died, he did do away with the ceremonial laws such as sacrificing an unblemished lamb. The reason these laws were done away with is because they each pointed to Jesus. Once Jesus had died for our sins we no longer needed to transfer our sins to a sacrificial lamb because our sins were now transferred to Christ Himself.

God’s holy law, the Ten Commandments, have always been and always will be. His holy law is eternal, never changing. The Bible tells us:

“Do not think that I came to destroy the law.”

 Matthew 5:17

“It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.” Luke 16:17

“Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin (break the law) because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” Romans 6:14, 15

“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea we establish the law.” Romans 3:31

“For I am the LORD, I change not…” Malachi 3:6

     Would God really change His mind about the Sabbath? Would He change His mind… and then forget to mention it in His Word?

As believers we have an even higher standard to meet. We, as Christ’s followers are to be the shining example in a world that is sinful. We have a great responsibility to uphold the law of God.

It’s like this: Let’s say you are driving along, over the speed limit, and a police officer pulls you over. You know you did wrong and you tell the officer you are sorry. He forgives you and rather than issue a ticket warns you not to speed again. Are you going to pull back out on the road and speed off? Or are you going to obey the speed limit? You are now under the officer’s grace, and you are thankful so you obey the law. The law is still there. You still have broken the law, but you were forgiven.

Christians have a double obligation to keep God’s law! We are to be an example of holy living to the rest of the world.

     The fourth argument people use to say that we do not need to keep the fourth commandment is that as sinners it is impossible to keep God’s law so why try. This is a little ridiculous because if you asked someone if it was possible to not kill or not steal or not commit adultery they would say, “Yes!” You see, no one has a problem with the 1^st commandment or the 10^th commandment or any of the ones in between except the fourth.

No one is perfect. In fact everyone born since the time of Adam and Eve has been born a sinner. The book of Romans tells us that “all have fallen short.” So we all are in need of a Savior.

Since we are all sinners, does that mean we cannot keep the law or should not do our best to keep God’s law? As believers it seems to me that we should do everything we can to keep God’s law and when we fall short we should repent and do our best to do better in the future. The Bible says:

“If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:3

“I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts.” Hebrews 8:10

“I can do all things through Christ.” Philippians 4:13

“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God.” Revelation 14:12

 

What is so wonderful about having a relationship with Jesus is that it causes us to desire His will. We want to obey Him. Keeping God’s law to the best of our ability is something we do because of the awesome gift He gave to us. Jesus died a horrible death – for me! The least I can do is do what he asks of me as best as I can.

By keeping God’s law, we are showing the world our faith.  By obeying God we are demonstrating our faith. The Bible tells us that:

“But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” James 2:20- 24

     I find the above passage amazing. As Christians we have an obligation to do more than simply believe there is a God or that Jesus died so that I might have eternal life. For even Satan knows what Jesus has done. Satan does not have the will to obey God’s law – that is why he fell in the first place.

“Do you still think it’s enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that a faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?”

James 2:19-20 (NLT)

Come back tomorrow for Part Three of A Forgotten Promise, part of the If It Were Not So… Series.

A Forgotten Promise: Part One

If It Were Not So: A Forgotten Promise – Part One

Isaiah 58:14

“Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”

     The Bible is filled with many beautiful promises. So often when we are reading Scripture, we forget to really look at God’s promises. There are many instances in which God has given us conditional promises – i.e. If you do this… I will do this… The Sabbath day is one such promise.

I was not taught about the fourth commandment as a child. Yes, I read the 10 Commandments. I heard them spoken of. I knew it was important to keep God’s law. But I was also taught other things. I was taught that God’s law was not eternal. I was taught that His law had been nailed to the cross and was not longer truly applicable in my life.

It was not until I met my future husband, Mykal, who believed in following all of God’s Commandments that I began to understand – really understand – God’s plan for this world. Mykal was a Sabbath keeper. In other words, he kept the seventh-day Sabbath just as Jesus did during His life here on earth. It was something I had never studied and so I began an exciting foray into the Scriptures to learn just what God wanted me to understand. It was then that I realized how much I wanted to live a Biblical life. To really follow the Word of God and not the ideas of men.

The Sabbath has become such a beautiful, integral part of my life. It is hard to explain, but it is the highlight of my week. I look forward to the Sabbath above any other event or celebration in my life. The Sabbath is a 24 hour period set aside solely to worship my Savior and focus on my family without the pressures of work or other matters in life. For 24 hours, we can come aside to simply be with our Creator, the one who gives each of us the breath of life.

Most people do not want to take the time to follow God’s commandments. It is easier to continue in the path they have been following their entire lives. However, once a person realizes and understands the blessing that the Sabbath presents, their lives are changed forever.

Over the last few years I have noticed a number of common arguments or assumptions used by people when I discuss the Sabbath with them. I decided to simply go through each one here. I want to be clear and make no assumptions on my own part so that you can see what the Bible has to say on this subject.

From the Bible we know that God’s law, the Ten Commandments were special. They were different from the Mosaic laws which showed the Israelites how to keep the law. The Israelites were a very stubborn people who easily forgot how much God had done for them. The Mosaic laws were needed to remind them of the wretchedness of sin.

The Ten Commandments were written by God’s own finger. The stone tablets were placed inside the ark of the covenant and the Mosaic laws were placed on the outside of the ark. This showed God’s people the sacredness of God’s law. God told us that His words would not be altered or changed.

  “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” Psalm 89:34

 

     When I first began keeping the Sabbath, it was hard. I was so used to being busy, that I had to force myself to stop. Just STOP. No TV, no shopping, nothing secular, no work, no housework, etc. The Bible says:

 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days thou shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work … For in six days the Lord made the heavens and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11

     Most people will say that the Sabbath is for the Jews only. However, you can see in the verses above that God blessed the Sabbath day at the time of Creation – before the Jewish people existed. God knew we would forget and he asked us to remember.

God’s law has always been and always will be. It is the law of Heaven. When Satan fell, it was because he had broken God’s law. We know this because without God’s holy law there can be no sin. The law tells us what sin is. The Bible says:

 “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20

 “… for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4

 

     We know that Abraham kept God’s commandments.

 “Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” Genesis 26:5

     And if God’s law was not in existence at the time of creation, how would Cain have known that killing his brother was a sin? He knew because sin is the transgression of the law.

It is impossible to commit a sin and not break one of God’s laws. The Bible tells us that:

 “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” Psalm 19:7

 “I delight to do your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8

“Happy is he who keeps the law.” Proverbs 29:18

Come back tomorrow for Part Two of A Forgotten Promise!

Hope in Christ: Part Two

If It Were Not So: Hope in Christ – Part Two

Psalm 62:5

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.”

This article is Continued from Hope in Christ: Part One and is part of the If It Were Not So… Series

Is it possible for one of God’s chosen to be deceived? Eve in her perfect form, not yet a sinful creature, a child of God was deceived!

Christians flippantly talk about “getting saved” or make statements such as, “He got saved last night.” I don’t deny the fact that a person can have a life changing moment and receive his eternal salvation. What I am talking about it those times when an alter call is made, a young person goes down the aisle and confesses Jesus as his Lord and Savior and then weeks from that night has shown no change in their behavior.

When we confess our sins before God and ask him to come into our lives there is work to be done! We cannot expect to receive the covering of Jesus blood if we do not bear fruit. The Bible says,

“Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:19-21

 

     Salvation is given by grace to those who believe. There is nothing I or you can do save our selves. In fact, we could live as a monk alone in a monastery with no one to talk to and we would still be transgressors of God’s law in need of the blood of the Lamb.

So, where do works and good fruits come into play? Is it possible to lose your salvation? How do we know we are saved? Can we know we are saved?

These are very important questions to ask! We CAN know we are saved. The Bible says,

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:13 

     As with any heart issue – it is not what you do, but what is in your heart! God does know the difference, so we need not worry that He won’t make the right judgment.

When Jesus came, he lived a perfect life, free of sin. He set an example that we as His believers are to follow to the best of our ability. True repentance means that we are convicted of a sin and we ask forgiveness and seek out God’s will for our lives on a daily basis. It does not mean we will not make mistakes, however, it does mean we will grieve in our hearts at our own sin. We will understand that every time we sin, we are breaking God’s heart all over again. Jesus died for me! He DIED for me. He died that second death talked of in Revelation.

“The fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8

“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27:45,46

Matthew Henry says, concerning the death of Christ, “During the three hours which the darkness continued, Jesus was in agony, wrestling with the powers of darkness, and suffering his Father’s displeasure against the sin of man, for which he was now making his soul an offering. Never were there three such hours since the day God created man upon the earth, never such a dark and awful scene; it was the turning point of that great affair, man’s redemption and salvation.”

You see, Jesus did not just die. He felt God’s separation from Him. He felt that separation, that displeasure from God that all unbelievers will feel on the judgment day.

Jesus’ heart aches when we sin against Him. Obedience to Him is not a lot to ask! And ask He did. Jesus said,

“If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15

 

Jesus commands us to obedience. He asks that we follow Him – not just believe in Him. James 2 tells us:

“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:19,20

Not everyone who believes in Jesus will enter the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus said,

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:23

 

The verse above leads me to believe that there will be some who go to church every week who will not enter into the gates of Heaven because despite their professed faith, they simply never truly followed God.

The Bible says:

 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6:24

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”  Philippians 4:8

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  Romans 12:1,2

     We are told to present our lives as holy and acceptable to God. To be transformed! We are told to live in this world but not be a part of this world. Have you come to a place in your life where nothing matters more than what God thinks? If you love this world more than you love God, you are in trouble.

What can you say is different and holy in your life that an unbeliever cannot? Are you really different, or set apart from the world? Or are you living like the world, but simply going to church each week? You are to present your bodies as a living sacrifice!

Jesus is coming to take His people home very soon. Are you ready? If you knew that Jesus would return in 6 months would you change anything you do? Think about it.

Satan is waiting each day to trip you up. It is so important that you arm yourself with the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Know what your Bible says! Commit it to your heart today.

 

“Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.” Ephesians 5:6

     Do not forsake God’s Word because you are busy or you think it is boring or because you trust your pastor or other trusted adviser (including myself) to teach it to you. You need to read the Bible for yourself. Study it carefully. Don’t assume that what you think you know about the Bible is actually founded on Scripture. Know what you believe, but more importantly – why you believe it.  Stand firm on God’s Word.

Hope in Christ: Part One

If It Were Not So: Hope in Christ – Part One

Psalm 78:6,7

“That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.”

One of the greatest lessons I ever learned was that no matter how wretched I think I am, how much I mess things up, or how much I wish I could change, God’s grace is much bigger than I.

In the beginning we are told of God’s beautiful creation. We read in Genesis that God spoke and a world was born. He looked around and saw that everything was good. No matter how much beauty we see in this world today, that beauty is always tainted by sin. Yet, when God created this world, that very first week, nothing was marred. Nothing was wilted, dying, or dried up. Instead, the world was full of lush goodness. Everything He formed had His mark of love.

God was not content with simply creating a beautiful world full of living things. He wanted more than that. He wanted you and I. And so on the sixth day of His work, God fashioned a man. He created that man, Adam, in His own image – that man might have His likeness. He created that man to be His friend. He wanted to have a relationship with him. He wanted this man to enjoy the created world and to be happy. God created man and, for man’s own happiness, He created a woman, Eve, to be his companion.

God knew that the beauty, the joy and the peace would be short lived, but that knowledge did not prevent Him from continuing with His work. You see, God knew Eve would disobey and that His beautiful creation would need to be separated from Him. Yet, He loved them so much that He allowed them to have their own free will and choose whether they would listen and obey.

There had been war in heaven and Lucifer, the most beautiful of all angels had sinned against God. He had boasted and cried out to the heavens that he would be like the Most High God. Lucifer exalted himself before all of creation and God had cast him away.

When God’s work was done and He had rested the seventh day, He gave instructions to Adam and Eve. In the midst of the Garden of Eden, was the Tree of Life and another tree, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God said they might freely eat of every tree in the garden, but that the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was not to be touched.

One day Eve was walking through the garden and a serpent called out to her:

 “’Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’” Genesis 3:1

     I would imagine that Eve was surprised at first. She probably had a small voice inside of her saying, “Don’t talk to him!” But for whatever reason, Eve stepped closer and listened.

“And the woman said unto the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in  the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.’” Genesis 3:2-3

     She knew what God had said. She had known only love and goodness since the day she was created. And, still, she doubted Him. She listened to the serpent.

 “And the serpent said unto the woman, ‘Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.’” Genesis 3:4

 

Satan was persuading her, deceiving a child of God. He was leading her in the wrong direction. He was convincing her not to believe God’s Word. And so she thought about it. And she believed the serpent.

 “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat…” Genesis 3:6

     I can’t imagine how she felt. Then again – I am full of sin. I have tasted sin. I know what sin is. Perhaps she felt a sense of power, or a sense of shame, or maybe she got a rush of adrenalin the way men and women often do when they think they have gotten away with a sin. Whatever she felt inside, it didn’t stop her from pulling her husband to sin with her.

“… and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.” Genesis 3:6-7

 

     Adam, while he was not the one to initiate the sin, partook fully by taking the fruit from her hands and putting it to his lips. He chose Eve over God. Here he was enjoying another perfect day in the Garden of Eden when he sees his wife coming toward him. He must have known immediately that something was wrong. The covering of God’s light had disappeared from her and she was naked before him – no longer an image of perfection.

I can imagine his face falling as he looked over the woman he loved. The woman who had been given solely for his pleasure; for his devotion; for his companion. “Eve,” he cried out, “What have you done?” She would have explained the story to him, telling him about the serpent who had spoken to her. Telling him that the fruit was good for food, that God had not told them the truth. And he reached out his hand and grasped the fruit, knowing he would die. He had loved Eve more than he loved God.

Their eyes were opened. And they were afraid. Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves to hide their shame. Fear caused them to hide from their Creator. And when God called to them, they didn’t take the blame on themselves. They placed the burden of sin on someone else.

 “And the man said, ‘The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat’. And the LORD God said unto the woman, ‘What is this that thou hast done?’ And the woman said, ‘The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.’” Genesis 3:12-13

 

     On the day of judgment, we will each have to stand on our own. We will not be able to blame our spouse, our parents, or our miserable circumstances. We will stand alone and accept responsibility for our own sin.

This sad story has a beautiful ending – a promise. God had known before he even spoke the first words; calling the world into existence; that His beloved children would sin against Him. He knew their disobedience would come. And He had a plan already in place.

“And the LORD God said unto the serpent, ‘Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast  of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat  all the days of thy life:

 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.‘” Genesis 3:14-15

     In this verse, at the very beginning of the Bible, we see God’s first promise of a Savior. He knew we would need a way out. In His loving grace and mercy, a plan was set in motion that would give the entire world a chance to come unto Him again, to live in His presence.

And so we are given the incredible gift of Christ Jesus, the unblemished Lamb who was slain. Jesus died that second death that would keep us from God for all eternity. And he conquered death and rose again. He is waiting to take us home. For now, we each have a choice to make. We can either follow Him, or we can choose a different path, but the choice is ours.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”    

John 3:16-21

    On the day of judgment, will you stand naked before God? Or will you have the covering of Jesus blood making you righteous in His sight? It is ever so important to study God’s Word – to hide His Word in your heart. The Devil, the old serpent knows your weakest points and he is the master of deception. Do not allow the evil one to deceive you for you were chosen by God and HE wants you for His own.

Remembering the Word

I found this question on our A Virtuous Woman Facebook Group page and wanted to share the question and some of the wonderful answers with you:

Hi Ladies!

Can I ask some of you.. I’m about to have some quiet time/word time with the Lord. but usually I don’t remember what i read later on in the day… when my husband asks me what did i read today i tell him something about Jesus doing this or something like that… any tips on to get real efficient word time? TY!

- Stephanie

• I’ve found that reading it together with my hubby, and having dialog in what’s being spoken to each of us as we’re reading, REALLY makes the Word come alive & leaves God’s handprint on my heart & in my mind!

 

• what translation are you reading? sometimes I will also check the amplified version, or some times the message ~ they are more “modern” language and often times makes it a bit more ‘relatable’

 

• Journal what you think God was saying to you.

 

• Dear Stephanie…Your hunger and discipline in reading His Word is SO refreshing! I find that reading a SHORT 2 or 3 verses, meditating upon them, asking the Holy Spirit what it is that you should receive from those few verses and then WRITING a HeartSong ( what it meant to you personally and how it will change you if needed) helps…gentle hugs and blessings this day

 

• I even take notes in church!!!! Love My notebook and HeartSongs!!!!

 

• The best way to understand the bible is to pray before you start reading it. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you his wisdom, his knowledge and his understanding. Ask him to speak to you through whatever you are directing. Ask him to direct you to a scripture that will help you. Have a note book. Write notes. If you don’t understand sometime, ask the Holy Spirit for clarification. Don’t just read the bible but study the bible. Pray.

 

• I agree prayer along with reading helps me. Keeping it short also helped me in the beginning. Writing, taking notes, also if you have someone close to you also on this journey and you can pair up, even your husband. Pick two or three verses and then talk about them together ask one another what they got out of the verses, how it helped their focus, anything along those lines I believe will help. Please keep us informed let us know how you are doing.

 

If you haven’t joined our Facebook Group, be sure to do so!

Standing Firm

If It Were Not So: Introduction

2 Thessalonians 2:15

“With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on everything we taught you both in person and by letter.”

As a child, I remember my parents taking me to church each week. I remember going to Sunday School with all the other boys and girls and learning about Jesus. I remember the first verse I hid in my heart.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

     I also remember giving my heart to Jesus and the overwhelming joy I felt. I am thankful for those years as they laid down the foundation of faith that would bring me out of the darkest hours of my life when I once again committed my life to Christ after years of drifting away.

It would only be after my life fell apart that I would find a real truth in God’s Word and a desire to truly study the Scriptures in depth and begin to wholeheartedly apply His Words in my life.

I am so thankful for God’s everlasting grace and mercy which allowed me to return home to Him and live a life full of victory. It is with a hopeful heart that I write this. I hope that you will search out God in your daily study. I hope that you will seek the truth that is found only in the pages of the Bible. I hope that your heart and soul will be blessed by these words and that God’s promises will shine through.

Standing firm on Gods Word is not always easy – but it is always worth the cost.

 

If It Were Not So… is a Bible study which answers questions you may not have yet asked.

1. Hope in Christ: Part One
2. Hope in Christ: Part Two
3. A Forgotten Promise: Part One
4. A Forgotten Promise: Part Two
5. A Forgotten Promise: Part Three
6. A Forgotten Promise: Part Four
7. A Forgotten Promise: Part Five
8. A Forgotten Promise: Part Six
9. Coming in the Clouds
10. Deception from the Beginning
11. When you know better… do better.

Our 2012 Devotional for Family Worship

 

I’ve been meaning to post this since the beginning of January! In the past we have selected devotional books for the kids that were written specifically for children. And we’ve had some great books over the years. This year we decided to use two adult devotionals book for the whole family during morning and evening worship.

I have been very, very pleased with these books and even our eight year old is enjoying the daily devotions because they speak to the heart. Our morning devotional is Lift Him Up by Ellen White and our evening devotional is The Chosen by Pastor Dwight Nelson. I highly recommend these books for anyone wanting a closer relationship with Jesus!

I think sometimes we underestimate children’s ability to understand the deep things of God. Children are like sponges and they are naturally curious about heaven, God, the Bible, and anything you are willing to share with them. Children can be incredibly wise if given the chance! Bless them with your knowledge, study the Bible alongside them, demonstrate a willingness to know the heart of God.

 

Waiting on God

From Chaos to Calm: Day Forty-Seven

 Waiting on God

 Scripture Memory: “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

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Patience. It is one of the Fruits of the Spirit. It is needed by women everywhere – everyday. Sometimes we lose patience with our children, sometimes we lose patience with our husbands. Sometimes we lose patience with family members, friends, or acquaintances. Far too often we are not patient with our own learning process. We look down on ourselves as failures just waiting for the next big goof.

Christ will provide us with a spirit of patience if we diligently ask Him. He is always quick to give us that which is His will for our lives. Bad habits are not always easily broken, as we have found this to be true throughout this study. But when you press on toward the mark, you will eventually reach your goal!

The kind of patience I want to talk about today is not the kind where you can no longer contain your frustration as your three year old throws yet another temper tantrum. The kind of patience I want to discuss with you today is “Waiting on God.”

One of the hardest lessons I have ever had to learn was how to wait on God. If I am completely honest, I am still learning this lesson. Have you ever prayed for something for days, weeks, months… years? Only to give up and decide God isn’t really listening? One of the greatest joys of my life has been watching prayers that were offered up to our Heavenly Father year after year and year and then, finally, seeing the results of my prayers as God worked to answer them in perfect detail. God’s timing is not always our timing. Sometimes when we feel something is best, God has other plans.

This is one of the reasons I love my prayer journal so much. It gives me the opportunity to go years back and re-read my prayers and see how God has answered them! I hope you are still writing daily in your prayer journal. Years from now, it will offer you hope and peace as you see first hand how God works in your life – often without you ever realizing it!

Ask God to give you patience. Ask Him to show you how to love your family and yourself the way He loves you. God has an endless amount of patience for us!

 

The Heart of Her Husband

With Valentine’s Day approaching in just 14 days… I thought it would be fun to focus on different aspects of the marriage relationship or rather, how you and I can be better wives! Proverbs 31 tells us that the heart of the virtuous woman’s husband could safely trust in her. Does your husband trust you or does his heart lie in fear of what is coming?

1. Do you respect your husband?
2. Do you pray for your husband?
3. Are you a home maker?
4. Can your husband trust you?
5. Are you thankful?
6. Do you go out of your way to be thoughtful to your husband?
7. Do you have a habit of nagging your husband?
8. Express your love with love notes.
9. Do you manipulate your husband?
10. Do you expect your husband to be perfect?
11. Men are basically easy to please. Feed them good food, keep the house clean, and give them plenty of…
12. What do you cook for your husband?
13. You love your husband when you love your kids.
14. Are you a helpmeet?

Protect your marriage. Protect the heart of your husband!

This Year Will Be Different

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