Promises

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again." Then they remembered His words." Luke 24:5-8

"Then they remembered His words." You don't always catch that part of the scripture. How many times have I overlooked it myself. What if they would have remembered His words? Would they have been sitting and watching the tomb all night, waiting for the rock to roll away? If I remembered His words, would I worry about so much or would I wait in expectation of the revealing of His plan?

It's important to memorize and remember His words! There we find peace and hope. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:1-3

Remember His words...  He is alive and He is coming back!

Why is Good Friday so good?

Last week I was preparing the April calendar. There is a picture card for Good Friday with three crosses, and Easter is marked with a lily flower. One of my first graders asked me, “Why is it a Good Friday if He died on the cross that Friday?” The question is a very logically one, and I’m sure there are others who wonder the same thing. Let me explain.

He died because He loves me. “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.” John 3:16-17

He died to save and protect me. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by “Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

He died to get me back. “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” Ephesians 1:7

He died for the joy it would bring. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

Yes, there was extreme pain and overwhelming sorrow, but Good Friday is so sweet because it was the beginning of Easter morning!

Prayer

Prayer! It’s a popular topic in sermons, Sunday school lessons, books, and conversations with friends. Why is prayer so important? Why does it come up among believers and non-believers alike?

For believers it’s our main communication with our Father. We seek His face and His plan. We carry our burdens to Him, sharing our love for Him and our hope in Him. Even non-believers may seek our prayers when they can’t find answers anywhere else.

There are all kinds of prayers and ways to use them. It’s just like a conversation with your best friend Who also rules the world. It’s my most powerful tool that I don’t use as much as I should. How would my life, my friends’ and family’s lives, my circumstances, my world be different if I were more faithful to pray? I hate to think what I’ve missed because I was too lazy or let the enemy keep me too busy to pray.

Many are praying for our nation because of the upcoming elections. Yes, that is an important event, but Scripture tells us to pray for our leadership at all times. Our prayers aren’t just for the next four years, but for His glory and for eternity.

Prayer is a private time between you and the Father, a bonding time for your family, and a public time with the body of believers. This body has many parts and many roles but all for the same Father. The National Day of Prayer is the first Thursday in May. I hope you will seek out a local event on the national website and participate. 

Blessings

For several weeks I've been meditating on blessings, those received and those to share with others. As a new years begins, what a fitting time to remember or realize how much the Father loves His children, and the blessings that can not be lost.
* salvation
* eternal home
* crown of life
* Holy Spirit
* purpose
* peace and hope in Him

My goal for the new year is to daily acknowledge and give thanks for the blessings I receive from Him. I also want to bless others in the opportunities He affords. As the old hymn says,
"Count your blessings, name them one by one
Count your blessings, see what God hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done."

What a great year ahead for us all if we focus on His many blessings and are willing to serve as a blessing to others.

Celebrating the One

As we prepare for the Christmas season, let us be careful not to forget the One we celebrate. Let us keep our focus on Christ and the gifts He gives everyday. Listed below are some suggestions to help display His love to one another, and readings to set our minds on things above.


 1.  Pray as a family for each other and another family.  Luke 1:26-27
 2.  Have a family night of ice skating.  Luke 1:28-30
 3.  Decorate your Christmas tree.  Luke 1:31-32a
 4.  Have a family Christmas movie night with treats.  Luke 1:32b-33
 5.  Perform a "Random Act of Kindness" today.  Luke 1:38
 6.  Make Christmas cards or write letters to family and friends.  Matthew 1:20-21, 24
 7.  Take donations to local Food Bank.  Isaiah 7:14 & Matthew 1:22-23
 8.  Pray as a family for your co-workers and classmates.  Luke 2:1
 9.  Make and hang edible gifts for birds and squirrels.  Luke 2:3-5
10. Make a Christmas treat and deliver to a friend.  Luke 2:6-7
11. Have a family dance night with Christmas music.  Luke 2:8-10
12. Have hot cocoa and cookies with your neighbors.  Luke 2:11-12
13. Leave notes of encouragement around the house.  Luke 2:13-14
14. Make a list of your Christmas wishes for others.  Luke 2:15
15. Pray as a family for your church.  Luke 2:16
16. Wrap Christmas gifts for family and friends.  Luke 2:17-19
17. Have a family bowling night.  Luke 2:20
18. Go Christmas caroling in your neighborhood.  Matthew 2:1
19. Make cookies for a public servant.  Matthew 2:2
20. Have a special lunch with your family.  Matthew 2:9b-10
21. Have a family game night.  Matthew 2:11a
22. Pray as a family for your state and country.  Matthew 2:11b
23. View Christmas lights around town.  John 3:16
24. Bake a birthday cake for Jesus.  Galatians 4:4-5
25. Read the Christmas story together as a family.  Luke 2:1-20

True Love

God is love. 1 John 4:16
Can we truly understand this love? We are made in His image, but I wonder if our flesh doesn’t keep us from fully grasping the measure of this love. Meditate on these:

“In your unfailing love You will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength You will guide them to your holy dwelling.” Exodus 15:13

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep his commands.” Deuteronomy 7:9

“Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies.” Psalm 36:5

“For great is Your love toward me; You have delivered me from the depths of the grave.” Psalm 86:13

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All my days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

“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.” John 3:16

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

“For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.” Ephesians 1:4-5

The Story of Christmas

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 
Luke 2:1-20

Merry Christmas everyone!